The best cheap laptop deals in May 2021

We're bringing you all the best cheap laptop deals currently on the shelves, and right now you can pick up some excellent specs for some great prices. Not only are we seeing powerful machines on sale right now (some offering the latest 11th generation Intel Evo processors) but there are plenty of 2-in-1 laptop deals offering discounts on flexible machines with some great functionality. 

From Best Buy to Walmart, MSI to HP you'll find all the best cheap laptop deals right here. That means we've weeded out all the discounts that aren't worth your time to bring you only the highest quality laptop deals on the shelves right now. You'll find all the key specs and features listed out for each model as well, so you can find the perfect machine for you. 

Cheap laptop deals by budget

There's a wide range of cheap laptop deals on offer here, from traditional laptops under $500 and the best Chromebooks made for browsing, to powerful working from home machines. So, whether you're after a budget laptop to simply surf the web with, or a more capable rig with the latest processors and speedy SSDs, you're sure to find the model for you in the laptop deals below. 

If you're a gamer, you'd be better suited to check out our selection of gaming laptop deals, as the models on this page are not usually built with gaming in mind. If you're after a cheaper web-based machine, check out the latest Chromebook prices and deals.

You can also keep an eye on the upcoming Memorial Day sales and Amazon Prime Day deals for more offers.

This week's best cheap laptop deals

Cheap laptop deal of the week

HP 14 laptop: $579.99 $479.99 at HP
There's a $100 discount on this 14-inch HP laptop right now. That means you can pick up a machine with the latest 11th generation of Intel's i3 processor as well as 8GB RAM, 256GB of SSD storage and 16GB of Intel Optane memory all for less than $500.

More cheap laptop deals

Cheap laptop deals under $200

Samsung Chromebook 4 11.6-inch laptop: $229.99 $159.99 at Walmart
This Samsung Chromebook 4 is now available for just $159.99. You'll find an Intel Celeron N4000 processor inside, 4GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage as well. That, and the smaller screen size, makes this machine more suited to lighter browsing over heavier workloads.

Lenovo Chromebook S330 14-inch laptop: $239 $159 at Walmart
With 32GB of storage and 4GB RAM you're still picking up a budget laptop here, but thanks to Chrome OS those specs aren't as limiting as they would be on a Windows machine. Plus, the 14-inch display here is a vast improvement on the 11.6-inch devices we usually see in this price range.

Acer Chromebook Spin 311 11.6-inch touchscreen laptop: $299 $199 at Walmart
It's an older model, but this 2-in-1 laptop offers touchscreen functionality at a great price point in Walmart's latest laptop deals. With a MediaTek processor, 4GB RAM and 32GB of storage the specs aren't too underpowered considering the features available as well.

Cheap laptop deals under $400

Dell Inspiron 15 3000 15.6-inch laptop (128GB): $339.99 $289.99 at Dell
The cheapest Dell Inspiron laptop deal available right now offers an Intel Pentium Silver N5030 processor, 4GB RAM, and a 128GB SSD, excellent value for under $300. That's perfect for lighter everyday browsing and streaming on a full 15.6-inch screen without breaking the bank.

HP 15z 15.6-inch laptop: $369.99 $329.99 at HP
This HP is packing an impressive 8GB RAM and 128GB SSD into a $330 price tag in this week's laptop deals. An AMD Athlon Gold will see you through everyday browsing as well, which makes this an excellent budget buy.

Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15.6-inch laptop: $399 $349 at Walmart
Save $50 on this Lenovo IdeaPad 3 laptop at Walmart. You're getting a fairly basic spec here, with Windows 10S, a 10th gen i3 processor, 4GB RAM and a 128GB SSD, but that's perfect for lighter web browsing and streaming on a budget.

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14-inch 2-in-1 laptop: $699 $369 at Walmart
There's a $330 discount on this 2-in-1 laptop, bringing it down to a fantastic $369 sales price. There's an AMD Ryzen 3 processor, 4GB RAM and a 128GB SSD inside as well - excellent specs at this price - on top of that flexible design.

Dell Inspiron 15 3000 15.6-inch laptop (256GB): $459.99 $369.99 at Dell
There's a 256GB SSD hiding away in this $369.99 price tag this week. That's excellent value considering we rarely see models offering specs like this for under $400. Plus, you're still getting the 8GB RAM that normally accompanies that larger storage size, and a Ryzen 3 processor.

HP 14-inch touchscreen laptop: $499.99 $399.99 at Best Buy
Best Buy has cut $100 off the price of this touchscreen HP laptop. That means you're getting plenty of extra functionality on top of a fantastic 8GB RAM / 256GB SSD combination, though that i3 processor won't be able to keep up with more demanding workflows.

Cheap laptop deals under $600

Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 laptop: $509.99 $405 at Dell
There's plenty of functionality packed into this 2-in-1 convertible laptop. While you're dropping down a little in terms of spec, with a 128GB SSD and 4GB RAM, those looking for flexibility over power will be served particularly well here. Plus, you're still getting a fantastic 11th generation i3 processor inside. Initial savings drop this model down to $449.99, but you can use discount code WEEKEND10 for extra reductions at checkout.

