Are you looking for the best laptops under $1,000 of 2020?
Gone are the days of expensive laptops that freeze or heat up enough to keep you cool over the winter. Now, there are a lot of affordable and high-performing laptops that you can buy for under $1,000.
However, with the increasing popularity of the tech industry, there are a plethora of laptops and tech brands that you can choose from. We’re all familiar with the intimidating responsibility of finding the right laptop.
After all, it’s a huge investment and one that you can’t easily take back. With that in mind, we’re here to help you find the best laptops under $1,000 of 2020, to get yourself set up for the new year.
Let’s get started!
- 1. Dell XPS 13.
- 2. Lenovo’s Legion.
- 3. MacBook Air 2020 with M1 Chip.
- 4. Microsoft Surface Pro 7.
- 5. HP Envy x360 13 (2020).
- 6. Acer Chromebook Spin 713.
- 7. Acer Swift 3 (2020, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U).
- 8. Lenovo ThinkPad E15.
- 9. Asus ZenBook 14 UX425.
- 10. Lenovo Chromebook Duet.
1. Dell XPS 13.
The best overall laptop under $1,000
| RAM: 8GB, 16GB, 32GB DDR4 (4267MHz) | Display: 13.4-inches |
| Processor: Intel Core i3, i5, i7 11th Gen | Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 2TB SSD |
| Graphics Card: Intel UHD Graphics | Weight: 2.64lbs or 1.2kg |
The Dell XPS 13 is a lightweight and mobile laptop with a beautiful 400-nit IPS display. Enjoy excellent video, speed, and graphics for a little bit longer with the long-lasting 10 hours of battery life for their base model. While the GPU is nothing to brag about, the laptop performs pretty well with high settings on Dota 2. The sleek and super thin-bezel design gives it that futuristic clean look that’s very modernized.
Now, the Dell XPS 13 does come with only two USB-C ports. This is a great future design choice as USB-C becomes the new standard. Additionally, the XPS 13 doesn’t come with an HDMI or VGA port, so keep that in mind if you’re into secondary displays. You can still connect your XPS 13 using a type-C display cable though, but chances are you might need an adaptor. The versatile laptop also doesn’t support ethernet connection, so you’ll have to make do with the Wi-Fi 6 technology that comes in the XPS 13.
Despite all that, the Dell XPS 13 is worth every dime. Beautiful and lightweight, the perfect portable laptop that helps you work and unwind with casual gaming capabilities.
2. Lenovo’s Legion.
The best gaming laptop for under $1,100
| RAM: 16GB, 32GB DDR4 | Display: 15.60inch IPS 144hz 1920×1080 |
| Processor: i7 9th Gen Hexa-Core | Storage: 256GB, Wide variety |
| Graphics Card: GeForce GTX 1660Ti GDDR6 | Weight: 5lbs or 2.3kg |
Although you might be looking for laptops under $1,000 of 2020, if you’re an avid gamer then here’s what we have for you. The Lenovo Legion exceeds the thousand-dollar mark by about $99, but it comes with a beautiful 144Hz display for the best gaming experience. Furthermore, enjoy butter-smooth fast processing with a 9th Generation Intel Core i7 Processor.
The Legion is ready for any kind of game with a dedicated graphics card that can help you run a buttload of 1080p high-end games. If the beautiful and thin bezel display isn’t enough for you, the Lenovo Legion comes with an HDMI port so you can hook up your laptop to a second monitor.
Although it is quite heavy at 5lbs or 2.3kg, it’s normal for gaming laptops to be around this weight. With ethernet capabilities, you won’t have to worry about playing on an unstable Wi-Fi connection. Feel free to start gaming by clicking on the link above to get a free Ghost Manta gaming mouse.
3. MacBook Air 2020 with M1 Chip.
The best laptop for college students for under $1,000
| RAM: 16GB | Display: 13.3-inch |
| Processor: Apple M1 chip 8-core CPU | Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 2TB SSD |
| Graphics Card: Apple M1 chip 8-core GPU | Weight: 2.8lbs or 1.3kg |
Apple knew what they were doing when they released the new MacBook Air together with macOS Big Sur. Enjoy up to 18 hours of battery life with MacBook Air, and at just 2.8lbs, it’s another perfect portable laptop all under $1,000. The innovative M1 chip blows away it’s Intel-based MacBook Pro cousins for only about 80 percent the retail price.
