
- The
- in 2021
- Our picks for the best college laptops
- Check out our best laptops under $500
for working on the go, a gaming laptop2-in-1 laptop
What is the best laptop under $1,000?
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Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (2020)
1. HP Envy 13 (2021)
The best laptop under $1,000
Specifications
Intel Core i5-1135G7
Iris Xe
16GB
256GB
13.3-inch, 1080p touchscreen
2.9 pounds
Reasons to buy
+Bright, vivid display
+Attractive design and clicky keyboard
+11+ hours of battery life
Reasons to avoid
–Plastic touchpad
–No IR camera option
See our full
HP Envy 13 (2021) review
Specifications
13.3-inch, 1920 x 1080 display
Up to Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU
2.5 pounds
Reasons to buy
+Sleek, lightweight frame
+Powerful overall and gaming performance
+Excellent battery life
+Very comfortable keyboard
Reasons to avoid
–Weak speakers
See our full
Asus ZenBook 13 UX325EA review
The best 2-in-1 under $1,000
Specifications
AMD Ryzen 5 4500U
AMD Radeon Graphics
8GB
256GB
13.3-inch, 1080p
2.9 pounds
Reasons to buy
+Outstanding performance
+1080p display is bright and vivid
+Stylish and compact aluminum design
+Long battery life
Reasons to avoid
–No IR camera
See our
4. MacBook Air (M1, Late 2020)
The best MacBook for under $1,000
Specifications
M1
M1 (integrated)
8GB
256GB
13.3-inch, 2560 x 1600-pixel
2.8 pounds
Reasons to buy
+Breathtaking performance
+Outstanding battery life
+Slim unibody aluminum chassis
+iPhone and iPad app support
+Great speakers and Magic Keyboard
Reasons to avoid
–Few ports
See our full
Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) review
5. Dell G5 15 SE (2020)
The best cheap gaming laptop under $1,000
Specifications
AMD Ryzen R7 4800H
AMD Radeon RX 5600M
16GB
512GB SSD
15.6-inches, 1080p
14.4 x 10 x 0.9 inches
5.5 pounds
Reasons to buy
+Blistering CPU performance
+Strong graphics (compared to budget gaming)
+Great battery life
Reasons to avoid
–Middling graphics (compared to mainstream gaming)
–Chunky design
See our full
6. Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (2021)
The best overall Chromebook under $1,000
Specifications
Intel Core i5-1135G7
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
8GB
256GB SSD
13.5-inch, 2256 x 1504
3.2 pounds
Reasons to buy
+Great screen
+Powerful performance
+Great battery life
Reasons to avoid
–Sensitive Touchpad
–No stylus support
–Weak speakers
See our full
Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (2021) review
7. Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga
Specifications
Intel Core i7-1165G7
Intel Iris Xe
16GB/24GB
512GB/1TB
14-inch, 1080p Corning Gorilla Glass
3.3 pounds
Reasons to buy
+Robust build quality
+Smart Pen included
+Fingerprint reader in power button
+Service Hotkey via F9
+Reasonably priced
Reasons to avoid
–Quiet speakers
–Fingerprint-attracting chassis
See our full
Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga review
8. Microsoft Surface Pro 7
The best business laptop under $1,000
Specifications
Intel UHD or Iris Pro
4GB/8GB/16GB
128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB
12.3-inch, 2736 x 1824-pixel
1.7-1.74 pounds
Reasons to buy
+Speedy performance
+Colorful display
+Comfortable (optional) keyboard
+USB-C port
Reasons to avoid
–Less battery life than predecessor
The Surface Pro 7
See our full
9. Asus ZenBook 13 UM325S
Specifications
AMD Ryzen 7 5800U
AMD Radeon Graphics
16GB
1TB SSD
13.3-inch, 1080p, OLED
2.6 pounds
Reasons to buy
+Excellent performance
+Gorgeous OLED display
+Long battery life
+Sleek ultra-portable design
+Well-rounded speakers
Reasons to avoid
–Cramped keyboard
–Sticky touchpad
best ultraportable laptops
Read our full
Asus ZenBook 13 UM325S review
10. Acer Aspire 5
The best laptop under $500
Specifications
Intel Core i3-8145U
Intel UHD 620
4GB
128GB SSD
15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080
3.76 pounds
Reasons to buy
+Strong performance
+Long battery life
+Bright, 1080p display
Reasons to avoid
–Middling graphics
–Questionable build quality
The Acer Aspire 5best laptops under $500
See our full
Specifications
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
Radeon Graphics
8GB
512GB SSD
14-inch, 1920 x 1080
2.6 pounds
Reasons to buy
+Beastly performance
+Amazing CPU for price
+Great battery life
+Fingerprint scanner
Reasons to avoid
–Dim display
Read our full
12. Dell XPS 13 (2019)
The best thin notebook under $1,000
Specifications
Intel Core i3-1005G1 CPU
4GB
256 SSD
13.4-inch 1920 X 1200 Infinity Edge
2.9 pounds
Reasons to buy
+Slim, ultraportable design
+Strong performance
+Bright, 16:10 display
+Great battery life
Reasons to avoid
–Scant on ports
–Shallow keyboard
? Well, that’s the best laptop you can buy.
See our full Dell XPS 13 review
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