These are the best Thunderbolt 4 laptops in March 2021: Dell XPS 13, Razer Blade Stealth and more
Thunderbolt 3 has been around for a while, but this year, we are witnessing PCs finally moving to the newer standard. While technically Thunderbolt 4 is not a huge jump over its predecessor, it is more reliable. Overall, the speeds remain the same, but Intel has tightened the minimum requirements so that customers get a better experience. Thunderbolt 4 is very similar to USB 4 and Thunderbolt 3, but Intel has now specified every Thunderbolt 4 laptop has to offer at least one Thunderbolt 4 port for charging, and support for dual 4K displays or a single 8K display.
Thunderbolt 4 offers 40Gbps speeds, dual 4K displays, support for charging devices, and of course, you can attach a host of docks to expand the connectivity options. However, these features have been optional on Thunderbolt 3. For instance, certain laptops that have a Thunderbolt 3 port do not support charging while some Thunderbolt cables only support slower speeds of 20Gbps, or skip on supporting external displays.
Image: Intel
If you want to get the latest version of Thunderbolt on your laptop, here are some of the best ones that you should consider.
Navigate This Guide:
- Best overall laptop: Dell XPS 13 9310
- Best gaming laptop: Razer Blade Stealth 13
- Best 2-in-1 laptop: ASUS ZenBook Flip S
- Best laptop on a budget: Acer Swift 3
- Best business laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano
- Best 17-inch laptop: LG Gram 17
Best Overall Laptop: Dell XPS 13 9310
Dell introduced the XPS 13 9310 late last year as one of the first laptops to offer Thunderbolt 4. We have repeatedly recommended this laptop, as it is a go-to laptop for someone looking for a combination of power, longevity, and good looks. The notebook is powered by up to an 11th-gen Intel Core i7-1185G7 processor, 16GB 4267MHz of LPDDR4x memory, and 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD.
Dell offers its top-of-the-line displays on its XPS lineup and this one features a 13.4-inch 16:10 ratio screen, and you can opt for a 1200p or 2400p resolution. Apart from the two Thunderbolt 4 ports, you get a microSD card slot, and a headphone and mic combo jack. Dell claims a battery life of up to 14-hours on the full-HD+ model which sounds great for all-day workloads. It is also Intel Evo certified which means that it is specifically recommended by Intel to offer a premium experience to the end-user.
- The Dell XPS 13 is a highly recommended premium notebook that offers a solid balance of style and performance. It is also one of the best ultrabooks out there.
Best Gaming Laptop: Razer Blade Stealth 13
We have another 13-inch ultra-portable among us, however, this one is a gaming laptop. The new Razer Blade Stealth 13 is the only laptop from the company that currently offers Thunderbolt 4. The laptop is perfect for casual gamers who don’t want to carry around a large chunky machine. It is sleek and powerful thanks to the Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor with dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q graphics.
Razer offers two screen options to users – a full-HD 120Hz refresh rate panel or a 60Hz OLED panel. This means that you cannot get the 4K option that was available on the previous model, and that’s a good thing as 4K on a 13-inch display does seem overkill.
- The Razer Blade Stealth 13 is one of the best ultraportable gaming laptops on the market, and one of the only to feature Thunderbolt 4 connectivity.
Best 2-in-1 Laptop: ASUS ZenBook Flip S
I reviewed the ZenBook Flip S earlier this year and ASUS has done a fine job. You get two Thunderbolt 4 ports on this 2-in-1 laptop and it is one of the only such products in its category that offers an OLED display. I was impressed with the overall design and slimness of the ZenBook Flip S, and the display is definitely the highlight feature. The 13.3-inch panel offers 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) resolution with Vesa DisplayHDR 500-certification, 100% DCI-P3 coverage, Delta-E < 2 color accuracy, as well as Pantone validation.
While the laptop looks a lot like the HP Spectre x360, it comes with MIL-STD-810G standards for durability. Notably, ASUS has skipped on putting a standard 3.5mm headphone jack on this laptop, which is probably one of the biggest flaws of this machine. But if you can live with a wireless or USB Type-C-based headphone, then this is a very solid machine.
- The ZenBook Flip S features a gorgeous OLED display in a 2-in-1 form factor with an attractive design and decent performance capabilities.
Best Laptop On a Budget: Acer Swift 3
If you are looking for a laptop with Thunderbolt 4 that isn’t very expensive, then the Acer Swift 3 could be your answer. This laptop has been a part of our best laptops list as the best budget option and the newest variant includes important updates including the Thunderbolt standard as well as the processor.
You can get the Swift 3 with up to an Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor with Iris Xe graphics, a 14-inch IPS full-HD 16:10 display, up to 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. It is also a pretty lightweight machine at 1.2kg and is also Intel Evo certified, just like XPS 13.
- A lightweight laptop, the Acer Swift 3 is one of the most affordable laptops that comes with the new Thunderbolt 4 standard.
Best Business Laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano
The ThinkPad range has been the go-to choice for business professionals as it offers top-of-the-line security features along with solid build quality. The new 2021 version of the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Nano comes with updated Thunderbolt 4 ports along with the latest internal hardware. It looks stunning with its Woven finish on the lid and while it is actually the same height as the X1 Carbon, it has a smaller footprint.
The laptop comes with a 2-in-1 design and features a 13-inch 16:10 aspect ratio IPS display with a 2K (2160 x 1350 pixels) resolution, 100% sRGB coverage, and support for Dolby Vision. The laptop can be configured with the latest Intel 11th-gen vPro processors, 16GB of LPDDR4x 4267MHz memory, 1TB PCIe SSD, and a 48Whr battery that can last up to 13-hours. The laptop also comes with human-presence detection with Windows Hello & IR camera, a match-on-chip fingerprint reader, and a webcam privacy cover.
- A perfect blend of security and the latest Thunderbolt 4 connectivity, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano has been made for the modern business user.
Best 17-Inch Laptop: LG Gram 17
A new addition to LG’s super-lightweight range of ‘Gram’ laptops, the new Gram 17 launched earlier this year at CES 2021. This is a recommended option for someone looking for a large 17-inch notebook with Thunderbolt 4 connectivity. It is also the lightest 17-inch laptop that you can get on the market today at just 1.35kg, which is less than most 15-inch or even 13-inch laptops.
The Gram 17 comes with a 17-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600 pixels) IPS display with a 16:10 aspect ratio which means you get more real-estate. The laptop is powered by the Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor with 16GB LPDDR4X, 4266MHz RAM, 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD, and an 80Whr battery that claims to offer around 19-hours of battery life.
- The new LG Gram 17 is currently the only 17-inch laptop offering Thunderbolt 4 and is one of the lightest in its category at just 1.35kg.
Expect more laptops with Thunderbolt 4 to flood the market in the coming months. If you don’t want to spend the extra money and stick to the older standard, then you can also take a look at our list of best laptops with Thunderbolt 3. Speaking of fast connectivity, we recently listed out some of the best laptops available with 5G that could help you stay connected to a reliable and fast network, even when you are on the go.
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