Laptop $400
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Buying a budget laptop does not always have to mean compromises, especially when you’re spending $400 for it. At this price, you can get a pretty well-specced laptop with mainstream Intel Core i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 processor, fast SSD storage, 4GB+ RAM, a sharp 1080p display, and some of them even have a backlit keyboard! What else could you expect from a laptop that costs under $400? Show
Of course, it cannot run the latest AAA games or handle demanding workloads, but most people buying budget laptops don’t have to deal with such activities. If you have to, then there are some budget notebooks under $400 with powerful integrated graphics that can handle light photo video-editing jobs and even gaming up to an extent. Advertisement So, the best laptops under $400 are definitely not slouching performers, and there are very few compromises you’ll have to make compared to other less costly options. However, if you’re shopping for a 2-in-1 laptop or a Chromebook, then you’ll still struggle to find a decent one with a great display or enough storage space. Nonetheless, there are still some great options in the $400 price range. You can check them out in our top picks below. Best Laptops Under $400 – Top Picks1. Acer Aspire 5 Our Top Pick
Key Features:
Although this Acer Aspire 5 laptop is from last year, it still offers competing performance to some of the latest offerings from other brands and features that we do not get to see usually in budget laptops. It is powered by the AMD Ryzen 3 3350U processor — a powerful quad-core CPU with the clock frequency of up to 3.5 GHz and integrated Radeon Vega 6 graphics. It can easily run less demanding games like CS:GO or Minecraft at reduced graphics settings and even handle light photo editing on Photoshop. Moreover, it also features a fast 128GB NVMe SSD storage which can boot Windows in mere seconds and launch applications in the blink of an eye. The 15.6 inch full HD display is also great for work and media consumption. It’s an IPS panel with decent brightness and great viewing angles. Plus, it features Acer’s proprietory ComfyView technology that would protect your eyes when using the laptop for an extended period or in the dark at night. Speaking of working in the dark, the laptop features a full-size backlit keyboard with a dedicated Numpad, and it also has a fingerprint scanner for fast and secured logins. These features are not easily available in budget laptops under $400, and the fact that Acer Aspire 5 has it makes it a great value for the price. Apart from that, it also offers a host of wired and wireless connectivity options, and its battery can last up to 8 hours on a single charge! Overall, the Acer Aspire 5 exceeded our expectations for a sub-$400 laptop by offering great performing hardware and some pretty nifty features; therefore, it is currently our top pick under $400. Hardware Specifications of Acer Aspire 5 (A515-46-R3UB):
2. Asus VivoBook Flip 14″ Best 2 in 1 Laptop Under $400
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If you are looking for a good convertible laptop under $400, then your options are quite limited because most 2-in-1s in this price range either have a weak CPU or a bad display and keyboard, or an overall feel. The Asus VivoBook Flip 14, our top pick for a convertible laptop under $400, is an exception, though. It offers phenomenal performing hardware with excellent display and keyboard and has a pretty sturdy build quality as well. You can’t expect an all-metal chassis in this price range, but Flip 14’s polycarbonate chassis is just as sturdy, and it has an aluminum-alloy lid, which lends it a premium feel. Opening up the lid reveals its gorgeous 360-degree rotatable 14-inch full HD display, which is very responsive to touches, and it is also a relatively bright and colorful panel. Asus also offers a backlit keyboard on the Flip 14, which is very rare in the 2-in-1s at this price range. It is comfortable to type for long hours, and its trackpad is also adequately sized. And, since it uses Windows Precision drivers, it supports all the multi-finger gestures. Inside it has Intel’s 11th Gen Core i3 processor, with plenty of oomph to handle everything from typical everyday tasks to mid-end gaming. However, the Flip 14 has just 4GB of RAM and a very small (but quick) 128GB SSD. The storage drive on the laptop is upgradable, but RAM is sodded on the motherboard, and you cannot upgrade it in the future. However, if you would be using your laptop for MS Office, web surfing, or streaming videos online, then 4GB RAM is more than enough. Overall, the Asus VivoBook Flip 14 is the best convertible laptop you can buy under $400 running Windows operating system. It offers powerful specs in a premium and portable chassis with a great display, comfortable backlit keyboard, and its battery also lasts for up to 8 hours on a single charge. Hardware Specifications of Asus VivoBook Flip 14 2-in-1 Laptop:
3. Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5i 13″ Best Chromebook Under $400
