Best Laptops under $600 Consumer Reports – [2023 Reviewed]

Have you been searching for the best laptops under $600 but cannot find anything good enough? There’s always something to choose from in the fiercely competitive laptop market, no matter your budget.

Getting your hands on the best laptops under 600 dollars is not impossible when you are on a budget. Below are our picks for the best laptops under $600.

Whether you’re at home, school, gaming, or work, there are plenty of full-sized or ultraportable notebooks with powerful processors, FHD panels, and dependable battery lives.

ProductsPrice
ASUS VivoBook F512 Lightweight Laptop
Acer Swift 3 Thin & Light Laptop
Lenovo IdeaPad 3
HP 15 Laptop, 11th Gen Intel Core i5
New Microsoft Surface Go 2

1. ASUS VivoBook F512 Lightweight Laptop

ASUS VivoBook F512 Thin and Lightweight Laptop

It is indeed one of the best laptops that you can purchase for less than 600 dollars – the new and improved ASUS VivoBook F512. It keeps the durability intact despite the lightweight chassis, weighing only 3.7 pounds, and innovative design elements.

AMD Ryzen 5 3500U CPUs run at 2.1GHz, but they can max out at 3.7GHz when turbo processing is required. Together with 8GB of DDR4 RAM, this chipset and RAM ensure that the device does not experience any lag. The 256GB Solid State Drive offered by ASUS speeds up the booting process as well.

It even prepares the device for casual gaming and advanced productivity tasks thanks to the Intel integrated GPU.

Display-wise, we owe it to ourselves to count on a 1920 x 1080 pixel Full HD screen. This 15.6-inch panel features NanoEdge structural attributes and is broad.

Featuring a slimmer display bezel, this laptop offers an excellent screen-to-body ratio. Windows 10 Home Edition has a number of innovative features that don’t come with the Pro version, including the Edge Browser and Start menu.

During medium to heavy usage, the battery provides a backup of almost five hours. A decent selection of USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports for greater productivity is another innovative feature. Additionally, Asus offers a fingerprint reader for additional security, Bluetooth capability, and a backlit keyboard that optimizes typing performance.

2. Acer Swift 3 Thin & Light Laptop

Acer Swift 3 Thin & Light Laptop

An aluminum-clad chassis distinguishes the new and improved Acer Swift 3. With its 0.59-inch size, this device stands out for its sleekness.

The aesthetic computer weighs just 2.65 pounds, making it a perfect choice for frequent travelers and homeschoolers. The design of the all-metal aesthetic component looks premium and is deserving of all the praise.

In addition to an infectious clarity, the 14-inch display has the sharpest viewing angles. Acer’s Color Intelligence technology is also included in the vibrant IPS panel, which is complemented by the super-slim bezel. A pre-configured OS like Windows 10 Home makes the user interface even more intuitive.

Streaming on Twitch, running GIS software, and even streaming video on YouTube are just some of the things you can do with the AMD Ryzen 5 4500U chipset provided by Acer.

It can clocked at speeds of up to 4GHz. This device comes with 8GB of DDR4 RAM, which further enhances its processing power. The graphics are more than adequate with AMD Radeon integrated graphics.

This device stands out because it offers six megabytes of cache memory, which allows users to carry out highly productive tasks with almost no delay in access times. With 256GB of storage, we also have faster booting thanks to the SSD. Furthermore, this device is capable of continuously running for 11.5 hours before requiring a recharge.

Another great feature is the acoustic support provided by the ‘True Harmony’ technology. The Acer also features a backlit keyboard, HD Webcam (suitable for online schooling), as well as a decent selection of USB ports, including Type-C, 3.0, and more. In the budget of 500-600 dollars, the Gigabit wireless technology on display allows the fastest possible connections.

3. Lenovo IdeaPad 3

Lenovo IdeaPad 3

Lenovo’s IdeaPad 3 is an affordable solution for students and professionals seeking access to a powerful machine that can handle their daily tasks (programming, documents, movies, music, etc.) at a price that will not break the bank.

