I’ve been spending the past few months digging into laptop pricing, and one thing is incredibly obvious here. Laptops are getting wildly expensive thanks in part to the rising cost of RAM and storage. But with Prime Day finally here (October 6th and 7th), some genuinely compelling discounts are beginning to materialize.
That’s why I’ve pulled together the best laptop deals worth watching right now across the biggest categories: everyday budget laptops, gaming laptops, Chromebooks, and so on. I’m pretty tuned in to the landscape because I oversee all laptop and Chromebook coverage here at PCWorld. I also maintain our best laptop deals roundup daily, along with our best laptops of roundup weekly.
Before diving in, don’t forget that you’ll need to be a Prime subscriber to take advantage of those deals. You can discover how to get Amazon Prime for free here.
Best laptop deal: Microsoft Surface Laptop, $1,069.46 ($180.53 off at Amazon)
Microsoft
Who is this for?
Anyone who wants a really good laptop at a fantastic discount should consider the Surface Laptop.
Why is this a good deal?
The Surface Laptop is pretty much the complete package as far as I’m concerned. Not only is it pretty lightweight at 2.7 pounds, but it’s also got a Snapdragon X Plus chip and 16GB of RAM. That’s plenty for hopping on video calls and streaming your favorite shows. Throw in the excellent battery life (Microsoft says it can last up to 23 hours) and a 13-inch 1920×1280 touch-enabled display, and it’s easy to see what makes this machine so appealing.
Best budget laptop deal: Asus Vivobook Go, $479.99 ($120 off at Amazon)
Asus
Who is this for?
The Vivobook Go is for anyone who just needs a barebones machine. Just something reliable for browsing or streaming. Whatever it is you do when you’re busy killing time.
Why is this a good deal?
The Vivobook Go sits in that increasingly important “just enough laptop” category. It’s not trying to be crazy powerful. It’s trying to be consistent.
This is the laptop you use for reading Reddit stories, watching Netflix, and getting lost in a Wikipedia hole. The lighter stuff. That’s what the entry-level AMD Ryzen 5 40 processor is exactly made for. This is a good machine, especially for under $500.
Best gaming laptop deal: MSI Cyborg 17, $1,189 ($210.99 off at Amazon)
MSI
Who is this for?
The MSI Cyborg 17 is for anyone who wants a big-screen gaming laptop without sacrificing an arm and a leg. Its 17.3-inch 144Hz display gives you plenty of room for gaming, while the RTX 5060 GPU provides enough horsepower to handle modern games at 1080p.
Why is this a good deal?
Honestly? You’re getting an RTX 5060 with 8GB of GDDR7 memory for a little over $1,000. That’s a current-generation GPU with DLSS 4 and frame generation. You’re basically getting a laptop with a lot of capability.
The display is another big selling point. It’s a spacious 17.3-inch 1920×1080 panel with a 144Hz refresh rate, so you’ve got plenty of screen to work with (as well as a fast refresh rate for smoother gameplay). The resolution isn’t anything spectacular, but it makes sense for this class of hardware.
Best Chromebook deal: Lenovo Chromebook Plus, $475.24 ($49.76 off at Amazon)
Lenovo
Who is this for?
The Lenovo Chromebook Plus is for anyone who mainly works in the browser, prefers Chrome’s operating system, and wants something low-maintenance.
Why is this a good deal?
Chromebook Plus models are Google’s attempt to push Chromebooks out of the extreme budget category. Honestly? It works. Just go in with realistic expectations and you’ll be fine.
Inside the Lenovo Chromebook Plus, there’s an Intel Core 3 N355 processor and 8GB of RAM. It shouldn’t slow down on you when you’re chatting with friends on Discord, but if you’re deeply into gaming or creative work, then this isn’t the laptop for you — no Chromebook should be.
These aren’t the only early Prime Day deals being tracked by the PCWorld team. If you’re looking to supercharge your home setup with the juiciest tech sales, hit the links for only the best expert-curated picks we’ve found.
Good question! Always on the go? A 2-in-1 is handy, you can flip it into tablet mode for notes. Gaming? Look for good graphics and a high-refresh screen. Just want something for emails and browsing? Budget Windows laptops work fine.
2.
How can I tell whether a laptop is a good early Prime Day deal?
I rely on a free tool called CamelCamelCamel (yes, that’s really the name). It tracks Amazon price history, so you can tell if that “deal” is actually the real thing. Just make an account, copy the ASIN number from the product page (it starts with “B”), and you’ll get a graph showing how the price has gone up or down. It’s a super easy way to see if you’re getting the lowest price.
3.
Do laptop brands matter?
Not as much as you might think. Most big names like Dell, Acer, HP, Lenovo make good machines. You might have a personal preference, though.
4.
How much memory do I need?
I usually tell people to shoot for at least 8GB of RAM. Anything less and your laptop’s going to feel sluggish. If you can spring for 16GB, you’ll definitely notice things running smoother, especially if you’re the type that keeps 20 tabs open at once (no judgement here, I’m just as bad) — though 16GB laptops can be fairly expensive in today’s PC climate. And if you’re doing heavier stuff like video editing, big spreadsheets, or creative work, 32GB+ is the way to go.
5.
Is now a good time to buy?
Yes! Prime Day usually has some of the lowest prices of the year.
8GB of memory might not be enough for certain applications
Our Verdict
Acer’s Swift Air 14 mostly hits its mark as a solid budget productivity laptop. However, its 8GB of memory still can pose problems in certain scenarios.
Price When Reviewed
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Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
On paper, the Acer Swift Air 14 is almost exactly what a productivity laptop buyer in 2026 ought to want. A great price, decent performance, and excellent battery life. Does it all play out as planned?
Here’s the tradeoff, in short. The laptop’s $699 sticker price is offset by an anemic 8GB of RAM — a grievous error in 2025, but more forgivable during the component shortages of 2026 and beyond (?). It all plays out as you would hope… but just don’t push it.
