The laptop industry has been booming for a good part of a decade now, owing to the fast-paced lifestyle of netizens. Since its advent, innovation in portable computing has seen a constant endeavor of technology to improve performance while reducing footprint.
This has, however, come at a cost as better technology has increased the prices at which end users can own gadgets and devices with the latest technology.
Currently, the market is flooded with laptops in a thin and light form factor for which users are charged a premium, but did you know there are still many devices that you can own on the cheap, and many of them come with the latest specifications as well?
In this article we’ll discuss some of the cheapest 17-inch laptops that offer great value. A 17-inch laptop provides you with more screen real estate, meaning that you can view more windows or use larger text without having to squint or move the window around.
Table of Contents
Cheapest 17-inch Laptops Compared
| Image | Product | Details | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| HP 17 (2021) | Display: HD+ BrightView Display, 1600 x 900 Processor: AMD Athlon Silver 3050U 2.3GHz Memory: 4GB DDR4 SDRAM Graphics: AMD Radeon Graphics Storage: 256GB SSD | Check on Amazon | |
 | Asus VivoBook 17 (2021) | Display: FHD IPS LED Display Processor: AMD Ryzen 3250U 2.6GHz Memory: 8GB DDR4 SDRAM Graphics: AMD Radeon Graphics Storage: 256GB SSD | Check on Amazon |
| Acer Aspire 3 | Display: HD+ Display, 1600 x 900 Processor: Intel Core i5-1035G1, 3.6GHz Memory: 8GB DDR4 SDRAM Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics Storage: 1TB HDD | Check on Amazon | |
 | HP 17z (2021) | Display: HD+ Display, 1600 x 900 Processor: AMD Athlon Gold 3150U, 2.4GHz Memory: 8GB DDR4 SDRAM Graphics: AMD Radeon Graphics Storage: 256GB SSD | Check on Amazon |
 | HP 17 CN0021NR | Display: HD+ Display, Processor: Intel Core i3-1135G7, 4.20GHz Memory: 8GB DDR4 SDRAM Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics Storage: 256GB SSD | Check on Amazon |
 | Asus VivoBook 17 S712 | Display: FHD Display Processor: AMD Ryzen 3 3250U, 4.10GHz Memory: 8GB DDR4 SDRAM Graphics: Radeon Vega 3 Graphics Storage: 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD | Check on Amazon |
Quality on a Budget
Getting cheap laptops does not necessarily mean you have to compromise with quality or go for devices with hugely outdated specifications. There are ample entry-level processors available from both Intel and AMD that conform to the latest standards and manufacturers in their bid to provide laptops for a wide range of laptops across different budgets, equip their products with hardware that offers decent performance at a low-price bracket.
Here are the things you should expect from a laptop available at a low-price bracket.
Processors
While you would not be getting chart-breaking processors in a budget category laptop, you can still lay your hands on some of the latest and some older generation processors that would offer good performance in regular day-to-day tasks. These processors would have a lower clock and boost speed than their costlier counterparts, making them excellent candidates for education and entertainment-focused devices. You might not be able to run heavy applications and have to resort to online solutions more than locally installed applications.
Older processors might make for an excellent value for money option as with new releases, older hardware is made available at cut-price deals to clear out old inventory, and it’s easy to spot laptops with just one or two generations older processors. These were once considered in the mid-budget segment but are now made available in the low-budget segment to make space for new inventory.
Build
The latest trend with laptops is going thin and light. However, this inclination amongst manufacturers has a lot to do with them cutting costs under the pretext of going trendy. If you are a person who values utility more than a trend, you should have no issues picking up a slightly bulky device with a two-year-old flagship. These laptops can take a punch and are suited for heavy use.
If you are a gamer, you should choose a laptop built for heavy use as the latest sleek devices on thinner form factors might not be suitable for aggressive gaming.
Memory
Manufacturers keep the prices of budget segment devices low with lesser capacity memory modules. Keeping the usage in mind, most cheap laptops should come with a minimum of 4GB and a maximum of 8GB DDR4 memory. Since these laptops are not built for heavy usage, there might not be free slots for upgrades, and the RAM might come soldered from the OEM to reduce costs further.
Storage
Cheap laptops would not have high-capacity storage, and at most, you can expect a 1TB HDD or a lower capacity SSD under the hood. If you can go back a couple of generations, you might spot a laptop with an optical drive that you can swap out for an HDD to increase the storage capacity.
Connectivity Options
Thankfully like processors and motherboards, physical connectivity options like USB or wireless protocols do not go outdated within a couple of years. Most budget and older generation laptops would have plenty of physical ports and support the latest wireless standards.
