Finding a good laptop for under $800 is easier than finding one in the lower price ranges, such as $500 or $600. You can easily find a decent computing machine at this price as most of them come with compelling onboard configurations essential for smooth functioning. The devices we have selected provide the best-in-class experience in this price range. So, if you’re looking for the best laptop under $800, you’re on the right track.
This article will cover some of the best-selling laptops under $800. As you might be aware, different people have different requirements. So, suggesting a single piece is not the ideal choice. Moreover, it doesn’t matter what kind of laptop you are looking for. We have got you covered with a versatile list of notebooks in almost every category. After reading all the content, you will likely find a suitable machine that can meet your requirements. So, without any further delay, let’s get started!
List of Best Laptops under $800 in 2024
Here is our list of the top 10 best laptops under USD 800 you can purchase in 2024:
1Acer Aspire 5 (Overall Best Laptop Under $800)
Acer is known for producing high-quality laptops at budget-friendly prices, which is why we have selected the Acer Aspire 5 as our top choice for a highly affordable price of $800. This laptop features a powerful Intel Core i7-1355P processor and a sleek metallic body, making it one of the best budget-friendly options available. The laptop is equipped with a standard 15.6-inch FHD IPS display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080p, offering exceptional display quality with decent viewing angles. However, the brightness level is average.
- Display: 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080p FHD
- Processor: Intel Core i7-1355U
- Graphics: Intel Iris XE
- RAM: 16GB LPDDR5
- Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
The laptop features an HD webcam ideal for video conferencing, streaming, remote work, and a variety of other tasks. It is powered by the Intel Core i7-1355U processor, which ensures outstanding performance. With its 10-core CPU, the laptop boasts a base clock speed of 3.70GHz and can reach up to 5.0GHz, delivering impressive speed and responsiveness.
For music enthusiasts, the laptop offers a superior audio experience with dual Dolby stereo speakers strategically placed under the palm rest. The backlit keyboard is designed for comfort, featuring keys that feel soft and smooth, enhancing the typing experience. Additionally, the touchpad is highly responsive with a fluid input, making navigation effortless. Security is further enhanced with a fingerprint scanner located in the left-hand corner of the touchpad, providing an extra layer of protection for your data.
The laptop is equipped with a comprehensive array of connectivity options, including four USB ports: two Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C ports for high-speed data transfer and versatile connectivity, and two USB Type-A ports for traditional peripherals. Additionally, it features an HDMI 2.1 port for high-definition external displays, along with a headphone jack and microphone input. For wireless connectivity, it supports 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1, ensuring seamless internet and device connections.
In terms of power, the laptop provides a reliable average battery life of 5-6 hours under normal usage conditions. It boasts 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM paired with a 512GB SSD, delivering ample memory and storage for intensive multitasking and productivity tasks. This configuration ensures smooth performance and ample space for your files and applications, so you won’t encounter “out of memory” issues.
Overall, this laptop is an excellent choice for a big-screen experience within a budget of $800, offering robust features and performance that make it a standout option in its price range.
What makes the Acer Aspire 5 the best laptop under $800?
In the competitive $800 price range, choosing the right laptop can be quite challenging due to the wide array of powerful options available. The Acer Aspire 5 stands out from the crowd thanks to its superior hardware, sleek design, and exceptionally comfortable backlit keyboard. While many laptops in this price bracket feature Intel i7 processors, the Aspire 5 distinguishes itself with a rare combination of a 13th Gen CPU, 16GB of RAM, and enhanced security features, making it a top choice.
Additionally, the Aspire 5 comes with the latest Windows 11 operating system, ensuring you have access to all the new features and improvements Microsoft has to offer. This combination of cutting-edge hardware and software makes the Acer Aspire 5 an excellent value and a standout option in its category.
2Apple MacBook Air M2 (Best MacBook under $800)
The 1st generation M1 chip was unveiled last year along with the MacBook Air and Pro models. Because of this M1 chipset, MacBook has gained an enormous improvement in performance and battery life. If you didn’t know about the M1 chipset, this is an ARM architecture-based chipset like our smartphone. The M2 comes with eight 5nm TSMC-designed cores. Further, it is divided into two clusters- four high-performance cores and four low-powered cores for power efficiency. That is why MacBook Air can get up to 3.49GHz of clock speed without consuming too much battery.
