Best Sub-$1,000 Laptops of 2020

If you’re in the market for a new laptop, you have plenty of interesting devices to choose from. Whether you have a low budget or can shoot for the stars, there is a lot available, from $200 to $5000. Of course, most will be shopping somewhere in the middle, with $1,000 a good price point for most customers.

At around $1,000, you get a pick of laptops that will give you stellar performance, quality battery uptime, and 2-in-1 portability. If you want to do more demanding tasks, such as editing or gaming, you may have to break beyond $1,000 for the best experience. Alternatively, if all you want to do is watch Netflix, browse the internet, play the Pennsylvania lottery online, or get some school work done, a sub-$500 laptop will do the job.

Still, for perhaps the all-round best mix of performance and price, a $1,000 budget is a good bet. Below are some of the best laptops you can buy for under that magic number.

Dell XPS 13
dell xps 13
Dell’s XPS series regularly tops laptop best-of lists for a reason. These machines are well-made, have sold specs at each price tier, and quality performance. Even the baby of the Dell XPS 13 range checks all these boxes. Costing just under $1,000, this is a relatively basic configuration on paper. For this money, you get an Intel Core i3-1005G1 CPU; 4GB RAM; 256 SSD; 13.4-inch, and 1920 X 1200 Infinity Edge display. That screen is stunning, and the 2.9 pounds chassis is slim and elegant… and you’ll also get 11 hours of battery.

Asus ZenBook 13 UX331FA
zenbook
Asus is increasingly positioning itself in the top bracket of laptop manufacturers. With the ZenBook 13, the company has hit a home run that combines affordability with excellent specs and performance. It is also more affordable than the Dell XPS 13, arguably has better specs, but is not quite the same all-round package. That said, the US331FA model delivers big time on the day-to-day stuff most people want thanks to its standout specs that comprise of an Intel Core i5-8265U; 8GB RAM; 256GB SSD; and 13.3-inch 1080p display.

MacBook Air
macbook air
Many people believe you must break above the $1,000 price point to get a good MacBook, but that’s not entirely true. While the entry-level MacBook Air won’t help you out with intensive tasks, it is a solid all-round laptop and retains the amazing looks Apple machines are known for. This device is well spec’d, but as always, it’s the way Apple makes the most of performance thanks to its sleek operating system that makes the MacBook Air an excellent laptop. Specs include a Tenth-generation Intel Core i3 processor, backlit keyboard, 356GB SSD, and 8GB of RAM.

Dell G7 15
dell g7 15
No list of laptops would be complete without including at least one gaming machine. Of course, finding a solid gaming laptop below $1,000 is easier said than done and usually means you’ll have to make some compromises. While there are some notable devices in this bracket, the Dell G7 15 probably does the best at minimizing any concessions. It comes with an Intel Core i5-8300H; 8GB RAM; 1TB hard drive; Nvidia GTX 1050; 15-inch 1080p display, allowing you to run most games on solid settings. Don’t expect peak gaming performance and you’ll be impressed by the G7’s tasteful design and robust performance. If you’re willing to break around $50 above $1,000, you can get the Nvidia GTX 1060 configuration for better gaming capabilities.