Cheapest 17-Inch Laptops – Our Picks
1. HP 17 (2021)
The HP 17 (2021) comes in an elegant silver-colored brushed finished design with a big screen and fast-charging battery. This laptop is best for users looking to go trendy on a strict budget as the laptop’s overall design oozes elegance. It is not a slim device and comes with all the regular physical ports making it an excellent value for money option for users.
The new HP laptop uses an AMD Athlon Silver 3050U processor launched in the middle of 2020. It isn’t a multi-threading enabled processor with just two physical cores and two threads with a base clock of just 2.3GHz and a boost clock of 3.2GHz. The L1, L2, and L3 caches are set at 192KB, 1MB, and 4MB, respectively. The processor is meant for light usage such as regular entertainment and browsing the internet.
The CPU has a maximum configurable TDP of 25W and supports all popular 64bit OS up to Windows 10. Onboard dual-core Radeon graphics processor manages graphics with a maximum frequency of 1100 Mhz. Maximum supported memory capacity is low at just 4GB, and the mainboard comes with a single 4GB module clocking 2400MHz.
Fast charging on budget laptops makes an excellent value for money feature
The HP 17 (2021) comes with a 17.3-inch HD+ BrightView Display panel that supports a maximum resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels. The bezels are a bit on the thinner side, with a webcam on the top edge along with two microphones. Movies and entertainment are a pleasure on the laptop with extremely limited gaming capabilities. The only storage you get is a PCIe-powered 256GB NVMe M.2 SSD with no scope for connecting additional drives.
Connectivity features are abundant with a pair of SuperSpeed USB Type ports on each side, an HDMI 1.4b port, and a SuperSpeed USB Type C port on the left, along with a 3.5mm headphone jack. Wireless connectivity is managed by the combo of Realtek Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. The physical network port is missing. Low TDP processor and Windows on S mode allow for a good 7-hour battery life from the li-ion cells. The laptop also supports fast charging through its smart pin charger that needs 45 minutes to charge a completely drained battery up to 50 percent.
- Fast Charging Battery
- Decent Processor Base and Boost Clock
- Latest Wireless Protocols
- Elegant Finish
- Low Physical Memory and Storage
- No Upgrade Options
The HP 17 (2021) is the cheapest of the lot but comes with just a year old specifications. Its build is premium with elegant looks and has all the necessary connectivity features. The hardware inside is good, mostly for entertainment and browsing purposes. It has limited storage, and hence most productivity would be restricted to using online tools such as Google Docs and Sheets instead of locally installed MS Office. Due to a non-hyperthreading processor, multitasking could be an issue with this laptop.
2. ASUS VivoBook 17 (2021)
Priced slightly higher than the HP above is the 17-inch Asus VivoBook (2021). This laptop is a good upgrade on the cheap with better specification in almost every department. The laptop is neat and sharp in terms of looks and comes with a slightly tapering design that brings a bit of the trendy slim factor into its design. This design also allows for several connectivity ports to be included in the build.
The laptop comes with a lift-hinge design that props up the keyboard for a smooth typing experience on its chiclet-style keyboard. The keyboard is backlit and comes with a stiff membrane underneath that results in noiseless typing. Keys are adequately spaced and feature a full-sized number pad. The VivoBook scores the most with its Full HD IPS display with good color distribution and high clarity but a low peak brightness of 250nits. Colors come out smooth, and watching movies or light editing on the display is a pleasure. The bezels are uniform all around, with a 720p camera on the top bezel.
Small physical storage drives on devices with no user upgradeability, limits how long you can use laptop
The Asus VivoBook has a Ryzen 3 3250U processor at its heart that is very good at multitasking on a budget. The processor, launched in the latter half of 2020, comes with two multi-threading enabled cores and four threads to execute multiple tasks simultaneously. It has a base clock of 2.6GHz and an almost 1GHz more boost clock. The cache memories and TDP numbers are, however same as the Athlon Silver 3050U above.
Where the processor shines better than the Athlon Silver is with its graphics handling. A triple-core graphics processor running at an impressive 1200MHz allows light gaming with the Asus VivoBook. Content creation is limited to light photo editing. You can run most office applications and expect the laptop to perform decently owing to the multi-threading enabled processor and the 8GB DDR4 memory that comes built-in.
