If you are looking for a new laptop with Thunderbolt 3 ports then you came on the right page, there are so many options in the market so we have taken the initiative to gather the best laptops with Thunderbolt 3 for your convenience.
Either you are looking for beautiful designs, a portable one, or to devices with all-out power, we’ve got everything here that we think is the best among laptops with Thunderbolt 3 ports. Thunderbolt 3 lets you connect speedy hard-drives, various displays, and other peripherals so it is a wise decision to buy a laptop that has Thunderbolt 3 port. Now let’s take a look at our list.
Recommendations for March 2023
- Dell XPS 13 – Best Overall
- Dell XPS 15 – For Power Users
- Razer Blade 15 – Best Gaming Option
- Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Extreme – For Business
- HP Spectre x360 – For Digital Artist
- MSI GS65 Stealth – Best Graphics
- Apple MacBook Pro – For Mac Lovers
- Apple MacBook Air – Best Budget Apple Laptop
- Lenovo Yoga 730 – Cheapest Option
- Acer Swift 3 – Bang For The Buck
Best Laptops With Thunderbolt 3 In 2023
Dell XPS 13 – Best Overall
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The latest processor that is packed in the latest Dell XPS 13 is powered by the 10th generation Core i7 chip that offers better power efficiency and an AI that provides extra processing power. Together with Intel Iris Plus graphics to ensure that any heavy task is handled with smoothness.
Talking about Thunderbolt 3, the Dell XPS 13 features two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports for the fastest file transfer and ability to power external accessories like eGPU. Who doesn’t like that?
Dell XPS 13 belongs to ultraportable laptops that weigh only 2.6lbs which you can carry with you anywhere, a perfect size for people who travel a lot. The battery life of 9hours in a single charge is so convenient for people who squeeze work while on commute.
The display on this variant is 2K resolution so it offers really great visuals, together with Intel Iris Plus graphics to ensure an immersive visual experience. It also supports Windows Hello for quick biometric authentication, no more hassle password typing.
Overall this laptop is an excellent portable laptop that you can use as a tablet and support pen if ever you need it.
Recommended Configuration For Dell XPS 13
CPU: Intel Core i7-1065G7 | Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 13.4-inch 3840×2160 UHD IPS Touch display | Storage: 512GB SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 | Battery Life: up to 9 hours | Weight: 2.65 lbs
Dell XPS 15 – For Power Users
Dell XPS 15 is the smallest 15.6-inch performance laptop that has a new 4-sided InfinityEdge display, which means you get a very portable powerful laptop with a very great display.
Powered by the latest 10th generation Core i7 processor together with the 4GB NVIDIA GeForce 1650 graphics card, a combination that enables you to do any heavy tasks and push your art to the edge because the rendering of high-resolution graphics and videos are faster and smoother than ever.
It is also equipped with advanced thermal technology, it has dual fans separated to spread heat over a larger area, dual heat pipes and hidden exhaust venting through the hinge, this smart thermal design keeps the laptop cool so that you get the best performing system possible.
Immersive audio, finest details, masterful craftsmanship, and the unyielding durable display is what you get on Dell XPS 15. It comes with a price but definitely worth what it offers.
And yeah, of course, it is equipped with all the necessary ports including a Thunderbolt 3 port that you’ve been looking for.
Recommended Configuration For Dell XPS 15
CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (4GB) | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch 3840×2400 4K UHD InfinityEdge display | Storage: 512GB SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 | Battery Life: up to 12 hours | Weight: 8.83 lbs
Razer Blade 15 – Best Gaming Option
This latest Razer Blade 15 features a single Thunderbolt 3 port which is a must-have for a gaming laptop, aside from dedicated GPU you can hook up an external GPU for more hardcore gaming.
Razer Blade 15 features NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti and the new 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, giving you an ample amount of power for gaming and any other heavy tasks.
The 15.5-inch smooth 144Hz Full HD display provides an immersive and insanely fast visual experience for gaming and beyond, while the 16GB RAM is there to take care of your multitasking.
Want more storage? Razer Blade 15 has open SSD slot features, add more storage with an open M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 slot for easy SSD upgrade.
