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<\/a><\/p>\nTo understand what makes for a good budget consumer laptop, we first need to talk about some of the key components that make a good notebook that sells at a more expensive price. Because if you can find one or more of these features on a low-cost laptop, you’re way ahead of the game. I’ve put these in priority order, from most to least important.<\/p>\n
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- 1920 x 1080 (1080p) screen: <\/strong>The vast majority of budget laptops come with 1366 x 768-resolution screens that aren’t very sharp and don’t fit much content on the desktop. If you can get a laptop with a 1920 x 1080 (also known as 1080 or full-HD) resolution display you can see a lot more text on the screen without scrolling. You can also comfortably place two windows side by side for multitasking and see a lot more detail in videos. If you can get a laptop with a 1080p screen, that should be your top priority.<\/li>\n
- Solid-state storage<\/strong>: Most low-cost laptops use mechanical hard drives, but if you can get a system with a solid-state drive (SSD) or eMMC memory, you’ll see faster boot and application-open times, and better overall performance. In the sub-$500 range, you’ll probably see a few systems with eMMC memory rather than a speedy SSD, but you’ll still get much better performance than you would with a 5,400- or 7,200-rpm hard drive.<\/li>\n
- Premium build quality<\/strong>: Manufacturers usually economize on the fit and finish of low-cost laptops, using cheap plastic rather than metal or soft-touch materials. If you can get a more premium feel on your budget laptop, that’s a plus.<\/li>\n
- Core i5 CPU: <\/strong>An Intel Core i5 CPU gives the best balance between price and performance, but you’re not likely to find one of these processors on a budget laptop. However, for users who aren’t doing a lot of productivity work or gaming, a Core i3 or Pentium or Celeron CPU can more than suffice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Now that we know what to look for, let’s check out some budget laptops that have a few of these features.<\/p>\n
- Solid-state storage<\/strong>: Most low-cost laptops use mechanical hard drives, but if you can get a system with a solid-state drive (SSD) or eMMC memory, you’ll see faster boot and application-open times, and better overall performance. In the sub-$500 range, you’ll probably see a few systems with eMMC memory rather than a speedy SSD, but you’ll still get much better performance than you would with a 5,400- or 7,200-rpm hard drive.<\/li>\n