The pandemic has been a pain to everyone’s wallet, which why is why many programmers consider budget laptops for programming. Even the measly water bottle in the food court can leave a massive dent in our budgets. And we hear you! You’re here because finding the right laptop for your needs can be quite the task, with the need to juggle quality and price (the price, really!) Granted, budget-friendly laptops could give limited performance but I know and you know that it’s the time to “make do” and “make do” we shall. To the limit!
Whether a pro or a noob trying out programming, we gather the best budget laptops for you–all under 800 bucks!
What to consider for budget laptops for programming:
CPU
The CPU is one of the top factors that separate an excellent laptop from the others. After all, the CPU is the laptop’s “brain” and if the brain is faster, smarter, and stronger, it would give you outstanding computing results that match your programming needs. According to tech experts, quad-core CPUs are a standard in making sure your laptop is up to the heavy tasks. Industry standards note that it’s good to have at least a fifth generation of Intel processors and stay away from super cheap processors like Celeron and Pentium. Trust us–the cheaper processors won’t get you anywhere!
RAM
We know that programmers and IT experts like to visit the Stack Overflow forum… all the time. And notoriously, browsers, where the fountain of all IT and computer science knowledge is found, eat up a lot of a laptop’s precious RAM. As a rule of thumb, opt for a laptop with at least 8GB RAM, which can provide a nice leeway for both web surfing and programming. And maybe toss in doing homework on Microsoft Word in there and watching those IT tutorials on YouTube, who knows?
Storage
Considering storage goes hand-in-hand with considering the RAM for your laptop. Techies agree that in general, SSD or solid-state drives, work faster and perform better than HDD or hard disk drives. SSDs perform even better when you have solid RAM and a good CPU.
Battery Life
We all know that programming could take up a huge chunk of your day and your laptop should also match that need. Battery life is tricky, as it could deteriorate from overuse over long periods of time. But thankfully, there are laptops that start with strong battery life and all we can hope is that you could replace that easily when you would create high-grossing AAA games in the next few years of your programming career (yes, we’re really hoping, you little aspirant)!
Display
A laptop’s display is an important factor for programmers that require visual aspects in their tasks. Game developers, for one, need laptops that can perfectly simulate what users see in their interface. However, the best displays, admittedly, often reside in the higher end of the price range but not to worry, as there are budget laptops that could rival Apple’s life-like display.
Dell Inspiron 3583
PROS
- Good specs and performance
- Amazing battery life
- Portable
CONS
- No backlit keyboard
Specs:
- CPU: Intel® Celeron® Processor 4205U
- RAM: 4GB DDR4
- Storage: 128GB SSD
- GPU: Intel HD Graphics 610
- Display: 15.6″
- OS: Windows 10 Home
Starting this list is the best overall budget laptop for programming. The Dell Inspiron 3583 makes this list for being inexpensive yet powerful for its price. With 4GB RAM and 128 GB storage, this laptop can get the job done decently. It has a long battery life and a decent weight, making it a portable option for programmers. The only downside is the lack of a backlit keyboard, not making it ideal for every occasion. But if power is the priority, this is your best choice.
Dell Inspiron 3583
Lenovo IdeaPad 5
PROS
- Great specs and performance
- Amazing battery life
CONS
- Trackpad can be uncomfortable
Specs:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7
- RAM: 8 GB – 16 GB
- Storage: 512 GB
- GPU: AMD Radeon Graphics
- Display: 15.6″
- OS: Windows 10 Home
This power-punching Lenovo laptop is only under 800 dollars, as promised! The laptop provides a whopping 12GB RAM, the middle ground between the usual 8GB and the tenacious 16GB. IdeaPad also lasts up to 12 hours of battery life, which is pretty powerful, considering that most laptops only survive up to 6 hours when used intensively. Not only that, IdeaPad 5 boasts 512GB SSD of storage which is much better than the HDD.
Lenovo IdeaPad 5
Acer Nitro 5
PROS
- Great specs and performance
- Amazing GPU
- Runs smoothly and quietly
CONS
- Decent battery life
- May be heavy for some
Specs:
- CPU: Intel Core i5
- RAM: 16 GB
- Storage: 512 GB
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
- Display: 15.6″
- OS: Windows 10 Home
When it comes to laptops, Acer does not disappoint and their Nitro 5 is up to our challenge. Coming in with 512GB SSD, Nitro 5 is one of the best low-budget laptops Acer has to offer. This GPU, integrated with 6GB of video RAM, is a nice computing resource for 3D modeling, graphic design, video editing, and other processes. Plus, the battery life is decent–with up to 8 to 12 hours of intense use.
Acer Nitro 5
Asus VivoBook S17
PROS
- Great display
- Cooling technology
- Many ports
CONS
- Battery life
Specs:
- CPU: Intel Core i5
- RAM: 8 GB
- Storage: 1 TB
- GPU: Intel UHD Graphics 620
- Display: 17.3″
- OS: Windows 10 Home
Once again on our list, Asus is here to provide a laptop to exceed your expectations. With an inexpensive price tag, you would get a wide, crystal-clear display, solid memory and storage, and most important of all, battery life of up to 10 hours. It is also worth mentioning that the VivoBook boasts a range of options for ports, making it easily accessible if you have external drives or if you want to charge your phone while working. With solid cooling technology, it is perfect for tasks that require a lot of power from your laptop.
Asus VivoBook S17
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4
PROS
- Strong specs
- Great performance power
CONS
- Limited ports
Specs:
- CPU: AMD 6-Core Ryzen 5 4680U
- RAM: 8 GB
- Storage: 128 GB – 512 GB SSD
- GPU: AMD Radeon Vega 9
- Display: 13.5″
- OS: Windows 11 Home
If you can shell out a few more bucks, Microsoft has pushed out budget laptops that rivaled the top ones in the industry. With a resolution of 2256 x 1504, paired with its sleek design, this laptop is THE partner for a programmer who wants to look posh and pretty. Lightweight but a heavyweight in processing tasks, not to mention the battery life of up to 16 hours on average, what more can you ask?
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4
Budget laptops for programming shouldn’t underperform
When considering buying budget laptops, you don’t necessarily have to settle for devices that underperform. Programmers need a device that can handle their work, and if you’re on a tight budget, you still have many options. The budget laptops on this list can definitely do the job, so take your time to review and consider the ones that fit your professional work and lifestyle.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Which cheap laptop is good for programming?
The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 series is one of the best laptops for programming that you can consider.