The 11 Most Reliable Laptop Brands, Ranked

Shopping for a laptop can be time-consuming, confusing, and frustrating. It's about so much more than comparing prices and specifications. For many consumers, buying a laptop means buying into an entire brand — especially if you go with a laptop manufacturer that has its own ecosystem (like Apple).

While knowing what the most popular laptop brands are can help you narrow down your shopping list, high sales figures don't mean the best-selling laptops are the most reliable. The best-selling laptop could be the most affordable option, and sales figures don't indicate anything about long-term quality or reliability.

To help in your search for the most reliable laptop out there, we've looked at each brand's reputation for reliability based on industry data from Consumer Reports, PCMag, SquareTrade, Statista, and more. Plus, we've included our own reviews for a more in-depth look at which laptops might be worth investing in. Stay tuned after the list of most reliable laptops for more information on our rankings.

Dell is a well-known brand in the computer industry, but unfortunately, its laptops don't seem to measure up. Dell uses a global manufacturing strategy to deliver PCs all over the world, but many consumers have reported less than satisfactory results after a few years of use.

For example, Dell was rated lower than average for reliability by PCMag, coming in well after big names like Apple, Lenovo, and even MSI. PCMag didn't elaborate on its process for rating reliability, but the fact that the numbers stem from a consumer survey gives a bit of perspective.

Consumer Reports also gave Dell a less-than-favorable score (below average) on its predicted reliability scale in 2023. Consumer Reports' data was similarly based on consumer responses, suggesting that Dell simply doesn't have a reputation for manufacturing reliable laptops.

All that considered, Dell was the second most popular laptop brand in a Statista survey, so consumers still seem to love their Dells. Interestingly, Dell also introduced AI PCs at MWC 2024, indicating it's still working on improvements, even if AI doesn't make a computer more reliable.

Gateway might be an unfamiliar name to many laptop owners, but it's been around for a long time. In fact, Gateway started out on its own, then later absorbed eMachines in 2004. While I can't say I thoroughly tested my old-school eMachine back in the day, it was reliable until it became obsolete in the age of affordable laptops. Gateway is still around, though it was later acquired by Acer in 2007.

Today, Gateway makes one of the best budget laptops for students under the Acer umbrella, but the brand has its own reputation in the industry. While not every industry expert has data on Gateway, the brand received a below-average score on Consumer Reports' rankings for reliability.

Given that the revived Gateway laptops (and tablets) are Walmart-exclusive, it doesn't seem like Acer is interested in growing the brand too much. While affordability might be key for college students, if you're looking for a laptop that will last, all signs point away from Gateway.

Asus is one of the more popular laptop brands and ranked sixth in Statista's survey, but it also has a less than stellar reputation when it comes to reliability. The laptop brand was considered less reliable than average in Consumer Reports' survey, and it was ranked second-to-last by PCMag's group of consumers. It might not be all bad news, though.

Asus Zenbook is one of the most repairable laptops, according to PIRG, so there might be a DIY fix if you run into technical issues. Plus, the perception of Asus' reliability has shifted over the years, and it's possible it will shift again. Years ago, a SquareTrade study suggested that Asus laptops were the most reliable of all popular brands, including Apple and other big names. If Asus puts in the work, it could rank highly once more.

We also reviewed an Asus Vivobook S 15 that had an impressive amount of battery life and some useful adaptive features. It was a short-term trial run, but given that Asus started promising military-grade laptop durability in 2023, who knows how long that the S 15 will last? Military grade laptops are more resistant to temperature fluctuations, explore to harsh conditions, and shock than standard laptops, which sounds pretty reliable to us.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Acer, the parent brand of Gateway, ranks similar to its subsidiary when it comes to reliability — but gets higher marks for a few other key elements, like cost. Acer has done the work to create a brand that's recognizable as both reliable and value-oriented for both Windows and ChromeOS hardware.

