The best cheap laptops for 2024, tested and reviewed (2024)

Read Mashable's full review of the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air (M2).

Who it's for:

Apple's 13-inch M2 MacBook Air from mid-2022 isn't quite as fast as the latest M3 model, and it lacks its successor's support for two external monitors and WiFi 6E. (Get that new version if you want the very best MacBook regardless of price.) But those are easy sacrifices to make if you don't want to spend more than $1,000. All things considered, it's a no-brainer recommendation for budget-conscious Apple users in need of a reliable everyday laptop.

Why we picked this:

The M2 MacBook Air "delivers everything you need" in a laptop, wrote Mashable tech and games reporter Alex Perry in his review. That includes an all-day battery life, a snappy keyboard, and "enough horsepower to handle everyday tasks with ease." It also sports a 1080p FaceTime HD camera that produces a clear picture in low light, plus a four-speaker setup with Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos support. Despite needing a few more ports, it effortlessly clinched our Mashable's Choice Award —and after a permanent list price drop to $999 in March 2024, it's now a better value than ever. (It technically isn't the cheapest MacBook available, as you can still buy the $699 M1 MacBook Air, but that model's too outdated to endorse at this point.)

Note that Apple has discontinued the M2 MacBook Air in a 15-inch screen size as of early 2024, but it was still up for grabs at third-party retailers like Best Buy and at the time of writing.

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Read Mashable's full review of the Lenovo Yoga 7i 14 (Gen 9).

Who it's for:

Lenovo's Yoga 7i is an affordable point of entry to the realm of AI PCs. It also has an Intel Core Ultra chip for those interested in a next-gen upgrade. Its 2-in-1 design will also entice thrifty shoppers torn between a laptop and a tablet.

Why we picked this:

Hailing from Lenovo's popular Yoga line, this convertible is an understated workhorse. A little boring, sure — the fact that it can flip into tablet and tent modes is probably the most exciting thing about it —but no-nonsense competence has its appeal. "I’m a tab hoarder, and the Yoga 7i 2-in-1 14 was able to handle my crazy daily research antics flawlessly with its Intel Core Ultra 5 125U processor," said Mashable contributor Sarah Chaney. (That's paired with a healthy 16GB of RAM.) Bonus: It doesn't run hot and won't die on you mid-day.

When you get down to nitty-gritty design details, the Yoga 7i feels a little hit or miss. Its keyboard is "well-spaced and enjoyably springy," Chaney wrote, with adjustable backlighting and a built-in Copilot key that pulls up Microsoft's AI assistant. But its trackpad was laggy in testing. Its hybrid form factor gives it versatility, but its hinges aren't super strong and its display is a bit dim. It has a good selection of ports, but we wish its USB-C ports weren't restricted to one side. Still, those cons could be put-up-withable for $900 if all you really care about is excellent performance.

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Read Mashable's full review of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3.

Who it's for:

You can stretch your dollar further with other tech giants, but the 2023 Microsoft Surface Go 3 is a good cheap laptop for brand loyalists and those who want a flashy ultraportable. "I can see this being the daily driver of young students or Gen Z users seeking a laptop that can handle casual usage with style and sophistication," said Mashable tech editor Kim Gedeon.

Why we picked it:

The 12.4-inch Surface Laptop Go 3 is basically a "Windows Air," Gedeon wrote, with a premium build quality that wouldn't seem out of place among Apple's ranks. And don't get her started about its snappy, spiffy keyboard, which she deemed "one of the best I’ve ever used during my entire career as a laptop reviewer."

Alas, its internals are far more underwhelming: Its 12th-generation Intel CPU is now two generations removed in 2024; its battery life clocked in at a mediocre eight-ish hours in our testing; and its dim display carried over from the 2022 Surface Laptop Go 2. But the base model's memory and storage have doubled, at least. It's also frequently on sale at Amazon and Best Buy for at least $100 off its list price, which feels way more reasonable given those specs. (We've seen it get it even cheaper on Black Friday; if you can hold out for a while, its next big discount will probably coincide with Amazon Prime Day in July.)

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Read Mashable's full review of the HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch.

Who it's for:

HP's Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch is a bottom-of-the-budget laptop geared toward Google-based productivity and casual entertainment. It makes build quality concessions that can take some getting used to, but overall, the price is right for basic cloud-based multitasking.