Acer Swift Air 14: Specs and configurations
Right now, the Acer Swift Air 14 (SFA14-I31-58V8) is available to buy at Acer and Best Buy for $699. It might be also worth noting that Acer’s chief executive recently said that he expects PC prices to rise by between five to 20 percent during the fourth quarter of 2026, which may be an incentive for you to buy soon.
Mark Hachman / Framework
Model number: SFA14-I3
CPU: Intel Core 5 320
Memory: 8GB LPDDR5X (expandable to 16GB)
Graphics/GPU: Intel Graphics
NPU: Yes, 16 TOPS
Display: 14-inch (1920×1200) TFT, 30-120Hz
Storage: 512GB PCIe Gen4 SSD
Webcam: 1080p
Connectivity: 2X USB-C (Thunderbolt 4), USB-A, 3.5mm headphone jack
Networking: Wi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth 5.3
Biometrics: Windows Hello (webcam)
Battery capacity: 70 watt-hours
Dimensions: 12.4 x 8.8 x 0.51 inches
Weight: 2.62 pounds
MSRP: $699.99 as tested
Acer Swift Air 14: Out of the box and construction
Since Acer sells this laptop for $699, I wanted to see if any corners had been cut. As the specs above note, one key shortcoming is the amount of memory: we all know that RAM is expensive, but we’ll see how 8GB affects its overall performance later in the review.
Otherwise, you might expect the Swift “Air” to float in your hands. It doesn’t, but at 2.62 pounds, it’s much lighter than a typical 14-inch laptop, which typically weighs about three pounds. Its aluminum construction feels solid, and I couldn’t feel any untoward flexing either in the keyboard tray or as I moved the display up and down.
Acer’s product page indicates that the Swift Air 14 ships in “purple, blue, pink, and green,” though Acer and Best Buy sell the laptop in a sage green only.
The ports on this laptop are minimal, with a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports carrying the load.
Mark Hachman / Framework
Put another way, the Acer Swift Air 14 does not feel cheap, which was one of the goals of the Intel Project Firefly program associated with the Core Series 3 (“Wildcat Lake”) processor inside the laptop itself.
The laptop’s display fully reclines, which is a little odd given that the Swift Air 14’s display isn’t touch-enabled. Acer included a pair of powerful USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 capabilities on the left side of the laptop, with just a single USB-A port and a headphone jack on the right. It feels perfectly appropriate for the size of the laptop and its price point.
Acer added a USB-A port and a headphone jack on the left-hand side of the laptop.
Mark Hachman / Framework
Note that this laptop can’t connect to the latest Wi-Fi 7 routers, although Wi-Fi 6e still has sufficient bandwidth for home networking.
Acer Swift Air 14: Display
Even 14-inch laptops seem to have moved beyond 1080p resolution to 1200p, a positive step forward for the industry. My colorimeter measured the display brightness at 376 nits, substantially higher than the 250 to 260 nits we deem adequate for everyday office use. Though the panel used pretty standard IPS technology, Acer’s “Comfyview” matte coating does a good job of diffusing reflections to make it easier to work under bright lights.
No one seems to care too much about bezel sizing, though the underscreen bezel seems a bit bigger than most to achieve the 16:10 aspect ratio.
Budget laptops usually lack the visual fidelity of more expensive “creator-class” laptops. Still, I applied my colorimeter to the display and it fares pretty well. Here’s how my colorimeter assessed the display output:
Foundry
Remember, too, that the variable refresh rate of the screen (30 to 120Hz) can provide silky smooth mousing and scrolling at the highest refresh rate, but sips power at 30Hz to extend battery life. You’ll need to go into the Windows settings menu to enable the dynamic refresh rate. Otherwise, it will remain fixed at 120Hz.
Acer Swift Air 14: Keyboard and touchpad
I like Acer’s laptop keyboards, and the Swift Air 14 is no exception. The keys are wide and spacious. The key travel is comfortable and forgiving, too. As a budget productivity laptop, this is ideal. The top row of the keyboard includes dedicated keys for AcerSense, Acer’s utility software, as well as a shortcut to Acer.com.
I did catch a bug. The keyboard doesn’t wake up immediately at the tap of a button–this happens when the laptop’s running on battery and wall power. After the first tap, however, the keyboard worked normally… until I left idle for a few seconds. Then the laptop would revert to its earlier state.
In other words, when I tapped the Start button, the laptop did nothing. I also wondered why I kept mistakenly entering PIN codes and passwords! That was why. Acer advised me to reset the PC as a workaround, which solved the problem.
I liked the Swift Air 14’s wide, spacious keys.
Mark Hachman / Framework
The included trackpad works as well as could be expected for a budget trackpad. It’s clickable up until the about the top third, where it peters out. Gestures work like normal.
Acer Swift Air 14: Audio, webcam, mics, and biometrics
The laptop’s audio quality is good. Acer mounts four speakers inside the laptop, enhanced by DTS:X Ultra Audio. The combination delivers solid audio from lows to highs. It’s a little soft on the low-end bass, but with good volume otherwise. Moreover, turning up the volume doesn’t immediately turn the audio into mishmash, as older laptops used to do. (I did notice a little distortion on Fleetwood Mac’s Go Your Own Way, however.) Watching video on the laptop is surprisingly good, too.
Access to the laptop is protected by Windows Hello, enabled on the webcam’s depth camera. This is traditionally difficult to test because we only have the laptop for a short time. However, I was able to set it up and it recognized me several times without flaw over the course of the review.
Otherwise, the laptop’s 1080p/30Hz webcam was acceptable. You’ll notice that the laptop’s processor does include a small NPU of 16 TOPS. This is enough for the Windows Studio Effects (pan and zoom, background blur, and the odd “eye contact” effect)–these all worked well enough. Right now, I’m not convinced that this class of laptop will really benefit from local AI, save the for the built-in studio effects.
There’s also an interesting twist: Acer specifically pushes a popup at you if you open the Windows Camera application. It advertises a “Acer Phone Webcam” application that can be downloaded for your Android or iPhone. Essentially, your (far superior) phone camera’s feed stands in for your webcam.
Acer Phone Webcam isn’t that different than what you can already do with your PC, though using a phone camera as a webcam is a bit complicated to set up within Windows. Acer simplifies it, and it’s a smart use of an app to do so.
