Upgrading to a new laptop doesn’t always have to be a difficult decision. Newer laptops are often more responsive, have updated features like longer battery life, and may be preloaded with newer operating systems that allow users to be more productive. But how do these features translate to day-to-day experiences of mainstream laptop users? To find out, we tested eight different laptops loaded with either Windows 11 Pro or Windows 10 Pro.

To better understand the benefits a user might expect from upgrading to Windows 11 Pro laptops powered by Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, we tested the following four current-gen laptops: an HP ProBook 450 G8 with an Intel Core i5 processor, an HP EliteBook 850 G8 with an Intel Core i5 processor, a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga G6 with an Intel Core i5 processor, and a Lenovo ThinkPad T14 with an Intel Core i7 processor. We compared each to its previous generation counterpart running Windows 10 Pro.

We used battery life, performance, and thermal tests to explore real-world concerns for mainstream laptop users. We saw consistent improvements in battery life, system responsiveness, and performance, improvements that support upgrading to current-gen versions of popular laptops preloaded with Windows 11 Pro and Intel Core i5 or i7 processors.

To learn more about each of the laptops we tested and how they performed, check out the report.