Why we picked this:

The Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch is a sleek big-screened laptop from Google's next generation of ChromeOS laptops that comes in at only $499. It certainly feels that cheap in some ways (see: its stiff keyboard, poor audio quality, and questionable durability), and its battery life sucks, but its solid performance and spacious, vibrant anti-glare display go a long way to nullify those drawbacks. It's also equipped with some useful AI tools you won't find in non-"Plus" Chromebooks, including a File Sync tool and Google Photos Magic Eraser. "It's unfair to compare a Chromebook to other kinds of laptops," to quote my extended review, "but as a lifelong MacBook user, I feel compelled to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed using this laptop."

It's worth mentioning that while the Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch is a great value, it isn't the absolute best value of the Chromebook Plus bunch. (We'll be reviewing more of them in the near future.) You're not a sucker if you pay its $500 list price, but look for it on sale for around $400 at Best Buy if you can wait.

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Read Mashable's full review of the Acer Nitro V 15.

Who it's for:

Gedeon put things succinctly in her review: "If you're just looking for a gaming laptop that ditches all the bells and whistles for impressive gaming performance, the [Acer] Nitro V 15 is the one for you."

Why we picked this:

The Mashable's Choice Award-winning Nitro V 15 is all about power, power, power —and while it strains the definition of "cheap," we do think it's the best budget gaming laptop under $1,000. The model we tested is "packed with delicious internals that can handle triple-A gaming," said Gedeon, including a 13th-gen Intel Core i7 H-series processor for desktop-level brawn and nice NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 graphics. She found it capable of running Cyberpunk 2077, "one of the most graphics-intensive games on the market, like a champ."

Unsurprisingly, Acer has made some noteworthy trade-offs to offer that level of oomph at this price point, namely in the realms of display quality (it's not bright or vivid) and extra fixings (there's no RGB keyboard or 1080p webcam). Its pathetically short battery life also means it'll set up permanent shop on your desk — preferably with a microfiber cloth at the ready nearby, as it clings to fingerprints with a passion.

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Note: Google recently announced the new Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE, which is effectively the same laptop with a newer processor, a darker finish, and some new Gemini AI tools. We'll test it soon.

Who it's for:

The Acer Chromebook 516 GE (the "GE" stands for "gaming edition") is a budget-friendly beaut for gamers who are tired of trying to keep up with new titles' fancy hardware requirements, as well as those who frequently play on the go — it's pretty light for a PC gaming machine. However, a reliable internet connection and an outlet are musts.

Why we picked this:

Gaming Chromebooks (or cloud gaming laptops) are a relatively new species of budget gaming laptop, and the Chromebook 516 GE was one of the first models to hit the market back in late 2022. It kicked off the genre on a high note: It has plenty of ports, a 1080p webcam, an anti-ghosting RGB keyboard, and a quality (not cheap-feeling) build, said Mashable lead shopping reporter Dylan Haas.

It also performed shockingly well in our testing; while there was some expected fidelity loss, the games Haas streamed never once lagged or stuttered —including Cyberpunk 2077. But "[the] real showstopper is the laptop's display," he wrote. "[The] 16-inch, 1600p screen looks fantastic and boasts clear, bright, and vibrant colors." It would be nice if Acer bumped its battery life a bit, though: Six hours per charge is fantastic if you're talking about a regular gaming laptop that plays natively, but it's less impressive for a cloud-based machine that uses far less power.

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Note: We'll soon review the next-gen Framework Laptop 16, which is now available for purchase.

Read Mashable's review of the Framework Laptop (2021).

Who it's for:

The 2023 Framework Laptop 13 is a bit of an investment upfront, but its modular design translates to long-term savings for users who like to upgrade their specs every few years. Even if you lack DIY wizardry, the learning curve involved isn't too intimidating.

Why we picked this:

Unlike many consumer laptops, which have soldered-on parts, the Framework Laptop 13 has fully replaceable and repairable components. So, instead of buying another brand-new machine when your processor, RAM, storage, keyboard, or display conk out, you can simply Frankenstein in a different part —a great way to save money in the long run.

The best part is that almost anyone can do this: "It's with the tech coward's perspective that I am happy to report the Framework Laptop is nothing short of an industrial design miracle for newcomers," wrote Mashable's Perry, who tested an older version. If you feel a little more confident in your computer-tweaking abilities, consider the fully customizable DIY Edition (which starts at $849) instead of the pre-built model.

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How we tested