Best cheap laptops 2022

Gone are the days when a decent working laptop with “bells and whistles” cost a pretty penny. Today, many users do not want to overpay, but at the same time they are looking for models with high technological characteristics.

“Buyers are trying to save money, but pay attention to the high performance of laptops,” the CEO of price comparison service Price.ru confirmed to KP. Elena Sukhovey. – As a rule, they are looking for laptops with a Windows 10 core, with an SSD drive and modern Intel Core i7 and Intel Core i5 processors, as well as AMD Ryzen 5 and AMD Ryzen 7. These are all characteristics of good gaming laptops, for which demand is growing. Thus, s are often looking for budget models for games.

Manufacturers, including the leading ones, of course, take into account consumer demand and launch sufficiently powerful full-size or ultraportable laptops on the market at a reasonable price. True, gadgets that fully and completely meet consumer requirements today occupy an “above average” price niche. Simplifying some characteristics while maintaining maximum quality, the manufacturer reduces the cost of some models to make them more affordable.

“Notebook manufacturers, saving on one of the parameters, are trying to create an advantage in the other,” said Digma’s leading brand manager to KP. Ilya Petrov. – But if some manufacturers save on appearance, improving technical characteristics, then others do the opposite. 

We bring to the attention of the reader a fresh rating of laptops, the price of which varies within 40 thousand rubles.

Editor’s Choice

HP Pavilion 14-dv0041ur

An excellent gadget for work and study, with a preinstalled Windows operating system and a backlit keyboard. Powerful, energy efficient, balanced, durable and aesthetic model. Convenient for working on the Internet and with documents, storing photos. The HP Pavilion 14-dv0041ur handles high-definition video well, so watching movies on it is a pleasure. A pleasant bonus to the merits of the model is an attractive silver body and an optimal screen resolution for modern laptops – 1920 × 1080 pixels. Among other things, this laptop can be charged with any power bank or charging from a smartphone.

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Top 10 Inexpensive Laptops 2022 According to KP

1. HONOR MagicBook X14

The latest “magic” laptop with Windows operating system is suitable for work, study and Internet surfing. The stylish case of the model with narrow frames (only 4,8 mm) is made of high-quality aluminum, which adds to its pluses. The laptop is easy to carry, convenient to take on travel. The manufacturer has applied in the gadget technology to reduce the brightness of the screen, making the work comfortable for the eyes. Another feature is that you can configure the HONOR MagicBook X14 so that the screen of your smartphone will be displayed on its screen. This is very convenient for those who need to see messages coming to the phone and calls without being distracted from work on a laptop. By the way, the laptop charges quite quickly: in an hour – up to 70 percent.

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2. ASUS M515DA-BQ058

The model “pulls” not only traditional “working” tasks, for which, as a rule, laptops are bought, but also reproduces undemanding games quite well. Although the ASUS M515DA laptop is far from gaming. True, the operating system needs to be installed here, and this is a plus for the price. But the same Windows is installed without problems and quickly. Programs, according to user reviews, fly: all thanks to a powerful processor with 4 cores.

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3. ACER Aspire 5 A515-55-396T

This model combines everything that a modern user needs, who wants to get excellent quality for a “lifting price”. Reliability, performance, convenient controls and stylish design. The “chips” of the model are a high-tech IPS screen matrix (with wide viewing angles and high-quality color reproduction), a 1 TB hard drive and built-in modules for wireless data transmission.

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4. Dell Vostro 3500-5643

Slim 20mm advanced model with pre-installed Linux operating system. Equipped with a matte display with a narrow bezel. True, its resolution is slightly less than that of laptops with similar characteristics from other manufacturers. Not already standard today 1920×1080, but 1366×768. The screen matrix is ​​TN, it is lower in class than IPS, which is used almost everywhere today. At the same time, the model has one free slot for expanding RAM and a lot of space inside for upgrading, and an almost dimensionless hard drive. The Dell Vostro 3500 battery uses ExpressCharge technology to enable fast charging.

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5. Lenovo V14 IIL

Compact, lightweight model, made of matte plastic resistant to cracks. It is attractive not only because the cover does not leave untidy prints, but also with the built-in TPM version 2.0 module, which encrypts personal data, including passwords. And this is very important for the security of personal information.

