Top 10 Best Laptops Under 400 Dollars (2021)

Last Updated on March 30, 2021 by Ariana

Updated: January 11, 2019

Buying a laptop is a pain in the neck, especially when you are on the budget. You try to grab the best laptops available in the market but budget constraints come as a hindrance. I am going to help you find the best laptop under $400 that is going to provide portability, functionality, and power without costing arms and legs.

The laptop under 400 dollars should not be like settling with a sub-standard product. You should never opt-with an underpowered and old-fashioned laptop that will make you a laughing stone in the classroom. In fact, purchasing a $400 laptop needs careful consideration, you will have to go through hundreds of products, and check their specs and ratings.

Do not worry; I am going to get this done for you. Just because you do not have a massive budget, you cannot buy a decent looking and superb performing notebook.

I have crafted a comprehensive list of the best laptops under 400 dollar budget. It is a great time to buy a laptop, as big retailers are offering great deals. The list of the laptops has gone through a detailed check-up process.  I have gone through their specification, configuration and build quality, also checked the ratings and reviews.

The laptops mentioned are going to render an amazing range of performance and daily tasks without any hiccup. So without further ado, here are the Top 10 Best Laptops Under $400 in 2020:

1. Acer Aspire E 15
2. ASUS VivoBook 15
3. Lenovo Flex 14
4. Microsoft Surface Go
5. Dell Inspiron 5584
6. HP Pavilion X360
7. Asus Vivobook Flip 14
8. Lenovo Ideapad 330S
9. HP 14-df0020nr
10. ASUS VivoBook F510QA

Best Laptops Under $400

1. Acer Aspire E 15

Acer has earned a great reputation in the world of budget laptops. This laptop is a good example, how Acer perfectly manages to offer everything in price. The laptop under $400 comes equipped with solid configuration and impressive hardware specifications.

It is powered with Intel 8th generation famous coffee lake core i3 processor. Having an 8th generation processor for $400 is something amazing and must count. The laptop shares a sturdy built and offers an extended life-span compared to the counterparts. It is made of high-quality plastic, which is heat-resistant and keeps the temperature of the laptop under control.

Acer Aspire E15 shares an amazing range of specification, ideal for school-goers, business-persons, and casual users. It’s the perfect precision trackpad and keyboard with separate Numpad is something easier to manage the load of work and assignments.

The laptop is featured with 6GB RAM, to give smooth and turbulence-free multitasking and task handling, integration of 1TB HDD to store music files, assignments, high-resolution videos and much more. It also shares standard ports, USB-C ports and Fast DVD for multi-drive.

It’s 13.5 inches FHD screen with (1920 x 1080) is going to render amazing and vibrant display on the screen. In the battery backup department, the laptop is not far behind. It’s battery run time is falls around 12-13 hours for casual task handling, which is a good thing.

The Acer Aspire E-15 is a laptop that comes with a comprehensive range of choices for casual users. Its attractive design, incredible performance, fast wireless, and extended battery life has made it one of the hot favorite choices among casual users.

So, in a nutshell, the laptop hits the right chords and falls on your criteria of a handsome laptop under budget range.

 

2. ASUS VivoBook 15

If you are a frequent traveler and looking for a decent laptop under budget, look nowhere. We have something unique to offer in the $400 price tag, ASUS VivoBook 15. The laptop is recently released and has wreaked havoc in the world of laptop manufacturing.

Its design and portability are something you must count while going on a hunt. The laptop shares a slate gray finish which showcases a premium look. The ASUS budget range laptop is a lightweight machine, you will love to have it on-board, believe me.

It is integrated with a 15 inches FHD screen with a Nano edge bezel display. The display offers crisp, clear and vibrant graphics on the screen with good viewing angles. You will be amazed to behold the screen and its smoothness.

It is powered with an 8th generation core i3-8145U processor, paired with 8GB of RAM. The combo renders an amazing range of speed without freezing.

Though the storage department seems disappointed, 128GB SSD hard might not fill the bill, but look at solid-state drive under $400 man. You cannot have to afford an SSD in the budget range, still, the brand managed to integrate this. The SSD drive will really impress you, if you have not used it before, and having it the rolling first time.

The laptop is also equipped with a backlit keyboard, ergonomically designed keyboard to provide amazing speed. The trackpad is huge and provides good precision. The laptop shares all required slots, ports likes of USB-C port which provides great use.

One of the amazing and worth-sharing feature of it, intel UDH graphics card which offers adequate graphics backup to run heavy applications. You can have the laptop using for photo editing, use Adobe Photoshop and other graphics-oriented applications without any hiccup.

It comes equipped with the fastest 802.11ac WI-FI 5 for faster internet connectivity and Bluetooth connection. If we check all specs and configuration, I can assure you that the laptop ASUS VivoBook 15 is the most evident option under $400 price.

 

3. Lenovo Flex 14 2-in-1 Laptop

If you are desired to purchase a versatile 2-in-1 laptop under 400, you have landed on the right spot. Though, Lenovo Flex series is an amazing line-up of 2-in-1 laptops and every laptop under the line has something unique to render. But, when it comes to Flex 14, all other feels leg behind due to the superb performance of it.

