The Best Budget Laptops In The UK: Update

Finding the best budget laptops is a little bit like researching the best budget cars. You need to do your research, 9 times out of 10 you’ll need to take it for a spin before you commit to taking it home, and what’s right for you is probably not going to be right for your next-door neighbour.

Before you even think about the one you’d like to have, you’ve got to consider the cost and your budget too! Well, I’ve done the hard part for you, and put together a list of the best budget laptops with something for everyone, no matter what you want to use it for.

So, before we get down to the list, let’s expand on that ‘there’s no one laptop for every person’ point. The best option for you will completely depend on what you want it for. You might want the best gaming laptop, or maybe the best work laptop, so it’s important you work out what you’re looking for.

The Best Budget Laptops – All Rounders

LENOVO Ideapad 320s-14IKB

Features

• Intel® Pentium™ Gold processor
• 4 GB RAM
• 128 GB SSD storage
• 14” screen size
• 1 x HDMI, 1 x USB Type-C, 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0
• 720p webcam
• Up to 7-hour battery life
• Windows 10

The Lenovo Ideapad 320s-14IKB is suitable for all of the everyday tasks which require a laptop, such as studying, working, browsing the web and streaming TV and music.

Running on an Intel® Pentium™ Gold processor, which is twice as fast as the standard Intel® Celeron®, you can flip between tasks seamlessly without having to wait for anything to load or draining your battery power.

Slim and lightweight, it is specially designed to be transportable. Easy to take to work or college every day without weighing down your bag or taking up all the free space.

The generous screen size means you get edge to edge clarity and great display quality. With two Harman speakers and Dolby Audio technology, you won’t be missing out on any entertainment value, and dialogue is presented clearly just in case you have an essential last-minute call to conduct.

Get it on Amazon

This is a quiet and small little notebook, probably best suited as a second laptop, or a working laptop for students or professionals. You get what you pay for; so don’t expect ultimate speed and usability. However, despite it being one of the cheapest laptops on this list, it’s got some pretty impressive specifications.

HP Pavilion 14-bk069sa

Features

• Intel® Pentium® Gold 4415U Processor
• 4 GB RAM
• 1 TB HDD storage
• 14” screen size
• 1 x HDMI, 1 x USB Type-C, 2 x USB 3.1
• HD webcam
• Up to 10 hours battery life
• Windows 10

Another pick best suited to everyday use, the Processor will allow you to run multiple standard programmes at any one time without disrupting your day.

There is also a huge 10.25-hour battery life. Although this always depends on what exactly you are using the laptop for, this will allow you to use it for most of the day without worrying about the battery.

It is also light to carry around, so if you take it to work yet forget the charger, you won’t have to worry too much at all. It isn’t the fastest laptop on the market, but if you keep it updated and don’t overload the programmes, it is still great for everyday use.

The storage capacity is also a very generous 1 TB HDD, so you can store all of your documents and personal photos without having to delete old content. Custom audio tuning from B&O Play, combined with HP Audio Boost, makes everything you listen to sound brilliantly clear.

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Lenovo YOGA 300 11.6 inch Convertible

Features

• Intel® Pentium® N4200 Quad-Core Processor
• 4 GB RAM (8 GB maximum installable)
• 32 GB eMMC storage
• 11.6” screen size
• 1 x HDMI, 1 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0
• 720p webcam
• Up to 6 hours battery life
• Windows 10

If you are a frequent watcher of TV, you’ve probably seen the adverts for this laptop. As suggested, it is best suited to those who will be prioritising their social tasks via social media, emails, video calling and online shopping.

The screen folds back 360° so that the keyboard can be completely concealed, and the touchscreen used as a tablet for more exact precision.

It doesn’t have the longest battery life at only 6 hours, but this is still long enough for using it for its main job on-the-go. Take it on a long train or coach journey to catch up on your favourite shows and scroll through your news feed, without worrying about not being sat by a plug socket.

Don’t let this all put you off if you want a 2-in-1 which will also handle your documents and work – the storage is generous, and the processor will allow you to multi-task without difficulty.

