Best Budget Laptops for Students

In today’s digital age, laptops have become essential tools for students, helping them with research, assignments, and online learning. However, choosing the right laptop can be challenging, especially for students working within a budget. The best budget laptops offer a balance of performance, portability, and affordability, ensuring students can meet their academic needs without overspending.The budget laptop market has been flourishing of late, so there’s no shortage of options in the market. Students are one of the major target audience for such budget options, so this is a list of the best budget laptops for students, college, university or otherwise.

Factors to Consider

When selecting a budget laptop for students, several key aspects should be taken into account as we suggest:

1. Performance – A laptop with at least an Intel Core i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 processor ensures smooth operation for daily tasks.
2. RAM & Storage – A minimum of 8GB RAM allows multitasking, while a 256GB SSD or higher ensures fast boot times.
3. Display & Battery Life – A Full HD (1920×1080) display is ideal for reading and studying, and a battery life of 6–8 hours ensures portability.
4. Portability & Build Quality – A lightweight design and durable build make a laptop more student-friendly.

Top Budget Laptops for Students

Here are some excellent budget laptop options for students:

1. Acer Aspire 5 A515-58GM – Affordable yet powerful, with a 13th Gen Intel Core i5, NVIDIA RTX 2050 GPU, and 8GB RAM for multitasking.
2. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i – A reliable choice with 12th Gen Intel Core i3, 8GB RAM, and 512GB SSD, offering solid performance.
3. ASUS Vivobook 15 OLED (M1505) – With an OLED screen and AMD Ryzen 7 7730U, this is perfect for students who need a high-quality display.
4. HP Pavilion x360 2-in-1 – A convertible touchscreen laptop, useful for students who prefer flexibility.
5. MSI Bravo 15 B7ED-012IN – An AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS laptop with Radeon RX 6550M GPU, suitable for students who need extra power.
6. Dell Vostro 3520 –
7. Acer Aspire 7 A715-76G-59WG –
8. Infinix ZEROBOOK 13 ZL513 13th Gen Core i9-13900 –

Conclusion

Choosing the right budget laptop depends on a student’s specific needs, whether it’s for simple note-taking or more demanding tasks like video editing. By focusing on performance, battery life, and portability, students can find an affordable laptop that enhances their academic experience without straining their finances.

Here are some Best options available in India:

1.Acer Aspire 5 A515-58GM

Operating System:Windows 11 Home
Display Size :15.6
Processor :13th Gen Intel Core i5-1335U

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The Acer Aspire 5 A515-58GM is a budget-friendly gaming laptop that offers solid performance for students and casual gamers.the Acer Aspire 5 is a versatile and budget-friendly laptop that strikes a balance between performance and affordability. With a sleek and modern design, it features a 15.6-inch Full HD display that provides sharp visuals and vibrant colours. Powered by a range of Intel or AMD processors, it offers smooth multitasking and capable performance for everyday tasks, productivity, and entertainment. Here are its key specifications:

• Processor: 13th Gen Intel Core i5-1335U with a max turbo frequency of 4.6 GHz.
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050 with 4GB GDDR6 VRAM.
• RAM: 16GB DDR4, expandable up to 32GB.
• Storage: 512GB SSD, expandable up to 2TB.
• Display: 15.6-inch Full HD IPS with 144Hz refresh rate.
• Battery Life: Up to 6 hours.
• Operating System: Windows 11 Home.
• Weight: 1.78 kg, making it relatively portable.

2. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i

Operating System:Windows 11 Home
Display Size :15.6
Processor :12th Gen Intel Core i3-1215U

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The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i is a lightweight and budget-friendly laptop designed for students and professionals.with a 15.6-inch, full HD screen and an Intel Core i5 processor. Like other economy models, it’s not especially powerful or exciting, but the IdeaPad 3i provides decent performance and features (such as a 512GB instead of a skimpy 256GB solid-state drive) as an online- or homework-ready desktop alternative. Here are its key specifications:

• Processor: Up to 13th Gen Intel Core i5 for smooth performance.
• RAM: 8GB or 16GB DDR4, depending on the variant.
• Storage: 512GB SSD, ensuring fast boot times and responsiveness.
• Display: 15.6-inch Full HD IPS with narrow bezels for an immersive experience.
• Battery Life: Supports rapid charging, providing 2 hours of use on a 15-minute charge.
• Build & Portability: Military-grade durability, making it ideal for students on the go.
• Security Features: Fingerprint reader integrated with the power button and webcam privacy shutter.
• Audio & Connectivity: Dolby Audio, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.1 for seamless connectivity.

