Toshiba Satellite S50D-A

If you want a system for general computing and light gaming and you'd rather concentrate on processing power, this machine is an ideal buy thanks to the combination of an AMD APU and discrete graphics core. If screen quality or battery life are more important, though, look elsewhere.

Building a budget laptop always involves compromise, so you'll have to figure out exactly what you want before taking the plunge with a system like the S50D. The AMD APU, when combined with the discrete graphics card, makes this the most powerful...