Best Cheap Laptops: Top 10 Best Cheap Laptops Recommendations from Techywired

Everyone wants a laptop that works like a bullet but doesn’t hurt their pockets. Shopping for a new laptop can be confusing with so many different options available in the market. When purchasing a device for several hundred dollars, you want to ensure that it fulfills all your needs, but spending a lot of money on a device with high-end features you won’t use can be futile.

With manufacturers like Asus, Lenovo, Dell, and HP, you can now get more potent components in a single model like ultra-portability, powerful performances, and not traditional clamshell laptops under an affordable budget. We have reviewed hundreds of laptops monitoring each aspect, and we know what a user looks for when buying a budget machine. The good news is that now you can get the best cheap laptops that can handle all your basic tasks, from checking emails to typing up bundles of documents and more, even playing your favorite games – if you spend a few pennies more, all under or less than $500.

If you are digging for a laptop under $500 or even less, here are the best cheap laptops you can get right away. We have listed the 10 best cheap laptops for you if you don’t know how to choose and what to look for in the best cheap laptops for your side table or desk. Techywired has curated all the specs, features, pros, and cons of low-budget machines with decent performances and efficiency to serve you at hand. 

Below is the precisely selected range of the best cheap laptops available in the market because not all low-priced laptops are worth your money. 

The Best Cheap Laptops – Our Top Picks

Lenovo Chromebook 3 Price: $259.99 Buy Now

Lenovo Chromebook 3

Details SPECS Ram: 4 GB Storage: 64 GB SSD Processor: MediaTek MT8183 Display: 1920 x 1080 Graphics: Integrated Arm Mali G72 Operating System: Windows OS PROS Excellent battery life Bright Nits Screen Multi-Tasker Machine CONS Uncomfortable/Compact keypad Average built Internet limitation

$259.99 Buy Now

Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 Price: $333 Buy Now

Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5

Details SPECS Ram: 4GB Storage: 64Gb Processor: 2.1 GHz core_i3 Display: 1920×1080 Graphics: Intel Integrated Graphics Operating System: Chrome OS PROS Beautiful and lucrative design Price is affordable in 13-inch laptop size The keyboard is soft and easy to use The audio quality is outstanding CONS Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 performance is moderate Battery life is Subpar

$333 Buy Now

ASUS ZenBook 13 Price: $867.47 Buy Now

ASUS ZenBook 13 Ultra-Slim

Details SPECS Ram: 8GB Storage: 256Gb Processor: 2.4 GHz core_i5 Display: 1920×1080 Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Operating System: Windows 11 PROS Excellent OLED screen Very soft and touchy keypad Excellent quality speaker for better quality sound Face recognition with IR technology Battery life is outstanding It’s a completely slim and lightweight device CONS There is no option to upgrade RAM Touchpad found sticky Micro SD reads are slow The screen starts flickering at low brightness

$867.47 Buy Now

HP Pavilion Aero Price: $919.99 Buy Now

HP Pavilion Aero

Details SPECS Ram: 16GB Storage: 1TB PCIe SSD Processor: 4.4 GHz ryzen_7 Display: 1920×1200 Graphics: AMD Radeon™ Graphics Operating System: Windows 11 Home PROS Excellent performance Long battery life Slim and lightweight 14-inch laptop Beautiful look and elegant body design CONS HP Pavilion Aero Ultra keyboard is a little bit rough Lid bendability is too high There is no micro card slot available Small deck

$919.99 Buy Now

SAMSUNG 13.3″ Galaxy Chromebook Price: $1033.40 Buy Now

SAMSUNG 13.3″ Galaxy Chromebook

Details SPECS Ram: 8GB Storage: 256GB 1.6 GHz core_i5_10210u Display: 3840×2160 Graphics: Intel Integrated Operating System: Chrome OS PROS Brilliant performance4K OLED display gives satisfactory results Users will get a built-in S open outlook in a red aluminum design Thin and shining razor chassis CONS Get hot early Hinges are fragile Battery life is poor

