Table of Contents
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 we’ll list them all based on screen size, weight, the hardware inside, and their pricing. We’ll also cover what we consider to be the best fanless designs available at the time of this update, and explain why we made those choices based on our reviews and experience.
Now, there’s one obvious reason why you’ll want a fanless laptop: it’s going to be noiseless and completely silent, especially as the passively cooled hardware is also paired with quiet SSD storage in most units. Older fanless machines, especially among the more affordable options, used to come with spinning HDDs, but even those could be upgraded in order to deliver what the fanless consumers desire: a quiet laptop experience, similar to what you’re getting with tablets or phones.
But there are a few other reasons, such as the fact that fanless designs are normally thin and lightweight as well, thus excellent for traveling and lugging around every day to work or school, plus the fact that without any moving parts inside, you won’t have to concern yourselves with vibrations or anything that can negatively impact your daily-use experience with the device.
At the same time, it’s important to understand that the majority of fanless laptops available these days are built on lower-power hardware platforms compared to the actively-cooled designs. So while the modern options can handle everyday tasks just fine, these fanless computers are not meant for serious multitasking or the more demanding chores you might want to perform on a modern laptop (editing videos and photos, gaming, running programming software, etc.). But there are some exceptions to the rule, with the newer hardware platforms, as you’ll see in a bit.
On top of that, you’ll also have to be aware of the two major classes of fanless laptops available in stores: premium designs, such as MacBook Airs or the Surface Pro X or the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold, and affordable options available in various sizes, from mini-laptops such as the Asus L210 up to 15 and 17-inch all-around models from Dell or HP. We’ll discuss them all further down.
We’ll also talk a bit more about the fanless hardware platforms available at this very moment, towards the end of the post, so you’ll understand exactly what to expect from each of them. In a few words though, if you’re reading this article in 2023 or later, Intel Celeron/Pentium specs are the ones to get if you’re shopping on a budget, with some premium fanless Intel Core models and especially a handful of newer ARM-based implementations in the higher-tier products, either Chromebooks or fully fledged laptops running macOS or Windows.
Fanless laptop designs: No fans + No spinning HDD = no noise
For now, these are the available fanless laptops and ultra-portables. Click the links on each product’s name for more details and reviews, as well as the links in the Price column for the latest offers and discounts on the ones that you’re interested in.
Going with a fanless laptop normally translates into a compromise in performance and/or thermals. These options here are, however, pretty much the best money can get you in a fanless and completely silent product.
They’re very different between the various models, and I’d suggest further research to understand which is the right choice for you. You’ll find a couple of older Core devices running either Windows or ChromeOS, a couple of premium ARM-based devices running the ARM-version of Windows and compatible apps, you’ll find the excellent MacBook Air M1 and M2 running MacOS, as well as a few Windows laptops built on powerful Intel Core U hardware, such as the Huawei Matebook X and the ThinkPad X1 Fold.
If you’re willing to spend around 700-800 USD/EUR or your local equivalent on this sort of premium fanless laptop, the excellently balanced and long-lasting Apple MacBook Air M1 built on Apple silicon is still one of the go-to options in this segment, as significantly more affordable than the newer Air 13-inch M2/M3, and more powerful than the very few available Windows options with similar capabilities, such as the portable Huawei MateBook X (reviewed here).
Other options to consider in the Windows space are the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 and the Microsoft Surface Pro 7/7+, even if these are rather old these days. These Surface tablets are fanless in their Core i3/i5 configurations. Those are older generations Intel platforms, but should still do fine for everyday use and daily multitasking. The newer Surface models are no longer fanless in any configurations.
This aside, on the more budget-friendly side, Chuwi makes a few interesting laptops without fans, built on low-power platforms and with small batteries, but otherwise with beautiful screens and premium designs. They’re worth a look, just make sure you buy them from stores with good warranty services and return policies. Update: Make sure to double check this, as some of the more recent Chuwi updates are no longer fanless, while previous generations were. See the comments section for details.
