Buying a laptop of about 500 dollars that suits our needs is not always easy, and nowadays there are more and more options we have at our disposal.
It is not always necessary to spend a lot of money on a laptop to be able to perform tasks such as working, surfing the internet or watching movies and series in an optimal way and in this article we are going to demonstrate it to you.
If you are looking for a good laptop for less than 500 dollars that allows you to perform all the above tasks and play enough video games with moderate graphics, you are in the right place.
Contents
Best Cheap Laptops for 500 Dollars Comparison
Here is a complete comparison with the best laptops that you will be able to buy for less than 500 dollars.
| Ranking | Name | Best Feature | Current Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acer Aspire 3 | Intel Core i5-8250U processor | ||
| CHUWI AeroBook | 8GB DDR3 RAM | ||
| Microsoft Surface Go | 128 GB SSD | ||
| HP Notebook 15 | 15,6″ and 1366×768 pixels HD SVA anti-glare screen | ||
| Lenovo IdeaPad | AMD Radeon Vega 8 graphics card |
Unlike the laptops of less than 300 and 400 dollars that we analyzed in previous articles, a budget close to 500 dollars already allows us to find laptops considered medium range.
All the laptops that you will be able to buy for about 500 dollars and that you will find in this article, are going to allow you to perform most of your tasks and be able to work with almost any program quickly and without delay.
Next, we present to you a ranking of laptops for less than 500 dollars that you are going to be able to buy through Amazon, the biggest seller of laptops and other electronic items worldwide.
1) Acer Aspire 3: The Best Valued and Our Favorite Laptop
Following are the technical specifications of the Acer Aspire 3
- Latest generation Intel Core i5-8250U processor
- 8GB DDR4 RAM
- Capacity: Hard Disk Drive 256 GB SSD
- 2GB NVIDIA MX130 graphics card
- 15,6″ 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution FullHD screen
- Windows 10 Operating System
- Battery Life Up to approximately 5 hours
- Weight 2,1kg
2) CHUWI AeroBook: The Best Laptop for Less Than 500 Dollars
Following are the features and specifications of the CHUWI AeroBook
- Intel Dual Core M3-8 processor up to 3.8 GHz speed
- 8GB DDR3 RAM
- Hard Drive Capacity 256GB SSD
- Intel HD Graphics 615
- Screen 13.3 inches FullHD 1920×1080 pixels
- Windows 10 Operating System
- Battery Life Up to 8 hours
- Weight 1.2kg
3) Microsoft Surface Go: 2 in 1 Convertible
Following are the Technical specifications and other features of the Microsoft Surface Go
- Intel Pentium 4415Y Dual Core 1.6GHz processor
- 8GB DDR3 SDRAM RAM
- Capacity: Hard Disk Drive 128 GB SSD
- HD Graphics 615 graphics card
- FullHD Touch Screen from 10″ with 1800×1200 pixels resolution
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home
- Battery Life Up to 9 hours of battery life
- Weight 522g
4) HP Notebook 15″: Perfect Ultrabook For Work
Following are the Technical specifications of the 15-inch HP Notebook:
- Intel Core i3-7020U 2-core processor up to 2.3 GHz
- 8GB DDR4 RAM
- Capacity Hard Disk Drive 1TB HDD
- Intel HD 620 graphics card
- 15,6″ and 1366×768 pixels HD SVA anti-glare screen
- Windows 10 Operating System
- Battery Life Up to 13.15 hours depending on the manufacturer
- Weight 1.7 kg
5) Lenovo IdeaPad: The Best Value for Money in the Market
Following are the features and specifications of the Lenovo IdeaPad 330 laptop:
- Raven Ridge AMD RYZEN 5 2500U, Quad Core 2 GHz to 3.6 GHz
- 8GB DDR4 RAM
- Capacity: Hard Disk Drive 128 GB SSD, SATA3
- AMD Radeon Vega 8 graphics card
- Screen 15.6 inch anti-reflective FHD screen 1366 x 768 pixels
- Windows 10 Operating System
- Battery Life Up to 5 hours due to its power
- Weight 2.2 kg
Who Should Buy a Laptop for 500 Dollars?
If you are looking for a laptop with Windows that offers a good experience of use both now and in the near future, a budget of up to 500 dollars seems to us already a more than good option.
Thinking that an inexpensive product is going to be of poor quality is something that no longer works today, and that is that thanks to the enormous competition within the laptop sector, prices today are much cheaper than just a few years ago.
A laptop for less than 500 dollars will allow you to quickly and reliably run all kinds of programs for your daily life, such as Chrome, Microsoft Office, Adobe Reader, Skype, WhatsApp for PC, VLC, Photoshop etc.
Why Buy a 500 Dollar Laptop?
