The Best Cheap Windows Laptops For 2025

While flagship, top-of-the-line laptops are nan ones that make headlines, not everyone needs 1 of these super-expensive notebooks. Whether you’re a student, casual personification aliases personification who conscionable wants an affordable laptop that tin grip mundane tasks, location are plentifulness of great, budget-friendly options retired location — if you cognize wherever to look and really to shop for one. When it comes to nan Windows laptop space, 1 bully point astir it is variety: location are hundreds of laptops to take from astatine each value points, made by different brands and pinch various configurations that tin fulfill nan needs of “normal” users and powerfulness users alike. Here’s what you request to cognize earlier you bargain a inexpensive Windows laptop.

Table of contents

• What to look for successful a budget-friendly Windows laptop

• Best inexpensive Windows laptops for 2025

• What to cognize astir nan fund Windows laptop market

• What astir Chromebooks and tablets?

• What Windows laptops do well

What to look for successful a budget-friendly Windows laptop

While you tin do a batch moreover erstwhile spending small connected a Windows laptop, you must group your expectations accordingly. The biggest downside erstwhile purchasing a fund laptop (of immoderate kind, really) is constricted power. You’ll want to cautiously see a fewer specs, nan astir important among them being nan processor (CPU). Many Windows laptops nether $500 tally connected Intel Celeron aliases Pentium chipsets, but you tin find immoderate pinch Core i3/i5 and AMD Ryzen 3/5 CPUs astatine nan higher extremity of nan value spectrum.

We urge getting nan astir powerful CPU you tin spend because it will dictate really accelerated nan machine will consciousness overall. Memory (RAM) is besides important because, nan much you have, nan easier it will beryllium for nan laptop to negociate things for illustration a twelve browser tabs while you edit a Word archive and watercourse euphony successful nan background.

When it comes to storage, see really overmuch you want to prevention locally. If you chiefly activity successful Google Docs aliases prevention astir things successful nan cloud, you whitethorn not request a instrumentality pinch a ton of onboard storage. Just retrieve that your integer abstraction will besides beryllium taken up by apps, truthful it whitethorn beryllium worthy getting a small other retention than you deliberation you request if you cognize you’ll beryllium downloading large programs. A last broadside note: coagulated authorities drives (SSDs) are ubiquitous astatine this point, not to mention faster and much businesslike than difficult drives (HDDs), truthful we urge getting a laptop pinch that type of storage.

As for screens, there’s a patient operation of HD (720p resolution) and FHD (1080p) options successful this value scope and we urge springing for a notebook pinch a 1080p show if you can. Touchscreens aren’t arsenic communal successful nan fund abstraction arsenic modular panels, but you’ll only really miss 1 if you get a 2-in-1 laptop.

Before we get to our recommended specs for a inexpensive Windows laptop, it’s worthy mentioning that Microsoft intelligibly lays retired nan existent minimum requirements for immoderate Windows 11 machine. Those see a 1GHz aliases faster processor that includes 2 aliases much cores, astatine slightest 4GB of RAM and 64GB of disposable retention space. That’s nan bare minimum to tally Windows 11; we urge giving yourself immoderate wiggle room by choosing a instrumentality that will execute good now and for years to come.

Specs to look for successful an affordable Windows laptop

• CPU: Intel Core i3 aliases AMD Ryzen 3 processors, astatine minimum

• RAM: At slightest 8GB

• Storage: At slightest 128GB SSD

• Screen: At slightest 1080p FHD

It’s basal to prioritize what’s important to you. But astatine nan little extremity of nan budget, a bully laptop whitethorn not connection everything you need, whereas a awesome 1 might. Although astir machines travel pinch features for illustration Bluetooth, built-in Wi-Fi and further ports, you mightiness find not each of them travel pinch nan specifics you require, for illustration an SD paper slot, webcam, charger, and truthful on. Be judge to cheque nan spec database of immoderate laptop you’re considering earlier you buy, particularly if you request circumstantial connectors and capabilities.

See Also:

• Best Laptops for 2025

• Best Gaming Laptops

• Best 2-in-1 Laptops for 2025

• Best Chromebooks

• Best Laptops for College Students

As for Copilot+, don’t expect to spot overmuch of it connected genuinely affordable Windows laptops conscionable yet. Microsoft’s AI features and Copilot adjunct require definite specs to run, namely a powerful neural processing portion (NPU), 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Currently, nan cheapest Copilot+ AI PCs will tally you astir $700, truthful if you’re consenting to salary much for those perks, cheque retired our best laptops guideline for much options.

If you’re looking for either a gaming laptop aliases a “Windows connected Arm” laptop, some categories will require you to walk much money than we’re discussing here.

Best inexpensive Windows laptops for 2025

The inexpensive Windows laptop marketplace moves fast, and — dissimilar astir each of our different buying guides — we haven't needfully tested each circumstantial configuration listed below. However, nan operation of these method specifications and acquainted brands correspond precisely nan benignant of entry-level laptops we'd urge to shoppers successful this value scope based connected our thorough investigation and master knowledge.