The on-device mics don’t do a great job of capturing audio, though the audio filtering is excellent — with a major caveat. I test the microphone quality by using the Windows Sound Recorder application to record my voice, with and without music, then with white noise playing in the background.
The Acer Swift Air 14 did a good job filtering out the white noise — rainfall, in this case. My voice was captured almost perfectly. My voice sounded more distorted when I was playing music in the background, though the music was totally filtered out. Great work! Well, kind of.
On my first run I noticed I had a benchmark program sitting idle in the background. However, the memory that app took up negatively affected the laptop’s audio capture ability, turning my voice into more of a garbled mess than an actual recording.
Acer Swift Air 14: Performance
The 8GB of RAM prevented one of our benchmark applications from running entirely. I think a bigger concern, however, is that an 8GB laptop pushes you to look at the hardware requirements for certain applications. Photoshop might be a poor example in this scenario, but its “required” memory is just 8GB. Adobe “recommends” 16GB instead. That means risking a substantial amount of money on an application that might not run well on your PC.
(Microsoft, oddly, doesn’t even list a minimum memory allotment for Microsoft 365, though Word, PowerPoint, and Excel all performed acceptably.)
I doubt that the keyboard issue I noticed above wasn’t due to the fact that this laptop only has 8GB of RAM, but leaving another application open while recording audio certainly affected the audio quality in a negative way. On the other hand, I was able to open ten media-rich tabs in Microsoft Edge, plus Word, and almost max out the laptop’s memory usage at 97 percent. Those tabs were perfectly navigable. Some of them even included video, too.
The Acer Swift Air is sufficient for basic tasks, including Office work and web browsing. It’s not a content creation laptop or a gaming rig, though, so you might want to taper your expectations. You may reach a bottleneck faster with 8GB of RAM.
Let’s assume that you’re trying to spend as little as possible on a laptop. In response to the Apple MacBook Neo, laptop manufacturers have presented options: the $699 Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i (now $749.99 at Lenovo), the $429 Acer Aspire Go 15 (now $515), and the $699.99 Dell XPS 13, which has increased in price to $799.99. All of these use 8GB of RAM by default, though the price and display sizes vary. The difference? The first two PCs date to 2025, when memory was more abundant and an 8GB laptop could be more heavily criticized. Sadly, minimal memory is much more acceptable in 2026.
The PCMark benchmark combines a number of tasks, from basic office work (spreadsheets, word processing) all the way up to video calls and CAD applications. I think it’s one of the most well-rounded benchmarks out there, but it doesn’t support Windows on Arm. Still, it gives a clear edge to the Acer Swift Air.
Foundry
Normally, we’d follow this with the Cinebench 2024 benchmark, but it doesn’t run on laptops with 8GB of memory. I dropped it down to Cinebench R23, which does, and it produced a score of 7,274. That’s less than the Acer Aspire Go, which scored 8,530. That’s not great — by contrast, the Ryzen AI 400 chip inside the Acer Swift Go 16 produced a score of 11,967. You’re trading off some significant performance for the cost savings.
On the other hand, the laptop is closing in on the MacBook Neo. Using the cross-platform Geekbench 6 multicore benchmark, the Neo produced a score of 8,996, while the Swift Air recorded a score of 7,647, a 16 percent difference. The single-core score is also significant.
Here, the Neo recorded a score of 3,574, while the Swift Air 14 being reviewed here recorded a score of 2,397 — a whopping 39 percent difference, and usually an indicator using the laptop’s menus and navigating through its applications will lag a bit.
I also tested the laptop using the Handbrake transcoding benchmark, and it generated a score of 1,901 seconds, versus 2,053 seconds for the IdeaPad Slim 3i.
Foundry
As my colleague Ashley Biancuzzo pointed out in her review of the Dell XPS 13, these aren’t gaming machines — though the Swift Air does outperform the Ryzen AI 400 series. Still, even light gaming is going to be a struggle. Don’t bother.
With regards to battery life, the specs tell the story. The Acer Swift Air 14 includes a 70 Wh battery, the largest of all the laptops we tested for this article. (The maximum allowed by the FAA’s battery restrictions is a 99Wh battery.) That gives a clear and massive edge to this laptop, even among more expensive machines.
Foundry
Using our standard video rundown test, the Acer Swift Air 14 delivered about 19.5 hours of battery life, a tremendous showing. Even using the more arduous and realistic Procyon benchmark, which applies a series of standardized Microsoft Office tasks over and over, the total time was 11 hours 14 minutes. That’s a great result and a definite plus in this laptop’s favor. You might be able to push it even higher by enabling the dynamic display refresh rate — I left it at a fixed 120 Hz for testing.
Should you buy the Acer Swift Air 14?
Save for that annoying keyboard bug, I liked my time with the Acer Swift Air. That doesn’t mean I’d recommend it to everyone. For the basics — Office work, some light web browsing — it’s sufficient, and the battery life is outstanding no matter what the price tag says.
The trouble is that most laptops, perhaps excepting the ones we reviewed here, jump immediately to the $1,200 range and above. There’s going to be a class of people who immediately turn up their noses at any laptop with 8GB of memory. Others will be forced into it by necessity or to save a few bucks.
My recommendation would be to buy this laptop from a store with a solid return policy (Best Buy usually qualifies, but be sure) and check to see that you can do what you need to do with it before the return period expires.
You don’t have to drop $1,000 to get a laptop that can handle everyday computing, you know. That said, spending $500 wisely matters here.
At this price, some laptops make reasonable compromises while others cut way too many corners. For most folks, I’d recommend opting for a laptop with a 1080p display and at least 8GB of RAM (16GB is always better if you can swing it).
While you shouldn’t expect premium features at this price point, there are plenty of laptops that offer excellent day-to-day performance. Here are the best ones we’ve found so far.
Why you should trust PCWorld for laptop reviews and buying advice: It’s in our name! PCWorld prides itself on laptop experience and expertise. We’ve been covering PCs since 1983, and we now review more than 70 laptops every year. All of our picks have been personally tested and vetted by our experts, who’ve applied not only performance benchmarks but rigorous usability standards. We’re also committed to reviewing PC laptops at every price point to help you find a machine that matches your budget.
