Laptops have become a must-have gadget in the modern world. From students to professionals, everyone needs a laptop for one purpose or the other. Even if you do not have much to invest in a laptop, you may be obligated to purchase one. Fortunately, you can get a good laptop with a budget as low as £500 and we are here to help you choose the best laptop under £500 from a variety of options available in the market.
What distinguishes a good laptop from an ordinary laptop are features like great performance, impressive display quality, extended battery backup, and decent build quality. We have pitched in to shortlist such a laptop for you while keeping your budget below £500. Hence, we have for you a compilation of the best laptops under £500 which also explains the features which may make you choose or avoid them. Let’s have a look. Read also: Best Laptops under £600
Our Top 3 Recommendations
Lenovo Ideapad 3
One of the best laptops under £500 is the Lenovo Ideapad 3. This laptop features one of the latest and very efficient processors along with 8GB of RAM. Besides, it also offers a huge storage space of up to 1TB. Amazon Alexa is built-in on this laptop making certain tasks more convenient to perform using voice commands.
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7
The next laptop on our list is again from Lenovo. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 is a very compact laptop for under £500 if you are looking for a portable option for a laptop. This laptop offers a great processor and AMD Radeon graphics. It comes with a QHD display and you also get a backlit keyboard on this laptop.
Samsung Galaxy Book2
Budget-friendly, attractive-looking, and well-performing, the Samsung Galaxy Book2 is also amongst the best laptops under £500. This laptop features 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage but what we like is the upgradability options for both RAM and storage. Besides, this laptop features numerous useful ports for connectivity.
How we picked the best laptops under £500
Choosing the right laptop can be a daunting task, but if certain features of a laptop are taken care of, there is a high chance that you land on a good laptop to purchase. Therefore, we’ll be discussing some of the most essential features of a laptop that you need to be acquainted with to judge a laptop and shortlist one. You can also read our article on the laptop buying guide.
Processor:
The processor has a major role in determining the performance of a laptop. As such, choosing the right processor is necessary. The processor must be the latest as well as powerful like the Intel i7 11th Gen or the AMD Ryzen 5 series. Other than these, the Intel i5 11th Gen and the Intel i3 12th gen are also great processors for laptops under £500.
RAM:
If you want your laptop to perform fast and not lag, you must go for higher options of RAM. For this price category, we suggest a RAM of 8GB which will not only make your laptop speedy but will let you multitask without showing latency. An 8GB RAM is also optimal for playing light to moderate games.
Storage:
The storage capacity of your laptop depends on your storage needs, If you store a lot of data, you can go for a storage capacity as high as 1TB. Otherwise, 256GB storage will also work fine. Also, look for expandable options for storage. For the type of storage, an SDD is way better than an HDD storage and should be preferred.
Display:
The quality of the display of a laptop cannot be compromised. Laptops of this price category usually offer a Full HD display which offers sharp and clear picture quality. Also, make sure that the display offers a high peak brightness level and prevents glare so that it can be viewed easily in conditions of bright light as well.
Battery:
Laptops are designed in a way to be portable and with compromised battery life, a laptop can not be carried anywhere anytime as it may unprecedentedly run out of battery. Therefore, make sure that the laptop you purchase offers a long-lasting battery backup. A laptop that offers fast-charging options is recommended.
These are the best laptops under £500 in the UK
| Laptops | RAM | Storage | CPU | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lenovo Ideapad 3 | 8GB | 1TB SSD | Intel i7 11th Gen | Current Price |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 | 8GB | 256GB SSD | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U | Current Price |
| Samsung Galaxy Book2 | 8GB | 256GB SSD | Intel i3 12th Gen | Current Price |
| Dell Inspiron 3511 | 8GB | 512GB SSD | Intel i5 11th Gen | Current Price |
| Acer Aspire 3 | 8GB | 512GB SSD | AMD Ryzen 5 7520U | Current Price |
1. Lenovo Ideapad 3
The Lenovo Ideapad 3 comes with unexcelled features which are rarely seen in laptops of this price category, making it one of the best laptops under £500. This laptop comes with a powerful processor that is the Intel Core i7 11th Gen which is undoubtedly capable of offering smooth performance. With 8GB RAM, you get fast functionality. Moreover, the storage capacity of 1TB lets you store almost anything on this laptop.
