The best transformable laptops under 40,000 hryvnia

Most convertible laptops are premium. Or at least above average. However, many manufacturers have been trying to occupy the entry-level niche in recent years, releasing inexpensive, but at the same time well-equipped convertibles. One such example is the 2024 Dell Inspiron 14, equipped with a 14-inch rotating touchscreen, a fast PCI-E 4.0 SSD, and a very interesting 6-core Ryzen 5 8640HS processor from the Hawk Point (Zen 4) line.

The processor is not only very powerful, but also relatively cool and energy efficient. It also boasts a fairly powerful integrated Radeon 760M graphics card, which is only slightly inferior in power to the discrete GeForce GTX 1650 GPU. This breakthrough on the part of AMD allowed the company to advertise the new chips as entry-level gaming models that can not only run solitaire and klondike, but also quite comfortably play last-generation hits, including GTA 5, The Witcher 3 and Red Dead Redemption 2. Well, using minimal graphics settings and the FSR upscaler, you can quite easily aim for a more or less stable 30 FPS in Alan Wake 2 and Cyberpunk 2077.

Otherwise, the laptop is well equipped for its price: the webcam has a Full HD resolution, a fingerprint scanner is responsible for security, there is a card reader and 4 USB ports (two USB C), Power Delivery is supported, the battery life can reach 16 hours, and the body is made of aluminum. Naturally, there were some savings. For example, the Full HD screen is based on a not very modern, bright and colorful VA matrix. The brightness reserve is only 250 nits, you can’t really work in the sun. Well, there is only 8 GB of RAM: it is enough for a browser, mail, documents and similar tasks (and for old games), but in recent years we have become accustomed to 16 GB even in relatively inexpensive models.

The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is an affordable entry-level convertible laptop aimed at users who are looking for a convenient laptop-tablet hybrid with the ability to use a stylus, but do not want to overpay for more advanced models like the Lenovo Yoga, Asus Zenbook, and HP Envy with powerful hardware, an ultra-thin body, and a Pantone-class display.

The Aspire 3 Spin 14 is equipped with an 8-core Core i3 N305 processor (Alder Lake-N family), which works with the support of 8 GB of LPDDR5-5200 RAM. The built-in storage is represented by a moderately fast PCI-E 3.0 2x SSD. Specifically, in this modification, the memory capacity is 512 GB, and more affordable variations with 256 GB are also available. This performance is more than enough for studying, working with documents, browsing, watching movies and other not very demanding tasks.

The 14-inch touchscreen is based on the simplest IPS matrix with a resolution of 1080p, a 60-Hz refresh rate and limited color rendering (45% NTSC). Additional equipment of the transformer includes Wi-Fi 6, a fairly simple webcam with a resolution of 720p, support for Power Delivery and 3 USB ports, including one USB C with support for Alternate Mode for connecting external monitors. In general, this is a classic set for an inexpensive "workhorse" by the standards of 2024, there is nothing to add or subtract.

HP Envy x360 14-fa0000 is an interesting transformer with a good touch screen, advanced equipment ( Face ID, Quad HD webcam, Wi-Fi 7, Power Delivery), an elegant case (1.5 kg with a thickness of 17 mm) and a successful hardware platform, which at the same time costs only a little more than similar entry-level models.

The brain of the system is a 12-thread Ryzen 5 processor on the modern Zen 4 architecture, providing performance worthy of its class (7852 points in Geekbench tests) and even with some reservations is suitable for modern games. AMD has significantly improved the integrated graphics: this model uses a Radeon 760M GPU, which is only 10-15% slower in performance than budget gaming laptops with GeForce 1560/1650/2050-level graphics cards. In addition, the device is equipped with 16 GB of LPDDR5-6500 memory and a fast NVMe SSD with PCI-E 4.0 support. Such stuffing makes the HP Envy x360 14-fa0000 a rare convertible laptop on which you can play and work in Photoshop, Bitwig or Resolve.

The laptop is equipped with everything a modern user needs. Thanks to the energy-efficient platform, the battery provides more than 10 hours of battery life, allowing you to go the whole day without recharging. The comfortable keyboard and touchpad contribute to comfortable work. Four ports, including USB C, allow you to connect peripherals and external monitors without the need for a USB hub. The 14-inch touchscreen with a resolution of 1920x1200 and a brightness of 300 nits provides acceptable image quality, although it is inferior to the displays of more expensive models.

The Lenovo Yoga 6 13ABR8 convertible laptop demonstrates increased performance thanks to the Ryzen 7 processor and 16 GB of RAM. This is enough to work with resource-intensive programs in multitasking mode. The laptop is well suited for business, architects, designers, programmers, bloggers. On board there is all the necessary functionality for creativity, work and entertainment. The touch screen has good color rendering (100% sRGB coverage) with support for HDR and Dolby Vision. The display processes 10 simultaneous clicks and is adapted for controlling the stylus, which is included in the kit.

Lenovo Yoga 6 13ABR8 is convenient for working on the go, in a cafe, car, train. The lid can be opened without restrictions, turning into a tablet. The case is a stand for itself, ensuring stability in any position. Protection from external threats and hacker attacks is guaranteed by a face and fingerprint scanner, a protective curtain for the webcam and a TPM encryption module.

Peripherals and storage devices operate at maximum speed thanks to built-in USB-C ports. Sound based on two speakers with Dolby Atmos support is distinguished by good bass and volume, allowing you to do without external acoustics. The weak link is the operating system, which is simply absent.

In 2024, Taiwanese brand Asus scored big points with potential buyers by equipping its laptops with modern OLED screens without raising the final price. After praising the Vivobook S and Zenbook 14 models, it's time to praise the 14-inch convertible laptop Vivobook S 14 Flip.

So, the main feature of the model against the background of other mid-range transformers is the use of a high-class OLED display, which looks great in reality and stands out due to its advanced characteristics. The screen resolution is 2880x1800, the refresh rate is raised to 90 Hz, the screen covers 100% of the DCI-P3 and SRGB color spectrums, supports HDR10 and is certified according to TÜV Rheinland requirements. The brightness reserve of 500 nits allows you to freely work in the sun, and Pantone certification increases the attractiveness of the device in the eyes of designers, artists and photographers. This is one of the best displays in the category up to $ 1000.

Among other advantages of the model, it is worth highlighting a massive and convenient touchpad, a long-lasting battery with Power Delivery support, a fingerprint scanner, Wi-Fi 6E, a good webcam with a resolution of 1080p and the ability to connect external monitors both via HDMI and USB C. Traditionally for the series, the device's case has passed MIL-STD 810H certification, although the build quality is still inferior to more expensive Zenbooks. As for the hardware (Core i5 1335U + 16 GB RAM + 512 GB NVMe SSD), it looks quite modern and allows you to work with moderately complex projects in Photoshop, Ableton and Resolve. Although, the new Ryzen Hawkpoint would be preferable in terms of integrated Radeon 7XX graphics. Intel Iris Xe series GPUs have limited capabilities.