The most important factor on a laptop is its CPU, so you should always make a choice based on the CPU powering the unit before you look at other features. Since the i7 CPU series is one of the most power-efficient and capable series of options released by CPU, many buyers choose a laptop powered by an i7 CPU. Here’s what you need to check on a laptop before buying it.
CPU Series: Apart from the architecture of the CPU, i.e., i7 in this case, you also need to check a lot of other features such as CPU generation, core count, thread count, clock speeds, etc. And for that, you need to pay close attention to the CPU nomenclature. In the title itself, you will get to know the CPU’s generation and the core and thread count based on its model number. For better clarity, we will mention that with each of our options. Memory & Storage: Apart from the CPU, a laptop’s next more important factor is its RAM. Even if you are getting the most powerful CPU on your laptop, it won’t be useful to you if it does not have an efficient RAM capacity and a faster working speed. The same goes with storage as having an SSD makes the laptop significantly faster than an HDD. So, make sure you check the memory and storage option before you choose your laptop. Display Size: Lastly, we suggest you pay attention to the display size of the laptop as it also affects the overall performance of the unit and what you can do with the laptop. For example, a compact 14-inch laptop is surely the best option for portable usage and working on the go. But, it is much better to buy a standard 15.6 inches laptop for content streaming or a 17.3 inches laptop for gaming.
Today, we will talk about the finest options available on the market for an i7 CPU-powered laptop. Even though the i7 CPU series from Intel is commonly available on many laptops these days, we have carefully handpicked the latest and most feature-rich options from the lot so that you can buy the best opinion within your price bracket. You can also check out our “Buying Guide” for the best i7 laptop before you choose to further ensure the features and specifications of a laptop before finalizing the deal.
Best i7 Laptop Tabulation
Best i7 Laptop Reviews
1. Acer Nitro i7 Laptop
We all know that Acer has been one of the leading manufacturers of high-end gaming laptops with a lot of popular options under its product lineup. The following option from Acer is more or less the same, with the best specifications. The 1st option on our list of the best i7 laptops comes from the popular Nitro series from Acer. The Acer Nitro 5 is a strong competitor to gaming laptops, offering an i7-12700H high-performance CPU paired with the latest RTX 3050 Ti GPU from Nvidia. It also features 1 terabyte of storage with the NVMe Drive and 16 GB of RAM, so there is no need for an upgrade for quite some time. This laptop also features a large 17.3 inches display offering FHD 1929 x 1080p resolution with a 144 Hz refresh rate, which is quite good to see on a laptop. Even in terms of connectivity, this laptop brings the best options for extended connectivity, such as a USB 3.2 Type C port, HDMI 2.1 port, and standard USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports for data transmission. And if you need, you can upgrade the RAM capacity of this laptop up to 32 GB later on for even better multitasking performance. Best Features
Powered by an Intel i7-12700H Processor 14 Core 20 Thread CPU with 4.70 GHz clock speed Comes with 16 GB DDR4 RAM and 1 TB SSD 3 inches FHD IPS display with 144 Hz refresh rate Features an Nvidia RTX 3050 TI graphics card
Pros
One of the best options in terms of CPU performance Most popular i7 laptop right now for heavy usage HIgh refresh rate display with IPS display panel
Cons
Large display size compromise the portability of the laptop
2. MSI i7 Laptop
MSI is also a pretty popular option when it comes to gaming laptops. There are many popular MSI laptop series for gaming and Pulse is one such name amongst many others. In the 2nd position, we have the best gaming laptop on our list which is the MSI MSI Pulse GL66. This laptop also has the most powerful CPU on our picks today which is the Intel i7-12700H along with the most powerful GPU on a gaming laptop on this selection, the Nvidia RTX 3070. Once you couple that with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB NVMe SSD for storage you get an unbeatable desktop level gaming performance from this laptop. Still, it has a 15.6 inches FHD 144 Hz display to maintain portability. Just like most other gaming laptops, this option also features RGB illumination on the keyboard for an added aesthetic appeal. You will also have the benefit of the Cooler Boost 5 technology which will keep your system cool during an intense gaming session. And if you are looking for more powerful models, MSI also offers 32 GB and 63 GB RAM variants with up to 2 TB SSD for storage. Best Features
Powered by an Intel i7-12700H Processor 14 Core 20 Thread CPU with 4.70 GHz clock speed Comes with 16 GB DDR4 RAM and 512 GB SSD 6 inches FHD display with 144 Hz refresh rate Features an Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics card
