Buying an expensive machine to do basic tasks or light gaming is ridiculous. However, the best laptops under 700 dollars are worth looking into.
You don’t have to pay thousands of dollars, especially when laptops are becoming cheaper and more powerful. We have compared and reviewed them for you.
Many laptops on the market fall under a $700 budget, and they are still powerful enough to do more than just basic tasks. You can get a versatile device capable of many things at this price range.
We’re talking about various things like checking your email, editing documents, photo and video editing, and light-to-mid gaming.
Table of Contents
What To Expect From A Cheap Laptop
For under and around $700, you should expect QUALITY.
Maybe not a high-end premium quality with cutting-edge performance, but good quality nonetheless. Do not settle for under-average quality at this price range.
The chassis should be reliable and built to last. Also, the key is looking at the specific features you are looking for in a laptop so you can choose the best one for your needs.
On 12-14 inches, you should expect a premium look and feel. However, this might not be the case with 15-inch gaming laptops, where metal chassis were sacrificed for better features and processing power.
The display should be an FHD – 1920x1080p, with good color, vividness, and brightness. Most devices have an integrated GPU or mid-range NVIDIA or Radeon graphics, allowing you to play most games on medium settings. Some manufacturers offer multiple configurations per model, sporting different CPUs and GPUs.
Check The Specs Before You Purchase
Before buying a laptop, check its specs to ensure you’re buying a product that fits you the most. So, here’s a list of the top laptops, with short reviews for each product:
Best Laptops Under 700 Dollars In 2023
Many of these devices come with great specs and quality construction. However, some compromises had to be made to keep the price range low to get a dimmer screen or a weak sound system.
In no particular order, here are the best laptops for under 700 dollars.
I’ll also list the pros and cons of each laptop.
ASUS VivoBook S15
If you’re looking for style and substance, VivoBook S15 is a great buy. However, its appeal is more than just style since the laptop offers excellent performance, solid battery life, and overall pleasant use.
The VivoBook S15 is an exquisitely designed laptop.
Thanks to its hinge design, called ErgoLift, the keyboard inclines slightly when the laptop is open. Lifting the laptop off the surface this way allows for more airflow, leading to more efficient thermal characteristics.
A full-sized keyboard layout is pleasant to use. It also has a 3-level plain white backlight.
Intel’s Core i5-8250U is typically found in laptops of this price range. Coupled with an Intel UHD Graphics 620 and 8GB RAM, this laptop is excellent for online multitasking, productivity, and casual gaming.
The 15.6-inch IPS 1080p display is sharp and bright but disappoints the color department since it reproduces only 68% sRGB color spectrum. Nevertheless, you can expect about 8 hours of work with one charge.
Pros Of The ASUS VivoBook
- Sleek, gorgeous design
- Good performance
- Affordable
Cons Of The ASUS VivoBook
- Dull display
Acer Aspire 5 Notebook
If you’re looking for a good-value laptop for under 700 dollars, Acer Aspire E15 fits the bill. It’s a bang for your buck and an excellent choice for students.
It packs an 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8250U processor, 8GB of DDR4 RAM, and a discrete NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics card. It all adds up to an excellent price-to-performance ratio for a productivity-minded device, which can do a little light gaming on the side.
The chassis is chunky plastic with a brushed metal texture, giving it a premium appearance. Unfortunately, it weighs under five pounds, meaning it’s too heavy to qualify as an ultraportable.
Aspire’s FHD display looks sharp, boasting vivid colors and decent contrast. The viewing angle on the IPS panel is also good enough. Unfortunately, the screen is disappointingly dim.
On the other hand, its backlit keyboard feels snappy and responsive to the touch. Likewise, Trackpad feels smooth and responsive but requires a fair amount of pressure to click. Nevertheless, the device performs gracefully under loads while offering up to 8 hours of battery life.
Pros Of The Acer Aspire
- Strong performance
- Affordable
- Good battery life
Cons Of The Acer Aspire
- Bulky design
Acer Swift 3
The Acer Swift 3 is one of the most compact powerhouse laptops under the $700 price range, with some special hardware inside.
It’s a perfect choice for anyone who wants a perfect blend of portability and power.
Swift 3 has AMD’s Ryzen 5 2500U CPU with 2GHz and Vega 8 graphics clock speed. Note that you can opt for a slightly more powerful Intel Core i5 CPU with this device for a few extra dollars. However, the AMD chipset has far better-performing integrated graphics. In any case, the hardware makes Windows 10 run fast and responsive.
The body of this laptop is all aluminum with a light brushed finish on the lid, giving it a more premium look. The quality of construction is reliable, stiff, and robust. Unfortunately, you get a 15.6″ 1080p screen with this laptop, which is sometimes glossy and dim.
Pros Of The Acer Swift
- Stays cool
- Sturdy build
- Good performance
Cons Of The Acer Swift
- Display brightness could be higher
HP Pavilion 15
HP Pavilion 15 has basic specs by gaming standards, but it’s still a powerful notebook offering good features.
The combination of 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8300U and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti allows for smooth gameplay of the most popular titles. However, you’ll have to dial the graphics down with some hardware-demanding titles.
These components backed up with 8GB of RAM, is enough for regular day-to-day computing activities. However, they’ll also manage heavier tasks like video production or photo editing.
The anti-glare IPS screen offers a 1920x1080p resolution, with only 62% of the sRGB color gamut. That’s below the mainstream average of 86%.
