With an RRP of 680, the Intel Core i5 version of this notebook is dearer than all of the other non-gaming options on this list. ), though the stylus is $33 extra. Keep an eye on your inbox! Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology. If you can stretch to the 500 mark, you'll find cheap laptops with up to 256GB of SSD storage, which is a solid investment if you're a digital hoarder. The dual-core 1.1GHz Intel Celeron processor is fast enough for classroom tasks and the display is also surprisingly strong, with a solid contrast ratio, plus an anti-glare coating and a matte-finish to keep distracting reflections to a minimum. A graduate of Middlebury College, I also have a master's degree in journalism and French Studies from New York University. The specs include a 15.6-inch 1080p display, an 11th-gen Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB RAM, and a 128GB SSD with NVMe tech. Windows Central is supported by its audience. This 12-inch Chrome OS laptop weighs just 2.5 pounds and packs impressive performance, as well as a 3:2 screen aspect ratio that makes tablet operations feel more like holding a pad of paper than wielding an ungainly 16:9 widescreen 2-in-1. Ideally, you want a laptop that comes with Windows 10 pre-installed; if it's running Windows 8 or earlier, steer clear. Above-average port selection, including USB-C and microSD, Better keyboard than most budget notebooks, Slightly superior performance to like-priced alternatives, Though not unique at this price, 128GB SSD is restrictive. Note that a Pentium or Celeron processor is adequate for a light-usage, budget-minded Chromebook. It includes an Intel Celeron 1.1GHz processor, 4GB RAM, and 64GB flash storage that can be expanded with an SD card. It also has a 16-inch display with 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution on an IPS panel. Families and students seeking a capable laptop with a few bonuses (Wi-Fi 6 instead of 5, USB-C and HDMI ports, a fingerprint reader) will consider the IdeaPad 3 14 a rare find. Chromebooksused to be little more than glorified netbooks running Google's Chrome OS. Lenovo IdeaPad 5i laptop $960 $654.99 at eBay (opens in new tab). Better performance than most inexpensive Chromebooks. Heres why you can trust us. Copyright Expert Reviews Holdings Ltd 2022. Intel's Celeron and Pentium processors (which power most of the under-$400 laptop set) have evolved to the point that they can support most of your web browsing and basic productivity needs without feeling sluggish. In short, there's very little not to like about the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2. Not only do you get a powerful machine, but you'll end up spending far less before heading back to school. It will also likely cost you a lot less than other types of notebooks, as many Chromebooks come in at less than $300. (See our picks forthe best touch-screen laptops.) So, what's so great about it? At $323, the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 (model 3505) we tested is even more affordable than the Asus VivoBook discussed above, with the same 1080p screen resolution and 128GB of solid-state storage. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, Thank you for signing up to Windows Central. It would be great if the IdeaPad 1 had a USB-C port and 8GB instead of 4GB of memory (don't expect to multitask much or open more than two or three browser tabs), but then it would cost considerably more. It may not be the fastest or flashiest laptop around but this convertible Chromebook from Lenovo does pretty much everything you could ask of a cheap portable computer. Best Budget Big-Screen Laptop for General Use. This would be a great machine if you want to watch media on the go. We believe there's a gap in the market for large-screen Chromebooks and Asus clearly does too. PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering lab-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. See our guide to thebest 2-in-1 convertible and hybrid laptopsfor more information about this popular segment of the market. When youre really strapped for cash its easy to get into a cheaper is better mentality, but with laptops thats not necessarily the case. Some use USB-A ports, others USB-C and some a mix of both. You can get a beautiful 2K resolution 13.5-inch display with this laptop. It has a built-in webcam,. The latest Acer Chromebook 514 relies on an ARM Kompanio chip, but it's a reasonably peppy performer, certainly livelier than systems with low-end Intel Celeron or Pentium silicon (if not a match for Intel Core or AMD Ryzen processors). The battery life for a cheap laptop should come in at a minimum of seven or eight hours, and these days, many will last quite a bit longer. Available in scads of configurations from vendors like Amazon and Best Buy as well as Lenovo, it's a winning pick for families, students, and small-office entrepreneurs seeking a capable, flexible laptop. Its black textured plastic is handsomer than you'd expect; its keyboard is comfortable; and it packs no fewer than four USB ports. Read our Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebook review for details, Key specs - Processor: 2.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i3-10110U or 1.