Best 12th Gen Intel Core i7 Laptops Under 1000: Ultraportables with performance to boot

Samuel TanBest Laptops, Best Of... 0

Without compromising on performance, laptops based on Intel Core i7 particularly from the 12th generation are everyone’s best bet be it for work or play. With a wide range of devices from different manufacturers, here is our pick of some of the best 12th Gen Intel Core i7 laptops on offer.

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12th Gen Intel Core i7 vs Core i5 Mobile Performance

The good news is, these laptops no longer come with a premium price tag. With some costing around the same if not cheaper than laptops powered by Intel Core i5, they have proven to be a clear favourite. The reason? A wildcard or fluke if you like from the Intel Core i5 family in the form of Intel Core i5-1240P.

Ignoring the H-series processors, and comparing the performance of Intel Core i5 and Core i7 parts from the U and P-series, the Intel Core i5-1240P performs better than even the Intel Core i7-1260P overall but is slower in single thread performance. While not widely available yet the next one up Intel Core i7-1270P will eclipse the Core i5-1240P by a huge margin with average CPU Mark of 17836 and single thread rating of 3470.

	Cores	Thread	Typ TDP	TDP Down	TCP Up	AVE CPU Mark	Single Thread
Intel® Core™ i5-12500H Processor	12C(4P/8E)	16	45W	35W	95W	21837	3562
Intel® Core™ i7-12700H Processor	14C(6P/8E)	20	45W	35W	115W	26782	3661
Intel® Core™ i5-1230U Processor	10C(2P/8E)	12	9W	–	29W	10826	2639
Intel® Core™ i5-1235U Processor	10C(2P/8E)	12	15W	12W	55W	13583	3313
Intel® Core™ i5-1240P Processor	12C(4P/8E)	16	28W	20W	64W	17377	3259
Intel® Core™ i7-1250U Processor	10C(2P/8E)	12	9W	–	29W	13644	3043
Intel® Core™ i7-1255U Processor	10C(2P/8E)	12	15W	12W	55W	13707	3358
Intel® Core™ i7-1260P Processor	12C(4P/8C)	16	28W	20W	64W	17084	3295

Apart from the ‘wildcard’ Intel Core i5-1240P, when comparing Core i7 vs Core i5 within the same U-series, the Core i7 processors still have the upper hand.

Intel Core i7 vs Core i5 Performance Comparison Graph

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Budget Intel Core i7 Laptops between 500-800

We are breaking this list down further into three categories according to price range. They are laptops with Intel Core i7 that cost between 500 – 800, 800 and 900 and just under 1000. With those costing less than 800, you’ve got to have really good reasons to have to settle for these, chief among these is cost. Acer and Lenovo dominate this sub category with the Aspire and IdeaPad series. Apart from the design, the biggest compromise has to be its battery life. These only manage up to 5 to 7 hours, not your typical all day battery life from a full charge.

1. ACER Aspire 3 15.6-inch Laptop

Powered by Intel Core i7-1255U, the second fastest 12th Gen Intel Core i7 mobile processor, the Acer Aspire 3 with a full size 15.6-inch Full HD display is the cheapest on our list. For connectivity there are HDMI port, 3.5mm auto jack, three full size USB 3.1 ports and one USB 2.0 port. To keep the cost down there are no Type-C ports, microSD card slot or Thunderbolt 4.0 support and the webcam is only HD resolution.

Users also have to consider the poor battery life or only up to 5.5 hours on a full charge. If you don’t intent to travel very much with your laptop and have it mainly planted mainly on the desk, this great value laptop with its ergonomic hinge that lifts the base up for a more comfortable typing angle is for you. Plus, blue light filter ensures that your eyes are not strained over time.

15.6-inch Full HD Display
Intel® Core i7-1255U Processor
8GB RAM and 512 GB SSD
Battery Life: 5.5 Hours
1.78kg, 17.9 x 362.9 x 241.3 mm (H x W x D)

2. LENOVO IdeaPad 3i 15.6-inch Laptop

Next on our list is the Lenovo IdeaPad 3i. Its specification is almost identical to the Aspire 3 above with the same processor, memory and storage configuration. It even recorded a lower battery life on a full charge with only up to 5 hours. This can be a deal breaker but as we said before, if you hardly travel with your laptop, it might still work for you. The device is slim and lightweight with a good size 15.6-inch Full HD display albeit a little dim with a brightness of 250nits.

