Best Laptops for College Students Under $500

These days a good laptop becomes the basic need of everyone, around the world. Whether you are an office employee, professor, or a student, having a laptop with good specifications and performance is all that you require. An average student doesn’t require a supercomputer to get his homework done. You can perform your homework with a decent performing laptop according to your budget. Finding a good laptop with an affordable budget like 400 to 500 dollars is crucial work but we are here with some best laptops for college students under 500 that will be perfect for your college task.

Those guys who are looking to buy the best and cheap laptop, then you must give a look at our detailed guide to the top 10 best laptops under $500 for college students.

So, without further ado, here we go…

Best Laptops For College Students Under 500

1. Acer Aspire 5 #Top Pick

Acer Aspire 5 A515

This Acer Aspire 5 laptop is on the top of our list because of its powerful hardware specifications. With an affordable price and great features, it is one of the best laptops under 500 for college students. It sports a 15.6-inch full HD LED-backlit display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.

It is powered by the latest 10th Generation Intel Core i3-10110u processor clocked up to 4.1GHz. The laptop also comes with 4GB DDR4 RAM which is decent enough to run multiple applications simultaneously and storage of 128GB of a solid-state drive. The graphics of this laptop is run by Intel UHD Graphics 620. The laptop is built with silver color plastic chassis with a hairline texture pattern.

The laptop weighs only 3.97 lbs, and offers a staggering 10 hour of battery life, making it an ideal laptop for an entire day at your college. Overall this laptop offers everything that is provided normally by a good laptop under $500.

Main Specifications of Acer Aspire 5 10th Generation Laptop
Processor 10th Generation Intel Core i3-10110u Processor, Up to 4.1GHz
RAM 4GB DDR4
Storage 128GB SSD
Display 15.6” FHD WLED-backlit (1920 x 1080) IPS display
Graphics Intel UHD Graphics 620
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Battery Life Up to 10-hours
Weight 3.97 lbs

2. HP Pavilion x360

HP Pavilion X360

For students who are looking for the best 2-in-1 laptop under $500, the HP Pavilion x360 is one of the best convertible notebooks you can get right now. It offers plenty of attractive features in terms of processor, storage, RAM and battery life so you can the best value for your money.

It sports a 14-inch HD touchscreen display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. With a 360-degree hinge feature, you can use this notebook in different modes. The laptop is powered by an energy-efficient Intel Core i3-1005G1 processor paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD storage. The storage of this laptop can be extended with an SD card. With these specifications, you can use this laptop to perform your college homework, browsing the internet, preparing files and documents, etc.

It can deliver up to 8-hours of battery backup. It weighs 3.55 pounds making it a good laptop for travelers. Based on its features, it is the best convertible laptop in a $500 price range that lets you play, work, and watch the video at a very affordable price.

Main Specifications of HP Pavilion x360
Processor 10th Gen Intel Core i3-1005G1 Processor, 1.2GHz
RAM 8GB DDR4
Storage 128GB Solid State Drive
Display 14-inch HD IPS touchscreen 1366 x 768 pixels
Graphics Intel UHD Graphics
Operating System Windows 10 Home 64-Bit
Battery Life 8 hours
Weight 3.55 lbs

You may like to check: Best Lightweight Laptops

3. ASUS VivoBook F512DA

ASUS VivoBook F512DAThis ASUS VivoBook F512DA laptop is a good looking all-purpose laptop that sports a 15-inch full HD display with an 88% screen-to-body ratio for seamless viewing experience. It is designed with the silver metallic finish and scratch-resistant body. It also comes with a one-piece backlit keyboard making it comfortable to use for extended periods of typing.

Speaking about the specifications of the device, this laptop is powered by the Intel Core i3-1005G1 processor paired with 8GB of DDR4 RAM which is expandable up to 16GB. For storage, it comes with 128GB of SSD which is great for fast boot. It comes with Intel UHD Graphics which makes it capable of handling intensive software with ease.

The laptop also includes a built-in fingerprint sensor that allows you simply log in to your VivoBook 15 with just a single touch. It weighs 3.75 pounds and provides a battery backup of 8-hours. All these specifications make it one of the best laptops for college students under 500 dollars budget.

Main Specifications of ASUS VivoBook F512DA
Processor 10th Gen Intel Core i3-1005G1 processor (Up to 3.6GHz)
RAM 8GB DDR4
Storage 128GB SSD
Display 15.6-inch FHD WLED-backlit (1920 x 1080) NanoEdge Display
Graphics Intel UHD Graphics 620
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Battery Life Up to 8-hours
Weight 3.75 lbs
If you want to buy a budget laptop for college students then you must read this guide of Best Laptops for College Students (For Every Budget). Here you can find many powerful laptops based on your budget (from low budget to higher).

4. HP 14-inch Laptop

HP 14 inch HD LaptopThis HP Flagship 14 is a very stylish Notebook from HP with compelling specifications. This 14-inch laptop would be a good choice for students under a $500 budget. It offers some of the great features that people and especially students may require.

