Best USB4 laptops in 2023

Universal Serial Bus (USB) has long been the standard we rely on for all kinds of connectivity with our laptops and even phones. For years, USB Type-A ports were on pretty much every laptop, until USB Type-C came around and started taking over. USB has evolved a lot over time, and most recently, USB4 introduced a wealth of capabilities based on Thunderbolt 3, a proprietary protocol developed by Intel that’s used in some of the best laptops out there.

Like Thunderbolt, USB4 is only available with USB Type-C ports, but unlike Thunderbolt, it’s not exclusive to Intel models. Unfortunately, AMD laptops that embrace USB4 support still aren’t as common as we’d like, but there are some good options out there already, so this list has a mix of AMD and Intel laptops (plus some Apple Silicon Macs). Let’s get right into it.

The top laptops with USB4 ports in 2023

If you’ve read our review of the 2023 Lenovo Yoga 9i, it should come as no surprise that it makes it to the top of this list. This is an absolutely phenomenal laptop in almost every way.

For starters, it comes packing a 13th-generation Intel Core i7-1360P processor with 12 cores and 16 threads, a mild but welcome upgrade from the 12th-generation model in its predecessor. That’s backed up by 16GB of RAM and up to a 1TB SSD, so you have everything you need for a great experience overall.

The display is fantastic, too. The 14-inch panel comes in a 16:10 aspect ratio, and it uses OLED technology, delivering true blacks and vivid colors you can’t get on a typical IPS panel. The base model comes in a 2.8K resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate, or you can opt for a 4K panel with a 60Hz refresh rate. Of course, touch and pen input are supported, since this is a convertible. Above the display is a 1080p webcam with Windows Hello support.

Design is another aspect that makes this a special laptop, as the smooth surfaces and shiny polished edges make for a stunning design in both of the available colorways. The laptop is also relatively light considering the all-aluminum design, starting at 3.09 pounds. It also fits two Thunderbolt 4 ports, which is essentially the best form USB4 can take. These ports have 40Gbps of bandwidth, and they’ll support USB4 peripherals as well as Thunderbolt 4 peripherals, including external GPUs. Plus, you also get a standard USB Type-A port and a headphone jack to round things out.

We’d like to have an AMD laptop at the top of this list, but there’s no laptop that deserves this spot more. The Lenovo Yoga 9i is a fantastic choice for anyone.

The MacBook Air is one of the most popular laptops in the world and for good reason. The latest model earned a lot of praise in our review, and it earns a spot on this list, too.

First off, the 2022 MacBook Air comes packing an upgraded Apple M2 chipset, which includes an 8-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU. These deliver great performance for a laptop of this size, on top of being very efficient, which means battery life is well ahead of anything in the Windows space. You can also configure this laptop with up to 24GB of unified memory (which is faster than traditional RAM) and a 2TB SSD, so you’re all set for a great experience.

The display has also been upgraded from previous models, being a 13.6-inch panel that comes in 2560×1664 resolution. The screen is slightly taller than before, but it’s also brighter, so it’s even easier to see outdoors. The only downside is there’s now a notch at the top of the screen, but that notch houses a 1080p webcam which, paired with the advanced image signal processor in the Apple M2, delivers great video quality.

Despite using a custom processor, the MacBook Air still supports USB4, and it has two of these ports for your docking stations and other accessories. Officially, the MacBook Air only supports one external display, however, which makes these ports a bit less useful. There’s also no external GPU support, another notable limitation. The only other ports are a headphone jack and a MagSafe charging connector. This all comes in a design that’s super thin and weighs a mere 2.7 pounds, making this one of the lightest aluminum laptops on the market. It comes in four colors to choose from, too.

While the USB4 ports have some limitations on the MacBook Air, this is still one of the best laptops on the market, and it still earns a recommendation.

There still aren’t a ton of AMD-powered laptops that can stand on their own, but the HP Dragonfly Pro is a great example of one, and it makes full use of USB4, too.

