Laptops under $750 used to be synonymous with low performance, dim screens and limited capabilities. But how times have changed. Now you can get your hands on powerful, versatile and long-lasting laptops without breaking the bank.
In this guide, we’ll highlight the top laptops available for under $750 based on factors like performance, battery life, design and value. We’ll also give some guidance on how to choose the right one for your needs.
Best Overall: Acer Aspire 5
The Acer Aspire 5 stands out as the best balance of performance, features and affordability.
| Model | Acer Aspire 5 |
|---|---|
| Price | $439 |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 3 3350U Quad-Core |
| RAM | 36GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 2TB SSD |
| Display | 15.6" FHD IPS |
| Graphics | Radeon Vega |
| Battery Life | 8 hours |
| Weight | 3.97 lbs |
With an AMD Ryzen quad core CPU, a staggering 36GB RAM and a huge 2TB SSD, the Aspire 5 offers specs you‘d expect in laptops double the price. It delivers excellent performance whether you‘re working, web browsing or editing photos and video.
The 15.6-inch 1080p IPS display is sharp and vibrant, perfect for entertainment between tasks. And you get modern touches like WiFi 6, a backlit keyboard, fingerprint reader and Alexa voice assistant built-in.
For under $750, the combination of performance, storage space and features is mightily impressive. The Aspire 5 is a productivity powerhouse packing a punch well above its price tag.
Buy the Acer Aspire 5 on Amazon
Best Portable: Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
If you want a lightweight and compact laptop, look no further than the Surface Laptop Go 2 from Microsoft.
| Model | Surface Laptop Go 2 |
|---|---|
| Price | $568 |
| Processor | Intel Core i5 |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage | 128GB SSD |
| Display | 12.4" Touch FHD |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe |
| Battery Life | 13 hours |
| Weight | 2.48 lbs |
Weighing just 2.48 pounds, the Surface Laptop Go is super easy to carry around all day. It offers excellent performance too through its 11th Gen Intel Core i5 chip coupled with 8GB RAM and 128GB SSD storage.
Despite the small size, it doesn‘t compromise on battery life – getting up to 13 hours on a full charge. Features like the touchscreen, integrated webcam and built-in fingerprint scanner round out an impressive portable package from Microsoft.
Buy the Surface Laptop Go 2 on Amazon
Best for Gaming: Lenovo Legion 5
For playing the latest games under $750, the Lenovo Legion 5 is definitely our top choice thanks to its powerful NVIDIA GTX 1650 Ti graphics.
| Model | Lenovo Legion 5 |
|---|---|
| Price | $819 |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 4600H |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage | 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD |
| Display | 15.6" FHD 120Hz IPS |
| Graphics | Nvidia GTX 1650 Ti 4GB |
| Battery Life | 5 hours |
| Weight | 5.29 lbs |
The GTX 1650 Ti GPU allows you to play modern AAA games smoothly at medium settings. Paired with a speedy AMD Ryzen 5 CPU, 8GB RAM, SSD storage and 120Hz display, the Legion 5 offers a compelling balance for both work and play.
Connectivity is robust with WiFi 6, USB-C, HDMI and more. And the 5 hour battery life is decent given the graphical power inside such an affordable gaming machine.
Buy the Lenovo Legion 5 on Amazon
Best Chromebook: Lenovo Duet 5
If you‘re mainly sticking to lighter computing tasks, the Lenovo Duet 5 Chromebook proves you can still get premium build quality on a budget.
| Model | Lenovo Duet 5 |
|---|---|
| Price | $450 |
| Processor | Qualcomm SC7180 |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Storage | 64GB eMMC |
| Display | 13.3" FHD OLED Touch |
| Graphics | Adreno 619 |
| Battery Life | 15 hours |
| Weight | 1.66 lbs |
For under $500, the Duet 5 serves up a gorgeous 13.3" OLED touch display with 400 nits brightness, easily rivaling more expensive laptops. The quad speakers with amplifier technology also produce room-filling, distortion free sound.
It has ample performance for document editing, web browsing, streaming media and more through the Snapdragon 7c compute platform. Factor in 15+ hours battery life and lightweight 1.66 pound chassis and you‘ve got excellent value from this 2-in-1 detachable Chromebook.
Buy the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 on Amazon
Best 2-in-1: Lenovo Flex 5
If versatility is a priority, we recommend the budget-friendly Lenovo Flex 5. Thanks to its flexible 360 degree hinge, it easily converts between a regular clamshell laptop and tablet modes.
| Model | Lenovo Flex 5 |
|---|---|
| Price | $546 |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5500U |
| RAM | 16GB |
| Storage | 256GB SSD |
| Display | 14" FHD IPS Touch |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon |
| Battery Life | 12 hours |
| Weight | 3.3 lbs |
With its AMD Ryzen 5 processor, 16GB RAM and 256GB of speedy SSD storage, performance is reliably speedy whether working in laptop or tablet form. The touchscreen 14-inch 1080p display looks wonderfully crisp and produces accurate colors too.
Connectivity is solid with WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C and HDMI. And up to 12 hours battery life ensures all-day juice even in demanding situations. At under $600, there‘s immense value packed into this versatile, well-built 2-in-1.
