If you are in the market looking for a good laptop but you are not in the mood to spend thousands of dollars, do not worry as you are in the right place.
For the simplest reasons that a laptop does not have to be egregiously expensive as well. That being said, in this list, we are going to be looking at the best laptops in 2020 for less than 500 bucks.
This is the list for people who are not in the mood to spend a lot of money as they are looking for something more affordable.
Now when you are looking at the best laptops under 500, you will realize that there are more options than you may have anticipated, in the first place.
That can lead to some confusion. That is why we happen to have a buying guide for you that will help you buy the best possible laptop available in the market.
Best Laptops 2020 Under 500 Buying Guide
- Lenovo Ideapad 330S (Best Laprop 2020 under 450)
- Lenovo 15.6″ ThinkPad E585
- HP 15-BS013DX
- Lenovo ideapad 320 (Best Laptop 2020 under 400)
- Microsoft Surface Go (Best Laptop 2020 Under 500)
- ASUS Chromebook C202SA-YS02 (Best Laptop 2020 Under 250)
- Acer Aspire E 15
What to Look for When Buying a Laptop
The thing that you need to know when buying a good laptop is that you will have to look for certain things on a laptop. They could be range from a number of different factors. Obviously, specs are going to play an important part but a laptop is so much more than the specs that it comes with.
The Specs do Matter
Let’s start with the obvious, shall we? Whenever you are in the market looking for a new laptop, you need to understand that specs do matter a lot. I know it might sound like that they play a minor role, but in reality, whether you are a student or someone else, you are going to need good specs.
Start by looking at all the options that are available and then make a decision. The best way is to start assessing what you are going to use the laptop for. If you want to use it for gaming, you might want to invest in a much higher-end option.
If you are looking to do something for productivity, you are going to need something different and if you are looking to opt for just school/college work, you are going to have to go with something else.
The Size of the Laptop
Another thing that I would always advise you is that you consider the size of the laptop. Sadly, many people do not take this factor seriously but in reality, it can really affect the overall understanding. If you are looking for something portable, make sure that you are buying a laptop that is thin and light.
But you might have to sacrifice some power for that. These things do have to work in tandem, so making a careful choice about them is extremely important.
Your Budget
Another thing that is important to start looking is going to be your budget. Laptops can be a lot more expensive than some might suspect and in such situations, it is always better to know how much you are looking to spend because you really do not want things to go sideways.
It is just something that we think would be the right thing to do. If you do consider this properly, you will not have any issues. Just be careful about what you are trying to invest in and you will be good to go.
Best Laptops 2020 Under 500 Review Guide
Now, without any ado, let’s get straight to the actual laptops we’ve picked for this round-up.
Lenovo Ideapad 330S: Check Price On Amazon
The first laptop that we are reviewing is going to be from Lenovo. There is no denying that Lenovo has established itself as one of the best companies out there and they have been releasing some impressive products, too.
The one we are looking at today is the Lenovo Ideapad 330S, one of the finest options from Lenovo that will get the job done for anyone who is looking for something affordable.
The good news is that the laptop has a slim and sturdy chassis, the keyboard is pretty comfortable, and if you are looking for a decent enough CPU, then you would be glad to know that you are getting that, too.
On the flip side, however, there are some downsides. For starters, the battery life is not on par with what you might want, the display is dim, and the hard drive you are getting is on the slower side.
Overall, the Lenovo Ideapad 330S is something that you can definitely buy to get the job done. It does not really give you much in terms of performance but if you are looking for something that is affordable and gets the job done, then this is certainly what you should be looking at.
Pros
- The CPU is decent.
- You have a comfortable keyboard.
- The laptop is slim as well as sturdy.
Cons
- The battery life is average at best.
- The display is dim.
- The hard drive is on the slower side.
Lenovo 15.6″ ThinkPad E585: Check Price On Amazon
There is no way to overlook the fact that Lenovo produces some great laptops. We have been using their laptops for some time and they are all good with respect to their price tags.
Today, we are looking at the Lenovo 15.6″ ThinkPad E585, an affordable, Ryzen based laptop that seems to be more than enough to get most of the jobs done that you throw at it.
To start with, you get a pretty nice build quality and excellent keyboard. The laptop also has an IPS display, which is great, and the laptop itself runs quietly. The overall system performance happens to be fairly good, and if you are looking for something that is affordable, this laptop is certainly that, too.
On the contrary, there are a few things that are less than ideal, for starters, the laptop only has a single channel RAM, and the fact that you only get a micro-SD card reader rather than SD card reader is something that I do not approve of.
Overall, I have to say that if you are looking for something decent, you can always go with this laptop but if you are looking for something groundbreaking then you might have to look elsewhere because the laptop is not going to satisfy the higher-end needs.
Pros
- Decent performance.
- An IPS screen is good to have.
