
An ultrabook is a modern version of a laptop. It combines mobility, high performance and long battery life. Due to their compact dimensions and light weight, it is convenient to take them with you on business trips and travels. So, we will analyze what these devices are, what technical characteristics should be considered when choosing, we will give a rating and an overview of the best models.
Content:

Ranking table
Place in the ranking / Name | Expert evaluation | Price range, rub. |
---|---|---|
Rating of budget ultrabooks | ||
Lenovo Ideapad 530s 14IKB | 79 out of 100 | From 37,990 to 41,990 * |
ASUS VivoBook S13 S330 | 82 out of 100 | From 37,000 to 64,990* |
ASUS ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM010T | 89 out of 100 | From 43,415 to 63,990* |
Acer SWIFT 3 SF314-57-33ZP | 93 out of 100 | From 46,540 to 56,733 |
Rating of ultrabooks of the middle price category | ||
Acer SWIFT 3 SF314-57-527S | 89 out of 100 | From 59 240 to 72 247* |
HUAWEI MateBook 13 | 92 out of 100 | From 60,990 to 65,990* |
Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air 13.3″ 2019 | 94 out of 100 | From 61,990 to 75,490* |
ASUS ZenBook 14 UX434FQ-A6072T | 97 out of 100 | From 71,240 to 84,990* |
Rating of premium ultrabooks | ||
Apple MacBook Air 13 Retina Display with True Tone Technology Early 2020 | 92 out of 100 | From 76,240 to 179,990* |
HP Specter x360 13-aw | 93 out of 100 | From 88,000 to 148,990 |
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5 | 94 out of 100 | From 83,600 to 193,890 |
Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook | 95 out of 100 | From 99 750 to 174 195* |
Lenovo THINKPAD X1 Carbon Ultrabook | 97 out of 100 | From 144,000 to 156,791* |
Apple MacBook Pro 13 Retina display with True Tone Mid 2020 | 99 out of 100 | From 109,000 to 141,000* |
* Prices are valid for September 2020

What are Ultrabooks?

Ultrabooks must meet the following requirements:
- Housing made of metal or composite material with a thickness of not more than 18 mm;
- Light weight - up to 1.5 kilograms
- Battery life up to 10 hours;
- The high performance of the gadget should be sufficient to solve various kinds of tasks.
Not so long ago, another requirement appeared - the presence of a touch control panel.
By purpose, such devices are usually divided into:
- Working - devices are sharpened to work with various text and graphic programs;
- Gaming gadgets in this category include gadgets with increased power of the processor and graphics chip;
- Transformers - ultrabooks of this variety easily turn into tablets.

Specifications
The main criterion for choosing an ultrabook should not be the appearance of the device, but its technical characteristics:
- Processor - Modern ultrabooks are often equipped with 4-core processors, such as the Intel Core i7. In the budget segment, there are also models on a 2-core chip.
- Video card - Since the thickness of the ultrabook case is limited, the video card is usually built-in.
- The amount of RAM - it is advisable to purchase a device with at least 8 GB of RAM.
- Type of built-in memory - currently, due to the spread of cloud storage, the amount of on-board memory is not so important. Particular attention should be paid to the type of drive. Ultrabooks with SSD drives are characterized by increased performance.

Rating of the best ultrabooks
When compiling the rating, the technical characteristics of the ultrabook, its cost, customer and expert reviews were taken into account.

Rating of budget ultrabooks
The list includes the best models worth up to 50,000 rubles. Such devices are often characterized by modest performance.
Lenovo Ideapad 530s 14IKB

Specifications:
- Price - 37,990 - 41,990 rubles;
- User rating - 4.6;
- Display diagonal – 14”;
- Resolution - 1920 × 1080;
- Processor - Intel Core i3;
- RAM - 4 GB;
- On-board memory - 256 GB;
- Weight - 1.49 kg.
The gadget weighs only 1.49 kg. The body is made of smooth aluminum, there are several colors on the market. The laptop is available in black, light blue, gray and copper. The laptop is equipped with a harman sound system with optimized Dolby Digital technology. The ultrabook is powered by an Intel Core i3 processor paired with 4GB DDR4 RAM and Intel HD graphics 620. The laptop comes with a solid state drive for fast startup.
ASUS VivoBook S13 S330

Specifications:
- Price - 37,000 - 64,990 rubles;
- User rating - 4.6;
- Display diagonal - 13.3 ";
- Resolution - 1920 × 1080;
- Processor - Intel Core i3, Intel Core i5;
- RAM - 4-8 GB (depending on modification);
- Onboard memory - 128-512 GB (depending on modification);
- Weight - 1.2 kg.
The device has a nice design, the metal body is made in a classic gold color. The gadget runs on Windows 10 Home.
A 13.3-inch IPS display with Full HD resolution is installed. The matte surface of the screen protects from sun glare. NanoEdge technology has allowed to increase the display area and narrow the bezels as much as possible. The laptop is powered by a dual-core Intel Core i3 and a quad-core Intel Core i5 processor. The keyboard is backlit for comfortable work. To protect the device, the touchpad is equipped with a fingerprint scanner. Battery life is 12 hours.
ASUS ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM010T