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If you’re looking for the best chromebook under $400, then Lenovo Flex 5 13″ is our pick. It is a 13-inch convertible chromebook that packs powerful hardware inside a beautifully crafted lightweight chassis that weighs just 2.9 pounds! It is powered by an Intel Core i3 processor with 8GB RAM and 64GB SSD, which outputs adequate performance for most users’ daily requirements. It can easily handle chrome with around 15 tabs and few other apps running in the background. So, it’s no slouch. Apart from that, the laptop comes with a beautiful 13-inch full HD touchscreen display, which also supports pen input, making it a great option for students to take notes. However, the pen is not included in the box, and you’ll have to buy it separately. Moreover, the laptop’s hinges allow smooth rotation of the screen to use it as a tablet or in other positions. There’s no unnecessary friction or stops in between the hinges’ operation. With an excellent backlit keyboard, all the required ports and slots, including the microSD card reader to expand its low storage, and battery life of up to 10 hours, the Lenovo Flex 5i 13 Chromebook is a complete package for people who prefer Chrome OS over Windows. Hardware Specifications of Lenovo Flex 5i 13″ Convertible Chromebook:
Alternative Choice – Lenovo Duet 5 Detachable Chromebook If you want to buy a little more versatile laptop than the above mentioned Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 13, then the recently launched Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook is a worth considering laptop for you. It costs little more than $400, but for the price, you get a 13-inch Chrome OS tablet with a premium detachable fabric folio keyboard that connects to it via powerful magnets to use as a laptop. It’s a highly versatile ultraportable device to get things done on the go, and since it is powered by the newest Snapdragon 7c octa-core chip, it also performs well. You can efficiently multitask on it, and you can even enjoy gaming on it since it supports all Android games. What I like the most about this Chromebook, though, is its display. It has a 13.3-inch full HD OLED display, which is the best display you’ll find on a laptop in this price range. It is very bright and vivid, showing deep blacks and eye-popping colors. The whole package weighs just 2.2 pounds, and it lasts for up to 15 hours on a single charge. | 64GB storage variant – $439.99 from Amazon | 256GB storage variant – $429 from Lenovo 4. HP 17z-cp000 17 Inch Laptop
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HP is one of the world’s most renowned laptop manufacturers, and its laptops are known to provide better value than the rest for the given price. If we talk about this 17-inch notebook from HP, it also provides an excellent value for the money, just like most other HP laptops. It comes with a pretty modern-looking design, and its build quality is also decent enough, but its performance is what makes it a worthy option to consider under $400. It is powered by the latest 5000 series AMD Ryzen 3 processor, which is one of the fastest and most efficient processor you will find in a laptop at this price. Yes, it’s even faster than the Ryzen 3 that powers the Acer Aspire 5 (our current top pick under $400). Moreover, the processor is paired with 8GB RAM for smooth multitasking, and you also get the fast 128GB NVMe SSD for storage. As you would expect, the performance that this 17-inch beast delivers is outstanding. It handles everyday work like browsing the web and using MS office applications like a piece of cake, and you can even do some light gaming or make minor edits to the videos on this laptop. However, like most 17-inch laptops, it has huge dimensions and nearly 5 pounds of weight to lug around, so it isn’t suitable for those who travel with their laptop a lot. But, if you are someone who is looking for a laptop to replace your home or office computer, then this 17-inch laptop is the perfect option for you under $400. It offers a large display, a comfortable keyboard, and many connectivity options to make you forget about your PC. Hardware Specifications of HP 17z-cp000 Laptop:
5. Asus VivoBook 15 #1 Best Seller
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Asus is also not behind in manufacturing value for money laptops. This is another laptop in this list of best laptops under $400 which comes packed with impressive features and hardware specifications. That said, it is one of the very few laptops in this price range that offers all three, a full HD display, backlit keyboard, and fingerprint scanner. Moreover, it doesn’t even compromise in the specs department or build quality, making it one of the most well-rounded laptops in the sub-$400 price category. It is built from high-quality plastic, which is also heat resistant to keep the temperature of this laptop in control. It has a Windows precision touchpad and a full backlit keyboard with a numpad for easier number inputs. It is powered by an Intel Core i3 processor with 8GB of RAM and 128GB SSD. Overall, the performance of the Windows 10 on this laptop with stock specs is very smooth, and we think it’ll be more than enough for most people’s computing needs. Apart from that, it also has all the standard ports and slots lined up on either side with fast and reliable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity options. All in all, the Asus VivoBook 15 laptop is suitable for a wide array of users because it doesn’t compromise on any features or specs. It packs in a decently powerful processor with reliable solid state drive storage. Plus, it is also a very aggressively priced notebook. Probably, that’s the reason it is one of the best-selling laptops under $400 right now. Read our full Asus VivoBook 15 Review Hardware Specifications of Asus VivoBook 15 F515EA-AH34 Laptop:
