Reviews

Mobile business companion. Asus offers a slim, lightweight 15.6-inch office laptop with a matte display for business customers. Thanks to its ULV processor, the PU500CA promises to be an untiring workhorse. Our review will show whether this claim is met.

Brilliant speeder. Apart from DiRT and F1, GRID is one of the most important franchises from Codemasters. The second release not only promises more racing action, but also a better look. We squeezed ourselves into the luxury cars and determined the hardware requirements of the game.

Tough cookie. Outside of the mainstream models 15R and 17R we discovered the basic version of the current Inspiron 15. It presents itself without alu-finish but in bare plastic. Technically speaking, the cost-cutting Inspiron is even a bit better than the polished R sister-models. Roughly trimmed plastic for an overcharged price of 540 Euros (~$720) or a well concealed bargain?

Haswell rocket. A monster in every respect: 32 GB memory, 1256 GB storage (+ expandability) and a Full HD display. Acer's 17-inch device with a brand-new quad-core CPU and Nvidia graphics is made for power users.

Samsung offensive. In May, the South Korean group sounded the charge in the categories smartphones and tablets. However, the long awaited Samsung Galaxy S4 top smartphone could not win first place in our top 10. The other devices were not as exciting as the S4. Nevertheless, it was not boring in May.

Aluminum bullet. Toshiba's Satellite P70 series is equipped with the brand new Haswell processor and Nvidia graphics card. We were given a first look at the pre-production model. Our review reveals whether the notebook knows how to please or not.

"Compact business partner with a bit of everything". HP has constructed a ProBook Light according to this slogan: solid aluminum surfaces, few connections, functional input devices, middle class performance, full security features and an average display panel. Is this enough to convince in the business world?

All-in-one Wireless Docking Solution. The underutilized 802.11ad band is put to the test with Dell's first wireless docking solution to provide untethered USB 3.0, HDMI, DisplayPort, Ethernet, and audio. It's only compatible on select few Dell notebooks for now, but is this wireless standard ready to replace your USB cable?

Slim, sleek and chic, MSI want you to make their subnotebook your daily companion. Clad completely in white, it should even be appropriate for the fashion-conscious "cosmopolitan ladies". Our test exposes whether the device performs well and for whom it is suitable. We can reveal this much: the S30 is really swift.

Strong. MSI launches an updated version of the popular GT70 gaming laptop based on the brand new CPU and GPU generation. It spoils gamers with a quad-core from Intel's Haswell family and a high-end scion from Nvidia's GeForce 700 range. We snatched the GT70H-80M4811B, which is one of the premium models, and put it through its paces.

The Lumia for everyone? The 720 slots neatly into the Lumia line of Windows Phone smartphones. The differences are not immediately apparent to the buyer when you consider the cheaper Lumias. We will evaluate this 4.3-inch device and whether it would be smart buy or not.

Inexpensive all-rounder, capable of running games. Asus is outfitting their 17.3-inch notebook with a Core i3 processor and the brand-new GeForce GT 720M GPU. Summed up, that means an inexpensive (450 to 500 Euros, ~$595 to ~$661) all-round notebook capable of running games. Our review reveals whether the computer really is a persuasive offer.

All-round ultrabook. Hewlett Packard now has a slim, 15.6 inch ultrabook that even allows playing up-to-date 3D games in its product line. Storage is not an issue either owing to the large hard drive. That sounds as if HP has built the perfect laptop. Our test reveals whether the ultrabook is really compelling.

Big "L". This time around, we are testing the Optimus L7 II, the larger of LG's two new mid-range second-generation Optimus L models. Its smaller sibling was a decent smartphone, albeit a bit unremarkable - does the same hold true for the L7 II as well?

The mainstream "L". LG not only delivers high-end smartphones like the LG Optimus G or the Google nexus 4, the Korean company also produces smartphones for the medium price range. We have a closer look at the new 4-inch mainstream device, the Optimus L5 II.

Working on a budget. For around $500 USD, the Latitude 3330 aims for students and small business users on a budget who may not want the fancy features of a typical Latitude E series model. But what else has the model sacrificed to get to that low of a price point? We take a closer look at the most affordable Latitude yet.

