Best Laptops Under $400 (Updated 2021)

Finding a reliable laptop on a budget can be tricky. But the 2020 Acer Chromebook makes this task a little easier. This laptop has all of the normal functions of a standard laptop, but it also has touchscreen capabilities that allow you to turn it into a tablet. With an 11.6-inch screen, you will have plenty of space to complete tasks like write essays or work. The 2020 Acer Chromebook comes with 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. This is enough for the average user. But it’s not the ideal laptop for extreme gamers or graphics designers. However, with a USB-C port, it is easy to connect basic electronics to this laptop.

The 2020 Acer Chromebook is Bluetooth compatible. It has two processors and it comes equipped with the Chrome OS operating system. The 360-degree rotating hinge allows you to adjust your laptop to fit a variety of circumstances. Maybe you would like to prop it up for streaming purposes. Perhaps you’d like to use it as a regular laptop. This product is capable of both tasks. The screen resolution is 1366 by 768 pixels, giving you plenty of depth. And the graphics are superb.

Unfortunately, the 2020 Acer Chromebook doesn’t have a caps lock feature. For most users, this isn’t a make or break quality, but it can be slighting frustrating. However, the 10-hour battery life makes up for such frustration by giving users access to a reliable laptop all day long.

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One of the laptops that has the highest value due to processing power and functionality is the Acer Aspire 5 Laptop. This laptop has a large 15.6-inch screen, two processors, and a processing speed of 3.5 GHz. For perspective, many of the tops of the line laptops function around 1.5 GHz and they have a turbocharge of up to 3.9 GHz. This means that the Acer Aspire 5 Laptop does a great job of contending with the market’s top competitors.

You can purchase the Acer Aspire 5 Laptop with three different storage options. Choose between 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, 8 GB of RAM, and 256 GB of storage, or 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage. The Vega 3 Graphics give users a premium visual experience. While the manufacturers claim that the average battery lasts for 7.5 hours, it’s more likely that it will last about 5 or 6. This is our main drawback with this product. IT’s less energy efficient than the competitive options. However, with features like a backlit keyboard, two processors, and a high display resolution (1920 x 1080), there are a lot of reasons to consider this option.

The Acer Aspire 5 Laptop has a size of 14.31 inches by 9.74 inches by 0.71 inches. It weighs 3.97 pounds. You can also expect to use its two USB 2 ports or one USB 3 port. Due to this product’s connectivity, speed, and sound quality, it’s a great laptop option for the average user.

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One of our top contenders for battery life is the HP Stream 11-inch HD Laptop. This product can get you through 12 hours on a single charge! And if you are streaming your favorite movie marathon, you can still expect 8 hours and 30 minutes on each charge. That’s nearly double the battery life of some products. But the perks of this laptop don’t end here.

The HP Stream 11-inch HD Laptop comes with the Intel Celeron N4000 dual-processor. You can expect this little workhorse to range in speeds between 1.1 GHz and 2.6 GHz (on turbocharge). When you purchase this laptop, your purchase includes one year of Microsoft Office 365. This means that you will have access to Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, OneNote, Access, and even 1 TB of OneDrive Storage for the entirety of that year. While this laptop, itself, is equipped with 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage, pairing it with OneDrive can give you infinite storage options. Additionally, it comes with a 1-year limited hardware warranty.

If you’re looking for a lightweight, compact and sleek laptop, the HP Stream 11-inch HD Laptop will satisfy this need. Weighing just 2.37 pounds and featuring a size of 11.08 inches by 7.59 inches by 0.66 inches makes this product travel-friendly. We’d like to see improvements to the processing speed of this laptop. But due to its overall construction and reliable design, this laptop is a quality product.

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HP created a reliable laptop option when their 14 Series Laptop was born. This product comes with an HD camera with 720-pixel resolution. IT’s equipped with Windows 10. The 10-hour battery life gives you optimal performance for the entire workday. And it even comes with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. With a dual-processor, you can expect this laptop to operate without any frustrating glitches. The seamless data processing gives you the ability to work without interruptions. This is also a Bluetooth-compatible product. Plus, the screen has 1366 by 768 screen resolution.

The design of the HP 14 Series Laptop is intuitive and user-friendly. With a display size of 14 inches, it’s easy to open multiple windows at the same time without feeling too cramped. You can also expect to use one of the three USB ports in order to simplify the work process.

Our main caveat is that this product weighs 6lbs, which is easily twice the weight of most competitive products. Due to this fact, the HP 14 Series Laptop is less portable than some computer options. However, its reliable design and extensive battery life still make it an option with which to contend.

