Best Laptops Under $500 Worth Considering in 2024

With the intense competition in the PC market, customers can now have the best options at different price points. It's not hard to find the best laptop that meets both your needs and your budget and is shipped quickly to you. We know you are looking for laptops with full-HD displays, solid performance, long battery life, and all the ports you need. Many choices will sometimes make you wonder before making the final decision. Don't worry because you are here with a team of experts from Productfind; they can give you helpful advice before you buy.

After reviewing dozens of products at this price point, we have found two that are worth considering, the 15-inch Acer Aspire E 15 and the Acer Aspire 5 with Windows 10 operating system. Check out the comparison between these two products to find the one that's right for you. Also, the best Chromebooks under $500 that you will find are the HP Chromebook x2 and the Lenovo Duet 5 Chromebook, which are also mentioned in this article.

1. Acer Aspire 5

Specification

• CPU: Intel Core i3-8145U
• GPU: Intel UHD 620
• RAM: 4GBStorage: 128GB 
• SSDDisplay: 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080
• Size: 14.3 x 9.9 x 0.7 inches
• Weight: 3.76 pounds

Reason to buy: 

• Strong battery life

• 1080 display

Things to consider: 

• Middling graphics

The Acer Aspire 5 gains the top spot of the best laptops under $500 thanks to its outstanding 8th Gen Core i3 performance; the laptop features a bright 1080p display and long battery life at a very affordable price. Many people realized that the Aspire 5 is thinner than the Aspire E 15, while the Aspire 5 still offers enough space for a battery that lasts nearly 9 hours after each charge.

Although this lap doesn’t come with a DVD writer, it has the essential ports you wish for. The users will be impressed by the display with 276 nits of brightness and an aluminum hood provided by the manufacturer. The Aspire 5 is considered one of the best cheapest laptops you can find on the market now. 

View on Amazon: Acer Aspire 5

2. Asus Chromebook Detachable CM3

Specification

• CPU: MediaTek MTK 8183
• GPU: Integrated Arm Mali-G72 MP3
• RAM: 4GBStorage: 128GB eMMC
• Display: 10.5-inch, 1900x1200, touchscreen
• Size: 12.7 x 8.9 x 0.68 inches
• Weight: 2 pounds

Reason to buy: 

• Excellent battery life

• Detachable 2-in-1 design

Things to consider: 

• Weak performance for the price

There are many reasons why the Asus Chromebook Detachable CM3 earns the second position on this list. You can turn it into a versatile 2-in-1 laptop by lifting the cover with a stylus, making it as convenient for you as you want to take notes. 

The Detachable CM3 is one of the most powerful of Chromebooks at this price point thanks to its spectacular display and attractive and customized design that can easily slip into any bag. While it’s pricey for having a MediaTek processor inside, the CM3 comes with a strong battery life of up to 12 hours after each charge. Apart from that, it features a durable chassis to strengthen its position on the top list. 

View on Amazon: Asus Chromebook Detachable CM3

3. Samsung Chromebook 4

Specification

• CPU: Intel Celeron 3000N
• GPU: Intel UHD 600RAM: 4GB
• Storage: 32GB eMMC
• Display: 11.6-inch, 1366 x 768
• Size: 11.33 x 7.96 x 0.66 inches
• Weight: 2.6 pounds

Reason to buy: 

• Long battery life

• Thinner and lighter than competitors

Things to consider: 

• Dim display without touch

• Chunky bezels

If you are on a budget and want to have more affordable option at the price of under $100, then you won't find anything better than the Samsung Chromebook 4. During the battery test, this laptop did not make us upset as it could survive after more than 10 hours, being considered the best laptop under $500 with the longest battery life. The laptop has an attractive appearance with curved edges and a silver hue, which gives you the feeling you are holding an old version of the MacBook you used to see many years ago. If you do not like plastic, then this is not an optimal option. However, at that price point, you cannot require a more high-quality cover. 

Thanks to Intel Celeron 3000N processor and 4GB of RAM this Samsung Chromebook 4 supplies the users with incredible power for multi-tasks simultaneously. Moreover, this option is ideal for those who love typing since it features a decent keyboard, although the screen and audio aren't up to par. Anyway, it is still worth your money with good performance.

View on Amazon: Samsung Chromebook 4

4. HP Stream 11

Specification

• CPU: Intel Celeron N4000
• GPU: Intel UHD 600RAM: 4GB
• Storage: 32GB eMMC
• Display: 11-inch, 1366 x 768
• Size: 11.8 x 8.1 x 0.7 inches
• Weight: 2.5 pounds

Reason to buy: 

• Long battery life

• Better performance than competitors

Things to consider: 

• Washed out low-res display

• Awful webcam

Our experts even come with another great option under $200 that you will find nowhere except on this site. HP Stream 11 has a portable 11-inch chassis, weighing only 2.5 pounds, making it convenient to put on your bag. 

At that price point, you will be offered an Intel Celeron N4000 processor with 4GB of RAM, which can help handle 10 Microsoft Edge tabs and a 1080p YouTube video. You can confidently use the laptop for 9 hours nonstop.

 Although its keyboard can be a little small, it offers enough space for you to flexibly move your fingers between those keys. The HP Stream 11 is the best choice you can go for if you want to limit the budget to the maximum.

View on Amazon: HP Stream 11

Will more RAM make my laptop faster?

Your laptop will run more smoothly if you own faster RAM. A good RAM will make the processing speed faster than ever. With faster RAM, you can increase the memory’s speed of transferring information to other components. Meaning, your fast processor now has an equally quick way of talking to the other components, making your computer much more efficient.

What is better to upgrade RAM or SSD?

An SSD will load everything faster, but RAM can keep more stuff open simultaneously. If you find your computer being unbearably slow in everything it does, an SSD is a way to go, but if, for example, your computer only starts acting up once you open your "lots of tabs," you'll want the RAM boost.