15.6-inch laptops compared

A 15.6-inch notebook has a screen diagonal of around 39.6 cm. That's enough for spreadsheets, word processing and streaming, and most models come with a full-size keyboard including a number pad. At usually 1.6 to 2 kg it's still portable, but heavier than a 14-inch model for carrying in a backpack every day.

Newer devices are increasingly switching to 16 inches in 16:10 format. The chassis is barely bigger, but the display is taller – handy when working with documents.

At 15.6 inches, the resolution should be at least Full HD (1920 × 1080) – “FHD” appears in many listing titles. HD displays with 1366 × 768 pixels look pixelated at this size. An IPS panel offers stable colours from every viewing angle, while cheap TN panels shift colour when viewed from the side. For working by a window or outdoors, a brightness of around 300 cd/m² or more is comfortable.

Many buyers search specifically for an “i5 laptop with a 15.6-inch Full HD screen” – from Asus, for example. Intel has since changed its naming: Core i5 has been succeeded by “Core 5” (e.g. Core 5 120U) and “Core Ultra 5”. AMD's Ryzen 5 is equivalent in performance. For office work, studying, streaming and light photo editing, all of these mid-range chips are more than sufficient.

Be careful with very cheap no-name notebooks with Intel Celeron or N processors (N95, N100, N5100): they're fine for browsing and word processing, but quickly become sluggish with lots of browser tabs or video calls.

This comparison page shows new 15.6-inch laptops. Used business devices in this size (such as the ThinkPad L590 or Latitude 5510) can be found in our refurbished comparison.

Search tip: add a brand or processor in the search field, such as “Asus i5” or “Ryzen 5”, to narrow the list further. When comparing, also pay attention to weight and whether there's a number pad.