This laptop doesn’t feel cheap by any means and comes with a stylish textured finish all over. It is powered by the AMD Athlon Silver 3050U processor clocked at 2.3GHz. The laptop comes with 8GB of RAM with 256GB SSD, which you can upgrade later if needed. The graphics of this laptop are handled by AMD Radeon Graphics, which is the standard on most of the laptops under $500 budget and great for basic photo editing and casual gaming.

It has a 14-inch WLED-backlit display with a resolution of 1366×768 pixels. Although the laptop is a bit heavy, it still maintains it’s styling quotient. In terms of battery life, this HP laptop offers a staggering 10 hours of battery life making it ideal for college students.

Main Specifications of HP 15-inch Core i5 Laptop for Students
Processor AMD Athlon Silver 3050U Processor (2.3 GHz, up to 3.2 GHz)
RAM 8GB DDR4
Storage 256GB SSD
Display 14″ HD WLED-backlit (1366×768) anti-glare Display
Graphics AMD Radeon Graphics
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Battery Life Up to 10-hours
Weight 3.24 lbs
You may like to read: Top 10 Best Laptops Under $600

5. Dell Inspiron 3000

Dell Inspiron 3000

This is one of the premium business flagship laptop from Dell with some powerful features and specifications. If we talk about its design, the laptop is finished in black color with the hairline texture which gives it a professional look and feel.

It sports a 15.6-inch LED-backlit display with 1366 x 768 pixels resolution that lets you enjoy your favorite movies and games with better quality. It has the latest Intel Core i3 processor with 8GB of RAM making it efficient to handle multitasking. The best part of this laptop is 128GB of SSD with 1TB of HDD storage which is powerful enough for most of the games at medium settings. After that, you still have plenty of storage space for your documents and programs.

This laptop also sports integrated Intel UHD 620 graphics. All in all, this is a really affordable device with powerful features that makes it one of the best laptops under $500.

Main Specifications of Dell Inspiron 3000 15.6″ Laptop for College Students
Processor 10th Generation Intel Dual-Core i3-1005G1 Processor, Turbo up to 3.4GHz
RAM 8GB DDR4
Storage 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD
Display 15.6″ HD LED-backlit (1366 x 768) Touchscreen Display
Graphics Intel UHD Graphics 620
Operating System Windows 10 Home in S mode
Battery Life Up to 7-hours
Weight 4.45 lbs

6. Lenovo IdeaPad 3 10th Gen Laptop

Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15-inch

This is another great Lenovo laptop in our list of top 10 laptops for college students under $500. The IdeaPad 3 is powered by the latest 10th gen Intel Core i3-1005G1 processor which is clocked up to 3.40GHz. It is the latest Kaby Lake processor so it consumes very little power and is a low voltage chip so the core amount is well balanced.

The laptop is backed by 8GB of DDR4 RAM with 256GB of a solid-state drive. The build quality is really nice, with the dark grey finish this laptop gives a prominent look. This laptop performs exceptionally well in terms of multitasking with no-lag performance. If we talk about its display, it comes with a 15.6-inch LED-backlit display with a resolution of 1366X768 pixels.

The battery life is an impressive 7.5 hours, on average, making it all the more appealing for college students and the best all-around performing laptop under $500.

Main Specifications of Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15-inch Laptop
Processor 10th Gen Intel Core i3-1005G1 Dual Core Processor (Turbo up to 3.40Hz)
RAM 8GB DDR4
Storage 256GB NVMe SSD + 32GB USB Flash Drive
Display 15.6″ LED Backlit anti-glare HD Display (1366×768) Display
Graphics Intel UHD Graphics
Operating System Windows 10 S
Battery Life Up to 7.5 hours

   You may like to read: Top 10 Best Laptops Under $300

7. Dell Inspiron 15 Touchscreen Laptop

Dell Inspiron i3583 LaptopThis Dell Inspiron 15 Laptop with a 15.6” screen is a versatile, powerful and convenient machine, that is absolutely perfect for the students under $500 price range. Everything from keyboard layout to its design making it a perfect laptop in this category.

It is powered by the 10th generation Intel Core i3 processor clocked up to 3.4GHz. It is also paired with 8GB of RAM with 128GB SSD and 1TB hard drive makes it powerful enough for handling multitasking and storing your files and other applications. If we talk about graphics, this device comes with Intel UHD 620 graphics.

It weighs about 4.4 pounds which makes it great for travel and business purpose. It runs on Windows 10 of course; as it is the most recent operating system meant to be used with touchscreen technology. This laptop is easily a good laptop under $500 to handle the basic needs of a college student without any immediate upgrades.

