A lab-driven laptop and gadget reviewer that publishes its own measurements and method; it earns affiliate commissions and ad revenue, but rankings come from in-house testing, not paid placement.
What it's really for A device-testing site measuring display, battery, and thermals; ad and affiliate funded.
What our grade covers The grade on this page is about its lab-tested laptop and phone reviews, not everything the site does.
High Scoring Confidence Checked against primary sources. We are confident in the facts and the grade here.
Advertisers and retailers fund it most through display ads and affiliate commissions, and by its own disclosure those affiliate links earn it a cut of sales but are not stated to buy ranking or placement in reviews.
Source →- Operating since
- 2005 (21 years) · source
- What it costs you
- Free to read The reviews are free to read.
- How they make money
- It makes money through display advertising and affiliate commissions when readers buy through its links, plus some sponsored content.
- What they do
- It runs hands-on, in-house lab tests (display, battery, thermals, noise, performance benchmarks) on laptops, phones and tablets and publishes scored, comparable reviews.
- What to watch for
- It earns affiliate commissions on the products it reviews, so by its own disclosure there is a commercial incentive tied to reader purchases, even though scores come from its own lab measurements.
- Composite score
- 4.60 / 5.00 → grade A+
How the grade was reached
Does the site take money from the very entities it ranks? Pay-for-placement, vendor-funded data, and affiliate commissions all pull this down. The less the ranking can be bought, the higher the score.
What is the ranking actually built on? Hands-on testing scores highest, then verified first-hand reviews, then opinion or popularity surveys and self-reported figures, then pay-to-rank, which scores lowest.
Is the methodology published, specific, and reproducible? Can a reader see how a given rank was reached, or is it a black box?
Are commercial relationships, sponsorships, and affiliate arrangements disclosed clearly and near the rankings themselves, rather than buried?
How hard is it to game? Controls against fake reviews, solicited reviews, and vendor gaming raise this; an open box anyone can stuff lowers it.
Evidence
- Notebookcheck was founded in 2005 by three Austrian founders; in 2007 the Vienna-based Notebookcheck Publishing GmbH was established to own the editorial activities. The site states its goal is 'Serious, journalistic, substantiated and - above all - independent reporting,' and discloses 'If you buy something via one of our affiliate links, Notebookcheck may earn a commission.' Source: Notebookcheck official About page →
- Notebookcheck performs first-hand in-house lab testing covering display measurements (including PWM flicker), battery runtime, thermals/heat, noise, and performance benchmarks, and publishes a 'How does Notebookcheck test laptops and smartphones?' methodology article plus documented rating criteria explaining how scores are calculated. Source: Notebookcheck Benchmarks/Tech hub →
- A third-party assessment by Gadget Review notes Notebookcheck generates income 'through affiliate partnerships and sponsored content, alongside advertising,' rating it a medium-trust reviewer with solid hands-on results in several categories and room to improve transparency in others. Source: Gadget Review publication assessment →