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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 are like diamonds in the rough correct at present, as at that place isn't a vast selection of high-quality, well-made laptops available to buy in that cost range.

With that said, there are currently some smashing options for folks who are in the market for a new laptop at a low price. The lineup of laptops nether $500 we've rounded up below highlights some quality machines that tin help yous get things done without hurting your wallet also badly.

You lot're not going to go cut-edge performance and the best in industrial design from most of these machines. Simply yous can get yourself a reliable laptop for getting work done on the go, or a sturdy device that y'all can requite to children safe in the noesis that if (when) they pause it, they won't have destroyed anything terribly expensive.

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two-in-1 devices like the Lenovo Chromebook Duet and Microsoft Surface Go 2 are particularly impressive for $500 or below,  equally they offering both a tablet and a laptop in a neat package. Yep, you'll need to take a few compromises, only not as many equally you might call up.

What are the all-time laptops under $500 right now?

Getting a decent laptop for under $500 tin can be a challenge, but our selection here is expanding slowly as more affordable machines come up into the market and hybrid two-in-one tablet-meets-laptop devices become available for competitive prices.

Our current pick for the best laptop under $500 you can buy is the Lenovo Chromebook Duet. Technically it's a Chrome tablet, simply since information technology comes with a detachable keyboard for no extra charge, it also doubles as a serviceable laptop. And with a sub-$300 cost tag, information technology shouldn't be too hard on your budget.

Nosotros also recommend the Microsoft Surface Go ii, a very strong successor to the original cheaper Microsoft hybrid device. While its specs won't ready the computing world on burn, information technology however offers the ability needed to become some work done on the move. And its design and keyboard cover are very impressive.

And if you prefer Apple tree products, the iPad 2021 with its Smart Keyboard is a surprisingly usable budget laptop. That's thanks to improvements Apple has fabricated to iPadOS to arrive a more than laptop-like experience. Granted y'all won't exist doing a huge range of tasks on such a device, but so you take access to one of the best and smartly curated app stores around.

The all-time laptops under $500

Lenovo Chromebook Duet

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

1. Lenovo Chromebook Duet

Best 2-in-1 under $500

Specifications

Display: x.1 inches, 1920 x 1200

CPU: MediaTek Helio P60T

GPU: ARM G72 MP3

RAM: 4GB

Storage: 64GB eMMC

Weight: 2 pounds (docked)

Reasons to buy

+

Precipitous, colorful screen

+

First-class battery life

+

ChromeOS tablet optimizations

Reasons to avoid

-

Flimsy swivel

-

Cramped keyboard

If yous're looking for a good budget laptop and don't mind the idea of a hybrid tablet/Chromebook, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet could be for you. Currently $216, you lot can get both the tablet and the detachable keyboard, rather than needing to pay for them separately as is the case with the Microsoft Surface Go — though that hybrid Windows 10 machine does offer a more premium feel. Sporting a 2.0GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio P60T, ARM G72 MP3 GPU, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of eMMC storage space, the 10.1-inch tablet doesn't come with a lot of power or storage.

Merely that doesn't matter equally it'south 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 depression spec means information technology won't chew through battery power. It likewise has an impressively sharp and bright 1920 x 1080 display that works only besides for binge-watching YouTube as it does for zipping through emails and browsing the web.

Read our full Lenovo Chromebook Duet review .

Samsung Chromebook 3

Samsung Chromebook three (Prototype credit: Samsung)

2. Samsung Chromebook iii

An affordable, performant Chromebook

Specifications

Display: 11.6 inches; 1,366 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 performance

Reasons to avoid

-

Awkward push button placement

-

Runs warm

The Samsung Chromebook iii is a very decent and very affordable laptop. It has a screen brighter than most competitors at 259 nits. Information technology can handle multiple open browser tabs, thank you to 4GB of RAM and an Intel Celeron processor. And its bombardment lasts up to nearly 10 hours. In that location's also a standout webcam, with Instagram-fix alive filters for video chats and Multi-Shot mode. Like all Chromebooks, Samsung'southward laptop uses the Google Chrome OS operating system (which relies largely on spider web-based Google services only too supports Android apps) and provides 32GB of flash storage.

If in that location'due south a caveat, information technology's that the lesser runs warm after a while, so be sure to keep your long pants on while swapping hot Twitter takes. Despite the oestrus, this is i of the coolest Chromebooks on the marketplace for upkeep shoppers.

