8 best light laptops

Lightweight laptops and ultrabooks are a special category of portable computers. Here everything is done to please this portability itself in order to minimize the weight and thickness of the device. In this regard, such devices are almost 100% not equipped with optical drives. But this is “not a great loss,” considering how dramatically the user interest in DVDs has dropped in recent years. expert.bigbadmole.com/en/ specialists studied the modern market and offered their own rating of lightweight laptops with the best characteristics.

Top lightweight laptops

Nomination	a place	Name of product	price
Top lightweight laptops up to 13.3 inches	1	Apple MacBook Mid 2017	91 990 ₽
	2	ASUS ZenBook 13 UX331UN	80 894 ₽
	3	HP Specter 13-af000	76 790 ₽
	4	Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air 13.3 "2017	53 900 ₽
Top lightweight laptops up to 14 inches	1	Acer SWIFT 5 (SF514-52T)	69 950 ₽
	2	Apple MacBook Pro 13	75 900 ₽
	3	HP EliteBook 840 G5	132 500 ₽
	4	DELL XPS 13 9360	78 880 ₽

Top lightweight laptops up to 13.3 inches

The first group of light notebooks in the review is the devices with the smallest screen diagonal, which still fit into the category of full-fledged laptops, rather than super-compact netbooks. Four light laptops came to the attention of our experts.

Apple MacBook Mid 2017

Rating: 4.9

The group opens with a new product from 2017 from the manufacturer, which does not need any presentations with a screen diagonal of 12 inches. Linear dimensions - 281 × 197 × 13 mm, weight - only 920 g.

Just say, this laptop comes in two versions: one based on Intel's Core m3 processor, the other - Core i5 from the same manufacturer. They also differ in hard disk capacity (only SSD is used): the first one has a capacity of 256 GB, the second has 512 GB. The "older" model adds to the price very significantly - up to 30%.

The design of the case has practically not changed in relation to the same series of 2016, but there was not much to change there - in this respect, almost all Apple products are flawless. There is still the same full-size island-type keyboard with backlight and still the same large touchpad.

Wired communications are collected in a single USB-C connector (Thunderbolt 3). This means that connecting to a network or any peripherals (HDMI 1.4, standard VGA, twisted pair with an RJ-45 connector) is possible only through third-party adapters. The combined microphone input and headphone output are present.

The remaining important points in the electronic "stuffing" of the device are as follows: graphics subsystem - HD Graphics 615, 850 MHz from Intel; screen resolution - 2304 × 1440, 226 ppi, matrix type - IPS. Built-in Wi-Fi 802.11a and Bluetooth 4.0.

ASUS ZenBook 13 UX331UN

Rating: 4.8

Now in the ranking from expert.bigbadmole.com/en/en/ we present a laptop, which is not very inferior to Apple in terms of “elitism”. This is a true masterpiece from ASUS - ZenBook 13 UX331UN business models.

The heart of this beauty - the central processor with the core Kaby Lake-R, the eighth generation of Intel Core. The two main basic modifications are based on Core i5 and i7 (4 cores, frequency from 1.6 to 1.8 GHz). In total, within this series there are eight modifications, differing by processor type, hard disk capacity, screen resolution and some other parameters.

The linear dimensions of the device are 310x216x13.9 mm, weight - 1.12 kg. Screen size - 13.3. The screen resolution is offered in two versions: 1920x1080 or 3840x2160. The graphics module is NVIDIA GeForce MX150 with a memory capacity of 2 GB, the memory type is GDDR5. It is completed with random access memory from 8 to 16 GB. Hard disk - only SSD capacity from 128 GB to 1 TB.

The possibilities for interacting with the periphery are as follows. There is a slot for external flash cards (microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC standards are supported). Wireless communication is represented by modules Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.1 or 4.2. There are interfaces USB 3.0 and HDMI. There are mic in and headphone Combo outputs.

The battery capacity of this laptop is 50 Wh, which allows the ultrabook to work up to 14 hours, depending on the mode and the specific modification.

