5 Best Thunderbolt Laptop in 2024

Affordable and high-quality Thunderbolt laptop.

Thunderbolt inputs have started being included in enthusiast PCs for the last couple of years, and nowadays you expect to find them in most modern laptops, regardless of their size, specs, or cost.

The 3rd-gen Thunderbolt input comes with multiple advantages compared to the previous versions and allows you to use it instead of plenty of other ports for years to come.

You’ll find more information about Thunderbolt 3 technology and functionality at the end of the article. For now, let’s start by helping you find the best Thunderbolt laptop with this rundown of high-rated portable machines that all come with at least a single Thunderbolt 3 input for you to enjoy.

CPU: Intel Core i7 | GPU: AMD Radeon | RAM: 16 GB | Storage: 512 GB

For just a little more money than the older version of the MacBook Pro, which Apple discontinued recently, you get the much improved, 16-inch version. The two laptops resemble very similar, as the appearance style hasn't really changed too much from last year. The key difference is in the size and build materials of the two models. The MacBook Pro is aluminum, while the upgraded Pro is made out of anodized aluminum. While it doesn't make a huge difference in how long the laptop is going to last, it's noticeable in the build quality.

In terms of internal storage, the upgrade to the 16-inch macbook Pro offers about two hundred million more pages of storage than the older MacBook Pro. While the increase isn't that significant, it is enough to make the laptop much easier to manage and use. The addition of two USB ports as well as one FireWire port completes the hardware upgrades. Other ports are still available on the older laptop including, yet again, two USB ports, an HDMI port, and an SD card slot.

CPU: Intel Core i7 | GPU: GeForce MX150 | RAM: 8 GB | Storage: 512 GB

ASUS is now officially spreading its revolutionary new ErgoLift model into its bigger ZenBook family, and it comes in the ASUS ZenBook 14. Launched at, it combines elements from both the portable and ergonomic, traditional laptop styles. It's a gorgeous laptop in all areas but one which is also very versatile and capable without being forced to resort to a 2-in-one aesthetic which can sometimes be polarizing amongst users. In this review we'll take a closer look at what sets the ZenBook apart from other laptops on the market.

Like most full sized laptops the ZenBook 14 utilizes an aluminum unibody design meaning that the screen and edge bezels are fully customizable, giving you greater design freedom than many other laptop models. While many of the features of this laptop were left out of the original design in favor of greater portability - such as a dual headphone jack and the ability to slot in a full-sized keyboard deck - these additions make the ZenBook 14 an amazing choice for anyone looking for a mobility machine with incredible portability at the same time.

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo | GPU: AMD Radeon RX Vega | RAM: 8 GB | Storage: 256 GB

With its signature aluminum metal body, Macbook Air 2020 is the next generation of laptop. It has all the same functions as of the older version but it is smaller, lighter and it consumes less battery power. However, its biggest advantage compared to the older model is that it comes with a quad-core Intel i5 processor, six GB of RAM and an optional nVidia graphics card. Apple claims that this product has higher performance than the previous one.

MacBook Air provides a remarkable performance and a sleek design when compared to the older version. It also has a longer battery life than that of the older MacBook Air, which may be an important factor for many people. The best thing about the MacBook Air is that it comes with both a 12-inch and a 13-inch screen. The Macbook Air also offers better color accuracy than the MacBook Air, although, this can only be seen if you open the document in its default font.

CPU: Intel Core i7-10875H | GPU: Razer Blade Pro | RAM: 16 GB | Storage: 1 TB

With a quad core i5 processor, 8GB of ram and a SSD it is extremely light on system requirements and as a result runs extremely fast and stable. The graphics card is also upgraded to the latest model, which is solid for those that love the high definition visuals in their games or videos. The battery is very good, especially when compared to some of the other gaming laptops on the market, and lasts around four hours max.

There are many features on this gaming laptop that would make it stand out from the crowd, and one such key feature is the built in 99% precision gaming mouse. So much so in fact that my twenty-year-old wrist would still pick up the slightest movement while gaming. Another great feature of this laptop is that unlike many laptops before it, the razor blade pro 17 uses a solid state hard disk rather than the traditional hard disks we are used to seeing. This is ideal for those that like to download a lot of media and want to be able to back up everything they have and skip the slow process of formatting every time you want to take a new file out.

CPU: Intel Core i7-1065G7 | GPU: Intel UHD Graphics | RAM: 8 GB | Storage: 512 GB

Samsung is attempting to compete with ultra-light ultra-portable laptops like the new LG Gram or the new Acer Swift 5 with its new Galaxy Book Ion. To compete it would seem that Samsung would have to adopt some of Apple's strategies for thinness and design, at least on the exterior. The recipe for success sounds simple enough: a sleeker, thinner exterior, a solid FullHD Q LED screen and all we are done with it. Now Samsung has delivered with the Galaxy Book ion and we will see just how well it competes with Apple's MacBook Air.

Samsung has upped the ante with its new model of laptops by including a full keyboard with a full-touch trackpad, though the keyboard on this model is only available on the US version of the Galaxy Book ion and is absent on the international version. The battery life of this device isn't much longer than that of the MacBook Air, sometimes topping out at eight hours on the plus side. In our review of the book ion, we concluded that the battery life was decent but that the machine lacked versatility.

The market is full of 2-in-1 laptops, which are machines that you can use as either a laptop or a tablet, depending on the mode you’ve chosen, with most of them also offering tent and stand positions. 2-in-1 devices are usually designed in one of two styles: ones with detachable displays that can be completely removed from the base and highly flexible models with hinges that offer 360o tilting to switch between multiple modes.

Both types excel at different things, as bendable models are primarily used for their laptop functionality, while detachable devices are leagues ahead when used as a tablet. That said, if you have no interest in tablet functionality, the best Thunderbolt laptop for you would be the one that’s designed as a classic clamshell with no extra modes.

You can get the most technologically advanced laptop in the world but it won’t bring you much joy if it doesn't offer proper ergonomics. If you plan to do a lot of typing or gaming, check if the keyboard provides pleasant tactile feedback and has enough space between the keys for preventing accidental button pressing (1 to 2mm is typically enough). If you want to purchase a Windows model, ensure it comes with Precision touchpad drivers and that the touchpad itself offers nice accuracy, doesn’t jump the cursor around, and provides responsive multi-touch controls.

If you’re getting a big, massive laptop that will be used for gaming and mostly kept on your desk near a power source, battery life shouldn’t be an issue. That said, if you want to have the laptop on your person wherever you are, give preference to models that provide at least 7 hours of battery life. When picking the best Thunderbolt laptop in terms of battery life, don’t trust the product description, but rather refer to reviews from regular users that own and tried the device.