Best Laptops Under $500 2023 – Reviews & Buying Guide

We all know how difficult it can be to buy a laptop, and even more so when our budget is less than 500 dollars. That is why I have meticulously prepared this buying guide for you and, in it, you will find everything you need so that when buying a laptop for less than 500 dollars you are sure.

Having said that, we are going to get into the matter, let’s analyze what is essential when choosing a good laptop for 500 dollars. Remember that I have made this selection by checking the operation of each of these laptops. As an expert and thanks to my work, it is easy for me to compare each team, and that is why I want to share my conclusions with you. You can check also Best Gaming Laptops Under 1000 Dollars.

HP 15 – Fast & Large Size Machine

Also, do not be fooled by its price since you can’t find the same components in other brands for less than 500 dollars. I honestly don’t know how HP has managed to offer this piece of the laptop at that price. It’s cheap and good !?

But what makes this laptop so special with a price below $500 ? Let’s see it:

• Its processor:  This laptop has a beast inside, an AMD Ryzen 5-3500U  and although it is from the AMD house, believe me, it is a super bumper processor, and it is well worth it thanks to its 4 physical cores and 8 logical cores, similar to an i7 and  more powerful than an i5-8350U  (reference)
  
• Its integrated graphics:  We have integrated AMD Vega 8 graphics ideal for any task, including video editing or gaming, all without the need for a dedicated graphics card. It is not a marvel for gaming, but it works perfectly in any current game.
  
• Your storage: It has it all! A 240 GB SSD + 1 1 TB HDD and all for less than 500 dollars, simply magnificent.
  
• Its RAM:  It has 8GB DDR4, and the motherboard is compatible with up to 64GB.
  
• Its screen: It has a 1920x1080p Full HD resolution, it is tough to find something like that for this price.
  
• Its battery:  Normal, with an autonomy of 6 hours, not bad.
  
• Includes operating system: Yes, Windows 10 Home to be more precise.

As you can see, the HP 15-db1011ns laptop is the best purchase for less than 500 dollars today, both for its price and for the quality of its components.

Acer Aspire 3 – Best For Professional Use

This laptop has a great advantage over any other in this price range:  Its integrated MX130 graphics a little more powerful than  AMD’s Vega 8, although in games there is little difference.

Generally speaking, we are facing a very TOP laptop, although with a small problem: the price oscillation.?

What do I mean? Very easy, this laptop is usually for less than 500 dollars on a “flash” offer, especially on Amazon, while its normal sale price is 699?

In any case, take advantage, there are few units left at this price! and more taking into account its characteristics:

• Its processor:  This laptop brings the already known Intel Core i5-8250U, efficient and powerful capable of handling any heavy task thanks to its 8 logic cores (threads).
  
• Dedicated Graphics Card: We have dedicated graphics Nvidia MX130 which will give us a plus concerning the integrated graphics.
  
• Your storage: It also has everything! A 240 GB SSD + 1 1 TB HDD and all for less than 500 dollars, simply beastly.
  
• Its RAM:  It has 8GB DDR4, and the motherboard is compatible with up to 64GB.
  
• Its screen: It has a 1920x1080p Full HD resolution, it is tough to find something like that for this price.
  
• Its battery: Inferior, with an autonomy of 4.5 hours.
  
• Includes operating system: Yes, Windows 10 Home with OEM license, not bad.
  

As we can see, the Acer Aspire 3 is a complete laptop and with an excellent quality-price ratio, although with certain shortcomings (not very important, everything is said).

Lenovo Ideapad 330 – Quality Components

As a computer scientist, I recommend that if you want to buy a laptop for 500 dollars at [copyright-year sign = »false»] you choose one of the two above, firstly for its price and secondly for the quality of the components.

Then you may be wondering why I am going to analyze this equipment, the answer ?? the previous two are “flash offers”, and it may be that when you read this article.

They are no longer for sale for less than 500 dollars, there you can already debate whether to buy this. Either way, let’s see if this laptop is worth it, let’s go!

• Its processor:  This laptop mounts an Intel Core i5-8250U, one of the best processors for laptops with 8 logical cores (threads) and 4 physical cores.
  
• Your storage: A fast 240GB SSD, not bad.
  
• Its RAM:  It has 8GB DDR4, and the motherboard is compatible with up to 32GB.
  