Simply put, this is a great bet if you want the latest technology when it comes to transportability, without the lagging which smaller products often offer.

LENOVO Yoga 310-11IAP

Features

• Intel® Pentium® N4200 Quad-Core Processor
• 4 GB RAM (8 GB maximum installable)
• 32 GB eMMC storage
• 11.6” screen size
• 1 x HDMI, 1 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0
• 720p webcam
• Up to 6 hours battery life
• Windows 10

If you are a frequent watcher of TV, you’ve probably seen the adverts for this laptop. As suggested, it is best suited to those who will be prioritising their social tasks via social media, emails, video calling and online shopping.

The screen folds back 360° so that the keyboard can be completely concealed, and the touchscreen used as a tablet for more exact precision.

It doesn’t have the longest battery life at only 6 hours, but this is still long enough for using it for its main job on-the-go. Take it on a long train or coach journey to catch up on your favourite shows and scroll through your news feed, without worrying about not being sat by a plug socket.

Don’t let this all put you off if you want a 2-in-1 which will also handle your documents and work – the storage is generous, and the processor will allow you to multi-task without difficulty.

Simply put, this is a great bet if you want the latest technology when it comes to transportability, without the lagging which smaller products often offer.

Get it on Amazon

HP Pavilion x360 14-ba031na

Features

• Intel® Core™ i5 Processor
• 8 GB RAM
• 128GB Solid State Drive storage
• 14” screen size
• 1 x HDMI, 1 x USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 1, 2 x Standard USB 3.1 Gen 1
• HP Wide Vision FHD IR Camera webcam
• Up to 10 hours battery life
• Windows 10

This 2-in-1 appliance combines the power of a laptop with the convenience of a touchscreen tablet for extra efficiency.

It is one of the most expensive laptops on this list, and you may not think it is a particularly ‘budget’ buy, but if you are after a 2-in-1 buy which gives you full control and some of the best power available then it is one of the best value options.

The 8 GB RAM is generous for the price and can help you go from writing that essay or filling in a spreadsheet to catching up on five minutes of TV without the whole appliance crashing.

With a solid state hard drive, you can store up to 40,000 hi-res photos – perfect for any photographers or students out there who like to have a backup storage option as well as a fully portable computer. The fact that it is also touch screen means you can easily edit photos in a lot more detail.

Get it on AO.com

Lenovo FLEX 2

Features

• Intel Core i5 Processor
• 4GB RAM
• 1TB HDD
• 14″ Screen Size
• 6hrs+ Battery Life
• Weighs 1.9kg

The Lenovo Flex 2 is a bit of an unusual one on this list. It has a rotatable, full HD (1920 x 1080) LED touchscreen. This means you can convert it to viewing mode if you want to watch any movies or youtube videos.

The Lenovo Flex 2 is a bit lighter than the other budget laptops, although it still can’t match the slightness of the Chromebooks further down. It’s more powerful than the previous laptops, and although the flip screen might seem a bit gimmicky, reviewers have said it works well with the touch capabilities.

I will add that it comes with Windows 8 as opposed to Windows 10 like the majority of the laptops in this list so far. Some users were able to upgrade for free but I am not sure whether that is still possible so if Windows 10 is important for you, I would double check that before making the purchase. Also, although it is a convertible laptop, it doesn’t go to a full tablet position.

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Lenovo YOGA 500 14 inch Convertible Laptop Notebook

 

The Lenovo YOGA 500 is a bit of an unusual one on this list. Definitely, not the cheapest budget laptop but you get a lot for your money. It has a rotatable Multitouch HD-Display meaning that you can touch, pinch, scroll and swipe your way around the screen, just as you would with a traditional tablet.

Features

• Intel Pentium 1.9 GHz Processor
• 8GB RAM
• 1TB HDD
• 14″ Screen Size
• Windows 10
• Weighs 2.7kg (not great)

ThisLenovo YOGA 500 has the best processor on the list. But, if you’re looking for a laptop that has great portability, this might not be the right one for you. In fact, because it weighs 2.7kg, I nearly did not include it on this list. But then I thought, maybe not everyone travels with their laptops and as long as you could use it around the house, you might not be that bothered about the weight.