The VivoBook comes with a flash-based 256GB SSD that can be swapped for a higher capacity drive and good upgrade options with a free SATA 2.5 HDD slot. On the left, there are two regular USB 2.0 ports and a Kensington lock port. On the right, there is a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port, a USB 3.2 Type-A port, an HDMI port, a MicroSD card reader, and a 3.5mm headphone jack combo. There is Wi-Fi 5 and Dual-Band Bluetooth 4.2 for wireless connectivity but physical LAN port is missing.
- Hyperthreading Enabled Processor
- 8GB DDR4 Memory
- Memory and Storage Upgrade Options
- Backlit Keyboard
- Good Battery Life
- Flimsy Build
- Low Internal Storage
Overall, the VivoBook is an excellent home theatre PC suited for entertainment, web browsing, and light productivity. It has a powerful processor in the low-budget category and 8GB memory, making it an excellent device for multitasking in the $600 segment. The display produces good colors, and the in-built graphics accelerator allows light gaming and content creation. The upgrade options are the USP of the laptop that allows users to add another 8GB memory and a 2.5-inch HDD for more storage.
3. Acer Aspire 3 (A315-5)
Available for similar prices as the VivoBook is the Aspire 3 from Acer. This laptop comes with a single-generation older Intel ultra-budget processor and a feature almost obsolete nowadays, a DVD RW Optical Drive. The Acer lags a lot from its counterparts in terms of styling. It has a black plastic body that lacks any texture and comes with a matte finish. It is thick at the edges and bulky to hold when the lid is closed. However, all it lacks in style, it makes up for in performance.
The Acer Aspire 3 is a classic example of a powerful yesteryear device available on the cheap due to its dated hardware. It comes with an Intel Core i5-1035G1 processor launched towards the end of 2019 and is optimized for low-budget mobile computing products like laptops and tablets and 8GB DDR4 memory. The value for money quotient can be understood from the fact that the i5-1035G1 is a quad-core, hyperthreading enabled processor that is excellent for multitasking. It can take heavy loads and perform well in typical multitasking scenarios with a low maximum TDP of 25-watts.
Older laptops with a few generation old hardware is usually available for cheap
The processor supports 3200MHz memory and has a boost clock of 3.2GHz. The Acer Aspire 3 has Intel UHD managing the visuals and hence does poorly in graphics-intensive tasks like content creation and gaming. The 6MB cache memory makes the laptop fast and responsive in regular entertainment and light productivity usage. You can have multiple browser tabs open and work on MS Excel at the same time.
Speaking of Excel, the laptop comes with a terabyte of HDD space for installing heavy applications locally and a DVD RW that you can swap for more storage. The display is bright, but the maximum supported resolution is low at 1600 x 900 pixels. Overall image quality on the panel is good for a cheap laptop for you to enjoy multimedia content. The bezels around the display, especially on the bottom, are extremely thick, with a webcam sitting on top along with a microphone for recording audio. Although it comes in a bulky frame, the weight is adequately low at just 3 kilograms.
Keyboard performance is decent with the laptop featuring a full-sized number pad and rounded-off keys that ensure adequate spacing between the keys. The touchpad is very responsive but oddly placed a tad to the left, making it difficult for users to access the number pad without lifting their hands. Connectivity-wise, there are two USB 2.0 Ports at each side of the edges and a single USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A Port on the left. There is an HDMI 1.4 port, a combo Headphone/Microphone Jack, and a TWE Wireless Mouse port on the left. In the absence of a physical network port, Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 provides network and wireless internet connectivity.
- 1TB HDD Storage
- DVDRW Optical Drive
- Powerful Quad-Core Processor
- Uninspiring Design
- Thick Bezels Around the Display
The Acer Aspire 3 is a fairly powerful laptop with a processor that can handle multitasking. It is a great device for both entertainment and productivity. Graphics capabilities are fairly limited as Intel UDH is never known to be good at gaming or content creation. The optical drive is a nice addition in the $600 price range. The laptop should offer decent battery backup and good portability, with the entire unit weighing around 3 kilograms.
4. HP 17z (2021)
Another cheap laptop from HP is the HP 17z (2021) that is available in two color schemes, an all-black, and a dual-tone black and white. The laptop comes in a textured body with edges that taper out. The textures are uniform all over the plastic body and give a matt finish to the laptop. On raising the lid, the first thing you would notice is the extremely thin side bezels and a fairly thin top and a bottom bezel around the display, which is a rarity in low-budget offerings. The top bezel houses an HD webcam along with dual microphones.
The HP 17z comes with a 3rd Generation AMD Athlon Gold 3150U processor designed for low-budget laptops. The processor, launched around the same time as the Silver 3050U, offers multi-threaded performance in small-budget mobile devices. It is a dual-core multi-threading enabled chip with a base clock of 2.4GHz and a boost clock of 3.3GHz. The laptop comes with an onboard 8GB DDR4 memory that aids users in accessing multiple applications at once during heavy usage.
