The Best Budget Office Notebooks
Office notebooks, cheap bargains and computers for everyday tasks: They require decent input devices, ergonomic displays and connectivity that should allow the user to easily connect to the home or workplace environment, but it does not have to be very generous. Also compare the following Top 10 lists for your purchase decision.
The following table shows an overview of the Top 10 budget office laptops (under 800 USD/Euros) reviewed by Notebookcheck in the previous 12 months. If ratings are equal, the latest review is listed first. The table can be sorted by clicking its headers and filtered by entering text in the text field above it (e.g. "matte").
- The Best Premium Business Notebooks (particularly premium office notebooks)
- The Best Portable Workstations (powerful laptops for professionals)
- The Best Ultra-Portable Notebooks (compact and portable notebooks)
- The Best Windows Convertibles (notebooks that can be converted into a tablet)
The Best Budget Office Laptops
The table above contains an overview over the best budget office notebooks for less than 800 Euros reviewed by Notebookcheck over the course of the past 12 months as well as still relevant and available older products. In cases of identical score the more recent device is listed first. All prices in above table and price comparisons are updated daily and can thus differ.
Link: all devices in this class reviewed
Editors' Comments
There are numerous usable and good devices for under 800 Euros in the office class. The best models come from Lenovo, HP, Dell, Fujitsu and Acer and cost between 600 and 800 Euros. The customer has to live with more or less major drawbacks in all cheaper devices; these can be inferior input devices or a bendy case. IPS screens are now found in almost all of the devices in this budget office top 10, although there are still some devices with a TN panel in between.
1st – Lenovo ThinkPad L14 G4
The Lenovo ThinkPad L14 G4 offers a solid performance for everyday use based on the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U. Unfortunately, Lenovo does without the latest architecture here, although it was still enough for an excellent score in our test. The overall concept convinces with many small positive aspects, such as good upgradeability and repairability or the bright low-power display. In addition, there is a good connectivity and especially the price of the Lenovo ThinkPad L14 G4 is convincing, because it is cheaper than other ThinkPad models. The good input devices including TrackPoint are also available in the Lenovo ThinkPad L14 G4 and round off the overall package well.
The Lenovo ThinkPad L14 G4 is a good work device and combines the good ThinkPad features without going over the top in terms of price.
The Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 4 AMD model 21H6S00900, which we reviewed, is a special model for students as part of the German Lenovo education program. It costs €700 from Campuspoint.
Pricecompare
2nd – MateBook D 14 2022
The MateBook D 14 2022 offers a solid performance based on an Intel Core i5-1155G7. The rest of the equipment is also impressive, because overall it is enough for a good rating, which catapults the device directly to the first place in our Top10. The device comes in a robust and chic unibody and can convince with a high system performance. A very restrained fan also provides important points, as do the good battery runtimes, which make the device suitable for mobile use.
The MateBook D 14 2022 is a good all-rounder for everyday office use that does not make any major mistakes in the review.
Global availability of the MateBook D 14 (2022) appears to be limited at present.
Pricecompare
3rd – Huawei MateBook 14
The new Huawei MateBook 14 is very similar to its predecessor, but gets a newer SoC with the Intel Core i5-1240P. With the hybrid architecture consisting of P and E cores, there is noticeably more performance. Everything is housed in a stylish aluminum casing. Basically, everything is well made and the 3:2 touch display could also make it easier for many to choose the current Huawei MateBook 14.
The Huawei MateBook 14 is a solid office notebook with a good price-performance ratio.
At the time of writing, Huawei's devices are not officially available in North America.
Pricecompare
4th - Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G6
Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G6 is positioned between the IdeaPad models for home users and the ThinkPad series, which is primarily aimed at business customers. Equipped with an AMD Ryzen 5 7530U and 16 GB RAM as well as a 512 GB SSD, the Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G6 was able to secure a place in our top 10 list of inexpensive office laptops. For a relatively low purchase price, it offers sufficient performance paired with long battery life. However, limitations must be accepted with the built-in screen.
The Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G6 is a solid work device that offers no highlights, but also no significant weaknesses.
The ThinkBook 16 G6 is listed in various online stores. For instance an AMD-powered SKU costs around $560 and an Intel-powered one can be found here on Amazon US.
Pricecompare
5th – Acer Swift Go 14
The Acer Swift Go 14 in our test configuration is based on an Intel Core i5-1335U, which combines a total of 10 cores and 12 threads. With DDR5, the manufacturer also uses the latest standard for RAM. The display features a good OLED screen with accurate color reproduction in 16:10 format. And the Acer Swift Go 14 can even draw attention to itself in terms of connectivity with two Thunderbolt interfaces. A disadvantage is the very compact design, which allows almost no expansion, as many components are permanently installed.
