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MagyarThe Best Notebooks For Less Than 1,000 Euros
The range between 500 and 1000 USD/Euros probably includes the largest selection of notebooks, starting with business devices and multimedia machines with different sizes up to compact and mobile subnotebooks and obviously the popular class of convertibles or 2-in-1 devices, respectively. If you want to find your favorite device very quickly and you are not limited to a special type of device, then this overview might be of help. Otherwise, we can recommend our category charts:
The Best Laptops For Less Than 1,000 Euros
Position | Total Rating | Date | Image | Model | Height | Weight | Size | Resolution | Screen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 88.3 % | 04/2021 |  | Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga Gen2-20VK000VGE Intel Core i5-1135G7 Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs 8 GB Memory, 256 GB SSD | 17.6 mm | 1.5 kg | 13.30" | 1920x1080 | glossy |
| 2 | 86.7 % | 07/2021 |  | Lenovo ThinkPad E14 G3-20Y7003SGE AMD Ryzen 5 5500U AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | 17.9 mm | 1.6 kg | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | matte |
| 3 | 86.5 % | 06/2020 |  | Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ AMD Ryzen 7 4700U AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 8 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | 16.55 mm | 1.2 kg | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | matte |
| 4 | 85.7 % | 09/2021 new! |  | Dell Inspiron 13 5310-NJ24J Intel Core i5-11300H NVIDIA GeForce MX450 8 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | 15.9 mm | 1.3 kg | 13.30" | 1920x1200 | matte |
| 5 | 86 % | 08/2021 new! |  | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro 16IHU6 Intel Core i5-11300H NVIDIA GeForce MX450 16 GB Memory, 512 GB NVMe | 18.4 mm | 1.9 kg | 16.00" | 2560x1600 | |
| 6 | 85.5 % | 08/2021 |  | Lenovo ThinkPad E15 G3-20YG003UGE AMD Ryzen 7 5700U AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 5000) 16 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | 18.9 mm | 1.8 kg | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | matte |
| 7 | 85.7 % | 06/2021 |  | Acer Spin 3 SP313-51N-56YV Intel Core i5-1135G7 Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | 16 mm | 1.4 kg | 13.30" | 2560x1600 | glossy |
| 8 | 86.4 % | 05/2021 |  | HP Envy x360 15-eu0097nr AMD Ryzen 7 5700U AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 4000) 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | 18.4 mm | 1.9 kg | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | glossy |
| 9 | 86.3 % | 05/2021 |  | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE AMD Ryzen 5 5500U AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 16 GB Memory, 512 GB NVMe | 19.1 mm | 1.4 kg | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | matte |
| 10 | 86.2 % | 06/2020 |  | Samsung Galaxy Book S Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Qualcomm Adreno 680 8 GB Memory, 256 GB NVMe | 11.8 mm | 951 g | 13.30" | 1920x1080 | glossy |
The table above contains an overview over the best notebooks for less than 1,000 Euros reviewed by Notebookcheck over the course of the past 12 months as well as still relevant and available older products. In cases of identical score the more recent device is listed first. All prices in above table and price comparisons are updated daily and can thus differ.
Link: all devices in this class reviewed
Editors' Comments
This month, we see the Dell Inspiron 13 5310-NJ24J and Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro 16IHU6 enter the stage. Both scored 86 % and are available for less than 1,000 Euros.
1st – Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga
The Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga might exceed our 1,000 Euro threshold ever so slightly, unless of course you qualify for student or other discounts, but it might also be well worth it.
The convertible comes with a fast Comet Lake-generation processor and is successor to the Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga. It offers excellent input devices that will satisfy the most avid of typists, a decent system performance, a high quality choice of material, fast Wi-Fi, and last but not least an active stylus that can be stored inside the computer itself.
Downsides include its short warranty of just 12 months as well as a complete lack of WWAN options, which would have turned this device into a great business laptop. Its discreet fan management makes for high temperatures under load, and the resulting poor multi-core performance was one of the reasons why it failed to score higher than it did.
