(Updated September, 2017) Are you searching for the Best Ultrabook Under 1000 or even the Best Ultrabooks Under 500? We started this with our Best Ultrabook 2015 and have been reviewing and re-checking a couple of times a year since then! So if you’re considering an ultrabook, check out this year’s list of the Best Ultrabooks 2017 for all budgets and price points.
The term “ultrabook” is not new in the tech field. In the last few years, massive changes in technology paved the way for fast and high-quality ultrabooks that are available at incredibly affordable prices. In recent years, we have seen laptop brands introduce technology-compliant gadgets—faster in performance and smaller in size.
Intel has been at the forefront of producing incredibly slim, low-voltage processors and battery friendly laptops. Interestingly, ultrabooks were previously known as CULV laptops (Consumer ultra-low voltage processors), but was later changed to “ultrabooks” to heighten the appeal. Personally, I think that change was for the best! What about you?
So, What Exactly is an Ultrabook?
An ultrabook is a thin, lightweight laptop that functions as a traditional laptop without as much hardware. While technology continues to develop and alter the specifications for ultrabooks, generally, for laptops to qualify as ultrabooks, they need to have the following key features:
- A frame that is less than 0.83 inches
- A low-voltage Intel Core processor
- Quick boot times (Rapid Start technology)
- Minimum five hours of battery life
In recent years, touch screens have become more elaborate in ultrabook specifications. With the launch of Windows 10, all 2017 ultrabooks equipped with Windows 8 or 10 will have enhanced touch screens. The touch technology has allowed Intel to focus on its ultrabooks functioning as detachable tablets and hybrid laptops. The introduction of hybrid models have elicited mixed reactions, but more hybrid styles are being produced and launched nonetheless.
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Which Ultrabook Should I Buy?
Like any computer or electronic decision, that depends on your needs and requirements. If you are looking to get the most out of your investment, here are a few of the ultrabook’s key features:
- An ultrabook is much lighter than most laptops and is easier to travel with. They usually weigh in at around 3lbs or less and are generally under 1 inch in thickness.
- Women, take note! Ultrabooks are sleek enough to fit in handbags, such as totes, when on the move.
- Ultrabooks tend to have fantastic battery life. In general, most ultrabooks will last 8 hours on a single charge, allowing you to work a full day without charging. Check out our post on Laptops with Best Battery Life for more information.
- An ultrabook is like having a tablet with the benefits of a laptop.
- Ultrabooks offer high-security identity protection and anti-theft technology. The anti-theft technology allows you to cut off data access no matter where you are located.
- Newer models use processors that are energy-efficient and faster than processors found in traditional laptops. Ultrabooks come loaded with SSD drives, so you no longer have to wait for the operating system to load.
Intel and other ultrabook manufacturers have been working hard to make ultrabooks more affordable, and they are coming in at under $1,000. The price drop, however, is achieved by changing the configurations and specs of the ultrabook. For high-end and top-quality specifications, you will likely spend at least $1,000 for some models.
There are plenty of ultrabooks to choose from and more than enough 2017 reviews to help you find the best ultrabook, whether you need it for business or pleasure. Ultrabook processors Intel Core i3, Core i5 or Core i7 have superior performance capabilities. Users also get to enjoy USB 3.0 connectivity to facilitate quick file transfers and fast SSD storage.
Best Ultrabook Reviews – Best Ultrabook for the Money
Which ultrabooks are listed on our best of 2017? Every brand wants to be on this list! For newer models, expect to spend between $700 and $ 1,500.
Below are our selections for the Best Ultrabooks of 2017. We’ve made sure all our choices are loaded with the best features in the market to make your search that much easier.
Dell XPS 13
Dell XPS 13 2015 version is one of the finest ultrabooks seen since its introduction. It is impressively thin and lightweight. The 2015 model surprised many because, even though it’s a 13.3-inch notebook, it looks like an 11-inch machine (and the 2017 ultrabooks are even better).
Aside from its sleek design, this laptop has a superior horsepower that makes work and play worth every moment. Another impressive feature is its long battery life. It doesn’t matter whether you want the full HD model or the touch screen quad HD+ version, the Dell XPS 13 is an excellent choice for anyone who loves well-performing technology.
If you’re planning to spend on an attractive, portable and top-performance laptop, the Dell XPS, with its revolutionary design, sleek display, and lightweight chassis, has completely shifted the goalposts in laptop technologies. The XPS 13 2015 is easy to spot; its silver color and aluminum exterior resemble the MacBook Air both in durability and sheen. Reviews about the XPS 13 agree that its resistant to scratches, smudges and fingerprints.
