The best computer brands are ones that have been trusted by the top reviewers for decades. When choosing a brand for your next computer, looking at the company’s history of products is a good place to start. Find out what they are known for, and if those attributes align with your current laptop or desktop needs.

Dell at dell.com

“If you buy your PC directly from Dell, you can customize it exactly how you like it.”

HP at www8.hp.com

“The company makes laptop and desktop models of all types, all with reasonable pricing for most budgets.”

Apple at apple.com

“Owners benefit from a level of customer support that easily tops the often unreliable services of other PC manufacturers.”

Lenovo at lenovo.com

“Most models are priced affordably, understated in design, and built for effective use.”

Microsoft at microsoft.com

“Microsoft makes its biggest impact through Windows, which is the operating system found on most computers around the world.”

Asus at asus.com

“Its ROG brand is a top choice for gaming hardware with everything from entry-level laptops to beastly, and costly, desktop rigs.”

Acer at acer.com

“Acer brings with it a vast selection of products at all price levels, from high-end to budget-oriented PCs.”

Brands like Apple at apple.com have a long preserved history of fast and safe, IOS running products. While, brands like Dell at dell.com are known for being affordable, yet high quality with a large range of products. Other brands, like Microsoft at microsoft.com, are renowned for being able to boost productivity with their built-in software like Excel and Word. Razer increasingly has options not just for gamers, but for ultrabooks and productivity as well.

When looking through the best computer brands, your next perfect device is within reach.

Dell

A big reason Dell is one of the top computer brands today is the broad selection of high-quality machines the company offers. No matter your goals, it most likely has a product just for you — plus, if you buy your PC directly from Dell, you can customize it exactly how you like it. In general, Dell machines can be a bit pricier than others you can find out there, but you can feel good about getting a solid, dependable computer that’s just right for your needs.

Filling out the bulk of the company’s mid-range options are its Inspiron computers, a wide array of laptops and desktops ideal for a lot of homes and offices. There are also Inspiron all-in-one desktops that include well-designed Dell displays, along with an Inspiron Chromebook running Google’s Chrome OS for basic computing needs. For business use, Dell has the Latitude line of notebooks, and for serious PC gamers, it wields the iconic Alienware brand.

HP

The latest entries in HP’s high-end Spectre lineup, in particular, are turning heads, rivaling other premium laptops from competitors like Microsoft and Apple. The Spectre x360, a slick 2-in-1 that swivels on a 360-degree hinge, is a testament to ultra-portability. Swing it the right way, and it’s a very usable 13- or 15-inch tablet. For a workhorse device, the HP EliteBook series (view at HP) offers durable laptops that can get the job done.

Apple

For a lot of people, Apple is more than a brand: It’s a way of life. Even looking past the iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches that we’ve gotten used to seeing everywhere we turn, the Cupertino tech giant continues to produce desktops and laptops with the same trendsetting designs, gorgeous displays, and ease of use we’ve come to expect.

The iconic iMac all-in-one desktops (view at Apple) dress to impress with their Retina displays and 4K and 5K resolutions, and is adored by graphics pros and other creatives alike. MacBook laptops are thin and light, with even thinner MacBook Air (view at Apple) and beefier MacBook Pro (view at Apple) variations. Throughout the lineup, Apple’s recent focus has been on improving internal hardware, which gives the Macs a welcome boost in performance. Owners also benefit from a level of customer support that easily tops the often unreliable services of other PC manufacturers.

macOS still occupies a much smaller portion of the operating system market than that of Windows, and Apple products tend to come with significantly higher price tags than their comparable competitors. But for the devoted fanbase, Mac users, or anyone with other Apple devices, there’s nothing like another Apple to seamlessly round out your digital life. 

Lenovo

As the biggest computer manufacturer at the time of writing, it makes sense that Lenovo boasts perhaps the biggest selection of products. It covers the whole spectrum of price ranges, from entry-level to premium, for everything from homes to offices. Business-oriented PCs are some of Lenovo’s most popular offerings, including its ThinkCentre desktops and ThinkPad notebooks, with a newer, sleeker ThinkBook line geared at small businesses. Most ThinkPad models are priced affordably, understated in design, and built for effective, secure office use. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon, though, stands out as a premium ultraportable with an attractive look and enough hardware to put in serious work.

Microsoft

Microsoft might make its broadest impact through Windows, which is still the operating system found on the majority of computers around the world. But the company has also become an important player in the laptop market with its line of Surface devices. Though the selection is pretty limited and their prices are on the higher side, Surface products have shown themselves to be an attractive option for their blend of high-performance components and portability.

Asus

The diverse Asus ZenBook range also has widespread appeal, demonstrating the company’s design excellence in terms of not only looks but in terms of innovation as well. Newer models like the ZenBook Pro 15 incorporate a futuristic ScreenPad touchpad, serving as a small second display, and the upcoming ZenBook Pro Duo’s 4K ScreenPad Plus runs the full width of the keyboard area.

You can also find more examples of inspired Asus design in its Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand. ROG is a top choice for gaming hardware with everything from entry-level laptops to beastly, and costly, desktop rigs.

Acer

Razer

Razer is best known for its gaming laptops and accessories, but the company has increasingly branched out and now sells a wide range of devices, including ultrabooks. The most well-known laptop for gamers is the Razer Blade 15 (view at Razer), it’s a 15-inch laptop with a powerful RTX Super card, Intel Core i7 CPU, and configuration options that let you get a 144Hz 1080p display or 60Hz OLED display.

The Razer Blade Stealth 13 (view at Razer) is the gaming ultrabook line. It consists of smaller, lightweight 13-inch laptops that are designed to be highly portable, have high-resolution displays, and specs that are solid enough for both gaming and productivity. They won’t match the Blade 15 in power, but they’re more than a match in style.

Last, but not least, the Razer Blade Pro 17 (view at Razer) is the biggest laptop offering the company has. You get a device with a 17-inch screen, 4K panel, and configurations that include a high-end processor and plenty of RAM and storage. This laptop is designed for video and photo editing, content creation, productivity, and can handle gaming too.