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The Best 5Reviewed by Mike Hunter·May 24, 2026

Best Budget Laptops Under $700

Top 5 budget laptops under $700 reviewed and ranked.

Quick answer

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 is our top pick for budget laptops under $700 — an averaged 4.5/5 across 3 published reviews at about $799.99. Runner-up: Acer Swift Go 14 (~$794.96).

Read the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 review →$799.99 · Check Price on Amazon

At a glance

Tap any product for the full review
1Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5Top Score
(3 sources)
$799.99Best for: Buyers who want the most well-rounded budget productivity laptop with a premium-feeling build and a large screen for everyday work and study.
$799.99 · Check Price on Amazon
2Acer Swift Go 14
(3 sources)
$794.96Best for: Buyers who want strong productivity performance in a thin, light 14-inch laptop they can carry all day and are willing to plug in more often.
$794.96 · Check Price on Amazon
3HP OmniBook 5 14
(3 sources)
$909.99Best for: Mobile users who prioritize all-day battery life and a vivid OLED screen over maximum app compatibility and raw horsepower.
$909.99 · Check Price on Amazon
4HP Pavilion 15
(3 sources)
$683Best for: Mainstream home and student users who want a reliable, touchscreen-equipped 15-inch laptop from a major brand for general productivity.
$683 · Check Price on Amazon
5Acer Aspire 5
(3 sources)
$499Best for: Budget-first buyers who need a capable, no-frills 15.6-inch Windows laptop for basic productivity at the lowest possible price.
$499 · Check Price on Amazon
Verdict is reader-supported. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this page are affiliate links — if you click through and buy, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Our ratings are sourced from independent publications, not sponsors.
Reviews aggregated from
Notebookcheck.netPcworld.comLaptopmedia.comXdadevelopers.comLaptopmag.comDigitaltrends.comTechradar.comTweaktown.com

The full ranking

How we rank →
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5
#1 · Top Score
Best for: Buyers who want the most well-rounded budget productivity laptop with a premium-feeling build and a large screen for everyday work and study.
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5
from 3 sources$799.99as of Jun 7

The IdeaPad Slim 5 is the best all-rounder under $700, pairing an aluminum chassis that punches above its price with a roomy 16-inch 1200p display, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. Notebookcheck rated the 16-inch line 80% and PCWorld called the closely related Slim 5i a 4.5-star bargain. The display is the weak point, but for productivity it is hard to beat at this money.

Strengths
  • — Aluminum chassis feels unexpectedly premium for a budget laptop
  • — 10-core Intel Core 5 120U handles everyday productivity smoothly
Watch-outs
  • — 60Hz IPS panel covers only about 45% NTSC, so colors are muted
  • — Memory is soldered and cannot be upgraded later
$799.99 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →vs. Acer Swift Go 14 →
Acer Swift Go 14
#2
Best for: Buyers who want strong productivity performance in a thin, light 14-inch laptop they can carry all day and are willing to plug in more often.
Acer Swift Go 14
from 3 sources$794.96as of Jun 7

The Swift Go 14 is the performance-and-portability pick: a thin-and-light 14-incher whose CPU outpaces most budget machines while staying genuinely portable. Laptop Mag praised its "fantastic" multi-core score, XDA scored it 7.5/10 and RTINGS named it among the best laptops under $700. The trade-offs are a flat IPS panel and below-average battery, but for productivity on the move it is excellent value.

Strengths
  • — Fast multi-core performance that beats the budget category average
  • — Thin, light 14-inch chassis that is genuinely portable
Watch-outs
  • — Battery life is below the budget category average
  • — IPS panel looks flat next to OLED rivals with weaker contrast
$794.96 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →vs. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 →
HP OmniBook 5 14
#3
Best for: Mobile users who prioritize all-day battery life and a vivid OLED screen over maximum app compatibility and raw horsepower.
HP OmniBook 5 14
from 3 sources$909.99as of Jun 7

The OmniBook 5 14 is the battery-life champion: an ARM-based ultraportable that PCWorld and TweakTown measured at over 25 and 28 hours respectively, paired with a gorgeous 2K OLED touchscreen. PCWorld called it "a strong contender if you want a Windows laptop with great battery life," and TechRadar praised its display and endurance. The catch is the Snapdragon platform's app-compatibility quirks.

