Best Laptop For Under 400 Dollars

best laptop for under 400 dollars
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With the growing number of laptops, finding the best laptop for under 400 dollars that suits your taste and needs is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Not to worry, we searched through the haystack for you and recommend Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop as the best laptop for under 400 dollars.

In coming up with the best laptop for under 400 dollars, we considered a few important factors.

Firstly, we checked the hardware, including the hard drive, quality of build, portability, and what users say.

Secondly, you know we have a thing for sleek and beautifully designed laptops, right?

All the laptops featured fit that that description as well.

Seriously, regardless of your budget, there’s always that perfect laptop for you in the market.

That perfect laptop is on this list if you need the best laptop for under 400 dollars.

Let’s dive right in.

Best Laptop For Under 400 Dollars

Comparison table of best laptops for under 400 dollars.

S/NProductImageSpecifications
1Acer Aspire 5Processor: AMD Ryzen 3
Display size: 15.6"
RAM: 4GB
Hard Disk: 128GB
Operating System: Windows 10 S
Weight: 3.97lbs
Battery life: Up to 7.5hrs
2Asus L203MAProcessor: Intel Celeron
Display size: 11.6"
RAM: 4GB
Hard Disk: 64GB
Operating System: Windows 10
Weight: 2.2lbs
Battery life: Up to 10hrs
3HP ChromebookProcessor: Intel Celeron N4000
Display size: 14"
RAM: 4GB
Hard Disk: 32GB
Operating System: Chrome
Weight: 3.24 lbs
Battery life: Up to 13.5hrs
4HP StreamProcessor: Intel Celeron N4000
Display size: 14"
RAM: 4GB
Hard Disk: 64GB
Operating System: Windows 10 Home
Weight: 3.96lbs
Battery life: Up to 14hrs
5Samsung ChromebookProcessor: Intel Celeron N4000
Display size: 11.6"
RAM: 4GB
Hard Disk: 64GB
Operating System: Chrome
Weight: 3.69lbs
Battery life: Up to 12.5hrs
6Acer ChromebookProcessor: Intel Celeron N3350
Display size: 14"
RAM: 4GB
Hard Disk: 32GB
Operating System: Windows 10
Weight: 3.09lbs
Battery life: Up to 12hrs
7Lenovo IdeaPad S150Processor: AMD A6-9220
Display size: 14"
RAM: 4GB
Hard Disk: 64GB
Operating System: Windows 10
Weight: 3.1lbs
Battery life: Up to 5hrs

Compare The Top 7 On One Page

1. Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop -Best Laptop For Under 400 Dollars

best laptop for under 400 dollarsPerfect for students and mobile professionals, Acer Aspire 5 is the best of them all. No hype.

If you truly need the best value for your money, you’d want to put Amazon on speed dial for this slim laptop.

Design and performance-wise, it trumps all.

Design

To begin with, the slim and sleek Acer is a beauty to behold.

Although it’s mostly plastic, the lid is given a beautiful aluminium finish.

Hence, it looks and feels like a premium laptop.

Screen

Secondly, it comes with a gorgeous 15.6″ 1920 x 1080 FHD LED-backlit IPS display.

It has widescreen technology.

Hence, you enjoy beautiful visuals from every angle.

Also, the Acer Color Intelligence and the Acer Bluelight Shield features take care of your eyes and provide a fantastic visual experience.

Keyboard

For a sub-400dollars laptop, the keyboard is surprisingly full size, smooth and responsive.

The backlight makes sure you enjoy your typing experience, even in dim/dark environments.

Hardware / Software / Connectivity

Additionally, this beauty is powered by AMD Ryzen 3 3200U Dual-Core processor (up to 3.5GHz).

Furthermore, it’s supported by 4GB RAM for a smooth experience and has 128GB SSD for your essential storage needs.

Although the RAM is limited, it can be swapped or upgraded.

Nonetheless, we still think this is impressive for a sub-400 dollars laptop.

