The 9 Best Laptops under $600

Only the Top 3 Laptops are displayed here – check out our entire list for all the others!
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Finding that sweet spot in the budget in which to fit in purchasing a new laptop can be frustrating and stressful. You do not want to spend too little and get a machine that will not be able to perform the way you need it to.

You also do not want to overspend and end up wasting valuable dollars on a fluffed up laptop that is simply too much for what you need it for. That is why we are looking at laptops for $600 and under. 

This may not seem like much, but thanks to advances in technology and manufacturing, computers are getting more and more powerful all the time for lower and lower prices.

That means that $600 today can get you way more computer than $600 would have just a few years ago. This is a great place to shop for a laptop, either for yourself, as a work computer or as a gift for a friend or loved one. 

Since this guide is all encompassing, it includes 2-in-1s, great options for students and business professionals alike as well as gaming laptops under $600.

Here are our favorite nine best laptops for under $600.

BEST OVERALL: HP Notebook 15

Hewlett-Packard (HP) has been making quality equipment since 1939 and they continue their streak of excellence today with the HP Notebook 15.

This is our choice for the best all around computer at our specified price point. The reason being, it hits all of our benchmarks for a traditional laptop computer. 

The HP Notebook 15 has great specifications and is powered by sleek Intel technology. The powerful next generation i5 processor gives this laptop enough energy to run all of your favorite programs without breaking a sweat.

The large crisp 15.6” display with Intel Integrated Graphics looks great and runs smoothly. It has enough storage and memory to satisfy you for years to come with 8GB of fast RAM and 256GB of solid state storage.

This computer truly has no weak spots. Even the battery life is a long 10 hours and the whole thing weighs in at less than four pounds. 

If you are looking for an all around great laptop that comes in at a great price then you want to check out the HP Notebook 15.

If you want something a little more specialized, a little more unique, or a little smaller then you might want to look at something else that fits your individual needs better. 

For a workhorse, day to day laptop, you will be hard pressed to find another computer that offers this much at this price. That is why it takes top marks for our best overall laptop for less than $600.

KEY FEATURES
● Intel Core i5 Processor
● Intel UHD Graphics
● 15.6” (1920 x 1080) Full HD, anti-glare, micro-edge, WLED-backlit Display

BEST FOR STUDENTS: Lenovo IdeaPad 3

If you are looking for a great all around computer that is perfect for students then you definitely are going to want to take a hard look at the Lenovo IdeaPad 3. This computer is universally well liked and has received glowing reviews across the board.

In fact, it could have easily taken our number one spot and it was a hard decision between this and the HP Notebook 15. However, this computer has a few extra features which I think make it best for students. 

The IdeaPad 3 is powered by sleek AMD hardware which gives you quick processing speeds and good graphics. It boasts 8GB of RAM and 256GB of solid state storage space. With an 8 hour battery life and a slim design, this is a great computer. 

In addition, it also features a quiet battery saving mode which is great for late night study sessions when you just need an extra hour of time.

It also comes with a physical shutter for the webcam which offers unrivaled privacy and protection for young students and adults alike.

With Bluetooth, fast WiFi, multiple USB ports, and HDMI, this computer also has all of the hookups that a student will need to keep up with the busy changing technology landscape. 

If you are not a student and need something more portable or more powerful, then you might want to take a look at either a Chromebook or a gaming feature.

However, if you are someone looking to do school work or similar work then there is nothing better than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3. 

With the great specifications, extra battery saving options, a focus on privacy, and a price that will surprise you, this is a fantastic laptop for students anywhere.

If you happen to be studying nursing, check out our comprehensive guide for the best laptops for nursing students. If you are a computer science student, click here – this guide will blow your mind.

KEY FEATURES
● AMD Ryzen 5 3500U Processor
● AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics
● 14” (1920 x 1080) FHD Display

BEST 2-IN-1: HP Pavillion 360

The HP Pavilion 360 is a fantastic value. If you are looking for a 2-in-1 laptop that is above average and below budget then you are going to want to take a long look at this offering.

