Home > Best Budget Laptops > Best Laptops under $300
At LPTPS.com, we constantly scout for the best laptops under 300 dollars. These budget laptops are perfect for someone who wants a low-cost laptop for web surfing, word processing, and watching movies.
Don’t expect the fastest computers or anything powerful, but they’ll be fast enough for basic computing.
Keep to our list and you’ll find a quality product (be careful, it’s not always the case with laptops under $300).
Our Top 3
#1 – Acer Aspire 1 |
#2 – Acer Chromebook 14 |
#3 – Samsung Chromebook 3 |
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Portable, Cheap & with HD screen |
Great all-aluminum Chromebook with HD screen |
One of the best Chromebooks on the market |
| 14″ HD | 14″ HD | 11.6″ |
| Celeron N3450 with 4 GB of RAM | Pentium N3160 with 4 GB of RAM | Pentium N3060 with 4 GB of RAM |
| 32 GB eMMC | 32 GB eMMC | 16 GB eMMC |
| Up to 9 hours | Up to 12 hours | Up to 11 hours |
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| Jump to our Review | Jump to our Review | Jump to our Review |
Table of Contents
What to expect from laptops under $300
Laptops under $300 are usually good for basic tasks like web surfing, emails, and watching movies. For example, they’re a good budget option for a college student that needs to take notes in class, research on the internet, and write his papers.
For $300, you’ll have a good quality laptop that is powerful enough to surf the internet, for movie watching and word processing.
We choose the best laptops under $300 based on two criteria: the built quality and performance.
Decent Build-quality
With a $300 laptop, you won’t get a premium quality laptop, but it still should not feel cheap and should last a few years. Laptops manufacturers really got better over the years at building quality low-cost laptops.
While you can find some really bad quality products in that price range, we only chose the ones that are worth it. Stick to our list and you’ll buy something good.
Basic Performance
These laptops under 300 dollars will offer great value for little money. But you should forget playing games or doing anything that requires a powerful computer.
Their performance will be decent and you will be able to smoothly navigate the web, write emails, and watch movies. If you need more power, you might want to invest more money.
Laptop around $400 will get you a little more performance and for sure for $500 you can get a notebook that won’t lag when you’re heavily multi-tabbing.
Types of laptops under $300
There are three different categories of laptops under $300: regular size Windows laptops, Chromebooks, and small 2-in-1 laptops under $300.
If you want a regular laptop at a low cost, get a Windows laptops with a screen of 13 to 15″.
A Chromebook is a good choice if you want a fast computer to surf the web, use Google apps, and if you have an internet connection most of the time.
If you prefer portability and don’t need a big screen, go for a Windows laptops under $300 with a screen of 10 to 12″.
Recommended for you:
Specs for the Top 12 Best laptops under $300
Graphics 10 to 14-inch Processor MTK 8173C, Intel Celeron N3350 to N4100, Atom x5, Cherry Trail, Intel Pentium N3060 to N3160, AMD A6 RAM 4 GB Storage 16 to 500GB Battery life 5 to 12 hours OS Windows 10, ChromeOS Thickness / Weight 0.41 to 0.9″ / 1.48 to 4.4 lbs Price Range $
Top 12 Best laptops under $300
1 – Acer Aspire 1 – 14″ HD
“Portable, Cheap & with HD screen”
The Aspire 1 is an awesome budget product by Acer. It has a nice, light & thin body that makes it very portable and the keyboard is comfortable enough to use it as a work laptop. There are very few laptops under $300 coming with an HD screen, but this one is! It lacks a bit of storage space, but if you use online storage, you’ll be fine.
Of course, you should not expect a lot of performance from a laptop at that price, but it’s still enough for what you’re looking for: basic computer, emails, and web surfing. All-in-all, it’s very tough to find better value than this laptop and it’s probably the best 14-inch laptop under 300 dollars!
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
| Graphics | 14″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Celeron N3450 with 4 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 32 GB eMMC |
| Battery life | Up to 9 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.71″ / 3.64 lbs |
2 – Acer Chromebook 14 – 14″ HD
“Great all-aluminum Chromebook with HD screen”
The Asus Chromebook 14” is a beautiful all-aluminium laptop that is perfect for basic daily tasks as web surfing and office use like word processing and emails, etc. It has a great 14” HD screen (1920×1080), something you will seldom find on other laptops on this list.
