
22 Practical Things On Sale At Amazon This Week
Promising review: "The laptop offers excellent performance thanks to the powerful M4 chip, which enhances graphics and overall speed, making everyday tasks and even some professional applications run smoothly. Despite being lightweight and slim, it does not compromise on power or build quality."It's a refined version of an already excellent design, focusing on strategic improvements rather than a complete overhaul. This makes it a reliable and efficient choice for users who want a balance between portability and performance. Additionally, the price point is very reasonable considering the features and capabilities it offers, making it a great value for money." —José APrice: $799 (originally $999; available in three storage capacities and four colors)
A 21-piece nonstick ceramic cookware set for 40% off because it's durable, stable, and versatile (like, you can take it camping with you!). This set comes complete with two sauce pans, two frying pans, a saute pan, two silicone lipped lids, a silicone mat, two storage lids, two removable handles, four pot protectors, and five cooking utensils!
Promising review: "This set of pans was a fantastic buy. They are super nonstick, which keeps them easy to clean, feel really durable, especially for what I spent, and are so easy to store with the stacking ability! I recommend these for anyone who doesn't have a ton of space to store and still wants a set that looks nice and expensive. I'm able to fit these easily in my RV, which is a huge thing for me." —HaleyPrice: $59.99 (originally $99.99; also available in pink)
A compact Nespresso coffee maker for up to 32% off that'll fit just about anywhere and make you the perfect amount of coffee (hot or iced!) in mere minutes. You'll fall in love with its full-bodied taste, but you'll become obsessed with the velvety foam that sits atop your caffeinated creation.
Promising review: "I absolutely love it! It's sleek, compact, and makes the most delicious coffee with just one button. The Vertuo pods are super easy to use and deliver rich, smooth coffee with perfect cream every time. It heats up fast, is a little noisy, and fits perfectly on my counter. Whether I want a quick espresso or a full cup, this machine does it all. Total game-changer for my mornings. Highly recommend!" —Toni MontaganoPrice: $89.99 (typically $115.99; available at this price in four colors)
A powerful 4000 amp jump starter for up to 50% off (the lowest it ever goes for) so you don't have to rely on hitchhiking when your car's battery dies out in the middle of nowhere. Built with safety and durability in mind, this jump starter is capable of jump-starting most cars over 60 times with a full charge!
Promising review: "100% recommend this jump starter. My truck battery was completely dead, wouldn't budge on a trickle charger. This unit arrived, and I charged it overnight. Followed simple instructions and BOOM. My truck started on my first attempt. Awesome product!" —JrcPrice: $84.99+ (typically $169.99; available in three colors)
A rechargeable and cordless water dental flosser for up to 49% off (the lowest price it goes for) with four customizable modes and 11 pressure settings for ensuring you get a thorough clean. This lightweight flosser can last up to 30 days on one charge! And with five specialized nozzles, you're sure to make your dentist proud at your next visit.
Promising review: "This flosser is amazing! I've never owned one until now, and I'll never not use one since buying this! My teeth feel like I just got them cleaned and polished at the dentist. I love it! Easy to use." —NataliePrice: $19.98 (typically $38.99+; discount varies by color — the best discount is on the pink and the black model)
A cordless Shark vacuum cleaner for 43% off (this is the lowest price it's been since 2021) with a HEPA filter that captures and traps dust, allergens, dander, and more. Got pets that love to shed? No worries! This has a self-cleaning brushroll that can easily pick up hair without it getting wrapped up and tangled.
Promising review: "LOVE this vacuum! No hair gets caught in the roll, and this thing sucks up all the dust!! It is easy to use, and the battery charges up in about 3–4 hours. It is super easy to take apart and store as well!! I hate vacuuming, but it may not be so bad after all with this vacuum! I also love that it's not super loud compared to others I've used before. Clean up is super easy and quick." —Hossana MirandaPrice: $199.99 (typically $300)
A Roku streaming stick for 37% off to make watching TV as easy as humanly possible. Plug this lil' baby into your TV, and you'll get quick and easy access to free live TV as well as streaming services like Netflix, AMC+, Apple TV, YouTube, or Peacock. And the included remote can be used to control everything: the TV, volume, and your Roku device — so you won't have a million remotes cluttering up your living room. Don't wanna reach for the remote? Totes fine! Use your voice to search, play shows, change channels, and more.