6. HP 14-fq1097nr 14″ Laptop Best For Gaming
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HP 14-fq1097nr laptop is known for its decent performing hardware packed inside a thin and light chassis. It is one of the best gaming laptop under $400 for all the budget gamers right now. Although the design of this laptop suggests otherwise, its high-performance hardware can let users play some of the popular gaming titles and do some less complex video editing. It isn’t a pro-gaming laptop or anything, but it does get the job done for budget gaming laptop buyers. The laptop is finished in jet black color, as you can see in the image above, and it comes in various other color options like Blue, White, Burgundy, Silver, and Gold. It’s fully customizable as per your taste. Overall, the laptop’s design looks pretty standard, but it is a well-built laptop, and it’s strong enough to resist everyday wear and tears. It has a 14-inch full HD display with narrow bezels, which is bright and produces decent gamut of colors. What makes it potent enough to play games, though, is the powerful AMD Ryzen 3 quad-core processor, which is one of the most powerful processor you can get in a sub-$400 laptop. Moreover, it is accompanied by 8GB of RAM and fast 256GB SSD storage, making it a really well-specced notebook. Its integrated AMD Radeon Vega 6 graphics handles gaming and other intensive jobs smoothly. Plus, its powerful cooling system keeps the laptop body at comfortable temperature while gaming. With all standard ports and slots and battery life that lasts a normal work day, this HP notebook stands best for people looking for a mixture of work and play on their new laptop.
If you are looking for more better laptop to play games, then we recommend you to checkout our guide to buy best gaming laptop under $500. They are the best budget high performance gaming laptops which won’t break the bank. Hardware Specifications of HP 14z-fq1000 14-inch Laptop:
7. Dell Inspiron 15 3511
Key Features:
Dell’s Inspiron series of laptops are designed to suit the requirements of the vast array of users. They are good-looking and come with adequate power inside to do all everyday tasks efficiently. This particular notebook belongs to the Inspiron 3000 series, which provides an affordable entry into Dell’s mainstream laptops. It’s a relatively well-built machine with a standard 15 inch size, and it comes with an all-new design with a lift-up hinge and super slim bezels around the screen, reminiscent of the premium XPS laptops from Dell. As for color options, there is only one, the Carbon black, which looks good and makes it fit well in all sorts of environments. Its 15.6-inch display is excellent for work. It’s a 1080p panel with decent color reproduction, and the slim side bezels make the display pop. However, its peak brightness is just 250-nits, so it would be hard to use this laptop under direct sunlight. The keyboard is one of the best you will find in this price range, with perfectly laid out keys, and its touchpad is also big enough with a decent palm rest area. It also provides a pretty great selection of ports and slots. Plus, it has decent options for down-the-line hardware upgradability as well. Speaking of hardware, it has the most recent Intel Core i3 processor inside with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD. Those are not the most powerful specs you can get in the laptop under $400, but it’s still capable enough to handle all the basic to medium demanding tasks without any hiccups. If you need more power, you can upgrade its 8GB RAM to 16GB or put in a higher capacity SSD to increase the storage. These upgrades would cost you about $100, but in the future, when this laptop slows down, you can save money by making these upgrades to your machine instead of spending hundreds of dollars again on a new laptop. Overall, it is a pretty sweet deal for people finding the best budget business laptop for themselves. Its display is slightly underwhelming, but you can always hook it up to an external monitor to power your home/office setup and use it as your everyday work computer. Hardware Specifications of Dell Inspiron 15 3511 Laptop:
8. HP 14t-dq200 Laptop
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Just like every other laptop in this list, this 14-inch notebook from HP also has few shortcomings, but it gets full marks for the hardware that it offers for the price. It is powered by the most recent 11th Gen Intel Core i3 processor, and it has 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD for storage. Most laptops in this price range offer either a decent amount of RAM or storage capacity, however, HP 14t has got both, and that’s what makes it a worthy contender in the under $400 price range. It’s a very well-balanced notebook that offers perfect specs and most of the required features as well. It has a great keyboard with nice clicky keys, and its touchpad is also pretty good with a smooth tracking surface. Moreover, you also get a host of wired connectivity options, including multiple USB Type-A ports, a single USB Type-C port, HDMI, and even a full-size SD card reader. However, its display is not that great. It’s 14 inches and 1366 by 768 panel, so it’s not sharp, but it’s not as dim as the one on the Dell Inspiron 3000 15 laptop mentioned above. With the only laptop offering Windows 10 Pro and perfectly balanced specs in this price range, the HP 14t is an excellent value-for-money notebook under $400 for business people or students for everyday productivity tasks and light gaming. Hardware Specifications of HP 14t-dq200 Laptop:
