Best 16-inch laptops under $1,300 with upgradeable RAM

Top pick: Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 3 — the only 16-inch machine here that's clearly built for upgrades: business-class ThinkPads keep user-accessible memory slots, so you can add RAM later instead of buying it up front. It also has the best owner rating of the group and a comfortable 16:10 screen for work.

Who the others suit:

• Dell Inspiron 16 5640 — already comes with 32 GB across two DDR5 slots; the budget route if you'd rather not upgrade yourself.
• Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 — if you want a touchscreen convertible that folds flat.
• Lenovo Yoga 7i 16 — the premium-feeling 2-in-1 alternative.
• HP Pavilion Plus 16 — strong graphics for the money, but its memory is soldered, so buy the capacity you need now.

One caveat: several listings don't state whether the RAM is socketed, so confirm the exact configuration before ordering.