Top 5 Best Laptops for Students on a Budget

As a student, you need a laptop that can handle your academic tasks, online classes, entertainment, and more. But you also don’t want to break the bank for a device that you might not use for long. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the best budget laptops for students in 2023, based on our research and reviews from various sources. Here are our top picks:

1. Acer Aspire 5

The Acer Aspire 5 is our best overall choice for a budget laptop for students. It offers solid performance, decent battery life, and a sleek design for an affordable price. It runs on the latest 10th gen Intel Core i3 processor, which can handle basic note-taking, web browsing, and streaming. It also has 4GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD storage, which are enough for most students’ needs. The 14-inch Full HD display is bright and crisp, and the keyboard is comfortable and backlit. The Aspire 5 also has a good selection of ports, including USB-C, HDMI, and Ethernet. The only drawbacks are the mediocre speakers and webcam, and the lack of a touchscreen.

Pros:

• Solid performance
• Decent battery life
• Sleek design
• Good port selection
• Backlit keyboard

Cons:

• Mediocre speakers and webcam
• No touchscreen

Price: $399.99

2. Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook is our best budget Chromebook for students. It’s a versatile 2-in-1 device that can switch between laptop and tablet modes, thanks to its 360-degree hinge and touchscreen. It runs on Chrome OS, which is fast, secure, and easy to use. It also has access to thousands of apps from the Google Play Store, as well as Google’s suite of productivity tools. The Flex 3 Chromebook has an Intel Celeron N4020 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of eMMC storage, which are sufficient for basic tasks and cloud-based work. The 11.6-inch HD display is sharp and responsive, and the battery life can last up to 10 hours on a single charge. The Flex 3 Chromebook also has a decent keyboard and trackpad, and a good array of ports, including USB-C, USB-A, microSD card reader, and headphone jack. The only downsides are the low storage capacity, the average speakers and webcam, and the small screen size.

Pros:

• Versatile 2-in-1 design
• Touchscreen
• Chrome OS
• Long battery life
• Good port array

Cons:

• Low storage capacity
• Average speakers and webcam
• Small screen size

Price: $249.99

3. HP Pavilion 15

The HP Pavilion 15 is our best Windows laptop for students on a budget. It’s a powerful machine that can handle more demanding tasks, such as photo editing, gaming, and multitasking. It has an AMD Ryzen 5 5500U processor, which is faster than most Intel Core i5 processors in this price range. It also has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage, which are plenty for most students’ needs. The 15.6-inch Full HD display is bright and colorful, and the keyboard is comfortable and backlit. The Pavilion 15 also has a good selection of ports, including USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet, SD card reader, and headphone jack. The only drawbacks are the short battery life (about 5 hours), the bulky design (4 pounds), and the loud fan noise.

Pros:

• Powerful performance
• Bright and colorful display
• Comfortable and backlit keyboard
• Good port selection

Cons:

• Short battery life
• Bulky design
• Loud fan noise

Price: $549.99

4. Dell Inspiron 15

The Dell Inspiron 15 is our best creative laptop for students on a budget. It’s a great option for students who need to work on graphics-intensive projects, such as video editing, animation, or CAD. It has an Intel Core i5-11300H processor, which can handle heavy workloads with ease. It also has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage, which are enough for most creative tasks. The Inspiron 15 also features an Nvidia GeForce MX450 graphics card, which can boost the performance of graphics applications and games. The 15.6-inch Full HD display is sharp and vivid, with wide viewing angles and an anti-glare coating. The keyboard is spacious and backlit, and the touchpad is smooth and responsive. The Inspiron 15 also has a good selection of ports, including USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, SD card reader, and headphone jack. The only downsides are the average battery life (about 6 hours), the heavyweight (4.4 pounds), and the lack of a fingerprint scanner.

Pros:

• Great performance
• Nvidia graphics card
• Sharp and vivid display
• Spacious and backlit keyboard
• Good port selection

Cons:

• Average battery life
• Heavyweight
• No fingerprint scanner

Price: $649.99

5. Xiaomi RedmiBook 15 Pro

The Xiaomi RedmiBook 15 Pro is our best premium laptop for students on a budget. It’s a sleek and stylish device that offers a premium experience for a reasonable price. It has an Intel Core i5-11300H processor, which can handle most tasks with ease. It also has 8GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage, which are more than enough for most students’ needs. The RedmiBook 15 Pro also features an Nvidia GeForce MX450 graphics card, which can enhance the performance of graphics applications and games. The 15.6-inch Full HD display is bright and clear, with thin bezels and anti-glare coating. The keyboard is comfortable and backlit, and the touchpad is large and smooth. The RedmiBook 15 Pro also has a good selection of ports, including USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, SD card reader, and headphone jack. The only drawbacks are the short battery life (about 4 hours), the lack of a webcam, and the limited availability.

Pros:

• Sleek and stylish design
• Premium performance
• Nvidia graphics card
• Bright and clear display
• Large storage capacity

Cons:

• Short battery life
• No webcam
• Limited availability

Price: $699.99

Conclusion

These are our top 5 best budget laptops for students in 2023. We hope this article helps you find the best laptop for your needs and budget. Remember to consider your preferences, requirements, and expectations when choosing a laptop. Also, don’t forget to check for discounts, deals, and coupons to save some money.

Here’s a summary table of our top picks: