Ranking: Best affordable all-round laptops

The 2024 Aspire 16 is a powerful multimedia notebook ideal for everyday multitasking, creative tasks, and media consumption. Its large 16-inch display provides plenty of screen real estate, driven by an Intel Core 7 150U CPU, 16 GB DDR5 RAM and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2050 GPU for solid overall application and gaming performance. The notebook offers good connectivity, including Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi 6E, ensuring future-proof usage. Its slim design and long battery life make it great for both work and leisure.

Thanks to the Core 7 150U and RTX 2050 graphics, the Acer Aspire 16 makes everyday computing effortless.

The SKU tested is available for 899 euros at Notebooksbilliger. Please note that the RTX 2050 is a rather old discrete graphics adapter and is not much faster than powerful iGPUs such as AMD's Radeon 890M.

The Pavilion 16 is a versatile 16-inch laptop with AMD's Ryzen 5 8540U, an efficient six-core processor with clock speeds of up to 4.9 GHz. It offers good performance for everyday tasks, some multitasking and light creative applications. The anti-glare WUXGA display (1,920 x 1,200 pixels) is adequate for the job. With 16 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and a 1 TB SSD, the SKU tested has no memory problem. The integrated AMD Radeon 740M GPU enables smooth media playback and some very basic 3D graphics processing. In terms of the ports, all the basics are onboard, like USB 3.0, HDMI and Wi-Fi 6. The laptop also impresses with long battery life of up to 11 hours, making it ideal for mobile use.

The Acer Aspire 17 is a simple multimedia notebook that is suitable for everyday use and light creative applications. It is powered by an Intel Core 7 150U processor with ten CPU cores and a maximum Turbo clock speed of 5.4 GHz. Together with 16 GB DDR4 RAM and a 1 TB SSD, this makes for a solid basic configuration. An Nvidia GeForce RTX 2050 Laptop GPU is installed as the dedicated graphics card; keep in mind that this aging graphics adapter is not much faster than powerful iGPUs such as the Radeon 890M. The advantages of the Acer Aspire 17 include its stylish visual design, low temperatures and Thunderbolt 4 support.

Lenovo's IdeaPad Slim 5 is a versatile, compact 16-inch notebook designed for productivity and daily tasks. The Intel Core 7 150U processor provides excellent performance for the price. The notebook includes 16 GB DDR5 RAM and a fast PCIe SSD for quick startup and seamless operation. Highlights include long battery life, fast Wi-Fi 6, and a comprehensive set of ports, such as USB-C and HDMI.

With its slim design and lightweight build, the IdeaPad Slim 5 is perfect for mobile users seeking reliable performance.  

The SKU tested is not easy to find, but Lenovo Germany offers a reasonably similar configuration (Intel Core 5 120U, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD) for 780 euros.

The IdeaPad Slim 3 is a lightweight, everyday 15-inch laptop with the fresh Intel Core 5 210H. It is well suited for office work, surfing, streaming and simple image editing. Its keyboard and large touchpad are comfortable to use. In terms of battery life, the IdeaPad Slim impressed in our testing for an entire working day. The matte IPS display offers Full HD+ resolution, but is only just mediocre in terms of brightness and color reproduction. Performance reserves are sufficient for everyday use, but the integrated Intel graphics is hardly suitable for gaming or demanding 3D applications. The port selection is solid, as modern options such as USB-C are available. Overall, the IdeaPad is a good companion for school, studies and the office - but without any real highlights considering the price.

The IdeaPad Slim 3i is a budget-friendly, portable notebook suitable for everyday computing needs. Its 15.6-inch display is large and usable enough without hampering portability. Powered by an Intel Core 5 120U, it comfortably handles tasks such as Web browsing, streaming Web videos and doing office work. The configuration tested features 16 GB DDR5 RAM and a 1 TB PCIe SSD, that's ample storage space combined with fast data access. The integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics is sufficient for general multimedia use but not for any real gaming.

With its Core 5 120U, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i doesn't significantly outperform its predecessor equipped with a 13th-generation Core i5 CPU.

The configuration tested is not available to buy, as of this writing. Lenovo Germany offers somewhat different SKUs, such as this one based on a Core 7 150U, 16 GB RAM and a 256 GB SSD. It can be had for 790 euros.

Xiaomi's RedmiBook Pro 16 (2024) is an impressive multimedia laptop featuring Intel's Meteor Lake-H platform. Tested with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU, 32 GB DDR5 RAM, and a 1 TB SSD, it offers excellent performance. Its sturdy metal case, modern connectivity featuring Thunderbolt 4, and strong system performance stand out, making it one of the best laptops in its price category.

With its solid casing, fairly powerful hardware, and attractive price, the Xiaomi RedmiBook Pro 16 is a lovely option in this laptop category.

The RedmiBook 16 is available for 1,027 euros (including Windows 11 Pro) from TradingShenzhen, among other options.

The Pavilion Plus combines power and efficiency, thanks to AMD's Ryzen 7 7840U processor. Its integrated AMD Radeon 780M graphics provides respectable performance, too while vibrant 120 Hz OLED display enhances the multimedia experience significantly.

Overall, the Pavilion Plus 14 is an excellent multimedia notebook with a superb 1,800p OLED display.

The Ryzen variant of the HP Pavilion Plus 14 is priced at 799 euros on Notebooksbilliger. An Intel version (featuring a Core i5-1335U) is also available for 749 euros.

The Swift X SFX16 (2024) offers plenty of niceties for the money. Equipped with an Intel Core i5-11320H and a dedicated Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics, it handles both general productivity and gaming tasks quite well. Highlights include a high-quality, rigid metal case, good connectivity, and a sharp display.

The 2024 Swift X SFX16 is a capable multimedia notebook featuring solid performance, strong build, and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity.

The configuration tested (Intel Core i5-11320H, Nvidia RTX 3050, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD) is available from Amazon Germany for 699 euros.

The IdeaPad 5 Pro 16 is a multimedia notebook featuring a 16-inch, 16:10 format display ideal for productivity tasks. The screen brightness and clarity are suitable for most work environments. Powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 6600HS and Radeon 660M integrated graphics, it offers reliable performance for general tasks and multimedia applications.

The IdeaPad 5 Pro 16 is a balanced all-rounder suitable for productivity, media consumption, and moderate multimedia use.

The configuration tested is available from Amazon Germany for 1,034 euros.

This specific Envy 14 offers some basic performance and great portability with its Intel Core i5-1135G7 and integrated Xe graphics. Although not designed for gaming, it excels in daily tasks, aided by its low noise emissions, bright 16:10 display, sleek design, long battery life, and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity.

The HP Envy 14 is a versatile multimedia laptop providing consistently reliable performance for everyday tasks.

The configuration reviewed sells for 639 euros on Amazon Germany.

The HMateBook D15 (2022), powered by the rather old but still capable Ryzen 5 5500U, delivers commendable performance for the price. Its durable build quality and good display performance secure its place on this list. Some compromises include non-upgradable RAM and slow USB 2.0 ports, but overall it's well-suited for general multimedia and office usage.

With its robust performance, stylish case, and reasonable pricing, the MateBook D15 remains an excellent value for home users.

The tested model is available for around 525 euros at Amazon Germany.