The Best Laptops Under $500

Laptops that cost less than $500 are few and far between, and trying to find a decent one can be a lofty task. In order to create a budget laptop, manufacturers often sacrifice performance, bog down its products with bloatware, or dumb-down the design in order to keep costs low. 

Below is a list of top-rated value laptops that have been lab tested and analyst approved from pcmag.

Netbooks under $500

Asus EeePC 1015PEM

Price: $370 street
Check at amazon.com
Intel's latest dual-core Atom processor is what makes the 10-inch Asus EeePC 1015PEM special. Read the full review ››

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Samsung NF310-A01

Price: $399.99 street
Check at Amazon.com
With the latest dual-core Atom processor, high-resolution screen, and a great user experience, the Samsung NF310-A01 is our new Editors' Choice for netbooks. Read the full review ››

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Acer Aspire One D260-1270

Price: $399.99 direct
Check at Amazon.com
Thanks to a few above average specs, like a 320GB hard drive and a long lasting battery, the Acer Aspire One D260-1270 stands out among a crowd of look-alike netbooks. Read the full review ››

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HP Pavilion dm1z

Price: $449 direct
Check at Amazon.com
The HP Pavilion dm1z is next step in netbook evolution, as its new AMD Fusion APU proved you can have great battery life without sacrificing speed. Read the full review ››

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Lenovo ThinkPad X100e

Price: $413 street
Check at Amazon
The Lenovo ThinkPad X100e is an ideal netbook for business, complete with speedy AMD parts, business software tools, and fantastic user experience. Read the full review ››

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Asus EeePC 1215N

Price: $500 street
At Amazon
Asus updates the EeePC 1215N with Nvidia's Optimus and dual-core Atom processor, making it the fastest netbook on the market. Read the full review ››

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Laptops under $500

Lenovo G560-0679AKU

Price: $499 street

At Amazon
The Lenovo G560-0679AKU gives you an Intel Core i3-370M dual-core processor, 500GB hard drive, and a variety of ports, all for a wallet-friendly price of $599. Read the full review ››

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Acer Aspire AS5253-BZ661

Price: $469.99 list
The Acer AS5253-BZ661 desktop replacement laptop is a compelling play on price and battery life, using a netbook-based AMD Fusion APU to lead the charge. Read the full review ››

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Asus K52F-BIN6

Price: $479.99 list

If your pockets are small and needs limited to Web browsing and word processing, then the Asus K52F-BIN6 laptop will happily provide. Read the full review ››

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Toshiba Satellite L645-S4102

Price: $429.99 street
At Amazon
The Toshiba Satellite L645-S4102 mainstream laptop may not look like much, but it's well positioned in the market given its price and capabilities. Read the full review ››