Akoya – SamaGamer

From January 4, 2024, the well-equipped Medion Akoya E15433 will be available at Aldi for just 499 euros. Does the 15-inch notebook with Core i5 CPU impress in the test?

Table of contents

Medion Akoya E15433 in the test: Simple 15-inch model
Full HD screen
Good keyboard/touchpad combo

A look under the hood

Little breath
Card reader, HDMI, USB-C
Medion Akoya E15433 in the test: conclusion

At the beginning of 2024, the discounter Aldi will be introducing the Medion Akoya E15433 (MD64180) notebook in all of its branches nationwide. The price tag on January 4th reads a moderate 499 euros. What do customers get in return? Is it worth buying? SamaGame tested the Aldi notebook Medion Akoya E15433 (MD64180).

Medion Akoya E15433 in the test: Simple 15-inch model

There are no long arms when it comes to daily transport from A to B: the Aldi notebook, which is around 2 centimeters thin, weighs less than 2 kilograms – what a thing 15.6 inch notebook is little. There are hardly any visual accents: the Akoya E15433 is a simple representative of its genre.

Good: Manufacturer Medion has framed the display with beautifully narrow edges, which looks chic and modern. The Essen-based company had to make the display edge a little thicker in the top center to accommodate the webcam. The 1 megapixel lens is just a simple example, but is completely sufficient for video calls via Teams, Skype or Zoom.

Full HD screen

The screen is also completely sufficient – at least for Internet and office applications. On its almost 40 centimeter screen diagonal, it shows websites, Word and Excel documents in Full HD with 1920×1080 pixels. But the display wasn’t completely convincing. It showed photos and videos with pale and distorted colors. The maximum brightness is a bit low at 310 candelas per square meter. On sunny days, users should therefore look for a shady spot when working outdoors.

Good keyboard/touchpad combo

The keyboard could offer a slightly more precise and harder touch. Nevertheless, texts were pleasant to type in the test. The distance between the keys is sufficiently large so that users do not accidentally press two keys at the same time. There is no lighting for working in darker environments. Good: There is a number pad for entering long Excel columns. The touchpad is also pleasing; it implements input quickly and precisely. The only drawback: mouse clicks are not possible at the top.

A look under the hood

However, users don’t have to worry about long waiting times: in the speed tests, the Medion proved to be a fast notebook! No wonder: the mid-range processor Core i5-1235U from Intel serves as the engine.Alder Lake“series. It’s not the latest model (market launch: early 2022), but it’s still a powerful CPU. And the ten-core processor can transfer data to a comparatively generous 16 gigabytes of RAM.

Windows 11, programs and data are on one M.2 SSD with an effective 477 gigabytes of memory deposited. Is that not enough? An additional SSD cannot be retrofitted, but users can at least exchange the existing one for one with more memory – 2 terabyte models are available from 100 euros. The RAM can also be upgraded if necessary – to a maximum of 64 gigabytes (150 euros).

Test results Medion Akoya E15433 (MD64180)

Test results	Medion Akoya E15433 (MD64180)
processor	Intel Core i5-1235U
graphics chip	Intel UHD Graphics Xe
display	15.6 inches (1920×1080 pixels)
How fast is the notebook?
Speed with Office	high (53%)
Video editing speed	high (35.9%)
Speed in games (1920×1080 pixels)	very jerky (17 frames per second)
Speed in games (3840×2160 pixels)	not playable
SSD speed	slow (11.7%)
USB speed (on notebook SSD)	230 MB/sec.
USB speed (on external hard drive)	280 MB/sec.
How good is the image quality?
Color fidelity	very low (87.4%)
Deviations in grayscale	low (2.4%)
color temperature	natural (7391 Kelvin)
Maximum brightness	somewhat low (310 cd/m²)
Black level	very low (0.24 cd/m²)
Contrast ratio	very low (1351:1)
Visual test	somewhat minor (washed out colors, pale skin tones, slight backlight bleeding on screen edges)
Color space sRGB	too low (63.7%)
Color space DCI-P3	too low (47.4%)
Response time (average/max.)	short (18.8 ms) / short (27.8 ms)
Number of pixels per inch	somewhat low (141 dpi at 1920×1080 pixels)
Max. brightness deviations	low (10.64%)
Gloss level screen/frame	low / very low
Max refresh rate	60 hertz
How easy is it to use on the go?
Battery life / charging time	acceptable (04:58 hours) / short (2:06 hours)
Operating noise when working / max.	very quiet (0.7 sone) / very quiet (1.8 sone)
Temperature after 30 minutes of full load	slightly high (23.0 degrees)
Weight with battery / power supply with cable	low (1.88 kg) / very low (0.22 kg)
Is everything you need included?
RAM (built-in/expandable)	a lot (2×8 GB / 2×32 GB, complete replacement required)
Data storage (built-in / expandable)	a little bit (477 GB, SSD-NVMe, Western Digital /no)
connections	1x headset, 1xHDMI / 2x USB Type A 3.2 Gen. 1, 1x USB-C 2.0, 1x USB Type-A 2.0
WiFi / Bluetooth / Cellular	Wifi 5 / version 5.1 / no
Webcam / microphone / memory card reader	yes / yes / yes (microSD)
Included programs	Windows 11 Home
How easy is it to use?
Quality and operation of the keyboard	slightly roughened surface, pleasant writing feeling, pressure point a bit spongy
Keyboard lighting	no
Standard assignment / navigation button standard size	no no
Biometric access barriers	unavailable
Touchpad size/quality and operation	very large / clicking at the top edge not possible, minimal latency, pleasant surface, good pressure point
Quality and operation of the touchscreen	unavailable

Little breath

It’s a shame: the CPU and display suck heavily on the battery, the 55 watt-hour energy storage was enough for almost five hours of work in the test – with the display at full brightness. If you turn down the brightness a little, you can extend the battery life by an hour – but that wouldn’t be a particularly good value either. There are now notebooks like this Thomson M15 EVO, which last for almost eleven hours without a power outlet on a single battery charge – but they are usually more than twice as expensive. Also good: The Medion performed its job calmly in the test; its fan did not torment the testers with noisy rotating noises, even under full load.

Card reader, HDMI, USB-C

A card reader for microSD memory cardn is on board and external Monitors can be connected via HDMI. The Aldi notebook also offers a USB-C socket. However, the latter still works according to the lame USB 2.0 standard and not the USB 3.2 Gen 2 version, which is for fast external SSDs would be necessary.

Medion Akoya E15433 in the test: conclusion

Of course, customers shouldn’t expect a super-duper notebook with all the bells and whistles for 500 euros. The price for the Akoya E15433 is okay for the performance it offers: it works quickly and quietly, the display offers decent image quality, and the features are complete with the exception of the missing keyboard backlight.

Chic, small, nimble and everything on board: There was little to complain about when testing the compact Medion Akoya P63025 desktop PC.

In 2011, the world’s largest computer manufacturer Lenovo took over a majority stake in the Essen-based company Medion. However, Medion continues to work almost independently and regularly brings new notebooks and desktop PCs onto the market. This also applies to the recently introduced Akoya P63025 – a compact computer that doesn’t have to hide under the desk. The test of the Medion Akoya P63025 shows what the small desktop PC can do – and what it can’t.

Akoya P63025 in the test: With hot-swap frame

The Medion Akoya P63025 is housed in a simple housing with a slightly structured surface. At the top of the front of the case there are two USB sockets and ports for one Headset. Underneath, the Medion has a hot-swap frame in which there is a 2.5 inch SSD or have a hard drive retrofitted.

Core i5-12400, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD

Anyone who opens the left side wall can take a look at the (tidy) interior:

Processor: The heart of the Medion Akoya P63025 is the mid-range processor Core i5-12400 from Intel Alder Lake Series.
Random access memory: The Core i5 stores calculated data in a large RAM of 16 gigabytes.
SSD: Windows 11, users save programs and data on one M.2 SSD with an effective 932 gigabytes of memory.

Fast work pace

The Medion Akoya P63025 performed impressively in the speed measurements: it was visibly underchallenged with office programs such as Word, Excel or PowerPoint, and with tasks on the Internet anyway. Computers need a lot of steam for complex photo and video editing, but the Medion also did that at a decent pace. In particular, programs that can distribute calculations across many processor cores benefit from the Intel CPU with its six computing units – including software such as Photoshop or Premiere.

Test table Medion Akoya P63025

Test results
processor	Intel Core i5-12400
graphics chip	Intel UHD Graphics 730
random access memory	16GB (2x8GB)
SSD	932GB Western Digital
hard disk	unavailable
Speed with Office	high (58.6%)
Pace with photo and Video editing	high (28.3%)
Game speed with 1920×1080 pixels	very jerky (10 frames per second)
Game speed with 3840×2160 pixels	not playable
SSD speed	slow (34.3%)
USB speed (Read Write)	764 / 503 MB/sec.
Noises in office applications	very quiet (0.2 sone)
Noise level under full load	quiet (1.2 sone)
Power consumption in office applications	32 watts
Power consumption under full load	109 watts
Mixed electricity consumption per year (electricity costs)	101 KW/h (33 €)
power adapter	Medion Power Block 250 (250 watts)
connections	1x microphone, 1x headphones, 2x audio input, 1x audio output, 1x HDMI, 1x DP (can be used at the same time), 1x network (1 Gbit), 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 4x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 2x USB 2.0
Radio connections	WLAN-ax (Wifi 6; 2.4 and 5 GHz), Bluetooth 5.1
Upgrade options: Expansion cards / Random access memory / mass storage / DVD-BD drives	1x PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, 1x PCIe 3.0 x1 slot – 1x NVMe, 1x 2.5″/3.5″ combination slot –
Keyboard/ Mouse	Pressure point spongy / somewhat light, well suited for office tasks

Quiet and economical

Also good: The average energy requirement was at a very low level: on average, the Medion didn’t even consume 32 watts! The noise level wasn’t high either, the Medion remained nice and quiet – even under full load during strenuous image and video editing (maximum 1.2 sone).

Decent upgrade options

The Medion does not have a memory card reader, its upgrade options are not outstanding, but quite decent (picture above):

CPU and RAM: The Core i5 processor (1) RAM available to the side (16 gigabytes (2)) can be expanded to 32 gigabytes.
SSD: The existing SSD storage (932 gigabytes (3)) users can add a second M.2 SSD and a hard drive if necessary 2.5 inch SSD expand.
Graphic card: A separate graphics card could be installed in the Medion (4)but only models with a maximum of one Nvidia GTX 1650-Chip (from 170 euros). For more powerful models, the power of the power supply (250 watts) is sufficient (5)) not.

WLAN-ax on board, card reader missing

The Aldi PC connects to the network either via cable or wirelessly via fast WLAN-ax. It has Bluetooth on board for wireless synchronization with tablets and smartwatches. It’s a shame: the Medion Akoya P63025 doesn’t have a memory card reader.

Medion Akoya P63025 in the test: conclusion

The Medion Akoya P63025 can be retrofitted with 2.5-inch SSDs or hard drives using the hot-swap frame on the front – if the rather large SSD storage of just under 1 terabyte is not enough. And the Medion in the MD34330 equipment variant tested here also did well in the test: it worked really quickly, wasn’t annoying with loud fan noises and didn’t put an unnecessary strain on the electricity bill. Great: It’s not a roll-container-sized example, but rather barely larger than a shoebox.