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The best laptops under $500 in 2022

The best laptops under $500 in 2022

Included in this guide:

best laptops under $500
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The best laptops under $500 aren't like shooting fish in a barrel to come by these days. As things stand up, there just isn't a wide selection of high-quality, well-made laptops bachelor to buy at that toll range.

Thankfully, there are currently some fantastic options for people in the market for a new laptop at a low price. The lineup of laptops under $500 we've rounded up below highlights some quality machines that can help you get things washed without hurting your wallet besides badly.

Admittedly, yous won't become cutting-edge performance or the best in industrial design from near of these machines. But you lot can buy yourself a reliable laptop for getting work done on the become, or a sturdy device you lot can give to children with the cognition that if (when) they break it, they won't have destroyed annihilation terribly expensive.

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ii-in-1 devices similar the Lenovo Chromebook Duet and Microsoft Surface Go 2 are particularly impressive for $500 or beneath, as they offering both a tablet and a laptop in a neat package. Yes, y'all'll demand to accept a few compromises, only not equally many as you might think.

What are the best laptops nether $500 correct now?

Getting a decent laptop for under $500 can be a claiming, but our choice hither is expanding slowly as more affordable machines come into the market place and hybrid two-in-1 tablet-meets-laptop devices become available for competitive prices.

Our current choice for the all-time laptop under $500 you can buy is the Lenovo Chromebook Duet. Technically it'south a Chrome tablet, but since it comes with a detachable keyboard for no extra charge, it also doubles as a serviceable laptop. And with a sub-$300 toll tag, information technology shouldn't be as well hard on your upkeep.

Nosotros likewise recommend the Microsoft Surface Go 2, a very strong successor to the original cheaper Microsoft hybrid device. While its specs won't set the computing earth on burn, it notwithstanding offers the power needed to get some work washed on the move. And its blueprint and keyboard cover are very impressive.

And if yous prefer Apple products, the iPad 2021 with its Smart Keyboard is a surprisingly usable budget laptop. That's cheers to improvements Apple tree has made to iPadOS to make it a more laptop-like experience. Granted yous won't exist doing a huge range of tasks on such a device, just then y'all have admission to 1 of the best and smartly curated app stores around.

The best laptops nether $500

Lenovo Chromebook Duet

(Image credit: Tom'due south Guide)

1. Lenovo Chromebook Duet

Best 2-in-1 under $500

Specifications

Display: 10.one inches, 1920 10 1200

CPU: MediaTek Helio P60T

GPU: ARM G72 MP3

RAM: 4GB

Storage: 64GB eMMC

Weight: 2 pounds (docked)

Reasons to buy

+

Abrupt, colorful screen

+

Excellent bombardment life

+

ChromeOS tablet optimizations

Reasons to avoid

-

Flimsy swivel

-

Cramped keyboard

If you're looking for a good budget laptop and don't listen the idea of a hybrid tablet/Chromebook, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet could be for you. Currently $245, you can get both the tablet and the detachable keyboard, rather than needing to pay for them separately equally is the case with the Microsoft Surface Go — though that hybrid Windows x automobile does offer a more premium experience. Sporting a 2.0GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio P60T, ARM G72 MP3 GPU, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of eMMC storage space, the 10.ane-inch tablet doesn't come with a lot of power or storage.

Just that doesn't affair as it'southward a Chromebook, which by and large uses spider web-based services that exercise all the heavy lifting away from the Lenovo Chromebook Duet. And a low spec means it won't chew through battery power. It too has an impressively sharp and bright 1920 x 1080 display that works just too for binge-watching YouTube as information technology does for zipping through emails and browsing the web.

Read our full Lenovo Chromebook Duet review .

Samsung Chromebook 3

Samsung Chromebook 3 (Image credit: Samsung)

2. Samsung Chromebook three

An affordable, performant Chromebook

Specifications

Brandish: 11.6 inches; ane,366 x 768

CPU: Intel Celeron N3060

GPU: Intel HD Graphics 400

RAM: 4GB

Storage: 32GB

Weight: 2.5 pounds

Reasons to buy

+

Very affordable

+

Excellent battery life

+

Brilliant screen

+

Great operation

Reasons to avoid

-

Awkward push button placement

-

Runs warm

The Samsung Chromebook 3 is a very decent and very affordable laptop. It has a screen brighter than most competitors at 259 nits. It can handle multiple open browser tabs, thanks to 4GB of RAM and an Intel Celeron processor. And its battery lasts up to nigh x hours. There'due south likewise a standout webcam, with Instagram-ready live filters for video chats and Multi-Shot fashion. Like all Chromebooks, Samsung's laptop uses the Google Chrome Bone operating system (which relies largely on spider web-based Google services merely also supports Android apps) and provides 32GB of wink storage.

If there'due south a caveat, it's that the bottom runs warm after a while, so exist sure to keep your long pants on while swapping hot Twitter takes. Despite the heat, this is one of the coolest Chromebooks on the market place for upkeep shoppers.

