The Best Cheap Laptops Under $500 for 2025
Top pick
Unlike most cheap Windows laptops, the Aspire 3 is fast, compact, and light, and it has long battery life and a 1080p display.
Recommended configuration
| Processor: | AMD Ryzen 5 7520U | Screen: | 14-inch 1920×1080 non-touch |
| Memory: | 8 GB | Weight: | 3.1 pounds |
| Storage: | 512 GB SSD | Tested battery life: | 11.5 hours |
Why we like this one: If you need to run Windows apps or games, or if you prefer to work offline, we recommend the Acer Aspire 3 (A314-23P-R3QA). The Aspire 3 is fast enough to meet most people’s computing needs for years to come. Many cheap Windows laptops have less memory or terrible processors that limit them to running only a couple of apps and a handful of browser tabs at a time.
The Aspire 3 is one of the more portable cheap Windows laptops we’ve tested. It’s more compact than typical Windows devices in this price range, and its battery life lasted 11 hours 29 minutes in our tests—long enough to get through a full day of work or classes. Unlike cheap laptops with unpleasant keyboards and trackpads that flex and rattle, the Aspire 3’s backlit keyboard and trackpad are accurate and reliable.
Where it falls short: Our pick’s 14-inch 1920×1080 display lacks touch input, and colors look dull and washed out. But it’s much better than many laptop displays in this price range—most have lower-resolution screens that look pixelated or use horrendous TN panels that look blown out and have poor viewing angles. If you want a better (or bigger) display, consider our 15-inch pick instead.
Like many inexpensive Windows laptops, the Aspire 3 comes with a ton of unnecessary bloatware that takes up space and slows down performance. Follow these steps to remove those programs and make your laptop feel faster and be more secure.
The Aspire 3 also lacks a fingerprint reader and has a mediocre webcam, and it can’t be opened with a single hand.
Best for…
If you want a 15-inch screen, the best option is the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3. This model is fast, plus it has long battery life, a 1080p screen, and a fingerprint reader.
Recommended configuration
| Processor: | Ryzen 3 7320U | Screen: | 15-inch 1920×1080 non-touch |
| Memory: | 8 GB | Weight: | 3.6 pounds |
| Storage: | 512 GB SSD | Tested battery life: | 11 hours |
Why we like this one: If you want a Windows laptop with a large, 15-inch screen, we recommend the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 15AMN8 (82XQ00GQUS). With our recommended specs, it’ll be fast enough for most people’s computing needs for years to come.
The IdeaPad Slim 3 15AMN8 has a 15-inch 1920×1080 display that looks decent. It lacks touch and it’s not the brightest or most color-accurate option we tested, but its IPS display is still leagues better than the horrendous TN panels common in cheap Windows laptops.
Our pick lasted 10 hours 59 minutes in our battery test, long enough to survive a full day of work or classes. The backlit keyboard feels snappy and the large trackpad is reliable and accurate. The IdeaPad Slim 3 also has a reliable fingerprint reader on the power button and a handy webcam cover. It’s possible to partially open the laptop with one hand, though it’s difficult to fully open the lid without additional leverage.
Where it falls short: The 15AMN8’s display lacks touch and gives colors a greenish cast. If your priority is a nice screen for watching media, get the Acer Aspire Go 15 (AG15-21P-R0RR) instead. (But the Aspire Go 15 has hours less battery life.)
Like most inexpensive Windows laptops, the IdeaPad Slim 3 is bulky and heavy, and its webcam is mediocre. We also recommend following these instructions when you get the laptop to remove unnecessary preinstalled programs.
Best for…
This model has a touchscreen and good specs. But it’s heavy, and its display, keyboard, trackpad, and battery life are merely passable.
Recommended configuration
| Processor: | AMD Ryzen 5 7520U | Screen: | 15-inch 1920×1080 touch |
| Memory: | 16 GB | Weight: | 3.92 pounds |
| Storage: | 1 TB SSD | Tested battery life: | 8 hours |
Why we like this one: If you need a touchscreen, or if you’re willing to make trade-offs for better specs, we recommend the Acer Aspire 3 15 (A315-24PT-R288). With a solid processor and twice as much memory as you get in many laptops in this price range, this model shouldn’t have any performance limitations with everyday work for years to come.
Its 15.6-inch 1920×1080 touchscreen has a matte coating to prevent reflections, a feature that’s especially helpful because this display doesn’t get as bright as the IdeaPad Slim 3’s screen. The Aspire 3 15’s display is IPS, but it still has a bluish cast and less accurate colors compared with the IdeaPad. We like that the Aspire 3 15 can be opened with one hand.
Where it falls short: The Aspire 3 15 isn’t ideal if you need a portable laptop, as it’s heavy at nearly 4 pounds, and its battery life is only decent at around 8 hours in our testing. Our other picks are lighter and will last hours longer on a charge.
The keyboard and trackpad are both merely passable. Though it didn’t drop any keystrokes in my testing, the keyboard lacked a backlight and felt shallow and mushy. And while the trackpad worked for all taps and gestures, it had poor palm rejection, so I occasionally jostled the cursor and made errant clicks while typing.
The Aspire 3 15 comes with lots of bloatware; as with our other picks, we recommend following these steps to remove it.
