Budget Friendly Laptop Deals for College Students under $500 in USA

Here’s the list of budget friendly laptop deals for college students under $500.

acer aspire 5 2023
1
Acer Aspire 5 Slim laptop

Intel Dual-Core i3,
20GB RAM,
1 TB SSD Storage,
HD IPS Display,
Windows 11 S

acer-aspire-laptop (1)
2
Acer Aspire 15.6″ Full HD IPS Slim Laptop

AMD Ryzen 5,
8GB RAM,
256GB Hard Drive,
15.6 Inches,
LED IPS Display,
AMD Radeon Graphics,
Windows 11

lenovo (1)
3
Lenovo Newest Idea pad 15.6″ HD Touchscreen Laptop

Core i3,
20GB RAM,
256GB Hard Drive,
15.6 Inches,
Full HD IPS Display,
Intel Iris Xe Graphics,
Windows 11

hp laptop deal
4
HP 15.6 Inch Laptop 11th Generation Intel Core Processor Laptop

Core i5,
8GB RAM,
256GB Hard Drive,
15.6 Inches,
HD Touchscreen,
Intel UHD Graphics,
Windows 11 Home

Microsoft Surface Go i5 Touchscreen Laptop
5
Microsoft Surface Go i5 12.4 inch Touchscreen Laptop

Quad-Core i5,
4GB RAM,
64GB Hard Drive,
12.4 Inches,
Intel UHD Graphics,
Windows 10 Pro

Dell Inspiron 15.6 Inches FHD Touchscreen Laptop
6
Dell Inspiron 15.6 Inches FHD Touchscreen Laptop

Intel Core i5,
12GB RAM,
256GB Hard Drive,
15.6 Inches Display,
Intel UHD Graphics

The laptops priced below $500 are not only affordable but also offer excellent features that do not compromise on quality.

You don’t have to settle for laptops that look like they were taken out of a bargain bin. 

Update:

Get up to 50% OFF on all laptops [Exclusive offer]Click here to check the best deals offers.

There are many options available on the market today that offer full-HD displays, SSD Storage Card, long battery life, and solid performance, whether you prefer a conventional clamshell laptop or a 2-in-1 convertible that can function as both a laptop and a tablet. 

Our top pick for the best laptop under $500 is the Acer Aspire 5, offers best features such as full HD IPS display, Intel Dual-Core i3 Processor, 20 GB RAN, 1 TB SSD Storage, and Up to  8.5 hours of battery life.

It has 4.4 rating out of 5 with positive customer feedback.  

In case you’re not a fan of AMD Ryzen, we also have some recommendations for affordable Intel processor Windows laptops, such as the HP 15.6 Inch Laptop 11th Generation Intel Core Processor Laptop.

If you’re willing to spend more, you can check out the benchmarks for the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX Acer Nitro 5 AN515-57-79TD Gaming Laptop Performance.

Our disclosure statement: If you buy a product or service using the links we provide, we may receive a commission without any additional cost to you.

The Best Budget Friendly Laptop Deals Under $500 for Today

Why can you trust Pepdeal? Our expert reviewers spend hours comparing products and look at customer reviews so you can invest your money for buying the best laptop. You can check our Laptop section, how we compare the product.

When I was a student, we had a limited budget to spend. That’s why we think ten times before purchasing a new laptop. If you’re in the same conditions then don’t worry. Pepdeal is always for you. 

Here, we have listed a few supreme performance and budget-friendly laptops for students under $500. 

But before buying a new laptop, we have checked a few things that I want to discuss with you.

If you’re in a hurry, and don’t have time to read a complete article, then go with the top three selected laptops that are budget-friendly, and super fast performance, and best for students.