It’s of course not the most powerful computer, but it comes with 4GB of memory and a 32GB hard drive, more than other Chromebooks on the market. It’s perfect for a student that needs to take notes at school and use the internet thanks to its lightweight design – less than 3.5 pounds – and long battery life – 10 to 12 hours. A great choice for a laptop under $300. Read our full review.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on NewEgg
| Graphics | 14″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Pentium N3160 with 4 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 32 GB eMMC |
| Battery life | Up to 12 hours |
| OS | ChromeOS |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.67″ / 3.42 lbs |
3 – Samsung Chromebook 3 – 11″
“One of the best Chromebooks on the market”
With Samsung’s Chromebook 3, you get the brightest 11-inch small screen in this category. This Chromebook is perfect for school use or for entertainment like watching videos. You have enough to work on a day with a battery life of 10 hours.
If you want to indulge in the Chrome OS experience and your computer tasks are the most mundane, the Samsung Chromebook 3 is the device for you. Samsung’s Chromebook 3 may have a few shortcomings like unconvincing audio, but it’s still a sure bet in the budget Chromebooks category.
Pros
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Cons
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| Graphics | 11.6″ screen (1366 x 768) |
| Performance | Pentium N3060 with 4 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 16 GB eMMC |
| Battery life | Up to 11 hours |
| OS | ChromeOS |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.7″ / 2.5 lbs |
Recommended for you:
4 – Asus Vivobook Flip 11 – 11″ Convertible
“A handy little computer”
Asus is in the entry-level category with its Vivobook Flip 11. This device stands out with its elegant bluish-gray design, its rotating touch screen, and its good battery life.
As for its performance, the Asus Vivobook Flip 11 has enough juice to support any basic computer work such as internet browsing, the office suite, or even video playback. Don’t expect more. And don’t push it towards multitasking either. Thanks to the small processor and the eMMC disk, the ultraportable benefits from passive cooling (no fan) and therefore emits no noise.
The Asus Vivobook Flip 11 is a practical small computer, ideal as a 2nd computer for household chores and school note-taking.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on NewEgg
| Graphics | 11.6″ touchscreen (1366 x 768) |
| Performance | Celeron N3350 with 4 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 64+ GB eMMC |
| Battery life | Up to 8 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.7″ / 2.8 lbs |
5 – Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet 10 – 10″ HD Detachable
“The mini-laptop designed for business”
The ThinkPad Tablet reminds us strangely of the fake tablet developed for the 2001 film “A Space Odyssey”, which Samsung used to ridicule Apple’s patent battle against its Galaxy Tab 10.1. Very elongated in its lines, the Lenovo tablet features four physical buttons on its base, clickable and of different sizes: two small buttons to block the display and launch the browser, a huge one for backspace and a way to return to the Home.
Pro-oriented without necessarily having the full stature, this ThinkPad Tablet seems the ideal product for professionals who spend a lot of time in appointments and meetings. The only small flaw would be a lack of pro apps and some system slowdowns.
Pros
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Cons
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| Graphics | 10.1″ HD screen (1920 x 1200) |
| Performance | Celeron N4100 with 4 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 128 GB eMMC |
| Battery life | Expect 9 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.41″ / 1.48 lbs |
6 – Lenovo Chromebook S330 – 14″
“For everyday use”
The Lenovo Chromebook S330 is a device with a clean finish and an attractive design. It is suitable for simple use (office automation, internet). This Chromebook works perfectly and the keyboard is pleasant to the touch. Rather pleasant to use, it is fast and its screen is correct.
The battery lasts 10 hours without a problem. Videos are not jerky. It is really a good portable tool. This pc is very useful when traveling for work or vacation because it allows you to stay in touch with your daily life.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on NewEgg
| Graphics | 14″ screen (1366 x 768) |
| Performance | MTK 8173C with 4 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 32+ GB eMMc |
| Battery life | Up to 10 hours |
| OS | ChromeOS |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.82″ / 3.3 lbs |
# 7 to 12 Best laptops under $300
7 – Lenovo Miix 320 – 10″ Detachable
“Great mini laptop with bright screen & good speakers”
The Lenovo Miix 320 is one of the best mini laptops you can find on the market. It has a solid frame, is equipped with a nice bright 10-inch HD screen and surprisingly powerful speakers for the size.
Add to that a comfortable – but of course small – keyboard and a long battery life and you’ve got a great value 10-inch laptop. Read our full review.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
| Graphics | 10.1″ touchscreen (1920 x 1200) |
| Performance | Intel Atom x5 with 4 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 64 GB eMMC |
| Battery life | Up to 12 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.68″ / 2.2 lbs |
8 – Asus Chromebook C300SA – 13″
“The Student Chromebook”
The Asus Chromebook C300SA is a tough, durable little laptop. This Chromebook can be very useful especially when it comes to taking notes in class, doing school homework …
Music lovers will be delighted with the sound this laptop produces. A detail that is also important if you use it for watching videos. The screen of the laptop is beautiful! Brightness can vary, which can help for those with sensitive eyes.
The OS itself is very snappy and simple to understand and could work great as a secondary laptop or even for a college student to take notes on and browse the net.
The Asus Chromebook C300SA is a tough, durable little laptop. This Chromebook can be very useful especially when it comes to taking notes in class, doing school homework …
Music lovers will be delighted with the sound this laptop produces. A detail that is also important if you use it for watching videos. The screen of the laptop is beautiful! Brightness can vary, which can help for those with sensitive eyes.
The OS itself is very snappy and simple to understand and could work great as a secondary laptop or even for a college student to take notes on and browse the net. It’s a serious contender in this list and a good 13-inch laptop under 300 dollars.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
| Graphics | 13.3″ screen (1366 x 768) |
| Performance | Pentium N3060 with 4 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 16 GB eMMC |
| Battery life | Up to 10 hours |
| OS | ChromeOS |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.86″ / 2.97 lbs |
Other similar versions (prices may vary)
Blue, 
Colorful Quality Chromebook Red
9 – Lenovo Ideapad 1 – 14″
“Functional and affordable laptop”
For its price, the Lenovo Ideapad 1 is a decent 14-inch computer. Its design is quite nice and it has a good quality of construction materials. With its lightweight and minimal thickness, the Lenovo Ideapad 1 is a perfect companion for your daily computing needs.
Equipped with an AMD processor and 4 GB of memory, it will live up to your office activities while offering optimal mobility. The only problem with the Ideapad 1 is that it sometimes tends to run slowly when multitasking. But overall, this is one of the good laptops under $300 and it belongs to this selection.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
| Graphics | 14″ screen (1366 x 768) |
| Performance | AMD A6 with 4 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 64 GB eMMc |
| Battery life | Up to 5 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.82″ / 4.4 lbs |
10 – Asus Transformer Book T101HA – 10″ HD Detachable
“The classic tablet replacement”
The Transformer Book T100HA is the classic mini detachable laptop. It’s perfect as a tablet replacement that also transforms into a full working laptop.
Performance is good and will allow multi-tabbing and basic office work. All the advantages of a tablet – weight, screen size – combined with a full-working computer.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
| Graphics | 10″ HD touchscreen (1280 x 800) |
| Performance | Intel Cherry Trail with 4 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 64 GB eMMC |
| Battery life | Up to 12 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.72″ / 2.28 lbs |
11 – HP 14-bw010nr – 14″
“Good value 14-inch”
This 14-inch laptop from HP is quite portable at 3.5 pounds and the design is pretty good. It’s not the fastest laptop, but still enough for basic computing.
The display and audio could be improved a little, but are good enough for watching videos, especially if you consider the price. All-in-all, it deserves to be one of the top laptops under $300.
Buy on (none)
| Graphics | 14″ screen (1366 x 768) |
| Performance | Amd E2-9000e with 4 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 500 GB HDD (5400 rpm) |
| Battery life | Expect 0 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.9″ / 3.5 lbs |
12 – HP Stream 14 – 14″
“Colorful 14-inch”
The HP Stream 14 is a colorful 14-inch laptop. It’s not the fastest nor the best laptops under $300, but it is a popular model for a reason. For that price tag, you get a decent build quality, enough power to surf the web and watch movies. It comes in blue & purple and is also available in an 11-inch version.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
| Graphics | 14″ screen (1366 x 768) |
| Performance | Pentium N3060 with 4 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 32 GB eMMC |
| Battery life | Expect 6 to 7 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.7″ / 3.17 lbs |
Other similar versions (prices may vary)
Purple, 
11-inch non-HD + Integrated
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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27 Comments
MINTESNOT
I’m not really interested on those laptops but asus AS5250 LOOKS GREAT!!!
MINTESNOT
you people better watch out their graphics chip and video dedicated ram, the rest properties can easily be modified but honestly i like acer AS5250..
MINTESNOT
you better watch graphics chip and dedicated video ram, they are too small..
MINTESNOT
acer is best overall,thanks for recommending me.
mohsen
Hi
how about asus 1015 E ?