If you know what you want from your new laptop, it can be relatively simple to find a decent laptop for under $300, and although a top-notch gaming machine will almost certainly have a higher price tag, even the big brands produce great computers for sensible budgets.
Depending on how fixed your budget is, it’s a good idea to make a list of what you want your laptop to include, and be honest with your expectations – although you may long for a machine to take on the world, with a tight budget it may not happen.
What to look for when buying a laptop for under $300
- RAM: most laptops have a solid 4GB, however purchasing extra RAM is very affordable, so to go up to 32 is no biggie
- Processor: even with a budget under $300, you can purchase a good processor speed of 2GHz. You can go higher, but there’s no real requirement for the average user
- SSD: a solid-state hard drive offers fast load times, and is reliably robust
- Battery: depending on how you use your laptop, decent battery life may, or may not be important
- Screen size: screen real estate is great for gamers or if you need room to work, but for the majority of us, we easily adapt to whatever size is available
With the goal of finding great laptops under $300, here are our favorite models for 2021:
1) Acer Chromebook Spin Intel Celeron 4GB/32GB
Who says you have to compromise on features when you have a budget? Just under $300 the Acer Chromebook Spin 311 Convertible Laptop will give you more than its price. It is chich and beautiful and it can be converted into a pad making it easy to swipe and work around its durable and damage-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass touchscreen. What we love about this is it runs on Chrome OS that provides built-in security and virus protection so you can work easily and smoothly. Aside from that, you can enjoy all the apps available at the Google Playstore which means endless fun and productivity.
$190.00 in stock
11 used from $150.00
2) ASUS Chromebook 180 Degree-Hinge, 4GB/32GB
If you have kids running around the house and you are always worried they might play or break your laptop then the rugged and spill-resistant design of ASUS Chromebook Laptop will suit your lifestyle. Make your work laptop kid-proof by getting this laptop that can withstand spills and drops with its rubber guards, spill-resistant keyboard, and easy-grip handles. Work anywhere around the house even while the kids are still playing around. Bonus point for productivity and playtime with your kids. It is a laptop within the budget that exceeds expectations because you get the same quality of functionality with added durability from this laptop.
3) HP Stream Intel Celeron 4GB RAM/64 GB Windows 10
Get your teens started with the essential tools for productivity in school and learning with the HP Stream 14-Inch Laptop. It runs on Intel Celeron N4000 with an internal 4 GB RAM and 64 GB eMMC. It is a great laptop that fits within the budget while providing the essentials for school and even work. It comes with 1TB of cloud storage and Office 365 that provides you and your teens the tools needed for submitting requirements and tasks at school and work. It is a great starting laptop that does not break the bank but also will not disappoint you.
2 used from $170.00
For more laptops to suit specific budgets, check out some of our other pages here