Ranking: Best laptops for under 1,000 dollars/euros
There is a wide selection of reasonably good notebooks with up-to-date components in the 500 to 1,000 range. These include office workhorses and multimedia behemoths of various sizes, as well as compact and light subnotebooks and, of course, convertibles and 2-in-1s. We hope the ranking will prove useful to those who want an overview of decent options that's not limited to a specific product category.
Best laptops for less han 1,000 dollars/euros tested and ranked
Image | Model / Review | Price | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Screen | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apple MacBook Air 13 M4 Entry Apple M4 (10 cores) ⎘ Apple M4 8-core GPU ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 256 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $1,249.00 Apple 2025 MacBook Air 13-in... 2. $1,598.95 Apple 2025 MacBook Air 13-in... 3. $1,449.00 Apple 2025 MacBook Air 15-in... List Price: 1039€ | 1.2 kg | 11.3 mm | 13.60" | 2560x1664 | glossy | 04 / 2025 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AKP G10 AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 ⎘ AMD Radeon 860M ⎘ 32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $1,498.00 Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i Multi-... 2. $1,249.99 Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 5 A... 3. $649.00 Lenovo IdeaPad 5 2-in-1 Lapt... List Price: 989€ | 1.4 kg | 15.5 mm | 14.00" | 2880x1800 | glossy | 04 / 2025 | |
Xiaomi RedmiBook Pro 14 2025 Intel Core Ultra 7 255H ⎘ Intel Arc Graphics 140T ⎘ 32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $15.99 Vaxson 2-Pack Film Protector... 2. $12.99 Vaxson 2-Pack Protector Film... 3. $12.98 Puccy 2 Pack Touch Pad Film ... List Price: 1090€ | 1.4 kg | 15.9 mm | 14.00" | 2880x1800 | matte | 04 / 2025 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L13 2in1 G5 21LNS4AM00 Intel Core Ultra 5 125U ⎘ Intel Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arc) ⎘ 32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $2,093.36 Lenovo ThinkPad L13 2-in-1 G... 2. $1,195.00 Lenovo ThinkPad X13 2-in-1 G... 3. $1,634.10 Lenovo THINKPAD X13 2-in-1 G... List Price: 999€ | 1.3 kg | 17.1 mm | 13.30" | 1920x1200 | matte | 03 / 2025 | |
Xiaomi RedmiBook 14 2025 Intel Core 5 220H ⎘ Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs ⎘ 32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $15.99 Vaxson 2-Pack Film Protector... 2. $15.99 Vaxson 2-Pack Film Protector... 3. $20.99 Vaxson 2-Pack Clear Protecto... List Price: 880€ | 1.4 kg | 15.9 mm | 14.00" | 2880x1800 | 03 / 2025 | ||
Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA Intel Core Ultra 5 226V ⎘ Intel Arc Graphics 130V ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $639.00 ASUS Vivobook S 14 Copilot+ ... 2. $1,057.99 ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED Slim... 3. $649.00 ASUS Vivobook S 14 AI Powere... List Price: 1099€ | 1.3 kg | 15.9 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1200 | glossy | 01 / 2025 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L14 G5 21L50014GE AMD Ryzen 5 7535U ⎘ AMD Radeon 660M ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $1,838.86 Lenovo ThinkPad L14 G5 14.0 ... 2. $1,444.80 Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 5 L... 3. $849.98 Lenovo ThinkPad L14 14" FHD ... List Price: 1019 Euro | 1.6 kg | 23 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1200 | matte | 09 / 2024 | |
Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 14AKP10 AMD Ryzen AI 5 340 ⎘ AMD Radeon 840M ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $10.99 KEANBOLL 3-Pack Designed for... 2. $49.99 Laptop Case Cover for Lenovo... 3. $30.00 Laptop Keyboard for Lenovo Y... List Price: 1000 EUR | 1.4 kg | 16.5 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1200 | glossy | 05 / 2025 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad E14 G6 Intel Core Ultra 7 155U ⎘ Intel Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arc) ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | Amazon: $899.00 List Price: 990 USD | 1.5 kg | 17.99 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1200 | matte | 12 / 2024 | |
Acer TravelMate P4 14 TMP414-42-TCO-R6KG AMD Ryzen 5 8540U ⎘ AMD Radeon 740M ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $1,130.57 acer TravelMate Spin P4 P414... 2. $1,046.18 Acer TravelMate P4 P414-51 T... List Price: 1080€ | 1.4 kg | 21 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1200 | matte | 05 / 2025 |
The table above shows an overview of the best notebooks sold for less than 1,000 dolalrs/euros tested by Notebookcheck in the last 12 months along with some other relevant products that are still available. If 2 products have the same rating, the more recent review will be listed higher. The prices listed are automatically updated daily and may differ accordingly.
