These days, pretty much any thin, light, and reasonably powerful laptop is considered an ultrabook (apart from gaming laptops). The term “ultrabook” may have been born out of Intel’s marketing team to describe high-end, premium laptops, but it is not limited to just Intel-powered ultrabooks anymore. At its core, an ultrabook should deliver outstanding productivity performance while also being slim, lightweight, and highly portable. It’s a reliable laptop that won’t weigh you down or force you to carry a charger everywhere you go.
TL;DR – These Are the Best Ultrabooks:
The best ultrabooks available today can be downright suprising with just how capable they are given their size and weight. Our overall best pick right now, the Asus Zenbook S 16, competes with high-end desktops all while sipping the smallest amount of power and running exceptionally quietly. From budget-friendly offerings to powerful workhorses capable of editing 4K video and beyond, these are the best ultrabooks you can buy right now.
1. Asus Zenbook S 16
Best Ultrabook in 2025
I tested and reviewed the Asus Zenbook S 16, and it’s the best overall ultrabook today. It’s ridiculously thin at only 13mm at its thickest part and is nearly as impressively lightweight at only 3.31lbs. It has fantastic battery life, a gorgeous OLED display, and the best gaming performance of any integrated GPU yet, topping portable gaming PCs like the Asus ROG Ally X and Ayaneo Kun. It’s the full package and then some.
The Zenbook S 16 nails what it means to be an ultrabook. It’s light enough that you can almost forget you’re carrying it and thin enough that it easily slides into a crowded backpack or briefcase. When it’s time to get to work, it performs among the top ultrabooks available today, all while using less power and generating less noise thanks to its cutting edge AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU. It even offers better connectivity than most ultrabooks with two USB Type-C ports, a full-size USB Type-A, an SD card reader, and an HDMI-out port to use with a great portable monitor.
The display is excellent, featuring a crisp 2880×1880 resolution (halfway between 1440p and 4K) and stunning colors. Since it’s an OLED, you can count on rich, deep blacks, and its 500-nit screen is bright enough to use, and look good, in any environment.
Topping this all out is 15 hours of battery life. The Asus Zenbook S 16 is the cutting-edge definition of what an ultrabook is meant to be and more.
2. HP Pavilion Aero 13
Best Budget Ultrabook
If you’re looking for a more affordable ultrabook, look no further than the HP Pavilion Aero 13. Coming in at less than $800, this notebook offers a fast Ryzen 7 processor and 16GB of DDR5 memory to make sure that all of your productivity applications run smoothly, even when you need to multitask. It’s incredibly thin and light so you can carry it throughout the day without feeling encumbered.
When you look at all that it has to offer, the price is incredibly reasonable – surprising, even. Between its processor and memory, it can be a reliable companion for almost anything but gaming (and even then, its integrated graphics are no slouch if you’re content to turn down some settings).
Its biggest drawback is that it only has 512GB of storage and less that’s free to save files on (Windows takes up a portion of that storage before you add anything of your own). You’ll want to invest in a good external hard drive if you want to save work locally. But given that this laptop is only about 13 inches and is exceptionally thin and light, that shouldn’t be the deciding factor.
3. Razer Blade 14
Best Ultrabook for Gaming
PC gaming and portability don’t usually go hand-in-hand. Oftentimes compromises need to be made, but with the Razer Blade 14, those are few and far between. It has managed to squeeze some insane hardware into a laptop just over 4lbs and well under 1-inch thick. The 14-inch 240 Hz QHD+ display is slightly taller than your typical screen, with a 16:10 aspect ratio that could take some getting used to. But it’s what’s on the inside that really blows me away.
That solid display is powered by an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS processor with an equally impressive Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card. This machine is ready for whatever game you throw at it, and it’ll also handle video editing like a champ. Heck, you can even do some overclocking. Its 16GB DDR5 RAM and 1TB of SSD storage ensures it’ll speedily chug along, and Wi-Fi 7 support lets you enjoy fast connectivity for your on-the-go battle station. (Alternatively, you can park this at your desk and connect it directly to a gaming monitor with the laptop’s full-size HDMI port.)
In our 2024 review of the Razer Blade 14, we remarked that it was a genuinely excellent laptop with an extremely fast GPU. It’s expensive, there’s no way around that, but excels with its luxurious build quality and performance.