3.ASUS Vivobook 15 OLED (M1505)

Operating System:Windows 11 Home
Display Size :15.6
Processor :AMD Ryzen 7-7730U

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The ASUS Vivobook 15 OLED (M1505) is a stylish and powerful laptop designed for students and professionals who need a high-quality display and reliable performance.The ASUS Vivobook 15 OLED is a 15.6-inch laptop powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 7730U Processor. It features an FHD (1920 x 1080) OLED display with a 60Hz refresh rate. The laptop has up to 16GB DDR4 memory and a 512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 SSD. You get plenty of additional features, including a backlit keyboard, and support for Wi-Fi 6E. Also keep in mind that ASUS offers several variants of the ASUS Vivobook, including 14-inch variants as well as non-OLED display variants. Here are its key specifications:

• Processor: Up to AMD Ryzen 7 7730U, offering efficient multitasking.
• RAM: 16GB DDR4, ensuring smooth performance.
• Storage: 512GB SSD, providing fast boot times and responsiveness.
• Display: 15.6-inch Full HD OLED with 120Hz refresh rate, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, and 600 nits peak brightness for vibrant visuals.
• Battery Life: 50Wh battery, supporting fast charging.
• Build & Portability: 1.7 kg lightweight design, with a 180° lay-flat hinge for easy collaboration.
• Security Features: Fingerprint reader and webcam privacy shield.
• Audio & Connectivity: Dolby Audio, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.1 for seamless connectivity.

4.HP Pavilion x360 2-in-1

Operating System:Windows 11 Home
Display Size :15.6
Processor :12th Gen Intel Core i3-1215U

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The HP Pavilion x360 2-in-1 is a versatile convertible laptop designed for students and professionals who need flexibility and performance. The HP Pavilion x360 2-in-1 Laptop is a 14-inch laptop powered by the 12th Gen Intel Core i3 processor. It features an FHD (1920×1080) touchscreen display with Intel UMA Graphics.This is a budget, 2-in-1, touchscreen laptop, which used to be rare in this price segment as little as two years ago.  The laptop has 8 GB DDR4 memory and a 512 GB SSD. It operates on Windows 11 Home. The laptop includes a backlit keyboard, a fingerprint reader, a True Vision 5MP camera, and B&O Speakers.Here are its key specifications:

• Processor: Up to 13th Gen Intel Core i7 for smooth multitasking.
• RAM: 16GB DDR4, ensuring efficient performance.
• Storage: 512GB or 1TB SSD, providing fast boot times and responsiveness.
• Display: 14-inch Full HD touchscreen with Intel Iris Xe Graphics.
• Battery Life: Supports HP Fast Charge, recharging up to 50% in 45 minutes.
• Build & Portability: 360-degree hinge, allowing laptop, tablet, tent, and stand modes.
• Security Features: Fingerprint reader and HP True Vision 5MP camera with privacy shutter.
• Audio & Connectivity: Bang & Olufsen speakers, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.3.

5.MSI Bravo 15 B7ED-012IN

Operating System:Windows 11 Home
Display Size :15.6
Processor :AMD Ryzen 5-7535HS

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The MSI Bravo 15 B7ED-012IN is a budget-friendly gaming laptop that offers solid performance for students and casual gamers. The MSI Bravo 15 is powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS processor and features an AMD Radeon RX 6550M graphics card with 4GB GDDR6 memory which can handle many modern games at medium to high settings.The laptop has a 15.6-inch Full HD (1920×1080) display with a refresh rate of 144Hz. It comes with 8GB DDR5 RAM and a  512GB NVMe PCIe Gen4 SSD. The laptop supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth v5.3. It includes a backlit keyboard and a webcam with a resolution of 720p. The laptop has multiple ports including HDMI 2.1, USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, and USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C. Here are its key specifications:

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS with a max turbo frequency of 4.55 GHz.
• Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 6550M with 4GB GDDR6 VRAM.
• RAM: 8GB DDR5, expandable up to 64GB.
• Storage: 512GB SSD, with 2x M.2 SSD slots for expansion.
• Display: 15.6-inch Full HD IPS with 144Hz refresh rate.
• Battery Life: 3-cell battery, providing decent backup.
• Operating System: Windows 11 Home.
• Weight: 2.35 kg, making it slightly heavier but durable.
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and multiple USB ports

