Laptops have become an integral part of our lives, and we spend a lot of time sitting in front of the computer screen every day. While most activities fall under professional work, an opportunity remains to utilize these machines for entertainment purposes. When we talk about entertainment, the first thing that comes to our mind is watching movies. Yes, you guessed it! Today, we are going to cover the best laptops for watching movies. Not only movies, but you can also enjoy anime, TV shows, and various other live-streaming content, whether it is Netflix or YouTube.
Thankfully, modern laptops are just perfect for these things with the improved components installed on the latest laptops. Hence, we have enlisted these best options after researching the web. We have considered everything that we need in a perfect streaming laptop. Therefore, you don’t need to worry about anything. Depending upon your requirements, you can pick any of these mentioned laptops. Watching online content is a bonus; you can do many more things with these laptops. Let’s get started with the top 10 best laptops for watching movies without further delay.
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List of Best Laptops for Watching Movies in 2024
Here is our list of the 10 best laptops for watching movies to buy in 2024:
1Apple MacBook Air (M2) (Best Laptops for Watching Movies)
Apple is best known for its MacBook series, and recently the company has introduced its Mac lineup with a completely new design and updated display. The new Macbook Air comes with a newly launched powerful processor combined with a bigger display, which works tremendously for most tasks. The same panel is perfect for watching movies and other relevant entertainment stuff. Speaking of that, it has a 15.3-inch QHD+ display at 2880 x 1864p resolution. The key highlight of this display is 500-nits brightness and very well-tuned color calibration, which makes it ideal for other productivity tasks, including photo editing, video editing, Photoshop, etc. The display quality is unmatchable.
- Display: 15.3-inch 2880 x 1864p QHD+
- Processor: Apple M2
- Graphics: Apple-designed 8-Core GPU
- RAM: 8GB DDR5
- Storage: 256GB NVMe SSD
Alongside, the laptop is loaded with front-firing speaking with excellent sound output. Probably, this laptop produces the best sound quality under the price of $1100. I think Apple MacBooks are superior to any other premium Windows laptop in terms of audio output. Besides, the laptop is powered by the latest Apple M2 chip, a mighty chip designed by Apple itself. The provided chipset arrives with an ARM-based octa-core CPU with a maximum clock speed of 3.49GHz. This chip houses a 10-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine for advanced machine learning. Moreover, this chip is game-changing for the industry, and Apple is no longer relying on Intel to supply the processors for its Macbooks.
In the storage department, there are multiple variants with up to 512GB SSD storage. But the variant we have listed is the base model with 256GB of SSD storage and 8GB DDR5 RAM. If you need more storage, you can consider the high-end variant, which costs 200 bucks more. The only downside we have found is the limited connectivity ports. This laptop only includes 2x USB ports with Thunderbolt 4 support. Apart from that, there isn’t any other port available, leaving you in deep trouble if you attach lots of external devices. Overall, this is the best laptop for watching movies and comes at a very affordable price.
2Acer Swift Go 14 (Best Windows Laptop for Watching Movies)
Acer Swift Go 14 is the latest entry in the company’s portfolio. The laptop comes with a sharp OLED display, making it an extremely viable option for movie lovers. The laptop is loaded with a superior 14-inch WQXGA+ display at 2880 x 1800p resolution. As we have mentioned, this is an OLED panel with extremely vibrant colors & excellent viewing angles. The provided panel offers perfect viewing angles and 400-nits brightness with decent color accuracy. I must say this is the brightness panel available in the given price range with a slim & compact design.
- Display: 14-inch 2800 x 1800p QHD+
- Processor: Intel Core i7-13700H
- Graphics: Intel Iris XE
- RAM: 16GB LPDDR5
- Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
Under the hood, the laptop is powered by the 13th-generation Intel Core i7-13700H processor. The chipset offers a 14-core CPU with 20 threads. Subsequently, it produces a 3.70GHz base clock speed by allowing up to 5.0GHz while running demanding tasks. Alongside, there is an integrated Intel Iris XE graphics to handle the graphics performance. This combination of CPU & GPU delivers optimal performance, and the audio output is also acceptable. The front portion is also embedded with an Ergonomic backlit keyboard and a fingerprint reader activated via Windows Hello.
