The first step before finding your laptop is to find the category of laptop according to your needs. Generally, laptops are of two types Thin and light laptops and Gaming laptops. If you are a normal daily user who needs a laptop for web browsing, watching videos, and documentation then thin and light is your category. This comes with the best build quality and battery backup for your price-compromising processor power. Else if you need a laptop for gaming, video editing, and rendering then Gaming is your category. This comes with the best processor power for your price compromising battery backup and building quality. For the buying guide for gaming laptops click here
If you are looking for a thin and light laptop then you have come to the right place. First, you have to go through the selection guide. If you have already bought a laptop or are planning to buy one, Check out The ultimate guide for setting up a new windows laptop here.
Hardware and software consideration
If you enter the world of thin and light laptops there is a long list of laptops that are worthier or unworthier for your money. It ranges from as low as 40K to above 3 lakhs. this Post hopes to help you choose the one laptop that suits your needs best. To find out the laptop that suits your needs, we should look at what makes thin and light laptops good, what specifications might be better for you, and the best laptop that has all the features you need.
If you are not interested to know in-depth then you can directly skip to the best thin and light laptop section. I would better suggest you go through the simple and well-structured “theory session” which would justify why these laptops are handpicked. Also, there is a common belief that specific laptop brands are better than others like Dell or HP provides Better Hardware than the other brands or Asus produces low-quality products. However, this is not at all true, and mostly. But let me assure you, having used and checked all these companies, We can guarantee that no one brand is inherently better than the other, But laptops are.
for example, the Dell XPS is considered the pinnacle of windows thin and light laptops, and it is rightfully the best as no other laptop can rivel its insane rigid body, stunning displays, and excellent features. but that does not make a dell 14 worth 45k with 13 10th gen, as there are laptops from Asus and Lenovo that provide a better performance, build quality, and value.
1. Processor
The processor is one of the vital components when buying a laptop as it decides many of the key experiences, including speed, responsivity, weight, heating, Battery life, and thickness. For a long time, the Mobile processor market was stable, with only minor improvements across generations. But the Ryzen 4000 series changed the scene, and now even mid-range thin and light laptops had 6 or 8 cores, and excellent performance, all in a 15W configuration. the Ryzen 5000 series brought multi-thread to notebooks, and now Intel is taking it to the next level with its 12th gen notebook processors having more performance than last-gen Gaming laptops, along with a promised improvement in battery efficiency.
The Ryzen 6000 series comes with RDNA2 graphics which gives similar performance to 1650, which is a 50W TDP graphics card from 2020 and is still on sale now in many laptops below 70K. So if you are more inclined towards gaming, then the AMD laptops might deliver very good graphics in a thin and light body. So select your processor according to your use case. if you want gaming performance, then choose AMD 6th gen processors, or else the Intel 12th Gen processors.
Intel’s new 12th-gen processors are much faster and support newer technologies compared to previous-gen Intel/ AMD processors. for example. the i5 1140P, a 28w CPU from intel found in many of the laptops in this list can outperform a Ryzen 5 5600H or i5 11400H gaming processor while using about half the power. The processors have power and efficiency cores, with power cores handling the heavy jobs, while efficiency cores concentrate on background jobs and other such tasks. The Benchmarks of nano review comparing i7 1260P and Apple M1 & i7 1280p and i5 11400H are given below
2. Display
The next major factor when deciding on your laptop is the display. As long as the display and body are not good enough, a good processor won’t matter. As we interact with the display and body of the laptop all the types, Cheap or sub-par build quality can substantially decrease the user experience, and hence make the laptop not easy to recommend.
Displays have evolved a lot during the past year. 1080P 45% NTSC ( not very colour accurate ) panels have been the standard for around 4 years now, and this year, we have many options with 2K/3K or even 4K displays with up to a 100% sRGB coverage, which is more than enough for almost any non-professional user or content creator, even in laptops that are as cheap as 45K, which is a welcoming change. But the higher quality display often comes with higher price tag / lower specs than other laptops in the segment, and hence make sure to choose the type that suits you the most.
If the prime need of your laptop is for watching videos and if you are ready to compromise a bit of battery backup then you can go for 2k displays and can get to the next level of visual experience. Otherwise, if you need to do heavy stuff like mild gaming, video editing, etc then go for a 1080p display which will reflect in higher processor performance.
3. Body
As with the displays, The quality has improved considerably in terms of design, durability, and materials used. Now, we can get an ultra-thin laptop with a metal body for as low as 55K, and OEMs have started prioritizing build quality after the Mi book Ultra brought metal builds with MacBook-like features. This year, we Expect more laptops to provide these features and expect manufacturers to combine these laptops with a good display and high-performance processors.
Not everyone needs a powerful laptop, Sometimes a laptop with a very good build quality and display might be better than a very powerful laptop for most people, so consider how good the build quality is, before buying the Laptop.
4. I/O, upgradability
Even though upgradability or the selection of I/O ports are not the prominent features of thin and light laptops, you might need to consider them when you buy a laptop, as they are basic and necessary features. In the I/O section, At least a type-C/ Thunderbolt port and two USB-B ports are important ( the more the number of ports, the better the I/O is). additionally, you may need a full-sized HDMI port and an ethernet to Lan port. If you need to transfer files frequently to and from the laptop, the addition of a Fast card reader will also be a welcome feature.
In the case of upgradability, the upgradability of newer laptops is reducing day by day, mainly due to our expectations that have resulted in laptops becoming more and thinner, along with the fact that every manufacturer from Apple to Lenovo wants you to buy a higher-end model with more RAM and Storage for a much higher price. check if the laptop has an upgradeable SSD, as it is still common in many laptops, and also check if there are multiple RAM Slots, or if the RAM is soldered to the RAM Slot.
Best Thin and light laptop
Ideapad 3
Ideapad 3 is the cheapest laptop on this list. It comes with Ryzen 5 5500U processor with 6 cores and 12 threads, which is more than enough for your daily needs. It comes with 8GB RAM DDR4 and 512 GB SSD. With 3-cell 45Wh battery it comes with a battery life of almost 8 hours. Even though it is not as costly as the other laptops on this list, it still has a good keyboard and trackpad, sturdy build quality and a good enough display, which will certainly make it a good candidate for anyone who needs a powerful yet cheap laptop.
Ideapad 3
Specification
- AMD Ryzen 5 5500U
- Display 15.6 inch
- 8GB/512GB SSD
- AMD Radeon Graphics
- Windows 11
- 45Wh Battery
- Backlit Keyboard
- 1.65Kg
Mi Notebook Ultra
The Mi notebook ultra shines as probably the most elegant and beautiful laptop under 90K. the large trackpad, Aluminium unibody, stunningly bright and colour-accurate QHD display, all make it stand out from the crowd. Even though the 11300H is not as efficient or powerful as the other laptops on this list, it certainly will suit your light needs without any hiccups. weighting at just 1.4 KG, these laptop suits creators who need a high res, high-quality display, programmers who need a light and sturdy laptop, and anyone else who admires its design.
Mi Notebook Pro
Specification
- Intel Core i5-11300H
- Display 14 inch
- 8GB/512GB SSD
- Iris Xe Graphics
- Windows 11
- 65Wh Battery
- Backlit Keyboard
- 1.4 Kg
Asus Vivobook 15
This is the cheapest laptop that comes with Intel’s i5 12-gen processor. It comes with Intel Core i5-1240P which is much faster and supports newer technologies than its ancestors. It comes with 12 Cores ( 4P+8E ) and 16 Threads. With 3-cell 42Wh battery it comes with a battery life of almost 8 hours. the single fact that it delivers performance on par with Ryzens last-gen gaming processor makes it stand out from the crowd. the 220 nits brightness is a downgrade, however, as it can cause problems in well-lit environments.
ASUS Vivobook 15
Specification
- Intel Core i5-1240P
- Display 15.6 inch
- Iris Xe Graphics
- 8GB/512GB SSD
- Windows 11
- Backlit Keyboard
- 1.7Kg
HP Pavilion 15
This laptop from HP is not the cheapest 12th gen offering, but as the HP 15s has a boring and ancient design with large bezels and subpar build quality, this is the cheapest HP laptop on this list. Apart from having everything from the Vivobook15, it has a better build quality as well as a brighter 250 nits panel, that looks modern and stylish by today’s standards.