Strengths
  • — Outstanding battery life, exceeding 25 hours in independent video tests
  • — Vivid 2K OLED touchscreen with wide color gamut and deep contrast
Watch-outs
  • — Snapdragon X Plus is an ARM chip, so some Windows apps run emulated or not at all
  • — Performance is adequate but not exceptional for heavy workloads
$909.99 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →vs. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 →
HP Pavilion 15
#4
Best for: Mainstream home and student users who want a reliable, touchscreen-equipped 15-inch laptop from a major brand for general productivity.
HP Pavilion 15
from 3 sources$683as of Jun 7

The Pavilion 15 is the dependable mainstream pick: a 13th-gen Core i5 laptop with an FHD touchscreen and a clean, sturdy build that owners rate highly (4.7/5 at Best Buy). Reviewed.com called it "one of the better performing" budget laptops it had tested, and LaptopMedia praised its comfort-and-battery balance. The 8GB of RAM is the main limitation, but for general use it is a reliable value.

Strengths
  • — 13th-gen Intel Core i5-1335U delivers solid everyday performance for the price
  • — FHD touchscreen adds convenience uncommon at this budget
Watch-outs
  • — Only 8GB of RAM, which can feel tight with many tabs open
  • — 256GB-class storage fills quickly for media-heavy users
$683 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →vs. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 →
Acer Aspire 5
#5
Best for: Budget-first buyers who need a capable, no-frills 15.6-inch Windows laptop for basic productivity at the lowest possible price.
Acer Aspire 5
from 3 sources$499as of Jun 7

The Aspire 5 is the budget anchor: a genuinely cheap 15.6-inch laptop that covers the basics well, with a Ryzen 5 5500U and a surprisingly likable IPS display. PCWorld called it "a great budget option for most people," review-rating.com scored it 72/100, and Notebookcheck praised its quiet, cool operation. The soldered 8GB RAM and small SSD are real limits, but for the price it delivers the essentials.

Strengths
  • — One of the lowest prices for a capable 15.6-inch Windows laptop
  • — AMD Ryzen 5 5500U handles everyday productivity comfortably
Watch-outs
  • — Only 8GB of soldered, non-upgradable RAM
  • — 256GB SSD fills up quickly for media or app-heavy users
$499 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →vs. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 →

Spec comparison

5 products
SpecLenovo IdeaPad Slim 5Acer Swift Go 14HP OmniBook 5 14HP Pavilion 15Acer Aspire 5
CPUIntel Core 5 120U (10-core)AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS (8-core)Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 (8-core)Intel Core i5-1335U (13th Gen, 10-core)AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (6-core)
RAM16GB LPDDR5x16GB LPDDR5X16GB LPDDR5x8GB DDR48GB DDR4
Storage1TB M.2 NVMe SSD1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD512GB PCIe Gen 4 SSD512GB PCIe NVMe SSD256GB NVMe SSD
Display16-inch WUXGA (1920x1200) IPS, 60Hz14-inch WUXGA (1920x1200) touch IPS14-inch 2K (2880x1800) OLED touch15.6-inch FHD (1920x1080) touchscreen15.6-inch FHD (1920x1080) IPS
Ports2x USB-C, 2x USB-A, HDMI 1.4b, headphone jackUSB-C, USB-A, HDMI, microSD———
WirelessWi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2Wi-Fi 6E, BluetoothWi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3—Wi-Fi 6
OSWindows 11 HomeWindows 11 HomeWindows 11 Home (Copilot+ PC)Windows 11 HomeWindows 11 Home
Graphics—AMD Radeon 780M—Intel Iris XeAMD Radeon Graphics

Frequently asked questions

What is the best budget laptops under $700?
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 is our top pick for budget laptops under $700, with an averaged rating of 4.5/5 from 3 published reviews. The IdeaPad Slim 5 is the best all-rounder under $700, pairing an aluminum chassis that punches above its price with a roomy 16-inch 1200p display, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. Notebookcheck rated the 16-inch line 80% and PCWorld called the closely related Slim 5i a 4.5-star bargain. The display is the weak point, but for productivity it is hard to beat at this money.
Is there a cheaper alternative worth considering?
Acer Aspire 5 (around $499) rates 4.1/5 in our analysis. The Aspire 5 is the budget anchor: a genuinely cheap 15.6-inch laptop that covers the basics well, with a Ryzen 5 5500U and a surprisingly likable IPS display. PCWorld called it "a great budget option for most people," review-rating.com scored it 72/100, and Notebookcheck praised its quiet, cool operation. The soldered 8GB RAM and small SSD are real limits, but for the price it delivers the essentials.
How does Verdict rank these products?
Every rating on Verdict is the numerical average of scores published by independent review sites, YouTube reviewers, and Reddit buyer reports. No editor adjusts the order — the ranking is whatever the source data produces. See our methodology page for the full process.
When was this guide last updated?
This guide was last re-checked in May 2026. We re-run our research pipeline for each category on a rolling basis so prices and rankings reflect current market reality.

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