Don't know which computer to buy (AMD)

The Aspire 3 A315-21 is a simple office laptop that can easily handle everyday tasks.

The SSD enables the system to run quickly. There is no shortage of storage space, given that the SSD is accompanied by a 1 TB 2.5-inch hard drive! The SSD + Hard Drive combo is an extremely rare thing in the Cloudbook world and is usually mostly present in high-end gaming laptops. The keyboard is reasonably good and fulfills all the requirements for home use.

The matte 15.6-inch display will not win any prizes. It is dark, has poor contrast, and it does not provide stable viewing angles, but at least it's responsive.

For 308$, this basic laptop is quite a good choice and, thanks to its AMD A6-9220 APU, has a slightly better performance than Intel's equivalently priced Celeron/Pentium based solutions.

Key characteristics

Other characteristics

• Networking; Realtek RTL8111/8168 Gigabit Ethernet + Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac w/Bluetooth 4.1 Combo Card

• Ports: USB 3.0, 2xUSB 2.0 HDMI, Audio, SD Card Reader

• Operating system: Windows 10 Home 64bit

• Weight; 2.1kg

• Battery: 37Wh Li-Ion

Benchmarks & Tests (Learn more about benchmarks)

Processor (Tested with Cinebench R15).

• Cinebench R15 Single Core: 69 Points (

• Cinebench R15 Multi Core:   114 Points

 
Graphics Benchmarks: (Tested with 3DMark11)

• 3DMark 11:  984 (Extremely Low score)

Reviews on other sites

This model got good reviews with an overall rating of 77% (Notebookcheck) and 3.2/5 Stars on Amazon

Pros:

• Matte display
• Barely warms up
• Rare SSD+HDD combo for the price
• Good upgradability for cloudbook standards
• Wi-Fi AC wich is extremely rare on this price point
• Fast and reliable SD Card reader

Contras:

• Low contrast display with bad viewing angles
• Mediocre battery life

Key points mentioned in the reviews & our take on them:

• Not surprisingly, this model gets a lot of praise for its matte display, barely warming up, rare SSD+HDD combo, upgradability, Wi-Fi AC wich is extremely rare on this price point, fast and reliable SD Card reader.

• This model got some criticism for its low contrast display with bad viewing angles and mediocre battery life.

You can buy the Lenovo Yoga 720 for 850$ on Amazon

Conclusion

The above characteristics make this computer a great choice for users looking for a simple office/internet browsing laptop that can easily handle everyday tasks and has lots of storage.

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This review is part of the Solutionbay product reviews and may contain affiliate links but is committed to being 100% objective. Read more about product reviews on Solutionbay.

The Acer Aspire E5-722-2611 is a giant sized netbook, made mostly for internet browsing and basic office workloads. It is constantly cool & quiet thanks to its huge chassis. The keyboard and the build quality are both excellent and as a plus, it can play some casual games thanks to its AMD APU. This laptop is a great introduction to the world of PCs.

  Key characteristics

Other characteristics

• Networking; Gigabit Ethernet + Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac w/ Bluetooth 4.0 (Everything you may need for cabled and Wi-Fi connectivity)

• Ports: 2xUSB 2.0, USB 3.0, VGA, HDMI, Ethernet, 3.5mm Audio

• Operating system: Windows 10 Home 64bit

• Weight; 2.5kg

Reviews on other sites

This model got good reviews (81% Notebookcheck and 4 Stars on Amazon).

Pros:

• Cool & Quiet operation
• Good keyboard
• Decent battery life

Contros:

• Relatively difficult upgradability

Conclusion

The above characteristics make this computer an ideal choice for people in need of a bigger sized, basic, internet-browsing PC with a little more performance than its Intel Braswell-based competitors do.

You can buy right now for about 329$ on Amazon.com

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This review was last updated on June 1st, 2016. It is part of the Solutionbay product reviews and may contain affiliate links but is committed to being 100% objective. Read more about product reviews on Solutionbay.

With the ThinkPad L460, Lenovo offers an all-around business notebook that can be used for lightweight multimedia and gaming as well. The 14" Laptop features a matte FullHD display and is powered by the latest Skylake ULV processor, giving it an almost exaggerated battery life (19 Hours!). As typical from Lenovo, the keyboard is the best you can get on a laptop.

