Who these are for: A great budget Windows laptop can handle web browsing, video calls, and media consumption, but they’re rare — many cheap Windows laptops buckle under the load of running more than a couple of apps at a time. You have to be especially vigilant when shopping for a Windows laptop in this price range to avoid slow or old processors, insufficient memory, and sluggish storage. In addition, Windows 11 doesn’t feel as responsive on limited hardware; the MacBook Neo and Chromebooks with 8 GB of memory feel snappier than PCs with the same amount of RAM. AcerTop pickThis model offers speedy performance in a portable package with long battery life. Its display, keyboard, and trackpad are good too, but it’s hampered by unnecessary software.Recommended configurationProcessor:Intel Core Ultra 5 226VScreen:14-inch 1920×1200 IPS touchMemory:16 GBWeight:3.09 poundsStorage:512 GB SSDTested battery life:15.5 hoursWhy we like this one: If you need to run Windows apps or games, we recommend the Acer Aspire 14 AI (A14-52MT-53EH). Equipped with a zippier processor and more memory than in most laptops in this price range, this Aspire 14 AI configuration will be fast enough for everyday tasks for years to come. Many cheap Windows laptops, in contrast, have less memory, terrible processors, or slow storage, which limits them to running only a couple of apps and a handful of browser tabs at a time.The Aspire 14 AI is unusually portable for this category. It weighs just over 3 pounds, it’s reasonably compact, and it has a long battery life, as it lasted more than 15.5 hours in our web-browsing tests. Most cheap Windows laptops are better used around the house than carted to coffee shops, but the Aspire 14 AI is a rare exception. We also like that the included charger is USB-C.Its 14-inch 1920×1200 IPS display supports touch input and has a matte coating to prevent reflections. The screen is no match for the displays of more expensive laptops like the Dell XPS 13 or the MacBook Neo; comparatively, colors look washed out and desaturated, because the display can show only about 60% of the RGB spectrum. But the Aspire 14 AI’s screen is leagues better than displays typical of this price range, which tend to have awful viewing angles and show only a drab 45% of the spectrum. This model’s backlit keyboard and trackpad are both accurate and responsive.Where it falls short: Like many inexpensive Windows laptops, the Aspire 14 AI 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 keep it more secure.This model also lacks a fingerprint reader for biometric logins, though its webcam supports Windows Hello for that purpose. We wish the webcam had a physical shutter, but the absence of one is not a dealbreaker. AcerBest for…This laptop has a spacious screen and fast-enough performance for years of use. But it’s heavy, its battery life won’t last a full workday, and its keyboard is mediocre.Recommended configurationProcessor:Intel Core 5 120UScreen:16-inch 1920×1200 IPS non-touchMemory:16 GBWeight:3.65 poundsStorage:512 GB SSDTested battery life:7 hours** We tested this laptop’s battery at a 60 Hz refresh rate for comparison with our other picks, but it defaults to 120 Hz. The battery life on its default setting will be lower.Why we like this one: If you want a bigger screen than our top pick offers, we recommend the Acer Aspire Go 16 (AG16-71P-505H). Like our top pick, it delivers fast-enough performance for everyday tasks now and will do so for years to come.The Aspire Go 16 has a gigantic, 16-inch matte IPS display. Though the colors look a bit washed out and desaturated, it’s better than the vast majority of screens in this price range. It also has a 120 Hz refresh rate, which makes scrolling look extra smooth, but it lacks the convenient touch input of the Aspire 14 AI’s screen.The large trackpad works reliably for all taps and gestures, and its palm rejection was effective; I never jostled the cursor or made errant clicks while typing. We also like that this laptop charges via USB-C, and that it’s easy to open with a single hand.Where it falls short: At 3.65 pounds, the Aspire Go 16 is bulkier and heavier than our top pick. Its battery life is also much shorter — this model lasted just 7 hours 8 minutes in our battery-life tests. (In addition, for those tests, we set the display’s refresh rate to 60 Hz to match the other models we tested. On its default 120 Hz setting, the screen looks better, but the battery life is even shorter.) This laptop is better used around the house, rather than on the go.The keyboard is merely passable. Though it didn’t drop any keystrokes in my testing, the keyboard lacked a backlight and felt shallow and mushy. And like our top pick, this model comes with too much unnecessary software. We recommend uninstalling all the junk.
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