Best Laptops Under $600 In 2023

Looking for the best laptops under $600? You’ve found the right place.

As you’re doing your back to school shopping, you might be in the market for a new laptop. Whether you’re a freshman heading off to campus for the first time ever, or a senior returning to school for one final victory lap, being equipped with a laptop that can handle your course load is a must.

The only problem is… your budget. It just might not agree with you. Which is why finding the best laptops for under $600 can be a total game changer for your academic life at college (and more bucks to spend on socializing).

So if you (and your bank account) are dreading the thought of spending upwards of $1,000 or more on a computer, don’t fret—there are plenty of solid options available for student, all under $600. Check out our categories for the best college laptops under $600 for 2023!

Jump to:

• Best laptops under 600
• Best 2-in-1 laptops under 600
• Best touchscreen laptops under 600
• Best convertible laptops under 600
• Best value laptop under 600
• Best gaming laptop under 600
• People also ask

Best Laptops Under $600

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 — $499.99

The Microsoft Surface line in general is known to have some of the best laptops available on the market right now, with a price of coming in just under $600. This smaller version of the Surface Laptop 4 is a great, budget-friendly choice if the you want the power of a traditional 15-inch laptop without the price tag, making it one of the best Windows laptops for under $600.

While the resolution is slightly lower than your standard laptop, the screen and display still look sharp and clear, and the 3:2 aspect ratio gives you plenty of room for productivity. The build quality is great, so this durable option will be sure to get you through four years of college, all for under $600.

What’s In The Box

• Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
• 39W Power Supply

Technical specs

• Operating system: Windows 11
• RAM: ‎4GB or 8GB LPDDR4x
• Processor: Quad Core 11th Gen Intel^® Core™ i5-1135G7
• Storage: 128GB, 256GB
• Screen resolution: 1536 x 1024
• Screen size: 12.4-inch
• Screen type: LED
• Battery life: 13.5 hours
• Audio connections: Omnisonic Speakers with Dolby^® Audio™ Premium
• Webcam: 720p HD f2.0 camera
• Colors: Platinum, Sage, Ice Blue, Sandstone

Pros

• Great hardware and design
• Solid power
• Good battery life
• Color-accurate and bright display

Cons

• Average resolution
• No backlit keyboard

Save up to 10% at Microsoft with Student Beans

Best 2-in-1 Laptop Under $600

Microsoft Surface Go 3 — $399.99

Another Surface model from Microsoft makes the list (and another contender for the best Windows laptop for under $600), and for good reason. If you need a 2-in-1 that’s small enough for you to take on the go everywhere, the Surface Go 3 is your best bet. While it’s meant to function primarily as a tablet, it can easily be converted into a laptop by attaching a keyboard.

The baseline models have standard performance, and having the optional LTE means you’ll always be able to access your work, even without a Wi-Fi connection. Again, the 3:2 aspect ratio is a game-changer, and the crystal clear screen is great, even in the smaller size screen. And who can argue with the under $600 price tag? This one comes in a whole $200 under your budget!

What’s In The Box

• Microsoft Surface Go 3
• Power Supply

Technical specs

• Operating system: Windows 11
• RAM: ‎4GB or 8GB LPDDR3
• Processor: Dual-core Intel^® Pentium^® Gold 6500Y processor
• Storage: eMMC drive: 64 GB, SSD drive: 128 GB
• Screen resolution: 1920 x 1280
• Screen size: 10.5-inch
• Screen type: LED
• Battery life: 11 hours
• Audio connections: 2W stereo speakers with Dolby^® Audio™
• Webcam: 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p HD video
• Colors: Platinum, Matte Black

Pros

• High-res display
• Wi-Fi with option LTE
• Good battery life

Cons

• Might not have enough performance capacities for some

Best Touchscreen Laptop Under $600

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 —$503.99

Fast and reliable are two words we would use to describe the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5. You’ll be able to seamlessly multitask on all your projects without missing a step, despite this powerful laptop coming in a modest 11-inch screen size. And did we mention it’s one of the best laptops for under $600?

With a short charging time (15 minutes), you can get back on your laptop to work for 2 hours, and there’s even a built-in webcam privacy shutter to ensure that all your data stays safe. The fan-less design is also super quiet, meaning you’ll be able to work without being interrupted by your laptop trying to cool itself down. Littles features like these add up and make it worth checking out, again making is one of the best laptops for under $600.

What’s In The Box

• Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5
• 65W AC adapter
• Lenovo Digital Pen

Technical specs

• Operating system: Windows 11 Home
• RAM: ‎ 8GB
• Processor: AMD Ryzen™ 5 7530U Processor
• Storage: Up to 1TB SSD M.2 PCIe Gen4
• Screen resolution: 1920 x 1200
• Screen size: 14-inch
• Screen type: LED
• Battery life: 15 hours
• Audio connections: Dolby Audio™
• Webcam: 1080p FHD webcam with privacy shutter
• Colors: Arctic Gray, Abyss Blue

Pros

• Solid battery life
• Great screen display and resolution

Cons

• Not the best screen
• Average webcam

Save 5% at Lenovo with Student Beans

Best Convertible Laptop Under $600

HP Chromebook x360 — $489.99

If you want to start out with a standard laptop that has the capacity for upgrades, you might want to consider the HP Chromebook x360, which is another great college laptop for under $600. While the baseline model can put in plenty of work, having the option to get more computing power in the future (when your budget might allow for it), is a nice option to have in your back pocket.

