Top 5 Budget Laptops Of 2025 - Best Under $700, $500 & $300 - video Dailymotion

Tom's Guide

In this video, Tony ranks the best laptops for every budget. From the best laptop under $300 and the best gaming laptop value to the best MacBook deal for students and our top Chromebook pick, these are the machines that our team recommends based on hours of testing.   The best budget laptops featured in this video are the Lenovo Ideapad Slim 3x, MacBook Air M1, Acer Nitro V 15, Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus and Acer Aspire Go 15. For each laptop, Tony calls out the top features, pricing, and who each kind of machine is right for.

Transcript

00:00Looking for a new laptop but don't want to drain your bank account?

00:03Whether you're gearing up for school year, need a productivity upgrade, or just want

00:06the best value for your dollar, I've reviewed and rounded up the best budget laptops you

00:10can buy right now.

00:12From Chromebooks to gaming machines, the prices get lower as the picks go on, meaning there's

00:16something here for everyone.

00:18And as always, you can check out links to all the products in the description at any

00:21point during this video.

00:23We're starting with the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3X.

00:26It's a machine that punches well above its weight and keeps up with laptops that cost

00:30double.

00:31In other words, it feels way more premium than its price suggests, and that's why it's

00:34at the top of my list.

00:36The IdeaPad Slim 3X is thin, lightweight, and built for day-to-day tasks like writing papers,

00:41shooting video, or running office apps without a hitch.

00:44This is also one of the best laptops around for battery life, holding up for a full day

00:48of work or class, and the keyboard is surprisingly comfortable.

00:52Before you come at me, I know that $750 isn't exactly the most budget budget laptop on this

00:56list, but I promise you there are cheaper options coming.

00:59But the performance makes the IdeaPad Slim Max tough to beat, especially if you can find

01:03it on sale.

01:04This is a serious bargain.

01:07Now if you have your heart set on a MacBook, but the price is scary, I don't blame you.

01:11But you actually can buy a MacBook Air at a huge discount if you're willing to get something

01:16that's a few years old by Apple standards.

01:19In case you notice, yes, this is not an M1 MacBook Air you're seeing in this video.

01:23And that's just to point out that even M2 and M3 MacBook Airs are usually on sale.

01:27So again, as long as you're not afraid to get something that's been on the market for

01:30a minute, don't count MacBooks out.

01:32The M1 MacBook Air is still absolutely a good buy in 2025.

01:35You can always find it under $700 right now.

01:38I've even seen it under $600 this year, which is a bargain for that stellar battery life and

01:42smooth macOS experience.

01:45The M1 chip might not be the newest, but it's still way faster than most Windows laptops at

01:49this price range and can handle high demand workloads.

01:53Students and professionals alike will love how portable it is, plus you get years of software

01:56support.

01:57So even though it is an old laptop, it's still a great bargain.

02:02If gaming is your priority when you're shopping for the best budget laptops, the Acer Nitro

02:05V15 is where value meets performance.

02:08For underground, you're getting an RTX 3050 GPU, 141st display, and enough horsepower to

02:13play most modern titles at respectable settings.

02:16It's not the slimmest machine and the fans can get a lot when you're pushing it.

02:20But when you're gaming, that power is what counts.

02:22And it might not be easy to find a laptop with this kind of performance at this price range.

02:26So you get what you get.

02:28Remember gaming laptops are generally more expensive, sometimes a lot more expensive than

02:32your average Chromebook or school machine.

02:34That said, for students who want one laptop that can handle both classwork and some late

02:38night gaming, the Nitro V15 delivers.

02:41Okay.

02:42I just mentioned Chromebooks, and I think we can all agree that Chromebooks don't always

02:46deserve the spotlight.

02:47But the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is the exception.

02:51This machine runs Chrome OS relatively fast and smoothly thanks to the Intel Core i3 processor,

02:55which is not the latest and greatest processor, but it's good for what it is.

02:59Chromebook Plus branding guarantees extra features like built-in video editing and AI-powered

03:03productivity.

03:04This 2-on-1 design flips into tablet mode, which makes it super versatile for students

03:07or casual users.

03:09The keyboard and screen punch above its price, and battery life can easily go a full day.

03:13Of course, it's not meant for heavy software like Photoshop or PC gaming, but for anyone

03:17who lives in Google Docs, Zoom, or streaming apps, it's a total bargain.

03:21Depending on sales, it's usually the best budget laptop under $500 you'll find.

03:25Overall, really excellent value for a Chromebook.

03:29Finally, the Acer Aspire Go 15 is proof you don't have to spend big to get a laptop that

03:35simply gets the job done.

03:37It's easily the best budget laptop under $300, especially considering that big 15-inch display.

03:42It's perfect for basic tasks, browsing, writing, email, streaming, you name it.

03:46Connectivity is also key to success with this laptop.

03:48With a pair of USB-A ports, a USB-C port, HDMI out, a headphone jack, that's a pretty nice

03:53selection of ports.

03:55Longevity is normally an afterthought in cheap laptops, but with over 10 hours in our battery

03:59testing, this is sure to last you for a full workday.

04:02It's definitely not flashy, the plastic build may feel a little cheap, and performance is

04:05strictly entry-level, but if you just need a laptop that works well without breaking the

04:09bank, the Aspire Go 15 is the go-to choice.

04:14There are a lot of cheap laptops out there, but you want to know you're actually getting

04:17something that's good value.

04:19That's why our team is constantly reviewing new laptops to keep our list of the best budget

04:23laptops up to date.

04:24Which one from this video are you eyeing?

04:26Let me know in the comments, and if this video helped you out, make sure to subscribe for

04:29more buying guides, reviews, and roundups.

04:31Until next time, I'll catch you later.

04:33Let's see you later.

Top 5 Budget Laptops Of 2025 - Best Under $700, $500 & $300

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended