3 Best Laptops Under $500

by CT | Last Updated: April 11, 2021

You don’t need to break the bank to get a great laptop for everyday tasks (and often more powerful ones, too!). These top 10 laptops offer performance, reliability, and battery life for under $500.

Don’t worry, they aren’t all Chromebooks either 🙂 

While there are a ton of options for laptops under $500, not all of them will last, be able to handle regular tasks, and stay charged long enough while you’re at the coffee shop or on the go.

This list of is regularly updated to make sure we are bringing you the right choices, and helping you make the best decision when it comes to buying a laptop.

If you have a little more budget to work with, you might want to check out the best laptops under 600 dollars. 

The Best Laptops Under $500

1. Acer Aspire 5

Gaming, Video Editing and More

Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop

• 15.6 inches Full HD IPS Display
• AMD Ryzen 3 3200U
• Vega 3 Graphics
• 4GB DDR4, 128GB SSD
• Backlit Keyboard
• Windows 10 in S Mode

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If you intend on purchasing a heavy-duty laptop within budget, this just might be the one you are looking for. This Acer Aspire consists of a 2.3 GHz 6th generation dual-core Intel i5 processor which might not be the most efficient one, but it works in great synergy with the rest of the hardware involved.

This machine has an outstanding performance, to begin with. The RAM holds a capacity worth 8 GB and is the latest DDR4 RAM. The processor’s performance can be improved by upgrading the RAM with additional memory. If you are tech-savvy, you must be well aware that a 4 GB RAM isn’t getting you any far in video editing. On the other hand, with the double of that, the RAM not only enables extensive video editing but also great for music and photo editing as well.

It also consists of an Nvidia GTX 940M with 2 GB VRAM. While it isn’t the most powerful machine to run high-end games on, it will assist in video editing and enable you to play a few recent games.

Although the storage is 256 GB it might not be enough for you. The computer boots quickly, its performance is swift and smooth. The performance isn’t being compromised but an external drive may be needed for additional memory purposes.

2. Acer Chromebook 15

A Superior Chromebook

Acer Chromebook 15

• Intel Celeron N3350
• 15.6" Full HD Touch Display
• 4GB LPDDR4
• 32GB eMMC
• 802.11ac WiFi
• Bluetooth 4.2
• Google Chrome

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The Acer Chromebook is powered by the Chrome OS which consists of only Google applications such as Gmail and Google Docs. There aren’t many other applications on this system and thus you may have to use the internet for alternate solutions. The Google Docs is just as handy as the Microsoft Office. You may compose and draft emails or use it for other purposes even in areas with no internet connectivity.

The system has an impressive 5th generation Intel i5 dual-core processor that runs approximately 2.2 GHz. Although it may not be as fast as the newer laptops, it does not lag either.

The RAM of the Chromebook has a capacity worth 4 GB. The storage space of this system is a major drawback, even though it comes with a free 15 GB cloud, the least a computer can do is hold your personal data entirely.

There isn’t much space for multimedia storage such as music, videos, and games. The cloud storage isn’t very convenient for all sorts of users. Also keeping in mind that external data storage can be easily lost. That being said, the Chromebook is wonderful for activities that involve word processing, browsing and streaming the internet.

3. Lenovo 3

13.3 Inches of Full HD

Lenovo 3 11" Lightweight Chromebook

• 11.6-Inch HD Display
• AMD A6-9220C Dual-Core Processor
• 4GB LPDDR3, 32GB eMMC, Webcam
• Chrome OS
• OnyxBlack /Legendary Accessories

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Although the laptop has 2-in-1 capabilities because of its fully functional touchscreen, the Dell Inspiron i5378 is more of the laptop than a tablet. The unique feature that differs it from a laptop-cum-tablet is that a 360-degree rotating hinge contacts the screen to the keyboard. Dell had tested this hinge under multiple tests and it is guaranteed for up to 2500 turns.

This laptop has proven to be a heavy-duty and efficient one. The surprising element is the weight of the laptop, as convertibles are heavy due to their hardware, this weighs about three and a half pounds. It consists of 7th generation intel i5-7200U dual-core processor that runs at 3.1GHz. It also has a capacity worth 8 GB of 2400 MHz DDR4 RAM.

Considering these two facts, this laptop is made for heavy-duty tasks.

The speedy processor coupling with immense space is a perfect combination for multitasking, video and music editing and similar activities. The laptop has 1 TB HDD space capacity that enables the average user to have more than enough storage to go around.

The laptop works perfectly under hot and cold temperatures as well.

What You Should Know

As a purchaser, it is compulsory for you to review and note down your particular needs and expectations from a laptop. It usually happens so that individuals that are in need of regular laptops end up buying Chromebooks or 2-in-1 laptop/tablets, leaving them dissatisfied with their purchase. To make a wiser decision, the following are features explained in detail that differs these three from one another.

Traditional Laptops

During this era, laptops are now far too common. However, a brief explanation would include that these consist of a processor or CPU. All data is stored on hard drives (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD). The RAM acts as a facilitator during the transfer of information HDD to the processor. These various machines are wired to the motherboard that is the center of communication between processor and drive, port connectivity and graphics.

Laptops are convenient for gaming, multitasking, browsing, streaming, the creation of videos or music or documental purposes.

Chromebooks

Chromebooks are a cheaper alternative to regular Windows laptops for students or individuals on the move. They are powered by Google’s Chrome operating system. It was initially designed to fulfill the requirements of both a tablet and a laptop. These Chromebooks come with relatively lower memory capacity, up to 16 GB, and can be extended to 32 GB.

Chromebooks work differently from regular systems. They come with a 15 GB cloud for each user. All the documents processed whatsoever are saved on the cloud over the internet and not a physical storage disk. Conveniently, you may access your documents anywhere on any device.

This may also be a drawback as Chromebook builds its entire workaround internet-powered applications and not software and so, if you are out of the reach of the internet you may not be able to retrieve your data. What is even more disappointing is its limited 2 GB processor that hampers its performance and multitasking.

Video and music editing are near to impossible on this device. However, low graphics games can be played.

The Chromebook is a cheaper alternative for students and people who simply need to carry out basic activities such as word processing or web browsing.

Two-in-one Laptops

There are two different types of two-in-one laptops that people lack the understanding o. One is the Hybrid. The Hybrid is the kind that detaches and attaches the screen to the keyboard at will. The screen independently serves as a tablet on the go. Whereas, the keyboard has USB and audio input ports along with the keyboard’s own battery. These are light weighted and portable enough to carry around.

They usually come with a Windows 10 installed, but the performance may still not be great, as its processor is not heavy-duty.

The other type is the Convertible. The convertibles do not detach from the keyboard. However, they have a hinge in between that lets the screen rotate and swivel over the keyboard.

On contrary to the hybrids, these are heavier in weight making them inconvenient to carry around, and also have a bigger processor as the screen does not detach from the keyboard and serves as a laptop entirely.

The sole purpose of this article was to generate a clearer understanding of different types of laptops in the market that can actually suit your requirements within the budget constraints. It is entirely up to the reader to decide which laptop suits their needs more. No personal biases were involved as only facts about the 10 laptops were stated.

CT loves marketing, entrepreneurship, and learning about the latest tech. She blogs about laptops has always been a nerd at heart from the young age of 8 when she got her first computer. She now owns multiple machines and spend 10-15 hours a day on them learning about tech and working from home.