The HP Pavilion 360 gives you the best of both tablets and laptops resulting in the ultimate 2-in-1 machine. If you are someone who likes to use tablets but also needs a traditional laptop from time to time you are going to love this computer. 

For the price, you won’t be able to find much better. It has great RAM, great storage, a responsive touch screen, Windows 10, and a current generation processor.

The only downside is the 14” screen only has a max resolution of 1366×768 which is a step down from most 1080p displays on the market today. The trade off is everything else is up to par.

If you are not interested in a touch screen foldable laptop you can find other great options for the same price which might suit your needs better.

If you are a stickler for screen size and resolution you might need to sink some more money into getting an upgrade on that front.

But if you can look past that, there is a fantastic 2-in-1 laptop here for an unbeatable price.

KEY FEATURES
● 10th Gen Intel Core i3-1005G1 Processor
● Intel UHD Graphics
● 14” (1366 x 768) HD Touchscreen Display

BEST GAMING LAPTOP: Acer Nitro 5

Are you a gamer on a budget? This one is for you. It is tough to find budget friendly gaming laptops capable of doing any kind of computer gaming so seeing this computer at this price was a nice surprise.

The Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop is not going to melt any benchmarks and might still struggle to run the latest games at 60FPS but it is beefy enough to run most mid-level games without any problem.

This is a big leg up over most laptops at this price point.

The reason why this computer stands out is that it actually has a graphics card. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is a respectable card for this price, even if it is last generation now.

It has enough graphical chops to run many of the latest games at a reasonable frame-rate. The games will look great on the full 15” HD display.

The processor is a current generation i5 core by Intel. Paired with 8GB of RAM and you have a solid gaming set up for the budget gamer or someone looking for a good entry point into gaming laptops.

So what’s the catch? First, the battery is going to struggle while gaming. It advertises 8 hours but if you are not plugged in you can reasonably expect about half of that if you are gaming.

Second, this computer is fat. It weighs just a hair over five pounds and does not travel well.

But for someone who wants to game at this price, this is a great available option. It gets the job done and can safely be classified as a gaming machine. If you are looking for more variety, check out our guide on the best gaming laptops under $500.

If you are not looking to get into laptop gaming then there is no need to sink your money into this laptop.

KEY FEATURES
● Intel Core i5-9300H Processor
● NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Graphics
● 15.6” FHD 15″ Full HD Widescreen IPS LED-backlit Display

BEST CHROMEBOOK: HP Chromebook 11

The best Chromebook on this list comes to us from HP. Chromebooks are designed to do a few key things extremely well and this laptop hits all of those in spades.

Chromebooks are appealing for their low price, simple design and lightweight builds which allows them to be versatile web surfing tools that go above that of a simple phone. The HP Chromebook 11 looks great, feels great, and works great.

One of the best things about this computer is the battery life. At over 15 hours of battery, this computer has an average battery that is double that of most laptops.

It is also super lightweight and small so the life of the battery is not derived from a chunky battery pack. 

This computer is perfect for anyone who likes to do web surfing, online research, or basic computer tasks on a machine shaped like a traditional laptop rather than a phone or tablet. However, this laptop is not super powerful.

If you want to do anything other than basic app-based tasks you are probably going to need an upgrade. With 32GB of flash storage and ChromeOS you might be limited in what you can do with this laptop.

Gaming, intense computing, and complicated programs are going to be off limits for the Chromebook.

If you just want to surf the web in peace with a light machine with snappy responsiveness and  legendary battery life, then the HP Chromebook 11 could be the perfect computer for you. 

KEY FEATURES
● MediaTek 8 Core Processor
● MediaTek Integrated Graphics
● 11.6” HD Display

MOST PORTABLE: Acer Aspire 5 Slim

If you are someone who likes to take their laptop on the go the Acer Aspire 5 Slim could be just the laptop you are looking for.