Silent gaming. As usual powerful gaming notebooks start appearing after the launch of a new CPU generation and delight gamers with new models. One of them is the Asus G750JX gaming notebook.

IPS update. Do you want to attract envious looks? Everybody's got a MacBook Air? Asus' sleek dandy is available starting at a low 900 Euros (~$1188). Now even with a quad-core processor and color-intensive IPS display in Full HD. Do we now know the bliss of satisfaction?

All-inclusive. Dell calls its 18.4-inch tablet an All-in-One. We review the XPS 18 with a Core i5, 8 GB memory and a combined storage solution with an HDD and an SSD. Continue reading to find out how it performs...

Performance gain. The new generation of “Core i” processors is another major evolution that will create some waves in the industry. This generation features some heavy modification on the power front which allows the processors to be the most frugal yet. This will be an overview of the architecture and the performance of the revised platform.

There is more in it than you think. Intel has always focused on its CPU technology which has made it the undisputed leader in the market. But the GPU has always been the foster child receiving very little love until the introduction of Ivy Bridge. We will see if the latest Haswell chips with the HD Graphics 4600 can compare to the best AMD offers on its APUs.

The next generation. The Schenker XMG P703 is one of the first gaming laptops to ship (at least optionally) with Nvidia's brand-new GeForce GTX 780M - which, in combination with a Haswell processor, promises unprecedented performance levels. But how far ahead of the previous generation will these new laptops land?

High flyer. What happens when Nvidia's fastest laptop graphics card, the GeForce GTX 780M, teams up with Intel's brand-new Haswell quad-core CPU? Exactly, an extremely potent high-end laptop is created. Despite its limited chassis volume, the 15-inch One K56-3N2 offers great performance. We are taking a more detailed look at its virtues and vices.

Heavyweight champion. The One K73-3N comes close to being the ideal desktop replacement. A quad-core CPU, high-end graphics card, four RAM slots, and up to four hard drives: the 17-inch notebook comes with a plethora of features. What else does the system offer besides outstanding performance?

Platform-update. Schenker Technologies offers a 15-inch gaming notebook with the W503, which is equipped with an ultra-modern Haswell processor and a high-end graphics card from Nvidia's GeForce 700 generation. We examined the advantages and the disadvantages of the desktop replacement.

Matte - metal look - multimedia. Nexoc offers highly configurable notebooks. This also holds true for the new multimedia laptop M512. So does our test device with a Core i7 processor and an Nvidia graphics card offer a convincing performance?

Quad-core midget. With the new Acer Aspire V5-122P, we get to test the first notebook with AMD's brand new, energy-efficient A6 quad-core processor even before the official release. Here you can read how well the 11.6-inch midget with its IPS touchscreen does. But psst, everything is still top secret!

Nokia's declaration of price. With an RRP of below 200 Euros (~$262), the Lumia 520 is a very affordable Windows Phone 8 smartphone. The somewhat more expensive Lumia 620 has only been available for a short time. But which entry-level model should the buyer opt for? The variety of choice makes it hard to choose, but notebookcheck.net is here to help.

High-end power. The GeForce 700 series is a brand new graphics series for gaming enthusiasts. We were among the first editors who reviewed the new high-end GeForce GTX 765M, GTX 770M, and GTX 780M models. Learn whether the naming is justified or the new models only fine-tune an existing architecture.

Bridging the gap. The Galaxy Note 8.0 with its powerful hardware and S Pen is designed to seamlessly integrate into Samsung's Galaxy portfolio and fill the gap between 5.5-inch and 10.1-inch devices. Can Samsung continue their success with this new member and potentially outsell the iPad Mini? We will have to see.

Something new. The Amoi N828 is the manufacturer’s attempt to compete with the established smartphone producers. The successor of the Amoi N821 is on sale as of now and with its 4.5-inch display and quad-core processor, it is supposed to teach its competitors the meaning of fear. Find out in our test if this works out.

Business with sound. Slim-business is en vogue. The Taiwanese manufacturer uses its aluminum unibody know-how from the Zenbooks and creates an impressive chassis. The keyboard features a long drop and the maintenance options are A-one. Regrettably, Asus blunders in one vital point.

