Notebookcheck's Top 10 Budget Multimedia Notebooks
July 2019 Update. Here you will find the best multimedia notebooks under 1000 USD/Euros reviewed by Notebookcheck in the last few months. Our list of top models is regularly updated, maintained and commented on and should assist in purchasing decisions.
Multimedia laptops are all-rounders and very popular among customers. Whether it is web browsing, office work, or modern games, modern multimedia laptops can handle everything. For this ranking, however, we limit the theoretical budget to 1000 Euros (lowest current price at the time of writing). The minimum requirement for the performance level is a GeForce MX150, which can at least handle modern games in 1366x768 pixels. The other multimedia ranking and more interesting lists are obviously still available:
The following table shows an overview of the Top 10 budget multimedia laptops as reviewed by Notebookcheck in the past 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").
Note: The cheapest street price at the time of the last revision of this article applies to the following list. The sales prices shown in the following table and in the price comparison with the individual articles are automatically updated daily and can therefore differ!
Best Budget Laptops (Multimedia) as of July 2019
Pos. | Rating | Date | Image | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Screen | Best Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 78% | 12/2018 | ![]() | Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0 AMD Ryzen 7 2700U AMD Radeon RX 560X (Laptop) 8 GB Memory, 128 GB SSD | 2.4 kg | 27 mm | 15.6" | 1920x1080 | matte | |
2 | 78% | 06/2019 Neu! | ![]() | Asus TUF FX705DT-AU068T AMD Ryzen 5 3550H NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (Laptop) 8 GB Memory, 256 GB SSD | 2.7 kg | 26.6 mm | 17.3" | 1920x1080 | matte | |
3 | 85% | 06/2019 Neu! | ![]() | Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE Intel Core i7-8565U NVIDIA GeForce MX230 8 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | 1.6 kg | 17.9 mm | 14" | 1920x1080 | glossy | |
4 | 85% | 11/2018 | ![]() | Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU Intel Core i5-8265U NVIDIA GeForce MX150 8 GB Memory, 256 GB SSD | 1.8 kg | 17.95 mm | 15.6" | 1920x1080 | matte | |
5 | 85% | 04/2019 | ![]() | Asus VivoBook 14 F412FJ-EB084T Intel Core i5-8265U NVIDIA GeForce MX230 8 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | 1.5 kg | 19 mm | 14" | 1920x1080 | matte | |
6 | 82% | 10/2018 | ![]() | Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 (E58514D1D) Intel Core i5-8250U NVIDIA GeForce MX110 8 GB Memory, 128 GB SSD | 2.2 kg | 21 mm | 15.6" | 1920x1080 | matte | |
7 | 82% | 10/2018 | ![]() | HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng Intel Core i7-8550U NVIDIA GeForce MX150 8 GB Memory, 128 GB SSD | 1.7 kg | 17.9 mm | 14" | 1920x1080 | matte | |
8 | 82% | 08/2018 | ![]() | Lenovo Ideapad 530S-15IKB Intel Core i5-8250U Intel UHD Graphics 620 8 GB Memory, 256 GB SSD | 1.7 kg | 17 mm | 15.6" | 1920x1080 | matte | |
9 | 80% | 01/2019 | ![]() | HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng Intel Core i5-8250U NVIDIA GeForce MX130 8 GB Memory, 256 GB SSD | 1.9 kg | 18 mm | 15.6" | 1920x1080 | matte | |
10 | 79% | 05/2019 | ![]() | Dell Inspiron 17 3780 Intel Core i7-8565U AMD Radeon 520 16 GB Memory, 256 GB SSD | 2.8 kg | 25 mm | 17.3" | 1920x1080 | matte |
Top 10 of the previous 12 months at the time of writing - current articles are listed first
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Editors' Comments
There are plenty of multimedia laptops for under 1,000 Euros. This category features a good price-performance ratio, because all multimedia-class device are equipped with a discrete graphics card and provide decent gaming performance. Inexpensive entry-level models are often shipped with a powerful processor, but the common GeForce MX150 is not a perfect solution for modern 3D games. Manufacturers also try to save money in terms of storage, which can quickly become the bottleneck due to high storage requirements of multimedia contents like games, picture, or videos. You should favor an SSD/HDD combination.
1st - Acer Nitro 5
The Acer Nitro 5 is an unusual device, which can secure a top spot in our Top 10 ranking with a total score of 85%. The big notebook manufacturers usually use processors from Intel. Acer now equipped the Nitro 5 with an AMD Ryzen 7 2700U, which is comparable to an Intel Core i7-8550U. Besides the AMD processor, you also get the dedicated AMD Radeon RX 560X for usable 3D performance. Overall, the Acer Nitro 5 offers sufficient performance even for demanding games.
The well-equipped multimedia device does not lack storage, either; 1.1 TB should be sufficient. You get a 128 GB SSD in combination with a conventional 1 TB hard drive for large amount of files.
