The 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
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.
Editors' Comments
1st - Huawei MateBook D 14
Thanks to the AMD CPU, you get the MateBook D 14 for less than 700 Euros. You still get a lot of performance, very long battery runtimes, and good input devices. The case is compact and sturdy. Huawei does a good job in terms of temperature development, so you can enjoy high performance without throttling.
The webcam placement underneath the display is a bit awkward, because the angle makes images look a bit strange and it is also easy to cover the webcam. Another drawback is the very limited maintenance.
Still, the MateBook D 14 is a recommendation if you want a nice laptop that is not too expensive.
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 SmartphonesThe Best Smartphones for Less Than 160 Euros
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2nd – 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.
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3rd – 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.
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4th – Lenovo ThinkPad L13
The Lenovo ThinkPad L13 is a ThinkPad-series Ultrabook. For less than $1,000 you get various of the well-known ThinkPad characteristics, such as the great keyboard, the trackpoint, a modern GPU that while integrated into the GPU still manages to offer decent oomph, and up-to-date connectivity including USB 4 and Thunderbolt 4.
Downsides include the slightly too dim display and the notebook’s comparatively short battery life. RAM is available aplenty (16 GB) but soldered onto the motherboard and of the slower DDR4-3200 type.
Lenovo’s Ultrabook is a great choice for everybody working on-the-go and looking for a lightweight and thin notebook.
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5th – Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
Lenovo’s ThinkBook 13s sits somewhere in-between the professional ThinkPad and the consumer-oriented IdeaPad-series. It lacks the iconic trackpoint and features input devices that while not on a par with a ThinkPad are still fairly decent overall. In return, you get Thunderbolt 4 and a very good display.
Most components are soldered onto the motherboard and can thus no longer be replaced. A dedicated extra performance mode allows users to either increase or decrease performance in order to either get more done or increase battery life. One downside is its short warranty of just 12 months.
Nevertheless, the ThinkBook 13s is a decent subnotebook for everybody looking for a thin and lightweight notebook without the need for business features.
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6th – Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14
If you’re looking for a 14-inch notebook that is not too bulky and too heavy the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14 might be worth a closer look. We particularly liked its metal case, and our SKU selling for 700 Euros at the time of writing came equipped with an AMD Ryzen 5 whose included GPU is even fast enough for running simple games.
The display with its matte coating turned out to be reasonably bright, and the device offered long battery life and a decent backlight keyboard. The SSD is user-upgradeable, and there is a secondary storage bay for extra storage.
Its drawbacks include the low contrast display and the RAM soldered onto the motherboard. Nevertheless, the IdeaPad 5 14 is a great device.
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7th – Acer Swift 3 SF313
The Acer Swift 3 SF313 with Core i5 can already be had for less than $1,000 and offers more than enough performance for everyday use. Unsurprisingly, the higher-tier model for an additional $300 will be faster, but the Core i5 SKU will run longer on battery and offers the better Wi-Fi modem in return.
Regardless of what model you opt for, the SF313 is a modern laptop with compact design, a bright 3:2 display, a backlit keyboard, and a fast and large SSD. In addition, the device remained fairly quiet under load.
On the flip side it lacks a card reader, and the display uses PWM for brightness regulation. Interested users should thus make sure to try the screen first if possible.
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8th - Honor MagicBook 14
The Honor MagicBook 14 is a true price-performance tip. Its designers took unmistakable cues from Apple’s MacBook series but is much cheaper starting just shy of $700. Nevertheless, case quality is at a high level, as are system performance and battery life. With a runtime of 14:25 hours in our Wi-Fi test the MagicBook 14 lasted about as long as many smartphones with much smaller displays.
Its weight is also comparable to the smaller MacBooks rendering the MagicBook a fairly portable device for everyday use. The keyboard is too loud for quiet environments but is comfortable to use and backlit. The clickpad was anything but spectacular bit still torned out to be okay overall.
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9th – HP Envy x360 13 2020
The HP Envy x360 13 is an affordable and compact convertible with stylus support that offers quite a bit thanks to its close resemblance to premium Spectre models, such as for example its excellent case or its powerful AMD Ryzen 5 processor.
Professional users might have to take a step back, though, and consider the lack of Thunderbolt 3, HDMI, and upgradeable RAM. There are some additional minor downsides as well, such as the tiny cursor key on the keyboard. If you don’t mind the Envy x360 is a great convertible at a low price with long battery life, good performance, and bright display.