Powering the HP Dragonfly Pro is a slightly customized AMD Ryzen processor, the Ryzen 7 7736U, which has 8 cores and 16 threads. With specific optimizations done by HP, this processor delivers strong performance and battery life, which is a great starting point. You also get 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, so while it’s not the most premium experience, it’s still great for most people.

For the display, the HP Dragonfly Pro offers a 14-inch panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio, and it comes in FUll HH+ resolution. It won’t blow your mind, but again, this is a great screen for most people, and it covers 100% of sRGB for solid color reproduction. More impressive is the 5MP webcam above that display, a staple in HP laptops. It delivers great video quality for calls and meetings, and it also supports Windows Hello.

The HP Dragonfly Pro also looks sleek and clean in both white and black colorways, but it’s not exactly light. At 3.42 pounds, it’s a little heavy for a 14-inch laptop, though it should still be decently portable. At least that chassis first three USB Type-C ports, two of which support USB4, so you can use docking stations, monitors, and other accessories that leverage this interface. Aside form a headphone jack, there are no extra ports here, so having USB4 support is certainly welcome to expand your connectivity options.

It’s not a perfect laptop, but the HP Dragonfly Pro delivers one of the best experiences you can get with an AMD Ryzen processor, especially if you want USB4 support.

Apple’s MacBooks have always been popular among creative professionals, but the latest iteration of the MacBook Pro is arguably the best one yet.

First off, the MacBook Pro (2023) is powered by very fast Apple Silicon processors, the M2 Pro and M2 Max, which have up to a 12-core CPU and 38-core GPU. These models deliver up to four times the performance of the M1 Pro and Max while being even more efficient. This balance of power and efficiency can’t be found anywhere else. You also get up to 96GB of unified memory and a massive 8TB SSD, so you’re not missing out on anything performance-wise.

Whether you choose the 14-inch or 16-inch model, you’re getting a mini-LED display with hundreds of dimming zones, delivering vibrant colors and true blacks, but also reaching up to 1600 nits of peak brightness. They’re very sharp displays, too, with 3024×1964 resolution for the 14-inch model and 3456×2244 for the 16-inch version. The notch at the top may be a bit unsightly, but it houses a 1080p webcam with quality enhanced by the ISP in the Apple M2 Pro and Max chipsets.

Design-wise, the MacBook Pro is just a clamshell laptop, coming in either Silver or Space Grey. The 14-inch model starts at 3.6 pounds of weight, while the larger model starts at 4.7 pounds. Given the performance on offer, this heavier weight makes sense. For ports, we’re looking at three Thunderbolt 4 ports. No external GPUs are supported and the M2 Pro processor only supports two external displays, but other high-speed peripherals will work just fine. Plus, there’s also HDMI, a headphone jack, an SD card reader, and MagSafe 3 for charging.

If you need performance for all your creative workloads and you need it wherever you go, you won’t find a better laptop than the MacBook Pro.

The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is one of the first examples of a truly premium AMD laptop, especially in the business space. It looks stunning and performs great, and still deserves a recommendation.

Starting with performance, the ThinkPad Z13 is powered by up to an AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 6860Z, a slightly overclocked version of the Ryzen 7 Pro 6850U, with 8 cores and 16 threads. Plus, it has AMD Radeon Graphics 680M integrated GPU, which is faster than even some low-end discrete GPUs. That’s combined with up to 32GB of fast LPDDR5 RAM and 1TB of storage for great performance all around.

The display is also great on this laptop, being a 13.3-inch panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio. The base model comes in Full HD+ resolution, plus there’s optional touch support, so it’s already solid. You can also upgrade to the stunning 2.8K OLED panel, which is even sharper and has the benefits of OLED, like more vibrant colors, high contrast ratios, and true blacks. Above that display is a 1080p webcam with Windows Hello support, and you can choose to have a hybrid sensor or two discrete sensors if you want better image quality.

