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The best new laptops from CES 2020

The industry gathered in Las Vegas this week to show off their newest tech and those in the market for a new laptop will find a lot to like.

Chris Jarrard

January 7, 2020 3:35 PM

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Every year, the world’s tech companies, from the giants of the industry to the most promising startups, descend on Las Vegas to show off the future of consumer tech at CES. The 2020 CES show is no different, giving the public a glimpse at the year in technology to come, as well as some glimpses farther into the future. Along with smart refrigerators, robot vacuums, and ever-thinner televisions, laptops, and computers are the stars of the show.

The laptop industry was pegged to be wiped off the mat with the introduction of the iPad a decade ago, but portable computers have weathered the tablet storm and are as popular as ever. Some of the biggest players in the industry had new products at CES 2020, including folding screens and the most powerful mobile PCs ever produced. We’ve sorted through the pile of announcements to highlight the laptops to keep an eye on in 2020.

The best laptops of CES 2020

Dell Ori and Duet concepts

System building giant Dell is no stranger to CES and took the opportunity this year to show off some refreshes of older lines as well as some intriguing new concept prototypes. The company made some waves with the Alienware UFO mobile gaming prototype but also had a couple of new laptops that make use of folding screen technology. Concept Ori makes use of a single folding display that opens into a full-size tablet PC. Concept Duet makes use of two distinct bezeless displays to offer dual-monitor desktop flexibility in an ultraportable package.

Dell G15 Special Edition

In recent years, gaming-centric products draw lots of attention at CES and Dell was prepared to wow the crowds with an updated version of its popular G15 gaming laptop. New for 2020, this special edition model will be one of the first to make use of the new Ryzen 4000 CPUs and Radeon Mobile Graphics technology. 8-core, 16-thread computing power and a Freesync-capable display running at 144Hz will offer gaming on the go with no compromises.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold

Not to be outdone by Dell, laptop juggernaut Lenovo had their own folding display laptop at the show. The ThinkPad X1 Fold makes use of a flexible LG OLED panel. Set for launch sometime later this year, the X1 Fold offers a 13.3-inch viewing area when unfolded, but can be as portable as a large cell phone when needed. It is also expected to make use of one of the new 5G cellular modems for lighting-fast connectivity anywhere you go.

Lenovo Yoga 5G

This 14-inch convertible laptop is about as thin and lightweight as they come, thanks to the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx processor. Lenovo is promising up to 24 hours of battery life and the Qualcomm chipset also offers state-of-the-art 5G connectivity and support for upcoming 6GHz wireless networks.

HP Dragonfly G2 

If you are the kind of person who might lose their head if it weren’t permanently attached, HP has the perfect laptop for you. The revamped Dragonfly G2 will be the world’s first laptop with a Bluetooth Tile tracker integrated into the hardware. This means you can use the Tile app to find the laptop if you misplace it on the bus, under a couch, or in the shower! Just because it’s hard to lose doesn’t mean you have to compromise on performance, as the G2 will be available with the latest Intel CPUs and 5G connectivity.

Acer ConceptD Ezel 7 

Content creators who need the most powerful hardware available and a platform that makes it easy to get ideas onto a virtual canvas need to have a closer look at Acer’s ConceptD Ezel 7. This convertible laptop line packs in Intel Xeon processors and NVIDIA RTX Quadro graphics for the most demanding applications and workloads. It also features an innovative UHD display that can be set up in one of five positions by the use of the Ezel hinge to offer flexibility for personal use, display, or collaborations.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14

ASUS has had major success with its ROG-branded gaming laptops in the past and the new Zephyrus G14 is sure to keep the party rolling. This gaming ultrabook packs the new Ryzen 4000-series CPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX-based graphics into a 20mm frame, all while sporting a variable-refresh high-speed display. The real eye-catcher here is the hidden display integrated into the Zephyrus G14 lid. Using an array of mini-LEDs they call AniMe Matrix, ASUS will allow owners to show off images and motion graphics, as well as other effects. 

For more coverage of CES 2020 and all the cool tech gadgets being shown off, keep checking in with Shacknews.

Chris Jarrard

Contributing Tech Editor

Chris Jarrard likes playing games, crankin' tunes, and looking for fights on obscure online message boards. He understands that breakfast food is the only true food. Don't @ him.