See more of the best gaming laptops to buy right now.
4. Microsoft Surface Laptop 11
Best for Students
Looking for a reliable laptop to take to and from classes without destroying your back? The latest generation Surface Laptop and Surface Pro 2-in-1 is it, coming fully equipped with powerful Snapdragon Plus and Snapdragon Elite processors, plenty of memory and storage, and battery life that can last multiple work days depending on how they’re used. For the purposes of this list, our technical recommendation is the Surface Laptop, but just know that we give a big thumbs up to the Surface Pro for those of you who prefer their ultrabooks to be a little more convertible (and don’t mind buying a keyboard case, too).
Compared to the last generation, Microsoft has made some major upgrades. These new Surfaces have more memory and storage options, but even the base model, which has 16GB or RAM and 256GB of storage, is enough for solid system performance. The Snapdragon Plus and Elite, which adds two more cores, are incredibly power efficient. Microsoft rates this laptop as offering up to 20 hours of battery life when watching video and up to 13 hours of web browsing and productivity, and it supports fast charging and can power up from zero to 80% in one hour.
The downside is that not all apps work with the Snapdragon processors. There is built-in emulation to help compensate for this and it works for many apps, but not all. Now that Qualcomm is in the processor business in earnest, we expect the list of compatible apps to continue growing over time. Until then, here’s an ever-expanding list of compatible apps. Chances are, the apps you need for school are already on there.
5. Asus Zenbook S 14
Best for Business
The Asus Zenbook S 14 is the smaller sibling to the No. 1 pick on this list, but it earns a place here due to its excellent balance of processing power and battery life. In my testing using Procyon’s battery test (which simulates mixed productivity use), this laptop ran for over 16 hours, so you can count on two or more work days between recharges. Throughout all of this time, I found that it ran very smooth, even when working in creative apps like Adobe Photoshop. In the Microsoft Office suite or any of the Google Drive applications, you could easily be fooled into thinking that you are using a laptop that costs twice as much.
Since its release, even though the larger screen of the Zenbook S 16 has its own appeal, the ultra-portability of the S 14 makes it a more compelling choice for carrying through the day. It’s incredibly thin, at less than a half inch at its thickest point, and weighs just over 2.5lbs. Carrying it through the day was almost effortless, and I never had any trouble sliding it into a packed bag.
It’s even a compelling choice for light gaming between meetings. It uses the latest generation Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and utilizes Intel Arc graphics – the company’s best integrated graphics yet. While it won’t compete with a gaming laptop using a dedicated graphics card, you might be surprised at just how capable it is. If you’re willing to dial back the resolution to 1200p, you can easily get games like Cyberpunk 2077 running between 30 and 60fps. And on its OLED screen, you can count on a real visual treat.
6. Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max)
Best Ultrabook for Creatives
For creative professionals, the best choice is still the Apple MacBook Pro based on the testing in our review of the M2 Pro. Apple offers a number of different configurations but for the best performance when editing videos, rendering art assets, and other heavy duty tasks, it doesn’t get better than the top of the line M3 Max version. It’s more powerful than a laptop has any right to be, which is exactly why so many professional creators use it.
The MacBook Pro 16 is a great pick no matter which version you choose, but one of its assets is how configurable it is. It’s available with two different tiers of the M3 Max processor (16-core or 18-core), up to 128GB of memory, and a whopping 8TB of storage. If you want a MacBook Pro 16 but aren’t interested in putting the pedal all the way to the floor, the standard M3 Pro version starts a whopping $1,500 cheaper and is more than enough for most creators. The biggest drawback is the default SSD, which is only 512GB instead of a full terabyte like the M3 Max versions, so you may need to look into external storage. Every version comes with the same beautiful liquid retina screen, which is widely regarded as one of the best displays on any laptop available today.
It’s not all about power: The available software and creative tools are the other half of what makes this such a good choice. Apple has been a go-to choice for creative applications for many years, so there’s a deep ecosystem of apps no matter what your creative bent is. You can even add licenses for Logic and Final Cut Pro when you checkout through Apple.