The XPS 13 is 15mm tall (0.6 inches), 7.88 (200mm) long and 11.98 inches wide. It’s definitely slimmer when compared to other models. For instance, it’s 0.17 inches shorter and one inch shallower than Yoga 3 Pro. In relation to Asus Zenbook, it is one inch shallower and slimmer.
If you appreciate style and treasure portability, the XPS 13 is a smart choice. Users can enjoy high-tech features; this laptop has been built with precision and a keen eye for modern technology trends.
Asus ZenBook UX 305 – Best Ultrabook for College
For those who’ve managed to read and interact with 2016 & 2015 ultrabook reviews, you will agree that the Asus UX305 is a flawless and highly sophisticated gadget that deserves all the praise that it has been getting. If you love metal gadgets, Asus ZenBook is fully metallic which gives it an edgy and sophisticated look. The laptop is lightweight and one can comfortably carry it around and multitask comfortably and seamlessly. A lot of users find the ZenBook UX305 simple and convenient for task execution.
It doesn’t matter whether you love browsing the web, editing images or watching movies, all these features are available to ensure users obtain maximum benefit. This machine is also associated with excellent battery capabilities despite the fact that it’s a 1080p display. The most notable thing about UX305 is the friendly price tag considering the high level of technology that has been used to design and build the laptop specifically for mobile computing purposes.
The recent pricing averages under $700 for a full metal ultrabook, 256GB SSD to boot plus an exemplary complete HD display. According to a 2016 ultrabook review, even though it might not top technology innovation when compared to other high-tech gadgets, it is the best for buyers on a tight budget and doesn’t disappoint.
13-inch laptops are shrinking daily drawing wider comparisons between small laptops and ultrabooks. There is a mad rush to manufacture slimmer and light gadgets that are appealing to users and therefore there’s a demand to design and manufacture compact systems. Asus has followed this call emulating Dell which unveiled XPS 13 that reduced the sizes of a 13-inch laptop to an 11-inch frame and Lenovo’s LaVie Z whose weight is similar to that of an iPad. With Asus ZenBook UX305, it is right to say the principles of designing thin 2016 ultrabooks have been put into practice.
With a price tag of under 700 dollars when we checked, the Asus ZenBook is definitely cheaper than other premium ultrabooks for 2017 like the Acer Aspire S7 listed below. No doubt, this machine has managed to perfectly balance both affordability and luxury.
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro – Best Ultrabook Under 1000
If you appreciate stylish gadgets and want to appear trendy and don’t mind fewer performance capabilities, the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro is an ideal choice. Lenovo is a flagship ultrabook brand and is capable of comfortably handling a wide variety of tasks. Its sleek, ultra-thin design and new metallic hinge are loved by many who use this ultrabook.
What makes Yoga 3 Pro feature on our list as the best ultrabook under 1000? It has an excellent case considering its multi-purpose abilities. No doubt, this is one of the slimmest and lightest Windows laptops.
When it launched in late 2013, the Yoga 2 Pro was considered the best convertible ultrabook at that time and has been on our list since our best ultrabooks 2015 review was done!
It has been described as having a sleek with an impressive QHD+ display. Yoga 3 Pro’s features include a striking watchband hinge that has been designed from over 800 individual pieces of aluminum steel, according to Lenovo comments.
The only downside of the Yoga 3 Pro is its battery life, which is shorter compared to its peers. Also, the absence of 802.11ac Wi-Fi opens up room to make changes and solve these pitfalls. With the two issues resolved, Lenovo is set for good times ahead with this fine ultrabook.
It is also capable of transforming positions depending on how you intend to use it. Since its introduction, the Yoga 3 Pro has performed well in the market. Priced under $1,000, this is a tech toy to consider.
Toshiba Satellite U925T – Best Ultrabook Under 500
Toshiba has become one of the leading electronics manufacturers in recent years. Toshiba ultrabooks are of high quality and performance within the best ultrabook options. The Toshiba Satellite U925T is the second-generation of Toshiba’s ultrabook line, that is replacing a couple of past models. This ultrabook has a 13.3 inch HD, an LED back lit display and is powered by the Windows 8 Operating System.