And since it's portable, you can take it with you on your next vacation! In my experience, not all vacation home rentals and hotels offer streaming services.Promising review: "I couldn't be happier with it! I have an older Panasonic TV from 2013, and I was a little worried there might be compatibility issues, but the setup was incredibly easy. The remote synced perfectly with my TV with no problems at all. Everything worked seamlessly right out of the box. It's fast, responsive, and makes streaming a breeze. Highly recommend, especially if you have an older TV and want an easy upgrade!" —Manda H.Price: $19 (originally $29.99)
Or the Amazon Fire TV Stick for 40% off because you deserve to watch the final season of You in 4K Ultra HD. You'll be able to stream all your favorite shows and movies from services like Amazon Prime, HBO Max, and Tubi. AND! You'll be able to play Xbox games without a console. Go get your Fortnite on.
Promising review: "Hands down one of the best purchases I've made for home entertainment. Super easy to set up, smooth interface, and the voice remote makes searching quick and hassle-free. Whether it's Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, or even live TV apps — everything runs flawlessly. I love how portable it is too. Just plug it in and boom — instant access to all my favorite shows and movies. Fast loading, great quality, and no buffering issues so far. If you're looking to turn any TV into a smart one, this is it. Worth every cent." —J. MPrice: $29.99 (originally $49.99)
A cool and cute stainless-steel BlenderBottle for up to 33% off (the lowest it's ever gone for) with a wire whisk inside that'll blend your pre-workout protein shake with ease. It's got a lockable lid to keep your gym juice secure, and it's insulated to keep your beverages cold for a long, long time.
Promising reviews: "The insulation keeps my water cold for a long period of time. I've had cold water stay cold for a full 24 hours. I throw mine into my bag and love that it gives you the option to lock the lid so that I'm not worried about spilling. Easy to use, classic design, does what it's meant to do, and is offered in a variety of nice colors!" —Santos"Whether you're into smoothies, protein shakes, or just need a reliable tumbler for daily hydration, this is the best tumbler I've used" —Alyssa MoodyPrice: $18.74 (originally $24.99+; available in 4 styles and 16 colors)
A pack of 10 jumbo vacuum seal bags for 21% off so you'll be prepared to store your spring and summer clothes when cooler weather comes a-knockin' in a few months. These reusable bags will also come in handy when fall and winter end (I know it's a long time off, but...) since they can handle storing all your chunky blankets and bulky coats.
Promising review: "Buy these right now!! We had so many quilts, pillows, and bedding taking up space in our guest room. These allowed us to condense everything to fit into our closet. They were so mesmerizing that you'll be looking for stuff to vacuum seal :)" —Lara BowlesPrice: $17.99 (typically $22.99)
A sleek yet roomy pink travel backpack for 25% off (its lowest price!) with a built-in USB charger so your phone doesn't die on your 18-hour international flight. Keep all your travel essentials organized with its three main compartments and nine inner and side pockets. And, this airline-approved carry-on can fit laptops up to 15.6 inches.
Promising review: "I don't travel too much, but I found myself in a situation where I needed an extra 'personal item' to bring all the stuff we bought on vacation back home without the additional fee. I hopped on Amazon and saw this wonderful item! I was able to fit all the things I needed in there, and I loved that it had a charging port for your power pack to charge your devices if needed."There were plenty of storage areas, and it came with a well-built shoe bag. Honestly, I liked it so much that I want to get another one for my kids and plan another trip. Very roomy and loved the cinch straps on the side to compress the bag if needed." —MeldottPrice: $17.99 (typically $23.99; available in other colors at different discounts)
A self-cleaning litter box for 50% off (its lowest price to date — yep, even lower than Prime Day!) so you don't have to do the literal dirty work of scooping and sifting through your furry companion's excrement. This futuristic litter box has an ozone filtration system that helps to get rid of odors. And, of course, there's an app that'll allow you to control it from afar AND see and manage your kitty's health.
Promising review: "Our cats love this automatic litter box. They are so picky about the size and freshness of the litter that this has been perfect for them! Our big cat fits in it, and out of the two boxes we own, he always chooses this one! The best part is we don't have to worry when we're away on a short trip that their box will be cleaned each day, it's super easy to set up and gives peace of mind the litter box will be cleaned after each visit by our cats and we're not needing to scoop several times a day anymore!" —Cassie & BrianPrice: $197.56 (originally $396.99)
A pair of KitchenAid ribbed silicone oven mitts for 50% off (its lowest price to date), so you can finally upgrade from the ones you've been using (ya know, the ones with burn marks and filling falling out) and cook in style. These are water-, heat-, and slip-resistant.