The functioning of this keyboard is very smooth with good key traveling. Regarding the memory, it upholds 16GB LPDDR5 RAM coupled with 512GB of SSD storage. All the essential connectivity options are available on this computer machine. The device is made of a metallic outer body weighing around 3 pounds in terms of design. The build quality is an exception, making it an ultra-portable business ultrabook. In terms of I/O ports, there are 2x USB Type-C ports, a USB Type-A Port, an HDMI Port, and a micro SD card ready. Overall, the Asus Zenbook 14x is the best option for watching movies under $1500.
3ASUS Vivobook 15 (Best Value Pick)
Asus is a very prominent laptop brand with a diversified portfolio of different laptops for different people. The Dell XPS 13 laptop includes a fantastic 15.6-inch Full HD display at 1920 x 1080p 16:9 aspect ratio. This is a usual aspect ratio, which fits just fine for the latest content. Regarding the display quality, I must admit that it is one of the finest panels available in the budget category. The company offers very good display quality with enhanced brand value. The OLED screen can significantly improve the watching experience with rich colors.
Furthermore, the laptop is backed by the 7000 series AMD Ryzen 5 7530U processor for delivering seamless performance. This is a powerful chipset with a six-core CPU and 12 threads with hyperthreading, making it the best option for multi-threaded tasks, such as video editing tools, Photoshop, CAD-based software, etc. For a powerful chipset, it is equally important to have a decent graphics card. As a result, it includes an integrated AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 GPU, which flawlessly handles all the basic applications. Having 8GB of DDR4 RAM, processing becomes even more convenient. For storage, it has 512GB of NVMe SSD storage to store important documents.
One of the key highlights is its ultra-portable design. Undoubtedly, this is one of the best-looking business ultrabooks, but at the same time comes with a premium price tag. The laptop is made of a robust metal unibody design, which feels very premium in hands weighing only 5.34 pounds. The audio output is also adequately loud and comes with a 1-year onsite warranty. In the I/O ports, there is only one USB-Type C port available which can be a concern for some people. Fortunately, a micro SD card reader is there to read the important data. Despite having some drawbacks, this is one of the best budget Windows laptops for watching movies and other entertainment stuff.
4HP 15 (Budget Windows Laptop for watching Movies)
HP 15 is the best-selling laptop in the affordable price range, and undoubtedly it can be a suitable machine for watching movies. Speaking of its core configuration, Intel Core i7-1355U powers this device, which belongs to the latest 13th i7 series. As we know, this is a 10-core CPU with 12 threads, which becomes the best option for CPU-intensive tasks; however, playing a video clip is just a joke for this processor. The eight powerful CPU cores generate 3.70GHz base clock speed and go as high as 5.0GHz while running demanding applications.
- Display: 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080p FHD
- Processor: Intel Core i7-1355U
- Graphics: Intel Iris XE
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
Using the 7nm processing node, the provided chip saves lots of power without hurting the performance. The front portion utilizes the 15.6-inch Full HD display at 1920 x 1080p resolution. The major part of this display is its color accuracy. This is a highly color-accurate panel with well-managed color calibration. The company claims to bring an 80% screen-to-body ratio with narrow bezels, which is true by looking at its front appearance. The back is even more attractive with impressive metal body construction.
Looking at its price, the laptop offers a premium construction with a solid in-hand feel. The 8GB LPDDR4X RAM handles the memory department. Remember that LPDDR is low power-consuming memory, which helps to save energy and performs well for casual multitasking. On top of that, the laptop packs 512GB of SSD storage to store important documents and large files. Considering the connectivity options, it is loaded with 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 Dual-Band (2.4GHz and 5GHz), featuring MU-MIMO technology and Bluetooth 5.2 support.
