From PCMAG · Brian Westover · · 2m
Best Cheap Laptops for 2026
PCMag tests top budget laptops for 2026.
In brief
PCMag tests top budget laptops for 2026. PCMag recommends Apple MacBook Neo as best budget laptop for most buyers at $699. Originally reported by PCMAG.
Best Budget Laptop for Most Buyers
PCMag tests over 100 laptops yearly for raw performance, screen quality, battery life, and value.
“PCMag editors select and review products independently”
Apple MacBook Neo
Apple MacBook Neo costs $699 with A18 Pro chip, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, and 13-inch display.
“The Apple MacBook Neo rewrites the budget laptop playbook”
Best Budget Big-Screen Laptop
Acer Aspire 16 AI costs $694.99 with Snapdragon X chip, 16-inch display, and 120Hz refresh rate.
“Acer's Aspire 16 AI is the best-value budget 16-inch laptop”
Best Budget Gaming Laptop
MSI Katana 15 HX costs $1,227.96 with RTX 5050 GPU for smooth 60fps gaming.
“MSI's Katana 15 HX delivers smooth 60fps gaming with or without DLSS 4”
Best Budget 2-in-1 Convertible Laptop
Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 costs $879.99 with 14-inch display and 14-hour battery life.
“Dell's Inspiron 14 2-in-1 nets you a stylish design and decent speakers”
Best Budget Chromebook
Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 (2025) costs $439.99 with 1080p display and 14-hour battery life.
“Asus' update to the Chromebook Plus CX34 remains an excellent value”
Best Budget 2-in-1 Convertible Chromebook
HP Chromebook Plus x360 costs $379.00 with 12 months of Google One AI Premium.
“HP's Chromebook Plus x360 provides customers with attractive everyday productivity”
Best Budget 2-in-1 Detachable Chromebook
Lenovo Chromebook Duet Gen 9 costs $599.99 with 13-inch display and 14-hour battery life.
“The latest Lenovo Chromebook Duet is a low-cost ChromeOS detachable 2-in-1”
Best Extreme-Budget Chromebook
Asus Chromebook Plus CX14 costs $389.99 with 1080p display and 14-hour battery life.
“For its price, the Asus Chromebook Plus CX14 delivers solid performance”
Best Laptop for Long-Term Savings
Framework Laptop 13 (2025) costs $849.00 with AMD Ryzen AI 300 processor and 14-hour battery life.
“The updated Framework Laptop 13 is the best yet”
Best Early Prime Day Deals
Dell XPS 13 Intel 5 costs $699 with student discount, HP OmniBook 5 costs $549, and HP OmniBook 3 costs $499.
“Dell XPS 13 Intel 5 512GB SSD 8GB RAM 13.4" Touch Laptop”
Editors' Note
PCMag updated recommendations on September 23, 2026, after testing over two dozen new laptops.
“September 23, 2026: With this update, we removed the Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 7”
Why MacBook Neo Stands Out
MacBook Neo offers premium build, sharp display, long battery life, and faster speeds than competitors.
“Apple's MacBook Neo rewrites the budget laptop playbook”
Who It's For
MacBook Neo suits budget-conscious Mac fans, students, and non-power users with basic computing needs.
“Budget-conscious Mac fans: The MacBook Neo will serve you well if you want the macOS ecosystem”
Who It's Not For
MacBook Neo lacks ports for heavy peripheral users, limiting external monitor and storage use.
“Heavy peripheral users: The Apple MacBook Neo suffers from limited connectivity”
Best Value for Money
MacBook Neo provides exceptional low-priced performance at $699 for education buyers.
“Priced at $699 (or $599 for education buyers), the MacBook Neo combines premium chassis materials”
The big picture
PCMag recommends Apple MacBook Neo as best budget laptop for most buyers at $699.
