The Blackview Acebook 8 N97 Review: Can an entry level cheap Laptop Actually Be Good?

Review supplied by an employee of Buysave

Let's be honest. When you see a laptop with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD for under R6,000, your first instinct is suspicion. Mine too. You immediately think it must be cheaply made, painfully slow, or both.

So when the marketing team at BuySave asked if I wanted to put the new Blackview Acebook 8 N97 through its paces, I agreed, fully expecting to write a review warning people away. But after a week of using it as my secondary machine for work, streaming, and general browsing, and even light Gaming as I don't have time for those full-bloated Games that are released these days, I have to admit: I’m shocked. This little machine isn’t just "good for the price"; it’s a legitimately great option for a specific type of user.

Let's get into it.

Blacview Acebook 8 N97 First Impressions: Unboxing and Build

Right out of the box, the Acebook 8 makes a better first impression than I anticipated. The finish on the lid has a subtle metallic sheen that feels nice to the touch and resists fingerprints well. It’s not a unibody aluminium MacBook, sure, but it doesn’t feel like a flimsy plastic toy either. There’s a decent amount of rigidity to it.

At 1.65kg, it’s light. Really light. I tossed it in my backpack with a notebook and barely noticed it was there. The included power brick is also refreshingly small, ditching the bulky "power brick on a leash" design of older more well-known, branded laptops.

Opening it up, the 15.6-inch display with its relatively thin bezels immediately stands out. The full-size keyboard has decent travel—it’s a bit spongy, but I could type on it for hours without fatigue (and I did). The trackpad is perfectly serviceable; it’s not a glass Windows Precision trackpad, but it responds reliably to multi-touch gestures like two-finger scroll.

The Star of the Show: That 16GB of RAM

Everyone will focus on the specs: Intel N97 12th Generation, 512GB SSD, Windows 11. But the real headline here is the 16GB of RAM.

Why does this matter? Because RAM is your multitasking headroom. On my usual budget laptop test, I opened up 15 tabs in Chrome (including YouTube, a Google Doc, and a few news sites), had Spotify running in the background, and had Microsoft Word and Excel open simultaneously.

On any other laptop in this price range (which usually has 4GB or 8GB of RAM), this would have been a slideshow. The fan would be screaming, and switching tabs would involve a frustrating lag.

The Acebook 8? It didn’t even stutter. I could seamlessly switch between my browser and my documents. This alone is a game-changer and completely shatters the expectations for a device this affordable. Keeping in mind that this is a brand new Laptop, so it behaves well in the beginning, like all other laptops, I carried on using it and throwing everything I could at it.

Performance in Daily Use: The Intel N97 Processor

The Intel Processor N97 is an efficiency chip, not a performance powerhouse. You are not going to edit 4K video or play the latest AAA games on this. And that’s okay, because that’s not what it’s for.

For its intended tasks, it’s more than capable. It's the most wonderful Student or Home Laptop I have used at this price point in a long long time!

• Web Browsing: Flawless. As mentioned, it handles tabs with ease. Don't go overboard though as every computer will eventually slow down. Keep your machine clean inside and out.

• Microsoft Office/Google Docs: Absolutely no problem. Documents and spreadsheets load instantly.

• Video Streaming: I watched a full episode of The Crown on Netflix in Full HD and it played perfectly, with no dropped frames. The speakers are… fine. They get the job done, but for a better experience, I’d use headphones. Yes we supply this for you in our latest deal!

• Boot-Up and App Launching: Thanks to the 512GB SSD, this thing boots from cold to login screen in under 18 seconds. Apps like Word and Chrome launch almost instantly.

I even did a quick Zoom call to test the webcam and microphone. The webcam is what you’d expect—functional for calls but not great in low light. The mic picked up my voice clearly without too much background noise.

The Display and Battery Life

The 15.6-inch FHD (1920x1080) IPS display is another win. It’s bright, sharp, and has surprisingly good viewing angles. The colours are vibrant enough for entertainment and it’s perfectly comfortable for long writing sessions. It’s a massive step up from the grainy, low-resolution (HD) screens you typically find on budget machines.

An IPS display is a type of screen that looks good even when you're not sitting directly in front of it. The colors stay bright and don't change when you view it from the side. This makes it much better for watching movies with friends or sharing your screen. It also shows more vibrant and true-to-life colors than older screen types.

Battery life is solid. Blackview claims up to 8 hours, and in my use, that seems about right for mixed use with the brightness around 70%. I used it for a 3-hour work session of writing and research and it only dropped to about 65%. You can easily get through a full school or work day without needing the charger.

Who Is This Laptop Actually For?

This is the most important question. The Blackview Acebook 8 is not for everyone. But for its target audience, it might be the best value on the South African market right now.

Get the Acebook 8 if:

• You are a student on a tight budget.

• You need a secondary computer for the couch or kitchen.

• You are a light user whose main activities are web browsing, email, and documents.

• You need a reliable machine for remote work (Zoom, Teams, web apps).

• You want a media consumption device for streaming.

Look elsewhere if:

• You are a hardcore gamer.

• You edit high-resolution video or photos.

• You run heavy engineering or architecture software.

The Verdict: A Budget Masterpiece

I went into this review expecting to find a gimmick. I came away genuinely impressed. Blackview and BuySave have managed to put together a package that understands what most people actually need from a computer: reliability, enough speed for daily tasks, and a great screen, all in a portable package.

By putting the budget into critical areas like RAM and SSD instead of a more powerful (and expensive) CPU, they’ve created a laptop that feels fast and responsive where it counts.

Final Score: 4/5

Pros:

• Exceptional value for money.

• 16GB RAM allows for fantastic multitasking.

• 512GB SSD is fast and spacious.

• Great 15.6" FHD display.

• Very lightweight and portable.

• Clean Windows 11 install.

Cons:

• Processor is not for power users or gamers.

• Speakers are average.

• Webcam is basic.

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If you’ve been hunting for a deal that doesn’t feel like a compromise, the Blackview Acebook 8 is, without a doubt, worth every cent.

Disclaimer: This laptop was provided on loan by BuySave.co.za for the purpose of this review. After testing, I was so convinced I recommended it to my sister for her university studies. She bought one and loves it.