The best laptops under $500 won’t leave you unsettled because you didn’t pay a premium price. There are value-priced notebooks that include full-HD displays, solid performance and long battery life with all the ports you need. You can even get a laptop with a touch screen in this price range, though it will be on the smaller side. Some of these even made it on our best laptops page.
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- And here are the best cheap laptop deals today
After reviewing a lot of value-priced systems, the best laptops under $500 with a Windows 10 operating system the Acer Aspire 3. We recently reviewed the new Dell Latitude 7000 7280 Business Ultrabook, Lenovo IdeaPad 15.6″ Laptop. We also reviewed the ASUS VivoBook F512 Laptop, which is just under $500. Check out our best cheap laptop deals. Check out where to pre-order New HP 15.6″ HD Intel Core i3 Touchscreen Laptop .
The non-skid theme continues with a touch borrowed from the Latitude’s XPS cousins. Two nearly full-width rubber feet instead of the usual four dots on the underside, so the system won’t slide around your desk. Both the lid and the keyboard deck feel reassuringly solid; you can force a little flex if you grab the screen corners or whale on the keys, but in normal use the 7280 is sturdy and secure.
Keep in mind that you’re still going to have to make some compromises when you’re looking for a laptop at this price. If you’re looking for something for your kid, check our best kids tablets page.
What are the best laptops under $500 with SSD?
If you’re looking at the top of the best laptops under $500 list, you’ll find the Acer Aspire 3. Acer is pretty good at making affordable laptops and giving you the most bang for your buck, which is why you’ll see Intel Core i7 CPUs in its laptops even at under $500.
However, if you prefer working on an ultrabook, the best ones around right now are the Dell Latitude 7000 7280 Business Ultrabook. It has long been assumed that business machines need not share the sleek styling and luxurious sensibilities of high-end consumer-grade fare, but (in line with the competition) with the introduction of the Latitude 7280, Dell has begun taking further steps toward repealing this long standing notion.
One of the other best laptops under $500 include the ASUS VivoBook F512 Laptop. Vivobooks come standard with large RAM capacity, with 8GB DDR4 modules that you can expand whenever you want. Even at its highest quality, sufficient RAM makes your gameplay nothing short of spectacular. At no point will your frames drop or your gameplay lag.
Best 5 SSD Laptop Under $500
1. Dell Latitude 7000 7280 Business Ultrabook
This extremely portable device lacked the flair of top-rated consumer-grade models (such as the XPS 13), but in the realm of practicality, we found little to criticize only the touchpad performance, subpar color space coverage, SSD variety, and webcam quality. It has long been assumed that business machines need not share the sleek styling and luxurious sensibilities of high-end consumer-grade fare, but (in line with the competition) with the introduction of the Latitude 7280, Dell has begun taking further steps toward repealing this long standing notion.
Sure, the screen isn’t as beautiful, the svelte aluminum casing doesn’t apply, and the bezel isn’t razor-thin. But this Latitude is thinner and lighter than any of its direct predecessors, and the footprint has shrunk appreciably as well. This has all occurred alongside the tactful preservation of most of what defines a business PC: a subtle, understated case design, versatile connectivity options, and a functionality over form foundational philosophy.
Key Features
- 12.5″ Non-Touch (1366×768)
- Integrated Intel HD Graphics 620
- WebCam & Mic
- Backlit Keyboard
- 7th Gen Intel Core i7-7600U 2.80 GHz (Turbo 3.90 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 2 cores 4 threads, 15W, vPro)
- 256 GB SSD
- Integrated Intel HD Graphics 620
- 16 GB DDR4 Memory RAM (MAX 32GB)
- WiFi-AC and BlueTooth
- Windows 10 Professional 64-bit
- Windows 10 Pro No one ever said security had to be boring.
- Durable, built-to-last chassis that has undergone extensive military-grade MIL-STD 810G testing to ensure your system can withstand real-world conditions.
- Manufacturer Certified Refurbished, tested and certified to look and work like new with Minimum 90-day warranty.