Microsoft Surface Go 2

Microsoft Surface Go ii (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

iii. Microsoft Surface Go ii

The best Windows 2-in-1 under $500

Specifications

Display: x.5-inches, 1920 ten 1280

CPU: Intel Pentium Gold 4425Y

GPU: Intel UHD Graphics 615

RAM: 4GB

Storage: 64GB eMMC

Weight: i.22 pounds (ane.75 pounds with blazon cover)

Reasons to purchase

+

Much improved battery life

+

Bright, colorful (and bigger) screen

+

Splendid webcam

Reasons to avoid

-

Performance doesn't impress

-

Blazon Embrace has a learning bend

A wild bill of fare to throw into this list, nosotros have the Microsoft Surface Get 2. Unlike the other laptops, it's a hybrid device able to pull double duties as a road warrior laptop and a Windows 10 tablet. On the surface, the Surface Go 2 doesn't await that much different from its predecessor, except in one neat upgrade where Microsoft slimmed down its bezels to fit a x.five-inch display, rather than ten-inch display; that screen still delivers vivid and punchy colors.

The Microsoft Surface Go 2 comes into its own when the optional Blazon-Cover accessory is added into the mix. That takes the entry-level $299 Surface Go 2 tablet up to $359, simply in the process turns it into a dinky laptop that's surprisingly capable. But to keep things below $500, yous have to put up with an Intel Pentium Gilt processor, but 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage. That's hardly a mighty set of specs, just information technology should be enough for people who want a 2-in-1 device for reasonably lightweight productivity tasks — recollect spider web browsing, word processing, and firing out a good for you batch of emails.

But if you don't desire to work on the go, you can load it up with movies and video, too every bit a few indie games, courtesy of Steam compatibility, and use those to while away a ho-hum commute. And with a additional battery life over its predecessor, the Surface Go ii should go on going long plenty abroad from a power socket to get yous through a decent length trip.

Read our full Microsoft Surface Get two review .

Lenovo Chromebook C330 2-in-1

Lenovo Chromebook C330 ii-in-1 (Image credit: Tom'due south Guide)

iv. Lenovo Chromebook C330 2-in-i

Another excellent, affordable Chromebook

Specifications

Display: 11.half dozen inches; one,136 ten 768 – ane,366 x 768

CPU: MediaTek MT8173C

GPU: Integrated

RAM: 4GB

Storage: 32-64GB

Weight: 2.82 pounds

Reasons to purchase

+

two-in-one, then works every bit a tablet

+

Long battery life

+

Comfortable keyboard

Reasons to avoid

-

Dull display

-

Sluggish performance

With a MediaTek processor, 4GB of RAM and a Google Chrome operating system, the Lenovo Chromebook C330 isn't going to allow you lot to exercise much heavy browsing with multiple tabs and certainly won't allow you lot play the latest hardware-crunching games on its integrated graphics fleck. However, you lot tin can accomplish some light work and watch a YouTube video (and then long as other tabs remain airtight), even if the low-resolution display means colors volition appear washed out.

But hey, the battery will terminal at least 10 hours, which is i of the amend life spans on this list. The keyboard is comfortable and clicky, too, so you can at least become some work done without worrying nigh mushy keys or flex. For kids and higher students who don't care about colour accuracy and just want to get their assignments washed on time (perhaps while using the HDMI port to plug into a better monitor), the Lenovo Chromebook C330 is a fine pick.

Dell Inspiron 15 3000

Dell Inspiron xv 3000 (Epitome credit: Dell)

5. Dell Inspiron 15 3000

Another affordable, reliable Windows laptop under $500

Specifications

Display: xv.six inches, 1,366 ten 768

CPU: Intel Cadre i3-1005G1

GPU: Intel UHD

RAM: 4GB

Storage: 128GB NVMe

Weight: 4.48 pounds

Reasons to purchase

+

Intel 10th Gen CPU

+

Plenty of ports

+

Decent storage space

Reasons to avoid

-

Only a basic Hd brandish

-

Dated design

It's not the nigh inspiring of laptops despite its name sounding similar to such a description, but the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 is a cheap and applied laptop for a price that starts at $323. For that reasonably small wad of cash, y'all can become a 10th Gen Core i3-1005G1 CPU, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of PCIe NVMe storage.

Information technology's all packed up in a relatively unassuming chassis offering a decent selection of ports and a fifteen.half-dozen-inch display with a resolution of 1366 x 768. We've not reviewed the laptop ourselves only user reviews are reasonably positive, with the laptop getting an boilerplate score of 3.8 stars out of v. And every bit this is a Dell machine information technology's likely to be fairly reliable and unlikely to let y'all downward — though it's non going to astonish you either.

Acer Chromebook Spin 311 review

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

6. Acer Chromebook Spin 311

A durable, affordable Chromebook

Specifications

Display: xi.6 inches, 1366 x 768

CPU: 2.0GHz octa-core MediaTek MT8183

GPU: ARM Mali-G72 MP3

RAM: 4GB

Storage: 32 or 64 GB eMMC

Weight: 2.65 pounds

Reasons to buy

+

Solid battery life

+

Exceptional keyboard

+

Tough Gorilla Glass screen

Reasons to avoid

-

Dim, low-resolution screen

-

No USB 3.0 Type A port

Acer'southward Spin 311 is exactly what many people expect of a Chromebook: Small-scale, cheap, and capable enough to handle work and lite play every 24-hour interval. The keyboard is excellent for a Chromebook of this size and price; the battery life is solid, also, and although performance isn't swell, it's enough to handle light, twenty-four hour period-to-twenty-four hour period tasks.

