Best Laptop under £300 UK [2023]

For those on a tight budget, finding a good laptop isn’t an easy task. Although you won’t be able to afford a Macbook, you can still find a solid laptop for less than £300.

Not everyone wants, or even needs, to spend a lot on a laptop. As long as you know what to look for when you’re considering which laptop to buy, then you can find what you’re looking for. As long as your laptop has enough RAM to function and a decent processor, then you should be good to go.

However, there are quite a few options available on the current market, and it can be difficult to know what to opt for. So, let me take a look at some of the best laptops that are less than £300.

Best Laptop under £300

ProductImageMore InfoScreen SizeSpecs
Jumper EZbook X3jumper EZbook X3 Laptop Windows 10 Thin and Light Laptop 13.3-Inch FHD PC Computer, Intel Quad-Core CPU 8GB RAM 128GB eMMC Supports up to 128GB TF Card and SSD ExpansionCheck Price at Amazon13.3 inch8GB/128GB
Fusion5 laptop14.1' Full HD Windows 10 Professional Slim n Light Laptop, Revolutionary Design - 4GB RAM, 64GB Storage S14+ Model Lapbook, Intel Celeron, USB 3.0, 5GHz WIFI, Expandable Storage (64GB)Check Price at Amazon14.1 inch4GB/64GB
Acer Chromebook 314Acer Chromebook 314 CB314-H - (Intel Celeron N4000, 4GB RAM, 32GB eMMC, 14 inch HD display, Chrome OS, Silver)Check Price at Amazon14 inch4GB/64GB
HP Chromebook 14HP Chromebook 14' Laptop PC 14-db0003sa, AMD A4, 4GB RAM, 32GB SSD, HD, Chalkboard greyCheck Price at Amazon14 inch4GB/32GB
Lenovo Thinkpad (Refurb)Lenovo Thinkpad X230 Renewed Laptop Core i5-3320M 2.60GHz 12.5in Widescreen Warranty Webcam (8GB Ram, 500GB HDD, Windows 10)Check Price at Amazon12.5 inch8GB/500GB
Lenovo IdeaPad 1Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14'' Laptop - AMD 3020e Processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB Storage, Windows 10S, Flame OrangeCheck Price at Amazon14 inch4GB/64GB
HP Stream 14s-fq0020naHP 15s-fq0024na 15.6 Inch Full HD Laptop - (Silver) (Intel Pentium Gold 5405U, 4 GB, 128 GB SSD, Windows 10 Home)Check Price at Amazon14 inch4GB/64GB

Jumper EZbook X3

jumper EZbook X3 Laptop Windows 10 Thin and Light Laptop 13.3-Inch FHD PC Computer, Intel Quad-Core CPU 8GB RAM 128GB eMMC Supports up to 128GB TF Card and SSD Expansion

Operating System: Windows | Screen size: 13.3 inch | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 128GB eMMC | Processor: Intel Apollo Lake | Average Battery Life: 6 hours

Although generally I prefer to opt for better known brands, for those on a tight budget it can pay to look at brands you might not have heard of before. Jumper is a Chinese manufacturer who make some bargain laptops.

As with any laptop, the brand does matter, but it isn’t the most important thing for you to consider. You should be looking at the specifications of the laptop first and foremost, and this Jumper laptop actually has pretty good capabilities.

With 8GB of RAM and 128GB of eMMC storage, the laptop is quite powerful, and can easily cope with running larger programs. If you’re looking for the maximum performance for your money, I think it’s pretty hard to look past it, as typically budget laptops only come with 4GB of RAM.

This laptop uses an Intel Celeron N3450 processor, which is quad-core. Generally, this means that it’s more capable of dealing with several tasks as the same time (in comparison to a dual-core CPU anyway).

It weighs only 1.2KG, and it’s extremely light in comparison to other laptops out there. With a 13inch screen, it’s the perfect size for you to get some work done. It’s a good choice if you’re looking for something you can rely on every day.

As well as this, it has pretty much everything that most people will need. A HDMI port and a USB too will easily allow you to link this up to any of your devices. It’s very good for people looking for a daily laptop to send emails and surf the internet.

For those looking for a lightweight laptop available at a reasonable price, then this is definitely a pretty good choice. It comes with a full HD display that looks much more expensive than it costs, and has everything most kids and adults need in a simple machine.