 Key characteristics

Other characteristics

• Networking; Intel i219-V Gigabit Ethernet  + Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 Wi-Fi ac w/Bluetooth 4.0 (all the best components for cabled and Wi-Fi networking)

• Ports: 3xUSB 3.0, VGA, miniDisplayPort, Ethernet, Audio 3.5mm

• Operating system: Windows 10 Pro 64bit

• Weight; 1.9kg

Benchmarks & Tests (Learn more about benchmarks)

Processor (Tested with Cinebench R15).

• Cinebench R15 Single Core: 98 Points

• Cinebench R15 Multi Core:   251 Points

 
Graphics Benchmarks: (Tested with 3DMark11)

• 3DMark 11:  1896
  

Reviews on other sites

This model got good reviews (85% Notebookcheck)

Pros:

• Gorgeous display
• Fast SSD based storage
• Superb keyboard and incredible battery life

Contras:

• Lack of a docking port
• Loud fans

Conclusion

The above characteristics make this computer an ideal choice for business users in search of a powerful multimedia and 3D capable computer and an otherworldly battery life of over 23 hours.

You can buy right now for about 1069$ on Amazon.com

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This review was last updated on June 1st, 2016. It is part of the Solutionbay product reviews and may contain affiliate links but is committed to being 100% objective. Read more about product reviews on Solutionbay.

The Lenovo ThinkPad E460 is one of the cheapest ThinkPads and can be a very interesting Device for both home and SME business users. With its IPS display, modern processors, and discrete AMD Graphics Card that can even appeal to gamers.

All the other classic Lenovo features, like a good case, TrackPoint, the best keyboards in the laptop world, and support for many Docking Stations are present.

 Key characteristics

Other characteristics

• Networking; Intel I219-V Gigabit Ethernet + Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165 Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac w/Bluetooth 4.2 (usually everything you need for Cabled and Wi-Fi connectivity)

• Ports: 3xUSB 3.0, HDMI, Docking Station Port, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm Audio, SD/MMC Card Reader (great selection of ports that can be expanded thanks to the docking station socket)

• Operating system: Windows 10 Pro 64bit

• Weight; 1.83kg (extremely lightweight for workstation standards)

(Typical) user groups

The above characteristics make this computer a great choice for:

• Multimedia users who are attracted by its serious and classy business style.
• Enterprise users who need some serious 3D graphics capabilities.

Benchmarks & Tests (Learn more about benchmarks)

Processor (Tested with Cinebench R15).

• Cinebench R15 Single Core:  119 Points

• Cinebench R15 Multi Core:   290 Points

 
Graphics Benchmarks: (Tested with 3DMark11)

• 3DMark 11:  2290 

Gaming Benchmarks:

• Bioshock Infinite (High 1366x768): 34 fps (Playable)

Reviews on other sites

This model got good reviews (85% Notebookcheck and 3 Stars on Amazon).

Pros:

• Decent casing quality,
• Incredible keyboard
• Docking station compatibility,
• High performance and excellent price/performance ratio.
• Keys with backlighting
• Large keys with backlighting
• Fast Wi-Fi
• Fingerprint reader

Contras:

• Dark screen
• Non-removable battery
• Limited upgrade options

Conclusion

The above characteristics make this computer an ideal choice for business users who are looking for a PC with a comfortable keyboard and good 3D and multimedia qualities.

You can buy right now for about 649$ on Amazon.com

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This review was last updated on June 1st, 2016. It is part of the Solutionbay product reviews and may contain affiliate links but is committed to being 100% objective. Read more about product reviews on Solutionbay.

The  HP t730 Thin Client, HP’s most powerful desktop thin client, is ready to deploy in demanding environments right out of the box with an AMD quad-core APU, huge selection of interfaces (even legacy), OS and external server choices, and native support for 6 UHD/4K displays.

This small desktop PC, thanks to its AMD FirePro W2100, can also be used as a basic Workstation and thus is perfect for a team of CG professionals working connected to the cloud.

