Best budget 15.6" laptops (<$800)

Brodo Faggins on 29/11/2020 - 23:22
Last edited 30/11/2020 - 00:18

Hi all,

I need assistance choosing a laptop from below, or any obvious standouts/write-offs?

All the laptop specs are very confusing for me when comparing as I am not IT-minded…

I simply want the best value for money, and won't be used for gaming or graphics, or high processing.

(If specs are decent, I will be using it for a side passion for very beginner video/audio editing podcasts or dubbing youtube channel, but this is optional)

Also using this post a reference guide, for everyone in the same boat in the market for similar laptops :)

Sorry for the long post, thanks in advanced!

Min requirements:
- 15.6"
- 8gb ram
- 256 SSD (or HD equiv.)
- 2 USB ports (ideally 1x 3.0)
- HDMI or DP
- Arrow keys
- SD card reader (optional)
- Preferably Acer, but not limited.

1 - $698 Acer Aspire 5 - i5-1035G1
https://www.harveynorman.com.au/acer-aspire-5-15-6-inch-i5-1…

2 - $628 Vostro 15 3000 - i3-1115G4
https://www.dell.com/en-au/work/shop/business-laptops-ultrab…

3 - $746 Vostro 15 3000 - i5-1135G7
https://www.dell.com/en-au/work/shop/business-laptops-ultrab…

4 - $598 Inspiron 15 3000 - AMD Ryzen 5 3450U
https://www.dell.com/en-au/shop/dell-laptops/inspiron-15-300…

5 - $777 Acer Aspire NX.HSKSA.008 - i7 (doesn't say which one)
https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/acer-aspire-156-inches-laptop…

6 - $788 HP 15s-FQ1055TU - i7-1065G7
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/hp-15s-fq1055tu-15-6-fhd-…

7 - $605 Acer Aspire 3 - Intel Pentium N5030 Pentium
https://online.acer.com.au/acer/store/sale/acer-aspire3-inte…

8 - $749 Acer Extensa EX215 - i3-1005G1 Processor 4gb ram
https://online.acer.com.au/acer/store/sale/extensa-215-intel…

9 - $899 Acer Swift 3, Intel Core i5, i5-1035G1 too expensive; same processor as #1.
https://online.acer.com.au/acer/store/sale/acer-swift-3-inte…

10 - $599 Acer Aspire 3 - AMD Athlon 3020e HD 1366 x 768
https://online.acer.com.au/acer/store/sale/4710180890365

11 - $598 Acer aspire 3 - R3-3250U 128GB SSD
https://www.harveynorman.com.au/acer-aspire-3-15-6-inch-r3-3…

12 - $747 Acer Athlon-3050U 12GB/512SSD
https://www.harveynorman.com.au/asus-15-6-inch-athlon-3050u-…

13 - $559 HP 15-EQ1048AU - AMD Athlon™ Silver 3050U
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/hp-15-eq1048au-15-6-hd-la…

14 - $588 Lenovo Ideapad S145 - i5 10th gen Ice Lake 128GB SSD
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/lenovo-ideapad-s145-15-6-…

15 - $ 639 HP 15-EQ1049AU - AMD Athlon™ Gold 3150U
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/hp-15-eq1049au-15-6-hd-la…

16 - $639 Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15-00A9 - AMD Ryzen 3 3250U Ryzen 3
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/lenovo-ideapad-3-15-00a9-…

17 - $639 Acer Aspire 3 A315-56-3061 - i3-1005G1 4GB/128GB SSD
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/acer-aspire-3-a315-56-306…

18 - $718 Asus VivoBook F512 - i3-1005G1 128GB SSD
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/asus-vivobook-f512-15-6-f…

19 - $718 HP Pavilion 15-EH0082AU - AMD Ryzen™ 3 128GB SSD
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/hp-pavilion-15-eh0082au-1…

20 - $788 HP 15s-FQ1055TU - i7-1065G7 duplicate w/ #6.
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/hp-15s-fq1055tu-15-6-fhd-…

21 - $769 HP 15-DU1016TU - i5-10210U
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/hp-15-du1016tu-15-6-lapto…

22 - $719 HP Pavilion 15-CW1038AU - AMD Ryzen™ 3 3300U 128GB SSD
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/hp-pavilion-15-cw1038au-1…