Furthermore, the Microsoft Surface Pro X and the Lenovo ThinkPad X13s are interesting options as well, as ARM-based Windows devices, just make sure you’re OK with the strong points and the quirks associated with the still finicky ARM-Windows duo.
| Model | Type | Screen | Hardware | Weight | Price |
| Acer Swift 7 | Windows, clamshell | 14.0″ IPS FHD touch | Amber Lake Core Y, 32 Wh | .9 kg / 2 lbs | $1599 |
| Apple MacBook Air M1 | MacOS, clamshell | 13.3″ IPS retina glossy | Apple M1, 49.9 Wh | 1.29 kg / 2.7 lbs | $899 |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M2 | MacOS, clamshell | 13.6″ IPS retina wide-gamut | Apple M2, 52.6 Wh | 1.24 kg / 2.7 lbs | $1099 |
| Apple MacBook Air 15 M2 | MacOS, clamshell | 15.3″ IPS retina wide-gamut | Apple M2, 66.5 Wh | 1.5 kg / 3.3 lbs | $1299 |
| Asus Chromebook Flip C434 | Chromebook, convertible | 14″ IPS FHD touch | Amber Lake Core Y, 48 Wh | 1.45 kg / 3.2 lbs | $479 |
| Asus NovaGo | Windows on ARM, clamshell | 13.3″ IPS FHD touch | Qualcomm 845, 52 Wh | 1.4 kg / 3.1 lbs | $999 |
| Chuwi MiniBook X | Windows, convertible | 10.6″ IPS FHD+ touch | Alder Lake Pentium, 29 Wh | .92 kg / 2 lbs | $399 |
| Chuwi CoreBook X | Windows, clamshell | 14.0″ IPS 3:2 2K | Alder Lake Core i5 U, 46Wh | 1.36 kg / 3 lbs | $599 |
| Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 | Windows, tablet + folio | 13″ 3.2K IPS touch | Alder Lake Core U, 49.5 Wh | .76 kg / 1.6 lbs, plus keyboard |
$999 |
| Google Pixelbook | Chromebook, convertible | 12.3″ IPS 3:2 3K touch | Amber Lake Core Y, 48 Wh | 1.13 kg / 2.5 lbs | $799 |
| Google Pixelbook Go | Chromebook, clamshell | 13.3″ IPS 16:10 FHD touch | Amber Lake Core Y, 48 Wh | 1.1 kg / 2.4 lbs | $649 |
| HP Spectre Folio | Windows, tablet w/ folio | 13.3″ IPS FHD touch | Amber Lake Core Y, 55 Wh | 3.3 lbs / 1.5 kg | $1199 |
| Huawei MateBook X | Windows, clamshell | 13″ IPS 3:2 3K touch | Comet Lake Core U, 42 Wh | 2.2 lbs / 1 kg | $999 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Snapdragon | Windows on ARM, clamshell | 13.3″ 16:10 IPS matte | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx, 49 Wh | 1.06 kg / 2.35 lbs | $1099 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold | foldable laptop | 16″ OLD 2K+ touch | Intel Core U, 48+16 Wh | 3.8 lbs / 1.8 kg | $2499 |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 7 , 7+ | tablet + folio | 12.3″ IPS 2.7K touch | Intel Core i3 or i5 – 11th gen, 47.4 Wh | 0.77 kg / 1.7 lbs (without keyboard) |
$799 |
| Microsoft Surface Pro X | Windows on ARM, tablet | 13″ IPS 3:2 3K touch | Qualcomm Snapdragon SQ1 or SQ2, 34 Wh | .78 lbs / 1.7 kg | $899 |
| Porsche Design Ultra One | Windows, clamshell | 15.6″ IPS FHD touch | Amber Lake Core Y, 45 Wh | 3.3 lbs / 1.5 kg | $1399 |
| Samsung Galaxy Chromebook | Chromebook, convertible | 13.3″ OLED 4K touch | Core U, 49 Wh | 1 kg / 2.2 lbs | $799 |
| Samsung Galaxy Pro S | Windows, clamshell | 13.3″ IPS FHD touch | Lakefield Core, 42 Wh | .95 lbs / 2.1 kg | $999 |
| Samsung Galaxy Pro S ARM | Windows on ARM, clamshell | 13.3″ IPS FHD touch | Qualcomm 8cx, 42 Wh | .95 lbs / 2.1 kg | $999 |
| Venom BlackBook Zero 14 | clamshell, clamshell | 14″ IPS FHD matte | Amber Lake Core Y, 36 Wh | 3.3 lbs / 1.45 kg | $999 |
Full-size fanless laptops
This section is reserved for full-size everyday machines with 14+ inch screens. Most of these are Chromebooks, and I’ve only listed the most interesting picks here, as we do cover Chromebooks in general in a separate detailed article.