• Its battery: Very, very good, with 7 hours of autonomy and fast charging.
  
• Includes operating system: Yes, Windows 10 Home with OEM license.
  

As you can see a priori, it is inferior to the other two models that we have presented, but be careful, take a good look! Battery life is 7 hours.

This Lenovo model includes one of the best batteries on the market, with brutal autonomy and fast charging. Now it sounds interesting. Let’s recap everything about this 500 dollar laptop.

Lenovo Yoga 530 – Stylish Design

It is also an optimal time to buy this equipment since its price is well below 500 dollars and, taking into account everything it offers, it is a very safe purchase. ?

If you are looking for a good, cheap, beautiful, tactile, convertible, autonomous computer that can be used for tasks that require mobility, this Lenovo has everything you are looking for at a scandal price! ? Let’s see why:

• Size and weight:  This is a very portable laptop, with dimensions of just 1.6 kg and 17.6 mm thick, finer than a notebook.
  
• Screen and sound: We have a fair HD screen (720p), but with excellent sharpness, in addition to being a little smaller the screen, this resolution is appreciated, in addition to being tactile. The panel has very vivid and faithful colours as well as an advanced Harman audio system.
  
• Processor:  An efficient Ryzen 3 2200U with deficient consumption and solvent power for the most common tasks. More powerful than a sixth and seventh generation i3.
  
• RAM:  4 GB which, taking into account the use that is usually given to this type of notebook, is not bad, although if you can afford the model with 8, the better.
  
• Storage: A swift 128GB M2 SSD, just right.
  
• Fingerprint reader:  Perfect to keep our equipment safe, it is not something fundamental, but hey, it is greatly appreciated.
  
• Battery:  The best of this equipment without a doubt, with more than 10 hours of autonomy, thanks to the synergy of its components, this laptop has a beastly autonomy.
  
• Operating System:  Includes a Windows 10 Home S license.
  

As we can see, the Lenovo Yoga 530-14ARR  is an exciting team that has a more professional market. If you work in an office, you are a salesperson or you study or travel a lot, and this equipment can give you many joys due to its sensational value for money.

CHUWI Lapbook Plus – Thin and Light Machine

This is a laptop marketed in Spain, that’s why I want to take away all your fears regarding the guarantee, we have as with any purchase with a 2-year guarantee, always with the Amazon guarantee (which is incredible) in addition to the support of Chuwi. I have worked with them and believe me that these Chinese are very nice.?

That said let me tell you that, except for gaming and video editing, this is the best laptop you can buy for 500 dollars, I put my hand on fire for it?

• Construction materials:  Quality aluminium and magnesium, it is very worthwhile and with passive dissipation.
  
• Size and weight:  Barely 1.5 kg in weight and with 16 mm thickness, all this for a 15-inch laptop and less than 500 dollars, it is crazy.
  
• Processor:  Latest generation Intel Atom X7-E3950 (Apollo Lake) with laughter consumption and four cores at your disposal.
  
• Storage:  We have a 256 GB SSD, we do not need more. It is also compatible with SSDs up to 1 TB in M2 format.
  
• RAM: 8 GB of DDR4 RAM, more than enough for this computer.
  
• Screen:  The jewel in the crown without a doubt with a 4K screen: 15.6 inches, with 3840 * 2160 4K Ultra HD (UHD) resolution with intense colours and very faithful blacks, without a doubt the best screen on the market in this price range.
  
• Battery: Includes a battery with a lot of autonomy 9 HOURS! Thanks to the low consumption of its processor.
  
• Operating System:  Includes a Windows 10 Home (OEM) license.

You have run out of words, right? Chuwi is trying to break into the laptop market by making a very aggressive bet: laptops for less than 500 dollars and with unsurpassed quality

The truth is that they have a very short profit with their equipment since their strategy is to enter the USA market and offer other services in the future (as Xiaomi has already done).

Buying Guide

What should I know before buying the best laptop for 500 dollar?

