Thursday, November 21, 2024
Laptops

5 Best Laptops with Fingerprint Readers 2025 – (300-700$)

The best laptops with fingerprint scanners should recognize your fingerprints with MINIMAL touch.

There should be no need to move your finger around or resort to using a password to log in.

If you have to type your password, then you’re at risk.

It’s surprisingly easy for someone to hack into a computer, even if you’re not using your laptop in public.

In public places, all it takes is a mini camera somewhere in the room to capture your password (see below).

This is why it’s not just about finding a laptop with a fingerprint reader…

But finding a fingerprint reader that works SEAMLESSLY. 

I once had a faulty fingerprint reader, which forced me to use my password instead. When my laptop got stolen, the thief could easily log in. Fortunately, I had encrypted all my files, including credit card details and passwords for every website I used, with special software. So, while they got away with a laptop, they couldn’t access my data.

The great thing about modern fingerprint readers is that you don’t need to encrypt files with a password anymore. You can install apps that encrypt files with your fingerprints instead.

External FingerPrint Scanners

Did you know you don’t have to buy a new laptop to get a fingerprint reader?

You can just get an external fingerprint scanner and permanently attach it to the USB port.
Windows Hello
Regardless of whether you use an external or built-in fingerprint reader, make sure to set it up through Windows Hello.
  1. Go to Sign-in Options.
  2. Select Fingerprint Reader to register your fingerprints.

For external readers, you may need to install additional drivers, whereas built-in readers usually work right out of the box.


What price range can I find laptops with fingerprint scanners ?

In late 2024, you can find laptops with fingerprint readers starting as low as $300. They’re no longer restricted to premium laptops priced above $700.

While it’s not uncommon to find them under $400, they’re more common in laptops priced above $600 and nearly universal on business laptops around $1,000.

That said, don’t grab just any laptop with a fingerprint reader. 50% of laptops with fingerprint scanners have some level of faultiness. Make sure the hardware meets your performance needs, and check reviews to ensure the fingerprint scanner works as advertised.

Top 5 Best Laptops with Fingerprint Scanners

Of course, I’ve done all the research for you, and none of the following laptops have faulty fingerprint readers. Additionally, all of them are compatible with software for the extra functions we discussed, such as file encryption.

I’ve also considered the hardware and display quality (FHD with recent yet affordable CPUs) to ensure productivity and a fast workflow for whatever you’re doing. Whether it’s juggling 50 tabs on Chrome, using MS Office, streaming YouTube, or running a few other apps simultaneously, these laptops will handle it effortlessly.

I’ll start with the most budget-friendly options and then move on to the more expensive models tailored for gaming and professional photo/video editing.


1. HP Laptop

Cheap Laptop With FingerPrint Scanner

  Intel Core i3-1215U

  8GB LPDDR4

  Intel UHD Graphics

  256GB SSD

  15.6″ FHD IPS

  3.75 lbs

  8 hours

  WiFi 6 

  Fingerprint Scanner

  Windows 11 Pro

Fingerprint scanner is located on the LOWER right corner

Like I said before, fingerprint readers are not uncommon on laptops under $400. The trick is to look for models that are one or two generations older. The CPUs might not be the latest, but they’re still recent enough to deliver almost the same performance.

  Hardware

Core i3 1215U + 8GB RAM: The truth is, as long as you grab ANY Intel Core CPU from the 8th generation onward or ANY Ryzen CPU (any generation) along with 8GB RAM, you’ll experience fast performance with Windows 11, and you can expect great performance with Windows 12 as well. For everyday tasks, having 4 cores or 8 threads running at 4GHz is actually overkill. MS Office, Chrome, and similar apps don’t require such high clock speeds.

SSD: On top of that, now that solid-state drives (SSDs) are universal on recent laptops, they add even more speed, ensuring smooth multitasking with Windows 11. Of course, we’re talking about everyday tasks or office work, not heavy video editing or gaming!

Display: All laptops on this list have FHD resolution. This is essential if you want to be productive while multitasking because it provides extra screen space for multiple windows side by side.

  Windows in S Mode

This laptop comes with the full version of Windows 11 Home and has the hardware to run it at full speed.

However, if this is still too expensive for your budget, you can find laptops under $300 with a fingerprint reader as long as they come with at least 8GB RAM. We won’t cover those in this post.