Just saying: Windows machines can still be great for creative work, and choosing a Windows machine also circumvents the MacBook Pro’s walled garden approach to software and hardware. It’s the MacBook’s biggest hurdle – you’re buying into the Apple ecosystem, which means often having limited choices for supporting peripherals. Still, it’s a sacrifice many creative professionals find worthwhile for its powerful tools.
How We Chose the Best Ultrabooks
To find the best ultrabooks, we first define what qualities an ultrabook needs to have to, a) be an ultrabook instead of a normal, if lightweight, laptop; and, b) be one of the best choices you can buy today. Any ultrabook needs to be thin, light, and have extended battery life. It needs to be dedicated to high-performance productivity, and if it can play games, that’s icing on the cake.
To form our list, we first evalutate the ultrabooks that we’ve reviewed and spent time with. With those early contenders written down, we consult other expert sources from across the web and look into major offerings from noteworthy brands (an ever-growing list). Critical impressions from industry experts are important, especially as they relate to our first criteria, and benchmark scores and real world impressions are all considered. We then turn to the community, poring over user reviews, Reddit recommendations, and cautionary tales to find the ultrabooks that are enhancing the lives of real users on a daily basis.
After compiling a list of the best choices, we break that down into key categories to help recommend the best ultrabook to you, no matter what kind of user you are. Whether you’re a work by day, game by night kind of user, a student, or a business professional that needs a dependable notebook to carry them through the day without weighing them down, we have the best picks, right here on this list.
Things to Consider When Shopping for an Ultrabook
Buying an ultrabook is not a minor investment, so you shouldn’t rush when making your decision. Before looking at ultrabooks, you’ll want to set your maximum budget – this means you won’t exceed what you can afford, allowing you to configure the right ultrabook to suit your needs. If you’re on a lower budget, you may need to sacrifice more powerful specs. Rather than looking at ultrabooks with 16GB of DDR5 RAM, for example, you could drop down to 8GB of DDR5 or even DDR4 RAM to save a bit of money.
Similarly, if you’re not fussed about using your ultrabook to play AAA games, integrated graphics like Intel Iris XE Graphics or Intel Arc Graphics will be plenty suitable. Rather than splashing out on an Nvidia RTX GPU, you can spend your money elsewhere on other components and features.
However, if you do have the budget to go big, then you’ll want to choose an ultrabook that’s more futureproof. With the latest generation of hardware, your ultrabook will last longer and won’t have to be upgraded as often. A 14th Gen i5 or i7 CPU or an AMD Ryzen 7000 or 9000 series processor with RTX 4000-series or AMD Radeon 7000-series GPU is a great place to start.
FAQs
What is an ultrabook laptop?
Intel coined the term “ultrabook” back in 2011 to describe laptops that are exceptionally thin, light, and use powerful hardware. These days, the term gets thrown around a bit more broadly to encompass laptops that aren’t necessarily the most powerful, but are exceptionally portable and are powerful enough to easily accomplish day-to-day productivity tasks with ease. Most ultrabooks also offer extended battery life so they can reliably get through a full eight-hour work day without dying on you.
Is a MacBook considered an ultrabook?
While a MacBook isn’t technically an ultrabook because it’s made by Apple, it could be considered a type of ultrabook. MacBooks are powerful yet lightweight laptops running on Apple’s macOS.
Are ultrabooks good for gaming?
Ultrabooks are not gaming laptops, so if fragging enemies or gaining levels is your bread and butter, you would be better suited with one of the best gaming laptops. With that in mind, if you’re willing to play at lower graphics settings or resolutions, it’s certainly possible to play games on many newer ultrabooks. Intel and AMD have made strides with the built-in gaming capabilities of its processors. Cloud gaming is another viable option that tends to work very well on ultrabooks, but requires a subscription to Xbox Game Pass, Nvidia GeForce Now, or other related game-hosting services.
Christopher Coke has been a regular contributor to IGN since 2019 and has been covering games and technology since 2013. He has covered tech ranging from gaming controllers to graphics cards, gaming chairs and gaming monitors, headphones, IEMs, and more for sites such as MMORPG.com, Tom’s Hardware, Popular Science, USA Today’s Reviewed, and Popular Mechanics. He is the current subject matter expert on laptops for IGN, personally covering most laptop reviews. Find Chris on Twitter @gamebynight.
