These low-cost laptops can handle everyday computing (and sometimes more) with aplomb, with some of our top picks ringing up below $400. Here’s how to achieve the perfect balance of price and features in a budget laptop, whether it’s running Windows 10 or Chrome OS. PC Labs is always reviewing new laptops, and our top picks change often, so for the latest, make sure to check out our roundup of the best budget laptops at PCMag.com.
0:00 – Intro
0:23 – Asus VivoBook S15 (S533)
1:07 – Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14
1:57 – Lenovo Chromebook Duet
2:47 – Microsoft Surface Go 2
3:33 – Acer Chromebook 714
4:02 – Lenovo Yoga C640
4:37 – Dell Inspiron 13 5000 (5391)
5:15 – Dell Inspiron Chromebook 14 2-in-1 (7486)
5:45 – Dell Inspiron 14 5000 (5493)
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Once upon a time getting a decent laptop Meant spending $1,000 or more but those Days are long gone Laptop makers are inventing new ways to Outsell each other and when you’re Looking at mainstream laptops nowadays Price cutting is number one here are our Top picks for low-cost laptops That can handle everyday computing and Sometimes more the colorful asus vivo Books s15 is a great example of a strong Value in a budget laptop in 2020 there’d Be little to criticize even if the price Were a little bit higher the build Quality is first-class and the laptop Remains plenty portable despite a 15.6 Inch screen it’s not a Productivity Powerhouse but it isn’t meant to be and It performs close to machines that are Much more expensive while it only comes In a single u.s. configuration option It delivers a nifty slim design a good Selection of ports long battery life and Reasonably speedy performance if you’re Looking for a daily driver of a desktop Replacement that’s travel friendly and Won’t break the bank the vive book s15 Is easily the best we’ve seen so far This year budget laptops are starting to See a new face in their component lists In 2020 in some systems rise in mobile CPUs the IdeaPad flex 15 is one of the First systems to use AMD’s newest rise In mobile use series chips which are
Also known by the codename Renoir and Are designed for light laptops we were Very impressed with the performance of The Rison 5 chip in this laptop it has Six cores and works well for demanding Tasks like editing the occasional video Or tweaking photos this laptop also Works as a two-in-one so you can bend The screen around and use it in a tablet Mode or stand it up in a tenth style the Aggressive pricing on this machine meant That it was selling out pretty quickly When it first came out in the middle of The year it’s a great deal if you can Find one The Lenovo Chromebook duet is a 10.1 Inch tablet that comes with the Detachable keyboard and a kickstand for A low price you can grumble about its Having only one port a USB 2.0 type-c Lenovo throws in a 3.5 millimeter audio Adapter for your headphones but it’s Nonetheless a full-fledged Chromebook And in every way from comfortable typing To smart tablet gestures it’s a nifty Productivity and streaming entertainment Device in addition to running Android Apps via the Google Play Store the do it Offers tethering to Android phones the Eight megapixel autofocus rear camera is Snappy and the duet lasted just under 14 Hours in our battery life test we wish It had a faster CPU but a lot of users Should still be very happy with it it
Has the look and feel of a product Costing much more the surface goto is a Worthy competitor to both conventional Laptops and the Apple iPad in ways that It’s 2018 predecessor wasn’t Improvements over the original surface Go include better battery life a Slightly bigger display and faster Performance it’s not as powerful as a Comparable priced laptop but it’s far More versatile it also has a leg up on The iPad Windows is more capable than The iOS operating system for a wide Range of productivity and creative apps And the built-in kickstand is incredibly Useful just make sure you budget for the Keyboard attachment which is not Included in the box the surface go-to Isn’t cheap once you factor that in but For most casual users it’s a better Choice than the more expensive surface Pro 7 Acer’s all aluminum Chromebook 714 Offers fancy features like Google Assistant a comfortable backlit keyboard And a fingerprint reader as well as a Perky core i3 CPU and a 14 inch 1080p Touchscreen there’s one Achilles heel it Would be nice if the screen got a little Brighter but it’s a cutting-edge and Rugged feeling Chromebook for a good Price and in many ways the best argument Yet for Chromebooks in the business the Lenovo yoga C 640 is a lightweight and
Well-built two-in-one convertible laptop It has some nifty features like a Fingerprint reader and a built-in webcam Privacy filter but best is its battery Life which is extraordinary if you plan To spend a lot of time away from a power Outlet its core i3 CPU isn’t the Quickest and it’s cooling fan is a Little noisy but at $599 for the Entry-level configuration we tested It’ll appeal to anyone looking for a Sensible long-lasting laptop you can Occasionally convert into a tablet Unlike budget laptops that come in Flimsy plastic chassis the Dell Inspiron 13 5000 has a durable aluminum lid and Keyboard deck as well as premium styling With razor thin screen bezels this Mid-range ultra portable has a 10th Generation Intel Core i5 processor 8 Gigs of memory and 256 gigs solid-state Drive the CPU and RAM will be good for Years but the drive won’t hold a big Library of photos and videos so you’ll Want to use an external drive or cloud Storage the screen could be a bit Brighter but ultra portables tend to be Expensive so this Inspiron is a great Value Although pricey by Chromebook standards The Dell Inspiron Chromebook 14 2 and 1 Isn’t your average Chromebook it packs The type of features you’d expect in a Premium PC or Mac Book like an aluminum
Exterior a backlit keyboard and a Vibrant display with AMR pen support its Core i3 processor and 128 gigs of Storage are plenty for Chrome OS battery Life is only average but this Dell is Definitely well equipped for 5.99 the Dell Inspiron 14 5000 is a mid-range Laptop that occupies a bit of an In-between place on the pricing ladder It delivers solid performance with a 10th generation intel core CPU with the Overall design dominated by more Traditional ports and components you do Get three type-a USB ports which some Shoppers will prefer and both a full Sized Ethernet jack and a full size HDMI Port it has a plastic enclosure that Gives off strong budget vibes and could Use thinner bezels are brighter screen And maybe a USB C port or two even so For the money it Worth a look if you need something a Notch or two above an entry-level model That has lots of physical ports PC Labs Is always reviewing new laptops and our Top picks change often so for the latest Make sure to check out our roundup of The best budget laptops at PC Mag comm [Music]