If you grab a laptop with only 4GB RAM, it will be too slow for Windows 11 Home or Pro. However, 4GB RAM is sufficient for Windows in S Mode, and you’ll still be able to use the fingerprint reader and run the most common software for work and school: Zoom, MS Office, Chrome, Adobe Reader, photo editors, etc. (Example: Acer Aspire 5).

HP Laptop
PROS CONS
  • Very Cheap
  • 12th Gen Core i3
  • Relatively Lightweight
  • Latest WiFi
  • Large Fingerprint Reader
  • No Backlit Keyboard
  • Only good for work/school purposes

2. HP Envy 

Best HP Laptop With Fingerprint Scanner

   Intel Core i5-1335U

  8GB DDR4 

  ‎Intel Iris Xe Graphics

  1TB GB SSD 

  14″ FHD IPS

  3.4 lbs

  8 hours

  WiFi 6 

  Backlit + Fingerprint Scanner

  Windows 11 Home

FingerPrint Sensor is located right on the trackpad as shown in the figure
 

This laptop is about $300 more expensive than the HP model shown earlier. That extra cash goes into upgraded hardware and a better display.

  Hardware

This model features the latest Core i5 CPU designed for ultrabooks. While it isn’t specifically for gaming, it can handle gaming at medium settings and offers decent rendering speeds for video and photo editing.

When it comes to multitasking, this laptop outperforms the Lenovo with the Ryzen 3 due to its higher core count and faster clock speeds. For everyday tasks, however, both laptops will deliver similar performance.

The difference becomes noticeable when running heavy applications or games—while the Lenovo might start to slow down, this laptop will remain snappy and responsive.

E-cores & P-cores:

The cool thing about the 12th and 13th gen Core i5 CPUs is how efficiently they handle tasks. They feature two types of cores:

  • E-cores for low-performance tasks
  • P-cores for high-performance tasks

This allows them to deliver more power for demanding applications while saving battery life by allocating resources efficiently.

If battery life and extra performance aren’t priorities for you because you’ll mostly use this for everyday school tasks, feel free to go for models with older CPUs.

  2-in-1 Touchscreen

What makes this laptop pricier is its 2-in-1 Touchscreen feature. You can flip it over to use it as a tablet, making it versatile for note-taking, presentations, or creative work. It also supports styluses, though you’ll need to buy one separately.


2. ASUS ZenBook

Best ASUS Laptop With FingerPrint Scanner

  Intel Core i5-1235U

  8 GB RAM DDR4

  Intel Xe Graphics

  1TB PCIe NVMe SSD

  14” 2880 x 1800 (QHD)

  3.02 lbs

  6 hours

  WiFi 6 

  Backlit + Fingerprint Scanner

  Windows 11 Home

This ASUS VivoBook costs about the same as the 2-in-1 HP laptop but offers slightly better hardware.

  Hardware

High Storage & RAM:
While the CPU is similar to the HP Envy (albeit a generation older, it still retains the E & P core architecture), this VivoBook edges out in performance for heavy software and gaming due to its increased RAM. Additionally, it offers 2x the storage, making it ideal for content creators (as video and photo files require substantial space) and gamers (since most AAA games take ~50GB each).

The larger 15″ FHD display is also better suited for both gaming and creative work, providing a more immersive experience compared to smaller screens.

Battery:
Laptops with low-power Core i5 CPUs (non-H series, like the Core i5-13500H) generally have longer battery life. The lack of a touchscreen on this VivoBook further conserves energy, giving it an edge in battery performance compared to the HP Envy.

  Backlit Keyboard + Numpad

Despite being a 15″ laptop, the VivoBook includes a dedicated numpad, a feature that’s relatively rare in laptops of this size. Even rarer is the inclusion of a backlit keyboard, which adds to its versatility, especially for late-night work or gaming.

  Fingerprint Sensor

The fingerprint sensor is integrated into the power button. Don’t worry about accidentally shutting down your laptop—just lightly touch the power button to activate the sensor without pressing it hard. This design ensures seamless security without disrupting your workflow.

