Group test: what's the best high-end laptop?

5. Toshiba Qosmio X870-11Q

• Reviewed on: 6 July 12
• RRP: £1699 inc VAT
• Rating:

The Toshiba Qosmio X870 packs an impressive set of high-end components leading to superb applications and graphics performance. Highlights are the quad-core Ivy Bridge processor, highly capable nVidia graphics processor and active 3D technology. Where this laptop falls flatter is its steep price tag, ugly design and toy-like plasticky build quality.

4. Samsung Series 7 Gamer

• Reviewed on: 11 June 12
• RRP: £1440 inc. VAT
• Rating:

Overall the Samsung Series 7 Gamer is a great choice for anyone who needs the best hardware on the go. Though you can find other portable systems that top it in benchmarks, this model manages to stay in an affordable price range. The power and style of the Series 7 Gamer will impress game fans and casual computer users alike. If you are looking to invest in a reasonably priced gaming laptop, look no further.

3. Dell Latitude E6330

• Reviewed on: 28 August 12
• RRP: £1,281 inc VAT
• Rating:

The Dell Latitude E6330 may not be a gaming powerhouse or a sleek Ultrabook, but it's still a good choice for business users. The E6330 is a good performer, and it performs especially well in the areas business users will be interested in—in our tests it posted excellent scores in Web performance, Office productivity, and storage performance, for example. In fact, its storage performance score (404.6) is the best of the ultraportable category. So while the Latitude E6330 is not an ideal choice for watching videos, it's great for performing business-focused tasks such as using Office programs and browsing the Web.

2. Alienware M14x

• Reviewed on: 25 May 12
• RRP: £1398 inc VAT
• Rating:

Although the M14x looks the same as its predecessor – and still looks cool – it’s what's on the inside that counts here. For your hard-earned pounds, this Alienware offers high levels of gaming performance and plenty of connectivity inside a portable shell with a screen big enough for proper gaming sessions.

1. Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display 2.6GHz

• Reviewed on: 13 July 12
• RRP: £2399 inc VAT
• Rating:

The specifications and benchmark results clearly excel yet they fail to define the precision build, meticulous design and the essential comfort of this pioneering laptop. If the £2399 price alarms, know that the £1799 model carries as much class and only its reduced SSD capacity is likely to affect some requirements.