For students and professionals juggling school, work and extracurricular obligations simultaneously, an all-purpose laptop is critical. The Surface Go 2 delivers that and more for less than $500.
This laptop offers a powerful processor, ample memory and a fast SSD – and it features a beautiful wide-screen display!
Dell Inspiron 15 3525
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is a classic laptop available in multiple configurations. From an AMD Ryzen 3 model with an Intel i7 processor and up to 512GB SSD storage for $459 to more advanced configurations with faster AMD Vega 10 GPU and 8GB DDR4-2400 memory option costing $799, Dell even sells gaming versions that feature up to an NVidia RTX 3070 graphics card, Full HD display with higher refresh rates (165Hz), and 1TB SSD storage space – or 1TB SSD space storage capacity!
The Inspiron’s plastic construction makes its budget-friendliness evident, and its design is rather plain, with thick borders surrounding its 15.4-inch screen that make it appear cheap. When opened up, it reveals a keyboard and trackpad as well as built-in footpads underneath its hinge that raise it when open for improved airflow. Its grips on its bottom could be more effective in keeping it on a flat surface when in use, causing it to slip around quite frequently.
The Dell Inspiron’s IPS display may not meet your laptop needs, and its colour gamut coverage is limited to the sRGB range – which means HDR content won’t work. While it is suitable for general productivity and media consumption, if you plan to do serious photo editing or design work, you may consider another model. Also, its battery life won’t last through an entire day of light productivity use, although video playback and light gaming may still work fine; additionally, it lacks the USB-C port that some modern laptop buyers require for modern purchases.
Acer Spin 5 (2022)
Acer’s Spin 5 (2022) 2-in-1 laptop offers powerful performance for its price point. Its 14-inch HD display boasts bright and clear images while the battery lasts all day long; plus, there are plenty of ports for peripherals and external displays – perfect for students taking classes that require heavy numbers crunching or visual arts programs such as Adobe Suite.
The only real drawback to the Spin 5 laptop is its plain appearance, which more closely resembles that of 2-in-1 models such as Lenovo Yoga 7i and Dell Inspiron 14 7415 than premium hybrids such as Asus Vivobook Pro 15 or HP Spectre x360 14. However, its outstanding performance more than makes up for any design flaws – its 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB LPDDR5 RAM make this ideal for schoolwork, productivity tasks, and light Adobe Suite work; the only downside is when using demanding apps during demanding loads when CPU fans become noisy during demanding loads.
If you opt for this model, make sure that if you plan on engaging in video editing or 3D modelling, you purchase a dedicated graphics card in order to improve GPU performance and run more demanding applications. This will improve GPU performance and allow for a smoother experience overall.
Operating system selection should also be taken into account when making a purchasing decision. Macs offer easy setup and have an abundance of applications, but they can be more expensive than Windows laptops. In comparison, Microsoft offers more affordable Surface laptops and the Surface Go tablet; newer MacBook Pro models also boast faster chipsets; however, they tend to cost more. As an affordable middle-ground alternative, Dell XPS 13s offer CPU/GPU performance similar to that of their counterparts but at more reasonable costs.
HP Envy x360
The HP Envy x360 lies between budget and premium laptops, offering sleek 2-in-1 styling combined with powerful processor performance to meet most students’ needs.
Our test unit featured an Intel Core i3-N305 CPU, providing ample power for everyday tasks like streaming Netflix, web surfing and writing papers. Light gaming may even be possible, but more powerful models should be considered if photo or video editing is desired. Battery life was excellent, lasting over 12 hours on one charge!
This HP laptop stands out with its Bang & Olufsen-tuned stereo speakers, producing vibrant sound when watching movies or listening to music. Furthermore, you can enhance your experience even further using HP Audio Boost software’s dual-passive technology to filter out distortions and noise for optimal audio.
The keyboard deck of the Envy 13-inch notebook PC is thin and compact, offering full access to standard media functions like brightness or volume control without a number pad – something which may pose issues if you do a lot of typing. Furthermore, as there’s no built-in support for touch-screen displays (although you’ll have to purchase an external stylus separately), connectivity options include two USB-C ports, a standard headphone jack, an SD card reader and an SD card reader – while its lid features a sliding privacy shutter which covers 13-inch display webcam. In contrast, its IR facial recognition software supports Windows Hello logins.
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3
Are You Shopping for a College Laptop? When selecting the ideal college-bound laptop, the perfect balance between performance and affordability must be struck. Your machine should offer enough power for productivity tasks while being small and portable enough for convenient carrying in a backpack or shoulder bag with enough battery life for daylong classes and all-night cram sessions. In addition, its construction should stand up well against daily wear-and-tear while offering user experience features such as a great keyboard/trackpad combination as well as ample ports.
If the laptop you need will primarily be used for web-based coursework, a Chromebook may be your perfect match. While these affordable computers using Google’s operating system may not offer the highest performance capabilities, they still make for influential writing papers and researching online. Furthermore, many schools provide discounts through vendors on Chromebooks, making them even more cost-effective options for students.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook is an outstanding example of an affordable Chromebook. While less well-built than more expensive laptops, its construction still feels solid enough for everyday use and word-processing tasks such as web browsing. We tested its battery for eight hours of continuous usage time – more than enough time for classes and homework sessions alike!
The Flex 3 is a 2-in-1 laptop designed for dual use in both tablet and tent mode. With its built-in webcam and sturdy construction – no flex in its display lid and no sticky plastic or grey aluminium – it makes an excellent companion in education or videoconferencing situations.
Dell XPS 15
A quality laptop can boost productivity and make studying on the move more comfortable, eliminating backpacks laden with binders and hand cramps from taking longhand notes. No matter if you are a first-year or returning student, having the appropriate portable laptop can make all of the difference in success.
There are plenty of affordable solutions that will enable you to stay on track with your studies. A basic Chromebook or ultraportable Windows laptop may suffice, while for something with more power, there are also powerful mobile workstations that will keep up with your workload.
The Dell XPS 15 laptop is an elegant and adaptable choice that provides the ideal blend of beauty and brains. Designed to be as thin and light as possible without compromising performance or functionality, its vivid, crisp display offers easy viewing from all directions with minimal bezels to provide optimal viewing from all positions. Furthermore, this laptop can be customized with different processors, dedicated graphics cards, RAM storage options or SSD options to meet individual user requirements.
The Dell XPS 15 is another durable laptop we’ve seen that stands the test of time. Constructed from machined aluminium and carbon fibre composite with Gorilla Glass, its hinge design and double-clutch mechanism are further evidence of its reliability. It looks premium without costing as much.
The only drawback of the XPS 15 is its lack of legacy ports like USB-A and Ethernet; however, an adapter makes connecting older devices easy. You still have access to three USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 ports – two supporting Power Delivery. You will also find a full-sized SD card slot, a 3.5mm audio jack, and an HDMI port.