All the required connectivity ports are available, including 2x USB Type-A ports, a USB Type-C Port, an HDMI port, and a headphone/microphone combo. Other notable features include a backlit keyboard, Fingerprint reader, long-lasting battery, and pre-installed Windows 11 OS. Priced under $800, this is the best affordable laptop for watching movies with a premium design.
5SAMSUNG Galaxy Book3 Pro (Ultra-Portable Design)
The SAMSUNG Galaxy Book3 Pro is one of the most portable laptops. Some people might feel fed up with its smaller display size, while others will enjoy watching the sharp visuals on the same display. So, it is not perfect for everyone but targets a specific audience with its easy-to-carry build and sharp 14-inch AMOLED display. On top of that, the laptop is powered by the Intel Core i7-1360P processor under the hood. This is a 13th Gen Raptor Lake series chipset. It is designed on the 7nm technology and has four cores. With these cores, it offers a 5.0GHz max clock speed. Alongside, this laptop has the Intel Iris XE GPU, which is an integrated GPU.
- Display: 14-inch QHD+ AMOLED (120Hz)
- Processor: Intel Core i7-1360P
- Graphics: Intel Iris XE Graphics
- RAM: 16GB DDR5
- Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
As discussed earlier, This laptop features a 14-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x display bringing 2880 × 1800p resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio. Besides, you get a 120Hz high refresh rate for smooth transitions. This is one of the few laptops available with a high refresh rate for the casual workload. As we know, the color reproduction of AMOLED displays is more vivid and punchy in comparison to LCDs.
It is pretty much comparable to Samsung smartphones regardless of the brightness, that are known to deliver the best display quality. Another key highlight of this laptop is its sturdy build quality with premium finishing. If you are fond of using a lightweight laptop, this could be an ideal choice. Undoubtedly, Samsung has done a tremendous job as far as design is concerned. The availability of a fingerprint reader gives it an extra bit of security layer.
The I/O department is taken care of by 2x USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 4 support, a headphone jack, a Surface Connect port, and a micro SD card reader. The Dolby Atmos speakers and dual mics for better sound quality can work like a charm while watching movies. Apart from that, this laptop has Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 connectivity options. Battery life is essential for a versatile laptop. Therefore, this laptop offers 6-7 hours of max battery backup with fast charging technology. All in all, this laptop works well for movies and other entertainment content.
6ASUS ZenBook 14 (Premium Body with QHD Display)
Asus Zenbook 14 is supported by a beautiful QHD display, which is the primary reason we have picked this option for watching movies. Not only display but the laptop is also packed with strong hardware and excellent build quality. Speaking of the specifications, it has a 14-inch WQXGA panel at 2560 x 1600p resolution. The availability of a QHD display makes it produce sharp colors at good color calibration. The color accuracy is very good with the 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, suitable for tasks like photo editing, video editing, and so on. Other than that, it offers 400-nits brightness making it one of the brightest panels out there.
- Display: 14-inch 2560 x 1600p QHD+
- Processor: Intel Core i7-1360P
- Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- RAM: 16GB LPDDR5
- Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
The laptop accumulates the 13th generation Intel Core i7-1360P chip affiliated with the Raptor Lake “P” series. This compelling chip uses 12 cores and 16 threads to handle any task you throw at it. Apart from that, the integration of Intel Iris Xe Graphics upholds balanced performance. It adds 16GB LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB SSD storage to store large files and important documents. If we talk about the battery, it is impressive, with a claimed battery backup of more than 10 hours of battery juice on a single charge.
But you can expect 6-7 hours of running time as normal usage. On top of that, the laptop offers fast charging support with 60% charging in just 49 minutes. Apparently, the audio output is above average, but nothing exceptional about it. The computer is made of a strong metal unibody design certified for MIL-STD 810 military-grade durability test. The build quality is excellent with sleek & lightweight body construction. Leaving it aside, you can use it for watching movies as well as other productivity tasks. With a price tag of just over $1000, it is a valuable laptop with a QHD display and portable design.
