Best laptops for basic use: Recommended top 5 basic laptops!

There are many budget laptops out there, and while most people, especially non tech savvy people,  won’t spend much time thinking which laptop to get for basic everyday use, it doesn’t mean that you should go for the first option within your budget. Some budget laptops are “better” than others, and some can be more suitable for certain users.

If you’re on the hunt for a new laptop for basic home use, we are here to help! But before we show you our recommended budget laptops list, let’s first talk about the things you should take into consideration, along with some questions you should ask yourself:

First of all, define what basic use means to YOU: the meaning of term “basic use” can vary from one person to another. For very basic home users (browsing the internet and word processing), most budget laptops can be suitable, and even Chromebooks can be considered in this case. On the other hand, if you have more specific needs, you should take the time to list all the things you’d want to do with your laptop before making a purchase: for example, if you mainly use your laptop as a multimedia device for watching movies, you’d be better off looking for laptops with the best screens; if you need portability, there are quite a few budget laptops that offer a good battery life. For more information, you can read our full guide on how to choose a laptop here.

Now, let’s have a look at some of the best laptops for basic use as of November 2018:

Acer Aspire E 15 E5-576-392H: Great value laptop for basic use and serious work

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If you’re looking for a reliable well built and well priced laptop, then the Aspire E 15 E5-576-392H should be on your short list. And with the 2018 refresh, the Aspire E 15 E5-576-392H offers even more for the money: a 8^th generation i3- 8130U processor, 6GB of RAM, 1TB hard drive, a full HD screen,  a great keyboard….and the list goes on.  Not only is the Aspire e15 a perfect laptop for basic home use, but it can also handle serious productivity and multitasking, and it’s also recommended for students on a budget.

And in case you want to upgrade the performance, the Aspire E 15 E5-576-392H also offers a free M2 slot to add an SSD later, and the RAM is upgradable as well.

Another huge selling factor for the Aspire e 15 is its great battery life. While the actual battery life will depend on what you use the laptop for, with basic use, you can easily get 10 hours of run time before you’ll need to plug in the charger.

Asus Vivobook F510UA-AH51: a premium looking budget laptop

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The Asus VivoBook F510UA packs an 8th Generation Intel Core i5-8250U processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 1TB hard drive. The i5 8250U is a quad core CPU that not only can easily handle all of your daily computing tasks, but also tackle more demanding ones such as photo or video editing. And like the Aspire E15, the VivoBook F510UA comes with free slots for RAM and an M2 SATA drive.

The Vivobook F510UA also comes in slim metal looking body, that makes you question if it’s really a budget laptop. And despite the fact that it’s a 15 inch laptop, its actual footprint is comparable to a 14 inch device. Asus achieved this by reducing the bezels around the screen. The Vivobook F510 is thinner and lighter than most of its competitors.

The IPS display on the F510UA has a Full HD resolution, and comes with a matte finish. Color accuracy is good, contrasts are deep, and viewing angles are simply generous considering the price tag.

ASUS Chromebook C202SA-YS01:  A reliable Chromebook that is built to last

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It’s very rare that we feature a Chromebook on our lists, but the Asus Chromebook C202SA-YS01 has quite a few things to offer if you don’t necessarily need a windows laptop. This 11 inch laptop comes with an Intel Celeron processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of Storage, and a durable body.

The Asus Chromebook C202SA-YS01 is a perfect fit if you’re looking for a basic laptop for kids, or even older adults. It is also very robust, and thanks to reinforced rubber guards, it can also survive a 3.9 feet fall.

There is also another reason why the Asus C202SA-YS01 is recommended for basic users: the price! This thing costs less than 200 dollars and with the Black Friday discounts you can even get for much cheaper.

Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17: For basic users and multimedia consumption

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For those of you who want a bigger screen, but don’t want to spend a lot of money on a premium laptop; here is the Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17.  It comes with an 8^th generation Intel i5 8250U processor, 8GB of RAM, Intel integrated graphics, and a 1TB hard drive. The IdeaPad 330-17 is not only for basic home use, but it can also be used as your primarily computer in case you need a reliable desktop replacement.

The IdeaPad 330-17 also comes with a big 17,3 inch display, and while it doesn’t come with a full HD resolution, it still manages to produce a vivid and sharp pictures: which simply makes it a good fit if you love watching movies on your laptop.

Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-53V6:  A budget laptop that offers a lot for the money

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Last but not the least, is the Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-53V6. Well, this is not exactly a laptop for basic users, but rather for those who are not sure which laptop to get, or for those who want a laptop that can tackle serious tasks when needed. And in both cases, you cannot go wrong with the Aspire 5 A515-51G-53V6. This laptop simply offers a great bang for the bucks: a powerful 8th generation I5 processor, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB solid state drive and a dedicated GeForce MX150. The aspire 5 is one of the best options out there, if you’re looking for value.

The Aspire 5 also sports a sleek and eye pleasing design, and the build quality is superior to its cousin the E15.