Your pockets may not be lined with money, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a laptop with up-to-date specs at a decent price range. To show you that it’s possible, we composed this list of laptops that will let you do a bit of everything – video editing, gaming, content creation – you name it.
The laptops featured in this article are well-built and include AMD Ryzen and Intel Core i3 or i5 CPUs with AMD Radeon Vega graphics and UHD graphics, respectively. Many of them also have good processing speeds, reasonable storage, and even additional features such as touchscreens, fingerprint readers, high pixel webcams, etc. Sounds too good to be true? Read on and find out for yourself!
Table of Contents
Best laptops Under $600
1. HP 15 Laptop
- Display: 15.6” HD Touch
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 3250U
- GPU: AMD Radeon Graphics
- RAM: 8 GB
- Storage: 256GB SSD
The HP 15″ is great if you intended casual office or college work. It’s lightweight, slim, and portable so you can take your work with you wherever you go.
This laptop may be slim yet it features a good number of ports on either side. On its right side, it has an HDMI port, LED indicators, headphone jack, a full-size SSD card slot, and USB Type-C. On its left side, it has two USB 3.1 ports and a charger port with an LED indicator. Also, this laptop’s backside features a hinge with a half-heat outlet that helps to keep the laptop cool by allowing heat to escape.
Taking a look inside, we find 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD which allows for quick booting. The laptop also has an AMD Ryzen 3 3250U and 2.6GHz base processor speed that results in 15x fast processing speeds for browsing and other activities. It also comes with Microsoft Windows 10 and Office Home & Student.
You will find this HP’s trackpad with click buttons and increased precision nicely spaced, neither large nor small (11.5 cm). Its keyboard comes in full size and includes a number pad. The keys are smooth and provide good tactile feedback. Also, the speakers are just above the keyboard and are reasonably spaced.
The screen’s bezels are small (up to 1.2 cm), which gives you a large 15.6″ display screen. The AMD Radeon graphics offer a good display experience for either work or low-profile gaming. As for wireless connections, you’ll find Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 6 both of which provide smoother, faster connectivity.
Finally, the battery can run for about 7 hours and 15 minutes before it needs to be charged.
Overall, the HP 15” is pretty decent. Just don’t try playing current games on it because it will reduce the laptop’s life.
2. Dell Inspiron 15 3000
- Display: 15.6” 1080p
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
- GPU: AMD Radeon Vega 8
- RAM: 8 GB
- Storage: 256GB SSD
As the name suggests, the Dell Inspiron is designed specifically for office workers and college students. It’s also budget-friendly which never hurts (especially if you’re a college student).
The laptop comes with two USB 3.1, 2.0 ports, an HDMI port, an audio jack, and a full-size SD card reader slot for connectivity options. We think that this laptop should have more ports but, for the price range, it’s not that bad.
Moving on to the laptop’s internal storage, it has 8 GB RAM, a 256GB SSD and an AMD Ryzen 5 3500U processor with 2.1 GHz processing speed and 4MB L3 cache. The Intel Celeron processor is great for routine work – spreadsheets, document editing, watching videos, etc. The 2.1 GHz provides relatively average processing speeds but works fine at the optimal cooling state and standard 15w TDP.
The keyboard is full size, is accompanied by a number pad and has good tactile response; however, it lacks a backlight. The trackpad allows for precise cursor movements. Also, you can adjust the touchpad’s settings, including its functions, speed and sensitivity.
With a 15.6-inch FHD 1920 x 1080 resolution and non-touch, anti-glare LED-backlit display, this Dell offers ample color and contrast. Its bezels are moderately sized which somewhat results in a wider display. Also, this laptop’s stereo speakers produce directional sound output from each speaker.
This laptop features Windows 10 with a 64-bit processor which is capable of processing more information and RAM than the 32-bit version. Also featured is an AMD Radeon Vega 8, which is great for casual work (e.g. video calls with the HD webcam that offers great sound), but not too good for gaming.