There aren’t many full-size fanless Windows laptop options, though, simply because you’d normally expect more competent hardware in a larger laptop, the kind that requires a fan. The ThinkPad X1 Fold stands out as the exception, though, as a fanless multi-purpose computer with a foldable OLED display (too bad this was never actually available to buy).
There are however some inexpensive models from Asus, Dell or HP to consider, with screens going from 14 to 17 inches in size. The Asus VivoBook Go Flip (14-inch, convertible) and Vivobook Go L510 (15-inch, clamshell), and the HP Laptop 17 (17-inch, clamshell), are the most interesting Windows options in this niche, just don’t expect much in terms of power from them. On the Chromebook Side, the popular HP ChromeBook 14 in this latest fanless variants is the go-to recommendation in this size class.
| Model | Type | Screen | Hardware | Weight | Price |
| Acer Chromebook 15 | Chromebook, clamshell | 15.6″ IPSÂ FHD | Apollo Lake Celeron/Pentium | 3.95 lbs / 1.8 kg | $299 |
| Acer Swift 1 | Windows, clamshell | 14.0″ IPS FHD | Apollo/Gemini Lake Pentium | 1.4 kg / 3.1 lbs | $349 |
| Asus Chromebook C425 | Chromebook, clamshell | 14.0″ IPS FHD | Amber Lake Core Y, 56 Wh | 1.3 kg / 2.8 lbs | $349 |
| Asus VivoBook Go Flip 14 | Windows, convertible | 14″ IPS FHD touch | Jasper Lake Celeron, 39 Wh | 1.45 kg / 3.2 lbs | $349 |
| Asus VivoBook Go 14 L410 | Windows, clamshell | 14″ LED FHD | Gemini Lake Celeron, 42 Wh | 1.3 kg / 2.9 lbs | $279 |
| Asus VivoBook Go 15 L510 | Windows, clamshell | 15.6″ LED FHD | Gemini Lake Celeron, 42 Wh | 1.63 kg / 3.6 lbs | $299 |
| Asus VivoBook Flip 14Â | Windows, convertible | 14″ TN HD or IPS FHD touch | Apollo Lake Celeron/Pentium | 3.3 lbs / 1.5 kg | $399 |
| HP Chromebook 14 | Chromebook, clamshell | 14″ TN HD or IPS FHD | Gemini Lake Pentium, 47 Wh | 1.45 kg / 3.4 lbs | $399 |
| HP Chromebook 15 | Chromebook, clamshell | 15.6″ IPS FHD | Gemini Lake Pentium, 60 Wh | 1.85 kg / 4 lbs | $499 |
| HP Laptop 14 | Windows on ARM, clamshell | 14.0″ IPS FHD matte | Snapdragon 7c or Intel Jasper Lake, 32 Wh |
1.25 kg / 2.8 lbs | $249 |
| HP ProBook Fortis 14 | Windows, clamshell | 14.0″ IPS FHD matte | Intel 12th-gen Core U, 42 Wh | 1.7 kg / 3.75 lbs | $849 |
| HP Laptop 17 | Windows, clamshell | 17.3″ TN HD+ | Gemini Lake Pentium, 41 Wh | 2.4 kg / 5.3 lbs | $399 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold | foldable laptop | 16″ OLD 2K+ touch | Intel Core U, 48+16 Wh | 3.8 lbs / 1.8 kg | $2499 |
| Samsung Chromebook 4+ | Chromebook, clamshell | 15.6″ TN FHD | Gemini Lake Pentium, 39 Wh | 1.8 kg / 3.8 lbs | $399 |
I’d also recommend checking out our detailed guide on the best 14 and 15-inch portable laptops you can find right now, as a follow-up in your quest for this sort of full-size multipurpose laptop.
Fanless ultrabooks and Windows ultra-portables
This section is reserved for the portables ultrabooks and thin-and-light laptops with screen sizes between 12 and sub-14-inches.
That includes the popular 12 and 13.3-inch categories, where you’ll mostly find the best-balanced mix of ergonomics and build quality, with a comfortable keyboard, a fair selection of ports, capable hardware and a fair-sized battery.