APPLE MacBook Air 13.3″

Features

• Intel® Core™ i5 Processor
• 8 GB RAM
• 128 GB SSD storage
• 13.3” screen size
• 2 x USB 3.0
• FaceTime HD webcam
• Up to 12 hours battery life

You will probably either be a Windows fan or a Mac fan, and if you are the latter or want to become one of the latter then this is a great option for you.

The most expensive on the list, yet the cheapest Mac available – the Air 13.3” has all of the qualities you would expect from an Apple device, making it the best budget MacBook.

The solid state storage speeds up saving and loading times compared to regular hard drives, and the Intel® Core™ i5 processor delivers responsive timings. Intel® HD Graphics 6000 offers great visuals, whether you are on media applications or conducting everyday computing tasks.

An LED screen, backlit keyboard durable and stylish silver chassis gives a comfortable experience while still being compact enough to take anywhere with you. The 12-hour battery means you won’t be struggling to find somewhere to plug it in for a long time. Standby mode gives you the ability to leave the laptop for up to 30 days, ready to pick up where you left off.

I would go as far to say that this is such a perfect product, the only downside is the price tag, but this is to be expected and you are paying for top quality.

Get it at Currys

Dell Inspiron i7559-763BLK

The Dell Inspiron i7559-763BLK is a speedy laptop, offering gaming potential with its i5 processor and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M graphics card and solid state hard drive. This machine is both powerful and slimline providing great quality even during heavy duty games. It comes with Windows 10 pre-installed and stands out as a great bargain.

Features:

• Intel i5-6300HQ 2.3 GHz Quad-Core processor
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M graphics card
• 8 GB DDR3L 256 GB Solid-State Drive
• 15 inch HD display
• Weighs 2.7 Kg
• 6 hours average battery life

The Dell i7559-763BLK offers a sleek design, is lightweight and comes in matte black. It comes with a crisp full HD, 15 inch display for perfect picture quality and offers 1,920×1,080P resolution. The screen can even be set to different modes depending on what you will be using it for.
There is design work, gaming, office apps, movie watching, and even anti-blue settings for comfort. Storage is both speedy and spacious thanks to the solid-state hard drive and the processor makes the Dell run smoothly. This laptop is a powerhouse and is perfectly suited to those looking for a capable laptop to handle an array of different tasks. It is great value for money and the matte black finish is a very nice touch.

Get it at Currys

MSI PL62 7RC-068UK

Features

• 7th gen Intel® Core™ i5 Processor
• 8 GB RAM
• 1TB Hard Disk Drive storage
• 15.6” screen size
• 1 x USB Type-C 3.0, 2 x Standard USB 3.0, 1 x Standard USB 2.0
• HD 720P webcam
• Up to 4 hours battery life
• Windows 10

Regarding the best specially-designed gaming laptops, this is one of the few I found which were a decent price tag, yet still performed well. If you are after the best budget gaming laptop, it is really worth checking out.

Colour boost technology gives an extra edge to your screen, meaning your games are displayed precisely how they were designed. The dedicated graphics, as opposed to integrated, offer a separate GPU with its own memory for more efficient performance. The sound is also incredibly accurate and clear, thanks to Nahimic 2+ audio software.

The high RAM and top-of-the-range processor will keep your graphics moving without any lagging. If you are after something which will handle your work just as well as the play, don’t be put off. It is great for everyday tasks too so that you can get back to your games as a reward in between periods of work.

MSI Cooler Boost technology will keep the laptop at a reasonable temperature by maximising airflow, so it doesn’t overheat any surfaces. The backlit keyboard makes it easier to see in low light, so even if you prefer to play entirely in the dark, your abilities won’t be hindered.

The battery life isn’t great, but this is due to its sheer performance and the fact you’ll likely be running several programmes at once.

