Despite all the buzz surrounding high-end gaming machines right now, including strong sales reports from AMD with its latest Ryzen processors, not everyone wants to play games on their computers. In fact, a sizable portion of users would prefer to use laptops that last a long time without charging and don’t weigh as much as their college textbooks to lug around. For those users, one of the best Ultrabooks would come in handy.
- Not ultra-set on an Ultrabook? We’ve found the best laptops overall
That’s right, the Ultrabook – usually host to power savvy Intel HD Graphics rather than the discrete kind – is as much about finesse as it is performance. Sometimes, but not always, you can flip them inside out for use in tablet mode, however that’s not what they pride themselves in. Rather, Ultrabooks do their best to take unibody designs across various shapes and sizes and shove lightning-fast SSDs inside for storage and boot-up times that don’t suck.
What they’re booting up is universally Windows 10 these days by definition, as the Ultrabook was initially created to give Apple’s MacBook Air some fiery competition. If an Ultrabook sounds like it would suit your workload or leisure, we advise that you buy one of the models we’ve handily recommended below. Every last one of them will incite morale, giving you a thinner, lighter and smarter solution to your current laptop woes, whatever they might be.
- Dell XPS 13
- Razer Blade Stealth
- HP Spectre x360
- Asus ZenBook UX310
- Asus ZenBook 3
- Microsoft Surface Laptop
- Acer Swift 7
- Lenovo Yoga 910
- Huawei MateBook X
- HP Spectre
In terms of looks, specs and pricing, the Dell XPS 13 is nothing short of a miracle. Once again, Dell has done the universe a favor by squeezing a 13.3-inch InfinityEdge display into a measly 11-inch figure, and weighing in at only 2.9 pounds (1.29kg), the XPS 13 is blessed with extravagance. The Dell XPS 13 not only bears a lengthy battery life, but it’s even sold in a variety of different flavors, all the way up to an i7-7700U model.
Read the full review: Dell XPS 13
Potential and temporary issues aside, the Razer Blade Stealth is an Ultrabook that – hence the branding – slants towards gaming. In favor of a dedicated graphics card, though, this little 12-inch laptop is all about an extensive battery life and up to Intel’s 8th-gen CPUs. Of course, you can play games on it, but it won’t do much without an external GPU attachment, which luckily it’s ready for.
Read the full review: Razer Blade Stealth
Among the first to sport 7th generation Kaby Lake processors, the HP Spectre x360 is more than a CPU upgrade. Sure, the 2-in-1 zips by faster than it did last year, but it’s also thinner and lighter than it was before – not to mention more stylish. From the revamped HP logo on the outer shell to the higher quality keyboard, the Spectre x360 is a force to be reckoned with, even if the port selection is limited.
Read the full review: HP Spectre x360
Anyone familiar with Apple’s thinnest and lightest laptop would be wise to compare the Asus ZenBook 3 to the 12-inch MacBook. The similarities are obvious, but one look at the specs and the differences stand out too. Adorned with the choice of a U-series Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, the ZenBook 3 is awfully powerful considering it’s less than half an inch thick and weighs two pounds. The port selection is sparse, but ultimately it’s well worth the sacrifice.
Read the full review: Asus ZenBook 3
It’s no secret that Apple has all but neglected the MacBook Air recently, but in some cases a Windows Ultrabook can be just as good, if not better. Take the Asus ZenBook UX310, for example, the long awaited follow-up to the award-winning ZenBook UX305. Donning a 7th generation Intel Kaby Lake processor, a 178-degree rotating QHD+ screen, a USB-C port an and an all-aluminum shell, this truly a candidate for the MacBook Air’s throne.
Read the full review: Asus ZenBook UX310
No, it’s not another Surface Book – this is a full-on traditional laptop (albeit with a touchscreen) designed by Microsoft. From the Italian imported Alcantara fabric material decorating the keyboard to its gorgeous 13.5-inch, 3:2 PixelSense display, there’s no questioning the Surface Laptop’s appeal at face value, but dig even deeper and you’ll find a notebook that’s arguably more competent than Apple’s more expensive 12-inch MacBook.
Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Laptop
It’s no surprise that the world’s thinnest laptop doesn’t come without its own share of port shortages; however, it’s also unfair to judge the Acer Swift 7 by its pair of USB-C twins alone. Sporting an Core i5 processor from Intel’s 7th gen Y series lineup (previously Core M), the Swift 7 is by no means a powerhouse, but it doesn’t have to be, either, when it looks this damn good. Despite being short-lived in the battery life department, the Acer Swift 7 thrives.
Read the full review: Acer Swift 7
- This product is only available in the US and UK as of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Microsoft Surface Laptop.
As a follow-up to the Yoga 900, we couldn’t have asked for better than the Yoga 910. Shaking up the style of its predecessor completely in favor of an all-aluminum unibody shell, this is a 2-in-1 laptop that’s as fashionable as it is utilitarian. Though it’s heavier and colder to the touch, the fact that Lenovo decided to keep the Yoga 900’s same frame size and fit a larger 14-inch screen inside it is a design marvel.
Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga 910
Embellished with the looks and price of a 12-inch MacBook, you’ll be surprised when you find out the MateBook X is more of a Pro when it comes to performance. Donning full-fledged “U” series Intel Core i processors, this Ultrabook is more than the Chinese knock-off you might have assumed it to be. It’s made by Huawei after all, the third biggest smartphone maker in the world, and with the MateBook X, it’s hoping to replicate that success with its laptops as well.
Read the full review: Huawei MateBook X
- This product is only available in the US as of this writing. UK and Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the HP Spectre.
One glance at the HP Spectre, and you'd think it belongs in a mansion. As if looks weren't enough, this gilded machine is more powerful than the latest MacBook and for a lower price at that. You won't find laptops thinner than this and with an optional Intel Core i7 configuration to the trio of USB-C ports, it's supremely capable and not to mention future-proof. We only hope you don’t mind a laptop that cranks up the heat a notch as it’s battery life hastily boils away.
Read the full review: HP Spectre
- Watch the price go down on your favorite Ultrabook this Black Friday
Gabe Carey has also contributed to this article
from TechRadar - All the latest technology news http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/laptops/best-ultrabook-18-top-thin-and-lights-1054355
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