Specifications:
- Price - 43,415 - 63,990 rubles;
- User rating - 4.7;
- Display diagonal – 14”;
- Resolution - 1920 × 1080;
- Processor – AMD Ryzen 5 3500U;
- RAM - 8 GB;
- On-board memory - 256 GB;
- Weight - 1.39 kg.
It is designed to solve a wide range of business problems. Thanks to the frameless design, the screen occupies 86% of the lid area. The originality of the design is given by the innovative ErgoLift hinge, which raises the back of the device when open. This design provides improved ventilation and sound quality. On the body is a comfortable backlit keyboard. For secure authorization, a fingerprint scanner is built into the model. The case complies with the military standard MIL-STD 810G.
Acer SWIFT 3 SF314-57-33ZP

Specifications:
- Price - 46,540 - 56,733 rubles;
- User rating - 4.7;
- Display diagonal – 14”;
- Resolution - 1920 × 1080;
- Processor - Intel Core i3, Intel Core i3 1005G1;
- RAM - 8 GB;
- On-board memory - 256 GB;
- Weight - 1.19 kg.
The metal case of a rough texture is pleasant to the touch, chrome chamfer is applied on the edges. The width of the display bezels is only 5mm on the sides and 10mm on top. A 14-inch IPS display is installed on board. The top cover of the device opens at an angle up to 180 degrees. It can be fixed in any position. The thickness of the laptops is only 19 mm. The device has a large set of ports and interfaces: a full-length SD card port, USB type-a connector, USB type-c, HDMI and a combined audio jack.A fingerprint scanner is also provided.

Rating of ultrabooks of the middle price category
The TOP includes models worth up to 75,000 rubles. For the most part, such devices are considered the best value for money.
Acer SWIFT 3 SF314-57-527S

Specifications:
- Price - 59,240 - 72,247 rubles;
- User rating - 4.7;
- Display diagonal – 14”;
- Resolution - 1920 × 1080;
- Processor - Intel Core i5, Intel Core i5-1035G1;
- RAM - 8 GB;
- On-board memory - 256 GB;
- Weight - 1.19 kg.
It has a 14-inch IPS display. The device opens 180 degrees, the lid can be fixed in any position. Battery life is at least 10 hours.
HUAWEI MateBook 13

Specifications:
- Price - 60,990 - 65,990 rubles;
- User rating - 4.3;
- Display diagonal – 13”;
- Resolution - 2160 × 1440;
- Processor - Intel Core i5 8265U, Intel Core i5 10210U;
- RAM - 8 GB;
- On-board memory - 512 GB;
- Weight - 1.3 kg.
The usable screen area is 88 percent. The matrix transmits the sRGB color gamut at 100%. The 3:2 aspect ratio makes it the most comfortable to read and work with documents. The device weighs only 1.3 kg. The model looks as stylish as possible thanks to the metal frame with diamond polishing. The thickness of the case is only 14.9 mm, the multi-screen function allows you to literally combine an ultrabook and a smartphone into a single device with just one touch. Such interaction will allow you to cope with work tasks as quickly as possible. The ultrabook is based on an Intel Core i5 processor and a discrete graphics card NVIDIA GeForce mx250.
Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air 13.3″ 2019

Specifications:
- Price - 61,990 - 75,490 rubles;
- User rating - 4.7;
- Display diagonal - 13.3 ";
- Resolution - 1920 × 1080;
- Processor - Intel Core i5, Intel Core i7;
- RAM - 8 GB;
- On-board memory - 256-512 GB (depending on modification);
- Weight - 1.28 kg.
The gadget is based on a quad-core Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, depending on the modification. The device provides a discrete graphics card NVIDIA GeForce mx150. The speed is provided by 8 GB ddr4 RAM and a 256 GB SSD drive. The gadget has a new cooling system. Ultra-thin metal fan blades allow you to increase the performance of your computer.
ASUS ZenBook 14 UX434FQ-A6072T

Specifications:
- Price - 71,240 - 84,990 rubles;
- User rating - 4.8;
- Display diagonal – 14”;
- Resolution - 1920 × 1080;
- Processor - Intel Core i5, Intel Core i5 10210U;
- RAM - 8 GB;
- On-board memory - 512 GB;
- Weight - 1.26 kg.
A feature of the device is an additional display Screen Pad 2.0. The thickness of the case is only 16.9 mm, the weight of the gadget is 1.26 kg. The display has a high quality color reproduction, a wide viewing angle (178 degrees). The design includes a special ErgoLift hinge. When open, the keyboard rises for maximum comfort, and additionally, this angle of inclination provides the most efficient ventilation and improved sound quality.

