Buying a new laptop can be an exciting time, especially if you have a keen interest in computers in general. It’s the feeling of having a brand-new machine that does exactly what you want, faster than your old laptop did. But for as exciting as it can be, many of the best laptops are not cheap, so finding the right one isn’t always easy if you have a tight budget. That’s why we have lists focusing on the best cheap laptops you can buy today, and in this particular one, we’re going to focus on laptops that cost under $600.
The $600 price point is a very reasonable one, but it’s also a range where it really pays to keep an eye out for deals. Many of the laptops below this price outside of sales aren’t amazing, but if you wait it out for some discounts, you can find some real gems. That’s what we did for this list, so keep in mind that while most of the laptops here do cost $600 or less at writing time, that’s dependent on sales, so that price may have changed in the meantime.
Navigate this article:
- Best overall: Dell Inspiron 16
- Best convertible: HP Pavilion x360 14
- Best with a 3:2 display: Surface Laptop Go 2
- Best 17-inch laptop Lenovo IdeaPad 3
- Extra cheap 14-inch laptop: HP Laptop 14
- Best business laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Gen 3
- Best tablet: Surface Go 3
- Best Chromebook: Acer Chromebook Spin 514
Best overall laptop under $600: Dell Inspiron 16
Many users, myself included, find that a 15-inch laptop is the perfect size, and if that’s the case for you, then the Dell Inspiron 16 is probably the best option you can get right now. This is a 16-inch laptop, but it has a size that’s more like a typical 15-inch, it just has a taller screen. Plus, it has current specs and it’s a solid laptop all around. Officially, it costs more than $600, but with an ongoing deal at writing time, you can get it for $550, which is a great deal.
Performance-wise, the Dell Inspiron 16 comes with some very good specs, starting with an Intel Core i5-1235U, which gets you 12 cores, 12 threads, and boost speeds up to 4.4GHz. Plus, Intel Iris Xe graphics help with some GPU workloads, too. On top of that, you get 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD in the base model, which is more storage than you’ll get with almost any competing laptop in this price range, so this is a really good deal.
And that continues with the display. There aren’t a ton of laptops in this price range that are already adopting a 16:10 aspect ratio, but that’s exactly what you get with the Inspiron 16. This is a 16-inch panel, but because of that taller aspect ratio, the laptop as a whole feels more like a 15-inch laptop. In terms of format, 16:10 is taller than 16:9, but not as tall as 3:2, but because this is a large screen, that aspect ratio makes it feel that much bigger. Plus, it comes in Full HD+ (1920 x 1200) resolution, so it’s pretty sharp,
The Dell Inspiron 16 is also going to be one of the very few laptops on this list to have a 1080p webcam, which is a big plus if you’re planning on making video calls or participating in online meetings regularly. Most cheap laptops have 720p cameras which simply aren’t as good, so that’s a big plus here.
In terms of design, the Dell Inspiron 16 is as standard as they come, but that might not be a bad thing necessarily. It’s a silver laptop without much in the way of flair, and while that’s not exciting, it also means you won’t get any weird looks when you pull it out in public. The laptop does look very sleek, though. It weighs 4.12lbs, so it’s not super light, but it’s not too bad for a laptop of this size, and the 18.3mm of thickness at its thickest point are also par for the course.
Finally, you get a solid selection of ports with this laptop. That includes one USB Type-C port, two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, a headphone jack, and a full-size SD card slot. That gives you plenty of options for peripherals, so you probably won’t need any adapters or hubs anytime soon.
Realistically, the biggest downside with this laptop is that the current deal might end, and it will cost significantly more than $600 outside of a sale. But if you can find it discounted, this is definitely one of the laptops you can get for under $600.
- The Dell Inspiron 16 comes with modern specs and a large 16-inch display.
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Best convertible: HP Pavilion x360 14
If you’re like me, the thought of buying a laptop that isn’t a convertible is probably preposterous. And while convertibles can be expensive, the HP Pavilion x360 14 is going for a bit less than $600 right now, and it tends to be fairly cheap in general. Despite that, it has some solid specs and it’s going to serve you very well.
Starting with performance, the HP Pavilion x360 14 comes with 12th-generation Intel processors, specifically starting with an Intel Core i5-1235U, a 10-core, 12-thread processor with boost speeds up to 4.4GHz. That’s a very fast processor already and it also includes Intel Iris Xe graphics, making it suitable for some light GPU workloads. Additionally, it comes with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, which is a very good starting point for a laptop at this price.
