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You don’t want to step into your buyer shoes and get yourself a laptop that costs below $300. Not until you understand the different options available and which one is the best fit for your unique usage requirement.
Trying to buy a laptop for $300 and below is both easy and complicated. The market is loaded with so many options that make it easy to pick one to your liking, and yet, the specs and matching them to your specific requirements can be a complicated endeavor for sure. Most of the laptops that fall within this budget range are decent performers. They are not too slow and also not too overpowering to play the latest graphics intensive games or run processor-heavy tasks and apps. Yet, they will allow you to play some lower to middle-end games, and run most of the apps and programs without a problem. They are basically designed for browsing, information consuming, streaming, and running multimedia, and they fair pretty fine on that end.
What you really want to do is to make sure you are well informed of your own personal needs and usage. Then build up a basic idea of what kind of processing power, RAM, and storage space will be sufficient to do that. This review guide for laptops below is for that very reason. Then once, you know which one is an ideal or a close match to what you are looking for, then its time to press the button and get yourself the right laptop before it goes out of stock or jumps higher in price.
The Best Laptops Under $300
Here is a list of the best laptops falling under $300 range that can be found in the market these days.
Note: Pricing and availability may vary at different times of the year.
Acer Aspire ES1-572-31KW
This Acer Aspire laptop is one of the best laptops for in the market under $300 because it packs the same features with laptops under $500. It features a lightweight and premium design, and this has made it be one of the most selling in the market. The laptop has a 4GB RAM, and that can upgrade to 8GB RAM and to a maximum of 16 GB RAM. Other features include 1TB 5400RPM HDD, 4GB DDR3L memory and 6th Gen Intel Core i3-6100U processor.
Other than the specifications and the design Acer Aspire ES1-572-31KW clear loudspeakers are perfect for watching movies, playing games and listening to music. It also has an elegant crystal technology and HD display that makes the screen of the laptop sharper and brighter using vivid colors. On top of all this, the Acer Aspire laptop features a well-built touchpad, Chiclet keyboard that is suitable for writing and Intel 520 HD graphics. The laptop is among the best i3 laptops that will give you value for your money.
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Considering a 17-inch laptop? Check out our buyer’s guide for the top 17 inch laptops in the market
HP Stream 14-ax010nr
HP Stream 14-ax010nr laptop is one of the latest laptops that comes with outstanding performance and decent specifications. The laptops’ lightweight and excellent design is ideal for use by travelers. You will find it in two sizes, one is 14 inches and the other is 11 inches. The two sizes do not have a big difference in price so you can choose one that is most convenient. HP Stream 14-ax010nr laptop is portable and is ideal to use when doing casual work like social networking, video chatting, checking emails and browsing.
You will find this laptop in two colors, Aqua Blue and Violet Purple, and you have the freedom to choose one that seems most attractive to you. It is a better choice for people that love multitasking and performing heavier applications. The keyboard is great which makes it an excellent choice for writers. Other unique features include 32 GB eMMC, 4GB DDR3L SDRAM and Intel Celeron N3060. The only downside that people have talked about is the limited storage space that can be increased using a memory card. Hence making it an ideal candidiate for the best laptop under 300.
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Acer Chromebook 14
Acer Chromebook 14 is a compelling option for everyone who is looking for Chromebook within a $300 budget. This computer is mainly for people that want a good laptop for traveling. The 4 GB SDRAM and quad-core processor allow you to use it for more activities and the aluminum body makes it even more attractive. The keyboard is perfectly spaced, and the battery can stay for 10-12 hours. The other features that make this laptop outstand among others include 32 GB internal storage, 4 GB LPDDR3 SDRAM, and the Intel Celeron N310 Quad-Core processor.
This laptop is good for watching movies because of its full HD 1080p display that many movie lovers prefer. It has all the things featured in a good laptop in exception of a memory slot that would have been an added advantage. Everyone that has seen this Chromebook is pleased with the IPS display and the metal body that was featured after a request by previous Acer users. This device is great, and the merits have outdone the possible demerits. It is quite easy and fast to install windows 10 on it, and all these features make it an ideal choice for Chromebook fans.
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ASUS Transformer Book T100HA-C4-GR
This ASUS laptop is a 2 in 1 budget laptop that is powered by Windows 10. Portability and build quality make it comparable to any other notebook. The laptop delivers a high performance, and the battery life can last up to 12 hours which is a great feature. It packs other premium features like a crisp display, affordable price, amazing battery and solid performance. Its recent model and ability to use it as a tablet have made it more attractive thus increasing its sales.
ASUS Transformer Book has been designed to offer top performance and portability, and it is also durable compared to other 2-in 1 hybrids. It is a good option for using in cafes, vacation, office, college and also at home. This 10-inch device is quite comfortable and the best value 2 in 1 PC you will get in the market. It will work as your companion because you can carry it everywhere you go. Most people who love traveling can consider this a good choice. On top of its affordability, it will offer you with all the features a high priced device will offer you.
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HP Chromebook 14-ak060nr
This Chromebook is another efficient Chromebook you will find when on a $300 budget. It is different when you compare it with other standard notebooks in the market, and you will find it in two colors sky blue and silver. There is also a variety of memory and processor, and you have the freedom to choose the best one for you. It is suitable for multitasking users because of its excellent performance, and its unique and colorful design makes it outstanding. You do not have to be disturbed about the charge when using it because it can keep your on screen for up to 8 hours. Other than the display seems a little dim compares to other laptops the other features remain outstanding.