The four threads offer decent multi-threaded performance but do not expect it to excel in heavy office productivity. Like most laptops in the low-budget segment, the HP17z-ca200 is best for light use and good at regular entertainment and casual gaming. Graphics capabilities are in-built and use the same processor die to provide visuals. The graphics clock is set at a meager 1000MHz with only three cores offering just enough juice for watching content online and editing HD or Full HD images.
The HP 17z comes with an HD+ SVA Anti-Glare WLED display with a maximum resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels and an aspect ratio of 16:9. The display has adequate color coverage but low peak brightness of 250 nits. HP’s BrightView panel somewhat counters the lack of brightness in most of its budget offerings. The laptop comes with a 256GB NVMe SSD that can be upgraded to a 1TB variant for more storage.
The HP17z supports Wi-Fi 5 through a Realtek RTL8821CE-M WLAN controller and Bluetooth 4.2. The physical ports include a SuperSpeed USB Type-C and dual SuperSpeed USB Type-A ports and an HDMI 1.4b with a headphone/microphone combo port.
- User Upgrades Possible
- 8GB Physical Memory
- Stereo Speakers
- Ultra-Lightweight
- Graphics Performance is Underwhelming
- Low Physical Storage
The HP 17z is a good alternative for AMD users looking for a multitasking focussed laptop on the cheap. The only dent is Athlon’s ancient production process. The graphic capabilities are fairly limited and underwhelming, similar to Intel UHD, and users are left with a laptop that is good only for entertainment and light productivity. The battery life is decent from the three-cell, 41Whr battery, and the unit makes an excellent portable device weighing fairly under 3 kilos.
5. HP 17 (CN0021NR)
If you liked the elegant looks of our first pick, the HP 17 CP0010NR but need more power, the HP 17 CN0021NR deserves a second thought. It has the exact same chassis and design as its less powerful sibling but comes with the latest generation Intel processor. We will just look at the internals of this laptop here as the design elements are almost the same as above.
The laptop has the tried and tested Core i5- 1135G7 at its heart that is a present generation quad-core, octa thread processor from Intel. It is built on a 10nm process and is a direct competitor to AMD Ryzen’s Ultrabook series processors. The chip comes with a base clock speed of 2.40GHz that can go up to 4.2GHz in Turbo mode. At around $650, the HP 17 cn0021nr is a mainstream multitasking-focused laptop that excels at medium to heavy productivity, light content creation, and light gaming due to a dedicated graphics processor and 8GB DDR4 memory module operating at 3200MHz.
Speaking of gaming, the laptop comes with Intel Iris Xe graphics that has a graphics clock running at 1.2GHz and offers decent performance in many yesteryear titles. It can manage heavy photo editing and light video editing, allowing you to use the laptop for content creation. The octa thread processor is excellent at multitasking, and you can easily run heavy office applications simultaneously browsing the internet.
Laptops with Intel Iris Xe graphics allows mainstream gaming on older titles
The laptop retains the same chicklet-styled keyboard and a full number pad with adequate spacing between the keys. As with most membrane-based HP keyboards, you get prompt feedback and a short travel distance from the keys that are excellent for typing but not at all suited for gaming. Finally, the laptop comes with finely tuned stereo speakers that make it an excellent option for users looking for an HTPC (home theatre pc) on the cheap.
HP uses the same HD+ panel on the laptop but adds an Anti-Glare coating on top that reduces reflection and gloss. The storage is limited to a 256GB NVMe SSD. An excellent value option is a free upgrade to Windows 11 on its global retail release.
The HP 17 cn0021nr comes with a fast-charging battery that returns up to 8 hours of battery life. Physical connectivity ports include two SuperSpeed USB Type-A ports one at each side and the charging pin on the right. There is a SuperSpeed USB Type C and an HDMI 1.4b port, along with a headphone combo port on the left. Wireless connectivity is handled by Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 combo. The physical network port is still missing.
- Mainstream Multitasking Focused Processor
- Separate Graphics Processor in Intel Iris Xe
- 8GB Physical Memory
- Anti-Glare Display
- Low Physical Storage
- No Physical LAN port
At just above $600, the HP 17- cn0021nr is a superb value for money device with a multitasking focussed mid-range Intel processor from the latest generation. It comes with high physical memory that allows the laptop to be suitable for heavy office productivity and gaming through a separate graphics processor. Despite the powerful processor, the laptop offers an all-day 8 hours of battery backup. However, the only drawback with the device is its low physical storage.
