12 best ultrabooks
An ultrabook is a thin and light notebook that is distinguished by high performance and an attractive design. In the devices of this class are installed special components, reducing the weight, but at the same time preserving the speed of work and prolonging the battery life.
Ultrabooks are designed for businessmen, office professionals, students and other people who need a “smart” but autonomous device. We have made a rating of 12 best models that will be an excellent acquisition.
Top Ultrabooks Rating
| Nomination | a place | Name of product | price |
| The best ultrabooks with screen sizes up to 12.5 inches | 1 | Dell latitude e7270 | 78 490 ₽ |
| 2 | Apple MacBook Early 2016 | 89 990 ₽ | |
| 3 | HP EliteBook Folio G1 | 71 500 ₽ | |
| 4 | Lenovo ThinkPad X250 Ultrabook | 60 868 ₽ | |
| The best ultrabooks with screen sizes up to 13.3 inches | 1 | Dell xps 13 ultrabook | 78 130 ₽ |
| 2 | HP Specter 13 Ultrabook | 81 200 ₽ | |
| 3 | Lenovo ThinkPad 13 Ultrabook | 40 709 ₽ | |
| 4 | Asus ZenBook UX303UB | 56 520 ₽ | |
| Best Ultrabooks with a large screen | 1 | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook (5th Gen) | 89 990 ₽ |
| 2 | Dell Latitude 7490 | 66 990 ₽ | |
| 3 | HP EliteBook 1040 G3 | 79 689 ₽ | |
| 4 | Asus ZenBook 3 Deluxe UX3490UA | 87 890 ₽ |
The best ultrabooks with screen sizes up to 12.5 inches
Dell latitude e7270
Rating: 4.9
Why the first place: Business-class Ultrabook with a magnesium alloy case and a sixth-generation processor.
Description: Ultrabook Dell Latitude E7270 is targeted at corporate users and businessmen. In a device weighing just over a kilogram, the manufacturer packed sixth-generation Intel Core i5 / i7 processors, from 8 GB of RAM and an SSD drive with a capacity of up to 512 GB. Ultrabook is also performed in a high-strength magnesium alloy casing.
Ultrabook is equipped with a 12.5-inch touch screen. The matrix is performed using TF technology and, depending on the version and generation, has a resolution up to Full HD + 1920 × 1200 pixels. The screen is matte, so it does not glare and does not go blind even in direct sunlight.
The ultrabook is equipped with a 3-cell internal battery that provides up to 7 hours of battery life. To enter the Windows operating system, you can use the fingerprint scanner. Ultrabook keyboard - backlit (in some configurations).
Virtues
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Durable magnesium alloy body - pleasant to the touch, light, cool hands;
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Full HD + touch screen;
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High performance: Core i5 / i7, SSD m.2;
disadvantages
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Short key travel;
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TF matrix with lower brightness and color than IPS;
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Soft-touch coating is scratched and collects fingerprints;
Apple MacBook Early 2016
Rating: 4.9
Why the second place: High-performance ultrabook, but more expensive leader of the rating and with expensive accessories.
Description: Apple MacBook (Early 2016) is an almost exemplary ultrabook. Compact and lightweight - the weight is only 920 grams - it offers high performance thanks to the sixth generation Intel Core m3 / m5 / m7 processor, 8 GB of RAM and up to 521 GB on an SSD m.2-drive. The laptop is made in an aluminum lightweight body.
The ultrabook is equipped with a 12-inch IPS Retina-like screen with a resolution of 2304 × 1440 pixels. The display is not touch and with a glossy glass coating, but retains readability in direct sunlight due to the LED backlight matrix.
The main advantage of the ultrabook - high battery life of 11 hours. It is also equipped with a proprietary butterfly keyboard with backlight and an optimal depth of travel.The buttons are located quite widely, so the fingers do not get tired when typing large texts or writing programs.
Virtues
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Retina-like high resolution IPS-matrix;
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Comfortable backlit keyboard with butterfly mechanism;
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11 hours of battery life;
disadvantages
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The butterfly mechanism is clogged with dust and sticks;
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Average performance due to processor core m series;
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Only one USB port, and that Type-C;
HP EliteBook Folio G1
Rating: 4.8
Why third place: Corporate protection level, but expensive.
