You don't need to overspend to get a capable laptop, and that includes both Windows models and Apple MacBooks. It's possible to find a decent laptop for less than $750; you may need to comparison shop and exercise some patience while you wait for a sale. And that’s where we can help.
Our Picks
LAPTOP DEALS OF THE WEEK
- $500 (save $100)
- $850 (save $200)
- $650 (save $200)
CNET’s editors have tested and reviewed many, many laptops from Acer, Asus, Lenovo, Dell and HP, so we can spot the best cheap laptops when we see them. Check out our recommendations for best Asus laptop, best Dell laptop, best HP laptop and best Lenovo laptop. Even Apple now has a bargain with the M1 MacBook Air. Also, consider a Chromebook, especially if much of what you do is on the web. We also have picks for the best MacBook and best Chromebook.
What's the best cheap laptop overall?
Our favorite budget laptop is still Apple's M1 MacBook Air, which was released in 2020 and revived last year as an exclusive at Walmart. It's just $649, a great price for its mix of design, performance and battery life. With its new lower starting price of $999, however, the latest M4 MacBook Air is also on the edge of the budget class and is also a great value.
For an ultraportable Windows machine that rivals the MacBook Air in both design and battery life, check out the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7. Built with an Arm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon X CPU, it's the first Copilot Plus PC we've reviewed. And we came away impressed, particularly with the battery life. Windows laptops have trailed MacBooks in battery life ever since Apple released its Arm-based M1 processor nearly four years ago. The Surface Laptop 7 didn't just close the gap in battery life between a Windows laptop at a MacBook but surpassed it. It starts at $1,000 but can frequently be found for less.
The most recent addition to the list is the Acer Aspire 14 AI. It features the latest AI chip from Intel and is the cheapest Copilot Plus PC we've reviewed at just $750 at Costco. It offers great overall performance for the price and all-day battery life.
Using CNET editors' decades of experience testing and reviewing laptops, we've compiled a roundup of the best budget laptops below.
Best cheap laptops of 2025
Apple's 2020 13-inch MacBook Air was one in the first crop of computers to be powered by the company's M1 processor.
Pros
- M1 Air easily outperforms Intel versions
- Amazing battery life
Cons
- Base model has 8GB memory, 256GB storage
- Expensive for a 3-year-old laptop
This model has been surpassed, but not replaced, by the newer M4 model. Now, the M1 Air is available at Walmart for $649, which is a hefty $350 less than its original price. It's also $350 less than the new M4 MacBook Air.
Why we like it
The M1 MacBook Air was released in November 2020. It offered a huge leap in performance from the previous Intel-based MacBook Air. Fast-forward nearly four-and-a-half years, however, and you arrive at the M4 MacBook Air that Apple launched earlier this year. We tested it and unsurprisingly found the M4 Air's performance was significantly better than that of the M1 Air. Even if you don't think you need the added performance, the newer processor means the M4 model will have a longer useful lifespan. But at just $649, the M1 MacBook Air at Walmart costs significantly less than the $999 M4 Air at Apple.
Who it's best for
It's a great pick for students and other budget shoppers looking for a speedy and stylish do-it-all laptop. It's thin, light and built like a tank. It has a slightly smaller display than the current M4 Air and offers only two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports, but for most people that's enough. And even though it's been surpassed by newer generations, the original M1 Air is still powerful enough for general use and a great buy at its discounted price.
Pros
- Leading 3D performance among budget gaming laptops
- Plastic keyboard deck is solid
- Aluminum top cover adds durability
- Roomy and bright 16-inch, 16:10 display
- Crisp, 1080p webcam
- Plenty of ports, including Thunderbolt 4
Cons
- Bulky and heavy
- Design borrows liberally from Acer's entry-level Nitro 16
- Weak audio output
- Short battery life
Like other gaming laptop makers, Acer has two lines: a budget-friendly Nitro series and midrange and premium models that carry the Predator label. Oddly enough, it's under the latter you'll find our budget gaming pick: the Helios Neo 16.