Dell Inspiron 15 3000 15.6-inch laptop (512GB): $609.99 $479.99 at Dell
You're getting a fantastic price on a 512GB configuration here, with a $479.99 sales price that's well below the $609.99 MSRP. Not only that, but you're also picking up a Ryzen 5 processor here and 8GB RAM. That's perfect for larger programs and workflows, though that RAM may struggle under more intensive multi-tasking sessions.

HP 14 laptop: $579.99 $479.99 at HP
There's a $100 discount on this 14-inch HP laptop right now. That means you can pick up a machine with the latest 11th generation of Intel's i3 processor as well as 8GB RAM, 256GB of SSD storage and 16GB of Intel Optane memory all for less than $500.

Acer Aspire 5 15.6-inch laptop: $599.99 $529.99 at Newegg
There's a $70 discount on this Acer Aspire laptop at Newegg, and that saving is bringing a fantastic spec down to a price point we rarely see it at. There's a 512GB SSD in here - excellent storage for the price, as well as 8GB RAM and a Ryzen 5 processor.

Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15.6-inch laptop: $689.99 $559.99 at Newegg
With a $130 discount, this Lenovo IdeaPad 5 is offering a great price on a 512GB SSD / 8GB RAM configuration. That's great if you're looking for a little more storage than a focus on performance, though there is still a 2.3GHz Ryzen 5 processor under the hood as well.

Lenovo IdeaPad S340 15.6-inch laptop: $799.99 $599.99 at Best Buy
You can save $200 on this Lenovo laptop deal at Best Buy. Considering there's a Ryzen 7 processor, 12GB RAM and a 512GB SSD inside there's plenty of power to go around, but you're also getting an excellent IPS touchscreen on here as well.

HP Pavilion 15.6-inch laptop: $749.99 $599.99 at HP
You're saving $150 on this HP Pavilion laptop, and picking up an ultra-powerful 11th generation i7 processor at the same time. This is a great price for all that firepower, though you are sacrificing a little storage space to make up for it with this model only offering 128GB.

The best laptop deals over $600

Asus Vivobook 17.3-inch laptop: $799.99 $619.99 at Best Buy
If you're after a larger screen, this Asus Vivobook is offering not only a 17.3-inch display, but also a powerful Ryzen 7 processor, 12GB RAM, 512GB of SSD storage and Radeon Vega 10 graphics as well. You are dropping your screen quality to pick up the extra space, though, with this model offering HD 1600 x 900 resolution.

HP 15.6-inch laptop: $819.99 $659.99 at HP
With $160 off the MSRP, you'll find an excellent $659.99 price tag on this powerful 11th generation i7 HP laptop deal this week. While the 256GB SSD is a little mid-range for this price tag, you're picking up a pricey CPU here and the sacrifice in storage is well worth it if you're after a zippy experience. Plus, there's 16GB RAM inside as well.

This week's best store-wide laptop sales

HP: Save up to 45% on laptops, all-in-one PCs, monitors and more
You'll find savings across a range of HP Pavilion and Envy laptops this week, as well as HP's budget entry level models as well. Not only that, but desktop towers, all-in-one bundles and other accessories are also discounted right now.

Dell: up to $700 off Inspiron and XPS machines
Dell is offering some major savings across its range of XPS and Inspiron laptops this week, with up to $700 off some of its more premium machines. You'll find plenty of discounts across the price range, though.

Best Buy: massive range of laptops now under $500
Best Buy has a strong selection of cheap laptop deals under $500 this week, with everything from HP to Dell, Acer to Asus either taking a price cut to fit or already available for less.

Which stores have cheap laptop sales?

If you're looking for the best budget laptop to see you through everyday browsing, we'd recommend heading over to the generalist retailers - Walmart, Best Buy, and Amazon, for example. If you're after something a little more specialist, Dell, Lenovo and HP will offer far more configuration options with their own discounts as well.

The best cheap laptops

The best cheap laptops of 2020

The best budget laptops are usually the ones offering decent entry level specs (32 or 64GB of storage in a Chromebook or a 4GB / 8GB RAM, i3 processor, 128GB  storage in a Windows machine) at a reduced price. However, you'll sometimes find mid-range specs offering a step up at similar prices on cheaper machines. Below you'll find our top picks of cheap laptops that do exactly that during busy sales periods. 

cheap laptop deals

(Image credit: Lenovo)

1. Lenovo Chromebook Duet

A cheap grab and go 2-in-1 laptop

CPU: MediaTek Helio P60T | Graphics: ARM G72 MP3 800GHz | RAM: 4GB | Screen: 10.1" FHD (1920 x 1200) IPS touchscreen | Storage: 64 - 128GB

