As you can see, gaming laptops have become a major push for AMD, as this is one area where AMD has managed to win designs from Intel. A great example is the Razer Blade 16 2025, which switched to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 instead of using one of Intel’s HX chips.
Like Intel and Qualcomm, AMD is also rumored to launch its next-generation chips at CES 2026, which will reportedly use the Zen 6 architecture.
Apple makes many chips these days, which are used in MacBooks, Macs, iPads, and iPhones. M-series chips have been a huge hit since 2020, delivering dramatic increases in performance and battery life. Luckily, the designations are a little easier to parse. Each generation of chip is designated by a number, while add-ons like Pro and Max increase processing and graphics performance.
The M5 family of chips for MacBooks is the latest release, although the rollout has been limited so far. It’s currently only available in the 14-inch MacBook Pro, which means Apple is still selling the M4 MacBook Air and M4 Pro/Max MacBook Pro.
It’s also important to know about older chips, especially since you can still buy an M1 MacBook Air. You can also buy “refurbished” or refurbished versions of older models, like the M3 Pro or M2 Max MacBook Pro. While generational leaps (from M3 to M4, for example) have provided steady increases in CPU performance, knowing the difference between, for example, an M2 Max and an M3 Pro requires very specific comparisons. For more details, check out our best MacBook guide.
The M5 MacBook Air, M5 Pro MacBook Pro, and M5 Max MacBook Pro are rumored to launch in early 2026.
How much processing power do you need?
If you’re a typical user who runs a web browser, Microsoft’s Office suite, and maybe even some photo editing software, we recommend a laptop with one of Intel’s Core Ultra V-series chips, such as the Core Ultra 7 258V. They perform very well and provide excellent battery life.
However, there are some good reasons to adopt Qualcomm. Although the battery life of these devices is similar to Intel’s latest chips (and Apple’s for that matter), the performance doesn’t drop as much as Intel’s. Prices are also lower, especially on the Snapdragon X and X Plus configurations. Laptops using the Snapdragon X are selling for as low as $799. While these don’t perform as well as the X Plus or X Elite models, they still offer great battery life, which is impressive for a laptop at this price.
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