Why we like it
It's strikingly similar to the Acer's own Nitro 16 but with slightly better build quality and graphics performance. The only place it really faltered was its speakers, which put out disappointingly flat audio with nonexistent bass.
Who it's best for
It's a great pick for gamers on a budget. The Predator Helios Neo 16 we reviewed with RTX 4050 costs just over $1,000 at Walmart, which is less than its price of $1,200 when we looked at it earlier this year. That's a great price for RTX graphics power.
Pros
- Big performance gains from M1, Intel MacBook Airs
- Great design, features
- Support for two external displays simultaneously with MacBook display
- 12-megapixel Center Stage camera
Cons
- 256GB SSD might fill up fast
- Expensive upgrades
For Apple’s latest MacBook Air, the bigger news than moving from Apple's M3 silicon to M4 chips is the drop in price.
Why we like it
Starting at $999, the MacBook M4 Air is $100 cheaper than the entry point for the previous M3 models. In addition to a slight bump in performance over the previous generation, the M4 Air adds a Center Stage webcam, better support for external displays and a new ice blue color option.
Who it's best for
The M4 chip refresh adds up to a good, if minor, update to an already fantastic laptop that’s now more affordable for students and those on tight budgets. With its mix of strong overall performance, long battery life and a trim design, it’s no wonder it’s such a popular laptop for students.
Pros
- Beautiful, durable design
- Class-leading battery life
- Strong performance
- Awesome and accurate haptic touchpad
Cons
- No OLED option
- Upgrades get costly and don't include dedicated GPU
- Your Arm-on-Windows compatibility mileage may vary
The Surface Laptop 7 model we reviewed rings in at $2,000 and can’t be classified as a budget laptop, but the line starts at $1,000, which places it near the edge of the budget class.
Why we like it
We like it for its polished design and class-leading battery life. Our test model ran for nearly 20 hours on a single charge, and you can expect a similar runtime from the entry-level unit. The Surface Laptop 7 reverses earlier Arm-on-Windows efforts that were plagued by lackluster performance and limited compatibility, with many x86 apps unable to run on an Arm-based system. This time around, performance has improved, and so has compatibility.
Who it's best for
People who love the look and long runtime of the MacBook Air but want a Windows laptop. And if you scale back the specs, you can get it for roughly the same price as the M4 Air. For $1,000, the Surface Laptop 7 features a Snapdragon X Plus CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. The storage capacity might be a bit tight, but it should offer sufficient performance for most people. Along with the freedom to leave the charger at home for days at a time.
Pros
- Exceedingly long battery life
- Competitive performance for the price
- Useful port selection
Cons
- Dull display
- Dull design
This recent release from Acer's budget Aspire line is based on an Intel Lunar Lake CPU. Its Intel Core Ultra 5 226V features a neural processing unit (NPU) capable of 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS) for local AI processing, which happens to be the minimum requirement for Microsoft's Copilot Plus PC platform. The Aspire 14 AI costs just $750 at Costco, making it the cheapest Copilot Plus PC we've reviewed.
Why we like it
The Aspire 14 AI a great pick among budget laptops. Its performance and battery life exceed what you can expect for the price, and the design is nearly the same as you get with Acer's more expensive Swift models. You're forced to sacrifice display quality in order to hit such a low price, but that's an item that's usually not very high on a budget shopper's priority list. More important is getting a modern CPU that delivers sufficient performance for everyday use that's also efficient to allow for lengthy battery life -- plus a bit of future-proofing with its AI capabilities.
Who it's best for
With the lengthy battery life we've come to expect from Copilot Plus PCs and with application and AI performance that's competitive with pricier models, the Aspire 14 AI offers great value for budget shoppers looking for a Copilot Plus PC.
Pros
- Affordable price for its overall performance and all-metal design
- Less than 2.2 pounds
- High-resolution 2.5K display
- High-resolution 1440p webcam
Cons
- Battery life is below average
- 13.3-inch display can feel cramped
- Plastic display bezels look cheap
- No USB4 ports
HP packed a lot of value into the Aero 13: Eye-pleasing magnesium-aluminum chassis, strong processing performance, a high-res 13.3-inch display and a weight of just 2.16 pounds (0.98 kilogram).
