Best Intel Core i7-1260p Ultraportable & Lightweight Laptops

Samuel TanBest Laptops 0

Laptops based on the 12th Generation Intel Core i7-1260P Processor is still the best in performance to value ratio. With 12-cores firing at a maximum speed of 4.7GHz, high thread count of 16 and huge 18MB cache, the processor will pull off any task you throw at it in an ultraportable and lightweight profile.

Here is a quick look at the processor powering our selection of laptops here.

Intel® Core™ i7-1260P Processor
12-core
P-cores: 2.1 GHz / 4.7 GHz
E-cores: 1.5 GHz / 3.4 GHz
16 Computing Threads
18 MB cache

Table of Contents

Intel Core i7-1260p – A Big Leap in Performance

Performance wise, it is 24.5% faster than the Intel Core i7-1255U, you can find the performance comparison chart here. The Intel Core i7-1260P managed an Average CPU Mark score of 17378 versus 13950 on the Intel Core i7-1255U. Both processors achieved the single thread rating of around 3350. It is with this big leap in performance that we decided to focus on laptops powered by the Intel Core i7-1260p which at this point are being offered at reduced rate since the CPUs release Q1 in 2022.

Our selection consisted of laptops from Lenovo, HP, DELL and Acer with display sizes from 13.4-inch to 16-inch.

1. ASUS Zenbook 14 UX3402ZA – HIGH RESOLUTION OLED DISPLAY

We kick off with the ASUS Zenbook 14 powered by Intel Core i7-1260p. A clear favourite thanks to its OLED display with 2880 x 1880 pixels which also acts as a touchscreen, the Zenbook 14 is as premium as it comes. Beyond the display, you get plenty in way of connectivity, fast WiFi 6E wireless, Harman Kardon tuned speakers, fingerprint reader and long battery life. While the keyboard is backlit, it doesn’t however come with the backlit number pad on the touch pad and you only get a 720p HD web cam. Anything below Full HD is unacceptable these days. If that puts you off consider the next unit.

Search ASUS Zenbook 14 laptop on Amazon

14-inch 2.8K OLED UltraHD 2880 x 1880p Touchscreen 90Hz , 0.2ms response rate, 16:10 aspect ratio
Intel Core i7-1260p Processor
16GB RAM and 1TB SSD Storage
Battery Life: Up to 10 hours
2 x USB-C Thunderbolt 4 | 1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 3.5mm combo, HDMI 2.0b, microSD slot, WiFi 6E
220 x 314 x 16.9 mm (H x W x D), 1.39kg

1. LENOVO Yoga Slim 6i 14 – HIGH RESOLUTION FAST DISPLAY

The Yoga Slim line from Lenovo, now in its 8th generation has a minimalist design with a reverse notch to house its Full HD 1080p webcam with privacy shutter. This gives the laptop a proper full display with no cut-out of ugly notch. It may not look it, but the laptop comes with military standard durability with its aluminium chassis making it super tough.

You will find that Lenovo made every effort to wrap the display in the small bezels possible. The 14-inch screen is a 2.8K IPS panel with high 120Hz refresh rate making it one of the sharpest and smoothest display in our list. The panel is capable of up to 400 nits brightness with 100% sRGB colour coverage and has a work friendly 16:10 aspect ratio.

Beyond that, you get two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 port, a single USB 3.2 Gen 1 port, 3.5mm audio combo jack and one HDMI 2.1 port for video output. All that and the Yoga Slim 6i still measures only 14.9m thin, the thinnest in our group text and weighs only 1.31kg.

Search LENOVO Yoga Slim 6i 14 laptop on Amazon

14-inch 2.8K 120Hz IPS 2800 x 1880p Display 100% sRGB colour gamut, Dolby Vision, 16:10 400nits
Intel Core i7-1260p Processor
16GB RAM and 1TB SSD Storage
Battery Life: Up to 9.4 hours
2 x USB-C Thunderbolt 4 | 1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 3.5mm combo, HDMI 2.1, Multi SD slot, WiFi 6E
14.9 x 312 x 221 mm (H x W x D), 1.31kg

2. HP Envy x360 Convertible 15 – BIG & VERSATILE

The HP Envy x360 is a truly versatile laptop with its 360 degree hinge and a full size 15.6-inch display. It may not score points with its chosen 16:9 screen aspect ratio but the touch panel packs plenty of pixels for everyday applications. It is also a more familiar 15.6-inch display compared to the new 16-inch out there.