Incredibly versatile
High value 
Performs well for the price
Older components

If you're shopping for cheap laptops, chances are you're not going to be spending too long poring over spec sheets or looking forward to splashing out on the latest processors and graphics. You might be looking for a simple every day web browsing machine light enough to throw into a backpack and flexible enough for comfortable streaming. That's where the Lenovo Duet comes in - a Chromebook that's technically a tablet, but far more powerful than you'd expect it to be. 

best budget laptop deals

2. Acer Chromebook 14

Meet the anti-MacBook Air

CPU: Intel Celeron N3160 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 400 | RAM: 4GB | Screen: 14-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) display | Storage: 32GB SSD

Top-notch build quality
Solid keyboard and touchpad
Full HD display
Flaky HD video playback

With its slick lines and a slim silhouette, the Acer Chromebook 14 makes for a subtle, snazzy laptop. Although its display isn't the most attractive we've seen, it’s still acceptable for full HD. On top of that, the keyboard and trackpad adhere to the principle of ‘it just works.’ The battery life is satisfactory as well despite falling a bit south of Acer's 12-hour claim in real-world use. 

Read the full review: Acer Chromebook 14

cheap laptop deals

(Image credit: Asus)

3. Asus Vivobook 15

Mid-range specs for entry level prices

CPU: Up to Intel i7 | Graphics: Nvidia | RAM: Up to 16GB | Screen: FHD (1920x1080) | Storage: 128GB SSD – 1TB HDD

Versatile and powerful
Full HD screen
Regularly discounted

You're shopping in the $399 - $599 range when looking at an Asus Vivobook, with entry level specs outperforming the vast majority of Chromebooks you'd usually find at this price. Plus, you're getting some pretty premium features in this cheap laptop. A Nano-Edge display keeps everything looking sharp, the option for Intel Optane memory makes sure all your most-used programs and files are well within reach, and a 1.6kg weight on a full sized 15.6-inch laptop is nothing to sniff at either. 

cheap laptops deals sales

4. Acer Swift 3

The bigger, better value proposition

CPU: Intel Core i3 – i7 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 620 | RAM: 4GB – 8GB | Screen: 14-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) ComfyView IPS | Storage: 128GB – 256GB SSD

Powerful for the price
Stellar battery life
Boring looks
Down-firing speakers

Here we have one of the few budget laptops with a processor nearly equivalent to a MacBook Pro from a couple of years back, that is if you opt for the Intel Core i5 configuration. The best part? Among the best Acer laptops right now, it's roughly half the cost of its Apple-branded rival. Now given that it sells at a range of different prices, the Acer Swift 3 can be an obtuse purchase, but lucky for you, the midrange model will get you by just fine. There are often plenty of cheap laptop deals on Acer products so you'll always be in a good position to grab a discount. 

Read the full review: Acer Swift 3

Cheap laptops: Spotting the best laptop deals under $200

One of the first things we often check when shopping for cheap laptops is the amount of storage on offer. As shoppers, we've become accustomed to comparing prices and models based on the number of gigabytes next to the model name. However, there may be more to it than that, especially when you're browsing the cheaper shelves. You may also need to pay attention to your operating system when picking up a budget laptop deal under $200. 

Some cheap laptops are more worthy of your cash than others, and many simply need to be avoided. For example, you'll easily find a Windows machine that offers just 16 or 32GB of storage, but with update file and software sizes increasing, you may quickly find that insufficient. However, finding a Chromebook with 16 or 32GB of storage for under $200 makes for a great cheap laptop deal. That's because these machines run on Chrome OS which doesn't require updates and operates largely through your browser. 

Similarly, a lot of laptops hold incredibly low price tags because they are labelled as 'FreeDOS'. This means they don't have an operating system on them already, so you will need to buy Windows 10 to get them set up. 

How much are the best laptop deals? 

Shopping for the best budget laptop deals between $50 and $200 will usually have you looking at the excellent range of Chromebooks on sale right now. Running Chrome OS, these budget laptop deals will see you through everyday web browsing, emails, and some light streaming for eye wateringly low prices. You'll be picking up anything from a 16GB SSD to a 64GB hard drive, but you'll also be looking to utilize the cloud for more storage.

If you're punting a bit higher than $200, you'll be opening yourself up to more RAM, moving from 4GB to 8GB in most models, meaning your cheap laptop will be able to open programs faster, generally retrieving information and multi-task in a more streamlined manner. You'll also be picking up far more storage for your cash, with prices this week including either a 128GB or 256GB SSD. This SSD further streamlines your storage, acting as a lightning-fast drive to keep everything you need instantly attainable.

Once you search for laptop deals above $400, you may well start to find 16GB of RAM on offer as well as a few models with a 512GB SSD. Along with improved processors, that means exceedingly fast storage potential, keeping your cheap laptop zippy however many programs you have open. Laptops above this price range are also better suited to media editing than cheaper models.

Not quite what you're looking for? Maybe our other laptop articles will have what you need:



from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/34ylL14

Comments

Popular Posts