Why we like it
The Aero 13 starts at $900 and is frequently discounted for less -- we've seen it as low as $570. That’s a great price for such a well-built and portable laptop, even if its battery life is shorter than that of today’s long-running laptops. Still, you can throw its power cord in your bag and still have an incredibly light travel weight.
Who it's best for
The Aero 13 offers a great mix of extreme portability and sleek looks with a high-resolution if slightly undersized display. Ultraporable shoppers on tight budgets -- particularly students looking for a lightweight laptop to tote across campus -- will find lots to like about the Aero 13.
Pros
- Strong build quality
- Great performance for the price
- Long battery life
- Comfortable, quiet keyboard
- Good port selection
Cons
- A little on the heavy side
- Clacky touchpad
- Uninspired audio output
With its excellent build quality, adequate display, strong performance and lengthy runtime, the Yoga 7 14 Gen 9 provides a ton of value and is a great fit as a versatile machine for home use or students.
Why we like it
It's a great deal at its price of $900 at Best Buy and an even better deal at its regularly discounted price of $800 direct from Lenovo. We like its solid, all-metal chassis and the power and efficiency you get from its AMD Ryzen 7 8000-series CPU.
Who it's best for
It lacks some of the refinement and extras you get with Lenovo’s flagship Yoga 9i 14, but the midrange Yoga 7 14 is much more affordable and the better pick for most people.
Pros
- Stellar build quality
- Great compromise between screen size and portability
- Constructed with recycled materials
- Awesome keyboard
- Competitive application performance and long battery life
Cons
- RAM soldered on so can't expand post-purchase
- Touchpad is undersized
It delivers no surprises or revolutionary upgrades from past iterations, but the ThinkPad X1 Carbon's security features, build quality and performance remain excellent.
Why we like it
Its 14-inch display and 2.5-pound weight are the sweet spot of enough screen space to work long stretches without needing to connect to an external display, while also being light enough for daily travel. With an industry-best keyboard, long battery life and greener construction, the X1 Carbon Gen 11 is a near-perfect business laptop.
Who it's best for
Lenovo has increased pricing from previous Gen 11 to Gen 12 models to where we've reached a point where the latest ThinkPad X1 Carbon is no longer our recommendation for business execs unless your organization is large enough to qualify for volume pricing. For individual buyers, it's simply too expensive for the performance and battery life it provides. For most business users, the previous Gen 11 is the better buy. Its 13th-gen Core i7 CPU is getting a little long in the tooth, but I would recommend the Core Ultra Gen 12 model only if you can find it at a steep discount.
Best budget laptops compared
See how our favorite cheap laptops stack up.
| Model | Starting price | Display size/resolution | Weight | CPU | GPU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) | $649 | 13-inch, 2,560x1,600 | 2.8 pounds | Apple M1 8-core CPU | Apple M1 7-core GPU |
| Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 | $1,043 | 16-inch, 1,920x1,200 | 5.7 pounds | Intel Core i5-13500HX | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 |
| Apple MacBook Air (M4, 2025) | $999 | 13.6-inch, 2,560x1,664 | 2.7 pounds | Apple M4 10‑core CPU | Apple M4 10‑core GPU |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 | $1,000 | 13.8-inch, 2,304x1,536 | 2.96 pounds | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100 | Qualcomm Adreno |
| Acer Aspire 14 AI | $750 | 14-inch, 1,920x1,200 | 3.05 pounds | Intel Core Ultra 5 226V | Intel Arc 130V |
| HP Pavilion Aero 13 | $900 | 13.3-inch, 2,560x1,600 | 2.16 pounds | AMD Ryzen 5 8640U | AMD Radeon |
| Lenovo Yoga 7 14 Gen 9 | $900 | 14-inch, 1,920x1,200 | 3.6 pounds | AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS | AMD Radeon 780M |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 | $1,400 | 14-inch, 1,920x1,200 | 2.5 pounds | Intel Core i7-1355U | Intel Xe Iris |
Other laptops we've tested
HP Pavilion Plus 14 (2025): Parts of the HP Pavilion Plus 14 are great, but there's one poor-quality feature that totally ruins the experience.
