For example, suppose you’re looking for an affordable workhorse or a gaming laptop. In that case, you should prioritize internal hardware specs while being ready to make trade-offs regarding battery life or the screen’s color saturation.

On the other hand, if you need a portable and compact device for carrying around and doing everyday tasks, powerful innards aren’t as crucial as a lightweight design, excellent battery life, and good build quality.

When discussing hardware to look for in a budget laptop, we recommend aiming for at least a newer Intel i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 CPU. If you have a higher budget, you should be able to snag a device sporting a faster processor, such as the Ryzen 5 5500U, Core i5-1130G7, or even something like the Core i7-1160G7.

Regarding memory, 8GB of RAM is the minimum you should aim for because it allows for proper multitasking and snappy navigation through the operating system. 16GB of memory is what we recommend for a workhorse laptop or a gaming device so that it can handle the increased workload.

For storage, if you rely on cloud-based storage and stream your music, movies, and TV shows, 128GB of internal storage should give you enough breathing room. But if you’re a gamer or someone who likes to have their favorite music or video content available locally, we wouldn’t go lower than 256GB of storage, unless you want to carry around an external hard drive.

If you’re a gamer looking for a gaming laptop, your primary target should be a device with an RTX 3060 and 16GB of memory. If those machines are out of your budget, pivot to the RTX 3050 Ti but keep aiming for a device with 16 gigs of memory.

One thing to know is that the most frequent corner cut by manufacturers in the budget laptop segment is the screen, with many devices coming with dim panels that feature slightly washed-out colors. If you need accurate colors on your display for your work, you may have to eat the cost of a non-budget laptop.

Finally, you should only look for a laptop with a 1080p resolution display. Devices sporting 768p or lower screens usually come with a plethora of downsides, and we don’t recommend them.

Best Budget Laptop Overall: Acer Aspire 5

We did say before that budget laptops come with at least a few compromises. However, the Acer Aspire 5 is almost the whole package. For around $500, you’re getting an excellent CPU, 8GB of memory, and a 256GB SSD. All that is packed inside a slim body boasting remarkable portability.

Gamers can find a budget laptop for $1000 or a bit less but in that case, be ready for significant compromises regarding every piece of hardware. Trade-offs include only 8GB of memory, a measly 256GB SSD, or a dim screen with noticeable ghosting and washed-out colors.

✓ Fantastic hardware for the price✓ Solid build quality✓ Slim and portable✓ Great upgradability for a budget device

✗ Dim screen with slightly washed-out colors

The positives continue with features such as Wi-Fi 6 and a USB 3.2 5Gbps Type-C port. The full-size keyboard’s average but perfectly suited for longer typing sessions. The touchpad is fine, and the speakers are serviceable.

The cherry on top is the AMD Ryzen 5500U CPU that you won’t usually find on such an affordable laptop. This CPU is powerful enough for any task you might throw at it, and its integrated GPU is decent enough to allow for some light gaming.

When it comes to budget laptops, something’s got to give. In the case of the Aspire 5, you’ve got a bit gloomy display with lukewarm color saturation and middling battery life.

If you require more memory and storage but want to keep the snappiness of the Ryzen 5500U, you can either add a stick or RAM and an extra SSD—the Aspire 5 features a slot for an extra 2.5-inch storage device—or check out our budget 2-in-1 laptop pick.

Best Budget Laptop for Gaming: ASUS TUF Dash 15

While the ASUS TUF Dash 15 is at the upper limit of what we’d call a budget gaming laptop, its gaming performance justifies the higher price.

✓ Superb gaming performance for the price✓ 512GB SSD✓ MUX switch✓ Thunderbolt 4 support✓ Decent upgradability

✗ Disappointing screen

The NVIDIA RTX 3060 & AMD Core i7-12650H can run newer AAA titles with good graphical settings at 60 frames per second. If you prefer multiplayer titles, you can look forward to playing any current esports title at Dash 15’s screen maximum refresh rate of 144Hz. Overall, this laptop offers killer gaming performance.

Superb gaming performance is coupled with Wi-Fi 6, a MUX switch, a solid keyboard and trackpad, a rich selection of ports, Thunderbolt 4 support, a 512GB NVMe SSD, and 16GB of DDR5 memory. The battery life sits at around 7-8 hours for light tasks. The TUF Dash 15 can only give you about an hour of juice if you plan on playing games while away from the charger.

The weakest point of the ASUS TUF Dash 15 is the screen. The 15-inch 1080p panel suffers from poor maximum brightness and slightly washed-out colors, but that’s an issue you’ll find on most budget—and even some mid-range—gaming laptops on the market.

The Lenovo Legion 5i is an all-around better device than the TUF Dash 15 but noticeably pricier. However, since Lenovo does sales throughout the year, you should check their website and snag the RTX 3060 version of the Legion 5i if you find it at the same or lower price than the TUF Dash 15 sells for.

Best 2-in-1 Budget Laptop: Lenovo Flex 5

The Lenovo Flex 5 is the king of budget 2-in-1 laptops that offers an unbeatable overall package for a price that’s easier to digest than its competitors. Its hardware is top-notch for the price, featuring the AMD Ryzen 5 5500U CPU, 16GB of DDR4 memory, and a 256GB SSD.

