The Best Budget Laptops For Your Money
January 16th 2012 update:
This update brings new recommendations for the best budget gaming laptop and netbook.
I also added recommendations for RAM, HDDs/SSDs and sound card upgrades.
The Acer Aspire One AO722-0418, the recommended best "netbook" type of laptop. Equipped with an AMD dual-core C60, Radeon HD 6290 256MB, 4GB of RAM, etc.
The best laptops for your money?
By that, I mean the laptops that offer the best performance at a given price. Why would you want that, you ask?
Because you want the best bang for the buck, because you want the best possible laptop for your hard-earned money and because you want the best features possible!
If you have the time to do research… but who does in this crazy world?
If you have the time, reading detailed laptop reviews and specs are a lot of fun. However, most of us don’t have the time to do the research and just want the answers. In other words, what we want to know is what is the best laptop for our budget and requirements.
So if you don’t have the time to do the research, or just don’t care to do it, don’t worry. I’ll come to your help with this series on the best laptops for your money.
Keep in mind:
- This list is based on the best U.S. prices from NewEgg and/or Amazon that I’ve seen on January 16th 2012. Prices and availability change everyday. I can’t keep up with accurate pricing everyday, but I can suggest to you great laptops that you won’t regret buying at the price ranges that I list.
- All prices are based on new laptops prices, no refurbished or open box laptops are listed; they might be a good deal, but they come with trade offs, such as missing accessories, higher failure rate, limited return policy, limited warranty, etc.
- I recommend a few different types of laptops, such as General Computing, Gaming and Ultra-portable. Each type has its pros and cons, so make sure to read the details to figure out which type suits you best.
- This specific article on budget laptops has a price ceiling of $500 for the laptop. We also have an article on The Best Mainstream Laptops and on The Best High-End Laptops.
Summary
Click on these links to jump to the section that interests you.
Alternatively, scroll down to see them all, in this order.
- The Best General Computing Laptop for $500
- The Best Gaming Laptop for $500
- Ultra Portables:
- Best Netbook for $500
- Ultra-Portable with the Best CPU for $500
- Ultra-Portable with the Best Build Quality/Keyboard for $500
- Personalize your laptop with a skin:
- Upgrade the RAM, the hard drive or the sound card:
General computing:
$500 – HP ProBook 4530s XU015UT
About General Computing laptops:
General Computing laptops generally come equipped with the very common 15.6″ size screen and are equipped with a fairly powerful CPU.
They are perfect are for people who want a laptop that can handle a bit of everything, without costing a fortune.
On the downside, these laptops are slightly less portable than smaller 10.1-13.3″ models, by being larger and heavier. Not a problem if you’re only moving from one room to another, but it can annoying if you’re carrying your laptop around all day long.
About the HP ProBook 4530s XU015UT:
Pros:
- Brushed aluminum finish: This laptop is more solid than the average budget laptop.
- Spill-resistant keyboard, perfect for accidents at coffee shops
- Numpad: Very useful for spreadsheets.
- 720p Webcam: Great for Skype and other IM programs, or simply for video recording.
- Relatively powerful dual-core (with Hyper-Threading) Intel CPU based on the SandyBridge architecture.
- 7,200rpm hard drive allows for faster booting and faster program launches than a slower 5,400rpm hard drive.
- Finger-print reader: Additional layer of security.
- Matte screen: Allows you to use your laptop even with direct sunlight.
Cons:
- Somewhat limited video card (Intel HD 3000) performance. Fine for older games or some newer games with low-resolution/minimum details settings.
- Average battery life. Expect about 5 hours of web browsing.
Ideal for:
- A student who needs a laptop with enough power to last him/her through a few years of school, without ruining him/her.
- Small businesses.
To avoid for:
- Someone who’s traveling a lot and who wants an highly-portable, lightweight laptop to carry around all day.
- Someone who wants to play a lot of video games.
Compared to similar laptops:
The majority of budget general computing laptops are no where as solid nor as professional looking as the HP ProBook 4530s (with its Brushed aluminium and spill-resistant keyboard).
Most of them also come with either previous generation Intel processors or simply slower AMD processors, that don’t offer the same level of CPU processing power. In other words, the HP ProBook 4530s is one of the most solid, best looking and most powerful budget laptops available on the market today.
