Samsung Q430-11

Reviewers say that the Samsung Q430-11 laptop is a tremendous value. This pre-configured retail laptop, sold exclusively at Best Buy, comes with impressive components for the price, including a 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5 450 processor, a 500 GB hard drive, 4 GB of RAM and discrete Nvidia GeForce 310M graphics. The aluminum design gets high marks for style, and a number of reviewers say that the Samsung Q430-11 doesn't look like a budget notebook. Performance is very good for most tasks, and the 14-inch LCD display provides good video quality. An integrated CD/DVD burner also comes standard. While the Samsung Q430-11 has good performance for most tasks, it can't handle serious gaming or other intensive graphics tasks. Some reviewers think the touchpad is too small, and the laptop lacks Bluetooth as well as an eSATA port. If you want a laptop for light gaming or watching movies, reviewers rave about the performance of the Lenovo IdeaPad Y460 (Discontinued) multimedia laptop.

CNET provides the best professional review of the Samsung Q430-11. Editors conduct a thorough test of the laptop and rate it on a 5-point scale. Benchmark results are published, and comparisons are made to other laptops when appropriate. The Samsung Q430-11 is also included in ConsumerReports.org's latest laptop test, but there is no analysis to accompany the ratings. A number of user reviews are available at BestBuy.com.