12 Best Cheap Laptops (2025), Tested and Reviewed

For our afloat return connected what to look for successful a laptop, spot our guideline on choosing nan correct laptop. Your fund is nan astir important factor, arsenic it determines what you tin expect retired of nan instrumentality you're purchasing. But you should see show size, chassis thickness, CPU, memory, storage, and larboard selection. While due specs tin alteration wildly erstwhile you're considering laptops ranging from $200 to $800, location are a fewer difficult lines I don't urge crossing.

For example, don't bargain a laptop if doesn't person a show solution of astatine slightest 1920 x 1080. In 2025, there's conscionable nary excuse for thing little than that. You should besides ne'er bargain a laptop without astatine slightest 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. Even successful Chromebooks, these specs are becoming nan caller standard. You're trading yourself short by getting thing less. Another norm is to debar a Windows laptop pinch an Intel Celeron processor—leave those for Chromebooks only.

Specs are only half nan conflict though. Based connected our years of testing, laptop manufacturers thin to make compromises successful show value and touchpad quality. You can't show from nan photos aliases listed specs online, but erstwhile you get nan laptop successful your hands, you whitethorn announcement that nan colors of nan surface look a spot disconnected aliases that nan touchpad feels choppy to use. It's astir intolerable to find laptops nether $500 that don't discuss successful these areas, but this is wherever our reviewers and testers tin help.

The elemental answer? You request astatine slightest 8 GB of RAM. These days, location are moreover immoderate Windows laptops astatine astir $700 aliases $800 that travel pinch 16 GB of RAM standard, arsenic portion of nan Copilot+ PC trading push. That's a awesome value, and ensures you'll get nan champion capacity retired of your laptop, particularly erstwhile moving heavier applications aliases multitasking. Either way, it's important to facet successful nan value of nan RAM, because manufacturers will often complaint $100 aliases moreover $200 to double nan memory.

On Chromebooks, location are immoderate uncommon occasions wherever 4GB of RAM is acceptable, but only connected nan very cheapest models that are nether $200. Even fund Chromebooks for illustration nan Asus Chromebook CX15 now commencement pinch 8 GB of RAM.

Yes, but you request to beryllium careful. Don't conscionable spell bargain a random laptop connected Amazon nether $300, arsenic you'll apt extremity up pinch an outdated, slow instrumentality that you'll regret purchasing. You mightiness tempted by thing like this aliases this, but spot me—there are amended options, immoderate of which you'll find beneath connected this list.

For starters, you shouldn't bargain a Windows laptop nether $300. That value puts you solidly successful inexpensive Chromebook territory. While these are still budget-level successful position of quality, they're amended successful almost each measurement than their Windows counterparts of a akin price. A bully example, again, is nan Asus Chromebook CX15.

If you want a Windows laptop that you won't springiness you instant buyers remorse, you'll request to walk astatine slightest a fewer 100 more. Once you deed $500 aliases $600, location are immoderate much coagulated Windows laptops available, specified arsenic nan Acer Aspire Go 14, though moreover there, you're making immoderate important compromises successful capacity and retention capacity. Windows laptops really commencement to get amended successful nan $600+ range.

Ah, nan eternal question. If you're looking for a laptop nether $500, I highly urge that you opt for a Chromebook. I cognize that won't beryllium a anticipation for everyone, arsenic immoderate person definite applications that requires a Windows laptop aliases MacBook. If you do purpose to get a Chromebook, make judge each your connected accessories and different devices are compatible.

Chromebooks springiness you entree to a afloat desktop Chrome browser, arsenic good arsenic Android apps. While that leaves immoderate gaps for apps that immoderate whitethorn need, you mightiness beryllium amazed by really overmuch you tin get done without nan request to instal immoderate software. Most applications person web versions that are each spot arsenic useful, and pinch immoderate adjusting, you mightiness find yourself.

While Chromebooks are astir well-known arsenic junky student laptops, nan caller “Chromebook Plus” nickname has filled successful nan spread betwixt dirt-cheap Chromebooks and $800 Windows laptops. You'll find immoderate awesome Chromebook Plus options successful nan $400 to $600 scope that person amended capacity and displays, while besides looking a spot much for illustration a modern laptop. The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is simply a awesome illustration of this.