Most laptop users find that a screen size of 15.6” is more than adequate for their purposes, and the range of models available across this middle ground is vast. With the majority of manufacturers focusing on the 15 – 16” laptops, there’s a lot of scope for finding the perfect machine, however, with all the tech jargon floating around, there’s an equally good chance of getting it wrong, and that’s where Laptop Den can help.
What to look for when buying a new 15.6’’ laptop for under $1000?
- Processor: Measured in GHz (gigahertz), the higher the number, the faster the processor. 2GHz is ideal for the average to high end user; however for a top spec dedicated games machine, you might look for a little above that figure.
- RAM: 4GB of RAM is perfect for the majority of users, but if you plan to do a lot of downloading, 8GB will see you through and then some. External RAM is readily available and easy to install.
- Battery Life: A big benefit of the 15 inchers is how portable they are, so it follows that the battery life needs to be good – you don’t want to be running out of power half way through your work!
- SSD vs HDD: When shopping for a laptop, it’s best to go with an SSD hard drive. With faster loads times offered and the increased durability of the drive, it makes sense to go for an SSD over an HDD.
- Screen Size: The 15.6’’ screen that your considering is a good size for the vast majority of users. This allows you to work comfortably on the move, without taking up too much room on the train. You can also perch anywhere to work. Crowded coffee houses are just not conducive to a screen that’s too large, but with a screen this size you can squeeze onto an already occupied table with no hassle
By setting a $1000 maximum budget, we’ve looked at the best machines available – after all, you don’t want to sell your soul just for one laptop, do you? Putting these machines through some rigorous testing processes to separate the excellent from the merely great, and present you with our findings.
With Laptop Den on your side, doing the hard work, you’ll end up with the ideal machine and plenty of change left.
1) Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop
The Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop has a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display and is powered by an AMD Ryzen 3 3200U processor, Vega 3 Graphics, 4GB DDR4 RAM, and 128GB NVME SSD. It also has a USB 3.1 Gen 1 port, 2 USB 2.0 ports, and 1 HDMI port with HDCP support for media connectivity, along with 802.11ac Wi-Fi for network connectivity. You also get a nice backlit Keyboard and up to 7.5 hours battery life with Windows 10 in S mode for sustained performance. The Aspire 5 is both powerful and portable, giving you everything you need for work, school, or even some gaming.
$346.00 in stock
4 used from $329.99
2) HP 15.6inch HD Laptop
The HP 2020 Premium Laptop has a 15.6-inch HD display and is powered by an AMD A6-9225 dual core 2.6GHz processor, AMD Radeon R4 graphics, 8GB RAM, and 1TB hard drive. The whole thing weighs 4.6 pounds, making it fairly mid-sized for a budget laptop that is under $500. The display has a BrightView glossy screen for good brightness, contrast ratio, and overall clarity. It also has a SuperMulti DVD/CD burner for those who still care about optical media. It is a solid work laptop that gives you everything you need and it can even play some games.
3) Acer Swift 5 Ultra-Thin Laptop
The Acer Swift 5 Ultra-Thin Lightweight Laptop has a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS touchscreen display with a thin .23-inch bezel, which maximizes screen real estate. It is powered by an Intel Core i7-8565U processor, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD. It also has a USB 3.1 Type-C Gen 2 port, DisplayPort over USB Type-C, two USB 3.0 ports, and an HDMI port for media connectivity. The Acer Swift 5 combines fast connection speeds, long battery life, and portability in one package, making it a great daily driver that you can be productive with wherever you go and whatever you do.
4) Lenovo Thinkpad E590
The Lenovo ThinkPad E590 laptop has a 15.6-inch Full HD display and is powered by an Intel i5-8265U quad core processor, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and 512GB M.2 PCIe 3.0(x4) NVMe SSD. It also has USB Type-C, HDMI, Ethernet, built-in webcam, and a registered copy of Windows 10 Professional. The ThinkPad has always been known as a solid brand of work-oriented laptops for almost three decades now, and the ThinkPad E590 continues that tradition of rugged portability and productivity-oriented design with updated specs that can hang with the latest software. It is reliable, easy to maintain, and versatile.
The Acer Flagship CB3-532 Chromebook has a 15.6-inch Full HD display and is powered by an Intel Dual-Core Celeron N3060 processor that goes up to 2.48GHz, 2GB RAM, and 16GB SSD. The 15.6-inch display has 1366×768 resolution, which gives you a good amount of screen real estate for productivity tasks, especially in Chrome OS. The Zero Air Gap feature lets you enjoy screen clarity wherever you go. It has Wireless AC, HDMI, USB 3.0, and a built-in webcam—everything you would ever want in a Chromebook. For most work tasks, this gives you what you need for seamless distraction-free productivity.
6) Dell Inspiron Touchscreen Laptop
The 2020 Dell Inspiron 15 5000 laptop has a 15.6-inch Full HD touchscreen display and is powered by an Intel i5-8265U quad core processor, Intel UHD 620 integrated graphics, 12GB RAM, 256GB PCIe NVME SSD with 16GB Optane memory, and 1TB HDD for extra storage. The touchscreen provides a lot of screen real estate for doing many things seamlessly, letting you interact with your work directly. It also has a built-in 720p HD webcam with dual digital microphone array for excellent video and audio quality for video conferencing and voice chat. It also has stereo speakers with MaxxAudio Pro for amazing sound quality.
7) Dell Ultrapowerful Mobile Workstation and Business Laptop
The Dell M4800 laptop has a 15.6-inch Full HD display. It is an ultrapowerful mobile workstation powered by an Intel Core i7-4900MQ 3.8GHz processor, NVIDIA Quadro K2100M workstation graphics, 16GB RAM, and 500GB HDD. The QHD+ screen stands out with its extremely high display resolution, letting you have tons of real estate with 3200×1800, which is rare in laptops. You can fit in a lot of work in that screen, and you can also plug in another monitor for even more screen area. That lets you multitask like never before, boosting your productivity and do tons of multimedia work.
This HP Premium laptop has a 15.6-inch Full HD WLED-backlit display and powered by an Intel i3-7100U 2.4GHz dual core processor, 4GB DDR4 RAM, and 1TB HDD. The Intel Wireless-AC 3168 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 Combo let you connect to the Internet and your devices seamlessly with a good bit of range. The 4-cell 41-Wh lithium ion battery lasts up to 10 hours, letting you do work or game while on the road without concern for running out of juice anytime soon. You also get an HDMI port, two USB 3.1 ports, a USB 2.0 port, RJ-45 Ethernet port, built-in SD card reader, and a registered copy of Windows 10 Home.
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