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The best laptops out there pack mouth-watering specs and premium features in some stunning designs that are still light and portable. For tech enthusiasts like us here at XDA, they're what make the tech industry so fun and interesting. But all of those high-end pieces of hardware are not something everyone can afford, and if you're on a smaller budget, it can be easy to look at those laptops with envy. Don't fret, though. There are some great laptops out there with much more affordable prices, and we've rounded up some of the best.
First off, let's set some ground rules. We're setting our budget at $700, though if you want to go lower, we also have an article focused on the best laptops under $600. We're also relying on sales for many of these, and that's because in this price range it can truly be worth it to look out for a sale. Many high-end laptops that might normally cost almost $1,000 can often be found discounted to prices in this range, and they're going to give you a fantastic experience. Of course, that means they fit our price range at writing time, but you may find slightly different prices when you're reading this.
Best overall laptop: Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1
If you're like me and you love convertibles, the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 is a fantastic choice at this price. This laptop is available in both Intel and AMD variants, but the Intel version is the one we're recommending right now thanks to an ongoing sale.
This model comes with an Intel Core i5-1235U, which means you get 10 cores and 12 threads with boost speeds up to 4.4GHz. Additionally, you get 8GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage, which is a very good combination for a convertible at this price. You can't upgrade any of this without going past our budget, but most people shouldn't need to. This will already give you a very good experience, especially in this price range.
The same can be said for the display, which is a 14-inch panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio. While it's not the only laptop with this taller format on this list, it's still quite uncommon to see it on laptops this affordable, especially convertibles. It comes in Full HD+ resolution (1920 x 1200), which is quite sharp for a screen this size. Another great thing about it is that the base model already has 400 nits of brightness, so you can use it outdoors without much of a problem, something laptops often skip out on in this price range. Of course, it's a convertible, so it also supports touch and pen input.
And there's a notable advantage this one has over many of the laptops on this list: the webcam. The Inspiron 14 2-in-1 comes with a 1080p webcam, something that's becoming the standard for most laptops in 2022. Unfortunately, there's no Windows Hello facial recognition on this one, but you can use a fingerprint reader to log in easily and securely.
The Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 also has some unique elements to its design that help it stand out a bit more. For one thing, it comes in a subtle green shade, which looks more unique than most laptops in this price range. Then there's the palm rest, which is actually made of glass. Instead of having a touchpad cut out of the palm rest, it's actually cut into the palm rest. It has three-sided borders, so at the top, it blends seamlessly into the laptop. It makes for a unique look overall. As for portability, the laptop is 17.86mm thick at its thickest point and weighs 3.61 pounds, which isn't too bad for a convertible.
Coming around to the ports, the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 packs a decent supply that covers all the basics. You get two USB Type-C (10Gbps) ports, one USB Type-A (5Gbps) port, HDMI, a headphone jack, and a full-size SD card reader. The USB Type-C ports also support DisplayPort if you want to connect more monitors that way.
The Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 is one of the best value-for-money convertibles you can get right now, with great specs, a solid display, and a Full HD webcam. For this price, you'll be very well served.
Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1
The Dell Inspiron 14 is a very capable convertible laptop with a tall screen and solid webcam.
Best lightweight laptop: HP Pavilion Aero
It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the HP Pavilion Aero is one of our top recommendations. It has pretty much everything you could ask for from an affordable laptop wrapped up in a design that's still somewhat premium. It launched at $750, but you can find it for much less. Right now it's just $530, which is an absolutely fantastic deal.
So, what do you get for that price? For starters, you get an AMD Ryzen 5000 series processor, starting with a 6-core, 12-thread Ryzen 5 5625U with boost speeds up to 4.3GHz. This is already a fantastic processor for this price range, and you're going to get great performance for just about any daily task related to work, school, or just web browsing. Plus, you get 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD in the base configuration, and overall, this is a really strong combination of specs for the price you pay. And because it's so heavily discounted right now, you have some wiggle room for upgrades in that $700 budget if you want even more.