For wireless connectivity, we have a Bluetooth 4.1 and a wireless 802.11 AC combo. They are not as good as the ones found in the HP AMD laptop, but if you consider the other good stuff this laptop has, things balance out.
Concerning battery life, we found that a fully charged battery can last between 5 to 10 hours (depends on what you’re doing). Overall, this laptop serves its purpose quite well, so if you’re looking for a work/school laptop, this one might be it.
3. Acer Aspire 5 Slim
- Display: 15.6” 1080p
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 3350U
- GPU: AMD Radeon Vega 6
- RAM: 8 GB
- Storage: 256GB SSD
If you want a 1080p IPS high-resolution picture and screen output, we recommend the Acer Aspire Slim. With it, you’ll be able to enjoy games, videos, streaming, etc. when you’re not using it for office and school work.
One of this laptop’s best features is its Acer Color Intelligence technology which, with its blue light shield, helps protect your eyes from the strain which is particularly important when using your laptop for long periods of time.
The Aspire has a sleek, lightweight design that makes it portable so you can take it with you to school, the office and beyond. Also, the Aspire’s hard aluminum casing makes it durable which increases its longevity.
The Ryzen processor found inside provides good speed and consistent performance, especially while gaming. It comes with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB of M.2 NVMe SSD. You have an option to upgrade the laptop with up to 20 GB of RAM and 1 TB of SSD storage by adding 50-100 bucks. If you decided to do this, you would not have to worry about opening up your laptop later which is always a good thing.
The transfer of data ranges from 150 kbps to 480 Mbps and it has an HDMI port and USB 2.0 and 3.1 ports that transmit data 10 times faster than a standard port.
As we noted above, this laptop is good for gaming – it has good visuals, speed, and excellent sound (derived from its speakers that have good quality deep bass). However, we should note that this Acer is not compatible with onboard games. That said, this laptop still offers great value at a pretty good price, so if you’re not into playing onboard games, you should consider it.
4. Lenovo IdeaPad 3
- Display: 15.6” HD Touch
- CPU: Intel Core i5-1035G1
- GPU: Intel UHD Graphics
- RAM: 12 GB
- Storage: 256GB SSD
In this era of advancement, we all want things that work fast. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is one of several devices that meets the demand for speed. Its fast-running processor – Intel Core i3-1005G1 10th Gen – enables it to work smoothly (no lagging or hanging while browsing, editing, etc.) which will allow you to complete tasks without a hitch.
The IdeaPad3 comes with a sleek, grey platinum metallic body which makes it durable and stylish. It has a wide and slim 15.6-inch FHD non-touch display. Its superb Intel UHD graphics and amazing color display make it ideal for streaming and picture editing. Also, despite its durable build, the IdeaPad 3 is lightweight which is great for when you’re on the go.
Moving on to the laptop’s internal storage, you will be pleasantly surprised to hear that it has 12GB RAM! (Yes, even we were surprised.) You wouldn’t expect that from a laptop in this price range but there it is. It also has an internal storage up to 256GB SSD, specs that are usually found in expensive laptops.
Its battery life (about 7 and a half hours) is not as extensive as others but still gets the job done. It also features wireless Internet and Bluetooth (for fast and reliable connectivity), a USB Type-C port (fast data transfer), and integrated ports for headphone and mic.
This Lenovo keyboard has increased tactile feedback and allows for a comfortable typing experience. Also, its trackpad has great precision.
This Lenovo features a high-quality webcam with loud and clear built-in microphones that will no doubt be useful if you attend business meetings, online classes, online video calls with friends and family, and so on.
In summary, this is a good all-round laptop that, despite its exceptional features, is super-duper budget-friendly. Need we say more?
5. ASUS VivoBook 15
- Display: 15.6” 1080p
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
- GPU: AMD Radeon Vega 10
- RAM: 8 GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
The VivoBook 15 provides great speed that is supported by its AMD Ryzen 7 3700U processor. Its memory capacity is 512GB SSD and 8GB RAM. Also, it features a fingerprint login that provides, both, security and instant access.