- This pre-owned product has been professionally inspected, tested and cleaned.
- There will be no visible cosmetic imperfections when held at an arm’s length.
- Products with batteries will exceed 80% capacity relative to new.
- Accessories may not be original, but will be compatible and fully functional.
- Products may come in generic boxes.
- Only select sellers who maintain high performance may offer Certified Refurbished products on Amazon.com.
Technical Specifications
| Display | 12.5″ Non-Touch (1366×768) |
| Processor | 7th Gen Intel Core i7-7600U 2.80 GHz (Turbo 3.90 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 2 cores 4 threads, 15W, vPro) |
| Storage Drive | 256 GB SSD |
| Misc | Backlit Keyboard, Extensive Military-Grade MIL-STD 810G Certified |
| Memory RAM | 16 GB DDR4 Memory RAM (MAX 32GB) |
| Graphics | Integrated Intel HD Graphics 620 |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Professional 64-bit |
| Network | WiFi, BlueTooth |
| Webcam | HD Webcam |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 12″ x 0.68″ x 8.19″ |
| Starting Weight | 2.61 lb / 1.18 kg |
| Screen Resolution | 1366×768 |
| Memory Speed | 3.9 GHz |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium ion batteries |
| Power Source | AC & Battery required. |
| Computer Memory Type | DDR4 SDRAM |
| Hard Drive Interface | Solid State |
| Series | Latitude 7000 Series 7280 Notebook PC |
| Model | Latitude 7000 Series E7280 Business |
| Hardware Platform | PC |
| Brand | Dell |
| Card Description | Integrated |
| Color | Black |
| Processor Brand | Intel |
| Processor Count | 2 |
| Ports |
|
Reason to Buy
- Small and Portable
- Very Lightweight
- Snappy keyboard.
- Works extremely Fast
- Very Reasonable Price
- Excellent battery life.
- Plenty of ports including HDMI, Ethernet, and Thunderbolt 3.
Reason to Avoid
- Sound gets fuzzy when turned up.
- Micro instead of standard SD card slot.
Why do we recommend it?
Its stylish black chassis is made of magnesium alloy with soft-touch paint that makes the lid and keyboard deck easy to grip though a 1080p touch screen with carbon fiber back is optional. Business users will appreciate the Dell Latitude 7280’s briefcase-space-saving size and impressive battery life, as well as the wealth of connectivity it offers in its small chassis.
2. ASUS VivoBook F512 Laptop
Most people associate Asus VivoBook laptops with studying, office work, and programming. Whether at work or play, ASUS VivoBook 15 is the compact laptop that immerses you in whatever you set out to do. Its new frameless four-sided NanoEdge display boasts an ultraslim 5.7mm bezel, giving an amazing 88% screen-to-body ratio for supremely immersive visuals. The ErgoLift hinge design also tilts the keyboard up for more comfortable typing. VivoBook 15 is powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 processor with discrete AMD Radeon graphics to help you get things done with the least amount of fuss. Additional memory space is fundamental for Fortnite, particularly for web based interactivity. Vivobooks come standard with a huge RAM limit, with 8GB DDR4 modules that you can grow at whatever point you need. Indeed, even at its greatest, adequate RAM makes your ongoing interaction downright stupendous. Never will your edges drop or your ongoing interaction slack.
What’s more, it’s available in four unique finishes to suit your style in different colors: Slate Gray, Transparent Silver, Coral Crush and Peacock Blue. Audio – ASUS Sonicmaster Technology.
Key Features
- AMD Radeon Vega 8 Discrete Graphics Card with Windows 10 Operating System
- Ergonomic backlit keyboard with fingerprint sensor activated via Windows Hello
- Exclusive ErgoLift design for improved typing position
- An upgradable 256GB SSD storage space provides ample storage for your files, documents and Fortnite installation
- Comprehensive connections including USB 3.2 Type-C, USB 3.2, USB 2.0, HDMI, and Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
- NanoEdge technology on the screen maximizes your viewing comfort by reducing reflections and eye fatigue.