You have already seen my selection as a laptop computer engineer for less than 500 dollars, the above models are the best you can find on the market today, but what have I based on to choose them? ? Stay with me, since I’m going to show you the characteristics that a laptop valued at 500 dollars must meet,? Let’s see:

The type of laptop

Well yes, it is essential that before buying a laptop you are very clear about what type you want it: gaming, convertible, as well as its size or operating system. Everything will also depend on your budget, since for example, with 500 dollars, we will not be able to opt for a high-end laptop. I do not want to go into the subject too much since I talk in-depth about this subject in my post “What laptop do I buy?” Take a look, and you will see everything much easier, I assure you. ?

Your hardware (internal components)

Hardware is, in my opinion, the most important aspect of any computer. Choosing a laptop with inadequate internal components can be a real headache in the long run. This is mainly because brands make equipment that is not very balanced at the level of technical characteristics to lower costs and, incidentally, along with a good marketing strategy, sell you a ? at exorbitant prices, so when  buying a 500 laptop dollars always looks for the following:

• An Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 processor, you won’t regret it.
  
• Always look for equipment with SSD; Although you can install one, it will always be better if it comes from the factory and we do not have to disassemble it, in some models it is quite complex.
  
• The 8 GB of RAM is essential, that is said.
  
• Look for computers with a dedicated graphics card ONLY if you are going to give it a go at gaming or editing, for the rest of the tasks the Intel UHD Graphics and the Vega 8 are great.
  

If you fulfill everything we have seen in this list ?? you will be sure to be right, and you will have good and cheap equipment for years.

The screen

Once you have found a laptop that meets the requirements we have emphasized, it is time to fight for a good screen, a titanic task today. Typically  500 dollar laptops come with an HD screen. But if you search well you can find true gems with quality Full HD screens, look from top to bottom!

Battery life

I am going to ask you an obvious question, and you are looking for a laptop that is not worth more than 500 dollars? Right? I emphasize,  PORTABLE because the battery is important. If you need to transport it, for example to the university or to travel, look for laptops with good autonomy even if you have to sacrifice the quality of the screen or the dedicated graphics.

If you simply need a piece of equipment to carry around and have a place to connect it to the power, perfect! You will have it much easier. In the end, it is simply a matter of being very clear about your needs.

Does it include the operating system?

You will see that many models do not include an operating system and that, thanks to that, they are cheaper. I always recommend laptops with the operating system already installed, but in some cases, it is worth doing it ourselves.

To install it, you only need a USB flash drive (pen drive) and a cheap Windows 10 license, at Amazon they are priced at a price:

And that’s it. I hope this guide will be useful to you and help you decide the future, remember that when it comes to playing Better on PC, see you soon!?

In order to be even more sure of your choice for your laptop with a maximum budget of 500 dollars, you will need to analyze a number of criteria in terms of the specificities of the PC. During a laptop PC purchase transaction, there are some essential assets that should be checked.

First of all, remember to check the model of the processor and the graphics card, as these are two components that affect performance. It is therefore necessary to ensure that the PC is equipped with a very recent and fairly powerful processor model. It is the same for the graphics card which must not be an old component.

It would be wise to check the amount of RAM that the computer has. This will prevent you from stumbling upon a computer with little RAM that will not be able to meet your needs in terms of speed. However, if you only do office work, a computer with 4GB of RAM might meet your demands. If you want to open a lot of tabs and play a few games, you will need 8 GB of RAM on the laptop PC.

Who speaks of laptops should also pay attention to their storage. It is possible to come across two kinds of storage drives on the computer. First of all the SSD is a storage disk with low capacities, but equipped with fairly enviable transfer speeds. Most of the time, the SSD is used in the installation of Windows and the browser. We recommend that you add an external HDD to be able to store your files or take out a Cloud storage subscription.

Final Verdict

From Acer to Dell and Apple, there is a vast variety of laptops that have been displayed above with their pros and cons. Whether you are a professional user or a gamer, all the discussed laptops are pretty compatible with any field. On the other side, $500 is actually enough budget to buy a fast and high-end laptop.

If you are an average user or a professional gamer hungry for thrills, it is perfectly normal to want to acquire a great machine. If it has a good rendering and its cost is also affordable, it is, therefore, a real plus. Among the proposals available on the market, few meet these criteria in addition to having the purchase value capped at 500 dollars.

However, with the right knowledge in the field, it is possible for you to find the model that will meet your requirements, whether for a classic office activity or whether it is to buy a gaming PC. Discover through this article the best Laptops under $500.