4 of the best laptops under $700

Spending a bit more for a mid-range laptop makes sense if you want to do lots with it. That extra buying power means you can do all but the most demanding tasks, like intensive video editing or high-spec gaming, for which you’ll need to save a bit more.

We’ve put together four of our favorite mid-range laptops below. In this price range, the hardware is going to be pretty good no matter which you choose, but I’ve highlighted what I consider to be the standout features.

1. HP ProBook 455

The HP ProBook 455 is an attractive all-rounder: full HD 15.6” screen, 256GB SSD, quad-core AMD A10 chip clocking up to 3.2 GHz, and a decent battery life of around 7 hours. Its standout feature is the whopping 16GB RAM – usually found on more expensive machines. Combined with the fast CPU, this laptop should accomplish anything you throw at it – even heavy video editing.

Still, it’s a bit of a trade-off between the higher RAM and smaller 256GB drive. Also, the lack of a discrete graphics card means you’ll have to keep settings low on the latest games. Not a big deal unless you’re a hardcore gamer.

$699

HP ProBook 455 15.6 Full HD High Performance Business Laptop Computer, AMD Quad-Core A10-9600P up to 3.2GHz, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, DVD, HDMI, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 3.0, WLAN, Windows 10

From: Amazon

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2. Dell Inspiron 2-in-1

This 2-in-1 from Dell is great for families. Its standout feature is the 360-degree flip and fold design, which turns the laptop into a tablet. The 8-hour battery life will make long car journeys easier for the children, and when you arrive, you can fold out the keyboard and pick up that work email where you left off.

Its full HD display is crisp and colorful, and it’s great for playing digital board games like Monopoly, too. The Intel i5 CPU, 256GB SSD, and 8GB RAM will ensure fast and fluid performance, but its integrated graphics chip won’t support dynamic 3D rendered games – perhaps a good way to keep the kids focused on their homework instead of improving their high score.

$649

Dell Inspiron 15.6 2 in 1 Full HD 1920x1080 Touchscreen Laptop PC Intel Core i5-7200U Processor 8GB DDR4 RAM 1TB HDD 802.11AC Wifi Backlit Keyboard Bluetooth Webcam HDMI Windows 10

From: Amazon

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3. Asus Zenbook Flip

The Zenbook Flip is the least powerful laptop on this list, but boy is it portable. An impressive 9:58 real-world battery life means you can work or study all day, no matter where you are. It’s also incredibly thin and light, measuring less than half an inch thick and weighing under three pounds. While the Intel M processor limits speed a bit, the full HD 13.3” touchscreen display, 8GB RAM, and a 256GB SSD more than make up for it.

$680

ASUS Zenbook 13.3 Full HD 1920x1080 Touchscreen 2-in-1 Laptop PC Intel Core M3-6Y30 Processor 8GB RAM 256GB SSD 802.11AC Wifi HDMI Bluetooth Webcam Windows 10

From: Amazon

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4. HP 17

The HP 17 is for those that like it big. It features a massive 17.3” HD+ display, and a gargantuan 2TB HDD. At almost eight ounces, you probably won’t want to take this with you when you leave the house, but as a slim-ish workstation for the home, it’s perfect. The 8GB RAM and Intel i3 CPU will ensure you can run several programs at once without slowing performance, and there’s a DVD/CD writer for digitizing those old “Seinfeld” box sets gathering dust in the attic.

$538

2018 Flagship HP 17.3 HD+ SVA BrightView WLED-Backlit Laptop - Intel Dual-Core i3-7100U 2.4GHz, 8GB DDR4, 2TB HDD, DVDRW, Backlit Keyboard, 802.11ac, Bluetooth, HDMI, Webcam, USB 3.1, Win 10

From: Amazon

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You’ll probably spend a decent part of your life in front of a laptop, so there’s no shame in spending more for a better one. Hopefully, these have given you a tantalizing taste of what those extra dollars can buy.

5 of the best laptops for around $1,000

See our upgrade picks