Category
🤖
TechTranscript
00:00Hey, how's it going? Dave2D here, and this is a very comprehensive comparison of Ultrabooks.
00:10And, like last year's video, in order for a device to be included into this video, it had to be 3 pounds or less,
00:15and it also has to have a real keyboard, like an actual fold-out, dedicated keyboard.
00:19No attachment covers or any kind of gimmicky stuff.
00:22It has to be a keyboard that's built-in, because a lot of people that purchase Ultrabooks
00:26need to be able to use it on their lap or just in areas that don't have tables.
00:29So, 3 pounds or less, dedicated keyboard.
00:33Okay, so in no particular order, we have the Dell XPS 13, the 9360.
00:37I think this is one of the best-selling Ultrabooks on the market right now.
00:40This is their second generation of this device.
00:42We also have the LG Gram. This is one of the lightest 13-inch Ultrabooks available.
00:47The whole LG Gram lineup was nicely updated for 2017 with bigger batteries,
00:52better components, and just better build quality all around.
00:55We have the Lenovo Carbon X1.
00:57This is one of the best-built devices that Lenovo makes.
01:00It has that classic Lenovo keyboard that everyone loves,
01:03and that nipple thing that some people love.
01:05We have the HP Spectre x360.
01:08This is the only 2-in-1 device on this list.
01:10I think it's the best 2-in-1 flip device on the market.
01:13It's an amazing laptop, and for people that want to use it as a tablet as well, you can do that.
01:17We also have the Razer Blade Stealth.
01:19So, this was a device that surprised everyone last year with the individually-lit keys,
01:24great performance, external GPU support, and strangely good value.
01:27The Kaby Lake update just made it even better.
01:30We also have a Samsung Notebook 9.
01:32So, this is a device that isn't super popular in North America, but it's incredibly lightweight.
01:37It does this by packing a smaller battery, but the overall hardware is good.
01:41This one is the Asus ZenBook 3.
01:43This is a more premium device.
01:45It's one of the more expensive laptops in this comparison,
01:47but it delivers solid performance in an extremely compact package.
01:52And then we have another Asus, the UX330.
01:55This is the cheapest of the devices here.
01:57So, Asus makes a ton of Ultrabook options.
01:59This one just has really good specs for the money.
02:01Okay, we have the 12-inch MacBook.
02:03It has the weakest processor here, and it has that single port that so many people love to hate.
02:07You're obviously paying a huge premium to have something this thin and light from Apple,
02:11but it is good hardware, and it's still a good fit for some users.
02:14Lastly, we have the 13-inch MacBook Pro.
02:17It's nice, but again, it's expensive.
02:19The base model is quite a bit more than most devices here,
02:21but despite that heavy Apple premium, the hardware is nice.
02:24Now, there are some devices that didn't make the cut, and here's why.
02:27This is the 13-inch MacBook Air.
02:29It's not that it's a bad device.
02:31It's under three pounds, and it's got a dedicated keyboard,
02:33but at this point in time, it's just getting super old.
02:36The CPU in here is several generations old.
02:38It's not as efficient, and I just think there are better ways to spend your money
02:41if you're looking for a thin and light Ultrabook.
02:43Secondly is the Surface Pro 4.
02:45Great device, but like I mentioned, to make this video,
02:47you need to have a built-in keyboard,
02:49and there's also no Surface Book because it's just too heavy.
02:52A really cool device, but I just wouldn't consider it an Ultrabook.
02:55I also didn't include the XPS 13 2-in-1,
02:57so this is also a pretty good device,
02:59but I feel like the regular XPS 13 just does everything this does,
03:02but better for the same price, except for the flip.
03:05I mean, if you're really into that flip thing,
03:07I would consider a different device instead of this.
03:09Okay, let's talk about build.
03:11With Ultrabooks, weight can be a very important factor when choosing one,
03:14and I think a lot of people just choose these things for portability.
03:17But build quality and device weight tend to be, like, conflicting things.
03:20The better you build it, the heavier it often is, and just vice versa.
03:24So it's kind of hard to find the balance between the two,
03:26especially when you're trying to find something that's as light as possible.
03:34Amongst these, I'd say that the MacBooks are built the best.
03:37I feel like I'm beating a dead horse, but they're just really well built.
03:39For the Windows laptops, the XPS 13 is probably the best built.
03:43It's still an ultralight device, but it's not the lightest of the bunch.
03:46The Lenovo X1 and the Razer Blade Stealth are also really well built,
03:50and so is the HP Spectre.
03:53The lightest, with really good build quality, is the ZenBook 3.
03:56It does have a 12.5-inch screen, though.
03:58But my favorite, in terms of just overall build quality to weight ratio,
04:02is actually the LG Gram.
04:03This thing is super lightweight, but the chassis is surprisingly strong for its size and weight.
04:08The screen has some flex, but the keyboard area is super solid.
04:11In terms of displays, a lot of these have really nice screens.
04:14The two MacBooks have great screens, but as usual, they're expensive.
04:17In terms of the Windows machines, my favorite is the XPS 13, but it's close.
04:22So many of these panels just look awesome.
04:24The Stealth has a Quad HD screen, but honestly, I feel like in this particular category,
04:29just display quality, you can't go wrong with them.
04:31Pick any one of these, and you'll be happy with this screen.
04:34A few of them have the option to upgrade to higher quality and higher resolution displays.
04:38It's just a little bit more expensive.
04:40If you're looking for a good webcam,
04:42so if you do a lot of Skype calls or video conferencing,
04:45the one on the Razer Blade Stealth is pretty good.
