Are you looking for a laptop with an i3 processor? We’ve listed all the best i3 laptops on the market to make it easy for you.
Our Top 3
#1 – Acer Aspire 5 |
#2 – Dell Inspiron i5378 |
#3 – Lenovo Yoga 720 |
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15-inch with a Lot of Value |
Nice Hybrid 13-inch Notebook |
Portable & well-built 12-inch |
| 15.6″ HD | 13.3″ HD | 12.5″ HD |
| AMD Ryzen 3 with 4 GB of RAM | Intel i3 with 4 GB of RAM | Intel i3 with 4 GB of RAM |
| 128 GB HDD ( rpm) | 1000 GB HDD (5400 rpm) | 128 GB SSD |
| Expect 7 to 8 hours | Expect 6 to 7 hours | Up to 8 hours |
| Jump to our Review | Jump to our Review | Jump to our Review |
Is an i3 laptop for you?
If you are using your laptop like most people for web surfing, general office work and watching movies, an i3 processor will be powerful enough.
In Intel’s mid-range, the i3 is the slowest processor. Does it mean they are slow? No. They’re designed to be fast enough to support most tasks a normal user does.
If you are doing a more intensive usage like graphic design, movie editing or 3D gaming, you should look at an i5 or i7 processor. The i3 processor might be too slow for you.
Only want to see the best i3 laptops list? Click here to jump directly to our Top 10.
Why buy an i3 laptop?
The main reason to look for an i3 laptop is to save money. Does it mean you won’t find a good, quality product? Absolutely not.
But you see, the price of an i3 processor is significantly lower than an i5. So when the laptops manufacturers want to reduce the cost of a laptop, putting an i3 core is a good option. Most people don’t even use half of their CPU power when they have an i5, so the i3 is designed for them.
If your budget is $400, $500 – or even sometimes $600 – chances are you are going to end up with a laptop equipped with an i3 processor.
i3 vs i5
What’s the difference between a laptop equipped with an i3 processor vs an i5?
With a laptop equipped with the i5 processor, you’ll seldom hit the 100% utilization mark. With an i3, that will happen more often. That means that sometimes, your laptop will be slower when opening big applications, running demanding software or heavily multi-tabbing.
So if you have a little more budget, you might want to consider a faster processor because then you’ll have a laptop that can handle pretty much any task.
What else do you need with your i3 laptop?
The i3 processor is only a part of your laptop. Other parts also influence the price and performance. Here’s what to look for to find the best i3 laptop for you.
RAM
The memory – RAM – is another essential part of your laptop configuration. The processor is important when you launch an application and do actions in them, but otherwise it’s the RAM that is used. Buy a laptop with too little RAM and you’ll end up waiting and waiting and waiting. Even if you have the fastest processor on the market.
How many GB of RAM do you need?
4 is the minimum. Don’t go lower than that with a Windows laptop. 4 GB is going to be sufficient for basic web surfing and office work.
If you heavily multi-tab or often have many applications opened at the same time, go for 6 or 8 GB or RAM.
Don’t go over 8 GB of RAM, you’re wasting your money. With an i3 processor is not useful.
Recommended for you:
Specs for the Top 12 Best i3 Laptops
Graphics 12 to 17-inch Processor Intel i3 RAM 4 to 8 GB Storage 128 to 1000 GB Battery life 3 to 13 hours OS Windows 10 Thickness / Weight 0.57 to 6,17 lbs Price Range $$ to $$$
Top 12 Best i3 Laptops
1 – Acer Aspire 5 – 15″ HD
“15-inch with a Lot of Value”
Acer likes to produce affordable laptops that deliver more value than the competition. They got great at compromising where it hurts the less to give the best for your money. This is also the case with the Aspire 5. Also available in a 17-inch version, this 15-inch notebook with a full HD screen delivers better performance than most while having nice features. The screen and audio are more than enough to enjoy movies and the design is good and quite portable at less than 5 pounds. Definitely, a laptop that delivers a lot of value!
Pros
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Cons
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| Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | AMD Ryzen 3 with 4 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 128 GB HDD ( rpm) |
| Battery life | Expect 7 to 8 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.71″ / 3.97 lbs |
| Price Range | $ |
Other similar versions (prices may vary)
17-inch HD + Integrated2 – Dell Inspiron i5378 – 13″ HD Convertible
“Nice Hybrid 13-inch Notebook”
This is definitely one of my favorite laptops with an i3 processor. It’s perfect if you want a portable laptop to watch movies. The price is reasonable, the built-quality good and the battery life long enough to enjoy at least 2 movies. Performance-wise, it’s pretty decent. A good 13-inch laptop and definitely one of the best i3 hybrid laptops.
Pros
|
Cons
|
| Graphics | 13.3″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i3 with 4 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 1000 GB HDD (5400 rpm) |
| Battery life | Expect 6 to 7 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.77″ / 3.56 lbs |
| Price Range | $$ |
Other similar versions (prices may vary)
15-inch HD + Integrated3 – Lenovo Yoga 720 – 12″ HD Convertible
“Portable & well-built 12-inch”
The Lenovo Yoga 720 is a nice & affordable hybrid notebook. The 12-inch touchscreen is vivid & colorful and it has a loud audio system. As with all Yoga laptops, the design is flawless and it does have a premium look thanks to its aluminium body. It doesn’t have the best battery life, but otherwise it a very good small notebook.
Pros
|
Cons
|
| Graphics | 12.5″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i3 with 4 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 128 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 8 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.6″ / 2.5 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$ |
Recommended for you:
4 – Acer Swift 3 – 14″ HD
“Portable & Affordable”
Acer kept their reputation here by building one of the best value i3 laptops on the market. For a budget laptop, the quality is pretty good, it’s light and the HD screen is pretty decent. This 14-inch laptop makes for a great choice for someone that wants a quality laptop to bring everywhere.
| Graphics | 14″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i3 with 4 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 128 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 10 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.71″ / 3.31 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$ |
Other similar versions (prices may vary)
i3 Hybrid version5 – Acer Switch Alpha 12 – 12″ HD Detachable
“12-inch portability”
This is probably your best bet if you’re looking for a portable small laptop. It’s really a good quality and well-designed notebook that you can carry around anywhere. Its detachable design makes it very useful to use as a tablet, drawing board and for watching movies. And when you attach the keyboard, it’s full-working Windows Laptops. Great product by Acer. Read our full review.
| Graphics | 12″ HD touchscreen (2160 x 1440) |
| Performance | Intel i3 with 4 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 128 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 8 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.62″ / 2.9 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$$$ |
6 – Lenovo IdeaPad 320s – 14″ HD
“Good-looking with nice audio”
With the Lenovo Ideapad 320s, you get a good-looking 14-inch notebook that is well-built and lightweight. It’s not the most powerful i3 laptop, but it delivers enough performance for casual browsing and it’s also an affordable movie watching notebook since it boasts a pretty good screen and audio system for the price. All-in-all, a pretty product by Lenovo.
| Graphics | 14″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i3 with 4 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 1000 GB HDD (5400 rpm) |
| Battery life | Up to 12 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.76″ / 3.74 lbs |
| Price Range | $$ |
# 7 to 12 Best i3 Laptops
7 – Dell Inspiron 5000 – 15″ HD
“If you heavily multitask”
This one is not the sexiest nor the lightest or laptops, but this is the choice to go with if you heavily multi-task or often have many applications opened at the same time: the 8 GB of RAM will make a good difference. Otherwise, it’s a classic Inspiron laptop. It looks ok, is a bit heavy but the 15-inch HD screen is pretty good and the quality is there.
| Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i3 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 1000 GB HDD (5400 rpm) |
| Battery life | Expect 3 to 4 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 1″ / 5.4 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$ |
8 – Acer Aspire E5-575-33BM – 15″ HD
“Great Value 15-inch”
The Acer Aspire E5-575-33BM is the little brother – in term of performance – of the Acer Aspire E5-575G-53VG. It’s built on the same frame with the same HD screen and audio. As an entry-level laptop, it’s actually pretty good. It’s not the lightest one, but if you’re looking for a basic laptop that you won’t move too often, it’s a pretty good choice.
Pros
|
Cons
|
| Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i3 with 4 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 1000 GB HDD (5400 rpm) |
| Battery life | Up to 12 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 1.2″ / 5.27 lbs |
| Price Range | $$ |
9 – HP Pavilion x360 – 13″ Convertible
“Good i3 Hybrid”
HP made a decent budget 2-in-1 laptop here. The 15-inch screen makes it good for watching movies in tent mode and you get a full-HD 15-inch screen to perform other tasks in laptop mode. It’s a fair offer by HP here available in 13 and 15-inch versions.
| Graphics | 13.3″ touchscreen (1366 x 768) |
| Performance | Intel i3 with 4+ GB of RAM |
| Storage | 500+ GB HDD (5400 rpm) |
| Battery life | Up to 12 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.78″ / 3.7 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$ |
Other similar versions (prices may vary)
15-inch HD + Integrated10 – Lenovo Ideapad 320 – 17″ HD
“17-inch i3 core laptop”
If you’re looking for a 17-inch laptop with i3 processor, this is your best bet. It’s actually a fair budget offer from Lenovo. While it’s not made to be carried around at 6.2 pounds, it’s still not too thick, under 1". The screen is *almost* HD with a 1600 x 900 resolution and, as it should be expected at that price, is not the best. But it does the job and it’s quite enjoyable to have that big screen when working with numbers or with programs that need a lot of screen space.
Pros
| Cons
|
| Graphics | 17.3″ HD screen (1600 x 900) |
| Performance | Intel i3 with 6 or 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 1000 GB HDD (5400 rpm) |
| Battery life | Up to 6 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.98″ / 6.17 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$ |
11 – Lenovo Flex 4 – 14″ HD
“Budget 14-inch Convertible”
If you’re looking for a 14-inch laptop that is versatile to watch movies and type emails, this might be a good choice. It has more RAM than some of the best i3 laptops on this list, a decent HD screen and is quite portable. For a budget hybrid laptop, its should be on your list.
| Graphics | 14″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i3 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 1000 GB HDD (5400 rpm) |
| Battery life | Up to 7 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.82″ / 3.81 lbs |
| Price Range | $$ |
12 – Asus X540LA – 15″
“Light 14-inch”
For a 15-inch, the Asus X540LA is not a bad choice, but not the best as well. Its screen is not HD and has a short battery life, but it’s also lighter and more portable than others. Asus always delivers good products, so the built-quality shouldn’t be a concern.
| Graphics | 15.6″ screen (1366 x 768) |
| Performance | Intel i3 with 4 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 1000 GB HDD (5400 rpm) |
| Battery life | Expect 3 to 4 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 1″ / 4.41 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$ |
Erik is the owner and main editor of lptps.com. He has been working in computers and information technology for more than 20 years. He’s a business analyst, developer, and avid traveler.
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