Best Budget Laptops Under £300

29 Aug 2024, by Mikaela Bartlett, min. read

On a budget? We’ve found the best laptops to buy under £300.

Is your current laptop slow and breathing heavy? Are you on a super-tight budget? Don’t worry, we’ve got the best laptops under £300 that are affordable but still tech-y enough to do all the bits you want it to do (shop, order takeaways, and attempt uni work).

Our list features top-name brands and laptops with cool specs, all at different price points.

Go ahead, dive right into the best laptops under £300.

If you’re after a laptop to hold all-night Sims gaming sessions, then take a look at the best laptops for Sims 4.

Last updated: 29th August 2024

In this article:

Best laptops under £300
8GB RAM laptops under £300
14 inch laptops under £300
Tips for buying a laptop
How much should I spend on a laptop in the UK?
Chromebook vs a laptop?
Is 4GB RAM enough for a laptop?
How long should a laptop last?

Best laptops under £300

Technology can be quite pricey and, not forgetting to mention, confusing. All that tech jargon and numbers, RAMS, GBs — what does it all mean?

Our best chromebooks and laptops under £300 list will decipher all the vocab you don’t understand so you can shop a little more simply.

ASUS CX34 14″ Chromebook Plus – £279

What’s in the box

1 x ASUS CX34 14″ Chromebook Plus
1 x power adapter

Technical specs

Operating system: Chromebook OS
RAM: 8 GB LPDDR5
Processor: Intel® Core™ i3-1215U Processor
Storage: 256 GB UFS
Screen resolution: Full HD 1920 x 1080p
Screen size: 14-inch
Screen type: LED
Touch screen?: No
WiFi?: Intel® dual-band WiFi – 2×2
Ethernet: No
Battery life: Up to 10 hours
Battery type: 3-cell Lithium-ion
Disc drive: No
Memory card reader: No
HDMI: 1x HDMI 1.4
Webcam: Full HD webcam
Colour: Rocky grey and white

Pros

Good keyboard and port selection
Great performance

Cons

Basic speakers

ACER 314 14” Chromebook – £179

What’s in the box

1 x ACER 314 14″ Chromebook
1 x AC power adapter
1x user guide

Technical specs

Operating system: ChromeOS
RAM: 4 GB DDR4X
Processor: MediaTek MT8183C Processor
Storage: 128 GB eMMC
Screen resolution: Full HD 1920 x 1080p
Screen size: 14-inch
Screen type: TN LED
Touch screen?: No
WiFi?: Dual-band AC WiFi – 2×2
Ethernet: No
Battery life: Up to 12 hours
Battery type: 3-cell Lithium-ion
Disc drive: No
Memory card reader: No
HDMI: No
Audio: Dual stereo speakers
Webcam: HD 720p webcam
Colour: Silver

Pros

Great battery life
Great performance
Bright screen

Cons

Not as compact as other Chromebooks
No touchscreen

HP Stream 14s-dq0509sa 14″ Laptop – £249.99

What’s in the box

1x HP Stream 14s-dq0509sa 14″ Laptop
1x AC adapter
1x Battery
1x Documentation

Technical specs

Operating system: Windows 11 S
RAM: 4 GB DDR4 (2400 MHz)
Processor: Intel® Celeron® N4120 Processor
Storage: 128 GB eMMC
Screen resolution: HD ready 1366 x 768p
Screen size: 14-inch
Screen type: SVA
Touch screen?: No
WiFi?: AC WiFi – 1×1
Ethernet: No
Battery life: Up to 10 hours
Battery type: 3-cell Lithium-ion
Disc drive: No
Memory card reader: 2-in-1
HDMI: 1x HDMI 1.4b
Audio: Dual speakers
Webcam: HD ready 720p webcam
Colour: Indigo Blue

Pros

Great battery life
SD slot

Cons

Basic audio
Clunky design

HP 15a-na0503sa 15.6″ Chromebook – £199

What’s in the box

1x HP 15a-na0503sa 15.6″ Chromebook
1x Power adapter
1x Documentation

Technical specs

Operating system: ChromeOS
RAM: 4 GB DDR4
Processor: Intel® Celeron® N4500 Processor
Storage: 128 GB eMMC
Screen resolution: HD 1366 x 768p
Screen size: 15.6-inch
Screen type: SVA LCD
Touch screen?: No
WiFi?: AC WiFi – 2×2
Ethernet: No
Battery life: Up to 11.5 hours
Battery type: 2-cell Lithium-ion
Disc drive: No
Memory card reader: MicroSD
HDMI: No
Audio: Dual speakers
Webcam: HD webcam
Colour: Mineral Silver

