Asus Zenbook UX31

Of all of the laptops on alaTest, the Zenbook is ranked number one, and it’s an ultrabook. The UX31 is the 13.3” variant of the Zenbook and features a design that is just as thin as the MacBook Air and every bit as stylish. Its 128GB and 256GB Solid State Drive options are fairly common among ultrabooks, but USB 3.0, Micro HDMI, and Mini-VGA ports are a bit more rare. It also features a Core i5 or i7 CPU, depending on model and a 1600×900 resolution display. Even though it bests Apple’s offerings in performance, it actually costs a bit less. It’s an excellent balance of style, performance, and price.

Apple MacBook Air (2012)

One could argue that the MacBook Air was the first practical ultrabook to hit the market. At the start, it was a bit under powered to be of considerable use, but a lot has changed since then. Available in 11.6 and 13.3-inch configurations, the current MacBook Air features a Core i5 or i7 processor and 1366×768 or 1440×900 resolution display. Its only real deterrent is its price, starting at $999 and reaching $1599. Other similarly spec’d ultrabooks are considerably cheaper; however, if you prefer OSX, the MacBook Air is your only real option.

Samsung Series 9

The Series 9 is very similar to the Zenbook in that it features a 13.3-inch 1600×900 resolution display, Core i5 processor, USB 3.0, and Micro HDMI; however, it is a bit more expensive. In fact, apart from the higher resolution display and USB 3.0, the same specs in a MacBook Air would cost you less. Where the Series 9 impresses is with its display, illuminated keyboard, and surprisingly good sound system. Its battery life is also quite commendable, and out of these top 4 Ultrabooks, it’s also the thinnest (in case that sort of thing matters to you). It’s quite stylish as well.

Acer Aspire S3

Acer has been in the ultra-portable game for a while, and the Aspire S3 is probably one if its best ultrabooks to date. Like the others, you get a super thin, super portable laptop with Core i5 processor and 13.3-inch display. The Aspire S3’s display is a bit weaker than the competition with a resolution of just 1366×768, and you don’t get things like USB 3.0; however, it has a few benefits that really do turn the tables in its favor. For starters, it has a full-sized HDMI port, so no adapters necessary. It also has a 320GB hard drive, which is considerably more storage than the others. To keep things peppy, it has a 20GB SSD as well. Perhaps most impressive is its price. It’s actually one of the most affordable ultrabooks on the market, available for less than $900.

So why are these little guys so popular? Well up until now, ultrabooks had always been a bit short on the performance side, but today’s offerings, such as these four, can actually keep up with similarly priced full-sized notebooks. On the downside, you’re generally going to have to part with things like ample storage space and other luxuries (a DVD drive, for example), but if you want solid performance in a lightweight package, an ultrabook might be the perfect choice.

1: Lenovo IdeaPad Z575

When it comes to build quality, budget laptops tend to throw it out the window. The Z575, however, does not. It has a solid chassis with a metallic finish and all-around sturdy construction that, honestly, looks great. But its beauty is more than skin deep. When it comes to performance per dollar, the Z575 is one of the best options out there.

The models with the quad-core AMD A8-3500m processor carry a list price starting at $550 but can be found as low as $500. The A8 processor is nothing short of amazing for the price. HD videos are a breeze (even 1080p YouTube videos which are taxing to even performance laptops). Being quad-core, multitasking and productivity are no sweat either, and thanks to the integrated Radeon GPU, moderate gaming is possible too.

2: Dell Inspiron 14z

The Inspiron 14z is a very well balanced laptop. Its 14-inch display is slightly smaller than most budget laptops, but if portability is what you’re after, that’s a good thing. The Intel Core i3-2330M processor isn’t well suited for gaming, but it excels at just about everything else. The base configuration is currently available at $550, and you can even add a backlit keyboard while staying under $600. As far as design is concerned, Dell did an excellent job keeping things practical yet elegant.

3: Asus A53E

The Asus A53E (specifically the NS51 and AS51 models) is a processing powerhouse. The Intel Core i5-2450M processor really is the best you can find for under $600, and it’s no slouch. It’ll actually keep up well with $1000+ laptops. This makes the A53E ideal for heavy multitasking and productivity, although its lack of a discrete class GPU does make it less suited for gaming. Apart from its stellar processing performance, it also carries Asus’ 1-year full accidental damage warranty.

4: Acer Aspire 5750G

Much like the Z575, the Aspire 5750G (in particular, the AS5750G-6873 model) is an excellent all-around performer. The Intel Core i3-2330M paired with an Nvidia GT 520M GPU perform very similarly to the AMD A8, capable of handling anything from web browsing to moderate gaming. At $599, it’s slightly more expensive than the Z575, though it really comes down to personal preference between AMD and Intel.

5: Acer Aspire 7739G-6676

For those who prefer a larger screen, the Aspire AS7739G-6676 is an excellent choice. It has a 17.3-inch display with a 1600×900 resolution, which is rare for a laptop priced just under $600. It also features the Intel Core i5-480M processor which, while slightly older than current offerings, is quite fast. The Nvidia GT 610M GPU is very power efficient and yields similar video/graphics performance as the GT 520M and AMD A8. All-in-all, it’s an excellent choice for anyone who wants a bit more screen at a lot less price.