Promising review: "These are the best! I will never go back to old cloth oven mitts again. Stains wipe off super easily, and these are super cute for decorating the kitchen with! They are easy to slip on, and they work excellently. No heat comes through!!" —SariahPrice: $8.48 (originally $17; this deal is only available for the Milkshake Tan color)
A foldable walking pad for up to 28% off that'll allow you to work out while you work! This quiet walking pad might just help keep you awake and alert when you're starting to fade away. And, its LED display provides real-time stats, so you can track things like calories burned and steps taken!
Promising review: "I've been using this at my standing desk for over a year now. It works fantastically for easy striding while working. Can't go too fast and use a mouse at the same time, so I've not cranked up the speed. I know it could be used as a true running treadmill, but I've kept it at my standing desk, and it allows me to get several miles a day in while working. Still going strong and no issues." —Jeff GallupPrice: $208.89+ (originally $289.99; available in two colors — the best discount is on the yellow colorway)
A pair of sweat-resistant Shokz wireless in-ear headphones for 21% off (matching its best price) that'll be able to keep up with you during intense workouts. Their bud-free design helps prevent discomfort, so you don't have to take them out mid-run. They also use bone conduction technology to offer premium audio, including rich bass.
Promising review: "Had these for over a year and they work fantastically!! They connect very quickly and last for hours! You can hear callers clearly and they can hear you perfectly. The best part of these is that you can still hear your surroundings as well as your caller, thus remaining situationally aware of your environment." —Chris StewardPrice: $124.95 (typically $159.95 (currently $159.95 on Shokz website); available in four colors)
A 3-in-1 Anker charging pad for up to 34% off (the lowest price it goes for) that'll charge your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods simultaneously, so you don't have to wait for one to get to 100% before charging the others. This MagSafe-compatible pad is so compact that you can toss it in your purse for your on-the-go needs.
Promising review: "This is a great travel charging station. You can charge your AirPods, Apple Watch, and iPhone all at once. I got this to use when I travel, as I don't want to bring a million cables and chargers, or my big charging station that I use at home on my nightstand, and worry about it breaking. It folds up perfectly small so you can fit it in your carry-on or personal item on an airplane and not take up much space. It seems to have a strong magnet like other Anker products. I think it functions perfectly, and I am so happy to have it in my travel kit. I got it on sale and I am happy about that!" —SondraPrice: $62.99 (originally $89.99+ (and currently $89.99+ on Anker); available in four colors)
A pair of Bluetooth outdoor speakers for 35% off (which is the lowest it ever goes for) that also provides a soft glow when it gets a little dark outside, but you're not ready to take the party inside.
Promising review: "Saw this on TikTok and decided to give it a shot. I genuinely enjoy it. Once fully charged, I use it daily while soaking in my hot tub after a long day at work — sometimes for hours. The battery lasts nearly a week before needing a recharge, which is impressive. Living in the Pacific Northwest, I deal with rain a chilly weather almost year-round, but this thing holds up just fine outside. Solid buy." —Bradley L BurksPrice: $71.99 (typically $109.99)
A pair of motion-tracking Eufy security cameras for 38% off (the cheapest they've ever been) because they offer 360-degree pan and 70-degree tilt, which means they see EVERYTHING. These solar-powered cameras provide crystal-clear images, day and night, so now you'll have a little peace of mind when you're not home!
Promising reviews: "They are pretty great. Good picture quality, and nighttime video is the best of what I've seen when researching. They were actually recommended by our local PD, which helped me decide on these." —Monique"Super easy install. Very clear and works great. No replacing batteries with solar and no annual fees is great." —Keith PraterPrice: $217.55 (originally $349.99)
An electric bikini trimmer for up to 23% off with hypoallergenic stainless steel and ceramic blades for painless hair removal. If you've got sensitive skin that's prone to irritation, give this trimmer a try!
Promising review: "I'm genuinely impressed with how well it works. It's compact, easy to handle, and perfect for sensitive areas. The design allows for precise trimming without any nicks or irritation, which is a huge plus for me. It comes with adjustable guards, so you can choose your preferred length, and the battery life lasts surprisingly long for such a small device. "What I appreciate most is how gentle it is on my skin while still being super effective. Cleanup is quick, and it's easy to rinse or wipe down after use. Whether you're doing a quick touch-up or a more detailed groom, it gets the job done with minimal fuss. Definitely a great buy for anyone looking to stay smooth and confident year-round!" —B. SmithPrice: $24.22+ (typically $31.77; available in eight colors)
Or a laser hair removal tool for up to 40% off if you're tired of shaving every other day and dealing with ingrown hairs. You'll likely see significant results after 6–8 weeks of consistent use. Your legs will stay smooth for a long time, so go ahead and splurge on some shorts, skirts, and mini dresses.
