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Laptop Radar

Updated Nov 6, 2026

Best laptop up to $500 dollars today

Today’s picks

  1. The best up to $500
    score 3.8

    Ryzen 5 3500U8 GB RAM256 GB

    $370

    No history yet · today

    Amazon: the cheapest today

    Who it’s for: Study and basic use

    Cons: Only 8 GB of RAM; Only 256 GB SSD

  2. Best value
    score 3.3

    MediaTek4 GB RAM64 GB

    $330

    No history yet · today

    Amazon: the cheapest today

    Cons: Only 4 GB of RAM; Only 64 GB of storage

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The best laptop up to $500 today is the Lenovo ThinkPad T495 14″ Ryzen 5 3500U, $370 (score 3.8).

All models: Laptops up to $500

See the 24 highest-scoring modelsHide the list
Models in the segment, from highest score to lowest
ModelPriceScoreBuy
Lenovo ThinkPad T495 14″ Ryzen 5 3500U8 GB · 256 GB SSD$370at Amazon3.8Buy on Amazon
Acer Chromebook 314 14″ MediaTek4 GB · 64 GB eMMC$330at Amazon3.3Buy on Amazon
Acer Chromebook 315 15.6″ Celeron2 versions · 4 GB a 8 GB of RAM · 64 GB a 128 GB$394at Amazon3.3Buy on Amazon
Asus Chromebook CX1 15.6″ Celeron4 GB · 64 GB eMMC$390at Amazon3.1Buy on Amazon
HP Chromebook 14a 14″ Celeron4 GB · 64 GB eMMC$320at Amazonno scoreBuy on Amazon
Asus Vivobook Go 14″ Celeron4 GB · 128 GB eMMC$330at Amazonno scoreBuy on Amazon
HP Chromebook 14″ Celeron4 GB · 64 GB eMMC$340at Amazonno scoreBuy on Amazon
Acer Chromebook 315 15.6″ Pentium4 GB · 128 GB$350at Amazonno scoreBuy on Amazon
HP 14 14″ Celeron2 versions · 4 GB of RAM · 64 GB a 128 GB$359at Amazonno scoreBuy on Amazon
Asus Vivobook Go 15 L510 15.6″ Celeron4 GB · 128 GB eMMC$360at Amazonno scoreBuy on Amazon
Lenovo Grade A T490s 14″ Core i5-8350U8 GB · 256 GB SSD$366at Amazonno scoreBuy on Amazon
Lenovo IdeaPad 14″ Intel N1004 GB · 128 GB SSD$370at Amazonno scoreBuy on Amazon
HP Stream 14″ Celeron5 versions · 4 GB a 16 GB of RAM · 64 GB a 128 GB$380at Amazonno scoreBuy on Amazon
Lenovo IdeaPad 3i Chromebook 15.6″ Celeron4 GB · 64 GB eMMC$380at Amazonno scoreBuy on Amazon
Asus Vivobook Go 14″ Intel N1004 GB · 128 GB UFS$398at Amazonno scoreBuy on Amazon
Asus Vivobook Go 12 L210 11.6″ Celeron4 GB · 128 GB eMMC$399at Amazonno scoreBuy on Amazon
Acer Aspire Lite 15.6″ Celeron4 GB · 128 GB eMMC$400at Amazonno scoreBuy on Amazon
Acer Aspire Lite 15.6″ Intel N45003 versions · 8 GB a 16 GB of RAM · 128 GB a 256 GB$400at Amazonno scoreBuy on Amazon
Acer Chromebook 311 11.6″ Celeron4 GB · 64 GB eMMC$400at Amazonno scoreBuy on Amazon
Asus Chromebook 15.6″ Celeron4 GB · 128 GB eMMC$400at Amazonno scoreBuy on Amazon
HP 14 14″ Athlon4 GB · 256 GB SSD$400at Amazonno scoreBuy on Amazon
Lenovo IdeaPad 14″ MediaTek4 GB · 64 GB eMMC$400at Amazonno scoreBuy on Amazon
Asus Vivobook Go 15 L510 15.6″ Pentium4 GB · 128 GB eMMC$427at Amazonno scoreBuy on Amazon
HP Chromebook 14″ Intel N1508 GB · 128 GB UFS$440at Amazonno scoreBuy on Amazon

Laptops up to $500 in numbers

How much it costs

Half of the 38 laptops cost up to $400; the range with the most models is from $375 to $400, with 12.