- Display: 13.6-inch 2560 x 1664p QHD+
- Processor: Apple M2
- Graphics: Integrated GPU
- RAM: 8GB LPDDR5
- Storage: 256GB NVMe SSD
Along with the CPU core, this Apple MacBook Air model has an 8-core graphics card. Despite being an integrated GPU, it offers a lot of performance compared with others. It will perform all the tasks without slowing down. To help with that, it comes with 8GB unified RAM and 256GB super-fast SSD, which are also integrated together. Apart from that, you will get support for Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless connectivity. On the front, this MacBook offers a 13.6-inch Retina display that has a 2560 x 1600p resolution.
Besides that, it is a 16:10 aspect ratio panel so that you will have a more vertically large display. It is considered one of the best displays on a laptop because it offers 100% P3 wide color gamut support and 500 nits of maximum brightness. There are also very minimal bezels for a great experience. Apart from that, you will get an impressive and large trackpad and great stereo speakers. You can get the MacBook Air for less than 800 dollars, and at this price, it is an outstanding laptop that provides the best web browsing experience. Frankly speaking, this is my personal favorite laptop and I have been using it since 2020 without any problem with my daily workload, which includes article writing, watching movies, listening to music, and basic graphics designing.
3HP 15 (Best Value Pick)
HP 15 is the ultimate winner in the price-to-performance ratio. This is a complete package that we can expect from a budget-oriented laptop. The laptop is powered by the 13th Gen Intel Core i7-1355U processor. This is a powerful 10-core CPU combined with twelve threads, making it suitable for multi-threaded tasks. As we know, the 12th generation lineup is manufactured on 7nm Intel 7 technology, which makes it highly power-efficient in terms of performance. With the provided four cores, it generates a 3.70GHz base clock speed, going up to 5.0GHz with Intel’s Turbo Boost technology.
- Display: 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080p Full HD
- Processor: Intel Core i7-1355U
- Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
The HP 15 laptop relies on the integrated Iris Xe GPU for graphics performance. It will be worth noting that the new “Iris Xe” series is way more powerful than the older “UHD” series. Therefore, it can easily handle most routine tasks and is capable of handling light gaming. Apart from that, the laptop packs 16GB of DDR4 RAM coupled with 512GB SSD storage. Both RAM & storage are up to the mark, and you also have options available with more memory by adding extra bucks. You can undoubtedly store lots of files using internal SSD storage.
The full-sized keyboard is very comfortable and comes with backlit support out of the box. Moreover, the front side is surrounded by a 15.6-inch Full HD display at 1920 x 1080p resolution. It lacks sharp brightness because of the 250-nits brightness set by the company, but variants are available with up to 300-nits brightness, a perfect combination for indoor usage. Overall, the display quality is decent enough, with good outdoor visibility. In terms of design, the device is made of plastic material, which seems to be durable with good quality body construction. It doesn’t feel cheap in the hands.
On top of that, an HD webcam with acceptable camera quality can be utilized for attending online classes, video conferencing, working from home, making Zoom calls, streaming, etc. All the essential connectivity ports are there, including 2x USB Type-A ports, a USB Type-C port, an HDMI port, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a micro SD card reader. Overall, this is one of the best offerings from HP for under $800. After having this, you won’t regret it by any means, as it produces great longevity.
4Dell Inspiron 16 5630 (Best Dell Laptop under $800)
Dell is a reputed name in the computer industry, and we can’t neglect its laptops, it doesn’t matter which price we are targeting. That is why we have selected Dell Inspiron 16 for its core performance and high-end specifications. Just like any other “Inspiron” series laptop, this laptop also offers a decent specs sheet at an affordable price. So, you may also like this laptop if you are fond of using affordable Dell laptops. Speaking of the front, It features a traditional 16-inch FHD+ anti-glare display with an anti-glare coating, which prevents unnecessary reflection against the light.
