The Best Multimedia Notebooks

After the successful debut of the M1 Pro processor, the new Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023 is based on the M2 Pro with 12 cores. In testing, the MacBook Pro 14 2023 based on the Apple M2 Pro offers a very high system performance, although the performance has to be somewhat limited when the GPU and CPU are loaded at the same time. At the same time, the device is almost always very quiet in everyday use. The build quality is still excellent and without flaws. You can also look forward to fast Wi-Fi and a great display with accurate colors.

After the MacBook Pro 14 could already celebrate its entry into the top 10, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023 now follows, but unfortunately it's not quite enough for the first place. Thus, the bigger brother only has to settle for second place. In the test, the device based on the Apple M2 Max and the Apple Max 38-core GPU could achieve very good results. Typically for Apple, the entire hardware is housed in a high-quality and stable case. The good CPU and GPU performance is accompanied by a great display with accurate color reproduction. Long battery runtimes and very quiet operation make the device suitable for everyday use.

The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023 is even more powerful and one of the best devices for content creators.

The MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the M2 Pro, 16 GB RAM and a 512 GB SSD is available in stores for around $2,200, for instance at Amazon. Our test configuration with 64 GB RAM and a 2 TB SSD is available either from Apple's online store.

After the MacBook Pro 16 with the M2 Max processor has already made it into the top 10, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the new M3 Max processor now follows. In our test device, the processor is supported by the Apple M3 Pro 18-core GPU, a powerful yet very economical graphics card. Apple has also installed a great display with accurate color reproduction and extreme brightness for HDR content. The M3 Pro SoC is particularly efficient, resulting in very long battery life. The MacBook Pro 16 can also be used at full power on battery power. A disadvantage is the extremely compact design, which offers almost no maintenance options. In addition, Apple typically only offers a one-year warranty.

Apple is now giving the new Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023 the Apple M3 Max processor with 16 cores. There is also a very fast graphics card with the Apple M3 Max 40-core GPU. Nevertheless, it is not enough to oust the Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023 with the M2 Pro and 12 cores from first place in our top 10 list. Nevertheless, Apple has managed to create the fastest 14-inch notebook to date with its overall performance. However, at over 5,000 euros, the manufacturer is also paying handsomely. The well-known advantages such as an excellent casing and a great display are a given. However, the high system performance is only available in mains operation. Typical for Apple is the extremely compact design without any maintenance options and the one-year warranty.

The Apple MacBook Pro 14 is currently the fastest 14-inch device on the market. Even Intel's Core i9 models can easily be beaten in multi-core tests.

The MacBook Pro 14 2023 is customizable on Apple's website. Alternatively, users can order a base model via Amazon, which costs around US$ 3,050.

As a competitor to Apple's MacBook Pro 16, Samsung is sending the Galaxy Book4 Ultra into the race to shine as a multimedia notebook. The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra is powered by Intel's latest processors from the Meteor Lake series. In the test, we were able to take a close look at the high-quality Samsung notebook with the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H. The manufacturer also installs an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 laptop GPU, which is capable of running many games smoothly. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra impresses with a great OLED display, good system performance and long battery life. The vapor-chamber cooling was also impressive and cools the device reliably throughout and the connectivity is very modern with Thunderbolt 4 & HDMI 2.1.

The Dell XPS 15 9530 managed to snag a spot in our top 10 rankings with an excellent score. A flawless overall result comes from the Intel Core i7-13700H as well as the GeForce RTX 4070 laptop GPU. The successful and very high-quality OLED panel convinced with its good colour fidelity in the test, although the brightness could have been a bit better. However, the 16:10 format is positive, which will please many users. 

With the Lenovo Yoga 7 14 G8, the manufacturer offers a perfectly equipped notebook for many different purposes. The Intel Core i7-13700H offers 14 cores and 20 threads. The Lenovo Yoga 7 14 offers excellent performance and great features as a multimedia device. These include Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi 6E and a comfortable keyboard, which also accommodates frequent typists. There is also an excellent 3K display with high color fidelity and high system performance paired with impeccable gaming performance. 

The Honor MagicBook Pro 16 makes it into our top 10 list and is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H. The solid all-rounder offers an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 laptop GPU for 3D applications. The 16-inch display offers high brightness and 165 Hz with fast response times, which means the device can also be used as a gaming laptop. The performance of the components can be accessed well and without major limitations. Long battery life and good speakers are also among the strengths of the Honor MagicBook Pro 16.

With the Framework Laptop 16, the manufacturer is pursuing a very special approach, as this is a modular notebook. The device can be configured as desired on the website and we took a closer look at the 16-inch model with AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS and an AMD Radeon RX 7700S in the test. The test device also offered 32 GB DDR5 RAM and was equipped with a 1 TB SSD. The Framework Laptop 16 is priced in the high-end range.

The Framework Laptop 16 16 can be pre-ordered on Framework's official online store.