M4 MacBook Air (15-Inch, 2025): The smaller Air is the perfect student laptop, but once you're out of school you should graduate to the larger, but still highly portable, 15-inch model.
Acer Swift 16 AI: It's thin. It's light. It's long-running. And it boasts a big, bright 16-inch OLED display. So, what's holding this Copilot Plus PC back from being more than just a big-screen productivity machine?
HP Pavilion Aero 13: When it comes to runtime, Snapdragon X laptops and the MacBook Air run laps around it.
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: It's thin and light for its size, but a short runtime and a few design miscues make this a low-cost laptop to skip.
Acer Swift Go 14 AI: This Snapdragon X-powered laptop can run all day, but its overall look might put you to sleep.
Acer Swift 14 AI: It’s a long-lasting if basic Copilot Plus PC, but do we really need an AI indicator light on the touchpad?
Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4: I wish you could upgrade the display, but this low-cost two-in-one business laptop lets you add more RAM and a second SSD after purchase to extend your investment.
Lenovo Yoga 7 16 Gen 9: Lenovo's 16-inch convertible is a good budget buy, but it's better as a secondary machine than your daily driver.
Lenovo Yoga 7 14 Gen 9: With solid build quality, strong performance and lengthy battery life, Lenovo's midrange convertible is well rounded and a great value.
Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 Gen 9: Lenovo's flagship two-in-one has AV advantages over its midrange sibling, but you'll pay a premium price for the OLED display and quad speakers.
Asus Zenbook S 14: Intel's Core Ultra Series 2 processors show improvement from the first generation, but Apple's and Qualcomm's ARM-based chips still lead the way.
HP OmniBook X 14: The latest Copilot Plus PC runs for more hours than there are hours in a day.
Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7441: This Copilot Plus PC offers an unprecedented runtime inside all-metal design at an affordable price.
Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9I: It's super cheap, with a dedicated Intel Arc GPU that lends it a wee bit of 3D muscle for casual 1080p play.
HP Envy x360 16: This midrange convertible impresses with a premium OLED display. Its AMD Ryzen 8040 series CPU makes it pretty fast, too.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16: It’s a top gaming laptop for creators, too.
Dell Inspiron 2-in-1 7445: A dim display dulls Dell's otherwise well-rounded, AI-equipped and affordable 14-inch convertible laptop.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7: Powered by Qualcomm's Arm-based Snapdragon X processor, the Windows-based laptop is exceptionally well made and long-running.
Microsoft Surface Pro 11: We've been waiting for decent Arm-on-Windows performance and for a screen upgrade, and together they've made the new Surface feel like a new tablet.
Acer Swift X 14 (2024): The design won't wow you, but the 14.5-inch OLED display powered by RTX 4070 graphics is a great combo for on-the-go content creation.
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7640: Content creators may bemoan the display choices, but this midtier, 16-inch laptop offers well-rounded performance from its Core Ultra chip and RTX graphics.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold 16: Lenovo makes strides with its second foldable-display laptop, but further refinements are still needed before it's ready for the masses.
Asus Zenbook 14 OLED Q425: It's a boon to get an OLED display in such a portable package with great battery life for roughly $1,000, but the fit and finish feel decidedly midrange.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12: The latest X1 Carbon has many charms, but they will remain out of reach for many business buyers constrained by budgets.
How we test budget laptops
The review process for laptops consists of two parts: performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET Labs and extensive hands-on use by our reviewers. This includes evaluating a device's aesthetics, ergonomics and features with respect to price. A final review verdict is a combination of both objective and subjective judgments.
