Best Budget Laptops

Top choices among sub-$800 notebooks

If you don't need the lightest laptop and don't plan on doing much graphic-intensive work or playing a lot of games, you can get a perfectly good notebook computer for less than $800. Among budget laptops, the Gateway UC7807u (*Est. $650) seems to score well for both style and performance. At 5.3 pounds, this 13.3-inch laptop just misses the cutoff to be considered an ultraportable laptop, but it is still one of the lighter and smaller laptops in the budget price range. The UC7807u includes a Core 2 Duo CPU, 3 GB of RAM, a 250 GB hard drive, DVD drive, webcam, 4-in-1 memory card reader, an HDMI output, and a/b/g/n Wi-Fi.

The Gateway UC7807u gets a strong review at ComputerShopper.com, where it's named one of the best budget computers and complimented for "unparalleled style and features for the price." Though other reviewers are not quite as enthusiastic, the UC7807u also rates well in reports at Laptop Magazine, CNET and PCMag.com.

Styling is luxurious, reports say. The Gateway UC7807u laptop has a putty-colored, glossy, industrial-style case and a black, brushed-metal chassis. Other stylish touches, Laptop Magazine says, include multimedia controls that glow red and a circular touchpad. Performance falls short of the best laptops by a considerable margin, but it is still very good overall when price is factored in, and it's more than good enough for most common computing tasks. That said, no respectable gamer will be very impressed -- not a surprising finding considering the UC7807's integrated Intel graphics. Additionally, most reviewers say that battery life is unexceptional at best.

We saw a lot of good reviews for other budget-priced Gateway laptops, but their availability may be sketchy. The Gateway MD7801u and Gateway MD7818u are identical save for case color; the Gateway MD7818u comes in burgundy, and the MD7801u is clothed in black. Although these laptops earn respect from reviewers, they have gone out of stock at BestBuy.com, which was the exclusive retailer. That said, some very limited stock might still be found in the company's brick-and-mortar stores, and some refurbished laptops are available (*Est. $600).

Build quality and performance are described as good, and design is called "stunning" in reviews. CNET calls the Gateway MD7818u its "overall favorite" preconfigured budget laptop, and reviewer Joshua Goldman says the Gateway MD7818u (and MD7801u) succeeds in giving consumers a capable multimedia laptop at a reasonable price. The Gateway MD7801u is one of the top budget laptop choices at ComputerShopper.com, where John Delaney says it "delivers solid performance and stylish lines at a price that's easy on your wallet."

Given its price, the Gateway MD7801u/MD7818u is relatively feature-packed. It has 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4 GB of RAM and the aforementioned 500 GB hard drive. Connectivity is good, and it includes a 5-in-1 memory card reader and an HDMI output (for viewing high-definition video files on an HDMI-compatible HDTV). The integrated Intel graphics processor won't stand up to much more than casual gaming. Movie playback is fine, and the laptop includes an 8x DVD burner. Audio is another story, however, as reports indicate that the integrated speakers lack power and that their location makes them easy to block, muffling sound. The eight-cell battery provides excellent run time. There's an integrated b/g/n Wi-Fi radio. Reviewers say the case attracts fingerprints and -- at 7.7 pounds -- the MD7801u/MD7818u isn't the lightest of traveling companions. Some also say Bluetooth is missing, but few cheap laptops offer that feature.

Gateway also offers the very similar Gateway MD7820u (*Est. $650). Key differences include a six-cell battery rather than the eight-cell battery found in the MD7801u/MD7818u and a smaller, 320 GB hard drive. That drops the laptop system's weight to 6.5 pounds, but the smaller battery also results in shorter run times between charges. On the plus side, the on-board RAM is faster (1066 MHz vs. 667 MHz in the MD7801u/MD7818u). No reviewers have weighed in on the MD7820u, however, and user feedback is too limited to be useful.

For those willing to sacrifice light weight for a bit more screen real estate, the 16-inch Toshiba Satellite A355-S6925 (*Est. $730) earns some respect. Mark Kyrnin, About.com's guide to PC hardware, names it the best budget laptop overall based on its features and solid performance. It also draws very solid user reviews at Amazon.com, where it is one of the few laptops to garner more than a handful of postings. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation).

By now, the feature lineup should start to sound familiar. Inside you'll find a 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4 GB of memory, and a 320 GB drive. There's no HDMI output, but FireWire and eSATA ports are included, as is a largish 16-inch display. Although that display makes the A355-S6925 a less than ideal traveling companion, it makes it a reasonable choice for someone looking for a desktop replacement.

Budget entertainment laptops

One of the primary ways computer makers cut corners in their cheap laptops is by opting for an integrated graphics processor over a discrete graphics card. However, a few cheap laptops do include better graphics processors. Although these laptops still can't compete with serious gaming laptops with high-end graphics processors and loads of dedicated graphics memory, such laptops also cost much more.