Main Specifications of Dell Inspiron 15 Laptop For College
Processor 10th Generation Intel Core i3-1005G Processor (Up to 3.4GHz)
RAM 8GB DDR4
Storage 128GB PCIe NVMe SSD + 1TB hard drive
Display 15.6″ HD Touchscreen LED-Backlit Full HD (1366 x 768) Display
Graphics Intel UHD Graphics 620
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Battery Life Up to 5-hours
Weight 4.4 lbs
You may like to check out: Top 10 Best Laptops Under $500

8. HP 14 Full-HD Laptop

HP 14 Full-HD LaptopThe HP 14″ laptop is yet another great option for college students who are looking to buy the best laptop under $500. This is another compact model with a 14-inch screen with some powerful hardware specifications. The HP laptop is also of the same look as the previous Inspiron series with some advancements.

The laptop is finished in silver color with HP branding on its lid adds giving a professional look to this laptop. It is powered by the latest Intel Dual-Core i3 processor clocked at 1.2GHz which is coupled with 8GB DDR4 RAM. This laptop is powerful enough to handle multitasking with no-lag performance. For graphics, this laptop is equipped with Intel UHD 620 graphics, which gives you the power of web surfing, streaming videos, and playing.

HP 14 laptop is the best mixture of work and play and therefore it is the most recommended 14-inch laptop in $500 price range for students and businessmen.

Main Specifications of HP 14″ Full HD Laptop
Processor 10th Generation Intel Dual-Core i3-1005G1 Processor (1.2 GHz base, up to 3.4 GHz)
RAM 8GB DDR4
Storage 256GB SSD
Display 14″ FHD IPS BrightView WLED-backlit (1920 x 1080) Display
Graphics Intel UHD 620 graphics
Operating System Windows 10 Home in S mode
Battery Life 7-hours
Weight 3.24 lbs

9. Dell Inspiron Chromebook Convertible Laptop

Dell Inspiron ChromebookLooking for a convertible laptop under $500? Then Dell Inspiron Chromebook might put an end to your laptop search. It has a 14-inch HD touchscreen display with EMR Pen support. With its 360° hinge profile, it can be completely rotated to use this laptop as a tablet making it one of the best 2in1 laptops under $500.

It is finished in a white color which looks vibrant while its black color keyboard balances the professional styling of this laptop. Its convertible feature lets you use it as a tablet and laptop both. It runs on the Chrome operating system that can run many of the same apps you use every day on your phone or tablet.

The Dell Inspiron Chromebook has small lightweight chassis, a versatile design, better performing hardware, and a long-lasting battery up to 10-hours, therefore, this convertible laptop is perfect for avid travelers and students under 500 dollars price range.

Main Specifications of Dell Inspiron Chromebook Convertible Laptop
Processor 8th generation Intel Core i3-8130U Processor
RAM 4 GB DDR3
Storage 128GB eMMC flash memory
Display 14 inches FHD Touchscreen (1920 x 1080) Display
Graphics Intel UHD Graphics 620
Operating System Chrome OS
Battery Life Up to 10-hours
Weight 3.97 lbs

10. ASUS VivoBook F512DA FHD Laptop Best Value for Money

ASUS VivoBook 15

The ASUS VivoBook F512DA is an excellent looking all-in purpose laptop that sports a 15.6-inch display that provides excellent performance without any frills. It is a premium looking thin and lightweight laptop that is perfect for people to work on-the-go.

This laptop is an ideal choice for all segments of people including students, business people, and more. It comes with a 15.6-inch full HD display with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. With its anti-glare technology, it gives stunning visuals and a more realistic color gamut. It comes with Intel UHD 620 graphics with 8GB DDR4 RAM and 256GB of SSD to store your files.

So, if you want a premium looking, feature-rich 15-inch 2in1 laptop, then ASUS VivoBook F512DA is the best one you can buy right now for under $500.

Main Specifications of ASUS VivoBook F512DA FHD Laptop
Processor AMD Quad-Core r5-3500u Processor (Up to 3.6GHz)
RAM 8GB DDR4
Storage 256GB SSD
Display 15.6 inches FHD (1920×1080) Anti-glare Wide-view Display
Graphics AMD Radeon RX Vega 8
Operating System Windows 10
Battery Life Up to 8-hours
Weight 3.5 lbs

These are the top recommended laptops to buy under 500 dollars. So before buying any laptop, read reviews and hardware specifications to ensure the quality of the product and choose the laptop which suits your requirements.

I hope you like this review guide of the best laptops for college students under 500 dollars. If you have any doubts or suggestions about the budget laptops, feel free to ask in the comment section below.

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4 thoughts on “Best Laptops for College Students Under $500”

  1. Chaitanya kumar

    Sir,Does all these models have CD drive.

    And what is your review on HP pavilion au 627tx

    1. Best Laptop Ninja

      Hi Chaitanya,

      Yes, most of these laptops come with the DVD-RW feature.
      Also, the HP Pavilion AU627TX is a great option for gaming as well as for performing other demanding tasks.

  2. Abi

    Hi, do you know if any of them come with a pressure sensitive stylus pen?

    1. Best Laptop Ninja

      Hi Abi, If you’re looking for a laptop with an active stylus pen, then you can go for Lenovo Flex 14 which is available at an affordable price and offer great performance.

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