HP Specter 13-af000

Rating: 4.7

The compact ultrabook from Hewlett-Packard, an American manufacturer of electronics and peripherals with a deep and rich history, continues this group of ratings. According to the number of modifications, the HP Specter 13-af000 model is even more advanced - more than ten of them are offered, so that everyone will be able to choose the equipment they need.

The device dimensions are 308.2x224.2x10.4 mm, weight is 1.11 kg. Screen size - 13.3 inches. Just like the previous model, there are two options for screen resolution - 1920x1080 or 3840x2160. Matrix type - IPS. An important feature is the touch screen with multi-touch support.

As for the graphics module, here Specter 13-af000 is already slightly weaker - the video card is only Intel's integrated UHD Graphics 620. But the laptop is not gaming, so it can hardly be considered a serious drawback.

The key parameters of the electronics are as follows. The central processor is a 4-core Core i5 or i7, depending on the modification from 1.6 to 1.8 GHz. It is completed with RAM type LPDDR3 with capacity from 8 to 16 GB. Hard disk - SSD capacity from 256 GB to 1 TB.

In terms of communication and periphery, the situation is as follows. Wireless modules Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are present (where they are without them), but here this notebook does not have a slot for reading external flash cards, and this is noted by many as a minus. But at least there is a USB 3.1 interface and two whole Thunderbolt 3 connectors.

The battery capacity is 43.7 Wh, which corresponds to the nominal 10 hours of work.

Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air 13.3 "2017

Rating: 4.6

And the most difficult model completes this rating group, if this term is applicable to super-light ultrabooks in general. But, nevertheless, the device weighs 1.3 kg - in this group it is the largest weight. The linear dimensions are 309.6x210.9x14.8 mm. Screen size - 13.3 inches, resolution - 1920x1080 pixels.

The manufacturer offers only a few notebook modifications that differ in the type of processor (dual-core Core i5 or i7 with the Kaby Lake core and a frequency of 2500 or 2700 MHz) and hard disk capacity (from 128 to 256 GB, SSD).

The graphics card in this ultrabook is discrete (this is a noticeable plus compared to the previous notebook) - NVIDIA GeForce MX150 with 2 GB RAM. RAM - 8 GB DDR4. A set of standard wireless communication modules - Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.1.

For communication with peripherals, two USB 3.0 Type A and one Type-C connectors are integrated, there is an HDMI output. There is a microphone input and headphone output Combo. Installed a fingerprint scanner.

The capacity of the battery of this laptop is 40W / h and corresponds to the nominal nominal 8 hours of battery life.

Top lightweight laptops up to 14 inches

The second group in our ranking - mixed - is thin lightweight laptops with a slightly larger screen - up to 14 inches. Our experts also included four light notebooks from different manufacturers in this group. Increased diagonal, as a rule, automatically implies slightly larger dimensions of the device, but does not necessarily affect its weight. There is no direct correlation here, and everything depends on the manufacturer’s technological solutions.

Acer SWIFT 5 (SF514-52T)

Rating: 4.9

The first item in this group is the ultra light ultrabook from Acer. Its linear dimensions are 329x228x14.9 mm, and its weight is less than a kilogram, to be exact - 970 g. The diagonal of the screen is 14 inches. The manufacturer offers very few ready-made modifications of this model and they differ minimally - the amount of RAM and hard disk, body tint.

The screen resolution of SWIFT 5 is 1920x1080, the matrix is ​​IPS. The coating is glossy, and this, as always, users regard as polar - both as a plus and a minus. But last but not least, glossiness is another side of an important advantage - a multi-touch touchscreen.

The central processor of the laptop is a 4-core Core i7 with a frequency of 1.8 GHz. Integrated graphics module - HD Graphics 620 from Intel. It is completed with RAM type LPDDR3 with capacity from 8 to 16 GB. Hard disk - SSD, volume - from 256 to 512 GB.

For communication with peripheral devices, there are two USB 3.0 outputs and an HDMI video output. Standard microphone input and Combo headphone output.

The capacity of the standard battery of this laptop is 4670 mAh - it corresponds to the nominal conditional 8 hours of autonomous work.

