Top 12 laptops for less than £599

Samsung R510

A good laptop with a strong specification, but it struggles to stand out

We've been frequently impressed by Samsung's range of low-end laptops, and the Samsung R510 (£549 inc. VAT) offers a familiar blend of usability, value for money and impressive mobility.

Colour reproduction on the 15.4-inch screen is good, aided by a glossy Super- TFT coating. Images are clear and sharp, although reflections can be intrusive in bright conditions or under direct lighting.

Basic office performance is provided by the integrated Intel graphics card, with enough 3D power to watch films or carry out light multimedia use. This machine isn't capable of playing games, however, and we'd also suggest opting for a laptop with a dedicated GPU if you intend to carry out intensive video editing work.

The keyboard is comfortable and offers good usability. While not the most robust in this group, there's very little flex under pressure, and the large keys move responsively and with a decent amount of travel. Unlike some of the other machines here, there are no shortcut buttons, and no media hotkeys.

Read more: Samsung R510 review

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James Rivington

James was part of the TechRadar editorial team for eight years up until 2015 and now works in a senior position for TR's parent company Future. An experienced Content Director with a demonstrated history of working in the media production industry. Skilled in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), E-commerce Optimization, Journalism, Digital Marketing, and Social Media. James can do it all.