Rating of premium ultrabooks
The rating includes ultrabook models costing from 75,000 rubles. Such devices are characterized by increased productivity, speed, ergonomics.
Apple MacBook Air 13 Retina Display with True Tone Technology Early 2020

Specifications:
- Price - 76,240 - 179,990 rubles;
- User rating - 4.8;
- Display diagonal – 13”;
- Resolution - 2560 × 1600;
- Processor – Intel Core i3 / Intel Core i5;
- RAM - 8-16 GB (depending on modification);
- Onboard memory - 256-1024 GB (depending on modification);
- Weight - 1.29 kg.
The body of the device is made of recycled aluminum, the rechargeable battery provides a whole day of work. The screen with a diagonal of 13.3 inches has a resolution of 2560 X 1600. It is characterized by highly realistic colors. True Tone technology adjusts the white balance from ambient light automatically.
HP Specter x360 13-aw

Specifications:
- Price - 88,000 - 148,990 rubles;
- User rating - 3.7;
- Display diagonal - 13.3 ";
- Processor – Intel Core i5 / Intel Core i7
- RAM - 8-16 GB (depending on modification);
- Onboard memory - 256 - 2048 GB (depending on modification);
- Weight - 1.33 kg.
The special case design allows you to use the device as a tablet. The manufacturer included a stylus pen in the package, which further expands the scope of the device.
The device is equipped with a touch screen with an IPS matrix with a diagonal of 13.3 ″ and a resolution of 1920 × 1080. The display features high brightness, contrast, wide viewing angles. The laptop is powered by an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5

Specifications:
- Price - 83,600 - 193,890 rubles;
- User rating - 4.4;
- Display diagonal - 13.5 ";
- Processor – Intel Core i5 / Intel Core i7
- RAM - 8-16 GB (depending on modification);
- Onboard memory - 128-1000 GB (depending on modification).
The device is based on the 10th generation Intel processor, it is equipped with DDR4x RAM. On the body is an enlarged trackpad. There is a fast charging function and Instant-On technology.
Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook

Specifications:
- Price - 99,750 - 174,195 rubles;
- User rating - 4.0;
- Display diagonal - 13.3 ";
- Processor – Intel Core i5 / Intel Core i7
- RAM - 4-8 GB (depending on modification);
- On-board memory - 128-512 GB (depending on modification);
- Weight - 1.29 kg.
The device has a 13.3-inch high-definition display. Thanks to solid state drives and the implementation of Intel Rapid Start technology, it boots in just a few seconds. Intel Smart Connect technology keeps your email, calendar, and other applications up to date while idle. The thickness of the case reaches only 6 mm. The body is made of machined aluminum and carbon fiber. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass.
Lenovo THINKPAD X1 Carbon Ultrabook

Specifications:
- Price - 144,000 - 156,791 rubles.
- User rating - 4.8;
- Display diagonal – 14”;
- Resolution - 1920 × 1080;
- Processor – Intel Core i7, Intel Core i5 10210U, Intel Core i7 10510U (1800 MHz);
- RAM -16 GB;
- On-board memory - 512 GB;
- Weight - 1.09 kg.
The device is designed for 15 hours of battery life. It has an LTE-A wireless module. Implemented Rapid charge technology.
Apple MacBook Pro 13 Retina display with True Tone Mid 2020

Specifications:
- Price - 109,000 - 141,000 rubles;
- User rating - 4.7;
- Display diagonal - 13.3 ";
- Resolution - 2560 × 1600;
- Processor – Intel Core i7, Intel Core i5, Intel Core i5 8257U (1400 MHz);
- RAM - 8 GB;
- On-board memory - 512 GB;
- Weight - 1.4 kg.
The device is powered by a 10th generation processor. RAM up to 32 GB. The device has a superb Retina display with True Tone, which automatically adjusts the white balance based on the ambient light. The laptop is equipped with a Magic Keyboard, Touch ID and Touch Bar.

Conclusion
When choosing an ultrabook, you should first of all rely on the purpose of its purchase. If for work it is necessary to have constant access to the Internet, the work is carried out mainly with small graphic files and text editors, a budget model will suffice. For people of creative professions involved in video editing, rendering of 3D images, units with a powerful processor and graphics chip are needed.
When choosing a gadget, you should also pay attention to its manufacturer. One of the best Ultrabooks from Apple are considered. Among Windows devices, it is recommended to pay attention to models from Acer, HP, Asus, Lenovo, Dell, Huawei. Not so long ago, ultrabooks appeared in the Xiaomi assortment.