Not only is this a respectable traditional laptop with decent specs, fast performance, and a great look, it is also small and light enough to go with you wherever you go without sacrificing much in the way of features.

Some laptops that claim to be portable shrink everything down to a tiny size that also tanks the performance and usability of the laptop. You aren’t going to the coffee shop to listen to music, you’re going there to work. Acer understands that.

This laptop fits the bill because it does everything that so-called large or full laptops do but at a more portable level. You still get a large 15.6” screen. You still get AMD graphics and chips.

You still get 8 full hours or more of battery life. Acer has made this laptop super thin so that it can fit in your car, bag, and hands easily without sacrificing what makes their computers great. 

The only real downside is that it is light on included storage compared to other similarly sized computers. If you are looking for more memory and more storage you might need to look at a different model.

Or, if you are someone who really doesn’t like large HD screens, then you can always find another computer on this list with a smaller screen.

But, if you want to be able to do work at the park, at the library, in the local coffee shop, or at a friend’s house, you are going to love the speed, display, and slenderness of this excellent laptop. 

KEY FEATURES
● AMD Ryzen 3 3200U Processor
● AMD Radeon Vega 3 Mobile Graphics
● 15.6” Full HD Backlit (1980 x 1080) Display

BEST FOR STREAMING: HP Stream 14

The HP Stream 14 is not the most powerful computer on this list, nor is it the most technologically advanced. What it lacks in raw power it makes up in functionality.

With “stream” right in the name, you can see what HP was focusing on when they designed this machine and it works, really well.

Some people just need a laptop to lay in bed and watch movies on while sending the occasional nicely worded email and doing a few quick web searches. That is what this computer is made for. 

With a slim frame, lightweight build and long battery life, this computer is made to be propped up and set to streaming mode. The storage is ample enough to serve your basic needs but won’t push the envelope.

The computer itself comes in a beautiful blue color which blends nicely in the dark. I love the look and feel of this laptop for cozy streaming sessions and was happy to see a computer made for the movie watching crowd in mind at a reasonable price.

If you are looking for a simple laptop that is great at streaming movies, the HP Stream 14 is an excellent choice. If you are someone who wants to do actual work, run programs other than Netflix or need large amounts of storage, the HP Stream 14 probably won’t fit your needs.

But with that extra long battery life, pretty color and sleek design, the HP Stream 14 is a perfect movie night computer.

KEY FEATURES

● Intel Celeron N4000 Processor
● Intel Integrated Graphics Card
● 14” (1366 x 768) HD SVA BrightView WLED-backlit Display

BEST BUDGET: CHUWI HeroBook Pro

If you are willing to look outside the box, there are some great deals, new companies and unique features that are waiting to be found.

That is what I discovered when I stumbled upon the CHUWI HeroBook Pro while doing research for this article. At first, I wanted to write it off as another flashy foreign deal that doesn’t live up to the billing.

However, upon closer examination and a hard look at the facts, I realized that this computer is a diamond in the rough. If you can get past the lack of a name brand, you can find an excellent laptop for those who are on a tight budget.

The main benefit of the HeroBook Pro over the competition is that you are getting solid specifications on a light budget. Some of the computers on this list with the same or similar specs are going for almost double the price of this one.

You are getting a large 14” screen, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of onboard storage, a light frame, and nine hours of battery life all while running the latest version of Windows 10 Home Edition.

The trade off is, you are getting a brand that doesn’t have the same kind of reputation as say HP, Dell, or ASUS.

In the short term, this computer is going to perform great. The only question mark is, can it hold up for years? CHUWI is so new that the track record for its longevity is largely unknown.

If you are willing to take a chance on that, you have a great opportunity to discover a true hidden gem that you won’t find on other similar lists. For someone on a budget who is willing to try and get the best bang for their buck, the CHUWI HeroBook Pro offers an intriguing choice.

