Best Budget Laptop 2022: Top Cheap Laptops

All laptops manufacturers try to release laptops aimed at different uses and users. You will come across budget laptops, mid-range laptops and then flagship laptops as well. Since you don’t necessarily need to spend a lot on a laptop, it is always good to explore your options. We have listed some of the best budget laptops 2022 here; these laptops, although cheap, can do serious tasking and load handling. Besides, if you can get your hands on a good cheap laptop, then why bother to spend a fortune on it.

Our best inexpensive laptops list consists of laptops of all types. You will find yourself a suitable choice if you are a student, professional, gamer or any other use which you might have in mind. Additionally, some of these laptops come equipped with the latest gen processors and good specifications, which will let you do other off-routine tasks efficiently. So Good Luck!

Best Budget Laptop 2022

1. Acer Swift X
2. Asus VivoBook 15
3. Acer Nitro 5
4. Asus ZenBook 13
5. Acer Aspire 5
6. Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5
7. Asus TUF Gaming A15
8. Acer Swift 3
9. HP 15-dy1036nr
10. Lenovo IdeaPad 3

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What is the Best Budget Laptop?

While saving money on a laptop, you will face certain choices where a compromise will be made. This does not necessarily mean that a budget laptop will not perform well; however, you might not get everything on the house, which a best laptop will give. So, let’s go through a series of questions and buying tips that will clarify the concept of a good cheap laptop.

What Specs do I get?

When speaking of a best budget laptop, you need to know that the specs and performance of your laptop won’t be high end. This means that your laptop will either have a previous Gen processor, a low RAM or maybe lower storage space. But this compromise does not drastically decrease the performance. However, you will face specific scenarios where a resource-hungry program might not work properly. This rarely happens because for routine work like web browsing, watching movies, playing mid-level games, and other such technical work won’t be an issue for the laptops we have reviewed in this cheap laptop picks. Now speaking of specs and performance, you will generally get 4GB – 8GB RAM, which is more than enough for any task you work out in routine. For the processor, you will see CPUs from all generations, even the latest 10th gen is available in budget processors, but cores will be lower. An i3 or i5 is what you get you cut on cost. As for storage space, anywhere from 128GB SSD to 256GB SSD is what comes housed inside these budget laptops, and then in some cases, a 512GB SSD is there. Last but not least, a dedicated graphics card is what you will miss in these laptops. However, the built-in GPU here is more than enough for things you will be doing in your daily routine.

How is the Display?

For a budget laptop, you get a pretty nice display which is good for anything ranging from watching YouTube videos to working on docs. You will find the display bright, colorful and satisfactory unless you switch to tasks like high-end graphic designing or video editing. Technically, you usually get an FHD display of 1080p resolution and is one of the widely used displays among laptops these days. Albeit, in some cases, the resolution is 720p, but then those laptops are way cheap.

How is the Battery Life?

Some flagship models from popular manufacturers have successfully reached 18 to 22 hours of battery backup, but these laptops are too expensive. On the other hand, when speaking of budget laptops, you will get a battery backup of 7 – 10 and above hours. This battery backup is more than enough, considering the fact that you won’t be burning a hole in your pocket.

What I/O ports do I get?

Any best budget laptop will give you all the daily use ports. Ports like USB-A, HDMI, SD card slot, audio jack and sometimes an Ethernet port. You will rarely see a Thunderbolt 3 port, though USB-C is now common for budget laptops. Clearly, since Type-C and Thunderbolt 3 is relevantly a new technology and takes the price high, which is why you won’t see them in all the cheap laptops. But, the ports you get are more than enough to beat the day.

Intel vs AMD?

This is a hot topic of debate in the laptop world these days. Normally, we know that an Intel CPU is what you get every time you look for a laptop, and surely they are good processors. However, in the past couple of years, AMD came up with some amazing processors, and they are slowly making it to flagship laptops. With the release of AMD 4000 series processors, things took a huge turn. Nowadays, you will find AMD CPUs in many laptops, and the good thing is that they are cheap. But then again, getting back to the main point, if there is any difference between AMD vs Intel? And the answer to this is straightforward: both are good processors and perform well, but when it comes to cutting costs, AMD is a better choice. So, one should not be worried if AMD is the right choice or not. As a matter of fact, it is a good choice for best inexpensive laptops, which is why manufacturers like ASUS and Acer have used them in the first place.

