Finding the best i5 laptops under 600 dollars can be a difficult task, especially without all of the right information.
We know how frustrating it is to scroll through countless laptop reviews and comparisons and not being able to find the best laptop under your budget.
In this post, we’ve done all the work for you! Our team has compared five top-rated i5 laptops within your price range, ranging from $400 to $600. Plus, we’ll take a look at specs and features for each device — so you know exactly what you’re getting before making a purchase decision.
Whether you need a high-end gaming machine or just something reliable for everyday tasks like checking emails and browsing social media, there is something here for everyone. Let’s get started!
Laptops Buying Guide For Best Core i5 Laptops
A laptop is a must-have for any student, professional, or traveler. But with the variety of laptops in the market today, it can be difficult to make a choice that will fit your needs and budget.
In order to help you find the best laptop for your needs, we have listed some of the important features that you should look out for in a laptop.
Before you select a laptop, consider these important features:
Price and budget
Before you begin your search for the top i5 laptops under 600 dollars, establish how much are you willing to spend? Since all devices come at different prices, keeping a certain price range in mind is important. It will help you narrow down your choices and find the best laptop for your budget.
Operating system
High-end laptops usually come with Windows 10 pre-installed. If you’re a Windows user, you have the option to choose between Windows 10 and other versions of the OS (such as 7 or 8).
For Mac users, however, you can only choose between OS X and macOS Sierra.
Screen size
The screen size is measured diagonally in inches. Choose a screen size that will be comfortable for you to use. A laptop with a small screen size may not be suitable if you have poor eyesight.
Processor speed
An i5 laptop typically comes with a 2 GHz Core i5 processor or faster. A higher number indicates speedier performance, but even the lowest Core i5 CPU is more than enough for web browsing and office work.
- Memory
You should find a laptop with enough memory to meet your needs. For most users, 8 GB memory is more than adequate; 16 GB is ideal for more complex tasks such as video editing.
Storage capacity
Your laptop should come with enough storage space to hold all your files and programs. If storage is a problem, you should consider an external hard drive for extra capacity.
Best i5 laptops under 600 – Our Top 5 Picks!
Now that you have your budget in your mind, you know what you need the laptop for, and you know the features to look for, it’s time to select your best i5 laptops for under 600 dollars.
We have reviewed 5 of the best-selling i5 laptops in the market today. Let’s take a closer look at these devices so you can find the one that will best fit your needs!
In these reviews, you’ll find essential information such as specs, features, pros, and cons of each device, and our verdict.
Here are five of the top picks to get you started:
Acer Aspire 3 – Best Overall
Specs:
- Intel Core i5-1035G1
- 8GB DDR4 Memory
- 256GB SSD
- 15.6″ Screen
- Windows 10 Home 64-Bit
The Acer Aspire 3 (15.6-inch Full HD display) is a solid workhorse that can easily handle everything from web browsing to document creation.
Plus, it has a long-lasting battery that can keep you going from 9 to 12 hours with normal usage.
This laptop feels sturdy and well-built, and it comes with essentials such as integrated audio speakers and a DVD reader.
We also like the fact that this laptop has a 256 GB solid-state drive, which improves its performance. However, it is not made for intensive applications (such as video editing or gaming), so if that’s what you need, perhaps you should look at a different laptop.
Its 15.6″ diagonal 1080p display is also quite impressive, with vibrant colors. It has a wide viewing angle.
This laptop comes with Windows 10 Home 64-Bit pre-installed. It also has a relatively quiet keyboard and responsive trackpad, considering its price range.
This laptop’s sleek black design is perfect for professionals who want a sturdy and reliable machine that looks good.
It is a little pricey, but you get what you pay for. If you’re looking for a high-end laptop with all the bells and whistles, this is the one to get.
Pros:
- Solid performance
- Long-lasting battery
- Impressive visuals and display
- Sleek design
Cons:
- A little expensive for its specs
Our Verdict:
If you’re looking for a high-end laptop with impressive features, the Acer Aspire 3 is our top pick.
It comes at a good price and has a solid processor that will handle everything you need it to.
HP 15 dy2023nr– Premium Core i5 laptop
Specs:
- Core i5-1135G7 11th Gen
- 8GB DDR4 Memory
- 256GB SSD
- 15.6″ Screen
- Windows 10 Home
The HP 15 is another powerful machine that’s great for multitasking and will be able to handle your everyday needs.
It comes with a 15.6″ 1080p HD screen, with vivid and true-to-life colors and anti-glare technology.
It features the latest 11th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, which has a high clock speed. It can achieve 3.8 GHz in turbo mode, thanks to its 8 GB DDR4 memory.
