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MagyarNotebookcheck's Top 10 Multimedia Laptops
December 2019 Update. Here you will find the best multimedia notebooks 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.
Every month, Notebookcheck reviews numerous notebooks of all kinds. Some of these are multimedia laptops. We have classed 14-inch or larger notebooks that have been designed and configured as all-round laptops by the manufacturers with graphics cards up to the GTX 1060. Also check out our other rankings and interesting lists:
The following table shows an overview of the Top 10 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").
Best Laptops (Multimedia) as of December 2019
Top 10 of the previous 12 months at the time of writing - current articles are listed first
Editors' Comments
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
Best Displays, for University Students
Top 10 Smartphones
Smartphones, Phablets, ≤5-inch, Camera SmartphonesNotebookcheck's Top 10 Smartphones under 160 Euros
1st - Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme
Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Extreme is a very well-equipped notebook for many different usage scenarios. After the high-end SKU, we also reviewed the entry-level model and it managed a better score of 92 %. This situation is similar to the Dell XPS 15.
You have the choice when it comes to the display: Better picture quality or matte screen with longer battery runtime: The 1080p panel consumes less power, so the stamina is superior compared to the 4K HDR SKU.
Cheaper is better when it comes to the ThinkPad X1 Extreme and Lenovo's entry-level SKU convinced us.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme is a multimedia laptop with excellent performance figures and a lot of features. It combines multiple devices, because you can use it as your daily business device and the use the CPU/GPU performance to play some games after work.
We liked the 4K panel with HDR support as well as the high-quality chassis and the excellent input devices. The CPU performance is very good and the system noise is very adequate during everyday tasks.
Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Extreme is a successful 15.6-inch multimedia laptop with excellent CPU performance and the best keyboard you can currently get in the mobile segment.
The CPU performance is unfortunately reduced on battery power. The battery runtime of the X1 Extreme is not great, either, and WWAN is not available at all.
All in all, Lenovo still offers a very good 15.6-inch notebook, which can utilize the full performance of the i7-8750H under load.
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2nd – Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018
Apple’s 2018 MacBook Pro [see review here] offers a few minor updates but no performance improvements. For the first time, the MacBook Pro 15 can be equipped with a 6-core CPU and DDR4 RAM. However, it was unable to maintain a high level of performance over long periods of sustained loads, which rendered its theoretical performance improvements compared to the 2017 MacBook Pro rather moot.
Overall, Apple’s multimedia laptop’s case is very well made. The display is very bright yet reflective. Its speakers are very good, and so is its Wi-Fi performance. We also liked the giant touchpad with its great precision.
The insufficiently dimensioned power supply was a thorn in the MacBook Pro’s side. It was so weak that the device’s battery slowly discharged while running our stress test. It also prevented both CPU and GPU to perform at peak levels during simultaneous load on both. While the notebook remained fairly quiet under load its fans ramped up noticeably under load. The selection of ports remained unchanged, and Apple still limits its MacBook Pro to no more than four full-bandwidth Thunderbolt 3 ports. Thus, the dongle life continues.
Unfortunately, we ran into issues with the MacBook Pro 15 2018’s cooler, which had a negative impact on CPU performance. Accordingly, the device only receives an asterisked endorsement.
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3rd – Dell XPS 15 7590
Dell’s 2019 XPS [see review here] is a well-made improvement over last year’s XPS notebook. In addition to a CPU upgrade Dell also upgraded the graphics card to a new Nvidia Turing GPU. In addition, this year’s XPS is also going to be available with an OLED display. We already had this device in review and the poor response time are no more.
Dell’s XPS 15 is a decent all-rounder well-suited for both business and gaming without ripping a giant hole in your wallet.
The combination of a fast 8-core CPU and a GeForce GRX 1650 make for gaming-capable frame rates. Decent maintenance and the color accurate high-contrast OLED display are additional pros. The speakers also turned out to be pretty good.
