The best budget laptops of 2024

Finding the perfect laptop without breaking the bank isn’t as difficult as you might think. These days, the best cheap laptops still pack a lot of punch, offering great features without a premium price tag. Whether you need a laptop for work, school, streaming or staying connected, there are plenty of affordable options that can handle your everyday needs. You don’t have to deal with outdated technology, either — many budget laptops now come with decent processors, long battery life and sleek designs that won’t stifle your style.

Of course, not all budget laptops are created equal. That’s why we’ve put together a top pick to help you get the most bang for your buck. From student-friendly Chromebooks to Windows laptops for light productivity, there’s something for everyone.

What to look for in a budget laptop

First, we at Engadget consider anything under $1,000 to be “budget” in the laptop space. The reason for this is twofold: even the most affordable flagship laptops usually start at $1,000 or more, and the further you go down than that (say, $500 or less), that’s when you’ll start to see compromises in performance. You’ll usually find the best cheap laptops that strike a good balance between power and price in the $500 to $1,000 range. But in this guide, we’ll cover the top picks at a range of prices – there are plenty of great options at the low and high end of the budget spectrum.

Arguably the biggest thing to look for in a cheap laptop is build quality and a decent sheet. You may be able to find configuration options with the latest generation CPU chipsets, or you may have to go for one with a slightly older processor. We recommend looking for models with solid state drive (SSD) storage instead of a standard hard drive, as SSDs provide faster performance. And if you can get a PC with the latest internals, it’s worth the investment. However, going with a CPU that is one generation behind is unlikely to make a noticeable difference in performance.

Along with processors, you also have to consider the amount of memory and storage you need for a daily driver. For the former, we recommend laptops with at least 8GB of RAM; anything less than that will have a hard time multitasking and managing all those web browsing tabs. The latter is more personal: how much on-board storage you really need depends on how many apps, files, photos, documents and more you’re going to save in the space. As a general rule of thumb, try to get a laptop with at least a 256GB SSD (this goes for macOS and Windows machines, as Chromebooks are a little different). That should give you enough space for programs and files, as well as room for future operating system updates. And if you need a simple productivity machine or Android emulation, some laptops even support Android apps natively, which can add more flexibility.

After determining the best performance you can get while sticking to your budget, it’s also worth checking out a few different design elements. We recommend a laptop with an IPS display for better viewing angles and color accuracy, although premium models with OLED displays are becoming more common and can offer deeper blacks and brighter colors. Pay attention to port selection, too – most budget models offer multiple ports, while high-end ones tend to prioritize minimal features with fewer connections. If connectivity is important to you, look for options with USB-C, USB-A, HDMI and an audio jack.

And speaking of practical features, always keep an eye on GPU performance when shopping for a budget-friendly gaming laptop. While integrated graphics are fine for casual users, a dedicated GPU will enhance gaming and creative work. We also recommend checking the screen refresh rate, as a higher rate will make a noticeable difference in both games and heavy scrolling applications.

A note about refurbished laptops

Refurbished laptops are another option to consider if you need a new machine and don’t want to spend a ton of money. Buying refurbished technology can be tricky if you don’t know the product or vendor’s policies regarding what they define as “refurbished.” But it is not possible – for laptops, we recommend that you go directly to the manufacturer to get refurbished devices. Apple, Dell and Microsoft all have official refurbishment processes that their devices go through before they are returned to the market which ensures that the devices are working properly and in good condition. Third-party retailers like Amazon and Walmart also have their own refurbishing programs for laptops and other gadgets.

The best cheap laptops of 2024