Among other advantages – stereo speakers, a free slot for RAM and an anti-glare display coating: Lenovo V14 IIL is comfortable to use even in bright light.

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6. DIGMA EVE 10 A201, ES1053EW

The cheapest model in our ranking is a plastic, small laptop with a Windows operating system. Suitable for schoolchildren, students and other users to perform standard office tasks. The machine is reliable and even pulls “light toys”, giving good performance at a low price. The processor is fast, the “iron” without brakes – that’s what those who have tried it in practice say about DIGMA EVE 10 A201. The model weighs less than a kilogram, and therefore it is convenient to carry it with you: it fits in any medium-sized bag. Of the additional “amenities” – slots for expanding RAM.

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7. Irbis NB260

This budget model is suitable for those who need a laptop to access the Internet and social networks – its processor is unlikely to cope with more complex tasks. Actually, the manufacturer honestly says that he conceived the gadget exclusively for these purposes, while equipping it with a screen with a high-quality and high-contrast IPS-matrix and a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels. Demanding users often scold the Irbis NB260 for its simplicity – some lack speed, others lack sound quality, but everyone unanimously praises the model for its display. In addition, unlike most of the more expensive models from other manufacturers, this laptop comes with a Windows operating system.

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8. Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14ITL6

A big plus for this versatile mid-format laptop is its wide-viewing-angle display with anti-glare coating. Suitable for home and work. The device, according to user reviews, is fast and powerful. Plays even high quality video – UltraHD / 4K without problems. The model is also equipped with an HD webcam with a mechanical shutter. The manufacturer also took care of the security of user data and equipped the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 with a TPM 2.0 hardware module, which is used to encrypt data and secure network authentication in a corporate environment.

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9. Xiaomi RedmiBook 14

The price of Xiaomi’s 18mm ultrabook is slightly higher than we would like, however, this model, which is similar in characteristics even to some gaming laptops from other manufacturers, is 20-30 thousand cheaper than them. According to user reviews, Xiaomi RedmiBook 14 pulls many games, even at high settings. Of the advantages – a 4-core AMD Ryzen 3000 processor, a durable aluminum case and fast charging via usb-c: in half an hour the ultrabook battery is “filled” by half. The laptop is easy to carry with you – to work, to study, you can take it on trips.

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10. Acer Extensa 15 EX215-53G-3212

Model without an operating system, but with a powerful processor and an impressive amount of RAM. Most of the users give the Acer Extensa 15 a high rating and the main advantage of this laptop is its speed. A nice detail is the well-thought-out location of the Wi-Fi antenna. Thanks to this, a reliable wireless connection signal is established with the gadget. Convenient for both work and for watching movies, as well as video conferencing.

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How to choose an inexpensive laptop

Intel Atom, Celeron and Pentium processors (which are found on most budget laptops up to 30 thousand) have evolved so much that they can handle most applications and satisfy basic user performance needs without “brakes”. However, today models with more powerful Intel core i3 (and sometimes i5) or AMD Ryzen 3 and 5 have become quite affordable. In addition, they are often equipped with high-resolution screens.

In years past, many of the inexpensive Windows laptops came with as little as 2GB of main system memory, but these days most of them have at least 4GB. And the average is 8 GB. As for the battery, its service life, according to manufacturers, is about five hours. True, you need to understand that the gadget will work at the minimum settings in order to “survive” these five or more hours.  

When it comes to storage, many low-cost laptop manufacturers offer up to 256GB of hard drive space. And sometimes up to 500 GB and in rare cases even up to 1 TB.  

Also, be aware that some low-end devices use so-called “eMMC memory” as their primary storage. This is not the same as the flash memory used in a true Solid State Drive (SSD). And if you’re used to SSDs, then you’ll probably feel like eMMC is a little slow.

Budget laptops will (almost always) ship with at least one USB 3.0 port and possibly a USB 2.0 port. Also, the user will probably get an SD card slot. The HDMI output and USB-C port are a definite plus and the user can find them on even the cheapest models.

Popular questions and answers

For more details on the most common questions regarding low-cost laptops, KP asked for an answer Lenovo Product Manager Anton Kapustin и PR Director of Acer in Our Country Ekaterina Konkova.