The best affordable laptops in 2021

Display: 10.1 inches, 1920 x 1200 | CPU: MediaTek Helio P60T | GPU: ARM G72 MP3 | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 64GB eMMC | Weight: 2 pounds (docked)Excellent battery life
ChromeOS tablet optimizations
Flimsy hinge
Cramped keyboardFor people looking for a hybrid tablet-come-laptop running on Chrome OS, then the Lenovo Chromebook Duet could be for you. You get both the tablet and the detachable keyboard, rather than needing to pay for them separately as is the case with the Microsoft Surface Go. Sporting a 2.0GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio P60T, ARM G72 MP3 GPU, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of eMMC storage space, it has a 10.1-inch screen.

But that doesn’t matter as it’s a Chromebook, so uses mostly web-based services that do all the heavy lifting away from the Lenovo Chromebook Duet. Also it doesn’t chew through battery power. It also has an impressively sharp and bright 1920 x 1080 display that works just as well for binge-watching YouTube as it does for zipping through emails and browsing the web. All this makes the Lenovo Chromebook Duet a compelling hybrid laptop and one that’s worthy of a place on this list.

Dell Inspiron 15 3000  (Image credit: Dell)

The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 is a cheap and practical laptop. You get a 10th Gen Core i3-1005G1 CPU, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of PCIe NVMe storage.

It’s all packed up in a relatively unassuming chassis offering a decent selection of ports and a 15.6-inch display with a resolution of 1366 x 768. We’ve not reviewed the laptop ourselves but user reviews are reasonably positive. And as this is a Dell machine it’s likely to be fairly reliable and unlikely to let you down.

Lenovo S340 (Image credit: SleekMart)

Lenovo is the laptop maker you go to when you want a solid no-frills machine. And that’s what the Lenovo S340 offers. This laptop has a 14-inch display and Intel Celeron CPU, 4GB of RAM, and a 32GB of eMMC flash memory.

But this is a Chromebook and is a reasonably compelling purchase given Lenovo laptops tend to be fairly solid workhorse machines. Granted if you’re someone who wants to have a lot of Chrome tabs open at once then it might be one to avoid.

How to choose the best laptop in affordable range

It can be tricky to weigh up how much one can expect from a laptop that costs less than $500. You’re not going to get bleeding-edge performance or a super premium design. And you might have to make a few compromises on the display, such as how well it handles colors and how bright gets. So here are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for a laptop under $500.

Chrome or Windows?  You’re limited to getting a new Windows 10 or Chrome OS machine, as even the cheapest MacBook Air 2020 will be way out of your price range. As such you’ll need to decide whether a Windows laptop or Chromebook better fits your needs.

Chrome OS offers a lightweight operating system that will run on even the most basic hardware, yet still offers a comprehensive suite of abilities and web-based apps to get a lot of day-to-day computing tasks done. Furthermore, it now supports Android apps.

Clamshell or convertible: Sub-$500 laptops generally come in two varieties — traditional clamshell laptops or dynamic 2-in-1 convertibles. Clamshells are usually the cheaper of the bunch, and provide a traditional laptop experience with a keyboard and a non-touch screen. But if you want a touchscreen device that can also double as a tablet, convertibles (or detachables, like the Surface Go), are worth considering.

Don’t settle for less than 1080p: Unless you’re truly strapped for cash, you shouldn’t settle for most laptops with a 1366 x 768 display. Plenty of affordable notebooks start with a display resolution of 1080p, which will make a big difference when it comes to streaming Netflix shows or working on Word documents for hours on end.