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The realm of Best Cheap Windows Laptops continues to witness significant improvements. When considering your ideal choice, it becomes crucial to contemplate your top priorities and identify the trade-offs you are willing to make. Even the most outstanding budget-friendly Windows laptops showcase remarkable attributes, yet they are not devoid of certain imperfections that stem from their affordability.
You can almost definitely find a cheap laptop with a touchscreen, a premium-looking chassis, an HDMI port, a backlit keyboard, or support for a stylus, but you may need to decide which of these features you want the most and which you can do without.
It can be expensive to buy a laptop, and not everyone wants to spend thousands of dollars on the best Windows laptop.
Students and workers can be happy with cheap, simple systems that get the job done without bells and whistles or fancy branding. Here are a few Windows 10 laptops that all cost less than $400 and are good for most everyday jobs.
Best Cheap Windows Laptop Comparison Table
| Product Name | Processor | RAM | Storage | Screen Size | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acer Aspire 5 | Intel Core i3-1115G4 | 8 GB | 128 GB SSD | 15.6″ | $449.99 |
| HP Victus 15z | AMD Ryzen 5 5600H | 8 GB | 256 GB SSD | 15.6″ | $699.99 |
| Asus Chromebook Flip CX5 | Intel Core i3-1115G4 | 8 GB | 128 GB eMMC | 15.6″ | $569.99 |
| Asus Chromebook Detachable CM3 | MediaTek MT8183 | 4 GB | 64 GB eMMC | 10.5″ | $329.99 |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 | Intel Core i5-1035G1 | 8 GB | 128 GB SSD | 12.4″ | $699.99 |
| HP Chromebook X2 11 | Intel Celeron N4500 | 4 GB | 32 GB eMMC | 11.0″ | $329.99 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 4 | Intel Core i3-1115G4 | 8 GB | 256 GB SSD | 14.0″ | $769.00 |
| Microsoft Surface Go 3 | Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y | 4 GB | 64 GB eMMC | 10.5″ | $399.99 |
Acer Aspire 5
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i5-1135G7 or AMD Ryzen 5 4500U |
| Graphics | NVIDIA MX350 or AMD Radeon Graphics |
| Memory | Up to 24 GB DDR4 RAM |
| Storage | Up to 1 TB PCIe NVMe SSD |
| Display | 15.6-inch FHD IPS (1920 x 1080) |
| Battery life | Up to 8.5 hours |
| Weight | 3.64 pounds (1.65 kg) |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
15.6-inch display with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels and a 16:9 aspect ratio; 8 gigabytes of DDR4 SDRAM; 256 gigabytes of solid-state storage Windows 11 Home in S Mode AMD Ryzen 3 5300U processor with four cores running at 2.60 GHz AMD Radeon Graphics shared memory
This is one of those low-cost laptops that not only has a quality appearance but also possesses cutting-edge capabilities like Wi-Fi 6 and a respectable amount of quick storage space as well. This notebook is ideal for use at the office or in the classroom.
The Good
- Provides a powerful performance with a variety of processor and graphics configurations to choose from.
- Memory and storage capacity in ample supply.
- Generally acceptable battery life for day-to-day use.
- Affordable price point.
The Bad
- Given that it weighs more than 3.5 pounds, this option is not the most portable one.
- Display quality is about average compared to that of some competitors.
- There is little room for improvement.
HP Victus 15z
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5600H or Ryzen 7 5800H |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 or RTX 3050 Ti |
| Memory | Up to 16 GB DDR4 RAM |
| Storage | Up to 1 TB PCIe NVMe SSD |
| Display | 15.6-inch FHD IPS (1920 x 1080) with 144 Hz refresh rate |
| Battery life | Up to 9.75 hours |
| Weight | 4.37 pounds (1.98 kg) |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
Gaming is an expensive hobby, and the only way to find a laptop for under $700 that meets our needs is to look for deals. And at the time we wrote this, the HP Victus 15z-fb000 was the best choice we could find that fit this budget. This type is getting a little old, but if you’re on a tight budget, you can’t be too picky. AMD Ryzen 5000 series processors, starting with a Ryzen 5 5600H with 6 cores and 12 threads, run this model.
That comes with an AMD Radeon RX 6500M graphics card, which is a good entry-level GPU that should be able to handle most current games as long as you turn down some graphics settings. HP has another model with newer Intel processors, but the GeForce GTX 1650 GPU isn’t as good, and that’s the most important part for games. On top of that, this model comes with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, so for the price, you get a really good setup.
The Good
- Gaming and other resource-intensive activities benefit from the potency of AMD processors and NVIDIA graphics options.
- Display with a high refresh rate for silky-smooth visuals.
- A gaming laptop with a reasonable amount of battery life.
- Affordable price point.
The Bad
- Fewer possible paths to advancement are available.