We test all laptops with a core set of benchmarks, including Primate Labs Geekbench 5 and 6, Cinebench R23, PCMark 10, a variety of 3DMark benchmarks (whichever can run on the laptop), UL Procyon Photo and Video (where supported), and our own battery life test. If a laptop is intended for gaming, we'll also run benchmarks from Guardians of the Galaxy, The Rift Breaker (CPU and GPU) and Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
Budget laptops tend to have components that don't lend themselves to more advanced content creation -- such as a discrete GPU with sufficient memory -- so we don't typically run graphics-intensive performance tests on this class of laptops.
For the hands-on, the reviewer uses it for their work during the review period, evaluating how well the design, features (such as the screen, camera and speakers) and manufacturer-supplied software operate as a cohesive whole. With budget laptops, especially, we concentrate on how well they work given their cost and where the manufacturer has made tradeoffs to reach the price.
The list of benchmarking software and comparison criteria we use changes over time as the devices we test evolves.
You can find a more detailed description of our test methodology on our How We Test Computers page.
Factors to consider when choosing a cheap laptop
There are a ton of models under $1,000 on the market at any given moment, and a large fraction of those are under $500. As long as you manage your expectations when it comes to options and specs, you can still get quite a bit from a budget laptop model, including good battery life and a reasonably lightweight laptop body. (If you're replacing an old Windows laptop that's not up to running Windows anymore, consider turning it into a Chromebook.)
Price
If the statistics Intel and PC manufacturers hurl at us are correct, you'll be holding onto this laptop for at least three years, so don't skimp if you can afford to stretch your budget a little to better specs.
Even better, think about a laptop with a replaceable battery (if you can find one), upgradable memory (although memory is usually soldered to the motherboard), graphics card and storage, or all of the above. If you do, trawl the user reviews and comments for people's experiences with upgrading a particular model. Sometimes they require proprietary parts or require accessing hard-to-access locations in the system.
For a cheap gaming laptop, you'll still have to break the $500 ceiling to support most games. The least expensive budget laptops suitable for a solid gaming performance experience -- those with moderately powerful discrete graphics processors -- will run you closer to $700. Here are our recommendations if you're looking for the best gaming laptop under $1,000. If you like to live on the bleeding edge, cloud gaming services such as Nvidia GeForce Now and Microsoft Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's Cloud Gaming will let you play games on laptops with specs that hit the under-$500 mark.
A bright spot is you don't have to settle for a traditional clamshell laptop with a fixed display and keyboard. You can also get a convertible laptop (aka, a two-in-one), which has a screen that flips around to turn the screen into a tablet, to position it for comfortable streaming or to do a presentation.
You can also try to make your current laptop last a little longer. If you need something to tide you over for a few months, dig into possible places to buy refurbished machines and explore nonprofit or educational discounts if you're eligible.
Windows, Mac or Chromebook
You won't find cheap laptop prices for a MacBook or any other Apple laptop. At best you can get the current entry-level model of the MacBook Air for $999. On sale, you may be able to get it for less than that, but it will never reach truly "budget" territory. Even an iPad will run you more than $500 once you buy the optional keyboard (although it might work out to less if you look for sales on the tablet or keyboard), which is above our budget here. A base-model iPad with an inexpensive Bluetooth keyboard and a cheap stand for the iPad might suffice.
It's easier to find inexpensive Chromebooks than cheap Windows laptops, making them one of the most popular budget laptops on the market, although we're also seeing a lot more Chromebooks in the $500-to-$1,000 range and more Windows laptops in the $500 range. Those Windows systems are frequently repurposed Chromebook configurations that really aren't up to running Windows comfortably.
Google's ChromeOS isn't nearly as power-hungry as Windows, so you can get by with a lower-end processor, slower storage and less screen resolution or RAM; just a few of the components that make a laptop expensive. The flip side is Chrome and Google apps are more of a memory hog than you'd expect, and if you go too low with the processor or skimp on memory, the system will still feel slow.
While Chromebooks can run ChromeOS-specific and Android apps, some people need the full Windows OS to run heftier applications, such as video-editing suites. With that comes a need for a faster processor with more cores, more memory -- 8GB RAM is the bare minimum, although 16GB is preferable -- and more storage for applications and the operating system itself.
