Many of this year's hottest new laptops areall about one word: Ultrabooks.
The term Ultrabook is actually pure marketing, dreamt up by Intel for a new generation of portable PCs featuring its technology.
Like Centrino but unlike Viiv, it's starting to stick as a catch-all term for thin and light laptops, or ultraportables as they're sometimes classified.
The best way to think of an Ultrabook is a MacBook Air that isn't made by Apple, a netbook that isn't underpowered or a laptop that's been on a crash diet. Ultrabooks all feature a Core i3, i5 or i7 processor, plus fast SSD storage and USB 3.0 connectivity.
According to Intel, Ultrabooks also have "ultra-capabilities" - security features, battery power, instant-on and quick standby. They'll provide a lightweight alternative to tablet devices for people who just can't work without a full QWERTY keyboard, although we're already seeing some touch-enabled Ultrabooks blurring that line

Inevitably the newer, more powerful laptops are more expensive, with Intel aiming for a £999/$999 target for these models, but we're also seeing some of the machines with older chips coming in cheaper, and manufacturers are finding other ways to keep the costs down, even with the latest chips.Early Ultrabook models shipped with Intel's Sandy Bridge chips, but newer machines use the faster and lower-powered Ivy Bridge chips.
But what's the best Ultrabook to buy? Check out the best Ultrabooks we've reviewed, as well as those we've got hands on with.

1. Sony Vaio T13



LG z330

Sony took a while to get into the Ultrabook market, and the Vaio T13 proved to be an encouraging debut, in no small part thanks to having an eye-catchingly low price – it's around just £680. For that price, you don't get quite the slick performance you do from its more expensive rivals, but the Sony Vaio T13 is a fantastic looking ultra-portable computer that is perfectly suited for somebody looking for a day-to-day media-friendly laptop.

2. Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A



Asus zenbook prime ux31a

When you look at the Asus Zenbook Prime's specs, it's no surprise that it comes at a premium price. You get the latest Intel processor and graphics, a good amount of solid-state storage, great build quality and, most impressively of all, a 1080p screen that blow nearly all other Ultrabooks out of the water. Adding those up equals a price of around £1500, so the Zenbook Prime UX31A is firmly for those looking for something in the high end…

3. Samsung Series 5 Ultra



Samsung series 5

Packing an Intel Core i5 processor, the Samsung Series 5 Ultra is small but perfectly formed. Available in 14-inch or 13-inch models, the 13 incher is 17.6mm at its fattest point, narrowing to 14mm.
It comes with a 128GB/256GB SSD or a 500GB hard drive (alongside a small 16GB flash drive) and incorporates an LED SuperBright screen. The only worry? Battery life is low at around three hours in our tests. Not to be confused with the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook. Which is definitely not an Ultrabook.

4. Samsung Series 9



The samsung series 9 ultrabook on show at ces 2012

While the original Series 9 was one of the world's thinnest laptops, the newSamsung 9 Series Ultrabook is even thinner.
The design team has shaved off another 4mm, giving this 13-inch (1600 x 1200) laptop a waistline of only 12.9mm. Inside, a 1.7GHz Core i7 chip does all the hard work, ably assisted by up to 8GB of memory and SSD storage.

5. Gigabyte U2442



Gigabyte U2442

Gigabyte's first dip in the Ultrabook waters hits an excellent balance between power and affordability. The inclusion of discrete graphics and a load of RAM means performance is exceptional, while clever additions to the OS make day-to-day performance easy – even if you're new to computing. The screen is a strong point too, but all this mean you'll end up paying over £1000 for the Gigabyte U2442. It's not an unreasonable price, but it may be too high for many.

6. Acer Aspire S7



Acer Aspire S7

Coming in both 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch versions, the Aspire S7 is one of the hottest Ultrabooks yet to be released. Designed with Windows 8 in mind, the S7's screen can fold all the way back so it's flat in line with the keyboard, and offers a 10-point touch display with Corning Gorilla Glass 2 to protect it. It's even a 1080p screen, as if it wasn't impressive enough already, and is one of the lightest Ultraportables we've seen yet.

7. Lenovo IdeaPad U510



Lenovo IdeaPad U510

Though it pushes the idea of the Ultrabook to its limit, the Lenovo IdeaPad U510 is all about retaining some of the traditional features of the laptop, but still getting the advantages of Ultrabooks. So, it's thicker and heavier that most of the Ultrabooks here, and can even pack in a DVD or Blu-ray drive, but still resumes in around a second.

8. Dell XPS 13



The dell xps 13 ultrabook on show at ces 2012

The Dell XPS 13 might be a little late to the Ultrabook party, but it's one of the prettiest portables we've seen.
Amazingly, Dell has squeezed an Intel Core i5 or i7 inside the trim chassis, along with 4GB of memory and a 128/256GB SSD. How thin is it? 6mm at its slimmest point.