Specs Here:

• CPU: AMD RX427BB (Steamroller) 2,7-3,6Ghz 4 Cores / 4 Threads 4MB Cache 35W TDP 64bit
• CHIPSET: AMD Kaveri  FCH Socket FP3
• NETWORK: Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit Ethernet
• EXPANSION SLOTS: 2xSO-DIMM, PCI Express Half Height x8
• Audio: Realtek ALC290 With Stereo Speakers
• GPU 1: AMD Radeon R7 (Kaveri) w/1GB Dedicated RAM Integrated
• GPU 2: AMD FirePro W2100 2GB DDR3
• RAM: 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3L-1600 1,6Ghz 128bit Dual Channel
• STORAGE: 64GB M.2 SSD
• CONNECTIVITY: 6xUSB 2.0, 4x USB 3.0 (2x Internal), 4xAudio, 6xDisplayPort, RJ-45, PS/2 Mouse, PS/2 Keyboard, 2xSerial, Parallel 
• KEYBOARD: HP USB Keyboard
• MOUSE: HP USB Optical Mouse
• PSU: 85W
• PRICE: 1164€
• OS: Microsoft Windows Embedded 7P 64bit
• BUNDLED SOFTWARE: HP Device Manager, HP ThinUpdate, HP EasyTools, HP SmartZero Client Service, Agent Microsoft SCCM/EDM, HP Velocity, HP EasyShell, HP TrueGraphics

The Lenovo H50 is a complete home entertainment system based on AMD APUs and Radeon Rx Graphics. Other than great entertainment, Lenovo gives you the luxury to use, in all its glory, the famous AccuType Keyboard, the most precise and comfortable keyboard ever conceived. It's possible to have some advanced gaming on this PC thanks to the Dual Graphics Crossfire combo of its Integrated Radeon R7 and its dedicated AMD Radeon R7 240 working in parallel.

Note: this PC comes preinstalled with Windows 8.1, you will eventually need to upgrade to windows 10 to enjoy it to the fullest.

specs here:

• CPU: AMD A10-7800 3.5 GHz (3.9Ghz Turbo Core)  Quad Core 4MB L2 Cache 65W TDP
• CHIPSET: AMD A78 Socket FM2+
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1
• GPU 1 AMD Radeon R7 Integrated
• GPU 2: AMD Radeon R7 240 2GB DDR3 (Crossfire)
• STORAGE: 2TB SSHD SATA III 7.200RPM 8GB SSD Cache
• RAM: 12GB DDR3-1600 (4+2GB) Flexible channel mode
• OPTICAL DRIVE: Yes
• KEYBOARD: Lenovo AccuType
• MOUSE: Lenovo Optical Mouse
• PSU: 280W

Benchmarks & Tests (Learn more about benchmarks)

Processor (Tested with Cinebench R15).

• Cinebench R15 Single Core: 61 Points

• Cinebench R15 Multi Core:   239 Points

 
Graphics Benchmarks: (Tested with 3DMark11)

• 3DMark 11:  1698 

Gaming Benchmarks:

• Bioshock Infinite (Low 1280x720): (Playable)
• Company of Heroes 2: (Unplayable)
• Rise Of The Tomb Raider: (Unplayable)

Ever thought about a Pink Colored Gaming laptop? Yes, it exists, and this gaming and multimedia laptop with a feminine touch is called the HP Pavilion 15-ab116n!

Key characteristics

Other characteristics

• Networking; Realtek RTL8101/2/3 Fast Ethernet + Intel Dual Band-Wireless AC-3160 Wi-Fi ac w/Bluetooth 4.0 (usually everything you need for Wi-Fi & browsing - cabled connectivity doesn't reach top internet speed as it is limited to 100 Mbit/s)

• Ports: USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.0, HDMI, Audio, RJ-45, SD card Reader (pretty good selection of ports)

• Operating system: Windows 10 Home 64bit

(Typical) user groups

The above characteristics make this computer a great choice for:

• Multimedia enthusiasts and gamers who want to save as much money as possible, but without compromises and to be able to get some extra performance thanks to the laptop's crossfire technology and future driver updates.
• Users and/or programmers of OpenCL based applications

Reviews on other sites

With an overall rating of 5 Stars (5 stars on Amazon and 5 Stars at HP Store), this computer has an above-average rating.

Pros:

• Extremely high performance
• Nice price
• Quiet operation
• Low operating temperatures
• Good quality FullHD display
• Unbeatable price/performance ratio.

Contras:

• Lack of gigabit Ethernet (only fast Ethernet is present), which is a typical defect of almost all HP made multimedia laptop.

