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Computers have put people on the moon and sent cute robots to Mars. You'd think somewhere in the miraculous technological utopia of our age, we'd also be able to get decently cheap laptops. All I want is something portable enough that it won't give me back strain from toting it around all day and powerful enough for basic work. A light, fast enough laptop for under $800—is that so much to ask?
Fortunately, it's possible, but there are trade-offs. You can't edit videos or play hardcore games on them, and the displays won't be as sharp as on pricier models. We've tested tons of cheap laptops, and for everyday tasks, these will do everything you ask of them—and leave some money in your bank account.
Be sure to check out our other computing guides, including the Best Laptops, Best Linux Laptops, Best Gaming Laptops, and Best MacBooks. Our How to Choose the Right Laptop guide can also help.
Updated October 2024: We've added the Lenovo Chromebook Duet Gen 9, Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus, and Acer Aspire Go 14.
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How to Find a Good Laptop
For our full take on what to look for in a laptop, see our guide Choosing the Right Laptop. The condensed version (even if your budget is limited) is to try to get at least an Intel i5 processor and at least 8 GB of RAM. 16 GB is even better. Recent versions of Windows (both 10 and 11) use an astronomical amount of RAM (sometimes as much as 6 GB in my testing). If you only have 8 GB total, that doesn't leave much RAM for applications, and results in a slower laptop.
Aim for these specs: Try to get a laptop with at least a 10th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, 16 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of storage in the form of a solid state drive. We suggest getting a 13- or 14-inch display that's close to FHD (1080p resolution). If you're going to use it for watching movies, consider a 2-in-1 model (although these do tend to cost more). If your budget is tight and you want the most bang for your buck, or you just want to keep something out of the landfill, consider the used or refurbished laptop market. I've had great luck buying used laptops on eBay from all sorts of sellers (both pros and regular people).
To score the best deal, make sure you know the market. Do some research to figure out what kind of machine will suit your needs. The easiest to come by, and therefore (usually) the best deals, tend to be the more boring, business-oriented models. I happen to like ThinkPads, which are used by—and then dumped all at once by—large corporations, which means there are lots to choose from, and they're cheap.
Finding used laptops on eBay: Once you know what you want, search for it on eBay. Scroll down and check the option to show only "Sold Listings." Now take the 10 most recent sales, add up the prices, and divide by 10. That's the average price; don't pay more than that. Keep the lowest price in mind—that's the great deal price. Now, uncheck the Sold Listing option. See what's between the lowest price and the average price. Those are the deals you can consider. I suggest watching a few. Don't bid or participate at all. Just watch them until the end and see how high the auctions end up going.
Once you have a feel for the market and what you should be paying, you'll know when you've found a deal. When you find it, wait. Don't bid until the last few minutes of the auction. You don't want other bidders to have a chance to react. Remember that if you miss out on something, it's not the end of the world. There's always something new being listed on eBay.
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