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Laptop Radar

Updated 6 Nov, 2026

Best laptop for study and basic use today

Today’s picks

  1. The best for study and basic use
    score 8.5

    MSI

    Prestige 13.3″ Core Ultra 7 258V

    Core Ultra 7 258V32 GB RAM1.024 GB

    £559

    No history yet · today

    Amazon: the cheapest today

    Buy on AmazonMore details

    Who it’s for: Study and basic use · Photo and video editing

    Pros: Costs 55% less than similar models; OLED screen; 32 GB of RAM

    Cons: No dedicated graphics card

  2. Best value
    score 7.5

    MSI

    Stealth 17″ Core i7-13700H RTX 4070

    Core i7-13700H16 GB RAM1.024 GB

    £629

    No history yet · today

    Amazon: the cheapest today

    Buy on AmazonMore details

    Who it’s for: Study and basic use · Gaming

    Pros: Dedicated graphics card; 16 GB of RAM; 1 TB SSD

  3. The cheapest worth buying
    score 6.9

    MSI

    Modern 15.6″ Core i7-1355U

    Core i7-1355U16 GB RAM512 GB

    £510

    No history yet · today

    Amazon: the cheapest today

    Buy on AmazonMore details

    Who it’s for: Study and basic use · Photo and video editing

    Pros: Costs 51% less than similar models; IPS screen; 16 GB of RAM

    Cons: No dedicated graphics card

  4. Top pick from Lenovo
    score 7.1

    Lenovo

    IdeaPad 16″ Ryzen 7 7735HS

    Ryzen 7 7735HS8 GB RAM512 GB

    £580

    No history yet · today

    Amazon: the cheapest today

    Buy on AmazonMore details

    Who it’s for: Study and basic use · Work and office

    Pros: Costs 45% less than similar models; OLED screen; 512 GB SSD

    Cons: Only 8 GB of RAM

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The best laptop for study and basic use today is the MSI Prestige 13.3″ Core Ultra 7 258V, £559 (score 8.5).

All models: Laptops for study and basic use

See the 24 highest-scoring modelsHide the list
Models in the segment, from highest score to lowest
ModelPriceScoreBuy
Apple MacBook Pro 16.2″ Apple M5 Max48 GB · 2 TB SSD£4,858at Amazon9.4Buy on Amazon
Apple MacBook Pro 14.2″ Apple M5 Max36 GB · 2 TB SSD£3,580at Amazon9.3Buy on Amazon
Acer Predator Helios 18″ Core Ultra 9 275HX RTX 508032 GB · 1 TB SSD£3,200at Amazon9.2Buy on Amazon
Apple MacBook Pro 14.2″ Apple M5 Pro2 versions · 24 GB of RAM · 1 TB a 2 TB£2,199at Amazon9.1Buy on Amazon
Apple MacBook Pro 16.2″ Apple M5 Pro2 versions · 24 GB a 48 GB of RAM · 1 TB£2,650at Amazon9.1Buy on Amazon
Asus ROG Strix 18″ Core Ultra 9 290HX RTX 5070 Ti32 GB · 1 TB SSD£2,900at Amazon9.1Buy on Amazon
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16″ Core Ultra 9 275HX RTX 5070 Ti16 GB · 1 TB SSD£1,852at Amazon8.9Buy on Amazon
Acer Predator Helios Neo 18″ Core Ultra 9 275HX RTX 5070 Ti16 GB · 1 TB SSD£1,899at Amazon8.9Buy on Amazon
MSI Prestige 13.3″ Core Ultra 7 258V32 GB · 1 TB SSD£559at Amazon8.5Buy on Amazon
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 16″ Core Ultra 7 255H RTX 506016 GB · 1 TB SSD£2,000at Amazon8.5Buy on Amazon
MSI Katana 15 HX 15.6″ Core i7-14650HX RTX 507032 GB · 1 TB SSD£1,599at Amazon8.4Buy on Amazon
Apple MacBook Air 13″ Apple M53 versions · 16 GB a 24 GB of RAM · 512 GB a 1 TB£1,179at Amazon8.2Buy on Amazon
Apple MacBook Air 15″ Apple M53 versions · 16 GB a 24 GB of RAM · 512 GB a 1 TB£1,299at Amazon8.2Buy on Amazon
MSI Katana 15 HX 15.6″ Core i7-14650HX RTX 506016 GB · 1 TB SSD£1,607at Amazon8.2Buy on Amazon
Asus TUF Gaming A16 16″ Ryzen 9 8940HX RTX 507016 GB · 1 TB SSD£2,000at Amazon8.2Buy on Amazon
Asus ROG Strix 16″ Core i9-14900HX RTX 407016 GB · 1 TB SSD£2,086at Amazon8.2Buy on Amazon
Acer Aspire 14″ Core Ultra 7 256V16 GB · 1 TB SSD£899at Amazon8.1Buy on Amazon
Asus TUF A14 14″ Ryzen 7 260 RTX 505016 GB · 1 TB SSD£1,250at Amazon8.1Buy on Amazon
Asus TUF Gaming A16 16″ Ryzen 9 8940HX RTX 506016 GB · 1 TB SSD£1,400at Amazon8.1Buy on Amazon
Asus Vivobook 18″ Ryzen 7 26032 GB · 1 TB SSD£1,185at Amazon8.0Buy on Amazon
Asus TUF A16 16″ Ryzen 7 260 RTX 506016 GB · 1 TB SSD£1,349at Amazon8.0Buy on Amazon
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7640 16″ Core i7-13620H16 GB · 1 TB SSD£1,354at Amazon7.8Buy on Amazon
Lenovo LOQ 15.6″ Core i7-13650HX RTX 506032 GB · 1 TB SSD£1,430at Amazon7.8Buy on Amazon
Lenovo LOQ Gen 10 15.6″ Core i7-13700HX RTX 506016 GB · 1 TB SSD£1,790at Amazon7.7Buy on Amazon

