Group test: Top 5 mid-price laptops of March

The best 5 laptops you can buy for £501-£1,000

We review the best 5 laptops you can buy in the UK right now, for between £501 and £1,000.

Number 5: HP Pavilion dv2-1030ea

The HP Pavilion dv2-1030ea is becoming increasingly difficult to find. By the time you read this it may not be available at all, so we've dropped it to the foot of the table. But should you be able to get hold of one, the combination of price, processor and diminutive size places it somewhere between a netbook and a fully fledged ultraportable. The processor is netbook-class, but it has such meaty features as a 12.1in display and a discrete ATI Radeon GPU. It should appeal to those on a budget.

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We review the best 5 laptops you can buy in the UK right now, for between £501 and £1,000.

Number 5: HP Pavilion dv2-1030ea

The HP Pavilion dv2-1030ea is becoming increasingly difficult to find. By the time you read this it may not be available at all, so we've dropped it to the foot of the table. But should you be able to get hold of one, the combination of price, processor and diminutive size places it somewhere between a netbook and a fully fledged ultraportable. The processor is netbook-class, but it has such meaty features as a 12.1in display and a discrete ATI Radeon GPU. It should appeal to those on a budget.

Full review of the HP Pavilion dv2-1030ea

Number 4: MSI X600-055UK

From a quick glance, you'd be forgiven for thinking the MSI X600-055UK was MSI's 15in-screen homage to the MacBook Air. But in the process of adding an extra 2in of screen space, MSI has created an altogether bulkier affair. It's actually quite a large ultraportable, and includes a full-size keyboard and numeric keypad side-by-side. The WorldBench score is good, though, and the graphics card is very decent, if marred by its loud fan noise when graphics are stretched. There's no optical drive.

Full review of the MSI X600-055UK

Number 3: Medion Akoya P8610 HD

The Medion Akoya P8610 HD ought to boast all necessary credentials for HD happiness, with its huge 18.4in screen and Blu-ray drive. But the display is limited to 1680x945, so expect a little downscaling. We weren't impressed by the keyboard or greasy-feeling trackpad, although the specs are undeniably impressive. We quite like the dual graphics cards; the more powerful version recorded 37fps in our Fear test. Even battery life is decent. This is a good price for a big-screen Blu-ray laptop.

Full review of the Medion Akoya P8610 HD

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Number 2: Apple MacBook

The updated MacBook gets a subtle facelift that echoes the all-metal Pro range. It keeps its white polycarbonate shell, albeit finished to a higher standard. The palm-rest has a gloss finish to resist dirt, and the glass multitouch trackpad is improved. Connectivity options are up to date, and the range of connectors includes Mini DisplayPort. There's no longer a FireWire port, but the quality of the 13.3in display is decent. Speed is pretty good, as is battery life.

Full review of the Apple MacBook

Number 1: Acer Aspire Timeline 5810TG-944G50Mn

While others have gone up in price, the Acer Aspire Timeline 5810TG-944G50Mn has fallen dramatically, making its combination of performance, longevity and value all the more deserving of its top placing. The battery life is stunning, while the glossy 15.6in screen is bright and colourful. A 4GB allocation of DDR3 RAM and a 500GB hard disk come as standard. The integrated graphics are slightly disappointing, but the power is impressive for such a portable laptop. Highly recommended.