Chief and Indians. In April, we reviewed a lot of smartphones and tablets - more than ever before. The HTC One from the Taiwanese company clearly stands out from the huge crowd of mid-range models. The pre-series Sony Xperia Tablet Z is an interesting model too.

A reimagined T Series. It is the thinnest and lightest ThinkPad T Series model to date, but does it retain the rigidity and longevity of its predecessors? Lenovo is betting big on a new slimmer design and revamped touchpad to attract the attention of Ultrabook customers. Find out in this review if these hardware tweaks have paid off.

Low budget at a high price. An Ivy Bridge-based convertible with an IPS panel, SSD and THX sound for less than 1000 Euros (~$1293). Can this work? We have put the MSI S20-i541 through the mill.

Semi-outdoor-tablet. The Stylistic M702 is described by Fujitsu as "semi-ruggedized", and is both water and dust proof in accordance with IPX standards 5, 7 and 8. With the Tegra 3 from Nvidia familiar and potent hardware has been included, but whether or not it is able to come to terms with the harsh conditions of outdoor use remains to be determined.

Quad-core for the masses. Tablets, subnotebooks, entry-level devices: AMD's new Jaguar architecture is intended to cover the whole breadth of inexpensive mobile computers. After having taken a first look at the frugal A6-1450, this review will now examine the higher-performance A4-5000, codename "Kabini".

Pixel-dense. Dell's 14-inch business ultrabook is now available with the sought-after display resolution of 1600x900 pixels. Is the price-competitive Latitude 6430u HD+ a viable alternative to the outrageously expensive Lenovo X1 Carbon?

Better displays. More and more test devices attract attention with decent contrast, high brightness and the wide viewing angles of an IPS solution. However, the winners do more than show what a notebook display is expected to deliver.

An intermediate step. Dell's Latitude XT3 is a convertible PC in the classic sense - the display rotates and folds down. While the notebook offers nearly every kind of connection your heart could desire, the inner components lag a little behind the times. Our extensive review assesses the quality of the overall package.

A thrilling adventure. ’Metro: Last Light’ is the next installment of the Metro franchise that follows in the footsteps of the infamous ‘Metro 2033’ that was well known to push modern gaming hardware to the limit. We will see if the gaming studio ‘4A Games’ has another hit on its hands.

Inexpensive touchscreen Ultrabook. Though its low budget price of $699 or less can be misleading of its quality, the VivoBook S500CA is actually built surprisingly well with impressive looks. Can this Asus hold up in what is becoming an increasingly common category of touchscreen-enabled Ultrabooks?

Surprise candidate. It doesn't always have to be a Latitude, ThinkPad or EliteBook when thinking about a professional laptop. Samsung sends a well bundled package into the race with the Series 6 test model, which competes against the established competition. We exhaustively tested whether it is successful in every field.

A classic. The business convertible HP EliteBook 2760p has its roots in the HP Compaq 2710p, which debuted back in 2007. But while HP continually updated the internal components, the chassis remained largely unchanged. How well was HP able to keep the system up-to-date and is it still a viable choice in 2013?

Serious little thing. A 14-inch screen, Intel Core i5-3320M CPU and comprehensive features: Toshiba enters the stage for business notebooks once again and praises the Tecra R940-1FL as the perfect companion for business trips. Our review shows if business customers should have a closer look.

Cool design. The L855 leaves a nice impression with its steel-blue brushed aluminum chassis, remaining pleasantly cool to the touch. Our test will show whether it works as smoothly as its appearance suggests.

Evolutionary update of a bestseller. Samsung managed to sell more than 40 million copies of the Galaxy S III. Now the successor has been released, set to trump the flagship of 2012. The Galaxy S4 ships with a Full HD Super AMOLED display, a quad-core CPU and all kinds of gimmicky features. But is this enough to defend the top spot?

Thick all-rounder. The Acer Iconia Tab A211 offers a multitude of ports and reliable hardware in a robust case. Will this tablet be a success or is it destined to fail?

Double-decker. Asus seems to have thought: "One Full HD IPS screen is nothing special" and simply builds two of the high definition screens into its Taichi 31 tablet-ultrabook. How the extravagant 13-incher fares in our tests and whether the tablet-ultrabook hybrid is compelling is revealed here.

