
Ranking: Best laptops for under 800 dollars/euros
Q1 2026 update.
Sticking to a certain budget when making a laptop purchase might just be easier with this list. Here, we list the best laptops of the relatively affordable kind tested by Notebookcheck over the last few months.Christian Hintze, ✓ Sebastian Jankowski (translated by DeepL) Published 🇩🇪 🇭🇺 ...
Notebookcheck regularly tests products from the lower price segment, subjecting them to the same extensive measurements and analyses as premium models. In the sub-800-euro range, various brands compete for the attention of bargain hunters. Customers are often drawn in by impressive-sounding specs like gigahertz and gigabytes, but this can lead to overlooking more crucial aspects of a laptop’s performance. Below, we list only Windows-based devices that have been thoroughly tested in recent months, with test reports linked in the table.
When determining price, we use the lowest street price at which the device was actually available at the time of the last article update. Given the significance of time-limited offers and promotions in this competitive price range, prices may fluctuate continuously, either increasing or decreasing.
Best lower-mid-range laptops to buy in Q2 2026
Image | Model / Review | Price | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Screen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 Intel Core Ultra 5 225U ⎘ Intel Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Meteor / Arrow Lake) ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $1,299.95 Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3 Busin... 2. $909.99 Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 Bu... 3. $879.99 Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 3 AI... List Price: 899€ | 1.7 kg | 17.1 mm | 16.00" | 2560x1600 | matte | |
| HP Omnibook 5 14 Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 ⎘ Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-45 1.7 TFLOPS ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: List Price: 550 USD | 1.3 kg | 12.7 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1200 | glossy | |
| Asus Vivobook S16 S3607QA Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 ⎘ Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-45 1.7 TFLOPS ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $1,379.00 ASUS Vivobook S16 AI PC Lapt... 2. $844.63 ASUS Vivobook S16 Laptop, Co... 3. $1,799.99 ASUS Vivobook S16 Laptop (20... List Price: 899€ | 1.8 kg | 17.9 mm | 16.00" | 2560x1600 | matte | |
| Ninkear S14, 16+1TB AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS ⎘ AMD Radeon 660M ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: List Price: 629€ | 1.1 kg | 15 mm | 14.00" | 2240x1400 | ||
| Acer Aspire 14 AI N24Q14 Intel Core Ultra 5 226V ⎘ Intel Arc Graphics 130V ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $399.99 acer Aspire 14 AI Copilot+ P... 2. $599.99 Acer Aspire 14 AI Copilot+ P... 3. $399.99 Acer Aspire 14 +AI Laptop, I... List Price: 700 USD | 1.4 kg | 17 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1200 | matte | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge 15 Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 ⎘ Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-45 1.7 TFLOPS ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 256 GB UFS 4.x | Amazon: List Price: 749€ | 1.5 kg | 15 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | matte | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 14 AHP G10 AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS ⎘ AMD Radeon 780M ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $121.23 GENTERUN 14.0-Inch Matrix La... 2. $9.50 KEANBOLL 3-Pack Matte Anti-G... 3. $339.99 Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Laptop... List Price: 649€ | 1.5 kg | 17.9 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1200 | matte | |
| Chuwi CoreBook Air AMD Ryzen 5 6600H ⎘ AMD Radeon 660M ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $459.99 CHUWI Gaming Laptop, AMD Ryz... 2. $388.99 CHUWI 2-in-1 Touchscreen Lap... 3. $389.89 CHUWI MiniBook X 2-in-1 Lapt... List Price: 549€ | 1 kg | 15.95 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1200 | ||
| Lenovo Ideapad Slim 5 16IRH10R Intel Core 5 210H ⎘ Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4 48EUs ⎘ 16 GB Memory | Amazon: List Price: 850 USD | 1.9 kg | 18.4 mm | 16.00" | 1920x1200 | matte | |
| Chuwi CoreBook X AMD Ryzen 5 7430U ⎘ AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $459.99 CHUWI Gaming Laptop, AMD Ryz... 2. $489.99 CHUWI Gaming Laptop 16'', AM... 3. $389.89 CHUWI MiniBook X 2-in-1 Lapt... List Price: 399€ | 1.4 kg | 17.23 mm | 14.00" | 2160x1440 |
The table above is an overview of the best notebooks under 800 euros tested by Notebookcheck in the last 12 months and other (relevant) products that are still available. If several products have the same rating, the newer review will be listed higher. The prices shown in the table are automatically updated daily and can change accordingly. Link: all tested products in this class
Editorial comment
In the first quarter of 2026, we're doing a proper clean-up - four laptops are too old for our list: Our previous number 1, the RedmiBook 14, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5-15ARP G10, the Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 2-in-1 14Q8X9.
