While we were putting together this guide update, we noticed that pricing of laptops was fluctuating more than usual and prices of budget models (under $1,000) in particular were more expensive than weeks prior. With newer models coming out for the back to school season and in preparation for the holidays, we would normally expect prices to remain attractive for outgoing 2019 models. However we suspect that externalities -- tariffs and the tension in the US-China trade relationship -- could explain the higher than average pricing for many laptop models.
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Just because you’re paying under $1,000 for a laptop doesn’t mean you’ll be stuck with a dud. There are some good quality machines at around the $600 to $900 mark, and one of our favorites is the Asus ZenBook Pro UX333FA. With its almost non-exist bezels and small footprint, this ZenBook is one of the smallest 13-inch laptops around, and it weighs just 2.3 pounds. But that tiny chassis packs a i5-8265U, which offers a good price to performance ratio at ~$800. You also get 8GB of RAM and a 256GB PCIe SSD.
Like Asus’ more expensive ZenBook Pro 14, the UX333FA uses the company’s ErgoLift hinge, which elevates the keyboard section off your desk at an angle of three degrees when the lid is open, supposedly improving airflow, typing, and acoustics.
While you don’t get the “smart touchpad” ScreenPad, the touchpad here doubles as a numeric keypad while retaining its cursor function. And despite the small size, the laptop features a USB Type-C port, USB 3.1, USB 2.0, a MicroSD card reader, and even an HDMI port. Add to all this the amazing battery life, which goes on for over 11 hours, and the overall quality of the build, and you have an excellent machine for the price. If the display were only a little brighter, it would tick all the boxes.
Wallet-Friendly Choices
For something a little cheaper (~$600), check out another Asus machine: the VivoBook S S510UN has similar internals to the ZenBook, though you get an Nvidia MX150 discrete GPU and an older Kaby Lake Refresh Core i5-8250U. You also get good connectivity (USB 3.1, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, HDMI, and SD card), dual band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, a backlit keyboard, a fingerprint sensor in the touchpad and Windows Hello support. The display is a basic 15.6-inch 1080p LCD and the battery life is decent, but not outstanding. You do get slim bezels and the footprint reduction that comes with it, which is appreciated on a 15" class device that weights less than 4 pounds.
Another popular choice among budget laptops is the Acer Aspire E15 which has almost the same specs as the ZenBook but is over $200 cheaper. You do sacrifice looks, build and screen quality.