AMD fans will be happy about the combination of Ryzen 7 2700U and Radeon RX 560X, because the AMD CPU is on par with the Intel counterpart.
Users get an IPS display with wide viewing angles and a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. This adds to the good price-performance ratio, which is an advantage of the Acer Nitro 5.
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2nd – Asus TUF FX705
Asus’s TUF 705DT [see review here] is living proof that AMD-powered devices can be powerful and energy efficient at the same time. AMD’s Ryzen 5 3550H offers performance on a par with Intel’s Core i5-8300H or Core i5-9300H. However, at a TDP of just 35 W, it is significantly more efficient. Both Intel SoCs require 10 W more than AMD’s counterpart. Our 17-inch multimedia review unit was further equipped with a 256 GB large NVMe SSD, a 1 TB hard disk, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650. In other words: it was certainly gaming-capable.
We liked its low power consumption and the resulting decent battery life. In our Wi-Fi test, the Asus TUF 705DT lasted for almost 8 hours. The matte IPS display was decent albeit somewhat dim. Connectivity, on the other hand, was comparatively poor. For example, the device lacks a USB Type-C port altogether, and a card reader is nowhere to be found either.
The Asus TUF 705DT is a decent multimedia device capable of running the latest games. Unfortunately, its connectivity is pretty poor.
Top 10 Laptops
Multimedia, Budget Multimedia, Gaming, Budget Gaming, Lightweight Gaming, Business, Budget Office, Workstation, Subnotebooks, Ultrabooks, Chromebooks
under 300 USD/Euros, under 500 USD/Euros, 1.000 USD/Euros
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3rd – Lenovo Ideapad S340
Lenovo’s Ideapad S340 [see review here] turned out to be a solid device and managed to secure one of the top spots in our top 10 list of budget multimedia notebooks. Its robust case is available in four different colors, and thanks to its conservative design it does not look out of place in typical office environments. Thanks to Intel’s latest Whiskey Lake generation of processors, the Core i7-8565U, it offered plenty of oomph. Its good overall system performance certainly benefitted from the fast 512 GB PCIe SSD. An extra 2.5-inch hard drive bay is available for retroactive upgrades. Unfortunately, the RAM is fixed at 8 GB and cannot be upgraded.
Most users will be more than satisfied with the display that did not show any signs of PWM flickering whatsoever. Unfortunately, it comes at a price: poor color accuracy, poor color space coverage, and a dim backlight. Therefore, it is not suited for professional use. Its battery life was also comparatively short, and it only lasted 6 hours in our Wi-Fi test.
Lenovo’s Ideapad S340 is a decent device offering decent system performance. Unfortunately, battery life is comparatively short.
Thanks to its GeForce MX230 GPU the Ideapad S340 is even capable of gaming, albeit we advise you to steer clear of current games if at all possible. The GPU is, after all, based on an entry-level chip design.
Pricecompare
4th - Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G
Acer's Aspire 5 A515-52G (here in review) is an inexpensive multimedia notebook based on a Whiskey Lake CPU. The Intel Core i5-8265U is more than powerful enough for the majority of multimedia workloads. The case is now a bit slimmer compared to the predecessor. A fast SSD and 8 GB DDR4-RAM in a dual-channel configuration ensure a responsive system performance.
The allrounder is equipped with a matte IPS panel, which is not the brightest model. The step towards displays with wide angles in the low-price segment is still a positive trend.
For about 900 Euros, you get a solid laptop with dedicated graphics card (GeForce MX150), which can handle some gaming, but you will have to waive high resolutions and details. You can also implement an additional storage drive if the 256 GB SSD is not sufficient. An empty 2.5-inch slot is available. The Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G is a good allrounder without any real drawbacks.
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5th - Asus VivoBook 14
Asus expands its VivoBook-series with the 14-inch and slim Ultrabook (here in review) including the dedicated Nvidia GeForce MX230. For 800 Euros you get a fast system with a modern Whiskey Lake CPU. The chassis only uses a base unit made of plastic, but it does not feel cheap.
The display is unfortunately a bit below our expectations. it has a matte surface, but it is still not ideal for outdoor use due to the dim backlight.
The Asus VivoBook 14 turns out to be a solid all-rounder for everyday use despite some small drawbacks. It is not too expensive, either.
Nvidia's GeForce MX230 is no typical gaming GPU, but it is still powerful enough for older titles, which will even run at higher settings. All in all, the MX230 is slightly faster than the old Nvidia GeForce 940MX.
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6th - Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6
The Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 is a good multimedia laptop from the Chinese manufacturer for less than 800 Euros. The device is unfortunately not sold officially in every region, so there might be limitations in terms of warranty and keyboard layout. The operating system is Windows 10, but the default language is Chinese, so there is some fiddling. You should therefore consider a fresh installation of the operating system.
