1. Best overall
2. Best budget
3. Best for designers and gamers
4. Best 2-in-1 mobile workstation
5. Best Nvidia Quatro
6. Best color accuracy
7. Best enterprise
8. Best desktop-replacement
9. FAQs
10. How to choose
11. How we test
The best mobile workstation offer a careful balance of mobile computing and raw power - and that's not always easy to find in a dedicated work laptop.
Our expert team of reviewers have tested the best workstations and best business laptops - so we know what you'll want to check for when choosing your next mobile workstation. From our review experience, the Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch remains an impressively portable machine, powered by the M2 processor, it breezes through intensive tasks like video editing. And it will have no trouble with office apps, web browsing, emails, and online meetings either.
We've rounded up our top choices for a range of heavy-duty mobile computing tasks, comparing specs, benchmarking performance, and exploring design and dimensions to find the best balance between portability, productivity, and power.
The best mobile workstations of 2024 in full:
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Below you'll find full write-ups for each of the best mobile workstations in our list. We've tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.
The best mobile workstation overall
If power and portability are what you’re looking for, there’s no better choice right now than the MacBook Pro 13-inch (2022). It’s more of a creative laptop than a business one.
However, if you need a workstation for your creative tasks that you can carry anywhere, its M2 chip comes with a lot of processing and graphical prowess. That’s while touting a battery life that’ll last you even past your work hours.
This laptop may be overkill for normal users, but it is incredible for video editors, music producers, photographers, and programmers.
Read our full Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2, 2022) review.
The best budget mobile workstation
No matter what you’re looking for in a computer, the MacBook Pro 16-Inch (2021) can probably handle it. That’s thanks to Apple’s in-house M1 Pro and M1 Max (if you choose to upgrade) that can blaze through any application you can think of.
The Pro comes with an incredible display that'll eliminate the need to plug into an external monitor, as well as plenty of ports including next-gen Thunderbolt 4 ports. All that performance does come at a price, as even the base model costs a lot. But, considering how powerful this laptop is, it’s worth the price of entry.
The laptop's also large and heavy, so you'll want to check out the 14-inch MacBook Pro, unless you really need the larger screen and longer battery life.
Read our full MacBook Pro 16-Inch (2021) review.
You could save on Apple products with our Apple promo codes.
The best mobile workstation for designers and gamers
One of the most powerful mobile workstations out there, the Gigabyte Aero 17 comes with a lot of power, a gorgeous display, and a whole lotta ports. Best yet, it is priced well below its less-powerful rivals, making it a better proposition even if you have a more flexible budget. It is not by any means perfect. The battery life could use a bit of a boost, for example. But, for how much you are paying and for the other things you are getting in return, it is a minuscule sacrifice.
The Gigabyte Aero 17 boasts exceptional build quality and can run AAA games pretty well too. Not just that, this midrange laptop offers terrific performance when running video editing, graphic design, and 3D rendering apps.
Read our full Gigabyte Aero 17 (2021) review.
The best 2-in-1 mobile workstation
There are very few laptops that are more powerful than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 8. The 2-in-1 workhorse is encased in aluminum, making it a robust option for any commute. True, the design of the ThinkPad Yoga series hasn't undergone much change over the years, but it's a tried and tested design, so we can't really complain.
We've had the opportunity to test several of ThinkPads over the years, and without fail, every time, we're left suitably impressed. The Gen 8 is no different. We found it fast, with a crisp 16:10 screen, and impressively comfortable keyboard built for constant use.
Connectivity is good - to the left you'll find a HDMI, USB-A, and two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports. To the right, a headphone jack and a second USB-A port. Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1 is built-in, with a 5G option available for the ultimate mobile workstation.
All in all, our tests revealed a portable powerhouse - but performance this good comes at an admittedly high price.
Read our full Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 8 review.
The best mobile workstation with Nvidia Quatro
The HP ZBook Studio G7 may have been meant for creative professionals looking to get away from the MacBook Pro. However, its versatility, thanks to all the customizable options when purchasing, makes it ideal for a number of different uses, whether you’re looking for a reasonably priced ultrabook or one that can tackle gaming.
It can be upgraded to have some serious RAM and storage, up to an Intel i9, as well as an NVIDIA Quadro RTX3000 with Max-Q Design and a beautiful 4K display. And, even in its top configuration, it comes in at a decent price especially when compared to similar offerings from Dell or Apple.
