The top 2023 budget laptops are among the best in the market for anyone looking for a high-end notebook that doesn’t break the bank. These include the HP Pavilion 14, the MSI Modern 15, and the Surface Laptop Go 2.
Lenovo Chromebook Duet
There aren’t many devices that fit the bill for what is the best Chromebook, and the Lenovo Chromebook Duet may be the best of the bunch. This 11-inch convertible tablet offers a touch screen, detachable keyboard, and Google Chrome OS.
For the price, you get a touchscreen, a detachable keyboard, and a fast ARM-based Snapdragon processor. It’s also got good battery life. And if you need a bit more, you can hook it up to an external monitor.
While the Lenovo Duet is a solid performer, it’s not the best option for serious work. A larger laptop or a desktop would be a better bet.
The touchscreen isn’t too bad, but it’s not quite as responsive as the competition. Plus, there’s no headphone jack.
The best part of the Lenovo Duet is the low price. You can buy an original 10-inch model for less than $300. That’s more than you’d pay for a full-size laptop, but you’re getting a much smaller, more portable device.
Acer Aspire 5
If you are looking for a full-size laptop that’s cheap and durable, the Acer Aspire 5 is a great choice. Its price tag is usually under $500, and it’s available in 14-inch and 15.6-inch models.
While the Aspire 5 isn’t quite up to par with some of its competitors, it does have some features that make it a good value. For example, it’s built around an Intel Core i5-1235U CPU and a discrete graphics card. The latter is a Nvidia MX550.
Overall, the Aspire 5 is a well-built machine with a decent keyboard. However, it’s missing some key features that would make it even more appealing.
One of the most noticeable differences between the Aspire 5 and other budget laptops is its display. Although it’s only a 1080p display, the screen offers decent color reproduction and viewing angles.
MSI Modern 15
MSI Modern 15 is an ultraportable laptop that’s designed for budget buyers. With a thin form factor and a 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5 processor, it’s perfect for office and light gaming. However, if you’re looking for a powerful gaming system, you should take a closer look at the MSI GS66.
The RTX 3070 Ti is a blazingly fast graphics card. While it’s not as powerful as the fully unleashed RTX 3080 Ti, it’s still one of the best. In fact, it can even outperform a thin Asus XF315. This is a great GPU for gamers.
The Acer Triton 500 is a bit cheaper than the Alienware X15, but it doesn’t have the same features. For example, the Triton has a 16-inch 240Hz panel, while the X15 has a 165/360Hz FHD screen. It also doesn’t have a solid metal case.
Surface Laptop Go 2
If you’re looking for a budget laptop, there are few better options than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2. This is a well made, capable laptop that has a great display and an excellent keyboard. It also comes with Windows 11, which is not usually included with this type of device.
The top of the line version of the Laptop Go 2 has a 256GB SSD. There is also a 128GB solid state drive in the base model. A third tier has a 128GB SSD and a quad core Intel Core i5 processor.
What’s more, it has a fingerprint reader on the power button. While it requires some fiddly setup, it works lightning fast.
Another cool feature is the Surface Connect port, which allows you to connect and charge devices with your laptop. That means you don’t have to carry around a separate charger.
HP Pavilion 14
If you are looking for a budget laptop that has great battery life, an excellent display, and a stylish, ultralight design, the HP Pavilion 14 might be a good fit for you. It’s ideal for business professionals, students, and those on the go.
The HP Pavilion 14’s battery life will fall short of your expectations if you are doing a lot of work. While it will last through simple web browsing, it’s not likely to last through an entire workday. For more intensive tasks, you might need to swap the battery.
A 12-inch touchscreen, two AMD processors, and 16GB of RAM aren’t exactly going to make the HP Pavilion a gaming machine. But the screen does have an incredibly generous 1080p resolution, and the sRGB color range is impressive.