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4th – Acer ConceptD 7
Acer’s brand-new ConceptD series is aimed primarily at power users such as designers, video, music, and photo editors. The Acer ConceptD 7 CN715 (see review here) managed a score of 86 % and thus earned its place in our top 10. At around $2,000 you get a good-looking modern device with hardware powerful enough for a gaming laptop.
The ConceptD is a sleek and well-designed notebook. It is very efficient and remained fairly cool during our tests, and it offers a decent 4K display to boot. Unfortunately, it suffered from thermal throttling and was outperformed by its competitors.
If all you are looking for when purchasing a device are specs you should definitely keep in mind that similarly equipped laptops perform better. The ConceptD’s CPU throttled under load, and performance dropped even further on battery. On the plus side it features a great 4K display with high color space coverage levels. The display is certainly the device’s major selling point.
Acer ConceptD 7 (i7-9750H, RTX 2060, SSD, UHD)
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5th - Dell XPS 15 7590
Dell only charges 1300 Euros for the entry-level XPS 15 7590 with a Core i5 CPU and 8 GB RAM. However, there is no dedicated GPU, so all the graphics are handled by the integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630. Still, the XPS 15 7590 manages to secure a spot in our Top 10 ranking.
The Dell XPS 15 7590 is a high-quality multimedia device and manages excellent battery runtimes in the entry-level spec.
The performance of the XPS 15was good in our review, and the emissions are much better compared to the XPS 15 with the dedicated Nvidia GPU. The device also manages excellent battery runtimes, so it can also be used as an office device. We recommend this SKU if you do not plan to play modern games.
The laptop is also very quiet during web browsing. Good maintenance options and the very good 1080p screen complete the package.
Dell XPS 15 7590 (i5-9300H, iGPU, SSD, FHD)
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6th - Asus ZenBook 15 UX533FD
The Asus ZenBook 15 UX533FD (here in review) combines a modern Whiskey Lake processor and a GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q in a nice chassis. Overall, the performance of the Intel Core i7-8565U is above the average of competitors. There are no major drawbacks during the review, but you have to live with the very glossy screen when you get the Asus ZenBook 15 UX533FD.
The Asus ZenBook 15 UX533FD is a nice multimedia device, which also works as a gaming laptop. You do not have to waive long battery runtimes, either.
All in all, the Asus ZenBook 15 UX533FD convinces with good performance figures, long runtimes, and good fan as well as thermal management. Thanks to the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, the device can also handle games.
Asus ZenBook 15 (i7-8565U, GTX1050 Max-Q)
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7th - Lenovo IdeaPad S540
The 15-inch Lenovo IdeaPad S540 offers a good overall package that ensures a spot in our Top 10 ranking. At about 1100 Euros, the IdeaPad S540 has a high-quality and modern chassis, a fast SSD, and a bright as well as high-contrast display. However, the CPU performance is not that great, because the performance of the Intel Core i7-8565U is a bit lower under load.
We liked the modern design, which results in a very slim device. The aluminum chassis still offers decent stability, which is not lost on the lid, either. However, we did expect more in terms of ports. You only get two regular USB connectors, 1x USB-C, and 1x HDMI. This is usually sufficient, but it is not a highlight.
The Lenovo IdeaPad is a nice allrounder. However, you should not have a problem with the high-pitched fan noise.
You get a lot of fast storage with the 1 TB NVMe-SSD, and you can even play more demanding games thanks to the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q.
Lenovo IdeaPad S540 (i7-8565U, GTX 1650 Max-Q)
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8th - MSI P65 Creator 9SF
The MSI P65 9SF Creator convinced with very good performance results during our review. The Intel Core i9-9880H is very fast and the multimedia device is also a good gaming laptop thanks to the GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q.
The device is primarily designed for content creators who do not want to compromise on performance and ensure a fast system when they use applications like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere.
The device appears very noble, but the stability could have been better. In return, however, the MSI P65 9SF Creator convinces with its low weight as well as the compact chassis. We liked the 144 Hz panel and could not detect PWM or clouding. The limited maintenance is unfortunate, just like the single storage slot.
