Best Ultrabooks 2023 – IGN (2023)

The best ultrabooks are designed for people who value portability and battery life over performance, but want something more powerful than aChromebook. Given the design's inherent small footprint, sacrifices are likely to be made to minimize size and weight. So don't expect to play PC games at the same level as agaming laptop.

Instead, these lightweight laptops are designed to help you get through a full day of work and beyond. The good news is that you still get many Ultrabook benefits like 4K screens and touch keyboards along with the thin and light body. Based on a combination of our personal testing experience, price, battery life, specs and aesthetics, these are the best ultrabooks available andClick here to see them in the United Kingdom.

TL; DR - These are the best Ultrabooks:

• Dell XPS 13 plus
• Asus ZenBook 14
• razor blade 14
• Macbook Air M2 da Apple
• Lenovo Yoga 7i
• HP x360 Eles
• Surface-Laptop 5
• Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano
• portable surface survey

Dell XPS 13 plus

best ultrabook

Dell has long maintained its dominance in the ultrabook category, and that continues with one of its most recent models, the XPS 13 Plus. This machine somehow manages to be thin and light, but it comes with a bigger battery and a more powerful CPU than its predecessor. You also get plenty of ports, including Thunderbolt 4, though you'll miss the microSD slot and headphone jack. It even has a 13.4-inch FHD+ IPS display with narrow bezels for plenty of screen real estate. This screen also features a maximum brightness of 500 nits and an anti-glare finish to ensure good visibility from virtually anywhere. As an added bonus, it even has touchscreen capabilities.

The base model Dell XPS 13 Plus features an Intel Core i5-1240P processor and 8GB of RAM for a perfect combination of performance and efficiency for everyday work. However, you can upgrade to a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and up to 32GB of memory if you're looking for a little more meat for light gaming. You get an integrated GPU in this Ultrabook with no upgrade option, but it's the Intel Iris Xe graphics that can really get you playable frame rates in some eSports games. So you have a laptop that can do spreadsheets during the day and crush the competition after work.

Asus ZenBook 14

Best cheap ultrabook

If you're looking for an extremely powerful yet affordable device, the Asus ZenBook 14 is for you. At just $600, it comes with quality hardware, and Asus has done a solid job of trimming the bezels around the screen to allow the laptop to retain its compact dimensions and look like it's costing a lot more. This particular model offers a 14-inch OLED touchscreen with 2880 x 1800 resolution, 90Hz refresh rate and 0.2ms response time for stunning clarity. Plus there's solid color performance with 100% DCI-P3 color space coverage, and it's even HDR600 True Black certified, so this display is sure to shine.

Under the hood, the Asus ZenBook 14 is powered by a 12th generation Intel Core i5 processor and an integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics GPU. This mobile processor makes it easy for you to handle all your work tasks, though you might struggle to play games and edit videos without a separate graphics card. The built-in 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD should provide enough storage for most users, while the system offers a modest 8GB of RAM, but it should still be capable of multitasking.

razor blade 14

The best ultraportable gaming laptop

PC gaming and porting don't usually go hand in hand. Compromises often have to be made, but with the Razer Blade 14 they are few and far between. Razer has managed to squeeze incredible hardware into a laptop that weighs less than four pounds and is less than an inch thick. A 14-inch QHD screen offers an impressive 165Hz refresh rate and FreeSync compatibility, so you can enjoy a great gaming experience without interruptions. But it's the interior that really impresses us.

This solid display is powered by an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX processor with an equally impressive Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti graphics card. This machine is ready for any game you play, and it also handles video editing like a champ. Heck, you can even overclock it a bit. 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 1TB SSD storage ensure you're up and running in no time. And with Wi-Fi 6E support, you can enjoy fast connectivity to your battle station on the go, or park it at your desk and connect directly to one to play.gaming monitorwith the laptop's full-size HDMI port.

Macbook Air M2 da Apple

Apple's best ultralight laptop

• Vealo in apple

After a few years, Apple finally introduced the newMacBook Air. Some major changes have been made inside and out. You're getting a slightly bigger screen now at 13.6 inches, while still weighing a super light 2.7 pounds. This makes this Apple's most portable laptop, perfect for taking to the office or slipping into your bag when traveling. There's also a new 1080p camera to help you look great in Zoom meetings, and MagSafe charging makes juice-pulling a breeze. The biggest upgrade, however, is in the processors: you now get Apple's M2 chip.

The Apple M2 has four high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores, which allows you to speed up some tasks while consuming power for simpler jobs. These processing cores also mean that the new MacBook Air will increase battery life. For the integrated GPU, you get 8 cores, which is even faster than the M1. Furthermore, the improved neutral engine should accelerate AI and machine learning. Finally, you can upgrade the laptop to up to 24GB of memory and 2TB of storage, making almost any task easier.

Lenovo Yoga 7i

best convertible ultrabook

Lenovo's Yoga 7i earns its name because it offers a lot of flexibility in use.Laptop 2 em 1. This device shines in traditional laptop mode, but when you want to switch it out, the screen pivots on a hinge, letting you use it as a tablet or as a standalone display in tent mode. The 14-inch screen with 2240 x 1400 resolution gets pretty bright at 300 nits and has a 10-point multi-touch screen that supports a stylus for full control over everything you do. It also has a 16:10 aspect ratio instead of the usual 16:9, so you can see a little more of the screen, which can be very useful in tablet mode. Despite all these practical ways to use this ultrabook, it's still tough, durable, and relatively light.