Here’s where you’ll also find most of the premium fanless offers already mentioned earlier in the article, such as the Apple MacBook Air M1 and M2 or the Huawei MateBook X, or the Microsoft Surface Pro X, but also some excellent mid-sized ChromeBooks, such as the Google Pixelbook Go or the Lenovo Chromebook Flex 13.
| Model | Type | Screen | Hardware | Weight | Start Price |
| Acer Swift 1 | clamshell | 13.3″ IPS FHD | Apollo/Gemini Lake Pentium | 1.3 kg / 2.9 lbs | $349 |
| Acer Switch 7 Black Edition | detachable | 13.5″ IPS touch | Kaby Lake-R Core U | 1.13 kg / 2.5 lbs | $1699 |
| Acer Aspire Switch 12S | detachable | 12.5″ IPS touch FHD | Skylake Core M | 1.5 kg / 3.3 lbs (w/ dock) | $1199 |
| Acer Aspire Switch Alpha 12 | detachable | 12.5″ IPS touch | Skylake Core U | 1.3 kg / 2.85 lbs (w/ folio) | $599 |
| Acer Chromebook R13 | Convertible | 13.3″ IPS FHD | Mediatek | 1.5 kg / 3.3 lbs | $329 |
| Apple MacBook 12 | MacOS, clamshell | 12.0″ IPS retina | Skylake Core M | 0.90 kg / 2.0 lbs | $1199 |
| Apple MacBook Air | MacOS, clamshell | 13.3″ IPS retina glossy | Apple M1, 49.9 Wh | 1.3 kg / 2.8 lbs | $899 |
| Asus Chromebook Flip | Convertible | 13.3″ IPS FHD | Kaby Lake Core Y | 1.2 kg / 2.65 lbs | $399 |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 |
Windows, tablet w/ folio | 10.5″ IPS touch | Snapdragon 7cx, 38 Wh | – | – |
| Asus VivoBook 13 Slate OLED |
Windows, tablet w/ folio | 10.5″ OLED touch | Jasper Lake Pentium, 50 Wh | 1.1 kg / 2.4 lbs (w/ folio) | $499 |
| Asus Zenbook Flip UX360CA | convertible | 13.3″ IPS touch FHD and QHD+ | Skylake Core Y | 1.3 kg / 2.86 lbs | $699 |
| Dell Latitude 12 7000 Rugged Extreme | Windows, tablet w/ folio | 12″ IPS touch FHD | Alder Lake Core U, 35.6 Wh | 1.26 kg / 2.8 lbs (w/ dock) | $1999 |
| Dell Latitude 13 7370 | clamshell | 13.3″ IPS FHD | SkyLake Core Y | 1.25 kg / 2.75 lbs (w/ dock) | – |
| Dell XPS 12 9250 | detachable | 12.5″ IPS touch FHD or UHD | Skylake Core Y | 1.27 kg / 2.8 lbs (w/ dock) | $999 |
| Dell XPS 13 9365 | convertible | 13.3″ IPS FHD/QHD+ touch | up to Amber Lake Core Y | 1.24 kg / 2.7 lbs | $999 |
| Dell XPS 13 9315 2-in-1 | Windows, tablet + folio | 13.3″ IPS FHD/QHD+ touch | Alder Lake Core U, 49.5 Wh | 1.3 kg / 2.85 lbs (w/ keyboard) | $999 |
| Eve V | tablet | 12.3″ IPS 2k | Kaby Lake Core Y | 1.33 kg / 3 lbs (w/ keyboard) | $799 |
| Lenovo Chromebook x360 12 | Chromebook, convertible | 12″ IPS HD+ touch | Gemini Lake Celeron, 40 Wh | 1.35 kg / 3 lbs | $399 |
| HP Elite Folio | Windows on Arm, tablet w/ folio | 13.5″ IPS FHD touch | Snapdragon 8cx, 46 Wh | 3.3 lbs / 1.5 kg | $1499 |
| HP Spectre Folio | Windows, tablet w/ folio | 13.3″ IPS FHD touch | Amber Lake Core Y, 55 Wh | 3.3 lbs / 1.5 kg | $1199 |
| Google Pixelbook Go | Chromebook, clamshell | 13.3″ IPS 16:10 FHD touch | Amber Lake Core Y, 48 Wh | 1.1 kg / 2.4 lbs | $649 |
| Huawei MateBook X | Windows on ARM, clamshell | 13″ IPS 3:2 3K touch | Comet Lake Core U, 42 Wh | 2.2 lbs / 1 kg | $999 |
| Lenovo Chromebook Flex 13 | Chromebook, convertible | 13.3″ IPS FHD touch | Intel Core U, 51 Wh | 1.35 kg / 3 lbs | $349 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet | tablet | 12.0″ IPS touch | Kaby Lake Core Y | 0.77 kg / 1.7 lbs | $949 |
| Lenovo Tab P12 Pro | tablet | 12.5″ OLED 2K touch | Snapdragon 8c | 1.25 kg / 2.6 lbs | $599 |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 5G | tablet + folio | 13″ IPS 3K touch | Qualcomm Snapdragon, 46.5 Wh | 0.88 kg / 1.95 lbs (without keyboard) |
$999 |
| Microsoft Surface Pro X | tablet + folio | 13″ IPS FHD+ touch | Qualcomm Snapdragon | 0.77 kg / 1.7 lbs (without keyboard) |
$999 |
| Samsung Chromebook 2 13 | clamshell | 13.3″ IPS FHD | Samsung Exynos 5 Octa | 1.38 kg / 3.06 lbs | $399 |
