Overview
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When it comes to shopping for the best cheap laptops, you can do a lot with $1,000. (Heck, even $500 cuts some mustard nowadays.) But you’ll probably have to make some compromises along the way to stay below that price point.
That doesn’t mean you have to settle for a total clunker that doesn’t tick any of the boxes on your must-have specs list. It just means you have to shop a little smarter than someone on an unlimited budget — and that’s where we come in.
After meticulous hands-on testing of the best laptops, we can recommend several affordable laptops for different budgets, operating system loyalties, and use cases. So, keep reading for our guide to the best cheap laptops of 2024, including two new top picks. First, the 13-inch M2 Apple MacBook Air is our new favorite budget MacBook following a permanent price drop, replacing its M1 predecessor. Second, the Acer Nitro V 15 has taken the “best budget gaming laptop” spot from the HP Victus 16.
Our Pick
Read Mashable’s full review of the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air (M2).
Who it’s for:
The 13-inch, M2-powered Apple MacBook Air from mid-2022 isn’t quite as fast as the latest M3 model, and it lacks its successor’s support for two external monitors and WiFi 6E, but those are easy sacrifices to make if you don’t want to spend more than $1,000. All things considered, it’s a no-brainer recommendation for budget-conscious Apple users in need of a reliable everyday laptop.
Why we picked this:
The M2 MacBook Air “delivers everything you need” in a laptop, wrote Mashable tech and games reporter Alex Perry in his review. That includes a “solid battery life, a larger 13.6-inch display than previous models, a keyboard that’s to die for, and enough horsepower to handle everyday tasks with ease.” It also sports a 1080p FaceTime HD camera that produces a clear picture in low light, plus a four-speaker setup with Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos support. Despite needing a few more ports, it effortlessly clinched our Mashable’s Choice Award — and after a permanent price drop to $999 in March 2024, it’s now a better value than ever.
Note that Apple no longer makes the M2 MacBook Air in a 15-inch size (as of early 2024), but it was still up for grabs at some third-party retailers like Best Buy at the time of writing.
The Good
The Bad
Details
Read Mashable’s full review of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3. We tested a configuration with 16GB of RAM.
Who it’s for:
You can stretch your dollar further with other laptop makers, but the 2023 Microsoft Surface Go 3 is a good budget option for brand loyalists and those who want a flashy ultraportable. “I can see this being the daily driver of young students or Gen Z users seeking a laptop that can handle casual usage with style and sophistication,” said Mashable tech editor Kim Gedeon.
Why we picked it:
The 12.4-inch Surface Laptop Go 3 is basically a “Windows Air,” Gedeon wrote, with a premium build quality that wouldn’t seem out of place among Apple’s ranks. And don’t get her started about its snappy, spiffy keyboard, which she deemed “one of the best I’ve ever used during my entire career as a laptop reviewer.”
Alas, its internals are far more underwhelming: Its 12th-generation Intel CPU is now two generations removed in 2024; its battery life clocked in at a mediocre eight-ish hours in our testing; and its dim display carried over from the 2022 Surface Laptop Go 2. But the base model’s memory and storage have doubled, at least. It’s also frequently on sale at Amazon and Best Buy for at least $100 off, which feels way more reasonable given the specs.
The Good
The Bad
Details
Read Mashable’s full review of the Acer Nitro V 15. We tested a configuration with an Intel Core i7-13620H processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage.
Who it’s for:
Gedeon put things succinctly in her review: “If you’re just looking for a gaming laptop that ditches all the bells and whistles for impressive gaming performance, the [Acer] Nitro V 15 is the one for you.”
Why we picked this:
The Mashable’s Choice Award-winning Nitro V 15 is all about power, power, power. And while it strains the definition of “cheap,” we do think it’s the best gaming laptop under $1,000. The $999.99 model we tested is “packed with delicious internals that can handle triple-A gaming,” said Gedeon, including a 13th-gen Intel Core i7 H-series processor for desktop-level brawn and nice NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 graphics. She found it capable of running Cyberpunk 2077, “one of the most graphics-intensive games on the market, like a champ.”
Unsurprisingly, Acer’s made some serious concessions to offer that level of oomph at this price point, namely in the realms of display quality (it’s not bright or vivid) and extra fixings (there’s no RGB keyboard or 1080p webcam). Its pathetically short battery life also means it’ll set up permanent shop on your desk — preferably with a microfiber cloth at the ready nearby, as it clings to fingerprints with a passion.
The Good
The Bad
Details
Who it’s for:
The Acer Chromebook 516 GE (the “GE” stands for “gaming edition”) is a budget-friendly beaut for gamers who are tired of trying to keep up with new titles’ fancy hardware requirements, as well as those who frequently play on the go — it’s pretty light for a gaming PC. However, a reliable internet connection and an outlet are musts.
Why we picked this:
Gaming Chromebooks are a relatively new species of budget gaming laptop, and the Chromebook 516 GE was one of the first models to hit the market back in late 2022. It kicked off the genre on a high note: It has plenty of ports, a 1080p webcam, an anti-ghosting RGB keyboard, and a quality (not cheap-feeling) build, said Mashable lead shopping reporter Dylan Haas.
