Hi-Grade Notino D8000
Hi-Grade is a UK manufacturer, making good value machines in a range of specifications. The Notino D8000 uses a generic chassis and we've seen it featured on various Hi-Grade models over the past two years.
The chassis features a 16:10 screen, despite 16:9 screens becoming more popular. Measuring 15.4-inches, it's not a giant, but there's plenty of space onscreen for multiple windows.
Colour reproduction is aided by a Super-TFT screen coating, but the glossy finish also results in reflections and highlighted fingerprints when used in the sunshine.
Graphics are handled by Nvidia's latest GeForce G105M graphics card, which provides power to play games and carry out multimedia tasks. It's not as powerful as some others, though, and detail settings have to be turned down in order to to play more demanding titles.
Although the keyboard isn't as high quality as those from the likes of Dell, it's still responsive and comfortable, with large keys that are easy to use. The touchpad is excellent, and a fingerprint scanner sits between the mouse buttons, making it easy to log into your account without using a password.
The plastics used are all of a reasonable standard, and the thick screen offers ample protection. We found the chassis heated up considerably during use, however, with the palm rests getting unpleasantly warm. The simple black and beige design is also showing its age.
Large battery
Portability is spoiled slightly by the big battery, which protrudes from the base of the chassis. It raises the rear of the chassis in use, however, tilting the keyboard towards the user and creating a more ergonomic work environment. The 226-minute battery life is adequate, but falls behind some other laptops at this price point.
LUMP IT: Here you can see the Hi-Grade's battery poking out of the back of the chassis
Despite the use of a high-end 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 3072MB of memory, performance isn't as impressive as we were expecting, and the Hi-Grade was out-performed by rivals in testing.
There are plenty of features, such as the tri-format DVD rewriter for backing up files, although it lacks the ability to play back Blu-ray discs – as with some of its rivals.
802.11n Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet are welcome inclusions, offering the fastest possible connections to wireless and fixed networks. There are also three USB ports and an ExpressCard slot, along with a 3-in-1 memory card reader.
The Notino D8000 isn't a bad laptop, but it lacks any stand-out features to recommend it outright. Performance is reasonable and it's a well-made machine, but more is expected at this price.
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