Blackview AceBook 12: The Best Budget Laptop Under $400?

Blackview AceBook 12, a laptop priced at just $370. This device is one of those rare finds that makes you wonder how much they packed into such an affordable package. If you’ve been scrolling through AliExpress or hunting for a laptop that won’t break the bank but still feels premium, this might just be the one you’ve been waiting for.

Now, I know what you’re thinking—how good can a $370 laptop really be? Well, that’s exactly what I wanted to find out. Spoiler alert: it’s better than you’d expect. With a 16-inch display, a sleek aluminium body, and specs like an Intel Core i5 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD, the AceBook 12 is aiming to punch way above its price tag.

Design and Build Quality

The first thing that caught your eye was the design of Blackview AceBook 12: The Best Budget Laptop Under $400. For a laptop that costs just $370, it looks and feels way more expensive than it actually is. It has a sleek, modern design that wouldn’t look out of place in a high-end coffee shop or a corporate office. The aluminium chassis gives it a premium vibe, and the silver finish is clean and understated. It’s not flashy, but it’s definitely stylish. If you’re someone who cares about how your gadgets look, this laptop won’t disappoint.

Now, let’s talk about how well it’s put together. The aluminium body feels sturdy and durable, which is a big plus for a budget laptop. When you pick it up, it doesn’t feel cheap or flimsy. The lid and keyboard deck have a nice rigidity, and there’s very little flex when you press down on them. That said, if you really push hard on certain areas, like the keyboard or the bottom panel, you might notice a slight creak or flex. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re someone who’s rough with your devices.

One of the standout features of the AceBook 12 is its portability. Despite having a 16-inch display, it’s surprisingly lightweight at 1.7kg and slim at just 19mm thick. This makes it easy to carry around. It’s not the thinnest or lightest laptop out there, but for its size, it’s pretty impressive.

The hinge on the AceBook 12 is another highlight. It’s smooth and allows the screen to open up to 180 degrees, which is a nice touch if you need to share your screen with someone or want more flexibility in how you use the laptop. The hinge feels sturdy, and the screen stays firmly in place at any angle, so you don’t have to worry about it wobbling or slipping.

The keyboard is full-sized and includes a numeric keypad, which is a nice bonus for anyone who deals with numbers regularly. The keys have a decent amount of travel and are comfortable to type on, even for long periods. Plus, it comes with backlighting, which is a rare feature in this price range. The backlight has two brightness levels, so you can adjust it depending on your environment.

The touchpad is large and responsive, supporting multi-finger gestures like pinch-to-zoom and two-finger scrolling. It’s not the most premium touchpad out there—there’s a slightly plasticky feel to it—but it gets the job done. One cool feature is the media control buttons on the touchpad, which let you play, pause, and skip tracks without using the keyboard.

When it comes to ports, the AceBook 12 doesn’t skimp. You get:

• 1x HDMI 2.0 for connecting to external monitors or TVs.
• 3x USB-A ports (two of which are USB 3.1 for faster data transfer).
• 1x USB-C port that supports charging and data transfer.
• 1x 3.5mm headphone jack.
• 1x SD card reader, which is a nice bonus for photographers or content creators.

The placement of the ports is practical, with most of them on the sides for easy access. The only downside is that the USB-C port is used for charging, so if you’re using it to connect an external device, you’ll need to unplug the charger.

So, does it feel like a $370 laptop? Not really—it feels like you’re getting way more than you paid for. And in the world of budget tech, that’s a win in my book.

Display and Visual Experience

Let’s talk about the display on the Blackview AceBook 12 because, honestly, this is one of the most impressive features of this budget laptop. For a device that costs just $370, the screen is a standout, and it’s one of the main reasons this laptop feels like such a steal. First off, the 16-inch display is a game-changer. In a world where most budget laptops stick to 14 or 15.6 inches, having a 16-inch screen feels like a luxury. It’s not just about the size, though—it’s about how that extra real estate makes everything feel more spacious and immersive.

The AceBook 12 boasts a 1920×1200 resolution, which is technically Full HD+. This means you’re getting a slightly taller screen compared to the standard 1920×1080 resolution, thanks to the 16:10 aspect ratio. That extra vertical space is a big win for productivity—you can fit more lines of text on the screen, which is great for writing, coding, or working with documents. The clarity is sharp, and the text looks crisp, so you won’t have to squint to read small fonts.

Now, let’s talk about colors. The IPS panel delivers decent color reproduction, and the viewing angles are wide, so you don’t lose much quality when looking at the screen from the side. However, out of the box, the colors lean a bit cool, with a noticeable blue tint. If you prefer warmer tones (like me), you might find this a little off-putting at first. The good news? You can easily tweak this by enabling the Night Light mode in Windows settings, which warms up the colors and makes the screen easier on the eyes, especially during long work sessions.

