10 Best Laptops Under 500

The Lenovo Flex 5 14 is a 2-in-1 convertible that can be used as both a laptop and a tablet, making it versatile for various tasks. It's priced in the lower midrange and offers a fair balance of performance and features. With an AMD Ryzen 7 processor and 16 GB of RAM, it's a good choice for general use and capable of handling some engineering and 3D tasks, though not optimized for intensive gaming. It has a 14-inch IPS touchscreen display, a decent battery life, and is lightweight for portability. It also features a decent spread of ports including USB-C, and it charges via USB-C as well, but it lacks a dedicated number pad, yet it includes a backlit keyboard and fingerprint reader for convenience and security.

The ASUS Vivobook 16X offers a balance between performance and price, being in the lower midrange category. It features a large 16-inch IPS screen with a 16:10 aspect ratio, suitable for productivity tasks but with a standard 60Hz refresh rate that's adequate for general use rather than fast-paced gaming. Powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS with integrated Vega 8 graphics, the laptop is capable of handling daily tasks and lighter creative workloads, though it's not designed for intensive gaming or high-end 3D rendering. Its battery life is suitable for several hours of typical usage, making it moderately portable at a bit over 4 pounds. The Vivobook 16X is equipped with 512GB of storage and 12GB of RAM, enhancing multitasking abilities. It also has a decent selection of ports including USB-C, HDMI, and an Ethernet port, plus a backlit keyboard with a number pad, enhancing utility for work and study. Overall, the Vivobook 16X is good for general use, fair for 3D/machine learning applications, and fair for engineering tasks.

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is a budget-friendly laptop with an Intel i5 processor and integrated graphics, suitable for everyday tasks and light productivity. It comes with a 512GB storage drive and 8GB of RAM, a combination that offers a decent balance for general use. The 15.6-inch IPS display offers clear images at a standard 1920 x 1080 resolution, but it isn't touchscreen. The battery life is modest, making it more suited for use where charging options are accessible. Weighing 3.59 pounds and measuring 0.78 inches thick, it's relatively portable but might feel bulky compared to ultrabooks. It includes a numeric keypad, backlit keyboard, and a good variety of ports including USB-C and HDMI. The IdeaPad 3 is not designed for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning tasks, but it's a good match for more straightforward engineering software. Overall, this laptop is a good choice for students or home office use where high performance is not a critical requirement.

The Acer Swift 3 comes at a lower midrange price with a solid balance of features for general consumers. Its Intel i5 processor and integrated Iris Xe graphics offer good performance for everyday tasks and some light gaming or creative work but aren't optimized for more demanding 3D, machine learning, or engineering software. Equipped with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, it should handle multitasking and ample data. The 14-inch IPS display provides decent color accuracy and viewing angles, though it's not the best choice for color-critical work. The laptop is quite portable, weighing under 3 pounds, and has a good battery life that can support typical usage for around 12 hours. Additionally, build quality and heat management are rated good, making it suitable for mobility and use in different environments. With a variety of ports including USB-C and Thunderbolt, connectivity is versatile, but the absence of an Ethernet port might be a drawback for some. A backlit keyboard and fingerprint reader enhance usability, although if you're looking for a laptop with a higher refresh rate, better speakers, or dedicated gaming features, other models may be more fitting.

The HP 15" Laptop offers a balance for those on a budget, providing a large 15.6-inch screen with touchscreen capabilities, albeit at a lower resolution. It's not the lightest is, but still reasonably portable. This laptop is equipped with a considerable amount of RAM and a sizeable storage capacity. It runs on an Intel i3 processor with integrated graphics, which is sufficient for general use, but may lack the necessary power for intensive 3D rendering, gaming, or engineering applications. Battery life is adequate for typical use, and the keyboard includes a number pad, although it is not backlit and there are no biometric security features. The build and heat management are fair and it has a variety of ports including USB-C, but lacks Thunderbolt support. Suitable for general use and those who prioritize budget and screen size over high performance and screen resolution.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is a budget-friendly gaming laptop that comes with a decent storage capacity and moderate RAM. It's equipped with an AMD Ryzen processor and an Nvidia RTX GPU, which makes it suitable for gaming and other intensive tasks. The battery capacity provides a reasonable amount of usage time, and it sports a 15.6-inch display with a high refresh rate, suitable for fast-paced games, but it's an IPS panel which may not be the brightest. It's relatively heavy, affecting its portability, has a number pad, and features backlit keys, hardware ray tracing, and DLSS. Suitable for gaming needs, it may not be the top choice for very high-end gaming or professional engineering software but can handle general use and moderate 3D tasks well.