What you do get is WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 and a whole host of connectivity ports. These are USB Type-C, USB 3.2 Get 1 and USB 2.0 type A ports, HDMI 1.4b and 3.5mm audio jack. Also included is a 4-in-1 SD card reader, Dolby Audio sound system, HD webcam with privacy shutter and noise cancelling microphones. At the time of publication, this is being offer at a 100 off its price tag, making it a compelling option to the Aspire 3 above.

15.6-inch Full HD Display,
Intel® Core; i7-1255U Processor,
8GB RAM and 512 GB SSD,
Battery Life: up to 5 hours
1.63kg, 19.9 x 359.2 x 236.5 mm (H x W x D)

3. ACER Aspire 5 14-inch Laptop

There are four ACER Aspires in this list. This just goes to show that ACER it committed to offering value within its portfolio of affordable laptops. There is a fifth ACER from the Swift range but we will get to that in a moment. The ACER Aspire 5 is with a small display but still costs a smidge under the 800 mark. Still with the same Intel Core i7-1255U it benefits from double memory at 16GB RAM and better battery life of up to 7 hours.

Being a smaller device, it also loses the numeric key pad allowing the trackpad position to be centred to the device. Elsewhere, you get faster tri-band WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, Thunderbolt 4 port and even a Gigabit Ethernet port. If you are still hanging on to your old cables and devices, you will be glad to know that there are three USB 3.1 Type A ports, 3.5mm audio jack and a HDMI 2.1 port. The thing that lets it down especially if you work remotely is the HD 720p webcam. In our book a Full HD 1080p capable web cam would make this complete.

14-inch Full HD Display
Intel® Core i7-1255U Processor
16GB RAM and 512 GB SSD, Grey,
Battery Life: up to 7 hours
1.49kg, 17.9 x 328.1 x 221.1 mm (H x W x D)

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Mid-range Intel Core i7 Laptops between 800-900

4. DELL Inspiron 16 5620 16-inch Laptop

Kicking off this next list is the Dell Inspiron 16 5620, the only 16-inch device on our list. If 15.6-inch is not quite big enough, you would typically look for 17.3-inch displays but there is not 16-inch in the mix. Still Full HD+ resolution (1920 x 1200 pixels) with a productivity friendly 16:10 aspect ratio. And, while it has double the memory at 16GB RAM, it still relies on the second best Intel Core i7-1255U. Those hopping for the faster Intel Core i7-1260P will have to look elsewhere.

That said, there are many goodies to be had with the Inspiron apart from the nice design, slim chassis and tiny bezels. They are the long lasting, up to 10 hours battery life with fast charging support, Full HD webcam with dual noise cancelling microphones perfect for video calls, fingerprint reader and up to date connectivity ports. These include two USB Type-C ports that support DisplayPort 1.4 and Power Delivery, two USB 3.2 Type A ports, HDMI 1.4, 3.5mm audio jack and SD card reader.

DELL Inspiron 16 5620

16-inch Full HD Display
Intel® Core i7-1255U Processor
16GB RAM and 512 GB SSD
Battery Life: up to 10 hours
1.97kg, 17.95 x 356.78 x 251.9 mm (H x W x D)

Going from a lightweight 1.49kg Acer Aspire 5 to this monster that weights close to 2kg, is the Dell Inspiron 16 5620. Apart from Huawei, it is the only manufacturer to offer the new 16-inch display. Previously, 15.6-inch or 17.3-inch display would have been the closes options.