The MSI P65 9SF combines multiple devices. During the day, you can easily use the subtle and stylish device for work, but the notebook can also handle modern games in 4k in your free time.
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9th - MSI PS63 Modern
The MSI PS63 (here in review) has advantages in terms of mobility, ergonomics, and maintenance. The design is not bad, either, because MSI packs all the hardware into a sophisticated chassis made of aluminum.
The Intel Core i7-8565U is a 15W SoC, and the Turbo utilization is limited. The dedicated GeForce GTX 1050 GPU on the other hand runs at the full speed during our stress test.
The battery runtime is very long with about 11.5 hours in our WLAN test.
The display looks good on paper, because Asus promises TrueColor, which means an almost full sRGB gamut. Our measurements do not support this claim, and the luminance of just 262 nits on average is clearly behind expectations, too.
The MSI PS63 is a very slim and enduring laptop if you do not need the power of a 45W processor.
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10th - Acer Aspire 5 A515
Acer's Aspire 5 A515-52G is a 15-inch multimedia laptop with the Nvidia GeForce MX250. For about 1100 Euros, you also get a fast Intel Core i7-8565U, 16 GB RAM as well as a hybrid storage system consisting of SSD & HDD.
All the hardware is inside a slim and comparatively light chassis, which looks very modern thanks to its slim bezels. The Nvidia GeForce MX250 in combination with the Whiskey Lake CPU is sufficient for smooth gameplay in most titles. However, you should reduce the resolution and the details.
The device does not lack storage, because you get a total of 1.5 TB. The operating system is stored on the fast NVMe-SSD, which results in a very responsive system.
The Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G is a good multimedia device with a modern design and a fast CPU. Nvidia's GeForce MX250 alone, however, is no reason to buy the laptop.
As it is so often the case, we criticize the screen brightness, and this is also the case for our test sample of the Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G. Still, it has a matte surface and wide viewing angles thanks to the IPS technology.
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G (i7-8565U, GeForce MX250, SSD, FHD)
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Recent Multimedia Awards
Comparison Best Multimedia Laptops
Size Comparison
Measurement Results
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000RGE | Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20) | Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650 | Acer ConceptD 7 CN715-71-743N | Dell XPS 15 7590 i5 iGPU FHD | Asus ZenBook 15 UX533FD | Lenovo IdeaPad S540-15IWL 81SW0015GE | MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657 | MSI PS63 Modern 8SC | Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Response Times | ||||||||||
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 52.8 (27.6, 25.2) | 2.3 (1.1, 1.2) | 49 (24, 25) | 52.8 (25.6, 27.2) | 45 (21, 24) | 39.2 (21.2, 18) | 51 (24, 27) | 41.6 (23.6, 18) | 45 (23, 22) | |