| Samsung Galaxy Go 5G | clamshell | 14″ LED FHD | Qualcomm Snapdragon, 42 Wh | 1.4 kg / 3.1 lbs | $799 |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro S | tablet | 12.1″ IPS FHD+ | Skylake Core Y | 0.69 kg / 1.53 lbs | $999 |
| Thomson NEO Z3 | Windows on ARM, clamshell | 13″ IPS FHD | Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 | 1.1 kg / 2.4 lbs (w/ dock) | – |
| Toshiba Chromebook 13 CB35 | clamshell | 13.3″ TN HD | Celeron BayTrail | 1.33 kg / 2.95 lbs | $249 |
| Toshiba Portégé Z20t | convertible | 12.5″ IPS touch FHD | Broadwell Core M | 1.59 kg / 3.5 lbs (w/ dock) | $1299 |
| Xiaomi Book S 12.4 | tablet | 12.4″ IPS touch | Snapdragon 8cx, 38 Wh | 1.05 kg / 2.3 lbs | ~650 EUR |
| Xiaomi Mi Notebook 12 | clamshell | 12.5″ IPS FHD | Skylake Core U | 1.1 kg / 2.4 lbs | $899 |
Fanless Windows-running Mini laptops
Finally, we list here the smallest options, usually built on low-power hardware and primarily meant for basic daily tasks. Most of them are designed with either budget or long battery life in mind (and many check both these boxes).
The Microsoft Surface Go (Windows tablet) and the Lenovo Chromebook Duet (ChromeBook) are my primary recommendations in this class. The Duet sells for $300 and less and is excellent for casual use, while the Go is more expensive, but offers the full Windows experience in a tiny package. The Asus Laptop L210 is also an option to consider if you’re after a clamshell laptop format for under $250.
You’ll also find a wider selection of 10 and 11-inch mini-laptops and tablets in this separate dedicated article.
| Model | Type | Screen | Hardware | Weight | Start Price |
| Acer Aspire R 11 | convertible | 11.6″ TN touch HD | Celeron / Pentium Braswell | 1.58 kg / 3.50 lbs | $249 |
| Acer Chromebook Spin 311 | Chromebook, convertible | 11.6″ IPS HD | Mediatek, 40 Wh | 1.50 kg / 3.31 lbs | $199 |
| Asus VivoBook Go L210 | clamshell | 11.6″ TN HD | Gemini Lake Celeron, 38 Wh | 0.95 kg / 2.10 lbs | $209 |
| Asus EeeBook X205 | clamshell | 11.6″ TN HD | Atom BayTrail, 38 Wh | 0.95 kg / 2.10 lbs (w/ dock) | $199 |
| Asus Transformer Book T102HA | detachable | 10.1″ IPS HD | Atom CherryTrail | 0.79 kg / 1.74 lbs (w/ dock) | $349 |
| Dell Latitude 3120 Education | clamshell | 11.6″ TN HD matte | Jasper Lake Pentium, 40Wh | 1.4 kg / 3.1 lbs | $299 |
| HP Pavilion x360 11 | convertible | 11.6″ IPS HD touch | Gemini Lake Pentium, 37 Wh | 1.38 kg / 3.06 lbs | $299 |
| HP Stream 11 Pro | clamshell | 11.6″ TN HD | Gemini Lake Celeron, 38Wh | 1.05 kg / 2.3 lbs | $249 |
| Lenovo Chromebook Duet | Chromebook, tablet | 10″ IPS touch 16:10 | Mediatek, 27 Wh | 0.52 kg / 1.15 lbs (without keyboard) | $299 |
| Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 | Chromebook, tablet | 10.9″ IPS touch 16:10 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c, 29Wh | 0.52 kg / 1.15 lbs (without keyboard) | $499 |
| Lenovo 10w | tablet | 10.1″ IPS touch FHD | Snapdragon 7c | 1.1 kg / 2.4lbs (with keyboard) | $399 |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 3 11 Chromebook | Chromebook, clamshell | 11″ TN HD matte | Gemini Lake Celeron, 42 Wh | 1.1 kg / 2.4 lbs | $199 |
| Lenovo Tab P11 | tablet | 11″ IPS 2K touch | Snapdragon 8c | 1 kg / 2 lbs (with keyboard) | $299 |
| Microsoft Surface Go | tablet | 10″ IPS touch 3:2 | Pentium Gold, several variants | 0.52 kg / 1.15 lbs (without keyboard) | $399 |
| Panasonic Let’s Note RZ4 | convertible | 10.1″ IPS touch FHD | Skylake Core Y | 1.83 kg / 4.05 lbs (w/ dock) | $1499 |
| Panasonic Let’s Note Z6 | clamshell | 10.1″ IPS FHD | Kaby Lake Core Y | 0.72 kg / 1.6 lbs (w/ dock) | $1199 |
There are a couple of other small-factor fanless tablets and mini-laptops out there, but it would be a huge chore to include them all in here. I do talk about them in my list of 10.1 inch hybrids, this selection of 11.6 inch Mini-laptops or ultrabooks, as well as this list of all the best Chromebooks available these days.