It also comes with 1.7 GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 6 GB DDR3 RAM, 128 GB SDD storage, IntelHD Graphics 4000 and 5.5 hours of battery life for a user-friendly experience. And with the touch screen it becomes an even more versatile tool to have!
Acer Aspire S7 – Best Touchscreen Ultrabook
Acer has undoubtedly worked hard to upgrade its laptops to keep up with high-end, luxury products. The Acer Aspire S7 is a luxury laptop characterized with a super sharp QHD display. Hyper HD content is enabled thanks to its 2560 x 1440 that performs excellently when used even on a wireless network. Because of this the ultrabook’s 2016 text and images look splendid which only enhances the feel and sophistication of the device.
The build quality of this ultrabook is spacious and eye-catching. The Acer Aspire S7 has a Gorilla Glass frame is paired with a snappy keyboard and electro-luminescent lighting. The Acer Aspire S7’s price has it fitting in the best ultrabooks under 1000 and everyone who has used it before agrees it has been built and designed for the modern day user. There are so many things this ultrabook has that you will love; premium specs, fine typing experience and a cutting edge build.
The Aspire S7 needed very little in terms of upgrading. When it first came out, Acer came pretty close to a Windows 8 dream machine because of its slim and gorgeous feel.
Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus – Best Ultrabook Under 1500
For a long time, Samsung has been well respected in the tech industry. In fact, it was indeed one of the pioneer manufacturers to venture into the production of ultrabooks. No doubt, Samsung has no doubt done Intel a lot of proud.
Samsung Ultrabook, Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus is the new baby Samsung is relying on to appeal to the market. With a price tag of $ 1, 399, the firm hopes that the abilities of this ultrabook will appeal to modern day tech enthusiasts. Its amazing capabilities qualify it as one of the best 2016 ultrabooks.
If you love wonderfully slim gadgets, Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus has been well crafted with a shiny striking appearance and an all aluminum chassis. This ultrabook has a plain black exterior which together with its premium price tag, is classified more as a business laptop. Contrary to Windows Ultrabooks, Ativ comes with Haswell, a new fourth-generation processor developed by Intel similarly to 2013 Macbook Air.
The Samsung Ativ Book 9 is cute and users love it because of its extended battery life (11 hours). The Ativ is extremely thin with only 13.6mm. When you lift the lid, you get to discover that it’s really a good bargain for all that’s included within.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon – Best Ultrabook for College
If you’re looking for exciting, premium ultrabooks, don’t forget to check out Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon. This is an ideal choice especially if you’re looking for a laptop for business purposes. (Yet another contender in our Best Business Ultrabooks list.)
For those who pay a lot of attention to aesthetics, the brand new design is tastefully equipped with a host of ultrabook features all packed into this magnificent piece of hardware. Business users are definitely set to have great times thanks to all the modern features packed in this piece of hardware.
Undoubtedly, this Lenovo’s beauty and super slim design makes it one of the Best Ultrabooks of 2016. The adaptive keys add to the superior functionality of the laptop and ensure that the limited amount of space is thoroughly utilized while not compromising attractiveness of the gadget. If you thought the MacBook Pro was the ultimate slim, lightweight gadget, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is a worthy competitor.
Acer Aspire Touchscreen Ultrabook – Best Ultrabooks Under 1000
The Acer Aspire Touchscreen Ultrabook is slim, tough, and light. It features a 4th generation Intel i7 processor and has up to 7 hours of battery life. The keyboard auto-illuminates for comfortable use in dim settings, while the Acer TwinAir cooling makes this Ultrabook a pleasure to hold. The cover is made from Gorilla Glass 2, so it’s thin, light, scratch resistant, easy to clean, strong, and beautiful. From the look to the feeling, every aspect of the Aspire S7 is designed with cutting-edge technology for a better touch experience.
The patented Dual-Torque Hinge makes it easy to open the Aspire S7 lid with just one hand and keeps the display wobble-free against finger-touch force for excellent touchscreen use. It also allows the display to open completely flat for better sharing and collaboration.
Other key Features:
- 13.3″ Full HD widescreen CineCrystal™ LED-backlit display: (1920 x 1080) resolution; 16:9 aspect ratio
- 4th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-4500U Processor 1.8GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 3.0GHz
- Windows 8
- Intel® HD Graphics 4400 with 128MB of dedicated system memory
- 8GB DDR3 Memory
- 256GB SSD drive in RAID 0 configuration
- Digital Media Card Reader – Secure Digital® (SD)
Razer Blade Stealth – Best Ultrabook For Gaming
When anyone thinks about Razer, the first thing that pops in their mind is gaming. Over the years, Razer laptops and ultrabooks have established a reputation among gamers and the Razer Blade Stealth is a fine proof of why they are so highly regarded.