How many models there are in each price range, from $300 to $500. Half cost up to $400; across the whole catalog, the median is $1,155.1 model between $300 and $3254 models between $325 and $3505 models between $350 and $37512 models between $375 and $4008 models between $425 and $4502 models between $450 and $4756 models between $475 and $500145120826$300$350$400$450$500
  • half cost up to $400
  • whole catalog: $1,155 →
See the table by price range
Laptops up to $500 by price range, against the whole catalog
Price rangeModels in the segmentIn the catalogMedian score of the segmentMedian score of the catalog
Under $81038823.34.5
$810 to $1,2000365.9
$1,200 to $1,8000387.0
$1,800 to $2,7000337.7
Over $2,7000278.4
See these models on the price and score map

What changed

This is the first check with history for this segment. Radar checks prices every day: from the next one on, this section shows what got cheaper, what got more expensive and what came in or left.

Brands

4 brands have a model here; Asus has the most, with 14 models.

Against the whole catalog

  • −65%median price below the catalog’s
  • −3.4median spec score: 3.3 vs 6.7
  • 18%of the catalog: 38 of 216 models
See the full table
Laptops up to $500 against the whole catalog
IndicatorLaptops up to $500Whole catalogDifference
Models3821618% of the catalog
Median price$400$1,155−65%
Median score3.36.7−3.4 ponto
Lowest price$320$320igual
Highest price$500$8,499−$7,999

What the numbers say about laptops up to $500

  • Versions: 4 models have more than one version within the selection, from 64 GB to 512 GB. The model’s price is that of the cheapest version; the others appear on the card and in the list.

Pick a size. Applies to all pages

How to read these numbers

Pick 1, best score for the price: Lenovo ThinkPad T495 14″ Ryzen 5 3500U, $370 at Amazon, on 06/11/2026. The median price of the 38 models on the list is $400.

How we choose
  • The picks combine a high rating and a price in line with the list: each one fits a way of spending, a use, or the brand that shows up most. The pros and cons come from each model’s spec sheet.
  • Stores: Amazon. We include stores we read every day through an open source or an affiliate program: the Radar collection, the Amazon catalog and the factory price database. A store that failed to load today is left out.
  • The same model in two stores is only merged with a catalog code, GTIN or the manufacturer’s full code. When in doubt, only one store is kept. A price far from the collected one (below 60% or above 150%) is left out.
  • Amazon appears without a price, only with the link: we don’t read Amazon prices in bulk.

Next step

See each laptop on the chart

Open the chart already filtered to Laptops up to $500.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the best laptop up to $500 today?

Today it is the Lenovo ThinkPad T495 14″ Ryzen 5 3500U, for $370 (score 3.8).

Which laptop up to $500 has the best value today?

The Acer Chromebook 314 14″ MediaTek, for $330 (score 3.3).

Is it worth paying more and moving up to up to $600?

Today, not much: in up to $600 the highest spec score is 3.8, almost the same as up to $500 (3.8, Lenovo ThinkPad T495 14″ Ryzen 5 3500U for $370).

How much does a laptop with a price up to $500 cost?

In the Nov 6, 2026 catalog, the median price of the 38 models in the segment is $400, and prices range from $320 to $500. The final price is the one at the store.

Which laptop with a price up to $500 has the highest score?

Among the models in the segment on Nov 6, 2026, the highest spec score is the Lenovo ThinkPad T495 14″ Ryzen 5 3500U: 3.8, at $370. The one with the lowest price is the HP Chromebook 14a 14″ Celeron, at $320. Spec score doesn’t measure real-world performance or durability.

How does the Radar count the models in this segment?

Models with at least one version whose lowest collected price is $500 or less are included. Each model counts once: if it has more than one version within the rule, the price is that of the cheapest version and the others show on the card.

What changes between "up to $500" and the neighboring ranges?

The range is cumulative: everything that costs less is in it too. To see only what costs between two values, use the price range table on this page or the chart’s price filter.

How does the Radar choose the laptops on the "best score for the price" line?

From cheapest to most expensive, the laptop that has a higher spec score than all the cheaper ones in the segment makes the line. Anything that costs more and has an equal or lower score is left out. The line doesn’t say which laptop to buy: it only shows which ones don’t lose on both score and price at once.

How often does this page change?

Every day, with each collection: numbers, chart, ranking and the "What changed" section are rebuilt with the day’s catalog. This edition is from November 6, 2026.

Read next

Where the numbers come from

Lowest price seen for the product on Amazon.ca, delivered to Toronto M5V 3L9, on the day it was read, before GST/HST.

The price is the one recorded on the date shown. The spec score doesn’t measure real-world performance or durability.

Data from Nov 6, 2026.