The M1 chip is Apple’s own designed and manufactured processor that was built to solely optimize their laptops. Coupled that with the macOS Big Sur update, and you’ve got yourself an affordable and beautiful laptop under $1,000.
Just like the other thin and sleek laptops on this list, the MacBook Air 2020 does not come with an onboard Ethernet port so you’ll have to buy an adaptor for that. However, this shouldn’t be a big deal since it comes with Wi-Fi 6 technology.
Buy MacBook Air 2020 (M1 Chip) on Amazon
4. Microsoft Surface Pro 7.
The best 2-in-1 laptop under $1,000
| RAM: 8GB | Display: 12.3-Inch Touch-Screen |
| Processor: Intel i5 10th Gen | Storage: 256GB SSD |
| Graphics Card: Intel Iris Plus Graphics | Weight: 1.7lbs or 0.8kg |
The true portable experience at only 1.7lbs, Microsoft’s Surface Pro 7 is a laptop, tablet, and drawing tab all-in-one. With USB-C and USB-A compatibility, this laptop is versatile and mobile so you can work anywhere with anything. The laptop can last up to 10 and a half hours as well, which adds a level of longevity to the overall portable experience.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t include the Surface Pen and Keyboard by default so you’ll have to think about those expenses as well. The Surface Pro 7 does not support Ethernet connections but does come with Wi-Fi 6 technology. Furthermore, if you’re looking to make a quick presentation, you’ll have to bring a USB-C to HDMI adapter since the Surface Pro 7 has no HDMI port.
Despite that, Microsoft’s Surface Pro 7 comes with a beautiful 2736×1824 display making it the perfect portable laptop and tablet for you. Without a doubt, the best 2-in-1 laptop for under $1,000.
Buy Microsoft Surface Pro 7 on Amazon
5. HP Envy x360 13 (2020).
The best sub-$1000 mainstream laptop
| RAM: 8GB DDR4 | Display: 13.3-inch Touch-Screen 4K |
| Processor: Intel i7 10th Gen | Storage: 512GB SSD |
| Graphics Card: Intel Iris Plus Graphics | Weight: 2.6lbs to 1.2kg |
Definitely a high contender on this list, the HP Envy x360 13 is an affordable and jam-packed laptop full of all the necessary specs that you need. The thin bezels give it that sleek look while still looking classic and timeless. Furthermore, the touchscreen display comes with a WLED-backlit multitouch screen sporting 400 nit brightness at 3840×2160 resolution! This beautiful screen is a great contrast to its usual 1920×1080 competitors.
The HP Envy x360 13 comes with a USB-C and USB-A port which keeps it versatile together with Wi-Fi 6 technology. However, it does not support Ethernet connections so you will have to rely on Wi-Fi connections to access the internet. As a bonus, the laptop’s keyboard is backlit and does come with a fingerprint reader.
This laptop is as beautiful as it is convenient. An excellent investment if you’re looking for something visually immaculate all for under $1,000.
6. Acer Chromebook Spin 713.
The best Chromebook laptop under $1,000
| RAM: 8GB | Display: 13.5-inch Touch-Screen |
| Processor: Intel Core i5 10th Gen | Storage: 128GB SSD NVMe |
| Graphics Card: Intel UHD Graphics 620 | Weight: 4lbs or 1.8kg |
A contender for being the best 2-in-1 laptop, the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is another combination of a laptop and tablet. Though it isn’t as light as a proper notebook, the IPS touchscreen displays a crystal clear 2256×1504 resolution. The screen lights up beautifully for outdoor use and the keyboard is backlit, which is just as perfect for darker rooms.
Acer’s Chromebook Spin 713 is surprisingly affordable despite feeling like such a premium product. Though you might find 128GB of SSD space to be too small, it does have an NVMe drive for upgradability. With the same graphics card as the Dell XPS 13, the Chromebook does have room for casual gaming.
What really makes this laptop stand out is the 2:3 screen ratio that gives you a little more vertical height. The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is the perfect laptop to carry around in a mobile lifestyle.
