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There’s no reason to spend a lot of money on a new portable PC when the best budget laptops can compete with more expensive ones. Many of the best cheap laptops now have great specs, cheap workstation to tablets, Chromebooks, or refurbished laptops.
We also take into account any anecdotal evidence, such as how the best budget laptops feels to carry around, how good the keyboard feels, and how long the battery lasts during normal day-to-day use, to give you a more complete picture of how each device works.
The best cheap laptop for you won’t be the same as the best budget laptops for everyone else. Even if you’re on a tight budget, it’s still important to think about your needs when choosing a cheap portable. If you’re on a tight budget, the best laptop to buy isn’t just the cheapest one on the shelf.
Best Budget Laptops Comparison Table
Name | Genre | Modes | Dimension | Weight | Price Range | Official Website |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 | Laptop | Tablet, Laptop | 10.95″ x 8.10″ x 0.62″ | 2.45 lbs. | $549 – $999 | Visit Website |
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 | Chromebook | Laptop, Tent, Tablet | 12.0″ x 8.0″ x 0.55″ | 2.71 lbs. | $549 – $699 | Visit Website |
Acer Aspire 5 (A514-54-501Z) | Laptop | Laptop | 14.3″ x 9.9″ x 0.7″ | 3.64 lbs. | $559 – $729 | Visit Website |
Asus E410 | Laptop | Laptop | 12.8″ x 8.5″ x 0.7″ | 2.87 lbs. | $319 – $699 | Visit Website |
Dell XPS 13 | Laptop | Laptop, Tablet | 11.64″ x 7.82″ x 0.58″ | 2.64 lbs. | $849 – $1,799 | Visit Website |
HP Chromebook X2 11 | Chromebook | Laptop, Tablet | 11.26″ x 8.07″ x 0.34″ | 1.14 lbs. | $569 – $629 | Visit Website |
Lenovo ThinkBook 13S | Laptop | Laptop | 12.1″ x 8.5″ x 0.63″ | 2.87 lbs. | $649 – $1,249 | Visit Website |
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Specifications | |
---|---|
Processor | 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G1 |
Display | 12.4-inch PixelSense touchscreen (1536 x 1024) |
Memory | 4GB or 8GB LPDDR4x RAM |
Storage | 64GB eMMC or 128GB or 256GB SSD |
Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics |
Battery Life | Up to 13 hours |
Weight | 2.45 pounds |
Operating System | Windows 10 Home in S mode |
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is an affordable compact notebook. Even though it’s best budget laptops, the Surface Laptop Go 2 feels almost as good as a high-end model because it comes in different colors and has an aluminum lid and an Intel Core i5 processor from the 11th generation.
The hardware inside is more than up to the task. It comes with an updated webcam, a taller 3:2 aspect ratio display, and SSDs that can be replaced or upgraded, so there’s even room to grow.
The Good
- The design is small and light.
- Touch-screen screen
- Performance that is quick and reliable
- Battery life is good
The Bad
- S mode may limit some app installations
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2
Specifications | |
---|---|
Processor | Intel Celeron 5205U or 10th Gen Intel Core i3-10110U |
Display | 13.3-inch 4K AMOLED touchscreen (3840 x 2160) |
Memory | 4GB or 8GB LPDDR3 RAM |
Storage | 64GB or 128GB eUFS |
Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics |
Battery Life | Up to 14 hours |
Weight | 2.71 pounds |
Operating System | Chrome OS |
The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 is best budget laptops that doesn’t feel like one. It has a sleek ultraportable design, a sharp-looking QLED touchscreen, and a good 8-hour battery life. It will also sound great, and Chrome OS will run very quickly on its Core i3 configuration.
We weren’t as happy with how shallow the vertical travel was on its keyboard. This makes for a small learning curve that you’ll get used to over time. But it’s a great deal to get a Chromebook that looks and feels this good for less than $500.
The Good
- Stunning 4K AMOLED display
- Lightweight and easy to carry
- Lasts a long time
- Performance that is quick and responsive
The Bad
- Compared to other Chromebooks, it’s expensive and has few storage options.
Acer Aspire 5 (A514-54-501Z)
Specifications | |
---|---|
Processor | 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 |
Display | 14-inch Full HD IPS (1920 x 1080) |
Memory | 8GB DDR4 RAM |
Storage | 512GB NVMe SSD |
Graphics | Intel Iris Xe Graphics |
Battery Life | Up to 8 hours |
Weight | 3.64 pounds |
Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
The Acer Aspire 5 (A514-54-501Z) is bigger, heavier, and has a shorter battery life than the Dell Inspiron 14. It also lacks some features and conveniences. But it often costs less and has a brighter screen, more ports, a faster processor, and a better graphics card.
The best budget laptops is 11th-generation Intel Core i5 has a faster maximum clock speed than the Inspiron 14’s Core i3 processor, and the Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics processor is better than the Dell’s basic UHD graphics.