The display on this model is also very sharp, coming in at Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio. This makes it one of the better options for watching movies and videos, and it’s the more common aspect ratio at this price. The screen goes up to 250 nits of brightness, so it’s not great for outdoor use, but if you’re mostly indoors, it should work just fine. As it’s a convertible, of course, the laptop supports touch, but also pen input, and an active pen is even included in the box.
A common sacrifice with laptops at this price is going to be the webcam, and this one is a 720p camera, as you’d probably expect. There’s an option for a 5MP webcam, but you need to also add cellular network support, which makes this a much more expensive laptop. There’s no Windows Hello facial recognition here, but you do get a fingerprint reader if you want an easier way to unlock the PC.
The HP Pavilion x360 is a fairly standard-looking convertible, though it does come in silver and gold color options if you want that choice. It’s not extremely portable, weighing 3.35lbs, but it’s not far from what you’d expect from a convertible of this size. It’s also not very thin, measuring 18.8mm, but it could be worse. While it won’t win any awards for being thin and light, you can take this laptop anywhere without too much of a hassle, and it’s not bad for a convertible.
As for ports, you get one USB Type-C port, two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader. This is a solid setup that covers most basic needs, and the lack of Thunderbolt support is to be expected at this price, so you can’t really complain. If you have a peripheral, odds are it will work It’s worth mentioning again that there is also an option to configure the Pavilion x360 14 with cellular network support, specifically 5G. However, this makes the laptop much more expensive, as we’ve said above. Still, if you want a cheap 5G laptop, it might be one of your best options.
This configuration with an Intel Core i5 processor and a Full HD display typically has an official price of $800, but it’s currently down to just $570, and for that price, this is a bargain. You get great performance, a sharp display, and the convenience of a convertible. Of course, because it’s a sale, you might not always find it at this price, but right now, this is one of the best laptops you can get for under $600.
- The HP Pavilion x360 14 is a great budget convertible with solid specs and a sharp display.
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Best laptop with a 3:2 display: Surface Laptop Go 2
Microsoft’s Surface lineup has some great premium devices, but in the past few years, it’s also received some solid budget options. For those who want a premium-feeling laptop without spending a lot, the Surface Laptop Go 2 is one of the best laptops you can find for under $600, especially with the current discounts.
Starting with performance, the Surface Laptop Go is powered by an Intel Core i5-1135G7. That’s not Intel’s latest and greatest processor, but it’s still a quad-core, eight-thread CPU, and it can boost up to 4.2GHz. That’s going to give you some solid performance in day-to-day tasks like school work, browsing the web, and writing documents, plus you get Intel Iris Xe graphics for some light GPU workloads. At the base level, that’s backed up by 4GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD storage. Normally, that’s all you can get for under $600, but right now, you can upgrade to 8GB of RAM and still pay just $600 ($100 off the regular price). The extra RAM does make the experience significantly better, plus there are other benefits with this upgraded model, like a fingerprint reader.
The Surface Laptop Go also has a 3:2 aspect ratio for the display, just like all the other Surface devices. This is significantly taller than a typical 16:9 display, meaning you get much more vertical space, which is great for productivity since you can see more on a page without having to scroll, for example. It comes in an odd resolution, 1536 x 1024, which is below Full HD. However, considering this is a 12.4-inch panel, it’s still going to look plenty sharp, just not as much as the more premium Surface devices. The screen also supports touch, but not the Surface Pen, which is surprising for a Surface device, but you’d probably not get a lot of use out of it on a clamshell laptop like this.
Surface devices typically have some of the best webcams of any Windows laptop, but unfortunately, that’s not the case with the Surface Laptop Go 2. Like many other cheap laptops, it has a 720p camera, and perhaps even more surprising is the fact that there’s no Windows Hello facial recognition. Microsoft does say it enhanced the webcam from the first-generation Surface Laptop Go, and most webcams in this price range are 720p, but it’s still not the best.
In terms of the design, the Surface Laptop Go changes things up in the materials used compared to other Surface devices. The lid is made from aluminum, while the base is made from a polycarbonate resin with glass fiber, and it comes in four colors to choose from – the signature Platinum, Matte Black, Sandstone, and Sage (green). It still looks very much like a Surface device, even if it’s not quite as premium. It’s a fairly thin laptop, measuring just 15.69mm, and it weighs 2.45lbs, so it’s very portable in general, and one of the lightest laptops on this list.
As for ports, you get one USB Type-C, one USB Type-A, a Surface Connect port for charging and docking, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. This is a decent setup, but the lack of a traditional display output and Thunderbolt may be a bummer to some. It’s definitely in line with other Surface devices in terms of ports, which isn’t necessarily a good thing, but it’s serviceable.
