PC games have been popular for a while and now there are more ways to play them than ever before. Whatever desktop or laptop you get, you’ll need to make sure it’s fit for gaming. Ultrabooks, a signature laptop from Intel, give you a great gaming experience through fantastic graphics, processing speed, and memory.
With Ultrabooks, there are a few key features they should have. Though these laptops may be similar, due to having the same/similar processor, they may vary in memory storage, screen resolution, and more. Processing speed is also important though, again, these will likely be similar given that they all come from Intel.
To help you get started with your search, here is our choice for the best ultrabook for gaming. These Ultrabooks are fast, have great memory, and provide awesome graphics.
Premium Pick
- 4.5 GHz Processing Speed
- 144 Hz Refresh Rate
- GeForce RTX 2060
Best Ultrabook For Gaming Comparison Table
Ultrabooks are a great way to play games on the go. Laptops can handle a lot more than they used to be able to and, with the high quality Intel processors available, you have a ton of options. There are several features you will need to consider such as processing speed, memory storage, battery life, and more. To give you a quick snapshot of these features, here is a comparison table of our top 5 picks.
1. Razer Blade Stealth 13 Gaming Ultrabook – Best Overall
The Blade Stealth 13 from Razer is the top choice on this list. It is not the cheapest, though it costs considerably less than some other high end Ultrabooks. You can choose the model with the lowest refresh rate, though still sufficient for gaming, at the cheapest cost. You can also get a more costly, higher end model with a touch screen. The model discussed here lands right in the middle at an affordable cost. Despite this lower price, this Ultrabook has great quality for gaming.
Our Pick
Razer Blade Stealth 13
As far as processors go, the Razer Blade Stealth 13 has some of the best you can find. It has a 10th generation (gen) quad-core Intel i7 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti graphics processor. This gives you a refresh rate of 120 Hz (60 Hz for the other two models).
This Ultrabook also has four speakers and a smart amplifier to ensure immersive audio. It has 16 GB of dual-channel memory (RAM) and a 512 GB SSD.
This Ultrabook has a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 (1080p) and 100% sRGB color space. It has single zone RGB lighting that includes 16.8 million color options. The full HD thin bezel matte display also helps to enhance the visual experience.
The Razer Stealth 13 is thin and light, making for great mobility. It is highly durable thanks to a CNC unibody aluminum frame. It has about 10 hours of battery life on full charge. This Ultrabook has several types of ports to ensure good connectivity (Thunderbolt 3, USB-C, USB-A, wireless AX) and also has a webcam. It also has a voice command keyboard to make its use even easier for you.
Pros
- Fair price
- Great processors
- 120 Hz refresh rate
- 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD
- 1080p
- RGB lighting
- Thin and light
- Durable
- Immersive audio
Cons
- No HDMI port
- Small screen (13.3 inches)
- Loud fan
2. Acer Predator Triton 500 – Premium Pick
The Predator Triton 500 from Acer is our premium pick, being one of the higher priced options. That said, the features you get with this Ultrabook definitely outweigh the cost. To start, it has a 9th gen Intel i7 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics processor.
You get a super high refresh rate with this gaming laptop at 144 Hz. In addition, you can get a 3 ms response time with the overdrive feature. The Killer DoubleShot Pro feature lets you prioritize bandwidth and enhance processing speed. The Triton 500 has 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD.
Our Premium Pick
Acer Predator Triton 500
This is another gaming laptop that has RGB keyboard backlighting, though this one actually has several color zones which you can easily customize. The Triton 500 employs Direct X 12 Ultimate graphics technology to enhance gameplay and make it highly immersive through features such as ray tracing, variable rate shading, mesh shaders, etc.
It has a 1080p screen resolution. This Ultrabook also has Waves MAXXAudio for immersive sound in gameplay. In addition, the Triton 500 is VR compatible, meaning you can easily plug in a VR headset and play without hassle.
