Even if your budget for a new notebook only stretches to £700, you can do quite well for yourself. And perhaps surprisingly, you have real choice too. Affordable media centre laptops rub shoulders with cut-price corporate machines these days, with some real bargains to be had if you know what to look for.

These are the 10 budget laptops that have impressed us most in the past six months. And never mind £700, some come in at well under £400. Given the relatively small outlay, we've ignored the fact that many don't come with Windows Vista - at these prices you can happily upgrade in a year to 18 months.

Click on the product name to read the original review. Also, note that the prices shown are correct at the time of review - you may be able to find better deals now.

1 Samsung R20 , £551

A pleasing all-rounder from Samsung that has a surprising specification given the price. It's compact and light, and despite only having integrated graphics, is a good multimedia performer. With such generous storage and processing power, Samsung has come up trumps in the value stakes. Core spec: Intel Core 2 Duo; 1GB; 160GB; 14.1-inch; Vista Home Premium, 2.3kg

2 HP 510 , £370

This is the cheapest of our 10, and as such can be forgiven a fairly basic specification. Its design and build suggest a higher price, as do performance and portability. In short, HP has delivered a solid budget laptop at a fantastically low price. Core spec: Intel Pentium M; 512MB; 60GB; 15.4-inch; XP Home; 2.6kg

3 HP Compaq nx7300 , £645

Business notebooks tend to place the emphasis on practical features such as build quality and battery life, and here the HP isn't found wanting. It also has plenty of processing power and delivers decent performance for its price class. Core spec: Intel Core 2 Duo; 512MB; 80GB; 15.4-inch; Vista Business; 2.7kg

4 Toshiba Satellite Pro A120 , £399

The price of the A120 will depend on which components you go for, but in this guise it's great value. Like all notebooks in this price bracket, you'll have to accept some compromises, but fundamentally it's all about features v cost, and here it excels. Core spec: Intel Celeron M; 512MB; 40GB; 15.4-inch; XP Home; 2.9kg

5 Lenovo 3000 C200 , £379

Features like a dual-layer DVD writer and 5-in-1 card reader are unusual at this price, as is the Lenovo's surprising build quality. Elsewhere the spec is unsurprisingly basic, but you'll do hard to find more for your money at this price. Core spec: Intel Celeron M; 512MB; 40GB; 15-inch; XP Home; 2.7kg

6 Advent 7111 , £499

PC World's in-house brand is all about value for money, and you get it in abundance here. Build quality could be better, but let's face it - at this price point this isn't your main concern. Superb battery life and good all-round performance make this one of the very best laptops you'll find south of £500. Core spec: Intel Core Duo T2050; 1GB; 80GB; 15.4-inch; XP MCE; 2.8kg

7 Asus A6RP , £499

The Asus balances value and performance superbly. It's bulky but well built and though it doesn't look too much on paper, it performs well and provides decent features for the price. Intel Celeron M; 512MB; 80GB; 15.4-inch; XP Home; 2.9kg

8 FSC Amilo Pro V2085 , £430

It's heavy for a business notebook, but offsets this with great battery life. You don't often see Windows XP Professional at this price, and performance is similarly impressive. It all adds up to an efficient and affordable solution for the mobile professional. Core spec: Intel Pentium M; 512MB; 60GB; 15.4-inch; XP Pro; 2.9kg

9 Packard Bell EasyNote S4947 , £499

Entertainment computers don't normally come cheap, but Packard Bell has put together a stylish entry-level Media Center system here for under £500. Scores highly for mobility, performance and software extras. Core spec: Intel Pentium M; 1GB; 120GB; 15-inch; XP MCE; 2.9kg

10 Zepto Znote 2425 , £699

You may not know too much about Zepto, but the Scandinavian PC maker certainly makes a strong argument here. Mid-range graphics, distinctive styling and a good range of features combine to make the Znote a strong contender in the budget laptop stakes. Core spec: Intel Core 2 Duo; 1GB; 60GB; 15.4-inch; XP Pro; 3.3kg.