When it comes to laptops, you may not want to only use a laptop when you're traveling and, instead, find a machine that works well at home as a desktop replacement while also remaining able to come with you when you take a trip. Regardless of whether you're an artist, a pro video editor, a businessperson, a gamer, or just somebody looking for a reliable machine to browse the web and navigate Google Docs, we've got great options for everyone.

Below you'll find our favorite laptops that work great as desktop replacements as well as some tips and tricks on how you can get your home setup up and running and what you may want to look for and invest in to make sure your laptop does everything a desktop can.

Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon line of laptops has been around for a long time thanks to a reputation for reliability and premium hardware on top of its iconic design. This laptop supports your choice of 13th-gen Intel CPU up to an i7-1365U or i7-1370P, up to 64GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of storage. You can also opt for a 2.8K OLED display that covers an impressive 100% of the DCI-P3 spectrum alongside a 1080P webcam or an optional MIPI camera, too.

When it comes to using your laptop as a desktop replacement, you might want to connect a monitor (or perhaps two) to your machine, and you won't have any trouble doing that with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon thanks to two Thunderbolt 4 ports and an HDMI port alongside two USB Type-A ports and a headphone jack for your favorite peripherals.

Whether you're looking for some premium hardware, need a great camera for meetings, want to connect external monitors to your laptop, or anything else, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is a strong candidate that can handle just about anything you throw at it. Plus, if you're feeling held back by integrated graphics, you can always upgrade by way of an external GPU.

Apple's M2 Max MacBook Pro didn't come out long ago and is still a powerful laptop, but the M3 Max MacBook is an even more impressive machine, great for professionals looking to get some serious work done. This machine features an M3 Max chip outfitted with a 16-core CPU, a 40-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine, up to 128GB of unified memory, and up to 8TB of storage.

As you can see above, this laptop is perfect for heavy workloads that require ample processing power, but the display on this laptop is also exceptional. With a 16.2-inch 120Hz Liquid Retina XDR Mini-LED display, you get responsiveness, a high resolution, and a gorgeous panel. You also get solid connectivity with four USB-C ports, an HDMI port, a micro-SD slot, and a headphone jack.

There's no getting around the major downside here: price. But if you're a professional looking for a workstation you can use at home instead of a desktop that you can also bring with you out in the world, there are few machines that can compete with the power on offer with the M3 Max MacBook Pro. Put simply, this laptop can certainly justify its price if you've got the budget for it.

If you're looking for versatility and value, the HP Envy 16 (2023) is an excellent choice. This laptop features up to an Intel Core i9 CPU, up to an Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, up to 32GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of storage. You can also opt for a beautiful 120Hz 2.8K touch-enabled OLED display, too, while you get a 5MP webcam with Windows Hello support that's become a standard on HP laptops.

Not only is this laptop capable of competing with a desktop in terms of raw power, you're also getting two Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port, two USB Type-A ports, a headphone jack, and a micro-SD slot, too. This means you won't have any issues connecting an external monitor as well as your favorite peripherals, but you'll still have the option of connecting to a docking station.

You can kit out your own personal HP Envy 16 in a ton of different ways, so you won't have to opt for the best of the best and be forced to pay an arm and a leg. Even without the top-of-the-line hardware, though, you're getting a clean, minimalist design and ample connectivity for a fair price. Plus, with support for a 4060, if you want to play a game in your off time, that's no problem.

If you're a creator who's in need of a desktop-replacement workstation you can draw or sketch on, Microsoft's Surface Laptop Studio 2 is an awesome choice. This tablet-laptop hybrid doesn't skimp on power, either, coming with a 14-core Intel i7 processor, up to an Nvidia 4060 GPU, and up to 64GB of RAM. Plus, you also get a 120Hz HDR display with a 1080P webcam.

For digital artists, the easy ability of the Surface to transform into a tablet you can use with the Slim Pen 2 may well be an easier, cleaner setup than a drawing tablet connected to a desktop computer. Plus, you can get a lot of that desktop experience out of the Surface if you want to connect to an external monitor thanks to decent IO in the form of two built-in Thunderbolt 4 ports.

If you're a creator who needs some serious GPU power or support for a smart pen in a convenient laptop form factor, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 is just tough to beat in terms of its features. You will have to pay for the pleasure, though, if you want to kit out your Surface with some premium hardware. Nonetheless, the versatility of this machine makes it well worth the money.

If some consumer-grade hardware in your laptop isn't nearly enough power for you, the Precision 7680 may be your best bet for a desktop replacement. This machine features some very impressive specs that put a lot of desktops to shame with up to a 24-core Intel i9 CPU, up to an Nvidia RTX 5000 Ada GPU, up to 64GB of RAM (with ECC options), and up to 12TB of storage.

Whether you need tons of processing power, tons of memory, tons of storage, or tons of GPU compute, the Precision 7680 can be kitted out to handle whatever your needs may be. You also get an impressive set of IO for any peripheral you can imagine or a suite of external monitors with an SD reader, audio jack, USB ports with DisplayPort support, Ethernet, HDMI, and Thunderbolt 4.