Link: all tested products in this class
Editorial comment
After an eventful May for our list, there are no changes in our ranking in June, partly because the newly tested Dell 14 Plus just missed out on our current number 10 ranking.
Alternative candidates that just didn't make the list:
- Dell 14 Plus (06/25, 83 %)
- 16-Zoll-Yoga-7-2-in-1 (05/25, 84 %)
- Acer Aspire 14 AI (03/25, 83 %)
- Dell Inspiron 16 7640 (07/24, 82 %)
- Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 16IML9 (05/24, 87 %)
Former top ten devices:
- Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 14AHP9 (03/25, 84 %)
- Xiaomi RedmiBook Pro 14 2024 (07/24, 86 %)
- Xiaomi RedmiBook Pro 16 2024 (04/24, 90 %)
- Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 14 (03/24, 87 %)
- Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14 (03/24, 88 %)
- Huawei MateBook 14 (86 %, 01/24)
1st place - Apple MacBook Air 13 Entry (M4)
The base model of the new MacBook Air 13 benefits from the extremely fast M4 processor and, in addition to the thin casing, also offers a very good IPS display, silent operation and long battery life.
The Apple MacBook Air 13 Entry is an unbeatable overall package for around 1,000 euros.
The base model of the new MacBook Air 13 M4 is available from all well-known retailers such as Notebooksbilliger or Amazon from 994 euros.
2nd place - Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14 G10 (Ryzen AI 7 350, Radeon 860M)
With the IdeaPad Pro 5 14 lenovo offers a compact multimedia notebook with a fast Ryzen 7 processor from AMD as well as a 2.8K OLED with 120 Hz and an HDR brightness of up to 1,100 nits, which is already calibrated ex works.
The new Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14 G10 impresses in our test with the high and stable performance of the AMD processor, long battery life, an aluminum casing and, of course, the new OLED panel.
Our test device is available at Campuspoint for 989 euros without operating system. At Lenovo itself, the comparable model costs 1,099 euros or 1,149 euros with Windows 11 Home.
3rd place - Xiaomi RedmiBook Pro 14 (Core Ultra 7 255H, Arc Graphics 140T)
The 2025 model of the RedmiBook Pro 14 gets an upgrade to Intel Arrow Lake and a brighter IPS display with 120 Hz. The battery life benefits and although the price has increased, it is still a good overall package.
With the 2025 update of the RedmiBook Pro 14, we get a current Arrow Lake processor from Intel, which also achieves good performance thanks to the high power limits.
The RedmiBook Pro 14 2025 can be imported via TradingShenzen. Our test device costs 1,087 euros.
4th place - Lenovo ThinkPad L13 2in1 G5 (Core Ultra 5 125U)
With the ThinkPad L13 2in1 lenovo offers a compact business convertible that is equipped with a matte touchscreen. The matching stylus is simply stowed away in the casing.
The ThinkPad L13 2in1 G5 is a compact business convertible with good features, an integrated stylus and a matte touchscreen. It offers accurate colors and full sRGB coverage, but also suffers from a grainy image impression.
The test device can be ordered from Campuspoint for 999 euros. Alternatively, the ThinkPad L13 2in1 can be configured directly at Lenovo.
5th place - Xiaomi RedmiBook 14 2025 (Core 5 220H)
The RedmiBook 14 gets new Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs from Intel for the 2025 model year. In addition to the high-quality aluminum casing, there is also a high-resolution IPS screen that can be used to edit images with ease.
The new RedmiBook 14 2025 proves to be a good all-rounder in the test without any major weak points and there is very little to complain about in view of the price. The aluminum casing is of high quality, the keyboard is comfortable, the Raptor Lake Refresh processor from Intel offers sufficient performance and the cooling does a very good job overall, which is why the 14-inch notebook remains very quiet even under high load.
The RedmiBook 14 2025 is currently only available as an import and can be purchased via TradingShenzen, for example, from 727 euros (16 GB, 512 GB SSD).
6th place - Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED (Ultra 5 226V, Arc Graphics 130V)
Thanks to the new Lunar Lake processor, the Vivobook S 14 OLED has lots of exciting features such as Thunderbolt 4, extended AI functionality (Copilot+) and Wi-Fi 7. There are plenty of ports, the input devices are comfortable to work with and there is no complaining about battery life.
The Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED benefits from the power-efficient Intel Lunar Lake processor and is a better overall compact laptop than dozens of its direct rivals despite the lower multi-core performance. The fans make limited noise, the temperatures are kept in check and battery runtimes are better than with previous-gen Vivobooks.