The body is made out of plastic with a chalky smooth finish. The black keyboard glows with mutagen-green light, offering a comfortable typing experience. According to HP, the battery on this model lasts up to 8 hours – significantly reduced under heavy loads.
Pros Of The HP Pavilion
- Strong overall performance
- It runs excellently even while gaming
- Slick design
Cons Of The HP Pavilion
- Dim display
Lenovo IdeaPad 330
IdeaPad 300 is ideal for anyone who uses the computer frequently for lightweight activities and casual gaming. In addition, it offers a wide variety of hardware configurations, which influences the price significantly.
The keyboard is excellent, and any fast typer will find it reliable. However, it isn’t backlit, making it harder to use in a low-light setting. On the other hand, the touchpad responds well, registering physical inputs precisely.
Lenovo IdeaPad 330 is equipped with an 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8250u, clocking to 3.4GHz (1.6GHz by default). The primary GPU is Intel UHD Graphics 620, which is not made for heavy graphical loads.
Still, for a few extra bucks, you can choose to get NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 with your device. However, it has some setbacks to keeping the price, and one of those is using the FHD TN screen panel. However, the screen is anti-glare coated.
Pros Of The Lenovo IdeaPad
- Good keyboard
- Adequately priced
- Easily upgradeable
Cons Of The Lenovo IdeaPad
- All plastic build
MSI GV62 8RD-275
This is one of the best budget-friendly gaming laptops available on the market, as it offers boosted gameplay and faster rendering.
For those who love a more discreet design, MSI GV62 isn’t as flashy as other gaming laptops. Nonetheless, its minimal exterior is quite gorgeous. The black plastic chassis is elegantly hair-brushed, with red accents and vent grilles.
Thanks to the red LED backlight feature. The keyboard is pretty typical and comfortable. The laptop weighs 5 pounds, making it one of the lightest gaming laptops among its competitors.
Playing games while listening to streaming music is made possible by the 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8300H processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti, and 8GB of RAM. The 15.6-inch 1920x1080p matte IPS display is pretty bright, but the panel isn’t as colorful. However, the image is sharp.
Unfortunately, battery life is below average and lasts only 2 hours under full load.
Pros Of The MSI
- Smooth and sleek design
- Solid performance
- Comfortable keyboard
Cons Of The MSI
- Short battery life, lasting under 2 hours on full load
- It has a dim display
Lenovo Yoga 730
The Yoga laptop series is the most powerful and stylish convertible Lenovo offers. With 2-in-1 capabilities, this is both a laptop and a tablet.
It looks like it means business, with a body made of aluminum finished in a dark shade called Iron Gray. Yoga’s build quality is excellent, with a body that feels sturdy despite the slim design.
The hinges are also strong, allowing for a 360° opening of the lid. The keyboard offers minimal travel with light and shallow typing action, while the Trackpad is broad and responsive.
The device is powered by an 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8250U CPU and Intel UHD 620 Graphics, coupled with 8 GB RAM, allowing for significant everyday usage, basic photo editing, and some light gaming.
The screen is a 15.6″ 10-point multitouch screen with an FHD resolution of 1920x1080p. While it offers impressive clarity, the colors feel a little unsaturated.
Pros Of The Lenovo Yoga
- Lightweight, only 2.6 pounds
- Good performance
- Solid build
Cons Of The Lenovo Yoga
- Below-average battery life
Acer Nitro 5
If you’re looking for a good gaming laptop for under $700, then Acer Nitro 5 might suit you.
The chassis is made entirely of plastic with a faux carbon-fiber finish improving the look. The hinges are red for contrast, as well as the keyboard backlighting.
Still, its large size allows for a full-sized keyboard that offers a decent typing experience. Likewise, Trackpad has a generous size, providing an incredibly smooth surface and incredible responsiveness.
Nitro 5 can hold its own against almost all mid to high-class games regarding specs. It’s all thanks to the 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8300H CPU and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti dedicated graphics card. These specs are backed up by 8GB of RAM to handle gaming and programming.
This laptop sports a 15.6-inch FHD IPS display with a good color gamut and great viewing angles. Brightness could be better, but it’s still good enough for an entry-level device.
Pros Of The Acer Nitro
- Good build
- Fairly comfortable input devices
- Okay performance
Cons Of The Acer Nitro
- 5 hours of battery life
ASUS TUF GAMING FX504
Despite being a budget to mid-range gaming notebook, TUF FX504 still offers good hardware specs, an excellent keyboard, a 120Hz screen, and an affordable price tag.
The Unlimited Force FX504 borrowed the aesthetic design from its Republic Of Gamers cousin. And you’ll love this laptop’s plan if you’re not a fan of the flashy design.
As for the build quality, the chassis is made out of plastic, while the lid cover has a brushed metallic finish. Moreover, the keyboard shines regarding the typing experience, as it offers the right amount of resistance and the proper feedback.
Intel Core i5-8300H CPU and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti, coupled with 8GB of DDR4 RAM, offer quite a decent gaming performance. In addition, 1TB HDD storage is more than enough for games and storing movies.
The screen, however, could be better since it’s a TN FHD display. This means it’s a “win-some-lose-some” type of configuration.
Pros Of The ASUS TUF
- Good gaming performance
- Very affordable
- Stays cool
Cons Of The ASUS TUF
- The display is somewhat bland
- This has a below-average battery life
Further Reviews
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