$1033.40 Buy Now

Dell XPS 13 9310 Price: $1499.99 Buy Now

Dell XPS 13 9310

Details SPECS Ram: 16GB Storage: 512GB Intel Core i7-1195G7 Display: 3840×2400 InfinityEdge Touch Anti-Reflective 500-Nit Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics Operating System: Windows 11 Home PROS Excellent 16:10 display Beautiful design Battery life is satisfactory Comfortable and soft keyboard High-quality integrated graphics CONS Limited Port Number Webcam quality is average There is no privacy shutter Card readers are slow

$1499.99 Buy Now

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 Price: $948.17 Buy Now

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4

Details SPECS Ram: 8GB Storage: 128GB SSD Processor: 4 GHz ryzen_5 Display: 2256 x 1504 Graphics: AMD Radeon Vega 9 Operating System: Windows 10 Home PROS Excellent screen display An affordable and lightweight machine Awesome sound quality Soft keyboard The fast processor within this price $948.17 range CONS Limited number of Ports There is no thunderbolt four support Only 720 webcamHuge bezels

$948.17 Buy Now

CHUWI GemiBook Price: $233.00 Buy Now

CHUWI GemiBook

Details SPECS Ram: 8 GB RAM type DDR4 SDRAM Storage: 256GB SSD Processor: 2 GHz celeron Display: 2160×1440 Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 600 Operating System: Windows 10, Windows 11 PROS Backlight keyboard Large touchpad Full high-definition screen Full high-definition screen CONS Whine buzz and annoying coil Average battery life Limited number of ports

$233.00 Buy Now

Asus ROG Flow X13 Price: $233.00 Buy Now

Asus ROG Flow X13

Details SPECS Ram: 32GB Storage: Dual 1TB PCI m.2 SSDs Processor: 2 GHz celeron Display: 2160×1440 Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 600 Operating System: Windows 10, Windows 11 PROS Exceptional performance on a tiny laptop Ryzen 9 5980HS Lightweight gaming laptop Extraordinary design 16:10 HD display CONS Soldered RAM Poor battery life Expensive

$233.00 Buy Now

HP Elite Dragonfly W10P-64 Price: $979.99 Buy Now

HP Elite Dragonfly W10P-64

Details SPECS Ram: 8GB Storage: 256 GB NVME Processor: Elite Dragonfly W10P-64 i5-8265U Display: 1920 x 1080 Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 600 Operating System: Windows 10 PROS C0mpact, slim and Light weight 3:2 touchscreen ratioHaptic and snappy keyboard Fingerprint reader available MAgnetic Pen CONS Users need to learn keyboard shortcuts Expensive

$979 Buy Now

The Best Cheap Laptops – Detailed Review 

Best Cheap Laptops – Lenovo Chromebook 3

Specifications 

Over the years, Chromebooks have gained popular value in budget choices, and Lenovo’s Chromebook revolutionized it more with the duet’s entrance. Lenovo’s Chromebook 3 is fast, bigger, and more powerful than its predecessors. It has an excellent battery life, a decent display, and performance better than you would expect for a laptop under $300. It’s a cheap, versatile 2-in-1 tablet with a packed-in keyboard and plenty of other features listed above.

It is one of the best cheap laptops for those who want to spend hours and hours on it, enjoying their favorite movies or games without getting up several times to charge their device.

Pros

• Excellent battery life
• Bright-Colored screen
• Good productivity

Cons

• Uncomfortable/compact keypad
• Average built
• Internet limitation

Available At Amazon

Rating

4/5

Best Cheap Laptops – Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5

Specifications 

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 is another affordable machine from the best cheap laptops we have compiled in a list for you with a solid performance. It’s a 2-in-1 device with a comfortable keyboard and good battery life. Versatile 2-in-1 laptops are now quite popular among students and professionals these days.

However, you won’t always get a good high-performance convertible 2-in-1 laptop under $1000, but Lenovo’s IdeaPad flex 5 has solved all your issues related to the slow speeds, overheating, and disappointing battery life of a low-budget gadget just for $579. Using this pad can’t stop you from falling in love with it, but its dull and dim display fades your love a bit. But if you are someone who doesn’t worry about bright displays, this handy device is all you need to try right away.  