It can handle the usual productivity tasks, including surfing, editing documents, etc., thanks to its four cores (Intel Core i5-1035G1). With 3.6GHz turbo boost speed, the machine is capable of handling CPU-intensive tasks with Intel UHD Graphics.

A 12GB RAM and 256GB SSD provides fast read/write speeds to help you navigate through programming IDEs, edit multiple documents smoothly, and stream music/videos.

This system comes with Windows 10 Home edition. Its facial recognition feature minimizes the difficulty in remembering passwords due to its built-in HD camera with IR.

In addition to the color profiles and clarity of the 15.6-inch touch screen, the screen boasts 1366 x 768-pixel resolution and HD Truebite technology. Drawing lessons, illustrations, and sketching are made even more convenient with the touch screen. Lenovo’s IdeaPad comes in a matte gray chassis that weighs approximately 4.07lbs.

The full-size keyboard still has plenty of space for a dedicated numeric pad despite the cramped arrow keys. Your long typing sessions will be more pleasant and error-free due to the ideal spacing and adequate key travel. There is ample space for large hands, and the touchpad provides smooth control and responsiveness.

To support external displays, extend memory, and stay connected to multiple accessories, Lenovo includes three USB ports, an HDMI port, a media card reader, and a 3.5mm audio jack. You can connect to the internet wirelessly with Lenovo’s WiFi-5 support.

It has a battery life of over four hours. The IdeaPad 3’s quad-core processor of 10th generation offers sufficient power for everyday chores, HD media, and low-end gaming.

4. HP 15 Laptop, 11th Gen Intel Core i5

HP 15 Laptop, 11th Gen Intel Core i5

Featuring a perfect blend of features, performance, and cost-effectiveness, HP’s 15 laptops hit the sweet spot. This 8GB RAM and SSD-based storage combination provide a perfect platform for a powerful 10th Gen i5 processor to handle day-to-day tasks.

HP-15 has a 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 Quad-core i5-1135G7 processor, which is the tenth-generation. Turbo boost allows the processor to reach 4.2GHz, drastically improving performance. It can handle both photo editing and light games (SIMS, Faster than light, Football Manager, etc. ), as well as content writing, programming, and live streaming.

Although 8GB of DDR4 SDRAM can’t be upgraded, it’s still fast enough to run most computers. The 256GB PCIe SSD can provide fast boot-ups and quick file transfers. Pampered by spacious HDDs, 256GB may seem inadequate.

Nevertheless, switching to OTT’s platform saved a great deal of space that would have otherwise been occupied by multimedia. Windows 10 Home is preloaded on the laptop.

Displayed on a 15.6-inch diagonal white IPS anti-glare screen with a 1920 x 1080 resolution, the computer features in-plane switching technology. Multi-angle viewing is easy with micro-edge bezels that give additional room to the anti-glare screen.

HP 15 has a full-size keyboard and numeric keypad. While typing for long hours, you’ll find the key travel sufficient and the keys solid and flat. The wider touchpad may not be a deal-breaker, but one should be wary of accidental palm tracking.

The laptop weighs only 2.4 pounds with a sleek silver finish. There is no optical drive, so there are three USB ports (one USB 3.1 Type-C and two USB 3.1 Type A), an HDMI port, a 3.5mm audio jack, and an SD card reader. For high-speed data transfers, Bluetooth 5 and Wi-Fi 6 are supported.

The HP 15’s battery is a three-cell, 41 Watt-hour unit that provides 8 hours of backup. This would be enough for flight time and work/college hours. A battery that is used optimally without high brightness will last significantly longer.

5. New Microsoft Surface Go 2

New Microsoft Surface Go 2

For those who love Microsoft products and want a premium design at a lower price, the Microsoft Surface Go 2 is an excellent choice.

The performance is quite good. Intel Pentium Gold 4425Y dual-core processor paired with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage.

The specifications of this laptop are certainly not bad, but it is important to note that you may not be able to handle super-intensive tasks like gaming or graphic design on this machine. Furthermore, it has a very long battery life, so it will be useful if you’re going to use it away from home or work.