HP Pavilion 15
Specification
- Intel Core i5 1240P
- Display 15.6 inch
- Iris Xe Graphics
- 8GB SDRAM/512GB SSD
- Windows 11
- Backlit Keyboard
- 1.75Kg
Asus VivoBook S
If you want everything that the Mi notebook ultra has to offer, like the large trackpad, brighter and colour accurate display, But also a powerful processor, look no further. the Asus Vivobook 15s has everything, and a processor that is faster than a Ryzen 7 5800H or Apple m1 max ( except in video editing). the 400 nits ( 600 nits is only on viewing HDR ) Amoled display and the classy design will make you love the laptop even more. It even comes with 16GB of Ram, so Editing Videos or 3-d workflows- the kind of work you do with this much power, is fast and efficient.
Asus VivoBook S
Specification
- Intel Core i5 12500H
- Display 15.6 inch
- 2.8k OLED Display
- Iris Xe Graphics
- 16GB RAM / 512GB SSD
- Windows 11
- Backlit Keyboard
- 2Kg
Samsung Galaxy Book 2 360
You don’t need a bulky laptop that gives under 8hr battery backup? need a laptop which is lightweight, but functional and fast with lots of features, the Samsung Book 2 360 is a 2-in-1 laptop from Samsung that costs under a lakh but has amazing specs at an amazingly thin and light chassis. It has a 1240P processor, a gorgeous display and a fully convertible touchscreen display, all in a freakingly thin 11.2 mm body that is thinner than an m2-equipped Apple MacBook Air. so unless you can shell out for the i7 variant, this laptop will make you love anything you do on it.
Samsung Galaxy Book 2 360
Specification
- Intel 1240P i5 EvoTM
- 2 in-1 laptop
- 13.3-inch AMOLED Display
- 16 GB/512 GB SSD
- Iris Xe Graphics
- S pen
- 1 Thunderbolt 4 port
- Windows 11
- 1.16Kg
- Backlit Keyboard and Fingerprint Sensor
MacBook Air ( m1)
The cheapest new laptop from Apple, the MacBook Air with an m1 is truly a masterpiece. the ultra-high efficient processor enabled the laptop to be a fanless design, and it can reach up to 15 hours of video playback or 13 hrs of mixed usage, which is insane. Even though the new m1 pro and max processors are out, it does not stand out as much as the m1, as they have considerably higher power consumption, and get hot. The only problem though is that it is currently being replaced by the m2-powered Air.
The m2 air is not as exciting as the m1 Air, thanks to the 30K increase in price for marginal improvement in performance and design. But Apple, being Apple have raised the price to 92K, which is about 8K higher than its cost for the whole of 2022. Still, if what you need is either an Apple laptop or a thin and light laptop that lasts an entire day, the Air is a good laptop. Keep in mind that the 512 GB version costs much higher than the 256GB option, and you may want to stick with the lower-end model of the laptop.
MacBook Air
Specification
- Apple m1 Processor
- 8GB/512GB SSD
- 13.3-inch FHD 400 nits Display
- macOS BigSur
- Wifi 6e
Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360
Want a powerful laptop that is thin and light, and provide an amazing user experience, This might be one of the best Windows thin and light laptop, packing everything you might need. Sure it might not be as powerful as the M2 processor, especially in video editing, It can do much more than what the MacBook air can do, as it provides an S-pen, a touchscreen Display, and infinite possibilities through integration with Samsung’s Galaxy devices. It is freakingly thin for a laptop that packs this much power, and if you have the money, Go for it. The bleeding Edge DDR5 Ram and PCIe 4.0 SSD will make you a productivity monster.
Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360
Specification
- Intel 12th Gen core i7-1260P
- 13.3-inch AMOLED Display
- DDR5 16 GB/512 GB PCIe 4.0 SSD
- Thunderbolt 4
- 68 Wh Battery
- 0.87 Kg
- S pen
- Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro
These are the best thin and light laptops Available in India. Hope you could choose a laptop that suits your needs perfectly. If you still can’t figure out what you need, or which one to select, don’t hesitate to contact us, and we will help you choose a laptop with personal assistance through WhatsApp, telegram, or any medium given below.
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