Best Laptops for Working from Home under $500

Surely, laptop is necessary for the office. We all know that. But not everybody can or wants to spend lavishly on laptop buying. If you are one of those who have the budget limit of $500 only, this page is all you need to scroll, or bookmark for later buying!

Since laptops and tech gears are getting more and more robust, their price range certainly gets higher. Even though WFH (Work from Home) is more like a normal thing now, finding a laptop for office work from home is still a challenge. But you can overcome the challenge only if you have researched the latest and upgraded working units that are recommended by professionals.

At a Glance:

That said, there are still some of the best laptops for working from home under $500. So, if you have shifted office work to home or you’ve applied for an online job, the demand of a laptop with higher speed, smooth zoom meetings, video communication and better connectivity becomes highly important factors. Moreover, if you are a gamer, its GPU should provide you with reasonable graphical delivery for your leisure time.

So here are the complete reviews of the latest laptops you can rely on while working from home.

List Of Best Budget Laptops For Working from Home

1. Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-36UT

Best Pick
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-36UT

For most of the office tasks, Acer Aspire is a good laptop that is reliable for many aspects. Firstly, its 4.19 lbs weight and slim build looks nice and offers you maximized portability to move with. Moreover, the durability never compromise on faster performance and your 11th Generation Intel Core i3-1115G4 processor which is powerful enough to take high-processing tasks easily. Along with that the Turbo Boost Technology, gets up to 4.1GHz CPU speed for latest software, apps and tools. 

Secondly, its RAM is 4 GB DDR4 but if you want to work office related tasks, it wouldn’t let you down. Besides, the 128 GB NVMe solid-state drive storage is also there to make sure of important data and files saving. Certainly, you can save plenty of work-related videos and heavy software without compromising on the fast boot time of this laptop. Acer Aspire 5 features the best and vivid visuals with its15.6″ Full HD screen stretches on 82.58% screen-to-body approach. Additionally, its sharp and crisp colors and 16:9 aspect ratio deliver best results for office tasks, writing and reading documents. Its keyboard offers you the ergonomically designed hinge which instantly boosts typing experience.  

And, for streaming in HD details, the display offers you detailed output. On the connectivity front, this laptop is offering you the clearest and purified voice technology which features digital signals to cut back background noises.

Furthermore, for making Zoom meetings and listening to calls has become way easier with this improved laptop. With that you have the privileged Alexa control for better usability. For office work this laptop is highly recommended plus its ergonomic style lets you to move with pretty much ease.

Pros

  • AcerBlueLight shield
  • Loud sound with minimal background noise
  • Narrow bezels help to travel eye naturally
  • Clear display to read documents

Cons

  • Battery is not lasting all day
  • Sometimes runs hot

2. HP 14 Laptop

HP 14 Laptop

If you want a more robust laptop for office tasks, this one by HP is offering you the greater data storage capacity and high-end processing power. Its decent style and appealing look values your choice and you have a wider option to work on this laptop when it comes to running multiple tabs and applications at a time.

Also, it houses the AMD Ryzen 5 5500U Mobile Processor and AMD Radeon Graphics which mean working and visuals both have got you covered. Moreover, the embedded 8 GB of RAM and the ample 256 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD storage prove to be more than sufficient and efficient in faster loading. You can save multiple videos, lectures, presentations, and documents without any low-storage concern.

And as for the display, HP comes with the rather limited display screen of mere 14 inches however with ultra-clarity and sharper details you won’t find the display lacking any leg behind. Also, the Full HD screen and 1080p showcase the precise detail no matter if you are streaming, having a zoom meeting or just scrolling through documents. 

As a bonus, the anti-glare coat makes sure you read documents and text without putting strain on your eyes. Its 15x faster output unlike traditional laptops is appreciable moreover the battery timing is also reasonable with 9 hours of all day long productivity.

Furthermore, to make things favorable HP Fast Charge Technology delivers from 0 to 50% charge within 45 minutes. Regarding the connectivity of this laptop you have it’s the Wi-Fi 6 (2×2) and Bluetooth 5.0 comb, HP TrueVision HD Camera for even better wireless communications.

Pros

  • All day long-lasting battery
  • Clear and vibrant colors from better image
  • 79% screen-to-body ratio with anti glare coating
  • Comes with 15x faster performance and ample storage
  • Quick boot time

Cons

  • Poor WIFI connectivity
  • The keyboard has fainted letters

3. Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5

Budget Pick
Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5

Lenovo laptops always come with something exceptional within. This time Lenovo Chromebook is offering you the best work from home unit with its powerful processing and highly amazing performance. It’s engineered with the 10th generation Intel Core Intel Core i3-10110U processor. Its auto update after six month lets you work without any concern of underperformance.

Moreover, Lenovo Flex comes with the optimal responsiveness which never lets you down for working fast and effectively. This is a 2-in-1 laptop which means utmost comfort and ergonomic essay in usability. You can opt for any angle you want and make a presentation ideally. Its touchscreen and keyboard further bring in the precise navigation and high-end controls. The digital pen makes working next-level.

As for the display you have a 13.3-inch FHD screen and a decent slim build. To make the display more uplifted you will appreciate the IPS technology is there for optimal viewing angles. You can read documents on its anti-glare screen with narrow bezel which is a supreme privilege. Its 360° convertible built welcomes professional ease. This laptop is offering you the 4 GB DDR4 RAM and 64 GB eMMC SSD which make sits specification ideal in $500

In addition to that, its wireless connectivity comes with 2 USB Type-C ports, a USB Type-A port, and an audio jack. Moreover you have the latest Intel Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth! To make it better, buy the 10 hours of battery timings. This laptop is highly recommended especially if you want to add comfort and cut back sluggishness.

Pros

  • Clear 1920 x 1080 FHD display
  • It comes with 10 hours of battery timings
  • Narrow bezel and anti-glare coating
  • Convertible design with touchscreen

Cons

  • Terrible customer support
  • Not much durable

4. HP 15 Laptop

HP 15 Laptop

For HP enthusiasts, this laptop under the range of $500 values your choice. Its decent design and efficient performance and lightweight build feel perfect for home office working. Its .5 millimeter micro-edge bezel and the 82% screen to body ratio makes every visual more lively and worth seeing.

Plus its 15.6-inch, Full HD casts the dainty impression altogether. You also have the IPS technology followed by the anti-glare screen. For streaming and occasional gaming, you have the impressive Intel Iris Xe Graphics which never let you down when it comes to stunning visual and high-end display quality.  Luckily, the availability of MU-MIMO technology never lets you down on communication and better signal stability.

So, coming down to its internal specification, you have the 11th generation Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor which ensures swift performance. For data storage HP offers you the most reliable 256 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD storage followed by the greater 8 GB of RAM that never feels confined. Additionally you will have its fast charging approach which never creates hindrance while you are engrossed in work. 

This laptop lasts for 7 hours which is reasonable since you don’t usually work all day long. With all the functionality and working features, this laptop has been designed with durability and longevity through and through. It comes with Windows 10 Home operating system and the HP 1-year limited hardware warranty which is alright when you don’t want to spend more than $500.

Pros

  • Lightweight and slim design
  • Dual array microphone and full size keyboard for typing
  • MU-MIMO support for better signals
  • Great performance for office tasks

Cons

  •   Keyboard has gray lettering, hard to read
  • Jumpy trackpad

5. 2021 HP Stream

2021 HP Stream 14

This HP laptop from Stream series has earned its position at number 4th spot for work from home. Its awesome performance and the classy output never cost you more than $500 range.  Moreover, its rose pink exterior and vivid display screen comes with a 14 inches diagonal HD SVA BrightView display followed by the micro-edge WLED-backlit screen that delivers the best picture and text clarity.

Its resolution falls in the 1366 x 768 ratio which works fine for office work and streaming your favorite videos. You have fuller privilege to stream 4K content thanks to the Intel UHD graphics. Moreover, you can also play games in 720p when not working. Although you are working from home, its 4lb of weight is there to fulfill the lightweight category. 

Furthermore, you have the Intel Celeron processor 1.1 GHz up to 2.6 GHz burst frequency, 4 MB cache, 2 cores) and 4 GB DDR4-2400 SDRAM. However, its data storage is rather confined and offers you mere 64 GB eMMc but it feels sufficient for working and saving office files only.  

Also, with the availability of 2×2 Wi-Fi antenna and HP Webcam with integrated digital microphone you can say it as the best laptop for wireless communication in a reasonable budget. What many users have appreciated about this HP Stream laptop is its 11 hours of battery with smoother and robust output.

Talking about connectivity and data sharing approach, this laptop has been designed with 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1, 1x USB 2.0, 1 x HDMI 1.4, 1x headphone and microphone combo. In short, this laptop is excellent for its battery timings and you will find it assisting gear for working nonstop.

Pros

  • HD SVA BrightView micro-edge
  • No overheating and lightweight to carry
  • 11 hours of battery timings
  • Swift speed and optimal connectivity

Cons

  • Touchpad is too much sensitive
  • Somewhat slow

6. Dell Inspiron 3000

Staff Pick
Dell Inspiron 3000

And now, HP Inspiron for home office work is here. It comes with all the necessary features plus it’s a budget laptop for your professional working. Including, the display is 15.6 inches wide and its HD clarity with 1366 x 768p resolution casts seamless picture clarity. To make its graphics lively and presentable you have the Intel UHD Graphics card within. Overall, its display is pretty much the finest.

Furthermore, to read the documents in an effective manner, the anti-glare coating never lets you down. You can stare at the screen without any break. So, the annoying glare on screen is not a big deal if you have this laptop. Its 1.8 GHz Celeron processor N3050 Intel Pentium N3700 carries out instructions that execute tasks ideally but can be a little slow for heavy duty processing.

Moreover, for storage you have the 128 GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive whereas the 8 GB, DDR4, 2666MHz memory make multitasking reliable and swift. However, if you want you can certainly opt for the same version in 500 GB HDD data storage version which gives you wider privilege to professional work.  Also, it’s Windows 10 Home compatible and hence you can work for office, word and many more professional apps with seamless performance.

With its Stereo speakers, Combo microphone and headphones audio jack and Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and the 2 x USB 2.0 + 1 x USB 3.0 you have its HDMI and wireless connectivity productive. Dell Inspiron is a good budget laptop with the best office working output.

Pros

  • Fast boot time and processing
  • Durable and lightweight
  • Widescreen with sharp contrast

Cons

  • No backlit keyboard
  • It occasionally crashes

Final Verdict

So, we included laptops featuring essential office productivity. Likewise, no matter if you are working from home or want to take your laptop out on the go, these workhorses offer you seamless performance, lightweight design and battery that matters. However, before finalizing your favorite $500 laptop, we recommend you pay heed to its compatibility so that you install and run software that is in sync with the unit.


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James
By James

I am James aka Jamie. I'm a computer software engineer and a passionate gamer. From affordable Full Desktop Setup to Hyper Class Gaming Desktop, Latest Updates to Tricks and Benchmarks and Reviews which you can trust, we have all for you.



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