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, for University Students, Best Displays
Top 10 Smartphones
Smartphones, Phablets, ≤6-inch, Camera Smartphones
Pricecompare
2nd – Lenovo ThinkPad E14 G3 AMD
Two of the highlights of Lenovo’s affordable ThinkPad E-series are its solid business features and its good input devices. The third generation comes with fast AMD Ryzen 5000-series processors and – finally – brighter displays. In other words: they come with a great price-performance ratio.
If you happen to be looking for an affordable office computer with good IPS display, long battery life, and an excellent keyboard look no further. The ThinkPad E14 G3 is what you’re after.
The third generation of Lenovo’s ThinkPad E14-series is currently not yet available in North America.
Pricecompare
3rd – Acer Swift 3 SF314
If you’re looking for a compact 14-inch notebook maybe the Swift 3 SF314 is worth a closer look. The notebook remained fairly cool, offered a high level of system performance, a matte IPS display, and thanks to its AMD Ryzen 7 a fairly good system performance considering its price of around $1,000.
We found a few minor flaws as well, such as for example the dim display or the lack of card reader
Overall the notebook is worth considering and offers a modern USB-C 3.2 Gen. 2 port with support for DisplayPort and Power Delivery.
Pricecompare
4th – Dell Inspiron 13 5310-NJ24J
Dell’s 13-inch Inspiron 13 5310 combines everything your heart desires. A powerful Intel H-class 35-watt processor; a dedicated GPU; a matte FHD sRGB display; two Thunderbolt 4 ports; and last but not least a 56 Wh battery. Unfortunately, its cooling capabilities are somewhat limited resulting in major CPU and GPU throttling. Nevertheless, it is a powerful subnotebook with good connectivity and a good display.
The Inspiron 13 features great hardware, good connectivity, and a good display. Unfortunately, its performance is lacking and unworthy of its internal hardware.
The device can be individually customized and purchased on Dell’s own website with dedicated GPUs currently not even optionally available for North American customers.
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5th – Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro 16IHU6
Lenovo’s 16-inch all-rounder offers more than enough performance for office and web applications. It can also run current computer games smoothly on its 16:10 display, at least in HD resolution, thanks to its Tiger Lake CPU and its dedicated GeForce MX450 GPU.
Lenovo created a real all-rounder with the IdeaPad 5 Pro 16IHU6.
The IdeaPad 5 Pro is not sold in North America.
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6th – Lenovo ThinkPad E15 G3
Lenovo’s 15-inch ThinkPad E15 received an update, and now comes with AMD’s fast third generation Ryzen 5000 processors as well as improved displays. The good keyboard remained unchanged, which is why the E15 G3 continues to be offer a great bang for the buck.
Plenty of performance, a bright display, a very good keyboard, and a long battery life: Lenovo’s ThinkPad E15 G3 with AMD Ryzen CPU is a great office notebook at a low price. Its only downsides are its high surface temperatures under load as well as its aging connectivity options.
The third generation of Lenovo’s ThinkPad E15 is currently not yet available in North America.
Pricecompare
7th – Acer Spin 3 SP313-51N
Tiger Lake and Thunderbolt 4 make sure the Spin 3 SP313 is well-equipped and powerful enough for the future. Its versatile 360-degree display allows you to switch seamlessly between tablet and laptop mode.
Acer designed a laptop with real “spin”, a solid convertible that can transforms effortlessly between laptop and tablet.
The Tiger Lake-equipped Spin 3 is available among others on Amazon, with prices starting at $900.
Pricecompare
8th – HP Envy x360 15
Compared to the Spectre x360 15 the HP Envy x360 15 lacks a few of its premium features. In return, prices start at a much lower $700 already, and it continues to feature a great case, an excellent keyboard, and an accurate display.
The device offers plenty of performance without asking too much of its cooling solution, and consequently remained fairly quiet and cool overall. It lacks a Thunderbolt port and does not support Windows Hello but considering its benefits these drawbacks are minor at best.
If you don’t need a GeForce GTX or Thunderbolt the Envy x360 15 is a great convertible for around less than $1,000, and may even offer more bang for the buck than the HP Spectre.
As mentioned, prices start at around $700 for the base model and $1,000 for the (currently unavailable) fully loaded Ryzen 7 SKU on HP’s own web store. It is also available through the usual retail channels, such as for example Newegg.