The full size keyboard, sandwiched between Bang & Olufsen tuned speakers is a joy to work on. The laptop will last up to 9 hours 45 minutes on a full charge, enough for a full days work. And, it even supports fast charging with an incredible 50% top up with just 30 minutes of charging.

For privacy, the ultra wide HD 5MP IP web cam comes with physical shutter and a microphone mute button. And, when you are ready for your video calls, AI noise removal help makes your online meeting crispy clear. You can find full specification for the HP Envy X360 here.

Search HP Envy x360 15 laptop on Amazon

15.6-inch FHD Touch Display 1920 x 1080p
Intel Core i7-1260p Processor
16GB RAM and 1TB SSD Storage
Battery Life: Up to 9.45 hours
1 x USB-C | 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 3.5mm combo, HDMI 2.1, Multi SD card slot, WiFi 6E
35.9 x 22.9 x 1.86 cm, 1.66kg

3. DELL XPS 13 Plus 13.4 – COMPACT, UHD OLED DISPLAY

The Dell XPS 13 Plus is a well built laptop that can stand shoulder to shoulder with MacBooks minus the weight. It also has the best full display execution with an Ultra HD OLED Panel and Dell calls InfinityEdge Display. This puts the 13.4-inch 3.5K OLED touchscreen front and centre in all its glory. Full size edge-to-edge keyboard and glass touchpad makes working on the laptop a breeze. There is even a capacitive touch function row above the keyboard with backlit making this a one of a kind laptop.

Housed in the tiny top bezel is a dual sensor 720p HD sensor with RGB and IR Infrared sensors. The camera is compatible with Windows Hello for facial recognition and is perfect for video calls.

However, the downside is its battery life. It is a little disappointing to see single digit battery life of up to 7 hours only. Heavy use puts this around 4-5 hours. Luckily fast charing brings it back up to 80% in just under an hour. The other thing you don’t get enough of is the connectivity ports. The Dell XPS 13 Plus only comes with two Thunderbolt 4 Type-C ports, one on each side, not even a 3.5mm jack. But, you do get a couple of adapters in the box. They are USB-C to USB A 3.0 and USB-C to 3.5mm audio adapters.

Search DELL XPS 13 Plus 13.4 laptop on Amazon

13.4-inch 3.5K Ultra HD OLED Touchscreen 60Hz, 400nits, Anti-Reflect, InfinityEdge
Intel® Core™ i7-1260P Processor
16GB RAM memory and 1TB SSD storage
Battery Life: Up to 7 hours
2 x Thunderbolt 4 ports, WiFi 6, MicroSD card slot
15.28 x 295.3 x 199.04 mm (H x W x D), 1.27kg

4. LENOVO ThinkPad X1 Carbon – LIGHTEST

My first laptop was a ThinkPad, so this next entry does take me back to the good old days. In the past, ThinkPad laptops are know for its amazing keyboard, red trackpoint and user upgradeability. With the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, now in its 10th generation, you still get that amazing keyboard feeling and a combination of trackpoint and touchpad but not so much in the way of user upgradeable options.

Nostalgia aside, it is all business with this one. The 14-inch display can be configured as FHD+ as in our model here or the more expensive UHD+ with or without touch. However, it takes take the price way up. Going with our choice here balances performance and price. The laptop pairs IR and RGB sensors with the 1080p Full HD webcam for better image quality and there is even a fingerprint sensor, both of which are essential for business users.

Connectivity wise, you get two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, 3.5mm combo jack and HDMI 2.0b as well as fast WiFi 6E wireless connection. Back to our point on upgradeability, unfortunately, the 16GB memory is soldered on, with no option to upgrade.

