The 4 Best Laptops Under $700 - Spring 2024 Reviews

The best laptop under $700 we've tested is the Acer Swift 3 14 (2020), a 14-inch Windows ultraportable. Its thin and light design makes it easy to carry around for school or work, and its battery lasts nearly 14 hours of light use, so you won't need to bring a charger. You can configure it with an Intel 11th Gen Core i5 or i7 CPU and up to 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage. Intel's 11th Gen processors perform well and can easily handle light tasks like text processing, web browsing, spreadsheets, and video playback. Its 1080p IPS display looks sharp and provides enough room for light multitasking, but it doesn't get very bright, so it isn't ideal for well-lit or sunny environments. Another downside is its terrible 720p webcam.

If you're in the United States, the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M1, 2020) is also a great option to consider. Its regular price is $999, but since its discontinuation, Walmart and Best Buy are selling their remaining stock for less than $700 USD (base model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage). The build quality is industry-leading, and Apple's M1 SoC still feels snappy almost four years after its debut. You also get Apple's amazing haptic touchpad, an excellent webcam, and full-sounding speakers. Unfortunately, port selection is where it falls short, as it only has two USB-Cs with support for a single external monitor.

Our best under-$700 Chromebook pick is the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022). Before we get into the smaller details, it's worth noting that the newer 2023 version of this laptop is actually cheaper and easier to find, with the 256GB storage model going for as low as $520 USD (at the time of writing) on Best Buy. You can also get it from Amazon for less than $700 USD. While we haven't tested this newer model, it's very similar to its 2022 predecessor, sporting the same thin and light design, an FHD+ display with pen input support, and Thunderbolt 4 support. It still comes with a stylus that you can dock into the side of the laptop, though the pen doesn't feel particularly comfortable to use. As for the upgrades, they include a faster Intel 13th Gen CPU and a higher-resolution 1440p webcam. Performance is likely excellent based on the 2022 Intel 12th Gen model, as the U-series processors are more than fast enough to handle anything you'd want to do on a Chromebook.

The HP Victus 15 (2022) is our best gaming pick. For under $700 USD, you can get a model with an Intel Core i5-12500H CPU, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 GPU, 8GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and a 60Hz FHD display. This CPU/GPU combo provides a relatively solid 60 fps gaming experience at 1080p, though you'll have to tweak the graphical settings a bit to get there. Its 8GB RAM amount isn't ideal for gaming, as it'll significantly impact performance, but thankfully, you can upgrade the memory yourself. Doing so might end up being cheaper, anyway. You'll also want to upgrade the storage drive, as 512GB isn't much these days. The biggest downside is the 60Hz display—you're better off plugging it into an external monitor.

As for the overall build, this laptop feels sturdy despite its all-plastic construction. The keyboard feels spacious and reasonably tactile, and the port selection is varied, including a true HDMI and Ethernet port. There are no biometrics like a fingerprint sensor or facial recognition camera, though we don't really expect it at this price range. Unfortunately, this laptop isn't very portable, as it's rather bulky and heavy, and like most laptops with a discreet GPU, the battery lasts only an hour or so when gaming.

The best 2-in-1 tablet we've tested is the Microsoft Surface Go 3 (2021), a super compact and lightweight 10.5-inch tablet with a built-in kickstand and detachable keyboard. Its 1080p display looks very sharp and gets bright enough to combat glare, and above it sits an excellent 1080p webcam for video calls. There's also an IR camera for quick logins via Windows Hello facial recognition. The type cover keyboard protects the display during transport and feels surprisingly comfortable to type on. The downside is that you have to buy it separately.

As for the configuration, we recommend the Core i3 model with 8GB of RAM, as it'll give you a smoother experience with fewer slowdowns than the base model with a Pentium Gold CPU and 4GB of memory. As it's a very compact device with a small battery, you can expect it to last about seven hours of light use on a full charge. Another downside of such a compact device is its limited port selection. You only get a single USB-C port that supports charging and video output (not Thunderbolt), an SD card reader, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and Microsoft's proprietary Surface Connect charging port.

Another device to consider is the flagship Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021). Since this is an older model, and there's a newer Surface Pro 9, you can often find the base Core i5 model on sale for around $700. Naturally, it's a significantly better device than the Surface Go 3. It has a bigger, sharper, brighter display, more processing power, and a second USB-C port with Thunderbolt 4 support. Also, the keyboard feels more comfortable to type on because it's more spacious. The catch is that the $700 price tag doesn't include the keyboard, so if you want the whole package, you'll have to spend more.