This laptop can handle lots of heavy tasks, from graphic design and video editing to AAA gaming. The fan can be a bit loud and the laptop sometimes gets hot when running intensive apps, but overall, it's a sleek and well-built device.
Read our full HP ZBook Studio G7 review.
The best mobile workstation for color accuracy
For those who think that MacBook Pros are overpriced but still need a powerful mobile workstation, there’s the Acer ConceptD 7. This formidable laptop capable of handling complex and demanding tasks such as 3D rendering, thanks in part to its Nvidia RTX graphics, was designed specifically with creative professionals in mind.
Beyond the sheer power it delivers, it also offers decent port selection, a minimalist solid white design, and that stunning Pantone-validated 4K IPS display. Obviously, it’s still pretty pricey, but if you’re looking for a Windows-powered MacBook alternative for video and photo editing, it’s a great option.
The Acer ConceptD 7 is quite a stylish laptop and with Nvidia's RTX graphics, you can run AAA games on it too. But with support for Adobe GB and Delta E<2 color gamut, this laptop is not designed for normal users or gamers. Rather, it's perfect for those who need color accuracy, like photographers and video editors.
Read our full Acer ConceptD 7 review.
The best mobile workstation for enterprise
Do you have a lot of cash to spare and require a powerful mobile workstation? Look no further than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme mobile workstation, whose impressive specs are only the beginning.
You’ll also appreciate working with that bright and crisp 15.6-inch screen, especially if you’re getting the 4K version, as well as all that storage space if you go all out. Though, fair warning, this isn’t exactly the lightest laptop you’ll lug around, so investing in a sturdy backpack with padded straps is ideal for stowing it in.
Although the interior of the laptop is packed with powerful, high-quality technology, the laptop's exterior is almost the same as the previous ThinkPad models. Although this may not appeal to users who want a more aesthetic-looking laptop, it's quite apt for the corporate market and working environments.
Read our full Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme mobile workstation review.
The best 'desktop-replacement' mobile workstation
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is not for the faint of heart. Its large size can be intimidating, but the raw power is truly the most shocking thing about this computer.
This mobile workstation laptop can perform at desktop levels thanks to the 12th gen Intel i9, RTX A5500, and 64GB of RAM. In addition to the impressive internals, this laptop has quite a few ports, allowing for this to be a workstation to complete nearly any project that you may need a computer for.
Read our full Lenovo ThinkPad P16 review.
Find great deals on laptops with our Lenovo promo codes.
Best mobile workstation: FAQs
How to choose the best mobile workstation for you
- We asked Anu Herranen, Director of New Product Introduction, Advanced Compute and Solutions at HP Inc, how to choose a workstation.
There are a couple of basic questions you need to ask yourself before choosing a workstation. The first is simply to think about the work you need it to support. Do you need fantastic graphics performance, or to analyze huge data sets in hours, rather than days? Do you need to be able to do a range of tasks concurrently? Which applications or operating system are you relying on?
The next step is to think more broadly about how and where you will use your workstation. Are you always in the field, therefore need a lightweight device, combined with great battery life? Or like so many of us today, do you need something that you can use at home, but doesn’t take up much space so you’re able to hide it away when not working? What audio experience do you need? Do you need to be able to work collaboratively?
Reliability is another key factor in choosing a workstation PC. Imagine that you are in a hospital environment analyzing CT scans: your computer needs to run 24/7 all year round and must never fail. Likewise, a NASA astronaut in a space station cannot ever take the risk of having their computer fail due to system crashes, component breakdowns and sluggish performance.
Some have undergone hundreds of thousands of hours of extensive testing under extreme conditions, where frequency, voltage and temperature are varied in such a way that it goes beyond what one could call normal operating conditions.
How we test the best mobile workstations
Our team of experts have tested a range of business-use devices from the best MacBook Pro to the best laptops for video editing.
When evaluating the performance of any machine, including the best mobile workstations, we looked at how the workstations run different types of applications — from graphics-heavy programs and apps like the best video editing software to large data sets.
We analyzed numerous specs, like CPU, RAM, graphics, and storage, to determine what kinds of users the workstation would be best suited for. We considered how many connectivity ports the workstation had, whether the fan was noisy, and if the laptop would get hot with prolonged use.
Another key area we assessed was the laptop’s portability and battery life. Having already tested the best rugged laptops, we were looking for machines that were reliability robust but sleek and light enough to carry on the commute. So, we assessed size, weight, and design of all mobile workstations to find the ones best suited to the professional lifestyle.
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