Pros

Great battery life
MicroSD slot

Cons

Basic audio

ACER 315 15.6” Chromebook – £229

What’s in the box

1 x ACER 315 15.6″ Chromebook
1 x power adapter
1x quick start guide

Technical specs

Operating system: ChromeOS
RAM: 8 GB LPDDR4X
Processor: Intel® Celeron® Processor N6000
Storage: 128 GB eMMC
Screen resolution: Full HD 1920 x 1080p
Screen size: 15.6-inch
Screen type: IPS LED
Touch screen?: No
WiFi?: Intel® WiFi 6 – 2×2
Ethernet: No
Battery life: Up to 10 hours
Battery type: 3-cell Lithium-ion
Disc drive: No
Memory card reader: microSD
HDMI: No
Audio: Stereo speakers
Webcam: HD webcam
Colour: Silver

Pros

Great battery life
Lightweight for a bigger laptop
Nice keyboard with touchpad

Cons

Dim display
Not enough memory

Currys student discount

8GB RAM laptops under £300

Lenovo IdeaPad 3 – £299.99

What’s in the box

1 x Lenovo IdeaPad 3
1 x power adapter

Technical specs

Operating system: Windows 11 S
RAM: 8 GB DDR4-SDRAM
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5
Storage: 256 GB SSD
Screen resolution: Full HD 1920 x 1080p
Screen size: 15.6-inch
Touch screen?: No
Ethernet: No
Disc drive: No
Memory card reader: Yes
HDMI: 1x HDMI
Audio: Dolby sound system
Webcam: HD webcam
Colour: Blue

Pros

Great battery life
Good sound system

Cons

Dim display
Feels a bit cheap

ASUS Vivobook 15 – £279.99

What’s in the box

1 x ASUS Vivobook 15
1x Power adapter

Technical specs

Operating system: Windows 11 Home
RAM: 8 GB
Processor: Intel Core i3
Storage: 256 GB SSD
Screen resolution: Full HD 1920 x 1080p
Screen size: 15.6-inch
Touch screen?: No
Ethernet: No
Disc drive: No
HDMI: 1x HDMI
Audio: Built-in speakers
Webcam: HD webcam
Colour: Black

Pros

Backlit keyboard
Decent port selection

Cons

Short battery life
A bit heavy

GeoBook 340 – £269.99

What’s in the box

1 x GeoBook 340
1 x power adapter

Technical specs

Operating system: Windows 10 Pro
RAM: 8 GB
Processor: Intel Core i3
Storage: 256 GB SSD
Screen resolution: Full HD 1920 x 1080p
Screen size: 14-inch
Touch screen?: No
Ethernet: No
Disc drive: No
Fingerprint sensor: Yes
HDMI: 1x HDMI
Audio: Built-in speakers
Webcam: Yes
Colour: Black

Pros

Great battery life
Bright, high quality colours on screen
Fingerprint sensor included

Cons

Basic audio

Laptop Outlet student discount

Best 14-inch laptops under £300

ACER Aspire 1 – £199

What’s in the box

1 x ACER Aspire 1
1 x power adapter

Technical specs

Operating system: Windows 10 S
RAM: 4 GB
Processor: Intel® Celeron® N4500 Processor
Storage: 128 GB eMMC
Screen resolution: Full HD 1920 x 1080p
Screen size: 14-inch
Touch screen?: No
Ethernet: Yes, Gigabit Ethernet port
Disc drive: No
Memory card reader: No
HDMI: 1x HDMI
Audio: Dual stereo speakers
Battery life: Up to 8 hours
Battery type: 2-cell Lithium-ion
Webcam: HD Acer webcam
Colour: Silver

Pros

Strong battery life
Lovely display
Nice keyboard and typing

Cons

Basic audio
A bit clunky design

HP Stream 14s-dq0034na – £169

What’s in the box

1 x HP Stream 14s-dq0034na
1 x power adapter

Technical specs

Operating system: Windows 11 Home
RAM: 4 GB
Processor: Intel® Celeron® N4120 Processor
Storage: 128 GB SSD
Screen resolution: Full HD 1366 x 768
Screen size: 14-inch
Touch screen?: No
Ethernet: No
Disc drive: No
Memory card reader: No
HDMI: 1x HDMI
Audio: Dual stereo speakers
Battery life: Up to 9 hours
Battery type: 2-cell Lithium-ion
Webcam: HD front webcam
Colour: Silver