The initial installation and the enabling of Windows S mode is time-consuming, so you will have to be patient while it does its thing. Once everything is up and running, you will have a quality laptop at your disposal that offers NVMe SSD and USB Type-C ports that support the VivoBook’s connection with scanners, printers and MP3 players. Thus, you can set up your devices with ease.
Moving on to the display, the VivoBook features smaller bezels, which provide more screen space. In terms of quality, the display is bright and is 1920×1080, however, it is not anti-glare so it’s best used indoors.
The VivoBook features a streamlined and sleek design made of plastic that makes it lightweight and portable. Its (backlit) keyboard and trackpad are well-built; they provide highly responsive key pressing and cursor movements.
Two things that we think could be better are the VivoBook’s speakers and battery life (4 to 6 hours), both of which are rather average. Overall, though, the ASUS VivoBook 15 is a good-quality laptop. It offers advanced features and a fast processor, which will certainly be of use at home, school or work.
6. Samsung Chromebook 4
- Display: 11.6” HD
- CPU: Intel Celeron N4000
- GPU: Intel UHD Graphics 600
- RAM: 6 GB
- Storage: 64GB eMMC
Samsung is known for its high-quality tech products which are evident in its Chromebook. The Samsung Chromebook delivers great features and specs such as a long battery, clear screen exposure, and brightened display.
This Chromebook is highly portable, which means it will be your traveling companion – from home to school, the office, the park, the cafe – you name it. Also, it has a sleek design and fast processing speeds that will make your work a breeze all while staying cool even after hours of usage.
One of the Chromebook’s security-based features, one that ensures privacy while you are traveling on buses or trains, is a sweet spot view that helps keep your information from prying eyes. Also, while not a security feature, we should mention the backlit keyboard. It features radiant keys with enhanced tactile feedback and key travel that allow for smooth, continuous typing.
Two minor flaws we found with the Samsung Chromebook are the charging cord’s small length and the singular USB port. (C’mon people! There should be more than one!)
Overall, the Samsung Chrome book is a quality device that lets you work for long hours without worrying about charging and that offers excellent Bluetooth connectivity, an amazing display and other features that deliver a great user experience.
7. Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5
- Display: 13.3” 1080p
- CPU: Intel Core i3-10110U
- GPU: Intel UHD Graphics
- RAM: 8 GB
- Storage: 128GB SSD
You will be amazed at the Lenovo Chromebook Flex’s exceptional features and comparative affordability. This compact laptop will help you make short work of, well, your work. Whether you are browsing the Internet, using advanced applications or composing documents, you can count on the Chromebook Flex to deliver.
The Flex features fast processing speed with wireless connectivity, including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, which will allow you to browse the Internet and use various applications without lag or delays. It’s compact in size yet features a sizable screen due to its small bezels. Also, it is a slim laptop, which means that you can take it with you on your travels.
Lenovo’s keyboard is improved and features an enhanced tactile response that provides an effortless typing experience. Also, the keyboard is backlit and dims automatically when not in use. The trackpad is similarly responsive, however, if you do not want to use it, you can easily connect a wireless mouse to the laptop.
The Chromebook Flex comes with a 10th Gen i3 core, which is commonly found in budget-friendly laptops. It also features 8 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD storage, a micro SD card inlet and a USB Type-C port on either side for convenient charging. Speaking of which, this laptop’s battery life is about 10 hours which we think is pretty good.
There is one very minor issue: the lack of a cut-out lift. This means that you have to use two hands to open the laptop. Surely, not a serious concern, but we mentioned it anyway for the sake of completeness!
In any case, the Chromebook has a glossy, elegant design, improved space usage and proper placement of logos, all of which give the laptop a pleasant feel.
8. HP Notebook 15
- Display: 15.6” HD
- CPU: Intel Core i3-1005G1
- GPU: Intel UHD Graphics
- RAM: 8 GB
- Storage: 256GB SSD
The HP HD Touchscreen laptop is a best-selling device with advanced features that offers various advantages despite its modest price. One of this laptop’s most attractive features is its 15.6-inch touchscreen (128 GB version).
