Best workstation laptops in 2024

The best workstation laptops will see you dominate the professional space, whether you're video-editing in 4K or simulating the moon landing.

Throw any graphics-intensive apps at the best workstation laptops and you'll be pleasantly surprised with the results. Many people decide to use the best gaming laptops as an alternative, which can work, but the GPUs in the best workstation laptops are optimized specifically for non-gaming tasks. The CPUs are typically stronger as well, boasting an Intel Core i9 or Intel Xeon processor.

Apps like Adobe Premiere or Blender will work best with a workstation laptop thanks not only to its powerful performance but also a sharp, color-accurate display. Unfortunately, to get the best of the best, you're going to have to fork over a pretty penny (maybe a couple).

Lucky for us, we've just seen a slew of announcements for new workstations at the beginning of the year. Keep an eye out for Yoga Pro 9i and 7i as well as the new MSI Titan (which can totally take the place of a workstation) when they launch this year.

Acquiring the best workstation laptop is not easy nor is it cheap, but we're going to guide you through a number of systems of varying budgets. However, you have to keep in mind your needs as well. Don't buy something now if it's not what you need; it's best to save and wait until there's a sale.

Whether you need a huge, vibrant display or an affordable powerhouse, here are the best workstation laptops you can buy right now.

The quick list

Best overall

Best workstation laptops: HP ZBook Fury 17 G8

(Image credit: Laptop Mag)
Best overall workstation laptop

Specifications

CPU: Intel Xeon W-11955M
GPU: Nvidia RTX A5000
RAM: 64GB
Storage: 1TB SSD
Display: 17.3-inch UHD (3840 x 2160)
Size: 15.7 x 10.5 x 1.1 inches
Weight: 7 pounds

Reasons to buy

+
Gorgeous 17-inch, 4K touchscreen
+
Mind-boggling CPU/GPU performance
+
Integrated fingerprint reader
+
Minimal bloatware

Reasons to avoid

-
Prohibitively expensive

The HP ZBook Fury 17 G8 may be two years old now, but with an Intel Xeon processor and Nvidia RTX A5000 GPU, it's still the best workstation we've gotten our hands on. It has the raw power to stand up to any task, and is overkill for most laptop users.

Unfortunately all that power comes with a hefty price tag, grim battery life, and a 7 pound form factor that is heavy enough to use as a weapon. However, if what you need is the most powerful and semi-mobile machine on the market, the ZBook Fury 17 G8 is your best bet.

In terms of display quality, the 17-inch 4K touchscreen on the ZBook Fury 17 G8 was astoundingly accurate, displaying 161.7% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, which is nearly double the premium laptop average of 84.4%. So for any tasks requiring a high degree of color accuracy, you can't do worse.

It pairs benchmark crushing power with a stunning 17.3-inch touchscreen, enough ports to power your peripherals, and an integrated finger print reader for extra security.

See our full HP ZBook Fury 17 G8 review.

Best value workstation laptop

Best workstation laptops : MSI Katana 15

(Image credit: Future)
Best value workstation laptop

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i7-13620H
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 1TB SSD
Display: 15.6-inch, 1080p
Weight: 8.8 pounds

Reasons to buy

+
Superb RTX 4070-performance
+
Solid productivity scores
+
Affordable for its specs

Reasons to avoid

-
Low peak brightness
-
Lackluster display

While not everyone can replace a workstation laptop with a gaming laptop, gaming hardware is more than sufficient for most content creators' needs. So as long as you aren't designing bridges or working on the latest Pixar film, the MSI Katana 15 will do the job for a fraction of the price.

The Katana 15 leverages the Nvidia RTX 4070 with the powerful Intel Core i7-13620H, which allows this mid-range gaming laptop to keep pace with it's more expensive competitors. The Katana 15 is a more understated gaming laptop, with an all black aluminum chassis and engraved MSI logo on the top lid. While the keyboard does come with customizable RGB lights, you can always tone those down or turn them off if you need to take it to a business meeting or two.

The biggest downside with the MSI Katana 15 is its massive 8.8 pound weight. You will absolutely need a bag with sturdy straps to cart this machine around. The only other downsides are a dim, lackluster display that only covered 46.1% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. So if you need high color accuracy, a proper workstation may be a better choice.

See our full MSI Katana 15 review.

Best long lasting workstation laptop

Best workstation laptops: Dell Precision 5470

(Image credit: Laptop Mag)
Best long lasting workstation laptop

Specifications

Display: 14 inches, 1920 x 1200
CPU: 12th-Gen Intel Core i9-12900H
GPU: Nvidia RTX A1000
RAM: 32GB
Storage: 1TB SSD
Battery Life: 11:39
Weight: 3.3 pounds

Reasons to buy

+
Powerful performance in a premium package
+
Sleek chassis, economical design
+
Beautiful InfinityEdge touchscreen
+
Outstanding battery life

Reasons to avoid

-
Premium price point

The Dell Precision 5470 is a premium laptop that doubles as a casual gaming platform and ad-hoc workstation. It was billed as "the world's smallest, thinnest, and most powerful 14-inch workstation" when it launched, and while that record may no longer stand the Precision 5470 is still the workstation with the best battery life we've seen.

