Top 10 laptops under $1000 in 2021
The best laptops under 1000 dollars can offer top performances and excellent battery life. Usually, laptops under 1000 dollars are considered as mid-range devices and often as budget laptops. If you are looking for a really good deals check the best budget laptops under 800 dollars. Dozens of great laptops will satisfy your needs for a long time in this price range and you don’t need to go broke to get one. Today you can find a great business laptop or an excellent gaming laptop. Some of the laptops on the list are almost in the competition for the best gaming laptops in 2021. Also, there are several 2-in-1 laptops under 1,000 dollars that will transform your laptop into a tablet.
As previously stated laptops under $1000 are somewhat of budget laptops. That means that you will need to sacrifice some of the specifications and performances according to your needs, but you will still get a great laptop. If you need a gaming laptop you will need to choose a laptop with a smaller screen size to get top gaming performances. The best laptop under 1000 bucks usually do not have a 17.1″ screen size, but it will have other great specifications. If you need a business laptop and you are spending a lot of time outdoors and commuting you will need a laptop with excellent battery life and with a high brightness screen, therefore it is advisable to pay attention to this specs.
| Image | Name | Screen | Processor | Memory | Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dell XPS 13 | 13.4″ | i5 | 8GB | SEE ON AMAZON | |
| Asus ZenBook 13 | 13.3″ | i7 | 16GB | SEE ON AMAZON | |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 7 | 12.3″ | i5 | 8GB | SEE ON AMAZON | |
| Lenovo Legion 5 | 15.6″ | Ryzen 7 | 8GB | SEE ON AMAZON | |
| Dell G5 15 | 15.6″ | i7 | 16GB | SEE ON AMAZON | |
| Asus Vivobook | 15.6″ | i7 | 16GB | SEE ON AMAZON | |
| Acer Aspire 7 | 15.6″ | Ryzen 5 | 8GB | SEE ON AMAZON | |
| Apple MacBook Air | 13″ | i3 | 8GB | SEE ON AMAZON | |
| Acer Nitro 5 | 15.6″ | i7 | 16GB | SEE ON AMAZON | |
| Asus Rog | 15.6″ | i7 | 8GB | SEE ON AMAZON |
| Dell XPS 13 | SEE ON AMAZON |
| Asus ZenBook 13 | SEE ON AMAZON |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 7 | SEE ON AMAZON |
| Lenovo Legion 5 | SEE ON AMAZON |
| Dell G5 15 | SEE ON AMAZON |
| Asus Vivobook | SEE ON AMAZON |
| Acer Aspire 7 | SEE ON AMAZON |
| Apple MacBook Air | SEE ON AMAZON |
| Acer Nitro 5 | SEE ON AMAZON |
| Asus Rog | SEE ON AMAZON |
I have tried to pick the best laptop in several categories such are gaming, working, 2-in1 or casual laptops that cost under $1000. Each laptop is laid out with the pros and cons regarding its category so that you can choose the best laptop according to your needs. In my opinion, best overall laptop in this price category is Lenovo Legion 5. This is the Gizmo Knight’s list of top ten laptops under $1000 which is updated in October 2021. Check my list of the best gaming TVs if you want to connect your laptop to a TV.
Dell XPS 13 review
Best touchscreen laptop under 1000 dollars
Dell XPS7390 specifications:
- 10th Gen Intel i5-10210U
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB SSD
- 13.3″ Touchscreen InfinityEdge Full HD (1920 x 1080)
- Windows 10 Home
- Battery: up to 16 hours
Excellent display
Quality design
Great battery life
Very slim
Portable
Scant on ports
No dedicated graphic card
Dell XPS 13 is one of the company’s flagship notebooks. Even if this variant, under $1,000, it is still one of the top picks. It has plenty to offer. The screen’s bezels are so thin, that users have a feeling of using an 11″ laptop instead of a 13″ laptop. In addition to thin bezels, this version even has a web-camera on the top bezel. The 1920×1200 touchscreen display is excellent and bright. It is an exceptional option if you are using laptops outside often, for example, if you are using it often during the commute.