The display has a brightness level of 330 nits, which is solid for indoor use. It’s bright enough to handle well-lit rooms, but don’t expect it to perform well in direct sunlight. If you’re planning to use this laptop outdoors, you might struggle to see the screen clearly. But for most people who’ll be using it at home, in the office, or in a coffee shop, the brightness is more than adequate.

One of the best things about the AceBook 12’s display is the matte finish. Unlike glossy screens that reflect every light source in the room, this matte display does a great job of reducing glare.

If you spend hours staring at a screen (and, honestly, who isn’t these days?), you’ll appreciate the Low Blue Light feature. This reduces the amount of blue light emitted by the screen, which can help reduce eye strain and make it easier to work or watch content for extended periods. It’s a small but thoughtful addition showing Blackview paying attention to the little details.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The first thing you’ll notice about the keyboard is that it’s full-sized, which means it includes a numeric keypad on the right side. The keys themselves have a decent amount of travel, which means they’re not too shallow or too stiff. They strike a good balance between being responsive and comfortable, so you can type for hours without feeling like your fingers are going to fall off. The spacing between the keys is also good, so you’re less likely to hit the wrong key by accident.

One of the standout features of the keyboard is the backlighting. Yes, you read that right—this $370 laptop has a backlit keyboard! It’s not RGB or anything fancy, but it has two brightness levels, so you can adjust it depending on your environment.

In terms of typing experience, the AceBook 12’s keyboard is comfortable and reliable. It’s not the best keyboard I’ve ever used—it doesn’t have that buttery-smooth feel of a high-end mechanical keyboard—but for everyday tasks like writing emails, working on documents, or even coding, it gets the job done. The keys are quiet, so you won’t annoy anyone around you, and they have a nice tactile feedback that makes typing feel satisfying. One thing to note is that the keyboard layout is English-only by default.

Now, let’s talk about the touchpad. The first thing you’ll notice is that it’s huge. Seriously, it’s one of the largest touchpads I’ve seen on a budget laptop, and that’s a good thing. The extra space makes it easy to navigate around the screen, and it supports multi-finger gestures like two-finger scrolling, pinch-to-zoom, and three-finger swipes. These gestures work smoothly, so you can navigate your desktop or browser without feeling like you’re fighting with the touchpad.

The surface of the touchpad is smooth and responsive, and it tracks your fingers accurately. It’s not glass like you’d find on more expensive laptops, so it has a slightly plasticky feel, but it’s still comfortable to use. The click mechanism is a bit on the louder side, and it doesn’t feel as premium as the rest of the laptop, but it’s functional and gets the job done.

Cool Touchpad Features

One of the coolest things about the touchpad is the media control buttons built into the top-right corner. By tapping a specific area of the touchpad, you can play/pause music, adjust the volume, or skip tracks. It’s a neat little feature that adds some extra convenience, especially if you’re someone who listens to music or watches videos while working.

Another standout feature is the fingerprint scanner integrated into the power button. This isn’t just a gimmick—it’s actually really useful. The scanner is fast and accurate, and it works with Windows Hello, so you can unlock your laptop or authorize payments with just a touch. It’s a small but meaningful addition that makes the AceBook 12 feel more modern and secure.

Performance and Hardware

At the core of the Blackview AceBook 12 is the Intel Core i5-1030NG7 processor. This is a 10th-generation Intel chip with 4 cores and 8 threads, and it’s designed to be energy-efficient while still delivering solid performance. It’s not the latest or most powerful processor out there, but for a $370 laptop, it’s a pretty good fit.

The base clock speed is 1.1GHz, but it can turbo boost up to 3.5GHz when you need some extra power. What does that mean in real-world terms? Well, it’s more than enough for everyday tasks like web browsing, working on documents, streaming videos, and even light multitasking. If you keep a dozen Chrome tabs open while listening to Spotify and editing a Word document, this laptop can handle it without sweating.

The AceBook 12 comes with 16GB of DDR4 RAM, which is honestly impressive for a laptop in this price range. Most budget laptops stick to 8GB, so having 16GB is a big win. It means you can run multiple applications simultaneously without worrying about slowdowns or crashes.

For storage, you get a 512GB NVMe SSD. This is another standout feature because, at this price point, many laptops still come with slower HDDs or smaller SSDs. The NVMe SSD here is fast, with read speeds of up to 3GB/s, which means your laptop boots up quickly, apps load in a snap, and file transfers are speedy. It’s not the fastest SSD on the market, but it’s more than enough for everyday use.

