Buying Guide: 5 of the Smallest Core i7 Laptops

Buying Guide: 5 of the Smallest Core i7 Laptops
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Small Core i7 Laptops

Normally, Core i7 laptops are very large. However, the newer dual-core Core i7 processors are now small enough and efficient enough to fit into laptops 13" and below. As a result, a host of the smallest Core i7 laptops are now available. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular options.

Alienware M11x

Among one of the smallest Core i7 laptops is the Alienware M11x–it’s also the smallest gaming laptop ever made. It packs a Nvidia Geforce GT335M graphics processor, making it possible to enjoy the most modern games at medium detail settings. The Alienware M11x can manage about 5 hours of light real-world usage. It is chunky, however, and weighs over 4 pounds. This makes it less than ideal for usage as an ultra-portable laptop.

The M11x with a Core i7 processor starts at about $1100.

Screenshot by author courtesy of Dell

Acer Aspire TimeLineX AS1830T

Small Core i7 Laptop

The Acer TimeLine series is the company’s line of ultra-portable mid-range products. These laptops are well known for long battery life, and this model manages up to 6 hours of real-world usage (Acer claims 8 hours, but I doubt you’ll receive it). This laptop packs the high-end Core i7 680UM, which runs at a clock speed of 1.46 GHz, yet it weighs only a tad over three pounds and has an 11.6" display.

The Acer Aspire TimeLineX AS1830T typically sells for around $700 at Amazon.

Screenshot by author courtesy of Amazon.

Fujitsu LifeBook P770

Fujitsu LifeBook P770

This 12.1" inch ultra-portable from Fujitsu is certainly among the smallest Core i7 laptops available. Unfortunately, it doesn’t keep pace with the competition. Although it does have a Core i7 640UM processor running at a stock speed of 1.2 GHz, it only has 2GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive. In addition to this, it is priced much higher than better equipped competitors.

The Fujitsu LifeBook P770 retails for around $1500.

Screenshot by author courtesy of Amazon.

Toshiba Portege R700

Core i7 Laptop

The Toshiba Portege is a 13.3" ultra-portable targeted toward business travelers. The high-end Core i7 models feature a Core i7 620M with a clock speed of 2.66 GHz. This model also comes with a 128GB solid state hard drive. This combination is massively quick, yet the laptop only weighs three pounds and obtains up to six hours of real-world battery life (Toshiba claims 8 hours, but again, that will be hard to manage).

The Toshiba Portege R700 retails for $1500.

Screenshot by author courtesy of Amazon.

Sony Vaio Z

Sony Vaio Z

The Sony Vaio Z has been around for awhile now, and it has consistently been among the most impressive ultra-portables. The latest models can be equipped with the Core i7 640M processor, which has a clock speed of 2.8 GHz. A 128GB solid state hard drive is standard, as is Nvidia Geforce GT 330M graphics and a 1600x900 display. That’s a lot of hardware, but despite the specs, Sony manages to cram it all into a 13.1" laptop that weighs three pounds.

The Sony Vaio Z with the Core i7 option starts at $2149.99.

Screenshot by author courtesy of Sony Style.