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i5-10210U; RAM: 4 or 8GB; Storage: 128GB; Screen resolution: 1,920 x 1,080p; Weight: 1.35kg. Lenovo's IdeaPad 1 14 proves that you can have a decent, and even enjoyable, Windows 10 experience on an under-$300 laptop, as long as you don't need USB-C ports and can make do with a basic processor. Having said that, if you find yourself in need of a classroom companion for your workplace and youre trying to avoid over spending, the Microsoft Surface Laptop SE might be exactly what you need. The Microsoft Surface Go 3 is nice but slow, while the Surface Pro 8 is too expensive. Levite has been in the deals game since 2012. It won't set the world ablaze as an update, but Microsoft has made just enough tweaks to make it the best budget laptop bar none. The in-built speakers sound pretty poor and some may find the laptop's aesthetic a little business-like but those minor gripes aside, this is an affordable laptop that ticks all the right boxes. Of course, as with anything cloud-based, you'll need to be online to access it. Due to their dependence upon the cloud/internet, Chromebooks break the rules we've laid out above. Storage: Budget laptops have less onboard storage than their high-end counterparts but can still take advantage of Solid-State Drives (SSDs) and Embedded Multi-Media Cards (eMMCs), both of which are storage formats that will speed up your laptop considerably. New York, Not long ago, we praised affordable gaming rigs that could sustain 30 frames per second (fps) in demanding games; the 15.6-inch Katana can approach or exceed 60fps with high image quality, and go well into triple digits with esports games like Rainbow Six Siege. In terms of speed, its a step up from the smaller Lenovo IdeaPad Duet, using Qualcomms Snapdragon 7c chipset to deliver decent everyday performance. J.D. When it comes to storage, a handful of inexpensive systems still use spinning hard drives, with capacities often at 500GB, but increasingly, inexpensive Windows machines opt for small-capacity solid-state drives (SSDs) of 128GB or 256GB capacity. A USB-C port would be nice, but you can't have everything. Image quality on the 13in FHD touchscreen is crisp and clear and can be folded back for use in tablet or tent mode (pictured above) thanks to the laptop's reversible hinge. Read our full HP Chromebook X2 11 review for more details, Key specs Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c; RAM: 8GB; Storage: 128GB SSD; Screen resolution: 1,920 x 1,080p; Weight: 1.03kg. Windows Hello webcam with 1080p video support, SD card reader for easy storage expansion, Disappointing computing performance, even with Core i3 upgrade. You shouldn't always expect a touch-screen display, however. Sure, $700 or $750 will buy you a better Chromebook, but the Acer isn't a penalty box. If youre disconnected, there is still the option to operate offline in Chrome OS, and all the work will be backed up as soon as youre back online. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14 is a knockout budget laptop, with excellent performance and a bevy of modern trappings that almost make you forget it rings up at less than $600. We would love to recommend this laptop for anyone who only requires a laptop for basic needs. (That's especially true with Chromebooks; more on them later.) The Asus VivoBook 15s mix of performance and ports adds up to a compelling budget-laptop offering versus like-priced alternatives, though a wishy-washy screen keeps it from top marks. HP Stream 14-inch laptop $260 $190 at Amazon (opens in new tab). Except for the less-than-dazzling display and a few extra ounces to heft in tablet mode, you'd never know the Flex 5i wasn't a more costly convertible. This means that all the work you do across Googles office working apps (that is, Google Docs, Google Sheets and so forth) is saved automatically while youre connected to the internet. READ NEXT: Our guide to buying a refurbished laptop. If you see a laptop going for a rock bottom price, it might be because its incredibly outdated, uses cheap design materials or a combination of both. The under-$500 Acer also offers solid design, great battery life, and a 14-inch full HD display. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag. It's pretty much as good as Windows gets in a laptop under $350. If you're not sure even the Dell's rugged design can stand up to your youngsters, four years of accidental damage protection is only $60 extra. Microsoft Surface Laptop Go $700 $549.99 at Best Buy (opens in new tab). Acer Aspire 5 laptop $380 $274.99 at Amazon (opens in new tab). In some cases, you need to buy the keyboard base separately, and the total cost may not be as low as it first appears. 