Best Ultrabooks: Thin and Powerful Laptops for Every Purpose

Today, the term "ultrabook" is used rather loosely, encompassing any thin, light, and reasonably powerful laptop—excluding dedicated gaming machines. While initially an Intel marketing term for high-end laptops, the definition has broadened. At its core, an ultrabook prioritizes exceptional productivity in a slim, lightweight, and highly portable package. It's a reliable workhorse that won't weigh you down or demand constant charging.

TL;DR – Top Ultrabooks:

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Our Top Pick: Asus Zenbook S 16
See it at Best Buy See it at Asus

Razer Blade 14
See it at Razer

Microsoft Surface Laptop 11
See it at Amazon

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max)
See it at Amazon

Today's best ultrabooks surprisingly pack potent capabilities within their compact frames. Our top pick, the Asus Zenbook S 16, rivals high-end desktops while maintaining exceptional power efficiency and quiet operation. From budget-friendly options to powerful machines capable of 4K video editing, this list showcases the best ultrabooks available.

Asus Zenbook S 16 – Photos

19 Images

1. Asus Zenbook S 16

Best Ultrabook in 2025

Our Top Pick: Asus Zenbook S 16

The Asus Zenbook S 16 offers a compelling Windows alternative to the MacBook Pro. Its portability and user-friendliness are exceptional.

See it at Best Buy See it at Asus

Product Specifications:
Display: 16" (2880 x 1800)
CPU: AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370
GPU: AMD Radeon 890M
RAM: 32GB LPDDR5X
Storage: 1TB PCIe SSD
Weight: 3.31 pounds
Size: 13.92" x 9.57" x 0.47" - 0.51"
Battery life: Around 15 hours

Pros: Dual OLED screens, exceptionally thin and light, outstanding performance with all-day battery, beautiful 3K OLED touchscreen, impressive gaming performance.
Cons: Some keyboard flex.

My review of the Asus Zenbook S 16 confirms its status as the best overall ultrabook. Its incredibly thin profile (13mm at its thickest) and lightweight design (3.31 lbs) are remarkable. It boasts fantastic battery life, a gorgeous OLED display, and the best integrated GPU performance to date, surpassing portable gaming PCs like the Asus ROG Ally X and Ayaneo Kun. It truly is the complete package.

The Zenbook S 16 perfectly embodies the ultrabook ideal. Its light weight and slim design make it easily portable, and its powerful performance excels among today's ultrabooks, all while consuming less power and producing less noise thanks to its cutting-edge AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU. It even provides superior connectivity with two USB Type-C ports, a full-size USB Type-A, an SD card reader, and an HDMI-out port compatible with a great portable monitor.

The display is exceptional, offering a crisp 2880x1880 resolution and stunning colors. As an OLED, it delivers rich, deep blacks, and its 500-nit brightness ensures readability in any environment. Topping it all off is an impressive 15 hours of battery life. The Asus Zenbook S 16 is the epitome of what an ultrabook should be and more.

2. HP Pavilion Aero 13

Best Budget Ultrabook

HP Pavilion Aero 13

At under $800, this laptop delivers exceptional value. See it at HP

Product Specifications:
Display: 13.3” 2K (1,920 x 1,200) IPS
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 8840U
RAM: 16GB DDR5 6,400MHz
Storage: 512MB NVMe SSD
Weight: 2.2 pounds
Size: 11.7" x 8.31" x 0.69"
Battery life: Around 12 hours

Pros: Great price-to-performance ratio, fast processor and ample memory, ultraportable design, all-day battery life.
Cons: Limited storage.

For an affordable ultrabook, the HP Pavilion Aero 13 is a strong contender. Priced under $800, it features a fast Ryzen 7 processor and 16GB of DDR5 memory, ensuring smooth multitasking. Its incredibly thin and light design allows for comfortable all-day carry.

Considering its features, the price is remarkably reasonable. Its processor and memory make it suitable for most tasks, even light gaming (though integrated graphics may require lower settings). Its main drawback is the limited 512GB storage; an external hard drive is recommended. However, given its small size and lightweight design, this shouldn't be a deal breaker.

3. Razer Blade 14 (2024) – Photos

8 Images

3. Razer Blade 14

Best Ultrabook for Gaming

Razer Blade 14

With a stunning QHD+ display and powerful internals in a sleek chassis, this 14-inch luxury laptop handles any game. See it at Razer

Product Specifications:
Display: 14” QHD+ (2,560 x 1,600) IPS 240Hz
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS
GPU: Nvidia RTX 4070
RAM: 16GB DDR5 5,700MHz
Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD
Weight: 4.05 pounds
Size: 12.73" x 8.97" x 0.70"
Battery life: Around 9-10 hours

Pros: Excellent gaming performance, 240Hz display.
Cons: Shallow keyboard.

The Razer Blade 14 masterfully blends PC gaming and portability. It packs impressive hardware into a sub-4lb, under 1-inch thick chassis. The 14-inch 240Hz QHD+ display (16:10 aspect ratio) is powered by an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, handling demanding games and video editing with ease. Its 16GB DDR5 RAM and 1TB SSD ensure smooth operation, and Wi-Fi 7 provides fast connectivity. Alternatively, connect it to a gaming monitor via its HDMI port.

Our 2024 review highlighted its exceptionally fast GPU. While expensive, its luxurious build and performance are unparalleled. See more of the best gaming laptops to buy right now.