- Display: 15.6-inch 1920 x 1200p FHD
- Processor: Intel Core i7-1360P
- Graphics: Intel Iris XE Graphics G7
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
There is an HD webcam with average camera quality for work like working from home, attending online classes, streaming content, etc. You can’t expect exceptional quality from a laptop’s camera. So, if you are a basic user, there shouldn’t be any problem; otherwise, you can attach an external webcam for superior camera quality. As far as processing power is concerned, the laptop is backed by the powerful Intel Core i7-1360P chipset, which belongs to the latest 13th-generation Intel lineup. It is a powerful 12-core chip with 16 threads having a 5.0GHz maximum speed, while the base clock speed is 3.70GHz.
Apart from that, the chipset uses Intel’s 10nm SuperFin technology for enhanced power efficiency. On top of that, it has integrated Intel Iris XE graphics for sufficient graphics power. The processor is mighty, and it can easily handle software like Photoshop, AutoCAD, etc. Therefore, it shouldn’t be a problem to run video editing applications. Furthermore, it has 16GB DDR4 RAM and 512GB SSD storage, ideal for boosting performance and storing large files. All the necessary connectivity ports are available, and it is one of the best value-for-money laptops available at around $800.
5MSI Thin GF63 (Best Gaming Laptop under $800)
The MSI Thin GF63 is the best gaming laptop when it comes to setting the $800 price. It comes with a 15.6-inch Full HD display bringing a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The display further carries narrow bezels around the corners, making it a very attractive design. The Intel Core i7-12650H processor powers the laptop. As you might be aware, the Intel “H” series belongs to high performance, making it an ideal choice for high-end gaming.
- Display: 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080p (144Hz)
- Processor: Intel Core i7-12650H
- Graphics: Nvidia RTX 4050 6GB GDDR6
- RAM: 16GB DDR4 3200MHz
- Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
The chipset borrows a 10-core CPU with a base clock speed of 3.50GHz, going as high as 4.70GHz while running in the Turbo Boost mode. It packs Nvidia RTX 4050 with a dedicated 6GB of Video RAM as far as graphics are concerned. This GPU can be considered the best pick in this price range. So, it should produce a best-in-class gaming experience. Moreover, it adds 16GB DDR4 RAM at a 3200MHz transfer rate and 512GB SSD storage to store data internally. The memory offering is just fine, and you can further expand it by using additional slots.
When we talk about gaming, the cooling system becomes more crucial. Due to the extensive gaming usage, most gaming laptops produce heat, and there is no difference with this laptop. But thankfully, Asus planted an Advanced cooling system to avoid excessive heat. It comes with a twin-fan cooling system using the self-cleaning cooling solution. It is normal to become hot with extensive gameplay, but this laptop is very capable of avoiding potential overheating.
Apart from that, the body construction is very good with a plastic build. However, not among the best. On the front, there is a backlit keyboard to enhance the overall gaming experience, and, fortunately, it does support multi-color RGB backlighting. The audio output is fine but not exceptional due to the bottom-firing speakers. Altogether, if you need a powerful gaming laptop for under $800, this is a complete package to fulfill your requirements.
6Acer Swift Go (Good Touchscreen Laptop under $800)
Acer Swift Go is a powerful laptop from a reputed brand. It brings a variety of new features, making it one of the worthy choices for 800 dollars. In fact, it is available for well under $800 to save you additional money. Speaking of the specifications, the laptop is powered by the latest 13th-generation Intel Core i7-1355U processor, which is a powerful 10-core chipset with 12 threads. All of its four cores are well capable of running at 3.70GHz for base clock speed, while it can go as high as 5.0GHz while using Intel’s Turbo Boost technology. Alongside, it brings an integrated Intel Iris XE GPU to handle the graphics performance.