The Triton 500 has a 3-fan cooling system with a 4th Gen All Metal AeroBlade 3D Fan and 5 copper heat pipes. This build helps the laptop to stay incredibly cool even during the most intense gaming sessions. This is a thin and light weight laptop that is very user friendly. The PredatorSense feature lets you easily customize lighting, fan speed, overclocking, game profiles, etc. This laptop has an 8 hour battery life and several types of HDMI, USB, and other ports.
Pros
- 4.5 GHz processing speed
- 144 Hz refresh rate
- Overdrive; 3 ms response time
- 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD
- 15.6 inch screen
- Custom RGB lighting
- 1080p screen resolution
- VR compatible
- Superior cooling
Cons
- Expensive
- Loud fan
3. ASUS ZenBook 13 Laptop – Budget Pick
The ZenBook 13 from ASUS is the best budget friendly choice that doesn’t make you compromise on good gaming features. There are three different versions of this Ultrabook that you can get.
The cheapest version has a decent processor and graphics but isn’t necessarily the best for gaming. The next up has a better processor but a similar graphics processor. Lastly, the highest priced version has the same processor as the lowest priced model but a much better graphics processor. For the purpose of this review, we’ll look at this final version.
Our Budget Pick
ASUS ZenBook 13
The ZenBook 13 has an 8th gen Intel i5 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics processor. It has a 60 Hz refresh rate, which is on the lower end but is still sufficient for gaming.
It’s also important to not that this laptop has a slightly lower memory storage than you would see with other gaming Ultrabooks. That said, the 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB SSD are still decent for gaming purposes.
This wide view Ultrabook has a 1080p screen resolution. The ultra-thin bezel design gives you an 80% screen to body ratio, letting you see much more of your game than usual. The low distortion, smart amplifier technology can also boost the volume by 3.5x and provide much more immersive audio. This gaming laptop has a touch screen and fingerprint scanner. It is also one of the lightest gaming laptops you will find. This laptop will last about 14 hours on a full charge. It has HDMI and USB-C ports.
Pros
- Great Price
- 60 Hz refresh rate
- 1080p screen resolution
- Thin and lightweight
- GeForce MX150
- Intel Core i5-8265U Processor
Cons
- Small screen (13.3 inches)
- Loud fan
4. HP Spectre x360
You get your choice between two different models of the Spectre x360 from HP. They are around the same price, though the more expensive one has a 1 TB SSD versus the cheaper one, which has a 512 GB SSD. This gaming laptop has a 9th gen Intel 9750 Hexacore processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics processor. With this, you get a 60 Hz refresh rate. In addition, this laptop comes with a 64 GB Neopack flash drive.
HP Spectre x360
This laptop is designed for immersive gameplay, both audio and visual. It has micro-edge BrightView WLED backlighting and Bang & Olufsen Quad Speakers. This laptop also has an incredibly high screen resolution compared to many others that you will see; 3840 x 2160. You will truly get high definition visuals with the Spectre x360.
The Spectre x360 has a thin and lightweight design to make it easy to use. It also has a voice command, backlit keyboard. The touchscreen is made of Corning Gorilla Glass to ensure durability. This Ultrabook also has a fantastic battery life at 15 hours. It supports Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C connections.
Pros
- Great processors
- 60 Hz refresh rate
- Comes with an additional flash drive
- High resolution (3840 x 2160)
- Immersive video and audio
- Durable
- 15 hour battery life
- Great memory storage
- 15.6 inch screen
Cons
- Expensive
- No HDMI port
5. ASUS ROG Zephyrus
Last but not least, we have the Republic of Gamers (ROG) M Gaming Laptop from ASUS. This gaming laptop gives you fantastic processing speeds with a 9th gen Intel i7 Hexacore processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 graphics processor. It has a high refresh rate of 240 Hz and response time of 3 ms. In addition, it also has 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus
The Zephyrus M has a 1080p screen resolution. The 6.2 mm slim bezels give you a view with 81% screen to body ratio, more than you may find with other gaming Ultrabooks. In addition, the keyboard uses ROG Aura sync to provide you with cool RGB backlighting effects.