The Acer Swift Go 14 scores with a great design and good performance at an affordable price.
At the time of writing, the Acer Swift Go 14 SFG14-71 is sold through retailers such as Amazon US for around $800.
Pricecompare
6th – Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G1
The ThinkPad E series are inexpensive business laptops. The Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G1 relies on an economical yet powerful Intel Core i5-1335U with 10 cores and 12 threads. It also comes with 16 GB DDR4 RAM and a fast NVMe SSD with 512 GB of storage space. The positive aspects include easy maintenance and Thunderbolt 4 support.
The Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G1 offers a great advantage with the Thunderbolt interface.
Various configurations of ThinkPad E16 G1 are available on Lenovo's webstore, prices currently starting at $575.
Pricecompare
7th – Acer Aspire Vero
The Acer Aspire Vero AV14 is a modern office notebook and also relies on Thunderbolt 4 in terms of connectivity, which makes the device quite interesting and offers many expansion options. Furthermore, there is an Intel Core i7-1255U with an Intel Iris Xe iGPU. The working memory of 16 GB is sufficient for everyday office use. The installed SSD is very generous with 1 TB.
The Acer Aspire Vero AV14 is a compact business notebook with very good battery runtimes and modern ports.
In the USA, a cheaper variant, which is equipped with a Core i5-1235U, is available on Amazon for around $610.
Pricecompare
8th – Huawei MateBook D 15
The Huawei MateBook D 15 is a very quiet and inexpensive office device here. The SoC offers solid performance and despite the attractive pricing, the manufacturer does not skimp on high-quality materials. Overall, the device is very light and a fingerprint reader is also included. We have to make concessions in terms of expandability because the installed working memory cannot be expanded. Thus, users who cannot cope with 8 GB should rather go for the 16 GB model.
The Huawei MateBook D 15 is a very inexpensive office notebook with a good price-performance ratio.
The Huawei MateBook D 15 is currently not available in North America.
Pricecompare
9th – Ninkear A15 Plus
The Ninkear 15 Plus is an inexpensive notebook and is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 5700U. It also comes with 16 GB DDR4 RAM and an SSD with 512 GB storage space. The Ninkear 15 Plus impressed us in our test with its stylish aluminum casing. You don't have to do without a good keyboard and the battery life is also impressive. The Ninkear 15 Plus also impresses with long battery runtimes in our review.
The Ninkear 15 Plus is a solid office notebook with an appealing look for home use.
With 32 GB RAM and a one TB NVMe SSD, the laptop currently costs €590 at Tomtop with shipping from a German warehouse. Unfortunately, Ninkear's devices are not available yet in the USA market.
Pricecompare
10th – Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14 AMD Gen 6
Lenovo has also made it into our top 10 of budget office laptops with the IdeaPad 3 14 AMD Gen 6. Based on an AMD Ryzen 3 5300U, you get a frugal yet nimble processor for simple office work. Equipped with a matte and bright IPS display and good input devices as well as the quiet operating noise, Lenovo's IdeaPad 3 14 AMD Gen 6 was able to score enough points overall.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14 AMD Gen 6 is perfectly suitable as an inexpensive companion.
Currently, Amazon US offers a variant of Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14 (AMD Ryzen 5 5500U) for $380.
Pricecompare
Test Results
