Cheapest Cheap Laptops

Basic notebook computers for $500 and less

Laptops priced at $500 and less have some drawbacks, including less powerful processors, smaller hard drives and less memory. However, expert and user reviews tell us that as long as expectations are in line with price, it is possible to get a truly cheap laptop that will perform the basics and then some.

If price is your primary concern, reviewers say the Samsung RV520-W01 (*Est. $500) offers reasonable performance for not much more than a netbook. Sold exclusively at Best Buy, the 15.6-inch Samsung laptop has a 2.1 GHz second generation Intel Core i3 CPU, 4 GB of memory, a 640 GB hard drive, integrated Intel HD graphics and a CD/DVD drive. The Samsung RV520-W01 also has several features not commonly found on cheap laptops, including built-in WiMAX 4G mobile broadband and Intel's WiDi technology. The Samsung RV520-W01 also has a built-in webcam, media card reader and three USB ports. Toshiba offers a Series 3 Notebook, the NP300V5AI (*Est. $600) , that has similar specs, although it doubles the RAM to 8 GB but drops the hard drive size to 500 GB.

Reviewers aren't overly impressed with the Samsung RV520-W01's design, saying the textured plastic finish could use an update. However, the laptop delivers on the performance front, especially compared to cheap laptops that are still using last-generation processors. Battery life is also better, lasting 6.5 hours in PCMag.com's test. "The Samsung RV520-W01 delivered excellent battery life and the newest in wireless technology," says Cisco Cheng.

However user reviewers at BestBuy.com give the Samsung RV520-W01 somewhat mixed ratings: although the laptop enjoys a high average rating and the majority of users rate the rig 4 stars or higher, only 71 percent say that they would recommend it to a friend. Among the unhappy owners, a number complain about the laptop's wireless performance. "Although it was easy to set up, the wireless connection stopped working as soon as Windows 7 updates need to be installed," says one owner, and others report frequent disconnects.

Another cheap laptop that sees positive critical feedback is the 15.6-inch Dell Inspiron 15r (*Est. $500) . There are several configurations available, but the reviews we found focus on a $500 configuration that includes an Intel Core i3-2330M processor, 4 GB of RAM and a 500 GB hard drive. It can be purchased directly from Dell, but it is also offered in a pre-configured version at several retailers. The laptop sports several features that aren't often found in laptops under the $500 mark, such as eSATA and HDMI ports, a CD/DVD burner, two USB 3.0 ports, Bluetooth and WiDi support, and an 8-in-1 card reader. The stock black lid is switchable, and designs with other solid colors and patterns are available.

In addition to the abundance of connectivity options, reviewers say the portability and design of the laptop are also very good. Speed is more than adequate for a multitude of tasks, including everyday ones like word processing, web surfing and email, as well as slightly more advanced processes such as media encoding and HD video streaming.

Gamers should look elsewhere, however. Mark Kyrnin, About.com's guide to PC Hardware, says the Inspiron 15r  doesn't have "any real use even as a casual PC gaming platform except at the lowest detail and resolution levels." The speakers sound much better than the ones on other budget laptops, reviewers say. Battery life is good for a sub-$500 notebook, at more than six hours, although performing intensive tasks can lower that significantly. 

The Toshiba Satellite C675-S7200 (*Est. $400) enjoys good user reviews and has a massive 17.3-inch screen. This cheap laptop comes with a 2.0 GHz Intel Pentium B940 processor, 4 GB of RAM, a 320 GB hard drive and a CD/DVD burner. Two USB ports, an 8-in-1 card reader and built-in webcam and microphone are other notable features. It's available chiefly at Walmart.com, although you can sometimes find it at other online retailers.

Users at Walmart.com give the Toshiba Satellite C675-S7200 a 4.6-star rating, and more than 90 percent say they would recommend the laptop to a friend. Reviews at Amazon.com and Toshiba's website are less numerous, but still enthusiastic overall. Owners say the laptop is a great deal for less than $500, and most report good performance for surfing the web, playing Flash games, watching HD videos or word processing, though with its relatively underpowered processor, it would be unfair to expect good performance for more intensive tasks. The large screen and fast boot-up time also impress. It's not all good, though. The battery lasts less than four hours, and the quiet, tinny speakers disappoint even those who give the notebook an otherwise perfect rating.

For even less, the 15.6-inch Toshiba Satellite C655D-S5200 (*Est. $350) , another laptop available mainly from Walmart.com, earns pretty good customer feedback as well. The 1.0 GHz AMD Dual-Core C-50 processor is matched with 3 GB of RAM, AMD Radeon HD 6250 graphics, a 320 GB hard drive and a DVD burner. Other features include two USB ports, a 6-cell battery, a 4-in-1 card reader and a built-in webcam and microphone.

More than 60 users comment on the Toshiba Satellite C655D-S5200 at Walmart.com, where it enjoys positive overall ratings. Reviewers acknowledge that this isn't a high-powered laptop, but it works fine for sending emails or browsing the web and even handles Skype conversations smoothly. Although gaming isn't really an option, one reader reports that it is possible to play older "classic" games on the system. Most owners say they get about four to six hours of battery life.

Although the laptop maintains a high overall score, only 75 percent of users say they would recommend the C655D-S5200 to others. Most of the problems seem to relate to people expecting more out of the sub-par AMD processor. A few users report that the laptop is slow, and even otherwise happy owners say that it can freeze under heavy use. The sub-par processor also affects boot-up times, which one reviewer calls "slow as molasses." This cheap laptop also suffers from the same poor speaker quality as the Toshiba Satellite C675-S7200.

The Best Buy-exclusive Toshiba Satellite C655D-S5210 (*Est. $330) is basically the same build as the C655D-S5200 at Walmart, but it swaps out the processor and graphics card for a 1.0 GHz AMD E350 and an AMD Radeon HD 6310, respectively. Like the similar Walmart laptop, the Best Buy version receives good marks from users, 84 percent of whom say they would recommend the laptop to their friends. The comments about the Best Buy version are basically the same as the ones for the Walmart version, but users don't mention nearly as many slow down or freezing issues, possibly due to the change in processors.

Another low-price option, the 15.6-inch Acer Aspire AS5750Z-4877 (*Est. $450) , also enjoys strong user reviews. This model includes a 2.0 GHz Intel Pentium B940 processor, 4 GB of RAM and a 320 GB hard drive. It also ships with a CD/DVD drive, three USB ports and an HDMI port, a feature not often found in sub-$500 laptops.

More than 30 users posting reviews at Newegg.com are pleased with this configuration, especially its fast boot times, responsive keyboard, overall physical design and adequate performance for the price. We found a single professional review that also recommends the Acer laptop. Neither critic nor customers could name a single major flaw in the machine, although the critic noted that the speakers are "inadequate," and users dislike the amount of bloatware that comes installed on the notebook.

At this price range, a netbook is also worth considering. These differ from the laptops discussed in this report in several notable ways. The most significant is that they are driven by relatively weak processors -- such as the Intel Atom -- that are fine for the most basic of tasks but not for serious work. Some netbooks are more capable, of course, but their prices often reach or surpass those of the cheap laptops discussed here, and performance still lags. However, netbooks are the ultimate traveling companion and are easy to tote around. For more information, see the separate ConsumerSearch report on netbooks.