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When it comes to shopping for the best cheap laptops, you can do a lot with $1,000. (Heck, even $500 cuts some mustard nowadays.) But you'll probably have to make some compromises along the way to stay below that price point.
That doesn't mean you have to settle for a total clunker that doesn't tick any of the boxes on your must-have specs list. It just means you have to shop a little smarter than someone with unlimited funds — and that's where we come in.
After meticulously hands-on testing the best laptops, we can recommend several affordable laptops for different budgets, operating system loyalties, and use cases. Read on for our guide to the best cheap laptops of 2024.
Apple's 13-inch M2 MacBook Air from mid-2022 isn't quite as fast as the latest M3 model, and it lacks its successor's support for two external monitors and WiFi 6E. (Get that new version if you want the very best MacBook regardless of price.) But those are easy sacrifices to make if you don't want to spend more than $1,000. All things considered, it's a no-brainer recommendation for budget-conscious Apple users in need of a reliable everyday laptop.
Why we picked this:
The M2 MacBook Air "delivers everything you need" in a laptop, wrote Mashable tech and games reporter Alex Perry in his review. That includes an all-day battery life, a snappy keyboard, and "enough horsepower to handle everyday tasks with ease." It also sports a 1080p FaceTime HD camera that produces a clear picture in low light, plus a four-speaker setup with Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos support. Despite needing a few more ports, it effortlessly clinched our Mashable's Choice Award — and after a permanent list price drop to $999 in March 2024, it's now a better value than ever. (It technically isn't the cheapest MacBook available — there's the $699 M1 MacBook Air — but that one's too outdated to endorse at this point.)
Note that Apple has discontinued the M2 MacBook Air in a 15-inch screen size as of early 2024, but it was still up for grabs at third-party retailers like Best Buy and B&H Photo at the time of writing.
The Good
Lightweight and thin
All-day battery life
Great keyboard
Speedy
1080p HD webcam
The Bad
Could use more ports
Weird camera notch
Details
Processor: Apple M2
Graphics processor: Apple M2
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 256GB SSD
Screen: 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display
Resolution: 2560 x 1664
Brightness (rated): 500 nits
Refresh rate: 60Hz
Touchscreen: No
Webcam: Yes (1080p FaceTime HD)
Ports: Two USB-C/Thunderbolt ports, headphone jack, MagSafe 3 charging port
You can stretch your dollar further with other tech giants, but the 2023 Microsoft Surface Go 3 is a good cheap laptop for brand loyalists and those who want a flashy ultraportable. "I can see this being the daily driver of young students or Gen Z users seeking a laptop that can handle casual usage with style and sophistication," said Mashable tech editor Kim Gedeon.
Why we picked it:
The 12.4-inch Surface Laptop Go 3 is basically a "Windows Air," Gedeon wrote, with a premium build quality that wouldn't seem out of place among Apple's ranks. And don't get her started about its snappy, spiffy keyboard, which she deemed "one of the best I’ve ever used during my entire career as a laptop reviewer."
Alas, its internals are far more underwhelming: Its 12th-generation Intel CPU is now two generations removed in 2024; its battery life clocked in at a mediocre eight-ish hours in our testing; and its dim display carried over from the 2022 Surface Laptop Go 2. But the base model's memory and storage have doubled, at least. It's also frequently on sale at Amazon and Best Buy for at least $100 off its list price, which feels way more reasonable given those specs. (We've seen it get it even cheaper on Black Friday; if you can hold out for a while, its next big discount will probably coincide with Amazon Prime Day.)
The Good
Amazing keyboard
Very lightweight and portable
Fingerprint reader in the power button
High-end look
The Bad
CPU is two generations removed
Dim display
Battery life could be better
Details
Processor: Intel Core i5-1235U
Graphics processor: Intel Iris Xe
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 256GB
Screen: 12.4-inch PixelSense display
Resolution: 1536 x 1024
Brightness (rated): 320 nits
Refresh rate: 60Hz
Touchscreen: Yes
Webcam: Yes (720p)
Ports: USB-C port, USB-A port, headphone jack, Surface Connect port
HP's Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch is a bottom-of-the-budget laptop geared toward Google-based productivity and casual entertainment. It makes build quality concessions that can take some getting used to, but overall, the price is right for basic cloud-based multitasking.
