Dell’s XPS 15 7590 is our top pick for a 4K laptop

Best 4K Laptops Windows Central 2019

Best Overall: Dell XPS 15

The XPS 15 has been known for years to have one of the best displays around, and the refreshed 7590 model is no different. The 15.6-inch 4K OLED non-touch option hits 400 nits brightness and manages 100% DCI-P3 color reproduction and 100,000:1 contrast ratio. For something a bit less brilliant, Dell also offers a 4K LCD touch display with 500 nits brightness.

The 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750H processor (CPU) is truly a performer with six cores, but you can opt for up to a Core i9-9980HK CPU with eight cores and a clock speed up to 5.0GHz. Add in a dedicated NVIDIA GTX 1650 GPU with 4GB of GDDR5 VRAM, and you have a laptop that can handle some specialized design and editing work.

The slim chassis made up of aluminum and carbon fiber holds onto decent port selection, with Thunderbolt 3, two USB-A 3.1 (Gen 1), HDMI 2.0, an SD card reader, and a 3.5mm audio jack. A fingerprint reader is built into the power button, and, yes, the webcam has been moved back to above the display for a natural angle. Rounding things out is an enormous 97Wh battery that allows you to get through a workday without needing a charge.

Lenovo’s 14-inch Yoga C940 is a refresh of last year’s Yoga C930, which we reviewed favorably. It now comes with 10th Gen Intel Core “Ice Lake” CPU options that should give you a substantial boost to performance (including Iris Plus Graphics) and offers Wi-Fi 6 connectivity for incredible wireless speeds. You’ll have to check out the 15-inch version for a dedicated GPU, though you will lose 10th Gen chips. Despite the new hardware inside, the C940 retains the slick all-metal convertible chassis with a soundbar hinge and a dedicated pen slot on the back edge. The hinge is now a single piece rather than being split near the middle.

There are a few display options available, but the lone 4K option includes an IPS panel for wide viewing angles, HDR400, and brightness that can reach 500 nits. It does have a glossy finish because it’s touch, but the brightness level should handle glare. And, of course, you can use it with Windows Ink thanks to the included pen. The bezel is thin, but there’s enough room on the top for a webcam and privacy shutter.

This laptop is just 0.57 inches (1.4cm) at its thinnest point, making it a rather portable option. And if you’re in public, there’s a fingerprint reader built-in for some extra security. The 4K display will likely cut the 60Wh battery’s life by about a third, but rapid charge tech is available for a quick refill. Ports here include two Thunderbolt 3, USB-A 3.1 (Gen 2), and a 3.5mm audio jack.

For those who love PC gaming at a 4K resolution, the Razer Blade 15 Advanced should not leave you wanting. Depending on the performance hardware you opt for — up to an NVIDIA RTX 2080 Max-Q GPU, 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750H six-core CPU, and 16GB of dual-channel DDR4 RAM — you’ll get access to a 4K display option.

This is a 4K 4K OLED touch display with 100% DCI-P3 color reproduction, 60Hz refresh rate, and HDR400 certification. If you’re a designer or editor, this would no doubt also make a stellar system, especially now that Razer is offering an NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 GPU. Top-firing quad speakers provide loud audio, and you might be tempted to use them instead of a gaming headset.

All this is contained in a symmetrical metal chassis with squared edges, available in either black or Mercury White colors. It’s one of the best looking laptops out there, and it’s built to withstand daily use. The keyboard’s travel is a bit short, but the enormous Precision touchpad is ideal when not using an external gaming mouse plugged into one of three USB-A 3.2 ports. Other connectivity includes Thunderbolt 3, HDMI 2.0, and DisplayPort 1.4.

Dell’s refreshed XPS 13 2-in-1 (7390) has ditched the anemic Intel Y-series CPUs for latest 10th Gen Intel Core 10nm CPUs with outstanding performance and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. Battery life has been improved, and you can add up to 32GB of RAM and up to a 1TB PCIe SSD for tons of speedy storage. The only thing missing is a dedicated GPU and the ability to upgrade hardware after purchase.

