Best Laptops under $300 (September 2016)

Written By Abhinav Nair

Laptops under $300

If you’re in the market for a new Laptop but aren’t ready to make the big splurge on the latest Alienware Notebook, then you’re in the right place. Here is a list of the best Laptops under $300 in today’s market. But before we get to that, here are a few tips to help you find the laptop that most suits your requirement.

best laptops under $300

Before everything make sure you get the right size.

When it comes to laptops, size does matter. You can find Laptops with screens as small as 11 inches to ones with a screen sizes of 17 inches and above and the right choice usually lies somewhere in between. Bear in mind that the bigger the screen the heavier the notebook. Always go for a screen size that suits your requirement. So say if you’re essentially looking for a laptop for your gaming needs, a 12/13-inch laptop just won’t cut it for you. Similarly, if you just need something to get you through your day to day life then you should go for something with a smaller screen size as it would be more cost-effective and better suited for your use.

Choose your Operating System wisely

Believe it or not, your choice of Operating System will lower the price range of your notebook drastically. Going for a Windows or Mac OS based laptop will cost you a lot more than one running Chrome or Ubuntu or just plain old DOS instead. But again if you’re looking for a more “premium” experience you would probably prefer to go with a Windows or Mac which obviously come with more features when compared to the others. Go premium or save some bucks, the decision is up to you.

Regardless of what you’ve heard, Processors DO matter.

If you really think going for a laptop running a processor that’s older than your grandfather is a good idea, think again. When buying a new laptop make sure it has a good processor. What do we mean by “good processors”? Well ideally, you want to go for something that comes with a Core i3 or i5 or an AMD A series processor as those are the best you can get in a price range of under $300. Something running Pentium or Celeron will do the job too. But anything older is definitely not recommended.

Most important of all get something with Ideal battery life

If you plan to buy a large laptop that you intend to use on your desk, connected to a power supply most of the time then battery life isn’t something you should worry about. But if you do intend to get out and around with your notebook, make sure it packs at least around 6 hours of battery life. Anything less will only be a nuisance for you. You may want to have some laptop essentials accompanying your device too!

So now that you’ve understood the essentials to look out for before buying a new laptop, let’s introduce you to the laptops themselves. Do note that the prices are subject to change over time.

 

Budget Best laptops Under $300

 

1.     ASUS Transformer Book T100HA-C4-GR 2 in 1 Touchscreen Notebook

Operating System: Windows 10 | Price: $299

1 asus best laptops under $300

A cute looking notebook that’s also a tablet. That one statement sums up this product quite simply. This notebook uses four neodymium magnets to switch between notebook and tablet mode. If compact is what you’re looking for then you might have found your match. With a screen size of 10.1 inches and a weighing around 2 pounds, portability is the strong suit of this laptop. And given the fact that it comes with a battery life of 12 hours you can get out and about with this little guy without having to constantly worry about battery life. Comes with an Intel Atom Z8500 Quad-Core processor that handles light gaming smoothly, the 4 GB of RAM makes multitasking smooth and easy to handle.

Specs

Screen Size 10.1 inches
Max Screen Resolution 1280*800 pixels
Processor 1.44 gHz Intel Atom Z8500
RAM 4GB DDR3
Graphics Processor Intel HD Integrated Graphics Processor
Operating System Windows 10
Weight 2.2 pounds
Dimensions 6.9*10.4*0.7
Rear Webcam Resolution 5MP
Touchscreen Yes
Ports USB C, USB 3.0, 3.5 mm Audio port,
Battery Life 12 hours

 

 

2.     DELL i3168-0027RED 2 in 1 Laptop

Operating System: Windows 10 | Price: $300

2 best laptops under $300 dell

Another great 2 in 1 laptop in the price range is the DELL i3168-0027RED. Comes with a 2.4 GHz Intel Celeron Processor with 2 GB of RAM enough to suit your day to day work, but it definitely won’t handle high-res gaming of any kind. This laptop comes built in with Waves MaxxAudio Pro which literally kicks up your audio immersion up a notch and also reduces background noise. This notebook is perfect for your multimedia usage. Music, movies, videos all will play perfectly on your command, but the 2 GB RAM might restrict your gaming to some level.

 

Specs

Screen Size 11.6 inches
Max Screen Resolution 1360*768 pixels
Processor 1.6 gHz Intel Celeron N3050
RAM 2GB DDR3
Graphics Processor Intel HD Integrated Graphics Processor
Operating System Windows 10
Weight 3.2 pounds
Dimensions 11.3*0.8*7.8 inches
Wireless type 802.11 bgn
Touchscreen Yes
Ports USB 3.0, 3.5 mm Audio port, HDMI
Battery Life 8 hours

 

3.     ASUS C201 Chromebook

Operating System: Chrome | Price: $216

3 laptops under $300

A Chromebook is a completely different type of laptop. Let me explain how.

Ever used Google Chrome?  With all its applications? Well that on a bigger scale is essentially what Chrome OS is. These machines are designed to be used primarily while you’re connected to the internet and most of your data is stored online. The result of this is that you are not supplied with a lot of internal storage and therefore these notebooks don’t have huge price tags.

The ASUS C201 Chromebook comes with a Rockship processor with 4 GB of RAM. If you spend most of your time online, this is the notebook for you. You can browse websites, watch videos online and work all while connected to the Google Network. The 16 GB SSD slot lets you store some of your files offline, but that’s pretty much all you can do offline on this laptop. If you’re looking for a notebook only for your business purposes a Chromebook will suit you well. Considering what you are being offered for 200 bucks this device is pretty cost effective.