Pros

• Solid battery life 
• No. of ports
• Versatile and convertible

Cons

• Cramped touchpad
• Charging at a slow rate

Available At Amazon

Rating

 4.5/5

Best Cheap Laptop – Lenovo IdeaPad 1

Specifications 

Lenovo IdeaPad 114 proves to be one of the best cheap laptops available in the market with its surprisingly good performance and decent build. Users will get an enjoyable experience using windows 10 S if battery time and unavailability of a USB-C type port aren’t an issue for them. This one is a good deal for basic day-to-day tasks under $300.

Lenovo IdeaPad 114 at $237.00 packs a comfortable keyboard and trackpad, a full HD (1920 x 1080) display, and a well build qualities, a combination a lot of low-budget machines lack. Well, lowering the budget below $300 comes with some limitations and compromises; IdeaPad 114’s processor and 4GB RAM are only enough for basic end-user needs. You can do browsing with a single tab open or edit your documents without any balk, but other heavy-loaded tasks can cause it to trip.

Pros

• Lightweight and handy
• Comfortable keyboard and trackpad
• HDMI port available
• Excellent display

Cons

• Dim screen – 220 nits backlight
• No USB-C type port
• Relatively slow processor

Availability and Price

Rating

3.5/5

Best Cheap Laptop – Acer Aspire 5

Specifications 

Acer Aspire 5, with its decent performance and good quality build, has earned a place in our list of the best cheap laptops. This inexpensive laptop is great for people looking for strong hardware at rock-bottom prices. Featuring a backlit keyboard and fingerprint reader, plenty of ports, and a larger screen size for less than $400 is a deal nobody wants to miss. With its strong processors, Acer Aspire 5 promises the best experience for accelerated video editing and routine productivity tasks with basic web browsing.

Acer Aspire 5 is one of the best cheap laptops that feature Wi-Fi 6 and gigabit Ethernet connectivity with a bright 15.6 inches screen, providing you a respectable performance only for $360.

Pros

• Economical
• Plenty of ports
• Good quality build
• Backlit keyboard layout with fingerprint reader

Cons

• Touchpad is slippery
• Insufficient battery life

Availability and Price

Rating

4.5/5

Best Cheap Laptop – Acer Chromebook 514

Specifications 

Acer Chromebook 514 might be a simple tablet and miss out on several premium features, but it’s still an excellent low-budget Chromebook with a 14 inches display screen. Acer Chromebook is one of the best cheap laptops that brings to the table a sharp aluminum design, ultra-portability, and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. That isn’t yet included in $400 budget devices. Featuring a backlit keyboard and an excellent battery, it is one of the affordable alternatives to low-budget PCs. It’s quick to start and faster to get things done without spending hours and hours; thanks to Chrome OS for this.

514’s speaker might not do it for you, but it is a great deal to avail for $459.99 if you want a reliable low-budget machine.

Pros

• Decent battery life
• Features backlit keyboard
• Excellent display
• Comfortable trackpad

Cons

• Boring/plain speakers
• The processor could be better

Availability and Price

Rating

4.5/5

Best Cheap Laptop – Microsoft Surface Go 3

Specifications 

Microsoft Surface Go 3 is the best cheap laptop for kids or people looking for tiny computer screens featuring a 10.6 inches display, but its performance isn’t up to expectations. Reviews show that there is a lot you are trading off in this 3rd generation of products in the market. You would get a strong build with decent performance and a surprisingly good display for all your routine work. It’s a great device with active pen support as long as you don’t use it for prolonged hours.

Pros

• Portable
• Strong Build
• Active pen support
• Decent performance
• Surprisingly good display

Cons

• Cramped keyboard and trackpad
• Average battery life
• Plain design

Availability and Price:

Rating

3.5/5

Best Cheap Laptops – HP Victus 15

Specifications 

HP victus 15 qualifies as a low-budget gaming laptop in Techywired’s index of the best cheap laptops of 2022. Gaming laptops are never inexpensive, and high-end performance on robust hardware even asks for more. HP breaks the taboo with this thin and cheap ($689.99) gaming laptop. It enters the market with meager but serviceable specs like NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GPU and 2 GHz core i5 CPU with 144 Hz refresh rate and a 15.6 inches screen for just $688.99, thousands less than competitive gaming rigs.