It is a very lightweight laptop. It weighs only 2.7 pounds (1.2 kgs), so it is super easy to put it in your bag and take it everywhere with you. Even in the small package, it comes with excellent underhood specifications. This version has a 10th generation i-5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD hard drive storage. Battery life is one of the best of the pack. Nominally it is around 16 hours, but it shows that usually, it lasts approximately nine hours which is an excellent performance, more than enough for a long and productive day. It also comes with both facial recognition and fingerprint scanner for fast logins.
Premium laptop in this price category must come with a couple of downsizes. It doesn’t come with the dedicated graphic card, but with onboard Intel UHD chipset. The keyboard is some sort of shallower. It has two USB-C ports, but it doesn’t have any USB-A ports. It would be very nice to have at least one USB-A port for older devices.
In conclusion, Dell XPS 13 is an excellent, portable laptop with great performances and battery life. It is one of the best touchscreen laptops under 1000 dollars.
Asus ZenBook 13 review
One of the best laptops under 1000 dollars for college
Asus UX333FA ZenBook 13 specifications:
- 8th-Gen Intel Core i7-8565U
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- 13.3″ (1920 x 1080) display
- Windows 10 Professional
- Battery: up to 14 hours
- Touchpad with numeric pads
Excellent battery life
Premium build quality
Beautiful design
Numerical keyboard on touchpad
Excellent performances
Military-grade durability certification
No dedicated graphic card
Numpad on the touchpad can be easily mistakenly turned on
Premium build quality and sleek design are first to notice on Asus ZenBook 13. At 2.6 pounds (~ 1.2 kg) Asus ZenBook 13 is just a bit thicker than its main competitor Dell XPS 13. Also, this laptop is very small, beautifully designed and it is a great portable ultrabook with premium battery life. The nominal specification, regarding the battery, is 14 hours. But it shows that the battery lasts for more than ten hours, which is an excellent result and enough for a long and productive day.
Under the hood shines respectable performances. It has 8th-Gen Intel Core i7-8565U CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. With an excellent 1920 x 1080 13.3″ screen this notebook is everything you will need. In addition to great performances, another great feature is a numerical keypad on the touchpad which can be very useful.
Same as for its main competitor Dell XPS 13, premium laptop in this price range don’t come with a couple of downsizes. Also, Asus ZenBook 13 doesn’t come with a dedicated graphics card. Thunderbolt 3 port will be a useful addition, similarly, speakers could be a bit better.
Asus ZenBook 13 has a military-grade level durability certification. For instance, this means that it will withstand extreme temperatures, humidity, altitudes, and even drops and vibrations. This feature is usually reserved for pricier, business-grade laptops. Above all, Asus ZenBook 13 is an outstanding option for a portable, everyday laptop and definitely one of the best laptops under $1000 for college.
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 review
Best 2-in-1 laptop under $1000
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 specifications:
- 2-in-1 laptop
- 10th Gen Intel Core i5
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB SSD
- 12.3″ touchscreen (2736 x 1824) display
- Windows 10 Home
- Battery: up to 10 hours
Exceptional screen resolution (2736 x 1824)
10th gen processor
Very good keyboard
USB-C port
Fast battery charge
Metal chassis
Pen and type cover costs extra
Not so great battery life
If you are surfing the web for the best cheap laptop under $1,000, in most lists you will find Microsoft Surface Pro. And that is well deserved. This laptop is 2-in- 1 (tablet and laptop in one) laptop to beat. In its last iteration, Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is upgraded with the 10th gen Intel processor. It has a vivid display with an excellent resolution of 2736 x 1824. This version comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD. A good addition is that the USB-C port has been added.
Unfortunately, there are several downsides to this model. SSD storage is very expensive. Version with 128GB of SSD costs around $750, and if you want a 256GB version it will costs you just a bit under $1000. However, I will not recommend buying a 128GB version. Battery life, for this kind of laptop, is very low. Specifications lists it is around 10 hours, but under a regular workload, it will last less than 8 hours. The type cover and the Surface Pen are sold separately for around $160.
