There is no single Wi-Fi winner for every situation in ZDNET’s seven-laptop test. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 14) had the best reported average throughput across 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz, while the Apple MacBook Pro M5 led on 2.4 GHz. The result that matters to you depends on whether you need a stronger connection farther from the router or maximum speed nearby.
What the seven-laptop test found
ZDNET’s September 30, 2026 report compares local Wi-Fi throughput on three bands under varying distances and physical interference. It does not publish raw throughput figures in the available article text, so its findings support a conditional comparison rather than a complete numerical ranking.
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| Laptop | Reported result | What it may mean for your use |
|---|---|---|
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 14) | Best average throughput across 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz. It was the worst of the reported models on 2.4 GHz, at nearly half the MacBook Pro M5’s result. | Strongest reported all-band average in this test, but not the leader when 2.4 GHz coverage is the priority. |
| Apple MacBook Pro M5 | Best on 2.4 GHz, lowest on 5 GHz, and last on 6 GHz after results were weighted. | Its 2.4 GHz result stands out; the cross-band results were not uniformly strong. |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop for Business | Close to the ThinkPad on every metric and ahead of it on 2.4 GHz. | A strong reported comparison, but the result applies to the tested unit—not every processor or configuration sold under this product name. |
| Dell XPS 16 | Named among laptops with excellent Wi-Fi throughput; no numerical ranking is provided. | The article does not establish where it ranks against the other models. |
| MSI Prestige AI 16 | Described as very fast at the top end. | ZDNET presents it as a fit for reliable, high-speed Wi-Fi over a limited coverage area. |
| Two other tested laptops | The available article text does not identify them. | The five named models are not the full test set. |
ZDNET says the seven laptops’ 6 GHz results were mixed and closer together than their results on the other two bands. It also says all seven performed very well with capable, modern connectivity hardware. These are results for the tested units, not proof that the same order will hold with every router, laptop configuration or wireless environment.
Choose by where you use the laptop
If you are far from the router or behind walls
ZDNET describes 2.4 GHz as slower but more forgiving over distance and through walls. If your usual workspace is on another floor or separated from the router by several walls, the 2.4 GHz result may be more relevant than a cross-band average. In this test, the MacBook Pro M5 led on that band, and the Surface Laptop for Business was ahead of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon.
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If you work close to a capable router
ZDNET describes 6 GHz as very fast but most useful near the router. The band is used by Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 laptops. The ThinkPad had the best reported average across bands, but the 6 GHz results themselves were relatively close and mixed. A top overall average does not establish a clear winner for every close-range 6 GHz connection.
If you use different rooms and networks
The test offers useful comparisons, not a guarantee for a particular home, office, airport or hotel. Actual results can vary with the access point, its configuration, obstructions and interference. Consider whether a model’s reported strength aligns with your most common signal conditions rather than treating one lab result as a universal ranking.
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How ZDNET measured Wi-Fi throughput
ZDNET reports that its lab tested seven laptops as clients against an MSI Vector 16 HX AI acting as a server. The fixed router was a Netgear Nighthawk RS700S. Lab engineer Schylar Breitenstein used automated Python data-collection scripts and iPerf3 to measure local throughput on 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz while varying distance and physical interference.
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The test network had no internet connection or modem-to-router Ethernet connection. That isolates local Wi-Fi throughput from ISP bottlenecks, public-internet congestion and jitter; it does not measure the internet speeds a buyer will receive from a provider. ZDNET reports that the router had won its July 2026 Lab Award for widest coverage, but that award is not a separate test of the laptops.
Rank #3
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The available article text does not provide all seven model names, exact laptop configurations, raw throughput figures, precise distances, obstacle materials or every test setting. Those omissions mean readers cannot fully reproduce the comparison or use it to calculate the size of each model’s advantage. For example, the Surface Laptop for Business result should not be assumed to apply to every configuration bearing that name.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How much should a small speed difference matter?
ZDNET says a throughput difference within 10 Mbps does not translate into a noticeable impact in everyday use. Treat that as the article’s practical guidance, not a universal threshold for every workload or network. Because the available results omit raw figures, they do not show how large the gaps between the tested laptops actually were.
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For ordinary laptop use, the result is best read as a way to understand relative performance under one lab setup—not as a reason to choose a computer on Wi-Fi throughput alone. If your connection is already reliable where you work, a small benchmark lead may matter less than whether the laptop’s other features fit your needs.
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