Click here to go back up to the summary
Specifications:
| Components |
Hp Probook 4530s |
| OS | Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit |
| CPU | Intel Core i3-2310M Dual-Core + Hyper-Threading 2.1GHz |
| Screen Webcam Video Card |
15.6″ 1366 x 768 LED backlight, matte anti-glare Yes: 720P (1280 x 720) Intel HD 3000 |
| RAM Slots/Max RAM |
4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1333MHz 2 Slots, maximum 8GB (2x4GB) |
| Storage | 320GB Hard Drive running at 7,200RPM |
| Optical Drive | DVD+/-RW SuperMulti DL LightScribe |
| Audio | SRS Labs Premium Sound Integrated microphone Built-in speaker |
| Networking | LAN: 10/100/1000Mbps 802.11b/g/n Wifi Bluetooth 3.0 + HS Combo |
| Ports | 6-in-1 Card Reader Express Card/34 Headphone and Microphone 3.5mm jacks 4 x USB 2.0 LAN VGA Output HDMI Output Fingerprint Reader |
| Dimensions Weight |
14.76″ x 10.1″ x 1.13″ 5.22lbs |
| Battery Size Battery Life |
6-cell (47 WHr) Li-Ion 5-6 hours |
Click here to go back up to the summary
Best Gaming Laptop under $500:
$500 – Lenovo IdeaPad Z575 (12992AU)
About Gaming laptops:
Gaming laptops are optimized to offer the best gaming experience possible and come with more powerful than average video cards.
On the downside, those powerful video cards draw more power, so gaming laptops have lower battery life than the average laptop.
The Toshiba Satellite L755D-S5363 got replaced by the Lenovo IdeaPad Z575 (12992AU), which features a more powerful CPU and video card, resulting in higher gaming performance. You also get more storage capacity at 750GB compared to 500GB before.
About the Lenovo IdeaPad Z575 (12992AU):
Pros:
- Best Gaming experience for a budget laptop with the AMD Radeon HD 6620G video card. Playing most games at the native 1366 x 768 resolution shouldn’t be a problem, although you’ll have to lower the detail settings here and there, depending on the game.
- Dedicated numpad.
- Large 750GB hard drive.
- The RAM and hard drive are easy to upgrade, with a single panel to remove to access both.
- Bluetooth
Cons:
- The AMD A8-3500M offers less CPU processing power than the Intel Core-i series of CPUs.
- 5,400rpm hard drive takes longer to boot and to launches programs than a faster 7,200rpm hard drive.
- Limited battery life: Expect 3.5-4.5 hours of web browsing time.
- Average budget laptop build quality: Plastic everywhere.
- Glossy screen: Forget about using this laptop in direct sunlight.
Ideal for:
- Someone on a tight budget who wants to play video games and needs the portability of a laptop (Otherwise, a desktop Budget Gaming PC offers a LOT more performance for the same price.)
To avoid for:
- Someone who’s traveling a lot and who wants an highly-portable, lightweight laptop to carry around all day.
- Someone who needs a laptop with a long battery life.
Compared to similar laptops:
The majority of budget laptops come with the Intel HD 3000 or very low-end AMD or Nvidia integrated video cards that simply can’t match the much more powerful AMD Radeon HD 6620G found in this laptop, which is why this laptop is the best Budget Gaming laptop in my opinion.
Click here to go back up to the summary
Specifications:
| Components |
Lenovo IdeaPad Z575 (12992AU) |
| OS | Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit |
| CPU | AMD A8-3500M Quad-Core 1.5-2.4GHz 35W TDP |
| Screen Webcam Video Card |
15.6″ 1366 x 768 LED backlight, glossy Yes: 0.3MP (640 x 480) AMD Radeon HD 6620G: 400SPs @ 444MHz |
| RAM Slots/Max RAM |
4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1333MHz 2 Slots, maximum 8GB (2x4GB) |
| Storage | 750GB Hard Drive running at 5,400RPM |
| Optical Drive | 8x DVD+/-RW SuperMulti |
| Audio | SRS Premium Surround Sound Audio Built-in microphone Two built-in speakers |
| Networking | LAN: 10/100Mbps 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN Bluetooth |
| Ports | 5-in-1 Card reader (MMC, SD, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, xD) Headphone and Microphone 3.5mm jacks 3 x USB 2.0 E-SATA/USB 2.0 combo port LAN VGA Output HDMI Output |
| Dimensions Weight |
14.8″ x 9.8″ x 1.4″ 5.73lbs |
| Battery Size Battery Life |
6 cell Lithium Ion ~3.5-4.5 hours |
Click here to go back up to the summary
Best Netbook/Ultra-portable:
About Netbooks/Ultra-portable laptops:
Ultra-portable laptops generally have a screen that’s 13.3″ or smaller, a relatively thin profile and a weight under 4lbs. They usually have a better than average battery life. These are ideal for road warriors and people who carry their laptop around all day long.
