Best budget laptops: 7 cheap laptops under $500

 

Best budget laptops: 7 cheap laptops under $500

best laptops under $500
(Image credit: Future)

The best laptops under $500 are cheap laptops that shouldn't leave you feeling like you dug them out of the bargain bin. There are value-priced notebooks that include full-HD displays, solid performance, and long battery life. 

Whether you are looking for a typical clamshell laptop or you want a 2-in-1 convertible laptop that can walk the line between a tablet and a laptop, we've got some great affordable options for you. Our top pick even managed to find its way onto our best laptops page. Remember, if you can't find a laptop that meets your expectations for the budget, you can always look at some of the best tablets or best kids tablets for your needs.

After reviewing dozens of value-priced systems, the best laptop under $500 is the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5. This outstanding 2-in-1 Chromebook earned 4.5 out of 5 stars and an Editor's Choice award from us on the strength of its gorgeous OLED display and over 13 hours of battery life. If Chrome OS isn't your thing, we have some cheap Windows laptops to recommend as well. The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14 and Acer Aspire 5 are strong choices.

The best laptops under $500 you can buy today

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Lenovo Duet 5 Chromebook best laptops under $500

The Lenovo Duet 5 Chromebook on a coffee table in its clamshell laptop mode. It earns its spot as the best laptop under $500 thanks to its excellent portability, long battery life , and bright, vivid OLED display. (Image credit: Laptop Mag/Sean Riley)
The best laptop under $500

SPECIFICATIONS

CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2
GPU: Adreno 618 GPU
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 128GB eMMC
Display: 13.3-inch, 1920x1080, OLED
Size: 12 x 7.4 x 0.28 inches
Weight: 2.2 pounds

REASONS TO BUY

+
Excellent battery life
+
Detachable 2-in-1 design
+
Bright, vivid OLED display
+
Keyboard and cover included

REASONS TO AVOID

-
Stylus not included

The Lenovo Duet 5 Chromebook is a significant departure from the original Chromebook Duet, which you'll find later on this list. Although the higher price tag may drive some away, the considerable hardware upgrades make this 2-in-1 just as compelling. 

The Duet 5 still features a fabric rear case and keyboard cover like the previous model, but open it up and the 13.3-inch OLED display will make you check that sub-$500 price again. The changes run deeper than that with a dramatically improved Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 processor, while also delivering over 13 hours on a single charge.

While it may not be the scrappy budget champ that the original Chromebook Duet was, the Duet 5 has bulked up and is ready to take on some heavyweight competition, making it the best laptop under $500.

See our full Lenovo Duet 5 Chromebook review.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14 walks the middle ground between price and power (Image credit: Laptop Mag)
The best Windows laptop under $500

SPECIFICATIONS

CPU: Intel Core m3-7Y30
GPU: Intel HD 615
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 32GB eMMC
Display: 12.3-inch, 2400 x 1600
Size: 11.5 x 8.3 x 0.3 inches
Weight: 3.1 pounds

REASONS TO BUY

+
Solid performance
+
Good audio quality
+
Responsive keyboard
+
Long battery life
+
Competitively priced

REASONS TO AVOID

-
Pen not included
-
Dim and dull display
-
Only one USB-C port

As far as affordable laptops go, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 is a good choice. While the dim display is disappointing, our reviewer found this sub-$500 Windows laptop to be a joy. Surfing the web is smooth no matter how many tabs were open, and you can rely on the long battery life (14 hours and 16 minutes in our testing) to keep you entertained and powered up throughout the day. And while it’s made mostly of plastic, the Flex 5 still looks and feels like a sleek, sturdy device that’s well worth the investment.

When we first reviewed the IdeaPad Flex 5 it hovered around $500-$650 depending on the configuration, but you can now find it for under $500 or even $400 for the base model, making it an even better value and easily the best Windows laptop under $500.

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