LAS VEGAS—At first glance, the Asus ExpertBook Ultra looks almost too restrained to be interesting—a whisper-thin, buttoned-up business laptop that seems content to disappear quietly into a briefcase or portfolio. Then you pick it up, flip it open, and realize hey, something’s going on here.
This 2.1-pound (0.99-kilogam) machine is improbably light, barely thicker than a stack of business cards, yet it’s loaded like a no-compromises flagship: a full array of ports, a powerful new Intel Core Ultra 300-series CPU (“Panther Lake,” also new at CES 2026), premium materials that feel closer to aerospace than office supply, and a display so good it invites direct comparisons to Apple’s best.
The ExpertBook Ultra isn’t just another thin-and-light—it’s Asus showing how far modern laptop engineering can be pushed when weight, power, durability, and polish all have to coexist in an extra-slim chassis. We dubbed Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 the most consequential laptop of CES 2026 for its bold steps into repairability. But the Asus ExpertBook Ultra deserves a beauty crown—and maybe more.
Crazy Thin: The Asus ExpertBook Ultra Is a Slice of ‘Panther Lake’ Goodness
Design: ‘Nano Ceramic’ May Sound Fake, But It’s Really Nice
The body of the ExpertBook Ultra measures just under 11mm thick, but it feels stiff like sheet steel. For a laptop of that thinness and light weight to feel rigid and be abuse-proof, clever materials science had to come into play. The body panels here are made of magnesium-aluminum alloy but treated with a special coating, which Asus dubs Nano Ceramic, for enhanced hardness, scratch resistance, and rigidity. The result is a laptop that exhibits almost no flex under strain, even when torquing the opposite corners of the lid.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
As you can see in our photos, the body panels have a matte finish and come in dark and light greys: Morning Grey and Jet Fog. The Nano Ceramic coating is not only about ruggedness; it resists fingerprints well. We tried smudging it, to no avail. It may sound like another dubious made-up material (Asus is also to thank for “Ceraluminum”), but this hardened surface feels like it actually brings the goods.
Looking around the chassis, you’ll likely be surprised to see such a wealth of ports on a dead-thin laptop like this. You get two Thunderbolt/Type-C ports (one on each side of the laptop), which support data transfer, video output, and charging. You also get two ordinary USB Type-A ports, one on either side, and a full-size HDMI output on the left side, alongside a headphone jack. The USB-A and HDMI ports are especially appreciated for ensuring compatibility with older peripherals without the need for dongles.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The edge of the ExpertBook Ultra is thickened in places to accommodate the larger ports (like the USB-A and HDMI, vertically). Even so, Asus did a great job of equipping this machine with some serious connectivity features without bloating the chassis.
The Display and Keyboard: Gorilla in Tandem
The panel on this 14-inch laptop is one of its highlights and indeed is one for the ages. The machine uses Tandem OLED, a derivative of OLED screen tech that implements the panel as two discrete OLED layers. Doing so reduces the thermal strain on each layer, allowing for cooler running and ostensibly longer lifespans. The front of the panel is coated with a version of Corning’s Gorilla Glass called Gorilla Glass Victus, which is seen in some smartphones and isn’t a standard laptop material.
The panel’s native resolution is 3K (2,880 by 1,800 pixels) with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. To the naked eye, it looks brilliant even though the panel isn’t glossy. Indeed, what may be most impressive is the antiglare treatment that Asus has applied. The panel is micro-etched, similar to Apple’s MacBooks, and the surfacing worked very well, effectively thwarting glare in a challenging demo space with high overhead lights that neither Asus nor we could control. Additionally, the display is a touch screen.
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(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Key travel is decent on this model, with just enough snap to satisfy. We’d have appreciated full-size up and down arrow keys, or an isolated arrow-key cluster, but this keyboard is a significant plus in a laptop this thin. The touchpad is a winner, too, but for different reasons: It’s big for this size of laptop. It employs effective haptic feedback, as well, making for an even more rigid feel; the pad doesn’t rock when pressed.
