Mi NoteBook Ultra Review: A Windows Alternative to MacBook?

Xiaomi recently launched its laptops in Nepal. Among them, the Mi NoteBook Ultra is their top-tier offering.

Mi NoteBook Ultra price in Nepal is Rs. 1,36,999 (16GB RAM + 512GB SSD). Furthermore, it comes with a 90Hz 3.2k display and an 11th Gen Intel i7-11370H processor.

Can it become the best ultrabook on budget rivaling the laptops from ASUS and Acer? Let me tell you about it in this review of Mi NoteBook Ultra.

Mi NoteBook Ultra Review

Premium Design

• 242.3 x 350.1 x 17.9mm
• 1.7kg

Xiaomi has made the Mi NoteBook Ultra look like a MacBook. If not for the Xiaomi logo on the hinge and lid, one could easily mistake the Mi NoteBook Ultra for a MacBook.

While the NoteBook Ultra doesn’t have an original design, it is built well with premium materials.

It is totally made out of aerospace-grade aluminum which makes it moderately light at 1.7 kg. There’s no flex on the keyboard and the screen, so it’s built to last. The hinge design is pretty good too, you can easily open the laptop with a single hand.

Even though it is a 15.6-inch laptop, it doesn’t have a number pad. However, it does have nicely spaced keys which make you feel right at home. It’s easy to type on and the feedback is good. I wouldn’t say it is the best keyboard but it is above average.

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Moving on to the trackpad, it is big and is quite responsive. The matte-like surface feels smooth and has a bit of grip as well. The click is not the most straightforward and most satisfying though, you have to apply some pressure to it.

Likewise, it has a power button on the top right with an embedded fingerprint sensor. I have not had any issues unlocking the laptop with the fingerprint sensor, it works flawlessly.

For ports, it has a 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB-A USB 2.0, 1x USB-C (supports data & charging), 1x Thunderbolt 4(supports data & charging), 1x HDMI 1.4, and 1x 3.5mm 2-in-1 audio jack.

Overall, I was impressed with the build quality of the Mi NoteBook Ultra. It is made with premium materials and has a robust build quality.

Awesome Display

• 15.6-inch FHD IPS
• 370 nits
• 90Hz refresh rate
• 100% sRGB coverage

Mi NoteBook Ultra’s 15.6-inch 3.2k display was a treat to my eyes. The 90Hz IPS panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio has vivid colors and it is plenty sharp.

Not only is it bright but it has 100% sRGB coverage which makes it a good option for photo and video editors. It does have good color reproduction and I enjoyed streaming videos on this device.

Like most IPS panels, it does struggle with black levels. However, the blacklight bleed and IPS glow are not noticeable. On top of this, the 90Hz smoothness provides it with an extra edge. This makes the laptop smoother while scrolling and navigating the web contents.

Good Performance

• Intel Core i7-11370H
• 16GB DDR4 RAM
• Intel Irix Xe
• 512GB M.2 SSD

Mi NoteBook Ultra uses an Intel Core i7-11370H processor, a quad-core processor with 8 threads, and a base clock of 3.3GHz.

This is paired with 16GB RAM and 512GB NVme SSD, the latter can be upgraded as the RAM is soldered.

PERFORMANCE

On AC power, the NoteBook Ultra scored 1518 (single-core) and 5575 (multi-core). Its benchmark score on Cinebecnh is above average compared to other laptops with the same processor. Also, it is only slightly behind the Level 51 ISZEN portable gaming laptop that we recently reviewed.

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Moving on to PC Mark, a benchmark that simulates daily use cases to perform the benchmark, Mi NoteBook Ultra does a good job with a score of 4720.

This notebook has enough power to handle photo editing and light video editing.

It can play games as well as I was easily able to play Dota 2 at low-medium settings with average fps of 55.

THERMALS, FAN MODE

Mi NoteBook Ultra has two fan modes: Balanced and Silent. At idle, the fan noise is not noticeable, you will be able to hear the fan only if the room is totally quiet. The fan speed ramps up while on load or while gaming, but it is not too loud.

Likewise, the laptop has pretty good thermals. The top half of the keyboard deck feels a bit warm after gaming and benchmarking. The laptop stays under comfortable temperature during daily usage.

Battery and Speaker

• 70WHrs
• 65W charger
• USB Type-C with PD charging

The NoteBook Ultra has a 70Wh battery and it lasted for 8 hours in my Netflix test with 50% brightness and 100% volume. For charging, it gets a 65W USB Type-C charger.

In terms of the speaker, it has a bottom-firing speaker setup on the bottom of the laptop. The speaker has good clarity but it could have been louder.

Should You Buy Mi NoteBook Ultra?

If you are looking for a powerful ultrabook with a good battery and great display then this is it.

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The NoteBook Ultra is built well and looks like a MacBook. So, if you want a windows laptop that looks like MacBook, this is the one. On top of that, it has good enough performance, a good display, and a long-lasting battery.

Also, check out our review of the Ripple Pandora Ryzen.