Also, you have the option of using an external storage drive to support your storage needs.

The inbuilt Acer TrueHarmony audio system provides you with an amazing multimedia experience.

Furthermore, the available ports are 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1, 2 x USB 2.0, headphone/microphone jack, RJ45, power input, and 1 x HDMI with HDCP support.

It has no SD card slot and comes with Windows 10 in S mode.

Weight

It weighs 3.97 lbs and is easy to tote around, either in your backpack or bag.

Battery

The battery lasts up to 7.5 hrs.

PROS

  • Compact
  • Very affordable
  • Sleek and sturdy
  • Full-sized keyboard
  • Bright display

CONS

  • Heavy.

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2. ASUS L203MA VivoBook -2nd Best Laptop For Under 400 Dollars

best laptop for under 400The first runner up on our list is this cute Asus Vivobook. Everything reinforces its choice as the 2nd best laptop for under 400 dollars.

It’s also one of the best laptops for students, professionals, and travellers who desire a compact and light laptop.

Design

Asus L203MA is very portable, light, and small.

Secondly, the design is minimalistic, and we seem to think the manufacturer focussed mainly on weight savings.

Furthermore, it features a 180-degree hinge that makes it flexible enough to be used as a notebook.

Screen

It comes with a very decent 11.6″ HD 1366 x 768 (max. 1920 x 1080) display.

The visuals are fair in output with decent clarity.

Keyboard

Not minding the small size, Asus comes with a full-sized keyboard.

Despite the small size of the laptop, the keyboard doesn’t feel cramped in any way.

Also, it has 1.6mm key travel and a very decent trackpad that’s responsive.

Hardware / Software / Connectivity

Although Asus isn’t a performance beast, it’s well able to take care of your daily tasks and entertainment.

It runs on Intel Celeron N4000 Dual-Core processor, up to 2.6GHz, and Intel UHD 600 Graphics.

Bootup is in seconds.

Also, it comes with 4GB LPDDR4 RAM and 64GB eMMC. You can get yourself a mini SD card to store your pictures, videos, and other files as needed.

Furthermore, it comes with Windows 10 OS in S mode.

Of course, you can easily and freely take this off for a more flexible and efficient OS of your choice.

Interestingly also, you get a free Microsoft Office 365 for one year with your purchase.

Now, we think that’s a good deal for a sub-400 laptop.

It comes with 1 x USB Type-C, 2 x USB 3.1 Type-A, HDMI, and a MicroSD Reader for connectivity.

Weight

Very slim and portable, it weighs a very light 2.2lbs.

Battery

It has an impressive battery life of up to 10 hours.

PROS

  • Very light and portable
  • Affordable
  • Sleek design
  • Great keyboard

CONS

  • Unable to run intense programs

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3. HP Chromebook

best laptop for under 400 dollarsHP Chromebook is rightly one of the best laptops for under 400 dollars; you’d get to understand why a few lines down.

It’s designed for work, entertainment, school, and everything else.

Design

Chromebooks come in compact casings, and this is no different.

The design is sleek, compact, and responsive.

The mineral silver colour gives it the look of premium luxury.

Screen

Furthermore, it has a 14inch diagonal HD SVA 1366 x 768 display with an 82% screen to body ratio for a completely immersive experience.

Visuals are as sharp as you can get from a budget Chromebook.

Also, it comes with Anti-Glare and WLED-backlight.

Interestingly, it also has low halogen, mercury-free backlight, and arsenic-free display glass as part of its features.

Keyboard

You can literally keep typing all day long without tiring out on the smooth backlit keyboard.

The keys are soft and springing, while the trackpad is very responsive.

In addition to that, the touchpad has a multi-touch feature that supports 4 finger gestures.

Hardware / Software / Connectivity

Going further, the laptop comes with Intel Celeron N4000 Dual-Core processor with a clockable speed of 1.1GHz (and a maximum of 2.6GHz).

