In this guide, we’ve compared seven of the best 4K laptops currently available across a few different categories and rated them based on their price and feature set.
Despite the fact that 4K is quickly becoming the standard resolution for new television sets, there still isn’t a huge adoption of 4K panels in computer displays. This is due to a number of factors, but mainly because a lot of computer users are either running applications that won’t benefit from using a 4K display, or are running applications that require expensive hardware in order to run them at 4K properly (mainly, gaming.)
However, as GPU technology advances and the hardware necessary to run 4K monitors gets cheaper, 4K displays will become more popular for PC users, too. And, that means for laptops as well. Still, though, there are a decent amount of options out there for 4K laptops. And, while they do come in at a premium over 1080P laptops, for users who could benefit from using the upgraded display, the cost might be worth it.
In this guide, we’ve rated and reviewed seven of the best 4K laptops currently available. So, if you are one of those people who could use a higher resolution display on your laptop (whether for higher-res gaming, or for professional work), one of the options listed below should work for you.
Table of Contents
1. Quick-Look: The Best 4K Laptops
2. Top Pick: MSI GS73014 17.3″
3. For Gaming: Gigabyte Aorus X5 15.6″
4. Workstation: Dell Precision M5520 15.6″
A Quick Look at the Top 4K Laptops
The table below will give you a quick look at our selections for the best 4K laptops currently available. We’ve made out pick for the best 4K laptop overall, the best gaming 4K laptop, the best 4K workstation laptop, and the best 2-in-1 4K laptop.
| NAME | SPECS | RATING | |||
TOP PICK |  | MSI GS73014 |
| /10 | |
GAMING |  | Gigabyte Aorus X5 |
| /10 | |
WORK |  | Dell Precision M5520 |
| /10 | |
2-IN-1 |  | Lenovo Flex 5 |
| /10 |
*Click on the “Read Review »” links to jump to our overview on that specific laptop. You can also keep scrolling down this post to see which laptops made our Honorable Mentions.
Best Overall 4K Laptop:
MSI GS73014 17.3″
While the MSI GS73014 is built more for gaming-specific purposes than anything else, the reality is that, compared to the other 4K laptop options out there, it offers a really solid overall package for the price it comes in at.
Yes, its ~$2,600 price tag is steep, but with it you get an 8th generation six-core Intel Core i7-8750H processor, 16GB of DDR4 memory, an NVIDIA GTX 1070 8GB graphics card, a 512GB SSD, and a 2TB hard drive. You also get a large 17.3″ 4K IPS display that comes with NVIDIA’s G-Sync technology.
If you’re not a gamer, you probably won’t need all of those extra features, but if you do play games and you want a 4K laptop, the GS73014 is worth considering if you have the budget to accommodate its large price tag. If you don’t need an option that is suited for gaming, you might want to check out Lenovo Flex 2-in-1 option instead.
Top 4K Gaming Laptop:
Gigabyte Aorus X5 15.6″
If gaming is your main concern and you have a large budget, then an even better option than the MSI GS73014 is Gigabyte’s Aorus X5. Like the MSI GS73014, the Aorus X5 comes with a 4K G-Sync panel. However, the Aorus X5 is better suited to run games at 4K thanks to its more powerful GTX 1080 graphics card.
However, it should be noted that, while the GTX 1080 is the most powerful laptop graphics card currently available, it still probably won’t be able to run today’s more demanding games on max settings with high framerates, simply because gaming at 4K is so demanding. But, of the 4K gaming laptops that are out there, the Aorus X5 is the best suited for the job.
It also comes with an Intel Core i7-7820HK processor, 16GB of DDR4 memory, a 256GB SSD, and a 1TB secondary hard drive. But, the bottom line is that if you won’t be using your laptop for heavy gaming, then this may not be the option for you.
4K Workstation Laptop:
Dell Precision M5520 15.6″
For graphics design, video editing, CAD work, or any other kind of intensive professional use, you might want to consider Dell’s Precision M5520 4K workstation laptop.
This laptop comes with an Intel Core i7-7820HQ processor, NVIDIA Quadro M1200 GPU, 32GB of DDR4 memory, a 512GB SSD, and a 15.6″ UHD 4K touch screen panel.
All of these specs are geared towards providing professionals with a powerful mobile workstation that can handle intensive tasks on the go. It is priced at just under $3,000 which makes it the most expensive option on this list.
Ultimately, if you need a 4K laptop for professional use and you have a large budget to spend, then the M5520 from Dell is a high-end option that you’ll likely want to consider.