Among cheap laptops with better graphics performance, we found the best support for the Toshiba Satellite A305-S6916 (*Est. $750). CNET includes it in its list of favorite retail laptops but says it slightly prefers the Gateway MD7818u. It also draws a significant number of user comments at BestBuy.com, which is the exclusive retailer for the 15.4-inch laptop, and an overall grade that's among the best on the site.

The Toshiba A305-S6916 breaks from the pack by including a 512 MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650 graphics card in its configuration. No one will mistake that card for the high-performance graphics offered in high-end gaming machines, but, as CNET's Dan Ackerman says, it's "about as good as you're going to do for graphics in this price range."

According to CNET, the Toshiba A305-S6916 offers a "good" mix of components, including a "decent" 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4 GB of RAM and a 320 GB hard drive. In benchmark testing by CNET, the A305-S6916 finishes at or near the top compared to other budget-priced retail laptops, though the edge it enjoys is small. Gaming performance is notably better, though, as Ackerman points out, "it's by no means a gaming laptop." Deficits are few. The hard drive is a bit smaller than those found in some other well-regarded cheap laptops, such as the Gateway MD7818u. The case, while stylish, is a fingerprint magnet, reviews say. It's also priced toward the top of the category.

The MSI GX630-028US (*Est. $800) is another consideration among cheap laptops with dedicated graphics cards. It features a mid-range 512 MB nVidia GeForce 9600M GT graphics card but is hobbled a bit by the use of a 2.0 AMD Athlon X2 dual-core processor, which doesn't have the computational chops of its Intel dual-core counterpart. Still, this 15.5-inch laptop is loved by posters at Newegg.com, where it receives tons of feedback and good grades, and that view is supported by scattered additional user reviews around the web.

However, professional feedback isn't very good. Laptop Magazine tests the machine and comes away decidedly unimpressed. Battery life is rated as poor, and the keyboard is cramped and lacks some keys that are commonly used for gaming. Graphics performance is called decent for the price, but that's not exactly a compliment. Reviewer Matt Bertz says gamers are right to be skeptical about a laptop at this price point and even casual gamers will be disappointed if they attempt to play some more graphically demanding titles.

Though it lacks a dedicated graphics card, HP's Pavilion dv5 series is clearly designed with multimedia in mind. For those who want to customize their laptops, HP offers a staggering array of processors, hard drives, memory and more via its website. For those who just want a solid entertainment-oriented laptop without having to navigate the maze of configuring it themselves, the HP Pavilion dv5-1235dx (*Est. $700) offers a solid value.

In terms of features, the basic configuration is similar to other budget laptops and includes a 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4 GB of RAM and a 320 GB hard drive. However, special attention is paid in this laptop to features that make watching videos or listening to tunes more enjoyable, including good quality audio, touch-sensitive dedicated media controls and an HDMI output. The 15.4-inch screen has a glossy finish that can make video stand out but can also make working in a well-lighted space difficult. At five hours in CNET's benchmark testing, battery life is exceptionally long, but that feature comes at a price -- "a gigantic, unwieldy battery that sticks out from the bottom of the system like a kickstand," says reviewer Dan Ackerman. He adds that the battery left CNET "fascinated and horrified."

The Toshiba Satellite P305D-S8900 is an entertainment-oriented, 17-inch laptop that draws good reactions. Laptop Magazine names it an Editors' Choice and raves about its design, large high-resolution display and great speakers. There are a number of negatives, however. Short battery life is one. Another is an excessive amount of trial software (not-so-fondly called "bloatware" by computer users) that slows down boot time and even stability until cleaned out. The 2.0 GHz AMD Turion X2 Dual-Core is not a plus performance-wise, but this processor does draw some kudos for its multimedia capabilities. The ATI Radeon 3100 graphics card helps things along, as long as you don't expect anything resembling top-shelf gaming ability.

The Toshiba P305D-S8900 is very well equipped for a budget laptop. The Harmon Kardon speakers are a step up from what's typically found on budget laptops and are capable of producing significant sound levels without distortion. Connectivity is excellent, and includes an ExpressCard slot and USB/eSATA combination ports that can also charge connected devices when the laptop is off. The 4 GB of RAM is above average, and the 320 GB hard drive is adequate. The 17-inch display makes the P305-S8900 a great substitute for a desktop computer, though the laptop is not the best choice for mobile computing with a weight of about 7.4 pounds. The 1,440-by-900-pixel display supports 720p HD video at full resolution. An integrated 1.3 megapixel webcam with face recognition is a nice plus. The DVD burner supports Labelflash technology and 11 formats.

In tests, performance is smooth for most uses and multitasking is not an issue. For example, Laptop Magazine reports that once the bloatware is removed, the Toshiba Satellite P305D-S8900 can play a DVD without incident while running Windows Defender in the background. Additionally, the magazine reports that it had "no problem navigating between several open tabs in Internet Explorer -- streaming Pandora and reading e-mails -- while downloading Skype and running a virus scan." The lack of Bluetooth support is a disappointment, but Laptop Magazine reports that the Wi-Fi radio (b/g/n) is strong and affords a longer than typical range.