7LG Gram 16 (Bigger QHD Display)
LG GRAM 16 is a perfect piece for watching content using its sharp QHD display. The upgraded version from LG brings several improvements over the older generation, such as better build quality, effortless performance, and enhanced connectivity options. Starting with its display, the laptop supports a 16-inch WQXGA display at 2560 x 1600 pixels resolution. However, this panel doesn’t offer a high refresh rate, but the color reproduction is excellent with sharp QHD+ resolution. Spontaneously, there are great viewing angles with clear & crystal natural-looking colors.
- Display: 16-inch 2560 x 1600 QHD
- Processor: Intel Core i7-1360P
- Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD
Moreover, the laptop is powered by the 13th generation Intel Core i7-1360P clocked up to 5.0GHz while running in Turbo Boost mode. The chipset uses a 7nm SuperFin highly power-efficient chipset, consuming less power but delivering optimal performance. The CPU further includes an integrated Iris Xe graphics card, handling casual work and light gaming. In terms of memory, it is accompanied by 16GB DDR5 RAM and massive 1TB SSD storage. From a performance perspective, it flawlessly handles all the major tasks.
Subsequently, it is a great entertainer accomplishing adequate loud audio output and strong visuals. The laptop is loaded with all the essential connectivity ports, offering a decent battery life. The build quality is impressive, either with a metal unibody design. By weighing just 2.6 lbs, it is one of the most portable Windows laptops. Needless to say, this is a great piece of engineering with an eye-catching appearance. In conclusion, we highly recommend this laptop for watching movies and other video stuff without any major problems. However, this laptop charges premium pricing, but we should also consider what we are getting with this price tag.
8Acer Spin 5 (Touchscreen Laptop for Watching Movies)
Acer Spin 5 is another suitable machine if you need a touchscreen laptop for watching movies. The laptop supports a 14-inch Vertiview IPS 2560 × 1600p QHD+ display with multitouch support. Unlike most other laptops, it offers a 3:2 aspect ratio having skinny bezels that provide an 80% screen-to-body ratio. So you get 18% more workspace on this display. Besides, the provided panel is highly color-accurate with 100% sRGB color coverage. That makes it one of the best panels in this price range. The display supports Stylus Pen, and the good thing is that the company supplies it out of the box. Hence, along with watching movies, you can take advantage of an electric pen for specific tasks, such as drawing, digital signatures, etc.
- Display: 14-inch 2560 x 1600p Touchscreen
- Processor: Intel Core i7-1260P
- Graphics: Intel Iris XE Graphics
- RAM: 16GB LPDDR5
- Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD
The 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1260P processor employs a 12-core CPU with a base clock speed of 3.40GHz, going up to 4.70GHz in burst mode. The provided chipset produces excellent performance by utilizing the great optimizations made by Intel. Alongside, the chipset includes Integrated Intel Iris XE, which generated promising graphics performance, and you won’t feel any major lag in casual multitasking and watching video content. This computer can also be utilized for artistic work, such as drawing portraits, sketching, and similar stuff. Further, it has 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 1TB of fast SSD storage.
Other features include DTS dual stereo speakers, a fingerprint scanner, a backlit keyboard, and an HD webcam. It also supports Wi-Fi 6 dual-band technology and Bluetooth 5 wireless connection. This laptop comes with 2x Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C ports with DisplayPort and charging support, another 2x Type-A ports, and HDMI 2.0 support. Apart from that, it offers a promising battery life of around 5-6 hours in normal usage. But it can be up or down depending upon your usage. It also supports fast charging technology. The laptop operates on the latest Windows 11 operating system out of the box. Overall, this is a very good touchscreen laptop for watching movies.
9Acer Nitro 17 (Gaming + Watching Movies)
If you want a bigger display and powerful gaming hardware, we include the Acer Nitro 17. If you are looking for a laptop for entertainment purposes, gaming takes this to the next extent with more curiosity and joyfulness. The Acer Nitro 17 packs a 17.3-inch QHD display at 2560 x 1440p resolution. It is a traditional 16:9 aspect ratio panel with 100% sRGB colors with decent color accuracy. The good thing about this panel is that it supports a 165Hz refresh rate, making it a suitable gaming option. Subsequently, this bigger screen can be utilized for watching movies to provide more space for video content. Undisputably, this display makes it a multipurpose device.