6. Asus VivoBook 17 (S712)
Today’s final entrant in our cheap laptop segment, the Asus VivoBook 17 S712 is a regular lightweight laptop with one of the latest generation processors. The laptop comes in a smart ErgoLift Hinge design that props the keyboard for better typing. Once you open the lid the first thing you would notice is a huge 17.3-inch FHD display with an 85 percent screen-to-body ratio. The bezels are narrow around the display with excellent color coverage and a wide color gamut that makes gaming and watching movies an elegant experience.
The laptop comes with a Ryzen 3 3250U processor with two cores and four threads and has a base clock speed of 2.6GHz and a boost clock of 3.5GHz. The processor has a 4MB L3 cache and variable TDP between 12-25watts. The 3rd Generation Ryzen processor is extremely power efficient and comes with 8GB DDR4 memory that allows simultaneous operation of multiple applications making the laptop good for light multitasking.
It is also good at games with graphics handled by Radeon Vega 3 processor that comes with three graphics cores clocking 1200MHz speeds. Its 4500 million graphics transistors allow light gaming with content creation limited to HD video edits and Full HD photo edits. The elegant-looking silver-colored laptop also has Sonic Master speakers that deliver audio with excellent clarity and bass for an entry-level budget laptop.
The Asus VivoBook 17 S712 is the costliest in the segment, with the prices hovering just above $650 in online eCommerce portals and offers superb style with performance. It incorporates a backlit chicklet style keyboard with a travel distance of 1.4mm and has spacious keys and a number pad, and also comes with a Windows Hello fingerprint sensor. It is the only laptop in the category with dual storage options, a 128GB SSD for the OS, and a 1TB HDD for storing your favorite content and games.
The laptop has many physical ports and offers decent battery life from its fast-charging capable Li-Po battery. There are two USB 2.0 Type-A ports and a Kensington lock slot on the left, while the right edge sports a USB 3.2 Gen 1 port, an HDMI port, and a USB Type C port with a MicroSD card reader. In the absence of a physical network port, wireless connectivity is managed by Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth.
- Dual Physical Storage Options
- Elegant FHD Display
- Radeon Vega 3 Graphics Processor
- 1 Cell Battery
The VivoBook S712 is a huge upgrade over the VivoBook M712, with a dual storage option offering the best of both worlds. OS on the SSD allows fast and responsive performance from the laptop, while a terabyte of storage is enough for storing files offline. Vega 3 graphics is a proven performer in laptops featuring entry-level budget processors from AMD and allows casual gaming. The processor is fast and efficient enough for light multitasking and decent battery backup. Overall, the VivoBook S712 is an excellent option if you can land it on a rebate that is available on Amazon from time to time.
Conclusion
Being limited with a small budget would not force you to compromise on the quality of your purchase with manufacturers offering plenty of budget options from various brands. For as low as $600, you can land yourself a laptop with the latest generation processors that are good for entry-level multitasking and also offer light gaming. These laptops may not be trendy with a sleek and thin chassis, but they still look elegant with brushed metal and matte designs. At a low price point, the value for money ratio is high if you go for a slightly outdated laptop if they come with mid-range processors from the last generation.
Cheapest 17-Inch Laptops – FAQ
Should I expect sub-par performance from cheap laptops?
Hardware manufacturers offer products on various budgets that are not necessarily sub-par but rather offer performance as per the price. The difference between costly and cheap hardware is the load processing capacity of the hardware. You should have correct expectations with your device and what it can or cannot do for you.
Do cheap laptops come with a lesser warranty?
There is a minimum warranty associated with every laptop, which might be higher for costly devices. Still, most manufacturers offer extended warranty services at the cost of a small fee that you can opt to pay to extend the warranty coverage for your device.
Do cheap laptops come with a limited lifetime?
Every electronic device has a lifetime, and here again, you should have correct expectations from your device. There is no fixed lifetime for an electronic device, which is why there are warranties instead of guarantees. Usually, costlier devices made with superior products are expected to last longer than cheaper products where manufacturers employ cost-cutting to reduce the price.
Do I get user upgrade options with cheap laptops?
Upgrade options depend on the model and the manufacturer as some may decide to solder components on the motherboard to reduce costs, while some may leave open slots for users to upgrade as they desire. While upgrading, you should check for compatibility between the components and maximum supported capacity of your device before purchasing the hardware. Speccy is an excellent tool that scans your laptop and shows the presently occupied ports and the ones available for future upgrades.