Pros

Strong battery life
Good memory

Cons

Basic audio
Keyboard isn’t backlit

Tips for buying a laptop

Looking for a laptop under £300 is not as easy as it might seem. While there are plenty of good quality laptops under that price tag, it’s hard to know if you’re getting a good deal or not. Cheap is certainly not always bad, but they aren’t always good, either.

Below are some of our top buying tips to help you get the most from your laptop.

Find out what you need

Ask yourself “what do I need this laptop for?”. The laptop you need to buy is one that will be fit for purpose. You don’t need a super high-tech (and costly) gaming laptop if that’s not your thing and you’re wanting a laptop for general use like studying and browsing.

Set a budget

Whether you want laptops under £300 or ones between £500 and £1000, know your budget and stick to it. The more you need from a laptop, the more it will typically cost, so keep that in mind if you’re after a laptop that does everything but want it for a low cost — it may not be possible so be realistic with your wants and requirements.

Compare, compare, compare

Found the perfect laptop on your first search? Amazing! But, please don’t rush into buying it just yet. Check the reviews across different platforms and sites, search for the same make and model to see if you can find a better price, look at other similar laptops and compare and contrast between them.

Take time in researching, you’ll be surprised at the fab deals you stumble across or the under-dog that you didn’t expect but want.

Consider buying refurbished

There are a lot of sites offering refurbished laptops at a fraction of the retail price, and still in good condition. This is a great choice for those wanting a laptop for basic needs and aren’t too fussed about technical specs and gadgets — but you can still find high-end, gaming, techy laptops that are refurbished and cheaper, too.

Many of these sites offer a one-year warranty so make sure you check it’s working and send it back if not!

Some sites to check out include:

How much should I spend on a laptop in the UK?

The amount you want to spend on a laptop largely depends on what you want to use it for, and how much you expect it to do. If you play a lot of games then £300 won’t get you a lot for your money. But if you’re just looking to browse the internet, use standard Microsoft apps for coursework and a bit of online shopping, then a basic laptop at around £300 would do you just fine.

On average, you might look to spend between £500-600 on a new laptop, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t shop around to grab a bargain.

Chromebook vs a laptop?

A Chromebook is a budget-friendly alternative to a Windows laptop or Apple MacBook. Chromebooks run using a Google operating system called Chrome OS. This means Windows and macOS programs don’t work on these devices.

What does this mean for applications? You won’t be able to run Microsoft Office or MacOS versions either. However, you can use Office 365 online and install Office web apps instead. Or you can simply use Google Docs, Sheets and more.

Do you complete all of your tasks on a web-based app like Google Docs? If so, Chromebooks are definitely worth investing in. They’re intuitive and easy to use because they follow on from the Google Chrome browser application interface.

In fact, Chromebooks are designed for students and business professionals! But the only downside is that you absolutely need an internet connection to make full use of one. So have a hotspot handy.

Is 4GB RAM enough for a laptop?

If you’re planning to use your laptop for studying, writing assignments and browsing the internet, there’s no reason why 4GB RAM shouldn’t be absolutely fine for you.

But if you’re interested in gaming, content creation or editing, then it’s a good idea to go for a higher spec as otherwise you’ll end up wanting to throw your laptop out the window when it starts to lag. Not speaking from experience, of course. You should find 8GB or even 16GB sufficient, but if you’re thinking about intense games and professional video editing software, sometimes 32GB is necessary.

How long should a laptop last?

Most experts think that a laptop should last between three to five years. Surprisingly, most laptops end up needing to be replaced because of things like your battery not performing as well, and software updates becoming outdated. As your laptop gets older, less support is available for older models, and eventually software updates won’t work if your laptop is past a certain date. But FYI that doesn’t mean you should use your laptop as a drink coaster…

Want to save cash on laptops? Get these laptops for under £300 for even less when you sign up to Student Beans. Check out our other tech student deals too while you’re at it! If you’re holding out for a good deal, then we’ve got Black Friday tips to help you shop smarter.