- Display: 14-inch 1920 x 1200p FHD+
- Processor: Intel Core i7-1355U
- Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- RAM: 16GB LPDDR5
- Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
This combination of a powerful CPU and a decent GPU handles all the basic tasks with flawless multitasking performance. The front side is surrounded by a 14-inch Full HD display adapting a 1920 x 1200p touchscreen resolution. The display quality is uncompromised, with sharp resolution and good color reproduction. There is also an anti-glare coating to avoid unwanted reflection. Collectively, this is a decent panel for routine tasks; however, color accuracy is average. An HD webcam above the display is best suited for attending online meetings, Zoom video calls, working from home, streaming, and many other reasons to use it.
I/O ports include 2x USB Type-A ports, an HDMI port, an SD card reader, a 3.5mm audio jack with a microphone, and a USB Type-C port with a Thunderbolt 4 port. The good thing about this Type-C port is that it comes with DisplayPort and PowerDelivery, meaning you can use it for charging. The I/O approach is just excellent, and you are getting everything that a laptop requires for ideal connectivity. For storage, it adds 512GB NVMe M.2 SSD storage coupled with 16GB LPDDR5 RAM. Apart from that, there is a backlit keyboard with good key traveling. Overall, Acer Swift Go is a complete package for under $800.
7ASUS Vivobook S 16 Flip (Convertible Laptop)
The ASUS Vivobook 15 is my personal favorite in the portability section. This is a beautiful business ultrabook with the latest hardware. It borrows an eye-catching design running on AMD Ryzen 5 7530U with a Hexa-core CPU and base clock speed of 2.0GHz. The chipset is a powerful chipset to take on intensive operations built on TSMC’s 7nm technology. This is the miniature architecture offered by AMD, which makes it highly power-efficient. It also packs AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 GPU for graphics processing.
- Display: 16-inch 1920 x 1080p
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 7530U
- Graphics: AMD Radeon RX Vega 7
- RAM: 8GB DDR4
- Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
You can easily handle graphics-intensive tasks, whether video rendering or general gaming. It is a well-combined package for business people as well as high-end multitasking. At the front portion, there is a 16-inch Full HD display delivering 1920 x 1200p resolution. The display quality is decent enough and solves the purpose. The laptop is made out of a robust metal unibody design, and it is a pretty lightweight body weighing only 6.85 lbs. The portability is top-notch with all the essential connectivity ports, including thunderbolt ports.
The memory department packs 8GB DDR4 RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. However, the RAM seems to be on the lower side, but it could easily handle general multitasking. Apart from that, the laptop brings a backlit chicklet keyboard along with a fingerprint sensor to enhance overall security. The preinstalled Windows 11 operating system is there to control its software department. Collectively, this is the lightest laptop available for under $800 with a powerful hardware combination.
8Acer Swift X (For Content Creators)
Unlike the Acer Nitro 5, Swift X is made for professionals. It comes with a plain but beautiful design. Under the hood, it uses the AMD Ryzen 7 5800U processor. This is a new U line-up processor for thin and lightweight laptops. AMD has used TSMC’s 7nm design technology on this processor. Moreover, they also have used Zen 3 microarchitecture. The new Zen 3-based eight cores offer 4.4GHz of max clock speed. Additionally, it provides better power efficiency without losing performance. This laptop comes with 16GB LPDDR4X RAM and 512GB Solid State Drive.
- Display: 14-inch 1920 x 1080p FHD
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5800U
- GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3050Ti 4GB GDDR6
- RAM: 16GB LPDDR4X
- Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
Along with that, Acer Swift X packs the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card. This is the newly released Nvidia dedicated GPU with 4GB VRAM. It has features like Dynamic Boost 2.0 and improved real-time Ray Tracing. This laptop comes with a 14-inch FHD IPS LED display with 1920 × 1080p resolution to take advantage of its GPU. Besides high resolution, it can go up to 300 nits of max brightness. Moreover, it offers 100% sRGB color coverage. So you will get impressive picture quality with superb color accuracy.
Internet connection is necessary to do our daily tasks. That is why this laptop has WiFi 6 technology support. However, your router must support WiFi 6 bands to get that high speed. Other than that, this laptop has a fingerprint scanner for security purposes. You will get one USB C and two USB A ports along with an HDMI and a headphone jack. It has a good backlit keyboard with white backlighting and a large trackpad. This laptop weighs 3 pounds which means it is lightweight enough to take anywhere. Acer Swift X is an excellent laptop, especially for content creators. You can consider this laptop if you are into video editing or a professional photographer.
