Whether you’re gaming in your room or working in a coffee shop, the specs that you may desire from a laptop can be drastically different. That being said, every laptop on this list can be used for whatever your daily routine consists of – and they’re all less than $1,000. Also: Want to save even more money? Here are the best laptops under $500. When looking for a new laptop, the most essential features are fast speeds, large SSD capacities, and good visuals. Luckily, this Dell Inspiron 15 5000 has all three and more. With an Intel Core i7 processor and 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, this laptop can handle your long work meetings and your biggest school assignments with ease. With laptops like MacBooks moving away from having an abundance of ports on the sides of the keyboard, Dell doesn’t shy away. This laptop features seven ports: 1 charging port, 1 HDMI input, 2 USB 3.2 ports, 1 USB Type-C port, 1 microSD Card reader, and 1 headphone/ microphone jack. Lastly, this laptop contains Intel Iris Xe Graphics making every moment on this product vivid and crisp. But, the bright lights don’t stop there, a backlit keyboards makes it easier for you to use your laptop when the lights are off. Additionally, the sound on this laptop is just as high-quality as the visuals with stereo speakers with Waves MaxxAudio Pro and Bluetooth capabilities. Apple has emerged as the frontrunner in the typical laptop market today. While MacBooks, in my opinion, aren’t the best in the industry, their features set them apart from competition. As a loyal Apple customer, I own many of their products and use a MacBook every day. The 2020 version of the MacBook Air is incredibly advanced. I have a 2019 MacBook Pro, and it still has plenty of features brand-new laptops don’t. This MacBook Air features the Apple M1 chip and 8GB of RAM, giving users a brilliant experience with fast loading speeds. The 13.3-inch Retina display is unique for laptops and allows everything to show up on your screen sharp, clear, and vibrant. Additionally, if you have Apple products, you can easily connect your Apple ID to your MacBook to get access to your contacts, photos, iMessage, FaceTime, and so much more all from your laptop. Read the review: 2020 MacBook Air review If my MacBook Pro were to stop working, my next purchase would be a Microsoft Surface Pro. The ability to have a laptop/tablet combination that’s both powerful and compact is perfect for those who travel frequently. Behind the 12.3-inch touchscreen display is an Intel Core i3 processor along with 8GB of RAM and a battery capable of up to 15 hours of use. Because this Surface Pro 7+ doubles as a tablet as well, this laptop has a 5MP and 8MP front and rear facing cameras, respectively. Additionally, these cameras have a 1080p resolution, so your virtual work meetings will look even better with a clearer picture on your webcam. Even though the screen is smaller, you can add extra displays to expand your workspace among multiple screens. If you need to use this laptop on the go, a nearly 180-degree kickstand located on the back makes sure you get the best view at all times. Along with the kickstand, a 3:2 aspect ration provides 18% more vertical real estate than typical laptops Read the review: Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ review When you think of the typical gaming PC, you think of RGB lights everywhere, fancy glass cases, and large fans inside the unit. This HP Victus laptop has none of those but still provides an epic gaming experience. Plus, with a 16.1 inch screen, you don’t necessarily need a true monitor to game – although having a big monitor greatly enhances the experience. The visuals are just as important as the performance when it comes to gaming. Luckily, this laptop provides in each of those categories. The graphics are powered by an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 GPU and a 178-degree wide-view screen, so you can see the screen wherever you decide to sit. Plus, with an enhanced cooling solution in this laptop, hot air is blown out of the laptop to ensure the computer maintains a good temperature while you game. Also: The 5 best laptop cooling pads Finally, since games seem to take up all your storage nowadays, a 512 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD provides 30x faster performance than a traditional hard drive.With 2 USB Type-A ports and 1 USB Type-C port, if extra storage is needed, there are more than enough ports for you to use an external SSD. Don’t let the low price and small size of this HP Envy 13 fool you – this laptop is incredibly impressive, and with a price like this, it’s a must-have. At just $679, this laptop is by far the least expensive on this list, but also one of the most powerful. Powered by an Intel Core i5 processor, this laptop helps you stay on task while being efficient and responsive with any input. With many classes and meetings making the move to online formats via Zoom or Teams, this laptop has adapted with the times. With a built-in camera shutter key and a key to mute your microphone, you can ensure your privacy is protected when you step away from your work station. Lastly, while the screen measures just 13.3 inches, the picture quality you will get from this unit is incredible. The FHD IPS display is virtually edgeless with an 88% screen to body ratio. Additionally, this laptop features BrightView technology so your colors are vivid and clear when working in the classroom, office, or cubicle. The size and weight of your laptop can really restrict where you can bring your laptop, or more specifically, where you will have enough room to use it. With laptops like the Surface Pro 7+ and the HP Envy 13, you can bring your laptop virtually anywhere. Bigger options like the Dell Inspiron 15 5000 and the HP Victus will require a bit more room. But no matter who you are, a laptop is an essential item to have in today’s world. As you can tell by the brands of computers selected, brand reputation was of high importance when deciding which laptops to include in this article. While there are cheaper laptops on the market than the HP Envy 13, the components and price point make this computer a no-brainer to include in the list.