The body is created from temper 6 aluminum which allows a more rigid and durable frame, coated with electrochemically bonded color that strengthens the finish and to prevent minor scratches while on the go.
Power, great display, and durability are what you get with Razer Blade 15. A pricey laptop but definitely one of the best.
Recommended Configuration For Razer Blade 15
CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 (6GB) | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch 1920×1080 144Hz FHD display | Storage: 256GB SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 | Battery Life: up to 5 hours | Weight: 8.67 lbs
Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Extreme – For Business
Want the best laptop for your business workplace? Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Extreme could be your best buy. Featuring 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports, giving you a lot of room for more power.
This laptop can be configured with up to 15.6-inch 4K OLED display with HDR and touch, the display also has X-Rite Pantone color calibration which is perfect if you are a graphics designer.
Fitted with Core i7 processor and 4GB Dedicated GPU, you’ll never run out of power. This could handle any heavy tasks and everything you may want to do.
Want to go all out on multitasking? The 32GB RAM is there to take care of that, with that a lot of RAM there are no lags and freezes.
If you use this laptop as a business device, the battery life could go for up to 14 hours which is plenty of time for any business meeting and presentations.
The 1TB SSD allows the device to boot up very fast and ensures you have room for everything, you can opt for lower storage if you think you don’t need that ample storage.
Recommended Configuration For Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Extreme
CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (4GB) | RAM: 32GB | Screen: 15.6-inch 1920×1080 FHD display | Storage: 1TB SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 | Battery Life: up to 14 hours | Weight: 3.75 lbs
HP Spectre x360 – For Digital Artist
HP Spectre is a best choice for an artist as it is very portable and powerful at the same time if you need some more power the Thunderbolt 3 can hook up an external GPU if you need to.
Powered by Core i7 processor and 8GB of RAM, any art creation software is easily handled by this device, the stylus pen boosts your productivity and allows you to draw on this laptop like how you do it on paper.
This is a convertible laptop so you can flip it like a tablet if you want to draw more comfortably, also the widescreen IPS display is so vivid and produces high-quality graphics so you won’t miss any details on your art.
In terms of design, this laptop is covered with a durable body that has a metallic finish, a beautifully designed hinge, and a very aesthetically pleasing inner design.
Also, the fingerprint reader and IR camera are Windows Hello supported so you can have more security and convenience at the same time, you can use your biometric features to log in instantly.
Recommended Configuration For HP Spectre x360
CPU: Intel Core i7-8550U | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 13.3-inch 1920×1080 FHD IPS Touch display | Storage: 512GB SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 | Battery Life: up to 12 hours | Weight: 2.78 lbs
MSI GS65 Stealth – Best Graphics
MSI GS65 Stealth is one of the most powerful laptops in our list that features Thunderbolt 3 port, you can use the port for another display or external GPU for more power in your rendering, gaming, or content creation.
Laced with a powerful Core i7 processor and a missive 8GB dedicated GPU that support VRAM, a hardware combination that can handle even the most demanding graphical tasks and games with ease.
The 32GB RAM is a must-have for gamers and 3D modelers, allowing you to open more applications at the same time while the 512GB SSD provides an ample amount of storage and supports faster boot-ups.
In terms of display, the 15.6-inch IPS is refreshing to look at. It has a 144Hz refresh rate that makes gaming experience extremely good and without delays, you can also pair it with an external 4K display for a more immersive gaming experience.
GS65 comes with a customizable and durable backlit keyboard, a silky glass touchpad that features a gesture-recognizing and responsive capabilities. The Max-Q layout adds sleekness to this laptop, on the outside, the gold-trim hinges, the dragon logo, and an innovative cooling system are placed.
Recommended Configuration For MSI GS65 Stealth
CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (8GB) | RAM: 32GB | Screen: 15.6-inch 1920×1080 144Hz FHD Anti-glare WideView Angle display | Storage: 512GB SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 | Battery Life: up to 3 hours | Weight: 4.19 lbs
Apple MacBook Pro – For Mac Lovers
The new MacBook Pro is based on customer’s feedback so you can expect it to be more customized to be the best for you.