- The VivoBook 15 comes with a 15.6-inch Full HD NanoEdge bezel display screen with a stunning 88% screen-to-body ratio. With this screen size, you enjoy a wider display for gaming.
- A fingerprint sensor on the touchpad that provides an extra layer of security. It allows you to log into your device without typing your password.
- With its AMD Quad Core R5-3500U processor with clock speeds of up to 3.6GHz you can play Fortnite in whatever quality without lagging.
- Its discrete AMD Radeon GPU will render all your video and streams in high quality.
- It also comes with an 8GB DDR4 RAM that provides sufficient memory to support smooth visuals and seamless gaming performance.
- It weighs around 3.5 pounds, making it easy to carry around.
- Fast-charging helps your laptop battery power from 0 to 60% within 49 minutes, lasting up to 6 hours on one full charge
Technical Specifications
| Standing screen display size | 15.6 Inches |
| Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Max Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 Pixels |
| Processor | 3.6 GHz ryzen_5_3500u |
| RAM | 8 GB DDR4 |
| Memory Speed | 2400 MHz |
| Hard Drive | 128 GB 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD |
| Graphics Coprocessor | AMD Radeon Graphics |
| Chipset Brand | AMD |
| Card Description | Integrated |
| Graphics Card Ram Size | 8 GB |
| Wireless Type | 802.11ac |
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 2 |
| Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 2 |
Additional Informations
| Brand | ASUS |
| Series | ASUS VivoBook 15 |
| Item model number | F512DA-EB51 |
| Hardware Platform | PC |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Item Weight | 3.7 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 14.1 x 9.1 x 0.75 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 14.1 x 9.1 x 0.75 inches |
| Color | Slate Grey |
| Rear Webcam Resolution | 5 MP |
| Processor Brand | AMD |
| Processor Count | 4 |
| Computer Memory Type | DDR4 SDRAM |
| Flash Memory Size | 256 |
| Hard Drive Interface | Solid State |
| Hard Drive Rotational Speed | 10000 RPM |
| Optical Drive Type | No Optical Drive |
| Power Source | AC & Battery |
| Voltage | 19 Volts |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. (included) |
Reason to Buy
- Excellent performance
- Slim and Lightweight
- Fingerprint Sensor
- Backlit keyboard
Reason to Avoid
- Still uses two USB 2.0 ports
- Smaller battery capacity than other laptops of its caliber
Why do we recommend it?
At that processor speed, your Fortnite gameplay will be seamless at 4K resolution. No frames dropped and no hang-ups. Such a processor can also multitask with ease, and you can run other programs concurrently with your Fortnite installation. And also for Fortnite or any other AAA title, a GPU provides enhanced video RAM. processing power and rendering speed to keep you engaged. Your VivoBook relies on either an NVIDIA and AMD Radeon graphics card.
3. New HP 15.6″ HD Intel Core i3 Touchscreen Laptop
New HP 15.6″ HD Touchscreen Laptop Intel Core i3, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 128GB SSD, HDMI Bluetooth 802.11/b/g/n/ac, Windows 10, 15-dy1731ms SilverTackle your plan for the day from sunrise to dusk with the unflinching HP 15-dy1731ms PC. Loaded with an expedient tenth Gen Intel processor, this ordinary powerhouse to be reckoned with brings the muscle for a whole day of work, play, and everything in the middle. Long periods of battery life mean you can change from morning gatherings to evening diversion without connecting. Also, everything looks as great as it performs because of a splendid HD micro-edge bezel display.
Packed with a speedy 10th Gen Intel processor, this everyday powerhouse brings the muscle for an entire day of work, play, and everything in between. Hours of battery life mean you can transition from morning meetings to evening entertainment without plugging in. And it all looks as good as it performs thanks to a brilliant HD micro-edge bezel display.
Key Features
- 10-finger multi-touch support, 15.6 in HD WLED touchscreen (1366 x 768).
