By If you’re looking for the best budget laptops under $500 in the market right now, then you’re on the right page.
Here, you will find amazingly cheap laptops from leading laptop manufacturers all over the world.
If you’re used to seeing the thousand-dollar price tag of Apple Macs, it might come as a shock to you that there are some laptops that are just as good and cost only less the price.
When looking for budget laptops under $500, you can trust brands like Acer, Lenovo, Dell, and Hp to give the best in the market. These laptops come with a lot of perks and many high-end features.
Before, we dive right into the list of 15 best budget laptops under $500, here are some of the things to consider when picking a laptop.
Table of Contents
- 1 Platform
- 2 Size
- 3 Build Quality
- 4 Processor
- 5 Battery Life
- 6 Connectivity Options
- 7 Storage
- 8 Here Our best picked 15 Most Reliable and Trusted Best Budget Laptops Under $500
- 9 1. HP Chromebook 15
- 10 2. Samsung Chromebook 3
- 11 3. Lenovo Chromebook Duet
- 12 4. Lenovo Chromebook C330 2-in-1
- 13 5. Acer Aspire 5 Best Budget Laptops
- 14 6. Microsoft Surface Go 2
- 15 7. Acer Aspire E 15
- 16 8. Dell Inspiron 15 3000 Best Budget Laptops
- 17 9. HP Stream 11 Best Budget laptops
- 18 10. Lenovo IdeaPad 3
- 19 11. HP Chromebook x2
- 20 12. Lenovo S340
- 21 13. Acer Swift 1 Best Budget Laptops
- 22 14. Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook
- 23 15. Samsung Chromebook 4
Platform
When it comes to platforms, you’ve got either Mac OS or Windows. There are a bunch of others, but none comes really close to the main two above.
Since you’re going for a budget laptop, you would have to settle for Windows as you can only get the best devices there.
Size
Mini laptops cost way less than large-screen laptops. It’s way easier to see a 13-inch high-end budget laptop than one with 15-inch screen size and excellent features.
Regardless of your work type, it is best to pick a screen size that comes with features that would give you the best value for your money.
Build Quality
Okay, so you’re on a tight budget and you’ve got less than $500 to spare. Well, you would have to deal with some low-end products but there are many high-end ones that come at a great price.
To know the difference, you should look at the overall build quality;. A tougher exterior build usually signifies a high-quality product.
Processor
When it comes to processors, higher is always better. You also need to consider the RAM size as they go hand in hand.
You can choose between Intel and AMD. They are both great, however, AMD laptops come with a better price.
Battery Life
You shouldn’t expect up to 16 hours of runtime when going for a budget laptop, however, you shouldn’t stick to options with poor batteries.
Batteries are rated Wh and the higher the rating, the longer the battery will last.
Connectivity Options
HDMI, USB, and audio jack ports are very important in any laptop. Also, your laptop should have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capability.
Storage
When it comes to storage, you can either go for hard drives or SSD. If you want to enjoy fast speed and silent operation, then SSDs are the way to go.
In addition, they do not produce noticeable heat during use. Note that SSDs cost a lot more than laptops with hard drives, so you might want to stick to hard drives if SSDs are way out of your budget.
Then you can decide on how much storage you want. You can go for 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB , or 2TB.
Here Our best picked 15 Most Reliable and Trusted Best Budget Laptops Under $500
- HP Chromebook 15
- Samsung Chromebook 3
- Lenovo Chromebook Duet
- Lenovo Chromebook C330 2-in-1
- Acer Aspire 5
- Microsoft Surface Go 2
- Acer Aspire E 15
- Dell Inspiron 15 3000
- HP Stream 11
- Lenovo IdeaPad 3
- HP Chromebook x2
- Lenovo S340
- Acer Swift 1
- Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook
- Samsung Chromebook 4
1. HP Chromebook 15
The HP Chromebook 15 is one the best budget laptop comes with the Intel Core i3-8130U and a comfortable price right below $500.
One of the most outstanding features of this laptop is that is has a screen size of 15.6 inches and a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.