Buy the Lenovo Flex 5 2-in-1 on Amazon
Best for Students: Microsoft Surface Go 2
The Surface Go 2 is a perfect laptop for students looking for portable, long-lasting computing on a budget.
| Model | Microsoft Surface Go 2 |
|---|---|
| Price | $569 |
| Processor | Intel Core m3 |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage | 128GB SSD |
| Display | 10.5" Touch FHD |
| Graphics | Intel UHD 615 |
| Battery Life | 10 hours |
| Weight | 1.2 lbs |
It delivers lightweight and reliable performance for studying through its 8th gen Intel Core M3 processor coupled with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The 10.5 inch touch display is perfectly sized for some note taking between classes or assignments.
Integrated LTE means you‘ll stay connected even away from Wi-Fi zones. And 10 hours+ battery easily lasts a full day plus of on-campus use. In tablet mode it‘s ideal for annotating documents and ebooks.
All in all, for just over $500, students shouldn’t want for anything more in the Surface Go 2.
Buy the Surface Go 2 Student Laptop on Amazon
Best Battery Life: Acer Swift 3
If marathon battery life is what you‘re after, look no further than the Acer Swift 3. It keeps going for over 16 hours on a single full charge.
| Model | Acer Swift 3 |
|---|---|
| Price | $500 |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-1065G7 |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage | 512GB SSD |
| Display | 14" FHD IPS |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Plus |
| Battery Life | 16 hours |
| Weight | 2.65 lbs |
Despite the long battery runtime, the Swift 3 does not skimp on performance through its 10th generation Intel Core i7 CPU, 8GB RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. These keep it fast and responsive no matter what your workflow demands.
When you do need to top up, the battery charges quickly with a 30 minute burst providing up to 4 hours extra runtime. So even if you forget to charge overnight, you‘ll get emergency backup power in no time.
Weighing just 2.65 pounds and 0.63 inches thin, it‘s pleasingly portable as well. If all-day untethered productivity is essential to you, this is one of the best sub-$750 laptops around.
Buy the Acer Swift 3 Long Battery Laptop on Amazon
How to Pick the Best Laptop Under $750
There are a few key factors to consider when choosing a laptop in the sub-$750 bracket:
Battery Life
Having enough juice to last a full work or study day without being tethered to a wall is hugely beneficial. Around 8+ hours is good, with standouts like the Acer Swift 3 offering over 16 hours.
Power
You‘ll get capable performance from Intel or AMD processors combined with at least 8GB RAM and fast SSD storage. This is plenty for everyday office work, browsing and light creative work. The Legion 5 goes further for gaming demands through its GTX 1650 Ti graphics.
Portability
If you‘ll be commuting with your laptop, smaller and lighter models like the Surface Go 2 or Duet 5 have obvious appeal. But even larger 15 inch devices are still reasonably portable at 4-5 pounds.
Software
Windows laptops offer maximum compatibility but Chromebooks like the Duet 5 provide simpler, hassle-free computing through ChromeOS at a bargain price point.
Prioritize what‘s important for your needs between the above considerations when deciding.
Using Laptops Under $750
Provided you set realistic expectations around gaming performance, you can get a really capable all-round laptop for under $750 nowadays. The likes of the Acer Aspire 5 and Lenovo Flex 5 offer superb performance and features at this price point.
You‘ll be able to zip through daily office work, browsing across multiple tabs, stream movies in sharp fidelity, edit photos smoothly and even play many modern games at low-medium settings. All at under $750 which is mighty impressive compared to not that long ago.
Of course premium gaming demands and professional media editing workflows will require more expensive laptops. But for students, general home and office work, the sub-$750 market hits a very appealing sweet spot right now with excellent options to suit budget.
FAQs
Are budget laptops under $750 really that good?
Absolutely yes! The combination of advanced processors, SSD storage and IPS displays available even at budget pricing means you can get far more laptop now for under $750 than ever before. The days of terrible budget laptops are long gone.
How much battery life can I expect?
Some options like the exceptional Acer Swift 3 offer over 16 hours battery life. But generally 8+ hours is common meaning they‘ll last a full work or study day of use no problem.
Can you game on these laptops?
To an extent yes. The Lenovo Legion 5 features a GTX 1650 Ti dedicated GPU allowing smooth frame rates in modern games at medium settings. Some others utilize decent integrated graphics for very light gaming and indie games. But for top gaming performance you‘d still need to go higher up the price ladder.
What software do they run?
Most models highlighted run Windows 10 or 11 for wide software and hardware compatibility. The Lenovo Duet 5 runs ChromeOS which offers a simpler but still capable computing experience focused around Google‘s apps and cloud services.
Both operating systems have their advantages, so choose what aligns better with your workflow.
The Bottom Line
Laptops available at under $750 these days offer tremendous value, performance and quality. Where budget laptops used to be distinctly compromised, now you can get your hands on some really capable all-round machines like the Acer Aspire 5 without breaking the bank.
Just be realistic around high-end gaming and professional media editing, and a sub-$750 laptop will likely excel for everyday home and office needs for most people.
