The best laptops under £500 pack plenty of punch for your everyday computational tasks. Shop towards the upper end of that range, and you may even get to run a few high-intensity apps.
While you can’t expect a top-of-the-line workhorse or gaming rig at this price point, £500 is enough to get you a speedy, fully functional laptop suitable for work or personal use.
If it’s a priority, you could squeeze a convertible or touchscreen display into your budget (albeit with some sacrifice on specs). Or, if cloud-based computing appeals, most of the best Chromebooks fall far below this price threshold.
Whether you’re a casual home user or a professional on the move, we’re covering the six best sub-£500 laptops from HP.
How to choose a laptop under £500
Before we dive into our recommendations, let’s examine what to look for when selecting a new laptop. After all, everyone has different requirements—the trick is to identify what’s essential for you.
First things first, think about what you’ll do with the laptop. A student or professional using MS Office™ applications won’t need a top-end graphics card or processor (we’ll speak more about specs soon).
Furthermore, consider whether you’ll use the laptop in one place or lug it around town. Screen size correlates to weight, which is a crucial consideration for users on the move.
A luxe 17-inch screen, for example, is a pleasure to use but feels cumbersome in your bag. Conversely, a petite 14-inch screen is more agile yet less comfortable during extended computing sessions.
Several HP touchscreen and convertible laptops retail within the sub-£500 range. However, you’ll find more powerful, non-touch-enabled computers for the same price. Only invest in a touchscreen or convertible device if you think you’ll use these features frequently.
Weighing up the specs
So what kind of specs can you expect for a laptop under £500?
We’re talking about a respectable low-to-mid-range machine. Expect a late-generation Intel® Pentium® i3 to i5 processor, 4 to 8 GB RAM, a 128 to 256 GB SSD, and a crystal clear Full High Definition (FHD, 1920 x 1080) display.
As you won’t get the top end of all these specs for £500, it’s wise to prioritise your needs. Got an extensive file library full of movies and tunes? Then focus on a large SSD (or tack on an external HDD). Heavy multi-taskers should prioritise RAM, while intensive app users need a speedy CPU.
A £500 or lower laptop typically entails plenty of ports (though it’s wise to double-check) and a decent integrated graphics card.
Unfortunately, hard-core gamers and professional animators must keep saving because this budget won’t cover a new laptop with a dedicated graphics card. Though you won’t find a gaming laptop under £500, you won’t need to save up a whole lot more. The most affordable NVIDIA® GeForce® laptop from HP, the Victus 16-e0081na Gaming Laptop, retails at just £599.
Consider Chromebooks
Got a fast and reliable internet connection?
You could save a considerable sum by switching to Chromebook. Google’s widely popular laptop brand runs on its very own ChromeOS™. This light and easy Linux-based operating system undertakes most processing in the cloud. As a result, you get solid performance with modest hardware at a lower price than Windows machines.
As the hardware isn’t as demanding, the Chromebook offers superior battery life and lower weight. Plus, its super intuitive ChromeOS is a cinch to learn.
While Chromebook users are restricted to Google Play Store apps, most software developers are creating compatible versions these days. However, the top photo and video editing applications—among other things—are off-limits. Also, Chromebooks have limited offline functionality and minimal internal storage.
The best HP laptops under £500
Now you’re up to speed on the key considerations, it’s time to peruse the six best sub-£500 laptops from HP. We’ve divided these into categories to simplify your search.
Best 17-inch: HP 17-cp0031na Laptop
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· Screen: 17.3 ", FHD (1920 x 1080)
· Processor: AMD Ryzen™ 3 5300U
· RAM: 8 GB RAM
· Hard drive: 512 GB SSD
· Graphics: AMD Radeon™ Graphics
Thanks to its sizeable 17.3“ FHD display, the HP 17-cp0031na Laptop boasts plenty of screen space for video conferencing, spreadsheet building, and web browsing. And due to its Ryzen™ 3 processor and 8GB of RAM, it’s got ample processing power to handle all that (and more) simultaneously.
While most big-screen laptops chew through the battery rather rapidly, this versatile unit gets up to 8 hours and 15 minutes on one charge. Weighing in at 2.07 kg, it’s more portable than other 17-inchers, too.
All in all, it’s an outstanding all-rounder 17-inch laptop for a reasonable price.