The HD Touchscreen comes with a plastic base and aluminum casing that ensures durability. Similarly, this laptop ensures security and privacy with its fingerprint scanner that provides quick access and protection.
This laptop has 8GB RAM with an increased memory capacity of up to 256GB SSD. Its Intel Core i3-1005G1 processor offers a reasonable speed that does not lag or hang while browsing or performing other activities. Therefore, you will be able to store all of your data, including files and media, without affecting the laptop’s speed.
The HP Touchscreen has a shiny appearance and its silver-grey color gives it a premium look. It has a fully-featured webcam that provides clear HD video quality. Also, its 15.6-inch screen has 250 nits of brightness which should make for a comfortable viewing experience.
Moving towards port selection, this laptop has USB Type-C and Type-A ports on either side. Its charging port enables fast charging and its power button, with adjustable volume options, provides control to some degree. Also, its wireless connection includes 6G Internet connectivity and Bluetooth 5.0.
The backlit keyboard provides lovely lighting in the dark which is, both, practical and aesthetic. It also offers tactile response and smooth typing. The touchpad is also responsive and, well, that’s all we have to say about it.
Overall, its sleek design, fingerprint scanner, backlit keyboard, high-quality webcam, and advanced Wi-Fi and Bluetooth offer a complete package at a relatively low price. It is no wonder that the HP 15.6” HD Touchscreen is a best-selling laptop!
9. HP Pavilion Laptop
- Display: 15.6” 1080p
- CPU: Intel Core i5-1135G7
- GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- RAM: 8 GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
Yes, it is another HP. (Man, we love HP.) We had to add the HP Pavilion to our list because, like its predecessor, it offers exceptional features at an affordable price range. With it you will be able to enjoy more specs without spending more bucks!
Starting with its overall look, you will find that it is a quite slim laptop. It has a smooth sleek design that gives it a premium look (we love that premium look, right?).
On its sides (where else?), you will find several ports, including a USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type- C and two USB Gen 1 Type-A ports. (The Type-C port provides high-speed data transfer at a 5GB signal rate, while the Type-A USB ports are only used for data transferring.) There is also an HDMI port, an RJ-45 port, a smart AC pin, an SD card reader slot and a microphone jack.
The integrated processor is the latest Intel Core i5-1135G7 with a 1.3 GHz processing base frequency and 8MB L3 cache. The processor is fast and covers more Wi-Fi signals, especially outdoors. However, its data transmission speed, though extensive, is on the lower end of the spectrum.
Moving to its memory capacity, the HP Pavilion 15.6 has 8GB RAM, DDR4 2666 SDRAM and 512GB SSD. So, basically, a sufficient amount of RAM, but a huge SSD that can store more files, documents and media (movies, photos, music, etc.). The DDR4 provides fast transferring speeds with less voltage (lowering power consumption) and boosts the laptop’s performance up to 50% more than DDR3.
The built-in Intel Iris Xe graphics are only suitable for casual home, college or office work. However, you can play modern games on this laptop with lower settings. Nevertheless, it has a nice 15.6-inch HD micro-edge display (with brightness up to 250 nits) with short bezels that offers a widescreen area. Also, the screen features a webcam that comes with built-in dual-array microphones and an HD 720 resolution.
As far as connectivity is concerned, the HP Pavilion features Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 with network integration 10, 100, 1000 GBE LAN; and its battery life is relatively fair (between 4 to 8 hours, depending on what you’re doing) and supports fast charging.
10. Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5
- Display: 14” 1080p Touch
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 5300U
- GPU: AMD Radeon Graphics
- RAM: 4 GB
- Storage: 256GB SSD
Like the HP 15.6” Touchscreen HD, Lenovo Flex can be rotated 360° and converted into four modes. It has a quick start-up and fingerprint login for accessibility and security.
The outer casing of Lenovo Flex is plastic and features a matte coating that is not too shabby. (It is budget-friendly but that doesn’t mean it has to look “cheap”, right?)