64GB of onboard storage should be a bare minimum; most smartphones offer at least that much storage nowadays. Maybe not the craziest discount ever, but this deal is rare and the laptop is brand neww. The Nvidia GPU kept most AAA games running smoothly enough during testing, just don't expect it to run truly demanding titles at high settings. It also has an 11.6-inch display and a USB-C port among other ways to connect. If you're the type who plugs in external storage, you might also want to check that it supports USB 3 (for faster file transfers) and has an SD or microSD card slot. Its slim, lightweight and attractive with a great keyboard, ensuring this is a machine kids will actually enjoy doing their work on. Below, you'll find a comprehensive buying guide detailing all the things to consider before splashing out on a budget laptop along with a list of what we deem the best cheap laptops available. There's nothing wrong with a larger screen, but if you need portability, it's worth looking at how much the laptop you're eyeing up actually weighs and whether it will fit into your rucksack. Chromebooks use Googles own operating system, Chrome OS, which differs from the Windows (or Linux) systems that you may be used to. You get a 15.6-inch display with 1080p resolution, fast Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and multiple USB ports for connecting peripherals. However, it delivers a value-for-money package so compelling that we just had to include it. Uses relatively slow AMD Athlon Silver processor, Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. With this laptop you'll get an AMD Ryzen 3 3250U dual-core processor, 128GB SSD for storage, and 4GB RAM. (A 4GB RAM count remains more common in Chromebooks and under-$300 Windows laptops.) Wi-Fi 6, isn't widespread yet among budget laptops, though you will see it in a few models.). READ NEXT: The best external hard drives you can buy. If you love the detachable 2-in-1 concept but balk at the cost of a Surface Pro or Apple iPad and accessories, the IdeaPad Duet 5 is the slate of your dreams. Im the deputy managing editor of the hardware team at PCMag.com. It also has an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM, and a 256GB SSD. Also, know that budget machines with this little local storage, among them many Chromebooks, are using what is called "eMMC memory" as their main storage. But if you're on a strict budget, don't lose heart. You can find faster and cheaper conventional Chromebooks, but the new Duet shines if you'd like a tablet that doubles as a laptop. As capable as it is affordable, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14 is a midsized convertible that gets the basics right. It's pretty loaded and should be quite fast for you. In terms of batteries, an ideal budget laptop has one with six cells or more. The screen is relatively dim, but the laptop has an HDMI port so you can plug in an external monitor if you like (a feature almost never found on Chromebooks in this price range). But as our top tested laptop picks below show, that doesn't mean they're not capable productivity partners. Best Android phone 2022: The best Android smartphones, Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro review: Mid-range perfection, Anker Soundcore Life Q30: Effective ANC on a budget, Huawei MateBook D15: A thoroughly decent laptop, Samsung Galaxy Book Go: Youre better off with a Chromebook, Huawei MateBook 16s: Big screen, big power, small size, Razer Blade 14: A fantastic compact gaming laptop, Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2: A top-class budget buy. In terms of features, budget laptops will come with (almost always) at least one USB 3.0 port, and possibly a USB 2.0 port or two. With both attached, it works as a laptop but take them off and its a sleek slate. We search all the major retailers, too, and try to roundup any deal worth considering. One of Dell's latest and greatest with a 12th-gen Intel Core i5 processor, a 512GB SSD with NVMe, and 8GB RAM. So does Lenovo's IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook, a 13.3-inch tablet with snap-on keyboard, that's amazingly under $500. (A lower-resolution screen, which is a feature of some of these machines, can consume less power, all else being equal, and end up being a benefit of sorts.). Some come with detachable keyboards, but most of these are far less comfortable for typing on your lap than a conventional laptop. Speedy, efficient performance and battery life that'll easily see you through the day complete what is a great package for the money. You can actually get a Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card built into this laptop, which makes it a great value if you want inexpensive gaming. This deal comes through Lenovo's official eBay storefront. Its performance puts price-bottom-feeder Pentium and Celeron systems to shame, and its dark-blue finish is as handsome as you'll find on a PC made of plastic instead of metal. (If money is no object, check out our top-ratedgaming laptopsandultraportables, as well as our favorite cheap gaming laptops. To be sure, you should be ready to compromise in one or two aspects. You should consider one of these convertible systems if you primarily want the typing capability of a laptop, but occasionally would appreciate the lie-back, passive-consumption convenience of a tablet. You don't need deep pockets to play games. Many budget laptops house quad-core Intel Atom or Celeron processors these are Intel's cheap processors and are used to keep the cost down. It has Intel iris Xe graphics, a 16-inch display with 1200p resolution and full touchscreen support, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth, and