The Good
- Performances that are quick and strong
- Large screen that works well
- Lots of room to store things
- Sleek and stylish design
The Bad
- Typical battery life
- Mediocre webcam
Asus E410
Specifications | |
---|---|
Processor | Intel Celeron N4020 or Intel Pentium Silver N5030 |
Display | 14-inch Full HD LED-backlit (1920 x 1080) |
Memory | 4GB or 8GB DDR4 RAM |
Storage | 128GB or 256GB SSD |
Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics 600 or Intel UHD Graphics 605 |
Battery Life | Up to 12 hours |
Weight | 2.87 pounds |
Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
It might not be as good as some of the other best budget laptops on this list, but most people want as much as they can get for less than £300/$300, and if that’s you, the E410 is a great choice. Things like a dim screen and a design on the lid that not everyone will like are unavoidable.
We also didn’t like the NumberPad on the trackpad, but Asus has a lot going for it. The E410 has a long-lasting battery, is easy to carry around, and works well enough for basic day-to-day tasks.
The Good
- A reasonable price
- Lightweight and easy to carry
- Lasts a long time
- The job was done well.
The Bad
- Few places to store things
- Average quality of display
Dell XPS 13
Specifications | |
---|---|
Processor | 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 or i7-1165G7 |
Display | 13.4-inch Full HD+ or 4K+ touchscreen (1920 x 1200 or 3840 x 2400) |
Memory | 8GB or 16GB LPDDR4x RAM |
Storage | 256GB or 512GB or 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD |
Graphics | Intel Iris Xe Graphics |
Battery Life | Up to 12 hours |
Weight | 2.64 pounds |
Operating System | Windows 10 Home or Pro |
The Dell XPS 13 is our best laptop overall, so it’s surprising to see it listed as one of the best budget laptops. Even though this is the most basic XPS 13 configuration, it’s still pretty good. It still has an Intel Core i5 processor from the 12th generation, which is fast enough for everyday tasks.
It also has 16GB of DDR5 memory and 512GB of fast SSD storage. The 13.4-inch display has a resolution of 1,920 x 1,200, which gives you a little more room to scroll vertically than a standard 1080p display.
The Good
- Options for high-quality displays
- Performance that is quick and reliable
- Sleek and modern design
- Battery life is good
The Bad
- Compared to other ultrabooks, it’s expensive and has a limited number of ports.
HP Chromebook X2 11
Specifications | |
---|---|
Processor | MediaTek MT8183 |
Display | 11-inch HD touchscreen (1366 x 768) |
Memory | 4GB or 8GB LPDDR4x RAM |
Storage | 32GB or 64GB eMMC |
Graphics | Integrated ARM Mali-G72 MP3 GPU |
Battery Life | Up to 11 hours |
Weight | 1.46 pounds |
Operating System | Chrome OS |
The best budget laptops for you won’t be the same as the best cheap laptop for everyone else. Even if you’re on a tight budget, it’s still important to think about your needs when choosing a cheap portable.
If you’re on a tight budget, the best budget laptops to buy isn’t just the cheapest one on the shelf. If you don’t need a full operating system and just want something for sending emails, surfing the web, and streaming online content, for example, the best Chromebooks may be the best choice.
The Good
- Lightweight and easy to carry
- Lasts a long time
- Good price for what you get
- 2-in-1 design with a keyboard that can be taken off
The Bad
- Few places to store things
- Modest performance
Lenovo ThinkBook 13S
Specifications | |
---|---|
Processor | 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 or i7-1165G7 |
Display | 13.3-inch Full HD IPS (1920 x 1080) |
Memory | 8GB or 16GB DDR4 RAM |
Storage | 256GB or 512GB or 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD |
Graphics | Intel Iris Xe Graphics |
Battery Life | Up to 11 hours |
Weight | 2.8 pounds |
Operating System | Windows 10 Home or Pro |
Lenovo’s high-end ThinkPad laptops look a lot like the ThinkBook 13S. But it costs much less than those ThinkPads, with models starting at less than $900. We were surprised by how sharp its 16:10 screen was and how many ports it had, including Thunderbolt 4.
The sound is clear and loud. The device doesn’t have as much style as the ThinkPad line, but it is just as useful and well-built. If you need best budget laptops with Windows that costs less than $900, the ThinkBook should be on your list.
The Good
- Performances that are quick and strong
- A good choice of ports
- Durable battery life
- Strong and durable construction
The Bad
- The screen could use more light.
- Few ways to get better
FAQs
Which laptop is best under $100?
- Lenovo 100e Chromebook.
- HP Laptop Chromebook 11 G3.
- Lenovo 80US0004CF Chromebook N42.
- Acer Chromebook 11 N7 C731T-C0X8.
- Lenovo N23 Yoga.
Are slow laptops that cost less?
Most of the time, the hardware in cheaper laptops is older and slower. This includes processors with only one core and hard drives. In benchmark tests, these cheaper laptops won’t do as well as slightly higher-end models with solid state drives and multi-core processors.
When buying a basic laptop, what should you look for?
When buying a laptop, one of the most important things to look for is how many cores the CPU has. Cores are like minicomputers inside your computer’s CPU. They can each do things on their own or work together to get things done. In general, a CPU will run faster if it has more cores.