A RAMageddon guide to back-to-school laptop shopping | The Verge
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A RAMageddon guide to back-to-school laptop shopping
It’s a terrible time to buy a laptop (sorry), but if you gotta do it, here are some to consider.
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If you’re a student looking for an affordable laptop, I have bad news and I have good news. The bad news is that computer prices are out of whack due to the ongoing RAM and storage crunch, making some a little pricier than they used to be and others wildly more expensive.
The good news? Despite that, there are still many great options, including the selection we’ve tested and highlighted below.
Before you go for the cheapest option you can still find, consider biting the bullet on a more powerful laptop, especially if you’re buying for a college student. Prices are likely to continue rising well into next year — especially since all the memory being made through 2027 is already allocated. You can get a mostly tolerable laptop for under
These are the laptops I recommend for pretty much anyone
If your school or curriculum recommends certain laptops or minimum specs, then you already know what to aim for. If not, our rule of thumb is to go with a Mac running Apple silicon or a Windows laptop running Intel or AMD chips released in the last few years. (For Windows machines, don’t go any older than 2022 or 2023 — Intel’s 13th-gen “Raptor Lake” or AMD’s Ryzen 7000 series.) Snapdragon X chips are also great options unless you’re a college student who needs to run specialized software not compatible with Windows on Arm (or if you want to play games).
But try to get 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage or more if you can — especially for college students. Eight GB of RAM is workable on mac OS with the Mac Book Neo, but Windows laptops struggle a bit with it. And for the most budget-conscious or anyone shopping for younger kids, a quality Chromebook is still great.
Lenovo Think Pad T14 Gen 4 (Intel 13th-gen, refurbished)
Impressive performance for the price Perfect for a middle school or high school student The best mechanical trackpad around Solid speakers and screen
Small limitations: 8GB of RAM, slow storage, no keyboard backlighting, and only 20W charging with the included charger Wish it weighed a little less, and its colors were more vibrant
Small limitations: 8GB of RAM, slow storage, no keyboard backlighting, and only 20W charging with the included charger
Wish it weighed a little less, and its colors were more vibrant
The Mac Book Neo is the easy pick for students from middle school to high school. There’s still no beating its balance of build quality and good-enough performance at this price. Students and teachers can get it starting at
The A18 Pro chip is powerful enough for most high school students (and adults), and everything from its trackpad to its speakers and screen range from good to great, which is not the case for Windows laptops in this price range. Its only shortcoming by comparison is having just two USB-C ports. The 8GB of RAM and 256GB of base storage mean a student eventually pushes the limits of what this laptop can do sooner than a more powerful Mac Book Air, but the Neo is still significantly cheaper.
Still one of the best laptops around Faster processor and twice as much RAM as the Neo Starts with more (and much faster) storage Great battery life and speakers
Starting price is higher than M4 generation (though you get more storage for it)The Mac Book Neo now exists and costs much less
Starting price is higher than M4 generation (though you get more storage for it)
The Neo is the best cheap laptop, but the Mac Book Air is still the best laptop for most people, and the standard recommendation for college students. Every part of it is a step up from the Neo: It has a much more powerful processor, and it starts with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of much faster storage. And few laptops can match the Air’s overall build quality. It also means spending
The Airs have been so good for so many years now, you don’t miss out on much by buying a refurbished model if it’s substantially cheaper. Keep an eye on Apple’s refurb store, and retailers like Best Buy sometimes have great deals too.
A Windows laptop nearly as nice as a Mac Book Air
Asus’s Zenbook A14 is a bit of a Mac Book Air wannabe, but it’s a compelling alternative if you value a superlight Windows laptop with long battery life. The 2025 model sports an Arm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus chip, a nice 14-inch OLED display, and a sleek textured beige finish.
Asus Zenbooks are some of the sleeker, better-looking Windows laptops, and the Zenbook A14 is Asus’ wannabe Mac Book Air. It has a good Snapdragon X Plus chip, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and a lovely OLED display in an ultra-light chassis (it’s just 2.4 pounds / 1.09kg), all for
A great, well-rounded processor in a cheap laptop (if you get it on sale)Lots of ports, including Thunderbolt 4 Very good battery life Can lightly game on ultra-low settings
A great, well-rounded processor in a cheap laptop (if you get it on sale)
Washed out screen with noticeable light bleed Bad speakers Poor build quality
Acer’s Aspire 14 AI didn’t impress me with its screen, speakers, or build quality when I tested it against the Neo, but for
A Lunar Lake chip means you get great battery life, and you can even do some light gaming. Its screen isn’t pretty and everything creaks, but with the money you save you can overcome some of its shortcomings with a mouse and monitor. Just keep in mind that the appeal of this laptop is what you’re getting for the price. If the deal winds change and Aspire 14 AIs are selling for $700 or more, consider something else.
An affordable laptop with a large 16-inch display, plenty of ports, and excellent battery life thanks to a Qualcomm Snapdragon X processor.
I’m still testing the HP Omni Book 3 for a full review, but I’ve used it enough and I like it enough at around $500 to give it a nod. Its speakers and screen are not good quality, but they’re slightly better than the Acer Aspire above — just don’t look too close, or you’ll notice that its 1920 x 1200 resolution isn’t very sharp at this scale. At 16 inches you’re getting a big screen for cheap, but this laptop doesn’t feel large, as it weighs only 3.65 pounds / 1.66kg and is about 0.63 inches / 16mm thick (at its hinge, where it’s slightly thicker). And its sizable battery and efficient Snapdragon X chip allow it to last long on a charge. Plus, it’s got an ample-sized numpad for you numbers people.
Lenovo Think Pad T14 Gen 4 (Intel 13th-gen, refurbished)
Lenovo Think Pads are workhorse enterprise laptops, making older refurbished models a great pickup on the cheap. The T14 Gen 4 from 2023 came with Intel Raptor Lake chips, a 14-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS display, and plenty of ports — among them, Thunderbolt 4.
Think Pads are awesome. They have great keyboards and trackpads, sturdy builds, lots of ports, and even a Track Point. They’re typically very expensive when bought new, and they have a reputation for lasting a long time. They’re Lenovo’s business line, so there’s a constant stream of used Think Pads entering the secondhand market when companies refresh their fleets. That makes them a great candidate for buying refurbished or used. Lenovo sells many refurb units directly, so you know you should be getting something in good shape. Many of them are still expensive, but this Think Pad T14 is an attractive example, offering a 13th-gen Intel chip, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage for around
And for the more adventurous folks out there, you can pick up an even older Think Pad on the cheap and install Linux to give it new life.
Excellent look and build Sharp 1080p display 1080p webcam with AI features and physical shutter
No touchscreen option Stiff touchpad Battery life could be a bit better
A Chromebook is good for web browsing, doing homework, and nailing the basics of browser-first computer use — when done well. The Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 is a mainstay of The Verge’s laptop recommendations, despite being a few years old. It’s very affordable at just $350, and even with its 12th-gen Intel chip and 8GB of RAM it’s more than serviceable for Chrome OS. Google’s new Googlebooks are coming in the fall, but some early leaks are pointing at those potentially being pricier laptops (making me wonder what exactly their appeal will be).
Excellent battery life Speedy performance Stylus support
Feels slightly pricey at
If you can afford a slightly pricier, newer, and better Chromebook than the Asus, check out the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514. Its full price of
Read our review of the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514.
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