Andrei Girbea, author at Ultrabookreview.com

Andrei Girbea

Andrei Girbea is a Writer and Editor-in-Chief here at Ultrabookreview.com. I write about mobile technology, laptops and computers in general. I've been doing it for more than 15 years now. I'm a techie with a Bachelor's in Computer Engineering. I mostly write reviews and thorough guides here on the site, with some occasional columns and first-impression articles.

  • Andrei Girbea - April 30, 2024

    This is my review of the top-specced configuration of the 2024 Asus ROG Zephyrus G16, the GU605MY variant that bundles a Core Ultra 9 processor, 32 GB of LPDDR5x RAM, and Nvidia RTX 4090 graphics. I’ve covered the mid-tier Zephyrus G16 Core Ultra 7...

  • Andrei Girbea - February 21, 2024

    This is my detailed review of the 2024 Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605 lineup of premium performance portable laptops. In this article we’re mostly discussing a mid-tier configuration of this series, built on an Intel Core Ultra 7 platform with RTX 4070 graphics. However,...

  • Andrei Girbea - August 5, 2024

    This is my detailed review of the 2024 Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UX3405 series. The reviewed configuration is the new Zenbook 14 UX3405MA variant, with an Intel Core Ultra processor and Intel Arc graphics, the latest Meteor Lake hardware platform available from Intel. For...

  • Andrei Girbea - March 15, 2024

    This is our detailed review of the latest generation of the Asus ROG Flow X13 series, in the GV302XV variant built on AMD Ryzen 9 7000 and Nvidia RTX 4000 hardware. We’ve reviewed the previous variants of the Flow X13 series, and this 2023/2024...

  • Andrei Girbea - May 27, 2024

    Among other, Asus are updating their Zenbook 14 and Zenbook S 13 lineups of thin-and-light laptops for 2024, and we’re going to discuss the important changes in this article. I have reviewed all the previous Zenbook generations over the years, as well as already...

  • Andrei Girbea - March 16, 2024

    This article explains what “Intel Evo” means and lists all the important laptops with Intel Evo Edition certification that are currently available in stores, as of the first half of 2024. Plus, we’re briefly going over a selection of what we consider the best...

  • Andrei Girbea - January 11, 2024

    In this article we’re discussing the 2024 refresh of the Dell XPS series, specifically the new Dell XPS 16 9640 model that replaces the previous XPS 15 and XPS 17 lineups. For 2024, Dell introduce this XPS 16 as their new all purpose 16-inch...

  • Andrei Girbea - December 4, 2024

    Lenovo are updating their entire range of Legion and LOQ performance and gaming laptops for 2024, and while there are some brand new models launching this year, most of their offer still consists of hardware refreshes of the 2023 generations. Among those, the 2024...

  • Andrei Girbea - January 9, 2024

    A while back I reviewed a handful of foldable OLED devices, namely the Asus Zenbook Fold and the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold 2, and greatly appreciated their versatility as travel/work computers. In the meantime, both Asus and Lenovo seem to have taken a step...

  • Andrei Girbea - April 29, 2024

    In this article we’re going over the 2024 updates of the Asus ROG Strix Scar and ROG Strix G lineups of full-size performance and gaming laptops. We’ve already reviewed all these models in their 2023 generations, and since these were at the time brand...

  • Andrei Girbea - February 20, 2024

    In this article we’re discussing the latest generation of the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 series, the 2024 GU605 lineup. This Zephyrus G16 is pretty much and oversized Zephyrus G14, as the two share an unified design this year. At the same time, Asus are...

  • Andrei Girbea - June 10, 2024

    In this article we’re discussing the latest generation of the popular Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 series, the 2024 GU403U model. This time around, Asus are steering clear of the design lines of their previous G14 iterations, transitioning to a device oriented more towards professionals...

  • Andrei Girbea - December 4, 2024

    Among the novelties for this year, Lenovo are updating their premium tiers of Yoga ultraportables for 2024, and in this article we’re discussing the new Yoga Pro 9i and Yoga 9i 2-in-1. The Yoga Pro 9i gen 9 is a creator-aimed 16-inch thin-and-light performance...

  • Andrei Girbea - January 9, 2024

    The Lenovo Legion 7i and Legion 5i are new Legion lineups for 2024, although Lenovo’s lineup is becoming more and more confusing every year. That’s because Lenovo offered a Legion 5 series of budget-tier mainstream laptops until 2022, which they discontinued in 2023, and...

  • Andrei Girbea - December 4, 2024

    In this article we go over the 2024 updates in the Lenovo Yoga/Slim lineups of ultraportable laptops, including the Yoga/Slim Pro 7i and Pro 7, the Yoga Slim 7i and the IdeaPad Slim 5i. There’s also a Slim Pro 9i 2024 update, which we’ve...