- 128GB SSD, 8GB DDR4 SDRAM 2666MHz, No Optical Drive.
- HP TrueVision HD camera.
- Intel UHD Graphics, HD Audio with stereo speakers.
- 10th Generation Intel Core i3-1005G1 1.2GHz up to 3.4GHz.
- Bluetooth 4.2, 1 HDMI 1.4, Realtek RTL8821CE 802.11b/g/n/ac, 2 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A.
- 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C.
- Great for using Illustrator, Photoshop and Lightroom.
- Plays the Sims 4 (base game and ALL expansions) on highest settings, flawlessly.
- Holds a great charge if you are doing internet browsing or basic tasks on your computer.
- It’s fast and very comfortable to use.
- Touchscreen works nicely.
- It is a very functional basic computer and seems to work very well.
- Pretty much any Adobe program works flawlessly on this.
- If you are a basic gamer this works very nice.
Technical Specifications
| Display Size | 15.6” |
| Resolution | 1366 x 768 |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Processor | 1.2 GHz apple_ci3 |
| Memory Speed | 2666 MHz |
| Hard Drive | 128 GB SSD |
| Graphics | Intel UHD |
| Brand | Intel |
| Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 2 |
| Graphics Card RAM Size | 2 GB |
| Wireless Type | 802.11bgn, 802.11b, 802.11b/g |
| Card Description | Integrated |
Additional Informations
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Series | 15-dy1731ms |
| Model | 7PA01UA |
| Hardware Platform | PC |
| Brand | HP |
| Weight | 4.4 pounds |
| Dimensions | 14.11 x 9.53 x 0.71 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 14.11 x 9.53 x 0.71 inches |
| Color | Silver |
| Processor Brand | Intel |
| Processor Count | 2 |
| Computer Memory Type | DDR4 SDRAM |
| Flash Memory Size | 512 |
| Hard Drive Interface | Solid State |
| Optical Drive Type | No Optical Drive |
| Power Source | Battery Powered |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Metal batteries required. |
Reason to Buy
- Great size screen
- Starts up super fast
- Lightweight and thin
- Speakers/sound is very nice
- Downloads are super fast
- Easy to use and set up
Reason to Avoid
- Does not play highly detailed games well, it lags.
- When you unplug the charger the screen dims making it hard to edit photos or do any photoshop work.
Why do we recommend it?
If you are a basic gamer this works very nice. If you like Sims, Minecraft, Roblox you’re all set. Same goes for if you do any photo editing or any digital illustration work. Pretty much any Adobe program works flawlessly on this. The touch screen feature as well as the full keyboard with number pad. It’s been really fast so far no matter how many windows are opened.
4. 2020 Acer Aspire 3 15.6″ Full HD 1080P Laptop
Powerful and portable, the Aspire 3 laptop delivers on every aspect of everyday computing. Featuring the new 10th Gen InteI Core i5 processor, the Aspire 3 opens more possibilities than ever before performance, connectivity and entertainment. Groundbreaking intelligent performance features adapt to you and the things you do, for a more personalized and responsive experience. The Aspire 3 is the perfect laptop for every need. It packs a beautiful 15.6″ Full HD screen, solid performance and the Dual-Band WiFi into an attractive design that’s easy to place in a backpack and take to class. Offering good bang for your buck, this laptop has all the essentials you need so you can quickly browse the Web, manage a budget, or catch up on schoolwork.Multiple web pages load quickly and the Intel processor is slick. Battery test shows it at 100% capacity. No backlit keyboard. 1 USB3 port and 2 USB2. No audio enhancement tab available with Realtek sound card.
Key Features
- Powerful and portable, the Aspire 3 laptop delivers on every aspect of everyday computing. Featuring the new 10th Gen InteI Core i5 processor, the Aspire 3 opens more possibilities than ever before performance, connectivity and entertainment. The Aspire 3 is the perfect laptop for every need.
- It packs a beautiful 15.6″ Full HD screen, solid performance and the Dual-Band WiFi into an attractive design that’s easy to place in a backpack and take to class.