This gaming laptop has several different types of USB ports as well as an HDMI port. It has an ROG Intelligent Cooling system to provide superior cooling. This system dual 12V fans and anti-dust technology. You can also control the fan speed between 3 different fan modes; silent, balanced, and turbo. The Zephyrus M has metal chassis and great durability. Its battery lasts about 5-6 hours on a full charge.
Pros
- Intel Core i7-9750H
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070
- 240 Hz refresh rate
- 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD
- Slim design
- RGB backlighting
- 3 fan modes and anti-dust technology
- 15.6 inch screen
Cons
- Short battery life (5-6 hours)
- Expensive
How To Select The Best Ultrabook For Gaming
There were a ton of different features listed above and some of them may be confusing or very new to you. In order to have a good game, you’ll want to make sure your Ultrabook has certain characteristics. For instance, the following characteristics are very important to graphics, processing speed, and gameplay in general.
Processor
This is the part of the computer that directs all of its functioning. You will need to have a strong processor to make sure the data (upload and download) goes through quickly. If not, you may experience lag or game crashes. In general, you should aim to have an Intel i7 or above.
Processing Speed
Newer generation processors will have higher processing speeds in general. The processing speed is the rate at which data is processed through the computer. For gaming, you will need a processing speed of at least 3.5 to 4 GHz. You can get away with lower speeds for some games but you’re intense games, like online shooters, will definitely require higher speeds.
Refresh Rate
This is a measurement of how often the screen updates with new images every second. This is measured in a frequency called Hertz (Hz). Each increment here represents one screen refresh. For gaming, you will need at least 60 Hz (60 screen refreshes per second), though higher is always better. You likely won’t see higher than 240 Hz.
RAM
RAM stands for Random Access Memory. Put simply, this is temporary data storage that the computer uses to process said data. For a gaming Ultrabook, you will want a RAM of at least 8 GB. This is another one of those categories where more is always better, though.
SSD
Solid State Drives (SSD) are rapidly replacing what were called hard drives. This is another type of memory storage though it is more long term. It allows you to save files and updates, run the operating system and other applications, etc. You should try to get as much SSD storage as you can but you should have a minimum of 500 GB. In general, you will see that 512 GB of SSD storage is the most common.
Screen Resolution
This is a measurement of the number of pixels on your screen. The more pixels you have the better, since it will provide a clearer picture. Pixels are tiny colored squares on the screen that, when viewed together, make up the image you see. For gaming, you will need a screen resolution of at least 1920 x 1080 (1080p).
Screen Size
This is sort of down to personal preference. Some people may prefer larger screens and some people might like small screens. The screen size dictates how much of the image you can see at once. Though the image, itself, would be the same between screen sizes, our peripheral (side) vision only extends so far. The ideal screen size for gaming is 15.6 inches. It lets you see the most you can without straining your vision.
Battery Life
What you need will depend on your gameplay. Some people may log in for half an hour an be done while others will be involved in super intense, hours long gaming sessions. Think about how long you’ll be playing and choose a laptop with a battery life that works for you. Keep in mind that you can keep it plugged in while you’re playing, so this feature may not affect you at all.
Backlighting
Some Ultrabooks will have lighting either at the bottom of the screen/top of the keyboard or under/around each individual key. Some may also have both. This isn’t a necessary feature and some people may actually find it distracting. However, others enjoy the visual effect and also find that the backlighting helps them see the keys better.
Price
Ultrabooks are very high end laptops that provide great gameplay. But, with this gameplay comes a cost. You should expect to spend at least between $500 and $1,000 on your gaming Ultrabook. That said, those at the higher end of the pricing spectrum are going to give you a much better gaming experience. In this case, you should be prepared to spend between $1,000 and $1,500 or more.
Conclusion
You have a lot of options when it comes to finding the best Ultrabook for gaming. These gaming laptops employ the latest in Intel processor technology to provide you with fast processing speeds and smooth gameplay. You’ll also want to pay attention to specs like graphics, memory storage, screen size, visual effect (such as RGB backlighting), etc. Shop around on your own using these features as a guide or take a look through the list here to find our suggestions.
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