But the Pavilion Aero doesn't stop there. It also comes with a 13.3-inch display that comes in a tall 16:10 aspect ratio, which is usually something you only find in premium laptops. That extra vertical space is great for productivity, and the base model already comes in Full HD+ (1920 x 1200) resolution with a brightness up to 400 nits, which is very rare for this price. To sweeten the deal, you can upgrade to a super-sharp Quad HD+ (2560 x 1600) panel for just $30. Either way, the screen goes up to 400 nits of brightness, which means it's going to be decently visible outdoors, something many laptops at this price tend to cut corners on.
A fault of the Pavilion Aero, however — and this will be a common theme on this list — is the webcam. It's a lower-quality 720p camera and it doesn't support Windows Hello facial recognition, either. You do get a fingerprint reader below the keyboard, which is still nice for added security, but not quite as convenient.
In terms of design, the Pavilion Aero 13 looks like a fairly standard clamshell, but it's actually made of magnesium, something you don't see a lot on cheaper laptops. This allows it to be very light, weighing less than 2.2 pounds, and it's also relatively thin at just over 17mm. Something else that's unique to the Pavilion Aero is that it comes in four color options. The colors are all fairly subdued, but considering so many laptops barely give you any options at all, this is still nice to see.
Finally, there are the ports. You get one USB Type-C port (3.2 Gen 2), two USB Type-A ports (3.2 Gen 1), HDMI 2.0, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader. That's a setup that covers all the basic needs you might have, though it doesn't support Thunderbolt because it's an AMD-powered laptop. Even if it wasn't, cheap laptops often don't include Thunderbolt 4. The USB ports could be faster, but if you just want to connect a mouse or transfer files occasionally, it works well.
With all of that, there's no doubt that the HP Pavilion Aero is one of the best cheap laptops you can buy right now, and it has earned our recommendation.
HP Pavilion Aero 13
The HP Pavilion Aero is powerful and lightweight laptop with a premium-feeling design and a great display.
Best for students: Surface Laptop Go 2
Microsoft doesn't make a lot of budget-oriented devices, but the Surface Laptop Go 2 is a good example of one. This iteration is a very big upgrade from the previous model in terms of performance, and it delivers a balanced experience all around, making it great for students and more casual users.
Performance-wise, the Surface Laptop Go 2 is powered by an Intel Core i5-1135G7, a quad-core, eight-thread processor that can boost up to 4.2GHz. This isn't the newest Intel processor around, but that's part of what allows this laptop to be as cheap as it is. Plus, you get Intel Iris Xe graphics, which is a major upgrade from the original Surface Laptop Go and its very weak GPU. The Surface Laptop Go 2 also comes with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage, though that configuration usually costs more than $700. Still, the mid-tier configuration costs just under $700, and it includes 8GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD storage, which is already pretty good.
The display on the Surface Laptop Go 2 is pretty unique compared to everything else on this list. It's a relatively small 12.4-inch panel, making it more suited for younger students, but it's also got a 3:2 aspect ratio, which makes it feel significantly larger. A 3:2 aspect ratio is even taller than 16:10, and all the benefits you usually get with 16:10 are even more prevalent this way, so this 12.4-inch screen can feel much bigger than that. It comes in an odd resolution, 1536 x 1024, but for a display of this size, that's plenty sharp. Plus, it supports touch, which is always nice to have.
The webcam is a potential letdown, seeing as Microsoft stuck with a 720p camera for this laptop. That's not too uncommon for laptops in this price range, though, and Microsoft says the camera has been enhanced from the previous generation (even though it's the same resolution), so it's not too bad. There's no Windows Hello facial recognition support, but the mid-range and top-tier configurations both offer a fingerprint reader built into the power button to make it easier to unlock the PC.
