The common view is that MacBooks keep their value and Windows laptops lose it fast. There is truth in that, and it is also too simple. The Windows market is several separate markets, and some of them behave very well.
This is a fair comparison of how each kind of laptop ages on the second-hand market, written for someone deciding what to buy next as much as for someone selling now.
Why Apple silicon MacBooks hold their value
Apple's move to its own M-series chips from 2020 changed the used MacBook market. An M1 MacBook Air is still a quick, silent, cool-running laptop with long battery life, and that is unusual for a machine of its age. Buyers know that a used Apple silicon MacBook will feel current for years.
Apple also keeps its range simple. There are only a handful of models in any year, so buyers understand exactly what they are getting from the name and chip alone. That clarity supports resale value in a way a catalogue of hundreds of Windows configurations cannot.
Long macOS support helps too, as does the fact that MacBooks can be valued even when faulty, because their parts are useful to repairers. That is why we buy MacBooks in any condition.
Where MacBooks are weaker
Memory and storage are fixed at purchase on every Apple silicon MacBook. An 8 GB, 256 GB machine was the cheapest to buy and is the most limited to own later, and second-hand buyers increasingly avoid the base configuration.
Intel MacBooks have also fallen sharply since Apple silicon arrived, and we do not price them on this site. A MacBook's strong resale value really applies to the M-series machines.
Business Windows laptops: priced by generation
ThinkPads, EliteBooks and Latitudes are the quiet success of the used market. They are built to survive years of daily use, they are easy to repair, and companies replace them on a schedule, so there is a steady supply of tidy machines with known histories.
They are valued by processor generation more than by model name. A 12th gen ThinkPad T14 and a 12th gen ThinkPad L14 are closer in value than a T14 Gen 1 and a T14 Gen 3. Once you know that, a business laptop's resale value is quite predictable, and it falls in steps as each new Intel generation arrives rather than unpredictably.
Their weakness is the cut-off. Once a generation is old enough that buyers start to worry about Windows support and battery life, demand drops quickly.
Gaming laptops: priced by graphics card
Gaming laptops are their own market and are valued almost entirely on the NVIDIA GPU. A recent RTX card holds value well, because gamers buy on GPU tier and a laptop with a current-generation card is still competitive. The brand line comes next, with premium ranges such as ROG, Legion and Omen holding up better than budget lines with the same card.
The risk with gaming laptops is wear. They run hot, their fans work hard, and their hinges and lids take a beating in backpacks. A gaming laptop that has been looked after, cleaned and kept cool is worth noticeably more than one that has not.
Consumer Windows laptops: the hardest to resell
Everyday laptops such as IdeaPads, Pavilions and Inspirons sell new in large numbers at competitive prices, which keeps their second-hand values modest. There are simply so many configurations that buyers are cautious.
We buy them from Intel 10th gen onwards, and newer models with Core Ultra chips hold up best. Premium consumer lines, such as Dell XPS, HP Envy, Lenovo Yoga and ASUS Zenbook, generally do better than entry ranges, because they were better built to begin with.
What this means if you are buying next
If resale value matters to you, buy the configuration the next person will want. On a MacBook, that means more memory than the base model. On a business laptop, a newer generation matters more than a top-tier i7. On a gaming laptop, buy the GPU tier you want and look after the cooling.
And whichever you choose, keep the charger and the box. Both are easy to lose and both make the eventual sale easier.
The short version
Apple silicon MacBooks hold their value best overall, helped by long software support, a simple range and parts value even when faulty. Business Windows laptops hold value predictably by processor generation, gaming laptops by graphics card, and consumer laptops hold value least, with premium lines doing better. Each is worth selling while its generation or chip is still in demand.