1. The list in brief
2. Best overall
3. Best portable laptop
4. Best for RAM and storage
5. Best AMD laptop
6. Best for work
The best budget laptops under $500 don't necessarily have to make too many sacrifices when it comes to quality and performance. We'd all have the latest and greatest Ultrabooks if we could afford them, but lots of us can't — or just don't want to — hand over thousands of dollars for a computer.
It's now back to school season, and fortunately for us, there are many choices for the budget-conscious laptop buyer that still provide a great PC experience. The Surface Go 3 from Microsoft, for example, is a versatile, affordable 2-in-1 device that is also one of the best budget laptops under $500. There are a bunch of other great cheap laptops that we've rounded up here.
The quick list
Microsoft's latest entry into the portable laptop space, the Surface Laptop Go 2 is our pick for overall best budget laptop under $600. For the price, you get a premium build quality, thin bezels, and one of the best keyboards on the market.
If you like the idea of a Surface Laptop Go 2, but want more versatility in the form factor department, the Surface Go 3 is Microsoft's alternative offering. It's a tablet that transforms into a great mini laptop with the (sold separately) keyboard accessory.
If you don't care about looks, and just want the most RAM and storage for the least amount of money, the Acer Aspire 5 is a great deal. With configs offering 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD storage for less than $600, and a full-sized keyboard with number pad to boot.
If you're in the market for something a little discreet, the HP Laptop 14z is a great choice. Its minimalist, unapologetic design won't be turning heads, but it does look incredibly sensible and "ready for work." Plus, it has a good CPU.
Looking for a cheap laptop for business needs? Lenovo has you covered with the IdeaPad 3i, a work-centric laptop that gets the job done. It has thin bezels, a good keyboard and trackpad, and a design that screams "business use only."
The best overall
The Surface Laptop Go 2 is Microsoft's budget-friendly laptop line, featuring a 12.5-inch touchscreen display with thin bezels, an excellent keyboard and trackpad, a premium aluminum and polycarbonate chassis, and a Windows Hello fingerprint reader for quick secure login.
The Surface Laptop Go 2 is excellent because it uses premium materials in all the places you're most likely to be touching. That includes the keyboard deck and laptop lid. Polycarbonate is only used on the underside of the laptop to reduce costs, but because it's on the side you don't usually see or touch, it ultimately feels much more premium.
We also like this laptop because it's a great option for couch surfing, doing some light work at the coffee shop, and especially for students who want something that easily fits in their bag, is durable, and won't take up a ton of space on your desk. Normally, the Surface Laptop Go 2 costs more than $500, but you can find some great deals on it right now that bring it down to close to $500, sometimes even lower.
Best portable budget laptop
The Surface Go 3 might be tiny, but it's a rather versatile laptop with enough performance from an optional Core m3 processor (CPU) to get through most productivity work. Baseline models start with an Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y CPU, which is still enough power for casual use. Compared to the Surface Go 2, the Go 3 is nearly identical save for the performance upgrade. Keep in mind that Instant On capabilities, thinner bezel, and larger display have carried over from the Go 2.
This is a typical 10.5-inch Surface display with 3:2 aspect ratio, 1920x1280 resolution, touch functionality, and Surface Pen compatibility. Thanks to the 2-in-1 form, you can use the device as a tablet for drawing and writing. Attaching a Type Cover with touchpad and keyboard turns it into a notebook with the rear stand deployed.
You get front- and rear-facing cameras, Wi-Fi 6, and dual 2W stereo speakers. Ports include USB-C, 3.5mm audio, Surface Connect, and a microSD card reader. This is one of the best budget laptops under $500 for anyone who is always on the move and doesn't need a particularly powerful PC. Models ship from the factory with Windows 11.
Best budget laptop for RAM and storage
If you're not bothered by how your laptop looks and just want the most RAM and storage possible for your money, the Acer Aspire 5 is an excellent pick. For some reason, you can get this laptop fully kitted out with lots of RAM and storage for less than $600.
Our configured model here comes with 32GB RAM and 1TB storage for just $549. That also nets you a 15.6-inch 1080p display, which admittedly isn't great, but at this price point with this much RAM, we're not that surprised. It's also powered by an Intel Core i3 processor, which offers a good amount of performance for normal workflows expected from a budget laptop.
Best budget AMD laptop
HP has been on a roll, and its more budget-conscious laptops have come a long way. Just check out the HP Pavilion Aero, which Executive Editor Daniel Rubino awarded full marks as the best mid-range AMD laptop available today. HP's standard "Laptop" lineup lives just below the Pavilion line, and the HP Laptop 14 packs in a whole lot of features for less than $500. It even has AMD Ryzen 5 and 7 7000U series CPUs.
You can configure models with a Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 CPU, 8GB of dual-channel DDR4 RAM, 128GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD (upgradeable from the factory if you have the dough), and a 14-inch 1920x1080 (FHD) IPS display. Not having to deal with an inferior TN panel or HD resolution is important when checking out the best budget laptops under $500.
The laptop can be upgraded to Wi-Fi 6 for free, and the port selection is good at this price. You get USB-C, two USB-A, HDMI 1.4b, an SD card reader, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Check out our HP Laptop 14z review for more information.
Best budget business laptop
The Dell Inspiron 15 comes with 11th Gen Intel Core i3 and Core i7 CPU options. From there, you can configure up to 12GB of DDR4-2666 RAM and 512GB of M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD storage. This laptop will easily cut through productivity work, especially if you spend a bit more and go beyond the Core i3 chip.
The 15.6-inch display has an FHD resolution (1920x1080) for a fairly crisp look, and its anti-glare finish helps cut down on glare. Bezel is fairly slim, especially on a laptop at this price. The keyboard has a full number pad for number crunching, and the touchpad is a generous size for easier pointing. Note that keys are not backlit.
Ports include USB-A 2.0, HDMI 1.4, two USB-A 3.2, and an SD card reader. No USB-C here, but you can always add a dongle. Connect wirelessly with Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth.
Choosing the perfect budget laptop
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Many more PCs hit the sub-$500 mark, but they can't necessarily be considered one of the best budget laptops under $500 for one reason or another. When shopping around for a cheap laptop, you might be tempted to check some truly inexpensive hardware, like the best laptops under $500. This category is mostly dominated by Chromebooks, with Windows PCs sitting much more comfortably in the category of best laptops under $600. Stepping things up to around $800 or less adds a bunch of great options, including a few of the laptops we've rounded up in this collection. You could also check out the best Chromebooks over at Android Central.
Our overall pick for a cheap laptop is the Surface Laptop Go 2, thanks to a combination of premium build quality and design, thin display bezels with touch capabilities, and an Intel Core i5 for better performance. And thanks to its diminutive size, it's easy to take with you wherever you go. Considering the price starts at just $599 and can often be found in back-to-school deals for less right now, this is an easy recommendation for PCs on a budget.
For more great PCs, be sure to have a look at our roundup of the overall best Windows laptop options out there today.
