The Best Budget Laptops of 2018

While needing a new laptop isn't itself an exciting thing, laptop shopping sure can be. You look at all the options, think about what you'll be using it for and what specs you'll need, daydream about the perfect laptop...

Then you look at the price tags. The high cost of new laptops alone is enough for many people to continue plugging away on dying devices until the day they shut off forever, usually with something extremely important on them. Luckily, you don't actually have to pay an arm and a leg for a decent computer: Most budget laptops are the perfect balance of practical and affordable, so you don't have to put off that replacement until it's too late.

The Acer Chromebook provides a 15.6" display, runs an Intel Celeron processor, and has 4GB of RAM, all for under $200. This is perfect for all your basic needs, from streaming television to writing papers and browsing the web. It's nothing fancy, but this may be the best deal of 2018 when considering budget laptops that provide all the basic functionality you need at less than half the cost of most of its competitors. It also boasts one of the most user-friendly set-up processes, allowing you to take it out of the box and get to work with minimal hassle or frustration.

The Lenovo Ideapad is the perfect portable all-in-one device for Windows 10 loyalists, and one of the best laptops for students under $500. The device is simple and easy-to-use, and it's not cheap because of poor quality. It's reasonably fast and quite reliable. What makes it a cheap laptop for the buyer on a budget is a slightly lower screen resolution than competitors of the same size—1366 x 768—as well as only moderate speaker quality. That said, for all your basic needs and wants, it's highly functional, well-designed, and easy on the bank account. You can also customize your storage needs, up to a terabyte SSD or HDD.

If portability is a significant concern for you (along with price, obviously), the Samsung Chromebook is one of the best options out there. Comparable in weight and size to the Macbook Air, this significantly cheaper alternative is perfect for students and professionals who need to take their computer with them during the day-to-day. At only two and a half pounds, it's easily portable, and with hours of battery life (up to 11 hours), 4GB RAM, and 32GB of space, you can guarantee yourself a reliable tool for taking to school, work, or anywhere else. For those with concerns over sufficient space or the laptop's lack of CD/DVD drive, the Samsung Chrome has a USB 2.0 and a USB 3.0 port, compatible with whatever USB devices you prefer to use to expand your computer's usage.

The Dell Inspiron 15 7000 is one of the more pricey products on this list, but it is without a doubt one of the best budget laptops for gaming. While you're not going to find the most tricked-out, heavy-duty gaming laptops in this kind of price range, this laptop is perfectly designed for the casual gamer. It has a 128GB solid state drive and a full HD 15.6" display, walking the line between powerful-but-cumbersome and portable-but-weak. It's heavier than your average portable notebook that students often prefer for school, but it's a great option for gamers who want to keep their gaming and their work on the same device, rather than shelling out for separate devices. You make sacrifices on both sides, but for anyone who needs a laptop that can combine practical use and gaming on a budget, the Dell Inspiron is a no-brainer.

HP had a number of the best laptops of 2017, so it should be no surprise that it is a still a top contender in the industry. The HP Stream, as the name suggests, is the perfect budget laptop for users interested primarily in entertainment. The 14" display boasts BrightView technology and 32GB of memory to allow you to store and play the highest quality HD video without sacrificing any of its intended clarity and vitality. In keeping with the trends of the day, it's also streamlined and compact enough to travel with you, making it a versatile option for school or work, in addition to use at home for streaming video and browsing the web. The long battery life also makes it useful for students or for taking with you when you travel.

The RCA Viking Pro tablet is essentially a powerful android tablet with a connected keyboard/trackpad, making it convertible between laptop and tablet. While this design is not ideal for all kinds of uses, it is an extremely convenient 2-in-1 design. It's great for streaming entertainment, playing games, browsing the web, and many other things. With 32GB hard drive storage, and hours of battery life, a convertible tablet like this is a great option for users who need a versatile, portable alternative to the often-cumbersome budget laptops in competition. Plus, as the keyboard is detachable, you can make the tablet even more portable by using it solely in tablet form when you're traveling.

Of course, for only slightly more (okay, a couple hundred more) dollars, you can get one of the most well-reviewed laptops out there: the convertible touchscreen Chromebook from Acer. It doubles as a laptop and a tablet by folding down, and the touchscreen is up-to-date for multi-touch, sensitive use. The sleek appearance is matched by the lightweight design, bringing you an all-you-could-need device in a thin package that weighs just over two and a half pounds. While 16GB of storage will seem low to many, the extremely reasonable price will leave plenty of room in your budget for an external hard drive.

Acer's touchscreen Chromebook is a tough act to beat, but HP is no slacker. Though not convertible into a tablet, this model does have an additional 16GB of hard drive space, for a total of 32GB, and runs on an Intel Celeron processor for maximum speed and versatility. It's fast, reliable, and one of the leading laptops—budget or otherwise—in terms of long-lasting battery life. One charge could reliably last a user more than 10 hours, even up to 14 depending on the manner of use. Though a 14" screen is plenty of space to see your work or watch Netflix, this design is still slim enough to carry with you, making it a compelling versatile option for users of all kinds.

Though the Acer Aspire e 15 may be on the higher end of a budget shopper (though it's still darn cheap), it's definitely worth it. The 128GB (minimum!) of solid-state drive space alone is reason for any shopper to consider this option. You also have a 256 and 512GB option, too. It's a sleek combination of versatility, portability, and performance, perfect for school or work, as well as tasks and entertainment at home. The 15.6" screen makes it great for streaming and casual gaming in addition to its practicality and usefulness with school or work.

Knowing how to choose the right laptop for you isn't always easy, and if you're not satisfied with any of these budget laptops from 2018, don't forget that you can always buy refurbished. You always want to be careful when purchasing a previously-used computer (or any kind of technology), but reputable sites and companies like Apple's own refurbishment store will ensure a fantastic product for a portion of the price. You can also find good deals with trusted companies via places like Amazon and Best Buy, which offer a limited selection of refurbished computers at any given time.