KEY FEATURES
● Intel Gemini Lake N4000 Processor
● Intel UHD Graphics 600
● 14.1” Full HD (1920 x 1080) Display

BEST FOR WRITING: ASUS VivoBook 15

The ASUS VivoBook 15 Slim has the best keyboard on this list. For many computers concerned with stuffing in the best chips and graphics cards or blowing the screen up to the largest size possible, the keyboard is an afterthought.

Not so with this machine. Anyone who does any appreciable amount of writing or typing on their laptops knows that there is a big difference between a good keyboard and a great keyboard. This computer has a great keyboard.

That is why I have chosen it as my best pick for writers or those who type more than the average person. Some keyboards feel cheap and flat leaving your wrists tired and your fingers annoyed.

My biggest pet peeve is a keyboard that is too close to the touchpad allowing my palms to bump the mouse during typing. This laptop doesn’t have any of those issues. 

The keyboard is ergonomically designed and beautifully backlit to offer you a smooth typing experience. It even features simple touch commands and a fingerprint reader so you can unlock the laptop and make transactions on the go without disturbing your typing flow.

But that is not the only thing the ASUS VivoBook has going for it. This laptop is well reviewed, well liked, and well stocked with great features in addition to the keyboard.

It has a large crystal clear display screen. It has ample RAM and storage options. It runs on solid AMD hardware and it comes in at less than 4lbs in weight. 

Taken all together, you have a good laptop made great by the attention to detail given to the keyboard. If you are not a writer, you will still like this computer.

However, it does not have a great battery life and is a little too large to be portable. If you are someone who doesn’t care about a sleek keyboard and needs a long battery life, you might need to look at a different option.

For writers, at this price, there is simply nothing better.

KEY FEATURES
● AMD Quad Core R5-3500U CPU Processor
● AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics
● 15.6” (1920 x 1080) FHD 4 way NanoEdge bezel Display

What Features to Look for in a Laptop under $600

CPU

At this price point, you are going to be looking for computers with quad-core or i5 processors. You are not going to be able to find the most recent generation of larger seven core or nine core processors.

For the vast majority of people, the processor in these computers is going to do just fine.

Unless you are planning on running some very system intensive programs such as video editing or design programs, then you won’t run into any problems with the processors featured here. 

If you are wanting to do more heavy lifting with your laptop, check out our list of best gaming laptops under $500.

RAM

Random Access Memory (RAM) is cheap and less important than it used to be. Nowadays, most programs are so light and optimized that running out of RAM is rarely an issue unless you plan on trying to do some gaming.

These laptops feature models that have 4GB up to 8GB of RAM. You will be hard pressed to find any computers at this price that have more than 8GB of RAM.

But 8GB should be plenty and if you are only using the computer to surf the web, stream your favorite shows and do word processing, you can easily get away with just 4GB.

STORAGE

Storage can either be a big issue or a non-issue depending on the computer user. Storage at this price comes in all different shapes and sizes.

Some machines have small amounts of onboard eMMC storage backed up by a large cloud storage system. Others have a traditional 256GB SSD hard drive.

If you are going to be downloading lots of beefy programs or putting a lot of videos and music on your machine, you are going to want to look at one with a larger storage capacity OR you can just get an external hard drive such as this one with 2TB.

If you don’t save many things to your computer and do everything online, the flash storage should be plenty. 

DISPLAY / GRAPHICS

The graphics cards on these laptops get the job done but they cannot handle heavy editing or gaming loads.

Many of these screens are large and come in crisp 1080p resolution which is perfect for watching Youtube or streaming your favorite movies.

You are not going to get fast graphics cards for gaming or the latest 4k resolutions at these prices but for the vast majority of people, that is not going to matter one way or another. 

BATTERY LIFE

The better the specs, the worse the battery life. That is true of almost all technology and is especially true here.

