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Buying Guide: 301 The Best Ultrabooks
Since Intel's introduction of the category a few years ago, ultrabooks have poured into the market in the last couple of years. But the laptops themselves aren't a mutation of some sort. Intel simply put a new spin on an evolving category of laptops that are incredibly thin, battery-efficient, and use low-voltage processors. Interestingly enough, these laptops were previously known as CULV laptops (CULV stands for consumer ultra-low-voltage processors), but Intel decided, and rightly so, that CULV doesn't exactly sound sexy to consumers. In fact, it doesn't sound like anything at all. Voila, ultrabooks.
But what exactly comprises an ultrabook? Intel has a long list of specifications on its blog. While the specifications continue to evolve, the main ones are a low-voltage Intel Core processor, a frame no thicker than 0.83 inch, at least five hours of battery life, and fast boot times. The last spec relies on an Intel technology called Rapid Start, which makes use of flash storage embedded on the laptop's motherboard.
With Windows 8 and 8.1, touch screens look to become an integral part of the ultrabook spec, with all eyes on Windows 8 and how Microsoft's operating system will drive this segment. Indeed many of the new Windows 8-equipped ultrabooks that have launched feature touch screens.
By including touch functionality, Intel is also anticipating that its ultrabooks will include detachable tablets and hybrid laptops as well, and some of the new PCs bear that out. The implementation of hybrid models have met with mixed results so far, but expect more to launch in the near future.
An unspoken factor is that Intel would like prices for ultrabooks to come in well below the $1,000 mark. What we've seen so far doesn't really bear that out. Sure, there have been a few ultrabooks that are retailing for less than that, but most are just above the $1,000 price point, depending on the configuration.
Are ultrabooks for you? You can figure that out by reading our primer on the category and then studying our buying guide. But before you do, check out our picks for the 10 best ultrabooks on the market today. Be sure to also check out our top overall laptop picks.
Featured in This Roundup
Pros: Very thin and light. Strong build quality/sturdy materials. Dual friction hinge. Very good benchmark test performance. Speedy wake from sleep. 8GB of memory. 2.4 and 5GHz Wifi support. No Bloatware. Very good battery life. Full size HDMI port.
Cons: Odd keyboard layout. Could use a larger SSD array. Thinness is expensive.
Bottom Line: If you're looking for a svelte laptop to show off, yet still be able to do real work in Windows 8,the Acer Aspire S7-392-6411 is the ultrabook you want at the top of the list. It's the current pinnacle of the ultrabook trend and shows the brilliance that the PC makers can return under Intel's increasingly stringent standards for ultrabooks.Read Review
Pros: High-resolution display boasts 3,200-by-1,800 resolution and 10-finger touch. Slim lightweight design. Premium materials. Fourth-generation Intel Core i5 processor and 128GB solid-state drive keep things speedy. Long battery life. Dual-band Wi-Fi. Hinge stands up to touch but still opens wide.
Cons: Limited storage capacity. Marquee software options have limited appeal. Dongles for VGA and HDMI not included.
Bottom Line: The Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus goes toe to toe with the best premium ultrabooks, then tops it off with a jaw-dropping high-resolution display.Read Review
Pros: HDMI and VGA. Quick bootup from caching drive. Inexpensive price. Full ultrabook specs. Ten point Touch screen. Full sized Ethernet port. Solid screen for touch.
Cons: Two USB 2.0 ports. Only one USB 3.0 port. Must use Fn key for vol/brightness/etc. Could use more battery life. Keyboard not backlit. Only 2.4GHz WiFi.
Bottom Line: The Asus VivoBook S400CA-UH51 is one of the least expensive ways to get a fully functional Windows 8 ultrabook. It's a touch-screen ultrabook that gets the pricing and feature set right.Read Review
Pros: Ruggedized MIL-SPEC construction. Bright, crisp 1080p screen. Good capacity in SSD. Dual pointing devices. Removable battery. Three USB 3.0 ports, HDMI, Ethernet, and mini-DisplayPort. Compatible with wired and WiGig wireless docks. Comfortable keyboard. 802.11ac + Bluetooth 4.0.
Cons: Somewhat pricey.
Bottom Line: The rugged Dell Latitude E7440 Touch business ultrabook offers a nice mix of premium features, good performance, excellent battery life, and compatibility with other E-series Latitude laptops in Dell's stable.Read Review
Pros: Solid performance. Incredible battery life. Responsive touch screen. Sturdy design.
Cons: Low-resolution display. Pricey.
Bottom Line: The Lenovo ThinkPad X240 is a powerful business laptop sporting a Core i5 Haswell CPU, a speedy solid-state drive, and a 12.5-inch IPS touch-screen display. You'll pay top dollar for this well-built ultrabook, but it'll give you over 15 hours of battery life in return.Read Review
Pros: Brilliant 2,560-by-1,440 resolution screen. Very light. Premium materials and look. Two-year warranty, including tech support and Internet Security. Includes Adobe Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements.
Cons: May have to adjust zoom or screen resolution for apps.
Bottom Line: With a brilliant, bright WQHD screen and premium components, all housed in a chassis that weighs less than three pounds, the Toshiba Kirabook 13 i7s Touch is a dream ultrabook.Read Review
Pros: Thin and light. Strong build quality, with sturdy materials. Dual-friction hinge. Full-size HDMI port. 8GB of memory and 256GB SSD. 2.4 and 5GHz Wi-Fi support. Long battery life. Very good benchmark test performance.
Cons: Sensitive touchpad. Odd keyboard layout. No included Ethernet or VGA dongle.Some bloatware.
Bottom Line: The über-light Acer Aspire S7-392-5410 ultrabook is attractive and powerful enough to be your all-day travel companion.Read Review
Pros: Very compact frame. Carbon fiber and aluminum construction. QHD+ (3,200-by-1,800) display is breathtaking. USB-C port with Thunderbolt 3 interface. About 9 hours of battery life in testing.
Cons: Needs adapters for external displays.
Bottom Line: The latest Dell XPS 13 Touch delivers the ideal combination of power and prestige, with a sturdy build, a gorgeous QHD+ touch screen, a speedy new processor, and USB-C port with Thunderbolt support.Read Review
Pros: Flexible multimode design. Sturdy ruggedized chassis. Full HD display with 10-finger touch.
Cons: Middling performance. No stylus offered. Battery life is a bit short.
Bottom Line: The 14-inch Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 14 goes to work with a convertible-hybrid ultrabook that flips and folds.Read Review
Pros: Slimmer, lighter design and larger display than previous iteration. Premium materials. Fourth-generation Intel Core i5 processor and 128GB solid-state drive keep things speedy. All-day battery life. Full-size HDMI port. Sound technology geared toward audiophiles.
Cons: Full HD rather than Quad HD+ display on previous model. Dongles required for VGA and Ethernet. Slightly higher price than previous iteration.
Bottom Line: The Samsung Ativ Book 9 2014 Edition should be on your short list if you want a premium, long-lasting ultrabook, but don't need a higher-than-HD display.Read Review