CPU and Graphics Performance: Immersed in ‘Panther Lake’
Underneath the faux-ceramic shell, the ExpertBook Ultra is powered by Intel’s “Panther Lake” Core Ultra 300 series. Asus notes that this is a 50-watt implementation, which is a surprising amount of power to pack into a chassis this thin. Users can configure the device with up to a Panther Lake Core Ultra X9, which boasts a 12-core GPU. (Lesser configurations use the Core Ultra X7 with the same GPU.) The system also, surprisingly, supports high-throughput PCI Express 5.0 SSDs.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Early returns suggest that the level of integrated graphics performance from Core Ultra X9 is almost unheard of, especially in a 2.1-pound machine. If that pans out in testing, the ExpertBook Ultra might be able to handle demanding tasks that would typically require a much bulkier laptop. To support the latest Microsoft AI innovations, if you’re convinced by them, the machine also includes a dedicated Microsoft Copilot key, fully supporting the Copilot+ suite of features.
Recommended by Our Editors
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Fitting high-performance components, such as a CPU configured for 50W TDP and a PCIe Express 5 SSD, into such a thin frame presents a significant thermal challenge. PCIe 5 drives, in particular, are known for running at high temperatures. To solve this, Asus engineers developed a positive airflow chassis.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The cooling system uses three heat pipes and significantly upsized fans to move air efficiently. To save PCB space, the RAM is tucked underneath the SSD. Also, despite the larger-than-usual fans taking up significant internal volume, Asus fit a more compact, denser 70Whr battery. This was achieved through some advanced battery chemistry, ensuring the size of the battery didn’t have to be sacrificed for the cooling system.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
An Early Conclusion? This Is a Thin One to Watch
Asus will offer models of the ExpertBook Ultra with 32GB or 64GB of RAM, and 1TB or 2TB SSDs. (Although the system supports PCIe 5.0, it ships with a 4.0 SSD.) Intel hasn’t yet detailed vPro versions of the Core Ultra 300 quite yet, so the ExpertBook Ultra may not be ready for prime time out of the gate for some enterprise deployments, though it does support a host of rapid-deployment and BIOS-security features.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Even so, based on my hands-on experience, this machine appears poised to provide the ruggedness required for commercial use through its ceramic coating and Gorilla Glass screen, making it a great pick for frequent-traveling executives looking for a sweet-spot, eye-appealing machine that can withstand a few licks. Additionally, the power of a 12-core GPU, the visual brilliance of the 3K Tandem OLED panel, and an advanced thermal design make this ExpertBook appear to be the current pinnacle of mobile engineering for shoppers who are always chasing the latest.
Discriminating buyers should look out for the ExpertBook Ultra sometime in Q2. We’re still waiting on pricing, but for professionals who demand machines as powerful as portable, this is a key business laptop to watch. Stay tuned for our full review in the coming weeks—we can’t wait to test it and see if the shine lasts.
About Our Expert
John Burek
Executive Editor and PC Labs Director
Experience
I have been a technology journalist for almost 30 years and have covered just about every kind of computer gear—from the 386SX to 64-core processors—in my long tenure as an editor, a writer, and an advice columnist. For almost a quarter-century, I worked on the seminal, gigantic Computer Shopper magazine (and later, its digital counterpart), aka the phone book for PC buyers, and the nemesis of every postal delivery person. I was Computer Shopper’s editor in chief for its final nine years, after which much of its digital content was folded into PCMag.com. I also served, briefly, as the editor in chief of the well-known hard-core tech site Tom’s Hardware.
During that time, I’ve built and torn down enough desktop PCs to equip a city block’s worth of internet cafes. Under race conditions, I’ve built PCs from bare-board to bootup in under 5 minutes. I never met a screwdriver I didn’t like.
I was also a copy chief and a fact checker early in my career. (Editing and polishing technical content to make it palatable for consumer audiences is my forte.) I also worked as an editor of scholarly science books, and as an editor of “Dummies”-style computer guidebooks for Brady Books (now, BradyGames). I’m a lifetime New Yorker, a graduate of New York University’s journalism program, and a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
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