Home > High-End Laptops > Best Laptops under $1200
The best laptops under $1200 are in the price range where you get a high-end laptop, with almost no compromise.
I said *almost* no compromise because you still cannot have it all at that price.
Don’t get me wrong, the best laptops under $1200 are built with much better quality than their mid-range siblings. But still, you won’t have *everything* here. For example, you can’t have a high-end graphics card and the best display on the market. Those parts are still a little too expensive for a $1200 laptop.
But don’t get me wrong. The best laptops under $2000 are really nice!
Our Top 3
#1 – Asus ZenBook 14 UX425EA |
#2 – Dell XPS 15 |
#3 – Acer Aspire 7 |
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Beautiful & High-Quality |
Lightweight with QHD Display & dedicated GPU |
Powerful Gaming Laptop & Affordable |
| 14″ HD | 15.6″ QHD | 15.6″ HD |
| Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM | Ryzen 7 with 16 GB of RAM |
| 512 GB SSD | 256 GB SSD | 512 GB SSD |
| Expect 12 hours | Up to 11 hours | Up to 10 hours |
| Jump to our Review | Jump to our Review | Jump to our Review |
Table of Contents
What to expect from a laptop under $1200
Few people will need more than a $1200 laptop. Whether you are looking for an ultra-thin notebook or for a laptop that offers a lot of performance, you’ve got them all here.
Choose what’s more important for you – performance, mobility, versatility – and you’ll get a really great $1200 laptop!
Casing Quality & Style
This is one of the most obvious differences between a sub $1200 laptop and mid-range laptops.
Here you get a laptop that’s made with metal alloys, aluminum or any other mix of high-quality material that will make it sturdier, lighter and look gorgeous.
No cheap plastic here or frames that bend. Only high-quality laptops.
Display
Most of the best laptops under $1200 are equipped with a jaw-dropping display. Some are equipped with a QHD, others with an HD display. But in both case, you should expect a highly colorful display with great brightness.
Performance
Performance will not be a problem! A $1200 laptop comes with more than enough power. The bare minimum here is a notebook with an i5 processor and 8 GB of RAM, which is sufficient to run most software. If you want more, you’ll find a great choice of laptops with i7 processors to run more demanding applications.
And, if you need a dedicated GPU to run 3D software – or games – some of them will come with one. Usually it’s an entry or mid-level GPU, but you can also find some with better graphics cards. (But note that if you are a real gamer, you should look specifically at gaming laptops).
Audio
The audio system in a laptop is usually an issue. In cheaper laptops, the manufacturers like to cut costs in this area. And even when they don’t want to do that, how do you get a great sound system in such a tiny space?
Well, thanks to nowadays technology, the major laptop brands are putting great audio components in the best laptops under $1200. More than enough to enjoy music or play a video during a meeting.
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Specs for the Top 10 Best laptops under $1200
Graphics 12, 13, 14, 15, 17-inch Processor Intel i5, Intel i7 RAM 8 to 16 GB Storage 256 to 1000 GB Battery life 4 to 12 hours OS Windows 10, Windows 10 Pro Thickness / Weight 0.46 to 1.11″ / 2, to 6.6 lbs Price Range $$$, $$$$
Top 10 Best laptops under $1200
1 – Asus ZenBook 14 UX425EA – 14″ HD
“Beautiful & High-Quality”
This one is really one of my favorite laptops on the market right now!
It delivers a lot of value with its quite powerful CPU and is probably the most beautiful product on the market right now. Just look at that design…
Not only that, but you get so much for that price. A truly great 14-inch display, Asus useful and unique ScreenPad that allows you to manage apps and function directly on your touchpad, and a day-long battery life that won’t let you don’t
Add that to an ultra-light design, a quality keyboard & touchpad and you have one of my favorite 14-inch laptop on the market.
Pros
|
Cons
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| Graphics | 14″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 512 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Expect 12 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.55″ / 2.6 lbs |
2 – Dell XPS 15 – 15″ QHD
“Lightweight with QHD Display & dedicated GPU”
A gorgeous QHD screen, a lightweight body and a powerful processor make this Dell XPS 15 a great choice. This premium laptop under $1200 is definitely a quality product.
With its CPU and GPU, it has the power you need to run engineering software and recent games.
It’s really one of my favorite 15-inch laptops on the market.
Pros
|
Cons
|
| Graphics | 15.6″ QHD touchscreen (3840 x 2160) with NVIDIA GTX 960M |
| Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 11 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.66″ / 4 lbs |
Other similar versions (prices may vary)
Intel i7 + 8 GB RAM, 
Hybrid version
3 – Acer Aspire 7 – 15″ HD
“Powerful Gaming Laptop & Affordable”
If gaming power and value is what you’re looking for, then the Acer Aspire 7 might be exactly what you need. It’s certainly one that delivers the most value on the market.
In a few words: a Ryzen 7 CPU, 16 GB of RAM, and an ultra-powerful NVIDIA graphics card. You’ll have to comprise a little on other aspects like the dimmer HD display, but it’s definitely not a deal-breaker if you need a lot of power. Don’t expect the most portable, but for a 15-inch laptop, it’s not that bad under 5 pounds.