What to expect from a good laptop under $500
RAM: 8GB is the minimum I’d target; 16GB is a strong buy if you can find it.
Display: Aim for a 1080p screen rather than 720p.
Processor: Core i3/Ryzen 3 is fine for basic use; Core i5/Ryzen 5 gives you more breathing room.
Storage: Prefer an SSD over slower eMMC storage.
Battery life: Around 10-12 hours is a good target.
Best for: Web browsing, Office, schoolwork, streaming, video calls, and everyday productivity.
Not ideal for: AAA gaming, heavy video editing, 3D work, or other demanding workloads.
Chromebook or Windows? Choose a Chromebook if most of your work is browser-based; choose Windows if you need desktop apps, broader software compatibility, or more offline flexibility.
At this price, you’re not shopping for premium performance, you’re looking for the fewest painful compromises.
MacBook Neo (2026) – Best laptop under $500 overall
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Who should buy the MacBook Neo (2026)?
If you can stretch your budget just a tiny bit, the MacBook Neo (2026) is easily the best cheap laptop you can buy right now. We know it goes over our $500, but the jump in quality and performance… well, it’s just too good to ignore. It simply doesn’t feel like a budget laptop.
You’re getting the full MacBook experience. The all-aluminum build feels as premium as more expensive models, and the A18 Pro chip delivers fast, responsive performance for everyday tasks like writing and streaming. In our review, we noted that apps open quickly and multitasking feels smooth. Battery life is another big win, lasting well over a full workday in real-world use. The 13-inch Liquid Retina display is also sharp at 2408×1506 resolution and bright at 500 nits–a strong combination at this price point.
MacBook Neo (2026): Further considerations
The MacBook Neo is pretty much the complete package as far as budget laptops go. You don’t get the premium extras like Thunderbolt connectivity or a high-end webcam, but that’s not wholly unsurprising for a laptop at this price point. What really matters is that it feels fast and is well-built. It’s reliable in a way most Windows laptops aren’t.
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Who should buy the Asus Chromebook CX15 ?
If you need a laptop that won’t make your wallet cry, the CX15 does the basics really well. It handles web browsing, streaming, and email like it’s nothing, and the 15.6-inch 1080p screen plus the full-sized keyboard actually make it feel more solid than the price suggests.
Asus Chromebook CX15 : Further considerations
The Intel Celeron N4500 with 4GB of RAM handles the basics fine–web browsing, streaming, email, all that. But try to do too much at once and it’ll start dragging. Battery life’s also fine, a little over 10 hours on a single charge, so you’ll probably get through a full day. Not record-breaking by any means, but it does the job.
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Who should buy the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34?
If you’re not running Photoshop or playing AAA games, the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 absolutely gets the job done. The Intel Core i5 and 8GB of RAM keep everything zipping along, even with a dozen tabs open and a video call going.
It’s lightweight, looks clean with that white finish, and has a 1080p display that’s easy on the eyes. The webcam’s full HD too, which makes a real difference on Zoom or Google Meet. No weird lag or blurry faces here.
Asus Chromebook Plus CX34: Further considerations
The CX34 keeps it simple and just works. It boots fast, stays responsive, and doesn’t run hot or loud. Chrome OS has come a long way, and if you mostly live in a browser, this setup is kind of ideal.
Chuwi UniBook: The Chuwi UniBook is a well-built, portable laptop with good battery life and connectivity. That said, its 8GB of RAM and mediocre display hold it back.
Acer Chromebook Plus 516: The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 isn’t much to look at, but it benefits from an Intel Core i3 chip with solid performance and, at times, low sale pricing.
Acer Chromebook Plus 514: Offers good performance and lots of storage for the price ($399.99, by the way!).
The PCWorld team puts each and every Windows laptop through a series of benchmarks that test GPU and CPU performance, battery life, and overall usability. The idea is to push the laptop to its limits and then compare it against others we’ve tested. Chromebooks, on the other hand, go through a series of web-based tests.
Hi, I’m Ashley Biancuzzo, and I oversee all laptop and Chromebook coverage at PCWorld. While you’ll see me review Chromebooks on occasion, I’m also really into the broader world of consumer tech. I spend a lot of time writing and thinking about where laptops are headed–from AI and sustainable designs to long-term trends. When I’m not deep in the world of tech, you’ll probably find me gaming, getting lost in a good book, or chilling with my rescue greyhound, Allen.
How to choose the best laptop under $500
Ah, here we are at the billion dollar question. Do you spring for a basic Chromebook or go for a Windows laptop with more features? Honestly, it mostly comes down to your lifestyle and what you’re expecting from a laptop under 500 bucks. You’re not gonna get some super-powerful beast at that price, but if you just need something for the basics, there are a lot of decent options out there.
Chromebooks, for example, are super budget-friendly and the battery life is awesome. I actually use one myself for work (writing, editing, all that) and it does the job just fine. If you travel a lot, it’s worth going for something that’s nice and light — under three pounds, if possible. Still not sure what to get? No big deal, take your time figuring it out. I’ve put together a list of quick buying tips below.
Laptop type: There are many different laptop types that fall in the sub-$500 category: clamshells, 2-in-1s, Chromebooks, and much more. The displays on convertible laptops (aka 2-in-1s), for example, can swing around 360 degrees. This allows you to use the laptop like a tablet. They can also be propped up like a tent for viewing movies or participating in video calls. Chromebooks come in various shapes and sizes, and exclusively run Google’s web-focused Chrome OS. With a Chromebook, all you need is a Gmail account and, boom, you’re in.
CPU: When it comes to the sub-$500 Windows laptops, you can expect to find Intel Core i3 or i5 processors. An i5 processor obviously provides a little more oomph. That said, basic office and web work does just fine on a Core i3. For AMD stuff, Ryzen 3 is fine for everyday stuff like web browsing, and Ryzen 5 is a solid all-rounder—kind of like Intel’s i5. On Chromebooks, Snapdragon and Pentium chips usually beat out MediaTek ones.