For students, children, or anyone looking for an extremely portable machine that gets the essentials right, the Spin 311 is one of the best Chromebooks for kids that can likewise compete with some of the best Chromebooks of comparable toll.

Read our full Acer Chromebook Spin 311 review .

iPad 8th generation review smart keyboard

(Image credit: Future)

7. Apple iPad 2020 with Smart Keyboard

The best laptop under $500 that'due south also an iPad

Reasons to buy

+

Brilliant and colorful display

+

Superb battery life

+

Fast chip

Reasons to avoid

-

Blueprint a bit dated

-

iPadOS limitations

Ok so the iPad 2020, aka the iPad 8, isn't actually a laptop. But at the price of $449 it can exist equipped with an optional $48 Apple tree Smart Keyboard, that turns the tablet into a course of hybrid laptop for under $500. In that style, information technology'southward a little like the Microsoft Surface Go.

If y'all need to do some email work, draft up a word document, or do some light photo and video editing, this iPad is reasonably capable. Granted information technology's not a powerhouse machine simply few laptops on this list are. And while iPadOS has its limitations, it'south notwithstanding capable of getting through a good suite of everyday tasks. And so you lot've got the rich curated ecosystem of apps to selection from in the Apple App Store, making the basic iPad a solid device for light work and serious play.

As a secondary device, we can thoroughly recommend giving this iPad some consideration, fifty-fifty if it looks a little dated compared to the more expensive iPad Air 4.

Read our full Apple iPad 2020 review .

eight. Acer Aspire 5

A great budget laptop when battery life isn't of import

Reasons to buy

+

Affordable

+

Full keyboard layout

+

Upgradeable hardware

+

Ample port selection

Reasons to avoid

-

Poor battery life

-

Slippery trackpad

The Acer Aspire 5 is a total laptop for nether $500, and it'southward a neat petty machine as long as you don't programme on unplugging it very oft. It offers a good port choice, a dainty 15.half-dozen-inch 1080p display, and a full-size keyboard that'due south comfy to blazon on. Withal, it isn't the upkeep all-star its predecessor was thanks to its disappointing bombardment life: it lasted less than 7 hours in our lab testing, and under real-world conditions, it regularly started to run low later just a few hours of streaming video.

While the Acer Aspire 5 is a proficient bargain if you need a new laptop now for not a lot of money, many of its quirks may be hard to ignore—particularly its poor battery life. That existence said, it hits all the points for your basic computing needs, including steady performance and a wealth of ports.

Read our full Acer Aspire 5 review .

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How to choose the all-time laptop nether $500 for you lot

Information technology can be tricky to weigh upward how much one tin expect from a laptop that costs less than $500. You're not going to get bleeding-edge performance or a super premium design. And you might have to brand a few compromises on the display, such equally how well it handles colors and how brilliant gets. Only that doesn't hateful you have to make do with a laptop that feels cheap; rather, y'all're looking for one that's affordable. So here are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for a laptop under $500.

Chrome or Windows? With $500 or less, yous're express to getting a Windows x or Chrome OS machine, as fifty-fifty the cheapest MacBook Air 2020 will exist way out of your price range. As such yous'll demand to decide whether a Windows laptop or Chromebook meliorate fits your needs.

Chrome Os offers a lightweight operating system that will run on fifty-fifty the nearly basic hardware, withal nevertheless offers a comprehensive suite of abilities and spider web-based apps to go a lot of day-to-mean solar day computing tasks done. Furthermore, information technology at present supports Android apps.

Window 10, on the other hand, requires a little more ability to ensure it runs smoothly. But it supports a huge range of software, far more than Chrome Bone can currently dream of. And Windows 10 is being improved upon on a regular basis, significant you'll exist able to get the all-time software Microsoft tin can offer years after you've bought your laptop.

Clamshell or convertible: Sub-$500 laptops generally come in two varieties — traditional clamshell laptops or dynamic 2-in-1 convertibles. Clamshells are usually the cheaper of the bunch, and provide a traditional laptop experience with a keyboard and a not-touch screen. But if you want a touchscreen device that can also double as a tablet, convertibles (or detachables, like the Surface Get), are worth considering.

Don't settle for less than 1080p: Unless you're truly strapped for cash, you shouldn't settle for most laptops with a 1366 x 768 brandish. Plenty of affordable notebooks starting time with a display resolution of 1080p, which volition make a big difference when information technology comes to streaming Netflix shows or working on Word documents for hours on end.

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Alex Wawro is a lifelong tech and games enthusiast with more a decade of experience covering both for outlets similar Game Developer, Black Hat, and PC World mag. He currently serves as a senior editor at Tom's Guide covering all things computing, from laptops and desktops to keyboards and mice.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/best-picks/best-laptops-under-500

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