In addition, there is the Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3, the Chuwi CoreBook Air, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 16 and the Chuwi CoreBook X.
Former list participants:
- Xiaomi RedmiBook 14 (02/2025, 86 %)
- Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5-15ARP G10 (01/2025, 84 %)
- Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 (02/2025, 83 %)
- Lenovo IdeaPad 5 2-in-1 14Q8X9 (01/2025, 81 %)
1st place - Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3 (Core Ultra 5 225U)
Lenovo updates its affordable ThinkPad E16 G3 office laptop and now relies on Arrow Lake processors and a new high-resolution 120 Hz display. The battery life is long and up to 128 GB RAM can be installed if required.
The third generation of the new ThinkPad E16 is a really good office laptop, which showed no real weak points in our test.
Our test device costs 849 euros at Campuspointwhich is slightly more expensive than our estimated 800 euros.
2nd place - HP OmniBook 5 14 (SD X Plus X1P-42-100)
Its price-performance ratio is probably the strongest selling point for the OmniBook 5 14. At less than $600, it's one of the few subnotebooks in this price range that comes with an OLED screen, which offers better color and black levels than most other budget alternatives. If you appreciate the benefits of OLED and the extremely long battery life and quiet operation of Windows on ARM, then the OmniBook 5 14 is a tempting option.
Users who are looking for OLED P3 colors and are not bothered by the idiosyncrasies of Windows ARM will find the OmniBook 5 14 a strong and very affordable solution.
The OmniBook 5 Next Gen AI PC 14-he0354ng comes closest to the model discussed here and is available from Mediamarkt for 839 euros. The HP OmniBook 5 14-he0754ng can currently be ordered from HP itself for 839 euros. Both models have a 512 GB SSD.
3rd place - Asus Vivobook S16 (Snapdragon X1-26-100)
The Asus VivoBook S16 S3607 offers sufficient performance for everyday use with its Snapdragon processor and the matte IPS display impresses with its high 2.5K resolution and 144 Hz. Another highlight is the battery life of almost 20 hours in the Wi-Fi test.
The Vivobook S16 is a good everyday laptop with sufficient performance if you don't have any problems with the limitations of the ARM platform.
In Germany, the Vivobook S16 is available from 749 euros as tested.
4th place - Ninkear S14 (Ryzen 5 7535HS, 660M)
The S14 combines low weight, solid performance and a high-quality IPS display to create an attractive overall package. With the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, 16 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD, the notebook is ideal for pupils, students and mobile office users.
The Ninkear S14 presents itself as an inexpensive notebook with solid features for everyday use.
The Ninkear S14 can be ordered from the manufacturer for 629 euros can be ordered from the manufacturer. The Ninkear S14 is already available from Banggood for 442 euros.
5th place - Acer Aspire 14 AI (Core Ultra 5 226V, Arc Graphics 130V)
With its efficient processor and long battery life, the Acer Aspire 14 AI meets basic office requirements and, due to its price, students too. Basic office work, web browsing, streaming, light gaming and everyday multitasking run excellently on this affordable Acer device.
The Acer Aspire 14 AI is a good everyday laptop for everyone and meets all office requirements.
At the time of writing, the Aspire 14 AI is not yet available from most retailers. In our test country America, Costco currently has a single SKU in stock for $700.
6th place - Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge 15 (SD X Plus X1P-42-100)
The Snapdragon processor offers sufficient performance and enables very long battery runtimes, the slim aluminum casing makes a good impression and offers sufficient connections, including a fast microSD reader. A modern Wi-Fi 7 modem is also already installed.
The Galaxy Book4 Edge is a good 15.6-inch everyday computer for less than 700 euros.
The Galaxy Book4 Edge 15 is available on Amazon for 699.99 euros.
7th place - Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 14AHP Gen 10 (Ryzen 7 8840HS, Radeon 780M)
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 14 is an inexpensive multimedia computer that is particularly impressive with its fast AMD processor, decent maintenance options and good battery life. There is even enough power for some games, but the fan is audible relatively often. The RAM can be upgraded and a second SSD slot is available.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 14 is an affordable multimedia computer with a fast AMD processor and good battery life.
The test device is available at Campuspoint for 649 euros - or 585 euros as an education sector SKU.
8th place - Chuwi CoreBook Air (Ryzen 5 6600H, Radeon 660M)
The CoreBook Air with AMD Ryzen 5 6600H offers a balanced mix of mobility, everyday performance and a matte IPS display that is ideal for longer work sessions. In combination with 16 GB of RAM and an NVMe SSD, the result is a compact overall package that is primarily aimed at budget-oriented users who are looking for a lightweight notebook for office, web and multimedia.