9. HP SpectreXT TouchSmart




HP Spectre TouchSmart

As befits the Spectre line, the SpectreXT TouchSmart is packing some notable technology. As you may have guessed, it offers a multi-touch display, which will be good for making full use of Windows 8, but is very much an Ultrabook, boasting the latest Intel processors inside. In fact, it'll be HP's first lapop to offer Intel's ludicrously fast Thunderbolt connection. Impressively, HP is also packing in Adobe Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements, so it'll be a nice multimedia machine out of the box.
Read our Hands on: HP SpectreXT TouchSmart review

10. Gigabyte X11




Gigabyte X11

Thanks to a carbon fibre shell and 11.6-inch screen, the Gigabyte X11manages to take the sought-after crown of being the lightest Ultrabook ever – just 975g! It's pretty thin as well, measuring 17mm at its thickest point. But things haven't been skimped on much to get it this light: you'll find an Ivy Bridge Intel Core processor, two USB 3.0 ports and a 128GB SSD. It won't among the cheaper Ultrabooks, but it's definitely one of the most notable.
Read our Hands on: Gigabyte X11 review

11. Toshiba Satellite Z930




Toshiba ultrabook

The Toshiba Satellite Z930-10X manages to offer an excellent balance between power and affordability. It's a very accomplished Ultrabook – thin, light and powerful enough to handle a wide range of tasks simultaneously. The star of the show is undoubtedly the Ivy Bridge processor, which helps to keep the performance in line with other Ultrabooks available on the market, but the wide range of ports it offers are boon as well.
Read our Toshiba Satellite Z930 review

12. Asus Zenbook UX32A




Asus Zenbook UX32A

The original Asus Zenbook is an Ultrabook that still takes some beating, so we always knew its successor would be a great offering. The design and usability are great, from the slickness of Windows 7 with the Ivy Bridge processor to the great keyboard with the subtle backlight. Like its predecessor, the Asus Zenbook UX32A is also slim and light enough to carry around all day and the range of connections, especially the three USB 3.0 ports, is excellent.
Read our Asus Zenbook UX32A review

13. Lenovo IdeaPad U410




Lenovo IdeaPad U410

The Lenovo IdeaPad U410's trick is really bring out a value proposition, offering offering a high-end hardware configuration in a mid-level assembly – it's an Ultrabook for the masses. The fact that the Lenovo IdeaPad U410 offers both a third-generation Intel core CPU and a dedicated GPU from Nvidia, along with a healthy amount of storage, makes this one of the most-efficient Ultrabooks that we've come across yet. The build quality may be pretty average, but this is all about bang for your buck, and it delivers.
Read our Lenovo IdeaPad U410 review

14. Dell XPS Duo 12




Dell XPS Duo 12

We're going to count the XPS Duo 12 as an Ultrabook, even it is a slightly odd one. Sure, it opens like a laptop, then the touch-enabled screen flips round and you can use it as a tablet. The design isn't new – Dell's used something similar before – but getting it with light and powerful Ultrabook innards is, as is the touch-friendly Windows 8. The screen is protect by Gorilla Glass, and it's a 1080p display, so it'll look brilliantly crisp. All this will come at a price, predicatably, but it'll be a great way to make full use of Windows 8.
Read our Hands on: Dell XPS Duo 12 review

15. Acer Aspire S5




acer aspire s5

Thin (15mm) and light (1.35kg), the new Acer Aspire S5 isn't much of a design departure from the older Acer Aspire S3, but it takes advantage of its Ultrabook DNA with a 13.3-inch display, Thunderbolt technology, SSD storage and a fast Intel CPU. If you're looking for a primary laptop that can handle the rigours of everyday life, but be as light and svelte as humanly possible, you've found your ideal laptop.
Read our Acer Aspire S5 review

16. Novatech nFinity 2367 Plus review




Novatech Nfinity

The Novatech nFinity 2367 Plus is the first Ultrabook we've seen that isn't from an established, global computer company. That isn't to say Novatech is small.
The British firm has been selling both components and customised PCs for a while, and in keeping with tradition, there's plenty of choice with its Ultrabook range, with the option of an Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 processor, and varying quantities of storage and memory.
The Core i3 Novatech nFinity 2367 Plus model that we were sent is priced at just £625, and comes with 4GB of memory, a 128GB SSD and Windows 7.
Read our Novatech nFinity 2367 Plus review

17. Sony Vaio S Series 13P




Sony Vaio S Series 13P

The Vaio S Series 13P is one of the most expensive Ultrabooks we've seen yet, but if you've got the money, it could well prove to be worth it. Both the portability and usability are excellent – so much so, that the excellent specification could almost be forgotten, but you'd be letting yourself down. A Blu-ray drive, a Thunderbolt connection, a backlit keyboard, an SSD and good battery life… the only thing lacking is a 1080p screen.
Read our Sony Vaio S Series 13P review

18. Toshiba Z830-10N




Novatech Nfinity

Toshiba has gone for the thin and light aspects of Ultrabooks with gusto in the 13.3-inch Z830-10N, but has still made a point of including a range of ports, including VGA, HDMI, three USB ports, Ethernet and a card reader, making it a good choice for business use. And, of course, it's got an SSD for speedy operation along with an Intel Core i3 processor – not at the top end of performance compared to the others here, but it should be fine for work use.
Read our Toshiba Z830-10N review