Overall, the Surface Laptop Go is a premium-looking laptop that’s very portable and packs solid performance. The mid-tier model is available for just under $600 at Best Buy right now, and it’s one of the best laptops around. If you’re fine with getting the base configuration, you can find it on Microsoft’s website.
- The Surface Laptop Go features the iconic Surface design and solid performance for a low price.
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Best 17-inch laptop under $600: Lenovo IdeaPad 3
For some of us, having as large of a screen as possible is the way to go, and for hose users, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 may be the best option right now. This is a 17-inch laptop, and as larger laptops tend to make some sacrifices, it’s not [backing the absolute latest specs, but that’s not to say it’s a slow laptop by any means. Plus, it’s the first AMD-powered laptop on this list.
Starting with performance, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 comes with an AMD Ryzen 5 5625U processor, which is a slight refresh of the Ryzen 5 5600U. This processor has 6 cores, 12 threads, and it can boost up to 4.3GHz, so it’s a very fast CPU already, and it’s going to breeze through most day-to-day tasks without much of a problem. This model also comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage, which is fairly standard for a laptop in this price range.
Also typical of cheaper laptops is a relatively basic screen, though at least the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 comes with a Full HD panel by default, which isn’t always a guarantee. The screen is 17.3 inches diagonally, and the 1920 x 1080 resolution isn’t super sharp, but it’s definitely usable for most people. It also reaches 300 nits of brightness, which is more than the 250 nits promised by most other laptops on this list.
Keeping up with the rest of the laptops on this list, the camera on the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is another 720p sensor, and once again, there’s no Windows Hello facial recognition support. Thankfully, there’s a fingerprint reader built into the power button, which should make it easier to unlock the PC without having to type in your PIN.
The design of this laptop is fairly basic, as you’d probably expect for a cheap laptop. It comes in either Storm Grey or Abyss Blue colorways, though only the Storm Grey model fits our target budget at writing time, and there isn’t anything that really helps it stick out in any way. At 19.9mm of thickness, it’s not really very slim, but the 4.51lbs of weight is actually fairly reasonable for a large 17-inch laptop, so portability isn’t as bad as it could be.
Coming around to the ports, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 has one USB Type-C port, two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, a headphone jack, and a full-size SD card reader. This is a fairly standard setup for laptops at this price, and you’ve probably noticed most of the devices on this list don’t stray too far from this combination. It’s definitely serviceable if you have a few peripherals and don’t want to use adapters or hubs.
Large laptops are naturally more expensive, and thus, there are some corners cut with this model compared to some of the other entries on this list. Even with those, though, this is a fairly powerful laptop that can keep up with your work or school needs. If you want a 17-inch laptop for under $600, this is one of your best options.
- The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is a relatively basic laptop, but it has a large screen and solid performance to handle day-to-day tasks without a problem.
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Extra cheap 14-inch laptop: HP Laptop 14
If you want a 14-inch laptop on the cheap and you don’t care about the convertible form factor, the aptly named HP Laptop 14 may be for you. This is actually the only laptop on this list officially priced under $600, and with an ongoing sale, it’s going for just $450 at writing time. And yet, you get some solid specs all around.
Indeed, the HP Laptop 14 is already packing 12th-generation Intel Core processors, starting with an Intel Core i5-1235U. This is a 10-core processor with 12 threads and boost speeds up to 4.4GHz, the same you’ll find on higher-end laptops. And again, INtel Iris Xe graphics help handle some lighter GPU workloads, including entry-level gaming. This is paired with 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, which is a bit of a step down from most other laptops on this list, but keep in mind this is also a significantly cheaper laptop, and if you want, you can configure it to have more storage, too.
The first downside of this laptop is in the display. It’s a 14-inch panel, and while most other laptops on this list start with Full HD resolution, the HP Laptop 14 starts with a less sharp HD (1366 x 768) panel. You do have the option to upgrade to Full HD, though, and it’s not a very expensive upgrade, so it’s worth considering if your budget allows for that. There are also more expensive options like touch support and a brighter Full HD panel.
Unsurprisingly, the HP Laptop 14 comes with a 720p webcam and no Windows Hello support, whether that’s via facial recognition or a fingerprint reader. That’s pretty much in line with what you’d expect out of a cheap laptop, especially with this one being among the cheapest on the list.
Design is another area where the HP Laptop 14 is evidently cheap, with the rounded corners and plastic build typical of HP’s cheaper laptops. It comes in a few colors, though, including the basic black and silver options, but also a silver/warm gold dual-tone design and the Indigo Blue option pictured above. The 3.24lb weight isn’t all that light for a 14-inch laptop, and at 18.8mm in thickness, it’s not the slimmest device around, but those are the sacrifices you make with something this cheap.