Comparison of top 3 best laptops for college students: 

Product Name Acer Aspire 15.6″ Full HD IPS Slim LaptopLenovo Newest Idea pad 15.6″ HD Touchscreen LaptopHP 15.6 Inch Laptop 11th Generation Intel Core Processor Laptop
CPUAMD Ryzen 5 5500UCore i3Intel Core i5
RAM8GB20GB8GB
Hard Drive256GB256GB256GB
Screen15.6 Inches15.6 Inches15.6 Inches
DisplayLED IPS DisplayFull HD, IPSHD Touchscreen
GraphicsAMD RadeonIntel Iris XeIntel UHD Graphics
Operating System (OS)‎Windows 11‎Windows 11Windows 11 Home
PriceClick HereClick HereClick Here

Things need to be checked before BUYING a new laptop

There are several important key factors that you should consider before purchasing a new laptop. Here are some of the things that you should check:

  • Purpose: First, determine your primary use for the laptop. Is it for work, school, entertainment, or gaming? Knowing this will help you choose a laptop with the right specifications and features that cater to your needs.
  • Operating system: Decide which operating system you prefer, whether it’s Windows, MacOS, or Chrome OS. Each has its own advantages and limitations, so choose the one that best suits your requirements.
  • Processor: The processor is the brain of the laptop, and it affects its overall performance. Look for a laptop with a powerful processor, such as an Intel Core i5 or i7 or an AMD Ryzen 5 or 7.
  • RAM: The amount of RAM determines how many applications can run simultaneously without slowing down the laptop. Look for a laptop with at least 8GB of RAM, but consider getting 16GB if you plan to do heavy multitasking or run memory-intensive applications.
  • Storage: Choose between a solid-state drive (SSD) or a hard disk drive (HDD). SSDs are faster and more reliable, while HDDs are cheaper and offer more storage capacity. Consider getting a laptop with a combination of both, or an SSD with at least 256GB of storage.
  • Display: Look for a laptop with a high-resolution display, preferably with a resolution of 1920×1080 or higher. Consider the size, too, as larger displays are better for multitasking while smaller displays are more portable.
  • Battery life: Check the laptop’s battery life to ensure that it can last for a reasonable amount of time on a single charge. Aim for a battery life of at least 8 hours.
  • Build quality: Look for a laptop with a durable build quality that can withstand everyday wear and tear. Consider the materials used, such as aluminum or carbon fiber, and check for any potential weak points or design flaws.
  • Price: Determine your budget and look for a laptop that offers the best value for your money. Consider the features and specifications that you need, and don’t overspend on unnecessary features that you won’t use.

Check this also : Best Adjustable Laptop Stand for Desk


Budget Friendly Laptop for College Students Under $500

Here is the list of budget friendly laptops for college students that you consider to purchase. 

1. Acer Aspire 5

Acer Aspire 5 is the newest launched slim laptop that comes with standout features and available under $500. It has a wide range of options such as 20GB RAM/1TB SSD, 8GB RAM/512GB SSD, and 12GB RAM/1TB SSD.

Product Specifications
CPU ModelIntel Dual-Core i3
RAM20GB (DDR4 SDRAM)
Hard Drive1 TB SSD
Display15.6 Inches 1920 x 1080 Pixels, Full HD IPS
GraphicsIntel UHD Graphics, 4.1 GHz
Battery LifeUp to 11 Hours
Size14.31 x 9.86 x 0.71 inches
Weight5.5 pounds
OS‎Windows 11

Reasons to buy

  • Excellent laptop under $500 range
  • Outstanding performance
  • Very fast going from one project to another
  • Great Value for Money
  • It has three variant 20GB RAM/1TB SSD, 8GB RAM/512GB SSD, and 12GB RAM/1TB SSD
  • The back-lit keyboard with small numpad is a great plus for those late nights of studying.
  • It works quite well as a web/office/coding/school machine.

Reasons to Avoid

  • No Optical Drive

Acer Aspire 5 is the newest launched slim laptop that comes with standout features and available under $500. It has a wide range of options such as 20GB RAM/1TB SSD, 8GB RAM/512GB SSD, and 12GB RAM/1TB SSD. 

If you’re looking for an inexpensive laptop and not a Chromebook under 500 dollar range, then this is the one to get. 