The performance of the Intel Core i5-8250U is very good during our review and the dedicated GeForce MX110 can handle simple 3D games like Overwatch, Team Fortress, or the Fifa-series. We like the mostly silent operation in office scenarios.
The Xiaomi Mi is a system with a very good price-performance ratio, but the compromises might scare off some potential buyers.
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7th - HP Pavilion 14
HP also offers an inexpensive multimedia device. The Pavilion 14 is equipped with an Intel Core i7-8550U supported by 8 GB DDR4 RAM. 3D calculations are handled by the GeForce MX150, which is a good choice for smooth frame rates in simple games.
HP updated the chassis and we think it was a success. The tactile impression is good and the design looks modern. Both the excellent build quality and the stability were convincing as well.
However, there are many drawbacks. The display is too dark, which makes the use in sunshine impossible. We often criticize the lack of an SD reader. Well, the Pavilion 14 has one, but it only supports USB 2.0 speeds, so the performance is slow. Overall, the thermal management is not good and the fan is clearly audible under load.
The HP Pavilion does not have an easy time to find a new owner. It will probably have to be a great deal.
Pricecompare
8th - Lenovo Ideapad 530S
The Ideapad 530S (here in review) is an affordable multimedia laptop. It is available with a discreet GPU, but our test model only comes with the integrated graphics adapter. This means the GPU performance is low, but the performance utilization of the Intel Core i5-8250U could have been better as well.
The Lenovo Ideapad 530S is still a nice multimedia notebook with a sturdy chassis. You can maintain it and the system is usually very quiet. We like the anti-reflective surface of the screen, even though the luminance is rather average at 270 nits.
The Ideapad 530S offers surprisingly many features for the small price tag. SKUs with dedicated GPU still retail for less than 1000 Euros.
Pricecompare
9th - HP Pavilion 15
HP's Pavilion 15 is an inexpensive Multimedia laptop with an Intel Core i5-8250U and dedicated Nvidia GeForce MX130. The device also offers plenty of storage with a total of 1.25 TB thanks to a 256 GB SSD for the operating system and a 1 TB hard disk for additional data.
The Pavilion 15 certainly attracts attention with the appealing design, which appears very modern with its slim-bezel design. However, the chassis is not only modern, but also stable. All in all, the multimedia laptop offers good system performance for working tasks. Nvidia's GeForce MX130 is just too weak for modern games.
The biggest drawbacks of the HP Pavilion is the short battery runtime. We only determined a meager runtime of 4:44 hours in our Wi-Fi scenario, which is not good.
The HP Pavilion 15 offers a modern and attractive design. However, don't be fooled by the design, because the battery runtime and the loud fan are considerable drawbacks.
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10th - Dell Inspiron 17
The Dell Inspiron 17 3000 3780 is a 17-inch multimedia laptop with an Intel Core i7-8565U, but the dedicated graphics card AMD Radeon 520 is pretty weak. This means the device is not suited for modern games.
The advantages include a display with a decent contrast ratio, an optical drive, which is rare nowadays, as well as the low price.
The Dell Inspiron 17 3780 with the AMD Radeon 520 is a fast laptop for home use. You can increase the system performance further with the addition of an SSD.
Pricecompare
Top 10 in Comparison
Size Comparison
Measurement Results
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0 | Asus TUF FX705DT-AU068T | Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE | Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU | Asus VivoBook 14 F412FJ-EB084T | Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 (E58514D1D) | HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng | Lenovo Ideapad 530S-15IKB | HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng | Dell Inspiron 17 3780 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Response Times | ||||||||||