 

 

Specs

Screen Size 11.6 inches
Max Screen Resolution 1366*768 pixels
Processor 1.8 gHz Rockchip 3288-C Quad Core
RAM 2GB DDR3
Graphics Processor Dedicated
Operating System Chrome
Weight 2 pounds
Dimensions 11.3*7.6*0.7inches
Wireless type 802.11 A/C
Touchscreen No
Ports HDMI, USB 3.0, SD card Reader, 3.5 mm Audio port.
Battery Life 13 hours

 

4.     HP Stream 13-c110nr Notebook

Operating System: Windows 10 | Price: $244.994 laptops under $300

The most innovative product feature about the HP Stream 13 is its fan-less design. This PC somehow manages to stay cool without the help of a fan. We all know what a nuisance a fan can be, leading to heating problems and what not. Well, with the HP Stream 13 you have that one problem out of the way. What’s more? You get a standard 2GB RAM with an Intel Celeron N3050 processor. With a 13.5 inch screen you honestly get more than what you’re paying for. The display is a WLED Backlit display with a max resolution of 1366*768 pixels. The 2GB RAM is decent enough to handle all your media but again, as the case with the DELL i3168-0027RED it just isn’t enough for a good gaming experience.

Specs

Screen Size 13.3 inches
Max Screen Resolution 1366*768 pixels
Processor 1.6 GHz Intel Celeron N3050
RAM 2GB DDR3
Graphics Processor Dedicated
Operating System Windows 10
Weight 3.4 pounds
Dimensions 9.02*13.12*0.08 inches
Wireless type 802.11 bgn
Touchscreen No
Ports USB 2.0, USB 3.0,HDMI, 3.5 mm Audio port.
Battery Life 8 hours 30 minutes

 

 

5.     Acer Aspire One Cloudbook

Operating System: Windows 10 | Price: $235.00

5 laptops under $300

Available in 32GB and 64GB variants, the Acer Aspire One Cloudbook is another standard notebook you can get yourself for around 200 bucks. With 2Gb of RAM and a 1.6 GHz Celeron processor the specs of this notebook are very much similar to that of the HP Stream 13. But the one visible difference between the two is the visual outputs of the two screens. The integrated Intel HD Graphics card makes gaming a viable option on this notebook. With a 14 inch LED-backlit screen, this laptop will handle your media needs with ease. Comes with a year-long subscription to Office 365 and 1TB free cloud storage on OneDrive.

 

 

 

 

 

Specs

Screen Size 14 inches
Max Screen Resolution 1366*768 pixels
Processor 1.6 GHz Intel Celeron N3050
RAM 2GB DDR3
Graphics Processor Intel Integrated Graphics Processor
Operating System Windows 10
Weight 3.45 pounds
Dimensions 13.4*9.2*0.7 inches
Wireless type 802.11 bgn
Touchscreen No
Ports USB 2.0, USB 3.0,HDMI, SD Card Reader,3.5 mm Audio port.
Battery Life 12 hours

 

 

6. Acer Chromebook 14

Operating System: Chrome | Price: $299.00

6 laptops under $300

You can call the Acer Chromebook 14 the older brother of the ASUS C201. It’s bigger. It’s better. Comes with a better processor with a HD screen that will make the screens of flagship laptops blush. But again, it’s a Chromebook and there you have “limited” functionality here. You get 32 GB on Internal Storage and that’s about it. The all metal chassis of the Chromebook 14 give it a tough look and the fan-less design makes the device silent and cool to the touch. Up to  12 hours of battery life make this Chromebook help you power through the day on a single charge. The 14 inch HD IPS display helps display 41% more pixels than your average HD display. With the HD display comes and anti-glare panel to help reduce strain to the eyes.

 

Specs

Screen Size 14 inches
Max Screen Resolution 1920*1080 pixels
Processor 1.6 GHz Intel Celeron N3150
RAM 4GB DDR3
Graphics Processor Intel HD Graphics Processor
Operating System Chrome
Weight 3.4 pounds
Dimensions 13.4*9.3*0.7 inches
Wireless type 802.11 bgn
Touchscreen No
Ports USB 3.0,HDMI, SD Card Reader,3.5 mm Audio port.
Battery Life 12 hours

 

 

 

7.     HP 14-an080nr Notebook

Operating System: Windows 10 | Price: $269.00

7 laptops under $300

Now this is more like your standard High-Performance laptop. But the best part is it’s in your budget. You heard that right! For around 260 bucks you get a notebook with 4GB ram and a 1.8 GHz AMD E2-7110 processor. Sounds like a steal? That’s exactly what this is. The stocks are limited so do make sure to head over to the link ASAP if you are interested in picking up one of these bad boys. This notebook can handle all the workload you have and can handle it well. The only issue could be the weight, at 4 pounds the device is somewhat bulky. If you’re looking for a nice portable device, this isn’t the device for you. Also the battery life is somewhat an issue with only 6 hours under its belt it could prove to be quite a nuisance at times if you’re trying to get work done on the go. But, if you intend to work at a desk while this beast is plugged into a power outlet you have nothing to worry about.

 

 

 

Specs

Screen Size 14 inches
Max Screen Resolution 1366*768 pixels
Processor 1.8 GHz AMD E2-7110 Processor
RAM 4GB DDR3
Graphics Processor Integrated
Operating System Windows 10
Weight 3.9 pounds
Dimensions 9.5*13.6*0.9 inches
Wireless type 802.11 bgn
Touchscreen No
Ports USB 2.0, USB 3.0,HDMI, VGA,3.5 mm Audio port.
Battery Life 6 hours

 

 

 

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