- 10th Generation Intel Core i5-1035G1 Quad Core Processor 1.0GHz up to 3.6GHz); 8GB DDR4 Memory, expandable to 12GB; 256GB NVMe SSD; No SD or micro SD slots; No Optical Drive.
- 15.6″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) Acer ComfyView LED-backlit non-touch Display; Intel UHD Graphics
- IEEE 802.11ac, 1xGigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 4.2, 2xUSB2.0, 1xUSB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A, 1xHDMI, 1x headphone jack; standard non-backlit keyboard with a 10-key number pad. 2x Stereo speakers. 1xNetwork (RJ-45);
- Windows 10 Home 64-bit . 2-cell Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) battery for up to 8 hrs.
Technical Specifications
| Standing screen display size | 15.6 Inches |
| Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Max Screen Resolution | 1920×1080 Pixels |
| Processor | 1.1 GHz core_i5 |
| RAM | 8 GB DDR4 |
| Memory Speed | 3.6 GHz |
| Hard Drive | 256 GB SSD |
| Graphics Co-processor | Integrated Intel Graphics |
| Chipset Brand | Intel |
| Wireless Type | 802.11ac |
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 2 |
| Average Battery Life (in hours) | 8 Hours |
Additional Informations
| Brand | Acer |
| Series | A315-56-594 |
| Item model number | A315-56-594 |
| Hardware Platform | A315-56-594 |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Item Weight | 5.39 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 14.3 x 9.7 x 0.78 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 14.3 x 9.7 x 0.78 inches |
| Color | Steel Gray |
| Processor Brand | Intel |
| Processor Count | 4 |
| Computer Memory Type | DDR4 SDRAM |
| Flash Memory Size | 256 GB |
| Hard Drive Interface | Solid State |
| Power Source | Battery Powered |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Metal batteries required. (included) |
Reason to Buy
- Nice hd screen quality.
- Easy to use.
- Worth the money.
- It looks and works great.
Reason to Avoid
- Cheap Plastic
Why do we recommend it?
Travel with ease and look great doing it with the Aspire 3 thin and light design. This slender laptop is just 0.78″ thin and its Aurora textured finish accentuates the cover’s premium feel and appearance. Your device stays at your side all day with up to 8 hours of battery life.
5. Lenovo IdeaPad 15.6″ Laptop
Meet the Lenovo IdeaPad 330S. Thinner and lighter with narrow bezels for broader viewing, it boasts state-of-the-art processing and accelerated graphics performance. Featuring an AMD Ryzen 5 2500U Quad-Core processor, Integrated Radeon Vega 8 graphics, 8GB DDR4 2400 MHz RAM (4GB OnBoard + 4GB DIMM) memory, and 256GB PCIe SSD internal storage, this powerful laptop has all the essentials you need to tackle your day. Its 15.6-inch HD IPS LED backlit anti-glare display and Dolby Audio Premium speakers ensure gorgeously sharp images and crystal-clear sound whether you’re out at the office or relaxing at home. Plus, with a battery life of up to seven hours, you can take on a whole to-do list before you even need to think about finding the nearest outlet to plug into. Power through any task with ease on the Lenovo IdeaPad 330S.This item is the 2019 model.
Key Features
- AMD Ryzen 3 processor AMD 3rd Generation Ryzen 3
- 8GB system memory for advanced multitasking
- AMD Radeon Vega 3 graphics
- 15.6″ display Model Number 81UT00EAUS
- Total Storage Capacity 256 gigabytes Solid State Drive
- 1920 x 1080 resolution with native 1080p support showcases your games and HD movies with impressive color and clarity.
- Energy-efficient LED backlight.
- Get perfect performance for everything you do thanks to the new AMD Ryzen 3 processor.
- Featuring true machine intelligence and a newly designed efficient architecture, this processor learns and adapts to your needs so you can achieve more.
- The integrated graphics chipset with shared video memory provides solid image quality for Internet use, movies, basic photo editing, and casual gaming.
