Not everyone needs a super expensive top-notch laptop, and the good news is that you don't have to go bankrupt to get a solid machine. Whether you are a student, a casual user or just looking for affordable equipment for daily tasks, there are plenty of great options. The trick is to find the best cheap window laptops that balance performance, build quality and battery life without making too many compromises.
Table of contents
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What to look for in a budget-friendly Windows laptop
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Best Cheap Laptops of 2025
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Knowledge about the budget window laptop market
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What about Chromebooks and tablets?
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Windows laptops are doing well
What to look for in a budget-friendly Windows laptop
Even if you spend very little time on a Windows laptop, you can do a lot, but you have to set your expectations accordingly. The biggest drawback when buying a budget laptop is actually limited functionality. There are some specifications you need to think carefully about, the most important of which is the processor (CPU). Many Windows laptops run under $500 on Intel Celeron or Pentium chipsets, but you can find some cores with core i3/i5 and AMD Ryzen 3/5 CPUs at the top of the price spectrum.
We recommend you get the most powerful CPU you can afford, as it will determine the speed of your computer overall. Memory (RAM) is also important because the more you have, the easier it is for the laptop to manage content like browser tabs when you edit your Word documents and stream music in the background.
When it comes to storage, consider how much you want to save locally. If you work primarily in Google Docs or keep most of your content in the cloud, you may not need a computer with a lot of on-board storage. Just remember that your digital space will also be taken up by the app, so if you know you want to download a large program, it's worth getting extra storage than you think you need. Final side note: Solid-state drives (SSDs) are everywhere at this time, not to mention faster and more efficient than hard drives (HDDS), so we recommend using a laptop with that type of storage.
As for the screen, there are healthy combinations (720p resolution) and FHD (1080p) options in this price range, and we recommend using a 1080p display notebook spring if you can. Touch screens aren't as common in budget space as standard panels, but you'll really miss one only when you get a 2-in-1 laptop.
Before we come up with the recommended specifications for cheap Windows laptops, it is worth mentioning that Microsoft obviously puts forward the minimum requirements for any Windows 11 machine. This includes a 1GHz or faster processor that includes two or more cores, at least 4GB of RAM and 64GB of available storage. This is the minimum to run Windows 11; we recommend giving yourself some room to swing by choosing a machine that will perform well in the next few years.
Specifications Looking for in Affordable Windows Laptops
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CPU: Intel Core i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 processor, at least
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Memory: At least 8GB
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Storage: At least 128GB SSD
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Screen: At least 1080p FHD
Prioritizing what is important to you is crucial. But at the low end of your budget, a good laptop may not provide everything you need, and a great laptop may provide everything you need. While most machines come with features like Bluetooth, built-in Wi-Fi and other ports, you probably don't all of them come with the details you need, like SD card slots, webcams, chargers, and more. Make sure to check the specification list of any laptop you want to consider before purchasing, especially if specific connectors and features are needed.
See:
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The best laptops of 2025
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The best gaming laptops
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Best 2-in-1 laptops of 2025
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The best Chromebooks
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Best laptops for college students
As for Copilot+, don't expect to see a lot on a truly affordable Windows laptop. Microsoft's AI capabilities and Copilot Assistant require certain specifications to run, namely a powerful neural processing unit (NPU), 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Currently, the cheapest Copilot+ AI PC will bring you about $700, so if you’re willing to pay more for these privileges, check out our guide to the best laptops for more options.
If you are looking for a gaming laptop or a “Windows on the Arm” laptop, both categories require you to spend more money than we discuss here.
Best Cheap Laptops of 2025
The cheap Windows laptop market is moving fast, unlike almost all of our other purchasing guides – we don't necessarily test each of the specific configurations listed below. However, these combinations of technical specifications and familiar brands fully represent the entry-level laptops we recommend based on our detailed research and expert knowledge in this price range.
Knowledge about the budget window laptop market
The best cheap laptop models are changing all the time. Unlike more expensive flagships, these laptops can be updated several times a year. This may make it difficult to track in specific models at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, or any other retailer. Plus, our prices vary widely depending on the configuration and retailer you are looking for.
There are a few things you can do to ensure you get a quality laptop. First, make sure you get a computer that follows the recommended specifications we listed above. Also, make sure you buy it from reputable retailers including big stores like Walmart, Best Buy and Costco, online stores like Amazon or direct manufacturers like Dell, HP, Lenovo. If you have a brick-and-mortar store near you (probably Best Buy in the US), playing with some laptops is not a bad idea before choosing a laptop.
If you decide to shop online from companies like Amazon or Walmart, double check the seller of your laptop you are considering. For example, many items on Amazon are “shipped and sold” by Amazon, and these items are usually the best choice. You will see this information on Amazon on the right sidebar on the product page under the Add to Cart and Buy button. Third-party sellers are common in affordable laptop spaces. Amazon sometimes classifies laptop manufacturers as third-party sellers, so you might see a laptop sold by HP or Dell – that's a good thing because it comes directly from the manufacturer.
However, there are other third-party electronic sellers out there. We recommend clicking the name of third-party sellers on Amazon or Walmart (yes, Walmart has them too) to see how many five-star ratings they get from buyers.
What about Chromebooks and tablets?
You may tend to recommend a Chromebook or tablet to anyone considering a budget for a Windows laptop. There is nothing wrong with these instincts, but Chromebooks and tablets are not the best buys for everyone. Tablets are the most portable, but they can only work for the most mobile users, such as those kids who grab smartphones from their parents because they are flexible enough to do it. Tablets can also be as expensive as some of the cheapest window laptops, and they don't have a mouse or keyboard.
Chromebooks are a great option for people who basically live in a browser, and you have to give up on the trade-off of “traditional desktop”. Compared to Windows, Chrome OS is a more limited operating system when it can be installed and run programs.
Windows laptops are doing well
What can you implement on a cheap Windows laptop? Quite a lot, especially if you do one thing (or limited things) at a time. They are perfect for daily tasks such as web browsing, checking emails, video streaming, and more. All of these things can be done on Chromebooks, too, but Windows laptops have a big advantage in Microsoft Office. While yes, this is a browser-based version, native, desktop apps are considered a version that many people must have, and even the easiest budget laptops will run smoothly. The only caveat is that if you multitask or use large datasets in Excel or many photos and graphics in PowerPoint, you may experience some slowdown on low-power devices.
Speaking of specifications, the highlight of Windows laptops is storage. Even the most affordable devices tend to have at least 128GB of solid-state drives. If you want to save the most important files on your laptop's hard drive, that comes in handy. In contrast, cheap Chromebooks usually have less storage space because they are based on the assumption that you keep all your documents in the cloud. Not only is it convenient when you need to work offline, but it also limits the size of programs and files you can download. Therefore, Chromebooks aren't the best choice for hoarding Netflix shows before long trips or as a gaming laptop.
Windows also has thousands of applications that you can download from its app store. Chromebooks have some Chrome apps, a large number of browser extensions, and the ability to download Android apps, but quality control is inconsistent. In particular, Android applications are not usually optimized for Chrome OS, which makes the user experience weird. Windows applications may not be as good as Android, but at least this experience is comprehensive and standard.
Windows also enables you to download and use programs from other sources, such as directly from developers. You can run Adobe Creative Suite, some VPNs and programs like GIMP, Audacity, and Clipmate on Windows devices, such as Chrome OS, which is not possible. Chromebooks limit you to applications and programs in the Play Store and Chrome Extensions Store
This article originally appeared on Engadget