ASUS ZenBook
PROS CONS
  • Very High Resolution QHD
  • Includes Backlit + Numpad 
  • 16GB RAM + 1TB SSD out of the box
  • Ideal for casual gaming
  • High quality track & Keyboard
  • Latest WiFi 6
  • Difficult to upgrade
  • Somewhat expensive

 


4. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon

Best Lightweight Laptop with Fingerprint Scanner

  Intel Intel i7-1365U

  32GB LPDDR5

   Intel Xe Graphics

  512GB PCIe NVMe SSD

  14” 1920 x 1200 400 nits

  2.46 lbs

  ~10 hours

  WiFi 6 

  Backlit + Fingerprint Scanner

  Windows 11 Home

Lenovo ThinkPads are FAMOUS for their keyboards and rock-solid build, but this model, in particular, offers significantly higher performance than most ThinkPads (which can start as low as $500) and the laptops we’ve reviewed so far.


  Hardware

This model stands out because it’s equipped with the fastest and latest CPU designed for ultrabooks and thin notebooks. While it’s not a gaming CPU, it can still handle games at high settings thanks to its powerful integrated graphics.

In terms of performance with demanding software like video and photo editing tools, it’s much faster, especially when rendering or applying effects on videos and images.


  Design

This is the lightest of the ThinkPad models, aptly named Carbon, weighing only around 2.5 lbs and measuring about 0.6 inches thick. It’s an ideal machine for people who need to work on the go.

As for the fingerprint reader, it’s not conventionally placed near the function keys, nor is it square-shaped. Instead, it’s a rectangular sensor located above the first row of keys in the top-right corner.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
PROS CONS
  • Fastest & lastest CPU: 13th Core i7
  • Backlit keyboard
  • Extremely thin & Lightweight
  • Perfect for video editing & casual gaming
  • Very expensive
  • no Numpad
  • Too much RAM

5. MacBook Air M3 Chip

Best MacBook with Fingerprint Scanner

  Apple M3 Chip – 8-core CPU (4 Performance + 4 Efficiency Cores)

  8GB Unified Memory (Upgradable to 24GB)

  Apple 10-core GPU

  256GB SSD (Upgradable to 2TB SSD)

  13.6″ Liquid Retina Display + True Tone (2560 x 1664 resolution, 500 nits brightness)

  2.7lbs

  Up to 18 hours of battery life

  WiFi 6E (802.11ax)

  Touch ID + Backlit Magic Keyboard

  macOS Sonoma

 

Touch ID is Apple’s name for the fingerprint sensor

  Fingerprint Reader

The picture above is of my MacBook Pro, which isn’t the same as the MacBook Air featured here, but it shares the same fingerprint reader (Touch ID) design and position.

While I’m featuring the 15” MacBook Air, you don’t need to buy this specific model to get the Touch ID feature. Any MacBook Air or Pro released from 2019 onwards will include it. The great thing about older models is that they are now extremely affordable.

As for the Touch ID, it works just as well as the most accurate fingerprint readers found on Windows laptops.

However, unlike Windows laptops, there’s no need to set up anything. Touch ID is enabled by default and is used for critical actions such as:

  • Logging in
  • Authorizing transactions
  • Opening unknown software
  • Changing important settings

It functions similarly to the Touch ID or Face ID found on phones. It will automatically prompt you to use it whenever security validation is needed.

15” M3 MacBook Air
PROS CONS
  • Latest M2 Chip (faster than Core i7 1365U)
  • Backlit and highest quality keyboard 
  • Clear & Lound speakers
  • Large Storage
  • Fastest RAM
  • Extremely long battery
  • Super high resolution & high quality display
  • Fingerprint (TouchID)set up out of the box
  • Extremely lightweight , thin & portable
  • Very expensive
  • Cannot upgrade RAM or Storage (Must choose RAM & Storage before purchase)

Comments?

If you feel like we’ve missed something. you’d like advice on a laptop you’ve found with a fingerprint reader , basically if you have any questions please leave a comment below.

Author Profile

Miguel Salas
Miguel Salas
I am physicist and electrical engineer. My knowledge in computer software and hardware stems for my years spent doing research in optics and photonics devices and running simulations through various programming languages. My goal was to work for the quantum computing research team at IBM but Im now working with Astrophysical Simulations through Python. Most of the science related posts are written by me, the rest have different authors but I edited the final versions to fit the site's format.

Miguel Salas

I am physicist and electrical engineer. My knowledge in computer software and hardware stems for my years spent doing research in optics and photonics devices and running simulations through various programming languages. My goal was to work for the quantum computing research team at IBM but Im now working with Astrophysical Simulations through Python. Most of the science related posts are written by me, the rest have different authors but I edited the final versions to fit the site's format.

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