3 Best Laptops Under $500

Your budget doesn’t have to be huge to get a functioning laptop. If you are a student or are on a budget, a laptop under $500 can perform for a long time.

Generally, if you are doing light work like watching videos, taking notes, and doing homework, you don’t need a big expensive machine. If you aren’t putting your computer to work with things like editing, recording and storage, then a cheaper laptop will benefit you.

These are the best laptops under $500 in 2020.

Best Laptops Under $500

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1. Acer Aspire 5

The first in our list of laptops under $500 feature the Acer Aspire 5 from the Aspire series.

Specifications

• Intel Core i3 1005 G1
• 4 GB RAM
• 128 GB SSD
• Intel UHD Graphics

Overall the Acer Aspire 5 is a very decent machine for students. It is not recommended for professional as it fails to have the processing power for larger tasks. If browsing, movies and note taking is all you desire, the Acer Aspire is the right choice.

Pros

The Acer Aspire 5 is a favorite among students. The Intel core i5 processor ensures a smooth performance. It is the most affordable laptop with the range starting from $399. The speakers on the laptop are pretty decent. The laptop provides full range of ports as available with any high-end laptop. The extra ram slots provide scope for upgrade. The cooling in the laptop is well done as it does not heat up much.

Cons

The laptop although cheap comes with its own set of cons as well. The first is the performance of the laptop. The laptop lags quite often when handling demanding software’s, so it is not ideal for running premium software. The battery life is really average so students must not forget to carry their charger along. The keyboard feels very mushy and not at all ideal for typing for long hours.

2. Acer Aspire 3

The next choice in our line is another aspire series laptop, the Acer Aspire E 15.

Specifications

• Intel Core i5 Processor
• 8GB of Memory
• 256GB HDD

The Acer Aspire performs well, has a good battery and with the range of ports, connectivity is a non-issue. It is ideal for students looking at little more than just browse and multimedia. At the price point, its a good choice.

Pros

The Acer Aspire E 15 performs really well for its price range. The CPU could handle high performance load and runs smooth. The Acer Aspire series provides a full range of ports, which makes it ideal to connect with other devices. The battery life on the Acer Aspire E 15 is pretty impressive too with a back up of around 3 hours on medium use. The most important being all of the above within the price range of under $500 makes it a favorite choice.

Cons

One of the negative of Acer Aspire E 15 is its bulky design. The laptop is too big and heavy for its specification. The design is not the most appealing as well. Another issue with the laptop is its filled with bloatware.

3. HP Stream 11

Specifications

• Intel Celeron N3060
• 2 GB RAM
• Intel HD Graphics 400
• 32 GB Storage

Overall the HP Stream 11 is a good choice for those looking at a machine on a tight budget. The laptop looks sleek, have good speakers. If you need a laptop for taking notes during classes or light browsing, the HP Stream 11 fits the bill.

Pros

The HP Stream performs really well for its specification. The laptop runs smooth and there is no lag. The speakers in the HP Stream 11 is the best in its class. They are loud with a good low and mid end response. The laptop also looks and feels premium, unlike other laptops in this price range.

Cons

The HP Stream display unit is rather disappointing. The colors are dull and the contrast is poor. The laptop also heats up rather quickly. Therefore, long hours with this laptop are not ideal. The design although looks sleek, but the front lip is very sharp. It is not easy to carry the laptop in one hand because of the front lip sharpness.

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