“cheapism helps you find the cheapest "best buys"” — lifehacker
Also see our full Cheap Laptops review:
  1. Cheap Laptops
  2. Laptop Reviews
  3. Laptop Features
  4. Cheap Laptop Computers
  5. Laptop Deals
  6. Discount Cheap Laptops Features Comparison Table

Most top budget laptops employ some sort of Intel Core i3 CPU. Stepping up to a Core i5 CPU provides more power (but can also drain the battery faster). Only a handful of laptops use CPUs from Intel competitor AMD. As for memory, 4GB of RAM is the standard for cheap laptops, and for most users, that's enough. Upgrading to 6GB or more can help improve performance when multitasking or running memory-intensive programs. A hard drive of 500GB or more should provide plenty of storage; even 320GB would be sufficient for many users. Our favorite budget laptops all come with six-cell batteries. Batteries with more cells are capable of lasting longer, but they also add more weight. Screen size is largely a matter of preference. If you want a more portable system, a smaller 14-inch display is the way to go. However, if you want more real estate for multimedia, opt for a screen that measures 15.6 inches or larger.

CPU Memory Hard Drive Battery Weight Screen Size
Dell Inspiron 15R estimated price $550
Intel Core i3-2370M 6GB 750GB 6-cell 6.05 lbs 15.6 inches
HP ProBook 4440s estimated price $480
Intel Core i3-2370M 4GB 320GB 6-cell 4.55 lbs 14 inches
Toshiba Satellite L755-S5166 estimated price $500
Intel Core i3-2350M 4GB 640GB 6-cell 5.3 lbs 15.6 inches
Dell Inspiron 14z estimated price $480
Intel Core i3-2350M 4GB 500GB 6-cell 4.23 lbs 14 inches
ADVERTISING