Pros

Lots of ports
Good screen at wide viewing angles
Decent battery life

Cons

Lesser known brand will put some off
Short charging cable

Overall Verdict – In an ideal world, you’d want a laptop like this one. It comes with 8GB of RAM, making it one of the most powerful budget laptops out there. So, don’t ignore the Jumper EZBook just because of its name.


Fusion5 laptop

14.1' Full HD Windows 10 Professional Slim n Light Laptop, Revolutionary Design - 4GB RAM, 64GB Storage S14+ Model Lapbook, Intel Celeron, USB 3.0, 5GHz WIFI, Expandable Storage (64GB)

Operating System: Windows OS | Screen size: 14.1 inch | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 64GB eMMC | Processor: Intel | Average Battery Life: 7 hours

Known for their tablets as much as their laptops, Fusion5 specialises in budget alternatives to the big name brands. Their laptop is actually relatively popular when it comes to finding something cheap yet powerful enough to accomplish most tasks.

Like any laptop of this price, it’s not going to set the world alight. But it does all of the things that a more expensive laptop can cope with. It runs on the Windows 10 operating system, so it’s not difficult to get used to.

It’ll start up within just a few seconds, and navigating the laptop is pretty simple with the layout. The keyboard is good, and the touchpad is also very responsive – it is quite sensitive, and it can take a little while to get used to.

When you’re actually using the laptop, it’s very fast, though you’ll want to limit the amount of programs you open at the same time for best performance. If you have 10 programs open at the same time, the 4GB of RAM may start to struggle.

But with an Intel Celeron N3350 processor, it still manages to cope with most tasks pretty well. It doesn’t come with a big hard drive, but at this sort of price, you’re unlikely to find more than 64-128GB of eMMC storage anyway.

Although I’m not expecting this laptop to win any awards in the near future, it’s pretty great for what it is. You’re not likely to find anything better when you’re searching for something at this price.

Pros

Large display makes it easy to see
Strong battery life
Amazing value for money

Cons

Could come with more storage
Works best with an external mouse

Overall Verdict – This is a great cheap laptop. If you’re searching for something to help the kids to get their homework done or something simple and basic to use, it’s one of the best options currently available.


Acer Chromebook 314

Acer Chromebook 314 CB314-1H - (Intel Celeron N4000, 4GB, 64GB eMMC, 14 inch Full HD Display, Google Chrome OS, Silver)

Operating System: Chrome OS | Screen size: 14 inch | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 64GB eMMC | Processor: Intel Processor | Average Battery Life: 8 hours

For those looking for a nifty laptop, then this Acer 314 model is a good choice. Like any laptop at less than £300 it isn’t perfect, but it does a lot of the basic stuff well.

This laptop boots up very quickly, so you won’t have to wait an age for it to get going. It operates on the Chrome OS, which means that it’s going to be faster and be less vulnerable to viruses.

However, the downside of this is that you don’t have all your Windows programs easily accessible like you do on a Windows laptop. So if you aren’t aware of what a Chromebook is, then either do a little more research or play it safe with a Windows laptop.

The fairly large screen is a good quality, and will be suited to working as an office display. It is quite dim though, and it’s best to use in a fairly well lit area with a lot of ambient light.

Typically with a cheaper kind of laptop like this one, you’re going to have a lower battery life – however, this model averages out at around 8 hours from a full charge. This is pretty impressive, even though most of us keep them plugged in the majority of the time anyway.

This laptop is also one of the best laptops under £300 due to the display, which is vibrant and produces images well. It uses an Intel Celeron processor, along with 4GB of RAM. It has minimal storage, but this is to be expected with any Chromebook.

Pros

Chrome OS makes it fast and simple
Full HD screen
Quick boot time

Cons

Keyboard not great
Not for Windows fanatics

Overall Verdict – This Acer Chromebook is one of the best options if you’re looking for a laptop that’s less than £300. If you’re a big Google Chrome user, then it might suit you.


HP Chromebook 14

HP Chromebook 14' Laptop PC 14-db0003sa, AMD A4, 4GB RAM, 32GB SSD, HD, Chalkboard grey

Operating System: Chrome OS | Screen size: 14 inch | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 32GB eMMC | Processor: AMD A4 | Average Battery Life: 9 hours

Another good HP laptop that is worth considering is their Chromebook series, with the Chromebook 14 being within our price point. It isn’t fancy, but it’s a fair deal for what you’re getting.