✓ Powerful hardware✓ Superb portability✓ Excellent touch screen capability✓ Comfortable keyboard

✗ Screen could’ve been brighter✗ Average build quality

The screen’s a bit dull, which isn’t great for a 2-in-1 device. However, the competition’s also offering 2-in-1 budget devices with similarly dingy screens that, unlike the Flex 5, aren’t coupled with 16GB of memory or a CPU as powerful as the Ryzen 5500U.

On the flip side, the screen’s touch capability’s great. Navigating the operating system is delightful, thanks to excellent precision and fast response time. There’s also support for the Lenovo stylus if you don’t like cleaning the screen from fingerprints every five minutes.

Another plus for this budget 2-in-1 laptop is superb portability thanks to the lightweight design and slim body. Luckily, the keyboard and battery life weren’t victims of slimming down the chassis. Both are excellent for a budget 2-in-1 device, especially battery life, which can stretch up to 10 hours under light load.

Aside from the dim screen, Lenovo has cut corners regarding the webcam and microphone, as well as the build quality, which is average. Still, even with these downsides, the Lenovo Flex 5 14 is an excellent budget 2-in-1 laptop.

Best Touch Screen Budget Laptop: Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is an ultra-portable version of the popular Surface Laptop that features a phenomenal touch screen compared to its peers in the budget market.

✓ Terrific screen✓ Unbeatable build quality✓ Admirable keyboard✓ 3:2 display aspect ratio is perfect for working and browsing the web

✗ Ports? What ports?✗ Poor battery life

The star of the show measures 12.4 inches in diameter and features a nonstandard, 3:2 aspect ratio that’s perfect for browsing the web and working in text processors. Add great colors, high brightness, and an excellent touchscreen experience, and you’ve got an impressive device for everyone looking for a touchscreen budget laptop.

The hardware inside the chassis is good enough for light tasks, and 8GB of memory is plenty for multitasking. As long as you don’t try to compile code or edit HD videos, you’ll be fine. The Surface Go 2 includes an admirable keyboard that’s a joy to type on and, in line with other Surface devices, superb build quality.

As for the downsides, you’ve got disappointing battery life and poor port selection, the latter of which being a problem with Surface devices for quite some time.

Despite its shortcomings, the Surface Go 2 is an attractive touch-screen laptop that will be your perfect companion if you’ve got your demands in check. If the 256GB version is too pricey for your budget, you can buy the 128GB model that costs $100 less.

Best Budget Laptop for Students: ASUS VivoBook 16X

The ASUS VivoBook 16X is built for students on a budget planning to use the device they purchase for a long time.

✓ Potent hardware, especially the CPU✓ Big, 16:10 display✓ 512GB PCIe 3. 0 NVMe SSD✓ Comfortable keyboard

✗ The screen’s not great in regards to colors and max brightness

The AMD Ryzen 5600H CPU is a tad old but still a performance beast—a well-rounded choice for using CAD programs or compiling code. You’ve also got 16GB of DDR4 memory. That’s not a perfect amount of memory for the aforementioned scenarios but enough to get you through most projects.

The rest of the package is solid for the price. This includes a comfortable keyboard, serviceable touchpad, and okayish build quality. The screen’s not that great in color and brightness, but its 16-inch size and 16:10 aspect ratio are pretty handy for writing essays or combing through Google Scholar.

Connectivity options are solid, as are the battery life and build quality—nothing to write home about but, overall, more than good enough for the price. If you’re a student that likes to keep every file on local storage and needs a fast SSD, you’ll be delighted to hear that under the hood, you’ve got a 512GB PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD that’s pretty snappy for a budget device.

The ASUS VivoBook 16X is a workhorse of a laptop that excels at the performance you get for the price. Other parts of the equation are far from great but good enough for most students. If you’re looking for something more affordable and don’t need the extra punchy hardware, check out the Acer Aspire 5 or the Lenovo Flex 5 14.

Best Budget Linux Laptop: Star Labs StarLite 11

If you’re a Linux person looking for a budget laptop, we recommend checking out the Star Labs StarLite 11. This is a portable PC with meek hardware but lots of potential.

✓ A lot of laptop for the money✓ Open warranty✓ Open Source BIOS option✓ Wide selection of Linux distros to choose from✓ 65W GaN Charger & USB-C charging support

✗ Tepid CPU✗ Micro HDMI port

While you’re limited to the less-than-ideal Intel Pentium N5030 and 8GB of DDR4 memory, you can upgrade its 256GB base SSD to a 480GB or 960GB unit and still stay deep inside the budget territory.

We like that Starlab Systems offers not only six different Linux flavors, including Ubuntu, Mint, and Manjaro, but also a choice between American Megatrends and coreboot BIOS. The latter is a perfect, open-source choice for Linux fans.

Other welcome surprises on this budget laptop include an aluminum-made chassis, a minuscule 65W GaN charger, a glass trackpad, USB-C charging, and a Micro SD slot. On the flip side, you’re limited to a Micro HDMI port, which is a shame.

Overall, the Star Labs StarLite 11 is, aside from its mediocre CPU and Micro HDMI port, a well-rounded budget Linux laptop that should satisfy the needs of most budget-oriented Linux users.