When it comes to functionality, futuristic features, and processing performance nothing beats MacBooks, the new MacBook Pro 16-inch is one of the best laptops with Thunderbolt 3 port in the market.
Powered by a powerful Core i7 processor and a 4GB dedicated GPU to power up your productivity, either you are doing content creation or working on your business this laptop does not compromise.
The built-in 16GB RAM that is followed by a 512GB Ultra-fast SSD storage makes sure you get to multitask without any problem and you have room for everything.
This laptop boasts a 16-inch IPS screen with 3072x1920p and Retina display technology that renders exceptional color reproduction for a more immersive viewing experience. While Magic Keyboard that is followed by an efficient trackpad, Touch Bar, and the innate Touch ID support.
All of these are packed in a 4.3lbs laptop, in terms of craftsmanship and durability this laptop is par one of the greatest.
Recommended Configuration For Apple MacBook Pro
CPU: Intel Core i7-9th Gen | Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro 5300M (4GB) | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 16-inch 3072×1920 FHD IPS Retina display | Storage: 512GB SSD | Operating System: Mac OS | Battery Life: up to 11 hours | Weight: 4.3 lbs
Apple MacBook Air – Best Budget Apple Laptop
The new MacBook Air is a decent laptop for professionals, a budget MacBook option that amps the existing connectivity features to suit user’s preferences.
Inside a sleek looking laptop is the latest 10th generation Core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM, a perfect hardware configuration for professional productivity devices. This enables you to do any work or study computing needs without any problem.
The 13.3-inch screen features a Ture Tone innovation that is paired with a Retina display panel with an overall resolution of 2560×1600, this gives you a very beautiful display for an immersive viewing experience.
Same as MacBook Pro, Air has Magic Keyboard, a futuristic trackpad with fingerprint reader and Touch ID, a functional webcam, integrated microphones, and high-quality speakers.
The MacBook Air is crafted exceptionally, it is so sleek and weighs only 2.8lbs. Apple bring two Thunderbolt 3 ports that support external GPU, 4K monitors, and everything that to boost its functionality.
MacBook Air offers 12-hour battery backup to further your productivity, this laptop is perfect for students and professionals who are always on the go.
Recommended Configuration For Apple MacBook Air
CPU: Intel Core i5-10th Gen | Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 13.3-inch 2560×1600 FHD IPS Retina display | Storage: 512GB SSD | Operating System: Mac OS | Battery Life: up to 12 hours | Weight: 2.8 lbs
Lenovo Yoga 730 – Cheapest Option
Lenovo Yoga is remarkably portable and very easy to carry around while still bringing power and connectivity including a Thunderbolt 3 port for you.
Laced with the Intel Core i5 processor that is capable of handling demanding tasks with ease, the integrated UHD graphics takes care of gaming and minor content creation without any problem.
The 8GB RAM is the standard recommendation for productivity devices and it could boost you productivity in multitasking, while the 256GB SSD storage ensures the unit is snappy and boot up fast.
The display of 1080p 13.3-inch is reasonably bright with thin bezels that increases the screen-to-body ratio for better viewing angles, it also features an anti-glare display and supports multitouch gestures.
This convertible laptop offers a backlit keyboard and a very efficient touchpad and s responsive fingerprint reader for added security. The Dolby Atmos acoustic tech makes up the excellent sound system that produces quality audio.
The polished aluminum body of this laptop looks extremely high-end and only weighs 2.5lbs, despite the sleekness of this device it has two Thunderbolt 3 ports for a more productive computing experience.
Recommended Configuration For Lenovo Yoga 730
CPU: Intel Core i5-8250U | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 13.3-inch 1920×1080 FHD Touch display | Storage: 256GB SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 | Battery Life: up to 11.5 hours | Weight: 2.5 lbs
Acer Swift 3 – Bang For The Buck
This laptop is known for its exceptional battery back up and decent connectivity it offers, this is one nifty performer budget laptop on our list.
This laptop is powered by the latest 10th generation Core i5 processor that has a turbo clocking speed of 3.6GHz that may come in handy for demanding tasks, it could suffice basic graphical tasks thanks to its integrated UHD graphics card.