This laptop has 4GB of RAM, and uses a dual-core AMD processor. This should be more than enough power for daily usage for the majority of people. However, if you’re looking to do more complex stuff like editing videos, it probably won’t be powerful enough.

It also has a long battery life, with most users finding in excess of 9-10 hours of usage from a full charge. It uses the Chromebook OS, so it will be easy for you to download apps quickly and use them straight from your desktop. It’s a lightweight and easy to use laptop that will do the job pretty well.

Where this laptop is lacking a little bit is the storage. It only has 32GB of eMMC storage, which isn’t a great deal. Plus, eMMC storage generally isn’t as fast as SSD storage, so typically I prefer to opt for laptops that use SSD.

However for casual users who browse the internet, you may not need a ton of storage space. And if this is you, then the HP Chromebook 14 might prove to be a good choice.

Pros

Long battery life
Comes with Google Storage year trial
Easily upgradeable

Cons

Not the best screen
Poor sound quality

Overall Verdict – It might be time for you to try a Chromebook. They’re cheap, fast and reliable. This model has an excellent battery life, too.


Lenovo Thinkpad (Refurb)

Lenovo Thinkpad X230 Renewed Laptop Core i5-3320M 2.60GHz 12.5in Widescreen Warranty Webcam (8GB Ram, 500GB HDD, Windows 10)

Operating System: Windows | Screen size: 12.5 inch | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 500GB | Processor: Intel | Average Battery Life: 5 hours

With laptops, I always recommend people consider looking at second hand and refurbished options.

If you aren’t bothered by opting for something refurbished, then I’d definitely suggest looking at getting a refurbished Lenovo Thinkpad. There are different models to look at, but currently the X230 is available at a really good price.

Of course, this kind of laptop is going to be quite old. However, there are definitely benefits of going for a laptop like this as opposed to a brand new laptop less than £300. The main advantage is that you can get a more powerful laptop for your cash.

This laptop has 8GB of RAM and 500GB of SSD storage space – it would never be possible to get these specifications for this kind of price new. Heck, the Macbooks and Thinkpads being released now have the same specs as this model for over £1000, so it’s easy to see why refurbs can be a great choice.

Combining all of this with an Apollo Lake Intel processor makes for a really decent laptop, and one that you should take into consideration. It will typically come with an IPS display too, which means that it shows colour better than a VA screen.

So, as long as you get a warranty with your laptop, then you shouldn’t be too worried about opting for a refurb. And, the Lenovo Thinkpad is the perfect choice as they’re available in abundance.

500GB of SSD storage space is particularly impressive at this price, along with 8GB RAM – you’re going to struggle to find this elsewhere, especially with bigger name brands.

Pros

Faster RAM
Comes with warranty
Always refurbished Thinkpads available

Cons

Some people hate preowned stuff
Speakers are awful

Overall Verdict – The Lenovo Thinkpad is one of my all time favourite laptops. Getting a refurbished one might be your best bet, as long as it’s in your price range.


Lenovo IdeaPad 1

Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14'' Laptop - AMD 3020e Processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB Storage, Windows 10S, Flame Orange

Operating System: Windows | Screen size: 14 inch | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 64GB eMMC | Processor: AMD 3020e Processor | Average Battery Life: 7 hours

Sometimes, opting for a brand that you’re familiar with can be the best thing to do. Whilst you can definitely find bargains by opting to go with cheaper brands, that doesn’t mean that you should always opt to go with a budget machine.

One good example of the is the Lenovo Ideapad 1, which is one of the lowest price laptops that you can find with our pretty tight budget. If we look at what you’re getting for the money, then the reality is that it’s a pretty fair deal.

The specs are pretty standard when looking at non-premium cheaper models. They are about the level you need if you want to run more intensive programs like Microsoft Word or Adobe Photoshop, but you won’t be able to run many of them at the same time.

It has a long lasting battery, and the laptop itself is quite lightweight for its size. It also has powerful in-built stereo speakers, which make it perfect for watching films on. The webcam is good enough if you have weekly Zoom calls to attend.

Obviously, there are a few things that you could improve – starting with the AMD processor. But when you consider that it’s less than £300, it makes things even more impressive. So, if you’re looking for a budget laptop, this would likely be the best choice.

Pros

Great price
Ultra slim design
Long battery life

Cons

Can’t cope with multiple programs
Bad sound quality

Overall Verdict – Although not the best quality, this laptop has all the specs and functionality you could want from a budget laptop. If you can find it still under £300, then the Lenovo Ideapad 1 one of the better laptop deals currently available.