23 - $799 HP 15s-EQ0110AU - AMD Ryzen™ 5 3500U
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/hp-15s-eq0110au-15-6-fhd-…

24 - $799 Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15-00A8 - AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/lenovo-ideapad-3-15-00a8-…

25 - $583 Acer Aspire NX.HE3SA.00M - Intel Pentium Intel Pentium
https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/acer-aspire-156-inches-laptop…

26 - $639 Acer Aspire 3 - AMD A9
https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/acer-aspire-3-156-inches-amd-…

27 - $639 HP1G6T9PA - AMD Athlon Silver 128GB SSD
https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/hp-hp-15-inches-amd-laptop-1g…

28 - $719 Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 - AMD Ryzen 3 Ryzen 3
https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/lenovo-ideapad-slim-3-156-inc…

30 - $777 Acer Aspire 15.6" - Intel Core i7 duplicate w/ #5
https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/acer-aspire-156-inches-laptop…

31 - $799 HP 9TT69PA - AMD Ryzen 3 Ryzen 3
https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/hp-156-inches-laptop-9tt69pa

32 - $582 ACER Aspire 3 - Intel Pentium Intel Pentium
https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/acer-aspir…

33 - $547 ACER Aspire 3 - AMD A4 8GB/1TB
https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/acer-aspir…

Bunch of refurb Dell ones here (or don't even go there?):
https://www.dell.com/en-au/outlet/shop/laptops-tablets?displ…

• 

  FireRunner on 29/11/2020 - 23:55

  +2

  Don't bother with anything with an Intel Pentium. Recommend Intel i5 or i7 or AMD Ryzen 5 or 7.
  Make sure screen is Full HD (1920x1080) and preferably IPS.
  Definitely get at least one USB 3.0 port, USB 2.0 is painfully slow.
  You'll need dedicated graphics card if doing photo/video editing
  Dell refurbs are great value, I've purchased multiple times and have no issues

  • 

    Brodo Faggins on 29/11/2020 - 23:59

    +1

    okay cheers! scratching off all Pentiums, i3's and Ryzen 3's :D
    going to look at all the refurb tomorrow

    • 

      Noblejoker on 30/11/2020 - 13:45

      +2

      upvote your comment as I can't upvote your post - great work OP

• 

  dmbminaret on 30/11/2020 - 06:56

  Anything but acer. Screens are fine but computers are garbage. Toshiba was always the best. Dells are good in my experience. My workplace only has dell and have had no real issues. ASUS, HP and lenovo all OK too but I'd go dell and get 20% off on an ebay sale or something.

  • 

    Brodo Faggins on 30/11/2020 - 21:51

    Thanks that's interesting. What are your opinions/experiences with Acer?

    • 

      dmbminaret on 30/11/2020 - 22:20

      I used to sell computers at multiple retailers and acer failure rate are simply the highest. There's cheap and there's cheap junk. Acer laptops and to a lesser extent, desktops, are cheap junk.

      • 

        Brodo Faggins on 01/12/2020 - 00:24

        hmmm what do you mean by "failing"? Like overheating, or poor quality builds?

        • 

          dmbminaret on 01/12/2020 - 06:10

          +1

          @Brodo Faggins: Poor quality components. Think of it like this: everyone uses all the same components besides dell and acer. Apple generally use the premium end of components which generally last the longest. Then hp, asus, toshiba, etc use mid range stuff which is fine and pretty good. Dell and acer have their own. Like aldi. You can't get that stuff elsewhere. Dell's home brand seems to be ok, Acer's is garbage.

          • 

            Brodo Faggins on 02/12/2020 - 22:17

            @dmbminaret: Thanks heaps for that info! Are you referring to cheap as in physical impact? Would it be fine for basic home use as long as I don't drop it?

            Looking to replace my very old desktop, nothing flashy (hence the low budget), and won't be carrying it anywhere outside.

            What about electrical components and safety, and longevity (5 yrs) of general wear and tear?

            Appreciate your contribution!

• 

  Flowerbomb on 30/11/2020 - 07:28

  I’m in the same situation as you, looking for a budget laptop. Have you considered Amazon US pricing? On Prime day, they had a couple of good drops. Not so much for Black Friday though.

  • 

    Brodo Faggins on 30/11/2020 - 21:52

    I have quite a few on watch, but missing the laptops on the recent prime day.
    Back then I only had saved 14", but now I'd want 15.6" minimum