Are you looking for a computer or laptop that doesn’t empty out your pockets? Are you frantically searching Best Buy’s website to get a good deal? Well, we have some good news for you! Gone are the days when Best Buy computers or a decent Best Buy laptop would cost you a fortune. You can now easily pick up a whole PC set or an ultraportable Windows 10 notebook with a processor powerful enough for use at home, school, or work, at incredibly affordable rates. And, that’s not all! You can also find full-featured Chromebooks and hybrid systems with which you can get the functionality of both laptop and tablet in one device for even less than $500!
That being said, you must also be prepared to compromise in one aspect or other when you’re restricted to a budget. For example, you can certainly find a powerful laptop with a 15-inch screen but you might have to adjust with a flimsy keyboard and touchpad. Similarly, you could buy an immaculately made ultraportable device that uses a modest CPU and a small storage drive to achieve its low price. Coming in terms with these trade-offs, and matching up a budget laptop’s strengths and weaknesses with what you will do with it, is the key to making a happy purchase. To help you out, we have put together some tips to make you purchase worthwhile.
Components and Connectivity
Fortunately for you, a good thing nowadays is that you’ll have to make fewer compromises with the budget laptops than you did in the past. Take the Intel’s Celeron and Pentium processors, which power most of the under-$400 laptop sets for example. They have truly evolved to the point that they can support most of your web browsing and basic productivity needs without slowing down the system. That’s especially applicable with Chromebooks. Basically, the $400-to-$600 Best Buy laptop is mostly populated by systems based on the much smarter Intel Core i3 and Core i5 families of processors. Furthermore, the year 2020 has seen an increasing amount of systems based on AMD’s robust Ryzen U series chips. You should choose these latter CPU lines if you need more than just the basics.
These CPUs also comprise the silicon that runs the laptop’s graphics. The latest integrated graphics solutions can hold their own in browser-based games and even some online games without slowing down your system. However, if you have higher demands of AAA titles, you may require a discrete GPU, which you won’t find in this price range.
There was a time when many of the most expensive Best Buy laptops would come with just 2GB or 4GB of main system memory, but luckily nowadays, at least in the Windows universe, many come with 8GB. (leaving out Chromebooks, which may come with lower amounts.) when speaking of batteries, a perfect budget laptop comprises of six cells or more. The battery life for a budget laptop should come in at a minimum of seven or eight hours, and these days, many may even last quite a bit longer.
Now let’s move to storage. There are many inexpensive systems that offer up to 500GB of hard drive space, however, there is an increasing amount of inexpensive Windows machines that is opting for small-capacity solid-state drives (SSDs) of 128GB or 256GB capacity nowadays. If your work doesn’t need much storage space and you think you are comfortable with the capacity of a small SSD, we strongly recommend opting for one over a larger platter-based hard drive, due to their durability.
With many budget systems, particularly Chromebooks, you will only get a small allotment of 16GB or 32GB of local storage, but they make up for it with generous offers of additional free cloud storage. However, do keep in mind that with any cloud-based data, you will have to online to access it. Also, know that many budget-friendly devices use what is called “eMMC memory” as their main storage. eMMC memory is quite different from the flash memory used in a true solid-state drive (SSD), and it will feel a bit sluggish if you’re used to an SSD.
Coming to features, most cheap laptops comprise at least one USB 3.0 port, and possibly a USB 2.0 port or two. It may also come with an SD card slot and a Wi-Fi radio that uses the speedy 802.11ac protocol (though the older 802.11n might still be found in a few machines.) An HDMI output and a USB-C port are also great additions that you can find on even some of the lowest costing models. One thing you may want to omit from your list of requirements is a touch-screen display if you want to restrain to your budget. However, a 2-in-1 convertible machine, will by definition have a touch screen, as having one is necessary for using the machine as a tablet or in other orientations where the keyboard is covered up.
Chromebooks: Is It a Sensible Choice?
There was a time when Chromebooks were just a little more than glorified netbooks running Google’s Chrome OS. Even though these Chrome OS–based laptops are still web-centric, they now come with complete feature sets. If most of your work is in the cloud, a Chromebook will offer you almost similar functionalities as of a regular Windows 10 or macOS laptop. Depending on the model, you may also get longer battery life using a Chromebook.
Comparatively, it will also cost you a lot less than other types of notebooks, as many Chromebooks are offered at less than $300. Just keep in mind that while you’re using a Chromebook, you have easy access to stable Wi-Fi as Chromebooks have limited offline functionality and very little local storage.
The Cheap and Best Tablets and Hybrids
Throughout the 2010s, tablets were in high demand. Tablets, however, are so different from traditional laptops that they don’t make efficient substitutes. Even though there are tablets that come with detachable keyboards, you may find them less comfortable for typing than a conventional laptop.
However, if you are looking for a substitute, we would suggest considering the Convertible 2-in-1s that seamlessly take the place of traditional clamshells. Convertible 2-in-1s let you flip between a laptop and a tablet, which you can easily do by folding the keyboard out of the way. You should definitely go for one of these if you primarily want the typing capability of a laptop, but occasionally would appreciate the mobility and passive-consumption conveniences of a tablet.
Partially because of their additional complexity as compared to the traditional clamshell designs, you may not find one that fits your budget restrictions, but there are a few Windows 10 and Chrome OS-based models that cost less than $500. These budget-friendly devices come in both permanently attached designs and in detachable-keyboard designs.
So, Which Budget Laptop Should You Get?
If you’re on a really tight budget but still need a device to get your job done, don’t lose heart. You can definitely find Best Buy computers that will offer you just the right performance you need to tackle your daily tasks without a stutter. However, if your requirements are such that only a Best Buy laptop would fulfill, then we suggest that you compromise on a few features and get one that is both affordable and durable.
No matter what decision you make, we are by your side! Find the latest Best Buy computers and Best Buy laptop at Lagoon Shop for an incredibly low rate.