Lenovo ThinkPad L14 G4 21H6S00900 | Huawei MateBook D 14 2023, 53013PKG | Huawei MateBook 14 (KLV-W5651T), i5-1240P | Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G6 ABP | Acer Swift Go 14 SFG14-71 | Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G1 Core i5-1335U | Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | Huawei MateBook D 15 2021, i5-1135G7 | Ninkear A15 Plus (16+512) | Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14ALC6-82KT0077GE | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Display | ||||||||||
Display P3 Coverage | 73.2 | 43.78 | 64.4 | 40.4 | 99.9 | 42 | 68.1 | 39.5 | 39.04 | 35.8 |
sRGB Coverage | 98.9 | 64.33 | 95.3 | 59.8 | 100 | 62.6 | 98.6 | 59.4 | 58.06 | 53.6 |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 73.9 | 45.23 | 66.4 | 42 | 95.4 | 43.3 | 69.4 | 40.8 | 40.34 | 37 |
Response Times | ||||||||||
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 58.1 ? | 32 ? | 27.5 ? | 32.8 ? | 1.85 ? | 46.4 ? | 56 ? | 41 ? | 25 ? | 34 ? |
Response Time Black / White * | 32.7 ? | 14 ? | 23 ? | 23.9 ? | 2 ? | 27.6 ? | 30 ? | 27 ? | 14 ? | 25 ? |
PWM Frequency | 6000 ? | 357 ? | ||||||||
Screen | ||||||||||
Brightness middle | 430 | 285 | 418 | 310 | 278 | 318.6 | 329 | 297 | 254 | 327 |
Brightness | 409 | 266 | 411 | 290 | 279 | 302 | 308 | 281 | 244 | 313 |
Brightness Distribution | 88 | 89 | 91 | 86 | 96 | 91 | 88 | 88 | 89 | 87 |
Black Level * | 0.31 | 0.265 | 0.27 | 0.22 | 0.04 | 0.29 | 0.17 | 0.43 | 0.1587 | 0.33 |
Contrast | 1387 | 1075 | 1548 | 1409 | 6950 | 1099 | 1935 | 691 | 1601 | 991 |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 2.4 | 4.95 | 2.04 | 6.2 | 3.01 | 3.73 | 1.31 | 4.6 | 7.42 | 7.91 |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 4.7 | 17.92 | 2.93 | 24.7 | 4.43 | 16.51 | 2.38 | 19.07 | 19.74 | 20.73 |
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 1.4 | 4.21 | 0.85 | 5.3 | 4.14 | 2.03 | 0.94 | 5.72 | ||
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 3 | 2.79 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 1.75 | 2.24 | 5 | 5.71 |
Gamma | 2.3 96% | 2.42 91% | 2.121 104% | 2.22 99% | 2.194 100% | 2.28 96% | 2.39 92% | 2.39 92% | 1.855 119% | 2.11 104% |
CCT | 6489 100% | 6720 97% | 7067 92% | 6011 108% | 6126 106% | 6780 96% | 6448 101% | 6720 97% | 6421 101% | 6437 101% |
Noise | ||||||||||
off / environment * | 25.2 | 26 | 25.5 | 24.3 | 24.9 | 24.6 | 26 | 25.5 | 24.78 | 26 |
Idle Minimum * | 25.2 | 26 | 25.5 | 24.3 | 24.9 | 24.6 | 26 | 25.5 | 24.78 | 26 |
Idle Average * | 25.2 | 26 | 25.5 | 24.3 | 24.9 | 24.6 | 26 | 25.5 | 27.6 | 26 |
Idle Maximum * | 27.3 | 26 | 25.5 | 24.3 | 24.9 | 24.6 | 26 | 25.5 | 26.5 | 26 |
Load Average * | 32.1 | 40.2 | 33.37 | 29.7 | 31.9 | 32.7 | 44.2 | 31 | 34.38 | 33 |
Witcher 3 ultra * | 35.7 | 32.1 | 43.2 | 34.7 | ||||||
Load Maximum * | 38.3 | 40.1 | 47.75 | 41.4 | 43.2 | 39.2 | 44.3 | 39.1 | 34.58 | 48 |
Heat | ||||||||||
Maximum Upper Side * | 39 | 40.9 | 42.5 | 40.8 | 44.8 | 44 | 43.1 | 39.9 | 37 | 37.1 |
Maximum Bottom * | 46.3 | 41.7 | 40.5 | 50.5 | 34.8 | 50.4 | 54 | 42 | 33 | 41.9 |
Idle Upper Side * | 26.3 | 25.7 | 28.2 | 29.3 | 30.7 | 27.2 | 29.6 | 26.5 | 23.5 | 27.9 |
Idle Bottom * | 37.5 | 26.5 | 28.6 | 35.2 | 32.5 | 27.8 | 35.3 | 26.8 | 28.1 | 29.6 |
Battery Runtime | ||||||||||
WiFi v1.3 | 814 | 667 | 549 | 605 | 453 | 314 | 947 | 512 | 634 | 502 |
Load | 76 | 154 | 98 | 84 | 89 | |||||
H.264 | 660 | 696 | ||||||||
Power Consumption | ||||||||||
Idle Minimum * | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 6.79 | 4.9 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 4 |
Idle Average * | 7.2 | 6.9 | 9.5 | 7.1 | 6.83 | 8.3 | 3.8 | 7.3 | 5.4 | 6.7 |
Idle Maximum * | 7.6 | 8.2 | 10.73 | 7.7 | 10.5 | 8.6 | 12.8 | 8.4 | 7.7 | 8.2 |
Load Average * | 32.2 | 39.5 | 43.9 | 45.9 | 42.9 | 32 | 38 | 36.05 | 29.5 | |
Witcher 3 ultra * | 35.7 | 39.6 | 43.1 | 40.8 | 45.6 | 44.9 | 31 | 34.6 | 28.9 | |
Load Maximum * | 61.3 | 65.3 | 67.5 | 66.6 | 69.8 | 67 | 66.9 | 65.8 | 62 | 48 |
* ... smaller is better