As a side note, you should know that the Price column contains the starting MSRPs for each of the products above. That means that the higher configurations are going to be more expensive, but at the same time there’s a very good chance you can find pretty much all these products discounted by the time you’re reading this post. Click on the links on each price for details and up-to-date numbers.
Also, here’s a short glossary of the terms mentioned above:
- Types:
- tablet: a standard Windows running slate;
- clamshell: classic shaped computer whose screen closes on top of the keyboard and does not flip into any sort of tablet mode;
- convertible: 2-in-1 laptop whose screen rotates and converts to a tablet mode (or similar), but cannot be detached from the base;
- detachable: 2-in-1 laptop whose screen detaches from the base. These are mostly stand-alone tablets bundled with matching docking stations that most often include docking keyboards, ports, batteries, and other features;
- slider: 2-in-1 laptop whose screen slides up and down on top of the body and usually reveals a keyboard hidden underneath.
- Resolutions: HD ( 1366 x 768 px), HD+ ( 1600 x 900 px), FHD (1920 x 1080 px), WUXGA (1920 x 1200 px) retina (2304 x 1440 px), QHD (2560 x 1440 px), WQXGA (2560 x 1600 px), QHD+ (3200 x 1800 px), UHD (3840 x 2160 px) – also see this post;
- Hardware:
- Intel Atom BayTrail – 22 nm platform (Silvermont) launched in 2013. There are different lines available for tablets (BayTrail-T), laptops (BayTrail-M) and desktops (BayTrail-D);
- Intel Atom CherryTrail – 14 nm platform (Airmont) launched in 2015;
- Intel Atom Apollo/Gemini Lake – 2nd generation 14 nm platform launched in 2017.
- Intel Celeron/Pentium Haswell – 22 nm platform based on Haswell hardware;
- Intel Celeron/Pentium Haswell – 14 nm platform based on Skylake hardware. Both can be found in low-power/affordable laptops;
- Intel Celeron/Pentium Apollo/Gemini Lake – 2nd generation 14 nm platform launched in 2017. Can be found in low-power/affordable laptops and replaces the Haswell/Braswell Pentium/Celeron lines;
- Broadwell Core M – launched in 2014 as the low-power version in Intel’s Broadwell family. Offers good balance between performance and battery life, part of the more premium fanless notebooks;
- Skylake Core M – 6th gen update, low power platform launched in 2015;
- Kaby Lake Core Y – 7th gen update, low-power platform launched in 2017;
- Amber Lake Core Y – the late-2018 8th gen update of the Core Y platform, motorizes premium devices.
OK. That’s about it for this post. I do hope you find it useful and if you’re looking for an ultrabook or any other ultraportable laptop, you should also check out the other lists on the site and my reviews.
I’m constantly working at keeping these selections and lists up-to-date, but if you spot anything that should be in here and it’s not, please leave a reply and tell me about it. In fact, feel free to get in touch in the comments sections if you have anything to add, anything to ask, or need help to choose your next fanless mini-laptop, I’m around to reply and help.
plush
July 5, 2024 at 3:41 pm
On December 4, 2023 at 9:24 pm
Smithy wrote:
"According to Asus support the Asus Expertbook B1 B1402CGA with N305 processor has a passive heatsink."
