Looking for a cheap laptop? Read the definitive list of the best cheap laptops you need to buy in 2018
Flashy laptops like Dell’s XPS 13 or the Microsoft Surface Book may well be the best Windows 10 laptops you can buy right now, but they’re also absurdly expensive. If you’re a little strapped for cash, don’t fret: there are some fantastic cheap laptops you can buy in 2018 – you don’t have to spend lots of cash for a great laptop.
Most of these cheap laptops offer incredibly good performance for a device under £500, and are a great alternative to those pricey Windows 10 powerhouses. Below, you’ll find our definitive list of the best cheap laptops you can buy in 2018, as tested by the Expert Reviews team.
Best cheap laptop to buy from £193 in 2018
1. Linx 12X64
- Price: £199
You might not have heard of it, but the Linx 12X64 is a cheap and cheerful 2-in-1 laptop that comes with a bundled keyboard at no extra cost. Having reviewed the laptop at £280, it was a fantastic device at that price but now that it’s plummeted to only £200, it’s a real bargain. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly laptop/tablet hybrid, that has an included keyboard, and has the right specs for light browsing and note-taking, this is the device for you.
Key specs – Processor: Quad-core 1.8GHz Intel Atom x5-Z8350; RAM: 4GB; Storage: 64GB; Screen resolution: 1,9,20 x 1,080; Weight: 1.7kg
2. Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 14
- Price: £193
The Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 14 really surprised us when it came in for testing. It completely reinvented what we would expect for a cheap laptop. At £150, its build quality is far better than most of its rivals and combined with free cloud storage and a year’s subscription to Microsoft Office 365 Personal, it’s even better value.
If you’re looking for a secondary laptop, or one that’s predominantly going to be used for productivity, the Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 14 is a fantastic choice.
Key specs – Processor: Dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Celeron N3050; RAM: 2GB; Storage: 32GB; Screen resolution: 1,366 x 768; Weight: 1.6Kg
3. Asus ZenBook UX410UA
- Price: £565
While Asus’ ZenBook UX410UA is more expensive than the rest of the laptops on this list, that’s certainly not to say that this isn’t one of 2018’s best cheap laptops. At just under £600, this clamshell laptop is incredibly well-specced, with a speedy dual-core 2.4GHz Intel Core i3-7100U processor, complete with 4GB of RAM for lightning-quick multitasking and 128GB of SSD storage.
The Full HD screen is fantastic for the price and the whole ordeal adds up to an excellent budget laptop that doesn’t make any compromises in the wrong places. It’s well-built, performs well and lasts a fair while on a single charge, too. What more could you want?
Key specs – Processor: Dual-core 2.4GHz Intel Core i3-7100U; RAM: 4GB; Storage: 128GB; Screen resolution: 1,920 x 1,080; Weight: 1.4Kg
4. Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA
- Price: £250
While the Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA isn’t exactly leader of the pack when it comes to processing power, you can currently pick it up very cheap and is a great choice for a laptop/tablet 2-in-1 hybrid on the go. Being able to flip the screen around 360 degrees to use it as a tablet, the Book Flip is a reasonably competent and well-priced Windows-powered device for those who want to bridge the gap between tablet and laptop. The long battery life of just over nine hours is definitely its main selling point and if you want something cheap to use on the go, you can do no wrong.
Key specs – Processor: Dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Celeron N3050; RAM: 2GB; Storage: 32GB; Screen resolution: 1,366 x 768; Weight: 1.2kg
5. HP Stream 11
- Price: £200
HP’s Stream 11 has been no stranger to our best cheap laptops list. In fact, this dinky little Windows 10-powered laptop has been on this list since 2015, and is still an excellent choice. For a measly £200, performance is decent, the screen is great and the build quality is worthy of anyone with butter fingers. It might not be the slickest-looking laptop with its gaudy blue chassis, but it’s still well worth your cash if you’re on a budget.
Key specs – Processor: Dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Celeron N3060; RAM: 2GB; Storage: 32GB; Screen resolution: 1,366 x 768; Weight: 1.2kg
6. Acer Chromebook 14
- Price: £219
While this may not be running Windows 10, hear me out: Acer’s Chromebook 14 is a standout Chrome OS-powered laptop. Its build quality is far superior to most of its similarly priced brethren: the smooth aluminium chassis is gorgeous, making the whole thing feel much more premium than the relatively low price you paid for it. Sadly, it is slightly marred by an underperforming display, but in terms of performance and build quality, it’s a strong candidate.
Key specs – Processor: Dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Celeron N3060; RAM: 2GB; Storage: 16GB; Screen resolution: 1,366 x 768; Weight: 1.6kg
Source: expertreviews.co.uk
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