Acer was rated at ever-so-slightly below-average reliability in PCMag's survey, and brought in a score of 3/5 in the Consumer Reports survey. Interestingly, Acer laptops were the fourth most popular in Statista's survey, which we could try to attribute to simple cost. After all, Acer offers a budget-friendly, no-nonsense Chromebook that we reviewed highly in 2023, and Acer's laptops, like the Acer Swift X 16 (2023), have rarely failed to impress SlashGear's reviewers in general over the past decade.

Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) rated the Acer Aspire line, specifically, as highly repairable even if something goes wrong. Take a peek at some of our other Acer reviews for alternate angles: Acer Aspire Vero 2022, another ChromeOS device in the Acer Chromebook 516 GE, or a monster gaming machine – Acer Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition.

As far as brand names go, HP is probably one of the most noteworthy. HP laptops were ranked the most popular in the U.S. in 2021 by Statista with 35% of households owning at least one, and mine is one of them. We have no less than four HP laptops, a few of them refurbished and one a Chromebook, and I've had nothing but positive experiences — especially since most of ours are second-hand.

HP is one of the best major laptop brands and perhaps the best PC brand overall, but that doesn't mean every laptop is going to deliver. For example, in an older study circa 2009, SquareTrade found that HP laptops had the highest malfunction rate among leading laptop brands. Sure, it's been a while, but that statistic might still be relevant. While I love my family's collection of ragtag refurbished HP laptops, SquareTrade pointed out that around one-fourth of HP laptops were expected to malfunction within 3 years.

In Consumer Reports' survey, HP earned a lower-than-average score, suggesting that time hasn't changed much. Not only that, but PCMag rated HP the absolute worst in terms of reliability — though "worst" is an 8.5 out of 10, and no laptop got a 10.

The Acer laptop I owned only lasted a few years, but my Lenovo ThinkPad outlasted too many devices in my household to count. I don't use it regularly anymore because it's bulky, and I've been gifted two laptops since receiving my Lenovo as a hand-me-down — but I can still pull it out of my closet and boot it up no problem.

It's nice to know that Lenovo has a decent reputation for reliability, especially considering the competition. For example, of the best-reviewed Costco laptops available, two are Apple, but the top-rated is a Lenovo.

Lenovo is also a top pick by consumers in PCMag's survey, ranking just under Apple and MSI (but more on those later). A 9 out of 10 on reliability isn't bad, but Lenovo didn't fare as well when it came to judgment day over at Consumer Reports. Lenovo was ranked below average for predicted reliability, although it was still in good company with HP and other below-average-ranked laptops.

Plus, low rankings aside, Lenovo is still a major player according to Statista's survey; it was the fifth most popular laptop brand in 2021.

Microsoft has made plenty of mistakes, but the company has also successfully battled Apple for the top market spot multiple times over the years. In fact, Microsoft has beat out Apple more often than not. Yet, Microsoft has below-average reliability according to PCMag, despite having an overall positive reputation.

What doesn't help Microsoft's reputation is that Consumer Reports determined that the brand's laptops had a 25% breakage rate in 2017. Things may have changed a bit over the years; Microsoft isn't the worst-rated manufacturer in the market, but it's not the absolute best either.

In 2023, Consumer Reports' consumer survey found that Microsoft wasn't as reliable as other top brands. Microsoft's reliability was about average, but there are better choices, according to Consumer Reports' consumers.

Interestingly, Microsoft was not at the top of the popularity rankings according to Statista; the brand tied with Asus for the sixth spot. That doesn't mean Microsoft is a poor choice if you're shopping for a laptop, just that there are some better-ranked alternatives to consider.

MSI makes some of the most powerful computers out there, although its desktop PCs are better known for their performance than the laptop division. Still, MSI's laptops are often ranked highly by consumers, and performance is a highlight. You can buy a gaming laptop from MSI for less than what you would pay for a PS5 and enjoy similar performance.