If you’re looking for a laptop that is capable of performing average activities like streaming movies and running Microsoft programs, the HP 14 Series Laptop has your back. As a new 2020 release, it’s equipped with all of the latest features for users like you.

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One of the laptops that has the highest value due to processing power and functionality is the Acer Aspire 5 Laptop. This laptop has a large 15.6-inch screen, two processors, and a processing speed of 3.5 GHz. For perspective, many of the tops of the line laptops function around 1.5 GHz and they have a turbocharge of up to 3.9 GHz. This means that the Acer Aspire 5 Laptop does a great job of contending with the market’s top competitors.

You can purchase the Acer Aspire 5 Laptop with three different storage options. Choose between 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, 8 GB of RAM, and 256 GB of storage, or 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage. The Vega 3 Graphics give users a premium visual experience. While the manufacturers claim that the average battery lasts for 7.5 hours, it’s more likely that it will last about five or six hours. This is our main drawback with this product. It’s less energy efficient than the competitive options. However, with features like a backlit keyboard, two processors, and a high display resolution (1920 x 1080), there are a lot of reasons to consider this option.

The Acer Aspire 5 Laptop has a size of 14.31 inches by 9.74 inches by 0.71 inches. It weighs 3.97 pounds. You can also expect to use its two USB 2 ports or one USB 3 port. Due to this product’s connectivity, speed, and sound quality, it’s a great laptop option for the average user.

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The Samsung Chromebook 3 is a top laptop contender for a number of reasons. It has one of the lengthiest battery life available, allowing you to operate your laptop for about 11 hours on a charge. It includes four processors for superior data digestion. And it even comes with built-in cloud support to guide you through potential obstacles while you’re learning about your laptop. But in addition to providing plenty of the essential laptop components, this product also has an 11.6-inch screen, and it comes with 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage.

The LCD display on the Samsung Chromebook 3 is nothing to scoff at. You should expect a typical screen resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. Plus, it comes with a webcam to make virtual meetings substantially easier.

As a product that comes with Chrome OS, it’s a little bit more limited in terms of programs that you can install onto your laptop. But Google makes it relatively easy to access variations of these programs, which allows users to complete essential tasks with their Chromebook.

Weighing just 2.6 pounds, the Samsung Chromebook 3 is one of the most portable laptop options on the market. But it’s also easy to love because of its ability to transfer photos quickly, it is energy efficient and it has an HDMI port. Our main drawback is that the processing speed is 1.6 GHz, which isn’t terrible. However, it could be improved. Overall, this product gives users the ability to complete important tasks from just about anywhere.

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The HP Pavilion Intel Pentium Laptop comes with a 15.6-inch screen. With a 10-hour battery life, you should expect your laptop to perform well throughout the entire workday. But it’s also backlit and built with Intel UHD Graphics 605 for a superior visual performance. The laptop itself is 14.9 inches by 10 inches by 0.9 inches in size. This is relatively compact for a product like this one. Additionally, it weighs 4.35 pounds, which isn’t particularly outrageous nor lightweight.

It is easy to use the HP Pavillion Intel Pentium Laptop’s 3 USB ports. But we especially love that it also features an HDMI port. With four internal processors, you should expect this laptop to digest data relatively easily. It has a CPU speed of 1.10 GHz, which is low for users who use their laptops in a complicated way (like gamers, for instance). Due to this processing speed, the HP Pavillion Intel Pentium Laptop’s pointer occasionally freezes if you’re working on multiple tasks at the same time.

With a RAM capacity of 4 GB and a storage capacity of 128 GB, users get a tremendous amount of value out of this little laptop. While it doesn’t have a touch screen, it does come with Bluetooth connectivity, a display resolution of 1266 by 768 pixels, and it contains a built-in webcam. Finding a laptop with this many perks can be tough under any circumstances. Though the HP Pavilion isn’t the fanciest laptop option on the market, it is reliable and capable of performing under casual circumstances.

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The Asus L203MA-DS04 VivoBook is the perfect laptop for casual users. If you’re looking for a product that performs daily tasks in an efficient manner, this laptop will do the trick. But it isn’t ideal for anyone who regularly runs programs like photoshop or intends to use it for gaming. With a battery life of 10 hours, most business professionals and students will be able to get through an entire day on a single charge. The 11.6” screen is large enough to see everything you’ll need to see. Yet it’s also compact. This laptop comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage capacity. If, however, you need more storage, you can pair a 128GB SD card with this laptop to expand it.