A Mid-range smartphone. The Chinese company TCT has released a new smartphone under the Alcatel branding which carries the features that we typically see in a mid-range smartphone. We evaluate the One Touch 997D which comes with dual-SIM support.

The more the better! Samsung packs the Series 7 flagship in an aluminum housing and equips it with a powerful Core i7, a dedicated AMD graphics card, a large SSD and a multi-touch Full HD IPS display. A bit over the top? We have thoroughly tested this good piece of hardware for you…

Quiet workhorse. A powerful Core i5 processor combined with a matte display and a 1 TB hard drive; theoretically, these features should make the Lenovo B580 a workhorse for the office. Whether or not this notebook can justifiably be allocated to this category will be revealed by our review.

Business bargain. Asus releases a simple and inexpensive business notebook based on AMD's E2-1800 APU for a low 350 Euros (~$450). The power-efficient APU promises a long battery life and low noise levels. Can the system deliver on these promises and is its performance up to par?

It's our hope. More than 2.5 years after "Bobcat", AMD launch the successor of its successful low voltage architecture. The new APUs called "Kabini" and "Temash" are designed for notebooks as well as tablets. We review the A6-1450 quad core model.

Quality on a budget. The entry-level category is filled with numerous offerings of varying levels of quality. This 15.6-inch Asus retails for only $629, but it's already on top of most of its competition. Find out in this review what makes this budget notebook worthwhile.

Tablet made in China. The manufacturer Ainol is based in China and is now represented with extremely cheap tablets in the Western hemisphere as well. What does Ainol's Novo 7 Crystal Quad Core have to offer for a price of around 90 Euros (~$116)? And how will it fare in comparison with other low-budget devices?

Chameleon? Schenker offers an inexpensive and very freely configurable business notebook based on the Clevo W551EU Barebone. Does the endless competition leave room for such an alternative?

Huawei Gets things done. Huawei now releases a Windows 8 smartphone on the market dubbed Ascend W1. It features a 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8230 SoC and a 4 GB internal flash memory. With a street price of below 200 Euros (~$259), it wants to cater to new smartphone users and price conscious buyers.

BusinessMate. Acer's 14-inch TravelMate P643-V-6424 targets the business customer and competes with similar notebooks from Lenovo, Dell, and HP. Is the 14-inch TravelMate a viable alternative to the stalwarts ThinkPad, Latitude, and ProBook?

Yet another bullseye. The compact, portable ThinkPad Edge E130 sports a Core i3 processor and a matte 11.6-inch screen, that is combined with a high-capacity battery. All the ingredients needed for a mobile work laptop are available. Our test reveals whether the device is thoroughly convincing.

The ultimate superlatives. Innumerable devices found their way to Notebookcheck's tests again in March. We would like to supply an overview of premium devices with this article and facilitate any potential buying intentions.

All-rounder for professionals. Flexibility - this feature is very important for the business convertible ThinkPad X230T from Lenovo. Integrated UMTS, high-performance hardware and good office capabilities are supposed to impress the more wealthy business customer - not an easy task with a retail price of almost 1,700 Euros (~$2206).

Product diversity. The Xperia ZL extends Sony's smartphone portfolio at the top of the range, whereby familiar hardware and a 5-inch display with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels meet a slightly reworked case, all of which is currently available at a price of around 550 Euros (~$715).

Second try. Although the Acer Aspire V3 was designed as a multimedia notebook, the first test model did not come with a Full HD display. Now, the manufacturer has fixed this shortcoming. The nearly identically equipped successor features an adequate display.

Adjusting the price. The Y300 is the cheapest Ascend device from the Chinese company Huawei. You can buy the smartphone for just 149 Euros (~$194) but is it a good deal or should you invest more money?

BlackBerry or Sony. After the mobile World Congress, we are looking forward to seeing the new flagships from HTC and Samsung. In the meantime, the top models from Sony and BlackBerry are fighting for the Smartphone crown. In the tablet world, the entry and middle-class devices are king.

Sharp as a razor. Sony had manufacturing issues with their Tablet S. The brand new Tablet Z is supposed to help get the electronics company back on track - and ahead. We scrutinized this pre-series device. Even its appearance is certainly sharp...