The Chuwi CoreBook Air offers a coherent overall package of mobility, performance and price awareness, which is particularly aimed at students, mobile users and classic office users.
The Chuwi CoreBook Air can be ordered from the manufacturer for 549 euros can be ordered.
9th place - Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 16
The 2025 Lenovo Ideapad Slim 5 16 is available in two variants: AMD or Intel. After we tested both the Ryzen AI 5 330- as well as the Core 5 210H-Configuration, we can conclude that the Intel version offers up to 50 percent better multi-thread performance and 10 to 30 percent better gaming performance than the AMD version, depending on the title.
The Lenovo Ideapad Slim 5 16 is characterized by a slim, lightweight design, good performance compared to the AMD version and a good battery life.
A configuration of the IdeaPad Slim 5 with the Core 7 is available from Amazon, among others, for 800 euros.
10th place - Chuwi CoreBook X (Ryzen 5 7430U, RX Vega 7)
The CoreBook X presents itself as an affordable notebook with solid everyday features. The efficient AMD Ryzen 5 7430U delivers enough power for typical tasks such as office, internet and multimedia. The 14-inch display with 2K resolution stands out positively in this price range and ensures a sharp display.
The Chuwi CoreBook X with AMD Ryzen 5 7430U is aimed at users who are looking for a reliable notebook for office, study and everyday applications - and at a fair price.
The Chuwi CoreBook X is currently available for 399 euros and can be ordered directly from the manufacturer's store. With the discount code "NBC13", the purchase price is even reduced to 347 euros. Geekbuying also offers the CoreBook X. The price here is 379 euros.
Best notebooks for under 800 dollars/euros: Overview
Measurements
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | HP Omnibook 5 14 | Asus Vivobook S16 S3607QA | Ninkear S14, 16+1TB | Acer Aspire 14 AI N24Q14 | Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge 15 | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 14 AHP G10 | Chuwi CoreBook Air | Lenovo Ideapad Slim 5 16IRH10R | Chuwi CoreBook X | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | ||||||||||
| Display P3 Coverage (%) | 71.3 | 95 | 75.6 | 67.4 | 36.8 | 46.5 | 39.1 | 39.5 | 39.7 | 65.1 |
| sRGB Coverage (%) | 99.1 | 98.3 | 97.3 | 55.2 | 63.1 | 58.4 | 59.4 | 57.7 | 95.4 | |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage (%) | 73.5 | 74.6 | 69.7 | 38.1 | 46.7 | 40.4 | 40.9 | 41 | 66.7 | |
| Response Times | ||||||||||
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * (ms) | 12.6 ? | 1.67 ? | 36.6 ? | 42 ? | 22 ? | 31.5 ? | 31.4 ? | 33 ? | 32.7 ? | 45.2 ? |
| Response Time Black / White * (ms) | 5.9 ? | 1.84 ? | 21.9 ? | 13 ? | 11.6 ? | 20.4 ? | 21.3 ? | 14 ? | 21.7 ? | 16 ? |
| PWM Frequency (Hz) | 480 | 115.4 | 20000 ? | |||||||
| PWM Amplitude * (%) | 13.5 | 53 | ||||||||
| Screen | ||||||||||
| Brightness middle (cd/m²) | 446 | 288.7 | 387 | 381 | 312.1 | 304 | 304 | 353 | 347.7 | 356 |
| Brightness (cd/m²) | 420 | 289 | 401 | 362 | 300 | 298 | 281 | 330 | 331 | 363 |
| Brightness Distribution (%) | 90 | 98 | 93 | 82 | 93 | 94 | 89 | 90 | 84 | 85 |
| Black Level * (cd/m²) | 0.33 | 0.22 | 0.24 | 0.3 | 0.26 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.48 | 0.14 | |
