TOP 5 best laptops under UAH 15,000 (second half of 2017)

IdeaPad 310-15 is a family of Lenovo 15—inch laptops, which can be equipped with processors from low-power Celeron N to high-performance Core i5. In our opinion, the optimal chip for IdeaPad 310-15 is the Pentium N4200. In addition to the four processor cores of the energy-efficient Apollo Lake architecture (TDP of only 6 watts), it has a fairly performant, by the standards of integrated, Intel HD 505 graphics accelerator (18 executive modules).

Our recommended IdeaPad 310-15 configuration includes 8 GB of DDR3L RAM and a 256 GB fast solid-state drive (128-gig SSDs are more common in this class). This allows you to install and run several memory-hungry professional applications at the same time and, at least, not to think about upgrading for several years. Moreover, the laptop has only one SO-DIMM and SATA slot, which is why it will be possible to increase the amount of RAM and permanent memory only by completely replacing the existing one.

You can find fault, and even then with a stretch, only with the screen: its resolution is high (1920x1080 pixels), but the colours are dim and the viewing angles are small (TN matrix costs). However, IPS displays with juicy colour reproduction are extremely rare in this price segment. But the Lenovo IdeaPad 310-15 is available in several body colour options: black, white, silver, red and purple. In fact, we get a unisex solution for work, study and old hit games like GTA IV, Skyrim and Fallout: New Vegas, which is also relatively inexpensive.

Designing laptops worth 10-12K UAH. manufacturing companies face a dilemma: install more RAM and a fast SSD or a more powerful processor (Core i3 instead of Pentium N)? Dell engineers in the case of the Vostro 3568 model went the second way (Core i3-6006U) and this is probably the right decision. After all, the user can replace the RAM and disk, if desired, whereas modern laptop processors, with rare exceptions, are tightly soldered into the motherboard.

Pre-installed 4 GB of RAM for demanding software like photo and video editors is probably not enough. Fortunately, there is a second free SO-DIMM DDR4 slot that supports modules with a volume of up to 8 GB. Vostro 3568 does not have a specialized slot for SSD M.2, but there is a DVD drive that is currently in low demand. It can be replaced with a 2.5-inch SATA-SSD using the Optibay adapter (Opticaddy). As a result, you will not have to sacrifice either the speed, volume, or performance of the disk subsystem.

It would seem that the Dell Vostro 3568 is not a 15-inch laptop that stands out from the competition. It also has a screen resolution of only 1366x768 pixels, while some analogues offer FullHD for the same price. But Vostro 3568 has an undeniable trump card — 3 years warranty from the manufacturer instead of the typical 1 year. Simply put, if you are one of those who are used to buying electronics once and for a long time, then Vostro 3568 is definitely your choice.

"Under the hood" of the Acer Aspire E5-774G is a Core i3-7100U processor of the brand-new Kaby Lake architecture, powerful and at the same time energy efficient, and a discrete GeForce 940MX graphics card (384 microkernels). This tandem perfectly handles with popular multiplayer games: World of Tanks, Dota 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, as well as single-player hits of the past years.

A relatively small amount of RAM (4 GB) and a hard disk (500 GB) can be fixed without problems. But with a low, as for a 17-inch diagonal, screen resolution (1600x900 pixels or 106 PPI) and a TN matrix, whether you want it or not, you will have to put up with it. But do not dramatize, because in games the difference between 900 and 1080p is difficult to notice.

The Acer Aspire E5-774G turned out to be heavy even compared to its counterparts with the same screen size — 3.3 kg instead of the typical 2.7-2.8 kg. The main reason for the increased weight of the laptop is the thick plastic of the case: the upper flap bends weakly, and the lower one is generally monolithic, which prevents the internal components from bending and breaking. And considering that the 17-inch is bought with the clear intention of transferring it no further than from the desktop to the sofa and back, weightiness should not be considered a disadvantage.

Acer Aspire F5-573G is the most complete laptop in the price segment up to 15K UAH, and even with a nice design. The top cover and the underside surface are made of metal. This not only adds rigidity to the structure, but also contributes to the heat dissipation of internal components.

The Core i3-6006U processor is complemented by a truly powerful discrete GeForce GTX 950M graphics card (640 microkernels). It's just a pity that the GTX 950M version is used with 4 GB of slow DDR3 video memory instead of 2 GB of faster GDDR5 (20 percent higher FPS). But even so, the laptop handles with absolutely all modern games at least in 720p and at low graphics settings.

The Aspire F5-573G has only two relatively weak points: a high-resolution FullHD screen with a dim TN matrix, and only 4 GB of RAM. But what pleases on the contrary is a pre-installed 256 GB SSD, and a new-fangled M.2 format, and, as a result, a free slot for a 2.5-inch HDD (taking into account the large size of modern games, it will be very useful). Being, in fact, an initial gaming laptop, the Acer Aspire F5-573G surprisingly runs on battery power for a long time: the manufacturer claims 12 hours, but even real 7 hours are an excellent indicator. Therefore, we boldly advise not only gamers, but also hard workers for whom battery life is important.

The fourth generation of the HP ProBook 430 received an almost completely metal case (only the bottom is plastic), whereas the third generation had only the underside area made of metal. The processor has also "matured": from Skylake to Kaby Lake. A powerful Pentium 4415U is used, which has the same four threads as the Core i3, but simplified Intel HD 510 graphics (12 executive modules instead of 24 for the HD 520).

The standard 8 GB of RAM, theoretically, should be enough for any tasks. But if you decide to edit photos and videos "seriously", you can expand it to 16 GB. But what is absolutely enough is disk storage. Engineers did not skimp on two drives at once: SSD M.2 for 256 GB and 1 TB SATA HDD. It turned out very quickly and very roomy.

The highlight of the ProBook 430 G4 was a juicy IPS screen with a FullHD resolution, which at a diagonal of 13.3" gives a picture density of 165 PPI, which is a very high indicator by the standards of laptops. As a result, we get an perfect 1.5-kilogram hiking laptop for studying and working with a battery for 7-8 hours and additional protective systems in the form of a fingerprint scanner and a TPM module.