Microsoft Surface Pro is only 0.3″ thin and it weighs 1.7 pounds (2.4 with the keyboard attached). Even with the mentioned flaws, especially with some sort of lower battery life, it is one of the best 2-in-1 laptops on the market.
Lenovo Legion 5 review
Best overall pick – best gaming laptop under $1000
Lenovo Legion 5 specifications:
- AMD Ryzen 7-4800H octa-core processor
- 8GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR6
- 15.6″ 1920 x 1080 120Hz screen
- Windows 10 Home
- Battery: around 7 hours
Very quiet and not getting overheated
Respectable battery life
Excellent performances
Good speakers
Very nice and practical design
Plastic case
No USB-C and card reader
When looking for a laptop which you will use for occasional gaming, you should be looking for good performances, a solid cooling system (ventilators), and that it doesn’t make a big noise. With Lenovo Legion 5 you will get all the above.
Lenovo Legion 5 has an AMD Ryzen 7-4800H Octa-core processor that will offer stellar performances. It has 8GB RAM. RAM should be bigger, at least 16GB, but that version is going above the $1000 price mark. 512GB of SSD should be enough. 15.6″ display with the resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and 120HZ is very good.
The build quality and design are exceptional. The keyboard is excellent, especially the size and location of the arrow keys. Performances are great. The configuration is enough to run the latest video games. Personally, the main reason to buy Lenovo Legion 5 is that it doesn’t get overheated on heavy loads and it is very quiet. The design is excellent. It doesn’t come with any gaming accents or RGB lights, but it can be additionally bought. I like it like that. It is much more convenient if you are using a laptop on more formal occasions. The standard offer has a white-backlit keyboard which is very useful. Battery life is exceptional for this kind of laptop, it will last for over 7 hours. The sound speakers are excellent.
There are only a few of downsizes. It doesn’t have the USB-C port and the rubber coating should be of better quality. Also, the power button is always illuminated, which can be inconvenient in the dark environment because it is positioned just under the screen.
Overall, Lenovo Legion 5 is an excellent gaming laptop with great performances and excellent battery life. I consider Lenovo Legion 5 as a best laptop to buy for under $1000 currently. It has a good build quality, nice design, big screen, excellent performance, and good battery life. Lenovo Legion 5 is one of the best gaming laptops under 1000 dollars.
Dell G5 15 review
Another great gaming laptop under 1000 dollars
Dell G5 15 Gaming Laptop specifications:
- 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750H
- NVIDIA GTX 1650
- 16GB RAM
- 256GB RAM
- 1TB SATA HDD
- 15.6″ (1920 x 1080) 60Hz display
- Windows 10 Home
- Battery: up to 6-8 hours
Excellent performances
Very good battery life
Great graphics for budget gaming
60fps in most AAA games
Great port combinations
Plastic case
Dim display
Dell G5 15 Gaming Laptops is one of the best budget gaming options out there. This version comes with a 9th generation i7 processor with six cores, 16GB of RAM, and NVIDIA GTX 1650 which is some sort of common for budget gaming laptops. That combination offers really solid gaming performances. Most of the AAA titles will run in 60fps. Also, it comes with an excellent port selection including Thunderbolt 3. It is important to notice that the laptop is not overheating under heavy load.
Like most budget gaming laptops, it comes with several downsides. Usually, in this price category, you cannot expect to have a premium build case. This one also is made of plastic. The display is some sort of dim and in this version it has a refresh rate of 60 Hz Cooling fans are pretty noisy. But, if I need to choose better to be noisy then the overheating laptop. The battery in this version is 60Wh which will provide you with around three to four hours of browsing, and around 6 hours of watching movies. Unfortunately, you will not be able to play video games while the battery is unplugged.
Overall, Dell G5 15 is a gaming laptop with stunning performances and if you choose it over Lenovo Legion 5 you will not make a mistake.