- Display: 17.3-inch 2560 x 1440p (165Hz)
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070
- RAM: 16GB DDR5
- Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD
Under the hood, the laptop is powered by the mighty AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS chipset, which leads the chart of the latest AMD 7000 series. This is just an insane chipset, which can be overkill for most basic tasks, but heavy gaming is best suited for its powerful CPU. The chipset includes an octa-core CPU and 16 threads with hyperthreading. These powerful cores deliver 3.80GHz base clock speed and maximize their performance up to 5.10GHz while handling demanding tasks. On top of it, the laptop includes a Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card with a dedicated 8GB VRAM. Nonetheless, there might be some heating issues while gaming, which is normal for a gaming laptop.
Moreover, there is 16GB of DDR5 RAM coupled with 1TB SSD storage, sufficient storage space to store large files. The ground surroundings are loaded with a beautiful RGB backlit keyboard giving it an exquisite look. The provided trackpad is also very good, and it works like a charm. It is made of strong plastic material regarding build quality, which, however, doesn’t feel too premium in hands. But there isn’t any quality control issue. Altogether, this is the best gaming laptop around the $1500 price tag. Needless to say, you can use this machine to watch movies anytime.
10ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 (Powerful Touchscreen Screen 4K Display)
Last, but not least, ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 arrives with a beautiful OLED touchscreen screen with 2880 x 1800 pixels, making it the best option for watching the 4K content. At the same time, it offers you great capabilities to utilize this machine for content creation tasks, such as 4K video editing, Photoshop, Solidworks, Blender, AutoCAD, Adobe Premiere Pro, and many others. It has a 120Hz high refresh rate with Dolby Vision support for smooth scrolling. Speaking of the core specifications, the laptop is powered by the 13th-generation Intel Core i9-13900H, which is a 14-core processor with 20 threads.
- Primary Display: 14.5-inch QHD+ OLED
- Processor: Intel Core i9-13900H
- Graphics: Nvidia RTX 4060 8GB VRAM
- RAM: 16GB DDR5
- Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD
This is compelling processing with a base clock speed of 4.10GHz, going up to 5.40GHz with Intel’s Turbo Boost technology. As discussed, the front side is surrounded by a 14.5-inch QHD+ OLED panel, which offers more than 100% sRGB coverage and 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, making it a highly color-accurate display. Undoubtedly, you can use it for watching 4K Blue-Ray movies and other stuff in equivalent quality. However, the most comprehensive way to utilize its legacy is for content creation. Otherwise, it won’t be worth spending more than $1500 just watching movies.
It also features a powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card with a dedicated 8GB VRAM. Hence, it doesn’t comprise graphics performance either. It handles everything thrown into this machine. Regarding the memory, it packs a decent 16GB of DDR5 RAM coupled with 512GB SSD storage without letting you go “out of memory.” This is not an extraordinary space but sufficient to fulfill its core purpose. Speaking of the design, it is illusionary with durable body construction.
The strong frames make this laptop’s appearance classy with all the necessary connectivity ports. The laptop includes 3x USB Type-A ports, 2x USB Type-C ports with Thunderbolt 3 support, an RJ45 Ethernet port, an HDMI port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The battery life is also good, efficiently running through this machine for 4-5 hours. Other notable features include an RGB Backlit Keyboard, HDR400 certified display, and a comfortable trackpad. Overall, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 is the best touchscreen laptop for watching movies of 4K quality.
Buying Guide – How to Choose the Best Laptop for Watching Movies?
This section has pointed out some of the important aspects you should note before buying a laptop to watch movies and other entertainment stuff!