Pros
Great option for high-end gaming RAM capacity is pretty good Multitasking performance is best in comparison
Cons
Storage capacity should have been higher
3. MSI GF66 i7 Laptop
MSI also has another popular gaming laptop series for budget options called the Katana series. It also managed to land an option on our list with its budget gaming laptop model. In the 3rd place, we are putting a rather budget-friendly option on this list of the best i7 laptops. Even though this is one of the cheapest i7 laptops, you won’t notice much of a difference in gaming performance thanks to the i7-12650H CPU and one of the latest GPUs from Nvidia, the Nvidia RTX 3050 TI. You will also gain an edge in competitive gaming with this laptop with the 15.6 inches IPS-level display offering a 144 Hz refresh rate. This laptop also has a 16 GB RAM module and 512 GB SSD to cover basic storage needs. And just like our last pick, the MSI Cooler Boost 5 technology implements the best cooling technology on this laptop to maintain the temperature level under stress. The connectivity options of this laptop include 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a standard USB 2 port, and a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port. Best Features
Powered by an Intel i7-12650H Processor 10 Core 16 Thread CPU with 4.70 GHz clock speed Comes with 16 GB DDR4 RAM and 512 GB SSD 6 inches FHD IPS-level display with 144 Hz refresh rate Features an Nvidia RTX 3050 TI graphics card
Pros
One of the cheapest option for an i7 laptop Best option for entry-level gaming Multiple high-speed connectivity options
Cons
It does not have an HDMI 2.1 port
4. Asus Tuf i7 Laptop
The TUF series from Asus has also been a savior for a lot of gaming fans. Unlike the premium ROG series from Asus, the TUF series focuses on budget-performance laptops. The ASUS TUF Dash 15 is also a fine choice from Asus as long as you are looking for a laptop that offers it all. It has a high-performance Intel i7-12650H as well as an Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU to ensure desktop-level performance in a compact form factor. But in terms of looks, it still appears as a basic laptop, making it ideal for official use as well. You will also get 2 SSD slots along with the built-in 512 GB SSD for future upgrades. The RAM is also one of the strong features of this laptop. While most other options are using the old DDR4 modules, this laptop brings the power of DDR5 RAM, offering 4800 MHz performance speed on the 16 GB RAM. This goes perfectly with the 10-core and 16-thread CPU of this laptop operating at nearly 4.70 GHz clock speed and avoids any kind of bottleneck. It also has a 15.6 inches IPS display with an increased refresh rate of 144 Hz, making it a treat for gamers. Best Features
Powered by an Intel i7-12650H Processor 10 Core 16 Thread CPU with 4.70 GHz clock speed Comes with 16 GB DDR4 RAM and 512 GB SSD 6 inches FHD IPS display with 144 Hz refresh rate Features an Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card
Pros
One of the budget offerings from Asus CPU and GPU are very powerful 4800 MHz DDR5 RAM
Cons
Not the best option in terms of portability
5. HP Envy i7 Laptop
When it comes to portable thin and light laptops, HP has always been one of the leading suppliers for the best models. Its x360 series laptops are perfect for productive usage. Up next, we are putting the HP Envy x360 Convertible laptop with an Intel i7-1260P CPU. This is also quite a powerful CPU option in the Intel i7 lineup as it has 12 cores and 16 threads offering at 4.70 GHz. And there is no dedicated graphics card on this laptop, you will get an extended battery backup of up to 9.45 hours and an overall lightweight laptop weighing only 4.02 lbs. Coming to the memory options, this laptop offers the standard 16 GB DDR4 RAm with a slightly better storage option of a terabyte of NVMe SSD, which eliminates the need for future SSD upgrades. Another great feature of this laptop is fast charging. Once plugged in, this laptop can be charged up to 50% battery capacity within just 30 minutes. HP has also put a lot of effort into the look of this laptop with the edge-to-edge 15 inches display and natural silver finish. Best Features
Powered by an Intel i7-1260P Processor 12 Core 16 Thread CPU with 4.70 GHz clock speed Comes with 16 GB DDR4 RAM and 1 TB SSD 15 inches FHD display Fingerprint reader for faster access
Pros
Best option for a thin, light, and portable laptop Charges up to 50% within just 30 minutes Weighs only 4.02 lbs
Cons
It does not have a GPU which is needed for heavy applications
6. Asus ZenBook i7 Laptop