9HP ENVY x360 (Best Convertable Laptop under $800)
HP is a well-renowned brand and leads the market with its highly versatile laptop lineup. The company has the expertise to produce different kinds of laptops. Here we have picked the HP ENVY x360, a 2-in-1 machine offering a convertible mechanism. The laptop sports a 15.6-inch Full HD touchscreen, which can be turned into a 360-degree conversion. With a convertible laptop, there is always a concern regarding its durability. But thankfully, HP has managed this section very well. The laptop is surrounded by durable hinges that can last for a more extended period.
- Display: 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080p Touchscreen
- Processor: Intel Core i7-1355U
- Graphics: Intel Iris xe
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
The laptop is powered by the Intel Core i7-1355U processor combined with an integrated Intel Iris XE graphics card. This CPU variant used here is highly power-efficient and performs very well with excellent efficiency. That is the reason the laptop delivers impressive battery life. The company claims to offer nearly 10 hours of battery life, but it should easily last around 5-6 hours during a casual workload. Most people prefer this kind of laptop for creativity. This laptop doesn’t disappoint you in this section.
It is an excellent machine with optimal performance and efficiently manages basic video editing, photo editing, drawing, and other related tasks. The Stylus-Pen support is there, but, unfortunately, it is not included out of the box. The portable machine arrives with 16GB DDR4 RAM and 512GB SSD storage. It further adds a backlit keyboard to make it usable in a dark environment. Overall, it is a very built machine and brings all the necessary features one would expect in a convertible laptop under $800.
10Acer Aspire 5 17 (Best 17-inch Laptop under $800)
If you need a more comprehensive screen, there couldn’t be a better option than Acer Aspire 5. This is the latest addition from the company in its lineup. The laptop features a bigger 17.3-inch Full HD display at 1920 x 1080p resolution. This is a quality IPS panel with decent viewing angles and appropriate brightness. However, nothing special about this panel, but pretty much usable in different scenarios. The core purpose of Asus behind this creation is to provide a wider screen with a minimalistic design to make it look more attractive. On top of the display, there is a webcam for video conferencing and streaming.
- Display: 17.3-inch 1920 x 1080p FHD
- Processor: Intel Core i5-1335U
- Graphics: Intel Iris XE Graphics
- RAM: 8GB LPDDR5
- Storage: 512GB SSD
The laptop is fueled by the latest Intel Core i5-1335U processor coupled with Integrated Intel Iris XE Graphics. The chipset handles a 10-core CPU with a base clock speed of 3.40GHz, extended up to 4.60GHz using Turbo Boost technology. Subsequently, it packs 8GB LPDDR5 RAM coupled with 512GB SSD storage. The bigger storage size will never let you out of space, and the provided SSD is sufficient for handling the operating system. The memory is also expandable, giving you a chance to upgrade RAM if you somehow feel the shortage.
Moreover, you barely see any significant lag in any apps because it runs on the Windows 11 operating system with a promise to deliver a FREE upgrade. So, the hardware & software tuning is very well connected. Other than that, the device is made of a robust metal unibody design and weighs only 4.85 lbs. Overall, it is a super sleek & lightweight laptop with a clean Windows 11 user interface. All the essential connectivity ports on this device include 3x USB Type-A ports, a USB Type-C port, HDMI, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a micro SD card reader. Besides, its enhanced optimizations allow it to perform flawlessly in day-to-day casual workloads priced under $800. But this is not made for gaming.
11Microsoft Surface Go 3 (Extremely Portable)
The Microsoft Surface Go 3 is a detachable device that can be used either as a laptop or tablet. Some might not find it that covenant as a laptop. But at the same time, other people like it very much. We can’t call it a full-fledged laptop, but it can easily handle all the tasks of a laptop. The Intel Core i3-10100Y processor is a dual-core chipset specially designed for this machine. This chipset has been developed using the 14nm process based on the Amber Lake architecture. That means it will reach 3.9GHz clock speed while under full power. Meanwhile, this laptop gets the Intel UHD Graphics 615 integrated GPU to handle graphics-related problems.