HP Stream 14s-fq0020na

HP 15s-fq0024na 15.6 Inch Full HD Laptop - (Silver) (Intel Pentium Gold 5405U, 4 GB, 128 GB SSD, Windows 10 Home)

Operating System: Windows | Screen size: 14 inch | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 64GB eMMC | Processor: AMD | Average Battery Life: 6 hours

When trying to buy for a cheap laptop, you need to look at the specifications that the laptop has. One of the best laptops less than £300 is this HP Notebook, which has pretty much everything you could ask from a budget laptop.

One of the main things that stands out about this laptop is the quality of the screen. Often with cheaper laptops, the screen quality is the first place where brands compromise to try and cut costs down.

However, this isn’t the case with this HP Streambook, as the large screen is perfect for chilling and watching Netflix on. The micro-edge bezel display allows it to make the most of the width of the laptop.

It has 4GB RAM and a 64GB eMMC, which combine with the AMD CPU to give you a quick and responsive laptop. It also comes with the Window OS installed, which I recommend for most people if they don’t know which operating system they want to use.

With this laptop you also get the famous HP fast charge capability. This means that you can easily charge the laptop from nothing to 50% in less than 45 minutes. This can be a lifesaver if you’re someone who often uses coffee shops and other places to work.

So, if you’re looking for a low priced laptop with a lot to offer, then this HP Notebook is definitely worth considering. For the price, it’s hard to find anything better.

Pros

Slim design
128GB of SSD storage
HP fast charge

Cons

Comes installed with S mode
Cheap plastic build

Overall Verdict – Playing it safe with this HP laptop is a good idea; 128GB of storage and its large HD screen make it a winner. Although, its build quality could be a little better.


Can I add 8GB of RAM to a 4GB laptop?

One common question people ask when they are looking to cut costs is whether you can add 8GB memory to a 4GB laptop. The simple answer is for the majority of laptops, yes! You can easily replace your laptops 4GB RAM, or even just add another 4GB to your laptop to make it up to 8GB of RAM. Check what model of laptop you want to do this for beforehand, as it isn’t possible for every laptop (however it usually is for brands like Acer etc).

Why are laptops cheaper on Amazon?

Although you might think it would be a good idea to buy a laptop directly from the manufacturer, this often isn’t the case. This is typically because it’s actually more expensive directly from the manufacturer, as they don’t expect customers to come to their direct site and don’t market it as much as retailers. This probably isn’t the case for Apple, as often you can find deals on their laptops on their actual website.

Are laptops a waste of money?

For some people, laptops will definitely be a waste of money. However, for the people out there who works via their laptop, they’d probably argue with you that a good laptop is definitely not a waste of money! For some people, a laptop might not get used enough to validate the purchase. However, at less than £300, you’re almost sure to get enough value out of your purchase.

Are HP laptops any good?

I’m more than happy to recommend HP laptops to my friends, as I’ve never found any issues with them over the years. In all honesty, the majority of laptop and computer company’s customer services isn’t great. However, I’ve never had any issues with HP (neither have I had any problems with Apple, but their reputation is well known). In general, they’re considered to be pretty good laptops.

Can a cheap laptop run games?

If you’re looking for a laptop to play games on, then you’ll probably want to opt for something a little more powerful. The majority of cheaper laptops have only 4GB of RAM, which isn’t going to be enough to play some of the bigger file size games, like Minecraft or Counterstrike. Ideally, you want 8GB of RAM and at least an i3 processor. You should be able to play simple games on a cheap laptop, though.

Conclusion

Although £300 isn’t a massive budget to purchase a laptop, it can still get you something relatively decent if you shop around. If you want a good laptop at this price, you may have to look at refurbished models, as the majority of laptops are more expensive than this.

You can still find cheaper £200 laptops, but also at the other end of the spectrum, there are many laptops out there for more than this. If you can up your budget a little, check out our list of £400 laptops, as you’ll be able to get something a little more powerful.

It can be difficult to find the right laptop for your needs. Hopefully this has helped you a little in that process. Please leave a comment if you have any suggestions.

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About Alex

Hello, I'm Alex and this is my website, Spacehop. I started the site as a way to talk about myself, and a few years later we're now a team of 6! I still work full time at a major PC retailer in the UK, and I'm a bit of a tech whizz (self-proclaimed, unfortunately!).

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