The best laptops under $1,000/£1,000 in 2024: our top picks for under a grand

Considering a new portable machine can be a costly investment and that's where the best laptops under $1,000/£1,000 really come into their own. In 2024, there are more options than ever across a variety of form factors, display sizes, and power potential from all-star manufacturers like Acer, Asus, HP, Microsoft, and even Apple to consider. 

We should stress that the best laptops under $1,000/£1,000 aren't exactly going to give the best gaming laptops a run for their money, but we have considered offerings with dedicated graphics for light gaming where possible. This buying guide also features more recently released AI PCs which have just hit the scene, giving you more options for getting creative without breaking the bank. We've also considered options befitting of the best business laptops and the best Chromebooks, too. 

Additionally, we've thoroughly tested and reviewed every single laptop featured below, as only products that meet our high standards will end up being recommended. Said testing process involves checking the battery life, putting the display through its paces, and analyzing the design and overall performance. After all, you don't have to splash the cash to get a sturdy machine that will last you the next few years at the very least. 

Written by

Written by

Aleksha McLoughlin

Aleksha McLoughlin is a regular contributor to TechRadar that writes hardware news, reviews, features and evergreen content. She was previously the Hardware Editor for TechRadar Gaming (TRG) where she looked after buying guides for the vertical as well. She has reviewed dozens of laptops in her time, too. 

Best laptops under $1,000/£1,000: at a glance

Best laptop under $1,000/£1,000 overall

Right at the cusp of the best laptops under $1,000/£1,000 is the recently released Microsoft Surface 7, an AI PC running the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus CPU with integrated graphics. As an ARM-based laptop, it ditches the traditional x86 architecture we've seen with Windows but to great success. Simply put, you can expect exceptional battery life combined with a bright and vivid display which can rival the Apple MacBook Air in many respects. 

Speaking to said battery life, our testing revealed over 15 hours of web surfing with over 10 hours of constant media playback. The AI tools may be in their primordial stage, but you've also got Windows Copilot and Recall, which feature set should be rolling out fully over the next few months. The machine boots up incredibly quickly and lasts all day; if you're after a productivity powerhouse, this one delivers. 

Furthermore, the Microsoft Surface 7 retains the company's premium build quality and super-sleek ultrabook status without the premium price tag, at least on the budget end of the scale. It weighs in at a mere 2.96lbs / 1.34kg with its aluminium chassis. It feels like a high-end rig, thanks to its 120Hz HDR display and near 1600p resolution, so you're getting a ton of bang for your back even in its most basic configuration. 

Read our full Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 review

Best MacBook under $1,000/£1,000

We have chewed over whether or not to include a MacBook laptop in this article, especially because the M2 model is even pricier than its predecessor. Plus, there are excellent Windows options out there that will see you through your video renders for less. However, it is the best we want, and for the best laptop under $1,000/£1,000 for video editing, there’s none better than the MacBook Air M1.

If you stick with the base model, you’re still getting that powerful M1 chip that’s an absolute game-changer. Our tests have not only proven this laptop to deliver as promised – that is, slay through 4K video editing workloads – but that it’s also capable of handling 8K ones as well. And, that’s while having a fanless design and a thin chassis.

Not yet convinced? The 15 hours of battery life while web browsing or up to 18 hours of video should make you a convert. Yes, the M3 MacBook Air is more powerful and more recent, but there's still a ton of life in the 2020 model which is showing no signs of slowing down even nearly four years after it was unveiled. 

Read our full MacBook Air M1, 2020 review

Best big screen laptop under $1,000/£1,000

Asus is among the best laptop brands and is lauded for its great-value products like the Asus VivoBook 17 which is still going strong despite its age. If you insist on getting a laptop while still needing plenty of display space, go for a 17-inch model like this one, which comes with impressive specs.

All that screen real estate combined with a 13th-gen chip from Intel equals a highly capable machine for less demanding creative workloads like photo editing and graphics design. You probably shouldn’t go for this one if you’re looking for a video editing laptop, as the integrated graphics inside mean that you’ll have to suffer through long video rendering times. We wouldn’t play graphics-intensive games on it either.

But, for everything else, this is the best 17-inch laptop under $1,000/£1,000. That’s especially because, for something so affordable, it comes with a nice set of premium features like a fingerprint sensor. Depending on your retailer and region, you can find this machine anywhere from $600/£600 up to $999/£999 which can run the most powerful Intel Core i9-13900H CPU and a larger SSD for more power. 