Thankfully, you don’t make a ton of sacrifices with ports, with one USB Type-C port, two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, a headphone jack, and a full-size SD card reader. That’s a solid setup, but keep in mind the Type-C port doesn’t support charging or a DisplayPort signal, plus it only has 5Gbps of bandwidth, so it’s slower than most other laptops on this list. Still, there’s a good amount of variety here, and you should be able to connect a few peripherals without any issues.
The lower MSRP does mean the HP Laptop 14 isn’t quite as good as some others on this list, but if you just want something with the latest processors and solid overall performance, this laptop delivers that for a very low price.
- Despite being fairly basic, the HP Laptop 14 comes packing solid specs that should deliver all the performance you need for day-to-day tasks.
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Best business laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Gen 3
Lenovo’s ThinkPad laptops are some of the most famous business laptops out there, and while they tend to be fairly expensive, the ThinkPad L14 tries to boil down some of those qualities into an affordable package. And to its credit, it does very well. Officially, this laptop costs well over $600, but Lenovo is almost always running some kind of sale on its website, so there’s a very good chance you can find it in that price range (as is the case at writing time).
For starters, the ThinkPad L13 Gen 3 comes with AMD Ryzen Pro 5000 series processors, specifically starting with the Ryzen 5 Pro 5675U. These Pro processors have additional security features for businesses, plus this one comes with 6 cores, 12 threads, and boost speeds up to 4.3GHz, so you’re getting quite a bit of performance here and you shouldn’t need any upgrades (though the option is there). You also get 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, so you have your bases covered out of the box.
One of the highlights of the ThinkPad L13 Gen 3 is its display, which is a 13.3-inch panel in a 16:10 aspect ratio. We haven’t seen a lot of that on this list, but these taller screens give you more vertical space, which is great if you’re reading or writing since you don’t need to scroll as often. Plus, with Full HD+ (1920 x 1200) resolution, the display plenty sharp for this size, and you’re getting a great experience overall.
The camera on the Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Gen 3 is a 720p webcam, like we’ve seen many other laptops have, and Windows Hello support isn’t a standard feature either. However, being a business laptop, you do get options. You can upgrade to a 1080p camera with IR for facial recognition, or add a fingerprint sensor if you prefer that. The latter option is cheaper, but the former is a bit more convenient, plus you get a better webcam for meetings and video calls.
Something else that makes the ThinkPad L13 unique is its design, at least compared to the rest of the laptops on this list. It comes in either Storm Grey or Black colorways, and it features the usual design elements you’d expect from a ThinkPad, like the red TrackPoint in the middle of the keyboard, and duplicate mouse buttons above the touchpad. Some may not like this, but they’re iconic business features, and it’s great to have them at such a low price. This is also one of the most portable devices here, weighing 2.75lbs and measuring 17.3mm in thickness.
Rounding things out with ports, the ThinkPad L13 Gen 3 comes with two USB Type-C ports, two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, and a headphone jack. Unlike many others on this list, there’s no SD card slot, but you do have an extra USB Type-C port, which adds a bit of versatility. This is still a great setup overall.
Aside from the risk that it will be priced at over $600 when you read this, there isn’t a whole lot to complain about with the ThinkPad L13 Gen 3. The base configuration is already solid and very affordable with the ongoing discount, and you can even upgrade things like the webcam if you want to. It’s not perfect, but it’s probably the best business laptop you can get for under $600 right now.
- The Lenovo ThinkPad L13 is am affordable, but capable business laptop with iconic ThinkPad design elements and solid performance.
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Best tablet under $600: Surface Go 3
Microsoft recently refreshed its budget Surface Go line, and the Surface Go 3 is naturally the best device in the family so far. The latest iteration offers improved performance, but otherwise, it’s the same as the Surface Go 2, and that’s not a bad thing. For under $600, this is probably the best detachable laptop you can find.
So let’s focus on that improved performance first. The Surface Go 3 comes packing an Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y, which is a dual-core, four-thread processor that can boost up to 3.4GHz. There’s an option for an Intel Core i3-10100Y, but that goes over our price ceiling. The base configuration also includes 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage, and we’d definitely recommend upgrading to 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. That configuration will cost you $550 (it’s actually discounted to $500 right now), which is still within the budget, but you’ll have to consider whether you want to get the keyboard and/or Surface Pen alongside it. If you don’t need those things, the performance increase is certainly worth the extra cost.