What to cognize astir nan fund Windows laptop market

The champion inexpensive laptop models alteration each nan time. Unlike much expensive, flagship machines, these notebooks tin beryllium updated a mates times each year. That tin make it difficult to way down a circumstantial exemplary astatine Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart aliases immoderate different retailer. Also, we’ve seen prices alteration wide depending connected nan configuration and retailer you’re looking at.

You tin guarantee you’re getting a value laptop by doing a fewer things. First and foremost, make judge you get a instrumentality that follows nan recommended specs we database above. Also, make judge you’re buying from a reputable retailer, including big-box stores for illustration Walmart, Best Buy and Costco, online shops for illustration Amazon aliases nonstop manufacturers for illustration Dell, HP, Lenovo and others. If you person a beingness shop adjacent you (likely a Best Buy successful nan US), it’s ne'er a bad thought to spell play astir pinch immoderate laptops successful personification earlier choosing one.

If you determine to shop online from nan likes of Amazon aliases Walmart, double cheque nan seller of nan laptop you’re considering. For example, galore items connected Amazon are “shipped and sold” by Amazon and those are typically nan champion options. You’ll spot that accusation connected Amazon connected nan correct sidebar connected a merchandise page, nether nan Add to Cart and Buy Now buttons. Third-party sellers are communal successful nan affordable laptop space. Amazon sometimes classifies laptop manufacturers arsenic third-party sellers, truthful you whitethorn spot a laptop shipped and sold by HP aliases Dell — that’s a bully thing, since it’s coming straight from nan manufacturer.

However, location are different third-party electronics sellers retired there. We urge clicking connected nan third-party seller’s sanction connected Amazon aliases Walmart (yes, Walmart has them, too) to spot really overmuch affirmative feedback and really galore five-star ratings they’ve received from buyers.

What astir Chromebooks and tablets?

You whitethorn beryllium inclined to urge a Chromebook aliases a tablet to anyone considering a fund Windows laptop computer. Those instincts aren’t wrong, but Chromebooks and tablets aren’t nan champion bargain for everyone. Tablets person nan astir portability, but they will only activity for nan astir mobile-competent users for illustration kids who person been grabbing smartphones retired of their parents’ hands since they’ve been dexterous capable to do so. Tablets tin besides beryllium conscionable arsenic costly arsenic immoderate of nan cheapest Windows laptops, and that’s without a rodent aliases keyboard.

Chromebooks are a bully replacement for those that fundamentally unrecorded successful a browser, nan trade-off being you must springiness up nan “traditional desktop.” And Chrome OS is simply a much constricted operating strategy than Windows erstwhile it comes to nan programs you tin instal and run.

What Windows laptops do well

What tin you realistically execute connected a inexpensive Windows laptop? Quite a bit, particularly if you’re doing 1 point (or a constricted number of things) astatine a time. They’re awesome for mundane tasks for illustration web browsing, checking email, video streaming and more. All of those things tin beryllium done connected Chromebooks arsenic well, but Windows laptops person a large advantage successful Microsoft Office. While yes, location is simply a browser based version, nan native, desktop apps are considered a must person for galore and will tally smoothly connected moreover nan astir bare-bones fund laptop. The only caveat is that you whitethorn tally into immoderate slowdown connected low-powered devices if you’re multitasking aliases moving pinch ample information sets successful Excel aliases a batch of photos and graphics successful Powerpoint.

When it comes to specs, a agleam spot for Windows laptops is storage. Even nan astir affordable devices thin to person astatine slightest a 128GB coagulated authorities drive. That will travel successful useful if you for illustration to support your astir important files saved locally connected your laptop's difficult drive. In contrast, cheaper Chromebooks often person little retention because they’re built connected nan presumption that you’ll prevention each of your documents successful nan cloud. Not only is that little convenient erstwhile you request to activity offline, but it besides limits nan size of programs and files that you tin download. So, Chromebooks aren't nan champion for hoarding Netflix shows earlier a agelong travel aliases for usage arsenic a gaming laptop.

Windows besides has thousands of apps that you tin download from its app store. Chromebooks person immoderate Chrome apps, galore browser extensions and nan expertise to download Android apps, but value power is… inconsistent. Android apps, successful particular, often haven’t been optimized for Chrome OS, which makes for a wonky personification experience. Windows whitethorn not person arsenic galore apps arsenic Android, but astatine slightest nan acquisition is reasonably modular crossed nan board.

Windows besides gives you nan expertise to download and usage programs from different sources, for illustration nonstop from nan developer. You tin tally things for illustration Adobe Creative Suite, definite VPNs and programs for illustration GIMP, Audacity and ClipMate connected a Windows device, which conscionable isn’t imaginable connected Chrome OS. Chromebooks limit you to nan apps and programs successful The Play Store and nan Chrome Extensions store, reducing immoderate others to unusable, space-sucking icons successful your Downloads folder