Desktop roundup. Notebookcheck leaves the beaten track: We compare current PC processors of the FX and the A series with each other and want to know whether AMD can outperform the seemingly overwhelming competition from Intel.

Smart Business. Until now, the Samsung ATIV Smart PC Pro has been available only to business customers. The manufacturer is now selling the convertible tablet through regular retail channels. We will see if the new offering is as convincing as its smaller brother with the Atom CPU.

Touch on a budget. Sony expands its affordable lineup of touchscreen notebooks equipped with Windows 8. With touchscreen models becoming more and more common, how does this $700 Vaio distinguish itself from the likes of other hybrids and convertibles?

The business professional? With the Tecra R950, Toshiba wants to teach its competitors from Dell, HP and Lenovo the meaning of fear. To do so, they equipped it with the currently fastest Dual-Core processor, an integrated UMTS module and extensive security equipment. But is this enough to justify the high price?

Cheap giant. The Asus K75DE is a 17-inch multimedia contender equipped with an AMD-APU and CrossFire technology. Find out more about the device in the following review.

Like a brick on your ear. Samsung's Note kicked off the ongoing wave of large smartphones, aka phablets. Now, Asus joins in with its big 7-inch Fonepad, nominally a tablet to make phone calls. It will definitely attract attention when held to an ear - at least at present.

For the young. The Samsung Galaxy Young is a handy smartphone for novices and the young. As its street price of 125 Euros (~$164) is rather low, you will have to live with several limitations, won't you? We will discover them in our review.

Add some contrast to the office. A Celeron dual-core processor from the Ivy Bridge generation powers this Toshiba notebook. The processor joins forces with a 15.6-inch display, plenty of hard drive space and Windows 8. On paper, the computer claims to serve the needs of most users. Whether this is true in practice is a question for our review to answer.

Workhorse. The 730U3E ultrabook is a new member of Samsung's Series 7 Ultra family. A first-rate metal casing, swift hardware, a matte Full HD IPS screen and agreeable input devices are its initial key specs. We tested the model featuring 256 GB flash memory for 1349 Euros (~$1761, RRP).

Big Business. Apparently hands-on is preferred in the office - we certainly have not reviewed many affordable business notebooks with a 17.3-inch display in the last nine months. Toshiba is nevertheless still aiming at business users with its 17.3-inch Satellite Pro L850-16P, and we will determine whether the tenacity pays off in this review.

Little star? Affordable, stylish and handy: Samsung's Galaxy Fame is aimed especially at young customers. But perhaps it can also attract other target groups with features like a 5 megapixel camera and NFC.

Familiar devices. More than four months after the launch of the Google Nexus 4 the counterpart from LG is finally available. The specifications are almost identical but the price is much higher. This review will tell you how the South Korean flagship device performs compared to other high-end devices.

Balanced. The IdeaPad Z500-MBYG2GE is aimed at performance hungry multimedia users in particular. With an energy-saving Quad-Core and a GeForce GT 645M, the 15-inch device offers sufficient power for most (3D) applications. We have reviewed the all-rounder and will report our findings here.

Too noisy, too slow. Acer's 15.6-inch Aspire V5-551-64454G50Makk is a slim and light notebook selling for less than 400 Euro (~$520). The power-efficient AMD A6-4455M APU should guarantee a long battery life. Find out here if the new notebook can deliver on that promise.

Are they still around? We haven't tested a netbook in four months. The small and low-cost notebooks have not prevailed on the market. Nevertheless, Acer sent the Aspire One 756-B847X to our test lab and we look at whether they are making a comeback.

Small, white and glossy. Toshiba's product line features an interesting subnotebook dubbed Satellite L830-15L. The buyer not only gets a 13-inch HD screen but also an energy-efficient ULV processor for just under 640 Euros (~$834). We were especially curious about the graphics card's performance. Can the Radeon HD 7550M also cope with computing-intensive 3D applications.

Speedy, white, comes with LTE. The Samsung Galaxy Express seems to be made to stir up other mid-range smartphones with its ultrafast 4G internet connection, great battery life and the Samsung Galaxy S3’s fancy chassis. We venture to have a closer look.

A rugged companion. Samsung writes another chapter in the outdoor smartphone success story with their new Galaxy Xcover 2. Even though its inner life received a major overhaul, the end product is still just a mid-class device -- but it is certainly fit for the outdoors.