6.Dell Vostro 3520

Operating System:Windows 11 Home
Display Size :15.6
Processor :12th Gen Intel Core i5-1235U

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The Dell Vostro 3520 is a budget-friendly laptop designed for students and professionals who need reliable performance.the Dell Vostro 3520 is a 15.6-inch laptop powered by up to the 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1255U Processor. It features an FHD display with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate. The laptop has up to 16GB DDR4 memory and a 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD. It operates on Windows 11 Home. The laptop includes a backlit keyboard and supports Wi-Fi 6E. The laptop has a high screen-to-body ratio of approximately 79.5 percent, a fast charging feature, and an upgradable RAM. Here are its key specifications:

• Processor: Up to 12th Gen Intel Core i5 for smooth multitasking.
• RAM: 8GB DDR4, expandable up to 16GB.
• Storage: 512GB SSD, ensuring fast boot times and responsiveness.
• Display: 15.6-inch Full HD (1920×1080) IPS with 120Hz refresh rate.
• Battery Life: 3-cell 41Wh battery, providing decent backup.
• Build & Portability: 1.66 kg lightweight design, with narrow bezels for an immersive experience.
• Security Features: TPM 2.0 security chip and webcam privacy shutter.
• Audio & Connectivity: Stereo speakers, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.1.

7.Acer Aspire 7 A715-76G-59WG

Operating System:Windows 11 Home
Display Size :15.6
Processor :12th Gen Intel Core i5-12450H

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The Acer Aspire 7 A715-76G-59WG is a budget-friendly gaming laptop that offers solid performance for students and casual gamers.The Acer Aspire 7 is equipped with a 12th Gen Intel Core i5-12450H processor which offers solid overall performance. It also has an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050 graphics card with 4GB GDDR6 dedicated memory. The laptop features a 15.6-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) LCD with ComfyView (Matte) and In-plane Switching (IPS) Technology. It comes with 8GB DDR4 SDRAM, which is upgradeable. The storage capacity is 512GB, provided by a PCIe NVMe SSD. The laptop supports Wi-Fi 6E AX211 and Bluetooth 5.1. It includes a backlit keyboard. The laptop has multiple ports including HDMI, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, and USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C. Here are its key specifications:

• Processor: 12th Gen Intel Core i5-12450H, with a max turbo frequency of 4.4 GHz.
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050 with 4GB GDDR6 VRAM.
• RAM: 8GB DDR4, expandable up to 32GB.
• Storage: 512GB SSD, ensuring fast boot times and responsiveness.
• Display: 15.6-inch Full HD IPS with 144Hz refresh rate.
• Battery Life: 3-cell battery, providing decent backup.
• Operating System: Windows 11 Home.
• Weight: 2.1 kg, making it relatively portable.
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1, and multiple USB ports.

8.Infinix ZEROBOOK 13 ZL513 13th Gen Core i9-13900

Operating System:Windows 11 Home
Display Size :15.6
Processor :13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900H

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The Infinix ZEROBOOK 13 ZL513 is a powerful and stylish laptop designed for professionals and students who need high performance.The Infinix ZEROBOOK 13 is a 15.6-inch laptop powered by the 13th Gen Intel Core i7-13700H Processor. It features an Intel Iris Xe Graphics card, 16 GB LPDDR5 Memory, and a 1 TB NVMe SSD.The laptop operates on Windows 11 Home. It has a FHD display with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. It includes a backlit keyboard, and supports Wi-Fi 6E.Here are its key specifications:

• Processor: 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900H, with 14 cores and 20 threads.
• Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics (96EU) for smooth visuals.
• RAM: 32GB LPDDR5X, ensuring fast multitasking.
• Storage: 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, expandable up to 2TB.
• Display: 15.6-inch Full HD IPS, 400 nits brightness, 100% sRGB color gamut.
• Battery Life: 70Wh battery, supporting up to 13 hours of video playback.
• Build & Portability: 1.8 kg lightweight metal body, with a meteorite-inspired design.
• Special Features: Overboost switch for performance tuning, AI-enhanced webcam, and quad-array speakers.
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, USB-C, HDMI, and SD card slot.