The Precision 5470 packages the same colorful WLED 4K touchscreen and beefy specs as the Precision 5760 in a smaller, more mobile package. With a 12-th gen Intel Core i9-12900H, Nvidia RTX A3000 GPU, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage, this laptop is more than capable of keeping up with a demanding workload.

As for battery life, the Precision 5470 lasted a whopping 11 hours and 39 minutes on the Laptop Mag battery test. It's an impressive battery life for any laptop, but especially a workstation. So if you need a mobile, long lasting workstation the Precision 5470 is the very best choice.

See our full Dell Precision 5470 review.

Best dual-display workstation laptop

Best workstation laptops: Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 (UX582L)

(Image credit: Future)
Best dual-display workstation laptop

Specifications

Display: 15.6-inch, 4K UHD
CPU: Intel Core i9-10980HK
GPU: Nvidia RTX 3070 8GB vRAM
RAM: 32GB
Storage: 1TB SSD
Battery Life: 6:50 - 5:01
Weight: 5.3 pounds

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent build quality
+
Great curb appeal
+
Punchy performance
+
Second display is functional

Reasons to avoid

-
Pricey

More and more dual-display laptops are hitting the market, but few are designed as workstations. The Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 is unique in that sense still, though it may see some competition in the near future. The specs on the Pro Duo are a bit on the olderside, but still pack quite a punch. The Intel Core i9-10980HK CPUand Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU combo had excellent build quality at launch and those specs still hold up today.

The secondary display on the Pro Duo is perfectly functional unlike previous iterations, and between the two monitors you have a solid amount of screen space to manage your workloads. The main display is a 15.6-inch 4K OLED touchscreen with high color accuracy and 143.8% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut. The secondary display also ranked high on the DCI-P3 gamut, with 101.9% coverage. So you can use that lower screen for highly creative tasks as well.

Of course, those two powerful displays come at the cost of the ZenBook Pro Duo's battery life. Lasting only 5 hours and 1 minute on the Laptop Mag battery test with both screens enabled, you can eek out an additional 1 hour and 49 minutes by disabling the second display for a total of 6 hours and 50 minutes.

While that isn't great battery life, it is better than some options on this list. And you get the benefit of dual screens without sacrificing an integrated keyboard.

See our full Asus ZenBook Pro Duo (UX582L) review.

Best single-display workstation laptop

HP ZBook Studio G8 review best workstation laptops

A sleek, lightweight, powerful, top-five content creator mobile workstation, that can get pricey depending on the options you choose (Image credit: Future)
Best single-display workstation laptop

Specifications

Display: 15.6-inch, OLED 4K (3840 x 2160)
CPU: Intel Core i9-11950H
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 6GB vRAM
RAM: 32GB
Storage: 2TB SSD
Battery Life: 4:56
Weight: 3.3 pounds

Reasons to buy

+
Stunning 4K OLED display
+
Powerful overall and gaming performance
+
Comfortable keyboard
+
Good audio

Reasons to avoid

-
Pricey

The HP ZBook Studio G8 holds on the award-winning G7 series styling with more power to tackle increasingly difficult creative projects. With an 11th-Gen Intel Core i9-11950H and Nvidia RTX 3070, the ZBook Studio G8 packs a rather powerful punch. But it's biggest selling point is its gorgeous 4K OLED touchscreen.

The 4K OLED looked great to our eyes, but it also incredibly color accurate to our lab's colorimeter. Covering an impressive 142.5% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, the ZBook Studio blows past the competition, and easily beats the premium laptop average of 84.4%. 

Unfortunately, all that screen power and performance comes with a tendency for overheating. Which isn't helped by how thin (0.6 inches) the ZBook Studio actually is. BUt at only 3.3 pounds, it's hard to find a more portable workstation.

The ZBook Studio G8 combines a stunning 4K display, powerful overall performance, a comfortable keyboard, and good audio in an incredibly portable package.

See our full HP ZBook Studio G8 review.

Best performance workstation laptop

Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 1 review best workstations

The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 1 offers excellent performance comboed with a gorgeous display, a clicky keyboard, and great audio. Unfortunately, it’s stupid expensive. (Image credit: Future)
Best performance workstation laptop

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i9-12950HX vPro
GPU: Nvidia RTX A5500 16GB
RAM: 64GB
Storage: 2TB SSD
Display: 16-inch, 3840 x 2400
Size: 14.3 x 10.5 x 1.2 inches
Weight: 6.6 pounds

Reasons to buy

+
Gorgeous 16-inch display
+
Clicky keyboard
+
Great audio
+
Strong performance

Reasons to avoid

-
Short battery life

If you enjoy expensive toys with incredible power, the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 1 combines a beatiful 16-inch, 4K display with a comfortable keyboard, great audio, and a powerful CPU and GPU combination. With an Intel Core i9-12950HX vPro processor and Nvidia RTX A5500 GPU there are few benchmarks we could throw at the P16 Gen 1 that caused it to struggle.