Graphics: Don’t expect great graphics at this price. You’ll mostly get integrated graphics, which is totally fine unless you’re trying to game or do 3D work.
RAM: RAM-wise, go for 8GB if you can—it just makes everything smoother. Most Chromebooks come with 4GB, which works, but 8GB is way better if you can swing it.
Display size: For screen size, 13 to 14 inches is the sweet spot. Big enough to work on, small enough to carry around. Bigger screens mean more weight (and usually a higher price).
Resolution: Don’t settle for less than 1080p resolution. Anything lower just looks kinda blurry, even for basic stuff like Netflix or spreadsheets.
Battery life: Battery life? Look for 10 to 12 hours. That’ll get you through most of the day without hunting for an outlet.
Ports: It’s nice to have a bunch so you don’t need extra adapters. Look for USB-C and USB-A, and HDMI is cool if you want to hook up to a screen.
FAQ
1.
What is the best laptop under $500?
MacBook Neo (2026) is the best cheap laptop you can get right now, hands-down. Performance is fast and reliable, and battery life is surprisingly good at 13+ hours. It doesn’t cut corners in many areas either, a rarity in a budget machine.
2.
What is the best Chromebook under $500?
If you want a solid Chromebook under $500, the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 is fast, smooth with tabs and video calls, has a sharp 1080p screen, and a good HD webcam. It’s just plain simple and reliable.
3.
Can I upgrade the RAM or storage on these laptops later?
Most laptops under $500 don’t let you upgrade RAM because it’s soldered on, but some do let you swap or add storage. Check before you buy if that stuff matters to you.
4.
What’s the difference between a regular laptop and a Chromebook?
When people say “laptop,” they usually mean a PC or a Mac. But Chromebooks are laptops too, they just run Google’s Chrome OS instead of Windows or macOS. So, yeah, all Chromebooks are laptops, but not all laptops are Chromebooks. They’re mostly built for Google apps like Drive and Docs, so they work best when you’re online.
5.
Are Chromebooks good for gaming?
Eh, not really. If gaming’s your thing, you’ll probably wanna look at a Windows laptop or a Chromebook designed for cloud gaming. Both will be more expensive than a basic Chromebook. Most Chromebooks are fine for web games and Android stuff, but that’s about it. With a gaming Chromebook, you will need to subscribe to a cloud gaming service such as GeForce Now and have a reliable internet connection.
6.
Can you use integrated graphics for gaming?
Yes, some of the latest processors with integrated graphics can run modern PC games at decent enough settings. For example, we found that in our tests, Intel’s latest Iris Xe line of processors with integrated graphics can run some of the latest games at 1080p and 30fps. Unfortunately this is not the case for all integrated graphics and your mileage may vary drastically with older tech.
Intel and AMD’s integrated graphics have made huge leaps in recent years with regard to gaming performance. If you’re on a budget or looking for an ultra-thin laptop with integrated graphics you need not worry, you can still game on.
A laptop doesn’t need to do everything to be useful, you know.
That’s the Chromebook in a nutshell. It keeps most of the experience inside a browser, which leaves behind the complexity that comes with a Windows PC. They can be remarkably quick, straightforward, and easy to live with.
For this roundup, we focused on the models that deliver that experience without making big compromises on speed and battery life. Every laptop here was tested hands-on.
If you’d rather step outside Google’s ecosystem, PCWorld has a separate roundup of the best Windows laptops. And if you’re curious where Chromebooks are headed next, check out this deep dive into the new AI-powered Googlebooks.
Why you should trust us: It’s in our name! PCWorld prides itself on laptop experience and expertise. We’ve been covering PCs since 1983, and we now review more than 70 laptops every year. All of the picks below have been personally tested and vetted by our experts, who’ve applied not only performance benchmarks but rigorous usability standards. We’re also committed to reviewing PC laptops at every price point to help you find a machine that matches your budget.
Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 – Best overall Chromebook
Pros
Zippy processor performance
Nice keyboard
Wide array of connectivity options
Chic design
Cons
Battery life isn’t competitive
Display’s 16:9 aspect ratio feels a little cramped
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Who should buy the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34?
If you want a Chromebook that can do it all, the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 is it. The Intel Core i5 keeps everything running smooth–streaming, school work, or juggling a bunch of tabs. And the ports? You’ve got USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, and a headphone jack, which means you can kiss the dongle life goodbye.
Asus Chromebook Plus CX34: Further considerations
It’s not all sunshine, though. The 16:9 screen can feel cramped if you’re used to roomier displays, and while 13 hours of battery life sounds nice on paper, others last longer. Not a deal breaker, but if screen space or all-day power is at the top of your list, you might want to look elsewhere.
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Who should buy the Asus Chromebook CX15?
Need a reliable laptop for under $200? The CX15 is totally worth a look because it’s great for anyone that mostly browses the web and watches YouTube videos. The spacious 15.6-inch 1080p display and roomy keyboard also make it feel more premium than you’d expect at this price point. For daily tasks, it really gets the job done–you can’t say that about too many machines in this range.
Asus Chromebook CX15: Further considerations
You’re not going to get blazing-fast performance here and that’s entirely okay. The Intel Celeron N4500 processor offers enough pep to get you through lighter workloads, but you may see some lag with heavier multitasking. Battery life is pretty darn good at around 10 hours, though we’ve seen other Chromebooks that last longer.
Still, for what you pay, the CX15 is a surprising little machine.
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Who should buy the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14?
If you’ve been looking for a high-end Chromebook, the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 is totally worth your consideration—it’s a big step up from the usual budget fare. It’s got a 14-inch 1920×1200 OLED touchscreen and the colors really pop. The model we tested came loaded with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS storage, so it handles a ton of tabs, Docs, YouTube, whatever you throw at it. And the MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 chip (plus a tiny Neural Processing Unit) makes everything feel snappy.
The 2.78-pound aluminum chassis is also super light to carry around, and the battery will last you about 19 hours as long as you’re conservative with the brightness level.
Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14: Further considerations
The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 is almost the complete package, but we did have a couple of minor nitpicks. The function keys are really small and they pick up fingerprints like nobody’s business. But, again, those are tiny complaints. If you want a Chromebook that looks and feels nicer than the budget crowd, this is the one to pick.
Acer Googlebook 14: The Acer Googlebook 14 is a great premium laptop, but it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. It’s only worth considering if you want a lightweight, high-end convertible laptop and you’re already deeply enmeshed in Google’s/Android’s ecosystem.
Acer Chromebook Plus 514: The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 isn’t the most attractive ChromeOS machine, but it offers good performance and lots of storage for the price.
Acer Chromebook Plus 516: The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 isn’t much to look at, but it benefits from an Intel Core i3 chip with solid performance and, at times, low sale pricing.
Acer Chromebook Spin 315: Comfy to type on and handles the basics just fine, though the big bezels and limited charging options hold it back (hence why it’s not on the above list).
The PCWorld team puts each and every laptop through a series of benchmarks that test GPU and CPU performance, battery life, and so on. The idea is to push the laptop to its limits and then compare it against others we’ve tested. Due to the cloud-based nature of Chromebooks, they go through a series of web-based tests. It wouldn’t be fair or possible to run the same kinds of tests on a Chromebook as we use on laptops because they exclusively run a completely different operating system.
Hi, I’m Ashley Biancuzzo, and I oversee all laptop and Chromebook coverage at PCWorld. While you’ll see me review Chromebooks on occasion, I’m also really into the broader world of consumer tech. I spend a lot of time writing and thinking about where laptops are headed–from AI and sustainable designs to long-term trends. When I’m not deep in the world of tech, you’ll probably find me gaming, getting lost in a good book, or chilling with my rescue greyhound, Allen.
How to choose the best Chromebook
If you want something like a Windows or MacBook but cheaper, check out a Chromebook. Just keep in mind they’ve got some limits. They’re good for simple, everyday stuff but they don’t have a lot of RAM or storage, so they’re not equipped to handle more resource-intensive tasks like gaming or video editing.
Chromebooks only run Chrome OS, which is pretty easy to use. You can’t put Windows or macOS on them — you’re stuck with Google’s setup.
Processor
Shoot for a mid-range Chromebook if you can. They cost anywhere in the $400 to $600 range and many of them come equipped with Intel Pentium, Intel Core i3, or AMD Ryzen 3 processors. These Chromebooks run the browser smoother. They’re the best deal for the price. The fancier ones sometimes come with Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 chips, which are way more powerful. Then there’s the new Kompanio Ultra chips, which are more powerful and AI-ready.
RAM
Lots of Chromebooks come with just 4GB of RAM, which isn’t much. Since they’re all about the web, you need enough RAM to keep your tabs from lagging. And with RAM prices being a bit more volatile lately, it’s worth opting for more if you can. If you can drop a bit more cash, you can grab a mid-range Chromebook with 8GB (or 16GB if you want to be extra safe), which runs way smoother.
FAQ
1.
What is the best Chromebook?
PCWorld thinks the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 is the best all-around Chromebook. It’s got a solid Intel Core i5 processor, lots of ports, and handles everyday stuff really well. Basically, it’s a great pick if you want a reliable Chromebook without breaking the bank.
2.
What is the best cheap Chromebook?
PCWorld’s pick for best budget Chromebook is the Asus Chromebook CX15. With a spacious 15.6-inch 1080p display and roomy keyboard, this Chromebook is comfortable to use and its Intel Celeron N4500 processor is able to handle daily tasks. If you’re after value, this Chromebook provides all the basics for less than $200.
3.
What’s the difference between a Chromebook and a laptop?
A Chromebook’s just a laptop that runs Google’s Chrome OS instead of Windows or Mac. It’s mostly for web stuff like Google Drive and YouTube. Regular laptops are more powerful and can handle pretty much anything.
4.
What is a Chromebook?
A Chromebook is a laptop that runs Google’s Chrome OS.
PCWorld has been testing and writing about PCs since 1983. That’s a long time! Today, we put more than 70 laptops through our review process every year, covering everything from affordable everyday laptops to powerful gaming machines.
That kind of hands-on experience matters when you’re trying to buy a laptop. What begins as a simple Google search can quickly spiral into a maze of complicated processor names, graphic cards, and other specs that can be difficult to make sense of.
That’s where we come in. Every laptop featured below has been tested by PCWorld reviewers using a combination of real-world experience and performance benchmarks. We focus on a how a laptop performs in the ways that matter, so you can spend less time puzzling out the specs and more time finding out the right laptop that suits your lifestyle.
Updated October 2026 to reflect the latest prices and retailers, and to update our list of “other laptops we tested” below our top picks.
The Acer Aspire 16 AI is a great choice for anyone who wants a big, beautiful OLED display without the heft that usually comes with a 16-inch laptop.
The display is probably its biggest selling point, though. You’re getting a 16-inch OLED panel with a 1920×1200 resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio, so there’s plenty of room for scrolling through documents and web pages. Colors also look rich and vibrant, and darker scenes have a deep, immersive quality. It’s really nice for watching movies and concerts.
Battery life is another highlight, even if it isn’t class-leading. In testing, it lasted 11 hours and 47 minutes, which is enough to get anyone through a typical workday. You don’t have to watch battery percentage like a hawk.
And, despite the bigger screen, it’s surprisingly easy to carry around. At just 3.23 pounds, the Aspire AI is lightweight for its size, and its aluminum chassis feels nice in hand.
Acer Aspire 16 AI: Further considerations
Acer also did a pretty good job with the practical stuff here.
The laptop has a roomy keyboard with a dedicated number pad and backlighting, which is handy if you regularly work with numbers or work in darker environments. The layout might feel a little awkward at first, especially if you’re used to a smaller laptop, and the vertical arrow keys are rather cramped. That said, this is a really minor nitpick.
If you’ve been holding off on buying a MacBook because of the steep price, Apple’s latest installment is your golden ticket. At just $599, it’s the most affordable MacBook ever, but don’t let the “budget” label fool you.