You might find the 4GB RAM and 32GB eMMC limiting, but the storage can be supported by external drives or cloud storage solutions.

Although you’ll have to limit the number of processes you work on per time, it can still handle simple multitasking.

Also, it comes with 1 x USB Type-C port, 1 x USB Type-A, Audio B&O for a great audio experience, 1 x HDMI, built-in webcam, and digital media card reader.

Weight

It weighs 3.24 lbs.

Battery

The battery life of up to 13.5 hrs is one of the best features of this laptop.

PROS

  • Portable and slim
  • Affordable
  • Soft keys and a responsive trackpad

CONS

  • Unable to multitask or run intense programs

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4. HP Stream Laptop 

best laptop for under 400 dollarsThis is another beautiful HP laptop featured as one of the best laptops for under 400 dollars.

HP, being a reliable brand, keeps churning out reliable budget laptops, and we are all for them.

Design

In design, it’s thin, lightweight, and portable.

And yes, it’s bold too.

We particularly love the unconventional rose gold colour. It’s unique.

Screen

It has a 14″ diagonal HD display with a BrightView panel and 178-degree viewing angle.

Bright, clear pictures in HD details of 1 million pixels provide a beautiful visual experience.

Keyboard

The keyboard is very decent and smooth.

Also, the keys have just the right amount of click and spring.

Hardware / Software / Connectivity

Pushing this sleek HP Stream is the fast Intel Celeron N4000 dual-core processor.

Also, you have 4GB RAM as well as 64GB eMMC.

The storage doubles that of the Chromebook, but you’d still have to go easy on multitasking on this as well.

And of course, it won’t handle intense gaming activities as it’s not designed for such.

Worthy of mention is that you also have 1 full year of access to the entire Microsoft Office suite (Excel, Word, etc.) and 1TB OneDrive Storage.

With this, your productivity improves greatly.

Furthermore, it comes with Windows 10 Home in S mode, which you can always disable.

The HP BIOS protection feature automatically checks PC health and recovers itself even without you knowing.

To connect, you have an HDMI port, 1 x USB 2.0, 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1, Media reader, Headphone/microphone combo, and jack.

Weight

It weighs 3.96 lbs.

Battery

The battery will practically take you through the whole day.

At up to 14hours, HP keeps raising the bar in battery performance.

Very impressive.

PROS

  • Attractive and sleek design
  • Smooth keyboard
  • Impressive battery life

CONS

  • No Bluetooth

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5. Samsung Chromebook

best laptop for under 400 dollarsBesides its sleek look, the Samsung Chromebook 14inch is a winner and one of the best laptops for under 400 dollars.

Design

It’s slim, light, sleek, beautiful, compact, and comes in a muted silver colour.

More importantly, it has military-grade durability.

Hence, you’re assured of its ability to withstand bumps, drops, tears, and wears without buckling.

Screen

Furthermore, it features a cute 11.6 HD 1366 x 768 HD LED display.

Although the visuals are crisp and sharp enough for the price point, you wouldn’t expect the resolution to be as beautiful as a 1080p system.

Keyboard

Besides, it comes with a full-sized keyboard and trackpad, which are both responsive and smooth.

Hardware / Software / Connectivity

Furthermore, it runs on the Intel Celeron N4000 processor, efficient enough for a sub-400 dollars laptop.

With 4GB RAM and 64GB eMMC storage, your basic computing and entertainment needs are well taken care of.

However, you’ll not be able to do heavy multitasking on this without slowing down or lagging.

Also, it has advanced security with in-built virus protection in multiple layers.

Hence, you’re protected against malicious attacks.

For connectivity, there are various options, such as the ultrafast Gigabit WiFi, which allows you to download and stream your favourite videos at the speed of light.

Furthermore, there’s the power port, USB, and a microphone/audio jack combo.

Finally, it runs on Chrome OS.

Weight

For an 11inch system, it weighs a hefty 3.69 lbs.

