Best Affordable Laptops – For Daily Use 2021
Buying a laptop in 2021 will most likely be determined by several factors but some are. Constant as you can find on my laptop guide here. But for the average user, this list is comprehensive and include budget laptops for
- A student
- Blogger
- Work and many more.
You can now pick up a complete and very portable Windows 10 laptop. With a CPU strong enough to operate, for between $350 and $500 for use at work, in school, or at home. Full-functional Chromebooks and hybrid systems may also be easily found. Which provide both laptop and tablet functions on one device for as low as $300.
You should be prepared to compromise in one aspect or another, however. While it’s certainly possible to find a powerful laptop with a 15-inch screen, you might have to make do with a flimsy keyboard and touchpad. Likewise, you could buy an impeccably made ultraportable. That uses a powerful CPU and a less storage drive to achieve its low price. Understanding these trade-offs, and matching up a budget laptop’s strengths and weaknesses with what you will do with it is the key to making a happy purchase. Here are some of the chosen and tested laptops that fit the mid-range bracket.
1. Best laptop at 300 USD
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 15.6-inch laptop

Keep up the momentum
15.6-inch laptop with responsive performance in a sleek design with 2-sided narrow borders, PCIe SSDs, Express Charge*, and up to AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 7 3700U Mobile Processor.
Key specs
Processor
AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 3 3250U Mobile Processor with Radeonâ„¢ Graphics
Operating System
Windows 10 Home (S mode) 64-bit, English
Graphics Card
Integrated graphics with AMD Radeon Vega 8
Display
15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) Anti-glare LED Backlight Non-touch Narrow Border WVA Display
Storage
256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive
Memory RAM
8GB, 1x8GB, DDR4, 2400MHz
Battery capacity
3-Cell, 42 WHr, Integrated battery
Wireless Connection
802.11ac 1×1 WiFi and Bluetooth
Ports
1 USB 2.0 port
2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports
1 Headset (headphone and microphone combo) port
1 RJ45 – 10/100Mbps Ethernet port
1 HDMI 1.4 port
1 Power-adapter port
Pros
- Inexpensive, with plenty of configuration options
- Speakers deliver adequate volume
- Comfortable keyboard
- Dedicated number keys
- HDMI and Ethernet ports included
- Good battery life
Cons
- Some models ship with Windows 10 S Mode
- No USB-C ports
- Low-quality HD screen
- Touchpad tracking takes patience

Conclusion
You can find plenty of decent Chromebooks below $400, but relatively few inspiring Windows laptops priced that low. One exception is Dell’s Inspiron 3000 series, which comes in three screen and chassis sizes. The Inspiron 15 3000 configuration reviewed here has a 15-inch screen, starts at just $293, and rings up at $369 as tested. It boasts all of the physical characteristics of a solid low-cost laptop, but this version suffers a bit from lackluster performance and, especially, ho-hum display quality in its lower price ranks. If your budget is strict, you can abide by these deficiencies. If instead, you can afford an extra $30 or so, you can pick up an AMD Ryzen or Intel Core version with a full HD screen that would improve your computing experience immensely.
2. Best Laptop Under 500 USD

HP Pavilion Laptop – 15z-eh000 touch optional
key features
Operating system
Windows 10 Home
Windows 10 Pro 6
Processor and graphics
AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 7 4700U (2.0 GHz, up to 4.1 GHz, 8 MB L3 cache, 8 cores) + AMD Radeonâ„¢ Graphics
Memory
8 GB DDR4-3200 SDRAM (2 X 4 GB)
12 GB DDR4-3200 SDRAM (1 x 4 GB, 1 x 8 GB)
16 GB DDR4-3200 SDRAM (2 x 8 GB)
Storage
128 GB M.2 SSD
256 GB PCIe® NVMe™ M.2 SSD
512 GB PCIe® NVMe™ M.2 SSD
1 TB PCIe® NVMe™ M.2 SSD
Primary battery
3-cell, 41 Wh Lithium-ion prismatic Battery
Wireless technology
Realtek Wi-Fi 5 (2×2) and Bluetooth® 5 Combo (MU-MIMO supported)
Intel® Wi-Fi 6 AX 200 (2×2) and Bluetooth® 5 combo (Supporting Gigabit file transfer speeds)
My Thoughts