2-in-1 4K Laptop:
Lenovo Flex 5 15.6″
If you need a 2-in-1 laptop that has a 4K resolution display, then the Lenovo Flex 5 might be your best option. It comes with a 15.6″ 4K touch screen display, a six-core Intel Core i7-8550U processor, 16GB of DDR4 memory, an NVIDIA 940MX GPU, a 256GB SSD, and a 1TB hard drive. It also comes with a stylus as well, which will help it stand out for artists and graphics designers.
While the NVIDIA 940MX isn’t the greatest GPU around, it will make light gaming a possibility (although, you might have to drop the screen resolution when you game and you’ll only be able to play non-demanding games.)
The best part of the Lenovo Flex 5, though, is the price it comes in at. It costs just under $1,300 and so its a more budget-friendly option for professionals than the Dell Precision M5520 is.
Overall, if you’re looking for a more affordable 4K laptop option, or you need the versatility than a 2-in-1 laptop can provide, the Lenovo Flex 5 is probably an option that you’ll want to consider.
Honorable Mention #1:
ASUS VivoBook Pro 15 15.6″
The ASUS VivoBook Pro 15 is another solid 4K laptop. In terms of hardware and specs, it is a similar offering to the Lenovo Flex 5 (minus the 2-in-1 design), but it comes in at a slightly higher cost.
The VivoBook Pro 15 has an Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor, an NVIDIA GTX 1050 graphics card, 16GB of DDR4 memory, a 256GB SSD, and a 1TB secondary hard drive. The GTX 1050 graphics card—while not very powerful in the grand scheme of things—is more powerful than the 940MX GPU that the Lenovo Flex 5 comes with, and so the VivoBook Pro 15 will be better suited for light gaming if that’s something you’d prefer.
However, the processor in the VivoBook Pro 15 will perform slightly worse than the latest generation Intel Core i7-8550U processor that is in the Flex 5. So, ultimately, if you won’t be gaming on your new laptop and you’d prefer the better CPU than the better GPU, the Flex 5 would be a better option for you and vice-versa.
Honorable Mention #2:
MSI GT75VR Titan 17.3″
Another solid option for a 4K gaming laptop is MSI’s GT75VR Titan. It comes with a 17.3″ IPS G-Sync display, an Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor, 16GB of DDR4 memory, a 256GB SSD, and a 1TB hard drive.
It’s also a bit cheaper than the Gigabyte Aorus X5 that we chose as our pick for the best overall 4K gaming laptop. And, while the X5 does come with the better processor and twice as much memory, the GT75VR Titan has the bigger screen.
So, there is definitely an argument to be made between the two. We feel the upgraded processor and 32GB of memory on the X5 is worth the extra cost over the GT575VR, but if you don’t need that extra memory, or the upgraded processor and, instead, you prefer the bigger screen, then go with the MSI GT575VR.
Honorable Mention #3:
Dell Inspiron 15.6″
Believe it or not, you can get a 4K laptop for under $1,000. This Dell Inspiron laptop comes with a 4K display, and Intel Core i7-6700HQ processor, 8GB of DDR3 memory, an NVIDIA GTX 960M GPU, and a 1TB hard drive.
The processor is a couple of generations older, but the laptop comes in at just a little under $900, making it one of the most affordable 4K laptop options out there. Its GTX 960M is also powerful enough to make this laptop an option for light 4K gaming. It won’t be able to run more demanding games on the 4K display, but games like Rocket League, or League of Legends, or Fortnite should work either at full 4K resolution, or with the resolution turned down a bit.
The laptop doesn’t come with an SSD or 16GB of RAM, though, which is kind of a downer. But, the good news is that you could always add an SSD and more RAM in the future if you need to.
The bottom line is that, while this is an affordable 4K laptop, it is pretty stripped down in terms of specs. The older processor and the lower amount of RAM should still be fine for the majority of use cases, though. So, if you need a cheap 4K laptop, then this Dell Inspiron is probably your best bet.
Is A 4K Laptop the Right Option for You?
While 4K laptops aren’t super popular at the moment, there are quite a few options out there that will work for anyone who needs a mobile computer with a 4K resolution display. We’ve rated and reviewed seven different 4K options and picked the best ones based off a few common use-case categories. So, whether you’re looking for a 4K gaming laptop, a 4K workstation laptop, or a cheap 4K laptop for casual use, there should be an option listed above that will work for you.
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