Buy a laptop for up to 300 euros: a comparison of five top models for 2022

Cheap notebooks
Laptop up to 300 euros: Five cheap notebooks in comparison

08/24/2022, 16:41

6 min reading time

A laptop up to 300 euros is sufficient for the simplest tasks such as surfing, office work and streaming. The comparison reveals which models are recommended.

It doesn’t always have to be the most expensive notebook, especially if mostly simple work is done on the computer. If you are looking for a notebook to surf the Internet, work with Word or Powerpoint or stream something, a laptop up to 300 euros can be sufficient. The cheap computers are also suitable for students when they are on the go. Usually the school or homework to be done does not require a lot of computing power. Gamers, graphic designers and computer scientists are unlikely to be happy with a cheap laptop. They have to dig deeper into their pockets because their work usually requires a lot of processor and/or graphics power.

Laptop up to 300 euros: technical data

A laptop up to 300 euros should also meet certain specifications. Ideally, it has a 256 gigabyte (GB) Solid State Drive (SSD) and at least 8 GB of RAM. A quad-core processor would be nice. However, most models only offer dual cores. A slightly more powerful laptop up to 300 euros with more than two cores can usually only be found in the sale. In 2022, the screen should also offer a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels (Full HD). A sharper display cannot be obtained for up to 300 euros. There is potential for savings in the operating system. There are models that are sold without Windows.

You can then install it yourself using a bootable USB stick. If that is too complicated for you, you must of course make sure that Windows 10 or 11 is preinstalled. Chromebooks can be an alternative. They work with the Google operating system Chrome OS. However, Chromebooks up to 300 euros do not offer the option of installing the Microsoft Office Suite. Here you can only work on Word & Co. in the browser. Therefore, this comparison is limited to Windows laptops. Battery performance and weight are also important. With laptops up to 300 euros, buyers shouldn’t expect more than around six hours of runtime. Most models weigh between 800 grams and 1.8 kilograms.

Please note that prices are subject to fluctuations and refer to the respective retailers on August 22, 2022.

Lenovo V15-IGL (82C3002PGE)

Ebay dealers offer the for 249 euros Lenovo V15-IGL (82C3002PGE) on. It meets the technical specifications for a laptop up to 300 euros with a few minor drawbacks. There is nothing to complain about with the 15.6-inch (39.6 centimeters) Full HD display. The same applies to the 256 GB Solid State Drive (SSD) and the 8 GB RAM. Unfortunately, the built-in Intel Celeron N4020 only has two cores. Only the simplest arithmetic tasks are really possible with this, but the processor is sufficient for Word, Outlook and surfing the Internet. Unfortunately, the laptop does not offer USB-C. There is an HDMI socket to connect it to an external display. Its weight of 1.85 kilograms is okay, as is the battery life of up to six hours (according to the manufacturer).

Acer Extensa 15 (EX215-31-P91E)

Similar price, different processor: Im Acer Extensa 15 (EX215-31-P91E) the Intel Pentium N5030 works. Compared to the Lenovo VG15-IGL, it has two more cores. In addition, both models differ in the connection options. The Acer notebook lacks an SD card reader. Unfortunately, it only offers one instead of two USB 3.0 ports, but two USB-A sockets. After all, the battery of the Extensa lasts longer and, according to the manufacturer, nine hours, three more than the Lenovo laptop. With a weight of 1.9 kilograms, both laptops are about the same weight. The 100 grams more in the Extensa shouldn’t be noticeable in everyday use. Both laptops share the same memory: Acer also gives its model 8 GB of working memory and 256 GB of system memory. The display also has a Full HD resolution and extends to 15.6 inches diagonally.

Microsoft Surface Go 2

It’s more of a tablet than a laptop Microsoft Surface Go 2, which is currently on sale for 269 euros. A keyboard is available separately and would go beyond the scope of 300 euros. It is the only device in comparison that offers a touchpad. Here it is important to weigh up whether this is more of a benefit or a hindrance for your own use. Otherwise, buyers get a handy tablet with a 10.5-inch display measuring 10.5 inches (26.67 centimeters) diagonally. Unfortunately, the Surface Go 2 only offers 128 GB of internal storage. Microsoft relies on the Intel Pentium Gold 4425Y with two cores for the processor. The same applies here: gaming isn’t possible, but the core does surfing and office work reliably. He is assisted by 8 GB of RAM. The battery is outstanding. According to Microsoft, it lasts 10 hours. However, buyers have to make compromises when it comes to the connections. In addition to just one USB-C socket, the Surface Go 2 also has a microSDCX card reader, a headphone and microphone input.

Danger: This item is currently sold out. Otto recently offered the Surface Go 2 for 269 euros. You should not pay more for the tablet.

Lenovo IdeaPad 1 11IGL05

This is a very special model in this comparison Lenovo IdeaPad 1 11IGL05. It is the least powerful and cheapest laptop. It has a dual-core processor, the Intel Celeron N4020, which is assisted in its work by only 4 GB of RAM. The internal memory has 128 GB of data space. Unfortunately, its 11.6 inch (29.46 centimeter) display has a resolution of only 1366 x 768 pixels. According to the manufacturer, the battery lasts up to eight hours. Buyers shouldn’t expect too much from the connections. In addition to an HDMI input, there are two USB-A sockets and a microSD card reader as well as a jack plug that can be used for headphones or a microphone.

Asus VivoBook Go 14 E410KA-EK037TS

This is the last of the bunch of laptops up to 300 euros Asus VivoBook Go 14 E410KA-EK037TS. Its display extends over 14 inches and thus 35.56 centimeters in Full HD resolution. The built-in Intel Celeron N4500 processor offers two cores whose performance is only sufficient for simple tasks. He has 4 GB of RAM available. If you’re the type of user who likes to have a lot of tabs open in the browser, this might not be enough for you. The laptop also skimps on the system memory. The laptop offers only 128 gigabytes for pictures, videos and documents. According to the manufacturer, the battery lasts up to 12 hours. However, the value is unrealistic for a laptop in this price range. Buyers shouldn’t trust that. Otherwise, the HDMI input is joined by a USB-C socket and two USB-A inputs, which work with different USB protocols (1x 2.0, 1x 3.0).

Note: The article was first published in August 2022.

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