Description: HP EliteBook Folio G1 was developed as an ultrabook for corporate users. Therefore, it uses proprietary information protection technologies and operating systems, including dynamic locking, the Trust Platform Module, and BIOS, which cannot be edited.
The ultrabook itself is equipped with sixth generation Intel Core m5 / m7 series processors, 8 GB of RAM and 128-512 GB SSD-drive. 12.5-inch screen, depending on the configuration, may have a resolution of 1920 × 1080 or 3840 × 2160 pixels, and also be touch-sensitive or not. The matrix is performed by TF technology in the cheap version and TFT IPS in the expensive, but in both is complemented by a matte finish.
The ultrabook is equipped with a 4-cell battery that provides up to 10 hours of battery life. It is carried out in the metal case. Keyboard in all configurations - backlit.
Virtues
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Corporate level of information security and operating system;
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Compact and lightweight;
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Screen with resolution up to 4K;
disadvantages
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No USB Type-A ports;
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The coating of the metal case is branded;
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In the version with 4K-screen battery life is reduced to 5 hours;
Lenovo ThinkPad X250 Ultrabook
Rating: 4.7
Why fourth place: Many branded ThinkPad-ovsky functions, a comfortable keyboard, but an ugly design.
Description: The Lenovo ThinkPad X350 Ultrabook Ultrabook may seem to be the ugliest in the ranking - it inherited a proprietary, angular and “square” design. But on the other hand, he also received not less proprietary features: a comfortable AccuType keyboard with curved key covers, a trackpoint and touchpad buttons above the touch surface. Therefore, it is convenient to work with him even at the table, even on the plane, even on the go.
The ultrabook is equipped with a fifth-generation Intel Core i3 / i5 / i7 processor, 4-8 GB of RAM, and an SSD drive up to 512 GB. Versions with 1 TB HDD are also available. 12.5-inch screen is IPS technology and has a resolution of up to 1920 × 1080 pixels. Depending on the configuration, it can touch or not.
In the maximum configuration, the ultrabook is equipped with a slot for SIM-cards and an LTE-module. The built-in battery lasts for 8-10 hours of operation, but comes bundled with an additional, prolonging “lifetime” up to 20 hours.
Virtues
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Comfortable backlit keyboard, touchpad and trackpoint;
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Carbon durable case;
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The screen opens 180 degrees;
disadvantages
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The touchpad cover is abraded;
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Uneven keyboard backlighting and uncomfortable OSD;
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Maximum 8 GB of RAM;
The best ultrabooks with screen sizes up to 13.3 inches
Dell xps 13 ultrabook
Rating: 4.9
Why the first place: The best in the rating screen, a hybrid design.
Description: The XPS 13 Ultrabook is a Dell magnum opus. The manufacturer updates and improves this model every year, making it even more productive and beautiful. After 2016, for example, the Dell XPS 13 received an “almost frameless” 13.3-inch Infinity Edge display, which, combined with full glass closure and an IPS touch matrix with a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels (however, there are 2K and 4K configurations) looks impressive.
Ultrabook is based on the seventh generation Intel Core i5 / i7 processors, up to 16 GB of RAM and SSD drives up to 512 GB. Cooling is passive, but it is enough. The built-in 6 cell battery provides up to 10 hours of battery life. Keyboard device - backlit.
Ultrabook is performed in a hybrid design, i.e. You can rotate its screen around the keyboard 360 degrees and thus turn it into a tablet.
Virtues
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Screen.Good matrix, high resolution, touch, almost frameless;
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Hybrid design;
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High performance thanks to the most current components;
disadvantages
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Inconvenient touchpad;
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The metal backing of the keyboard noticeably knocks when typing;
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A noticeable drop in autonomy on high-resolution models;
HP Specter 13 Ultrabook
Rating: 4.8
Why the second place: Corporate transformer ultrabook with high performance, but not such an attractive design as the leader of the rating.
