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Cheap Laptops, Best Cheap Laptop

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More and more users are abandoning old desktop PCs in favor of slim, light laptops. Many laptops carry hefty price tags, and it's not unusual to find models sporting stylish brand names like Apple and Sony that cost well over $1,000. But there are plenty of attractive deals to be found on cheap laptops. Manufacturers such as Dell, Lenovo, Toshiba, and Gateway balance good performance with reasonable cost. These producers also offer lots of options and configurations, so you'll have no problem finding just the right combination of features without busting your bank account.

You may feel a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of cheap laptops and the assortment of configurations available these days (even without considering a smaller, less powerful netbook). Gateway, Lenovo, and other big makers of cheap laptops offer a wide array of models, many of which are nearly identical. Some are sold exclusively by retailers such as Best Buy, and you may find the same system at another vendor under a different model name, sporting only minor differences. To reduce at least some of the confusion, we've specified the key components of these systems and highlighted critical performance criteria so you'll know what to look for when shopping for a cheap laptop.

The Toshiba Satellite L745-S4210, one of our top picks, is a good reference point for the variety of features you'll find in the best cheap laptop computers. Its base configuration costs $480 and includes Windows 7, 4GB of RAM, a 640GB hard drive, and a six-cell battery. The Toshiba model also includes one of Intel's second-generation i3 CPUs, the i3-2310M; 802.11b/g/n wireless support; and an HDMI port. At the other end of the spectrum is the Gateway NV55C38u (starting at $400, Amazon). This cheap laptop has been popular among users, but it's showing its age. It has an older, Intel Pentium P6200 CPU and only 2GB of memory. It's the cheapest model on our list, but we think most budget shoppers will be better off in the long run if they buy a more modern system.

In addition to the Toshiba Satellite L745-S4210, we like the Lenovo IdeaPad V570 1066A9U (starting at $630), the HP Pavilion g6-1a69 (starting at $590, Amazon), and the Dell Vostro V131 (starting at $500, $600 as reviewed). We weren't so impressed with the newest version of Dell's popular Inspiron 14R (starting at $500, Amazon).

Cheap laptops are complex machines, and there are lots of features you can fuss over when shopping for a budget model. A laptop's operating system used to be an important consideration, but almost all new laptops, including those on our list, use Windows 7. Most cheap laptops also rely on one of the same two or three CPUs. Today's most popular budget laptop CPU is the Intel i3. Older, first-generation i3 CPUs, such as the Intel i3-380M found in the HP Pavilion g6-1a69, have three-digit model numbers. Second-generation Intel i3 CPUs, such as the i3-2310M found in the Toshiba Satellite L745-S4210 and the Dell Inspiron 14R, have four-digit model numbers. AMD CPUs have become pretty rare in popular budget laptops, but some manufacturers, such as HP and Dell, do offer customizable budget laptops that use AMD CPUs.

The biggest differences between cheap laptops and expensive ones typically involve the power of the CPU, the amount of memory the system has, and the size of the hard drive. Cheap laptops typically have 3GB to 4GB of RAM and anywhere from 250GB to 640GB of hard drive space. As you'd expect, systems with faster processors, more memory and larger hard drives tend to cost more. Most users can get by with less memory and a smaller hard drive, especially if a cheap laptop isn't their primary computer. Another essential feature is good battery life. Most budget laptops, including all of our picks, boast six-cell batteries, but not all run down at the same rate. There can be quite a difference in battery life from one cheap laptop to the next, and the best budget laptops can run for at least a few hours on one charge.

When it comes to performance, most users of cheap laptops have modest expectations. These systems aren't designed for high-end 3D graphics or fast-paced PC gaming, but they do excel at tasks such as web surfing, email, photo editing, and playing videos and music. Users want snappy performance when carrying out these tasks, along with good quality video and decent audio, at least through a pair of headphones. (Laptop speakers aren't known for excellent sound, but some are better than others.) Reviews also indicate that consumers value cheap laptops with comfortable, responsive keyboards and trackpads.

The best way to shop for a cheap laptop is to use the model numbers simply as a rough starting point and then take a close look under the hood when you find one of interest. Pay close attention to the computer's key features -- CPU, memory, hard drive size, and battery life -- and check for desirable extra features such as an HDMI port, a bright widescreen display, and several USB ports. Ideally, get your hands on a laptop before you buy to try out the keyboard and trackpad.

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HP 2000z
Dell Inspiron 14R
Gateway NV55C38u
HP Pavilion g6-1a69
Dell Vostro V131
Lenovo IdeaPad V570
Toshiba Satellite L745-S4210

Samsung RV511-A01

 

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