Lenovo delivered a major design shakeup for ThinkPads with the Z13, creating something that looks and feels premium but is still modern, unlike most other ThinkPads. It’s also decently light, starting at 2.76 pounds. USB4 support is handled by two USB Type-C ports, both supporting 40Gbps bandwidth. Aside from that, there’s only a headphone jack, so you don’t have a lot of classic ports you can use here. You do get optional LTE support, though.

All in all, the ThinkPad Z13 is a great business laptop and a very welcome addition to the ThinkPad lineup. The only problem with the current model is that a newer one has already been announced, which you may want to wait for.

If you want something that looks and feels more like a typical business laptop but still supports USB4, then the HP EliteBook 865 G9 is a great option. This is a large laptop, though there are also 13-inch and 14-inch models if you want something a bit smaller.

Inside the HP EliteBook 865 G9 are the latest AMD Ryzen 6000 series processors, up to an AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 6850HS or a Ryzen 7 Pro 6850U, with the former being faster, while the latter is more power-efficient. These processors also include up to Radeon 680M integrated graphics, so you get solid GPU performance, too. Plus, the laptop can be configured with up to a whopping 64GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD.

The laptop comes with a large 16-inch display and a 16:10 aspect ratio, which gives you plenty of space to work with, and the resolution is Full HD+. There are a few configuration options, such as adding touch support a privacy guard, or a brighter screen, but it’s always the same resolution. Above that display is a 5MP webcam with Windows Hello support, and it’s again one of the best on the market.

Design-wise, the HP EliteBook 865 G9 is as classic as it gets. It’s a fully silver laptop that fits well into any workspace, though it’s not exactly exciting, and it even has a full number pad. At 3.84 pounds, it’s fairly light for a 16-inch laptop, and that’s because it mixes aluminum and magnesium. Of course, the laptop comes with two USB4 ports, and along with that, you get USB Type-A, HDMI, and a headphone jack. There’s also optional cellular connectivity with a nano-SIM slot.

Like most business laptops, the HP EliteBook 865 G9 has a pretty high MSRP, especially if you want a build-to-order configuration. Third-party retailers will usually give you better prices, however.

If you want a large screen to work on without sacrificing portability too much, the Dell XPS 17 is for you. This large laptop is actually compact given its display size, and it’s pretty powerful, too.

Performance-wise, the 2023 Dell XPS 17 packs up to an Intel Core i9-13900H, which is a 45W processor with 14 cores, 20 threads, and boost speeds up to 5.4GHz. That’s backed up by up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU, making for a very powerful combination of specs, even more so than previous models. Beyond that, you can configure it with up to 64GB of RAM and a massive 8TB of SSD storage.

As the name suggests, the Dell XPS 17 comes with a large 17-inch display, and it comes in the 16:10 aspect ratio, which means it’s taller than you might expect for a 17-inch laptop. The base configuration has Full HD+ resolution, but you can upgrade to an Ultra HD+ panel, which may make sense for such a large screen since everything will look much sharper. This Ultra HD+ also adds touch support. Unfortunately, the webcam here is only 720p, so the quality isn’t great, but at least it supports Windows Hello facial recognition.

Considering it has a 17-inch screen, the Dell XPS 17 is actually fairly compact, being under 20mm thick. However, it’s still heavy, starting at 5.1 pounds. The chassis fits four Thunderbolt 4 ports, in addition to a headphone jack and an SD card reader. That gives you advanced connectivity options, but a docking station is almost required at that point. There is a dongle in the box for USB Type-A and HDMI, though.

If you want a powerful laptop with a large screen but most other options seem too unwieldy for you, the Dell XPS 17 might be your best choice. You can read our review of the 2022 model to learn more, but the 2023 version is significantly more powerful.

Gaming laptops are one area where AMD tends to be more popular, but oddly enough, the latest AMD models aren’t available with USB4 support. As such, we have to give it to the Intel-powered Alienware m16, a fantastic gaming laptop in almost every way.

