The 20 Best Laptops Under $1,000 You Can Buy Right Now

Just because you expect the best from your laptop, that does not mean you have to spend an arm and a leg on one. There are quite a few models on the market that will provide you with everything you need, all around $1,000.

There might be one or two laptop models we found that might pass the mark by a few bucks, but you can find them on sale pretty often, so we thought they are worth it to include them on our list.

Of course, everyone’s needs and budget varies, but we gathered a list of the 20 best laptops under $1,000 that offer you some very decent specs.

What should you be focusing on when making this purchase? Let’s take a quick look.

Things to Consider When Purchasing a Laptop

Before anything, what exactly are you planning to use your laptop for? Is it for everyday activities such as checking emails, Facebook, streaming movies, etc., will you use it for gaming, or do you need it for work?

If you don’t need anything fancy, a very affordable Chromebook will work just fine. There are also a few gaming laptops that are quite reasonable as well. But most of the models we included are suitable for your business / working from home laptops.

There are also some great 2-in-1 laptops that can transform into a tablet, so you get the best of both worlds.

Specifications

This is probably the most important factor to consider when purchasing a laptop. What is the SSD size, RAM, and CPU power? They will vary from one model to the other, and the higher the quality of the specs, the higher the price too. If you’re planning to keep it for at least a couple of years, get something that has a powerful CPU, such as a Core i5 or i7. If you’re going with an AMD, aim for Ryzen 5 or 7.

As far as RAM is concerned, less than 8GB might be cheaper, but will surely frustrate you in the long run because you will not have enough room for all that you need.

And the SSD storage should be at least 256 GB, but if you want more than 512 GB the price will rise significantly.

Battery Life

Here is an important factor that varies from one person to another. A decent battery life is anywhere between 6 and 10 hours of use without having to recharge it. But more than that, and the price will skyrocket.

If you’re mostly using your device at home or always bring your charger with you, that will not pose a problem, but better to be safe than sorry.

Portability

Most laptops these days are not as heavy as they used to be, so most of the models mentioned are under 5 lbs. Gaming laptops are usually a bit heavier, but those are usually not carried around, therefore will not pose a big problem.

Those are the basic things you should look for when you’re in the market for a laptop that is functional and affordable.

Now that we discussed the minimum requirements you should look for in a laptop, let’s take a look at the 20 best laptops under $1,000 you can buy right now.

20. Lenovo Chromebook Duet

This is a great budget option for students, for example, who need it for basic note taking and paper writing. The 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB SSD is not optimal, but the impressive battery life, which comes in just under 11 hours, makes it a great device to carry around at school.

The touchscreen Chromebook is a great 2-in-1 option that offers great visuals.

19. ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14

This gaming laptop has a regular price of over $1,000 but it’s on sale at the moment, therefore making the cut for this article. Designed for power users, the AMD Ryzen 7 4000 Series processor is excellent for multimedia creations and multitasking.

System memory of 8GB, and NVidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics, makes this a decent gaming computer for a very reasonable price.

18. Dell Inspiron 15

If you’re looking for a business laptop but without paying business-class price, this one is a decent find. Fast and functional, it comes equipped with an Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, a Thunderbolt4 USB-C port, and HDMI for plugging into other devices.

Starting at 8 GB of RAM, the 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD offers great speed, and the Intel Iris Xe graphics are very good.

17. Microsoft Surface Go 3

This detachable tablet that can be used instead of a laptop is a great find. Well-built, like all of Microsoft’s other offerings, this one is a lot more affordable. Equipped with a 10th gen Intel Core processor, 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB SSD, prices start at $400.

If you want more power the price is higher, but if your needs are more basic, this is a very good option.

16. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7

This is the ideal budget laptop if you’re into video editing and such, but don’t have the means for a more powerful machine.

The Ryzen 7 4800U CPU is a pretty good processor for those particular needs, and the AMD powered laptop comes with 8 cores of processing power. The 8GB of RAM and 512GB PCIe SSD are also very decent specs for the price.

15. HP Victus 16

A powerful gaming laptop that is affordable, this model features a Intel 11th gen Core i5-11400H processor. For sure, it does not have the graphics of a much pricier version, but the NVidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card offers a decent gaming experience.

The nice thing about this laptop is that you can always upgrade to higher configurations, and that for a fairly reasonable price.

14. Dell XPS 13 – 2019 model

This laptop is still considered one of the best options on the market today. Although an older model, the specs are still impressive.

The bright Infinity Edge display, the decent 10th Gen Intel Core i3-1005G1 processor and 256 SSD storage space are very competitive, even when compared to much more expensive models. The portable, slim design and great battery life make it a great laptop for the price.

13. Acer Aspire 5

This laptop is even cheaper than $1,000, coming in under $500. For the price, it is a great budget option that still offers a very decent performance. With Intel Core i3 or i5 processor and Intel UHD 620 graphics, it also has a bright 1080p display.

The battery life is pretty long at close to 9 hours, and the numerous ports are a great feature.