Lucky number four.Long awaited, incessantly discussed and sold out even faster - Google's latest Nexus device raises the battle cry against other high-performance smartphones with an unrivaled price of 349 Euros (~$450) for the 16 GB version and 299 Euros (~$390) for the 8 GB version.

Little brother. Powerful hardware within a more compact case: The 15.6-inch Samsung Series 7 Chronos 770Z5E-S01DE is equipped with a fast AMD Radeon HD 8870M graphics card, a matte Full HD display and a premium-quality metal case. We are putting the $1500-laptop through its paces.

Mobile professional. It is intended to last a whole working day, and to be the perfect tool for users in trade and commerce. What makes this business tablet so special? Is it perhaps AMD's Hondo APU, which is so far only available in this tablet?

Bigger-screen alternative. Lenovo releases another Atom-powered tablet with Windows 8 OS - this time aimed squarely at the consumer market. How does the 11.6-inch IdeaTab Lynx K3011W compare to the competition and Lenovo's own ThinkPad Tablet 2?

Runs and runs and runs. While Windows 8 tablets powered by Atom SoCs are literally flooding the market, ones with a Core i processor are still scarce. Some users doubt whether a Windows model can compete with the ARM competition particularly when it comes to battery runtimes. We took an in-depth look at this.

Not up to date. With the Compaq Presario CQ58-350sg Hewlett Packard offers a cost-effective notebook containing an AMD E1-1200 APU. The AMD APU is not one of the most powerful representatives of its kind, but scores with low energy consumption. Theoretically, HP should have an enduring office laptop in its repertoire. Our test will show if this assumption holds up.

Pixel Perfect. Google's first internally developed Chromebook since the original CR-48 has made headlines for its novel specs. Does the dense 12.85-inch 2560 x 1700 resolution 3:2 IPS display really deliver an unmatched experience? Find out in this review how Google has managed to conceive the best, if not most unorthodox, Chromebook to date.

Entry-level touch device. An elegant aluminium case, economic ULV hardware, long battery life - the VivoBook S300CA possesses many advantages of expensive ultrabooks, but is already available for under 600 Euros (~$787). As the icing on the cake, a touchscreen was incorporated, which is meant to set it apart from the competition.

Newcomer - social climber? Is it just another cheap entry-level notebook from Packard Bell or does it really deliver quality for a low price? We scrutinize the EasyNote TE11HC-32328G50Mnks.

Ambitious. Metal surfaces, backlit keyboard, a Full HD screen and an external subwoofer lets Asus' N56VB stand out from the competition in many aspects. A contemporary midrange GPU works under the 15-inch, all-round laptop's hood in the form of the GeForce GT 740M. Find out whether the graphics card is deceptive or whether it is really a new product in this review.

Blue gloss for beginners. The Toshiba Satellite L855D-10K is supposed to bring a breath of fresh air into the segment of inexpensive multimedia notebooks. Special characteristic: Shiny blue metallic surfaces that cover a part of the chassis. We check if the device just looks good or if it actually delivers good performance for the money.

A balancing act. The Surface Pro is an interesting concept tablet that Microsoft developed to showcase the strength of the Windows 8 platform on a touch-capable device. This is another Wintel collaboration that is able to use the ecosystem of apps available for the X86 Windows platform. This review points out the strengths and weaknesses of this form-factor.

A new Galaxy. Samsung introduced its smartphone flagship from the latest portfolio at a big event in London. A quad-core SoC based on ARM, a 720p screen, NFC and Android 4.0 ICS belong to the must-haves of this category today. Is Samsung's Galaxy S3 the new category leader in an attractive packaging?

Affordable touch. Want the full Windows 8 experience but don’t want to spend a fortune? Acer’s M5-481PT touchscreen Ultrabook might be just the ticket. But can it check all the major boxes, or do its compromises outweigh its benefits?

Inexpensive remake. Between the release of the Toshiba AT300 and AT300SE there were just a few months. This can also be seen in the comparison of the technical specifications of the two devices; the main specifications are almost identical. We checked if the 50 Euros (~$65) lower price point of the AT300SE is the deciding factor for a purchase.