The display on the Surface Go 3 didn’t change, but it didn’t need to. This is a 10.5-inch panel and it comes in Full HD+ (1920 x 1280) resolution, which is very sharp for a display of this size. It’s also still using the classic 3:2 aspect ratio of other Surface devices, so even though it seems small on paper, it gives you a nice canvas to work with. Of course, as it’s a tablet, it supports touch and the Surface Pen, though they are sold separately
One aspect where the Surface Go 3 easily rises above the rest of the devices on this list is the webcam. There’s a 5MP camera on the front capable of recording 1080p video, and it’s one of the best cameras on any laptop, and it especially stands out on this list. Plus, it includes support for Windows Hello facial recognition, and it’s one of the few laptops on this list to have it as a standard feature. There’s a second camera on the back with an 8MP sensor and 1080p video.
The Surface Go 3 also retains some premium elements in its design, like the magnesium casing Microsoft typically uses for some of its Surface devices. It’s also the thinnest and lightest device on this list, weighing a mere 1.2lbs and measuring just 8.3mm. Of course, that’s without the optional keyboard, but even if you add that, it’s super portable.
Ports, on the other hand, are a bit lacking. You get a USB Type-C port, a Surface Connect port for charging and docking, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader. It’s a basic setup that makes sense for a tablet, but for a PC, it’s quite limited, and you’ll need adapters for most wired accessories.
It’s not the fastest PC out there, but the Surface Go 3 focuses on offering a premium experience in areas like the display, design, and webcam, and it’s a fantastic device for this price.
- The Surface Go 3 is an affordable Windows tablet with a premium and lightweight design and great cameras.
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Best Chromebook: Acer Chromebook Spin 514
Acer makes one of our favorite Chromebooks on the market, the Chromebook Spin 714, but while that one is a bit too expensive for this list, the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 is a perfect fit. It’s still a very capable laptop that’s going to breeze almost anything you’d want to do on Chrome OS, and it still has the versatility of a convertible.
This configuration of the Acer Chromebook 514 comes with an AMD Ryzen 3 5125C, one of the custom processors AMD develops exclusively for Chromebooks. This is a dual-score, four-thread CPU that runs at up to 3GHz. That’s not overly impressive on paper, but with Chrome OS being a very lightweight operating system, this is still going to deliver all the performance you need for school work and day-to-day tasks. Plus, you get 8GB of RAM and 128GB of eMMC storage in the base configuration, so this is a solid configuration all things considered. A proper SSD would be better, but this is still solid for the price.
As the Spin branding suggests, this is a convertible laptop, and that of course means the display supports touch. It’s also covered in Corning Gorilla Glass, so it should be fairly durable and feel premium. The display panel itself has Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, so it’s pretty sharp for this size, and it makes for a great viewing experience.
This laptop also has a 1080p webcam, which is great to see if you want a laptop for online classes or if you make video calls often. Unfortunately, there’s no form of biometric authentication, whether that’s with IR-based facial recognition or a fingerprint scanner. That’s just a matter of convenience, though, you don’t need it.
Moving on to the design, the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 looks fairly standard, but it has a premium build quality you don’t see in a ton of laptops at this price. We’ve already mentioned the Corning Gorilla Glass display, but the chassis is mostly made of metal, and it meets MIL-STD-810H standards for durability, so it should be able to survive some drops and bumps. It’s not flashy, but the build quality is some of the best you’ll find in a laptop that costs under $600. Considering the build quality and the fact that it’s a convertible, the 3.31lbs of weight aren’t bad at all for this laptop. It’s also 17.27mm thick, which isn’t too bad, either.
Finally, in terms of the ports, you get two USB Type-C ports with power delivery and display output, one USB Type-A port, and a headphone jack. There isn’t as much variety as with some other laptops, but with two USB ports, you can get an adapter to add HDMI or other ports you might need. It’s not ideal, but you have the option.
At $560, the MSRP of the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 is well within our budget and for that price, you’re getting a great experience with Chrome OS. It cuts some corners here and there, but it does a lot right and it’s easily one of the best laptops you can get for under $600.
- This Acer Chromebook Spin 514 is a solid Chromebook convertible with AMD Ryzen processors and a premium build.
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And those are, in our opinion, the best laptops you can buy right now for under $600. As we mentioned at the top, many of these laptops are on sale at writing time, which is why they fit the budget, so you’ll have to check for yourself to make sure. Out of these, we chose the Dell Inspiron 16 as the best overall pick because it’s a great combination of the latest Intel processors, a great display, and a 1080p webcam, all somewhat uncommon elements at this price. You won’t find another laptop at this price that combines all that, and the only reason this one even fits is thanks to a sale, which you’ll want to take advantage of.
Looking for a different type of laptop? Check out our list of the best 5G laptops if you want something that can stay connected to the internet anywhere you go (and if money isn’t a constraint).
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