The touch display has been reworked with a 16:10 aspect ratio and ultra-thin bezels, giving you more screen real estate, and it’s available with a 3840×2400 (UHD+) resolution. If you’re interested in Windows Ink, this laptop can be folded around to tablet mode for easier sketching and drawing with an active pen. The 4K display hits 500 nits brightness and HDR400 certification so you can be sure color and contrast are spot on.

The thin chassis is beautiful and includes a fingerprint reader, second-gen MagLev keyboard, and large Precision touchpad. Port selection is sort of limited due to the size of the laptop, but you still get two Thunderbolt 3 (each with 4x lanes of PCIe), a microSD card reader, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

The other 4K laptops in this roundup start at an elevated price, putting them out of reach of many people who are just looking for a casual device for everyday use. Enter Chuwi’s LapBook Plus, a budget Ultrabook with 15.6-inch 4K non-touch display. It might not have the same HDR support or specialized color profile as some other options, but it still hits a respectable 93% sRGB and 72% AdobeRGB color reproduction. The bezel is relatively thin, and you get about 350 nits brightness to help with working in well-lit areas.

The unibody aluminum design gives it a bit of MacBook look, continued over to the spacious backlit keyboard with large keys, and an enormous Precision touchpad that promotes productivity. For ports, you get USB-A 3.0, USB-A 2.0, Micro HDMI, a microSD card reader, and a 3.5mm audio jack. It would be nice to see USB-C here, but it’s hard to complain at this price.

As for performance, don’t expect much from the LapBook Plus. The focus is on display and design here, and the Intel Atom CPU is only going to be suitable for casual productivity work and some TV or movie watching. The camera and speakers also leave something to be desired, but you’ll likely forget all about it once you fire up the display and count all the money you saved.

HP’s Spectre x360 13t comes at you with a gorgeous gem-cut design, bringing sharp, precise angles to a laptop that was already a looker. The angles aren’t just for looks, as the USB-C port and power button are offset on the back edge to prevent accidental presses when in convertible mode and a better angle for your charger that doesn’t get in the way of an external mouse.

The 13.3-inch touch 4K AMOLED display is gorgeous and can be used with an included active pen for Windows Ink. The bezel along the top and bottom has been shrunk down by a whopping 66% for an even more premium look, yet HP has managed to keep an IR camera above the screen for Windows Hello.

The chiclet keyboard is crisp and comfortable. It makes perfect use of all space available, and the touchpad, now using Microsoft Precision drivers is large. Tenth Gen Intel Core CPU options offer excellent performance and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, plus there’s optional LTE to stay connected everywhere.

Lenovo has refreshed its ThinkPad X1 Carbon, now in its seventh generation, with a fiber weave on the lid and the same ThinkPad durability. There’s now a 14-inch 4K display option available with Dolby Vision HDR400, 500 nits brightness, and excellent color and contrast.

Security features like a fingerprint reader, optional IR camera, ThinkShutter webcam cover, dTPM 2.0 chip, and FIDO authentication are all here (as we’d expect from a ThinkPad), and there’s generous port selection to connect any accessories. You get two Thunderbolt 3, two USB-A 3.1, HDMI 1.4, an Ethernet network extension adapter port, 3.5mm audio jack, and WWAN slot for optional LTE-A connectivity.

The keyboard is about as comfortable as they come, and a TrackPoint system with redpointing nub and physical buttons makes an appearance. For performance hardware, get up to a 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10710U CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB PCIe SSD. There’s no Wi-Fi 6 included here, but you can add optional LTE to stay connected everywhere.

Bottom line

It’s a great time to be in the market for a laptop with 4K display, but Dell’s XPS 15 7590 steals the show.

Two 4K display options — OLED non-touch with 400 nits brightness and 100% DCI-P3 color reproduction or LCD touch with 500 nits brightness — are available to better fit your exact needs, and it has the performance hardware required for some specialized work.

It’s all wrapped up in a compact, light chassis made from aluminum and carbon fiber, making it easy to take with you wherever you go. An enormous 97Wh battery keeps going through a day, and there are plenty of ports for connecting your accessories when you sit down to crush your workload.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

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