Notebook or laptop computers come in a variety of shapes and sizes just like people. Some are bigger, some are smaller, and some are somewhere in the middle. One defining trait of a laptop is the size of the display screen.
There has been a rising trend amongst manufacturers to try and shoehorn the largest screen they can fit into a portable computer. However, for most users, a 13-inch laptop hits the sweet spot between portability and usability.
Luckily for users on the hunt for a 13-inch, there is a good selection of laptops to choose from, and it all boils down to personal choice. To aid you in your search for the perfect 13-inch laptop, we’ve prepared a list of some of the best laptops you can buy in Malaysia which falls into this category.
Table of Contents
Overview
Being only 13.9mm thin, the ASUS ZenBook 13 is in fact one of the world’s first thinnest 13-inch laptops that has a full set of I/O ports. The ASUS ZenBook 13 comes with a 13.3-inch FHD display with anti-glare. With a slim bezel display design, it creates an 88% screen-to-body ratio for a more immersive viewing experience. For your comfort, this laptop has a precision-engineered ErgoLift hinge to lift the bottom of the laptop in order to tilt the keyboard for an optimum typing angle.
Asus ZenBook 13 Specs:
- CPU: Intel i5-1135G7
- GPU: Intel Iris Plus Graphics
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 512GB
- Display: 13.3' FHD 1920x1080, 16:9 Anti-Glare
- Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, microSD reader
- Weight: 1.1kg
- Dimensions: 304.2 x 203 x 13.9mm
Who is this for?
As a student, you'll want a computer that's not too light in processing power yet is reasonable enough in its value. Well, the compact, thin and ultralight ASUS ZenBook 13 is an ideal companion for your school life. It has a solid performance, amazing battery life, and also a good price.
Overview
Not surprisingly, the laptop is designed primarily for gaming. The Flow X13 comes with a 13.4-inch Full HD IPS WUXGA display with one of the thinnest and lightest laptop designs ever. As expected, the ASUS ROG Flow X13 equips the latest AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS Mobile processor and NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050, one of the best GPUs for laptops. With this powerful configuration, you'll hardly experience sluggish moments even when running heavier games and video rendering tasks.
Not only that it’s a compact gaming laptop, the Flow X13 is also a 360° convertible 2-in-1 making it the best companion for tasks that require productivity.
ASUS ROG Flow X13 Specs:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 6800H
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU
- RAM: 16GB LPDDR5
- Storage: 512GB
- Display: 13.4” FHD+ 16:10 (1920 x 1200, WUXGA), 120Hz Touch screen
- Ports: 1x ROG XG Mobile Interface, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C support DisplayPort™ / power delivery, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack
- Weight: 1.3kg
- Dimensions: 299 x 222 x 15.8 mm
Who is this for?
Gaming laptops are notorious for being bulky. Luckily, that's turning around soon. The small but powerful 2-in-1 ASUS ROG Flow X13 has made waves for its sleek body that's able to be a beast for gaming.
Overview
As always, Microsoft went all out when it comes to build quality with their devices. The brushed metal body is aesthetically appealing and doesn’t attract fingerprints. Its kickstand also feels sturdy to use, and weighing less than 900g means you can carry it comfortably anywhere.
The specs inside are nothing to scoff at either, since the Intel Core i5-1135G7 is a serious powerhouse of a processor that’s capable of running on low consumption, saving you precious battery life. For photographers who want an editing machine for their photos, you’ll be pleased with the color accuracy of the 1080p panel.
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Specs:
- CPU: Intel Core i5-1135G7
- GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 128GB SSD
- Display: 13” HDR (2880 x 1920 pixels), 120Hz
- Ports: 2x USB-C with USB 4.0/Thunderbolt 4, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack, 1x Surface Connect port, Surface Type Cover port
- Weight: 0.9kg
- Dimensions: 287 x 208 x 9.3 mm
Who is this for?
Microsoft is arguably the best when it comes to 2-in-1 laptops, from their premium build quality to their excellent Windows experience, so there’s a lot to like with the Microsoft Surface 8 Pro. In fact, photographers looking for their next Lightroom machine might want to consider this.
Overview
The best thing about this 13 inch laptop isn’t for its thin form factor, its excellent FullHD display, or its large display. Don’t get us wrong, those are all great features, but the one thing that makes it stand out is its 5th Gen Ryzen 5 processor, capable of running all the things you need it to but utilising an integrated graphics leagues ahead of Intel’s.
One great thing about Ryzen laptops, beyond their superior integrated graphics over Intel, is the low wattage power consumption. This means the 13 inch HP Pavilion Aero Laptop can last you quite a while before needing to charge.
HP Pavilion Aero Laptop Specs:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600U
- GPU: AMD Radeon Graphics
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Display: 13.3-inch WQXGA 2560x1600 (400 nits)
- Ports: 1 SuperSpeed USB Type-C 10Gbps signalling rate USB Power Delivery, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, HP Sleep and Charge, 2 SuperSpeed USB Type-A 5Gbps signalling rate, 1x headphone/microphone combo, 1x AC smart pin, 1x HDMI 2.0
- Weight: 0.94kg
- Dimensions: 297 x 209 x 16.9 mm
Who is this for?