Asus Vivobook review
Excellent combination of professional and gaming laptop
ASUS Vivobook K571 specifications:
- 15.6″ (1920 x 1080) 120Hz display
- 9th gen Intel Core i7-9750H CPU
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
- 16GB RAM
- 256GB SSD storage
- 1TB SATA HDD
- Windows 10 Home
- Battery: around 4 hours
Great display screen with a good refresh rate
Excellent performances both in gaming and casual use
Very good combination of ports
Nice design
Poor battery life
Overheating a bit
With Vivobook Asus tried to make a laptop for both professional, more formal use and a gaming laptop. Something similar to what Acer trying to achieve with the Aspire series. And they are both succeeding in that try.
Asus Vivobook has a very nice, stylish design that reminds of the ZenBook series. It is powered with a strong 9th gen Intel Core i7-9750H processor with six cores. The graphic processing unit is NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 with 4GB of RAM, some sort of standard with best gaming laptops under $1000. It has 16GB of RAM which is highly appreciated and 256GB of SSD storage with 1TB of hard SATA drive. With the combination of an excellent 15.6″ display, Asus Vivobook has stellar gaming performances.
But, similarly to the Aspire series, when you are trying to put a gaming configuration with a strong i7-9759 processor in a professional, mostly plastic case, you may suffer from overheating. In heavy load, during the gameplay, the keyboard may be heated to 50-celsius degrees. Battery life is not good. Vivobook comes with a 42 Wh battery. It will allow you around 3 to 4 hours of browsing the web. Serious gaming is impossible while unplugged.
In conclusion, with Asus Vivobook you will get amazing performances packed in business, professional style case. It is a great combination for users that need a business laptop for occasional gaming but it will come with a couple of mentioned flaws.
Acer Aspire 7 review
Good casual gaming option with an excellent price
Acer Aspire 7 A715-41G-R7X4 specifications:
- AMD Ryzen 5 3550H quad-core
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
- 8GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- 15.6″ (1920 x 1080) display
- Windows 10 Home
- Battery life: up to 7 hours
Very good performances
Good battery life for this configuration
Combination of ports
Excellent price
Good build quality
Overheating problems and noisy
Bad screen
Similar to Asus Vivobook, Acer tried to make a laptop with great performances for casual gaming with a professional design. This version of Acer Aspire 7 has achieved that all with the lowest price on the list.
It comes with AMD Ryzen 5 3550H quad-core processor which has lower performances than the i7 processor in Vivobook and has less RAM. It has 8GB RAM. But it comes with larger SSD storage, 512GB compared to 256GB. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have an additional SATA HDD. For this kind of configuration, it has a very good battery life. The dedicated graphic processing unit is NVIDIA 1650 with 4GB of RAM, which is a standard in the mid-range laptops.
The downsides are noticeable poorer display screen. It has serious issues with red color. The second main problem is overheating under heavy use during gaming. It is also a bit noisy under heavy use.
As you can see, this laptop has lower performances than the previously reviewed Vivobook laptop. But it is around $250 cheaper. So, if you need a budget laptop for casual gaming, this version of Acer Aspire 7 is the right choice for you.
Apple MacBook Air review
Beautiful design and excellent quality build
Apple MacBook Air specifications:
- 10th gen i3 dual core processor
- 13.3″ display
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB SSD storage
- Battery: up to 11 hours
Great build quality
Excellent keyboard
Super battery life
Lightweight design
Good port options
Not great computing power
Heating on heavy loads
What kind of list it will be without mentioning the Apple MacBook Air. Lates edition has better computing power in 10th generation Intel processors. This specific model has a dual-core Intel i3 processor. I would strongly recommend, if you are able, to spend 200 bucks more for a quad-core Intel i5 processor.
The latest edition has two Thunderbolt 3 ports, an improved keyboard, and Iris Plus graphics, which means that the display is in 6k now. Unfortunately, the display doesn’t have a touchscreen. A normal workload that usually consists of opening a few apps and browsing the web will give you up to 5 hours of battery life.
As previously mentioned computing power is not the best. And during the heavy workload, MacBook Air can get heated. Also, a web camera could be of better quality.