On the downside, these laptops are usually more limited when it comes to their CPU and video card performance and their small dimensions can also result in a cramped keyboard and a smaller than average trackpad.
Of course, this varies from one model to another. For example, some ultra-portables have great keyboards (e.g. Lenovo Thinkpad X series) and higher-end ultra-portables have relatively powerful CPUs and video cards.
Netbook:
Compact, Light and Long Battery Life
$403 – Acer Aspire One AO722-0418
Replacing the ASUS Eee PC 1015PX-SU17, the Acer Aspire One AO722-0418 completely outclasses it:
It features the more powerful AMD C-60, the Radeon HD 6290 video card with 256MB of dedicated memory, more RAM (4GB vs 2GB), a larger (500GB vs 320GB) hard drive and a higher resolution (1366 x 768 vs 1024 x 600) display.
About the Acer Aspire One AO722-0418:
Pros:
- More compact (11.22″ x 7.91″ x 1″) and lighter (3.21lbs) than the average laptop.
- Higher resolution (1366 x 768 vs 1024 x 600) than the average netbook.
- Faster CPU, faster video card and more RAM than the average Intel Atom netbook.
- Capable of running 720p/1080p Youtube, Hulu and the like.
- Great battery life: Up to 7-10 hours, depending on your usage.
- HDMI Output
- Windows Home Premium 64-bit, unlike most netbooks which come with 32-bit or worse, Windows 7 Starter.
- Very low price ($403).
Cons:
- Limited CPU processing power
- Cramped keyboard, with limited key travel.
- Glossy screen: Forget about using this laptop in direct sunlight.
Ideal for:
People looking for an affordable, very small and very lightweight machine to edit documents, browse the web, go on Youtube, listen to music, watch TV/movies, with a long battery life.
Avoid it for:
- Moderate/Heavy Audio/Photo/Video editing or Moderate/Heavy multitasking: The C-60 CPU just doesn’t have enough processing power to handle that.
- Gaming: While older games should run, don’t expect to be running modern games, except for a few with minimum details.
Compared to similar netbooks:
While you can get netbooks at lower prices, they will be crippled by a slower Intel Atom CPU, slower Intel integrated graphic processor, an insufficient amount of RAM (1-2GB) to run Windows 7 smoothly, a 1024×600 low resolution screen and/or they will greatly limited by Windows 7 Starter Edition.
The Acer Aspire One AO722-0418 comes with the AMD C-60 CPU, the Radeon HD 6290 video card with 256MB of dedicated VRAM, 4GB of RAM, a 1366 x 766 screen and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.
Click here to go back up to the summary
Specifications:
| Components |
Acer Aspire One AO722-0418 |
| OS | Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit |
| CPU | AMD C-60 Series Dual-Core 1.00-1.33GHz Turbo |
| Screen Webcam Video Card |
11.6″ 1366 x 766 LED backlit, glossy Yes: 0.3MP (640 x 480) AMD Radeon HD 6290 with 256MB Dedicated VRAM |
| RAM Slots/Max RAM |
4GB (1x4GB) DDR3 1066MHz 1 Slot, maximum 4GB (1x4GB). Maxed out. |
| Storage | 500GB Hard Drive running at 5,400RPM |
| Optical Drive | None |
| Audio | Integrated Sound Card Built-in microphone Two built-in speakers |
| Networking | LAN: 10/100Mbps 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN |
| Ports | Multi-in-1 Card reader Headphone and Microphone 3.5mm jacks 3 x USB 2.0 LAN HDMI Output VGA Output |
| Dimensions Weight |
11.21″ x 7.91″ x 1″ 3.21lbs |
| Battery Size Battery Life |
6-cell lithium ion Up to 7-10 hours |
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Most Powerful CPU:
(For a budget ultra-portable that is)
$420 – Acer Aspire AS1830-3595
About the Acer Aspire AS1830-3595:
Pros:
- More compact (11.1″ x 8.3″ x 0.6″ – 1.2″) and lighter (3.31lbs) than the average laptop.
- Most powerful CPU available in a budget ultra-portable laptop
- Decent battery life (Up to 6 hours)
- Low price ($420)
Cons:
- Weak video card: Forget about gaming, except perhaps for some older games or web games.
- Only 2GB (1x2GB) of RAM included. However, RAM is very cheap right now, so you can upgrade to 8GB (2x4GB) for about $40.