Get it on Amazon

The Best Budget Laptops – Chromebooks

I’m giving Chromebooks their own category in this best budget laptops list because they’re just so different to any Apple or Microsoft laptop you’ll have tried in the past. Forget all the fancy added extras that normally push the price of laptops up, if you’re only looking for an internet browsing device then the Chromebook would be perfect for you. I’ve been using one for just about a year now, and it’s been better than any laptop I’ve previously owned at using the internet quickly, watching Netflix and Youtube, working on Google Docs and Microsoft Office and taking out and about with me.

If you want more information on Chromebooks specifically, I wrote about why I think Chromebooks are the best laptops you can buy for under £500 here . Otherwise, here are my top four:

Asus CP100PA 10.1-Inch Chromebook Laptop

Get it on Amazon

Probably my favourite Chromebook on this list. Ridiculously light: it only weighs 889 grams (the weight of my first iPad was just over 660g). This is a full Chromebook with a full keyboard and everything. Impressive, right?

The 10-point multitouch display can be rotated up to 360 so that the Chromebook can be used while placed flat on a table or carried like a tablet. This is the first laptop on this list that does not have any negative reviews on Amazon. How often do you get to see that?

This reviewer summarises the Asus CP100PA better than I could ever do it: “If you’re looking for a portable and light Windows machine at this price point, ditch that idea and buy a Chromebook Flip”

Quick budget laptop buying guide:

I was going to put together a budget laptop buying guide before I realised that this post got out of control and it is probably too long already. So instead of doing a full buying guide here, I’ll just touch on some of the most important points.

1. Probably the first rule when buying anything, not just a laptop, is: don’t spend money on features you know you won’t use. Not bothered about 2-in-1 laptops? Buy a cheaper alternative that doesn’t have this feature.
2. Decide what will you use the laptop for. Are you going to use it just to browse the internet, check and update your social media and online shopping? Then you should seriously consider a Chromebook.
3. Decide what Operating System you want/need. This is probably one of the most important decisions you will make when buying a new laptop. If you need to install software such as Photoshop or Skype, you might need to buy a Windows or Mac OS laptop.
4. Decide on screen size. How important is the screen size for you? Do you do a lot of work on the laptop? Are you using it connected to a bigger monitor? If so, then the screen size is not that important. If the laptop’s display is the only display you will be using, then you might want to get a laptop with a larger screen.
5. Do you need a touchscreen laptop? If the laptop you’re looking to buy is a regular clamshell laptop (meaning no ability to rotate the display and use it as a tablet), chances are you won’t benefit from that feature much. But if you edit photos with exact precision, it could mean greater control. It doesn’t hurt to have it, but I wouldn’t pay extra for it.
6. Test drive it. The high street retailers will hate me for saying this, but I’m going to say it anyway. Once you decided on the model, go into a high street store and try it. You need to make sure that you are comfortable with the keyboard layout, size, screen etc. If you get a good deal in store, feel free to buy it then and there but don’t be embarrassed to go home and buy it online.
7. If you do decide to buy it online, buy it from a reputable retailer. You might have noticed that the links to buy each of the laptops on this list are trustworthy store links. There’s a good reason for it. They offer great support, and often warranties of well over the standard 12 months too. It is because of this that I am even prepared to pay a few extra pennies.
8. Use a credit card to pay for your item. Let me start by saying that I strongly advise you never to spend money you don’t have. Only use a credit card if you pay the balance in full at the end of each month. The reason I say you should use a credit card and not a debit card is that by doing so, you get extra benefits due to the section 75 of the consumer credit act.
9. The brand matters. This might be unfair to brands that are new but generally if you never heard of it, the quality is questionable. Some retail chains have exclusive deals with manufacturers, and they get their own unique brands. In my limited experience, these are almost never great, and I always stay away from any “own brand” big ticket items.

So, Which Budget Laptop Should I Buy?

Honestly, if you take away anything from this post let it be that only you can decide that. I’ve given you a good selection; now it’s up to you to work out what your needs are and how much you have to spend. I personally use a MacBook and a Chromebook depending on the circumstances.