| Response Time Black / White * | 36 (19.6, 16.4) | 2.4 (1.1, 1.3) | 30 (17, 13) | 32 (16.4, 15.6) | 37 (23, 14) | 29.6 (16.4, 13.2) | 31 (18, 13) | 32.8 (22.8, 10) | 33 (18, 15) | |
| PWM Frequency | 21370 (99) | 59.52 (100) | 1020 (25) | 25510 (20) | 25510 (28) | 250 (90) | ||||
| Screen | ||||||||||
| Brightness middle | 331 | 421.2 | 365 | 588 | 311 | 330 | 445 | 207 | 278 | |
| Brightness | 305 | 417 | 357 | 555 | 303 | 315 | 462 | 199 | 271 | |
| Brightness Distribution | 84 | 94 | 84 | 89 | 81 | 88 | 83 | 84 | 89 | |
| Black Level * | 0.24 | 0.275 | 0.4 | 0.24 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.22 | 0.26 | ||
| Contrast | 1379 | 1327 | 1470 | 1296 | 1650 | 890 | 941 | 1069 | ||
| Colorchecker DeltaE2000 * | 5.6 | 6.06 | 4.4 | 2.5 | 5.1 | 4.4 | 4.75 | 3.77 | 4.73 | |
| Colorchecker DeltaE2000 max. * | 9.9 | 11.89 | 10.2 | 6.3 | 8.91 | 7.4 | 7.79 | 5.98 | 8.38 | |
| Colorchecker DeltaE2000 calibrated * | 3 | 4.3 | 0.6 | 2.48 | 2.7 | 2.59 | 5.17 | |||
| Greyscale DeltaE2000 * | 6.3 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 4.5 | 4.93 | 4.8 | 4.49 | 3.22 | 2.59 | |
| Gamma | 2.33 94% | 2.15 102% | 2.08 106% | 2.2 100% | 2.44 90% | 2.24 98% | 2.49 88% | 2.42 91% | 2.38 92% | |
| CCT | 7152 91% | 6235 104% | 6336 103% | 6836 95% | 7641 85% | 6760 96% | 7374 88% | 7072 92% | 6160 106% | |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 58 | 81 | 88 | 63.2 | 58 | 57.8 | 87 | 57 | 36 | |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 88.6 | 99.6 | 100 | 98 | 88 | 88.5 | 100 | 88 | 58 | |
| Noise | ||||||||||
| off / environment * | 28.9 | 28.2 | 30.4 | 29.3 | 30.5 | 28.8 | 30.2 | 30 | 29.9 | |
| Idle Minimum * | 28.9 | 28.2 | 30.6 | 29.3 | 30.5 | 28.9 | 32.8 | 32 | 29.9 | |
| Idle Average * | 28.9 | 28.2 | 30.6 | 29.3 | 30.5 | 28.9 | 32.8 | 33 | 29.9 | |
| Idle Maximum * | 30.7 | 30.4 | 30.6 | 29.8 | 30.5 | 30.1 | 33.6 | 34 | 29.9 | |
| Load Average * | 36.7 | 43.8 | 44 | 32.4 | 40.8 | 34.6 | 40.9 | 44 | 41.7 | |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 36.4 | 47.2 | 43.9 | 34.6 | 41 | |||||
| Load Maximum * | 39.5 | 47.2 | 44.2 | 37.2 | 41.8 | 34.6 | 42.7 | 45 | 41.7 | |
| Heat | ||||||||||
| Maximum Upper Side * | 43.4 | 50.4 | 44.6 | 44.6 | 47.2 | 42.5 | 49.7 | 56 | 53.7 | |
| Maximum Bottom * | 50.9 | 49.2 | 57.2 | 39 | 43.2 | 45 | 60.4 | 60 | 56 | |
| Idle Upper Side * | 24.9 | 34.8 | 27.4 | 23.8 | 27.7 | 22.7 | 28.4 | 29 | 28.4 | |
| Idle Bottom * | 25.4 | 36.4 | 27.6 | 22.8 | 25.6 | 23 | 29.2 | 27 | 28.9 | |
| Battery Runtime | ||||||||||
| Reader / Idle | 1261 | 910 | 822 | 1587 | 577 | 724 | 773 | |||
| WiFi v1.3 | 562 | 467 | 518 | 844 | 519 | 526 | 357 | 542 | 414 | |
| Load | 110 | 199 | 96 | 100 | 171 | 117 | 65 | 137 | 117 | |
| Witcher 3 ultra | 63 | |||||||||
| Power Consumption | ||||||||||
| Idle Minimum * | 4.14 | 6.2 | 7.6 | 3.79 | 2.7 | 4.2 | 9.4 | 6 | 4.4 | |
| Idle Average * | 7.3 | 9.6 | 13.6 | 6.9 | 8 | 7.8 | 17.4 | 8 | 6.9 | |
| Idle Maximum * | 11.5 | 21.2 | 18.2 | 9.2 | 10.6 | 10.2 | 19.6 | 12 | 9.9 | |
| Load Average * | 78.8 | 104.3 | 102 | 62 | 74 | 73.6 | 103 | 76 | 55 | |
| Load Maximum * | 118 | 135.3 | 183 | 108 | 89 | 92.7 | 216 | 102 | 63.4 | |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 82 | 91.7 | 144 | 75 | 60 |
* ... smaller is better