ChromeOS is also a much different experience than Windows; make sure the applications you need have a Chrome app, Android app or Linux app before making the leap. Since Chromebooks are cloud-first devices, you don't need a lot of storage built-in.
That also means if you spend most of your time roaming the web, writing, streaming video or playing Android games, they're a good fit. If you hope to play Android games, make sure you get a touchscreen Chromebook.
Size
Remember to consider whether having a lighter, thinner laptop or a touchscreen laptop with a good battery life will be important to you in the future. Size is primarily determined by the screen, which in turn factors into battery size, laptop thickness and weight.
Ultraportable laptops, generally 13 inches or smaller, are a rarity below $700. It turns out, making things smaller doesn't always equate to cheaper. Generally, you'll find budget laptops at 14-, 15.6- and 17.3-inch sizes. Also, because of their low prices, 11.6-inch Chromebooks are attractive. We don't recommend that size for any but the youngest students.
In the budget price range, you have to watch out for screen terminology when it comes to specs: An "HD" screen may not always be a truly high-definition screen. HD, which has a resolution of 1,920x1,080 pixels, is called "Full HD" so marketers can refer to lesser-resolution displays (1,280x720 pixels) as HD. In Chromebooks, HD usually refers to a screen with a resolution of 1,366x768 pixels. On the upside, the boom in 14-inch laptops trickles down to this price range, which allows for more FHD options in that size.
A frequent complaint we see is about "washed-out" looking displays with poor viewing angles. Unfortunately, that's one of the trade-offs: A lot of these use TN (twisted nematic) screen technology, which is cheap but meh. Look for IPS (in-plane switching) LCDs which are better for off-angle viewing, brightness and color.
Processor, memory and storage
A lot of Windows laptops in this range use AMD Athlon and lower-end A series or Intel Celeron and Pentium processors to hit the lower prices. We don't recommend going with an Athlon instead of a Ryzen or a Celeron/Pentium instead of a Core: Windows is too heavy for them, and in conjunction with the 4GB memory a lot of them have, you may find them abysmally slow at best.
SSDs can make a big difference in how fast Windows performance feels compared with a spinning hard disk, although thankfully old hard disks have become a lot rarer. Not all SSDs are equally speedy and cheaper laptops typically have slower drives. If you need to go with a smaller drive -- they tend to max out at 256GB in this price range -- you can always add an external drive or two (or five, for some of us) at some point down the road or use cloud storage to bolster a small internal drive.
For memory, we highly recommend 16GB of RAM (8GB absolute minimum). RAM is where the operating system stores all the data for currently running applications, and it can fill up fast (for example, right now Chrome is taking up 7GB of my memory). After that, it starts swapping between RAM and SSD, which is a bit slower. A lot of sub-$500 laptops have 4GB or 8GB, which in conjunction with a slower disk can make for a frustratingly slow Windows laptop experience. Also, many laptops now have the memory soldered onto the motherboard. Most manufacturers disclose this, but if the RAM type is LPDDR, it is soldered on and can't be upgraded. Some PC makers will solder memory on and also leave an empty internal slot for adding a stick of RAM. You may need to contact the laptop manufacturer or find the laptop's full specs online to confirm.
Laptop FAQs
How much do good laptops cost?
Setting a budget is a good place to start when shopping for the best laptop for yourself. Higher-end components like Intel Core i-series and AMD Ryzen processors and premium design touches like thin-display bezels and aluminum or magnesium bodies have made their way to laptops priced between $500 and $1,000. You can also find touchscreens and two-in-one designs that can be used as a tablet or a laptop -- and a couple of other positions in between. In this price range, you'll also find faster memory and SSD storage -- and more of it -- to improve performance.
Above $1,000 is where you'll find premium laptops and two-in-ones. If you're looking for the fastest performance, the best battery life, the slimmest, lightest designs and top-notch display quality with an adequate screen size, expect to spend at least $1,000.
When is it worth going over budget?