Read our full Asus Vivobook 17 review

Best midrange laptop under $1,000/£1,000

As far as midrange options go, the latest Acer Swift Go 14 punches well above its weight. While it may not be much to look at, nor built as well as some more premium models, Acer's latest wallet-friendly ultrabook goes all in on function over form packing in either the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H or Ultra 7 155H for $829.99 / £749.99 and $799.99 (about £640) respectively. 

For the money, you're getting an incredibly fast machine which benefits from a 14-inch WUXGA 1200p display at 400 nits brightness. It's a nice and responsive touchscreen as well, which can add a further layer of useability. Factoring in a price tag that's well under budget and you've got the makings of an all-star powerhouse for office and school use. 

Additionally, the Acer Swift Go 14 is one of the newly released AI PCs meaning it has Windows Copilot ready to go as the chip features a dedicated NPU. It's not quite as robust as what you can do through a Snapdragon X chip, but you're paying far less here. The 1440p webcam also impresses, so if you're in and out of meetings often then you should be well-catered to here. 

Read our full Acer Swift Go 14 review

Best gaming laptop under $1,000/£1,000

The Acer Nitro 5 (2022) is yet more proof that budget laptops are worth looking at even if you've got a more flexible budget. It might not have the sheer power to deliver smooth-as-butter gaming at the highest or ultra settings, but it’s more than enough to let you experience that new AAA game, albeit at slightly lower settings.

Its base configuration used to be higher, but it has since dropped down in price, now starting at well under $1,000/£1,000. That’s while delivering a solid performance. During our tests, this gaming laptop was able to deliver between 70-130 FPS in low settings and even get up to 50fps on ultra when running Total War: Warhammer III and Cyberpunk 2077. That’s not too shabby for a laptop at this price range.

As for the compromises, you’ll find those in the battery. Not only does it have abysmal battery life, but it charges slow as well. Best keep this one tethered to the electrical outlet.

Read our full Acer Nitro 5 (2022) review 

Best touchscreen laptop under $1,000/£1,000

If you're torn on considering either a productivity laptop or a dedicated 2-in-1 tablet then the HP Envy 13 x360 is here to fill the gap. It starts at around the $900 / £800 mark, meaning it's well under budget, with a fantastic 2880 x 1800p resolution in its compact 13-inch display for unparalleled PPI. Furthermore, it's fully touchscreen, giving you more options to use the unit in traditional and more unconventional ways. 

Bolstering this is the fact that HP often bundles in a smart pen which can be used to draw on the display. Whether you're taking notes in a lecture, or engaging in digital art, the HP Envy 13 x360 is a powerful and affordable way to have the best of both worlds in both the US and the UK. It's far from a gaming rig, however, with its integrated Xe Iris graphics, but that should be enough to fuel programs like Adobe Creative Suite.  

Read our full HP Envy 13 x360 review

Best Chromebook under $1,000/£1,000

The reputation of Chromebooks is typically that they are affordable at the cost of power and performance. Well, that's not the case with the recently released Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE which packs in an excellent 16-inch, 16:10 WQXGA 2560 x 1600 display, complete with a 120Hz refresh rate, and 16GB RAM for a responsive experience that's ready for game streaming through PC Game Pass, Amazon Luna, and other similar services. 

Outside of its cloud gaming potential, the Chromebook Plus 516 GE impresses with its excellent port selection and the choice of the Intel Core 5 120U with Intel Arc integrated graphics. These are far more up-to-date than what's typically found on Chromebooks, but Meteor Lake is present and accounted for, ready to take advantage of ChromeOS' lightweight functionality with its AI tools. 

Most importantly, you can find this Chromebook for around $650 / £799 which, while being pricey for a ChromeOS machine, still undercuts our budget significantly. Those in the UK are paying more than in the US, undercutting its value, but we think it's worth considering if the above options don't have what you were searching for. 

Read our full Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (2024) review

Best laptop under $1,000/£1,000: FAQs

How we test the best laptops under $1,000/£1,000

We put the laptops we test through rigorous testing and benchmarking to ensure that they are worth your hard-earned cash. Every laptop we test, we use as if it’s our work, personal, or gaming laptop, depending on its capabilities and power. We use it daily for most things and at least a week so we have an idea of how it fares in the real world.

We do oodles of benchmarking, of course, including its battery life. And, we test out not just its special features but also things like the keyboard, the trackpad, and the touch display. We use it to consume media and make video calls to check its speakers, webcam, and mic. Finally, once we’ve gathered all the data we need, we put them all together and consider their price to see if you, the consumer, get a lot of value from it.

For more information, see how we test laptops and desktops.