Description: The HP Specter 13 Ultrabook is the flagship model from an American company. It is equipped with the latest components - for example, in the current revision it received Intel Core i5 / i7 processors, up to 8 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB on an SSD m.2-drive. In addition, it is equipped with a touch 13.3-inch TFT IPS-display with a resolution of up to 2560 × 1440 pixels.
Like other HP corporate ultrabooks, Specter 13 has received many data protection technologies, including TMP, a stripped-down BIOS, and additional hardware-based information encryption. In addition, it is equipped with a set of connectors for connecting peripheral devices, which is now rarely found among computers of this class.
The built-in 3 cell battery provides up to 12.5 hours of battery life. However, on configurations with QHD-display and Intel Core i7, this number is significantly reduced.
Virtues
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Comfortable backlit keyboard;
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Dense and high-quality assembly, hybrid design;
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High performance;
disadvantages
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The glossy screen cover glistens noticeably;
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The keyboard is not protected from liquid;
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Low sound quality;
Lenovo ThinkPad 13 Ultrabook
Rating: 4.7
Why third place: Productive ultrabook, but with frankly unsuccessful configurations and without keyboard backlighting.
Description: The Lenovo ThinkPad 13 Ultrabook is part of an updated series of mobile computers, and therefore offers the traditional line-up performance combined with a fresh, attractive design. Depending on the configuration, it is based on the seventh generation Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 processors in combination with 4-16 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB on an SSD m.2-drive.
The 13.3-inch laptop screen, depending on the configuration, can be performed using TFT TN or TFT IPS technology, be touch-sensitive or not, and also have a resolution up to Full HD - 1920 × 1080 pixels. The built-in battery lasts for 11 hours of battery life. In addition, the ultrabook is equipped with a large number of ports for connecting additional devices - for example, USB 3.0 Type-A here are 3 pieces.
The laptop is made in a metal or plastic case.
Virtues
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Convenient controls (AccuType keyboard, ThinkPad touchpad, trackpoint);
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Good passive cooling, even with the version with Intel Core i7;
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Up to 11 hours of battery life;
disadvantages
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There are frankly unsuccessful configurations (for example, with HD TF-screen and in a plastic case);
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Brand metal case;
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No keyboard backlight;
Asus ZenBook UX303UB
Rating: 4.6
Why fourth place: Ultrabook with a discrete graphics card, but with a minimum of additional functions.
Description: Asus ZenBook UX303UB is the only ultrabook in the ranking, which is equipped with a discrete video card. The graphics accelerator is here - NVIDIA GeForce 940M with 2 GB of memory, so the computer will “pull” and some simple games. For the performance meet the processor Intel Core i5 / i7 of the sixth generation, up to 12 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB on an SSD-drive. A 1TB hard drive version is also available.
The ultrabook is equipped with a 13.3-inch TFT TN-screen with a resolution of up to 3K (3200 × 1800 pixels) and a matte anti-reflective coating. Depending on the configuration, the display can be either touch or not. Also, the device has three USB 3.0 Type-A and one Type-C ports, however, a proprietary connector is used for charging. The built-in battery consisting of 3 cells is enough for 6-8 hours of battery life.
Virtues
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Comfortable backlit keyboard;
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Attractive metal body made of polished aluminum alloy;
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A fingerprint scanner is built into the touchpad;
disadvantages
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Slow complete HDD, better to take the version with SSD;
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Minimum additional functions;
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Noticeable throttle noise;
Best Ultrabooks with a large screen
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook (5th Gen)
Rating: 4.8
Why the first place: All the advantages of the ThinkPad line, almost frameless screen and carbon ultra-light body.
Description: Opens the rating of the flagship ultrabook line of the Lenovo ThinkPad - X1 Carbon Ultrabook (5th Gen). The device received Intel Core i5 or i7 processors (depending on configuration) of the seventh generation, up to 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB on an SSD m.2-drive.
One of the most attractive features of the ultrabook is the screen. He is almost frameless here. The 14-inch TFT IPS-matrix has a resolution of up to 2560 × 1440 pixels and is covered with a matte anti-reflective layer. There is no touchscreen in any configuration.