Pricecompare
9th – Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05
Don’t expect a high-contrast display when purchasing the IdeaPad 5 14ALC05. At its price point of less than $700 this would be too much to ask for. In return, the screen is bright and matte, which makes up for its drawbacks. In addition, the laptop offers a long battery life, a backlit keyboard, and powerful internals, which is impressive considering its price.
Its integrated GPU even allows for some casual gaming, and the case can take a secondary SSD if required.
The IdeaPad 5 offers plenty of performance and long battery life. Its display could have been better but overall, it is a good deal for users on a tight budget.
The device sells through Lenovo’s own web store but was temporarily unavailable at the time of writing.
Pricecompare
10th – Samsung Galaxy Book S
Samsung has returned to western markets, and its 13.3-inch large Galaxy Book S is a very flexible starting point. It can be purchased either with a traditional Intel CPU or an ARM processor, the same kind that can be usually found in smartphones and tablets. Both SKUs run Windows 10, however not all third-party software applications support the ARM architecture. We strongly advise you to do your due diligence before deciding on an architecture.
There are some additional differences, too. The ARM SKU offers a much longer battery life as well as an included LTE modem. In return, the Intel SKU features a brighter display, and Samsung has promised to improve upon the Intel SKU’s performance via a BIOS update shortly. Nevertheless, one has to keep in mind that this is a passively cooled laptop, and it is thus not meant for high-performance computing but rather simple undemanding tasks instead.
If you’re in the market for a lightweight and passively cooled notebook and might even want to take a sneak peek at the new ARM processors, the Book S is definitely an interesting contender.
Pricecompare
Top 10 in Comparison
Test Results
| Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga Gen2-20VK000VGE | Lenovo ThinkPad E14 G3-20Y7003SGE | Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ | Dell Inspiron 13 5310-NJ24J | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro 16IHU6 | Lenovo ThinkPad E15 G3-20YG003UGE | Acer Spin 3 SP313-51N-56YV | HP Envy x360 15-eu0097nr | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | Samsung Galaxy Book S | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | ||||||||||
| Display P3 Coverage | 68.49 | 40.3 | 37.2 | 72.92 | 74 | 40.3 | 78.76 | 68.99 | 37.47 | |
| sRGB Coverage | 99.38 | 59.5 | 55.91 | 100 | 98.7 | 60.2 | 99.84 | 99.14 | 56.04 | |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 70.74 | 41.7 | 38.43 | 74.63 | 74.5 | 41.6 | 77.55 | 70.05 | 38.71 | |
| Response Times | ||||||||||
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 44.4 ? | 35.2 ? | 41 ? | 39 ? | 13 ? | 44 ? | 52 ? | 60.4 ? | 41 ? | 48.8 ? |
| Response Time Black / White * | 31.2 ? | 21.6 ? | 25 ? | 26 ? | 8 ? | 30.4 ? | 36 ? | 40.8 ? | 28 ? | 28.4 ? |
| PWM Frequency | 25000 ? | 29800 | 9524 ? | |||||||
| Screen | ||||||||||