That starts with performance, which is handled by up to an Intel Core i9-13900HX with 24 cores and 32 threads, offering incredible performance all around. On top of that, there’s up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU, making this one of the most powerful laptops on the market. What’s more, you can get up to 64GB of RAM and an 8.5TB SSD, so you can go all-out with this machine.

These powerful specs drive a 16-inch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio, which starts with a Quad HD+ 165Hz configuration. You can upgrade to a 240Hz panel, which also covers 100% of DCI-P3, or you can go for a Full HD+ panel with a 480Hz refresh rate, which is more tailored to highly competitive esports players. Above that display is a 1080p webcam with optional Windows Hello support.

With specs this powerful, the Alienware m16 isn’t a small laptop, measuring 25.4mm in thickness and weighing up to 7.17 pounds in its heaviest configuration. Still, it looks fairly sleek with Alienware’s design language, and there’s plenty of RGB lighting to help make it your own. This large chassis includes a ton of ports, including two Thunderbolt 4 ports, USB Type- HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, Ethernet, an SD card reader, and a headphone jack. Connectivity is fantastic here, and it’s only unfortunate that the AMD models don’t support USB4.

The Alienware m16 is an incredibly powerful laptop, and while we’d like to see USB4 on the AMD version, we can still fully recommend the Intel model, if you can afford it.

USB4 is something of a premium feature and that means most laptops that have it are fairly expensive. Thankfully, that’s not the case with the Acer Aspire Vero, which is still a great laptop despite its budget price.

For starters, performance is solid, starting with an Intel Core i5-1235U, with 10 cores and 12 threads. You can upgrade to a faster model, but this is already great for most use cases and you can save a lot of money this way. The base model also includes 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, which can be upgraded later on so you don’t have to buy a whole new laptop.

The display isn’t impressive, but it’s not bad, either. It’s a 15.6-inch panel with the classic 16:9 aspect ratio, and it comes in Full HD resolution, which is the best you can ask for in this price range. Surprisingly, there’s even a 1080p webcam above the display, so image quality from the camera should be quite good.

Sustainability is a big focus for this laptop, and it shows. The entire chassis is made of plastic (with 30% post-consumer recycled plastics), and you can see specks of different colors littered throughout, making for a unique look that may not be for everyone. The focus isn’t on being light, but the 3.88-pound weight isn’t too bad for a 15.6-inch laptop, either. And you get a lot of ports here, including a single Thunderbolt 4 port but also USB Type-A, HDMI, Ethernet, and a headphone jack.

Considering it has pretty great specs and a heavy focus on sustainability, it’s surprising that Acer managed to make the Aspire Vero as cheap as it is, but we’re happy to recommend it. We’ve reviewed the 14-inch model if you’d like to learn more about the overall design. One thing worth mentioning is that there’s a new model on the way, but this one is still a great choice if you don’t want to wait.

Best USB4 laptops in 2023: The bottom line

We chose the Lenovo Yoga 9i for the top of our list for a simple reason — we called it the best laptop on the market, and it’s hard to compete with that. It has great performance, a stunning display, a beautiful shiny design, and of course, it has Thunderbolt 4, which is essentially the basis for USB4, except it’s even more fully featured. It can be a bit pricy, but you’re getting a phenomenal experience here.

If that price is a big hurdle for you, then the Acer Aspire Vero may be the alternative you’re looking for. Sure, you miss out on premium features, but this laptop still has great performance, a good enough display, a 1080p webcam, and Thunderbolt 4. Plus, it has a lot of other ports for older peripherals, too.

Admittedly, the list is still heavily focused on laptops that have Thunderbolt, but we’re hoping to see the landscape change now that USB4 is making its way to non-Intel laptops. This will ultimately result in more affordable laptops supporting these features, and more people will be able to use features like external GPUs. If you just want an AMD laptop and you don’t care about USB4, check out our list of the best AMD Ryzen laptops you can buy today.