- The keyboard is excellent.
- Overall build quality is fairly good.
Cons
- Only a single-channel RAM.
HP 15-BS013DX: Check Price On Amazon
If you are in the market for something affordable, the thing about HP is that they always have something for everyone. In the case of today, we are looking at the HP 15-BS013DX.
HP’s difficult naming scheme aside, the one thing that we can absolutely assure you is that their laptops are pretty good and for anyone who just wants to buy something affordable, there is always something.
There are a number of good things about this laptop, to begin with, you are getting a rather good looking design with some great touches here and there. This is actually very surprising to see in a laptop like this.
Another good thing is that you also have a touch screen, and the overall battery life is pretty decent. In stock configuration, you get a sizeable hard drive as well, which is always a good feature to have.
On the contrary, there are some things that are not as good. For starters, the touch screen feels average at best, and the resolution that you are getting is only HD.
In conclusion, if you are a student who is just starting out with their first laptop, the HP 15-BS013DX is not a bad option by any stretch of the imagination. It actually is a good laptop.
Pros
- The design looks premium.
- Big hard drive.
- Battery life is decent.
- You also get a touch screen.
Cons
- The touch screen is average.
- Low resolution.
Lenovo ideapad 320: Check Price On Amazon
If you are looking for something affordable, Lenovo has no shortage of amazing products that you can opt for.
Granted, affordable is often talked about as something that is not good enough but if it is a performance you are looking for, Lenovo does get the job done and is a fantastic way, as well. With that said, we are looking at the Lenovo ideapad 320.
The good thing about this laptop is that it has one of the best keyboards to type on; as someone who does a lot of typing, having a comfortable keyboard is one of the biggest selling points for me.
Additionally, another great thing is that if you are looking for a laptop that has a good amount of ports so you can connect whatever you wish to with ease, this is the way to go because, in terms of the ports, this keyboard will not disappoint you at all.
On the contrary, there are a lot of things that are not good with this laptop. For starters, the display is pretty dim, the battery life is short and the performance is average at best.
The Lenovo Ideapad 320 is the type of laptop you would buy if you have the most basic tasks to handle.
Pros
- The keyboard is comfortable to type on.
- You also get a good number of ports.
Cons
- The display is fairly dim.
- The battery life is short.
- The performance is average at best.
Microsoft Surface Go: Check Price On Amazon
Best Laptop 2020 Under 500
We have to admit that the one thing that we love about Microsoft is that they have been pretty dedicated to providing some excellent laptops.
At first they only started with the higher-end options but as time progressed, they started releasing some of the more affordable options, too. Today, we are looking at the Microsoft Surface Go.
The good thing about this laptop is that the design language is pretty excellent and clever.
Surprisingly, the graphics performance on this laptop is amazing, as well, and if you are looking for something that is not really that expensive, then going for this laptop is certainly a great thing to do. The display along with the speakers on this device is excellent, to boot.
There are a few downsides, though. For starters, you do not get a lot of accessories in the box, and the screen is not as sharp.
But overall, the Microsoft Surface Go is actually a very capable laptop that gets the job done and the best part is that it does not really cost a lot of money. You can easily use it for most of the tasks and still have a fun time with it.
Pros
- Great value for money.
- The design is excellent.
- The graphics performance is great.
- Price is pretty decent.
- The display and speakers are amazing.
Cons
- Not a lot of accessories included.
- The screen should have been sharper.
ASUS Chromebook C202SA-YS02: Check Price On Amazon
There is no denying that Asus has given us some of the finest products over the year, and the best part is that they are continuing to do so.
While most people think that they are overpriced, the great thing about Asus is that they have something for everyone. What we are looking at today is the ASUS Chromebook C202SA-YS02 an affordable Chromebook from Asus.
Now the good thing is that the durable design, the chassis can easily be opened up and repaired, and the keyboard is pretty nice, and the battery life is pretty great, as well.
However, the downside here is that the chip is average at best so you are limited.
Pros
- Great battery life.
- Upgradability factor.
- Good keyboard.
- Durable design.
Cons
- Chip is average at best.
Acer Aspire E 15: Check Price On Amazon
The last laptop on the list is the Acer Aspire E 15; Acer has a pretty good line up of laptops, so if you are looking for something that has good quality.
The good thing is that the laptop comes with a decent performance, you get a lot of ports, the battery life is good, as well and the laptop itself is very affordable.
On the downside, you do have a bulky design but that does not mean that the Acer Aspire E 15 is a good value for money.
Pros
- Performance is solid.
- You have a lot of ports.
- The battery life is good.
- It is affordable.
Cons
- The design is bulky.
Conclusion
If you are buying an affordable laptop, you will have countless options to choose from. So, the good thing is that you can easily get the best possible option. We would advise you that you go through this article once so you can have a proper understanding of what you should be going with.