Additionally, the unique design is noteworthy. It can double as a tablet or you can use it as a laptop. If you’re in the market for a basic laptop without many bells and whistles, this is a great choice, and it won’t break the bank either. It may be worthwhile to look elsewhere if you want something faster and more powerful.

Things To Consider

It would be worth your time to thoroughly examine the item you are purchasing before you click the buy button on one of the picks we’ve outlined above.

It is important to remember that what may be a good choice for one person may not necessarily be one for you. As a result, here are a few things you should consider when buying a laptop under $600.

RAM and processor

As far as the RAM and processor are concerned, you’re not going to get anything particularly impressive at $600. You should still be able to find a model with at least 8 GB of RAM for your money.

All in all, this is really all you need on your laptop to perform most tasks, and you can run all kinds of programs with this amount of RAM. It will allow you to run Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and many other programs.

The most common processors at this price level are Intel i3 or i5 processors, although you may find an older Intel i7 processor as well. As a general rule, if you wish to attain better performance, you should opt for an i5 processor or higher.

Design

Different laptops have different shapes and sizes – even if they’re made by the same manufacturer, two of them may look completely different. There are some laptops that are extremely portable.

Normally, these laptops are slim and lightweight, so they’re great for business people or students who have to carry their laptops wherever they go.

If there is any feature that may improve your user experience, keep an eye out for it. It is possible to find laptops with keyboards that are well spaced apart so that you can type easier, or keyboards with backlights if you like using your laptop at night or in dimly lit areas. The mouse pad should fit comfortably in your hand.

There is no need to take graphics into account but you may want to. Do you plan on using dedicated graphics? You can certainly benefit from having dedicated graphics on your laptop if you plan to use it for things like gaming and graphic design. Many visual programs and certain games may not run at all without a dedicated graphics card.

You should also consider the speakers if you plan on watching videos or gaming on the laptop. Does the laptop have good speakers? If not, you may need to buy separate speakers for your laptop, which can cost you more money.

Connectivity is also an important factor to consider. Is there a variety of ports on the laptop, such as USB ports or HDMI ports? Does it have Bluetooth capabilities? It makes a big difference when you’re buying a laptop if you consider these items.

Battery Life

You may also want to consider the battery life of your laptop if you want a laptop that’s portable for your budget.

Even though your laptop can be carried from your office to a coffee shop without difficulty, what happens if your laptop dies after five minutes in a coffee shop due to short battery life?

Therefore, if you’re going to use the laptop for business or for school, you should choose one with good battery life. If possible, choose a laptop that can hold a charge for six hours or longer.

Generally, a portable laptop will last longer on its battery, whereas a gaming laptop will not. You should opt for a portable laptop with better battery life if you plan to use it for everyday tasks.

Capacity for Storage

You will likely get a certain amount of storage depending on what you intend to use the laptop for. You may need a laptop with a large storage capacity if you also wish to use your laptop for gaming.

You might not need as much storage if you’re just going to type up notes on Microsoft software. Having said that, unless you already own an external hard drive that you can connect to the laptop, it is generally better to opt for more storage. SSD drives are a good choice if you want faster performance, although these can be quite expensive.

Operating System

Operating systems can greatly influence the way your laptop works as a whole. Operating systems vary from company to company, and there is no ‘best’ one – it largely depends on your individual preferences. Microsoft Windows, Google Chrome OS, and Apple macOS are the most popular.

The Windows 10 operating system provides the most flexibility in general. As one of the most common operating systems, it supports a wide range of programs.

MacBooks, and other Apple products, run macOS. While many aspects of its operation are similar to those of Windows 10, it differs in a few key ways. You’ll probably not find a MacOS laptop under $600 unless you pick up a model that’s a few years old, so be aware that most MacBook models cost quite a bit of money.

The last option is to use Chrome OS. These operating systems are usually found on devices including Chromebooks. A Google-made operating system, it’s secure to use and has an easy-to-navigate interface. It is largely similar to Windows, and it comes with Google Chrome built-in. The Google package is an excellent choice if you like Google products.

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