With Apple MacBook Air you are sure about what are you getting. You will get a durable, and exceptionally quality build laptop. But, like with everything it has its price and that is computing power for this version under 1000 dollars.
Acer Nitro 5 review
The best gaming laptop under 1,000 dollars
Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop (AN515-54-728C) specifications:
- 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750H
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB VRAM
- 16GB RAM
- 256GB SSD storage
- Windows 10 Home
- Battery: up to 8 hours
- 15.6″ display
Excellent configuration
Great performances
Best graphics card on the list
Great keyboard
Respectable battery life
144Hz display
Loud fans
Plastic case
Overheating problems
This version of the Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop has the best dedicated graphics card on the list. Acer Nitro 5 is probably one of the best gaming laptops under 1000 dollars in 2021. It is using NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 with 6GB of VRAM. In combination with the 9th generation i7 processor, it will give exceptional gaming performances for this price range. In combination with a 144Hz 15.6″ display, it will provide a really solid gaming experience.
The keyboard is one of the strongest points of this laptop. It is built with exceptional quality. Battery life is pretty reasonable for this strong configuration.
Like other strong, gaming laptops in this price range, it suffers from common flaws. The case is mostly built of plastics, and it doesn’t look the like last generation gaming laptops. Unfortunately, the fans are pretty loud, but what is most important it often gets overheated. Especially on heavy workloads during playing the latest games.
Overall, this version of the Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop is an excellent choice with a strong dedicated graphics processing unit. But, considering the heating problems I will give an advantage to Lenovo Legion 5. Acer Nitro 5 has its own issues, but definitely belongs on the list of the best gaming laptops under 1000 bucks.
Asus Rog review
Asus Rog specifications:
- Intel Hexa-Core i7-9750H 9th gen
- 8GB RAM
- 256 SSD storage
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
- 15.6″ 60Hz display
- Windows 10
Build quality
Good design, proper cooling
Respectable performances
Very good keyboard
No Thunderbolt 3
Missing a web cam
The last laptop on this list is yet another budget, mid-range laptop. Asus Rog G531GT has a 9th gen i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 with 4GB of VRAM. That is providing solid performances common for budget, mid-range laptops in his class. Due to a weaker graphic card than Acer’s Nitro 5 the performances are a bit lower. But, thankfully for better cooling and fan system, it doesn’t suffer from overheating which is incredibly important for long gaming sessions.
The quality of the design is excellent, which is shown in the good keyboard and very good cooling system. But this version comes with only 256GB of storage and without SATA HDD, that potentially could be a problem. Also, there is no webcam due to thin screen bezels. It some sort lacks in ports variety. There is no Thunderbolt 3 port and card reader.
This version of Asus Rog, even if it, not the best gaming laptop or the best overall laptop on the list, is an excellent offer for the price.
How to choose the best laptop under 1000 dollars
To find the best laptop, which falls in this category of budget, mid-range laptops around 1,000 bucks, you have to ask yourself a question – for what will I use that laptop? If you can answer that question clearly, if you know your needs, selecting the proper laptop will be easy for you.
All notebooks, in this list of best laptops under 1000 dollars, are exceptional, all have their strengths, but also weaknesses. If you want a laptop for occasional gaming, that laptop will have a strong CPU and a dedicated graphics card that will drain battery life. In that case, you will need to sacrifice portability a bit so you can enjoy gaming the latest AAA titles. But, if you need a portable and durable laptop, that is easy to put it in your bag, with long battery life and good build quality, I would for sure choose a laptop with a 13.3″ screen, without a dedicated graphics card.
What is your budget?
Of course, the final decision will depend on your budget. In this list, I have tried to pick exceptional laptops that fall in the price category of under 1000 bucks. So most of them cost between $850 and $1000. I can recommend Asus Aspire 7, as the cheapest option. You will get a nice looking laptop with excellent performance that cost around $750. It is important to mention that with the most laptops from the list, the configuration is not final. You can opt for a different, weaker setup if you want to hunt real cheap laptops.