- Ultrathin and ultralight for maximum portability, it features a smaller screen size and the DVD/CD drive omitted to achieve the compact form factor.
- An HDTV or high-definition monitor to set up two screens side by side.
- Supports MMC, SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory card formats.
- Connect to a Wireless-AC router for nearly 3x the speed, more capacity, and wider coverage than Wireless-N (150 Mbps). Backward compatible with all other Wi-Fi networks and hotspots.
- Built-in 0.3MP webcam with microphone
- Full keyboard with 10-key numeric keypad
Technical Specifications
| Standing screen display size | 15.6 Inches |
| Screen Resolution | 1920×1080 |
| Max Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) |
| Processor | 2.6 GHz amd_r_series |
| RAM | 8 GB DDR |
| Memory Speed | 3.5 GHz |
| Hard Drive | 256 GB ssd |
| Graphics Coprocessor | AMD Radeon Vega 3 |
| Chipset Brand | Allwinner |
| Card Description | Integrated |
| Wireless Type | 802.11ac |
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 1 |
| Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 1 |
Additional Informations
| Brand | Lenovo |
| Series | Lenovo Ideapad |
| Item model number | 81UT00EAUS |
| Hardware Platform | PC |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Item Weight | 4.1 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 14.3 x 10 x 0.8 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 14.3 x 10 x 0.8 inches |
| Color | Platinum Gray/IMR |
| Processor Brand | AMD |
| Processor Count | 2 |
| Computer Memory Type | DDR DRAM |
| Flash Memory Size | 256 |
| Hard Drive Interface | Solid State |
| Optical Drive Type | BD-R |
| Power Source | AC & Battery |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. |
Reason to Buy
- The Lenovo is very easy to use.
- It’s very light weight, smooth and fast.
- It goes from off to fully operational in a few seconds.
Reason to Buy
- It lacks the ethernet connector so in case you want to hook it up to a wired network this won’t do.
Why do we recommend it?
Ryzen 3 is designed for budget-friendly PC builds and consumers who don’t use their PCs for intensive applications. That said, the processors are all quad-core, sporting four physical cores, and as such, they aren’t slouching. You’d be able to build a capable gaming rig that can handle even big games.
How to Choose the Best Laptop with an SSD?
1. Operating System
Before you begin to look at laptops, you must figure out which operating system (OS) works best for you. Thinking through what software you need to run and on which operating systems that software runs will help you determine the hardware you need.
There are four major computer operating systems. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. These are-
- Windows
- MacOS
- Chrome OS
- Linux
2. Central Processing Unit(CPU)
Once you know which operating system you want and have some idea of the software you’re going to run, you can figure out the minimum hardware specifications you’ll need. The first thing we suggest looking at is the processor, also referred to as the chip or the CPU. There are essentially two companies that make laptop processors:
- Intel Processors: Intel’s main processors are the Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, and Core i9. The Core i3 is the least powerful, the Core i9 is the most powerful. We usually drop the “Core” from the name because it gets repetitive.
- AMD Processors: In the name AMD Ryzen 5 3600X, the “3” is the generation and the “6” is how powerful it is. A “6” would make this example a medium-powered chip, whereas a 3 or 4 would be weaker (slower). The next two numbers don’t have much impact on anything. The “X” at the end indicates high performance. Other letter designations include U for ultra-low power.
3. Graphics Card
All laptops technically have graphics cards (also called “discrete” graphics and GPU), but most are bundled into the motherboard with the processor. This approach, known as “Integrated Graphics” is fine for most users. You’ll be able to watch HD movies and even play casual games without issue.
If you’re a gamer or do a lot of video editing, you’ll want a laptop with a discrete, separate and much more powerful graphics card. AMD and Nvidia make most of the graphics cards you’ll find in laptops.
