Notebookcheck's Top 10 Budget Multimedia Notebooks

Acer's Nitro lineup has not lost any of its appeal even after several years. The combination of powerful processors and graphics cards, a good panel (FHD, matte, IPS), and an appealing price point still has plenty of fans. The 17-inch Nitro does not reveal any major flaws in our review (Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811). Only the practical WLAN runtime is a bit short at less than 5 hours, but still acceptable for such a big device.

There are numerous SKUs of the Aspire Nitro, so you can select one that perfectly suits your requirements and budget.

The combination of Intel Core i5-7300HQ and GeForce GTX 1050 Ti also handles many modern games in the native 1080p resolution and high details. The fan noise of the laptop is always okay, but there is a small catch: SKUs for less than 1000 Euros (~$1223) are usually shipped without an SSD.

The second place in this rating is occupied by a notebook with a very good rating, which is not officially available in central Europe. We are talking about the Mi Notebook Pro from the Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi. Xiaomi announced the availability of its smartphones in Spain recently, but the notebooks are not sold officially. Instead, you have to import it or buy from Chinese shops. 

Insider's tip for some, a no-go for others: The Xiaomi Mi Pro splits the opinions of potential buyers.

The laptop was convincing when we reviewed the Mi Pro with the i5 CPU, starting with the high-quality aluminum case, the bright and high-contrast panel all the way up to low noise emissions and long battery runtimes up to 10 hours in practical scenarios. The combination of i5-8250U processor and MX150 graphics card is also a good compromise between performance and mobility.

You take a powerful quad-core CPU from Intel, combine it with a GeForce GTX 1050 GPU, add an SSD/HDD combo, and put it into an inexpensive 15-inch case with a 1080p IPS screen. The final product carries the designation Aspire 7 A715 (here in review). 

The Aspire 7 A715 is a jack-of-all-trades.

The GTX 1050 in combination with the quad-core CPU provides smooth frame rates in modern games, also in the native Full HD resolution. The emissions of the laptop are also not too bad, even under load. You have to live with the chassis though, because you notice the price segment when you take a closer look.

The desire for sufficient performance for multimedia applications does not require a big case anymore. Acer's Swift 3 SF314 (here in review) is a good example. The notebook features a 14-inch display and is noticeably lighter than many 15 and 17-inch rivals at 1.6 kg (~3.5 lb).

Performance for the road: The Swift 3 SF314 with long runtimes and a low weight.

The combination of i7-8550U quad-core ULV CPU and GeForce MX150 GPU can cover all multimedia requirements all the way up to modern games. The SF314 is also a good travel companion thanks to battery runtimes up to 8 hours.

If you like Acer's Swift series, but prefer a 15-inch display, you should consider the Acer Swift 3 SF315 (here in review). A 15W ULV CPU (quad-core) once again meets a GeForce MX150, so there is plenty of performance for different multimedia scenarios. This also includes gaming, but with adjusted quality settings.

Acer's Swift series is an interesting option if you can live without an integrated DVD drive.

We liked the wide viewing angles and the good contrast ratio of the IPS screen during the review, but the luminance is not great. The emissions are low in all scenarios and the practical battery runtime of more than 8 hours is not bad, either.

The Aspire VX15 VX5-591G (here in review) is another entry-level gaming system, but this is mainly displayed by the design of the laptop, and not the components. The i5-7300HQ CPU and the GeForce GTX 1050 GPU still provide solid performance figures though. You get red design accents as well as a red keyboard illumination.

If you want a laptop that screams pro gamer, the Aspire VX5-591G is a promising choice in the entry-level segment.

We did not find any serious problems during our review. The display performance is okay and fits the other specs. Another positive aspect is the low emission development, even under load.

Acer seems to have a sheer unlimited number of entry-level multimedia laptops. Numerous series with several SKUs are available. The Aspire 5 A515 (here in review) is another mainstream multimedia laptop with a 15-inch screen and GeForce MX 150 GPU.

Acer's Aspire 5 offers solid specs for a good price.

We liked the high-contrast IPS display during our review of the Aspire 5 A 515. The SSD/HDD combo ensures snappy application launches as well as sufficient storage space. The hardware can handle modern games (although with adjusted quality settings) and the emissions are not bad, either.

The Asus FX553VD (here in review) is another example for the transition between multimedia and gaming under 1000 Euros (~$1223). The concept is familiar: Solid hardware (in this case i7-7700HQ and GeForce GTX 1050) meets inexpensive case and display options. 

The FX553VD is a good choice when you focus on the performance.

The unique feature of the Asus FX553VD is the choice of a TN panel. It benefits from low response times compared to IPS screens, but it cannot keep up in terms of luminance and contrast ratio. The limited viewing angle stability is another drawback.