Inside, it’s got an A18 Pro chip with 6 CPU cores, a 16-core Neural Engine, 5-core GPU, 8GB of memory, and a 256GB SSD. That’s more than enough for everyday productivity like browsing, emailing, streaming, documents, spreadsheets, and so on. The 13-inch Liquid Retina display is bright and sharp at 2408×1506 with 500 nits, and the all-aluminum case is both strong and lightweight, the kind of quality you’d expect from a MacBook.
MacBook Neo: Further considerations
The MacBook Neo isn’t perfect. The screen only supports sRGB, so it’s not great for serious color work. The SSD is also a bit slower, and one of the USB-C ports is really slow (according to our review). There’s no Thunderbolt connectivity and Touch ID is only available on the $699 model. But for $599, these are expected trade-offs. For normal everyday use, the battery easily lasts all day, the keyboard feels good, and macOS runs smoothly.
The Alienware 16X Aurora delivers serious speed with its Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU and RTX 5070 GPU. The 16-inch 2560×1600 display keeps every frame looking buttery smooth thanks to its 240Hz refresh rate, and its subtle Interstellar Indigo finish makes it look sharp in just about any setting, whether it’s in a dorm or office space.
Alienware 16X Aurora: Further considerations
Alienware packs in plenty of goodies here, like a crisp 1080p webcam (with Windows Hello facial recognition), Wi-Fi 7 for super fast connectivity, and a wide variety of ports. The full-size keyboard has a number pad and customizable backlighting. And you get nearly seven hours of battery life, which is awesome since long runtimes aren’t common in gaming laptops.
The Acer Nitro V 16 AI, which can occasionally be found as low as $629 at times, delivers great 1080p gaming performance–making it a great choice for gamers who don’t want to spend a ton. Its RTX 5050 outperforms other (older) entry-level graphics like the 4050, hitting an average 72 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077. Surprisingly, for a gaming laptop, the battery life is surprisingly good, lasting eight to 12 hours with light use.
Acer Nitro V 16 AI: Further considerations
The 16-inch 1920×1200 IPS display offers more vertical space than standard 1080p panels, and the 180Hz refresh rate keeps things snappy during fast-paced games. The audio isn’t the best, but you can always hook up to external speakers. Overall, though, the Acer Nitro V 16 AI really hits the sweet spot between performance and affordability.
If you need a laptop for college that won’t kill your back and doesn’t look boring, the Acer Swift 16 AI is worth checking out. It’s only 3.37 pounds, and the 16-inch OLED screen looks really sharp. Inside you get an Intel Core Ultra 7, Intel Arc graphics, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. Not the fastest thing ever, but it handles schoolwork and big files without complaint.
The 70Wh battery will get you through a full day of classes (we clocked it at 17.5 hours), and you can charge it via either of the USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports. There’s also two USB-A ports, HDMI 2.1, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.4.
Acer Swift 16 AI: Further considerations
The OLED screen is such a lovely thing to behold–it’s bright, colorful, and sharp. The keyboard feels good for long typing sessions and, although the trackpad is on the smaller side and may feel cramped to some, it works fine for daily use. If you want a laptop that’s portable and won’t die on you halfway through the day, the Acer Swift 16 AI is the one to spring for.
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus | RAM: 16GB LPDDR5X | Storage: 512GB SSD | Screen: 12-inch, 2196×1464 IPS | Battery life: Up to 2 hours at full brightness, up to 19 hours with light use | Weight: 1.51 lbs
Who should buy the Microsoft Surface Pro?
If you’re always on the go — whether it’s the train, a coffee shop, or just hopping around the house — the Surface Pro is pretty much made for that. It’s super light (under two pounds!) and still powerful enough to handle all the usual stuff like emails and Zoom calls.
With its Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus CPU, it’s great for anyone who wants something that works like a laptop but feels like a tablet. You can doodle or get work done, all without feeling like you’re lugging around a heavy brick.
Microsoft Surface Pro: Further considerations
The smaller screen might not be great if you’re juggling a bunch of stuff all day, and there’s only two USB-C ports (so you’ll probably need a dock or something). Battery life can last a while, but honestly, it’s kind of all over the place. Expect around two hours at full brightness under heavy use or up to 19 hours with lighter tasks.
Still, if your work mostly lives in the cloud and you value portability above raw power, this is the best ultraportable Windows device you can get right now.
If battery life is at the top of your list, the Dell 14S is hard to beat. It lasted nearly 36 hours in our offline video playback test–the longest runtime PCWorld has ever recorded from a laptop. If you normally spend days away from an outlet, this is the laptop to get.
The Dell 14S doesn’t skimp on performance, either. You’re getting plenty of headroom for multitasking thanks to the Intel Core Ultra 7 355 processor, 16GB RAM, and Intel Graphics. This specific configuration also includes Intel Arc graphics, which provides a nice little boost in the graphics department.
Dell 14S: Further considerations
The OLED display is colorful and accurate, but its 1920×1200 resolution and 60Hz refresh rate aren’t exactly impressive when compared to other premium laptops. Graphics performance also depends on the configuration you’ve got. Lower-end models with standard Intel Graphics are noticeably weaker for creative work and light gaming.
Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 – Best Chromebook
Pros
Zippy processor performance
Memorable keyboard
A wide array of connectivity options
Chic design
Cons
Battery life isn’t competitive
The display’s 16:9 aspect ratio feels a little cramped
If you need a zippy Chromebook for everyday tasks, the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 won’t let you down–it’s simple, reliable, and ready to handle whatever your day throws at it. This machine will easily crush your daily workflow thanks to its Intel i5 processor and 8GB of RAM. The 14-inch 1080p display also looks sharp, and the 1080p webcam is perfect for Zoom calls.
Asus Chromebook Plus CX34: Further considerations
While the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 offers smooth performance and a pretty design, there are minor trade-offs to be aware of like the non-competitive battery life (13 hours). You’ll also need to be comfortable with ChromeOS. If you prefer Windows or macOS, we’d recommend looking elsewhere.