It also weighs 4 pounds which is not that much considering its screen size. For storage, you get up to 128GB and there is 4GB of RAM to go with all these impressive specs.
The sharp display, impressive core performance, and refreshing design are some good reasons to settle for this laptop.
In addition to that, it comes with a battery life of up to 9 hours and a multiple ports option.
Features
- Long-lasting battery
- Great performance
- Good storage space
- It's has poor audio
2. Samsung Chromebook 3
The Samsung Chromebook 3 costs way less than $500 but you’d have to deal with an Intel Celeron CPU and storage space of 32GB.
While these may seem disappointing, there are many perks to this laptop. It comes with a display size of 11.6 inches making it a perfect choice for those looking for something small.
It features a resolution of 1,366 x 768 and weighs just 2.5 pounds.
You will be thrilled to know that it comes with a RAM capacity of 4GB and a webcam. The most impressive feature of the Samsung Chromebook 3 is its battery.
You can enjoy up to 10 hours of runtime with this laptop.
Samsung Chromebook 3
$219.99
$191.98
in stock
21 used from $57.99
Features
- Great performance
- Impressive battery life
- Functional webcam
- Needs more storage
3. Lenovo Chromebook Duet
If you want something small but with nice features that would meet your needs then the Lenovo Chromebook Duet could make for a good buy.
It comes with a 10.1 display and a nice resolution rating of 1920 x 1200 pixels.
The Lenovo Chromebook Duet comes with a MediaTek Helio P60T CPU which should give you a great user experience> It features 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage.
Lenovo Chromebook Duet, 2-in-1,
7 used from $169.98
Features
- Great battery life
- Impressive screen display
- Lightweight
- Overall build quality needs improvement
4. Lenovo Chromebook C330 2-in-1
You shouldn’t expect an ad AMD or Intel Core processor with this Lenovo product, but there are perks that come with owning one.
It features 4GB of RAM and 32 GB storage (there is also a 64GB storage option). It comes with a MediaTek MT8173C CPU and a screen resolution of 1,366 x 768.
Lenovo Chromebook C330 2-in-1
$243.80
$213.00
in stock
20 used from $143.00
Features
- Works as a mini laptop and tablet
- 10 hours of battery life
- Comfortable keyboard
- Poor performance
5. Acer Aspire 5 Best Budget Laptops
Acer is one of the main brands in the laptop market due to its exceptional products and the Acer Aspire 5 no exception.
It comes with a long battery life of up to 9 hours, RAM capacity of 4GB, and storage of 128GB SSD.
The laptop has a display size of 15.6 inches with a decent resolution of 1920 x 1080. You won’t find a DVD writer but you get a good number of ports. It also features the Intel Core i3-8145U processor.
Features
- Large display
- Long-lasting battery
- Bright 1080 display quality
- Lack a DVD writer
6. Microsoft Surface Go 2
This hybrid device will function as a laptop and a tablet giving you all the flexibility you will need.
It comes with a display size of 10.5 inches and impressive display quality of 1920 x 1280. It also features 4GB of RAM and 64 storage.
The Microsoft Surface Go 2 is powered by Intel Premium Gold 4425Y which doesn’t make for the most impressive performance but will handle basic tasks with ease.
NEW Microsoft Surface Go 2 - 10.5"
15 used from $279.99
Features
- Great battery life
- Impressive build quality
- Nice webcam
- Performance is not that great
7. Acer Aspire E 15
Coming with an Intel Core i3-8130U CPU, the Acer Aspire E 15 will offer you one of the best performances for laptops under $500.
It is pretty large with a display size of 15.6 inches and a high resolution of 1920 x 1080. This laptop comes with some of the most impressive features you will ever come across.
It has a RAM size of 6GB and a storage capacity of 1TB. This is quite amazing for a laptop under $500.
It’s also got an amazing battery life of up to 9 hours and a lot of ports for your connectivity options.
Features
- Great battery life
- Powerful performance
- Impressive graphics
- Bulky and heavy
8. Dell Inspiron 15 3000 Best Budget Laptops
The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 features an Intel 10th Gen CPU making it a powerful device with a lot to offer.
It comes with a RAM capacity of 4GB and features a storage capacity of 128GB. Its display specs are just as impressive.
The screen size measures 15.6 inches and comes with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. The laptop is an affordable and reliable option for your basic tasks.
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 Series 15.6 Inch Laptop
Features
- Good number of ports
- Powerful CPU
- Nice display
- Old model design
9. HP Stream 11 Best Budget laptops
The HP Stream 11 is an insanely cheap windows laptop with amazing specs for basic tasks and light laptop users.
It comes with an Intel Celeron N4000 CPU and a RAM size of 4GB. It also has a storage capacity of 32GB which won’t really count as much but with external storage, you should be able to make it work.
Its screen size is just 11 inches long with a resolution of 1366 x 768.
HP Stream 11-inch HD Laptop
16 used from $128.95
Features
Cost less than $200
Battery lasts for up to 9 hours
Impressive performance for its price
- Poor display
10. Lenovo IdeaPad 3
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 comes with a 15-inch screen. It comes with an impressive build quality that should hold against slight falls.
In addition to these features is a 4GB RAM and storage option of 256GB.
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" Laptop
11 used from $429.97
Features
- Affordable
- Excellent build quality
- Great for light users
- Low resolution
11. HP Chromebook x2
The HP Chromebook x2 is one of the best 2-in-1 laptops you will find on the market. It comes with an Intel Core m3-7Y30 processor and an Intel HD 615 GPU.
The screen measures 12.3 inches with an impressive resolution of 2400 x 1600. You also get 4GB RAM and 32GB of storage.
Battery life is very impressive with up to 9 hours of runtime.
HP 2-in-1 12.3" Touch-Screen Chromebook Intel Core M - 4GB Memory - 32GB eMMC Flash Memory (X2 12-F014D) White - New
Features
- Long-lasting battery
- Impressive design
- Excellent display
- Heavy and bulky
12. Lenovo S340
The Lenovo S340 is another insanely affordable Chromebook with an impressive design. It comes with 14 inches of screen display and a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.
The Lenovo S340 runs on an Intel Celeron N4000 processor which should handle simple tasks and applications.
You will also find 4GB RAM and a disappointing 32GB of storage. The laptop is lightweight even with its large screen size.
The Lenovo S340 is rather impressive considering its price and what other competitors offer.
Lenovo ideapad S340 15.6"
2 used from $449.49
Features
- Affordable
- Lightweight
- Nice display
- Limited storage
13. Acer Swift 1 Best Budget Laptops
With the Acer Swift 1, you will enjoy up to 10 hours of battery life and a wide range of ports to go.
This laptop comes with 14 inches of display and impressive resolution figures of 1920 x 1080 pixels.
It features a lightweight aluminium chassis – a sleek feature that goes well with its amazing design.
Acer Swift 1, 14" Full HD Notebook
$369.00
$349.95
in stock
7 used from $229.98
Features
Great battery life
Moderate performance
Lightweight
- Dull display
14. Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook
For a great performing laptop that comes with a cheap price tag, the Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook might be your best bet.
This Chromebook can function as a laptop and as a tablet which gives more user options than you can ever think of.
It features a part-aluminium body and a solid metal chassis that makes it look like a premium device. This exceptional build quality is one of the best features of this laptop.
Other key specs include an Intel Core i3-10110U CPU, an Intel UHD GPU, 4GB of RAM, and a storage capacity of 64GB.
Its screen display measures 13.3 inches with a resolution of 1920 x 1080.
Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 13" Laptop
24 used from $174.39
Features
- Impressive display
- 2-in-1 design
- Nice performance
- Below average battery runtime
15. Samsung Chromebook 4
Featuring an Intel Celeron 3000N CPU, the Samsung Chromebook 4 is a powerful device for any basic laptop user.
It also comes with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It also comes with a display size of 11.6 inches and a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels.
This laptop also comes with an impressive battery life of up to 10 hours.
Samsung Chromebook 4 + Chrome OS 15.6"
$299.99
$222.99
in stock
22 used from $136.87
Features
Nice build quality
Above average battery life
Impressive performance
- Limited storage
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