Notebookcheck's Top 10 Ultrabooks

While it previously came 2nd, the Core i5 version of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon took the lead now. Lenovo has also revised the compact ThinkPad X1 Carbon this year. The new case has an even smaller footprint and still houses a 14-inch display. Currently, the decent Full HD display is the only option. The high-resolution WQHD variant will probably be available from mid-year.

In contrast to the Core i7 model (90%), the X1 Carbon with Core i5 processor convinces with a significantly quieter fan. The supposedly slower Core i5 performs only slightly worse under load. If 8 GB of RAM are enough for you, there are few reasons justifying the extra costs of the Core i7.

Both models have the decent Full HD IPS display, good connectivity, and excellent input devices in common.

Since August, the high-resolution WQHD variant is available too (see review). The display appeared very good to us. It is also available for the Core i5 variant, which is the ideal configuration of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon in our opinion (if 8 GB RAM are sufficient).

With the EliteBook Folio G1 V1C37EA (see review), HP has created a slim, passively cooled business subnotebook, which is great for productive work. Hence, the EliteBook Folio G1 can achieve the rare "Very Good" rating. The tester praised its keyboard, its display with strong colors, and system performance after two weeks of productive use. The latter might be surprising, since passively cooled Core m CPUs used to throttle more or less heavily up to now, which means that the clock rate of the SoC falls significantly during prolonged load. Although this is also true for the EliteBook Folio G1, it is only during prolonged load and not during short load peaks. It is fun to work with the Full HD panel. While it is not extraordinarily bright, it delivers a contrast of just over 1.000:1.

The HP EliteBook Folio G1 is a very good device, but you should be aware of its limitations. If you are looking for an extremely mobile device and do not want to give up silent operation and a great keyboard, there is no reason why you should not get this notebook.

Not everybody will like the high price. Furthermore, the device that is priced at  about 1500 Euros (~$1678) also has some disadvantages: The connectivity is very limited and there is not even an adapter to USB-A included. The hinge is not stiff enough, and the ClickPad has some problems with inputs (tapping). While competitors such as the new Dell Latitude 12 E7270 are significantly heavier, they feature a standard 15-watt chip and definitely more interfaces. If these aspects and the maintenance are important for productivity, you should consider the Latitude 12 E7270, the EliteBook 1030 G1 or the ThinkPad X260. Unfortunately, only configurations of the Dell priced 1400 Euros (~$1566) and over offer QHD+ resolution.

The XPS is obviously an alternative, but the keyboard is not quite as good, there are no dedicated mouse buttons, no Ethernet, and the standard warranty is shorter. The EliteBook 1030 G1 (P5) has a slower SoC, so the Fujitsu LifeBook U747 is a better rival. The latter has many advantages, but suffers from issues like the fan noise, speakers, and touchpad.

In the EliteBook 1030 G1-X2F03EA (see review), HP uses a fanless approach and convinces the tester with the best system performance. Furthermore, the input devices are excellent and the IPS display is bright with beautiful colors. This sounds as if it would be a thoroughly well made work device - and that is what it actually is. However, we did not like the slightly short battery life of 5 to 6 hours and the limited maintenance that much. The upcoming Full HD sibling might reach better battery runtimes. The test model uses QHD+ resolution, which usually requires more energy.

The notebook is among the best devices in terms of quality and can particularly convince with its build quality, the keyboard, and the display. The application performance is also pretty good, despite the mentioned limitations, since HP has managed a good compromise between performance and heat development thanks to clever TDP and temperature limits.

The high price of 1500 to 2000 Euros (~$1710 to ~$2237) is steep. However, comparable competitors such as the ThinkPad X260 or the Latitude 12 are not really cheap either. The latter offers better expandability and a DisplayPort, which is only available in the 1030 G1 via dock. The Acer TravelMate X3 X349-M-7261 (84%, not in the top list) is cheaper. The 14-incher, priced at just less than 1050 Euros (~$1175) features Type-C-USB and a 512 GB SSD.

