Best cheap laptops for less than $500
BEST DEALS ON CHEAP LAPTOPS THIS WEEK:
Lenovo L340-17 Laptop — $405.95 (list price $479.99)
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 Series Laptop — $499.99 (list price $599)
HP 2019 15.6-inch Business Laptop — $480.30 (list price $1,018)
Lenovo Ideapad S340 15.6 — $399 (list price $489)
So you're in the market to buy a new laptop? We have some advice: Don't let big tech companies with multimillion-dollar marketing campaigns fool you into thinking you have to pay upwards of $1,000 to get a quality notebook.
You can actually get a brand new one for less than half that price. And we aren't talking about poorly made, subpar notebooks that run slower than your smartphone after the latest iOS update. We're talking about cheap laptops that are high-tech and responsive, helping you do the things that matter most, like writing, browsing the internet, storing files, and even gaming. Read more...
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BEST COMPACT LAPTOP
Dell Inspiron 11 3000The Inspiron 11 3000 by Dell is a small, compact laptop created for personal use — and it certainly succeeds in that respect.
- Storage: 32GB
- RAM: 4GB
- Features: one USB 3.1, one USB 2.0, HDMI port, microSD slot, 11.6-inch HD (1366 x 768) Anti-Glare LED-Backlit Display, AMD A6-9220e Processor, Radeon R4 Graphics with AMD APU
BEST CHEAP LAPTOP FOR TRAVEL
HP Stream 11This HP laptop is engineered without a fan, so it should be quiet and comfortable to use on your lap while you enjoy 10 hours of battery life.
- Storage: 32GB
- RAM: 4GB
- Features: One USB 3.0, one USB 2.0, HDMI port, microSD slot, 11.6" diagonal HD sva Anti-Glare wled-backlit 1366 x 768, Intel Celeron N3060 up to 1.6GHz, Intel HD Graphics 400
BEST-DESIGNED CHEAP LAPTOP
Lenovo IdeaPad 130sThe Ideapad 130s is a stylish modern take on the laptop computer, combining high-performance processing power with a sleek exterior.
- Storage: 64GB
- RAM: 4GB
- Features: two USB 3.0, one USB-C, HDMI port, microSD slot, 11.6” HD 1366 x 768 Anti-Glare, Intel Celeron N3350 Processor, Integrated Intel HD Graphics 500
BEST ONLINE-ONLY LAPTOP
Samsung Chromebook 3The Chromebook 3 may not necessarily feel like the most premium laptop in the world, but it is a pretty handsome notebook that will get the job done.
- Storage: 32GB
- RAM: 4GB
- Features: one USB 3.0, one USB 2.0, HDMI port, microSD slot, 11.6” HD 1366 x 768 LED display, Intel Celeron Processor N3060, Intel HD Graphics 400
BEST CHEAP 2-IN-1 LAPTOP
Lenovo Flex 11Because it has a 360-degree hinge, you can position the Lenovo Flex 11 Chromebook to fit most any task.
- Storage: 32GB
- RAM: 4GB
- Features: one USB 3.0, one USB-C, HDMI port, SD slot, 11.6" HD 1366 x 768 IPS Anti-Glare Multitouch with integrated camera, MTK 8173C Processor
BEST FOR SECURITY
Acer Swift 1The designers of the Acer Swift 1 created a simple but pleasing-to-look-at laptop with some pretty impressive specs.
- Storage: 64GB
- RAM: 4GB/8GB
- Features: One USB 2.0, two USB 3.0, one USB-C, HDMI port, SD slot, 13.3-inch, 1080p with 1920x1080 resolution display, Intel Core 1.10 GHz processor, Intel HD Graphics 505
BEST CHEAP LIGHTWEIGHT LAPTOP
Acer Aspire E 15The Aspire E Series laptops by Acer have many appealing features for everyday use. This one has a thin, lightweight design so you can take Windows 10 with you on-the-go.
- Storage: 1,000GB
- RAM: 4GB
- Features: two USB 3.0, one USB 2.0, one USB-C, HDMI port, SD slot, 15.6" Full HD Widescreen LED-backlit display, Intel Core i3-7100U Processor, Intel HD Graphics 620
BEST CHEAP TOUCHSCREEN LAPTOP
Asus Transformer MiniThe Asus Transformer Mini is ultra-thin and has wide display viewing angles so you can have a comfortable experience no matter where you find yourself.
- Storage: 128GB
- RAM: 4GB
- Features: One USB 3.0, one MicroUSB, Micro HDMI port, MicroSD slot, 10.1-inch LED backlit HD 1280x800 glare touchscreen display, Intel Atom Quad Core x5-Z8350 Processor, Intel HD Graphics
BEST CHEAP LAPTOP FOR STUDENTS
Dell Latitude 2-in-1The Dell Latitude works in laptop, tablet, or tent mode, and is designed for use with a variety of Microsoft learning apps.
- Storage: 64GB
- RAM: 4GB
- Features: two USB 3.1, HDMI port, USD Card Reader slot, 11.6” HD IPS 16:9 1366 x 768 Touch with Corning Gorilla Glass NBT display, Intel Pentium Processor N4200
BEST CHEAP HYBRID LAPTOP
HP Pavilion x360The HP Pavilion x360 2-in-1 touchscreen laptop is one of the best utility notebooks under $500. It's powerful, lightweight, and durable.
- Storage: 500GB
- RAM: 8GB
- Features: Two USB 3.1, one USB-C, HDMI port, SD card reader slot, 14-inch diagonal HD SVA anti-glare micro-edge WLED-backlit multitouch-enabled edge-to-edge glass 1366 x 768 display, Intel Pentium processor, Intel HD Graphics 620
BEST CHROMEBOOK
Asus Chromebook FlipA budget laptop that doesn't skimp on performance.
- Storage: 32GB/64GB/128GB eMMC + TPM, plus an extra 100GB of free storage on Google Drive for two years
- RAM: 4GB/8GB
- Features: Two USB-C ports, micro SD slot, FHD 1920 x 1080 display, Intel Pentium – Core m7, Intel HD Graphics 510/515
BEST CHEAP LAPTOP FOR KIDS
Dell Inspiron 14The Dell Inspiron 14 is meant for those who don't need all the extra bells and whistles — just a nice, affordable 2-in-1 laptop that will always get the job done.
- Storage: 128GB
- RAM: 4GB
- Features: 8th Generation Intel Core i3-8145u processor, Intel UHD graphics 620, 3-in-1 media card reader
BEST LIGHTWEIGHT CHEAP LAPTOP
Asus VivobookA great, affordable laptop that's well-suited for students, travelers, and those just who just need a computer for personal use.
- Storage: 128GB
- RAM: 8GB
- Features: 15.6-inch HD NanoEdge bezel display, Intel Core i3-8145U Processor, backlit chiclet keyboard with fingerprint sensor