The 16-inch 4K display covered 83.1% of the DCI-P3 color gamut with 524-nits of peak brightness. It's not the most impressive display here, but it is more than enough for most tasks.

All that power naturally impacts the ThinkPad P16's battery life. So the laptop only lasted 6 hours and 36 minutes on the Laptop Mag battery test.

But if you can deal with the limited battery and slightly sub-standard display, the ThinkPad P16 Gen 1 is one of the best workstations we've reviewed.

See our full Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 1 review.

How much does a workstation laptop cost?

Workstations start around $1,000, but many models at that price lack the discrete graphics card you'll need to take on tasks like video editing or 3D modeling. And it'll most likely have a 1080p display at that price range, so you might want to spring for a 4K model if your work involves editing high-res photos and videos.

You can get some work done with one of the top cheap gaming laptops, which has a GPU like an Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti or greater, but they're not optimized specifically for media creation like Nvidia's Quadro GPU is. If you're looking to get some real work done, you'll need a workstation with a Quadro GPU and a colorful, high-resolution display, which will most definitely run you over $2,000. While it's not necessarily a workstation, the Asus ZenBook Pro Duo can handle rigorous tasks with multiple screens all for $2,999.

How to choose the best workstation laptops for you

Choosing the right workstation for you comes down to why you need it in the first place. You can pick up an affordable workstation to do some heavier work than your average laptop, but if you need a straight up tank to handle taxing programs, you’re going to pay a hefty price. If it’s the former, we recommend looking at something like the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 or Dell Precision 5540.

If money is no object, you can pick up some beastly workstations like the MSI WS65 9TM and the HP ZBook Studio x360 G5, which are incredibly powerful and durable machines that can withstand most tests that you’ll throw at them. The WS65 9TM is great if you want your display to be super colorful and bright, but the ZBook Studio x360 is better if you need a stylus to get into graphic designing or something else.

How we test the best workstation laptops

We put each laptop through extensive benchmark testing — both synthetic and real-world — before they end up in the hands of our reviewers. We evaluate each aspect of the laptop, including its performance, battery life, display, speakers and heat management.

In our benchmark testing, we use a Klein K10 colorimeter to detect the brightness and sRGB color gamut of the laptop's display. For performance testing, we run the laptop through a gauntlet of benchmarks, including Geekbench 4.3 and 5.0 and 3DMark professional graphics tests. 

To determine real-world performance, we task the laptop to convert a 4K video to 1080p resolution and to duplicate a 4.97GB multimedia file. Our real-world graphics test is the Dirt 3 benchmark with medium settings at 1080p resolution.

We also run heat tests by playing a 15-minute full-screen video and measuring temperatures in different areas of the laptop. Last but not least, our battery test consists of continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness. For MacBooks and premium Windows 10 laptops, a runtime of over 9 hours is considered a good result whereas gaming laptops and workstations that can stay powered for longer than 5 hours deserve praise. 

These tests are complemented with extensive hands-on testing from our reviewers who critique everything from the laptop's materials to the feel of its touchpad.

Why Trust Laptop Mag

Laptop Mag reviews over a hundred different laptops every year, from paperweight ultralights to everyday workhorses to lumbering gaming notebooks that scorch the frame rates of even the hottest AAA games. We're not just experts in the laptop field, as we go one step further by meticulously testing smartphones, tablets, headphones, PC accessories, software, and even the latest in gaming. 

We are 100% independent and have decades of experience to help you buy with confidence. In fact, Laptop Mag has been testing and reviewing products for three decades, and we continue to deliver trustworthy reviews you can rely on. 

Our experienced team of writers and editors scour the available information about the laptop and put it through its paces to determine which is best for you. But before they start, the testing team subjects each system to a rigorous regimen of synthetic and real-world tests to see how a system handles the type of work and games you’re most likely to throw at it. 

Our editorial trustworthiness is enforced by one of the world's largest technology publishers, Future Publishing. As a company, we have unrivaled experience across every tech sector — and we're the group's specialist for all things mobile tech.

Rami Tabari
Editor

Rami Tabari is an Editor for Laptop Mag. He reviews every shape and form of a laptop as well as all sorts of cool tech. You can find him sitting at his desk surrounded by a hoarder's dream of laptops, and when he navigates his way out to civilization, you can catch him watching really bad anime or playing some kind of painfully difficult game. He’s the best at every game and he just doesn’t lose. That’s why you’ll occasionally catch his byline attached to the latest Souls-like challenge.