Surface devices have a very clean design that could almost be considered boring, yet they somehow still look iconic, and the Surface Laptop Go 2 stays true to that. There's really not much that can be said about this design, but it works well, and it gives you four colors to choose from, including Platinum, Matte Black, Sandstone, and Sage. Being a relatively small laptop, the Surface Laptop Go 2 weighs just 2.48 pounds, and it's 15.7mm thick, so it's a very portable machine.
Some may not love the port setup on the Surface Laptop Go 2, however. There's one USB Type-C port, one USB Type-A, a headphone jack, and a Surface Connect port for charging. It's a somewhat limited setup, but if you've used Surface devices, you know that's pretty typical.
It's not a perfect laptop, and in terms of performance, you can probably get some better options on this list. But the Surface Laptop Go 2's compact size and premium feel make it an option worth considering, and it's still one of the best cheap laptops out there.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
The Surface Laptop Go 2 is a budget-oriented laptop, but it still has great performance the clean Surface design language, and a tall 3:2 display.
Best cheap business laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 4
Almost any laptop can be used for work, but if you're looking for a real business laptop — and from one of the most reputable business brands, no less — then the ThinkPad E14 Gen 4 is the best option in this price range. Like most business laptops, it can only fit our budget thanks to a discount, but it's still completely worthy of a recommendation.
As with many other laptops on this list, the Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 4 is powered by 12th-generation Intel Core processors, specifically starting with an Intel Core i3-1215U, which gets you six cores and eight threads, with boost speeds up to 4.4GHz, delivering very good entry-level performance. It also comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage, everything you need for a good baseline experience with Windows 11.
Turning to the display, the ThinkPad E14 Gen 4 comes with a 14-inch IPS panel and a 16:9 aspect ratio. More expensive business laptops are switching to taller screens these days, but this is still very common in this price range. It's a Full HD panel and it reaches 300 nits of brightness, which is great for this price. A compromise you'll have to make, as with most laptops on this list, is the 720p webcam, which won't be ideal, but it's serviceable if you need to use it in a pinch. You can upgrade to a 1080p webcam if you're willing to pay a bit more, though, and you can even add Windows Hello facial recognition support.
Design-wise, the ThinkPad E14 is exactly what you'd expect from a ThinkPad, so you get that classic business look that's very loved by ThinkPad fans. It's available in either silver or black models, though both still feature the iconic red accents and features like the TrackPoint on the keyboard. The laptop itself is 17.9mm thick, and it weighs 3.5 pounds, so it's not overly heavy, but it's not especially light, either. It's about what you'd expect for this price range.
One thing business laptops do very well is connectivity, and that holds true with the ThinkPad E14. You get one Thunderbolt 4 port, two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, RJ45 Ethernet, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, which means you can connect just about anything you want to this laptop without needing adapters or docking stations. Unlike more expensive ThinkPads, it doesn't have cellular connectivity, but that's just the cost of buying something this cheap.
All in all, the Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 4 still has all the makings of a great business laptop, but with a price tag that's much more friendly to the wallet.
Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 4
The Lenovo ThinkPad E14 is a relatively affordable business laptop that keeps the most iconic elements of ThinkPads, including the red TrackPoint and the classic design. It also comes with 12th-gen Intel processors for solid performance.
Best cheap 15-inch laptop: HP Pavilion 15
If you want a slightly bigger laptop and more power to boot, this HP Pavilion 15 is a phenomenal choice, and the only reason it's on this list is that it's currently seeing a very big discount that brings it under $600. Officially, it costs quite a bit more, but thanks to frequent discounts, this is an easy recommendation if you want something affordable and capable.
For starters, this laptop starts with an Intel Core i5-1235U, which is already a fantastic processor to get in a laptop at this price, with 10 cores, 12 threads, and boost speeds up to 4.4GHz. It also includes integrated Intel iris Xe graphics, so it can handle some light GPU tasks, including some very light gaming. On top of that, the base configuration comes with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, and with the current discounted price, you can even get some upgrades and still stick under $700.