04:47Keyboards and trackpads are usually a personal preference thing,
04:49and my personal favorite is the Lenovo X1.
04:52I think it's a keyboard that most people will get used to quickly.
04:55The XPS 13 and the HP are also nice to type on, but none of these are bad.
04:59I think manufacturers recognize the importance of having a good keyboard on these Ultrabooks,
05:03except for maybe the 12-inch MacBook. I don't love that one.
05:06As for trackpads, the MacBook 4's trackpads are awesome.
05:09The XPS 13, the LG Gram, and Lenovo also have nice trackpads.
05:13These Ultrabooks have a bunch of processors to choose from,
05:16but for regular use, like watching videos, browsing the web, or typing up documents,
05:20these feel really similar to each other. I wouldn't worry too much about CPU choice.
05:24You can play some lighter games on these Ultrabooks.
05:26With the HD 620, they're obviously not amazing for 3D stuff,
05:30but with the i7, frame rates can be playable.
05:34If we look at drive speeds, there's a spread again,
05:36and depending on what you do, the faster drives can make it feel a little bit faster,
05:40but even the slower SATA drives will feel sufficiently fast for most Ultrabook stuff,
05:44but if you frequently transfer large files, or lots of files,
05:47or if you're a heavier photo editor, I would pick up a faster drive.
05:50For the most part, they're all properly spaced out,
05:52and I don't think that's a problem.
05:54I think it's just a matter of getting used to it,
05:56and I don't think that's a problem.
05:59For the most part, they're all properly cooled when it comes to regular use,
06:02but here's a chart for reference.
06:04The new Kaby Lake chips are very efficient,
06:06and the fans usually don't spin when you're doing regular tasks, or even watching videos.
06:10The most quiet is the fanless 12-inch MacBook, that thing is silent,
06:14but aside from that, most of these are really quiet.
06:16If audio is important to you, the two MacBooks have phenomenal speakers.
06:20I still have no idea how they're pushing this kind of volume and or clarity,
06:23they're just really solid speakers.
06:25For Windows devices, the Spectre x360 is probably my pick.
06:28The Razer Blade Stealth is a distant second,
06:31and everything else is an even more distant third.
06:34Running my battery loop at 250 nits, the MacBooks always have good battery life,
06:38but in terms of Windows machines, the winner here is actually the LG Gram.
06:41The XPS 13 and the Razer Blade Stealth are close,
06:44and they have similar battery sizes,
06:46but this thing just has better software optimization with this battery something,
06:49because I'm consistently getting better battery life with this.
06:52In terms of I.O., there's a huge variation in port selection amongst these devices,
06:55some of them are comically bad,
06:57but the winner to me is the Lenovo X1.
06:59Four USB ports, two of them being Thunderbolt 3,
07:02and as always, if it has a Thunderbolt 3 connection,
07:04you can connect it to an external GPU for gaming.
07:06The Razer Core works nicely for the Stealth and some Windows laptops,
07:10but the Bison Box 3 will work for all Thunderbolt 3 equipped laptops, including MacBooks.
07:15Alright, in terms of pricing and value, here's a list of their current pricing.
07:18The one that sticks out is the Asus UX330.
07:21It's crazy that you're getting an aluminum Ultrabook for that kind of money.
07:24Runner-up is the Razer Blade Stealth.
07:26It's a bit more expensive, but you're getting better performance.
07:28Both of these give fantastic value for the money,
07:31and the XPS also has some cheaper configurations as well.
07:34Okay, before I wrap it up, there's two wildcard laptops that I haven't talked about yet.
07:38First is something made by a company called Xiaomi.
07:40It's their Xiaomi Air 12.
07:42It's a Chinese company, and they basically have the same specs,
07:46It's a Chinese company, and they basically mimic...
07:49Actually, no, I should rephrase.
07:50They basically completely rip off Apple's MacBooks.
07:53And to be completely honest, they're actually really good value for the hardware.
07:56The thing is, they're very difficult to purchase outside of Asia,
07:59and if you get one, and when you get it, if anything goes wrong, you're totally screwed.
08:03You can't get it repaired, you're gonna have to send it back to China,
08:06and, I mean, that just sounds like a nightmare for most people.
08:08If anything goes wrong.
08:10So, if you have big balls and you want good value, there's an option.
08:13The second wildcard is the Surface laptop.
08:15Now, I don't have my review unit yet,
08:17but my early impressions of it, that despite that relatively high price tag,
08:21it is possibly the best built Windows device in this market segment,
08:25and it has really good battery life.
08:26So, if you're looking for something with a really premium build, take a look at that one.
08:30Now, if I had to choose a winner amongst these laptops, it would probably be the two MacBooks.
08:35I'm kidding.
08:36All the laptops on this list have strengths and weaknesses,
08:39but as of today, there's still no universally perfect ultrabook.
08:42You're gonna have to pick one based on the features that are most important to you.
08:45All of these are really good, but my top picks, this year, it's a three-way tie.
08:49If you want something with good build quality and a nice screen, the XPS 13 is still going strong.
08:54If you want something that looks a little better, in my opinion,
08:56and you want a little better value, the Razer Blade Stealth is the winner there.
08:59It looks extra awesome with some of the new dbrand skins,
09:02but the new guy this year with a three-way tie in first place is the LG Gram.
09:05This thing is a really light device with great battery life.
09:08It's what a lot of people are looking for in an ultrabook.
09:10Hope you guys enjoyed this video. Thumbs if you liked it, subs if you loved it.
09:13See you guys next time.