Laptops of up to 500 dollars are ideal for all those people who don’t want to spend a lot of money on buying a laptop and need one for their day-to-day work.
These models are usually considered mid-range, and there are many laptops for less than 500 dollars that offer an excellent quality/price ratio.
The great advantage of buying a 500 dollar laptop instead of the typical cheap ones is that both its performance and its durability and useful life will be much higher, thus resisting much more the phenomenon of programmed obsolescence.
Now that you know all the advantages of these laptops, we recommend that you check out the best current offers and choose the model that best meets your needs.
Buying Guide: 7 Tips To Choose the Best Laptop
When choosing a laptop, besides the budget and your personal needs, you have to pay attention to the technical characteristics of the laptop.
The main aspects you should take into account are: the processor or CPU, the RAM memory, the size of the hard disk and screen, its connectivity and the battery life.
1) What Are You Going To Use It For?
Assessing your personal needs is key to choosing the best laptop.
There are laptops for work, for playing games, for students, lightweight ultrabooks for traveling with little weight.
The components you will need to edit video for example, are quite different from those you will require if you want a lightweight laptop to work from anywhere in the world.
2) Processor or CPU
It is the brain of your laptop and determines the performance.
Intel Core i3
These are the cheapest processors on the market. If you’re looking for something halfway good, we recommend you choose an i5 processor.
Intel Core i5
These are the most balanced processors on the market and the ones that usually equip mid-range laptops.
Intel Core i7
These are Intel’s high-end processors. They’re too expensive and they boost your laptop’s budget.
AMD Ryzen
Its versions Ryzen 3 and Ryzen 5 offer the best quality/price ratio on the market.
Nowadays there are many offers of mid-range laptops, so we are sure that you will soon find the best option that fits your budget and your needs.
3) RAM Memory
RAM memory is the one that allows you to run your programs faster.
This way, the more memory your laptop has, the more programs you will be able to have open simultaneously.
If you are looking for a laptop with good durability for the future, we recommend that you choose a laptop with between 8 and 16 GB of RAM memory.
4) Hard Disk
The hard disk is the component that allows you to store all your files and information.
There are still some laptops with mechanical HDDs, but since you are buying a new laptop, we recommend that you buy a model equipped with a state-of-the-art SSD hard disk.
They are much faster, do not make noise and allow your laptop to be much thinner and lighter.
Also, in case you didn’t know, if you ever start to run out of disk space and need more, you can always buy an external hard disk.
5) Resolution and Screen Size
The minimum screen resolution you should look for if you buy a laptop is FullHD 1920×1080 pixels.
In the same way that 4K and QHD resolution screens are discarded because of their high price, 1366×768 HD resolution screens are still very common. However, if you are looking for something for the long term, listen to us and you will not be wrong.
As for the screen size, it will depend on the use you are going to give it.
The 13 and 14 inch screens are the ones that will give you the best results, since they are neither too small nor too big.
If you are looking for a laptop to work on your day-to-day, play your favorite games or if you simply like watching series and movies, we recommend that you opt for a laptop with a 15.6″ screen.
Remember that you always have time to buy an extra monitor or screen if you want to work at home more comfortably.
6) Weight and Battery
If you are looking for a laptop to work from anywhere or to travel, the battery is key.
A battery life of up to 7 hours is more than adequate for the vast majority of cases, so when choosing a laptop, look at the approximate battery life.
In relation to weight, if your laptop is not going to be separated from you all day, weight is an essential element when choosing a laptop.
It is not the same to carry a laptop of almost 3 kg as to carry a lightweight ultrabook of only 1 kg, so if this is your case, choose a laptop as light as possible and your back will thank you.
7) Operating System
The 3 main operating systems on the market are Windows, Mac and Linux.
Notebooks under $500 equip the typical Windows system for life, basically because Apple’s MacBook is really expensive.
Linux is an operating system quite oriented to programmers and people in the laptop industry, so we don’t think it’s the best choice for you.
If you are looking for an operating system that is easy to use and compatible with all the programs on the market, you better not experiment and keep using Windows.
Which Laptop To Buy for 500 Dollars?
Choosing the best cheap laptop for 500 dollars is very personal and will vary according to the needs and personal situation of each individual.
Choosing between one model or another basically requires
- Look at many prices (we have done it for you).
- Quite a lot of time comparing (we have also done this for you).
- Knowing the use you are going to give it and your needs (this depends on you).
Whether you need a mid-range laptop for work, a lightweight laptop for travel or one for study, there is surely one that will meet your expectations.
Did you already know any of these brands? What do you think?
For any doubt or suggestion you may have, don’t hesitate to leave us a comment below.
Also, if you think this article can help a friend or family member, don’t hesitate to share it with them.
Keep visiting Laptop Guide to read latest reviews and if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment down below.
References
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-laptop-under-500/