Need a laptop that’s super easy to upgrade and tough enough to stick around? The Framework Laptop 13 is where it’s at. You can swap out pretty much anything—RAM, storage, even the motherboard if you want! It runs on an AMD Ryzen AI 300 processor and is slim enough to toss in your bag and go wherever.
Framework Laptop 13: Further considerations
The price might sting a bit upfront, and the built-in graphics are okay for everyday stuff, but don’t expect much gaming performance. Battery life’s decent, but nothing groundbreaking.
Acer Googlebook 14: The Acer Googlebook 14 is a great premium laptop, but it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. It’s only worth considering if you want a lightweight, high-end convertible laptop and you’re already deeply enmeshed in Google’s/Android’s ecosystem.
Chuwi UniBook: The Chuwi UniBook is a well-built, portable laptop with good battery life and connectivity. That said, its 8GB of RAM and mediocre display hold it back.
Geekom GeekBook M16: The GeekBook M16 is a solid budget productivity laptop with outstanding battery life and build quality, but its weak display and limited graphics performance hold it back from being a true all-rounder.
Laptops we don’t recommend
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: Lenovo’s budget IdeaPad Slim 3i doesn’t quite offer as much as competing devices or even competing IdeaPads, though there’s noting inherently wrong with it.
Dell 16S: Everything is more expensive now, but that doesn’t excuse the Dell 16S for lagging so far behind similarly priced contemporaries at just about every corner.
Lenovo ThinkPad P16s Gen 4: The Lenovo ThinkPad P16s Gen 4 is a typical workstation affair. It’s fairly potent but big, bulky, and pricey. Next to consumer laptops, its performance doesn’t impress, and new Panther Lake hardware threatens it at every turn.
How we test laptops
The PCWorld team puts each and every Windows laptop through a series of benchmarks that test GPU and CPU performance, battery life, and so on. The idea is to push the laptop to its limits and then compare it against others we’ve tested. Chromebooks, on the other hand, go through a series of web-based tests.
Hi, I’m Ashley Biancuzzo, and I oversee all laptop and Chromebook coverage at PCWorld. While you’ll see me review Chromebooks on occasion, I’m also deeply immersed in the broader world of consumer tech. I spend a lot of time writing and thinking about where laptops are headed–from AI and sustainable designs to long-term trends. When I’m not deep in the world of tech, you’ll probably find me gaming, getting lost in a book, or chilling with my rescue greyhound.
How to choose the best laptop
What’s the best laptop style?
Regular ones are fine for everyday stuff. 2-in-1s are cool because the screen flips around. Chromebooks are cheap and good if you mostly do web browsing.
How much power?
Depends on what you’re doing. For basic web or email, an Intel Core i3 or Ryzen 3 works fine. If you’re into video editing or creative stuff, an i7/i9 or Ryzen 7/9 is better. And if you’re handling heavy 4K editing or lots of apps, a Ryzen 9 is your best bet.
Discrete graphics vs. integrated graphics?
Gamers and video editors need a legit graphics card—Nvidia, AMD, something with real muscle. But if all you’re doing is YouTube, emails, and Netflix, the built-in graphics won’t hold you back.
How much RAM?
RAM is more important than ever, especially with AI-powered features using more memory. 16GB is the sweet spot for most folks today. 8GB is fine for the basic stuff, but can quickly feeling limiting after a year or so. 32GB or more is ideal for gaming, heavy multitasking, and content creation.
What’s the right display size?
Doing video edits? Go bigger—15 or 17 inches helps a ton. For everyday use, 13 or 14 inches usually does the trick. Light enough to toss in your bag, not a pain to carry, and still plenty of space to get stuff done.
Battery-life expectations
If you’re gonna carry your laptop around, try to get one that lasts 10 to 12 hours on a charge. That’s usually enough for a long flight or a full day of classes. Some of the new Snapdragon laptops are even crushing that, with one going up to 25 hours thanks to their super-efficient chips. Just remember, bigger batteries usually mean heavier laptops.
Laptop pricing guide
A decent laptop usually runs $500 to $750. If money’s tight, a Chromebook or a basic work laptop under $500 will get you by. Push closer to $1,000 and you’ll start seeing nicer screens and more speed, but it really depends on what you need.
Don’t forget the ports
I like laptops with lots of ports so you don’t need adapters. Having both USB-C and USB-A is great. An HDMI port is especially useful for hooking up to an external monitor, especially if your laptop display just isn’t cutting it the way you want it to.
FAQ
1.
What is the best laptop?
PCWorld calls the Acer Swift 16 AI the best overall laptop. It delivers fast, responsive performance thanks to Intel’s Panther Lake platform, handles multitasking without breaking a sweat, and packs impressive battery life for a 16-inch OLED machine, lasting around 18.5 hours in testing.
2.
What is the best cheap laptop?
The MacBook Neo is PCWorld’s favorite budget pick. It packs Apple’s A19 Pro chip, which delivers plenty of speed for everyday work and browsing. You also get a gorgeous 13-inch Liquid Retina display and a premium aluminum design.
3.
What is the best gaming laptop?
The Alienware 16X Aurora is a powerful gaming laptop that handles modern games with ease and makes them look amazing. It’s got an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU and RTX 5070 graphics, so performance is top-notch without going overboard on price.
4.
When is the best time to buy a laptop?
The best time to buy a laptop is usually during big sales events like Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Back-to-school season’s also good.
5.
What is a 2-in-1 laptop?
A 2-in-1 is a flexible laptop that can flip and fold, more or less–basically, the acrobat of the laptop world. Want to kick back and watch Netflix? Prop it up like a tent. Need to take notes at your next meeting? Fold the keyboard back and jot things down on the touchscreen. They’re a hit with students and creatives who want a bit of everything in one device.
6.
What is a Copilot+ laptop?
A Copilot+ laptop is a PC with AI built right in. It helps you draft emails, generate images, and more. Since the AI runs locally, AI performance should be snappier. But at the end of the day, it’s still just a normal laptop (more or less), with a little helper that makes life easier to manage. To qualify as a Copilot+ laptop, though, it needs an NPU that can meet 40 TOPS of performance.
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