You can get away with spending $500 or less on a laptop if you are buying it to perform basic tasks like browsing the web, using web apps like Google Docs, and streaming YouTube videos and shows on Netflix. At this price, the components won’t let you do much more than that. And the design will be unlikely to excite you, the display will be average at best, and the storage will be meager. If you spend a bit more -- say $650 on the M1 MacBook Air -- then you’ll get a sleeker design, a higher-resolution display and better performance where you could do a bit of photo and video editing with the laptop slowing to a crawl.
Which is better, MacOS or Windows?
Deciding between MacOS and Windows laptops for many people will come down to personal preference and budget. Apple's base model laptop, the M1 MacBook Air, starts at $999. You can sometimes find it discounted or you can get educational pricing from Apple and other retailers. In general, it'll be at least $1,000 for a new MacBook, and the prices just go up from there.
For the money, you're getting great hardware top to bottom, inside and out. Apple recently moved to using its own processors, which resulted in across-the-board performance improvements compared to older Intel-based models. The company's most powerful laptop, the 16-inch MacBook Pro, still hasn't been updated to Apple silicon.
Again, that great hardware comes at a price. Also, you're limited to just Apple laptops. With Windows and Chromebooks (more on these below), you get an amazing variety of devices at a wide range of prices.
Software between the two is plentiful, so unless you need to run something that's only available on one platform or the other, you should be fine to go with either. Gaming is definitely an advantage for a Windows laptop.
MacOS is also considered to be easier and safer to use than Windows, especially for people who want their computers to get out of the way so they can get things done. Over the years, Microsoft has done its best to follow suit and, with Windows 11 here, it's trying to remove any barriers. Also, while Macs might have a reputation for being safer, with the popularity of the iPhone and iPad helping to drive Mac sales, they've become bigger targets for malware.
Are Chromebooks worth it?
Yes, they are, but they're not for everyone. Google's Chrome OS has come a long way in the 10-plus years since they arrived and Chromebooks -- laptops that run on Chrome OS -- are great for people who do most of their work in a web browser or using mobile apps. They are secure, simple and -- more often than not -- a bargain. What they can't do is natively run Windows or Mac software.
What's the best laptop for home, travel or both?
The pandemic changed how and where a lot of people work. The small, ultraportable laptops valued by people who regularly travel may have suddenly become woefully inadequate for working from home. Or maybe instead of needing long battery life, you'd rather have a bigger display with more graphics power for gaming.
If you're going to be working on a laptop and don't need more mobility than moving it from room to room, consider a 15.6-inch laptop or larger. In general, a bigger screen makes life easier for work and is more enjoyable for entertainment, and it also is better if you're using it as an extended display with an external monitor. It typically means you're getting more ports, too, so connecting an external display or storage or a keyboard and mouse is easier without requiring a hub or dock.
For travel, stay with 13- or 14-inch laptops or two-in-ones. They'll be the lightest and smallest while still delivering excellent battery life. What's nice is that PC-makers are moving away from 16:9 widescreens toward 16:10- or 3:2-ratio displays, which gives you more vertical screen space for work without significantly increasing the footprint. These models usually don't have discrete graphics or powerful processors, although that's not always the case.
Which laptop is best for gaming or creating?
You can play games and create content on any laptop. That said, what games you play and what content you create -- and the speed at which you do them -- varies greatly depending on the components inside the laptop.
For casual browser-based games or using streaming game services like Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming, you don't need a powerful gaming laptop. Similarly, if you're trimming video clips, cropping photos or live-streaming video from your webcam, you can get by with a modestly priced laptop or Chromebook with integrated graphics.
For anything more demanding, you'll need to invest more money in discrete graphics like Nvidia's RTX 30- or 40-series GPUs. Increased system memory of 16GB or more, having a speedy SSD of at least 512GB for storage and a faster processor such as an Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 will all help you get things moving faster, too.
The other piece you'll want to consider is the display. For gaming, look for screens with a high refresh rate of 120Hz or faster so games look smoother while playing. For content creation, look for displays that cover at least 100% sRGB color space or, better yet, 100% DCI-P3.