In Germany, the test Vivobook S 14 OLED model with the Core Ultra 5 226V, 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD can be ordered directly from Asus for 1,099 euros.
7th place - Lenovo ThinkPad L14 G5 (Ryzen 5 7535U, Radeon 660M)
Lenovo gave its L-series a major update with the 2024 model. This generation works particularly well for AMD fans with Lenovo finally leaving the older Ryzen 5000 chips behind. As a result, owners of the Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 5 (AMD) get USB 4, meaning Thunderbolt 3, among other benefits.
The L-series is cheap, but that doesn't mean it's bad: If you want to save money, the Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 5 AMD is a good workstation for office applications.
In Germany, the SKU tested costs around 1,020 euros at our partner store, Campuspoint. Amazon Germany offers an Intel Core Ultra-powered version for around 1,100 euros.
8th place - Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 14AKP10 (Ryzen AI 5 340, Radeon 840M)
The stylishly designed chassis of the Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 may not be ultra-light by 14-inch standards, but it impresses with its high-quality materials and good stability. Apart from the highly reflective surface, the not quite perfect luminosity and the screen flickering (up to 90% brightness), the display is also convincing, which, as is typical for OLEDs, has an excellent black level, a very high contrast and a rich color gamut. However, the real star of the reviewed AKP10 83JR002UGE model is the fresh Ryzen AI 5 340 from the Krackan Point family, which offers a good balance between performance and energy requirements.
The Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 14AKP10 is a flexible 14-inch convertible with a powerful Ryzen AI 5 CPU, great battery life and a good OLED.
The tested Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 14AKP10 83JR002UGE is available from around 1,000 euros at various retailers (e.g. computeruniverse.net).
9th place - Lenovo ThinkPad E14 G6 (Ultra 7 155U, Intel Arc 4)
It may look the same as the previous generation on the outside, but things are different on the inside making the ThinkPad E14 G6 faster, more durable and versatile.
The Lenovo ThinkPad E14 G6 enjoys a CPU performance, graphics performance and battery life boost for an overall balanced and reliable system.
The ThinkPad E14 G6 with the Core Ultra 7 155U is sold by multiple retailers.
10th place - Acer TravelMate P4 TMP414-42 (Ryzen 5 8540U, Radeon 740M)
The basics of a laptop for office and business use: a bright, matt display, a comfortable keyboard and a good touchpad as well as many ports and security functions. The Acer TravelMate P4 TMP414-42 - and in some cases it even exceeds them. The connectivity with RJ45 Ethernet and a microSD card slot is strong, better than the competition.
Acer's TravelMate P4 TMP414-42 shows that Acer can definitely produce good laptops for productive use. It impresses with an AMD Ryzen 5 CPU and a bright, matte display as well as great input devices.
The Acer TravelMate P4 TMP414-42 costs around 1,080 euros in the tested configuration at our rental provider Campuspoint. For students and others eligible for Acer's campus program, the Acer laptop is available from 980 euros.
Best laptops for under 1,000 dollars/euros: Overview
Measurements
Apple MacBook Air 13 M4 Entry | Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AKP G10 | Xiaomi RedmiBook Pro 14 2025 | Lenovo ThinkPad L13 2in1 G5 21LNS4AM00 | Xiaomi RedmiBook 14 2025 | Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | Lenovo ThinkPad L14 G5 21L50014GE | Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 14AKP10 | Lenovo ThinkPad E14 G6 | Acer TravelMate P4 14 TMP414-42-TCO-R6KG | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Display | ||||||||||