Processor & GPU
A Control Processing Unit, AKA CPU or processor, is the heart of any computer machine. So, it becomes almost necessary to get a good processor to get uncompromised performance. However, watching a movie is not a CPU-intensive task, but you need a decent processor to run your laptop without any lag. No specific processor is advised for streaming online content or playing downloaded stuff. But you should always pick the 12th-generation Intel processor or above. Apart from that, if you are thinking of buying an AMD-powered laptop, you should go beyond the 6000 series, although the AMD 7000 series is more common nowadays.
The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), more commonly known as the Graphics Card, is another important component to run a computer. Different solutions are available in the market, but dedicated GPUs dominate the marketing for more powerful applications. However, in our case, an integrated GPU will work just fine. So, you don’t need to focus on GPU unless you have some other requirements.
Display Quality
The display quality is the most important part to emphasize for watching movies because we see the output via the display. Many factors make or break the display quality, such as resolution, color calibration, viewing angles, etc. The display should have at least Full HD resolution with good viewing angles, in our recommendation. Moreover, if you spend lots of time in front of a laptop, you should also focus on color calibration, preventing eye strain. Other than that, the display size is a personal preference.
RAM & Storage
The RAM is a temporary memory that helps process data by coordinating with the processor. So, we need a decent amount of RAM for proper functioning. In that case, 8GB RAM is sufficient for basic tasks, but we recommend going with at least 16GB RAM if you purchase a laptop for 2-3 years. Further, the storage boot helps you store data permanently. I think 256GB of storage is sufficient for common users. But some people want to store large files by increasing capacity demand. I would recommend you choose storage as per your need, and it should be a faster SSD to avoid potential bottlenecks in performance.
Battery
Battery life is another important aspect you should consider before buying a laptop to watch movies. An average movie duration falls between 1 to 2 hours, so your laptop should be well capable of delivering a good battery backup. You would be glad to know that most modern laptops offer good battery life in compact form factors. So, you shouldn’t worry about battery backup. A standard laptop easily lasts 4-5 hours in normal circumstances.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What kind of laptop is good for watching movies?
A laptop with a good-quality display and adequate audio output is good for watching movies. Other recommended specifications are a 13th generation i5/i7 chipset (or Apple M2 for MacBook), 8GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB SSD storage, and a Full HD/QHD resolution display.
Is MacBook Air good for watching movies?
Yes, the Apple MacBook Air with M2 chips is one of the best laptops for watching movies because of its high-resolution display, long-lasting battery, excellent audio quality, and buttery smooth performance.
Bottom Line
If you are reading this final paragraph, you might have already made up your mind. Tasks like watching movies come under the casual workload, and most laptops are very capable of handling them, including the cheaper ones. But when we decide on the “best” laptop for watching movies, several factors play a major role in influencing our decision, such as display quality, battery life, processing power, and so on. As we already know, we don’t need a too powerful laptop for just watching movies, but some people want to buy a multipurpose device.
For that reason, we have included a diversified list of laptops for different people. In contrast, Acer Swift Go 14 can be considered one of the best laptops for watching movies due to its excellent display quality, great audio output, and optimal performance. On the other hand, the Macbook Air M2 operates in a better way with a more premium design and costs more than the Acer Swift Go 14. We can’t deny the fact that the Apple Macbook series has come a long way by serving multipurpose devices, and there is no exception with Macbook Air. For people looking a value for a value-for-money device, there can’t be a better option than the Asus Vivobook 15.
Apart from that, there are some other laptops we have included in this list. The Zenbook Pro 15 Pro has a 4K UHD OLED display to watch the 4K content. It is one of the best laptops if you don’t have any problem with its pricing. Meanwhile, there is limited content available in 4K, so you have to decide whether it is acceptable to you or not. Last but not least, if you love gaming + watching movies, Acer Nitro 17 can be the ideal option for you. This is a potent gaming laptop with best-in-class hardware and a bigger display combination. To wrap it up, you need to decide your requirements and go with any of these mentioned laptops. What are your thoughts? Please do let us know in below comment section below!