Beyond the impressive specs, MSI was ranked the second-best in terms of reliability according to PCMag consumers. MSI was also the overall reader's choice pick based on other criteria like ease of use, cost, and overall satisfaction. While none of those factors come into play in our ranking, it's nice to know that one of the most reliable laptops is also enjoyable to use.

In Consumer Reports' survey, MSI tied with Samsung with a 4/5 predicted reliability score, which was higher than average, albeit not the top score available. A couple of brands did surpass MSI and Samsung, but overall, laptops from MSI are said to be more reliable than most other brands on the market.

Samsung laptops have both pros and cons, like any other brand, but they do rank highly when it comes to reliability. In Consumer Reports findings, Samsung laptops earned a 4/5 score that tied them with MSI. Since MSI was the reader's choice favorite with PCMag, that might mean Samsung is doing something right.

Of course, the general opinion seems to be that Samsung laptops are overpriced compared to competitors. You might pay extra for that reliability, if critics' advice is to be heeded, but the peace of mind is probably worth any added expense.

Besides, SlashGear's experience with a Samsung DeX was fantastic, so it's not just laptops that can function as such. Samsung has plenty of powerful options whether you're working on the go or gaming on your laptop. However, Samsung is not one of the most popular laptop brands on the market.

In fact, it came in last in Statista's survey, with only 7% of households owning Samsung laptops. That's a low figure considering Samsung is the third most reliable laptop brand on our list.

LG might be better known today for appliances than laptops and PCs, but that doesn't mean consumers don't like the brand's laptops. LG was a top pick by consumers in PCMag's survey, though there wasn't enough data to give a reliability rating. Consumers did appreciate LG's ease of use and low cost, but those things aren't as important as our reliability indicators when it comes to laptop longevity.

Although LG's reliability is apparently impressive, it tied for top score in Consumer Reports and couldn't quite bust out of the second-to-best spot. Compared to the number one most reliable laptop brand, though, second place is nothing to scoff at.

Consumer Reports even placed LG at the very top of its list for predicted liability, though it scored the same 5 out of 5 as Apple. Conversely, LG was bumped from the top spot when it came to overall owner satisfaction, despite getting the same rounded score as Apple.

Beyond appliances and essential laptops, LG also has some fun products, like a transparent display notebook, so it's not all potentially boring predictability with the brand.

Is it any surprise that the number-one most reliable laptop brand happens to come from industry powerhouse Apple? Its laptops are even a class above when it comes to naming; they're not laptops, they're MacBooks. Plus, it turns out that a MacBook might last five years or more, blowing every other laptop brand out of the water on the reliability scale.

Switching from Windows to a Mac might be the best decision you ever make, as every ranking body gives Apple MacBooks top billing. MacBooks were a top pick by consumers in PCMag's survey, and Apple tied with LG for the top predicted reliability score in Consumer Reports' survey. It's something of a mystery that Apple laptops came in third in Statista's survey of the most popular laptop brands, but that could be due to a combination of factors like cost and consumers being resistant to switching their entire digital ecosystem (I'm one of those holdouts).

Yet even in that old SquareTrade study, Apple laptops performed better than average. Assuming improvements have been made over the years, it's not surprising that Apple is rated the most reliable by various consumer surveys. Given Apple's overall reputation, its MacBook definitely earned the number one spot.

Our most reliable laptop brand rankings start with Consumer Reports' 2023 survey results, which included over 64,000 responses from members and ranked 13 brands on a scale of 1 to 5. Consumer Reports didn't recommend Alienware or Razer laptops, which both earned scores of 2 out of 5, so we skipped those. Many laptop brands received scores that were below the average — anything lower than 3.3 out of 5.

In addition to Consumer Reports' predicted reliability scores, we've also included other research from Consumer Reports, PCMag, and SquareTrade to support the overall ranking. Unsurprisingly, most research reinforced Consumer Reports' rankings, though in some cases, there are other factors to consider.