more. As an affordable general-purpose laptop, there are very few devices that come close to the HP Pavilion 14. Just be sure you have easy access to stable Wi-Fi wherever you'll use one, as Chromebooks have limited offline functionality and scant local storage. Not too heavy at 3.75 pounds, the VivoBook 15 doesn't feel cheap or flimsy. Windows Central is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Well, for starters, the HP Pavilion 14 is sturdily constructed and looks great. G15 Ryzen Edition gaming laptop $1,369 $832.99 at Dell (opens in new tab). Get a bunch more done with this laptop that has an AMD Ryzen 7 5800U processor, 16GB RAM, and a 512GB SSD. This a Geek Squad Certified Refurbished laptop. If you can get by with the capacity of a small SSD, we strongly favor opting for one, even over a roomier platter-based hard drive, for their durability. Read our full Microsoft Surface Laptop SE review for more details, Key specs Processor: Dual-core, 1.1GHz Intel Celeron N4020; RAM: 4GB; Storage: 64GB eMMC; Screen resolution: 10.1 Full HD (1,366 x 768p); Weight:1.1 kg. It's somewhat drab and only has a 59Hz refresh rate but corner-cutting is to be expected at this kind of price so a lacklustre display can be forgiven. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time. You're in the middle of summer and you've put the previous semester far behind you, but the next one is coming up faster than you think. The Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 is an excellent 2-in-1 convertible Chrome OS laptop with speedy performance, a reliable touchscreen, and an included stylus. You get an Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB DDR4 RAM, a 128GB SSD, and Windows 11 Home in S Mode. Acer Swift X Creator laptop $1,040 $924.99 at Amazon (opens in new tab). Asus' VivoBook 15 combines a full HD display1,920 by 1,080 pixels, not the skimpy 1,366 by 768 of some modelswith decent performance and battery life and an above-average selection of ports. To make sure that the laptop you're buying can connect to your TV, for example, check that it has an HDMI port, rather than an outdated VGA port. 1996-2022 Ziff Davis. They tend to have dual-core processors, under 4GB of RAM and under 64GB of onboard storage. Read our full HP Pavilion 14 (2021) review for more details, Key specs - Processor: Intel Core i5-1135G7 or Core i7-1165G7; RAM: 8GB; Storage: 256GB SSD; Screen resolution: 1,920 x 1,080p; Weight: 1.41kg. Its 1080p screen isn't the brightest or most colorful around, but has a snappy 144Hz refresh rate, and the GF66 can play even the latest titles at more than satisfactory frame rates. The best ones are listed below, and while we update this guide constantly, there's a good chance that at least one of our picks is back-ordered at any given time. With MSI's wide variety of configuration options, you're sure to find the right setup for your budget. An HDMI output and a USB-C port are definite pluses, and you can find these on even some of the very cheapest models. It comes with a 12.4-inch touchscreen, a 10th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM, and a 128GB SSD. A Wi-Fi radio that uses the speedy 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) protocol is also the norm now. Not a bad way to save on a solid Dell computer. Competition among budget gaming laptops is red hot, and MSI's Katana GF66 rises to the topmaybe a bit over the top of the budget category, since our test unit is more than $1,000. Check out our sample selectionssome of our favorites from recent hands-on reviewsthen keep reading to learn what trade-offs to expect and how to match a budget notebook's strengths and weaknesses with what you plan to do with it. Lenovo ThinkBook 15 laptop $1,589 $776.99 at Lenovo (opens in new tab). The flashiest, fanciest laptops boast ultra-colorful, ultra-high contrast OLED screens. ), In years past, many of the barest-budget Windows laptops would come with just 2GB or 4GB of main system memory, but nowadays, at least in the Windows sphere, most come with 8GB. If Lenovo's Yoga series leads the way among 2-in-1 convertibles, Microsoft's Surface family stars among Windows detachables, which are lightweight tablets with snap-on keyboards that can both serve as laptops and challenge Apple's iPad slates. Many of the best budget laptops now offer impressive specifications without wallet-busting price tags, meaning you don't need to limit your search for a budget workstation to the realm of tablets, Chromebooks or refurbished laptops. This laptop even includes a one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal so you can get some work done and be more productive. Best Budget Convertible 2-in-1 Chromebook. The IPS display is small compared with the other entries on this list but is of superb quality, covering 99% of the sRGB colour gamut with decent accuracy. Not only is this down to a low price, and a great laptop for productivity, it also has a Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card so it can be used for gaming in your spare time. Then you've caught me testing gear and editing reviews of laptops, desktop PCs, and tons of other personal tech.
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