The Flex features several ports, including a USB Type-C, a USB Type-A, an HDMI port, a full-size SD card reader slot, and a headphone jack.
If you will be doing video editing or gaming, you will be happy to know that the single fan outlet in the Flex helps to cool the laptop which means no overheating. Even if you won’t be doing these things, but you will be, say, putting in long hours; you, too, will benefit from a laptop that does not overheat.
Arriving at the memory properties, you should know that the RAM is not replaceable. However, the SSD is upgradeable, and you can add 128GB of extra memory (making it Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 6 compatible). You can also change the Wi-Fi 6 card, but it might be costly, so we do not advise doing this.
The Flex’s graphic features include high resolution (up to 1920 × 1080p) and brightness levels of around 280 nits, which is far better than other laptops in this category. Also, the Flex has a 14-inch IPS display with enhanced contrasting colors. However, the display properties are not suitable for high-end gaming or video editing work. Otherwise, its 44% NTSC, 62% sRGB, P3, 46% Adobe RGB reduced color selection are fine for your basic activities.
The bezels are compact and contain a webcam with built-in microphones that provide clear sound and picture quality for a good video calling experience. Also, its webcam shutter protects your privacy in case you forget to end a video call.
The Flex’s backlit keyboard is good as is its touchpad; they are both responsive, so there are no weird cursor movements or finger-jabbing. Also, there is a nifty small pen holder which will help protect your pen and keep it in one place (in case you’re prone to misplacing it).
Overall, the Lenovo Flex 5 can handle mostly anything except high-end games, which, if you ask us, is not a bad thing considering the price range. In any case, we like it, that’s why we gave it a spot on our list!
Best laptops Under $600: Quick Answers
✅ Which is the best budget laptop for home use?
Most budget-friendly laptops are designed to help users with casual work at home, college, the office, etc. Some of the best laptops that fall into this category include the HP AMD Ryzen 3 laptop, Acer Aspire Slim laptop and ASUS VivoBook 15” Thin Laptop.
✅ What are important features to look for before buying a budget laptop?
Budget-friendly laptops do not have as many features as more expensive laptops so the list is not as long. Still, depending on your needs, there are some features you want to pay attention to. For instance, if your work involves creating large files, you should make sure that the laptop you purchase offers high memory storage.
A high-speed processor and advanced generation hardware (such as 10th Gen) with more internal and external memory capacity are important, so definitely look for these. As far as graphics are concerned, you want to look for AMD Radeon graphics, however, you may only find Intel UHD graphics in budget-friendly laptops, so don’t fret.
Battery timing is another major factor. Be sure to choose a laptop with a minimum battery timing of 6 hours.
✅ Is buying a budget-friendly laptop a good idea?
You can easily buy a laptop within the $350 to $600 price range with great features. So, you just need to search to make your decision valuable. Otherwise, there are various options to buy in the market without experiencing loss.
✅ What is the standard range of RAM for a budget-friendly laptop?
Usually, less expensive laptops come with 4GB to 8GB RAM. For basic office and homework, either is considered enough. If you want to do graphics-related work or play high-end games, we recommend 16GB RAM.
✅ Which core is best for budget-friendly laptops?
Budget-friendly laptops have built-in cores such as Intel core i3 and i5. Some of them may even have an Intel core i7. Their numbering indicates their speed: the i7 is the fastest, the i5 moderate, and the i3 the slowest, respectively.
Final Words
Thus concludes our review of the Best laptops under $600, we hope some of the laptops caught your eye and that you’re on your way to finding one that best fits your needs.
As we noted, many of these laptops offer a premium look while being kind to your pocket. Of course, a laptop is more than its look, what’s inside matters just as much, if not more than its appearance. This is why we recommend the HP Pavilion laptop; it offers, both, a premium look and good performance.
In any case, regardless of the laptop you choose, we wish you stress-free shopping and an amazing user experience. If you need any help or have any questions, please share them in the comment section below. We will get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks for reading!
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