Finding a reliable laptop under $500 in the USA has become easier in 2025 thanks to brands like HP, Acer, Dell, and ASUS offering powerful machines at budget-friendly prices. Whether you’re a student, office user, content creator, or someone who needs a dependable laptop for everyday tasks, the models listed below offer great performance, long battery life, and premium features—all without crossing the $500 price range.
Based on the latest available laptop models online, here are the Top 5 Best Affordable Laptops in USA (2025) you can confidently buy.
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1. HP 15.6-inch Laptop (15-fc0399nr)
Best Overall Budget Touchscreen Laptop
The HP 15.6-inch Touchscreen Laptop stands out because of its premium feel and reliable performance. With a large HD touchscreen display and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320U processor, this laptop handles daily tasks smoothly, whether it’s browsing, Zoom meetings, college assignments, or office work. The design is sleek, lightweight, and perfect for work-from-home users or students.
Why it’s a top pick?
- Touchscreen display in budget segment
- Powerful Ryzen 3 7320U chip
- Fast loading with 256GB SSD
- Smooth multitasking with 8GB RAM
- Perfect for school, office, and home users
Key Specifications:
- Display: 15.6” HD Touchscreen
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 3 7320U
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 256GB SSD
- Graphics: AMD Radeon
- OS: Windows 11 Home
- Color: Natural Silver
Amazon Link:
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2. Acer Aspire 3 A315-24P-R7VH
Best Slim Laptop for Students & Work
Acer Aspire 3 has always been a reliable series, and this 2025 model takes it even further. The Slim A315 model features the same AMD Ryzen 3 7320U processor but in a lightweight and modern design. The 15.6″ Full HD display offers crisp visuals, while the LPDDR5 RAM ensures faster multitasking compared to older DDR4 laptops.
Why you’ll love it:
- Full HD display for sharp clarity
- Smooth multitasking with LPDDR5 RAM
- Slim and portable design
- Wi-Fi 6 support for fast connectivity
- Great for students, freelancers, and office users
Key Specifications:
- Display: 15.6” Full HD
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 3 7320U
- RAM: 8GB LPDDR5
- Storage: 128GB NVMe SSD
- Graphics: AMD Radeon
- OS: Windows 11
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6
Amazon Link:
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3. Dell 15 Laptop (DC15250)
Best Budget Laptop with 120Hz Display
Dell offers one of the best deals under $500 with this 15-inch model featuring a rare 120Hz Full HD display, making everything smoother—scrolling, browsing, and media viewing. Powered by the new Intel Core 3 100U processor, this laptop delivers reliable performance for daily tasks and multitasking. With 512GB SSD storage, you get more space than most laptops in this range.
Why it stands out:
- 120Hz refresh rate — extremely rare in budget laptops
- Huge 512GB SSD
- Fast Intel Core 3 100U processor
- Great build quality with Onsite Service from Dell
Key Specifications:
- Display: 15.6” FHD, 120Hz
- Processor: Intel Core 3 100U
- RAM: 8GB DDR4
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics
- OS: Windows 11 Home
- Color: Carbon Black
Amazon Link:
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4. ASUS Vivobook 14 (i3-1215U, 16GB RAM)
Best Laptop for Heavy Multitasking
This ASUS Vivobook is an amazing choice if you want more RAM and storage without crossing the $500 budget. It features a 12th Gen Intel i3-1215U processor, which is faster than most Ryzen 3 or entry-level Intel chips. What makes it special is the 16GB RAM + 512GB SSD, making it perfect for users who multitask heavily—video calls, browsing, streaming, and office work all at the same time.
Why this one is powerful:
- 16GB RAM — best in this entire list
- 512GB SSD — large space & fast loading
- Latest Intel processor
- Crisp Full HD display
- Perfect for students, business users, and multitaskers
Key Specifications:
- Display: 14” Full HD
- Processor: Intel i3-1215U
- RAM: 16GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, HDMI
- OS: Windows 11 Home
- Color: Blue
Amazon Link:
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5. ASUS Vivobook Go 15 (Ryzen 5 7520U)
Best Performance Laptop Under $500
The ASUS Vivobook Go 15 with AMD Ryzen 5 7520U is a performance beast in this price range. It’s fast, power-efficient, and comes with impressive features like military-grade durability, fast charging, and a built-in webcam shield for privacy. With 8GB RAM and 512GB SSD, this laptop gives excellent speed for everyday tasks, office work, and even light creative tasks.
Why it’s highly recommended:
- Powerful Ryzen 5 7520U processor
- Military-grade durability
- Fast charging support
- Webcam shield for privacy
- Great for work, travel & entertainment
Key Specifications:
- Display: 15.6”
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 7520U
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Features: Privacy webcam shield, fast charging
- OS: Windows 11 Home
- Color: Cool Silver
Amazon Link:
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Recommendation
| Best For | Laptop |
|---|---|
| Best overall value | HP 15.6″ Touchscreen |
| Best slim design | Acer Aspire 3 |
| Best display | Dell 15 (120Hz) |
| Best multitasking | ASUS Vivobook 14 (16GB RAM) |
| Best performance | ASUS Vivobook Go 15 (Ryzen 5) |
All these laptops offer excellent performance under $500, making them ideal for school, work-from-home, online classes, and everyday tasks.
FAQ
1. Which laptop is best under $500 in the USA?
The HP 15.6-inch Touchscreen Laptop (Ryzen 3 7320U) is the best all-round laptop under $500 thanks to its touchscreen, fast SSD, and reliable performance.
2. Can I use these laptops for online classes?
Yes. All five laptops—HP, Acer, Dell, and ASUS models—are perfect for Zoom, Google Classroom, and everyday study tasks.
3. Which laptop is best for multitasking?
The ASUS Vivobook 14 with Intel i3-1215U and 16GB RAM is the best option for heavy multitasking under $500.
4. Are these laptops good for gaming?
These laptops can handle light, casual gaming but are not designed for heavy AAA gaming since they use integrated graphics.
5. Is 8GB RAM enough for daily use?
Yes. For browsing, online classes, MS Office, videos, and light multitasking, 8GB RAM is enough.
If you want smoother performance, the ASUS Vivobook 14 (16GB RAM) is the best choice.
6. Which laptop has the best storage?
The Dell 15 Laptop (DC15250) and ASUS Vivobook 14 both offer 512GB SSD, the largest storage in this list.
7. Are these laptops good for office or work-from-home?
Absolutely. All five laptops offer smooth performance for email, spreadsheets, video calls, presentations, and multitasking.
8. Do these laptops support Windows 11?
Yes. Every laptop in this list comes with Windows 11 Home pre-installed.