5. ACER Aspire Vero AV15-52 15.6-inch Laptop

In the same ballpark in terms of cost to the Inspiron 16 above is this Acer Aspire Vero with a 15.6-inch Full HD display. Sold as a sustainable laptop built with 30% post consumer recycled plastic, it claims to reduce CO2 emission by 21%. It powered by the same processor, the Intel Core i7-1255U and double memory at 16GB RAM but has the added double storage at 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD. This is one of three laptops on our list with a huge 1TB SSD storage. Most manufacturers would stick with 512GB SSD. Lastly, like the Eco mode on modern day vehicles, the onboard power management software lets you do the same with Performance, Balance, Eco and Eco+ modes to choose from. Our only reservation is the up to 7 hours battery life.

15.6-inch Full HD Display
Intel® Core™ i7-1255U Processor
16GB RAM and 1 TB SSD
Battery life: Up to 7 hours
1.8kg. 17.9 x 363.4 x 241.26 mm (H x W x D)

6. ACER Aspire 5 15.6-inch Laptop

The fourth laptop from Acer, but the second Aspire 5, this time with a bigger 15.6-inch Full HD display is the Acer Aspire 5 15.6. The last one had a 14-inch Full HD display. Design wise, it not very different. It is even powered by the same Intel Core i7-1255U processor. However, it does have the added advantage with the included discrete GPU albeit an entry level one.

You have the option of choosing the onboard Iris XE graphics or the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 graphics with dedicated 2GB graphics memory for your work or play. With a dedicated GPU and bigger display, the battery does take a hit with up to 7.5 hours battery life only on a full charge. Acer isn’t very good in the power management department given that the laptops from the company that we have seen so far manages only up to 7.5 hours battery life.

For connectivity, you get everything from WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 and up to three USB3.2 ports and 3.5mm audio jack. There is even a Thunderbolt 4 port and a HDMI 2.1 port. If that is not enough, you also get an old school Gigabit Ethernet port if you prefer to keep your data cable bound.

15.6-inch Full HD Display,
Intel® Core™ i7-1255U Processor,
16GB RAM and 512 GB SSD,
Battery Life: Up to 7.5 hours
1.8kg, 17.9 x 362.9 x 237.8 mm (H x W x D)

7. SAMSUNG Galaxy Book2 15.6-inch Laptop

With the exception of this, the Galaxy Book2 15.6-inch, all full size laptop with 15-inch laptops weighs close to 1.8kg or more. It is then a good surprise when we got our hands on the Galaxy Book2 with a 15.6-inch Full HD LED display that only weighs 1.58kg (closer to 1.6kg). That’s over 200grams lighter which is a lot if you have to lug the thing around all day everyday. It is also super slim measuring just 15.4mm thin or just over one and a half cm. Our only disappointment is with its 720p webcam. There should be a law against this.

15.6-inch Full HD Display
Intel® Core™ i7-1255U Processor
8GB RAM and 512 GB SSD
Battery Life: –
1.58kg, 15.4 x 356.6 x 229.15 mm (H x W x D)

For around 300 more, the Galaxy Book2 Pro comes with a slightly more powerful Intel® Core™ i7-1260P Processor, brighter 15.6-inch Super AMOLED display and double the memory at 16GB. It is also easily the thinnest and lightest at 11.7mm and 1.11kg respectively, up there with the LG Gram series. Oh, the Pro model also comes with a more ‘palatable’ Full HD 1080p webcam and fingerprint scanner.

Back to the Galaxy Book2, you do get modern connectivity options such as the WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, two USB Type-C ports and one USB3.2 port, HDMI output, microSD and 3.5mm jack. Finally, while the stereo speakers aren’t particularly loud, it supports Dolby Atmos surround.

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Upper mid-range Intel Core i7 Laptops between 900-1000

8. HUAWEI MateBook D16 16-inch Laptop

We love the Huawei MateBook D16, not only for the 16-inch display Full HD WUXGA display (1920 x 1200 pixels) with 16:10 aspect ratio capable of 100% SRGB but the use of the more powerful Intel Core i7-12700H processor. That CPU is combined with 16GB RAM memory and 512GB SSD storage. The display also has the smallest bezels with 90% screen to body ratio. Backed by the embedded Intel Iris XE graphics, you can even play CS:GO and League of Legends on Full HD thanks to its powerful GPU and CPU pair.