4. Microsoft Surface Laptop 11

Best for Students

Microsoft Surface Laptop 11

A colorful laptop with a Snapdragon processor, ample memory and storage, and solid battery life. See it at Amazon

Product Specifications:
Display: 13.8" (2304 x 1536)
CPU: Snapdragon X Plus to Snapdragon X Elite
GPU: Qualcomm Adreno
RAM: 16GB - 32GB LPDDR5X
Storage: 256GB - 1TB PCIe SSD
Weight: 2.96 pounds
Size: 11.85" x 8.67" x 0.69"
Battery life: Up to 20 hours

Pros: Great performance, fun color options, long battery life.
Cons: Some app incompatibility.

The Surface Laptop (and the Surface Pro 2-in-1) is ideal for students needing a durable, portable laptop. Equipped with powerful Snapdragon Plus and Elite processors, ample memory and storage, and multi-day battery life, it's a reliable choice. (The Surface Pro offers 2-in-1 functionality but requires a keyboard case.)

Significant upgrades over the previous generation include increased memory and storage options. Even the base model (16GB RAM, 256GB storage) offers solid performance. The Snapdragon Plus and Elite processors are incredibly power-efficient, providing up to 20 hours of video playback and 13 hours of web browsing/productivity, with fast charging capabilities (0-80% in one hour).

App compatibility with Snapdragon processors is a limitation; however, built-in emulation addresses this for many apps. The list of compatible apps is constantly expanding; most school-related applications are likely already supported.

5. Asus Zenbook S 14

Best for Business

Asus Zenbook S 14

This ultraportable laptop offers incredible battery life, snappy performance, and a beautiful OLED touchscreen. See it at Asus See it at Best Buy

Product Specifications:
Display: 14" (2880 x 1800)
CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 258V
GPU: Intel Arc
RAM: 32GB LPDDR5X
Storage: 1TB PCIe SSD
Weight: 2.65 pounds
Size: 12.22" x 8.45" x 0.51"
Battery life: 15+ hours

Pros: Thinner, lighter, and more powerful, great battery life, improved gaming performance, gorgeous OLED touchscreen.
Cons: No microSD card reader.

The Asus Zenbook S 14, a smaller sibling to our top pick, excels with its balance of processing power and battery life. In testing, it ran for over 16 hours on Procyon's battery test (simulating mixed productivity use). Performance is smooth, even with demanding creative apps like Adobe Photoshop. In Microsoft Office or Google Drive applications, it feels like a much more expensive machine.

Its ultra-portability makes it ideal for all-day carry. Incredibly thin (under half an inch) and weighing just over 2.5 lbs, it's effortlessly portable. It's even suitable for light gaming, utilizing the latest Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and Intel Arc graphics. While not a gaming laptop, it surprisingly handles games like Cyberpunk 2077 at 30-60fps (at 1200p resolution) with its OLED display.

6. Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max)

Best Ultrabook for Creatives

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max)

The 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 Max chip is the most powerful Mac ever. See it at Amazon

Product Specifications:
Display: 16.2" (3456 x 2234)
CPU: M3 Max
GPU: Integrated (40-core)
RAM: 48GB - 128GB
Storage: 1TB - 8TB SSD
Weight: 4.8 pounds
Size: 14.01" x 9.77" x 0.66"
Battery life: Up to 22 hours

Pros: Incredibly powerful, highly configurable, very good battery life, thin and comparatively light.
Cons: Can be very expensive.

For creative professionals, the Apple MacBook Pro (based on M2 Pro testing) remains a top choice. The high-end M3 Max version offers unparalleled performance for video editing, rendering, and other demanding tasks. Its configurability allows customization with different M3 Max processors (16-core or 18-core), up to 128GB of memory, and 8TB of storage. The M3 Pro version offers a more affordable option, still sufficient for many creators.

Beyond power, the software ecosystem is a key advantage. Apple's long-standing presence in creative applications provides a deep ecosystem of tools. Logic and Final Cut Pro licenses can be added at checkout. While Windows machines are viable alternatives, the MacBook Pro's walled garden approach to software and hardware is a consideration.

How We Chose the Best Ultrabooks

To identify the best ultrabooks, we defined key ultrabook qualities: thinness, lightness, extended battery life, high-performance productivity, and optional gaming capabilities. Our selection process involved evaluating reviewed ultrabooks, consulting expert sources, examining major brand offerings, considering benchmark scores and real-world impressions, and analyzing user reviews and community feedback.

The resulting list is categorized to assist users in finding the ideal ultrabook based on their needs (work/gaming, student, business professional).

Things to Consider When Shopping for an Ultrabook

Ultrabook purchases require careful consideration. Set a budget beforehand to guide your choices. Lower budgets may necessitate compromises on specs (e.g., RAM). If gaming isn't a priority, integrated graphics (Intel Iris XE or Intel Arc) are sufficient; otherwise, consider an Nvidia RTX or AMD Radeon GPU. Higher budgets allow for more future-proof components (e.g., 14th Gen i5/i7 CPUs, AMD Ryzen 7000/9000 series processors, RTX 4000-series or AMD Radeon 7000-series GPUs).

FAQs

What is an ultrabook laptop?

Originally coined by Intel, "ultrabook" described exceptionally thin, light laptops with powerful hardware. Now, it encompasses portable laptops with sufficient power for daily productivity tasks and often extended battery life.

Is a MacBook considered an ultrabook?

While not technically an ultrabook due to its Apple origin, a MacBook fits the ultrabook profile: a powerful yet lightweight laptop.

Are ultrabooks good for gaming?

Ultrabooks aren't gaming laptops. However, with lower settings or resolutions, gaming is possible on newer models thanks to improved integrated graphics. Cloud gaming is another option, requiring subscriptions like Xbox Game Pass or Nvidia GeForce Now.