Buy Acer Chromebook Spin 713 on Amazon
7. Acer Swift 3 (2020, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U).
The best budget laptop under $1,000
| RAM: 8GB LPDDR4 | Display: 14-inch IPS |
| Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 4700U Octa-Core | Storage: 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD |
| Graphics Card: Radeon Graphics | Weight: 2.65lbs or 1.2kg |
If you’re a fan of computers and press releases, then you should know that AMD is about to outperform intel processors very soon. With that in mind, the Acer Swift 3 model is an extremely affordable laptop that doesn’t sell itself short on performance. The sleek and beautiful computer offers an 11-hour battery lifespan, which is close to the highest on this list.
Furthermore, the thin side bezels give it a premium feel that’s very deceptive from its magnesium and aluminum exterior. If you’re looking for a laptop with a really bright display, however, the Acer Swift 3 might not be the best choice. But if you’re usually indoors—even in a dark room—this laptop comes with a backlit keyboard.
It’s truly the best budget laptop under $1,000 coming with a fingerprint scanner, HDMI port, type-C USB support, and type-A USB.
Buy Acer Swift 3 2020 on Amazon
8. Lenovo ThinkPad E15.
The best business laptop under $1,000
| RAM: 16GB DDR4 | Display: 15.6-Inch |
| Processor: Intel 10th Gen Core i5 | Storage: 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD |
| Graphics Card: Intel UHD Graphics 620 | Weight: 4.3lbs or 1.9kg |
With the classic black and aluminum design, the chassis is sleek that speaks for the ‘businessman’ style. The Lenovo ThinkPad E15 is a beautiful and affordable laptop that can be compared to the Dell XPS 15. While the bezels and design may not be the most futuristic-looking laptop, but it has the capabilities and performance of a modern computer.
Despite it being a bit on the heavier side, the Lenovo ThinkPad E15 comes with all the necessary adaptors. Type-A and -C ports are perfect when you need to transfer files via USB. Additionally, the HDMI port is also useful to have when you don’t have a dongle in your bag at all times.
All in all, the Lenovo ThinkPad E15 doesn’t stand out, but its performance surely does. Perfect for businessmen or businesswomen who are situated more into the office.
9. Asus ZenBook 14 UX425.
The best Intel Tiger Lake laptop under $1,000
| RAM: 8GB LPDDR4 | Display: 14-inch IPS |
| Processor: Intel 10th Gen Core i7 | Storage: 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD |
| Graphics Card: Intel UHD Graphics 620 | Weight: 2.6lbs or 1.2kg |
For the individuals who are looking for a laptop that can do a bit of everything, here’s a splendid choice for your buck. The Asus ZenBook 14 UX425 has a lot of great specs as well as a surprisingly loud speaker. Additionally, you’ll be able to use the laptop for up to 9 hours on battery alone. The spun-metal chassis provides a shiny and beautiful exterior with a light-colored aesthetic.
The Asus Zenbook 14 UX425 also comes with a fingerprint scanner, which is always a useful feature to have. Furthermore, the laptop comes with HDMI, USB Type-A, and -C ports so you can be sure that you’ll have all the necessary connections for your work. If that isn’t enough, the ZenBook also has an SD card slot for when you want to transfer files that way.
All in all, this laptop has a bit of everything, which is very surprising considering that it’s a lightweight ZenBook. This would be a fantastic choice when opting to buy a laptop for work or school.
10. Lenovo Chromebook Duet.
The best 2-in-1 Chromebook under $1,000
| RAM: 4GB | Display: 10.1-Inch Touchscreen |
| Processor: ARM 8-Core | Storage: 64GB SSD |
| Graphics Card: Integrated ARM G72 MP3 Graphics | Weight: 1lbs or 0.45kg |
This super lightweight addition to the list is the cheapest entry in this article. The Lenovo Chromebook Duet might look like a normal tablet, but it has the capability and specs to function just like an ordinary laptop. Granted it won’t run the latest games, if you’re looking for something portable that you can type and chat on, then this is the perfect budget Chromebook for you.
The Lenovo Chromebook Duet has an average battery life of 10 hours but has reportedly reached up to 13 hours in some cases, especially when newly bought. You can buy this model with a detachable keyboard, although the keyboard can be quite a tight fit. Regardless, the typing experience is negligible when you consider that the Chromebook is smaller than its rivals.
In conclusion, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet is the perfect laptop if you’re looking for a 2-in-1 deal. The touchscreen panel and portability make it ideal for presentations that are on the go.
Buy Lenovo Chromebook Duet on Amazon