Certainly, the LifeBook U937 from Fujitsu is expensive for 1500 Euros (~$1710), but it is also special. The special features are not the SoC or the SSD, which is almost unreasonably small in view of the price class, but the security features - Smartcard, Fingerprint and TPM 2.0 in particular.

For just under $1500, you will get a very small and probably the lightest business notebook with a lot of security features, a good battery runtime and a bright display. We would definitely recommend the U937. It only has a few minor weaknesses and performs brilliantly in many respects.

The pro list is quite long and even includes easy maintenance. Moreover, the tester praised the premium display for its brightness and high color coverage. The battery life of 10:54 hours is excellent. Only the Dell XPS 13 can keep up with the Fujitsu in this respect. Complaints are the slightly inhomogeneous brightness distribution and the small, whirring fan (under load). The complaints are small in view of the pros however. Hence, we assigned the Editor's Choice Award to the Fujitsu LifeBook U937 in August 2017.

The Dell Latitude 13 7370 (see review) is a fanless 13-incher. Unlike the MacBook 12, not only can the Latitude 13 shine in terms of mobility and emissions, but also brings considerable features. Among others, the test model came with a Full HD display with IPS technology, 8 GB of RAM and a fast PCIe SSD. However, Dell charges a high price. The base model with Core m5-6Y57 costs a steep 2200 Euros (~$2469).

The competition in this Top 10 is the 12-inch ThinkPad X260, which is offered with matte non-touch display and a glossy touchscreen. The x260 tends to be cheaper, although it delivers higher performance with the 15-watt SoC. However, only Core m5 variants of the Latitude 13 are fanless. The almost frameless display resembles the quality of the excellent XPS 13 2016. This is unfortunately also true for the disadvantages.

Dell has basically incorporated a very good panel with high brightness potential, which, however, is not always available due to automatic brightness and contrast control.

The Latitude 13 7370 impresses with flawless build quality, excellent stability, and crisp input devices. The performance of the Core m platform is appropriately scaled: The 13-incher copes just as well with short load peaks as competitors with active cooling. The clock rates first fall noticeably during permanent load, which should rarely occur during everyday office use.

Toshiba fights the seemingly invulnerable business elite from Dell, HP, and Lenovo once again. Devices such as the X30 (see review) and the X20W (see review) impress us very much, and the new Tecra X40-D (see review) does so, too. If the X30 (13.3 inches) is too small for you, you will get a larger display in the X40 (14 inches). While it is not extraordinarily bright, and its color space is small, the touch panel with matte surface is a must have for work.

It does not quite reach the level of the excellent Lenovo X1 Carbon, but it comes close enough that the tradeoffs may be worth the lower cost.

Toshiba scores points with a relatively attractive price from 1500 Euros. Competitors such as the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, the EliteBook 1030 G1, or the Latitude 13 7370 cost significantly more or come with a significantly weaker Core m. The Tecra X40-D features a 15-watt Kaby Lake processor. In combination with the lightning fast NVMe SSD, it brings tremendous performance. However, there are also disadvantages. The modest display is only one of them.

The noisy keys are distracting, and the space bar developed a nasty habit of squeaking when pressed during our testing period.

The similarly expensive LifeBook U937 (5th place) could be an alternative you might like. It is lighter, thinner and brings a plethora of security options (smart card reader + fingerprint reader + TPM 2.0). The U937's display and keyboard are better. In return, it only comes with a SATA III SSD. If 13 inches are sufficient, you can consider the Toshiba Portègè X30-D (88%), which achieved a very good rating in our test. It is thin and light (1040 grams) and features Thunderbolt 3 and a good display.

Fujitsu's LifeBook U747 (see review) is a classic 14-inch business laptop with high connectivity. The IPS panel is also optionally offered as a touch screen.

It offers a superb screen, good battery life and a keyboard that allows comfortable typing. The casing is stable, well built, and its design matches well to the business claim.

Unfortunately, Fujitsu has blundered with the touchpad. It works imprecisely and the buttons appear cheap and clattery. In addition, the speakers are suboptimal and the webcam is poor. Nevertheless, the LifeBook can beat the ThinkPad T470, the EliteBook 840 G4 and the Latitude 7470.