Apple’s new MacBook Neo has made the list.
By Haley Henschel on March 25, 2026
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Even if you get a good deal on it, a slow, poorly made laptop will leave you feeling disappointed every time you boot it up. That’s why we take an egalitarian approach to vetting the best laptops here at Mashable. Every model our team reviews undergoes the same rigorous testing process, whether it’s a premium Apple MacBook, a mid-range Copilot+ PC, or a bare-bones Chromebook. The laptops that ultimately get our seal of approval offer the choicest blends of performance, stamina, build quality, and overall value at their respective price points (something that’s getting harder to do amid a global RAM crunch).
Of course, reducing your budget generally means making some kind of spec sacrifice. When it comes to the best cheap laptops, our picks don’t necessarily need to outperform or outclass pricier models (but that’s always nice). Rather, they need to make the least amount of compromises compared to their peers — so you do the least amount of settling.
If you’re trying to avoid unattractive, quick-to-die clunkers on your quest for a good, affordable laptop, keep reading.