A great touch display will give you the feel of a tablet with the processing power of a laptop. If your schoolwork has you typing a lot, you’ll definitely appreciate how comfortable the keyboard feels, too. It’s a great, middle of the line option with plenty of potential for growth, with the base model being right under $600 for this laptop.

What’s In The Box

• HP Chromebook x360
• Charging cable
• Stylus

Technical specs

• Operating system: ChromeOS
• RAM: ‎8 GB LPDDR4-4266 MHz RAM
• Processor: MediaTek Kompanio 1380
• Storage: 128 GB PCIe® NVMe™ SSD
• Screen resolution: 1920×1080
• Screen size: 13.3-inch
• Screen type: LED
• Battery life: 16 hours
• Battery type: 2-cell, 47 Wh Li-ion polymer
• Audio connections: Audio by B&O; Dual speakers; HP Audio Boost
• Webcam: HP Wide Vision 720p HD camera with temporal noise reduction and integrated dual array digital microphones
• Colors: –

Pros

• Comfortable keyboard and touchpad
• Plenty of ports
• Quality build

Cons

• Average baseline display
• CPU might not be enough for some

Save up to 45% at HP with Student Beans

Best Value Laptop Under $600

Acer Aspire 5 — $479.99

While the display on the Acer Aspire 5 isn’t anything to write home about, if you’re just using your laptop for schoolwork, you seriously can’t beat that price, coming in a solid $200 under $600 for one of the best budget laptops on the market. It’s a perfectly acceptable laptop for your course work and any other productivity tasks you might need to use your laptop for.

The fingerprint reader is a nice touch (no pun intended), and there’s plenty of other features that make the $400 price tag impossible to overlook. If you need a laptop that will get the job done on a tight budget, this is the under $600 laptop answer to your prayers.

What’s In The Box

• Acer Aspire 5
• AC adapter

Technical specs

• Operating system: Windows 11
• RAM: ‎8GB
• Processor: Ryzen 3 5300U
• Storage: 256GB
• Screen resolution: 1920 x 1080
• Screen size: 15.6-inches
• Screen type: LCD
• Battery life: 11 hours
• Battery type: 3-cell Li-ion
• Webcam: HD Webcam (1280 x 720)
• Colors: Pure Silver

Pros

• Great price
• HD display
• Plenty of ports

Cons

• Dull display
• Average keyboard

Save 10% + free shipping at Acer with Student Beans

Best Gaming Laptop Under $600

ASUS Vivobook 15 F512— $567.99

Trying to find a gaming laptop on a budget (and especially a gaming laptop under $600, let alone the best gaming laptop for under $600) may seem like an impossible task, but thanks to the ASUS Vivobook 15 F512, you can still play all your AAA titles without missing a beat—and at an incredible price, too—over $200 saved on the under $600 laptop budget. Plus, it has all the functionality you’ll need for school.

While the battery life isn’t great (be sure to have your charging cable with you at all times to avoid losing power at a critical moment), this option for an under $600 laptop is a steal. The ergonomic keyboard is great for gaming and typing alike, and the graphics look incredible on the screen.

What’s In The Box

• ASUS Vivobook 15 F512
• Charging cable

Technical specs

• Operating system: Windows 11
• RAM: ‎4GB DDR4
• Processor: AMD Ryzen™ 5 3500U Mobile Processor
• Storage: 512GB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® 3.0 SSD
• Screen resolution: 1920 x 1080
• Screen size: 15.6-inch
• Screen type: OLED
• Battery life: 3 hours
• Battery type: 2-cell Li-ion
• Audio connections: SonicMaster, audio by ICEpower®, built-in speaker
• Webcam: 720p HD camera
• Colors: Slate Gray

Pros

• Great gaming laptop on a budget
• Ergonomic keyboard is great for typing
• Stunning display

Cons

• Below average battery life

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People Also Ask

Which laptop brand lasts the longest?

There are plenty of factors when it comes to determining which laptop brand lasts the longest. Things like durability, battery life, and functionality come into play. After hours of testing these brands consistently come out on top (all of which are included on our list):

• Apple
• Dell
• Lenovo
• HP
• ASUS

Finding a laptop at a great value to get you through college has never been easier. Who can argue with getting a laptop for under $600? These options have been tried and tested, so we know they’ll hold up. Plus, you’ll get them even cheaper thanks to your Student Beans discount!

How much memory should a laptop have?

How much memory your laptop needs completely depends on what you plan to use it for.

It’s recommended that for casual computer usage and browsing the web, 8GB of RAM should be enough. For office programs and spreadsheets (great for remote workers) 16GB will likely be needed. If you’re a hardcore gamer or a multimedia creator, you’ll probably need around 32GB.

Is it better to have more RAM or storage?

Memory (RAM — Random Access Memory) is a component that stores data as the computer runs. The data could be anything from a shop you’re browsing online or a Word document you have been writing on. When your computer needs to access this data, it’s able to do it easily and efficiently from its memory.

Storage is the permanently kept data that is stored on your computer. Your computer will use storage when you save documents, photos, music, and video. The capacity of your computer’s storage determines how many files you’re able to save.

For your computer or laptop to work at its best, it needs both memory and storage — a match made in heaven.

But, whether you need more storage or RAM is dependant on what you do on your device. You’ll need more memory if you need space for temporary files and documents, but if you need to store games, files, software or programs, more storage is your best bet.

Need more tech support? Check out our hub where we’ve rounded up all the best headphones you can buy right now. And don’t forget to read through our entire back to school guide, too!

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