Guide

How to find the right notebook

Martin Jud
16.11.2018
Translation: Eva Francis

The choice of notebooks is so large that it's easy to lose track or end up picking one that turns out to be far too powerful – or not powerful enough – for your needs. You don't want that to happen. Here's a quick guide on finding the notebook that's right for you.

We offer an extensive range of notebooks. The filters on our shop surely come in handy, but they’re only helpful if you know exactly which features and specifications you’re looking for. Plus, after filtering for your specific needs regarding memory and graphics performance, you’ll still be left with several devices to choose from. And that’s where our experts come into it.

If anyone knows which notebooks are currently good value for money in terms of application range, it's our Category Management team. To find your ideal notebook, all you need to know is what you'll be using it for. For every area of use, I’ve listed three recommendations: an entry-level, a mid-range and a high-end device.

2-in-1

You're looking for a notebook that doubles as a tablet? If so, you're going to want a 2-in-1 device. Just be aware is that these devices aren't big on performance. In other words, when it comes to gaming, these notebooks are only able to handle games such as «Solitaire» or «Farm Ville». The good news is, they're all about being flexible and allow you to work with the keyboard and touchpad or by using the touch display.

Entry-level recommendation

ASUS VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-EC119T (14", Intel Core i3-8130U, 4 GB, 128 GB)
Notebooks

ASUS VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-EC119T

14", Intel Core i3-8130U, 4 GB, 128 GB

Mid-range recommendation

Microsoft Surface Pro for business (12.30", Intel Core i5-7300U, 8 GB, 256 GB)
Notebooks

Microsoft Surface Pro for business

12.30", Intel Core i5-7300U, 8 GB, 256 GB

High-end recommendation

Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB (13.90", Intel Core i7-8550U, 16 GB, 512 GB, CH)
Notebooks

Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB

13.90", Intel Core i7-8550U, 16 GB, 512 GB, CH

Budget

It's all 'bout the money. If you're planning to use your notebook just to surf the web and use Office applications, you don’t need to look any further than these budget notebooks. Our most expensive recommendation below features Full HD display that lets you watch movies in Blu-ray resolution. However, don't expect too much in terms of workmanship and design.

Entry-level recommendation

HP 250 G6 (15.60", Intel Pentium N4200, 4 GB, 128 GB, CH)
Notebooks

HP 250 G6

15.60", Intel Pentium N4200, 4 GB, 128 GB, CH

Mid-range recommendation

ASUS E406MA (14", Intel Pentium N5000, 4 GB)
Notebooks

ASUS E406MA

14", Intel Pentium N5000, 4 GB

High-end recommendation

Acer TravelMate P2510 (15.60", Intel Core i5-8250U, 8 GB, 256 GB, CH)
Notebooks

Acer TravelMate P2510

15.60", Intel Core i5-8250U, 8 GB, 256 GB, CH

Work / business

These models are perfect for office work and productivity. They can be connected to a docking station if required, which makes it easy to work on several monitors. In terms of keyboard layout, all except the Dell XPS include a numeric keypad. There are also plenty of ports for external peripherals. You need to do work on Photoshop from time to time? No problem with these notebooks.

Entry-level recommendation

Lenovo ThinkPad E580 (15.60", Intel Core i5-8250U, 8 GB, 256 GB, CH)
Notebooks

Lenovo ThinkPad E580

15.60", Intel Core i5-8250U, 8 GB, 256 GB, CH

Mid-range recommendation

HP ProBook 470 G5 (17.30", Intel Core i7-8550U, 16 GB, 512 GB, CH)
Notebooks

HP ProBook 470 G5

17.30", Intel Core i7-8550U, 16 GB, 512 GB, CH

High-end recommendation

Dell Xps 15 (15.60", Intel Core i7-8750H, 16 GB, 512 GB, CH)
Notebooks

Dell Xps 15

15.60", Intel Core i7-8750H, 16 GB, 512 GB, CH

Mobility

If you travel a lot, you need a compact notebook. Anything under 14" should be fine. On top of this, you'll need a long-lasting battery. A notebook designed for mobility gives you a mobile office.

Entry-level recommendation

Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB (14", Intel Core i3-8130U, 4 GB, 128 GB, CH)
Notebooks

Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB

14", Intel Core i3-8130U, 4 GB, 128 GB, CH

Mid-range recommendation

ASUS ZenBook S UX391UA-EG007T (13.30", Intel Core i7-8550U, 16 GB, 512 GB, CH)
Notebooks

ASUS ZenBook S UX391UA-EG007T

13.30", Intel Core i7-8550U, 16 GB, 512 GB, CH

High-end recommendation

Huawei Matebook X Pro (13.90", Intel Core i7-8550U, 16 GB, 512 GB, CH)
Notebooks

Huawei Matebook X Pro

13.90", Intel Core i7-8550U, 16 GB, 512 GB, CH

Creative work

These notebooks are equipped with at least 16 GB RAM, a strong processor and sufficient graphics performance for photo and video editing. The IPS display ensures natural colours. With the exception of the MacBook Pro, the memory of these devices can be expanded with an SD card. If you want to edit 4K videos, you'll need to buy an external monitor with the devices I've recommended below. With 3240 x 2160 pixels, the Surface Book 2 offers the highest resolution from the three notebooks.

Entry-level recommendation

HP ZBook 15v G5 (15.60", Intel Core i7-8750H, 16 GB, 256 GB, CH)
Notebooks

HP ZBook 15v G5

15.60", Intel Core i7-8750H, 16 GB, 256 GB, CH

Mid-range recommendation

Microsoft Surface Book 2 (15", Intel Core i7-8650U, 16 GB, 512 GB)
Notebooks

Microsoft Surface Book 2

15", Intel Core i7-8650U, 16 GB, 512 GB

High-end recommendation

Apple MacBook Pro 15 – 2018 (15.40", Intel Core i7-8750H, 32 GB, 1000 GB, CH)
Notebooks
−13%
Returned & Tested
CHF3090.60 currently CHF3569.– new

Apple MacBook Pro 15 – 2018

15.40", Intel Core i7-8750H, 32 GB, 1000 GB, CH

Gaming

If your main activity is gaming, you've come to the right place. These notebooks are equipped with a gaming keyboard, enough CPU power and a dedicated graphics card. The recommended models feature a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti, GTX 1060 and GTX 1070 respectively. If you go for the entry-level model, I advise you to buy an upgrade of 8 GB RAM with it. Gaming with less than 16 RAM isn't much fun.

Entry-level recommendation

Medion Erazer X6603 (15.60", Intel Core i5-7300HQ, 8 GB, 128 GB, CH)
Notebooks

Medion Erazer X6603

15.60", Intel Core i5-7300HQ, 8 GB, 128 GB, CH

Mid-range recommendation

Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-51-72UX (15.60", Intel Core i7-8750H, 16 GB, 256 GB, CH)
Notebooks

Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-51-72UX

15.60", Intel Core i7-8750H, 16 GB, 256 GB, CH

High-end recommendation

ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GM501GS-EI004T (15.60", Intel Core i7-8750H, 16 GB, 512 GB, CH)
Notebooks

ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GM501GS-EI004T

15.60", Intel Core i7-8750H, 16 GB, 512 GB, CH

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I find my muse in everything. When I don’t, I draw inspiration from daydreaming. After all, if you dream, you don’t sleep through life.


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