When it comes to premium laptops, there is barely any competition to options designed by Asus. Its ZenBook series laptops are a prime choice for productive usage by professionals. The ASUS ZenBook 14X is probably that you will find around this laptop price point that offers an OLED display panel, offering a similar contrast ratio as our smartphones and premium TV screens. Plus, it is also a higher resolution display panel with 2.8K resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio for more working space on display. More importantly, this is a touchscreen laptop that is ideal for creative applications such as laptops for photoshop, laptops for programming and laptops for drawing. Apart from the stunning display, this laptop also brings the advantage of a powerful Intel i7-1260P CPU. And to support basic resource-heavy applications, it also houses an Nvidia MX550 graphics card. As for the storage, you will get a 512 GB SSD which is perfect for online work, and 16 GB LPDDR5 RAM which can easily offer productive multitasking with heavy applications. Overall, the laptop offers a 92% screen-to-body ratio which is better than many premium smartphones. Best Features
Powered by an Intel i7-1260P Processor 12 Core 16 Thread CPU with 4.70 GHz clock speed Comes with 16 GB LPDDR5 RAM and 512 GB SSD 14 inches 2.8K OLED display Features an Nvidia MX550
Pros
It has a secondary 5.65 inches display on the trackpad Touchscreen laptop with 180-degree hinge Ultralight option weighing only 3.09 lbs
Cons
Display size should have been larger
7. Lenovo ThinkPad i7 Laptop
If you are looking for a durable choice for creative work, then take a look at our next laptop from Lenovo. It is one of the premium choices from the ThinkPad series from Lenovo which is already quite popular for official use. The Lenovo 2023 ThinkPad T16 is an upgraded option from the Lenovo ThinkPad lineup which offers all the necessary hardware specifications needed for productive applications. FIrst of all, it has a fast Intel i7-1270P processor working with 12 cores and 16 threads with a clock speed of up to 4.80 GHz. This is also a 16 inch laptop with touchscreen UI for better accessibility with creative tasks. And the display offers up to 300 nits brightness so that you can work perfectly under broad daylight. Another great feature of this laptop is its memory and storage option. This is the only laptop on our list today that is offering 24 GB of DDR4 RAm paired with 2 TB of SSD, bringing the best solution to all your storage problems once and for all. The display of this laptop also offers an anti-glare coating and 45% NTSC rating for accurate color representation. It also comes with a BROAG all-in-one conference camera which is simply the best option for WFH. Best Features
Powered by an Intel i7-1270P Processor 12 Core 16 Thread CPU with 4.80 GHz clock speed Comes with 24 GB DDR4 RAM and 2 TB SSD 16 inches 1200p IPS display with 300 nits brightness BROAG all-in-one conference camera built-in
Pros
Best option for professionals Memory and storage option is better than all competitors Touchscreen laptop with large display
Cons
Lack of GPU limits the laptop’s support for gaming or other heavy applications
8. HP Pavilion i7 Laptop
HP is bringing yet another budget choice to our list of the best i7 laptops today which makes it possible to carry your laptop anywhere without worrying about the performance. It is also a thin and light option with great battery performance. The HP Pavilion 15 laptop we have chosen here is one of the power efficient options from HP since it is powered by a U-series Intel i7-1255U processor. And as there is no graphics card, you will get the advantage of an extended battery life of up to 7.45 hours on a single charge. This is also quite a fast laptop considering it comes with a 512 GB SSD and 16 GB of RAM which is a pretty good deal at this price point. It also offers the standard 15.6 inches FHD IPS display panel with HP’s exclusive micro-edge design to offer a unique look along with a high quality display. When it comes to charging, you will be ready to go through the day on this laptop within just 45 minutes as it can charge up to 50% in such a short time frame. You also get a much faster access to your files thanks to the fingerprint reader of the laptop and the precision trackpad that helps you work with better productivity. Best Features
Powered by an Intel i7-1255U Processor 12 Core 16 Thread CPU with 4.80 GHz clock speed Comes with 16 GB DDR4 RAM and 512 GB SSD 6 inches FHD IPS display Offers up to 7.45 hours of battery life
Pros
Charges up to 50% of battery capacity within 45 minutes One of the cheapest i7 laptops Professional designed thin and light laptop
Cons
Storage capacity might be problematic for some buyers
9. Acer Aspire i7 Laptop
As we are talking about budget options for an i7 laptop, let us talk about a pretty decent option from the Acer Aspire series. Just like most other Acer laptops, you will also find this laptop a value-for-money deal. The Acer Aspire Vero AV15-52-712Q is yet another budget deal on our picks for the best i7 laptops. It is powered by an Intel Intel i7-1255U processor, a power-efficient choice from the i7 lineup offering 12 cores and 16 threads working at up to 4.80 GHz clock speed. There are no compromises made to the quality of the design or appearance of this laptop. It also has a 15.6 inches FHD IPS display panel with 100% sRGB display to compete with other options. And this is more of a package deal that comes with a carrying bag and a mouse. This laptop is completely paint-free and made out of recycled PCR material, making it a 100% eco-friendly choice. The 16 GB DDR4 RAM of this laptop can ensure fast and responsive performance on the laptop, especially since it is paired with a 1 TB SSD for storage. The display also offers up to 300 nits brightness level which is quite close to what you get on a desktop monitor. Still, it offers nearly 11 hours of battery life on a full charge. Best Features