- A touch heavier than some of the other competitors.
Asus Chromebook Flip CX5
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i3-1115G4 or i5-1135G7 |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe Graphics |
| Memory | Up to 16 GB DDR4 RAM |
| Storage | Up to 512 GB PCIe NVMe SSD |
| Display | 15.6-inch FHD IPS (1920 x 1080) touchscreen |
| Battery life | Up to 10 hours |
| Weight | 3.74 pounds (1.69 kg) |
| Operating System | Chrome OS |
That’s how good the Chromebook Flip CX5 is. It’s strong enough to survive bumps and jostles in a backpack or suitcase, and its velvety texture makes it very nice to hold. When you add a large number of ports, a smooth and comfortable keyboard, and a bright screen, you have a chassis that can compete with many affordable Windows laptops.
Performance is also very good. During our tests, we never heard its fan, even when we put it through a task that slowed down most devices. The battery life is pretty good, and it can easily last us a day. And the sound from the speakers was some of the best we’ve heard from a Chromebook. Even though the CX5 isn’t perfect, it’s one of the best devices we’ve tried for less than $700. Overall, this machine won’t let down cheap shoppers who don’t mind Chrome OS.
The Good
- Design that is both lightweight and portable.
- Chromebooks typically have a lengthy battery life.
- Display with touch screen and hinge that rotates 360 degrees for multiple uses.
- Chrome Operating System is utilized, making this a resourceful and cost-effective choice.
The Bad
- When compared to traditional operating systems, there are fewer options available for software.
- It’s possible that you won’t be able to use it to play games or run resource-intensive programs.
Asus Chromebook Detachable CM3
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Processor | MediaTek MT8183 |
| Graphics | ARM Mali-G72 MP3 Graphics |
| Memory | Up to 4 GB LPDDR4X RAM |
| Storage | Up to 128 GB eMMC |
| Display | 10.5-inch FHD (1920 x 1200) touchscreen |
| Battery life | Up to 12 hours |
| Weight | 1.12 pounds (0.51 kg) |
| Operating System | Chrome OS |
If you like the Duet’s size and detachable form factor but are willing to spend on something a bit more upscale, you may find the Asus Chromebook Detachable CM3 to be a better choice. Like the Duet, the CM3 is a 10.5-inch 16:10 Chrome OS tablet with a fabric cover, kickstand, and detachable screen. But the CM3’s kickstand folds multiple ways: you can crease it lengthwise to stand the tablet up like a laptop or fold it the short way and stand the tablet up horizontally.
Plus, it comes with a built-in USI stylus and roomy keys with a surprising amount of travel. Battery life was also quite impressive: we averaged close to 13 hours of continuous work. Where the CM3 lags a bit behind the Duet (and other cheap laptops you may try) is the power. Its MediaTek processor can be a bit sluggish compared to more pricier offerings. But the CM3 still offers a surprising number of perks for its sub-$400 price and makes a great student driver or secondary device.
The Good
- Design that is both lightweight and extremely portable.
- Chromebooks typically have a lengthy battery life.
- Display with touch screen and detachable keyboard for multiple uses and configurations.
- Chrome Operating System is utilized, making this a resourceful and cost-effective choice.
The Bad
- Limited capabilities in terms of both processing power and storage space.
- It’s possible that you won’t be able to use it to play games or run resource-intensive programs.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Processor | 10th Gen Intel Core i5 or i3 |
| Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics |
| Memory | Up to 8 GB LPDDR4x RAM |
| Storage | Up to 256 GB SSD |
| Display | 12.4-inch PixelSense (1536 x 1024) touchscreen |
| Battery life | Up to 13 hours |
| Weight | 2.45 pounds (1.11 kg) |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro |
This list was led for the past two years by the first iteration of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go, but now there is a new leader in town: the Go 2 model. As an update, it won’t light the world on fire, but Microsoft has added just enough changes to make it the best bargain laptop available — bar none.
To begin, it is really stunning to look at: both the lid and the keyboard are made of refined aluminum with a matte finish, and the entire device weighs only 1.1 kilograms. When you open the hinge, you will be greeted by a keyboard that is incredibly pleasurable to use, as well as a 12.4-inch touchscreen display that is crisp, roomy, and accurate. The display has a resolution of 1,536 by 1,024.
The Good
- Sleek and lightweight design.
- A laptop with a long battery life that is still portable.
- Display for touchscreens of a high quality.
- Full support for Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system is included.
The Bad
- Processing power that is lower than that of some of its competitors.
- There is a limit on the storage capacity.