You will get the latest version of Windows operating system, a healthy amount of RAM (20GB/12GB/8GB) and SSD disk space (1TB/512GB), and a super fast Intel Dual-Core i3 processor with 4.21 GHz speed. 

It has the right amount, and types of the most useful ports built-in, so no additional port adapter is needed. 

This isn’t a high-end gaming laptop, but it works quite well and performs all college work like web, office, coding, and all other college important work.

The best part, it has a back-lit keyboard with a small numpad which is a great plus for those late nights of studying. 

Overall, you’ll get a really nice laptop for the money.


2. Acer Aspire 15.6″ Full HD IPS Slim Laptop

Acer Aspire is affordable and budget-friendly laptop for college student. It comes with advanced features which provide superior performance. Check out it specification below:

Product Specifications
CPU ModelAMD Ryzen 5 5500U
RAM8GB (DDR4 Onboard Memory)
Hard Drive256 GB SSD
Display15.6 Inches 1920 x 1080 Pixels, Full HD IPS
GraphicsAMD Radeon
Battery LifeUp to 11 Hours
Size14.31 x 9.86 x 0.71 inches
Weight3.88 pounds
OS‎Windows 11

Reasons to buy

  • Extremely Lightweight, and Ultra Portable
  • Amazing Battery Life
  • Great Value for Money
  • Best for College Student

Reasons to Avoid

  • No Optical Drive
  • Drive Capacity only 256GB

The Acer Aspire 15.6″ Full HD IPS Slim Laptop is the ideal choice for anyone seeking a budget-friendly laptop with top-notch features and speedy performance.

This laptop is perfect for both college and personal use, as it boasts an AMD Ryzen 5 5500 U Hexa-core mobile processor that enhances your computer’s speed.

Comfort is very important for college students, especially when it comes to working on a laptop. Therefore, it’s essential to have a laptop stand for your desk that can provide you with more comfort.

With a laptop stand, you can work for extended periods without experiencing neck pain, allowing you to attend classes and complete your assignments with ease.

Additionally, this laptop is equipped with an AMD Radeon Graphics card, 8GB DDR4 RAM, and 256GB NVMe SSD storage, making it ideal for gaming and other resource-intensive tasks.

Its LED IPS display provides high-quality visuals, while the long-lasting battery life of up to 11 hours ensures that you can work on the go without worrying about running out of power.

Overall, the Acer Aspire 15.6″ Full HD IPS Slim Laptop is a great choice for college students seeking a high-performance laptop at an affordable price. Click here to see, full specifications.


3. Lenovo Newest Idea pad 15.6″ HD Touchscreen Laptop

The Lenovo Newest Ideapad is a budget-friendly laptop with a high-definition touchscreen and advanced features. It’s an ideal choice for college students who are on a tight budget. You can find its specifications listed in the table below:

Product Specifications
CPU ModelCore i3
RAM8GB DDR4 SDRAM
Hard Drive256 GB SSD
Display15.6 Inches 1920 x 1080 Pixels, HD Touchscreen
GraphicsIntel UHD Graphics
Battery LifeUp to 12 Hours
Size16.3 x 11.2 x 1 inches
Weight‎4.07 pounds
OSWindows 11

Reasons to buy

  • Ultra Portable
  • Amazing Battery Life
  • Great Value for Money
  • Best for Personal & College Work
  • Extremely Lightweight
  • Quick start and fast loading

Reasons to Avoid

  • No Optical Drive
  • Touch Screen Required a Lot of Tweaking
  • Average screen resolution

If you’re someone who prefers not to use a keyboard frequently, the Lenovo Newest Ideapad HD touchscreen laptop is an excellent option for you.

It includes all the features typically found in a high-end laptop but costs less than $400.

With its 8GB high-bandwidth RAM, you can run multiple applications and browser tabs simultaneously. Its 256GB hard drive enables fast bootup and data transfer.

