Best laptops under 1000 US Dollars

We live in a world that is virtually connected to every aspect of our lives today. The demand for mobile devices like laptops has never been so high. Manufacturers are struggling to meet the increasing demand as well as introducing new features and technology.

It’s 2021, and hardware prices have fallen quite a bit. The economies of scale resulting from mass manufacturing have reduced entry-level laptops to just 300 US Dollars. So with a budget as large as 1000 US Dollars, you can surely expect a very powerful computer. Also, there is cut-throat competition resulting in the best features and functionality being made available at every price segment. Customer is undoubtedly the king when it comes to choices. There will be hundreds of models available at this price range.

Customers no longer have to struggle to find a good laptop. Nowadays, the struggle is to find one laptop that has most of the desired features and functionality. While earlier laptops were merely computing machines, now they are used as a prime source of entertainment, gaming, or office use.

Here we will cover the options available in the sub-1000 US Dollar category and see the best options available in the market today.

Dell XPS 13

If we are discussing performance, Dell cannot be left out. Dell XPS is one of the top favorite laptops when it comes to performance and power. And it’s not just raw power; it even has the looks to impress. Looking sleek and stylish, it’s a nice change from the usual Dell XPS series. Its screen, which is a 13.3 inch Full HD Infinity Edge display, is a showstopper. The screen gives the right color and sharpness and looks very impressive. This laptop is powered by the Intel Core i5-10210U 10th Generation 1.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor that can Turbo boost up to 4.2 GHz. The processor is supported by the 8GB LPDDR3 RAM and 256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive Storage solution. NVMe is the fastest SSD solution and is desired at this budget range. Integrated Graphics are basic at Intel UHD Graphics processor, and there could have been a much better option in this price range. The battery life is 12 hours, and the laptop weighs just 2.7 pounds. At this weight, it is extremely portable and has a good battery backup. It ships with Windows 10 64-bit version.

Pros

• Stylish and good looking
• Good display screen
• NVMe SSD storage solution
• Good battery life

Cons

• Low on RAM
• The Graphics processor is very basic for the price.

Apple MacBook Air

With all the options being discussed, it would be wrong not to include Apple MacBook Air. It is in a class of its own, and Apple has a significant fan following. Also, a lot of consumers the robustness and style of the Apple computers. Many users are also in love with the Mac OS’s ease and speed, and therefore, it deserves to be reviewed in the second place. With a rigid all-metal aluminum chassis with an elegant design, it appears as if you are looking at a work of art. Certainly so. And it’s not just the looks. It is powered by the 10th Gen Intel Core i3 Dual-Core 1.1 GHz Processor (Turbo up to 3.2 GHz). It has a high-speed 8GB LPDDR4 RAM installed, which runs at 8GB 3733MHz. While the 256GB Solid State Drive takes care of the storage, graphics are handled by the Intel Iris Plus Graphics. This laptop’s best part is the stunning 13.3 Inch (Retina) IPS LED-backlit display with 2560 x 1600 resolution. The display takes this laptop a few notches higher than the competition in this entire product range. It’s rare to come across a display that so beautiful in color reproduction. The battery life is 11 hours with an overall weight of just 2.8 pounds

Pros

• Retina display takes all the points.
• Good battery life

Cons

• The processor should have been at least an Intel i5
• Low RAM
• Low Disk space

Lenovo Legion Y540 17-inch All-Purpose Laptop

We are focused on bringing you a diverse range of options at this budget range. We understand that customers’ needs can be very different. Here we present you the massive 17.3 inches Lenovo Legion laptop. Everything about this laptop is big. It weighs an impressive 6.2 pounds, and that itself should give you an idea of its hardware. The processor speed does not disappoint and is powered by an Intel Quad-Core i5-9300H 2.4 GHz Processor (Turbo up to 4.1 GHz). RAM ships with 8GB DDR4 and can be upgraded to 32GB. Storage ha both 1TB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive + 256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive. The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti DDR6 Graphics with a dedicated 6GB memory takes care of the massive 17.3 inches Full HD IPS LED-backlit Display. The battery life is just 5 hours and is expected for such a large screen that is a drain on the battery. This laptop is designed as a gaming laptop, though we would have desired it ships with an i7 processor and at least 16GB RAM.

Pros

• Large responsive screen
• Nvidia graphics with 6GB dedicated memory
• Fast NVMe SSD storage solution

Cons

• Lack of a strong processor.
• Lack of at least 16GB RAM.

Acer Predator Helios 300

What the Lenovo Legion misses, the Acer Predator series more than makes up. This laptop is the best buy in the sub-1000$ segment. It offers a complete package to gamers that includes the right hardware, a good screen, excellent performance, and a good looking design.

This laptop is black colored with a metal lid; it looks and feels premium. While the other laptops use an i5 processor, this one uses the Intel Core i7-9750H 9th Generation Hexa Core Processor (Up to 4.5 GHz). Just as expected, it has 16GB DDR4 RAM and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti processor with a dedicated 6GB DDR5 VRAM. The biggest surprise is the 15.6 inches Full HD IPS Wide Screen LED Display with 144Hz Refresh Rate. Yes, you heard it right. A display with a massive 144Hz Refresh Rate is probably an industry first at this price range. This laptop is one of the best machines out there for gamers in this budget range. It’s a tad heavy at 5.07 pounds and gives a battery life of just 5 hours.

Pros

• Good display with 144Hz Refresh Rate
• Good processor
• Dedicated graphics processor

Cons

• 256GB storage is less
• Weight
• Battery life

Our Verdict

In our view, the Acer Predator Helios takes the cake. It’s a complete package for the gamer as well as the regular users. Some may find the screen too large and the weight too heavy, but it delivers fantastic performance at this price range. All the others, apart from the Apple MacBook Air, scoreless. Where the MacBook air loses in performance, it more than makes up in the Retina display. Acer Predator delivers actual value to the money leaving very little to complain about. This is one laptop you will not be upgrading very soon.

Summary

The sub-1000$ is a segment where you get the best of the class features from a traditional machine, and there is no place left for the manufacturer to cut corners. Although some manufacturers have not provided optimum value, they all cater to a definite segment. I hope you will find your choice of laptop soon.