If you are trying to maximize your computer’s power on a budget, do not expect to get great battery life. Conversely, if you pick up a slick lightweight Chromebook, you are going to get much better results out of your battery.

Lighter machines at this price can have battery lives that run up to 15 hours long. If you pick a gaming oriented budget laptop or one with a lot of RAM and a big screen, you could be stuck at a mere 5 hours of battery life.

That is a tradeoff you are going to have to keep an eye out for and decide for yourself.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can A Laptop At This Price Be My Every Day Laptop?

Yes! Usually. If your day to day computer use consists of a lot of Googling, emailing, streaming, and chatting then these computers can absolutely be your day to day laptop.

If your day to day consists of hefty financial programs, strenuous work related presentations, or editing then you are probably going to want to get a more powerful dedicated desktop to handle the heavy lifting. If that’s the case check out our best laptops for AutoCAD.

For most average users, these computers will do just fine on a daily basis.

Can These Be Used As A Gaming Laptop?

No. At least not effectively. We did feature a budget gaming laptop (Acer Nitro 5) on this list which was primarily built to do some mid-level gaming.

Outside of that example, or other similarly priced gaming machines, you are going to struggle to run modern computer games on these computers.

Many of these laptops do not have updated graphics cards or virtual memory to run today’s games. That means these computers are going to have low frame rates and high heat levels if they try.

Many will even struggle to store the games themselves. With many modern titles pushing 60GB, 80GB, and even 100GB+ in size, these computers will quickly run out of room given these massive file sizes.

What Should I Be Wary Of Shopping For A Laptop Under $600?

People over-promising and under-delivering. It is good to do your research and know the realistic expectations for laptops at this price.

Computers that seem to be too good to be true usually are. Some of them are foreign brands that try and cram a ton of buzz words into their descriptions to get you to click.

Other laptops trade fancy sounding upgrades for actual quality. Knowing what to reasonably expect from a seller at these prices will go a long way in helping you to avoid being scammed into a bad computer product. 

Would These Laptops Under $600 Be Good For My Child?

If you are looking to get your kid a new computer that won’t strain your wallet, there are some really good options on this list.

They might like a light touch screen equipped machine or a more traditional computer to do school work on.

If your child wants to get into computer gaming, they are probably going to be frustrated with these offerings but if they just need it to keep up with online school, homework, and Google results, all of these computers will be more than enough for them. 

Many of these laptops run in Windows 10 S Mode which is a simpler and more secure version of Windows 10 which cuts down on the potential for your kids to get in trouble online. This is a great price to begin looking for a reliable computer for your kids.

In fact, any one of these awesome machines would make a fantastic gift idea!

Traditional vs. Chromebook vs. 2-in-1

This is going to come down to personal preference. If you enjoy the tactile experience that a touch screen offers or use a lot of touch-based applications you might want to roll with a simple 2-in-1.

If you are a student or working from home, you might need a traditional clamshell laptop.

Chromebooks are lightweight in their programming and simple in their design. They run off of the Google Chrome framework so if you use a lot of Google apps, you might just need that.

There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to these different kinds of computers, there are only computers that work better or worse for you individually. 

Here is a helpful video if you are stuck deciding:

OUR VERDICT

At $600 and under, today’s laptop offerings are varied. You can find a fast traditional clamshell laptop to fit your basic daily needs or a new foldable touchable Chromebook that is completely different from computers just a few years ago.

This price point gives you a lot of options and versatility of design without straining the budget too much. All of these computers do many things well, some things great and few things poorly.

Depending on your specific circumstances and needs, there is a computer on this list that will suit you just fine. All you have to do is a little research and decide on the best option for you and your family. Your next great computer experience is just a click away!

Is there a laptop under $600 that you use and love other than the ones mentioned here on our list? If so, we’d love to hear from you!

Happy Laptop Shopping!

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