Compare Top 8 Budget Laptops
Other Budget Laptops to Consider
I’ve tested hundreds of laptops over the years, and here at WIRED, we never recommend products we haven’t tested ourselves. Many laptops were left off this list that didn’t make the cut, whether due to price or quality. While I stand by the recommendations above, there are a few that I’ve tested that make sense for a particular use case that I think are still worth buying.
Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 for $500: 16-inch laptops tend to be more expensive than smaller options, making them hard to find under a certain price. The Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 (6/10, WIRED Review) is a 16-inch laptop that manages to squeeze out just enough quality to make it worth the price. While the display has typical deficiencies (such as poor color coverage), I do appreciate that it doesn’t have a matte finish, which brings out more clarity in the panel. I also thought the keyboard was tiresome to type on.
Lenovo Chromebook Duet Gen 9 for $280: Lenovo’s Chromebook Duet Gen 9 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) quickly became one of my favorite gadgets of 2024 despite its small size. That’s the whole point of this 11-inch detachable laptop, which is incredibly fun to use around the house and throw in a bag when it’s time to go. The keyboard detaches from the screen, so it makes for a nice tablet when paired with ChromeOS’s Android apps, and then you can get some work done when you attach the keyboard. At nearly 10 hours on average, its battery life will easily get you through the day, too.
Asus Chromebook CX15 for $159: You shouldn’t buy a Windows laptop under $300. Don’t even bother. The good news is that some solid Chromebooks come in under $300, which increasingly have good specs. The Acer Chromebook CX15 is the best example of this trend. Despite costing under $300, this 15-inch Chromebook comes with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. The 15-inch screen goes up to 300 nits of brightness, and even though the colors are a bit off, it’s a 1080p resolution. The Intel Celeron CPU inside won’t blow you away, but for the price, it certainly gets the job done. There’s also the Asus Chromebook CX14 (6/10, WIRED Review), a 14-inch version of this same laptop, which has a slightly sharper screen and an overall smaller chassis.
HP OmniBook 5 16 for $900: The HP OmniBook 5 16 shares a lot in common with the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 16. It has right around the same size chassis and comes with the same Intel processor. It’s also dinged by a similar budget display that isn’t very color-accurate. It’s decent, but the discount on the $550 IdeaPad 5i above makes it the better option. I haven’t tested the Snapdragon X Plus version of the OmniBook 5 16, but based on my other reviews, if you can find it at its current selling price of $500, that is a crazy-good deal.
Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook for $550: Chromebooks have a reputation for being underpowered. To change that, Google launched Chromebook Plus in 2023, an umbrella category for a new class of devices from various manufacturers. The “Plus” stands for better performance—faster processors, more memory, more storage, and better video cameras. One of my favorites is Lenovo’s Flex 5i Chromebook Plus (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It’s among the fastest Chromebooks we’ve tested at this price, featuring an Intel Core i3-1315U CPU, 8 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of flash storage.
Acer Chromebook Plus 515 for $400: This is one modest step up from the Asus Chromebook CX15 mentioned above in terms of performance, thanks to the Intel Core i3-1305U chip inside. So, if you need a cheap Chromebook that won’t slow down under your dozens of Chrome tabs or need to connect to an external monitor, the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 will do the trick.
What Are Important Specs in a Cheap Laptop?
Read our How to Choose the Right Laptop guide if you want all the details on specs and what to look for. In short, your budget is the most important factor, as it determines what you can expect out of the device you’re purchasing. But you should consider display size, chassis thickness, CPU, memory, storage, and port selection. While appropriate specs can vary wildly when you’re considering laptops ranging from $200 to $800, there are a few hard lines I don’t recommend crossing.
For example, don’t buy a laptop if it doesn’t have a display resolution of at least 1920 x 1080. In 2025, there’s just no excuse for anything less than that. You should also never buy a laptop without at least 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. Even in Chromebooks, these specs are becoming the new standard. You’re selling yourself short by getting anything less. Another rule is to avoid a Windows laptop with an Intel Celeron processor—leave those for Chromebooks only.
Specs are only half the battle, though. Based on our years of testing, laptop manufacturers tend to make compromises in display quality and touchpad quality. You can’t tell from the photos or listed specs online, but once you get the laptop in your hands, you may notice that the colors of the screen look a bit off or that the touchpad feels choppy to use. It’s nearly impossible to find laptops under $500 that don’t compromise in these areas, but this is where our reviewers and testers can help.
How Much RAM Do You Need in a Cheap Laptop?
The simple answer? You need at least 8 GB of RAM, but you’ll likely want at least 16 GB. These days, lots of Windows laptops come with 16 GB of RAM standard that fall into the “budget” category, as part of the Copilot+ PC marketing push. That’s a great value, and ensures you’ll get the best performance out of your laptop, especially when running heavier applications or multitasking. Either way, it’s important to factor in the price of the RAM, because manufacturers will often charge $100 or even $200 to double the memory.
On Chromebooks, there are some rare occasions where 4 GB of RAM is acceptable, but only on the very cheapest models that are under $200. Even budget Chromebooks like the Asus Chromebook CX15 now start with 8 GB of RAM.
Prices are constantly shifting, however, largely because of the ongoing memory shortage. We very well may end up seeing more 8-GB options in laptops in the future.
Are There Any Good Laptops Under $300?
Yes, but you need to be careful. Don’t just go buy a random laptop on Amazon under $300, as you’ll likely end up with an outdated, slow device you’ll regret purchasing. You might be tempted by something like this or this, but trust me—there are better options, some of which you’ll find in this guide.
For starters, you shouldn’t buy a Windows laptop under $300. That price puts you solidly in cheap Chromebook territory. While these are still budget-level in terms of quality, they’re better in almost every way than their Windows counterparts of a similar price. A good example is the Asus Chromebook CX15.
If you want a Windows laptop that won’t give you instant buyer’s remorse, you’ll need to spend at least a few hundred more. Once you hit $500 or $600, there are some more solid Windows laptops available, such as the Acer Aspire Go 14, though even there, you’re making some significant compromises in performance and storage capacity. These days, Windows laptops really start to get better in the $500-plus range.
Cheap Windows Laptop or Chromebook?
The eternal question. If you’re looking for a laptop under $500, I highly recommend that you opt for a Chromebook. I know that won’t be a possibility for everyone, as some have certain applications that require a Windows laptop or MacBook. If you do aim to get a Chromebook, make sure all your connected accessories and other devices are compatible.
Chromebooks give you access to a full desktop Chrome browser, as well as Android apps. While that leaves some gaps for apps that some may need, you might be surprised by how much you can get done without the need to install any software. Most applications have web versions that are every bit as useful.
While Chromebooks are most well-known as junky student laptops, the recent “Chromebook Plus” designation has filled in the gap between dirt-cheap Chromebooks and $800 Windows laptops. You’ll find some great Chromebook Plus options in the $400 to $600 range that have better performance and displays, while also looking a bit more like a modern laptop. The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is a great example of this. You can read more about the differences between Windows laptops and Chromebooks here.
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