Search LENOVO ThinkPad X1 Carbon Laptop on Amazon

14-inch FHD+ Touch Display WUXGA (1920×1200) 400nits, 100% sRGB
Intel Core i7-1260p Processor
16GB RAM and 512GB SSD Storage
Battery Life: Up to 9 hours
2 x USB-C Thunderbolt 4 | 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 | 3.5mm combo | HDMI 2.0b, WiFi 6AX
14.95mm x 315.6mm x 222.5mm, 1.12kg

5. ACER Swift 3 14 Laptop

The Acer Swift 3 14-inch laptop is a clear favourite chiefly because it comes with a Quad HD display at 16:9 aspect ratio and long battery life of up to 13 hours. The former puts it at 75% sharper than Full HD and the latter means all day cable free computing. Other reasons to pick the laptop are its full range of ports, fast WiFi 6E connectivity and Quick Charging via USB-C support.

It also comes equipped with two M.2 SSD slots meaning you can add another 1TB SSD storage for a total of 2TB. See community post for steps to add a second SSD. Weighing only 1.25kg and measuring 15.96mm thin, it’s an ultraportable that is easy on the shoulder too if you have to lug it around. For optics, you get a Full HD 1080p webcam and microphones with temporal noise reduction to make better video calls.

Search Acer Swift 3 14 Laptop on Amazon

14-inch Quad HD Display 2560 x 1440p IPS LCD
Intel Core i7-1260p Processor
16GB RAM and 1TB SSD Storage
Battery Life: Up to 13 hours
USB-C Fast Charger, Thunderbolt 4 port x 2, USB3.1 x 2, HDMI2.1 x 1, 3.5mm, WiFi 6E
15.9 x 320 x 212 mm (H x W x D), 1.25kg

6. ACER Swift X 16

For a bigger display at 16-inch again Acer’s laptop from Swift range. This time the Acer Swift X 16. Not only is it bigger with its 16-inch Quad HD Display at the same resolution as Swift 3 14, but it has Intel’s discrete graphics onboard. The Intel Arc A370M with dedicated 4GB graphics memory. Bigger display and GPU does mean a hit on its battery life with up to 8.5 hours on a charge. But, it does mean that you can play games or use the laptop for some complex video editing.

It is also worth noting that unlike the 16:9 aspect ratio on the Swift 3, the display on Swift X 16 is a proper 16:10, perfect for work. Plus, it comes with a full-size keyboard with numbered and a glass trackpad, wrapped in aluminium chassis. It won’t score any points on portability though but it is still under 2kg at 1.75kg. For comparison, the MacBook Pro 16 weighs a hefty 2.16kg. Like the Swift 3, it also uses a Full HD 1080p sensor for its webcam.

Search Acer Swift X 16 Laptop on Amazon

16-inch Quad HD Display 2560 x 1440p IPS LCD, 400nits, 60Hz, 16:10 aspect ratio, 100% sRGB
Intel Core i7-1260p Processor
GPU: Intel Arc A370M 4GB
16GB RAM and 1TB SSD Storage
Battery Life: Up to 8.5 hours
USB-C Fast Charger, Thunderbolt 4 port x 2, USB3.2 x 2, HDMI2.1 x 1, 3.5mm, WiFi 6E
17.9 x 356.3 x 239.7 mm (H x W x D), 1.75kg

7. HP ENVY 17-cr0503na – BIG DISPLAY BUT HEAVY

A powerful desktop replacement, the HP Envy 17 comes with a 17.3-inch Full HD display. The display is a touchscreen, covered with glass from edge to edge and has a peak brightness of 300nits. The IPS LED won’t cope if you need to work outside, but this is after all a desktop replacement. At 2.49kg, you would only occasionally lug this out and around. The unit is also packed to the brim with connectivity options, the highest number of ports on any laptop with 3 full size Type A ports and 2 Type C Thunderbolt 4 ports on top of HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm combo audio socket and microSD card slot.

Search HP ENVY 17 Laptop on Amazon

17.3-inch FHD Touch Display 1920 x 1080p 100% sRGB colour gamut
Intel Core i7-1260p Processor
16GB RAM and 512GB SSD Storage
Battery Life: Up to 8 hours 45 mins
2 x USB-C Thunderbolt 4 | 3 x USB-A 3.1 , 3.5mm combo, HDMI 2.1, MicroSD card slot, WiFi 6E
19.6 x 398.2 x 259 mm (H x W x D), 2.49kg