If you need the power of a desktop workstation on a machine that you can bring with you when necessary, the Precision 7680 can do just about anything. Be warned, though, pricing on the 7680 can reach above $8000 depending on your configuration, so you will need deep pockets if you want the best of the best or even goodies like an OLED display, 5G connectivity, or an NFC reader.

If you're looking for a portable business laptop that you can also connect to a couple of external monitors and use at home, the Dragonfly G4 is worth putting on your radar. This PC features a 13th-gen Intel Core U chip, integrated graphics, up to 32GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of storage. It also comes with an impressive 5MP MIPI webcam on top of B&O speakers, too.

This machine may not have the most impressive hardware, but it's got features in spades, like an OLED display option, support for 4G LTE/5G, and a great keyboard. Plus, you also get two Thunderbolt 4 ports and HDMI 2.0 for those interested in external monitors. What's more is that you get all of this at 2.2 pounds, making this laptop a lot more portable than others on our list.

For those who may not need the most power but want a sleekly designed, eminently portable laptop with a bevy of useful features, the HP Dragonfly G4 is a competitive option. However, keep in mind that you will have to spend a couple of thousand dollars for the privilege, depending on your personal configuration, so the Dragonfly G4 isn't necessarily a budget option.

If you need anything too fancy, but you do want a versatile machine, you can hook up to your favorite monitor at home as well as take it with you on the go, this Acer Chromebook can do all of that for cheap. The Chromebook Spin 714 features an Intel Core i5-1335U, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and integrated graphics, and it's also a convertible with a 1920x1200 touchscreen, too.

This machine may not be the most powerful, but it will have no trouble browsing the web, writing documents, and playing the occasional Android game. You also get USB-C ports that support Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI support, so don't feel like you have to carry a dongle around with you. Best of all, this Chromebook tends to go on sale for well, well under $1000, so it's a great choice for those who don't need to spend on more premium hardware.

If all you need for your job is to browse the web, attend the occasional meeting, and work in the Google Suite, there's little reason to bother spending thousands on a more powerful machine that'll likely also end up a lot heavier and may not come with a touchscreen built right in. Make sure to keep an eye out on this Chromebook if you're interested, because sales can be especially lucrative.

If you want a convertible laptop that's not as barebones as a Chromebook Spin 714 but not as expensive as a Surface Laptop Studio 2, the Yoga 9i from Lenovo is an excellent all-around choice. This hybrid laptop packs in an Intel Core i7-1360P chip, integrated graphics, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to a 1TB SSD on top of a 1080P webcam and speakers that make for great audio quality.

That's not all, though, as this convertible also works great for pen users, sports up to a 90Hz 4K OLED display, and comes with a solid collection of IO including two Thunderbolt 4 ports alongside USB-C, USB-A, and a 3.5mm jack. If you want a tablet, the Yoga can do that. If you want a laptop that can drive your monitors at home without a dongle, the Yoga can do that. And if you want a reasonably portable 3-pound laptop, the Yoga can do that, too.

There may not be a built-in way to store your pen inside the Yoga, and it may not outcompete a more powerful hybrid like the Surface Laptop Studio 2, but if you need a versatile convertible and don't plan on doing any serious video editing or hardcore gaming, the Yoga 9i is an all-around excellent machine that can be found for sale at under $1500, making this laptop an excellent value.

Laptop desktop replacements: What to know

When buying a laptop that can double as your at-home PC, there are a few things to think about.

With desktop computers, you've got tons of connectivity, but you're usually more limited with laptops, so you'll want to think about whether you'll be all set with the IO on a laptop or if you might want a Thunderbolt dock. Outside of a dock, a key component of a desktop setup is a monitor, so make sure to decide early on if you'll want to connect external monitors, or perhaps even a portable monitor, to your laptop, or if you'll be fine with just your laptop's display.

Also, make sure you figure out the connectivity situation of any monitors you plan on connecting, and make sure to prepare for whatever you decide by checking if your laptop of choice has the proper IO, you've got the right dongle, or you've got an appropriate dock picked out. Lastly, think about peripherals. You'll probably be fine if it's just a mouse and keyboard, but if you have a slate of USB devices, for example, you'll want to connect at home, make sure your laptop (or docking station) can accommodate everything you'll need.

Best desktop replacements: Bottom line

Which laptop is right for you is going to depend almost entirely on what you need out of a laptop: Do you need a dedicated GPU? Do you need premium processing power? Or are luxuries like a great webcam more important to you? Do you need to draw or sketch on your laptop? Depending on your answers to questions like those, that will quickly point you toward the right machine for you.

In general, though, Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 is an excellent choice for most people. With powerful hardware, a 2.8K OLED display option, support for an impressive MIPI webcam, and a versatile suite of connectivity options on top of ThinkPad's historic reliability, it's hard to go wrong with the ThinkPad, making it our overall recommendation.

Regardless of what you land on, though, make sure you plan out your at-home setup. Decide if you want external monitors, a docking station, and what kind of peripherals you'll use, so you can make sure your top choice meshes well with your plans.