My question is – can anyone actually confirm this?
I asked around and some sellers / shops confirm this, while others don't.
Some say the cooling in this model is active and some say that the cooling is passive.
It seems that either they don't know what they sell or they just don't care.
Klaus
July 7, 2024 at 2:49 pm
I fear that issue is common. On geizhals.eu (aka skinflint.co.uk) searching for fanless models doesn't give fully reliable results either, though they err more on the side of not listing them.
Same as very few outlets really bother to talk about fan noise when reviewing a laptops. Notebookcheck and Notebookjournal are the only ones I know to give comparable measurements, though I haven't used the latter in a long time. And even they often fall short of investigating throttling issues properly (e.g. choppy frame-rate issues, when the average framerate is OK but the frame-to-frame time irregular under throttling, making it much less useful than the average value would imply).
Mip
September 5, 2024 at 4:18 pm
Just purchased the Chuwi GemiBook X Pro (N100) direct from Chuwi site (Amazon doesn't have them in stock any more).
It's not fanless. Please remove it from the list.
That said, it's impressive for what $225 will get you – snappy quad core, 8gb ram, 256gb ssd, 14" ips screen.
NewOption
December 5, 2024 at 7:44 pm
ASUS BR1104C / ASUS BR1104F / ASUS BR1204C / ASUS BR1204F with N100 are all fanless.
It does not mention it on their website or in their manual that they are fanless, but I asked on the Asus community. I then purchased it and can confirm, it is indeed fanless!
The lunar lake hype had me expecting dozens of fanless x86 laptops to choose from, but alas there were none, or perhaps they are still to come. Either way, with 8GB of RAM, they may be one of the fastest x86 fanless laptop at the moment. It is thick and rugged (as it marketed for kids), Win Pro 11, fast enough for work and doubles as a tablet.
Oleg
December 6, 2024 at 4:47 pm
I guess, ASUS BR with N200 and i3-N305 including 14" models may be fanless too. But TN screen with 50% of NTSC color space is garbage. 11" models with 1366 x 768 resolution may prevent to run a lot of modern software.
Seems like HP Fortis still faster.
NewOption
December 8, 2024 at 3:31 am
I searched for quite a while, and did not come across the HP Fortis range. They do have an N200 with 16GB RAM, which is what I was looking for initially given the rumours that windows 12 may require 16GB, but do you know they are fanless? The HP Fortis laptop is also more than double the price of the Asus BR, with one less USB-C port.
I avoided the Asus BR11 versions based on the resolution, and purchased a BR12F which is WUXGA 1920 x 1200. To clarify my first post, it is only the F versions that double as a tablet.
The 14 inch models are likely to also be fanless. I listed BR11 and BR12 as those were the only models that Asus confirmed to me were fanless. I assume they will be added to the list in due course..
Magnu
April 3, 2025 at 5:05 pm
These BR1204's look exactly like the Acer Spin B3. Must have been some collaboration.
Klaus
December 9, 2024 at 12:51 pm
Out of the available fanless options, which have the best graphics performance?
It is relevant to me due to occasionally hanging out in second life, while also being very sensitive to fan noise. As a result I was using the Intel Graphics HD630 rather than the GTX 1050 Ti of my former gaming notebook. Now I am using the Iris Xe of a Surface Pro 7+.
While it works, the absence of fanless options using newer hardware above the level of an N200 has me worried for a future replacement. I had hopes regarding the Snapdragon X Elite series, but so far they all use active cooling, so effectively there's not a single Windows based direct competitor (that I know of) to the MacBook Air, when considering quiet operation as a major feature.
Andrei Girbea
December 10, 2024 at 12:18 pm
there's no fanless Windows device with modern graphics as far as I can tell. Imo, as that's something that interests me as well, the best quiet gaming experience is on a full-size laptop with excellent cooling, in a mode that limits fans noise and CPU/GPU power. Most default Quiet/Silent profiles are sub 35 dBA, but at the same time the software on most laptops allows custom fan tunning, so you can realistically get sub 30 dBA as well. But that means you're paying for a high end GPU and use it at less than 50% of its potential. I personally have an i9 + 4090 laptop and game on it in this way. But I don't know if the performance compromise is acceptable for most potential buyers, given the paid price.