- Cramped keyboard: Very little space between each key
- Small trackpad
- Glossy screen: Forget about using this laptop in direct sunlight.
Ideal for:
Road-warriors who are looking for the most powerful CPU in an affordable ultra-portable laptop.
Avoid for:
- Gaming
- Heavy audio/photo/video editing or heavy multi-tasking: While this laptop can do these things, the Intel Core i3-330UM CPU is limited by its low 1.2GHz operating frequency.
Compared to similar laptops:
Simply put: You will not find a more powerful CPU, in a small ultra-portable chassis like this one, without spending a lot more money. For $420, this is one heck of a package, that used to cost at least $500-$600 less than a year ago.
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Specifications:
| Components |
Acer Aspire AS1830-3595 |
| OS | Windows 7 Professional 64-bit |
| CPU | Intel Core i3-330UM Dual-Core + Hyper-Threading 1.2GHz |
| Screen Webcam Video Card |
11.6″ 1366 x 768 LED backlight, glossy Yes: 0.3MP (640 x 480) Intel HD |
| RAM Slots/Max RAM Upgradable to: |
2GB (1x2GB) DDR3 1333MHz 2 Slots, maximum 8GB Either add 4GB to get 6GB (4GB +2GB) or get a 8GB kit (2x4GB) |
| Storage | 250GB Hard Drive |
| Optical Drive | None |
| Audio | High Definition (HD) Audio Built-in microphone Built-in speaker |
| Networking | LAN: 10/100/1000Mbps 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN Bluetooth 3.0 |
| Ports | 5-in-1 Card reader (MMC, SD, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, xD) Headphone and Microphone 3.5mm jacks 3 x USB 2.0 LAN VGA Output HDMI Output |
| Dimensions Weight |
11.1″ x 8.3″ x 0.6″ – 1.2″ 3.31lbs |
| Battery Size Battery Life |
6-cell lithium ion Up to 6 hours |
Click here to go back up to the summary
Best Build Quality/Best Keyboard:
$455 – Lenovo ThinkPad X120e
About the Lenovo Thinkpad X120e:
Pros:
- More compact (11.1″ x 8.3″ x 0.6″ – 1.2″) and lighter (3.31lbs) than the average laptop.
- Thinkpad build quality
- Spill-resistant keyboard
- Best keyboard for a budget ultraportable
- Trackpoint
- Decent battery life (Up to 6 hours)
- Matte screen: You can use this laptop in direct sunlight.
Cons:
- Limited CPU processing power: Faster than an Intel Atom, but slower than the Intel Core i3-330UM. See these AnandTech charts to see how the AMD E-350 compares to those two CPUs, as well as other CPUs commonly found in budget laptops.
- While more capable than other ultra-portable laptops when it comes to gaming, still don’t expect more than playing older game.
Ideal for:
Road warriors who need a workhouse, that is a laptop that can take more abuse than the average laptop and that just keeps working. Excellent for web browser based work, Word editing and similar office applications.
To avoid for:
- Gaming
- Moderate/Heavy audio/photo/video editing or heavy multi-tasking: This laptop will simply stop to a grind if you try to do these things, due to the limited CPU power. While converting some songs or SD video shouldn’t be too much of a problem (assuming that you’re patient), don’t expect much more than that.
Compared to similar laptops:
While there are other laptops that feature the AMD E-350, none of them even remotely match the Lenovo Thinkpad X120e build quality.
Click here to go back up to the summary
Specifications:
| Components |
Lenovo Thinkpad X120e (05962RU) |
| OS | Windows 7 Professional 64-bit |
| CPU | AMD Bobcat E-350 Dual-Core 1.6GHz |
| Screen Webcam Video Card |
11.6″ 1366 x 768 LED backlight, matte anti-glare Yes: 0.3MP (640 x 480) Radeon HD 6310 (80 VLIW-5 Shader Processors @ 500MHz) |
| RAM Slots/Max RAM |
4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1333MHz 2 Slots, maximum 4GB |
| Storage | 320GB Hard Drive running at 7,200RPM |
| Optical Drive | None |
| Audio | High Definition (HD) Audio Built-in digital mono microphone Internal stereo speakers, 1 watt x 2 |
| Networking | LAN: 10/100/1000Mbps 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN Bluetooth 3.0 |
| Ports | 4-in-1 Card reader (MMC, SD, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro) Headphone 3.5mm jack 3 x USB 2.0 (One powered) LAN VGA Output HDMI Output |
| Dimensions Weight |
11.1″ x 8.3″ x 0.6″ – 1.2″ 3.31lbs |
| Battery Size Battery Life |
6-cell lithium ion Up to 6 hours |
Click here to go back up to the summary
Personalize your laptop with a skin!