Apple MacBook Pro 13

Rating: 4.8

Continued rating from expert.bigbadmole.com/en/en/ - "king" of the market of portable computers. In this case, the Cupertino team offers only a couple of modifications that differ minimally. The linear dimensions of the ultrabook - 304.1h212.4h14.9 mm, weight - 1.37 kg. Screen size - 13.3, resolution - 2560x1600 pixels. Metal body.

A laptop based on a 2-core Intel core i5 CPU with a frequency of 2.3 GHz was created. Integrated graphics module - Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640. It is completed with 8 GB LPDDR3 RAM. Hard disk - SSD, the choice of two options in size - 128 or 256 GB.

In terms of communication with the periphery of this laptop, the situation is as follows. As for slots for reading flash cards, there are no surprises - there are no slots. There are two Thunderbolt 3 interfaces and a standard combo mic / headphone input / output. Wireless communication is represented by standard modules Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.2.

The battery capacity of the laptop is 54.5 Wh, which implies a nominal 10 hours of autonomy.

HP EliteBook 840 G5

Rating: 4.8

The next item in this group rating is an interesting model from Hewlett-Packard. The nomenclature of the name hints that the device “automatic” can be considered as belonging to a premium class with a corresponding price. But in fact, the manufacturer offers such an impressive range of modifications for so many characteristics that it is quite realistic to choose a relatively inexpensive option. We will understand the question in a little more detail.

The length and width of the device are strictly regulated - 326 and 234 mm, respectively. But with the thickness variations are possible, depending on the modification - from 17.9 to 18.1. Weight, respectively, also varies from 1.48 to 1.61 kg.

The screen diagonal is 14 inches, the resolution of the matrix is ​​offered in two variations - 1920x1080 or 3840x2160 pixels. Matrix type - IPS, coating - matte. The “touch” of the display is also an option, and depends on the specific modification.

The electronic filling of the laptop is based on two variants of 4-core processors from Intel - Core i5 or i7 with a frequency of 1.6 or 1.8 GHz, respectively. RAM can be completed from the very minimum of 4 GB to a maximum of as much as 32 GB. What definitely pleases - the variability of the model also includes the ability to select the type of graphics module - this can be an integrated UHD Graphics 620 card from Intel, or in addition to it a discrete AMD Radeon RX 540 with a capacity of 4 GB. By analogy with the RAM, the volume of a hard SSD disk can be quite tiny - 128 GB, or a maximum of 1 TB.

As for the interfaces, you should immediately say that this is perhaps the only lightweight laptop in the ranking, where there is a built-in wired network card. For many users, this seems to be an important advantage. There is also an HDMI video output, one Thunderbolt 3 interface, the ability to connect to a docking station. Regarding reading flash cards, the developers were a little upset - there are no slots.

A standard battery has a capacity of 50 W · h and provides nominally autonomy up to 14 hours.

DELL XPS 13 9360

Rating: 4.7

And completes the review is an extremely interesting model of a lightweight laptop, which, in terms of variants of modifications and a range of possibilities, even easily gives odds to the previous laptop from Hewlett-Packard.

Dimensions of the device do not depend on the modification - 304x200x15 mm. Weight - 1.2 kg. The screen has a diagonal of 13.3 inches, the resolution of the matrix is ​​offered in two versions - 1920x1080 and 3200x1800 pixels. The graphics module is built-in, but depending on the modification, it can be any of the three options - GMA HD, HD Graphics 620 or Iris Plus Graphics 640 - all three from Intel.

Variability of modifications is impressive at the level of the most important - the central processor. The choice is offered Core i3, i5 or i7 (2 or 4 cores, the frequency - from 1.6 to 2.7 GHz), and this choice has the most significant effect on the final cost. This is a definite plus DELL XPS 13 9360. It is completed with RAM from 4 to 16 GB in volume. Hard disk SSD, like the previous notebook, is offered in a wide range of volumes - from 128 GB to 1 TB.

As for the interfaces, the situation is as follows. There are two USB 3.0 connectors, one Thunderbolt 3. The developers were pleased with the presence of a slot for reading flash cards, but were upset by the lack of HDMI output.

The capacity of a standard battery is as much as 60 Wh.

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Attention! This rating is subjective, is not advertising and does not serve as a guide to the purchase. Before buying, you should consult with a specialist.