Home > Multimedia Laptops > Best Laptop for Watching Movies
This is probably the question I get the most when someone is looking for a new device: what are the best laptops for watching movies.
With the rising popularity of streaming sites and the number of people that ditch their cable subscription – I did that years ago – having a good laptop to watch movies is increasingly important.
But there are so many on the market, which one do you choose? Don’t worry, I’ve chosen the top 12 best laptops for movies, for all budget.
Our Top 3
#1 – Acer Aspire R15 |
#2 – HP Spectre X360 13t |
#3 – Asus Vivobook F510UA |
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Great Display & Audio at affordable price![]() |
Best High-End with Awesome Display & Speakers![]() |
Affordable & Light with Vivid Display![]() |
15.6″ HD | 13.3″ HD | 15.6″ HD |
Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
1000 GB HDD (5400 rpm) | 256 GB SSD | 1000 GB HDD (5400 rpm) |
Up to 10 hours | Up to 8 hours | Up to 5 hours |
Jump to our Review | Jump to our Review | Jump to our Review |
What to expect from the Best Laptop for Watching Movies
The best laptops for movies need 2 essential features: a vivid & colorful display and a clear audio system. Yes, I know, I sound like Mr. Obvious here. 😉
But what you might not know is that finding both quality display & audio in the same device is not that simple. Especially the audio part. Having good speakers on a thin laptop is not the easiest thing to do… And often, the laptop manufacturers prefer to put their budget elsewhere, as it is not the most sought feature for most users. Design, performance & display vividness usually win over high-quality audio.
Display & Graphics
Having a nice display is the most important thing when you’re looking for a laptop to watch movies.
Here, you want a colorful and vivid HD display. Brightness is also important, especially if you are often watching movies in a bright room or outside.
As for the screen size, the bigger the better here. A 15-inch laptop is usually what movie fan will go for. It’s more comfortable. But if you are often on the road, consider a 13-inch or a 14-inch.
Of course, if you want the biggest display possible, a 17-inch is also an option, but I only recommend it if you are not moving your laptop too often. They are too big to comfortably carry around.
Audio
As mentioned earlier, audio quality is very variable.
Some budget laptops will have a very decent audio quality – more than enough to enjoy a movie – and some mid-range notebooks will have disappointing speakers…
In any case, the laptops for movies we selected here all have decent-to-great speakers, so you don’t have to worry about having to purchase external speakers.
Design & Quality
On the design side, you should seriously consider purchasing a 2-in-1 laptop. You’ll appreciate their versatility.
Other than that, it will really depend on your budget. You can get anything from a cheap plastic laptop to a high-end metal frame.
Performance
You don’t need that much power. Unless you need more power for other tasks, a recent, basic CPU will be more than enough. A laptop with a i3 CPU and 4 GB of RAM is enough. Basic, but enough.
Other Aspects
If you carry your laptop around often, you should consider a laptop with a longer battery life. It can become annoying to always carry your charger around…
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Specs for the Top 12 Best Laptops for Watching Movies
Graphics 10, 13, 14, 15, 17-inch Processor Intel i5, Intel i7, Pentium N3160 and similar RAM 4 to 16 GB Storage 32 to 1000 GB Battery life 4 to 14 hours OS Windows 10, ChromeOS Thickness / Weight 0.32 to 1″ / 1.74 to 6.6 lbs Price Range $, $$, $$$, $$$$
Top 12 Best Laptops for Watching Movies
1 – Acer Aspire R15 – 15″ HD Convertible
“Great Display & Audio at affordable price”
Acer clearly built the R15 as a laptop for watching movies. Equipped with a big 15-inch display that belongs on a much more expensive laptop, you’ll be pleased by its vividness, colors rendering & brightness. Perfect to enjoy an HD movie.
It also has something you might not even find on a more expensive device: a sound system that is loud enough to enjoy action movies, but that is also clear enough to hear deep conversations. Add that to the fact that it’s an affordable & versatile 2-in-1 laptop, and you’ve got yourself a winner!
Pros
|
Cons
|
Graphics | 15.6″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) |
Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
Storage | 1000 GB HDD (5400 rpm) |
Battery life | Up to 10 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.79″ / 5.29 lbs |
Price Range | $$$ |
Other similar versions (prices may vary)
2 – HP Spectre X360 13t – 13″ HD Convertible
“Best High-End with Awesome Display & Speakers”
This HP is not for someone that is on a budget… it’s definitely an expensive, high-end laptop. No doubt about it! But for that money, you get an awesome movie watching experience.