Conclusion

The HP Pavilion 15-ab116 is a great choice for every videogamer and multimedia enthusiast. For its price of under 600€, this is absolutely the best portable gaming platform available at this price point. If you are not convinced by the color, a blue colored unit and a more serious silver version with the same or even better specs are also available.

You can buy it on Amazon.

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This review was last updated on June 1st, 2016. It is part of the Solutionbay product reviews and may contain affiliate links but is committed to being 100% objective. Read more about product reviews on Solutionbay. 

This Laptop is one of the cheapest entries in the world of multimedia entertainment and gaming. With a price of just 700$, you will hardly find an equivalent laptop with similar gaming performance and build quality.

Key characteristics

Other characteristics

• Networking; Realtek RTL8101/2/3 Fast Ethernet + Intel Dual Band-Wireless AC-3160 Wi-Fi ac w/Bluetooth 4.0 (usually everything you need for Wi-Fi & browsing - cabled connectivity doesn't reach top internet speed as it is limited to 100 Mbit/s)

• Ports: USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.0, HDMI, Audio, RJ-45, SD card Reader (pretty good selection of ports)

• Operating system: Windows 10 Home 64bit

(Typical) user groups

The above characteristics make this computer a great choice for:

• Multimedia enthusiasts and gamers who want to save as much money as possible but without compromises and to be able to get some extra performance thanks to the laptop's crossfire technology and future driver updates.
• Users and/or programmers of OpenCL based applications.

Reviews on other sites

With an overall rating of 5 Stars (5 stars on Amazon and 5 Stars at HP Store), this computer has an above-average rating.

Pros:

• Extremely high performance
• Quiet operation
• Low operating temperatures
• Good quality FullHD display
• A good 16GB of RAM in Dual Channel mode
• Unbeatable price/performance ratio

Contras:

• Lack of gigabit Ethernet (only fast Ethernet is present) which is a typical defect of almost all HP made multimedia laptop.

Conclusion

The HP Pavilion 15-ab126 is a great choice for every videogamer and multimedia enthusiast. For its price of under 750$, this is absolutely the best portable gaming platform available at this price point. As a plus, every future driver updates from AMD will make this laptop even more performant thanks to the newly added crossfire profiles.

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This review was last updated on June 1st, 2016. It is part of the Solutionbay product reviews and may contain affiliate links but is committed to being 100% objective. Read more about product reviews on Solutionbay.

The HP 15 af-105n/af-124n is an entry-level multimedia laptop based on the new AMD "Carrizo-L" platform. This laptop offers good multimedia and gaming performance at the very low price of just 512$.

Key characteristics

Other characteristics

• Networking; Realtek RTL8101/2/3 PCIe Fast Ethernet + Broadcom BCM43142 Wi-Fi n W/Bluetooth 4.0 (Supports only 100MBPs on cabled connection, Wi-Fi connectivity from Broadcom is good but doesn't support the recent Wi-Fi ac protocol)

• Ports: USB 3.0, 2xUSB 2.0, HDMI, VGA, Audio, RJ-45 (good selection of ports, sadly, only one USB 3.0 )

• Operating system: Windows 10 Home 64bit

Reviews on other sites

This model got good reviews (5 Stars on Amazon).

Pros:

• Great price/performance ratio
• Good amount of storage

Contras:

• Mediocre screen

(Typical) user groups

Above characteristics, make this computer a great choice for:

• Multimedia users on a tight budget.
• Video gamers on a tight budget.

Conclusion

The above characteristics make this computer a good choice for every multimedia enthusiast and video gamer on a tight budget.

You can buy right now for about 479$ on Amazon.com

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This review was last updated on June 1st, 2016. It is part of the Solutionbay product reviews and may contain affiliate links but is committed to being 100% objective. Read more about product reviews on Solutionbay.

The AMD based HP Pavilion lineup has just been refreshed with the latest AMD "Bristol Ridge" processors! With its price tag of just 550$/619€, Quad Core Processor and AMD Dual Graphics, The HP Pavilion 15-aw004ng is a great choice for anyone entering into the world of multimedia and gaming computers.

The low price suggests this PC has also some flaws... like the mediocre battery life and the necessity of keeping the Graphic drivers constantly up to date to get the most performance in games, especially the ones not designed with AMD Dual Graphics in mind. Thankfully HP choose swisely what to sacrifice and the overall system performance leaves a good impression.