The built-in 57-watt-hour battery lasts for 15.5 hours of battery life, including the version with a 2K display. The ultrabook is equipped with two USB 3.0 Type-A ports and runs in an ultra-light but durable carbon fiber case. In addition, the ultrabook has retained all the features of the ThinkPad line, including the comfortable AccuType backlit keyboard, a touchpad with keys located above the touchpad and a trackpoint.
Virtues
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Comfortable keyboard, touchpad and trackpoint;
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High screen resolution and IPS-matrix;
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15.5 hours of battery life;
disadvantages
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Noisy keyboard and touchpad buttons;
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Visibly heats up with a connected charger;
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Marked case;
Dell Latitude 7490
Rating: 4.8
Why second place: An enterprise-class Ultrabook with multiple ports and a Kaby Lake Refresh processor, but the screen resolution is Full HD.
Description: Dell Latitude 7490 is the only ultrabook in the rating, which is equipped with the eighth generation Intel Kaby Lake Refresh processor. Core i5 or i7 chips, depending on the configuration, are supplemented with 8 to 16 GB of RAM and SSD m.2-drive for 256-215 GB. Slot for connecting additional disk is available.
14-inch IPS-screen has a resolution of Full HD (1920 × 1080 pixels). Depending on the configuration, it may be sensory or not.
The ultrabook has many corporate-oriented features. In addition to software and hardware information protection technologies such as TPM and data encryption on the disk, it is equipped with a smart card reader contact module, a fingerprint scanner, WWAN and WiGig connectors. The built-in battery lasts for 8-12 hours of battery life. Ultrabook is performed in a matte metal case.
Virtues
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High performance due to the new processor;
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Three USB 3.1 ports with PowerShare support;
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Corporate level of protection and security;
disadvantages
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Screen. Brightness 300 cd / m2, 90% coverage sRGB, Full HD resolution;
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Configuration with 4G LTE is unreasonably expensive;
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Rare driver updates for Linux operating systems;
HP EliteBook 1040 G3
Rating: 4.7
Why the third place: Ultrabook corporate class, which is more expensive than all other models in the rating.
Description: HP EliteBook 1040 G3 - ultrabook, which is focused on the use in the corporate segment. It differs not only in high performance, but also in support of proprietary information protection technologies, including special encrypted storage for valuable information and dynamic locking with a greater number of settings than Windows Hello.
Ultrabook is equipped with Intel Core i5 or i7 processors (depending on configuration) of the sixth generation, up to 16 GB of RAM and SSD m.2-drive up to 512 GB. The display of the mobile computer is a 14-inch IPS-matrix with a resolution of up to 2560 × 1440 pixels and an anti-reflective matte coating. Depending on the configuration, it may be sensory or not.
Ultrabook is made in a metal case. The built-in battery will last for 9-10 hours of battery life in mixed use mode.
Virtues
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Up to 10 hours of battery life;
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IPS screen with resolution up to 2K;
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High performance;
disadvantages
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Inconvenient touchpad;
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Active cooling, which is noticeably noisy under load;
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Inconvenient charger with a hard cable and a proprietary connector;
Asus ZenBook 3 Deluxe UX3490UA
Rating: 4.6
Why fourth place: High-performance ultrabook, but with a fragile case and relatively low autonomy.
Description: Asus ZenBook 3 Deluxe UX490UA is the flagship ultrabook in the Asus product line. In the current revision, it is equipped with Intel Core i5 / i7 processors of the eighth generation (Kaby Lake Refresh), 8-16 GB of RAM and SSD m.2-drive with capacity from 256 GB to 1 TB. The 14-inch TFT IPS screen has Full HD resolution, a matte anti-reflective coating and is not touch-sensitive.
The ultrabook is made in a polished aluminum case, but the internal parts are plastic. Keyboard - backlit in blue, the brightness level is adjustable. Equipped with two USB 3.0 Type-C ports with support for Thunderbolt technology, as well as a fingerprint scanner. The package includes a branded case.
The configuration with i7 is equipped with an active cooling system, so it heats up minimally under load.
Virtues
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Matt IPS display;
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Keyboard with adjustable backlight level;
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Rich equipment (case, docking station);
disadvantages
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A sharp drop in autonomy under a more or less high load - up to 3-4 hours of work without recharging;
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Low reliability of the case;
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Slippery body;
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.