Saving Money on a Budget Laptop?

Should I save money on a laptop, or do I need to buy the ultimate best thing? You will be asking this yourself a hundred times; however, this is not the issue. What really matters is how you will be using your laptop. Ask yourself questions like, what battery backup do I need? Is an i3 processor enough for my tasks? OR Do I really need a storage space of more than 256GB? Once you have confirmed that your daily use of your laptop is not task intensive and the things you do on your laptop are not resource-hungry, then it is totally fine to buy a best budget laptop 2022. Just for making things easy, watching movies, working on MS Office, browsing multiple tabs and browsers, doing low-level editing etc., is what these laptops can handle. On the contrary, if you do heavy video editing or want to play AAA games, you will have to spend more money.

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Best Cheap Laptops in 2022

1. Acer Swift X

Acer has hit the sweet spot

Acer Swift X REVIEW: For our budget laptops, we have found yet another perfect laptop. The Acer Swift X is a portable laptop packed into a compact chassis. And has massive internal power to take on your professional tasks and mid-range gaming at 1080p. At 3.3 pounds only, the laptop has managed to house a powerful RTX 3050 Ti graphics card, a good number of ports, and a dashing 1080p display. There is no room for more features, even the keypad is backlit. Though Acer has skipped using any sort of Thunderbolt capability for its ports. Its 12 hours of battery backup on video playback is even more of a reason to consider it. All in all, being offered below $1000, Acer has managed to keep the price at a sweet spot and at the same time has not compromised on performance or features.

2. Asus VivoBook 15

Premium.Portable.Affordable

Asus VivoBook 15 REVIEW: The new Vivobook 15 is an odd but good budget laptop. It has both strong and weak suites but what makes it the best among cheap laptops is that you get a premium looking laptops with top-notch internal specs. Now, one may think about the fact that what else would you need after a good design and internal power, well there is a lot to consider. Things like battery life, display and audio performance are not the best parts of this laptop. But then, the choice of ports ASUS has used here is simply insane, you would love all the possible connections you can make.

So, a 10th Gen core-i5 processor is what actually makes this laptop a popular choice; this capacity combined with 8GB RAM makes the laptop an out of the box option. For a laptop under 700, this is exceptional performance, considering the fact that a 512GB SSD is housed for faster load and save. As for the battery backup, around 5 hours is what you get, but this isn’t anywhere near good because new laptops hit 16 and 18 hours. The display here is good but not the best one in the lot; it is dim and unsuitable for outdoor use. The ports on it are simply best; you get a pair of USB-A ports, USB-C, an SD card slot, HDMI and of course, an audio combo jack. So, in short, the power and design you receive for this low price are exceptional, but the battery life and display is not up to the mark.

3. Acer Nitro 5

Powerful gaming laptop

Acer Nitro 5 REVIEW: Acer Nitro 5 is another best budget laptop for casual gamers with amazing solid specifications, excellent fan controls that keep the laptop low with temperature when introduced to AAA gaming, and has plenty of unique and advanced input/output ports. Apart from this, the laptop comes with a catchy design with red hinges and matte black plastic exterior. Overall, if you need a laptop that don’t costs you a fortune and provides premium gaming specifications, Acer Nitro 5 should be your first priority.

Speaking about specifications, the laptop is configured with a 9th generation Intel Core i5-9300H processor with up to 4.1 GHz speed. For fast multitasking, the laptop offers you 8GB DDDR4 RAM to handle things quickly. The display section holds 15.6 inches FHD (Full high definition) display screen with Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card. Nitro 5’s display is pretty impressive, with the capability to bring you accurate and glossy colors. The keyboard also has a backlit keyboard which adds more aesthetics to the overall design. Input/output ports include USB 3.1 Type-C port, 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, USB 2.0 port and an HDMI port with HDCP support. The laptop weighs around 4.85 lbs and provides 8 hours of battery backup with a single recharge.

4. Asus ZenBook 13 UX325

Ultra-slim laptop

Asus ZenBook 13 UX325 REVIEW: See if you haven’t noticed so far, ASUS is playing on a much bigger level than it was a few years back. Not a single laptop category goes by where you won’t see people mentioning and praising Asus Laptops. In fact, among our best budget laptops list you will come across more than 3 Asus laptops. The reason for it is simple, their laptops are next level in terms of design and power. And at the same time, the manufactured has made available laptops from all price ranges which makes it even more praiseworthy. Speaking of which, the Zenbook UX325 is a 13 inches thin and lightweight laptop offered a price below $800 which is simply justifiable for the performance you get.