Key characteristics

Other characteristics

• Networking; Realtek RTL8101/2/3 Fast Ethernet + Realtek RTL 8723BE Wi-Fi b/g/n w/Bluetooth 4.0 (usually everything you need for Wi-Fi & browsing - both LAN and Wi-Fi connectivity doesn't reach top internet speed as they both are limited to 100 Mbit/s)

• Ports: USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.0, HDMI, Audio, RJ-45, SD card Reader, DVD Drive (pretty good selection of ports, especially because this model features a good old DVD Drive)

• Operating system: Windows 10 Home 64bit

(Typical) user groups

The above characteristics make this computer a great choice for:

• Multimedia enthusiasts and gamers who want to save as much money as possible without compromises and to be able to get some extra performance, thanks to the laptop's AMD Dual Graphics technology and future driver updates.
• Users and/or programmers of OpenCL based applications.

Reviews on other sites

With an overall rating of 75% at notebookcheck this computer has an above-average rating.

Pros:

• Extremely high performance for such a low price tag.

• Features a decent matte fullHD display instead of the more common HD glossy screen we are used to see.

• Blazing fast SSD storage,unheard of at 550$.
• Contrary to what most AMD haters will say, this PC is always cool & quiet.

Contras:

• Tricky to open the chassis, but you probably won't need it if not to install more storage.
• No USB 3.1/Thunderbolt 3. Well.. After all, it is just a 550$ PC! You can't expect this expensive technology to be featured in anything less than 1000$.
• Mediocre battery life. (yes this is really bad and the only real serious issue, even with the display set at ultra-low brightness the battery drains up very quickly!)

Conclusion

The HP Pavilion 15-aw004ng is a great choice for everyone who wants to enter into the videogamer and multimedia world. For its price of 550$, this is absolutely the best portable gaming platform available at this price point. As a plus, every future driver updates from AMD will make this laptop even more performant, thanks to the newly added crossfire profiles. A very well balanced laptop at a great price just be prepared to use the AC charger very, very often!

If you live in Europe, you can buy this computer on Amazon.

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This review is part of the Solutionbay product reviews and may contain affiliate links but is committed to being 100% objective. Read more about product reviews on Solutionbay.

The HP Pavilion 17x137cl is an interesting solution for an inexpensive desktop replacement with dedicated graphics. Even if not extremely powerful, it lets you play games at low/medium settings, and the performance offered is good thanks to its Intel Core i7-7500U processor. The matte screen is extremely pleasant to use for an inexpensive multimedia system. At just 2.5kg, it also is lightweight for a 17.3" The 2TB hard drive storage is huge, but sadly, maintenance is very difficult so it's almost impossible for the average user to switch to a faster SSD or upgrade it in the future. Like most entry-level consumer notebooks, it lacks keyboard backlight, but features a DVD Drive. Overall, the HP 17 is a good choice for an entry-level multimedia do-it-all notebook.

Key characteristics

Other characteristics

• Networking; Realtek Fast Ethernet (100MBPs) + Realtek RTL8723BE Wi-Fi b/g/n w/Bluetooth 4.0 Combo Card

• Ports: USB 3.0, 2xUSB 2.0, HDMI, Ethernet, Audio, SD Card Reader

• Operating system: Windows 10 Home 64bit

• Weight; 2.5kg

Benchmarks & Tests (Learn more about benchmarks)

Processor (Tested with Cinebench R15).

• Cinebench R15 Single Core: 147 Points

• Cinebench R15 Multi Core:   342 Points

 
Graphics Benchmarks: (Tested with 3DMark11)

• 3DMark 11:  2212

Reviews on other sites

This model got good reviews with an overall rating of 79% (Notebookcheck) and 3/5 Stars on Amazon

Pros:

• Matte screen
• Excellent performance
• 2TB Storage
• Good build quality

Contras:

• Lack of upgradability
• No USB 3.0 Type-C
• Slow Wi-Fi

Conclusion

The above characteristics make this computer a great choice for students looking for a stylish Windows alternative to a Chromebook. 

You can buy it for 819$ on Amazon

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This review is part of the Solutionbay product reviews and may contain affiliate links but is committed to being 100% objective. Read more about product reviews on Solutionbay.