IJKKJI 17-Inch Budget Laptop Review UK (2026). Tested & Rated

Standard laptop reviews run Cinebench once and call it a day. I ran this IJKKJI 17-inch machine through two weeks of actual work: spreadsheets, video calls, thermal logging under sustained load. The data tells a different story than the spec sheet suggests.

The lid flexes more than I'd like. Press the back of the screen and you'll see ripples on the display. This isn't a laptop you want to toss in a rucksack without a sleeve. The keyboard deck has noticeable flex in the centre, and typing harder produces a slight creak from the chassis.

Hinges require two hands to open. They're stiff enough to prevent wobble during typing, but any movement of the laptop causes the screen to bounce for a second or two. Not ideal for train journeys.

At 2.1kg plus charger, this isn't a laptop for daily commutes. It's a desktop replacement that can move between rooms. The 17-inch footprint won't fit in standard laptop compartments, so you'll need a proper bag or sleeve.

Text rendering is acceptable at 1080p. I didn't notice pixelation during normal use, though side-by-side with an IPS panel reveals the difference immediately. The anti-glare coating is effective but adds a slight graininess to the image.

Real-world performance matches the benchmarks. Opening Chrome with ten tabs takes 3-4 seconds. Switching between applications shows brief pauses. Excel handles small spreadsheets fine, but anything over 5,000 rows causes noticeable lag when scrolling or applying filters.

I tested video editing in DaVinci Resolve. A two-minute 1080p timeline with basic cuts took 14 minutes to export. That's unusable for anyone doing regular video work. Even Windows Photos struggles with 4K footage from modern phones.

The 12GB RAM is the one bright spot. It's more than most budget laptops offer, and it prevents the constant swapping to disk that plagues 4GB or 8GB systems. With browser, Spotify, and Word open simultaneously, I still had 4GB free.

During a 30-minute Cinebench loop, the CPU hit 87°C and throttled back to 2.1 GHz (from the 3.4 GHz boost). Performance dropped 18% after ten minutes. The bottom of the laptop reached 44°C near the exhaust vent, making lap use uncomfortable.

The fan is fine during light use but becomes genuinely annoying under sustained load. It's not just loud, it's a high-frequency whine that cuts through background noise. In a quiet library or office, people will notice. The fan also ramps up and down frequently rather than maintaining steady speeds, which is more distracting than constant noise.

The trackpad is the worst part of this laptop. Cursor movement is jumpy, making precise selections difficult. Two-finger scrolling works but isn't smooth. Palm rejection is poor: I constantly triggered accidental clicks while typing. I'd budget for a cheap wireless mouse if you buy this.

One quirk: the battery indicator jumps around. It'll show 45%, then drop to 38% after opening an application, then bounce back to 42%. Windows estimates remaining time, but it's wildly inaccurate. Better to judge by percentage.

Port placement is awkward. The power input is on the right side, meaning the cable crosses your mouse space if you're right-handed. USB ports are split between sides, which is fine, but the USB 2.0 port on the right is slower than the others. Check before plugging in external drives.

Microphones are acceptable. Colleagues on Teams calls said I was audible and clear, though the mics pick up keyboard typing. The lack of noise cancellation means background sounds come through.

Speakers are bottom-firing, which means they're muffled when the laptop sits on soft surfaces. Audio is tinny with zero bass. They're loud enough for video calls or YouTube in a quiet room, but you'll want headphones for music or films. The 3.5mm jack works fine and doesn't introduce hiss.