Staring with the 10th gen processor, which means enormous power, the laptop is equipped with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD. In addition, the Intel UHD graphics is what make the usage even better. For connectivity, the laptop surprises you at the given price. This is because of 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports along with USB-A, HDMI, and MicroSD reader. The display here comes with thin bezels and a crisp view, though it could have been a bit brighter. And last but not least, one of the strongest suits of this laptop here is its battery life. The notebook goes for above 13 hours which is stunningly fantastic.

5. Acer Aspire 5

Stylish & slim laptop

Acer Aspire 5 REVIEW: Next up on the best cheap laptops 2022 list is the famous Acer Aspire 5 slim. It is one of the widely known budget laptops from Acer and it honestly aces all the departments. Starting from its price, its an 800 dollars laptop which is what we are talking about and a look at the specs tells a lot about the performance it has to offer. Other things which make it a popular laptop for many users is its lightweight design, a crisp display, combination of exceptional ports selection, better than most battery backup and what not. In short, Aspire 5 slim is a reliable laptop which will cover you for all your tasks of the day and you do not need to spend a fortune on getting one.

Speaking of specs, this budget laptop by Acer is home to AMD Ryzen 5 4500U, which keeps an 8GB DDR4 RAM in parallel, giving you tons of horsepower. A 256GB SSD covers you for all your storage, and Intel UHD built-in graphics makes the display even better. As for the display, it’s 15.6 inches 1080p display which a crisp and vivid view. For I/O, you get HDMI, 3 USB-A ports, a USB-C port, and an Ethernet port as well. This selection of ports is noteworthy because everything you can think of is there. Finally, the battery life, which takes you for a ride of well above 9 hours, is what sets it apart from many other budget laptops.

6. Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5

Portable 2 in 1 laptop

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 REVIEW: Flex 5 by Lenovo is a popular inexpensive laptop, the reason for it being widely known is that besides good performance, it’s a 2 in 1 laptop which obviously brings with it, its own perks. Speaking of design, Lenovo Flex 5 is by far the best 2 in 1 laptops among cheap laptops. The 2 in 1 nature of this laptop is not just to show off, it literally helps you a lot with many things. And better than many, it comes with strong hinges and a notable touch performance. So, in short for those who want a portable but powerful convertible laptop, the Flex 5 14 inches is what you should be thinking of.

Performance-wise, this laptop packs enough heat to take you through most of your daily tasks. An AMD Ryzen 5 4500U, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and 256GB SSD put together to make a great deal of performance. In addition, built-in AMD Radeon Graphics pumps the graphical power and makes the display look even better. However, the display, although clear, is not among the brightest of displays. Now, the ports selection you get on both sides of this best budget laptop 2022 is good for anyone; what you get is a pair of USB-A ports, an HDMI, USB-C and an SD card slot. Finally, the battery life here is what no one expects, its over 9 hours of battery juice mainly because the display here is not big and not so bright either.

7. Asus TUF Gaming A15

Best for 1080p gaming

Asus TUF Gaming A15 REVIEW: Who says gaming laptops are expensive and if they are not then they are not up to the mark? This argument seems irrelevant when speaking of the new budget gaming laptop by ASUS. It’s the real deal when speaking of budget gaming laptop, ASUS has managed to manufacture something which is just the balance between power and money which a budget gamer will love to have. It comes with a wide array of ports, amazing display and packs enough heat to manage playing all AAA titles at average settings. Apart from this, design wise it is amazing and can be used for normal purposes besides gaming as well.

As for the performance, ASUS TUF A15 is housed with AMD Ryzen 5 4600H with 8GB DDR4 RAM and 512GB SSD space. But here comes the real deal in terms of gaming, an Nvidia GTX 1650 is pumps all the graphical power, and you can play almost anything hassle-free. It’s 15 inches laptop display is something out of the box, it’s 1080p, no doubt, but for the given low price tag, it does wonder. For connectivity, you get 3 USB-A ports, a Type-C, an RJ45 LAN port, HDMI, and of course, the audio jack. Finally, when speaking of battery performance, 5 hours backup is incredible, given the low price and power-hungry specs.