12. Acer Swift 3 – 2020 model

This laptop is equipped with a powerful CPU and amazing Radeon graphics. The battery life is impressive, which will give you 11 hours before a recharge.

For the price though, you might have to compromise on the dim display, but the light weight and fingerprint scanner make this an overall great option.

11. Asus ZenBook 13 UM325S

The stellar battery life, amazing performance, and the sleek ultra portable design make this laptop one of the best options on the list. The gorgeous OLED display is run with AMD Radeon Graphics, and it offers ample storage with 1TB SSD.

The processor is AMD Ryzen 7 5800U, and at 2.6 pounds, it is one of the best portable laptops around.

10. Samsung Galaxy Book

Speedy performance makes this Galaxy Book an impressive device. The Intel 11th Gen performance is incredible with an Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor and Intel Iris Xe Graphics. Storage and memory are decent as well, but the variety of ports, great keyboard and the sleek design gains it brownie points.

They need improvement on the touchpad, webcam and the dull display. But for the price, an overall decent option.

9. Microsoft Surface Pro 7

With the best configuration coming at over the $1,000 mark, the basic model is worth mentioning. The 10th generation Intel Core i3 or i5 is probably going to keep you within the budget, but it’s available in i7 as well. GPU can be chosen between Intel UHD or Iris Pro, and as far as memory and storage are concerned, you have multiple options there too.

The USB-C port they added for charging is a welcome addition, but there’s still room for improvement.

8. Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga

This is by far the best business 2-in-1 that is priced at under $1,000. Impressive specs make this ThinkBook different from others in its category. With a processor of Intel Core i7-1165G7 and GPU Intel Iris Xe, the storage and RAM can be customized. If you need lots of storage, you can go for the 1 TB SSD, and either 16 or 24GB of RAM.

The display is also not too shabby, and the device comes with a Smart Pen that is included and has its own silo for charging.

7. Acer Chromebook Spin 713 – 2021 model

The powerful processor on this laptop is quite impressive. The Intel Core i5-1135G7 and Intel Iris Xe Graphics offer you great performance for the price. With a long lasting battery life, many ports as well a bright display, this is a real contender.

The keyboard is well appreciated by customers who need to spend hours writing, and the streaming capabilities of Google are a plus. The only negative is the super sensitive touchpad, which annoys some people.

6. Dell G5 15 SE – 2020 model

This is a great affordable gaming laptop that offers blistering CPU performance. Equipped with the AMD Ryzen R7 4800H, 16Gb of RAM, 512 GB SSd, and GPU AMD Radeon RX 5600M, these specs speak for themselves.

For the price, you cannot go wrong. Yes, some people might have complained of the chunky design and below average graphics. But when you know that a top gaming laptop will run you well over $3,000, this one offers a great bang for your buck.

5. Macbook Air M1, late 2020 model

If you’ve always favored macOs over Windows processors, then there’s no doubt you will go for this model. The M1 chip delivers excellent battery life, with more than 14 hours making it one of the fastest laptops to exist.

Outstanding performance and decent storage space, along with the Apple support you can always expect from the company make this ultrathin model an excellent choice.

4. HP Envy X360 13 – 2020 model

One of if not the best 2-in-1 laptop that comes in under $1,000. The outstanding performance, compact and stylish design, and the long battery life should be reasons enough to consider it.

If that’s not enough to impress you, will the AMD Ryzen 5 5400U, AMD Radeon Graphics do it? Or will the 256 GB of storage and 8GB of RAM be sufficient? All that under 3 pounds and less than a thousand dollars is a great deal.

3. ASUS Zenbook 13 UX325EA

One of the lightest models on our list, this laptop has some great specs as well. It offers one of the greatest battery lives available and a sleek design. But their pièce de résistance has got to be Intel’s Tiger Lake chips.

They boast amazing performance, along with a Thunderbolt 4 port and Wi-Fi 6. The keyboard is also very comfortable to work on, making this a very interesting option overall.

2. HP Envy 13 – 2021 model

This is one of the best laptops you can invest your money into. Coming in under the $1,000 mark, it features an attractive design and a bright, vivid display. Another plus is the very decent battery life, which will last you more than 11 hours.

Other specs include the Intel Core i5-1135G7 and 16 Gb of Ram, with storage of 256 Gb. The new model also boasts a Thunderbolt 4 port and a slimmer, more compact design than its predecessor.

1. ASUS ZenBook 14

This is considered the best laptop you can buy today for under $1,000. It offers versatile performance that ranges from productivity to gaming. The Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU processor is one of the best on the market, and the SSD comes in at an impressive 512 GB.

The battery is exceptional with 22 hours of work and play, according to Asus. It is equipped with Wi-Fi 6, Thunderbolt 4 USB Type C ports, and a backlit keyboard. Many other impressive features gained it the number one spot for this year.

These are the 20 best laptops under $1,000 you can buy right now. Some great options, even if your budget is not unlimited.