| Contrast (:1) | 1352 | 1759 | 1588 | 1040 | 1169 | 1382 | 1605 | 724 | 2543 | |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.5 | 3.43 | 4.4 | 1.36 | 5.52 | 5.4 | 5.9 | 4.9 | 8.11 | 4.2 |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 2.4 | 7.04 | 8.5 | 2.24 | 19.89 | 15.5 | 19.2 | 8.86 | 22.25 | 9.27 |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 1.3 | 1.2 | 2.07 | 4.7 | 3.51 | 3.28 | 1.06 | |||
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.7 | 1.3 | 6.4 | 1.09 | 5.2 | 5.5 | 4.5 | 5.74 | 7.9 | 6.32 |
| Gamma | 2.2 100% | 2.2 100% | 2.29 96% | 2.45 90% | 2.24 98% | 2.27 97% | 2.21 100% | 2.37 93% | 2.16 102% | 2.32 95% |
| CCT | 6829 95% | 6336 103% | 7896 82% | 6494 100% | 6009 108% | 7873 83% | 6098 107% | 7222 90% | 6039 108% | 7227 90% |
| Noise | ||||||||||
| off / environment * (dB) | 24.6 | 25.8 | 23.2 | 24.9 | 23.7 | 24.8 | 24.2 | 24.9 | 22.7 | 25 |
| Idle Minimum * (dB) | 24.6 | 25.8 | 23.2 | 25.1 | 23.7 | 24.8 | 24.2 | 25.2 | 22.7 | 25 |
| Idle Average * (dB) | 24.6 | 25.8 | 23.2 | 25.2 | 23.7 | 24.8 | 24.2 | 25.4 | 22.7 | 25 |
| Idle Maximum * (dB) | 24.6 | 25.8 | 23.2 | 25.2 | 26.2 | 24.8 | 26.8 | 25.4 | 22.7 | 25.1 |
| Load Average * (dB) | 30.8 | 29 | 28.3 | 45.3 | 33.5 | 25.2 | 40.8 | 36 | 31.8 | 42 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra * (dB) | 40.5 | 29.2 | 38.4 | 45.3 | 37 | 32.2 | 38 | 46.7 | 34 | 41.4 |
| Load Maximum * (dB) | 40.5 | 37.8 | 47.6 | 45 | 38.3 | 42.8 | 40.8 | 45.6 | 50.4 | 42 |
| Witcher 3 ultra * (dB) | 44.8 | 43.1 | ||||||||
| Heat | ||||||||||
| Maximum Upper Side * (°C) | 39.5 | 32.4 | 39.1 | 47 | 35 | 38.9 | 38.3 | 46.8 | 36 | 42.4 |
| Maximum Bottom * (°C) | 48.6 | 33.6 | 37.1 | 41.5 | 34.6 | 42.4 | 51.5 | 43 | 33.8 | 41.4 |
| Idle Upper Side * (°C) | 27.3 | 30.2 | 25.7 | 33.9 | 23.6 | 24.3 | 25.8 | 28.5 | 27.4 | 35 |
| Idle Bottom * (°C) | 29.1 | 32 | 25.4 | 33.9 | 23.8 | 24.3 | 29.5 | 29.9 | 27.2 | 35.1 |
| Battery runtime | ||||||||||
| H.264 (h) | 18.8 | 9.1 | 14 | 9 | ||||||
| WiFi v1.3 (h) | 12.8 | 16.9 | 19.4 | 9.5 | 12.8 | 17.8 | 10.7 | 11.4 | 11.3 | 6.5 |
| Load (h) | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | |||||||
| Reader / Idle (h) | 13 | 18.5 | ||||||||
| Power Consumption | ||||||||||
| Idle Minimum * (Watt) | 6.9 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 5.3 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 8.1 | 6.4 |
| Idle Average * (Watt) | 11.1 | 2.5 | 5.8 | 9.1 | 6.2 | 5.8 | 6.3 | 8.1 | 11.9 | 11.7 |
| Idle Maximum * (Watt) | 11.3 | 8.1 | 7.1 | 12.5 | 6.6 | 7 | 6.8 | 8.8 | 12.4 | 13.8 |
| Load Average * (Watt) | 37.3 | 17.8 | 18.5 | 44.5 | 35.2 | 19.4 | 45.7 | 44.2 | 55.7 | 35.9 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra * (Watt) | 41.6 | 19.9 | 19.1 | 40.7 | 44.6 | 26.9 | 38.2 | 34.6 | 55.7 | 37.3 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra external monitor * (Watt) | 40 | 19.1 | 17 | 38 | 40.7 | 22.2 | 35.8 | 38.3 | 52.6 | 32 |
| Load Maximum * (Watt) | 67.3 | 70.3 | 65.7 | 61.5 | 59 | 56.6 | 51.7 | 62.4 | 67.8 | 59.1 |
* ... smaller is better
Benchmark scores
| 3DMark | |
| 1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score (sort by value) | |
| HP Omnibook 5 14 | |
| Ninkear S14, 16+1TB | |
| Acer Aspire 14 AI N24Q14 | |
| Chuwi CoreBook Air | |
| Lenovo Ideapad Slim 5 16IRH10R | |
| Chuwi CoreBook X | |
| 1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score (sort by value) | |
| Ninkear S14, 16+1TB | |
| Chuwi CoreBook Air | |
| Chuwi CoreBook X | |

























