Best cheap laptops with the newest Intel processor

Start with the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra. It's the only laptop I found that clearly ships Intel's newest Core Ultra silicon (the Panther Lake generation), so it's the one pick that fully answers the question — a premium machine with a big, bright display and top build quality.

If spending matters more than having the very latest chip, step down one generation:

• HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 — Core Ultra 7 (previous generation); the best all-round compromise, a convertible that's still current-gen-adjacent.
• LG gram Pro 16 — same older chip family, chosen for a big screen that stays light to carry.
• BMAX X17 Turbo — the cheapest way into Core Ultra, but its chip is two generations back; only sensible on a tight budget.

Every other laptop here either states no Core Ultra chip or an older one still.