We tested it with several tasks like playing a YouTube video and running different applications.
This laptop is very responsive, and we did not experience any lag when opening multiple programs at once or switching between them. It was able to handle them all without slowing down.
Even if you have more than a dozen tabs open on Chrome or you are playing a heavy game on Steam, the laptop won’t lag or slow down thanks to the stable configuration it packs.
This laptop has a fast-charging capability that charges the battery up to 50% in about 49 minutes.
It weighs 3.8 lbs, making it a very lightweight machine, and is slim, measuring at 0.9″.
It is also equipped with a webcam and built-in mic that will help you stay in touch with your family and friends so that you won’t miss any moments.
Although it has only 256 GB of storage, its solid-state drive is quick and responsive. You can boot the laptop up in as little as 10 seconds.
On top of that, the HP 15 Intel Iris Xe Graphics helps you take on graphics-intensive tasks.
Plus, it has a battery life of almost 7 hours, which is rare for laptops in this price range.
It also comes with a 1-year warranty so if there are any problems within the first year, you’ll
Pros:
- Fast Charging
- Fast performance
- Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0
- Lightweight and slim
- Impressive battery life
Cons:
- Expensive
Our Verdict:
The HP 15 is a great laptop that will not disappoint. It’s fast, lightweight, and slim, making it a perfect laptop for students and professionals.
We recommend the HP 15 for people who want a high-performing and best laptop with i5 processor with amazing features under 600.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go
Specs:
- Core i5 10th Gen
- 8GB RAM
- 128GB and 258GB SSD Options
- 12.4″ Touchscreen
- Windows 10 S
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go is a lightweight laptop that will make your life easy and provide you with smooth multitasking capabilities.
It features a high-resolution 12.3″ touchscreen display, which has an impressive color accuracy.
Plus, its 10th Gen Intel Core processor and 8 GB of RAM will allow you to run intensive applications like Adobe Photoshop without a problem.
You can also easily open multiple programs at once, along with having several tabs open on your internet browser.
It only weighs 2.44 lbs, thus being a lightweight laptop.
Surface Laptop Go also has a keyboard that features Microsoft’s Signature Alcantara technology, making it incredibly comfortable to use.
This laptop is really thin and compact, which makes it lightweight and easy to carry.
We loved its battery life. Which, according to the manufacturer, lasts up to 14 hours of continuous usage. In our testing, we were able to get around 11 hours until it ran out of juice, but this is still an amazing result.
You get the latest Windows Hello sign-in technology that will allow you to easily secure your system and log in with the touch of a finger.
It also includes an S mode that restricts you from opening any program not found in the Windows Store.
Lastly, it’s available in a range of different colors, so you can choose one that best suits your style.
Pros:
- Sleek, lightweight design
- High-resolution touchscreen display
- Fingerprint Power Button
- 720p HD front camera for video calling
- Long battery life
Cons:
- No Thunderbolt 3.0 Ports
- S mode is only available in the Pro version of this device
Our Verdict:
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go is an excellent laptop for the price you pay. It’s stylish and lightweight, making it really easy to carry around, and it’s packed with a whole bunch of great features.
We recommend it for anyone looking for a laptop that’s not too expensive but still provides you with great value.
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-36UT – Best Budget Laptop
Specs:
- Core i5-1135G7
- 15.6″ Screen
- 8GB DDR4 RAM
- 256GB NVMe SSD
- Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- Windows 10 Home
Acer has been well known for making high-quality laptops at very low prices, and the Acer Aspire 5 is the best budget i5 laptop in our opinion.
It is powered by an 11th generation Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor, which can be overclocked up to 4.2GHz.
It comes with 8GB of DDR4 RAM and a 256GB NVMe solid-state drive to provide you with the performance you need for multitasking and running heavy applications.
It has a 15.6″ Full HD IPS display with 1920 x 1080 resolution so that you can watch your favorite shows or movies in high definition. It has a Backlit LED keyboard which makes using it in low-light situations easy.
Aspire 5 A515 sports an Intel Iris Xe graphics card so, this laptop can be your gaming laptop. You can play games like Fortnite, PUBG, and league of legends smoothly on this laptop.
The battery life is fantastic on this laptop since it is powered by a 3-cell lithium-ion battery. On a single charge, the laptop can last up to 8 hours, so you can use it all day on a single charge.
It also got a fingerprint reader, which we think is a great feature for Windows Hello.
The laptop weighs around 3.6 pounds, so it is neither too light nor too heavy, and you should have no problem carrying it around in your backpack.