Laptops for study and basic use in numbers

How much it costs

Half of the 121 laptops cost up to £830; the range with the most models is from £0 to £1,000, with 80.

How many models there are in each price range, from £0 to £5,000. Half cost up to £830; across the whole catalog, the median is £745.80 models between £0 and £1,00034 models between £1,000 and £2,0004 models between £2,000 and £3,0002 models between £3,000 and £4,0001 model between £4,000 and £5,0008034421£0£1,000£2,000£3,000£4,000£5,000
  • half cost up to £830
  • whole catalog: £745

Cheapest £268 Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 1 14″ Core i5-10310U rating 5.3

Most expensive £4,858 Apple MacBook Pro 16.2″ Apple M5 Max

See the table by price range
Laptops for study and basic use by price range, against the whole catalog
Price rangeModels in the segmentIn the catalogMedian score of the segmentMedian score of the catalog
Under £45013335.14.1
£450 to £68030355.75.6
£680 to £98033336.26.2
£980 to £1,50029327.37.2
Over £1,50016218.98.8
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

10 brands have a model here; Lenovo has the most, with 27 models.

and 5 brands more

Confirmed features

Counts only what each model’s listing confirms.

  • 36 of 121 have a 120 Hz or higher screen confirmed

  • 35 of 121 have a confirmed dedicated graphics card

  • 12 of 121 have an OLED screen confirmed

Against the whole catalog

  • +11%median price above the catalog’s
  • samemedian spec score: 6.7 vs 6.7
  • 79%of the catalog: 121 of 154 models
See the full table
Laptops for study and basic use against the whole catalog
IndicatorLaptops for study and basic useWhole catalogDifference
Models12115479% of the catalog
Median price£830£745+11%
Median score6.76.70.0 ponto
Lowest price£268£182+£86
Highest price£4,858£4,858igual

What the numbers say about laptops for study and basic use

  • Versions: 9 models have more than one version within the selection, from 256 GB to 2 TB. The model’s price is that of the cheapest version; the others appear on the card and in the list.
Size

Pick a size. Applies to all pages

How to read these numbers

Pick 1, best score for the price: MSI Prestige 13.3″ Core Ultra 7 258V, £559 at Amazon, on 06/11/2026. The median price of the 121 models on the list is £830.

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 for study and basic use.

See on the chart

Frequently asked questions

Which is the best laptop for study and basic use today?

Today it is the MSI Prestige 13.3″ Core Ultra 7 258V, for £559 (score 8.5).

Which laptop for study and basic use has the best value today?

The MSI Stealth 17″ Core i7-13700H RTX 4070, for £629 (score 7.5).

Which laptop for study and basic use costs less without losing spec score?

The MSI Modern 15.6″ Core i7-1355U, for £510 (score 6.9).

How much does a laptop for study and basic use (8 GB of RAM or more and 256 GB or more) cost?

In the 6 Nov 2026 catalog, the median price of the 121 models in the segment is £830, and prices range from £268 to £4,858. The final price is the one at the store.

How does the Radar count the models in this segment?

Models whose specs list 8 GB of RAM or more and 256 GB of storage or more 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.

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 6 November 2026.

Read next

Laptops with 8 GB of RAM: median of £459Laptops with 256 GB of storage: median of £469Laptops for studying up to $450: 13 models, median of £399Laptops for studying up to $600: 33 models, median of £469Laptops for studying up to $750: 53 models, median of £559Laptops for studying up to $1,000: 80 models, median of £669Laptops for studying up to $1,200: 94 models, median of £699Laptops for studying up to $1,300: 97 models, median of £715Laptops for studying up to $1,400: 102 models, median of £740Laptops for studying up to $1,600: 107 models, median of £753Laptops for studying up to $1,900: 112 models, median of £791Laptops for studying up to $2,000: 114 models, median of £798Laptops for studying up to $2,200: 116 models, median of £799Laptops for studying up to $2,700: 117 models, median of £800Laptops for studying up to $2,900: 118 models, median of £800Laptops for studying up to $3,200: 119 models, median of £800Laptops for studying up to $3,600: 120 models, median of £815Laptops for studying over $2,000: 7 models, median of £2,900Black Friday laptops for studyingAll Radar overviewsOverview of new laptops: price, score and brandSee on the chart
Where the numbers come from

Lowest price seen for the product on Amazon.co.uk, delivered to London SW1A 1AA, on the day it was read, including VAT.

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

Data from 6 Nov 2026.