Battery

To cap it all, it has a long battery life of 12.5 hrs.

PROS

  • Compact and sleek
  • Efficient processor
  • Good keyboard
  • Built-in antivirus protection

CONS

  • Poor resolution

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6. Acer Chromebook 514

best laptop for under 400 dollarsThe second Acer on our laptop is the smooth and compact Acer Chromebook.

Design

Keeping up with contemporary Acer design, this Chromebook is beautiful, sleek, and slim.

Also, it comes in a smooth chassis with a clean aluminium finish.

Screen

It features a 14 inch Full HD 1920 x 1080 widescreen IPS LED-backlit display.

Whichever angle you’re viewing from gives you the perfect view with very clear and bright images.

Keyboard

Also, the keyboard comes with a backlight.

Hence, you can work anytime in any environment.

Hardware / Software / Connectivity

Also, this Chromebook is driven by the efficient Intel Celeron N3350 dual-core processor up to 2.4GHz.

It has 4GB RAM and 32GB eMMC, which might be a bit stifling, especially if you’re a very heavy user.

In addition to that, it comes with built-in offline storage access for your important files.

Also, you get an additional 100GB Google Drive space.

Hence, all your files are automatically backed up.

Like all Chromebooks, it runs on Google Chrome OS, which is perfect for the way we run our lives today.

Additionally, it comes with in-built virus protection, which automatically updates itself.

Hence, you’re protected without lifting a finger.

You have HDMI, Bluetooth, USB Type A, USB Type C, power port, WiFi, and audio/microphone combo jack for connectivity.

This is a terrific deal if you ask us.

Weight

It weighs 3.09lbs, still light enough o be taken around without hassles.

Battery

Impressively, the battery lasts up to 12 hrs.

PROS

  • Attractive design
  • Sleek and slim
  • Affordable
  • Great screen resolution
  • A good number of ports
  • Smooth keyboard
  • Impressive battery life.

CONS

  • Limited memory and storage

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7. Lenovo IdeaPad S150

best laptop for under 400 dollarsThe last on our list is the Lenovo IdeaPad.

It made it here as one of the best laptops for under 400 dollars for several good reasons besides being super affordable.

Design

The design is awesome; it’s the first thing that strikes you on setting your eyes on it.

For instance, the nice metal finish of the chassis gives the laptop a very sophisticated and elegant look and feel.

Screen

It has a 14 inch HD 1366 x 768 display, decently bright, clear, and sharp enough for your basic tasks.

Keyboard

Going further, the keyboard is very solid, responsive, and smooth.

Also, the layout is great, and the trackpad decent.

Hardware / Software / Connectivity

Powering the Lenovo IdeaPad is the decent AMD A6-9220e dual-core processor with a frequency speed of up to 2.4GHz.

AMD has its limitation and is not as fast as Intel, so if you require a high-speed laptop, you’d have to go with any of the other laptops running on Intel.

However, the startup is fast, and you’d have no trouble starting and completing your basic tasks.

Furthermore, it has 4GB inbuilt RAM and 64GB eMMC storage.

Also, you can connect through any of the available ports, which are 1 x HDMI, 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1, Card reader, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.

Finally, it comes pre-installed with Windows 10 Home, which is known to be the cleanest, fastest, and most intuitive version of Windows.

Weight

It weighs 3.1 lbs, very lightweight.

Battery

About the only thing we don’t like about Lenovo IdeaPad is the abysmal battery life of 5 hrs.

PROS

  • Beautiful design
  • Portable and light
  • Decent screen
  • Solid keyboard

CONS

  • Average battery life (5 Hours)
  • No USB Type-C port

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Conclusion -Best Laptop For Under 400 Dollars

Finally, there are thousands of portable laptops in a wide array of dizzying specifications, and you don’t need to break the bank to get a great one.

With our recommendation, you get to save yourself hundreds of dollars and still have this high-performance and impressively slim Acer in your hands.

Click here to buy on Amazon today.