Your main reason for buying the Yoga 7i might be that you want a convertible laptop, but it has plenty of panache inside to keep up with the best Ultrabooks. This device is equipped with an Intel Core i5-1235U for solid performance across a wide range of workloads and has integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics to handle light gaming. 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB PCIe SSD mean it should boot quickly and run programs just as quickly. You'll also enjoy impressive battery life and high-speed connectivity with Wi-Fi 6E and dual Thunderbolt 4 ports.

HP x360 Eles

Another lightweight convertible laptop

If you like the sound of a convertible laptop like the Lenovo Yoga 7i but want something smaller and more stylish, check out the HP Envy x360. This machine weighs just over 3 pounds and is just 0.63 inches thick, yet still has an all-metal body that serves as an extra layer of protection against accidental drops. Even if you've switched your laptop into tablet mode to draw something or into tent mode to give a presentation, rest assured that this device is rugged enough to handle whatever you throw at it.

The HP Envy x360 has several different configurations, but our favorite offers an Intel Core i7-1250U CPU with integrated GPU, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB NVMe SSD. These internals should be more than enough to help you get through most workloads and not break a sweat. They also help power the 13.3-inch IPS display with WUXGA resolution and an intuitive narrow-bezel touchscreen, making the most of the laptop's available space. Rounding out this solid Ultrabook option, you get two Thunderbolt 4 ports for fast connectivity and long battery life on the go.

Surface-Laptop 5

schickeres ultrabook

The Surface Laptop 5 offers an exceptional Ultrabook experience with a well-polished design, modest but reliable internals, and a great display. The sleek and simple metal body comes in a new sage green color that oozes class. Despite its sturdy build, this laptop remains light and ultra-portable, weighing in at 2.8 pounds and just over half an inch thick. The keyboard and trackpad are super smooth, perfectly sized and responsive, while the 13.5-inch PixelSense touchscreen offers a 3:2 aspect ratio and a crisp 2256 x 1504 resolution. that can increase productivity and help with multitasking.

Inside, Surface Laptop 5 is powered by a powerful Intel Core i5 processor that offers two powerful cores and eight efficient multithreaded cores to handle everyday tasks. The system runs on 8GB of memory, though you can upgrade to 16GB for better multitasking, while the 512GB of storage should be enough for most users. In terms of connectivity, you can enjoy everything from typical Netflix streaming to Microsoft Xbox game streaming thanks to Wi-Fi 6 support. When it comes to ports, however, this laptop leaves something to be desired. , offering just one Thunderbolt 4 and one USB-A.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano

The thinnest and lightest Ultrabook

• See it at Lenovo

When it comes to a thin and light ultrabook that still packs a punch, there's not much that compares to the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano. The laptop's tiny form factor is just over half an inch thick and weighs just over 2 pounds, but it still manages to pack an Intel Core i7-1260P processor and an impressive 16GB of RAM. This combination of parts makes this machine a skilled multi-tasker. The only downside is the integrated Iris Xe GPU, but you can still play a little game even with limited image playback.

The internals are solid, but the screen of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano will really make you fall in love. You get a 13-inch display with 2K resolution. Also, the color IPS display has anti-glare coating and 450 nits brightness, making for a great viewing experience from anywhere, which should come in handy as this laptop is super portable. Speaking of portability, it has decent battery life to make working on the go as easy as possible, while two Thunderbolt 4 ports and Wi-Fi 6E support ensure you have some speedy connections.

portable surface survey

Best ultrabook for creatives

Creating on a laptop requires a little more than processing power and a pretty screen. Microsoft discovered and introduced the Surface Laptop Studio. With an Intel Core i5-11300H and 16GB of LPDDR4x memory, this laptop certainly hits the desired performance level just to start, although there are configuration options to increase this and even add dedicated graphics if your workload requires it.

Microsoft's flexible design and display are the truly creative tools you want. The 14.4-inch display has a crisp 2400 x 1600 resolution and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. The clarity and precision of movement will be very useful when using the computer compatible advanced pen. Microsoft has made it a lot easier to quickly switch from writing and using the Surface Laptop Studio as a traditional laptop to using it with a stylus. The screen portion can move forward and tilt back, allowing you to zoom in and write or draw at a more natural angle without sacrificing your creativity.

What to Look for in an Ultrabook

Buying an Ultrabook comes down to choosing an ultraportable laptop and cutting its profile by many millimeters without sacrificing too much performance. For the most part, today's best ultrabooks are fairly dynamic machines that can handle all-day office work and some light video and photo editing tasks.

These modern machines tend to come with Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, at least 8GB of RAM, and at least 128GB of SSD for storage. Of course, there are always exceptions to this rule. For example, the Acer Swift 7 uses an Intel Core Y-series processor, which is its low-power CPU.

Prices for a capable Ultrabook laptop usually start around $1,000 and can easily go over $2,000 depending on specs and manufacturer. Don't get overwhelmed by specs and prices, unless you do a lot of video editing or use resource-intensive programs most mid-range ultraportables will be fine.

Where to get the best ultrabook laptops UK