Notebookcheck: New Rating System Online

Thus far, the Notebookcheck rating system has graded on a weighted scale based on subratings such as notebook weight, performance, display and other specific aspects. Every subrating contributes to the final score with some subratings having more weight than others. This distribution between subratings has been independent of the category of the device in review.

While our core weighted rating system will not change, we will be making changes to the distribution of the subratings:

• From now on, subratings will depend on the category of the device. For example, an office notebook with a weight of 2.0 kg performs very well (91%) relative to its category, while a subnotebook with a weight of 2.0 kg would be considered heavy in its category and score only 65%.
  This same principle will apply to the Gaming, System Performance, Keyboards, Temperature, and System Noise subratings.
  
  
• Because of advances in CPU and display technology, our evaluation of performance, display and battery life have also been made stricter.
  
  
• The subratings "Audio" and "Camera" have been added to the rating.
  
  
• From now on, the subrating "Impression" will have an indirect impact on the calculated total rating and will be displayed in the final rating more clearly as "(+/- XY %)". Essentially, the reviewer can bump the calculated score down or up depending on his or her final impressions of the device. If it is not displayed in the plugin, then the reviewer Impression had no effect on the calculated final score. This will also allow us to make corrections if the total rating does not reflect the overall impression.
  
  
• The new weight distribution of each subrating is as follows on the table below. Our Display subrating in particular has been made more important to the final rating across the board in each device category.