There are of course countless more laptops on the market for less than $600, especially with the flux of daily deals and discounts. Laptops featuring the AMD A8 processor are supremely well balanced for everything from online browsing to 3D gaming, and are almost certainly a steal if found under $600. Similar is true for Intel i5 systems, especially if they’re paired with some sort of discrete graphics chip.

1: Asus Zenbook UX31

The Zenbook UX31E is considered an Ultrabook (aka an Ultra-Portable Notebook), and it is a direct competitor to the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air. Compared to the Air, the UX31E is just as thin, features the same Core i5 processor (or optional Core i7), same SSD storage, and same 4GB of RAM. Yet, the UX31E has a higher resolution screen, HDMI output, and USB 3.0, all while costing about $100 less than the MacBook Air. Oh, and did we mention it looks very chic with its aluminum chassis. We’re not surprised it took the Air’s #1 spot on our board.

2: Asus G74SX

Yup, another Asus, this time of the gaming variety. The G74SX weighs in at roughly $1650, depending on configuration. This usually includes the top-end Core i7 processor, 12GB of RAM, 1.5TB of storage, and the performance-packed Nvidia GTX 560m graphics chip. Even though the 560m isn’t the fastest video card on the market, the G74SX’s high-end components and 1080p display make for an excellent cost-to-performance ratio at its current price. It has a pretty bulky chassis, but that’s something most mobile gamers are used to.

3: Acer Aspire S3

The Aspire S3 is another MacBook Air competitor. Unlike the Zenbook which tries to surpass the Air in every way, the S3 looks to appeal to people’s wallets. At just $799, the S3 comes it at a third cheaper than Apple’s cheapest 13-inch MacBook Air; however, the Aspire S3 does this by using many of the same components found in Apple’s $999 11.6-inch model.  It sacrifices a bit in display resolution and build quality, and you don’t quite get that SSD storage performance. Still, other than that, it offers very nearly the same performance and form factor, and the price tag is hard to argue with.

4: Dell XPS 15

Until recently, the XPS 15 held the #1 (and occasionally #2) spot on our list for over a year. It’s actually quite surprising that it has dropped so far. Still, 4^th is quite respectable, and the XPS 15 still offers a heap of performance as well as customizability at relatively good prices. Starting at $999, you can get a very capable Core i5 based system; however, in the $1500 range, you can get features such as an industry leading 1080p display and Core i7 processor. Dell’s prices are slightly higher than similar offerings from Acer and Asus (likely why they have surpassed it), but the quality does speak for itself.

5: Asus N55SF

For those looking for a laptop that can do just about anything without breaking the bank, the N55SF-DH71 is by far one of the best choices, costing about $1200. It features a Core i7 processor along with 8GB of RAM, so you’ll never be lacking in terms of performance. Its 16-inch display is neither too small nor too big and sports an agreeable 1080p resolution (great for watching Blu-rays with its included Blu-ray drive). And for the PC gamers, its Nvidia GT 555m can handle most high-end games with the settings maxed. At 1.5-inches thick, it’s a tad on the bulky side, but not unreasonably so.

The Sleek One

Dell XPS 15

In its current form, the base configuration of the Dell XPS 15 is an excellent buy. Its CPU is the exact same model used in many high-end powerful notebooks, and while it may not have as much RAM as the more expensive models, it’s still the latest technology and easily enough for most every task. Where the $799 XPS 15 falls short is its display. At just 1366×768, it can seem a bit cramped in terms of screen space, but the color quality is still among the top in the industry. It’s also not the best choice for gaming, but can still play all of the modern games as long as you turn down the settings.

The Heavy Hitter

Acer Aspire 7741G

The Aspire series actually comes in a variety of flavors, but the 7741G is a great example of a well rounded laptop. It’s similar powered compared to the XPS 15, but with its larger and higher resolution display (1600×900), as well as more powerful GPU, it lends itself much better toward gaming. You’ll still need to turn down some of the settings on the latest games, though. It also doesn’t come with the styling you’ll find in an XPS, but considering you can find the 7741G for less than $700, it’s a pretty fair trade.

The Speedy Lightweight

Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG

If you’re looking for a bit of style and some serious portability, Acer also has its TimelineX series. The TimelineX 4820TG has essentially all of the same hardware inside as the Aspire 7741G, making it a very capable laptop for just about anything you’d want to do. The main difference is its physical size, at just an inch thick at its thinnest point and sporting a 14-inch 1366×768 pixel display. With this configuration weighing in at $799 while performing nearly identically to the 7741G, what you’re paying for is primarily enhanced portability.

The Movie Buff

Sony Vaio EL VPCEL17FX

Sony’s EL series isn’t nearly as fast as the previously mentioned laptops, but it’s also considerably cheaper. Plus, this specific model comes with a Blu-Ray drive, allowing for glorious playback of Blu-Ray movies. Despite its slower hardware, it’s still capable of most any task, though if you’re planning on doing any semi-serious gaming, you’ll want to look elsewhere.

The Super Lightweight

Asus Eee PC

When it comes to affordable computing portability, you can’t do much better than the Asus Eee PC series. With screen sizes hovering right around 12-inches, they can nearly fit in your pocket, and without putting a hole in your wallet. Their biggest downfall is performance, but if you don’t mind spending a little extra on the 1215B-PU17 model (currently about $450), which sports the AMD E-350 processor, you can get similar performance to the previously mentioned Sony Vaio EL.