Group test: what's the best laptop for under £1,000?

5. HP Envy 6-1006ea Sleekbook

• Reviewed on: 13 November 12
• RRP: £599 inc VAT
• Rating:

The HP Envy 6-1006ea Sleekbook scores the same as its Ultrabook counterpart. It's £100 cheaper but this comes with a sacrifice in raw performance. This laptop will suffice for basic tasks like web browsing but not much more.

4. Lenovo IdeaPad Z580

• Reviewed on: 23 July 12
• RRP: £799 inc VAT
• Rating:

The Lenovo Z580 is a stylish and reasonably well-built laptop. If you don’t want to play games or other graphically demanding duties there's less reason to spend £200 over the comparable Dell Inspiron 15R, although you do get stronger construction and Blu-ray playback.

3. Asus VivoBook S400E

• Reviewed on: 30 November 12
• RRP: TBC
• Rating:

This model is very much about the Windows 8 experience. It looks good, the touchscreen works superbly, and the laptop is itself light and nimble. As an overall system, the Asus is a model you'll want to come back to.

2. Toshiba Satellite P855-32J

• Reviewed on: 1 February 13
• RRP: £1011 inc VAT
• Rating:

How you rate this laptop will depend how much you prize its 3D screen. You’re paying a premium of several hundred pounds for this privilege, so you’ll have to really want it. Take away the 3D, and the rest of the laptop is mid-range rather than high-end. Performance is adequate but won’t set the pulse racing. If you can do without the 3D and the Blu-ray, for instance, a Satellite P855-32G offers many of the same features for 300 fewer pounds.

1. Dell Inspiron 15R 7520

• Reviewed on: 16 October 12
• RRP: £699 inc. VAT
• Rating:

The Dell Inspiron 15R 7520 might fly under your radar amidst all the superskinny Ultrabooks that are zipping around, but it's worth a look if style and weight aren't major concerns for you. It offers an excellent screen (most Ultrabooks don't), sturdy components, and great general performance, and it will play games fairly well, even though it isn't built to be a gaming laptop. In the end, the Inspiron 15R 7520 looks like a great choice for college students, especially with its gimmicky switchable lids.