First, it has one of the most gorgeous display on the market, period. Then you get loud quad speakers that beat pretty much any other device. Add that to a well-engineered, beautiful 13-inch 2-in-1 design, and a powerful computer that won’t let you down. Really a great high-end product by HP.
Pros
|
Cons
|
Graphics | 13.3″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) |
Performance | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM |
Storage | 256 GB SSD |
Battery life | Up to 8 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.55″ / 2.9 lbs |
Price Range | $$$$ |
Other similar versions (prices may vary)
3 – Asus Vivobook F510UA – 15″ HD
“Affordable & Light with Vivid Display”
Another great cheap laptop to watch movies. But don’t get fooled by the price, it is a nice laptop. That vivid HD display and clear audio will make more expensive laptop owners wonder why they paid so much for theirs… And it has a solid 15-inch design that is as light as it gets: 3.7 pounds.
You don’t get an SSD drive and you’ll have to compromise on the battery life, but for a laptop around $500, it’s tough to ask for more… Read our full review.
Pros
|
Cons
|
Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
Storage | 1000 GB HDD (5400 rpm) |
Battery life | Up to 5 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.8″ / 3.7 lbs |
Price Range | $$$ |
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4 – Acer Chromebook 14 – 14″ HD
“Ultra-Low Cost & Great Value”
How Acer managed to put such a great display on a laptop under $300 still baffles me. Sure, it’s a Chromebook so they saved a little there, but that doesn’t explain everything…
If you are looking for a ultra cheap laptop to watch movies, this is your best bet. Not only is has a nice HD display and a cute all-aluminium design, it’s also equipped with pretty decent speakers. A sure choice if you don’t want to spend to much, but still want a nice laptop. Read our full review.
Pros
|
Cons
|
Graphics | 14″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
Performance | Pentium N3160 with 4 GB of RAM |
Storage | 32 GB eMMC |
Battery life | Up to 12 hours |
OS | ChromeOS |
Thickness / Weight | 0.67″ / 3.42 lbs |
Price Range | $ |
5 – HP Envy 17t – 17″ HD
“The 17-inch for watching movies”
This is definitely not a laptop to purchase if you constantly move around. It’s too heavy for that… But if the goal is to have a big display to comfortably enjoy the latest blockbuster, this is it!
The HP Envy 17t has pretty much everything you need. A nice, HD display. Excellent audio. Solid performance that is backed by a dedicated graphics card to allow you to play 3D games. All that at a quite reasonable price for a quality 17-inch laptop.
Pros
|
Cons
|
Graphics | 17″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GT 940MX |
Performance | Intel i7 with 16 GB of RAM |
Storage | 512 GB SSD |
Battery life | Expect 3 to 4 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 1″ / 6.6 lbs |
Price Range | $$$$ |
6 – Asus Transformer Mini T103HA – 10″ HD Detachable
“Best mini laptop for streaming”
If your main priority is to have an ultra-portable device, at the expense of a larger screen, the Asus Transformer Mini is probably the best mini laptop on the market. And I must say, for a laptop that sells around $400, you do get a good product!
You get a device with a solid design, that has the advantages of both a laptop & a tablet. The 10-inch display is nice and, for its size, it has an excellent audio system. Add that to a battery life that will last a full day and you definitively get one of the best small laptops to watch a movie! Read our full review.
Pros
|
Cons
|
Graphics | 10.1″ HD touchscreen (1280 x 800) |
Performance | Intel Cherry Trail with 4 GB of RAM |
Storage | 128 GB eMMC |
Battery life | Up to 11 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.32″ / 1.74 lbs |
Price Range | $$ |
# 7 to 12 Best Laptops for Watching Movies
7 – Lenovo Yoga 920 – 14″ HD Convertible
“Great Display & Loud Audio”
It there wasn’t that much competition, the Yoga 920 would be much higher. It’s definitely one of the best high-end hybrid on the market. But I had to make a choice, and considering that some people want a budget laptop, some want a 15-inch, etc. I had to put this Yoga lower on this list.
But don’t be mistaken. It is a great device. A solid design, a bright display, loud audio and a long battery life. There are very few flaws in this 14-inch 2-in-1.