If a full-size laptop is not what you're after, I'd look into a modern AMD implementation (or maybe Intel Lunar Lake) and again use the low-power profile which should be around 30-35 dbA. But that will barely get you FHD gaming with low settings in recent titles. And again, I'd look into an option with the best cooling module possible to begin with (two fans, two heatsinks, two heatpipes), as that would allow a less power restrained Quiet/Silent profile. And keep in mind the software rarely offers custom tweaking options in portable laptops.
Klaus
December 10, 2024 at 3:06 pm
My last two laptops before the fanless SP7+ were
– Acer VX15 (GTX 1050 Ti)
– Thinkpad Edge (GT 640M)
Both don't qualify as lightweight. Both didn't have notable battery life, and were somewhere near 2.5 kg. Both didn't allow significant tuning options. The VX15 even had a severe coil-noise issue, that required me to set CPU max performance to 80%, which also implies disabling Turboboost.
Whether there is support for headache-friendly operating modes sadly is also really hard to find out before buying, and even when finding measurements of the fan noise, the detailed characteristics make a huge difference. Lenovo laptops infamously have an issue with oscillating fan speeds, and some devices have a very pronounced whistle (i.e. a pronounced peak in the frequency distribution of the fan noise).
Hence my interest in fanless solutions. My trust in the ability to tune anything is severely diminished, and the devices that are likely to have such features are also likely still too loud even after tuning.
Andrei Girbea
December 11, 2024 at 11:14 am
OK, but with games, the sound will cover any of that remaining fan noise, or you might even use headphones.
Those aspects that you're mentioning are annoying with daily use in a silent environment, and they are the reason I use an MBA for that purpose. But I don't think these are relevant for gaming.
Oleg's suggestion of using any of the game streaming options that might be available in your area is also worth considering. Comes with a cost, but could get you the silent gaming experience that you're after in a fanless device. Haven't personally tried it on the current hardware.
Oleg
December 10, 2024 at 6:11 pm
For the most of games you can use any fanless laptop (or a smartphone with a lapdock) no matter of its performance in case of low-latency network connection to any cloud-gaming service or even your own powerful desktop computer (for latter applications like Parsec or Moonlight may be used).
I've played from a kitchen with a wireless keyboard/mouse/gamepad connected to an Apple TV set-top box on a 4K kitchen TV screen while set-top box was running Moonlight client connected to a rented virtual dedicated server (billed per minute) with Nvidia RTX2080TI located in a liquid-cooled datacenter in a nearest city by WiFi network for $0.25 per hour.
There is no reason to spend thousands of dollars for a powerful PC for occasional gaming.
Any performance-demanding games heavier than minesweeper/solitaire are impossible to be executed on fanless laptop with adequate picture smoothness. It may be possible in future in case of huge computational performance leap caused by some scientific discoveries.
Nowadays all you can do is to move heat loses generated by a computing unit somewhere else away from you.
In theory, you may use a liquid coolant to transport the heat: there are liquid cooled laptops on the market with rather short tubing.
All you should care is a latency to a computing unit.
Andrei Girbea
December 11, 2024 at 11:09 am
For sure. Streaming is a valid option for occasional gaming as well.
Piotrek Kurten
March 9, 2025 at 7:22 pm
Klaus wrote on December 9, 2024 at 12:51 pm:
"there's not a single Windows based direct competitor (that I know of) to the MacBook Air, when considering quiet operation as a major feature."
That's just ridiculous.
What has the world come down to…?
Besides, is the MacBook Air any good? I'm used to Windows, do you think the transision to MacOS will work for me? Some say Windows is a better experience overall than MacOS.
Andrei Girbea
March 10, 2025 at 1:58 pm
it is. I ended up with an MBA as well. The OS takes time to get used to and there are some design quirks, but the overall build/performance/efficiency are no match for windows options. And you can actually find an MBA M1 or M2 for excellent prices these days, new or refurb.
James
March 12, 2025 at 3:36 pm
OK but wait a sec…
Both 13" and 15" MBA have no airvents at all.
I know there's no fan and that's OK, but not a single hole in the back or something?
What were they thinking…
Fanless Man
March 13, 2025 at 1:56 pm
You don't need airvents, the cooling is done with a huge copper element which spreads the heat over the aluminium chassis. All airvents would do is allow dust and water ingress. MBAs really are a whole new species of computer – the processor is so efficient that you throw out all the assumptions you've thought were sensible when dealing with garbage Windows laptops.
John
May 21, 2025 at 3:19 pm
Hi, can someone help me find a non-touch, fanless OLED laptop please