4. Random Access Memory(RAM)
The more the merrier! Random-access memory, known as RAM, is what your laptop uses to hold data while the processor does things with it. Think of RAM as your desk. All the things you’re working on right now should be able to fit on your desk. If your desk is too small, things fall off and you can’t work on them. In the same way, if you run out of RAM you won’t be able to open any more browser tabs or finish compiling your video. Eventually your laptop will freeze up and need to be restarted.
8 GB of RAM should be plenty for the average Windows user, though upgrading to 16 GB will make your laptop much more capable (and is a necessity for gaming). One thing to investigate before you buy is whether the RAM is soldered to the motherboard. If it is soldered you won’t be able to upgrade the RAM yourself.
5. Solid State Drive (SSD)
The hard drive is where you’ll store all your data. Think of this as the filing cabinet next to your desk. The most common choice these days is a solid state drive (SSD), although some budget laptops still use spinning drives.
The minimum amount of space we recommend is 256 gigabytes. If you store everything in the cloud or are looking at Chromebooks, you might be able to get by with less, but it’s good to have the space if you ever need it. If you plan to install a lot of games or software, or save a lot of photos or videos, that will quickly eat up space.
6. Webcams
Your laptop should have a webcam. For some reason, there are still laptops in 2021 that don’t have them. Most webcams are still 720p, especially on lower-priced laptops. That’s fine if you’re not using it much, but with Zoom being a way of life for many folks these days, you might be happier with a 1080p camera.
How we test the best laptops under $500
If your laptop fulfils the minimum requirements, it can be considered powerful enough to run Solidworks. But that does not necessarily mean the application will run super-smooth on your laptop. There’s a high chance your laptop might become slow after a few years of using the software.
You need to keep in mind that the laptops offering the recommended specs will also be slightly expensive. So if you are okay with that and prefer quality over budget, these aim for the ones that meet these requirements.Here is some testing Criteria-
- Benchmark Test: We put each laptop through extensive benchmark testing both synthetic and real-world before they end up in the hands of our reviewers. We evaluate each aspect of the laptop, including its performance, battery life, display, speakers and heat management.
In our benchmark testing, we use a Klein K10 colorimeter to detect the brightness and sRGB color gamut of the laptop’s display. For performance testing, we run the laptop through a gauntlet of benchmarks, including Geekbench 4.3 and 5.0 and 3DMark professional graphics tests.
- Graphics Test: To determine real-world performance, we task the laptop to convert a 4K video to 1080p resolution and to duplicate a 4.97GB multimedia file. Our real-world graphics test is the Dirt 3 benchmark with medium settings at 1080p resolution.
- Heat Test: We also run heat tests by playing a 15-minute full-screen video and measuring temperatures in different areas of the laptop. Last but not least, our battery test consists of continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness. For MacBooks and premium Windows 10 laptops, a runtime of over 9 hours is considered a good result whereas gaming laptops and workstations that can stay powered for longer than 5 hours deserve praise.
These tests are complemented with extensive hands-on testing from our reviewers who critique everything from the laptop’s materials to the feel of its touch pad.
Final Recommendations
We tested all the laptops in terms of quality, requirement fulfillment, design and portability, and price. Some fit all these criteria, some fit a few. But we assure you, all the laptops are high quality and are great for Solidworks.
If you find yourself engaging in brands too much then you may like the more popular brands over the more loaded laptops from medium brands. If you want better features you may want to compromise on the brand or the look of the laptop. While Lenovo does offer a sleek laptop option that comes in two variants and can suit the needs of many concerned with portability and beauty
We hope we were able to help you find the right laptop for using Solidworks on. Design what your requirements are, and fix your budget. That should help you further choose the right laptop. We hope you enjoyed reading this article.
FAQ’s
1. How much can you spend?
Most purchaser drives range from 120GB to 2TB. While 120GB drives are the least expensive, they aren’t sufficiently spacious to hold a great deal of programming and are generally more slow than their higher-limit partners. Many organizations have started eliminating those low limits. It costs just $15 extra to move forward from 120 to 250GB size, and that is very much cash spent. The delta somewhere in the range of 250GB and 500GB drives can be little also. The perfect balance between cost, execution and limit with respect to most clients used to be 500GB, however progressively 1TB is turning into the better decision – especially when 1TB drives slip to $100 or less.