The 15.6-inch display comes in a typical 16:9 aspect ratio, which you might consider a downside depending on how you feel about taller screens. It comes in Full HD (1920 x 1080) so it's decently sharp and should look good enough indoors. Things change if you go outside because this panel maxes out at just 250 nits, which means strong sunlight is going to obfuscate whatever is on the screen.
As you'd expect, the camera on the HP Pavilion 15 comes in 720p resolution, and it doesn't support Windows Hello facial recognition. While we've seen some exceptions to this rule on this list, this is still the most common for laptops at this price. Thankfully, there is a fingerprint reader if you'd rather unlock the laptop that way.
Looks-wise, the HP Pavilion 15 is relatively basic, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. At 17.78mm of thickness and 3.86 pounds of weight, this is a surprisingly portable laptop considering its 15-inch size. It's obviously heavier than smaller laptops, but you'd be fine carrying this around in a backpack. One thing that's great about this model is that it actually comes in a few color options, so you can get something that's more unique to you.
Rounding things out with ports, there's one fully-featured USB Type-C connection, two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader. It's a pretty solid setup overall, though the USB Type-C port doesn't come with Thunderbolt 4 support. That's a pretty rare feature at this price, so that shouldn't be considered a major downside.
If the bigger screen is something you value a lot, the HP Pavilion 15 is a very good laptop, and this configuration at this price is an absolute steal. If you want the most performance, this is really your best option.
HP Pavilion 15
This HP Pavilion 15 comes with 12th-generation Intel processors and other specs that will give you a great experience across the board. With the current discount, it's a phenomenal laptop for what you pay.
Best cheap gaming laptop: Acer Nitro 5
Not everyone uses their laptop just for work. If you want to get into some gaming, the Acer Nitro 5 may be the best laptop you can buy right now without breaking the bank. It's all thanks to a discount, which we definitely recommend taking advantage of if you can, as it makes this laptop much cheaper than usual. Even so, it's still one of the best cheap gaming laptops you can find.
With this model, you're getting an Intel Core i5-12500H processor, which is already a very strong start. This is a 45W processor with 12 cores and 16 threads, and it can boost up to 4.5GHz, so you get a lot of performance for gaming and productivity alike. On top of that, you get an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 GPU, which means you can play most modern games as long as you're willing to tweak some settings here and there. This model also comes with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, but you can always upgrade later if you need more space.
This is a 17-inch variant of the Acer Nitro 5, so you're getting a very large screen for gaming, which can be that much more immersive. It's a Full HD panel, and it has a refresh rate of 144Hz, so your games can run much more smoothly, which means they look and feel that much better. Of course, that uses more GPU power, so not every game can take advantage of it, especially if the title is already demanding normally. Above the display, the Acer Nitro 5 has a 720p webcam, which is good enough for the occasional video call.
The Acer Nitro 5 definitely looks like a gaming laptop, with some red accents and large fan vents making it obvious what the laptop is used for. The keyboard is also backlit with a red light, which adds to the overall aesthetic. Being a powerful gaming laptop — and a 17-inch one at that — means this is also not a very portable machine. It's up to 28.7mm thick and it weighs 6.61 pounds, so this isn't something you want to take with you everywhere.
Finally, we come to the ports, with a setup that includes one USB Type-C port, three USB Type-A ports, HDMI, RJ45 Ethernet, and a headphone jack so all your connectivity needs are covered. Similar to business laptops, gaming laptops tend to have a lot of ports, and this one is no different.
It's not a super high-end gaming rig, but the Acer Nitro 5 is great for anyone looking to get into gaming for the first time, or if you simply don't want to spend a lot on a laptop right now.
Acer Nitro 5
The 17-inch Acer Nitro 5 is an affordable gaming laptop with the latest 12th-gen Intel processors and Nvidia RTX graphics, which can handle most modern games with same tweaks. It's great for anyone getting into gaming.
