For around $450 to $600 you can expect to find an Intel Core i3, i5 or AMD A/E-Series processor, integrated graphics, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, a DVD burner, and around 4 hours of battery life. Samsung Series 3 305E5A The Samsung Series 3 features a brushed metal look exterior with brushed chrome trim. Although it features a 15.6" display the thin bezel allows for a smaller chasis overall compared to other 15.6" laptops. Inside you’ll find an AMD A-Series chip, which isn’t quite up to par with Intel’s latest Core i5 offerings, but it does have an edge when it comes to graphics performance and it’s a steal at $430. There was a similar model with an A8 processor, 6GB RAM and 640GB hard drive for $500. It appears to be sold out now but if you shop around you’ll likely find a pretty good deal on a Series 3. Additional views:
Lenovo Essential G570 The Lenovo Essential G570 features a simple, no-frills design with a plastic and blocky chasis but the built quality is solid enough for a budget laptop. It offers a full sized keyboard with number pad that’s in line with recent IdeaPad models and a good size touch pad, in addition to a bright and clear display. This machine is powered by a previous-generation Sandy Bridge processor (it seems Ivy Bridge is taking its time to trickle down the budget segment) but still offers enough performance for basic computing tasks. For around $600 on Lenovo’s website you can get the G570 with a faster Intel Core i5-2450M processor and 8GB of RAM. Additional views:
Acer Aspire AS5560 The Acer Aspire AS5560 offers quad-core processing performance through an AMD A-Series processor and integrated Radeon graphics for a responsive PC experience. Although it’s not a gaming machine you’ll be able to play some modern games with modest graphics settings and use the HDMI-out port to watch movies on the big screen. In terms of design this laptop won’t turn heads – as is the case with most budget laptops – but for $550 it’s a good deal. Additional views:
Lenovo IdeaPad U310 This one is priced a bit outside of what we would normally consider a budget laptop but if you can spend the extra $200 you’ll get an Ultrabook-style machine with a sleek design, great built quality and solid performance. The machine is powered by a third-generation Intel Core i5-3317U processor with built-in HD 4000 graphics and its 500GB HDD is complemented with a 32GB SSD for faster boot times and snappier overall performance. Additional views:
title: “Techspot Laptop Buying Guide Budget Machines” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-20” author: “Jennie Guss”
For around $600 you can expect to find an Intel Core i3, i5 or AMD E-Series processor, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB or larger hard drive, a DVD burner, and around 4 hours of battery life. HP Pavilion g4 Featuring an attractive design, a spacious keyboard, and SRS Labs-backed stereo speakers, HP’s redesigned Pavilion g4 is an excellent machine for bargain hunters who don’t have a lot of computing demands beyond surfing the web, checking e-mail, some multimedia streaming, and other basic tasks. Additional views:
Dell Inspiron 14z 70 10 Reviews Dell’s Inspiron 14z notebook features a clean, slim design and is a strong choice at just $600. It offers fast performance for common tasks, long battery life, beefy port selection, and a backlit keyboard. Intel Wireless Display (WiDi) 2.0 is also included, which allows wireless HD streaming of audio and video with the purchase of an additional box that plugs into your TV. As with all Dell laptops, there are tons of configuration options if you need beefier specs. Additional views:
Lenovo Essential G570 76 4 Reviews Lenovo pitches its G series as “everyday laptops at a great price,” and indeed the G570 is a good deal for a 15-inch Core i5 laptop boasting just enough of Lenovo’s famed design quality to not feel cheap. You’ll get good performance for most common taks, a comfortable keyboard, very decent audio, and good battery life. Additional views:
HP Pavilion dm4t 75 The Pavilion dm4t is an an excellent choice at an affordable price, featuring a stylish durable aluminum chassis, 14-inch screen, a fingerprint reader, solid audio quality, and all-day battery life. It has more than enough power for everyday tasks. Price range: $560 HP Pavilion dm1z 82 This AMD Fusion-powered ultraportable combines good graphics performance and long battery life at an affordable price. The HP Pavilion dm1z was recently updated with Beats Audio, a better touch pad, and a faster AMD processor. Price range: $400