What We Like
- Attractive design
- Metal construction feels very solid
- Responsive touchscreen
What We Don’t Like
- No full HD display
- Display is a little washed out
- Entire case flexes when using the keyboard
Bottom line
HP is currently selling its latest Pavilion 15z laptop equipped with one of AMD’s fastest U-series CPUs for just under USD 490. Users must click “customize & buy”, select the “natural silver” color option, backlit keyboard option, and the Intel AX200 Wi-Fi 6 module to see the final price. Opting out of Wi-Fi 6 can save users another USD 10 if desired.
The sale is notable for two reasons. Firstly, the Ryzen 7 4700U is faster than the pricier 10th gen Intel Core i7-1065G7 and even the 11th gen Core i7-1165G7 in multi-threaded loads. Secondly, this Pavilion 15z uses a newer chassis design that is significantly sleeker and more modern than the older, rounder models. In other words, users aren’t getting last year’s trimmings just because they’re paying cheaper prices.
The main drawback is the IPS display which covers just ~60 percent of sRGB instead of the usual >90 percent on pricier mid-range or higher-end models. Don’t expect colors to be as vibrant or accurate as on an HP Envy or Spectre. RAM and storage are limited but technically user-expandable.
3. Best laptop under 400usd
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15.6-inch laptop

Key Specifications
Processor Model
AMD Ryzen 3 3000 Series
System Memory (RAM)
8 gigabytes
Graphics
AMD Radeon
System Memory (RAM)
8 gigabytes
Solid State Drive Capacity
128 gigabytes
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080 (Full HD)

My Thoughts
While the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 has its weaknesses, it also has some strengths too – not least the low price that you can now pick the laptop up for. It definitely ticks those boxes if you’re primarily concerned with day-to-day computing tasks, affordability, and durability.
REASONS TO BUY
- +Robust, durable build
- +Comfortable typing experience
- +Affordable price
REASONS TO AVOID
- -Screen could be brighter
- -Average battery life
- -Low-powered components
4. Best Laptop at 450 USD

Acer Aspire 5 (A515-54-51DJ)
Price as reviewed | $530 |
---|---|
Display size/resolution | 15.6-inch 1,920 x 1,080 display |
CPU | 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-8265U |
PC Memory RAM | 8GB DDR4 2667MHz |
Graphics | 128MB Intel UHD Graphics 620 |
Storage | 256GB SSD |
Networking | 802.11ac Wi-Fi wireless; Bluetooth 5.0 |
Operating system | Windows 10 Home (64-bit) |
My Thoughts

The Acer Aspire 5 is a 15.6-inch thin-and-light that definitely delivers more performance for your money than you might expect. Though it starts low, the $450 configuration I tested is a comfortable middle ground that’s full-featured enough for typical work, home, and school tasks. But even if you decide to go all out on upgrades, this model doesn’t break the $900 mark and you’ll get a workhorse laptop that won’t win any beauty contests but should last you well into the future.

Best laptops @ 450USD
Dell – Inspiron 15.6″ FHD Touch Laptop
Price at review | 449 USD |
Display size/resolution | 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) 15.6 inches |
CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 3000 Series Processor Speed 2.1 gigahertz |
PC Memory RAM | 8 GB |
Graphics | AMD Radeon Vega 8 |
Storage | 256 SSD |
Networking | 802.11ac Wi-Fi wireless; Bluetooth 5.0 |
Operating system | Windows 10 Home in S mode |

My Thoughts
Though we have no hands-on this PC gauging by the reviews it’s proving one of the best budget laptops for the Buck. Ryzen 5 series is a powerful processor in combination with the AMD vega makes this a good Laptop.

More Laptops @ 450USD
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