The AceBook 12 doesn’t have a dedicated graphics card, but it does come with Intel Iris Plus integrated graphics. This is a step up from the basic Intel UHD graphics you’ll find in most budget laptops, and it’s capable of handling light gaming and multimedia tasks. Let’s be real—this isn’t a gaming laptop. The Intel Iris Plus graphics are decent for light gaming, but you shouldn’t expect to play the latest AAA titles in high settings. Older games like Dead Island or World of Tanks should run fine at low to medium settings, but newer games like CS:GO or Fortnite will struggle. If gaming is a priority, you’ll need to look elsewhere. But for casual gamers or anyone who wants to play the occasional indie game, the AceBook 12 is good enough.

One thing that surprised me about the AceBook 12 is its quietness. The cooling system does a great job of keeping the laptop cool, even under load, and the fans are barely audible. Even when you’re pushing the laptop with more demanding tasks, the noise level stays low, which is a big plus if you’re working in a quiet environment or just don’t want to be distracted by fan noise.

The laptop does get a bit warm when under heavy load, but it’s nothing extreme. The aluminium chassis helps dissipate heat, so it never feels uncomfortably hot.

Software and User Experience

The Blackview AceBook 12 comes with Windows 11 Pro pre-installed, which is a big win for a $370 laptop. Windows 11 brings a fresh, modern look to the operating system with a centred Start menu, rounded corners, and a more streamlined interface. It’s a nice upgrade from Windows 10, and it feels right at home on the AceBook 12’s 16-inch display.

One thing to note is that the version of Windows 11 on the AceBook 12 might not be activated out of the box, depending on where you buy it. If you’re ordering from AliExpress, you might need to activate it yourself using a product key. It’s a minor inconvenience, but it’s worth keeping in mind.

One of the best things about the AceBook 12 is that it comes with minimal bloatware. Unlike some budget laptops that are loaded with unnecessary trial software and ads, the AceBook 12 gives you a clean Windows experience. This means you can start using the laptop right away without spending hours uninstalling junk.

That said, there are a few Blackview-specific utilities pre-installed, like drivers and firmware updates. These are actually useful, as they ensure your laptop is running the latest software and drivers.

One small issue I ran into during testing was with the sound drivers. Out of the box, the speakers had a slight crackling sound at higher volumes. However, after updating the drivers (which was a quick and easy process), the sound quality improved significantly. It’s a minor hiccup, but it’s worth mentioning in case you run into the same issue.

Battery Life and Charging

After all, what good is a sleek, powerful laptop if it dies on you halfway through the day? The Blackview AceBook 12 has a 57Wh battery, which sounds decent on paper, but how does it hold up in real-world use? And what about charging?

The AceBook 12’s battery life is… well, let’s call it adequate. It’s not going to blow you away, but it’s not terrible either. Here’s what you can expect: If you’re just browsing the web, working on documents, or watching videos at medium brightness, you can expect around 4 to 5 hours of battery life. That’s enough to get you through a morning or afternoon of work, but you’ll probably need to plug in by the end of the day.

But, If you’re pushing the laptop with more demanding tasks like video editing, gaming, or running multiple apps at once, the battery life drops to around 2 to 3 hours. This is pretty standard for a budget laptop, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re planning to use the AceBook 12 for more intensive tasks.

One area where the AceBook 12 shines is charging. It comes with a 65W Type-C charger, which is compact and easy to carry around. The charging speed is pretty impressive—you can go from 0% to 100% in about 2 hours, which is great if you’re in a hurry. Plus, the fact that it uses a Type-C port for charging means you can also use compatible power banks to juice up your laptop on the go. For example, if you have a 20,000mAh power bank with Power Delivery, you can easily extend the laptop’s battery life without needing to find an outlet.

Pros and Cons

Final Verdict

After spending some quality time with the Blackview AceBook 12, it’s clear that this laptop is a solid contender in the budget category. Priced at just $370, it offers a lot of value for the money, but it’s not without its limitations. So, is it worth it?

The AceBook 12 has a lot going for it, especially considering its price tag. The aluminium chassis gives it a premium look and feel that’s rare in this price range. It’s lightweight, portable, and feels sturdy enough for everyday use. The 16-inch IPS display with a 1920×1200 resolution is another standout feature. The Intel Core i5 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB NVMe SSD ensure smooth performance for everyday tasks. The fingerprint scanner adds a layer of convenience and security, and the backlit keyboard is a nice touch for low-light environments.

That said, the AceBook 12 isn’t perfect. The battery life is decent but not great, lasting around 4 to 5 hours with light use. If you need all-day battery life, you’ll need to keep the charger handy. While it can handle light gaming, don’t expect to play modern AAA titles—this isn’t a gaming laptop, and the Intel Iris Plus graphics have their limits. The stereo speakers are good enough for casual use, but they distort at higher volumes.

The Blackview AceBook 12 is primarily available on AliExpress, priced at around $370. However, keep in mind that this price doesn’t include potential import taxes or shipping fees, which can add to the total cost. If you’re ordering from outside China, make sure to check your country’s import regulations to avoid any surprises.