Best cheap 17-inch laptop: Lenovo IdeaPad 3i
Some of us like small screens, but if you're one of those who like big screens, and you're in the market for a cheap 17-inch laptop, the IdeaPad 3i is probably one of your best options.
First off, it comes with an Intel Core i3-1215U processor with 6 cores, 8 threads, and boost speeds up to 4.4GHz. There's also a higher-tier model with an Intel Core i5, which is even better if you can find it discounted. Still, the base model is already a great starting point, and it also includes 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD right out of the gate, so performance should be pretty good, and you have a lot of space for files.
As expected, this model of the IdeaPad 3i has a 17.3-inch display, and it comes in the typical 16:9 aspect ratio. The resolution is Full HD (1920 x 1080), which is decently sharp, and definitely the best you'll find in a laptop at this price. 17-inch displays won't look super sharp at this resolution, but it's perfectly usable. The display also reaches 300 nits of brightness, which is alright. You'll likely need to max out the brightness to see well outdoors, but it should still be usable.
Above the display, there's a 720p webcam, and once again, there's no Windows Hello facial recognition support. Instead, a fingerprint reader is built into the power button, so you're not completely missing out on the convenience of Windows Hello. The camera also has a privacy shutter for the more privacy-conscious users.
Design-wise, the IdeaPad 3i looks fairly standard, coming in a standard gray color that looks very subdued. The more powerful model we've mentioned above comes in an Abyss Blue colorway that's a bit more unique, but still not overly flashy. Being a 17-inch laptop, it's obviously not very light, but considering its size, the 4.49 pounds of weight is actually very reasonable. It does manage to come in just under 20mm thin, so it should still fit easily in a laptop bag or backpack.
As for the ports, the IdeaPad 3i comes with one USB Type-C (3.2 Gen 1) port, two USB Type-A ports (one USB 3.2 Gen 1, one USB 2.0), HDMI, an SD card reader, and a headphone jack. The setup covers most of the basics, though it would have been nice to see Thunderbolt 4 support. Still, it should get the job done for most people, and for this price, it's hard to ask for much more.
17-inch laptops don't come cheap, and they usually make a few more compromises than their smaller siblings. Still, this is a great option if you want something of this size, and if you happen to find a discount on the higher-tier option, it's certainly worth the upgrade, too.
Lenovo IdeaPad 3i
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i is a solid 17-inch laptop with powerful specs and a Full HD display.
Best tablet: Surface Go 3
If what you want is more of a tablet that can also serve as a laptop, the Surface Go 3 is probably the best option in this price range. It's a budget tablet, but it makes some careful choices to offer a premium experience in aspects that are the most important. It starts at just under $400, so you also have room for some upgrades.
The performance is one area where the Surface Go 3 makes some sacrifices, but it's still solid. The base model comes with an Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y processor with two cores and four threads, as well as boost speeds up to 3.4GHz. That's not on par with the Intel Core and AMD Ryzen processors on this list, but it should still be good enough for basic tasks like web browsing and writing up documents. You also get 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage in the base model, but these are two areas where we recommend upgrading. The $700 budget is fairly generous, and for $550, you can go up to 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, which we absolutely recommend. There's also a model with a faster processor for $630.
Where the Surface Go 3 excels, however, is with the display. Across all configurations, you get a 10.5-inch Full HD+ (1920 x 1280) display, which is very sharp and bright. It also comes in the signature 3:2 aspect ratio of the Surface family, and it's one of the very few laptops you'll find with a tall display like that. This aspect ratio is great for productivity and reading, so whether you're browsing the web or working, it's going to serve you well. Of course, it also supports touch and the Surface Pen, which is sold separately.
The Surface Go 3 also stands out from the pack thanks to its fantastic webcam. The front-facing camera on the Surface Go 3 is a 5MP sensor capable of recording 1080p video, which means it's already far ahead of any other laptop on this list. Not only that, but it actually supports Windows Hello facial recognition, making it very easy to unlock the PC just by looking at it. And there's even another camera on the back: an 8MP sensor also with 1080p video. For students with online classes, or even if you're just trying to call far-away relatives, this is great to have, and it makes the Surface Go 3 really stand out.