Microsoft Surface Go 2

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (Prototype credit: Tom'south Guide)

three. Microsoft Surface Go 2

The best Windows 2-in-ane nether $500

Specifications

Display: 10.five-inches, 1920 x 1280

CPU: Intel Pentium Gold 4425Y

GPU: Intel UHD Graphics 615

RAM: 4GB

Storage: 64GB eMMC

Weight: 1.22 pounds (ane.75 pounds with type cover)

Reasons to purchase

+

Much improved battery life

+

Bright, colorful (and bigger) screen

+

Excellent webcam

Reasons to avert

-

Functioning doesn't print

-

Type Cover has a learning curve

A wild bill of fare to throw into this list, we have the Microsoft Surface Go 2. Unlike the other laptops, it'due south a hybrid device able to pull double duties as a road warrior laptop and a Windows 10 tablet. On the surface, the Surface Become 2 doesn't expect that much different from its predecessor, except in one bully upgrade where Microsoft slimmed down its bezels to fit a 10.v-inch display, rather than 10-inch display; that screen all the same delivers bright and punchy colors.

The Microsoft Surface Get two comes into its own when the optional Type-Cover accessory is added into the mix. That takes the entry-level $299 Surface Become 2 tablet up to $359, but in the process turns information technology into a dinky laptop that's surprisingly capable. But to go along things beneath $500, you have to put upward with an Intel Pentium Gold processor, only 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage. That's inappreciably a mighty fix of specs, but it should be enough for people who want a ii-in-1 device for reasonably lightweight productivity tasks — recall web browsing, word processing, and firing out a good for you batch of emails.

Only if y'all don't want to work on the get, y'all can load information technology up with movies and video, as well as a few indie games, courtesy of Steam compatibility, and apply those to while away a dull commute. And with a boosted battery life over its predecessor, the Surface Get two should keep going long enough away from a power socket to get you through a decent length trip.

Read our full Microsoft Surface Get 2 review .

Lenovo Chromebook C330 2-in-1

Lenovo Chromebook C330 2-in-1 (Paradigm credit: Tom'south Guide)

4. Lenovo Chromebook C330 ii-in-1

Another excellent, affordable Chromebook

Specifications

Display: 11.6 inches; 1,136 ten 768 – i,366 10 768

CPU: MediaTek MT8173C

GPU: Integrated

RAM: 4GB

Storage: 32-64GB

Weight: 2.82 pounds

Reasons to buy

+

2-in-ane, so works every bit a tablet

+

Long battery life

+

Comfy keyboard

Reasons to avoid

-

Dull display

-

Sluggish operation

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

But hey, the bombardment will concluding at to the lowest degree 10 hours, which is one of the meliorate life spans on this list. The keyboard is comfortable and clicky, too, so you can at least get some work done without worrying well-nigh mushy keys or flex. For kids and college students who don't care about color accuracy and but want to get their assignments done on fourth dimension (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 15 3000 (Prototype credit: Dell)

5. Dell Inspiron xv 3000

Another affordable, reliable Windows laptop nether $500

Specifications

Display: 15.half dozen inches, i,366 x 768

CPU: Intel Cadre i3-1005G1

GPU: Intel UHD

RAM: 4GB

Storage: 128GB NVMe

Weight: 4.48 pounds

Reasons to buy

+

Intel 10th Gen CPU

+

Enough of ports

+

Decent storage space

Reasons to avert

-

Only a basic Hard disk drive display

-

Dated design

It's not the most inspiring of laptops despite its name sounding like to such a clarification, but the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 is a inexpensive and practical laptop for a price that starts at $323. For that reasonably minor wad of greenbacks, you lot can become a 10th Gen Core i3-1005G1 CPU, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of PCIe NVMe storage.

It's all packed upwardly in a relatively unassuming chassis offer a decent selection of ports and a 15.6-inch brandish with a resolution of 1366 x 768. Nosotros've non reviewed the laptop ourselves but user reviews are reasonably positive, with the laptop getting an average score of 3.8 stars out of 5. And every bit this is a Dell motorcar information technology's likely to exist fairly reliable and unlikely to allow you downwardly — though it'south non going to astonish you either.

Acer Chromebook Spin 311 review

(Image credit: Tom'south Guide)

half dozen. Acer Chromebook Spin 311

A durable, affordable Chromebook

Specifications

Display: 11.half dozen inches, 1366 x 768

CPU: 2.0GHz octa-core MediaTek MT8183

GPU: ARM Republic of mali-G72 MP3

RAM: 4GB

Storage: 32 or 64 GB eMMC

Weight: ii.65 pounds

Reasons to buy

+

Solid battery life

+

Exceptional keyboard

+

Tough Gorilla Glass screen

Reasons to avoid

-

Dim, low-resolution screen

-

No USB iii.0 Type A port

Acer'southward Spin 311 is exactly what many people expect of a Chromebook: Pocket-size, cheap, and capable enough to handle work and light play every day. The keyboard is excellent for a Chromebook of this size and price; the battery life is solid, too, and although performance isn't great, it's plenty to handle lite, 24-hour interval-to-mean solar day 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 tin as well compete with some of the best Chromebooks of comparable price.