Why we picked this:
The Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch is a sleek big-screened laptop from Google's next generation of ChromeOS laptops that comes in at only $499. It certainly feels that cheap in some ways (see: its stiff keyboard, poor audio quality, and questionable durability), and its battery life sucks, but its solid performance and spacious, vibrant anti-glare display go a long way to nullify those drawbacks. It's also equipped with some useful AI tools you won't find in non-"Plus" Chromebooks, including a File Sync tool and Google Photos Magic Eraser. "It's unfair to compare a Chromebook to other kinds of laptops," wrote Senior Shopping Reporter Haley Henschel, "but as a lifelong MacBook user, I feel compelled to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed using this laptop."
It's worth mentioning that while the Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch is a great value, it isn't the absolute best value of the Chromebook Plus bunch. (We'll be reviewing more of them in the near future.) You're not a sucker if you pay its $500 list price, but look for it on sale for around $400 at Best Buy if you can wait.
The Good
Large and colorful anti-glare display
Stylish metallic finish
Runs cool and quiet
Useful 'Plus' software features
1080p webcam
The Bad
Made of plastic; easily scratched
Touchpad and keyboard take some getting used to
Unimpressive webcam
Muffled speakers
Poor battery life
Details
Processor: Intel Core i3-N305
Graphics processor: Intel UHD Graphics
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 128GB UFS
Screen: 15.6-inch IPS display
Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Brightness (rated): 250 nits
Refresh rate: 60Hz
Touchscreen: No
Webcam: Yes (1080p with privacy shutter)
Ports: Two USB-C 3.0 ports, one USB-A 3.0 port, SD card slot, headphone jack
Gedeon put things succinctly in her review: "If you're just looking for a gaming laptop that ditches all the bells and whistles for impressive gaming performance, the [Acer] Nitro V 15 is the one for you."
Why we picked this:
The Mashable's Choice Award-winning Nitro V 15 is all about power, power, power — and while it strains the definition of "cheap," we do think it's the best budget gaming laptop under $1,000. The model we tested is "packed with delicious internals that can handle triple-A gaming," said Gedeon, including a 13th-gen Intel Core i7 H-series processor for desktop-level brawn and nice NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 graphics. She found it capable of running Cyberpunk 2077, "one of the most graphics-intensive games on the market, like a champ."
Unsurprisingly, Acer has made some noteworthy trade-offs to offer that level of oomph at this price point, namely in the realms of display quality (it's not bright or vivid) and extra fixings (there's no RGB keyboard or 1080p webcam). Its pathetically short battery life also means it'll set up permanent shop on your desk — preferably with a microfiber cloth at the ready nearby, as it clings to fingerprints with a passion.
The Good
Sleek design
Runs cool
Quiet keyboard
Cool futuristic look
The Bad
Lousy battery life
720p webcam
Dim display
Fingerprint magnet
Details
Processor: Intel Core i7-13620H
Graphics processor: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 1TB SSD
Screen: 15.6-inch ComfyView display
Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Brightness (rated): 250 nits
Refresh rate: 144Hz
Touchscreen: No
Webcam: Yes (720p)
Ports: One USB-C port, three USB-A ports, headphone jack, HDMI port
The Acer Chromebook 516 GE (the "GE" stands for "gaming edition") is a budget-friendly beaut for gamers who are tired of trying to keep up with new titles' fancy hardware requirements, as well as those who frequently play on the go — it's pretty light for a PC gaming machine. However, a reliable internet connection and an outlet are musts.
Why we picked this:
Gaming Chromebooks (or cloud gaming laptops) are a relatively new species of budget gaming laptop, and the Chromebook 516 GE was one of the first models to hit the market back in late 2022. It kicked off the genre on a high note: It has plenty of ports, a 1080p webcam, an anti-ghosting RGB keyboard, and a quality (not cheap-feeling) build, said Mashable lead shopping reporter Dylan Haas.
It also performed shockingly well in our testing; while there was some expected fidelity loss, the games Haas streamed never once lagged or stuttered — including Cyberpunk 2077. But "[the] real showstopper is the laptop's display," he wrote. "[The] 16-inch, 1600p screen looks fantastic and boasts clear, bright, and vibrant colors." It would be nice if Acer bumped its battery life a bit, though: Six hours per charge is fantastic if you're talking about a regular gaming laptop that plays natively, but it's less impressive for a cloud-based machine that uses far less power.
The Good
120Hz refresh rate
1080p webcam
Lightweight for a gaming laptop
Backlit RGB keyboard
Decently bright display
The Bad
Some fidelity loss (but nothing extreme)
Average battery life
CPU is two generations removed
Details
Processor: Intel Core i5-1240P
Graphics processor: Intel Iris Xe
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 256GB SSD
Screen: 16-inch ComfyView IPS display
Resolution: 2560 x 1600
Brightness (rated): 350 nits
Refresh rate: 120Hz
Touchscreen: No
Webcam: Yes (1080p)
Ports: Two USB-C ports, USB-A port, HDMI port, headphone jack
The 2023 Framework Laptop 13 is a bit of an investment upfront, but its modular design translates to long-term savings for users who like to upgrade their specs every few years. Even if you lack DIY wizardry, the learning curve involved isn't too intimidating.