Being a small tablet, the Surface Go 3 is also easily the most portable device on this list. It's made of magnesium, which allows it to be just 8.3mm thin and weighing just 1.2 pounds. This is truly a device you can take anywhere, and you can even slip it into a large handbag. Of course, that's without the keyboard, which is also sold separately, but even if you add that, it's easily the most portable device on this list.
One of the more unfortunate sacrifices of the Surface Go 3 is the ports, which is somewhat typical of Surface devices. You get one USB Type-C port, one Surface Connect port for charging and docking, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader. This port setup makes sense for a tablet, so it's hard to say it's terrible, but when you compare it to other laptops, it's not very capable. You'll likely need an adapter for display output using the USB Type-C port, and the same goes for any USB Type-A peripherals you might still have.
Despite its sacrifices, the Surface Go 3 offers a fantastic experience in key aspects like the display and webcam, while still offering good enough performance and extreme portability. It's easy to recommend, but there's a big caveat since the keyboard and Surface Pen are sold separately. If you want either of them, you need to account for that when considering the price.
Microsoft Surface Go 3
The Surface Go 3 is a budget laptop with a great display and an ultra-portable design.
Best Chromebook: Acer Chromebook Spin 514
Acer makes some of the best Chromebooks around, and the Chromebook Spin 514 is a great choice if you're looking for something relatively affordable. It delivers very solid performance for day-to-day tasks, plus it has a great screen and other perks.
First off, there's performance. The latest model of the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 is powered by an AMD Ryzen 3 5125C, a special version of AMD's processors designed for Chromebooks. It gives you two cores and four threads, which is good enough for solid entry-level performance, and that's paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of eMMC storage, so you get a solid experience across the board.
For the display, the latest Acer Chromebook Spin 514 comes with a 14-inch panel, as the branding indicates, and it has a typical 16:9 aspect ratio. The resolution is Full HD, which is about what you'd expect from a laptop at this price. Above that display, there's a 1080p webcam, which helps this laptop stand out. This is a pretty good laptop for video calls and meetings thanks to that camera.
The design of the Chromebook Spin 514 is fairly standard for a convertible, but it still feels premium. It uses an aluminum chassis for the most part, and as we've mentioned, the display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, so it definitely feels high-end in that regard. It's also durable, meeting the military MIL-STD-810H durability standard. In terms of portability, it weighs 3.31 pounds and measures just over 17mm in thickness, so it's fairly lightweight and compact for a convertible of this size.
Coming around to connectivity, you get two USB Type-C ports, one USB Type-A port, and a headphone jack, which covers most of the basics you could want. It's not an overly generous setup, especially with the lack of HDMI, but it's not bad, either. There's a good chance you're not buying a Chromebook to use with multiple screens anyway.
While this is a great laptop, we're only including it on this list because it's significantly below $700, and it still offers a great experience. But if you can spend a little more, the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is a major upgrade in every way and costs $730, so we recommend checking that one out if you can afford it.
Acer Chromebook Spin 514
The Acer Chromebook Spin 514 is a great Chrome OS convertible with the latest AMD Ryzen processors for Chromebooks, plus a sharp display and a great Full HD webcam.
These are the best cheap laptops you can buy right now. All of these are great devices for their asking price, though each of them is more geared toward a specific kind of user. We chose the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 as our best overall pick because it brings together great performance with AMD's latest Ryzen processors, a great display with a tall aspect ratio, a Full HD webcam, and the versatility of a convertible. It's a really compelling combination, but other models on this list are also great.
If you're not necessarily looking for a cheap laptop and you want Thunderbolt 4 support above anything else, check out our list of the best Thunderbolt 4 laptops you can buy today.
