Fifteen years ago, you had to spend at least a thousand dollars on a decent laptop computer, but nowadays, you can get one for less than $500. And because technology updates so often, it may not even make sense to invest a lot of money in a laptop you will use two years max. For that reason, many computer users choose to forgo certain features and perks in favor of an affordable price. But there are quite a few budget laptop models on the market today, buying which won’t even feel like a sacrifice. 

This post will review four consumer favorite budget laptops that offer the most bang for your buck in 2021.

Best Portable Budget Laptop 2021: Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go is a perfect choice for students. It is exceptionally lightweight, offers an all-day battery life, and is equipped with a touchscreen digitizer. For a starting price of $549, you get a 12.4-inch 1536 x 1024 PixelSense display, Intel Core i5-1035G1 processor, 4GB RAM, and 64GB eMMC storage. More expensive configurations come with 128GB and 256GB SSD drive options. 

The laptop is made of durable and light aluminum and polycarbonate composite resin system with glass fiber, 30% of which is post-consumer recycled content.

Why users like it:

• Great value for the money
• Beautiful minimal design 
• All models have touchscreens

Cheap Everyday Laptop: Lenovo Ideapad 3 with AMD Ryzen 3 Processor 

The Lenovo Ideapad 3 is one of the best budget laptops money can buy in 2021. For only $399, you get a dual-core AMD Ryzen 3 3250U processor, 8GB RAM, and 128GB SSD storage. In addition, the model comes with a 15.6-inch FHD display. What’s even more, the Lenovo Ideapad 3 is equipped with a full-size keyboard. Sure, 128GB SSD and 8GB RAM don’t sound like a lot, but these specs are plenty for daily tasks like web browsing, checking emails, etc. And according to Lenovo, you could even do some light gaming, thanks to the high-performing AMD Ryzen processor. 

The laptop traditionally comes with Windows 10 and is eligible for a free Windows 11 upgrade. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a face-recognition camera for Windows Hello, but we would not expect that feature for the price. 

Why users like it:

• Truly a low-cost laptop.
• Full-size keyboard on 15.6-inch models.

Budget Convertible Laptop 2021: Lenovo Yoga C740-14IML

The Lenovo Yoga C740 series with the Intel Core i5 10th generation processor is a sturdy, lightweight laptop. It is a 2-in-1 touchscreen model that offers a fantastic audio experience, has a comfortable backlit keyboard, a fingerprint scanner, and can be upgraded to Windows 11 once it becomes available. What’s best, you can purchase this model for as low as $699 at Walmart. And if you are willing to spend a little extra, it also supports a stylus pen. 

Why users like it:

• Excellent battery life
• Portability
• Good for multitasking

Budget Performace Laptop: Acer Swift 3

The Acer Swift 3 is a pretty powerful computer with an affordable price tag. While it offers a rather basic design, the model is pretty portable, weighing about 2.6 lbs, and provides an impressive screen-to-body ratio.

Furthermore, Acer Swift 3 laptops come in many configurations, both Intel and AMD-based. As for the display, the line does not have a touchscreen configuration, and most models come with an FHD panel. Regardless, the IPS feature and low price make up for it. And to top it all, the Swift 3 line has a wide range of RAM and storage sizes for every need and budget. 

As for the price point, we were able to find one with the AMD Ryzen 7 4700U octa-core processor and 512GB SSD storage (!) for as little as $659 on Amazon. Considering the high-end components and the moderate price tag, the Acer Swift 3 can easily be named one of the best performance budget laptops in 2021.

Why users love it:

• Long-lasting battery
• High-end processor options
• Decent ports selection

In Conclusion

Unlike some years back, there are tons of great budget laptops to choose from on the market today. Sure, affordable laptops for everyday use depreciate faster, but those who frequently upgrade can still resell them for some value. At Gadget Salvation, we get countless price inquiries on low-cost preowned budget laptops. And one thing we can tell for sure is that the longer you wait, the slimmer your chance to resell your gadget. So if you have one you no longer need, consider a laptop trade-in for cash before it becomes obsolete.