The Acer Aspire 5 is our editor’s choice for the best budget i5 laptop.
Pros:
- Great performance and fast responsiveness
- Multiple Cooling Modes for fans
- Comfortable Typing
- Very Slim and stylish design
- Good battery life
- Backlit Display
Cons:
- No Optical Drive
Our Verdict:
This laptop has everything you need for your day-to-day tasks. You can multitask, run demanding programs and play games if you are into gaming.
The Acer Aspire 5 is a perfect budget i5 laptop that offers great performance, tons of storage, and an unbeatable price tag.
Lenovo IdeaPad 3
Specs:
- Intel i5-1035G1
- 12GB RAM
- 256GB SSD
- 15.6-inch Touch Screen
- Windows 10 Home
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is one of the best laptops under 600 dollars you can buy right now.
It packs a really powerful configuration featuring an Intel i5-1035G1 processor, 12 GB of RAM, and a 256 GB SSD to provide you with the performance you need for multitasking and running heavy applications.
The i5-1035G1 processor is a pretty good option for day-to-day use and light multitasking.
In our testing, we found that this laptop is not suitable forheavy gaming; however, light games like League of Legends and Dota 2 can be played on it without any issues at all.
This is a touchscreen laptop, so you can use it in a regular way or take advantage of Windows 10 touch features. The 15.6 Full-HD screen with 1366 x 768 pixels offers good image quality, so you can use it for your multimedia needs and movies.
It offers connectivity options of Wi-Fi 5, HDMI, Ethernet, and USB 2.0 but lacks Bluetooth connectivity which we think should have been included.
Battery life is also a major downside of this laptop; it barely manages to survive for 3 hours which is pretty poor considering that the average battery life in this price range is around 6 hours.
On the bright side, it offers Intel Turbo Boost Technology which can be helpful in casual gaming and multitasking.
It also packs an HD webcam and dual-mic array for video calling and recording.
This laptop weighs 4.7 pounds which is pretty good considering that it’s a 15-inch screen device.
Pros:
- Very powerful configuration for the price
- Has a touchscreen
- Powerful processor
- Efficient fan isolation cooling system
- Good connectivity options
Cons:
- Very poor battery life
- Does not support Bluetooth connectivity
Our Verdict:
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is a pretty good laptop with a powerful configuration for daily use as well as light gaming.
It’s a good option for people who are looking for the best core i5 laptop under 600 dollars, however, if you are looking for longer battery life and Bluetooth connectivity, we recommend that you look at other laptops on this list.
FAQS
- Which processor is best for laptop i5 or i7?
- Well, it depends on what you are planning to do with your laptop.
If you want to run very demanding programs and use them for things like AutoCAD, rendering 3D models, and editing a lot of video files, then you should go with Intel i7.
If you want to use it for basic tasks like surfing the web, watching movies, and doing other simple tasks, then you should go with Intel i5.
- What is the best laptop with an i5 processor?
- We have listed the best laptops with i5 processors above, but if you want our personal recommendation, then we suggest that you go with Acer Aspire 5 because it has a great battery life and it comes with 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and an i5 processor in a very affordable price.
- What is the best intel i5 processor for a laptop?
- Intel i5-8250U is the best processor for laptopsin our opinion, since it offers great power and performance while staying cool and consumes less power as well.
- Do i5 laptops support overclocking?
- No, you cannot overclock i5 processors because they are already overclocked since they use Turbo Boost. If you really want to overclock an i5 laptop, then we suggest that you go with an i7 model because they support overclocking.
- Where to get the best i5 laptop deals?
- We have listed the best deals for the top i5 laptops above so that you can take a look at them and choose one according to your budget.
- Is it possible to upgrade an i5 processor?
- Yes, you can easily upgrade the CPU in many laptops. In order to upgrade your i5 laptop, all you have to do is replace the CPU with a compatible, faster, and more powerful one.
Final Verdict!
All of these laptops are good in their own way, and none of them are bad.
If you want a portable Core i5 laptop that can be carried around easily, then we suggest that you go with the Acer Aspire 3.
Our most recommended Core i5 laptop is HP 15-dy2023nr which is a fantastic laptop with great features and amazing performance, but it is a little expensive than the other laptops on this list.
If you are looking for a budget i5 laptop, then the Acer Aspire 5 is our editor’s choice for the best budget i5 laptop.
You can choose any of these laptops according to your needs and requirements.
We hope that you will find the best laptop that you were looking for within your budget with our detailed guide!
If we have missed any good laptops with an i5 processor then please let us know in the comments below and we will update this list with that laptop.
Thank you for reading our post!