Read our total Acer Chromebook Spin 311 review .

iPad 8th generation review smart keyboard

(Image credit: Futurity)

seven. Apple iPad 2020 with Smart Keyboard

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

Reasons to purchase

+

Bright and colorful brandish

+

Superb battery life

+

Fast chip

Reasons to avoid

-

Pattern a bit dated

-

iPadOS limitations

Ok so the iPad 2020, aka the iPad eight, isn't really a laptop. But at the price of $449 it can be equipped with an optional $48 Apple tree Smart Keyboard, that turns the tablet into a form of hybrid laptop for under $500. In that manner, it's a little similar the Microsoft Surface Become.

If you need to do some e-mail work, draft up a word document, or practice some low-cal photograph and video editing, this iPad is reasonably capable. Granted it's not a powerhouse machine only few laptops on this list are. And while iPadOS has its limitations, it's still capable of getting through a good suite of everyday tasks. And then you've got the rich curated ecosystem of apps to pick from in the Apple App Store, making the bones 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 than expensive iPad Air iv.

Read our total Apple iPad 2020 review .

8. Acer Aspire 5

A great budget laptop when battery life isn't important

Reasons to purchase

+

Affordable

+

Full keyboard layout

+

Upgradeable hardware

+

Aplenty port selection

Reasons to avoid

-

Poor bombardment life

-

Slippery trackpad

The Acer Aspire 5 is a total laptop for under $500, and it's a great little machine equally long as you don't plan on unplugging information technology very often. It offers a good port option, a nice 15.6-inch 1080p display, and a total-size keyboard that's comfortable to type on. However, information technology isn't the budget all-star its predecessor was thanks to its disappointing battery life: it lasted less than 7 hours in our lab testing, and nether real-world atmospheric condition it regularly started to run low afterwards just a few hours of streaming video.

While the Acer Aspire 5 is a good deal if yous need a new laptop now for non a lot of money, many of its quirks may be hard to ignore—particularly its poor battery life. That beingness said, information technology 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 best laptop under $500 for y'all

Information technology can exist tricky to weigh upward how much one tin can expect from a laptop that costs less than $500. You're not going to get bleeding-border performance or a super premium pattern. And you might have to make a few compromises on the brandish, such as how well it handles colors and how bright gets. But that doesn't mean yous accept to make exercise with a laptop that feels inexpensive; rather, yous're looking for i that's affordable. So hither are a few things to keep in heed when shopping for a laptop under $500.

Chrome or Windows? With $500 or less, you lot're limited to getting a Windows 10 or Chrome Os car, as even the cheapest MacBook Air 2020 volition be way out of your price range. As such you'll need to determine whether a Windows laptop or Chromebook better fits your needs.

Chrome OS offers a lightweight operating system that will run on fifty-fifty the nigh bones hardware, yet all the same offers a comprehensive suite of abilities and web-based apps to get a lot of day-to-day computing tasks washed. Furthermore, it at present supports Android apps.

Window 10, on the other paw, requires a footling more power to ensure it runs smoothly. But it supports a huge range of software, far more than Chrome OS can currently dream of. And Windows 10 is beingness improved upon on a regular basis, meaning you lot'll be able to get the best software Microsoft can offering years afterwards you lot've bought your laptop.

Clamshell or convertible: Sub-$500 laptops by and large come in two varieties — traditional clamshell laptops or dynamic 2-in-1 convertibles. Clamshells are normally the cheaper of the bunch, and provide a traditional laptop feel with a keyboard and a non-bear upon screen. But if you want a touchscreen device that can besides double as a tablet, convertibles (or detachables, like the Surface Get), are worth because.

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 display. Plenty of affordable notebooks start with a display resolution of 1080p, which will make a large deviation when it comes to streaming Netflix shows or working on Word documents for hours on terminate.

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Alex Wawro is a lifelong tech and games enthusiast with more than than a decade of experience roofing both for outlets like Game Developer, Black Chapeau, and PC Globe magazine. He currently serves as a senior editor at Tom's Guide roofing all things computing, from laptops and desktops to keyboards and mice.

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

Posted by: royacquaid.blogspot.com

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