Notebookcheck's Top 10 Budget Multimedia Notebooks

The second place is secured by the IdeaPad 720 (here in review). Lenovo still equips the 2018 model with an outdated processor from 2016, but the overall package based on the Intel Core i5-7200U was convincing and got a good score of 85%. The Lenovo Ideapad 720 is priced at under 1,000 Euros (~$1174), so it is a perfect candidate for the multimedia segment.

Thanks to the AMD Radeon RX 560, you can also use the notebooks for some gaming. The performance of the Radeon RX 560 is comparable to the GeForce GTX 1050.

Lenovo offers a decent laptop despite the old CPU, and the system performance is very good thanks to the PCIe-SSD storage.

All in all, the performance of the Lenovo IdeaPad 720 is decent and meets the expectations for a multimedia device. The hardware is surrounded by a sophisticated case with a nice design. We also like the good input devices as well as the steady system performance under load.

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.

The Envy 17-ae143ng’s most notable feature is its classy aluminum chassis, although we were somewhat disappointed by its lack of rigidity and would have expected more of a aluminum case. HP’s Envy is one of the last notebooks with an optical drive, but it also feature modern connectivity such as USB Type-C.

In our review, the Core i5-8250U performed above average by and large, and it was even capable of keeping up with the Core i7-8550U thanks to the HP Envy 17-ae143ng’s sufficiently dimensioned and very well-working cooling solution. Accordingly, even sustained load does not cause any trouble whatsoever.

Gaming, on the other hand, is not necessarily the Envy’s strong side due to the fairly limited GeForce MX 150 GPU that is incapable of handling the latest games. Older titles should run fine on medium or even high settings, though.

The HP Envy 17-ae143ng is a decent multimedia laptop and offers a solid overall performance. Its most notable drawbacks are the poor speakers and the lack of Thunderbolt 3.

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.

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.

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.

Acer's Swift 3 SF315 (here in review) is an impressive example for AMD's ne mobile Ryzen chips. The Ryzen 5 2500U and the AMD Vega 8 GPU are placed inside a nice and slim chassis. This combination provides solid performance figures for multimedia applications. The Vega IGP is much faster than Intel's UHD Graphics in total.

The Acer Swift 3 SF315 can compete with Intel's 8th Gen. CPUs thanks to the new AMD Ryzen 5 2500U. The performance of this SoC does not have to hide behind the competition, and the Vega 8 graphics unit is much more powerful than Intel's counterpart (Intel UHD Graphics 620).

Short battery runtimes and a comparatively slow PCIe-SSD prevent a better rating for the Acer Swift 3 SF315. The display is also too dark with small color gamut. All in all, it is still sufficient for the 10th place in our Top 10 ranking for budget multimedia laptops this month.

Acer equipped its Aspire A515 with a modern CPU and a dedicated entry-level GPU. The multimedia notebook is further equipped with a 256 GB SSD, which is on the low side. We would also not expect too much of the GeForce MX130 GPU.

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.