Lenovo has designed a great looking laptop, every section has been taken care of greatly. It sports a 14 inches anti-glare touchscreen HD display, which is ideal for less-loading touch-based games or watching movies or for art lovers.

It offers an intel Pentium gold 5405U processor which is fast enough to give a boost to your processing. It also shares a 4GB RAM paired with a 128GB SSD storage which is a great add-on for a convertible laptop. The laptop runs a Windows 10 home basic which goes pretty smooth with the laptop and its hardware specification.

The laptop shares One USB-C port, HDMI and Two USB 3.1 port and microSD card options. The connectivity option integrated with the laptop is great, you can use the ports to copy data or inject TV connection to make the display on the laptop screen.

The laptop converts into a full-fledge laptop, its 360-degree hinge helps it converted. You can use the full-fledged keyboard with a separate Numpad to compile your documents and do your work on the go. Or convert into a tab, and gets a full-functioning tablet to watch a movie or do things of your wish.

It comes equipped with the fastest WI-FI 802.11ac Bluetooth which helps you stay connected all the time with the fastest internet connection available. The laptop weighs around 3.5 pounds which would not harm your shoulders obviously, a hands-down option to go-with at this price.

 

4. Microsoft Surface Go

If you are eyeing on a laptop cum tablet with rich features and good speed, have a Microsoft designed, Microsoft Surface Go.

The laptop comes with a 10-inch screen, with a detachable keyboard. It weighs a mere 1.3 pounds, a great travel companion; you even would not feel the availability of it. This is the smallest, lightest surface series device up till now. It fits easily in your bag and offers laptop performance with tablet portability.

The laptop is a beast to offer casual day-to-day performance and run office and other applications like a pro. It comes with a powerful Intel Pentium Gold processor and shares 4GB RAM to skyrocket your processing.

It is integrated with a 128GB SSD drive to offer plenty of space to add files and folders without worrying much about space. Space is less compared to a full-fledged laptop, but when we understand it is a laptop-cum-table, everything settles smoothly.

Its 10-inches screen offers a stunning pixel sense display with a touchscreen for fast and quick browsing and binge-watching. The laptop comes with licensed Office 365 with all other Microsoft applications. Enjoy the freedom of using licensed MS Word, PowerPoint, one-note and outlook.

 

5. Dell Inspiron 5584

If you want to get as much of your hard-earned money as you can, then you definitely move towards Dell laptop. The brand is famous due to sturdy and powerhouse laptops in every range. It is one of the most followed and purchased brand all over the globe.

It shares a 15.6 inches FHD screen with IPS panels and anti-glaring display to render crispy, clear and high-graphics images. You will enjoy the running high-resolution videos over there, as it would not skip any color.

The keyboard, on the other hand, is amazingly designed, with a separate pad. It provides a more convenient typing experience, as backlit integration has added a great flavor. You will be able to use the keyboard in low light conditions due to RGB backlit display.

The laptop is powered with 8th generation Intel Core i3-8145U processor which is a hands-down steal at the price mentioned. You grab 4GB RAM which is an adequate addition, and we expect this range of random access memory at the price tag.

The laptop can run heavy apps such as Adobe Photoshop and others. To skyrocket the visual processing, it comes equipped with Intel UHD 620 graphics card which maintains the visual performance without rendering or freezing error.

The laptop comes with all necessary ports and fast internet and Bluetooth connection. You will be able to connect your desired device and enjoy fast copying of the data and much more. It also comes with nice added speakers. The speaker on the flip side has been a great hallmark of the brand; even the cheapest laptop would render top-notch audio performance.

The laptop provides everything that one will need from day to day casual using. Its hardware configuration will offer you a smooth and error-free user experience. You can play mid-range games, use it for casual tasks handling and as a productivity machine.

I can assure you after beholding the ratings and reviews, Dell Inspiron laptop is an ideal option at this price. The decision of purchasing the laptop would not let you down.

 

6. Asus Vivobook Flip 14

If you are planning to purchase an affordable laptop for casual using which does not weigh much, have Asus Vivobook flip 14 on-board. The small screen of 14-inches with a lightweight and sleek design makes it a good laptop for casual task handling.

For such a compact laptop, you get your hands on an Intel Quad-Core Pentium N5000 processor with a 4GB DDR 4 RAM. Though the processor is not of what we have others enlisted, still for casual tasks doing, this a more than enough. The laptop can bring forth fair performance for daily using, even can run some heavy apps over there without any trouble.

The Flip 14 offers 128GB eMMC storage, enough to store files and folders on the go. It shares a 14 inches screen with NanoEdge HD view technology, your eyes would not hurt even after using it and sticking to the screen for prolonged hours. The display of the laptop is a range around a 178-degree viewing angle, greatly optimized for watching videos.

The laptop shares 73% screen to body ration and weighs around 3.3 pounds. It comes with all ports and connectivity, likes of USB 3.1 Type-C and Micro HDMI, Micro USB and SD card reader for a better and good range of connectivity. You will not feel any problem in connecting it to any of the external devices of your wish.