Due to the storage capacity, this laptop isn’t ideal for anyone who intends to store a lot of photos or footage. But it’s the perfect companion for documents and streaming movies. Equipped with Windows 10, this laptop is capable of running all of the required programs you might need for standard use. It also comes with a USB-C port. And the Intel Celeron N4000 Processor will be able to operate at speeds that range between 1.1 GHz and 2.6GHz.

The Intel UHD Graphics 600 is also noteworthy due to its ability to provide an immersive visual experience. The 1920 by 1080 pixel display resolution is rich in detail. The Asus L203MA-DS04 VivoBook is 11.30 inches by 7.60 inches by 0.67 inches in size. It weighs a shocking 2.1 pounds. It’s Bluetooth compatible, and it even includes a microphone for Skype and Zoom.

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Get your work done swiftly and efficiently with the ASUS VivoBook 15. Watching and playing games from this laptop is therapeutic. The 15.6-inch full HD display with an 83 percent screen-to-body ratio provides ample room while delivering bright colors for an immersive watching experience.

The audio performance is impressive as well. The dual bottom-firing speakers deliver rich sound when in a small or medium-sized room. However, you can add an external speaker for a more meaningful bass.

Experience maximum productivity when working in dimly lit environments with the backlit keyboard. The ergonomic keyboard with a 1.4mm key travel makes it comfortable to type for hours without feeling tired.

The ASUS VivoBook 15 leaves no room for unauthorized people to tamper with your documents and data because it features the Windows Hello and built-in fingerprint sensor. Such handy security features save you from the hassle of typing long passwords. Browsing the web and downloading video files is fast with the built-in gigabit Wi-Fi 5.

The ASUS VivoBook 15 offers a solid array of connectivity options, so users can connect to a wide range of devices. You get one reversible USB C 3.2 port, an HDMI 2.0 port, combo headphone/mic jack, USB 3.2 Type-A port, HDMI, and a MicroSD card reader. The laptop weighs 3.97 lbs and measures 14.2 x 9.2 x 0.78 inches, making it easy to keep up with your fast-paced lifestyle.

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The Acer Chromebook 514 offers fast boost times, unmatched security, and polished performance. Users enjoy working on various tasks while playing mid-range games with the Intel Celeron N3450 Quad-Core processor.

The narrow bezels add a more refined finish, putting you in the middle of whatever you’re watching. The Full HD IPS Touch screen has a 1920 x 1080 resolution, allowing you to enjoy vivid colors and clear details in your favorite TV shows.

Unfortunately, some mid-range laptops often compromise battery performance, affecting frequent travelers. The Acer Chromebook 514 battery life performance suits many users, including on-the-go users, gamers, and students. You get up to 12 hours of power on a single charge, eliminating the need to carry the power adapter or scramble for power outlets.

The Acer Chromebook 514 doesn’t compromise durability. The aluminum chassis is strong enough to withstand rigorous movements when traveling. Use the multiple layers of automatic updates and security to protect your laptop from malware and unauthorized users. Meetings don’t have to be boring with the built-in HDR webcam, which gives your audience a brilliant view.

The reversible USB 3.1 Type-C ports are ten times faster than USB 2.0, ensuring ultra-quick data transfer, battery charging, and video streaming. Swiping, tapping, and scrolling through the corning gorilla touchpad give users a slick feel. The backlit keyboard makes it easy to work in a dark room.

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The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 is one of the best laptops under the $400 category that’s flexible enough to handle almost any demanding task. Powering the laptop is an Intel 10th gen Core i3 processor coupled with 4GB of RAM for unmatched performance.

With such power, you won’t experience any sluggish performance when streaming videos, doing some basic photo editing, or opening many tabs. The 13.3-inch full HD IPS display has narrow bezels allowing you to view crisp and vibrant details in videos. Choose between tablet, tent, laptop, or stand mode through the 360 degrees convertible design for a more personalized experience.

The keyboard offers a pleasing snappiness with the 1.4 mm key travel distance, making it comfortable to type for hours. The laptop offers up to 10 hours of battery life, which is perfect for working while traveling.

Your favorite music pumps with great precision thanks to the user-facing dual speakers. You can add external speakers through the audio jack or connect via Bluetooth when targeting a larger audience during a party. The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 has good connectivity options, including two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type C ports, one audio jack, and one USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A port. Users can enjoy fast multimedia streaming and data transfers for efficient workflow.

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