Additionally, the laptop features the fastest 11th Gen Intel Core i3 Dual Core processor, providing a smooth and efficient user experience.

For those who enjoy gaming, the Intel UHD graphics card allows for high-definition gaming. You can find a list of its advanced features by clicking here to see all specifications.


4. HP 15.6 Inch Laptop 11th Generation Intel Core Processor Laptop

The HP 15.6 Inch laptop with an 11th Generation Intel Core Processor is both swift and reasonably priced, making it a top contender in the market. Its slim and lightweight design also makes it easy to transport, ideal for college students. Be sure to review its specifications for more information.

Product Specifications
CPU ModelIntel Core i5
RAM8 GB DDR4
Hard Drive256 GB SSD
Display15.6 Inches 1920 x 1080 pixels, Full HD, IPS
Graphics‎Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Average Battery LifeUp To 7 hours and 15 minutes
Size16.3 x 11.2 x 1 inches
Weight‎3.75 pounds
OSWindows 11 Home

Reasons to Buy

  • Ultra Portable & Lightweight
  • Great Value for Money
  • Best for Personal & College Work
  • Quick start and fast loading

Reasons to Avoid

  • No Optical Drive
  • No other cons found

The HP 15.6 Inch laptop with an 11th Generation Intel Core Processor is a laptop model that features the latest generation of Intel Core i5 processors.

These processors are designed to offer improved performance and efficiency compared to previous generations, with faster clock speeds and higher core counts.

This laptop model typically comes with a 15.6-inch display, with Full HD or 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution options, and integrated Intel UHD Graphics. It also typically includes 8GB of memory, with options for expandable storage and upgradable RAM.

The slim and portable design of this laptop makes it an attractive choice for college students or professionals who require a computer that can be easily carried around.

It also offers a range of features such as Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth, and various ports for connecting external devices. Overall, the HP 15.6 Inch 11th Generation Intel Core Processor laptop is a versatile and reliable choice for a wide range of computing needs.

Click here to see, full specifications.


5. Microsoft Surface Go i5 12.4 inch Touchscreen Laptop

The Microsoft Surface Go is one of the best laptops for college or school students, ready for online classes. The powerful battery gives you backup for the entire day. If you’re a student who likes to play games in their free time, then don’t go with this laptop because it is specially made for college or school use.

Product Specifications
CPU ModelIntel Quad-Core i5
RAM4 GB DDR4
Hard Drive64 GB
Display12.4 Inches, 1536 x 1024 pixels, Touchscreen
Graphics‎Intel UHD Graphics
Size‎13.75 x 10.4 x 2.25 inches
Weight‎‎2.45 pounds
OS‎Windows 10 Pro

Reasons to Buy

  • Ultra Portable & Lightweight
  • Great Value for Money
  • Best for Online Class
  • Best for college, school and work
  • East to carry with collage backpack
  • Quick start and fast loading

Reasons to Avoid

  • Less Hard Drive Space
  • Not for gaming
  • Has limited ports

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go is a compact and lightweight laptop, perfect for students who need a portable device for everyday use in class.

It features a 12.4-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1536 x 1024 pixels, which is great for browsing the web, editing documents, or attending online classes.

The laptop is powered by an Intel Quad-Core i5 processor and comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

This configuration is suitable for basic computing tasks such as web browsing, email, Zoom meeting, online class and productivity apps. The laptop also includes a front-facing camera for video conferencing.

Overall, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go is a good option for students who need a portable device for everyday use. It has a sleek design, decent performance, and a good battery life that can last up to 16 hours.

However, if you need a laptop for more demanding tasks such as online classes or work in Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, and Email, you may consider cheapest laptop. Click here to see full specification.


6. Dell Inspiron 15.6 Inches FHD Touchscreen Laptop

Are you searching for the right combination of hardware and software that can make all your college work easy? If so, the Dell Inspiron Intel i5 Full HD touchscreen laptop is a wonderful choice.