| Brightness middle | 316 | 341 | 269 | 338 | 356 | 347 | 338 | 337.2 | 357 | 383 |
| Brightness | 299 | 327 | 244 | 319 | 322 | 329 | 307 | 337 | 315 | 355 |
| Brightness Distribution | 92 | 90 | 83 | 88 | 80 | 93 | 83 | 87 | 82 | 88 |
| Black Level * | 0.25 | 0.26 | 0.23 | 0.37 | 0.27 | 0.25 | 0.27 | 0.24 | 0.455 | 0.36 |
| Contrast | 1264 | 1312 | 1170 | 914 | 1319 | 1388 | 1252 | 1405 | 785 | 1064 |
| Colorchecker DeltaE2000 * | 1.7 | 5.1 | 4.94 | 1.81 | 2.4 | 4.7 | 4.63 | 1.73 | 3.98 | 3.1 |
| Colorchecker DeltaE2000 max. * | 3.8 | 17.6 | 20.37 | 2.77 | 4.42 | 19.4 | 9.99 | 3.69 | 6.92 | 5.3 |
| Colorchecker DeltaE2000 calibrated * | 0.7 | 4.4 | 5.03 | 4.4 | 1.64 | 1.61 | ||||
| Greyscale DeltaE2000 * | 2.8 | 2.1 | 1.71 | 1.89 | 2.81 | 1.7 | 6.76 | 2.3 | 3.33 | 3.6 |
| Gamma | 2.25 98% | 2.11 104% | 2.52 87% | 2.35 94% | 2.4 92% | 2.2 100% | 2.37 93% | 2.19 100% | 2.47 89% | 2 110% |
| CCT | 6654 98% | 6755 96% | 6535 99% | 6196 105% | 6294 103% | 6475 100% | 5934 110% | 6872 95% | 6138 106% | 6743 96% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 64.5 | 35 | 68 | 64.1 | 36 | |||||
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 99.4 | 56 | 98 | 99.6 | 56 | |||||
| Noise | ||||||||||
| off / environment * | 24.1 | 23.8 | 31.2 | 26 | 25 | 23.8 | 25.5 | 25 | 25.5 | |
| Idle Minimum * | 24.1 | 23.8 | 31.2 | 26 | 25 | 23.8 | 25.5 | 25.1 | 25.5 | |
| Idle Average * | 24.1 | 23.8 | 31.2 | 26 | 25 | 23.8 | 25.5 | 25.1 | 25.5 | |
| Idle Maximum * | 28.5 | 25 | 31.2 | 26 | 25 | 28 | 25.5 | 25.1 | 25.5 | |
| Load Average * | 33.9 | 32 | 33.8 | 48 | 44.5 | 32.9 | 34.5 | 26.3 | 40.6 | |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 36.9 | 32 | 36.3 | 30.8 | ||||||
| Load Maximum * | 36.9 | 34.5 | 33.5 | 48.3 | 36.5 | 35 | 38.7 | 35.5 | 40.8 | |
| Heat | ||||||||||
| Maximum Upper Side * | 43.3 | 45.1 | 39.5 | 58.4 | 65.3 | 46.4 | 38.3 | 39.6 | 40.8 | 43.9 |
| Maximum Bottom * | 54.5 | 49.3 | 43.6 | 58.4 | 55.4 | 60.9 | 41.9 | 44.4 | 42.2 | 46.8 |
| Idle Upper Side * | 26.6 | 24.7 | 25.9 | 30.9 | 25.4 | 26.5 | 25.4 | 23.6 | 29.8 | 25.2 |
| Idle Bottom * | 30.7 | 25.6 | 26.6 | 32.1 | 26.8 | 27.5 | 27.7 | 28.2 | 29.5 | 25.8 |
| Battery Runtime | ||||||||||
| Reader / Idle | 1392 | 1340 | 1163 | 1430 | 1181 | |||||
| H.264 | 528 | 827 | 968 | 625 | 762 | 1312 | ||||
| WiFi v1.3 | 401 | 680 | 715 | 618 | 543 | 597 | 483 | 591 | 649 | 953 |
| Load | 82 | 71 | 114 | 84 | 110 | 192 | 82 | 369 | ||
| Witcher 3 ultra | 78 | |||||||||
| Power Consumption | ||||||||||
| Idle Minimum * | 4.6 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 3.6 | 5 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 5.4 | 1.61 |
| Idle Average * | 7.3 | 7.5 | 4.8 | 5.6 | 9 | 7.6 | 6.6 | 5.7 | 8.4 | 4.3 |
| Idle Maximum * | 10.2 | 8.7 | 6.7 | 10.1 | 9.4 | 9.3 | 8.5 | 5.8 | 11.3 | 5 |
| Load Average * | 32.3 | 43.6 | 28 | 40.8 | 71 | 44.5 | 32.2 | 46 | 45.3 | 13.2 |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 35 | 42.2 | 57 | 40.3 | 72.4 | 42.7 | 32.5 | 42.1 | 46.6 | |
| Load Maximum * | 65.3 | 55 | 31 | 64 | 99 | 54.2 | 34.5 | 65.4 | 63 | 18.3 |
* ... smaller is better