Top 10: Windows 8 notebooks under Rs 40k

Workhorses all, they offer the best value for your money on the latest Windows platform

Introduced last October, Windows 8 has been making strides among gadget lovers. This is thanks to its new interface and touch-based input. Microsoft has also increased functionality by incorporating gestures into the working of the OS. However, its ability to run quickly and provide a large amount of functionality on even lower-end machines has made it popular.

It's no longer necessary to have a high-end device to get the most out of Windows 8. So we're going to look at the top 10 budget laptops running Windows 8. There is no particular order or preference for these laptops, priced below Rs 40K.

1. Samsung NP350E5C-S01IN
Price: Rs 35,000

The Samsung NP350E5C-S01IN features an Intel Ivy Bridge Core i3-3310M clocked at 2.4 GHz with 4 GB of DDR3 RAM and a 750 GB hard disk drive. It also features a powerful AMD Radeon HD 7670M with 1 GB of RAM to satisfy your gaming needs. Weighing 2.33 kg, the device can list for six hours on its battery.

It features a 15.6-inch monitor with 1366x768 resolution. The display is anti-reflective, and the keyboard has well-spaced keys along with a responsive touchpad. Windows 8 boot time is around 30 seconds, and it comes with a Starter version of Microsoft Office.

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2. HP Pavilion G6-2202AX
Price: Rs 27,507

HP uses an AMD CPU on the Pavilion G6-2202AX instead of an Intel. The dual core AMD A4 4300M is clocked at 2.5 GHz with 4 GB DDR3 RAM and a 500 GB hard disk. It also features dual graphics cards with an integrated 512 MB AMD Radeon HD 7420G and a dedicated 1 GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 7670M.

This allows it to conserve power by using the integrated GPU for less taxing processes. It also features a 15.6-inch, 1366x768 resolution HD Brightview LED Backlit display. The battery life is rated at roughly 3-4 hours and it weighs 2.47 kg.

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3. Lenovo IdeaPad S405
Price: Rs 35,310

With a sleek silver lid, the Lenovo IdeaPad S405 features a powerful AMD A8 4555M quad core clocked at 1.6 GHz with 4 GB DDR3 RAM and a 500 GB hard disk. It has a 14-inch, LED display and 1 GB of graphics memory with the AMD Radeon 7600 HD.

It's relatively lighter than other notebooks in this list at 1.8 kg and lasts for 3-4 hours with its battery life. As with many of the other notebooks, it comes with a 64-bit version of Windows 8. It is missing an optical drive however, which helps keep it lighter and thinner.

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4. Samsung NP355V5C-S05IN
Price: Rs 33,490

The Samsung NP355V5C-S05IN features an AMD A8 4500M quad core CPU clocked at 1.9 GHz with 6 GB DDR3 RAM and a 1 TB hard disk drive.

Like the Pavilion G6-2202AX, it features dual graphics cards with a dedicated 1 GB AMD Radeon HD 7670M and integrated 512 MB AMD Radeon HD 7640G. Battery life is rated at 6 hours, and the device weighs 2.33 kg overall.

It also features a 15.6-inch Anti-Reflective Display with a 1366x768 resolution. The keyboard uses chiclet keys and the touchpad is quite responsive.

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5. HP Pavilion G6-2301AX
Price: Rs 34,659

This is a higher model compared to the Pavilion G6-2202AX. It features an AMD A8 4500M quad core clocked at 1.9 GHz with 4 GB DDR3 RAM and a 500 GB hard disk drive.

The 15.6-inch display has a 1366x768 resolution with HD Brightview Widescreen LED Backlit technology. The keyboard uses an island arrangement to go with the chiclet keys and the touchpad has full support for Windows 8 gestures.

The GPU memory is a combined 2.5 GB DDR3 of RAM, with the integrated AMD Radeon HD 7640G having 512 MB and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 7670M having a dedicated 2 GB of RAM. The device weighs 2.47 kg.

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6. Asus F202E-CT148H VivoBook
Price: Rs 39,999

Asus's VivoBook weighs only 1.4 kg and is one of the few devices to have a touchscreen. It also features an Intel Ivy Bridge Core i3-3217U clocked at 1 GHz with 4 GB DDR3 RAM and a 500 GB hard disk drive. The 11.6 display has HD LED backlit technology and a 1366x768 resolution.

The GPU is an integrated Intel HD 4000. The touchscreen allows one to use Windows 8 the correct way, as it responds best to touchscreen input. It also has support for gestures via the touchpad however and the device is slim at 0.85-inches.

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7. Samsung NP300E5C-A08IN
Price: Rs 39,419

This is the only Windows 8 notebook in this list to feature an Intel Ivy Bridge Core i5-3210 clocked at 2.5 GHz with 4 GB DDR3 RAM and a 750 GB hard disk. It has a 15.6-inch display with 1366x768 resolution and weighs 2.28 kg.

Battery life is rated at 6 hours. There is an integrated Intel HD 4000 GPU present. The keyboard relies on chiclet keys and is responsive overall along with the touchpad.

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8. Acer Aspire E1-571
Price: Rs 33,044

For those who don't want a touchscreen with their Acer laptop, there's the Aspire E1-571. It features an Intel Ivy Bridge Core i3-3110M clocked at 2.4 GHz with 4 GB DDR3 RAM and a 500 GB hard disk drive.

The 15.6-inch display has an HD LED Backlit Active Matrix with a 1366x768 resolution. The GPU is an integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000. Overall, it weighs 2.45 kg and lasts for about 3 hours.

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9. Acer Aspire V5-431P
Price: Rs 33,427

The Acer Aspire V5-431P features a Celeron 1007U dual core CPU clocked at 1.5 GHz with 2 GB DDR3 RAM (along with a free memory slot) and 500 GB hard disk. The 14-inch display features LED Backlit technology and has a touchscreen with 10-finger touch.

This allows for multiple user inputs. It has a battery life for up to 5 hours and weighs 2.1 kg. Graphics are provided by an integrated Intel HD GPU.

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10. HP Pavilion G6-2312AX
Price: Rs 38,351

The highest of the Pavilion G6 models, the 2312AX features an AMD A10 4600M quad core clocked at 2.3 GHz with 4 GB DDR3 RAM and a 1 TB hard disk drive. The 15.6-inch HD LED display features a 1366x768 resolution.

The graphics solution is provided by a dual Radeon GPU with an integrated 512 MB AMD Radeon HD 7660G and a dedicated 2 GB ATI Mobility Radeon 7670M HD. Battery life is rated at up to 3 hours, and the device weighs 2.47 kg overall.

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