Pros
|
Cons
|
Graphics | 13.9″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) |
Performance | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM |
Storage | 256 GB SSD |
Battery life | Up to 15.5 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.5″ / 3 lbs |
Price Range | $$$ |
8 – Asus Q304UA – 13″ HD Convertible
“Budget 2-in-1”
I often recommend the Asus Q304UA – especially as an affordable laptop for college – and once again, it shows on one of my lists. It has a good-looking & well-made design, delivers good performance and has a good display.
I’d have preferred a clearer audio system and a faster hard-drive, but you can’t get everything… For the price, you hardly find a better value on the market. Read our full review.
Pros
|
Cons
|
Graphics | 13.3″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) |
Performance | Intel i5 with 6 GB of RAM |
Storage | 1000 GB HDD (5400 rpm) |
Battery life | Up to 10 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.78″ / 3.31 lbs |
Price Range | $$ |
9 – Asus VivoBook S15 – 15″ HD
“All-Around Great Laptop”
The Asus VivoBook S510UN is an all-around great mid-range laptop. It sells at a quite affordable price, and it has everything you need in that kind of laptop.
Vivid HD 15-inch display. Check. Nice audio system. Check. Gorgeous & solid design. Check. Dedicated graphics card for playing games. Check. Long battery life… not so much but we’ll forgive that small flaw! Read our full review.
Pros
|
Cons
|
Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA MX150 |
Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
Storage | 256 GB SSD |
Battery life | Expect 5 to 6 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.7″ / 3.7 lbs |
Price Range | $$ |
10 – Dell Inspiron i5770 – 17″ HD
“17-inch with Good Display & Audio”
Now this one is a sedentary movie-watching choice. If you don’t carry it often, it’s a pretty good laptop for watching videos. It has what you need: a big, bright & crisp 17-inch and an excellent audio system. Those are the important features in this kind of device, and the Dell Inspiron i5770 has them.
The hard-drive is big – but slow – and the battery – as it should be expected – doesn’t last that long, but otherwise there are few flaws. A good choice.
Pros
|
Cons
|
Graphics | 17.3″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) |
Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
Storage | 1000 GB HDD (5400 rpm) |
Battery life | Expect 5 to 6 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.98″ / 6.15 lbs |
Price Range | $$$$ |
11 – Asus Zenbook Deluxe UX490UA – 14″ HD
“Awesome 14-inch”
I’ve been trying to find flaws to this Zenbook for a while now… and I just can’t. If I’m picky, I’d say the average battery life – up to 9 hours – or the lack of dedicated GPU – something that it’s not made for. But otherwise… I just can’t!
A gorgeous ultra-lightweight design, equipped with a great vivid display. Add that to the powerful audio – for it’s size – and high-performance and you’ve got one of the best 14-inch laptops on the market.
So why isn’t it higher on this list? Because of the price. It’s worth the money you’ll spend, but it’s out of range for most people. Thus it’s lower ranking.
Pros
|
Cons
|
Graphics | 14″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
Performance | Intel i7 with 16 GB of RAM |
Storage | 512 GB SSD |
Battery life | Up to 9 hours |
OS | Windows 10 Pro |
Thickness / Weight | 0.5″ / 2.4 lbs |
Price Range | $$$$$ |
12 – Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 – 13″ HD Convertible
“High-Quality 13-inch”
Oh, it hurts me not to put this 13-inch 2-in-1 laptop higher on the list… I really like the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1. But since there are so many good laptops for movies, it had to be here.
It is really a great notebook and you should definitely consider it. It’s equipped with a display that is crisp & vivid, and it has one of the best lightweight design on the market. The only reason it’s not higher on this list is because of its audio system. It is quite adequate, but it’s not loud nor powerful. It wasn’t Dell priority when building it, and it shows. But still, it’s a great product that delivers a lot of value an definitely still one of the best laptops for watching Netflix.
Pros
|
Cons
|
Graphics | 13.3″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) |
Performance | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM |
Storage | 256 GB SSD |
Battery life | Up to 15 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.54″ / 2.7 lbs |
Price Range | $$$$$ |
Other similar versions (prices may vary)
Erik is the owner and main editor of lptps.com. He has been working in computers and information technology for more than 20 years. He’s a business analyst, developer, and avid traveler.