The Acer Aspire series always delivered a lot of bangs for the bucks, and this powerful gaming laptop under 1200 dollars is certainly no different! Read our full review.
Pros
|
Cons
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| Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GTX 1650 |
| Performance | Ryzen 7 with 16 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 512 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 10 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.9″ / 4.74 lbs |
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4 – Acer Swift 5 – 14″ HD
“Powerful, Light with an Awesome Look”
This version of the Swift 5 is a clear improvement on the previous one. The first thing that strikes is the gorgeous, ultra-light casing that will definitely turn heads. Then, you get an all-powerful i7 processor with 16 GB of RAM.
Combine that with a 512 GB SSD drive, and you’re set for a computer that can go through anything (except heavy 3D, as it’s not equipped with a dedicated GPU).
Add the gorgeous display and great sound for a product of that size, and it makes for one of the best 14-inch laptops on the market! Read our full review.
Pros
|
Cons
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| Graphics | 14″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 16 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 512 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 8 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.59″ / 2.14 lbs |
Other similar versions (prices may vary)
Intel i5 + 8 GB RAM5 – Microsoft Surface Pro – 12″ QHD Detachable
“Awesome 12-inch”
If you’re looking for a tiny laptop that proved over and over that its the leader of its category, then look at the new version of the Microsoft Surface Pro.
This 12-inch detachable laptop is really a great piece of engineering. The display competes with the Apple iPad Pro display with its ultra-high definition and beautiful color rendering. And its design is solid, well-made, and beautiful.
It might be the size of a tablet, but don’t let its small footprint fool you… it got power. With an Intel i7, 16 GB of RAM, and a 512 GB SSD, it has nothing to envy to the bigger laptops under $1200.
Really, again, a nice product by Microsoft. Read our full review.
Pros
|
Cons
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| Graphics | 12″ QHD touchscreen (2736 x 1824) |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 16 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 512 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 9 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.33″ / 1.73 lbs |
# 6 to 10 Best laptops under $1200
6 – Acer Swift 7 – 14″ HD
“The thinnest and lightest laptop”
The thinnest 14-inch ultraportable is at Acer, and it’s a marvel of design! This luxurious magnesium case weighs less than 2.7 lbs and lasts at least 10 hours away from an electrical outlet. Seeking to develop on its 15-inch Swift 7, Acer wanted to repeat its tour de force.
A masterpiece of design, the Swift 7 is an ideal travel companion. And it will turn head… But it does have a few flaws, like a weak audio output. But it is to be expected from such a thin laptop…
So all-in-all, it delivers good specs, has a gorgeous 14-inch screen and high autonomy. If you want the thinnest, this is the one to choose.
Pros
|
Cons
|
| Graphics | 14″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 10 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.35″ / 2.65 lbs |
7 – Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon – 14″ HD
“Ultra-Sturdy”
If you have a habit of not being too careful with your stuff, then this business laptop will be perfect for you!
With a military-grade durability, you can drop it on the floor and it won’t break like most other laptops. Its carbon-fiber casing makes it not only solid but also lightweight at 2.6 lbs. Perfect for the road-warrior that want a quite powerful, quality laptop.
| Graphics | 14″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 11 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 Pro |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.65″ / 2.6 lbs |
8 – Microsoft Surface Book – 13″ QHD Detachable
“Versatile with Great Display”
With a gorgeous ultra-HD display, powerful components, a 3D graphics card and a high-quality build, it would already be one of the top laptops under $1200.
But add an ingenious detachable 13-inch tablet that works incredibly well with the pen, a long battery life, and we’ve got ourselves a winner. Read our full review.
Pros
|
Cons
|
| Graphics | 13.5″ QHD touchscreen (3000 x 2000) with NVIDIA GTX 965M |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 12 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.9″ / 3.34 lbs |
Other similar versions (prices may vary)
Intel i5 + 8 GB RAM9 – Asus Zenbook UX390UA – 12″ HD
“Such a tiny notebook…”
The Asus Zenbook UX390UA is an incredibly small and thin 12-inch notebook. For someone often on the road, it’s the perfect companion.
So tiny, but it will still run your applications like any other quality laptop and, when you don’t use it, you’ll completely forget it’s in your bag. It’s really an all-around quality laptop that is definitely one of the best laptops under $1200.
Pros
|
Cons
|
| Graphics | 12″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 12 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.46″ / 2 lbs |
10 – Lenovo ThinkPad T470 – 14″ HD
“Ultra-Sturdy 14-inch”
The ThinkPad series is a clear leader in the business laptops market. And the Lenovo ThinkPad T470 is one of my favorite in that segment.
For a $1200 laptop, you get a good quality display – although a little dim for my taste – on an ultra-strong and classy-looking body. Drop this laptop and it won’t break! Know that the performance is average for this price range, as is the audio system. But still, it makes for a good business laptop.
Pros
| Cons
|
| Graphics | 14″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 180+ GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 18 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 Pro |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.79″ / 3.48 lbs |
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.