There are additionally an expanding number of drives (fundamentally from Samsung) with limits above 2TB. However, they’re normally very costly in the limit (more than $400/£400), so they’re truly just advantageous for proficient clients who need space and speed and aren’t disinclined to paying for it.
2. What kind of SSD does your computer support?
SSD nowadays come in a few distinctive structure factors and work across a few potential equipment and programming associations. What sort of drive you need relies upon what gadget you have (or are expecting on purchasing). On the off chance that you own one of the most mind-blowing gaming PCs or are building a PC with a new mid-to-very good quality motherboard, your framework might have the option to join most (or all) advanced drive types.
Additionally, present day thin workstations and convertibles have for the most part moved exclusively to the gum-stick-molded M.2 structure factor, with no space for a conventional 2.5-inch PC style drive. What’s more, in an expanding number of cases, PC creators are binding the capacity straightforwardly to the board, so you can’t overhaul it by any means. So you’ll need to counsel your gadget manual or look at Crucial’s Advisor Tool to sort what your alternatives are prior to purchasing.
3. What about endurance?
These are two other areas where, for the most part, buyers looking for a drive for general-purpose computing don’t need to dive too deep, unless they want to. All flash memory has a limited life span, meaning after any given storage cell is written to a certain number of times, it will stop holding data. And drive makers often list a drive’s rated endurance in total terabytes written (TBW), or drive writes per day (DWPD).
But most drives feature “over provisioning,” which portions off part of the drive’s capacity as a kind of backup. As the years pass and cells start to die, the drive will move your data off the worn-out cells to these fresh new ones, thereby greatly extending the usable lifespan of the drive. Generally, unless you’re putting your SSD into a server or some other scenario where it’s getting written to nearly constantly (24/7), all of today’s drives are rated with enough endurance to function for at least 3-5 years, if not more.
4. What about 3D XPoint/Optane?
3D XPoint, (pronounced “cross point”), created in a partnership between Intel and Micron (maker of Crucial-branded SSDs), is a storage technology that can be much faster than any existing traditional flash-based SSD (think performance similar to DRAM), while also increasing endurance for longer-lasting storage.
While Micron was heavily involved in the development of 3D Xpoint, and intends to eventually bring it to market, as of this writing, Intel is the only company currently selling the technology to consumers, under its Optane brand. Optane Memory is designed to be used as a caching drive in tandem with a hard drive or a slower SATA-based SSD, while the Optane 900p (an add-in card) / 905P are standalone drives, and the Intel 800p can be used as either a caching drive or a standalone drive (though cramped capacities make it more ideal for the former).
Optane drives have much potential, both on the ultra-fast performance front and as a caching option for those who want the speed of an SSD for frequently used programs but the capacity of a spinning hard drive for media and game storage.
5. Do you need a drive with 3D flash? And what about layers?
Here again is a question that you don’t have to worry about unless you’re curious. The flash in SSDs used to be arranged in a single layer (planar). But starting with Samsung’s 850 Pro in 2012, drive makers began stacking storage cells on top of each other in layers. Samsung calls its implementation of this tech “V-NAND” (vertical NAND), Toshiba/Kioxia calls it “BiCS FLASH.” Most other companies just call it what it is: 3D NAND. As time progresses, drive makers are stacking more and more layers on top of each other, leading to denser, more spacious, and less-expensive drives.
At this point, the vast majority of current-generation consumer SSDs are made using some type of 3D storage. These days, many drives use 96-layer or 128-layer NAND, and technologies to add more layers are always in the works. But apart from looking at small letters on a spec sheet or box, the only reason you’re likely to notice that your drive has 3D NAND is when you see the price. 3D-based drives tend to cost significantly less than their predecessors at the same capacity because they’re cheaper to make and require fewer flash packages inside the drive for the same amount of storage.
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