ASUS ExpertBook Ultra Review: Insanely Light, Surprisingly Powerful

At just around 990 grams and 10.9mm thin, this is one of the lightest premium business laptops right now. But despite that, it still packs Intel Core Ultra hardware, a stunning OLED display, strong thermals, and surprisingly powerful speakers. Also Read: HP OmniBook Ultra Review: A Premium AI Laptop That Gets Most Things Right

That said, this is clearly a niche machine. It’s built for executives, frequent travellers, and professionals who prioritize portability just as much as raw performance. And at its premium pricing, there are definitely a few compromises worth talking about.
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Design & Build: Ridiculously Light, Yet Surprisingly Tough

The first thing you notice about the ExpertBook Ultra is honestly the weight. Or rather… the lack of it. At roughly 990 grams for the lighter OLED variant and around 1.1kg for the Tandem OLED model, this genuinely feels unreal when you pick it up for the first time. Also Read: AI vs Doctors: Harvard Study shows 67% accuracy in emergency trials

ASUS is using an aerospace-grade magnesium alloy chassis along with CNC machining, and despite being ultra light, the laptop doesn’t feel fragile at all.

In fact, the build quality is probably one of the strongest aspects of this machine. The lid barely flexes, the hinge feels sturdy, and the overall construction gives proper premium flagship ultrabook vibes. ASUS has also added what it calls a ”Nano Ceramic” coating, which is designed to resist scratches, smudges, and stains much better than traditional finishes.

And honestly, it does help. Fingerprints stay surprisingly controlled, and the matte texture feels premium without becoming slippery. The laptop also passes MIL-STD-810H durability testing, supports pressure resistance testing, and ASUS even demonstrated it tolerating close to 100kg of pressure over the panel area.

That said, because the chassis is extremely thin and lightweight, some users may still prefer the denser, more ”solid block” feel of something like a MacBook Pro.

Display: Easily One of the Best Laptop Displays Right Now

The display on the ExpertBook Ultra is genuinely excellent. The higher-end variant uses a 14-inch 3K Tandem OLED panel with support for up to 120Hz refresh rate, HDR1000 certification, Dolby Vision, and excellent color accuracy.

And unlike many glossy OLED laptops that become mirrors under bright lights, ASUS has used Gorilla Glass Matte protection here. This makes a much bigger difference than expected. Reflections are dramatically lower, outdoor visibility improves noticeably, and long work sessions feel more comfortable on the eyes. The matte coating also avoids the grainy effect that many anti-glare panels suffer from.

But there’s one thing worth mentioning. While the refresh rate technically supports higher modes depending on the panel variant, this still isn’t a gaming-focused laptop. Motion looks smooth, but hardcore gamers expecting gaming-laptop level response tuning may still prefer dedicated gaming machines.

Performance: Surprisingly Powerful for a Sub-1kg Laptop

This is where the ExpertBook Ultra becomes genuinely impressive. ASUS has packed Intel Core Ultra Series processors here with Intel Arc graphics, up to 64GB LPDDR5X RAM, and extremely fast Gen5 SSD storage.

And unlike many ultrathin laptops that throttle aggressively under load, ASUS has actually spent serious effort on cooling. The laptop uses a dual-fan ExpertCool Pro thermal system capable of sustaining up to 50W performance in turbo mode.

In real-world usage, the difference is noticeable. Multitasking feels effortless, Chrome tabs don’t slow the system down, editing workloads run comfortably, and even heavier productivity tasks like Photoshop, Lightroom, coding, presentations, or 4K media workflows are handled surprisingly well for a machine this thin.

But again, there are compromises. The Intel Arc integrated graphics are powerful for an ultrabook, but this still won’t replace proper dedicated GPU laptops for heavy 3D rendering, AAA gaming, or advanced video production workflows. And because of the ultra-thin design, performance under continuous stress loads can still fluctuate more compared to thicker workstations.

Keyboard & Trackpad: Surprisingly Comfortable

Typing experience is genuinely excellent here. ASUS has used 1.5mm key travel with a soft-touch comfort coating, and the keyboard feels tactile, quiet, and comfortable for long sessions.

The backlighting also looks clean and evenly distributed. The large glass haptic touchpad is another highlight. It feels smooth, responsive, and premium. The haptic implementation isn’t quite MacBook-level yet, but it’s definitely among the better Windows haptic trackpads available right now.

Audio & Webcam Experience

Audio performance is surprisingly good for an ultrathin business laptop. The six-speaker setup delivers clear vocals, decent bass and immersive sound for movies, YouTube and casual music listening. The AI noise-cancelling microphones also work well during meetings.

The webcam is decent too with reliable quality for video calls and fast Windows Hello support, but honestly, it still doesn’t reach the consistency and natural image quality that MacBooks currently offer.

Battery Life: Strong, But Not Magical

Battery performance is solid overall. The 70Wh battery combined with Intel’s efficiency improvements delivers genuinely good endurance for productivity-focused usage. ASUS claims up to 24 hours under certain conditions.

Ports: Thankfully, No Dongle Madness

One thing ASUS absolutely got right here is port selection.

Despite the ultra-thin profile, you still get Thunderbolt 4 ports. USB-A ports, HDMI 2.1, Headphone jack. And honestly, this matters a lot in daily usage.

Final Verdict

The ASUS ExpertBook Ultra feels like a business ultrabook designed by people who genuinely understand the everyday pain points of professionals. It combines an incredibly lightweight sub-1kg design with strong performance, excellent battery life, a gorgeous matte OLED display, surprisingly good speakers, and a practical selection of ports without relying on dongles for everything.

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That said, it isn’t perfect. The webcam is good but still falls short of what MacBooks offer, and at a starting price of ₹2,39,990, this is firmly an ultra-premium machine. In fact, it competes directly with laptops like the MacBook Pro, which naturally raises expectations. But if portability is your top priority and you want flagship-level productivity performance without carrying a heavy workstation, the ExpertBook Ultra is easily one of the most impressive business laptops available right now.