Cheap laptops: the 10 best budget laptops that (very little) money can buy

There’s a lot you can buy for under $500, but what you might not have been aware of is the fact that for that price you could net yourself a brand new laptop. Now, maybe it wouldn’t be as pristine or as lavish as a MacBook Pro, nor will you find any Apple product on a ‘budget laptop’ list. But, what you will notice is that the best laptops aren’t always synonymous with the most expensive. Rather, there are cheap laptop options out there that don’t require coughing up an arm and a leg.

These can be called cheap laptops or, perhaps more flatteringly, budget laptops. They come in all different shapes and sizes, and while there is some amount of overlap, the vast majority of them aren’t Ultrabooks. Instead, budget laptops cut corners where necessary. They aren’t ‘nerfed’, however, because they often don’t make compromises in the areas you would notice. In other words, you can still expect these notebooks to be thin, fast and stylish to boot.

Here on our list, we’ve denoted the best budget laptops in no particular order. In doing so, of course, this means we’ve had to go hands-on with every clamshell notebook we could find for under half a grand. So, if you’re looking to save money this year into the next, you can take solace knowing that what we’ve arranged below is more than just another uninformed top 10 list – this one comes from a place of experience and calculated research.

Here we have one of the few budget laptops with a processor nearly equivalent to the MacBook Pro, that is, if you opt for the Intel Core i5 configuration. The best part? It’s roughly half the cost of its Apple-branded rival. Now given that it sells at a range of different prices, the Acer Swift 3 can be an obtuse purchase, but lucky for you, the midrange model will get you by just fine.

Read the full review: Acer Swift 3

Hear ye, the Acer Switch 3 is a feat to behold. This cheap laptop uses a low-power, albeit astoundingly efficient, Intel Pentium processor. However, internal specs are the least of its appeal. No, that honor goes to the Acer Switch 3’s novel ability to detach its screen from its keyboard. That only scratches the ‘surface’ of the inspiration it’s taken from Microsoft’s hardware too.

Read the full review: Acer Switch 3

Its name is alphabet soup to the average reader, but then again this convertible laptop has always been about function over form. For one minuscule transaction, you’re getting a tablet equipped with an included keyboard and even a fingerprint scanner for more secure logins. Along with reliable performance and a magnesium-alloy chassis, it’s built to last.

Read the full review: Asus Transformer Mini T102HA

With Android apps now supported on every new Chromebook released, it only makes sense to craft a Chromebook with a 12.3-inch QHD touch display, with a 360-degree hinge and pen support to boot. The Samsung Chromebook Pro may have a keyboard that’s a bit too compact for comfort, but it more than makes up for it, going as far as to master pen input on the first try.

Read the full review: Samsung Chromebook Pro

If you thought the Android edition of the Yoga Book was impressive, imagine using Windows on a laptop sporting inputs that double as a Wacom digitizer. The Windows 10 version of the Lenovo Yoga Book is exactly that, and while its on-paper specs leave something to be desired, the purely touch-based keyboard is so revolutionary we can’t believe nobody has copied it yet.

Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga Book

With its slick lines and a slim silhouette, the Acer Chromebook 14 makes for a subtle, snazzy laptop. Although its display isn't the most attractive we've seen, it’s still acceptable for full HD. On top of that, the keyboard and trackpad adhere to the principle of ‘it just works.’ The battery life is satisfactory as well despite falling a bit south of Acer's 12-hour claim in real-world use.

Read the full review: Acer Chromebook 14

• From Australia? Try a fine alternative in the Samsung Chromebook Pro.

Frankly, this is a broke college student’s laptop, so as long as you go in with that in mind, you won’t be disappointed with the HP Pavilion 15. Possessing all the power you’ll need to get you through the semester, this laptop bears all of the essentials for an affordable price, so that you can save the rest of your cash for the crushing financial aid debt yet to come.

Read our hands-on review: HP Pavilion 15

For those who like their laptops as colorful as they are affordable, the Dell Inspiron 11 3000 is a no-brainer. Although some users might find that it’s 11.6-inch display is too small, we would argue that this budget laptop is the perfect fit for your portable workspace. Plus, its bright and vibrant color scheme is loud enough that no one on your flight will confuse it for their own.

You could argue that, with the IdeaPad 110s, Lenovo has one-upped the Dell Inspiron 11, at least as far as 11.6-inchers go. You’re still getting an HD screen and a Celeron processor, but you’re also getting the added bonus of a full-size SD card reader and a 7-hour battery life – that’s more than you can say for most Ultrabooks. It costs a little more, but it’s worth it.

With a starting price of just above 200 large, the HP Stream 14 is a fine value for those seeking  a strong if basic web browsing machine. It's cheaper than even some Chromebooks while offering a bigger screen and the fullness of Windows 10. Other 15-inchers lack the ergonomics and aesthetics of HP’s cheapest Windows laptop yet.

Available in a variety of colors, this number from Acer brings things into practically a whole new class, with a 15.6-inch HD display powered by an Intel Core i3 processor. The metallic frame should make using this device feel more like a luxury without the sticker shock. Plus, with up to 12.5 hours of claimed battery life, this should last at least once forgetting to charge it.

• Reluctant to use a trackpad? Don’t worry, we’ve found the best mice to buy too
• Want to see more cheap laptop deals? Check out our US, UK and Australian guides.

Gabe Carey has also contributed to this article

Contributer : Techradar - All the latest technology news http://ift.tt/2bky88f