For those of us who are not privy to carrying a huge charger with us every time we go out with our laptop for fear of it running out of juice before the end of the day, you might want to consider the 13 inch HP Pavilion Aero Laptop.
Overview
Being the second generation to possess a CPU that's designed by Apple, the M2 chip excels in performance and power efficiency. The base variant comes with a respectable 8GB unified memory and 256GB SSD, which is upgradeable to 512GB, 1TB and 2TB. You are able to achieve up to 18 hours of battery life when running Apple TV app movie playback on the MacBook Air on a single charge.
Apple MacBook Air (M2) Specs:
- CPU: Apple M2
- GPU: 8-core GPU
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 256GB , 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
- Display: 13.6-inch, IPS Liquid Retina Display (2560x1664 native resolution)
- Ports: 2x Thunderbolt / USB-4, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack
- Weight: 1.24kg
- Dimensions: 304.1 x 215 x 11.3 mm
Who is this for?
Do you enjoy a simple operating system with timely software updates? If you do, you may want to consider the Apple MacBook Air 13" 2022. Even though the price tag is above RM4,000, it's still worth considering especially if you prefer the macOS.
Why It’s Our Top Pick
The latest Dell XPS 13 (9310) manages to make its predecessor proud. Starting with its good balance of a sweet design and performance, it can deliver enough power to drive CPU/GPU demanding software and games. In short, it is an ideal laptop with an all-rounder performance.
Overview
This generation sees its performance powered by a 12th-generation Intel Core i5, which is further boosted with 8GB RAM + 512GB SSD. While the former is more than enough for most average users, it would be nice if the memory isn’t the soldered type.
Besides that, the 13.4” FHD+ bezel-less display is vibrant while offering more viewing space for better productivity. Plus, it weighs just 1.17 kg, with its overall build sturdy yet thin and lightweight.
Dell XPS 13 (9310) Specs
- CPU: Intel Core i5-1230U
- GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 512GB, 1TB
- Display: 13.4” FHD (1920x1200p), 500 nits
- Ports: 2 Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C) with DisplayPort and Power Delivery
- Weight: 1.17kg
- Dimensions: 295.4 x 199.4 x 13.99 mm
Who is this for?
With the Dell XPS 13”, this is a solid workhorse for handling intensive programs. The battery life is a star too, being able to clock up to 14 hours. Its keyboard is just as great, being evenly spaced and tactile. In terms of gaming, the Intel Iris Xe Graphics can run AAA titles when graphic settings are tweaked to medium-to-low levels so overall, it’s a good choice for anybody looking for a laptop.
Overview
The Acer Spin 3 has a 2-in-1, 13.3-inch touchscreen with a WQXGA display. It has a high pixel density and can support resolution up to 2560x1600, bringing images to life.
With the touchscreen, you can slide across it smoothly without any delay input. Writing and sketching on the screen is also easier thanks to the built-in Acer Active Stylus.
Specification wise, the Acer Spin 3 has an 11th generation Intel Core i5 processor that works hand-in-hand with 8GB RAM and 512GB SSD. So rest assured that you can run basic computing tasks without any hassle.
Acer Spin 3 Specs:
- CPU: Intel i5-1135G7
- GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 512GB
- Display: 13.3" IPS display, 2560 x 1600, multi-touch support
- Ports: 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI, microSD card reader, 3.5mm headphone jack
- Weight: 1.4kg
- Dimensions: 302 x 222.5 x 15.9 mm
Who is this for?
Prefer to work in both clamshell and tablet mode? The Acer Spin 3 is the best for you, bearing a large responsive touch screen and a stylus pen to make things more convenient for you. You can get into detail with creative work thanks to the high resolution.
Overview
Just like the premium air that Microsoft brings to its laptops for work, we aren't surprised that this model sports the same lightweight chassis. That means it has high portability and is perfect for programmers on-the-go.
Its 13.5-inch PixelSense display can support a high resolution of up to 2256x1504. In case you need simpler and faster navigation, this laptop comes with a touch display option. As it utilises the latest 11th-generation Intel Core i7, it can manage basic tasks such as web browsing to heavier ones like professional software and programming. Multitasking is effortless as it packs 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD under the hood.
Microsoft Surface 4 Specs:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 4680U
- GPU: Radeon Graphics Microsoft Surface Edition
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 256GB
- Display: 13.5” PixelSense Display (2256 x 1504), multi-touch support
- Ports: 1x USB-C, 1x USB-A, 3.5mm headphone jack, 1x Surface Connect Port
- Weight: 1.26kg
- Dimensions: 308 x 223 x 14.5 mm
Who is this for?
The Microsoft Surface 4 is the perfect programming machine for both beginners and experts alike. If you're going to be disappointed, it'll likely be over the syntax errors in your coding and not the laptop itself.