- Display: 10.5-inch 1920 x 1080p Touch
- Processor: Intel Core i3-10100Y
- Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 615
- RAM: 8GB LPDDR3
- Storage: 128GB NVMe SSD
For instance, you can smoothly run business apps, basic video editing, photo editing, 3D rendering, and casual gaming. The performance seems to be top-notch and has substantial body construction altogether. Moreover, it packs a 10.5-inch display which offers 1920 x 1080p resolution, and it is an IPS LCD touchscreen. It supports input through the surface pen or any other digital pen available on the market. Besides that, this display can produce excellent colors and brightness. There are multiple cameras installed; a 5MP front-facing camera and another 8MP rear-mounted camera. These cameras offer HD resolution, making this tablet a perfect choice for online classes, video conferencing, and working from home.
Speaking about its design, you will see a kickstand at the back to use as a laptop stand. Furthermore, it adds 8GB of LPDDR3 RAM, which is extremely fast in processing data. There is 128GB SSD storage to store data. The storage department is slightly weaker. But that is what you can expect from a tablet tuned into a laptop. The hybrid device runs on the latest Windows 11 operating system and weighs only 1.18 lbs. Unquestionably, this is a portable machine, but the laptop functionality is somehow breached. If you need a tablet that can be used as a laptop, you can look for this device; otherwise, better options are available for under $800.
12Acer Nitro 5 (Bonus for Gaming)
Last but not least, Acer “Nitro” has been the best-selling gaming laptop series priced under $1000, and we have picked Acer Nitro 5 as a “Bonus” gaming laptop under $800. It sports a 15.6-inch Full HD display at 1920 x 1080p Full HD resolution. The provided panel supports a faster 144Hz refresh rate, a game-changing feature for any gaming laptop to get a smooth performance. However, there are limited games available in the market that are playable at a high refresh rate. But it helps to get superior gaming operations.
- Display: 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080p (144Hz)
- Processor: Intel Core i5-12500H
- Graphics: Nvidia RTX 3050 4GB DRR6
- RAM: 8GB DDR4
- Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
The Acer Nitro 5 is powered by the 12th generation Intel Core i5-12500H processor with a 12-core CPU and 16 threads. The chipset belongs to the latest “Alder Lake” series, solely focused on heavy tasks, such as gaming and productivity. It is manufactured on a 14nm processing node offering a base clock speed of 3.30GHz, which can be overclocked up to 4.5GHz using Intel’s Turbo Boost technology. Alongside, the computer uses a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card coupled with 4GB GDDR6 Video RAM. The GPU can handle decent gaming stuff, and AAA titles are playable at low to medium settings.
Collectively, the gaming experience should be good, but for a professional gamer, you should increase your budget to at least $1500 for a premium gaming lineup. Regarding the memory, it offers 8GB DDR4 RAM combined with 512GB SSD storage. Frankly speaking, this amount of RAM & storage can be considered below average. But the company provides additional slots to extend it further. At the front portion, there is a backlit keyboard arriving with a single Red color. It is more than sufficient in this price range. Collectively, this is one of the finest gaming laptops for under 800 dollars running on the Windows 11 operating system out of the box. All the essential ports are available, along with WiFi 6 support.
Buying Guide – How to Choose a Laptop under $800 in 2024?
Here are a few important things you should take into consideration while buying any laptop under 800 dollars:
Processor
The Control Processing Unit (CPU), more commonly known as a processor, is crucial for any laptop available under $800 or any other price range. It is the primary processing source for any computing machine, which significantly impacts performance. So, a good-performing processor is a must-have; it doesn’t matter what your purpose behind buying a laptop is.
With a budget of USD 800, you should go for at least an Intel Core i5 processor, and the 13th generation is a common bet. However, there are 14th-generation processors also available that are slightly better, given the generational gap. On the other hand, AMD processors are widely popular for high-end machines. As per our recommendation, you should go for the Ryzen 7000 series, which is a greatly improved lineup using a highly power-efficient 7nm processing node. Both Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 are easily approachable for under $800.