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 48.4 (24, 24.4) | 41 (20, 21) | 36 (20, 16) | 45 (24, 21) | 40 (19, 21) | 46 (22.4, 23.6) | 40 (21, 19) | 37.2 (19.6, 17.6) | 45 (21, 24) | 46 (24.4, 21.6) |
Response Time Black / White * | 32.8 (18, 14.8) | 30 (16, 14) | 27 (16, 11) | 35 (19, 16) | 29 (17, 12) | 34 (15.2, 18.8) | 31 (18, 13) | 32.4 (18.4, 14) | 28 (16, 12) | 35.2 (22, 13.2) |
PWM Frequency | 20000 (90) | 60 (100) | 200 (90) | 25770 (67) | ||||||
Screen | ||||||||||
Brightness middle | 299 | 316 | 260 | 296 | 267 | 280 | 239 | 285.1 | 240 | 322.9 |
Brightness | 284 | 294 | 250 | 268 | 257 | 267 | 223 | 271 | 237 | 322 |
Brightness Distribution | 88 | 84 | 87 | 81 | 91 | 85 | 88 | 88 | 90 | 84 |
Black Level * | 0.24 | 0.32 | 0.29 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.27 | 0.28 | 0.42 | 0.26 |
Contrast | 1246 | 988 | 897 | 987 | 1335 | 1400 | 885 | 1018 | 571 | 1242 |
Colorchecker DeltaE2000 * | 4.98 | 3.39 | 6.29 | 4.01 | 3.79 | 5 | 5.3 | 4.38 | 7.43 | 4.19 |
Colorchecker DeltaE2000 max. * | 7.67 | 5.56 | 14.77 | 8.7 | 8.18 | 7.9 | 10.03 | 24.07 | 12.42 | 7.04 |
Colorchecker DeltaE2000 calibrated * | 3.7 | 2.14 | 4.51 | 4 | 4.71 | 3.6 | 3.64 | 3.95 | 3.55 | |
Greyscale DeltaE2000 * | 4.58 | 3.17 | 4.65 | 0.98 | 1.49 | 3.7 | 5.85 | 3.1 | 6.26 | 4.5 |
Gamma | 2.55 86% | 2.39 92% | 2.73 81% | 2.35 94% | 2.48 89% | 2.08 106% | 2.45 90% | 2.24 98% | 2.96 74% | 1.97 112% |
CCT | 6397 102% | 7098 92% | 7331 89% | 6408 101% | 6659 98% | 7309 89% | 7169 91% | 6705 97% | 6661 98% | 7041 92% |
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 57 | 51 | 37 | 38 | 38 | 38.09 | 38 | 40 | 35 | 57.6 |
Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 87 | 89 | 58 | 58 | 59 | 59.26 | 59 | 62 | 54 | 88.4 |
Noise | ||||||||||
off / environment * | 29 | 30.8 | 30.6 | 30.5 | 29.9 | 29.9 | 30.5 | 28 | 30.6 | 28.1 |
Idle Minimum * | 29 | 30.8 | 30.6 | 30.5 | 30 | 29.9 | 32.7 | 28 | 30.6 | 31.7 |
Idle Average * | 31 | 30.8 | 30.6 | 30.5 | 30 | 30.6 | 32.7 | 28 | 30.6 | 31.8 |
Idle Maximum * | 32 | 32.2 | 31.2 | 30.9 | 30 | 35 | 32.7 | 30.1 | 32.1 | 31.8 |
Load Average * | 36 | 38.6 | 36.5 | 41.2 | 33.5 | 38.8 | 42.9 | 30.2 | 43.2 | 38.7 |
Witcher 3 ultra * | 44 | |||||||||
Load Maximum * | 46 | 44.8 | 39.7 | 41.9 | 38 | 45.3 | 45 | 33.2 | 43.4 | 48.5 |
Heat | ||||||||||
Maximum Upper Side * | 47 | 41.6 | 45.2 | 52.9 | 45.4 | 48.2 | 49.2 | 33.8 | 48 | 49 |
Maximum Bottom * | 44 | 38 | 43.8 | 51.5 | 44.4 | 58.8 | 47 | 43 | 49 | 39.6 |
Idle Upper Side * | 30 | 31.7 | 27.4 | 28.4 | 26.9 | 26.3 | 22.5 | 28.6 | 24.4 | 32.2 |
Idle Bottom * | 28 | 29.5 | 28.7 | 29.7 | 26.5 | 28.6 | 23.1 | 33.4 | 24.6 | 33.8 |
Battery Runtime | ||||||||||
Reader / Idle | 815 | 1393 | 846 | 613 | 797 | 493 | 578 | |||
WiFi v1.3 | 340 | 469 | 361 | 450 | 331.3 | 340 | 414 | 391 | 284 | 252 |
Load | 124 | 82 | 101 | 145 | 121 | 66 | ||||
Power Consumption | ||||||||||
Idle Minimum * | 7 | 3.9 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 5.6 | 6.3 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 5 |
Idle Average * | 10 | 9.6 | 5.1 | 6.3 | 6.1 | 8.6 | 8.4 | 5.6 | 6.1 | 10.9 |
Idle Maximum * | 18 | 12.2 | 5.6 | 9.6 | 8.3 | 8.7 | 10.2 | 10.3 | 8.3 | 12 |
Load Average * | 79 | 59 | 47.5 | 59.5 | 43 | 39.9 | 59 | 30.5 | 56 | 49.6 |
Load Maximum * | 128 | 80 | 64.5 | 64.4 | 61.6 | 59.9 | 66.3 | 33.8 | 67 | 66.9 |
Witcher 3 ultra * | 98 | 33.2 |
* ... smaller is better
Benchmarks
Cinebench R20 | |
CPU (Single Core) (sort by value) | |
Asus TUF FX705DT-AU068T | |
CPU (Multi Core) (sort by value) | |
Asus TUF FX705DT-AU068T |
PCMark 7 - Score (sort by value) | |
Asus TUF FX705DT-AU068T | |
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU |