Home > Best Mid-Range Laptops > Best Laptops under $800
I’m more & more impressed with the best laptops under $800. They are seriously improving every year, even when you think they cannot anymore.
With an $800 laptop can get either a high-quality light laptop for general computing or a decent gaming laptop.
There is something for everyone!
Our Top 3
#1 – Asus Zenbook UX431FA |
#2 – Asus VivoBook S15 S512FL |
#3 – MSI GF63 |
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Gorgeous High-end Laptop |
Lightweight & Perfect for Casual Gamers |
For Serious Gaming |
| 14″ HD | 15.6″ HD | 15.6″ HD |
| Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| 256 GB SSD | 256 GB SSD | 512 GB SSD |
| Up to 9 hours | Up to 9 hours | Up to 7 hours |
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Buy on |
Buy on |
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| Jump to our Review | Jump to our Review | Jump to our Review |
Table of Contents
What to expect in a laptop under $800?
There are a lot of good laptops under $800, and they are split between 3 categories: general mass-market laptops that are light & thin, mid-range gaming laptops and lower-end business laptops.
3 Types of $800 Laptops
Great general computing laptop
At 800 dollars, you’ll find really great ultra-thin laptops with high-quality frames that are sturdy and durable. They will be all metal and shouldn’t bend when held by the corner. They’ll be easy to carry around and fast enough to stand all your heavy multi-tasking.
Mid-Range gaming laptops
On the other side, you have the mid-range $800 gaming laptops. While they’ll have a good build quality, at that price the notebook manufacturers often have to compromise in one or two areas. The reason is that gamers need more performance, therefore the manufacturers have to cut somewhere.
Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying, the laptop should be of very good quality, but they might compromise a little on the screen quality, sound system or the metal casing. That’s why they are called mid-range gaming laptops – or if you are a hardcore gamer, for you it’s going to be an entry-level gaming laptop.
Lower-end business laptops
Here, you also start to see business laptops under $800 being produced. These kinds of laptops are rugged, drop and spill resistant, so they are more expensive to produce. So at this price, you won’t have the best parts, but still have a good quality laptop that is durable.
Design & General Quality
All the $800 laptops I chose are of very good quality. They will stand the test of time.
But the look and quality also depend on the features of the laptop. For most laptops, you can expect a great look in a casing that is solid, often made of metal.
When you get in more powerful laptops, the manufacturers did have to sacrifice a little somewhere. And generally, you’ll end up with a plastic laptop. That doesn’t mean it won’t be solid, but of course a metal casing is preferable to a plastic one.
Screen Quality
By paying around $800 for a laptop, you can get a great hi-definition screen that is bright and renders color accurately. No more dim screen with so-so colors. You get vivid colors at all angles.
The very best will be equipped with an Ultra-HD screen – sometimes called QHD or 4K – and the others will have an HD screen. At that price, please never pick anything below HD resolution (1920 x 1080)!
Audio
The sound system in the best laptops under 800 dollars should be clear and loud. There should be little distortion at high volume and the sound should fill a medium room with quite good sound quality. While the best multimedia laptops will produce better sound, these should be satisfying for most users.
Keyboard & Touchpad
While budget laptops often have a mushy keyboard and less responsive touchpad, here you’ll have a keyboard on which you’ll feel comfortable writing for hours.
Alright, now that we’ve looked at the main features you can get, let’s have a look at the top-rated laptops under $800!
Recommended for you:
Specs for the Top 15 Best laptops under $800
Graphics 12, 13, 14, 15, 17-inch Processor Intel i5, Intel i7 RAM 8 GB Storage 128 to 1000 GB Battery life 6 to 14 hours OS Windows 10 Thickness / Weight 0.51 to 1.1″ / 2.14 to 5,45 lbs
Top 15 Best laptops under $800
1 – Asus Zenbook UX431FA – 14″ HD
“Gorgeous High-end Laptop”
Asus made something quite different. While, usually, the Zenbook series sells at higher prices, they produced one that competes with mid-range laptops. So you get a awesome looking, great high-end laptop for a lower price than its siblings. I always like the Zenbook series and this one is no different!
Of course, to sell it at a lower price than the other Zenbooks, Asus made some small compromises. But you still get a solid metal casing that looks rich. You still get great audio that performs better than most of the competition. And you still get an ultra-lightweight 14-inch that you can carry easily.
Where they compromise a little is on the display and battery life. They’ve put a slightly dimmer display and they’ve cut on the incredible battery life than the others have, but I still think it’s a small price to pay to get your hands on a quality laptop!
It’s really one of my favorite laptops under $800, and one I would purchase in a heartbeat.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on NewEgg
| Graphics | 14″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 9 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.63″ / 3.2 lbs |
2 – Asus VivoBook S15 S512FL – 15″ HD
“Lightweight & Perfect for Casual Gamers”
Hi always liked the Vivobook series. Asus always delivered quality laptops that are at the forefront of the market. This new S15 is no different.
Not only do you get a nice choice of colors, you also get an even lighter laptop than the previous version – at less than 4 pounds for a 15-inch, that what I call an ultra-portable laptop!.
The keyboard is super comfortable and the touchpad comes with the innovative screen pad that also works as a second display to use as a Numpad, calculator or to control applications. It used to be only available on Asus’ high-end devices, but now they’ve put it on this series as well.
Add that to the fact that you get a quite powerful computer that comes with an NVIDIA MX250 that’ll allow you to play recent games, and you get a superb laptop that delivers a lot.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on NewEgg
| Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA MX250 |
| Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 9 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.71″ / 3.97 lbs |
3 – MSI GF63 – 15″ HD
“For Serious Gaming”
If you are looking for a gaming machine, this is probably your best choice for a laptop under $800. MSI did something few could: deliver a high-performance gaming machine in a light & portable 15-inch laptop.
Powered by an Intel i5, 8 GB of RAM, and an ultra-powerful NVIDIA GTX 1650, MSI equipped the GF63 for serious gaming. This laptop will play the latest games without an issue. And even more impressing, they built that on a lightweight chassis that weighs 4 pounds. That means that you can carry it around without breaking your back. Perfect as a laptop for college students
Of course you could get a more powerful CPU, a brighter display, and louder speakers, but you won’t find that in this price range. In the gaming category, MSI built the best laptop under 800 dollars, period. For more gaming options in that price range, check our page on the best gaming laptops under $800.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
| Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GTX 1650 |
| Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 512 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 7 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.85″ / 4.1 lbs |
Recommended for you:
4 – Microsoft Surface Laptop – 13″ QHD Convertible
“High-Quality & Beautiful 13-inch”
When Microsoft launched their Surface Laptop, I wondered why they would enter this ultra-competitive market. Now I understand… They managed to produce a high-quality, well-engineered product that competes in the mid-range market.
It’s an ultra-thin & light notebook that has one of the best display you can find. Add that to above average performance & a great keyboard and you’ve got another really great product by Microsoft. And it comes in 4 different colors if you wish something different than the classic grey.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
| Graphics | 13.5″ QHD touchscreen (2256 x 1504) |
| Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 14.5 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.57″ / 2.83 lbs |
Other similar versions (prices may vary)
Silver, 
Burgundy, 
Graphite Gold
5 – Acer Swift 5 – 14″ HD
“Incredibly Light & Stylish”
You won’t understand how incredibly light & thin the Acer Swift 5 is until you have it in your hands. And how good-looking it is… It seriously stands out from the rest of the competition. It’s the ultimate ultra-thin notebook, even with its bigger & vivid 14-inch display.
You don’t have to sacrifice on anything here… the battery life could be longer and the audio a bit louder, but at that size, I can’t really criticize Acer. For a laptop under $800, Acer really made a feat of engineering. Read our full review.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
| Graphics | 14″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 8 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.59″ / 2.14 lbs |
6 – Lenovo Yoga Book C930 – 10″ HD Convertible
“Unique 10-inch for designers”
This one is clearly one of a kind mini laptop. Lenovo really reinvented the genre with this 10-inch, ultra-portable – of course! – and quality notebook. What’s so different? You get 2 displays and no keyboard. Well, in fact, yes you get a keyboard, but it’s a software keyboard like the one you have on your phone or tablet.
Right off the bat, know that the Yoga Book C930 is not made a laptop for writers or anyone who need to type long essays. The non-tactile keyboard will frustrate you. But if you are a designer or are into drawing, this definitely could be your perfect ultra-portable machine.
The first display is a classic high-quality 10-inch screen, while the second is an e-ink screen – like the one you get on an e-book – that allows you to type, draw, use a pen, etc. This makes for an interesting experience that can really help with creative work. And you get all that in a full-powered laptop with Windows 10, running on a 256 GB SSD drive. Lenovo made a welcome innovation on the market with this product!
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
| Graphics | 10.8″ HD touchscreen (2560 x 1600) |
| Performance | Intel i5 with 4 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Expect 9 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.38″ / 1.7 lbs |
7 – Acer Swift 7 – 14″ HD
“The thinnest on the market”
The 13-inch Acer Swift 7 was an impressive feat of engineering when they released it a few years ago. But it had flaws.
Now the new Acer Swift 7 is delivered with a 14-inch display and has clearly improved. The first thing I noticed was that they got rid of the bezels. Now the display is almost the only thing you see when you flip it open. And when you hold it in your hands. Oh my… It’s so light you won’t believe it. And when you look at it from the side… it’s as thick as my phone. Congrats Acer, you managed to really impress me.
What about the rest of the features? Well, you get a gorgeous 14-inch display that has nothing to envy to any competition. As for the performance, you get a low-powered i7 with 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD drive. This will run pretty much any program you need.
The audio is on the weak side, but it is to be expected in such a thin machine. Also know that, for the same reason, it can also run hot when you ask a lot from it. But they did improve the battery life and in the end, it’s definitely an awesome laptop.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
| 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 |
8 – Lenovo Yoga 720 – 12″ HD Convertible
“Nice 12-inch”
The Lenovo Yoga 720 is a very nice 12-inch notebook. It has a really good-looking & solid design and is equipped with a vivid HD display and fairly loud speakers.
Add to that a comfortable keyboard and a decent battery life and you got yourself a great small laptop! Perfect for someone always on the road that still needs good performance.
Buy on online
| Graphics | 12.5″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 128 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 8 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.6″ / 2.5 lbs |
# 9 to 15 Best laptops under $800
9 – HP Envy 13 1KT05UA – 13″ HD
“Gorgeous Design & Screen”
Another great ultra-thin laptop that makes heads turn. The HP Envy 13 is a small ultraportable that has a gorgeous 13.3" Ultra-HD screen and a classy slim design.
Performance is good and the sound is one of the best in of all laptops under $800. Battery life is a little shorter than some others but I’d take this compromise any day to get the rest of the benefits Read our full review.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on NewEgg
| Graphics | 13.3″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 128 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 7.5 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.51″ / 2.8 lbs |
Other similar versions (prices may vary)
Hybrid version10 – Dell G3 15 3579 – 15″ HD
“Not Portable but Great for Gaming”
If having a portable laptop is not your priority, but you want one that won’t lag behind even when processing high-end 3D graphics, then this $800 gaming laptop is a great choice!
Dell sacrificed a little on the display – it’s a bit dimmer than I’d like – & on battery life like most manufacturers do, but otherwise they delivered a rather powerful and well-made laptop. With it’s GTX 1050, you can expect to run the latest much better than most of the competition.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
| Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GTX 1050 |
| Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Expect 6 to 7 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.89″ / 5.59 lbs |
11 – Acer Spin 5 – 13″ HD Convertible
“Nice Hybrid 13-inch”
The Acer Spin 5 is a nice mid-range 13-inch notebook. Acer did a good job of producing a quality lightweight laptop that is very competitive. The display is bright & crisp, the design is solid and the keyboard comfortable enough to write for hours. If you’re looking for a good 13-inch convertible, this is a good choice.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
| Graphics | 13.3″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 10 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.78″ / 3.53 lbs |
12 – Lenovo Ideapad 710S – 13″ HD
“Beautiful ultra-thin”
Once you have the Lenovo Ideapad 710s in your hands, you’ll understand why it’s one of the best laptops under $800! You can feel that its sleek silver body is made of quality metal and I really love its design. Ultra-thin and light, it’s really a perfect format for a college student or someone on the road.
Its full HD screen is great and I like the fact that it’s matte so you can work in bright places. Whether we’re talking about the sound, keyboard or battery life, Lenovo really made very few compromises with the Ideapad 710s. Read our full review.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
| Graphics | 13.3″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 8 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.55″ / 2.6 lbs |
13 – HP 17-X115dx – 17″ HD
“17-inch with Good Display & Audio”
If you are looking for a 17-inch laptop under 800 dollars that has a great display, this HP is probably your best bet. Don’t buy it if you expect to carry it around often, at 7.3 pounds it’s a heavyweight. But for a laptop that mostly stays in your office, you get a lot of screen real-estate in a powerful computer. Add that to a good audio system and you have one of the best value 17-inch on the market.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
| Graphics | 17.3″ HD screen (1600 x 900) |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 1000 GB HDD (5400 rpm) |
| Battery life | Expect 0 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 1″ / 5.85 lbs |
14 – Dell Inspiron i5577 – 15″ HD
“Equipped for serious gaming”
The Dell Inspiron i5577 is not perfect – screen could be brighter and speakers louder – but for a gaming laptop at less than $800, it’s tough to get better value. The screen has an anti-glare which is great when using it in bright environments, the battery will last quite long for that kind of laptop and the performance is good enough to play most games and, of course, run any application you need.
Speaking of performance, it will take pretty much anything you throw at him with its i5 processor, 8 GB RAM and GeForce 1050 graphic card. It’s definitely one of the best laptops under 800 dollars for gaming.
Pros
| Cons
|
Buy on online
| Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GTX 1050 |
| Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 1000 GB HDD (5400 rpm) |
| Battery life | Expect 5 to 7 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 1″ / 5.45 lbs |
15 – Asus Vivobook K550 – 15″ HD
“Budget Gaming Laptop”
The Asus K550 is a good quality gaming laptop that won’t break the bank. If you’re looking for an affordable laptop to run your games, this one is a great choice with enough power to run most of them thanks to an i7 & an NVIDIA GT 950M.
It’s not the most powerful, but for a casual gamer this is more than enough. To sell it at that price, Asus had to cut a little on the display & sound quality, but not so much that it hurts. They balanced well the price vs the quality.
Buy on online
| Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GT 950M |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Expect 0 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 1.1″ / 5.4 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.