GPU
The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), generally known as the graphics card, is another important component that helps process graphics data, as its name suggests. It becomes even more important for gaming & productivity laptops that solely depend on GPU units to perform graphics-intensive tasks. A dedicated graphics card is recommended for gaming and other graphics-hungry tasks because it reduces the reliance on traditional memory and comes with a dedicated VRAM.
Given the price range of $800, you can get a Nvidia RTX 4050 dedicated GPU for gaming laptops, while most other laptops rely on an integrated GPU. If you are looking for a laptop for general multitasking, the GPU is not that important for you. You can easily pick any laptop with an integrated graphics card. Nowadays, integrated units have been greatly improved and are capable of handling heavy graphics processing.
Memory & Storage
Random Access Memory (RAM) is another component that helps to process data. Indeed, it temporarily stores data and holds a significant role in optimal performance. A decent amount of RAM is essential to get smooth operations, especially for gaming laptops. The minimum requirement for any gaming laptop is 8GB, while the ideal choice is 16GB to avoid any potential bottleneck. Unfortunately, most gaming laptops are limited to 8GB, given the restricted price.
But the positive thing is that an additional slot is there to upgrade RAM. The upgrade process is straightforward; you can go to any repair shop and extend the RAM capacity by paying additional bucks. Besides, a storage drive is used to store data. More storage capacity means you can store more data internally. An ideal choice is around 512GB. But if any laptop offers 256GB SSD, it is not bad either if other offerings are transcendent.
Display
The display becomes important for its capabilities to visualize the output of a computer. Some of the features that matter a lot from a display perspective are refresh rate, brightness, resolution, and color accuracy. The standard brightness offered by most laptops is 250 nits. If any laptop surpasses this range, it is a great pick. If brightness matters a lot, you should pick a laptop with above 300-nits brightness. Moreover, a refresh rate is important for gaming laptops. Any display surpassing the standard 60Hz refresh rate is considered a high refresh-rate panel.
An ideal choice for a gaming laptop is to have a refresh rate above 120Hz. I don’t think there should be any problem with resolution as most of the laptops offer decent Full HD resolution. If there are better options available with high resolution, you can consider them. Lastly, color accuracy is important for productivity tasks. It generally measures sRGB, DCI P3 coverage, or in some cases, Adobe RGB. It should be at least 70-80% for decent color accuracy. But there are limited options available under $800.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a good gaming laptop for under $800?
Yes, you can surely get a very good gaming laptop for under $800 with a dedicated graphics card and best-in-class processor. But you shouldn’t expect high-end gaming at high settings.
What would be the recommended configurations under $800?
We recommend going with at least a 13th generation i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 processor, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB SSD storage, and a Full HD display. Apart from that, you can also consider a dedicated graphics card if you want to play gaming, while a portable design is suggested for casual users.
Conclusion – Which is the best laptop under $800?
In conclusion, you have already made up your mind if you have read the whole article. But if you specifically want to know which laptop is best in every category, here is our take. In my opinion, if you want a gaming laptop, you don’t have a better choice than the MSI Thin GF63, which arrives with the latest hardware, a high refresh rate, and a gaming-centric design. Alternatively, you can consider Acer Nitro 5, a more affordable laptop that slightly lags in the hardware department. For casual multitasking, Acer Aspire 5 shines tremendously because of its extraordinary specifications and very well-built super sleek metallic body.
Speaking of the other options, the HP ENVY X360 is the best convertible design with a flexible display that can bend up to 360 degrees. Basically, it comes with 2 in 1 mechanism that allows bending at a certain level to use as a tablet mode. Other notable options are the Samsung Galaxy Book3 for everyday multitasking, the Dell Inspiron 15, and the Asus Vivobook 15 are suitable for business purposes. Overall, each category has some nice options for you. The only deciding factor is what your requirements are. Do you think we have missed a worthy addition? You can write us in the below comment section!