Coming to the display, a 15.6-inch Full HD display is offered on this laptop lined with thin bezels on two sides. The colour quality and clarity of images displayed on the screen are appreciable. However, the brightness levels of the display are mediocre and viewing it in bright conditions is not very pleasing. Integrated graphics featured on this laptop are good for regular use, but may not support high-end gaming.
The build quality of this laptop is attractive. It has a sleek build and is not very heavy for its size. This laptop comes with a very convenient keyboard which although not backlit is accessible and responsive. Dolby Audio is offered on its dual speakers and a webcam is also featured. This laptop comes with built-in Amazon Alexa which makes many of your tasks easy for you to perform by just giving voice commands.
Pros:
- Strong Core i7 processor.
- Huge 1TB storage and RAM.
- Decent build quality.
- Features Amazon Alexa.
Cons:
- The display is not bright.
Specifications:
| Display: | 15.6 inches FHD |
| CPU: | Intel i7 11th Gen |
| GPU: | Intel Integrated Graphics |
| RAM: | 8GB |
| Storage: | 1TB |
| Weight: | 2.3 Kg |
2. Lenovo Yoga Slim 7
Lenovo has never failed to offer budget-friendly yet impressive laptops and the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 is one such laptop. This laptop features a 13.3-inch display which makes it compact. Moreover, it is lightweight and easily portable. Being compact and affordable, this laptop will not only fit your bag but your budget as well.
On this laptop, you get the AMD Ryzen 5 5600U processor coupled with 8GB of RAM. Performance-wise, this laptop is going to hold up to your expectations. For storage, 256GB SSD is offered which is sufficient for student and office use. However, if you tend to store a huge amount of data on your laptop, you may need upgradation.
AMD Radeon graphics are offered on this laptop which makes it a good option for light gaming. With these graphics, your screen will show minimal latency and you can enjoy your games more. You get a QHD display on this laptop which is quite better than the Full HD displays often offered on laptops of this price range.
This laptop features a 720p HD camera which comes with IR and ToF sensors. You also get a backlit keyboard on this laptop but the touchpad is poor at responding. With an aluminium build body, this laptop is quite sturdy. An extended battery backup adds to its qualities. The Yoga Slim 7 is a great pick for a laptop under £500.
Pros:
- Offers a decent performance.
- Great build quality.
- Has a backlit keyboard.
- Features a QHD display.
Cons:
- Poor touchpad response.
- Screen size may feel small for some.
Specifications:
| Display: | 13.3 inches QHD |
| CPU: | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U |
| GPU: | AMD Radeon Graphics |
| RAM: | 8GB |
| Storage: | 256GB |
| Weight: | 1.21 Kg |
3. Samsung Galaxy Book2
We next have the Samsung Galaxy Book2 on our list of the best laptops under £500. A 15.6-inch Full HD display is offered on this laptop which displays a sharp and bright picture. The display has a matte finish which prevents glare and lets you see clearly. The display is lined by thin bezels adding to the looks of this laptop while providing an expansive view of the screen. For graphics, you get the Intel Iris Xe graphics
This laptop comes with the 12th Gen processor from the Intel Core i3 series which offers great performance and lets you multitask smoothly. 8GB of RAM makes the laptop capable of offering a speedy performance. 256GB of storage is offered which is optimal for regular use and not very bad for this budget. If that does not suffice, you get the option to upgrade the storage up to 1TB for HDD. Plus, the RAM is also upgradable up to 32GB.