9. Acer Chromebook 514 Most Premium Looking
Key Features:
If you are looking for the most premium-looking and feeling laptop under $400, then this Acer Chromebook 514 is for you. It is among the very few laptops in this price range that has an all-metal chassis. Plus, it doesn’t miss out on any features, and its performance is also pretty adequate for day-to-day tasks. It comes with a 14 inch full HD touchscreen display, which is very responsive to touches, and it’s also bright enough to work outdoors and colorful to watch Netflix or YouTube videos. Its speakers are decent, but the experience would still be better with headphones. They are loud, but they miss out on bass. Moreover, its backlit keyboard is also one of the best in this price range. Its keys travel deep enough and deliver lovely tactile feedback when pressed. We think it will please typists of you. Its touchpad is also large and intuitive to navigate the Chrome OS. As far as performance is concerned, the Chromebook 514 has an Intel Celeron N3450 processor inside with 4GB RAM and 64GB eMMC storage. It outputs an adequate amount of performance for most user’s everyday requirements. You can easily surf the web with 4-5 tabs and edit a document or create a presentation simultaneously. However, for anything more intense than this, the Chromebook 514 will start showing signs of slowing down. So, performance is definitely not the strongest point of this laptop, and if you are a power user, then the Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 13″ (our most recommended Chromebook under $400) would be a lot better option for you. It may not have an all-metal chassis, but it’s a well-built laptop, and it has a way more capable Intel Core i3 processor. Overall, the Acer Chromebook 514 is an excellent option for those who want to buy a premium and well-built laptop under $400. It may not have the most powerful specs, but if your everyday work does not demand a lot of horsepower, then this Chromebook delivers the MacBook-like feel for a lot less money, plus the convenience of all the standard ports and slots! Hardware Specifications of Acer Chromebook 514:
10. HP 15t-dw300 Laptop What a bit more money gets you
Key Features:
The last laptop on our list is only for those who have a flexible budget. If you are ready to spend up to $450, then the HP 15t is probably the most affordable laptop with newest 11th Gen Intel Core i5 processor right now. You are getting almost double the performance than Intel Core i3 processor by spending just $50 bucks over your budget. Most people don’t need an i5 processor laptop, though, but if you want to future proof your purchase, you should definitely consider this laptop. The HP 15t is built using a robust polycarbonate material finished in black color, and it has a kind of professional hue going on with the design. The keyboard is non-backlit but is comfortable to type for long hours, and its touchpad has separate left and right-click keys, which is becoming rare these days. The display of the laptop is not that great, though. It’s a bad 1366 by 768 resolution panel, but there’s an option to get it with a full HD display. All the ports and slots are lined on either side of the laptop. Plus, there’s a pretty great selection of it as well. You get everything from an HDMI and Ethernet port to standard USB-A and USB-C ports, and it even has a full-size SD card slot. As far as performance is concerned, the laptop has the latest 11th Gen Intel Core i5 processor inside with powerful Xe graphics, 8GB RAM, and 256GB SSD. The laptop has got a lot of punch, and it would satisfy even the most advanced user’s requirements. It can handle all the latest games (in low to medium graphics settings) without any problem. So, the HP 15t is one of the most powerful laptops available right now in $400 price range. Apt for everything from mid-end gaming to even video editing. Hardware Specifications of HP 15t-dw300 Notebook:
EPIC DEAL: HP 15-ef2126wm Laptop with AMD Ryzen 5 5500U six-core CPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD and 1080p display for $579.99 $399.99 from Walmart If you are working with a strict budget but still want to buy a powerful laptop, then we have found an epic laptop deal that’ll get you this HP 15z laptop with Core i5 equivalent AMD processor at a fantastic price. For under $400, it offers a powerful six-core AMD Ryzen 5 5500U processor, 8GB RAM, and 256GB of solid state drive. To give you a context, this laptop can run all the modern games at respectable framerates and handle even 4K video editing with ease. Generally, laptops with this kind of specs cost around $600, but currently, you can get it for under $400! If it’s still available at the same price when you find it, we recommend you get it over the HP 15t laptop with Core i5 mentioned above. It’s more powerful and gets you a much better-looking 1080p display for the same price. Read Next: The best laptops under $500 These are the top 10 laptops to buy under your $400 budget right now. Read reviews, check hardware specifications and buy the laptop which suits best for your daily requirements. Feel free to comment below, if you have any questions about the laptops listed above. I hope this budget laptop buying guide help you to buy best laptop under $400 for yourself. Advertisement |
