February 5, 2021 update:
A newer model is available.
Find out more about the ASUS L410 or buy now from Amazon.
Today I’ll have a look at a new entry level laptop model from ASUS, called the ASUS Laptop E406MA-DH21. It’s always hard discussing low end notebooks, since they’re usually not that flexible for a wide range of users. Still, judging by today’s standards, the E406 offers surprisingly decent performance and portability.
HP’s popular ENVY series has just received a much awaited refresh earlier this month, in terms of hardware. Its design hasn’t changed a bit since the last iteration which featured 8th gen Intel processors. The brand new HP ENVY 13-aq1010nr laptop is as lightweight and practical as ever, with the added benefit of having the latest technology inside it.
The Lenovo IdeaPad S340 are a series of affordable, mid-range 15.6″ laptops. They’re designed with the end user in mind. As such, they’re like a jack of all trades, made to be as cheap as possible without them being cheaply made. A mix of solid performance and simple design language has made the S340 series a people’s favorite.
When it comes to Chromebooks, it’s usually hard justifying a price tag of more than around $400. Normally, these devices offer lower performance and a narrower experience range than their traditional laptop counterparts. ASUS has recently launched such a device. It’s called the ASUS Chromebook C425, and the model I’ll be reviewing today is the 14-inch C425TA-DH384.
Earlier this summer, Lenovo has launched a new model from the popular 2-in-1 series, the Flex 14. It’s hard to define it strictly from a value for money standpoint. On one hand, the base model is clearly an entry level device. However, the one I’ll be talking about today, the Lenovo Flex 14 81SS000DUS, has three times more RAM, a more powerful processor and more storage than its cheaper sibling.
There’s one more addition to MSI’s already impressive lineup of laptops. It’s called the MSI PS63 Modern-096, and it’s an interesting device. Not because it’s the next notebook icon. Rather, what makes it great is its wide range of usage scenarios and mobility. It will handle daily tasks, photo and video editing jobs, number crunching, coding, gaming, streaming 4K content, you name it. All that on the go, for just under $1000 (price available at the time of this review).