Powered by an Intel i7-1255U Processor 12 Core 16 Thread CPU with 4.80 GHz clock speed Comes with 16 GB DDR4 RAM and 1 TB SSD 6 inches FHD IPS display Up to 11 hours of battery life
Pros
Best option for portable usage and working on the go Memory and storage size is pretty good Display quality is pretty good
Cons
It does not have a GPU
10. Dell Inspiron i7 Laptop
In the end, we are bringing an economical but powerful option for an i7 laptop from Dell. Unlike many other brands, Dell ensures performance, even with its affordable options. The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is our final pick for the best i7 laptops today. This is also a budget choice compared to many laptops we have seen so far. But it still offers very good performance for the price with the Intel i7-1255U CPU and a dedicated Nvidia Geforce MX750 graphics card. But, the main attraction of this laptop is its display. Despite being a 14 inches compact option, it comes with a 2.2K 2240 x 1400 pixel resolution display with a 16:10 aspect ratio which is perfect for studying as well as working. The display also offers up to 300 nits brightness and an anti-glare coating which is helpful for long working hours. There is a 1 TB SSD available with this laptop and 16 GB DDR4 RAM so that you won’t notice any lag or stutter while using the laptop. And as the main focus of this laptop is speed and accessibility, it comes with a built-in lid sensor that automatically turns ON the laptop as you open the lid for instant access. And with 6 to 8 hours of battery life, you can easily use the laptop throughout the day on a single charge. Best Features
Powered by an Intel i7-1255U Processor 12 Core 16 Thread CPU with 4.80 GHz clock speed Comes with 16 GB DDR4 RAM and 512 GB SSD 14 inches 2.2K display Features an Nvidia Geforce MX750 graphics card
Pros
Best option for student and professionals More focus on speed and quick access Power-efficient CPU for up to 8 hours of battery life
Cons
DIsplay size is comparatively smaller
Buying Guide For The Best i7 Laptop
There is nothing short of hundreds of different options available on the market right now for an Intel CPU powered laptop. But, not all options offer the same performance as there is a lot of variety in CPU options. Intel offers a lot of different CPUs in terms of generation, architecture, and core/thread count to ensure a proper balance between performance and affordability. Right now, the best option for a lot of buyers is the i7 CPU from Intel since it is one of the most prominent CPU series, which is perfect for gaming as well as regular use. Therefore, we have crafted this list of the best i7 laptops that you can get right now by simply checking out their specifications and a brief review provided here. You should also take a look at our buying guide beforehand to understand the importance of the different features of a laptop to make the right choice.
1. CPU Series & Speed
Since you are specifically looking for a laptop powered by an Intel i7 processor, you should first check out all the details of the CPU itself before you move on to the other features. Even if a laptop is powered by an i7 CPU, it does not mean that you will get the best performance of the system. There are a lot of i7 CPU models designed by Intel, each offering a certain speed and performance ratio. For example, an Intel i7 12th Generation CPU is definitely going to be a better choice over an older i7 3rd generation model released back in 2012. Apart from the generation, you should also check the core and thread count of the CPU as it affects its performance speed as well as multitasking capabilities. You will find the core and thread count mentioned with all of our picks, where higher is always better for heavy usage.
2. Memory Options
After the CPU, the next most important factor on a laptop is its memory, both RAM as well as storage options. The RAM is equally as important as the CPU since the CPU cannot display any result without the RAM and vice versa. Everything in your laptop is first cached into the RAM before it can be seen on the display. So, the RAM must be able to store a lot of data and offer faster output to increase the overall speed of the laptop. For that, you need to check the capacity of the RAm which is provided in GBs, and its speed which is given in MHz. In any case, a high capacity and faster RAM is always a better option for all types of laptops. Even basic applications such as browsers are quite advanced now and need a lot of RAM to operate. As for storage, some laptops might be bottlenecked by the storage drive if it is not fast enough. It usually happens with an HDD. To avoid that, almost all laptops feature an SSD nowadays, so it won’t be a problem for you.