Why we picked this:
Unlike many consumer laptops, which have soldered-on parts, the Framework Laptop 13 has fully replaceable and repairable components. So, instead of buying another brand-new machine when your processor, RAM, storage, keyboard, or display conk out, you can simply Frankenstein in a different part — a great way to save money in the long run.
The best part is that almost anyone can do this: "It's with the tech coward's perspective that I am happy to report the Framework Laptop is nothing short of an industrial design miracle for newcomers," wrote Mashable's Perry, who tested an older version. If you feel a little more confident in your computer-tweaking abilities, consider the fully customizable DIY Edition (which starts at $849) instead of the pre-built model.
Mashable staff subjected most of the laptops on this list to varying degrees of hands-on testing (save for the Framework Laptop 13; we tried a previous version). At minimum, this involved inspecting their build quality and using them for a variety of real-world tasks for several weeks at a time. This included working in different kinds of documents, checking emails, watching videos, taking photos on their webcams, participating in video calls, listening to music (via Spotify), playing games (if possible), and experimenting with any unique software features or use cases they claimed to support.
Additionally, a handful of the newer laptops featured here were made to run industry-standard benchmark software (these being the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, the HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch, and the Acer Nitro V 15). We just started implementing these benchmarks in our testing, and you can expect to see them in all of our new laptop reviews going forward:
Windows laptop benchmarks
We evaluate the overall performance of our testing units by having them run the Windows version of Primate Labs' Geekbench 6, which measures CPU performance in a handful of common tasks, then recording their multi-core scores. The higher the score, the better.
We then assess our loaners' stamina by putting them through UL Solutions' PCMark 10 battery life stress test; this runs a series of apps and functions until the laptop conks out. We look to see about nine to ten hours of battery life in the Windows laptops we test, for reference, with over 12 hours being exceptional.
Gaming laptop benchmarks
The gaming laptops we try are put through the same performance paces as standard Windows laptops, except they only need to last at least two hours per charge to get our approval in the battery life department. (They earn extra brownie points for reaching the four-hour mark.)
To get a sense of gaming laptops' graphical prowess, we also play Cyberpunk 2077on them. If they have a discrete/dedicated NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics card (as opposed to an integrated GPU that's built into the CPU), we do this once with its DLSS tech off and again with DLSS on. This tests their raw GPU power and their performance with AI upscaling, respectively. We follow this up with 3DMark's Time Spy benchmark for gaming PCs and record their scores. Again, higher is better.
Chromebook benchmarks
Our go-to performance benchmark test for Chromebooks is the Android version of Primate Labs' Geekbench 6, and they get the same sort of multi-core score appraisal.
To test Chromebooks' battery life, we run that portion of Principled Technologies' CrXPRT 2 benchmark. Eight hours is our baseline, but nine to ten hours is ideal.
After evaluating each laptop's performance in these tests, we made our final recommendations based on whether we thought they offered a good overall value for the money. For the purposes of this guide, we defined a "cheap" laptop as one that costs less than $1,000. We made a lone exception to this rule for the Framework Laptop 13 ($1,049): It requires a bigger upfront investment, but it'll save you money on repair and replacement costs for years to come.
Frequently Asked Questions
Certain times of the year are better for laptop shopping than others. If you're looking for a good deal on a laptop, we recommend buying around Black Friday, during back-to-school season (with a close watch on Amazon's Prime Day sale), and over long holiday weekends. If you're just after brand-new models with the latest specs, bargains be damned, you'll see them hitting the market in January and February after the Consumer Electronics Show.
Haley Henschel is a Chicago-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable who reviews and finds deals on popular tech, from laptops to gaming consoles and VPNs. She has years of experience covering shopping holidays and can tell you what’s actually worth buying on Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. Her work has also explored the driving forces behind digital trends within the shopping sphere, from dupes to 12-foot skeletons.
Haley received a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and honed her sifting and winnowing skills at The Daily Cardinal. She previously covered politics for The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, investigated exotic pet ownership for Wisconsin Watch, and blogged for some of your favorite reality stars.
In her free time, Haley enjoys playing video games, drawing, taking walks on Lake Michigan, and spending time with her parrot (Melon) and dog (Pierogi). She really, really wants to get back into horseback riding. You can follow her on X at @haleyhenschel or reach her via email at [email protected].
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