Display P3 Coverage | 98.4 | 99.9 | 70.3 | 70.8 | 72 | 37.7 | 98.5 | 41.3 | 75.9 | |
sRGB Coverage | 99.9 | 100 | 99.6 | 99 | 100 | 56.1 | 100 | 61.8 | 99 | |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 87.9 | 94.5 | 71.9 | 72.9 | 72.9 | 39 | 99.9 | 42.7 | 75.7 | |
Response Times | ||||||||||
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 34.5 ? | 0.39 ? | 26.7 ? | 44.1 ? | 33.7 ? | 23.5 ? | 1.5 ? | 28.8 ? | 40.7 ? | |
Response Time Black / White * | 27.2 ? | 0.49 ? | 11.1 ? | 21.4 ? | 18.7 ? | 18.8 ? | 1.4 ? | 19.1 ? | 28.2 ? | |
PWM Frequency | 1200 ? | 240 ? | ||||||||
PWM Amplitude * | 22 | 20 | ||||||||
Screen | ||||||||||
Brightness middle | 525 | 473 | 516 | 402 | 437 | 419 | 360 | 369.9 | 437 | |
Brightness | 506 | 474 | 518 | 366 | 412 | 399 | 357 | 361 | 426 | |
Brightness Distribution | 92 | 99 | 95 | 86 | 87 | 89 | 97 | 93 | 83 | |
Black Level * | 0.42 | 0.37 | 0.24 | 0.21 | 0.31 | 0.001 | 0.24 | 0.23 | ||
Contrast | 1250 | 1395 | 1675 | 2081 | 1352 | 360000 | 1541 | 1900 | ||
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 7.5 | 2.12 | 5.2 | 3.9 | |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 2.8 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 5.3 | 2.4 | 28.3 | 4.59 | 18.41 | 6.6 | |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2 | 1.5 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 4.6 | 1.4 | 3.5 | 4.7 | |
Gamma | 2.2 100% | 2.27 97% | 2.25 98% | 2.24 98% | 2.22 99% | 2.02 109% | 2.187 101% | 2.06 107% | 2.38 92% | |
CCT | 6876 95% | 6214 105% | 6942 94% | 6045 108% | 6392 102% | 6057 107% | 6366 102% | 6204 105% | 7444 87% | |
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1 | 6.2 | 1.9 | 2.04 | 1.9 | |||
Heat | ||||||||||
Maximum Upper Side * | 44.9 | 42.2 | 41.9 | 42 | 38.6 | 38.4 | 43.1 | 47 | 35 | 37.5 |
Maximum Bottom * | 42.6 | 42.4 | 52.1 | 45 | 45.1 | 49.7 | 45.7 | 49 | 35.6 | 41.1 |
Idle Upper Side * | 23.9 | 25.4 | 26.3 | 25.4 | 24.4 | 25.1 | 27.9 | 28 | 23.8 | 27 |
Idle Bottom * | 24 | 25.7 | 27.4 | 25.8 | 24.6 | 25.8 | 28.3 | 29 | 24.8 | 29.3 |
Battery Runtime | ||||||||||
WiFi v1.3 | 973 | 833 | 970 | 646 | 587 | 1030 | 748 | 686 | 566 | 590 |
H.264 | 1177 | 1199 | ||||||||
Load | 52 | 174 | 79 | 87 | 109 | |||||
Reader / Idle | 1370 | |||||||||
Power Consumption | ||||||||||
Idle Minimum * | 1.9 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 2.7 | 4.4 | 4 | 5.4 | 5.9 |
Idle Average * | 8.7 | 6.8 | 9.3 | 5.4 | 8.4 | 6.7 | 7 | 5 | 9.7 | 7.8 |
Idle Maximum * | 8.8 | 6.9 | 10.3 | 5.7 | 9.6 | 6.9 | 7.3 | 7 | 10.4 | 8.2 |
Load Average * | 29.9 | 71.7 | 56.5 | 37.9 | 51.9 | 34.5 | 24.4 | 52 | 49.2 | 36.3 |
Cyberpunk 2077 ultra external monitor * | 21.5 | 83.5 | 65 | 30.6 | 51 | 41.9 | 40.4 | 52.6 | 47.1 | 39 |
Cyberpunk 2077 ultra * | 18.5 | 84.8 | 70 | 37 | 51 | 43 | 39.6 | 54.8 | 50.1 | 39.1 |
Load Maximum * | 30.8 | 104.8 | 101.8 | 67.1 | 63.2 | 62.7 | 65.9 | 68 | 68.9 | 48.9 |
Noise | ||||||||||
off / environment * | 23.6 | 23.8 | 24.5 | 23.6 | 24.2 | 24.5 | 25 | 24.6 | 24.9 | |
Idle Minimum * | 23.6 | 23.8 | 24.5 | 23.6 | 24.2 | 24.5 | 25 | 24.6 | 24.9 | |
Idle Average * | 23.6 | 23.8 | 24.5 | 23.6 | 24.2 | 24.5 | 27 | 24.6 | 24.9 | |
Idle Maximum * | 23.6 | 23.8 | 24.5 | 25.7 | 24.2 | 24.5 | 30 | 24.6 | 28 | |
Load Average * | 46.5 | 30 | 32.8 | 31.9 | 28.8 | 38 | 43 | 27.5 | 35.7 | |
Cyberpunk 2077 ultra * | 48.9 | 42.2 | 35.2 | 34.4 | 37.6 | 41.4 | 42 | 39.4 | 41.8 | |
Load Maximum * | 48.9 | 45.3 | 38.6 | 34.4 | 45.6 | 41.5 | 44 | 42.5 | 41.6 |
* ... smaller is better
Benchmark scores
3DMark | |
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 14AKP10 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad E14 G6 | |
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 14AKP10 |