The battery lasts around 5 to 7 hours on a single charge depending upon the usage. The keyboard is full-sized but is not backlit. A good collection of ports is seen in this laptop. You get two USB Type-C ports, a USB 3.2 port, a USB 2.0 port, an HDMI port, an ethernet port, and a headphone/microphone combo port. Besides, a microSD card reader is also offered on this laptop. Overall, this laptop is a great choice for under £500.
Pros:
- Attractive and lightweight build.
- Expandable storage and RAM.
- Decent display.
- Numerous ports are offered.
Cons:
- Average battery life.
- Average speakers.
Specifications:
| Display: | 15.6 inches FHD |
| CPU: | Intel i3 12th Gen |
| GPU: | Intel Iris Xe Graphics |
| RAM: | 8GB |
| Storage: | 256GB |
| Weight: | 1.58 Kg |
4. Dell Inspiron 3511
Featuring an Intel Core i5 11th Gen processor, 8GB RAM, and 512GB storage, the Dell Inspiron 3511 is also on our list of the best laptops under £500. With these specs, the laptop offers an appreciable performance for day-to-day use. Another impressive feature of this laptop is that it can be fast-charged. The battery recharges up to 80% in just about an hour making it an ideal option for the ones who are hard on work.
The Full HD display offered on this laptop is large and has narrow bezels. It comes with features to protect the eyes like the ComfortView Low Blue Light software. However, the viewing angles are not very wide which is quite a disadvantage. Another disadvantage is that this laptop is not as lightweight as some of its competitors. We also did not like the quality of the speakers as they do not offer high volumes.
Speaking of the ports, you get two USB 3.2 ports, a USB 2.0 port, an HDMI port, and an audio jack. This laptop also offers a card reader and a built-in HD webcam. The keyboard offered on this laptop is worth praising as it is well-sized and its keys are easily accessible. Moreover, the touchpad is also very responsive. The Dell Inspiron 3511 can certainly be considered if you are looking to purchase the best laptops under £500.
Pros:
- Good processor and RAM.
- Fast-charging battery.
- Great keyboard and touchpad.
Cons:
- Narrow viewing angles of the display.
- Average speakers.
Specifications:
| Display: | 15.6 inches FHD |
| CPU: | Intel i5 11th Gen |
| GPU: | Intel Integrated Graphics |
| RAM: | 8GB |
| Storage: | 512GB |
| Weight: | 2.57 Kg |
5. Acer Aspire 3
Acer Aspire 3 is the next choice of our one of the best laptops under 500 in the UK list. The laptop comes with a decently powerful Ryzen 5 7520U processor. If we talk about storage, the laptop comes with 512GB SSD storage which is considered enough for most of the users. Apart from the storage, it comes with 8GB of RAM.
Working on this laptop has been a good experience thanks to its 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display. It has sharp detail and vivid colours, making it a good display. If we talk about its battery life, it gives around 6 to 7 hours of battery life.
Working long hours on this laptop should not be a problem as It has a good cooling system that keeps the laptop cool. Overall it could be a great choice for you with so many good features.
Pros:
- Good performance.
- Decent battery life.
- Nice webcam.
Cons:
- A little heavy.
Specifications:
| Display: | 15.6 inches FHD |
| CPU: | Ryzen 5 7520U |
| GPU: | AMD Integrated Graphics |
| RAM: | 8GB |
| Storage: | 512GB |
| Weight: | 2.66 Kg |
FAQs about the best laptops under £500
Which are the best laptops under £500?
The best laptops under £500 which offer impressive performance include the Lenovo Ideapad 3, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7, and the Samsung Galaxy Book2.
Which is the most portable yet best laptop under £500?
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 is one of the most portable yet best laptops under £500. This laptop features a display measuring 13.3 inches and weighs only 1.21kgs making it compact, lightweight and easy to carry.
Is the 12th Gen Intel Core i3 a good processor?
For a price range of under £500, the Intel Core i3 12th Gen is a great choice offering a smooth performance. You can even use this processor for multitasking and moderate gaming.