Promising review: "I wanted to try this out for a few months before I left a review, and I absolutely love this thing!!! I've suffered with PCOS for as long as I can remember, and my facial hair has always been my biggest insecurity. I used to pluck the hairs on my chin, jaw line, and upper lip almost daily because of how bad my facial hair was. This device has given me my confidence back, and now I literally don't hide my skin in makeup. I used it pretty consistently every two days or so for about a month, and now I go about every two weeks with touch-ups. I love it so much." —SarahPrice: $65.55+ (originally $109.99; available in three colors)
An Amazon Fire soundbar for 28% off with built-in bass and 3D sound (basically the sound moves all around you) because you deserve to be fully, aurally immersed in the cinematic universe that is The Fast and the Furious franchise.
Promising review: "Great sound quality, good base for such a small sound bar. It has been a great addition for my new TV. Connected right up to my Amazon Fire TV." —Jeff R.Price: $179.99 (originally $249.99)
A portable waterproof speaker for up to 36% off designed for rugged, outdoor experiences. Because you should be able to listen to Lorde's new album while roasting marshmallows at your camping site. This durable and saltwater-resistant speaker offers 16 hours of nonstop play, so yeah, you'll be playing "What Was That?" on repeat for 16 hours.
Promising review: "Soundcore knocks it out of the park once again!! This rugged and very sexy portable speaker that floats in water gives you a light show. I am 100% convinced that Soundcore is my go-to audio company." —Mr. WilPrice: $89.99+ (originally $139.99; available in four colors)

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Best Cheap Laptop: Budget Computers for Every Use
You don't need to overspend to get a capable laptop, and that includes both Windows models and Apple MacBooks. It's possible to find a decent laptop for less than $1,000 -- sometimes much less. With years and years of experience, I've reviewed enough budget laptops to know a good one when I see one. A good budget laptop is one that avoids the common budget laptop pitfalls of using outdated tech that leads to weak performance and a design that is cheap, clunky, boring or all three. A good budget laptop serves up modern components inside a sleek chassis that's well put together. Keep reading to see my current favorites. What's the best cheap laptop overall? My favorite budget laptop is Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air. When Apple updated it with its latest M4 processor earlier this year, it also dropped the price by $100. In this era of tariffs and high prices, that's a much appreciated move. Even better, you can almost always find the 13-inch Air discounted at Amazon, between $799 and $849, making it an even better value for its streamlined, stylish and sturdy design; excellent display; strong performance and lengthy battery life. (And while it's true that you can still get the older M1 MacBook that was first released in 2020 for $599 at Walmart, I think the extra $200 or so that you'll spend on the current M4 model is a wiser investment.) For an ultraportable Windows machine that rivals the MacBook Air in design and battery life, check out the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7. Built with an Arm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon X CPU, it's the first Copilot Plus PC we've reviewed. And we came away impressed, particularly with the battery life. Windows laptops have trailed MacBooks in battery life ever since Apple released its Arm-based M1 processor nearly four years ago. The Surface Laptop 7 didn't just close the gap in battery life between a Windows laptop at a MacBook but surpassed it. It starts at $1,000 but can frequently be found for less. Even less is the Acer Aspire 14 AI, which features the latest AI chip from Intel and is the cheapest Copilot Plus PC we've reviewed at just $700 at Costco. It offers great overall performance for the price and all-day battery life. Using my decades of experience testing and reviewing laptops, I've compiled a roundup of the best budget laptops below. For more, check out my recommendations for best Asus laptop, best Dell laptop, best HP laptop and best Lenovo laptop. Gamers on tight budgets should peep my list of best cheap gaming laptops, and Apple fans can also find a few budget options among my picks for best MacBook. Lastly, budget laptop shoppers should consider a Chromebook -- especially if much of what you do is on the web -- and check out my list of best Chromebooks. Best cheap laptops of 2025 HP 14-inch Chromebook Get a Chromebook for as low as $139 at Best Buy. See at Best Buy Other laptops we've tested HP OmniBook X Flip 14: This two-in-one laptop offers style, value and configuration options abound, including a 3K OLED display for only an extra $100. Microsoft Surface Laptop (13-inch): It's compact, solidly built and great for travel, but the 13.8-inch version is the better choice as your daily driver. Dell 14 Plus: Skip the two-in-one and opt for the clamshell laptop I tested, when it goes on sale. Acer Swift Go 16 (2025): Built around a beautiful 16-inch OLED screen, the latest Swift Go 16 improves on its predecessors without significant price inflation. Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1: This big-screen, mini-LED convertible laptop certainly has some positives, but there are a few too many negatives to give this Plus a full-throated recommendation. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition: It's a great business laptop, but it can get pricey fast with upgrades. Acer Swift 14 AI: This midrange Copilot Plus PC offers incredible battery life but is missing one key feature. Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10: It's ultrastylish and ultracompact but maybe don't hide the camera behind the display next time? Acer Chromebook Plus 516: The 16-inch display provides plenty of room to work but Acer has a similar model that offers more for less. HP Pavilion Plus 14 (2025): Parts of the HP Pavilion Plus 14 are great but there's one poor-quality feature that totally ruins the experience. M4 MacBook Air (15-inch, 2025): The smaller Air is the perfect student laptop, but once you're out of school you should graduate to the larger, but still highly portable, 15-inch model. Acer Swift 16 AI: It's thin. It's light. It's long-running. And it boasts a big, bright 16-inch OLED display. So, what's holding this Copilot Plus PC back from being more than just a big-screen productivity machine? Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: It's thin and light for its size but a short runtime and a few design miscues make this a low-cost laptop to skip. How we test budget laptops The review process for laptops consists of two parts: performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET Labs and extensive hands-on use by our reviewers. This includes evaluating a device's aesthetics, ergonomics and features with respect to price. A final review verdict is a combination of objective and subjective judgments. We test all laptops with a core set of benchmarks, including Primate Labs Geekbench 5 and 6, Cinebench R23, PCMark 10, a variety of 3DMark benchmarks (whichever can run on the laptop), UL Procyon Photo and Video (where supported), and our own battery life test. If a laptop is intended for gaming, we'll also run benchmarks from Guardians of the Galaxy, The Rift Breaker (CPU and GPU) and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Budget laptops tend to have components that don't lend themselves to more advanced content creation -- such as a discrete GPU with sufficient memory -- so we don't typically run graphics-intensive performance tests on this class of laptops. For the hands-on, the reviewer uses it for their work during the review period, evaluating how well the design, features (such as the screen, camera and speakers) and manufacturer-supplied software operate as a cohesive whole. With budget laptops, especially, we concentrate on how well they work given their cost and where the manufacturer has made tradeoffs to reach the price. The list of benchmarking software and comparison criteria we use changes over time as the devices we test evolves. You can find a more detailed description of our test methodology on our How We Test Computers page. Factors to consider when choosing a cheap laptop There are a ton of models for less than $1,000 on the market at any given moment, and a large fraction of those are less than $500. As long as you manage your expectations regarding options and specs, you can still get quite a bit from a budget laptop model, including good battery life and a reasonably lightweight laptop body. (If you're replacing an old Windows laptop that's not up to running Windows anymore, consider turning it into a Chromebook.) Price If the statistics Intel and PC manufacturers hurl at us are correct, you'll be holding onto this laptop for at least three years so don't skimp if you can afford to stretch your budget a little to better specs. Even better, think about a laptop with a replaceable battery (if you can find one), upgradable memory (although memory is usually soldered to the motherboard), graphics card and storage, or all of the above. If you do, trawl the user reviews and comments for people's experiences with upgrading a particular model. Sometimes they require proprietary parts or require accessing hard-to-access locations in the system. For a cheap gaming laptop, you'll still have to break the $500 ceiling to support most games. The least expensive budget laptops suitable for a solid gaming performance experience -- those with moderately powerful discrete graphics processors -- will run you closer to $700. Here are our recommendations if you're looking for the best gaming laptop under $1,000. If you like to live on the bleeding edge, cloud gaming services such as Nvidia GeForce Now and Microsoft Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's Cloud Gaming will let you play games on laptops with specs that hit the under-$500 mark. A bright spot is you don't have to settle for a traditional clamshell laptop with a fixed display and keyboard. You can also get a convertible laptop (aka, a two-in-one), which has a screen that flips around to turn the screen into a tablet, to position it for comfortable streaming or to do a presentation. You can also try to make your current laptop last a little longer. If you need something to tide you over for a few months, dig into possible places to buy refurbished machines and explore nonprofit or educational discounts if you're eligible. Windows, Mac