Product Specifications
CPU ModelIntel Core i5
RAM‎12 GB DDR4
Hard Drive256 GB SSD
Display15.6 Inches, 1920 x 1080 Pixels, FHD Touchscreen
Graphics‎Intel UHD Graphics
Size‎‎14.11 x 0.74 x 9.27 inches
Weight‎‎3.74 pounds
OS‎Windows 11

Reasons to Buy

  • Lightweight and compact design
  • Great Value for Money
  • Best for college students
  • 12GB RAM is plus point
  • Quick start and fast loading

Reasons to Avoid

  • Battery Life is not good
  • Not for gaming purpose

When it comes to superb performance, this laptop boasts 12GB of high-bandwidth RAM that smoothly runs multiple applications and browser tabs at once.

It has a 256GB SSD storage capacity that allows for fast bootup and data transfer, ensuring that all your data is safely stored. This storage capacity is enough for most college students. However, if you plan on downloading movies and games, it’s best to consider a gaming laptop instead of using this laptop.

Under the hood, the laptop is powered by an Intel Core i5 Quad-Core Processor with four cores, and a base frequency of 1.0 GHz, which can go up to 3.6 GHz at maximum turbo speed. This means that you can expect a smooth and fast performance from this laptop, even when you’re running demanding applications.

The laptop has a 15.6 inch Full High Definition Touchscreen Display and making it an ideal choice for anyone who spends a lot of time working on their computer or video classes.

In terms of connectivity, the laptop comes equipped with WiFi and Bluetooth, allowing you to easily connect to the internet and other devices. It also has one SD Card Reader, one USB 2.0 port, two USB 3.2 ports, one HDMI 1.4 port, and one Headphone & Microphone Audio Jack, making it a versatile option for students who needs to connect multiple devices.

Click here to see full specification of Dell Inspiron FHD Touchscreen laptop.


What’s up with 5400 RPM on hard drive?

5400 RPM is a term used to describe the rotational speed of a hard drive’s platters. It means that the platters in the hard drive rotate at 5400 revolutions per minute.

In general, a higher RPM will result in faster data transfer rates and shorter access times, as the read/write heads can retrieve data from the platters more quickly. However, a 5400 RPM hard drive is considered to be a relatively slow speed in comparison to other available options such as 7200 RPM and solid-state drives (SSDs).

That being said, a 5400 RPM hard drive can still be suitable for certain tasks such as storing and accessing large files, photos, and documents. However, if you require faster read/write speeds, especially for tasks such as gaming or video editing, it is recommended to consider a hard drive with a higher RPM or switch to a solid-state drive.

What is the RAM configuration?

As we know, laptops typically come with either 8GB or 16GB or higher RAM, depending on the specific configuration you choose. The RAM (Random Access Memory) is often configured as a single module, which means that there is one memory slot occupied with a single RAM stick.

However, some models of this laptop may offer the ability to upgrade the RAM. This means that you can potentially add more RAM to the laptop by installing additional memory modules. The maximum amount of RAM that can be installed on this laptop will depend on the specific model and configuration that you choose.

It’s worth noting that having more RAM can help your computer run more smoothly and efficiently, especially when running multiple programs simultaneously or working with large files. If you’re considering purchasing this laptop, you may want to consider opting for the 16GB RAM configuration if you require a higher amount of memory.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are several budget-friendly laptop deals available for college students that can help them meet your academic and personal computing needs without breaking the bank.

The top 3 options in the under $500 price range include the Acer Aspire 5, Lenovo Newest IdeaPad HD Touchscreen, and HP 15.6 Inch Laptop 11th Generation Laptop.

Each of these laptops offers its unique set of features and benefits, from portability and versatility to performance and affordability.

By considering these options and their individual specifications, you can make an informed decision about which laptop will best suit your needs and budget.

Round up of today’s best deals

Best Deal

Acer Aspire 15.6″ Full HD IPS Slim Laptop

Acer Aspire is affordable and budget-friendly laptop for college student. It comes with advanced features which provide superior performance. Check out it specification below:

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