If you want to personalize your laptop, get a laptop skin from Skinit.com.
They even make it easy for you to upload your own photos and to create a truly one-of-a-kind custom made skin.
Upgrade your RAM, Hard Drive and/or Sound Card
Upgrade your RAM:
- RAM can easily be upgraded on most laptops. Do note that some ultra-portables cannot be upgraded at all, due to their unique design.
- If you aren’t sure about what you can upgrade to, check the specifications table or feel free to ask me in the comments section at the end of the article.
- Pick one of the following recommendations below, depending on if your laptop comes with a single stick of RAM or two, or if you can have up to 4 sticks.
- My recommendations should be compatible with all the laptops recommended in this guide. DDR3 1333MHz sticks will work in laptops that support DDR3 1066MHz sticks.
- I recommend the most reliable sticks that I can find.
Add a single 4GB stick:
$22 – Kingston 4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SODIMM Notebook Memory
Replace the 1x2GB or 2x1GB kit by a 2x2GB (4GB) kit:
$23 – Corsair 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1333MHz SODIMM Notebook Memory Kit
Replace the 2x2GB (4GB) kit by a 2x4GB (8GB) kit:
$40- Kingston 8GB (2x4GB) 1333MHz DDR3 SODIMM Notebook Memory Kit
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Upgrade your hard drive:
You can also upgrade your hard drive to a faster and/or a larger hard drive. Alternatively, you can also replace it with a tremendously faster SSD (Solid State Drive), which also consume a tad less power than laptop hard drive, so replacing a hard drive by a SSD will slightly boost your laptop’s battery life.
Do note that most laptops accept hard drives with a 9.5mm height.
Keep your old hard drive for external storage via an USB 3.0 enclosure:
(Note that USB 3.0 is backward compatible with USB 2.0, if your laptop does not have USB 3.0 ports)
When you replace the hard drive that your laptop came with, I recommend putting in this $26 – Kingwin 2.5-Inch USB 3.0 External Hard Drive Enclosure – Aluminum
750GB Hybrid Hard Drive with 8GB SSD cache
As fast as it gets for a laptop hard drive:
The Seagate Momentus XT 750 GB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s Hybrid Drive
1TB, 5,400rpm hard drive:
As large as it gets for a laptop hard drive capacity. Not as fast as the 750GB hard drive above, due to its slower rotation speed (5,400rpm vs 7,200 rpm) and smaller cache.
Western Digital 1 TB Scorpio Blue SATA II 5400 RPM 2.5-Inch Notebook Hard Drive
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Upgrade to a SSD
If you want to upgrade your hard drive to a SSD, I recommend to you the Crucial M4 line-up of SSDs, which offers the best balance of reliability and performance, at a great price.
Furthermore, I recommend these particular Crucial M4 SSDs, for they include a CD with software and an USB adapter, to help you transfer the content of your current hard drive to the SSD, in order to minimize downtime and make your life easier.
- $118: Crucial M4 2.5″ 64GB SATA III SSD with Transfer Kit
- $195: Crucial M4 2.5″ 128GB SATA III SSD with Transfer Kit
- $380: Crucial M4 2.5″ 256GB SATA III SSD with Transfer Kit
- $715: Crucial M4 2.5″ 512GB SATA III SSD with Transfer Kit
Alternatively, I invite you to read The Best SSDs and HDDs For Your Money article, to decide yourself which SSD is right for you.
Backups: Because all hard drives and SSDs are prone to failure!
Remember: No matter are reliable they can be, all hard drives and all SSDs are prone to failure, which is why you should consult the following article, for more backup solutions, including software: Have a Backup System that you can rely on!
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Upgrade the sound quality
While integrated audio on laptops has improved a lot in the last few years, it’s still no match for a dedicated sound chip if you care about sound quality.
The $40 – ASUS Xonar U3
I highly recommend it if you enjoy high-quality sound, whether it’s for music, movies, games or anything else.
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Conclusion
I hope that you’ve enjoyed this latest edition of the Best Budget Laptops For Your Money.
Feel free to leave a comment below and remember, you can join us on our forums to discuss with everyone else the laptop that you’re planning to buy, ask your questions and join our helpful community!
Category: The Best Laptops For Your Money
