Samsung R440

Samsung R440 review

After putting out a steady stream of excellent and affordable laptops last year, Samsung deservedly won our prestigious Best Laptop Manufacturer award. The R440-JA01UK offers good value for money, with strong performance and an excellent screen. As with the Asus P52F-SO006X and Dell Vostro V130, one of Intel's Core i3 350M processors provides the power, allowing for strong performance on a budget. Core i5 laptops offer better performance, but this laptop has more than enough grunt to run several applications at once. An integrated Intel GMA HD GPU has been used to process graphics, and the Samsung scored a fairly high result in our benchmark tests, just behind the Hi-Grade Notino D8000i. HD video plays smoothly, but editing your media is still a slow and jerky affair, and best avoided. BenchmarksBattery life: 211 minutesMobileMark 2007: 2213DMark 2003: 3491Colourful chassis The plastic chassis has been brightened with a purple textured design that covers the lid and palm rests, which some will love and others will hate. Regardless, it's a sturdy build with only a little flex around the DVD drive, and at 2.2kg won't weigh you down when you hit the road.