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Top 10 in Comparison
Test Results
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS | Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ | Samsung Galaxy Book S | Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Gen2-20VH0017GE | Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-ITL-20V90003GE | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 | Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS | Honor MagicBook 14, Ryzen 5 4500U | HP Envy x360 13-ay0010nr | Lenovo Yoga Slim 7-14ARE | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Response Times | ||||||||||
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 41.2 (21.2, 20) | 41 (19, 22) | 48.8 (22, 26.8) | 52.4 (26.4, 26) | 43 (19, 24) | 41 (20, 21) | 50 (24, 26) | 44 (23.6, 20.4) | 47.6 (24.8, 22.8) | 45.6 (23.6, 22) |
Response Time Black / White * | 28.8 (16.4, 12.4) | 25 (14, 11) | 28.4 (16.4, 12) | 31.2 (17.2, 14) | 27 (13, 14) | 28 (16, 12) | 31 (18, 13) | 28.8 (16.4, 12.4) | 32.4 (16.4, 16) | 29.6 (14.8, 14.8) |
PWM Frequency | 25000 (30) | 9524 (20) | 192 (90) | 25000 (40) | 25000 (45) | |||||
Screen | ||||||||||
Brightness middle | 250 | 269 | 383 | 244 | 369 | 360 | 456 | 271 | 452.6 | 399.6 |
Brightness | 241 | 244 | 355 | 237 | 334 | 317 | 432 | 252 | 438 | 385 |
Brightness Distribution | 94 | 83 | 88 | 93 | 83 | 82 | 88 | 84 | 93 | 89 |
Black Level * | 0.22 | 0.23 | 0.36 | 0.21 | 0.14 | 0.41 | 0.32 | 0.18 | 0.29 | 0.37 |
Contrast | 1136 | 1170 | 1064 | 1162 | 2636 | 878 | 1425 | 1506 | 1561 | 1080 |
Colorchecker DeltaE2000 * | 4.4 | 4.94 | 3.1 | 4.7 | 2.02 | 4.75 | 3.49 | 5.6 | 2.67 | 3.2 |
Colorchecker DeltaE2000 max. * | 19.7 | 20.37 | 5.3 | 17.7 | 3.05 | 7.4 | 8.4 | 18.9 | 4.11 | 6.44 |
Colorchecker DeltaE2000 calibrated * | 4.2 | 5.03 | 4.3 | 1.08 | 4.86 | 0.72 | 3.8 | 1.36 | 1.73 | |
Greyscale DeltaE2000 * | 2.9 | 1.71 | 3.6 | 2.8 | 2.34 | 3.75 | 5.53 | 4.1 | 2.1 | 4.7 |
Gamma | 2.3 96% | 2.52 87% | 2 110% | 2.24 98% | 2.44 90% | 2.32 95% | 2.41 91% | 2.03 108% | 2.01 109% | 2.21 100% |
CCT | 7045 92% | 6535 99% | 6743 96% | 6259 104% | 6552 99% | 6543 99% | 6675 97% | 7253 90% | 6505 100% | 7184 90% |
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 44.3 | 35 | 40.3 | 63 | 36 | 65 | 43 | 62.2 | 66.3 | |
Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 69.6 | 56 | 63 | 97 | 56 | 100 | 67.7 | 97.6 | 99.5 | |
Noise | ||||||||||
off / environment * | 29.6 | 31.2 | 29.3 | 24.9 | 30.7 | 31.2 | 29.9 | 28 | 26.3 | |
Idle Minimum * | 29.6 | 31.2 | 29.3 | 24.9 | 30.7 | 31.2 | 29.9 | 28 | 26.5 | |
Idle Average * | 29.6 | 31.2 | 29.3 | 24.9 | 30.7 | 31.2 | 29.9 | 28 | 26.5 | |
Idle Maximum * | 29.6 | 31.2 | 29.3 | 30.4 | 30.7 | 31.2 | 30.3 | 28.5 | 26.5 | |
Load Average * | 30.7 | 33.8 | 34.3 | 40.8 | 41.3 | 33.2 | 30.9 | 41.1 | 31.8 | |
Load Maximum * | 33.3 | 33.5 | 36.3 | 43 | 34.9 | 32.5 | 43.5 | 35.9 | ||
Witcher 3 ultra * | 36.3 | 42 | 31.5 | 35.9 | ||||||
Heat | ||||||||||
Maximum Upper Side * | 39.7 | 39.5 | 43.9 | 43.3 | 32.8 | 39.2 | 34.7 | 39.9 | 44.8 | 43.8 |
Maximum Bottom * | 44.2 | 43.6 | 46.8 | 58 | 36.1 | 37 | 36.4 | 44.7 | 43.8 | 43 |
Idle Upper Side * | 24.7 | 25.9 | 25.2 | 25.6 | 26 | 28.2 | 27.8 | 24.9 | 27 | 24.8 |
Idle Bottom * | 26 | 26.6 | 25.8 | 28.8 | 26.3 | 27.7 | 26.6 | 25.7 | 29.2 | 28.6 |
Battery Runtime | ||||||||||
Reader / Idle | 1392 | 941 | 1727 | 1916 | 1623 | |||||
H.264 | 674 | 968 | 1312 | 453 | 592 | |||||
WiFi v1.3 | 862 | 715 | 953 | 364 | 645 | 591 | 648 | 865 | 708 | 619 |
Load | 113 | 114 | 369 | 89 | 115 | 110 | 116 | 79 | ||
Power Consumption | ||||||||||
Idle Minimum * | 5.2 | 2.8 | 1.61 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 3 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4 |
Idle Average * | 7.7 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 7.2 | 6.1 | 7.6 | 6.1 | 6.5 | 5.8 | 6.3 |
Idle Maximum * | 8.7 | 6.7 | 5 | 9.8 | 8.7 | 9.9 | 8.4 | 7.9 | 6 | 7.7 |
Load Average * | 35.4 | 28 | 13.2 | 31.7 | 46 | 46 | 25.7 | 31.2 | 41.5 | 48.3 |
Load Maximum * | 48.3 | 31 | 18.3 | 66.6 | 66 | 59 | 27.6 | 37 | 50.4 | 57.6 |
Witcher 3 ultra * | 57 | 45 | 32 | 49 |
* ... smaller is better
Benchmarks
3DMark | |
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score (sort by value) | |
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS | |
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Gen2-20VH0017GE | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 | |
HP Envy x360 13-ay0010nr | |
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7-14ARE | |
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score (sort by value) | |
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 | |
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7-14ARE |