With a 13.3-inch gorgeous display that provides up to QHD+ 3200 x 1800 touch enabled display, this ultrabook is worth every penny. The Razer Blade Stealth has everything you can need in a gaming ultrabook, including a 7th generation Intel i7 processor and a powerful graphics card! The downside is this product quickly heats, so you’ll have to buy a cooling pad if you plan on high-end gaming.
HP Spectre x360 – Best Business Ultrabook
If you’re looking for the Best Business Ultrabook, then the HP Spectre x360 is definitely worth your time! The HP Spectre x360 is a 2-in-1 touch screen laptop that is equally as good for college, business and gaming. Its elegant and professional look add to the high-end performance. Powered by a 7th generation Intel Core i7-7500U mobile processor and has 16GB of DDR4 Ram, the HP Spectre x360 is an ideal option for design and medical students as well. For gamers, this 2-in-1 Ultrabook has a 15.6″ 4K Ultra HD touch screen along with a NVIDIA GeForce 940MX graphics for high-end gaming performance!
Acer Swift 7 – Best Ultrabook Under 1500
Acer Swift 7 is the slimmest laptop on the list and offers amazing performance but it faces the same issues as many other slim ultrabooks — lack of ports but if you want high portability with functionality than the Acer Swift 7 is your best bet. Though it only has a pair of USB-C twins alone, the Acer Swift 7 makes up for it with its high-end performance thanks to a 7th Generation Intel Core i7-7Y75 Processor.
Even with it having a display that is only 1080p in resolution but the quality and pixel density deliver a truly stunning video and multimedia experience.
Huawei Matebook X – Best Ultrabook For The Money
If you’re looking for an Ultrabook that’s similar to a MacBook but has what you need for gaming, then Huawei Matebook X is definitely worth your time. This is one of the few Huawei laptops and ultrabooks that are mainstream which is awesome, especially due to the fact that it looks gorgeous and offers a great value for price (latest price check shows this fits our Best Laptops Under 1000 category). With a stunning 13-inch screen as well as a 2K display, watching videos and other multimedia will be a genuine pleasure. Thanks to the 7th Generation Intel i5 Processor coupled with Intel HD Graphics, this ultrabook can run most MMO games at high setting as well as being a must have for college students that don’t have enough budget to buy a professional gaming laptop.
If you’re planning to go shopping for one of the 2017 ultrabooks that not only portrays top style and sophistication, the above list can definitely make it a lot easier to eliminate those you aren’t interested in! However, the list is not exhaustive, because every week we have new brands and models coming on the market. One of the most important things to consider when shopping for your choice within the category of the top ultrabooks 2017 is to carefully examine the features and see whether they meet your specifications.
Also, the price range says a lot about the quality and type of features you will find in this list of the Best ultrabooks 2016. Before making your final decisions, do a bit of research and compare market prices of different products to make the best decision for you!
Best Ultrabooks 2015 & Best Ultrabooks 2016 – No Longer Available Models
HP Spectre XT TouchSmart UltraBook
HP is known for its perfect hardware quality and amazing ultra books. HP Spectre XT TouchSmart UltraBook is 15.6 inch, Touch screen and it’s powered by Windows 8 operating system.
When it comes to performance, it features a 1.9 GHz Intel Core i7 – 3517U processor and 8 GB DDR3 RAM. It also includes 500 GB with 5400 rpm HDD and in additional 32 GB SDD which ensures that the data which you store in 32 GB SDD be safe. HP Spectre XT UltraBook battery life is around 6 hours which is almost double life of available notebooks in the market. While we loved it on our best ultrabooks for 2015 list, it’s been “retired” now, though you can occasionally find used or refurbished ones.
Asus UX31
This was one of the most anticipated gadgets to come around in awhile and it is finally here! This ultrabook has very impressive features that are discussed in detail below.
Features
- The best thing about this ultrabook is the resolution which is a very impressive 1600 x 1900 and with this cool screen you can actually edit two different documents on a single screen.
• The specs include Windows 7(64 bit), Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi b/g/n, HDMI and mini VGA
This ultrabook is quite expensive when compared to some of its competitors. It is priced at approx $1500. In spite of the steep price point, this ultrabook has sold quite well due to its features and technology.