The laptop is designed for ultra-accurate touch screen experience. The high-precision touch sensors spaced 6 mm ensures impeccable sensitivity over the high-resolution display. You can use it as a tablet, just rolls it’s around, durable 360-degree moving hinges offer any angle placement without any trouble.

 

7. Lenovo Ideapad 330S

From its first look, it displays its ascetics nearer to the business laptop. But, upon checking its configuration, you see it can run mid-range games and able to handle even some latest titles. I am not claiming the laptop can run high-ended games, but upon comparing its gaming configuration with other enlisted, it sweeps others from the root.

A great built laptop shares a platinum gay color finish which gives a rich look and feel. The 15.6 inches FHD backlit display laptop renders amazing 1366 x 768 pixels resolution. The laptop is powered with AMD A12-9720P Quad-core processor with a boost up to 3.6 GHz.

The laptop is backed with a massive 8GB DDR4 RAM and also integrated with AMD Radeon R7 graphics for handling graphics and visual department. The storage department will not felt left, equipped with 1TB HDD drive which is ample storage which allows you storing hell of the data and movie collection.

Other than that, amazing thing is, all these specs are wrapped under a 0.9 thin profile which weighs around 4.8 pounds. It runs Windows 10 home basic operating system and features all ports and slots required for connectivity.

The laptop is a hands-down choice for someone who wants to go through gaming and video and photo editing. The laptop can take a load of heavy apps such as Photoshop and others without any hiccup.

Ideapad 330s shares a full-fledge keyboard with a separate Numpad for easy and error-free typing and compiling. The RGB backlit integration to the keyboard will offer you a great typing experience, especially typing in low light conditions.

 

8. HP Premium High Performance Business Flagship Laptop

If you are looking for a laptop that could handle low-range games and high-resolution videos along with heavy apps, look nowhere other than HP Premium High Performance Business Flagship Laptop. The laptop is among one of those laptops which fills the bill for casual doing, business persons, school going and much more.

The 14-inch laptop offers an HD display which is a rare feature to grab at this price. This is an all-rounder laptop, and you would not regret buying this for sure. Now, let’s head towards its vital organs.

It comes featured with an 8th Generation Intel CoreTM i3-8130U Processor, paired with 4GB RAM and fast 128GB SSD drive. The integration of an SSD drive under the price tag of $400 is a worth mentioning feature.

Other than the solid configuration, the laptop shares a robust built quality. It comes with silver-color finish with a shiny logo on the lid. The laptop looks amazing, sober-looking and one can take the laptop around due to the firm gripping of it.

It shares a full-fledged keyboard with separate Numpad; the keys are ergonomic and provide amazing feeling with mushy feedback. It is a 14-inches laptop with FHD display, IPS panel’s integration, and wide viewing angles. The laptop is bolstered with a good-sized battery, can withstand at least 5-hours in single charging.

 

9. ASUS VivoBook F510QA

Are you planning to purchase a mid-range laptop under $400, you got the right product with ASUS VivoBook F510QA. The latest deals are coming nearer and you need to get ready to grab even the price lower than this. This is a budget notebook and sports a stylish design with the 0.8-inch waistline.

Where the laptops suffer at high-resolution, this laptop is promised to provide a 1366 x 768 display without any freezing. The laptop sports a 1080P screen with IPS panels and Nano edge bezel for better screen to body ration.

The 15.6 Inches Full HD wide viewing angle displaying laptop is a splendid machine for software enhancement. You can have your heavy apps running over there without any break; the laptop can endure a load of heavy apps without any trouble.

Asus Vivobook is powered with AMD Quad Core A12-9720P Processor and AMD Radeon R7 graphics card to skyrocket your visual performance. It features an 8GB DDR4 RAM, and 256GB SSD drive, and a chicklet keyboard with fingerprint sensors.

The laptop comes with all connectivity ports including USB 3.1 TYPE-C, USB 3.0, USB 2.0 and HDMMI. You can connect any external storage you desire, as it features everything you need. The laptop also comes bolstered with WI-FI 5 which keeps you connected without any interface.

 

Q#1: Can You Game on a 400 Dollar laptop?

The laptops under $400 should not be expected to run modern games for sure. Yes, if your gaming definition is to run mine craft or Sims series or some old PC games.

Even, some of the laptops added to the list can run AA titles with low to average settings. The laptops which are incorporated with UHD 620 graphics card can run the AA titles with mentioned settings.

Q#2: Are these laptops useful for students?

Yes, without thinking twice. These laptops are great for school goers. I must say, the common thing about all the notebook added share is, they all are good for school students.

Even for the casual task handling, day to day tasks can go through using these laptops. If your kid is a pro gamer and runs AAA titles, the definition for the school laptop changes. And you must look for a gaming laptop, rather digging here in $400 laptops.

Guru’s Verdict

These are the best laptop you can buy under $400. You can read reviews, behold configuration and check other features before giving a final call to a product. The best is ideal for casual using, partial gaming and business as well.

The list has been crafted after hours of research, hope you like it and share among your circle to make it reach to a broader audience.