Top pickUnlike most cheap Windows laptops, this Aspire Go 15 model is fast, has a decent 1080p display, and conveniently charges via USB-C.Recommended configurationProcessor:Intel Core 3 N355Screen:15.6-inch 1920×1080 non-touchMemory:16 GBWeight:3.74 poundsStorage:512 GB SSDTested battery life:9 hoursWhy we like this one: If you need to run Windows apps or games, or if you prefer to work offline, we recommend the Acer Aspire Go 15 (AG15-32P-30YE). With a decent processor and twice as much memory as in most laptops in this price range, this Aspire Go 15 model should be fast enough for everyday tasks for years to come. Many cheap Windows laptops, in contrast, have less memory or terrible processors that limit them to running only a couple of apps and a handful of browser tabs at a time.The 15.6-inch 1920×1080 display on this Aspire Go 15 model looks surprisingly decent, free of obvious unsightly color tints or viewing-angle issues that plague laptops in this price range. (It’s still nowhere near accurate enough for photo editing, but it makes websites and media look better than most laptops in this price range do.)The AG15-32P-30YE lasted a bit under 9 hours in our web-browsing battery life tests, just enough to squeak through a day of work or classes. We also like that it charges via USB-C, whereas many laptops in this price range still rely on less convenient barrel-style chargers.Its 1080p webcam is also one of the best we’ve tested in this price range, as it saved me from looking like a blurry, desaturated potato on a Zoom call. The keyboard and trackpad are passable — they don’t provide a particularly enjoyable experience, but they don’t drop inputs or rattle during use. AcerWhere it falls short: Like many inexpensive Windows laptops, the Aspire Go 15 comes with a ton of unnecessary bloatware that takes up space and slows down performance. Follow these steps to remove those programs and make your laptop feel faster and be more secure. It also comes with Windows 11 in S mode, which limits the apps you can install, but you can switch out of that for free.The Aspire Go 15 is bulky and heavy at 3.74 pounds — it’s better used around the house than carted around to coffee shops. But in 2025, we haven’t found any super-portable options in this price range that are fast enough for everyday use. Our top pick’s build quality is also mediocre, as the keyboard deck and lid flex a lot under pressure, though they don’t feel brittle. The Aspire Go 15 lacks a fingerprint reader and a webcam cover as well.Runner-upThis model is fast enough for most tasks but has less memory and storage and a lower-quality webcam compared with our top pick.Recommended configurationProcessor:Ryzen 3 7320UScreen:15.6-inch 1920×1080 non-touchMemory:8 GBWeight:3.81 poundsStorage:256 GB SSDTested battery life:9.5 hoursWhy we like this one: If our top pick isn’t available, the next-best option is the Acer Aspire Go 15 (AG15-21P-R0RR). This model offers fast-enough performance for everyday tasks but has less memory, so we expect it to feel slower under the load of multiple programs or lots of browser tabs in a couple of years. This laptop also has half the storage.This model’s 15.6-inch 1920×1080 display gets bright enough to see outside, and its colors look warmer and more accurate than those of the other cheap laptops we tested in 2025. Thanks to its 9.5 hours of battery life, it can just about last a full workday, and it charges via USB-C. Its keyboard and trackpad feel identical to our top pick’s. AcerWhere it falls short: The Aspire Go 15 (AG15-21P-R0RR) comes with a bunch of unnecessary software cruft. We recommend following these instructions to remove anything you don’t need.This model is large and heavy, and its mediocre build quality is similar to that of our top pick. Its 720p webcam is passable, but it didn’t produce as natural-looking an image as our top pick’s 1080p webcam did. This configuration also lacks a fingerprint reader and webcam cover.Best for…This model has a touchscreen and good specs. But it’s heavy, and its display, keyboard, trackpad, and battery life are merely passable.Recommended configurationProcessor:AMD Ryzen 5 7520UScreen:15-inch 1920×1080 touchMemory:16 GBWeight:3.92 poundsStorage:1 TB SSDTested battery life:9.5 hoursWhy we like this one: If you need a touchscreen, we recommend the Acer Aspire 3 15 (A315-24PT-R288). This model has a fast processor and as much memory as our top pick, which means it shouldn’t have any performance limitations with everyday work for years to come. It lasted 9.5 hours in our web-browsing battery test; it’ll survive through a full day of work or class, but not much more.Its 15.6-inch 1920×1080 touchscreen has a matte coating to prevent reflections, a feature that’s especially helpful because this display doesn’t get as bright as the Aspire Go 15’s screen. The Aspire 3 15’s display is IPS, but it still has a bluish cast and less accurate colors compared with our other picks. We like that the Aspire 3 15 can be opened with one hand. AcerWhere it falls short: The Aspire 3 15, which is heavy at nearly 4 pounds, isn’t ideal if you need a portable laptop; our other picks are a bit lighter.The keyboard and trackpad are both merely passable. Though it didn’t drop any keystrokes in my testing, the keyboard lacked a backlight and felt shallow and mushy. And while the trackpad worked for all taps and gestures, it had poor palm rejection, so I occasionally jostled the cursor and made errant clicks while typing.The Aspire 3 15 comes with lots of bloatware; as with our other picks, we recommend following these steps to remove it.
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