The HP Chromebook features the latest hardware that is most probably the reason behind its success. The laptop has a display of 14 inches which makes it perfect for casual activities such as video streaming, documenting and browsing. The excellent little device can perform almost everything including running most Android apps on Google Chrome. Some other outstanding features of the device include 16 GB eMMC, 4 GB SDRAM and Intel Celeron N2940. Buy this laptop and get to enjoy its greatness.
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Dell i3552-3240BLK
This 15-inch laptop is one of the most affordable you will find on the market today available for the price of a Chromebook or a netbook. The Dell laptop features an Intel Pentium processor, and the user has the freedom to choose between a Celeron processor and Pentium. The user can also choose between an SSD and an HHD laptop of this design. Considering that this decent performer is 15 inch, the laptop is not heavy, and it is suitable for tasks such as Skyping, YouTubing, and browsing among others.
The Dell i3552-3240BLK has many outstanding features which include an HDMI port, Windows 10, SSD and a big screen. If you go for the SSD version of the laptop, you may have some problem with the storage space, but you can store your large files and movies on an external hard disk. The power is decent, lighter than other competing machines and the performance is average. Light application run smoothly on the laptop, but it is not best for people looking for a high-end performing computer. It also does not feature a touchscreen display that many users prefer, but it is still good for the price. Other features include a 500 GB HDD, 4GB DDR3L SDRAM and Intel Pentium 700.
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Lenovo Flex 3 11-inch
The Lenovo Flex 3 ii inch is a premium laptop and one of the best laptops under $300. Many people recognize this laptop due to its 360-degree hinge design and its portability. The decent specifications of the laptop allow the regular programs to run smoothly and this has increased its sales in a great way. This outstanding laptop is an excellent choice for school going children. The laptop is not designed for high-end programs, but it works quite well for regular use.
One thing about this laptop that attracts people is its sleekness, elegant design and ability to change its modes quite fast. It is a perfect option for travelers because it is very light. If you would prefer a laptop that has a removable battery, then this is not the choice for you since the battery is inbuilt. Other specific features if the laptop is 500GB HDD, 4GB DDR3L and Intel Celeron N3050.
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Looking for a cheap gaming laptop instead? Check out our guide for gaming laptops that are under $300.
Lenovo Thinkpad 11E
Another best laptop under $300 is the Lenovo Thinkpad 11E. It has a rating of among the best ultrabooks with a fine budget. The laptop is durable reliable and has been designed in a way to withstand drops. This laptop has a high performance and can run most of its programs smoothly. Some people would like to upgrade the RAM, but if so you have to replace it entirely since it can only handle one chip. This machine is best when used by school kids as well as business people. The construction is sturdy and can handle rough usage, so you don’t have to worry when you buy it for your kid.
Lenovo Thinkpad 11E laptop works perfectly for the 11-inch display, and you can use it with either Linus or Windows 10. It is good for emails, MS office, and school work and browsing but not good for playing games since it starts to overheat. Some things that people found unpleasant about the laptop is that it lacks a touchscreen display and also little bulky than other ultrabooks, but you can be sure that it is as solid as a rock. Some other specific features of the laptop are 8GB DDR3, 128GB solid-state drive, and Intel N3150 Quad core.
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Samsung Chromebook 2 13-inch
This Samsung Chromebook first release was in 2014, and it has maintained to be among the best laptops under $300. It features slim, light and has an excellent battery life. With the recent changes to Chrome OS by Google, it has become more straightforward and functional on this laptop. Chrome OS has enabled this laptop to be faster and also consumes less power. You can also find the same version but in 11 inches and you will be free to choose the best one for you for the difference in price is not huge. It handles most of the programs like Google Docs and office, and it’s a perfect choice for people that browse all day. This version unlike the Samsung Chromebook, it is more silent, fast and cold.
The Ultraslim Chromebook features spiffy looks and is a fan-less device that does not warm quickly. Unlike other laptops it is not mandatory to switch it off when you are not using it, you can just flap it, and it turns on instantly after opening it. The touchpad is comfortable for writers, and this is a plus. It features 16GB SSD, 4GB RAM and Samsung Exynos 5 Octa 5800.
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Dell Inspiron i3552-4041BLK
Dell Inspiron i3552-4041BLK is another good choice for anyone looking for a great laptop within a budget of $300. These laptops have been designed for professionals with features that perform basic tasks such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Skype among others. The SSD version of the laptop is much fast than other laptops in the same group. These decent laptops have an excellent touchscreen display, and it is a good choice for casual gaming.
Necessary applications in this computer like VLC player, Firefox, Chrome, Skype and MS Office work quite well but it is not a good option for power users. It has little space, but you can solve this by storing some of your data in an external hard disk. Some specific features of this laptop are 500GB HDD, $GB RAM, and Intel Celeron.
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Conclusion
With the above review, we can agree that you can still get a good laptop even when on a budget. The above laptops are the best laptops under $300 with top sales, good ratings, and positive reviews. Most of the laptops under this budget a designed for basic tasks but you can be surprised that some have the same performance with other laptops that are highly priced. Check the laptop’s specifications and hardware and compare them with your requirements before you settle on the one to buy.