What specs are important for the best laptops under 1000 dollars?
So, if you decide to opt for a different configuration where you can cut specs to get a better price? CPU is the brain of the computer, the most important part. It will define the quality of your work or gaming on the laptop. I would not recommend going lower than the i5 processor or the Ryzen 5. The only exception is for the Apple MacBook Air. It already goes with the cheapest i3 processor, but it is the 10th generation one.
The second most important thing, for laptops around 1000 dollars, regarding the specs, is RAM. RAM is a fast memory, how much your computer can memorize while computing the current tasks. Either if you are working in some demanding app, or if you are playing AAA title, all the data required to execute the current task will be stored in the RAM. So, if you do not have enough RAM tasks will be run significantly slower, and nobody doesn’t want that. The better is, of course, higher. I would not recommend going lower than 8GB, and 16GB is advisable.
Storage from every laptop on the list is SSD (Solid State Drive). That is basically a flash memory, similar to one in USB. It is significantly faster than SATA HDD, which uses mechanical parts to locate the data. Most of the laptops from the list have 256GB of SSD, but I would recommend 512GB and I would even recommend an additional HDD where you can store multimedia data (pictures, videos, and similar). Two laptops from the list have an additional HDD, Dell G5 15, and Asus Vivobook. I would recommend Dell G5 15 as a better pick of the two.
If you want to connect your laptop with a TV check out my list of the best budget 4K gaming TVs.
Do I need a dedicated graphics card?
Well, if you want to play video games on your new notebook, then you will need it. It is also recommended for video and photo editing, although none of the laptops don’t have a bigger than 17″ screen, which is recommended for video or photo editing. Almost every laptop with a dedicated graphics card has NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 with 4GB of VRAM, which is some sort of a standard for mid-range gaming laptops. But, Acer Nitro 5 has an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 with 6GB of VRAM. That setup is providing the best performances for the gaming experience. Unfortunately, as a medium tier gaming laptop, it lacks a proper cooling for the strong specs and it may get overheated.
What is important for portability?
If you are not interested in playing the latest AAA gaming titles, and you want a portable laptop with long battery life, then you do not need a dedicated graphics card. Most best laptops under 1000 dollars doesn’t have a dedicated graphics card. Therefore, you need to look for a lightweight laptop, with a smaller screen and a long battery life. Since you are planning to carry your laptop often with you, it must be durable and with good build quality. I would recommend Dell XPS 13, Asus ZenBook 13, Microsoft Surface Pro, and Apple MacBook Air. All of them have smaller 12″ or 13″ screens. Excellent and stylish design, very good build quality, and long battery life. Here, I will pick Asus ZenBook 13 as the best option, especially for students. While Microsoft Surface Pro is the best 2-in-1 option, a laptop that can transform into a tablet.
How big a display do I need?
Last, but not least – the display. For a portable laptops under 1000 bucks, that you will often use outdoors, you will need a bright display. For example, Dell XPS 13 has an excellent and bright display. If you need a gaming laptop, then you will choose a 15.6″ screen on which you can enjoy watching movies also. It is worth mentioning to pay attention to the screen resolution. The higher the better, and do not go under 1920 x 1080 pixels. None of the above laptops don’t have a lower resolution than that.
And the winner is…
My pick, as overall top laptop under 1000 dollars is Lenovo Legion 5. This laptop is the best in most categories. It has a nice and quality design, a good 15.6″ screen, and excellent computing and gaming performances. What is most important for laptops in mid-range and such strong configuration is a cooling system. The laptop must be quiet under heavy load during the game sessions and it must not get overheated. The keyboard mustn’t get overheated during playing your favorite AAA gaming titles. Also, what is important, is that Lenovo Legion 5 has a respectable long battery life for its strong configuration.
If you need a portable laptop, in that case, I would recommend Asus ZenBook 13. It is a beautiful, exceptional built laptop with long battery life and an excellent 13.3″ screen. It has a military degree certificate for build quality which is important for portable laptops.
