Best laptops under $500
You can get a perfectly good laptop for under $500 if you avoid a few traps. These are the laptops and Chromebooks under $500 we have listed on Amazon right now.
Quick picks
What to look for
- Get at least 8GB of RAM for Windows. 16GB is better if you can find it in budget.
- Insist on an SSD (256GB or more). Avoid eMMC storage on Windows laptops.
- A 1080p screen is worth it. 1366x768 looks fuzzy.
- Chromebooks make sense for browsing, school and Google apps, and they stay fast on cheaper hardware.
- Check the weight and battery life if you will carry it around.
The picks
1. Acer Aspire 5 15 Slim Laptop | 15.6" FHD 1920x1080 IPS Touch | Intel Core i5-13420H | Intel UHD Graphics | 16GB LPDDR5 | 512GB Gen 4 SSD…
Posted at $399.99 on Amazon, under this guide's $500 cap. From the listing: 16GB · Gen 4 · Core i5-13420H · 16GB RAM. Confirm the final price, seller and any coupon on Amazon before you buy.
Price as of Oct 17, 12:33 PM ET
2. Acer Aspire 3 Laptop:15.6" FHD, Ryzen 5 7430U, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Windows 11 Pro
Posted at $450.00 on Amazon, under this guide's $500 cap. From the listing: 32GB · Ryzen 5 7430U · 32GB RAM. Confirm the final price, seller and any coupon on Amazon before you buy.
Price as of Oct 17, 12:33 PM ET
3. Amazon $199.99 - Acer Aspire 15 Slim Laptop | 15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) | 8-Core Intel Core 3 N355 Processor | I8GB DDR5 RAM | 128GB HD…
Posted at $199.99 on Amazon, under this guide's $500 cap. From the listing: 128GB · Wi-Fi 6 · N355. Confirm the final price, seller and any coupon on Amazon before you buy.
Price as of Oct 17, 12:33 PM ET
4. Amazon – KAIGERR 15.6" N150 Laptop, 16GB/512GB
Posted at $399.99 on Amazon, under this guide's $500 cap. From the listing: 16GB · N150. Confirm the final price, seller and any coupon on Amazon before you buy.
Price as of Oct 17, 12:33 PM ET
5. ASUS 2023 Vivobook Go 15 Laptop, 15.6” FHD Display, AMD Ryzen 5 7520U, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Windows 11
Posted at $369.99 on Amazon, under this guide's $500 cap. From the listing: 8GB · Ryzen 5 7520U · 8GB RAM. Confirm the final price, seller and any coupon on Amazon before you buy.
Price as of Oct 17, 12:33 PM ET
6. ASUS Vivobook 15.6” FHD Laptop, Ryzen 3 3250U, 8GB/128GB (M515DA-WS33)
Posted at $200.00 on Amazon, under this guide's $500 cap. From the listing: 8GB · Ryzen 3 3250U. Confirm the final price, seller and any coupon on Amazon before you buy.
Price as of Oct 17, 12:33 PM ET
7. ASUS VivoBook 16X Laptop: 16" 1200p, AMD Ryzen 5 5600H, AMD Radeon Vega 7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD
Posted at $450.00 on Amazon, under this guide's $500 cap. From the listing: 16GB · Ryzen 5 5600H · 16GB RAM. Confirm the final price, seller and any coupon on Amazon before you buy.
Price as of Oct 17, 12:33 PM ET
8. ASUS VivoBook S15 S533 Thin and Light Laptop, 15.6” FHD, i5-1135G7, 8GB/512GB
Posted at $380.00 on Amazon, under this guide's $500 cap. From the listing: 8GB. Confirm the final price, seller and any coupon on Amazon before you buy.
Price as of Oct 17, 12:33 PM ET
9. PRIME: ASUS Vivobook Go 15.6” Laptop, AMD Ryzen 5 7520U, 8GB, 512GB, Windows 11 Home, Cool Silver, E1504FA-AS54
Posted at $290.00 on Amazon, under this guide's $500 cap. From the listing: 8GB · Ryzen 5 7520U. Confirm the final price, seller and any coupon on Amazon before you buy.
Price as of Oct 17, 12:33 PM ET
10. ASUS Vivobook Laptop: i5-1235U, 16" 1200p, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD
Posted at $400.00 on Amazon, under this guide's $500 cap. From the listing: 8GB · 8GB RAM. Confirm the final price, seller and any coupon on Amazon before you buy.
Price as of Oct 17, 12:33 PM ET
FAQ
Is a $400 laptop good enough for college?
For writing, browsing and video calls, yes, as long as it has 8GB RAM and an SSD.
Chromebook or Windows?
Chromebook if you live in the browser; Windows if you need specific desktop software.
Can I upgrade RAM later?
On many budget laptops the memory is soldered. Buy the RAM you need up front.
As an Amazon Associate, Usual Deals earns from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability change often; the price on Amazon at checkout is what applies. We do not write reviews or test products for these guides. Picks are listings from our deal tracker that match the criteria above.
