Under $600 picks from our full guide: 5 tested laptops you can find for under $1,000: a Mac, a Windows all-rounder, a gaming laptop, a Chromebook and a cheap Copilot+ PC.
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If you want one laptop on a budget, get this one: it is PCWorld's pick for best budget laptop, with a sturdy aluminum body, a sharp 13-inch screen and about 13 hours of battery. It has only 8GB of memory and its multi-core performance lags.
The same laptop can cost very different amounts at different stores. PCWorld saw the Acer Nitro V 16 AI far higher on Amazon than at other stores, and the Swift 16 AI just under the budget line at Best Buy while other stores charged more.
Some of these only drop into budget at certain stores or during sales, so compare before you buy.
Our top picks
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#1 · Best Overall Value
Apple MacBook Neo
★★★★★4.6(1,579)
Anyone who wants a Mac for everyday work and school without a Mac price.
A 13-inch MacBook with an A18 Pro chip, 8GB of memory and a 256GB SSD. It does not support P3 color, so it is not for serious color work.
Why buy it: Picture a student writing essays and streaming between classes on a sturdy aluminum laptop that lasts about 13 hours. PCWorld picks it as its best budget laptop, and it is the lightest PCWorld-tested pick in this guide at 2.7 lb. It gives you a Mac without a Mac price. The catch: multi-core performance lags and memory is 8GB.
Pros, cons & who should skip it
The MacBook Neo is PCWorld's pick for best budget laptop, and it is the cheapest MacBook Apple has made. It runs an A18 Pro chip with 8GB of memory and a 256GB SSD, which is plenty for browsing, email, streaming, documents and spreadsheets.
Pros
Sturdy, premium-feeling aluminum design
Excellent single-core speed
Bright, sharp 13-inch screen
Battery lasts a full day
Cons
Two USB-C ports with different speeds
Multi-core performance lags
No P3 color support, so not for serious color work
Touch ID only on the higher-priced model
Skip it if: you need lots of memory, heavy video editing power, or accurate color.
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#2 · Best Windows all-rounder
Acer Aspire 5
★★★★★3.9(23)
Students and families who want a dependable Windows laptop
A Windows 11 laptop for office work, browsing and light streaming (PCGuide). It is not made for gaming.
Why buy it: Picture a student writing papers, browsing and watching lectures on a dependable Windows laptop. PCGuide recommends the Aspire 5 Slim for non-gaming use, and Impressive Magazine names the 2026 Aspire 5 its best Windows all-rounder. It is the plain all-round Windows choice among this guide's mid-budget picks. The catch: it is not made for gaming.
Pros, cons & who should skip it
PCGuide recommends the Acer Aspire 5 Slim for anyone shopping around $600 for non-gaming use. Impressive Magazine names the 2026 Aspire 5 its best Windows all-rounder.
Pros
Solid all-round Windows laptop
Good for study and office work
Cons
Not made for gaming
Skip it if: You want to play demanding games
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#3 · Best tested by RTINGS
ASUS Vivobook 16 (M1605)
★★★★★4.4(43)
People who want the best-tested Windows laptop under $600
A 16-inch Windows laptop. iTechGuides says to look for the 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD configuration.
Why buy it: Picture a student who wants a large screen for documents and spreadsheets and is willing to carry a bigger laptop. iTechGuides reports that RTINGS names it its best tested laptop in this price range, strongest overall when it has at least 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. The catch: it is only worth buying in that configuration, and the 16-inch size is less portable.
Pros, cons & who should skip it
iTechGuides reports that RTINGS names the Vivobook 16 M1605 its best tested laptop under $600, and says it is the strongest overall Windows pick when the configuration has at least 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.
Pros
Top RTINGS pick in this price range
Good screen for the money
Cons
Only worth buying in the 16GB / 512GB configuration
Large 16-inch size is less portable
Skip it if: You want a small, light laptop to carry all day
A 15.6-inch Windows 11 laptop that weighs 3.42 lb (Fypower). Weak 4GB or 128GB versions exist.
Why buy it: Picture a sturdy everyday laptop for schoolwork that goes in a backpack every day. Fypower calls the Slim 3i 15.6 its best-value pick and says Lenovo puts these laptops through 12 military-grade durability tests. It is light for a 15.6-inch laptop. The catch: pick the configuration carefully, because 4GB or 128GB models are weak for daily use.
Pros, cons & who should skip it
iTechGuides lists a properly configured Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 among the best $600 laptops, and Impressive Magazine includes the 2026 IdeaPad 3i. Fypower calls the IdeaPad Slim 3i 15.6 its best-value pick.
Pros
Good value
Light for a 15.6-inch laptop
Durability testing (Fypower)
Cons
Pick the configuration carefully: 4GB or 128GB models are weak for daily use (iTechGuides)
Skip it if: You want a premium screen or strong graphics
4 mistakes when buying a budget laptop
Paying the first price you see. PCWorld saw the Nitro V 16 AI far higher on Amazon than at other stores, and the Swift 16 AI just under the budget line at only one store.
Buying a weak configuration. iTechGuides warns that 4GB or 128GB models of the IdeaPad Slim 3 are weak for daily use. For the Vivobook 16, look for 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.
Forgetting that a Chromebook runs ChromeOS only. The Chromebook picks cannot install Windows or macOS desktop software, so check your classes or work first.
Ignoring Windows on Arm. The IdeaPad Slim 3x has an ARM chip, so check that your apps support Windows on ARM.
FAQ
What is the best budget laptop for most people?
The Apple MacBook Neo. It is PCWorld's pick for best budget laptop, with about 13 hours of battery at 2.7 lb. Its multi-core performance lags.
What is the best gaming laptop on a budget?
The Acer Nitro V 16 AI. Its RTX 5050 averaged around 72 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 in PCWorld's review. The CPU, speakers and Wi-Fi 6 are weak spots.
Which Windows laptop has the best battery life?
The Acer Swift 16 AI. PCWorld measured about 17.5 hours. The IdeaPad Slim 3x claims up to 14 hours, according to Lenovo.
Is a Chromebook enough for school?
If your work lives in the browser, yes. The Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 is our Best Chromebook. Skip it if you need Windows or macOS desktop software.
Which cheap Chromebook is best?
The ASUS Chromebook CX15. PCWorld names it the best Chromebook in its low-price class. Tom's Guide tested its battery at 7 hours 26 minutes.
Picks come from PCWorld's hands-on laptop testing (updated Oct 2026), plus the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x from the 2026 reviews we summarize in our Black Friday guide. Specs and battery figures are for the configuration PCWorld tested; Amazon listings can differ, so check the exact configuration before buying. We don't show prices because they change daily, and some of these only dip under $1,000 at certain stores or during sales. Assumptions: "under $1,000" is based on the lowest prices reported in Oct 2026; list prices and some retailers (including Amazon at times) can be higher.