It also performed shockingly well in our testing; while there was some expected fidelity loss, the games Haas streamed never once lagged or stuttered — including Cyberpunk 2077. But “[the] real showstopper is the laptop’s display,” he wrote. “[The] 16-inch, 1600p screen looks fantastic and boasts clear, bright, and vibrant colors.” It would be nice if Acer bumped its battery life a bit, though.
The Good
The Bad
Details
Note: We’ll soon review the next-gen Framework Laptop 16. Preorders for it are now live.
Read Mashable’s review of the Framework Laptop (2021).
Who it’s for:
The 2023 Framework Laptop 13 is a bit of an investment upfront, but its modular design translates to long-term savings for users who like to upgrade their specs every few years. Even if you lack DIY wizardry, our reviewer found that the learning curve involved isn’t too intimidating.
Why we picked this:
Unlike many consumer laptops, which have soldered-on parts, the Framework Laptop 13 has fully replaceable and repairable components. So, instead of buying another brand-new machine when your processor, RAM, storage, keyboard, or display conk out, you can simply Frankenstein in a different part — a great way to save money in the long run.
The best part is that almost anyone can do this: “It’s with the tech coward’s perspective that I am happy to report the Framework Laptop is nothing short of an industrial design miracle for newcomers,” wrote reviewer Perry, who tested an older version. If you feel a little more confident in your computer-tweaking abilities, consider the fully customizable DIY Edition (which starts at $849) instead of the pre-built model.
The Good
The Bad
Details
All of the laptops on this list were thoroughly tested by Mashable staff (save for the Framework Laptop 13 — we tried a previous version). We put them through their paces across several weeks of non-stop use: We worked with them, typed on them, streamed videos on them, played games on them (if possible), and generally just tried to push the limits of their functionality to see how well they could perform.
We also considered their overall value based on the following specs:
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Processor: The central processing unit (or CPU) is a chip inside a laptop’s motherboard that’s responsible for executing all tasks and commands — it’s often referred to as the machine’s brain or control center. The more powerful it is, the faster your laptop will be. (Pro tip: You can save some money on a higher-end CPU by going with a previous-generation model.)
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Graphics processor: The graphics processing unit (or GPU) is a specialized chip that’s responsible for rendering visuals. It’s especially important for gaming and photo/video editing. Budget gaming laptops tend to have lower-end NVIDIA GeForce RTX and AMD Radeon GPUs (though the same previous-gen buying tip applies here, too).
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RAM: A laptop’s random-access memory is where it temporarily stashes the data its CPU needs for any active applications. The more RAM a machine has, the more tasks it can handle simultaneously. Eight gigs will serve most people well, but 4GB is the cheapest and most basic starting point.
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Storage: A laptop’s storage is where it keeps long-term data. SSD (solid-state drive) storage is faster than eMMC (embedded MultiMediaCard) flash storage, and 256GB is going to be workable for the majority of users; you don’t want to go any lower than 128GB. Chromebooks are the exception to that rule, since they rely on cloud-based storage: You can feasibly dip down to 64GB if necessary.
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Resolution: The higher your screen’s resolution, the sharper its picture is going to be. Full HD (or 1920 x 1080 pixels) should be your baseline.
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Refresh rate: A screen’s refresh rate (measured in hertz) refers to the number of times it updates its picture per second; the higher the refresh rate, the smoother motion looks. Most budget PCs have 60Hz displays, but it’s not tough to find a cheap 120Hz gaming laptop.
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Webcam: While still pretty common in newer laptops, 720p cameras are just passable. We recommend aiming for 1080p (Full HD) if you plan on using your computer for regular video calls.
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Ports: Different types of ports let you connect different accessories and peripherals to your laptop (like headphones and monitors).
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Battery life: Eight to ten hours should get you through a day’s work or play, but generally speaking, more is more.
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Weight: Laptops that weigh three pounds or less will be easier to take on the go, but they’re usually less powerful than their heftier peers.
For the purposes of this guide, we tried our best to stick with budget laptops under $1,000 but made an exception for the Framework Laptop 13 ($1,049). It requires a bigger upfront investment, but it’ll save you money on repair and replacement costs for years to come.
Haley Henschel is a Chicago-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable who reviews and finds deals on popular tech, from laptops to gaming consoles and VPNs. She has years of experience covering shopping holidays and can tell you what’s actually worth buying on Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. Her work has also explored the driving forces behind digital trends within the shopping sphere, from dupes to 12-foot skeletons.
Haley received a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and honed her sifting and winnowing skills at The Daily Cardinal. She previously covered politics for The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, investigated exotic pet ownership for Wisconsin Watch, and blogged for some of your favorite reality stars.
In her free time, Haley enjoys playing video games, drawing, taking walks on Lake Michigan, and spending time with her parrot (Melon) and dog (Pierogi). She really, really wants to get back into horseback riding. You can follow her on X at @haleyhenschel or reach her via email at [email protected].
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