Reviews showed that HP victus 15 could handle milder games that don’t need a full power play. If you are a beginner at PC gaming or want to kick-start your journey as a gamer, this is one of the best cheap laptops you can get. But other configurations from HP and a lot of other bigger brands have better processors that support heavy-load gaming but at higher prices.

Limiting your budget to get a gaming performance on a rig under $700 comes with some compromises. Users may not enjoy the screen as it’s somehow dull, and HP could do better on that side. Also, the battery might be a concern for some who never want to leave their desk to charge their low-budget machines again and again.

Pros

• Productive overall performance
• Good gaming performance
• Aesthetically appealing
• Reasonable price for a gaming laptop
• Decent keyboard and touchpad

Cons

• Dull screen – could be better
• Complex configurations
• Insufficient battery life

Availability and price

Rating

4.5/5

Best Cheap Laptops – Dell Chromebook 11 (3100)

Specifications 

An inexpensive Chromebook with a compact design and plenty of USB ports is all you need for $239.74 while looking for the best cheap laptops of 2022. Dell promises to be a student’s best friend in classrooms or at home with its 2-in-1 versatile design. It is designed to be as rugged as possible and tough enough to withstand the surrounding’s wear and tear. It’s cheap and rugged with plenty of USB ports, but your kids will have to compromise on 720 pixels display, but do kids ask for that?

Pros

• User-Friendly
• Enough USB ports
• Compact design
• LTE option
• Affordable
• Keyboard resistant to spills

Cons

• The resolution is only restrictive to 720 p
• Uncomfortable touchpad
• No card reader
• Poor network reception

Availability and Price

Rating

4/5

Best Cheap Laptops – Dell Inspiron 15 3000 (3511)

Specifications

15 inches display, windows 11 Home, robust build, 1920 x 1080 full HD display, and gaming? All under one roof only for $688.00 isn’t what makes Dell Chromebook 1300 (3500) one of the best cheap laptops you should own.   The model we have chosen for you has 1 TB of hard drive storage and 16 GB RAM with an Intel Core i5 1135-G, and you can not only use it for your everyday tasks, but gaming freaks can run less loaded games on it.

The laptop’s chassis is solid and well-built with a 15.6 inches larger screen, merely weighing 3.8 pounds, making it a great deal for users on a low budget. However, you may not enjoy the backlighting as this low-priced machine has dim screen brightness. It also lacks a USB-C port, so if dim screens don’t trigger your retina and you want to play games along with your day-to-day tasks on a reasonable budget, this one is the best option.

Pros

• 15 inches full large HD display
• Windows 11 – Home
• Economical
• Well built

Cons

• No USB-C port
• Unsatisfactory screen brightness
• Low maximum volume – weak speaker system

Availability and Price

Rating

4.5/5 

Best Cheap Laptops – Asus VivoBook 15 (F512JA-AS34)

Specifications 

Asus Vivobook 15 is one of the best cheap laptops featuring a 15.6 inches displays to serve users with a desktop replacement, while other low-priced ones only have diagonally 12 – 14 inches screens. Asus Vivobook provides an above-average performance with its decent battery life and selection of ports. The display is not up to the mark, but lightweight, and the design doesn’t feel flimsy. For $354.88, you get a good deal for your office tasks – emails, spreadsheets, and a plus-size screen to enjoy YouTube and Netflix.

Pros

• Good battery life – 8 hours
•  keyboard with the fingerprint sensor
• Better port than most of the low-budget notebooks – microSD and USB-C
• Standard performance at the best budget

Cons

• Below–Average Display
•  hard disk sized 128 Gb is restrictive

Availability and Price

Rating

4/5

Best Cheap Laptops – Final Words

Made your decision yet? Well, today’s good news is that using the best cheap laptops will ask for fewer concessions than you did in the past. CPUs and GPUs used in current laptop markets have now been advanced to the point where they support your basic productivity needs and web browsing without slowing down or hanging you in the middle of your tasks. Thanks to intel’s Celeron and Pentium processors available under $400 with decent and smooth efficiency, you won’t have to be worried about the processors at least. With spending a bit more, you can get laptops meeting your high-end needs and performing all your heavy load tasks in a blink of an eye. But if you’re more of an office guy and want the best budget machine to run your basics, our list at the top will do for you.

Frequently Asked Questions