  • Andrei Girbea - January 7, 2024

    Acer are updating their popular lineups of Swift Go and Swift X portable laptops for 2024, and down below we’ll discuss the specs and important particularities and updates of these generations. The 2024 Acer Swift Gos are available as the Swift Go 14 (SFG14-73)...

  • Andrei Girbea - June 10, 2024

    In this article we’re discussing the mid-sized 2024 Dell XPS series, the Dell XPS 14 9440. Dell decided to bring back the 14-inch XPS after many years of not offering an option in this class, and this replaces the XPS 13 Plus model and...

  • Andrei Girbea - January 31, 2024

    In this article we’re discussing the compact 2024 Dell XPS 13 9340 model, the smallest XPS laptop available as part of the early-2024 XPS lineup. Unlike the XPS 14 and XPS 16, which are brand new devices for this year, the 2024 XPS 13...

  • Andrei Girbea - April 30, 2024

    Table of ContentsThe Best portable 13-inch gaming laptops and ultrabooksAsus ROG Flow X13, ROG Flow Z13 – most powerful 13-inch gaming computersRazer Blade Stealth 13 – the premium all-arounderThe best 14-inch gaming laptops – lightweight and well-balancedRazer Blade 14 – most powerful 14-inch laptopAsus...

  • Andrei Girbea - February 1, 2024

    In this article, we’re discussing the lightest laptops and ultrabooks currently available in stores. A laptop’s overall weight is one of my main concerns when shopping for a highly portable computer, the kind I’ll constantly grab along to work or school or during my...

  • Andrei Girbea - April 22, 2024

    Table of ContentsWhat is a mini laptop in 2024?Affordable 11-inch small laptops & 2-in-1 hybridsChromebooks – snappy and with excellent battery lifeAcer Chromebook Spin 311 2-in-1 small laptopLenovo Chromebook Flex 11 2-in-1 mini laptopLenovo Chromebook Duet mini-tabletThe best Windows-based 11-inch small notebooksPremium 11-inch laptopsThe...

  • Andrei Girbea - January 11, 2024

    Among others, Asus are quietly updating their TUF Gaming series of budget performance laptops for 2024, and we’re going to briefly discuss the novelties in this article. Both the new 2024 TUF models are 16-inch full-size designs, available as the: TUF Gaming A16 FA607...

  • Andrei Girbea - September 5, 2024

    In this article, we’re discussing fanless laptops and silent Windows ultrabooks and Chromebooks, or in other words, laptops with passive cooling solutions, without a fan that spins and makes noise. You’ll find quite a few different laptops without a fan available in stores, and...

  • Andrei Girbea - December 4, 2024

    This is our detailed review of the mid-2023 8th-generation update of the Lenovo Legion Pro 7 series, in the Legion Pro 7i variant built on 13th-gen Intel Core HX hardware and Nvidia RTX 4000 graphics. The Pro 7i is the top-tier performance and gaming...

  • Andrei Girbea - December 4, 2024

    This is my detailed review of the Lenovo Legion 9i series, the highest-tier Legion laptop available as of the end of 2023. You probably know what to expect from this series by now, which is Lenovo’s take on a somewhat portable high-performance laptop, and...

  • Andrei Girbea - January 11, 2024

    Table of ContentsThe Thinnest and Lightest 14-inch and 15-inch laptopsThe best-value all-around 15/14-inch laptopsAffordable optionsPremium optionsGaming and high-performance 15/14-inch laptopsPortable 15-inch and 14-inch business laptopsWrap up – what’s the best lightweight 14/15inch laptop? While you’ll find many excellent compact ultrabooks out there, some of...

  • Andrei Girbea - June 10, 2024

    This is my detailed review of the Asus Zenbook Pro 14 UX6404 series, in its mid-2023 generation. We’ve discussed this series earlier in the year, when I got to preview it for a brief time, and that experience left me excited about this addition...

  • Andrei Girbea - February 1, 2024

    This is my detailed review of the Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 generation, a lightweight and portable 16-inch laptop built on a modern AMD Ryzen U hardware platform. I’ve reviewed a previous version of the Swift Edge in the past, and this updated model...

  • Andrei Girbea - January 11, 2024

    Table of ContentsBest-value laptops under $1000 in 2024Portable ultrabooks under $1000Good-value performance ultraportables around 1000 USD/EURGaming notebooks under $1000Best affordable laptops under $500 in 2024Full-size cheap laptops under $500Budget ultrabooks (10 to 14-inch) under $500ChromebooksCompact Cheap Windows laptopsWrap up Looking for a good-value laptop...

  • Andrei Girbea - February 1, 2024

    Table of ContentsBest affordable ultrabooks and laptops for schoolMid-tier affordable school laptopsPremium lightweight laptops for school and college studentsApple MacBooksSurface laptops, Dell XPS 13 and HP Envy 13/Spectre x360Asus ZenBooks and VivoBooksLenovo ThinkPads and YogasThe best all-purpose school laptopsAsus ROG Flow X13 and Flow...