Laptops group test (£400 – £800)

Last month we brought you a group test of all the best laptops under £400. So do you really need to spend up to £800 on a laptop when there are plenty of perfectly usable machines for less than £400? Sure, those cheaper portables are fine if you’re just looking to surf the web or check your email. However, if you’re thinking of doing more, such as editing holiday photos or videos, playing games or even watching the latest Hi-Def content, you’ll need a considerably more powerful machine.

Key features to look out for in a mid-range laptop should be faster performance (based around Intel’s latest Core 2 Duo processor typically), at least 2GB of RAM, as this will allow applications to load quickly and smoothly, and a minimum of 200GB of storage space for your programs and soon-to-swell media library. In this price range you also start to see the introduction of dedicated graphics cards, which you’ll need if you want to play computer games or even edit some video.

With these features in mind, we’ve brought together a range of notebooks that manage to combine performance and portability without stretching the bank balance too far.

Acer Aspire 2920

Acer is sending out mixed messages with this laptop. This an ultra-portable weighing 2kg but it’s being pitched as a notebook for the home market, hence the use of Windows Vista Home Premium Edition and the emphasis on multimedia. However, while this is a reasonable machine for the price, it doesn’t really deliver in terms of multimedia. The graphics use the integrated chipset and the speakers deliver poor sound quality. Where this machine excels is in being a basic machine for the family – there is a webcam and a DVD rewriter as standard. Bluetooth is also included and Acer’s own software makes connecting this machine wirelessly easy to manage.

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Go to the Acer Aspire 2920 product page >>

Samsung Q310

At the top of our price budget, the Q310 manages to pack in a wide range of cutting-edge components. However, you won’t feel as though you’re paying over the odds as this machine delivers on almost every level. The Core 2 Duo P8600 offers state-of-the-art performance and the 4GB of RAM and 320GB of storage space make sure this machine never slows down. Windows Vista Home Premium Edition handles like a dream on this laptop. Add to this a high attention to detail and a battery life that means you can safely work away from mains power for up to four hours and you have an award winning machine.

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Go to the Samsung Q310 product page >>

Sony VAIO VGN-CR31S/W

Sony is best known for it’s small and compact notebook’s for travellers but the style and feel of this machine oozes home use. The 14.1-inch screen uses Sony’s own X-black technology so movies, via the built-in DVD rewriter, look better than you expect for the price. Weighing 2.7kg, it’s reasonably light, so carrying it around isn’t too much of a problem. The host of bundled software covers video and music editing. While it feels a little under-powered in places, and battery life is average rather than outstanding this is a decent, all-round multimedia machine for the younger end of the market.

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Dell Studio 17

Dell has managed to walk a fine line between price and performance with this machine. You can upgrade but at this price you don’t get extras like Blu-ray, just a standard DVD rewriter, but for a family orientated notebook you won’t find any compromises. It manages to pack in the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 3GB of RAM and a whopping 320GB hard drive and still be affordable. There is even a dedicated gaming card, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650, so you’ll be able to play games with ease. We really like this machine – it’s powerful, portable and for the configuration isn’t about to cost the earth.

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Go to the Dell Studio 17 product page >>

Apple MacBook

The touch and feel of this portable PC is assuredly Apple but being the entry-level model the specification is a little pedestrian and you may find yourself wishing you’d paid out a little more. Sure, it’s a basic machine but it offers everything you’ll need, as Apple pre-load almost all the software you’ll ever need. The Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 is an older generation of chips and the 2GB of RAM and 120GB, while satisfactory, are the minimum we’d accept at this price point. There are no features lacking in this machine, we just wish it had a little more grunt and a longer battery life.

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Go to the Apple MacBook product page >>

PriceRunner recommended
Samsung Q310

Click to read the full review>>
Go to the Samsung Q310 product page >>

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