3. Screen Size
When it comes to a laptop, one of the core necessities is related to the portability of the unit, which is also one of its major advantages of a desktop computer. And to maintain the portability of the unit, you must choose the right display size for your laptop. There are basically 4 to 5 standard-size options available on the market, each making the laptop a perfect option for a certain set of applications. For example, compact and portable laptops usually offer a 14 inches display or lower to make the laptop thin and light. It also reduces the power consumption of the display and increases the battery life of the laptop. On the other hand, dedicated gaming laptops offer up to 17.3 inches wide displays, if not higher, to match the gaming experience of a desktop system on a portable machine. But, these laptops are much heavier due to their larger size and added components such as a GPU or built-in cooling peripherals.
4. Graphic Card
Now that we are on the topic of graphics cards, let us talk about their importance when it comes to a laptop. A GPU is a graphical processing unit of the system which takes care of all the display and rendering tasks. As a result, you get much better performance while gaming on a GPU instead of a CPU since the GPU takes the load of rendering the graphics for each frame of the game. Apart from gaming, having a GPU on your laptop helps a lot with other heavy tasks as well such as animation, video editing, rendering, or simply getting a higher quality output on your display at a higher refresh rate. But, having a GPU also means that it will consume a lot of power on your battery, affecting the battery life on your laptop. Plus, most laptop GPUs perform at 50% capacity or lower unless they are plugged in, making the GPUs less efficient when used without plugging in the laptop.
5. Display Quality
Lastly, we will recommend you pay close attention to the quality of the display along with its size and form factor. It is easy to find a large or compact display on a laptop. But if you want to ensure the quality of the display, you will have to factor in a few key points and double-check each of these points on your laptop before you make a choice. The first thing is the resolution of the display panel which should be suitable for the display size. The larger the display, the higher the resolution should be to offer a sharp image quality. Another important thing is the panel type of the display. There are different types of panels available for the display, each offering its own advantages and limitations. For example, an IPS panel offers the best color quality and viewing angles, but the contrast ratio is better on a VA panel. As for the response time, the best display panel in that regard would be an NT panel. Some laptops also feature an OLED display panel which is considered the best choice for media consumption and content streaming.
Conclusion
So far, we have looked at the best options available on the market right now for an i7 laptop and compared each of our top picks based on their best features, pros, and cons. We have also provided a brief review of each of our picks to help you find out the perfect option within your budget without putting in much effort. And if you are buying a laptop for the first time, or if you are not sure about the important features of a laptop, you can check our buying guide for the best i7 laptops and check out the essential parameters before you make a choice for better understanding of the product you are getting. Lastly, we will talk about some of our personal favorite picks from the list that offers the best features for the price.
If you are looking for a top-of-the-line gaming laptop with a powerful CPU and GPU, then the MSI i7 Laptop is the best option for you. Compared to other choices, this laptop is powered by the fastest CPU on this list which is the Intel Core i7 12700H, along with the Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU, one of the best choices for a laptop right now. This laptop also offers 16 GB of RAM paired with 512 GB NVMe SSD for ultimately fast memory options. You can also choose the 2 TB SSD variant of this laptop for more storage capacity. Even though most i7 laptops are quite expensive, you will find a couple of budget options from HP like the HP Pavilion i7 Laptop. This is a thin and light laptop model powered by the Intel Core i7-1255U processor, making it a battery-focused option. But, there are no compromises in the speed of the laptop as it has 16 GB RAM and a 512 GB SSD for storage.It offers the standard 15.6 inches display size which is pretty good considering the laptop still weighs only 3.86 lbs. Another great feature of this laptop is its IPS display panel with a micro-edge BrightView screen for better visuals. Talking about the display quality, the Asus ZenBook i7 Laptop is the best option in that regard on our list as it has an OLED display panel with a high resolution of 2880 x 1800 pixels. You will also notice a secondary 5.65 inches display on the touchpad of the laptop for faster multi-tasking and increased productivity. Apart from the display, the laptop has many other strong features such as the Intel Core i7-1260P CPU and the Nvidia GeForce MX550 graphics card, a combination best suited for work-focused laptops. You will also get 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD on this laptop to cover basic memory requirements.
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