Medion Akoya P7615 review

Medion is frequently associated with budget computers, but its range also includes more powerful machines. The Akoya P7615 is a 17in desktop replacement laptop with a powerful processor and dedicated graphics.

Like many laptops currently, it has an Intel Core i5-430M processor running at 2.26GHz, which will power through everyday tasks with no problems. Although its dual-core design will limit performance in heavily multi-threaded applications such as Photoshop, Turbo Boost will increase the clock speed to compensate. The processor is paired with 4GB of memory, but the 32-bit version of Windows is installed by default, which can’t access all 4GB. A 64-bit version can be installed from the bundled recovery disk, but we would prefer to see this installed as standard. Still, the overall score of 88 in our multimedia benchmarks is about average for a Core i5 processor.

An Nvidia GeForce 330M graphics card provides more than enough power to play 720p video. Full HD content will also play on an external display via HDMI or DisplayPort. Most games should be playable too, as a score of 28fps in our Call of Duty test shows.

Connectivity is impressive with four USB ports (one of which doubles as an eSATA port), a multi-format card reader and an Express Card/54 slot. Audio buffs can connect surround-sound speakers to the three minijack sockets, or via S/PDIF or HDMI. Battery life isn’t crucial for desktop replacement laptops, but the Akoya still managed almost five hours away from the mains.

The keyboard is a reasonable size, although the number pad feels squeezed in. Most of the keys are full size, but they are closely grouped which led to the occasional typo. There’s a small amount of flex in the keyboard tray and there’s a lot of unused space around it that could have been used to make it larger.

The touchpad was responsive during normal use, but the multi-touch gestures were frustrating. It’s too easy to accidentally activate them, even with one finger. The buttons are another source of frustration as they’re oddly small and there’s a large gap between them.

The large 17.3in display is a good size for a desktop replacement laptop. The 1,600×900 screen resolution is large enough to comfortably display two documents side-by-side, even if it can’t show Full HD video pixel for pixel. Image quality was reasonable, with accurate colour reproduction and decent contrast. Viewing angles are quite limited, but there’s plenty of tilt. In addition to the usually stereo speakers, there’s a small ‘subwoofer’ next to the battery compartment. Sound quality was better than average but volume was low, even at the highest setting.

The Akoya has decent performance and impressive battery life for such a large laptop, but the keyboard and annoying touchpad hamper usability. Although connectivity is very good, the similarly priced Dell XPS 17 looks classier and is a pleasure to use.