8. Acer Swift 3

Ultraportable laptop for students

Acer Swift 3 REVIEW: The latest Acer Swift 3 is a delight for budget laptop users. For around $700, you get an ultrabook which is lightweight, portable, super good looking and packs AMD Ryzen 7 which means it has more horsepower than most of the other budget laptops. It can be the best cheap laptop 2022 for home use, office use or even for playing some games. The only thing it lacks is a dedicated graphics card, else it would have been a beast gaming laptop on budget. What you may not appreciate are the not so good speakers and a display which is totally fine but a tad dim.

Getting into the specs, as you already know you get an AMD Ryzen 7 4700U Octa-Core processor; it comes in parallel with an 8GB LPDDR4 RAM and 512GB SSD. Just to remind, these specs within a budget laptop is a heaven on its own. The display here is 14 inches FHD, comes with a crisp and vivid view but alas! is the not among the brightest display out there. For connections, you get a couple of USB-A ports, a full-size HDMI and a USB-C. The battery performance here is not out of the box, it gives you a backup of around 9 hours which is great for an inexpensive laptop like this one.

9. HP 15-dy1036nr

Excellent budget laptop for work

HP 15-dy1036nr REVIEW: HP 15-dy1036nr is an excellent laptop for those who want good performance but don’t want to spend a lot. It’s a value laptop in true sense and this specifically is because it does not lack any necessary feature. Design wise, it is an elegant looking laptop which mostly comes because of its shinny silver finish, besides it is a slim one and becomes easily portable. One can not arguable compare it with other series from HP like the Envy of Spectre because those are high-end flagship laptops which bear a very high price tag. This one, on the contrary is a sub $600 laptop with good specs and looks.

What makes it worth every pie you spend is the 10 Gen Core-i5 processor with the support of 8GB RAM. Getting a 10th Gen processor itself is more than enough for any normal user. Furthermore, you get a 256GB SSD and space and built-in Intel UHD Graphics. The display here is a good one, but the same as what happens to almost all cheap laptops, it lacks the best brightness level. This aside, and it is one of the best displays among budget laptops for this year. The battery backup here is not something one can praise. It gives you around 6 hours under load, after which you will have to plug in the charger. For I/O, you get 3 USB-A, a USB-C, HDMI, and other necessary things like the audio jack.

10. Lenovo IdeaPad 3

Mid-range laptop

Lenovo IdeaPad 3 REVIEW: Any good laptop needs to be portable, powerful and should come with all the necessary features one would need, however a plus to all this is a low price and stunning looks. Well, the IdeaPad 3 14 inches by Lenovo is such a laptop, it comes with amazing looks in blue color, is capable enough to take your through day and bears a price tag by which is it becomes affordable for all. IdeaPad 3 comes with a durable nature and offer performance good enough to be compared with other pricey laptops. Besides, the inside looks of it make it look an elegant new laptop which is because of the thin bezels and nicely styled keypad with grey keys.

The 14 inch display on the laptop is a good one. It’s a good size which makes it easy to use it anywhere and carry it easily. Also, it is nice on colors, and the view is vivid. Coming towards the real deal, which is the laptop’s performance, the Ideapad 3 is home to AMD Ryzen 5 3500U CPU which itself is an excellent processor to have at this price. Further adding to the performance is an 8GB RAM backed by 256GB SSD and AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics. All this put together generates enough power to run multiple designing tools and games easily. The run-time for the battery you get on this laptop touches around 8 hours which is not awesome but is considered good for a really cheap laptop.

How long will the battery last?

Battery life depends on the usage. If you are using your laptop for some power consumptive task, your aim should be to at least to get 8 to 10 hours battery backup. Getting a budget laptop that provides 10-15 hours of battery backup is a plus at this stage; you won’t need to stick to electricity boards.

What is the optimal screen size for a daily use laptop?

Screen size and display quality are a matter of personal preference. You can’t fix any screen resolution or size to a specific user category. For normal or daily usage, if your laptop has 1.56 inches display screen with FHD (Full high definition) resolution, it’s more than enough. But if you are someone dealing mostly with graphics, then you can look for more than FHD to witness more clear graphics.

Final Words
Best cheap laptops exist in the real world; not all laptops are highly-priced. If you know that your needs do not require a high-end flagship laptop, then why bother to buy one. Our list above comprises of all the best laptops available at cheap prices. And to be sure, all these budget laptops 2022 are quite up to the mark in terms of performance, design, and battery performance. So Good Luck!