or Chromebook You won't find cheap laptop prices for a MacBook or any other Apple laptop. At best you can get the current entry-level model of the MacBook Air for $999. On sale, you may be able to get it for less than that but it will never reach truly "budget" territory. Even an iPad will run you more than $500 once you buy the optional keyboard (although it might work out to less if you look for sales on the tablet or keyboard), which is above our budget here. A base-model iPad with an inexpensive Bluetooth keyboard and a cheap stand for the iPad might suffice. It's easier to find inexpensive Chromebooks than cheap Windows laptops, making them one of the most popular budget laptops on the market, although we're also seeing a lot more Chromebooks in the $500-to-$1,000 range and more Windows laptops in the $500 range. Those Windows systems are frequently repurposed Chromebook configurations that really aren't up to running Windows comfortably. Google's ChromeOS isn't nearly as power-hungry as Windows, so you can get by with a lower-end processor, slower storage and less screen resolution or RAM; just a few of the components that make a laptop expensive. The flip side is Chrome and Google apps are more of a memory hog than you'd expect, and if you go too low with the processor or skimp on memory, the system will still feel slow. While Chromebooks can run ChromeOS-specific and Android apps, some people need the full Windows OS to run heftier applications, such as video-editing suites. With that comes a need for a faster processor with more cores, more memory -- 8GB RAM is the bare minimum, although 16GB is preferable -- and more storage for applications and the operating system itself. ChromeOS is also a much different experience than Windows; make sure the applications you need have a Chrome app, Android app or Linux app before making the leap. Since Chromebooks are cloud-first devices, you don't need a lot of storage built-in. That also means if you spend most of your time roaming the web, writing, streaming video or playing Android games, they're a good fit. If you hope to play Android games, make sure you get a touchscreen Chromebook. Size Remember to consider whether having a lighter, thinner laptop or a touchscreen laptop with a good battery life will be important to you in the future. Size is primarily determined by the screen, which in turn factors into battery size, laptop thickness and weight. Ultraportable laptops, generally 13 inches or smaller, are a rarity below $700. It turns out, making things smaller doesn't always equate to cheaper. Generally, you'll find budget laptops at 14-, 15.6- and 17.3-inch sizes. Also, because of their low prices, 11.6-inch Chromebooks are attractive. We don't recommend that size for any but the youngest students. In the budget price range, you have to watch out for screen terminology when it comes to specs: An "HD" screen may not always be a truly high-definition screen. HD, which has a resolution of 1,920x1,080 pixels, is called "Full HD" so marketers can refer to lesser-resolution displays (1,280x720 pixels) as HD. In Chromebooks, HD usually refers to a screen with a resolution of 1,366x768 pixels. On the upside, the boom in 14-inch laptops trickles down to this price range, which allows for more FHD options in that size. A frequent complaint we see is about "washed-out" looking displays with poor viewing angles. Unfortunately, that's one of the trade-offs: A lot of these use TN (twisted nematic) screen technology, which is cheap but meh. Look for IPS (in-plane switching) LCDs which are better for off-angle viewing, brightness and color. Processor, memory and storage A lot of Windows laptops in this range use AMD Athlon and lower-end A series or Intel Celeron and Pentium processors to hit the lower prices. We don't recommend going with an Athlon instead of a Ryzen or a Celeron/Pentium instead of a Core: Windows is too heavy for them, and in conjunction with the 4GB memory a lot of them have, you may find them abysmally slow at best. SSDs can make a big difference in how fast Windows performance feels compared with a spinning hard disk, although thankfully old hard disks have become a lot rarer. Not all SSDs are equally speedy and cheaper laptops typically have slower drives. If you need to go with a smaller drive -- they tend to max out at 256GB in this price range -- you can always add an external drive or two (or five, for some of us) at some point down the road or use cloud storage to bolster a small internal drive. For memory, we highly recommend 16GB of RAM (8GB absolute minimum). RAM is where the operating system stores all the data for currently running applications, and it can fill up fast (for example, right now Chrome is taking up 7GB of my memory). After that, it starts swapping between RAM and SSD, which is a bit slower. A lot of sub-$500 laptops have 4GB or 8GB, which in conjunction with a slower disk can make for a frustratingly slow Windows laptop experience. Also, many laptops now have the memory soldered onto the motherboard. Most manufacturers disclose this, but if the RAM type is LPDDR, it is soldered on and can't be upgraded. Some PC makers will solder memory on and also leave an empty internal slot for adding a stick of RAM. You may need to contact the laptop manufacturer or find the laptop's full specs online to confirm.