For wireless connectivity, you get WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1 while wired ports include two USB Type-C, one USB3.2 and one USB 2.0 Type A ports as well as HDMI 2.0 and 3.5mm audio jack. It doesn’t disappoint in the optics department either with a wide angle lens on a Full HD 1080p web cam equipped with quad microphones with noise cancellation. All that wrapped in a sturdy and stylish metal body weighing only 1.7kg with an onboard battery that can last up to 9 hours.

16-inch Full HD Display,
Intel® Core™ i7-12700H Processor,
16GB RAM and 512 GB SSD,
Battery life: Up to 9 hours
1.7kg, 18.4 x 356.7 x 248.7 mm (H x W x D)

If you are still not convinced, scroll back to the performance comparison chart on the top of this article and look for the tallest bar in the graph, that’s Intel® Core™ i7-12700H Processor.

9. HP ENVY 17-cr0503na 17.3-inch Laptop

This is without a double the heaviest laptop on our list, not just because it comes with a big 17.3-inch display, but one that supports touch and packs a heavy batter enough to offer up to 8 hours and 45 minutes battery life on a charge. The HP ENVY 17 won’t be the envy of your colleagues when they see you lug this hefty beast around. We would recommend this as a desktop replacement, for the occasional field work or just because you have the muscles to carry this around.

What HP got right, apart from the edge-to-edge glass covered Full HD display is the full range of connectivity powers which includes three USB 3.1 ports, one HDMI 2.1 port and two Thunderbolt 4 ports as well as 3.5 mm jack. For connectivity there is WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. There is even a microSD card reader and a super high resolution 5MP webcam that supports IR thermal imaging and can be covered up with a privacy shutter when not in use.

Lastly, if you have a display this big, you would want to enjoy a good binge of your favourite TV series or movies, and the powerful Bang & Olufson stereo speakers got you covered.

17.3-inch Full HD Touchscreen 100%sRGB
Intel® Core™ i7-1260P Processor,
16GB RAM and 512 GB SSD,
Battery life: Up to 8.5 hours
2.49kg, 19.6 x 398.2 x 259 mm (H x W x D)

10. ASUS Zenbook 14 UX3402ZA 14-inch Laptop

Another laptop with a display that supports touch but this time a sleeker 14-inch ASUS Zenbook 14. The 14-inch touchscreen packs 2.8K resolution and is based on a vibrant OLED panel with a productivity focused 16:10 aspect ratio. With ASUS’s OLED display, you benefit from a million to 1 contrast ratio, wide colour covert of 100% DCI-P3, ultra fast response time of 0.2s and up to 550 nits peak brightness should you need to work outdoor. Together the laptop only 1.4kg and measures 16.9mm thin thanks to its all aluminium chassis. Plus, there is even a fancy touchpad that doubles as a numeric keypad under that legendary ASUS’s full-size keyboard.

14-inch 2.8K (2880 x 1800pixels) OLED touchscreen 16:10 aspect ratio 100% DCI-P3, 550 nits, 90Hz refresh rate
Intel® Core™ i7-1260P Processor
16GB RAM and 1 TB SSD
Battery life: up to 10 hours
1.39kg, 220 x 314 x 16.9 mm (H x W x D)

ONE MORE: ACER Swift 3 14-inch Laptop

Acer is well-know for providing the best value for your money and even at the upper end of our 1000 budget, it manages the same. This upper mid-range Swift 3 series laptop comes with a 14-inch QuadHD display that packs 75% more details compared to Full HD displays, ultra fast Thunderbolt 4 ports, fast charging support and up to 10.5 hours battery life. It even manages to shave its weight and size down further to only 1.25kg and 16mm slim.

The spacious storage and memory will gobble up everything you throw at it and while the display is only IPS LCD, not as bright as OLED, it is plenty for movies and photo editing. It runs very quiet too and the Full HD 1080p webcam brings it bang up-to-date as an ultra portable with enough processing power from the 12 core Intel Core i7-1260P go beyond just your everyday computing tasks.