If you are shopping for an affordable laptop for school or work, here are the best laptops under $500 that are available for purchase. Many might struggle with making a good choice when shopping for laptops that cost $500 or less. At this price, most users will question certain features of the laptop and wonder if it would stand the test of time.
In this article, we carefully picked the best options for those shopping for a new laptop that retails for $500 or within that price point. Regardless of your preference for a laptop (Windows or ChromeOS), there is something for you at the price in consideration. All options in this article are solid laptops with great processors that perform well considering their retail prices.
Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop
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The Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop comes with a ton of configuration options that increase with the price. For this article, we will take into consideration the 12GB RAM model that packs 512GB worth of storage. This is a 15.6-inch laptop that comes with an IPS display as well as backlit technology for comfortable usage in low-light conditions.
Acer turns to the AMD Ryzen 3 3350U processor and an AMD graphics card to power their Aspire 5 12GB option. This Windows 11 laptop comes with a ton of connectivity ports and an HD front-facing camera for video calls. As for its retail price, the Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop starts at $469 and is available across various online retail stores.
Lenovo Chromebook Duet
For ChromeOS lovers, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet is the best option that perfectly fits into this price category. This is a 13.3-inch tablet and a laptop in one device, it is touchscreen and connects magnetically to its keyboard. To keep it in place while a user works, this tablet comes with a magnetic kickstand that can prop it up at different angles.
The processor on this option is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c and it packs 4GB worth of memory. There are a ton of other impressive features with this option, such as 15 hours of battery life on a single charge. Helping to boost productivity and connectivity on a budget, this laptop retails at a starting price of $304 in various online stores.
HP Pavilion x360 Convertible Laptop
If you are looking out to buy a versatile laptop for work or school, then put the HP Pavilion x360 Convertible Laptop into consideration. As its name implies, this laptop from HP is convertible and can easily be folded into a tablet for easy usage. The screen size on this laptop is 14 inches and it makes use of a full HD IPS micro-edge screen panel.
For its processor, the laptop uses the Intel Core i3-1215U processor and Intel UHD graphics for a better user experience. There is a good amount of connectivity ports with this touchscreen Windows 11 Home laptop, its design is also simple and stands out. The HP Pavilion x360 Convertible Laptop retails at $579 making it more expensive than the previous laptops.
Lenovo Yoga 6
The Lenovo Yoga 6 is a stylish convertible laptop that can be put to good use as a laptop and a tablet. This laptop comes with 13.3-inch screen size, additional features of this screen are its screen’s slim bezels. Users of this laptop can benefit from the slim bezels since they create less of a distraction, unlike fat bezels on other laptops.
To serve its performance needs, this laptop comes with the AMD Ryzen 5 processor and the AMD Radeon graphics coprocessor. The Lenovo Yoga 6 runs on Windows 11 out of the box and features important connectivity ports. For its retail price, this laptop retails at $564 taking it a bit closer to the HP Pavilion in terms of pricing.
Microsoft Surface Go 3
If you love using a Windows-powered laptop, then the Microsoft Surface go would help to catch your fancy. This laptop comes with a convertible form factor and houses a magnetic keyboard and kickstand that helps improve productivity. The screen size of this Microsoft Windows laptop measure 10.51 inches and it is a touchscreen display.
As for its processor, the Microsoft Surface Go 3 packs the Intel Pentium Gold power that is joined with 4GB worth of memory. This tablet comes with 11 hours of battery life on a single charge and it uses the Windows 11 software. Purchasing this convertible laptop will cost $399 and it is one of the best picks in our list of the best laptops under $500.
HP 14-inch i5-1135G7 Laptop
This laptop comes with one of the most basic designs on this list, but it still packs a ton of features. Looking at the laptop, buyers will note its 14-inch HD screen panel, perfect for working or content streaming. As for its design, this laptop comes with impressive styling and build quality.
On the inside, it packs the Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor whilst packing 16GB of RAM and the Intel Iris Xe graphics coprocessor. This laptop from HP runs Windows 11 out of the box and packs a ton of additional features to help improve overall performance. The 14-inch Intel Core i5-1135G7 laptop from HP retails at $469 and is currently available for sale.
If you need a new laptop on a budget, this will guide you to make the right choice on what to get. The options here make up the best laptops under $500 that are currently available for purchase. Regardless of what you are, a Windows or ChromeOS user, there is something in this article specifically for you. With this guide, you don’t need to break the bank to afford your new laptop for school or work.
