We'd all have the latest and greatest Ultrabook if we could, but the real world doesn't work that way. Lots of us can't afford to — or just don't want to — hand over thousands of dollars for a computer.
Fortunately, there are a lot of choices for the budget-conscious laptop buyer. Sure, there are compromises you have to make compared to expensive high-end machines. But you can still get a great Windows 10 experience.
If you're looking for a great Windows 10 laptop under $300, this is the place to start.
Chuwi Lapbook 15.6
Chuwi is a Chinese brand you might not be familiar with but that is putting out some really great, really affordable Windows 10 hardware. The Lapbook 15.6 has a Full HD IPS display that looks terrific along with some decent internal hardware for the price.
You'll find an Intel Atom quad-core processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot to expand it. It has a full-size keyboard and a decent trackpad, too, not to mention plenty of ports and a 10,000mAh battery.
It looks great, and it costs only $240. There's a lot to like and very little to complain about.
HP Stream x360
A convertible laptop doesn't belong here, right? Wrong. HP's super-affordable Stream x360 most definitely does, with its 11.6-inch, 1366 x 768 resolution touch display. The rest of the hardware is on par with other laptops in this roundup, but it's hard to deny the appeal of a touchscreen that folds around.
You'll get a 1.66GHz Intel Celeron processor, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. Not only that but there's a trio of full-size USB ports, an SD card slot and an HDMI output, which makes this cheap convertible notebook great for getting things done.
Throw in a free one-year subscription to Office 365, and you're getting a great package for not a lot of money at around $200.
ASUS VivoBook E203
This 11.6-inch notebook from ASUS brings some of the style of the company's more expensive models at a really affordable price. It's not all good looks, though, as underneath you'll find a quad-core Intel Celeron processor, up to 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.
Despite the size, there's still a full-size keyboard, a microSD slot, HDMI out, USB-C and full-size USB ports. The display is on par with competitors at 1366 x 768. And with up to 13-hours battery life, you'll be able to head out for the day and leave the charger at home.
You also get a year of Office 365 thrown into the bargain. The ASUS E203 delivers a lot of computing in a very well-priced little package at around $260.
Dell Inspiron 14 3000
Dell makes some of the hottest laptops around right now, but it also still caters to folks looking for a more cost-effective experience. The Inspiron 14 3000 comes in a variety of configurations and starts at just $150.
For that, you only get 32GB of storage, but if you jump up to a not-unreasonable $220 you get a 500GB hard drive with 4GB of RAM, a Pentium N3700 processor, and a 1366 x 768 resolution, 14-inch LED display.
Perhaps the best option, though, is a touch display. You're not forced to have it, so you can spend less if don't want it. But choice is never a bad thing. And with battery life around eight hours, it should keep you rolling all day long.
Updated March 29, 2018: No updates this month, these are still the cheap laptops to buy
