Core i5 and i7 laptops under Tk. 80k: our recommendations

If you are a blue team (Intel) fan and want a higher-mid-range laptop, you are probably looking for the ones with the latest generation i5 and i7 processors. These laptops are capable of taking on moderate amounts of 3D as well as media production workloads. Hence, Engineering students and content creators on a medium budget should look at our picks for the best i5 and i7 laptops under Tk. 80,000. Keep in mind that price and availability can vary across stores.

Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-596B 

Price: Tk. 62,000/-

Processor: Intel Core i5-1135G7 (8M Cache, 2.40 GHz up to 4.20 GHz)

RAM: 8 GB DDR4

Storage: 256 GB SSD+1 TB HDD

Display: 15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080)

We start with a superb deal, a featureful and budget-friendly Extensa 15. It has a surprising amount of goodies compared to its competitors at this price - for example, a 256 GB SSD and 8 GBs of RAM. The SSD can be used as a host for the OS and the applications you would install, which will help them load very fast. On top of that, you get a conventional 1 TB HDD to use as a reliable storage device. The speed of the SSD, paired with the i5's high clock speed, will ensure a fluid experience in daily use. You can even do moderate amounts of graphics-heavy tasks with the i5 as the Intel Iris Xe graphics have become better day by day. It is a moderately priced, complete package you can pick up and start working with right away.

Realme Book Core i5

Price: Tk. 74,000/-

Processor: Intel Core i5-1135G7 (8M Cache, 2.40 GHz up to 4.20 GHz)

RAM: 8 GB DDR4

Storage: 512 GB SSD

Display: 14" 2K (2160 × 1440)

The Realme Book Core has three aces up its sleeve: a beautiful 2K IPS display, a lightweight and slim aluminium body and 8 GBs of noticeably high-speed RAM. Although the display is a bit low at 14 inches, it makes up in clarity and quality. If you watch a lot of Netflix, now you can binge away in bliss. The sharper display will also be a huge plus for content creators. Moreover, the Realme Book Core has superb build quality with an all-aluminium body, a very thin structure and a minimal border around the display. It even has a backlit keyboard. A tradeoff is that you will have to deal with a lack of USB ports as it has only one in addition to a USB-C port. The RAM has a surprisingly high bus speed of 4266 MHz, which will communicate with the i5 much faster than the others on this list. It also has a HARMAN sound system with noise cancellation and a fingerprint sensor on the power button. Overall, it is an attractive laptop for designers, video editors and media consumers.

HP 15s-fq5489TU

Price: Tk. 77,000/-

Processor: Intel Core i5-1235U (12M Cache, 1.30 GHz, up to 4.40 GHz)

RAM: 8GB (4+4)

Storage: 512 GB SSD

Display: 15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080)

If you are looking for nothing but the latest processor, the HP 15 has you covered. The new 12th-gen i5 processor is better in performance, power efficiency and offers more value for money than the previous gen. It has performed 26.45% higher in single-core and 39.42% higher in multi-core tests run by PassMark. The 10-core processor, compared to the last gen's 4-core one, is significantly more powerful and makes a video editor, graphics designer or a 3D artist's day a lot easier. Other than the processor, there are only good things to talk about in the notebook such as the NVMe SSD, the narrow-bezel display and the abundance of ports.

Walton Tamarind MX711G

Price: Tk. 76,000/-

Processor: Intel Core I7-1165G7 (1.2GHz - 2.8GHz, Up To 4.7GHz)

RAM: 8GB DDR4

Storage: 512 GB SSD

Display: 14.0" FHD (1920x1080) IPS

For an i7 laptop, we offer you a native candidate which meets all the standard expectations at a reasonable price and gives you a multi-language keyboard with Bangla font. Although we cannot find a 12th gen i7 under Tk. 80,000, the 11th gen i7 is a reliable and robust performer in both CPU and GPU segments. Accompanied by the Iris Xe graphics and an NVMe SSD, daily tasks would be a doddle for this machine. The RAM is upgradable to 32 GBs. It comes with genuine Windows 11 installed and features an LED-illuminated keyboard.

HP 15s-du3039TX 

Price: Tk. 78,000/-

Processor: Intel Core i5-1135G7 (8M Cache, 2.40 GHz up to 4.20 GHz)

GPU: Nvidia GeForce MX450 2 GB DDR5

RAM: 8GB DDR4

Storage: 1 TB SSD

Display: 15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080)

We had to scratch our heads for 15 minutes straight to decide on our final candidate, and we are happy to say that the HP 15 deserves this place. The lack of an SSD at this price is a letdown, no question, but it makes up for it with a dedicated, high-performing GPU. The MX450 performs well in gaming with medium to high settings. You should not expect a constant 60 FPS from current titles, but it is a decent little powerhouse. The dedicated 2 GBs of graphics memory will help you with 3D works, video editing and graphic design. The 11th gen i5 and the dual channel 8 GB RAM are all waiting to be pushed to their limits. You might want to add an SSD to this machine to fully harness its power. Although it would push the budget beyond the Tk. 80k boundary, it will be well worth it.