HP Chromebook X2 11
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Celeron N5100 or Intel Pentium Silver N6000 |
| Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics |
| Memory | Up to 8 GB LPDDR4x RAM |
| Storage | Up to 128 GB eMMC |
| Display | 11-inch FHD (2160 x 1440) touchscreen |
| Battery life | Up to 11 hours |
| Weight | 1.47 pounds (0.67 kg) |
| Operating System | Chrome OS |
It can be difficult to know where to seek if you are on a tight budget but want a detachable computer similar to the Surface Pro. The Microsoft Surface Go 3 is a good device, but it is painfully slow, and the Surface Pro 8 is unreasonably priced. The IdeaPad Duet from Lenovo is a solid Chromebook alternative, although it is on the small side and lacks adequate processing power.
The Chromebook X2 from HP is now available. A magnetic rear cover that also functions as a kickstand is included with this tablet, in addition to a clip-on keyboard cover that can be attached to the tablet. If you keep them both together, it functions as a laptop, but if you detach them, it becomes a sleek slate. In addition, despite the fact that it is slightly bigger and heavier than the little Surface Go 3 that Microsoft offers, it has a screen that is 11 inches in size and a keyboard that has more room.
The Good
- Design that is both lightweight and portable.
- Chromebooks typically have a lengthy battery life.
- Display for touchscreens of a high quality.
- Chrome Operating System is utilized, making this a resourceful and cost-effective choice.
The Bad
- Limited capabilities in terms of both processing power and storage space.
- It’s possible that you won’t be able to use it to play games or run resource-intensive programs.
Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 4
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Processor | 11th Gen Intel Core i3, i5, or i7 |
| Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics or NVIDIA MX450 |
| Memory | Up to 32 GB DDR4 RAM |
| Storage | Up to 1 TB PCIe NVMe SSD |
| Display | 14-inch FHD IPS (1920 x 1080) or 2.8K (2880 x 1800) |
| Battery life | Up to 10 hours |
| Weight | 3.53 pounds (1.6 kg) |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro |
The Lenovo ThinkPad E14 is probably for you if you need a laptop for more business use. This work laptop has everything you’d expect from a ThinkPad, like the famous TrackPoint, and a lot of ports, like USB-C (with Thunderbolt on Intel models), two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, and RJ45 Ethernet, so you have everything you need to connect to an office setup. It also has the original ThinkPad look, which many business users still love.
This laptop also has newer processors, such as 12th-generation Intel Core processors or AMD Ryzen 5025U series models, based on which version you choose. The AMD model is cheaper, so it might be a little more appealing, but as we’ve already said, it doesn’t support Thunderbolt. Performance-wise, though, both models will be great for all kinds of day-to-day tasks, with choices for up to a 10-core, 12-thread Intel Core i7 or an 8-core, 16-thread AMD Ryzen 7.
The Good
- Powerful performance thanks to up to an 11th-generation Intel Core i7 processor and an NVIDIA graphics card.
- options for displays of a high quality, including one with a resolution of 2.8 kilobits per inch.
- A large amount of both storage and memory is available.
- Integrated safety features, such as a fingerprint reader and a privacy cover for the webcam provided by ThinkShutter.
The Bad
- A few competitors in the same category as you are slightly heavier than you.
- Higher-end models can be expensive.
Microsoft Surface Go 3
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Pentium Gold or 10th Gen Intel Core i3 |
| Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics |
| Memory | Up to 8 GB LPDDR4x RAM |
| Storage | Up to 128 GB SSD |
| Display | 10.5-inch PixelSense (1920 x 1280) touchscreen |
| Battery life | Up to 10 hours |
| Weight | 1.2 pounds (0.55 kg) |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home or Windows 11 Home |
The Surface Go 3 is a great choice if you want to spend as little money as possible and just need a device to browse the web and keep in touch with family. It has an Intel Pentium processor, so you won’t get great speed for anything other than writing documents and browsing the web. However, it does have 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, so it’s still a good choice.
Its best feature is how easy it is to use. It has a 10.5-inch screen with a 3:2 aspect ratio, which gives you more room for material.
The Full HD+ resolution is also pretty good for a screen this size. It’s a great screen for surfing the web, watching online movies, and making video calls. Also, the 5MP video is one of the best you’ll find in this price range, and there’s an 8MP camera on the back if you want to take a quick picture or just show off something in front of you. This is a great way to keep in touch with family and friends who live far away through video calls.
The Good
- Designed to be extremely portable while remaining lightweight.
- Display for touchscreens of a high quality.
- Utilization flexibility thanks to the detachable keyboard and the available Surface Pen accessory.
- Full support for the Windows operating system is provided.
The Bad
- Processing power that is lower than that of some of its competitors.
- There is a limit on the storage capacity.
FAQs
A: A cheap Windows laptop is a laptop that doesn’t break the bank and runs Windows.
A: A cheap Windows laptop should be light, have a good battery life, have a good processor, have enough RAM and storage for basic work, and have a good screen.
A: The price range for a cheap Windows laptop can be anywhere from $200 to $500, but this is usually the case.