Fitted with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD storage, multitasking is possible since 8GB is a decent amount of RAM and could handle applications at the same time without problems, while the SSD ensures you have a fast booting device.
The 14-inch Full HD panel has an overall resolution of 1920x1080p that features an IPS LED-backlit screen that has a widescreen viewing that helps not to strain your eyes for long hours of work.
This less than 3lbs laptop has an 11-hour battery backup, which makes this laptop one of the most affordable laptops that has Thunderbolt 3 and is very capable.
Recommended Configuration For Acer Swift 3
CPU: Intel Core i5-1035G1 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 14-inch 1920×1080 FHD IPS display | Storage: 256GB SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 | Battery Life: up to 11 hours | Weight: 4.29 lbs
Picking The Best Laptops With Thunderbolt 3 In 2023
Processor & RAM
First thing first, what is the appropriate processor and RAM for you? To answer this question you must know what your computing needs are and in what specific ways you will use your laptop. Do you need a powerful processor such as Core i7 and i9 for your computing needs? Or Core i3 or i5 could suffice?
Core i3 is enough for basic computing needs and everyday productivity, while Core i5 could suffice heavy tasks like content creation depending on other hardware counterparts. To effectively multitask at least 4GB of RAM can be sufficient.
For the power user, Core i7 and Core i9 are recommended as it can handle even the most demanding tasks you need to do. We recommend getting at least 8GB of RAM to have an ample amount of data storage for your multitasking and gaming needs. If you are into graphics and content creation a 16GB RAM is a good investment.
GPU
GPU is a very important component of a gaming system, it is used to manage and enhance video and graphics performance. So, for you to get the best computing experience, you need to identify if you need a dedicated GPU for your laptop.
There are integrated GPU and dedicated GPU, integrated GPUs are for basic graphic tasks like video encoding and light gaming. While dedicated GPUs vary in size there are 4GB, 6GB, 8GB depending on your needs, most gaming laptops come with 4GB GPU as it is enough to play AAA games.
Now, if you will just use your laptop for word processing and watching movies, an integrated GPU would do and they can save you a lot of money since dedicated GPUs are expensive.
For those who are into gaming and other graphical tasks like content creation, get at least 4GB of dedicated GPU. it could help you get great visuals and render your creations more smoothly. Though the Thunderbolt 3 port on these laptops allows you to hook up an external GPU you must know if you need it to come along with your laptop or buy an external for seldom uses.
Screen Size & Display Quality
What is the best size of the screen you need and the quality that comes with it? The optimum size of a screen must be based on your preference since you are the one who will stare at, small screens are best for close-ranged use like convertibles that you can use as a tablet.
While large screen laptops are good for visuals and other tasks that need meticulous color correctness like digital arts and CAD applications. The best laptop has a great resolution and since every laptop on this list has at least 1080p, you can ensure that these laptops has a high-quality display.
Connectivity
Aside from the Thunderbolt 3 port, you’ve been looking for, some of the most important connectivity options for your laptop are USB Type C, USB 2.0, Ethernet port, and HDMI. of course the Wifi card and Bluetooth are by default in there.
You must already know if you need those ports for your computing needs, some ultraportable laptops don’t have ethernet ports since they slowly defacing it. But an ethernet port is crucial for other tasks since it is more stable and tends to get storage connections than wireless.
Thunderbolt 3 is a very important port especially for those who need external peripherals to boost their productivity or just a computing requirement. But make sure to know if you need one or two Thunderbolt 3 ports since every laptop differs in the port offering.
Portability
Do you need your laptop to be very portable so you can carry it anywhere with you? Or a heavy laptop would be alright since you rarely move and have a dedicated working space. Since laptops are known for their portability, they differ in weight and sizes so you must know your preference in terms of weight.
We put the respective weight of each laptop for you to know the weight of your prospect laptop since most laptops that weigh under 3lbs are very portable that you can literally carry it with you anywhere, this is the best choice for people who are always on the go.
Laptops that weigh 4lbs and higher are pretty decent to carry but it could put some strain on your back especially the 7lbs and up and most of them are bulky that tend not to fit in a regular backpack.