Best 15-inch: HP Pavilion 15-eg0032n Laptop
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· Screen: 15.6 ", FHD (1920 x 1080), touch screen
· Processor: Intel® Core™ i3 (11th Generation)
· RAM: 8 GB RAM
· Hard drive: 256 GB SSD
· Graphics: Intel® UHD Graphics
The tried-and-tested 15.6” screen offers a happy balance between portability and readability. Shoppers seeking a powerful sub-£500 laptop with a 15-inch screen will be hard-pressed to find better than the HP Pavilion 15-eg0032n.
Solid specs, a crystal clear FHD display, and a nimble 1.75kg profile make it a top contender. Up to 8 hours of battery life (with a rapid 50% charge in just 45 minutes) plus a nifty mobile-like touch screen serve to sweeten the deal.
Best 14-inch: HP 14s-fq1000na Laptop
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· Screen: FHD (1920 x 1080)
· Processor: AMD Ryzen™ 5 5500U
· RAM: 8 GB RAM
· Hard drive: 256 GB SSD
· Graphics: AMD Radeon™ Graphics
Spring for a size smaller, and you get the HP 14s-fq1000na, which boasts solid specs in a petite package. This agile little unit slides into a small laptop bag and is light enough to lug around town with ease.
High-intensity users should note it’s packing the AMD Ryzen™ 5 5500U, one of the best available CPUs at this price range. If you’re looking for a fast laptop under £500, you’ve found the perfect option.
Abundant SDD storage, excellent battery life (up to 9 hours and 45 minutes), and an ultra-thin, micro-edge bezel’ design enhance the appeal.
Best Convertible: HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0002na
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· Screen: 14 " FHD (1920 x 1080) touch screen
· Processor: Intel® Pentium® Gold 7505
· RAM: 4 GB RAM
· Hard drive: 128 GB SSD
· Graphics: Intel® UHD Graphics
Need a new laptop and tablet?
Kill two birds with one stone via a nifty little convertible like the HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0002na. Also known as a 2-in-1, this versatile convertible laptop offers the functionality of both device types in one slimline package.
Due to higher manufacturing costs, you won’t get a top-end convertible for under £500. However, this model is more than capable of standard computational tasks (MS Office, web browsing, streaming videos, etc.). A lightweight 1.57 kg profile and up to 8 hours of battery life make it a smart choice for users on the go.
Best Chromebook: HP Chromebook 14a-na0005na
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· Screen: 14 " FHD (1920 x 1080),
· Processor: Intel® Pentium® Silver N5030
· RAM: 8 GB RAM
· Hard drive: 128 GB eMMC
· Graphics: Intel® UHD Graphics 605
Chromebook users, or ChromeOS newcomers considering making the switch, should take a gander at the HP Chromebook 14a-na0005na. Despite retailing well under our £500 cut-off, this powerful machine outperforms most other Chromebook models on the market.
Intel® Pentium® processing and 8 GB RAM handle most ChromeOS apps easily, and you’ve got stacks of space—at least relatively speaking—for your files.
A crisp micro-edge high-definition display and clear Bang & Olufsen sound evoke a front-row entertainment experience for binge-watching your favourite shows. No need to reach for the charger anytime soon, either—it’ll run up to 12.5 hours on one charge.
Best Budget: HP Chromebook 11a Laptop
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· Screen: 11.6 ", HD (1366 x 768)
· Processor: MediaTek MTK 8183
· RAM: 4 GB RAM
· Hard drive: 64 GB eMMC
· Graphics: MediaTek Integrated Graphics
Looking to pick up a fully functional Chromebook for a fraction of the £500 maximum spend?
Then take a look at this portable powerhouse. Run by MediaTek, the HP Chromebook 11a does everything you need at an ultra-affordable price. Its petite, 11-inch screen and energy-efficient MediaTek mobile-style processor ensure extra-long battery life (up to 15 hours and 45 minutes).
The embedded MultiMedia Card (eMMC) storage gives you space to stash the essentials, and the HD display is great for streaming your favourite shows.
While it’s not ideal as a primary work computer, the slender device serves as a great little run-around multimedia machine.
Choosing the best laptop under £500
While a strict £500 budget rules out beefy gaming rigs or next-gen workstations, it doesn’t mean you’ll have to settle for a subpar laptop. Modern low-to-mid-range machines can handle all the essential everyday tasks, from web browsing to MS Office chores and software development stints.
Opt for a laptop with a sizeable slot of RAM (8GB will do), and you’ll have no problem performing all these tasks simultaneously.
We’ve listed some of our favourite laptops below £500 in this post, with options to suit users of varying computational requirements. Have a think about which specs matter to you most and consider the ideal screen size for your needs. With that information on hand, you’re ready to start perusing our suggestions.
