Best Student Laptops Under $300 in 2021

I still remember those financially broken days during my student career, sheer pain. I also remember when my only asset, the HP Pro book, didn’t leave my hand during the rainy days. I perfectly know, with the advancement in technology and fancy computing gadgets becoming a “Status” for every individual, the struggle of students to get a great budget laptop is becoming a pain in the neck.

However, the good news is, you can still find a superb yet aesthetically chic machine under a budget. That being said, my today’s focus is to put plenty of the best student laptops under $300 on your table.

Nonetheless, our budget is much restricted, so you should also be aware of things that make a perfect laptop under a $300 budget. Before jumping onto the products, an informative buying guide can seemingly solve your problem to find a best $300 laptop apart from these machines.

Top 5 Best Student Laptops Under $300 in 2021 | Comparison Table | In-Depth Reviews

Now that we have all the specs at a glance, let’s move on to the next section that reviews the top 5 best student laptops under $300.

1. ASUS ImagineBook 14-inch

The ASUS ImagineBook makes for an excellent laptop for students. It is a sleek and simple device with 128GB of SSD storage and powered by a dual-core M3-8100Y. The laptop makes the best use of 2 threads (1 per core) for multitasking with turbo boost.

It is an entry-level device with an FHD display, a great display offering at such budget pricing. ASUS has integrated Tru2Life technology to enhance the device’s contrast scheme with Normal and Vivid mode. The fan-less laptop offers prolonged battery backup that lasts 3x longer than the standard Li-ion battery.

The laptop also features powerful amplifiers clubbed with SonicMaster technology that filters noise by delivering a clear bass range. The keyboard on the laptop is also very responsive, with 1.4mm of key travel.

The ASUS ImagineBook has USB 3.1 and USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI port, a microSD card reader, and USB-C 3.1 port.

This laptop has all the features that can help students smoothly get through project works while also using it for entertainment purposes like watching movies or even playing standard games.

It is a little outside the $300 range. But its power and other specs make it worth it.

Why You Should Buy This One

If you’re a student who looks for a budget laptop with a decent laptop with wide viewing angles and a full HD display, then this one just the right pick for you. It has got additional features like anti-glare, matte lamination that reduces the reflections and present clear output. It has got SSD storage that offers faster read and write speeds than HDD. The battery is also great and will support you when you carry the device around the campus.

2. HP Chromebook 11-inch

Chromebooks come with their own set of limitations, but they pose no issue for students who want a great budget device. The HP Chromebook 11a-na0021nr is a reliable and portable affordable Chromebook that could come in handy for completing college projects, browsing, video conferencing, and more.

An octa-core MediaTek MT8183 SoC powers the Chromebook with MediaTek ARM Mali-G72 GPU. It packs 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The Chrome OS is easy to set up and has got a plethora of apps on offer. The Chromebook lacks support for Windows-only apps, but that problem gets handled as Chrome OS supports Microsoft Office.

The primary features of this Chromebook include an attractive and sleek design. It offers a battery backup of up to 10 hours and connectivity options like a Wi-Fi 5 wireless adapter and USB Type-C port. The Chromebook also includes a microSD card reader that gives extra storage space.

The Chromebook packs dual speakers and an HP True Vision 720p HD camera with dual array digital microphones for video-calling purposes.

Why You Should Buy This One

For students who want an advanced laptop with a similar ecosystem as their Android phones, HP Chromebook is a great student laptop under $300. It is an excellent package with a stylish design, great battery life, and high portability. However, if you want to use advanced Windows apps, it’s better to get past this one.

3. ASUS Laptop L210 Ultra-Thin Laptop

The cheapest entry on this list is the ASUS L210. It is a super affordable laptop with a decent design and standard hardware that makes it a good fit for usual work. Student can easily edit their documents, do video calling, and more on this laptop.

The laptop features an 11.6-inch HD display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. It has a matte black chassis. What we like the most about this laptop is its backlit keyboard that comes in handy during late-nighters for project completions.

An Intel Celeron N4020 processor powers the device with Intel UHD 600 for graphics. It can smoothly handle lightweight apps, games, and more. The laptop packs 4GB RAM and 64GB eMMC making it faster to boot. It runs Windows 10 Home in S Mode and also supports third-party apps.

Asus has integrated the laptop with a USB Type-C port, USB Type-A port, microSD card reader, an HDMI port, a 3.5mm audio jack, and more. It supports connectivity options, including WiFi-5 and Bluetooth. You get up to 12 hours of battery life on this laptop.

Why You Should Buy This One

For students looking for an ultra-affordable laptop that can handle decent tasks, then ASUS L210 is an ideal pick. It is an excellent laptop with a portable design and a nice set of features. But if your college study requires you to run high-end apps, then this one won’t serve the purpose for you.

4. Lenovo Chromebook C340

The Chromebook C340 by Lenovo is a convertible laptop that can flex 360-degree to act as a tablet. It runs Chrome OS that allows users to use Google Play compatible apps as well. This device makes for a good pick for running regular tasks like browsing, watching videos, editing docs, and more.

It is powered by an Intel Celeron N4000 processor paired with 64GB of storage and eMMC flash drives that combines the goodness of speedy SSDs and the space of HDDs. The Chromebook C340 has an 11.6-inch HD display. We specifically like the ease of keyboard on this one and the bigger trackpad that’s easy to work.

You get up to 10 hours of battery backup on this one, 2 USB Type-C ports, 2 USB 3.1 ports, a microSD card reader, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Why You Should Buy This One

The Chromebook C340 has a 360-degree hinge that makes it portable and ideal for college projects. The touchscreen functionality on this one also comes with an on-screen keyboard. The design of the laptop makes it fit for browsing, watching movies even while resting (thanks to the tent mode), and interactive gestures make it great for video calling and even edit pictures. It is a good piece machine for regular tasks but don’t expect it to handle advanced applications.

5. Acer Chromebook Spin 

The Acer Chromebook Spin 311 is a good mix of premium and budget. It has a convertible design that lets it work as a tablet too. The sturdy design of this 2-in-1 laptop makes it a great buy for students.

Intel Celeron N4020 processor powers the device with 4GB of RAM. It runs Chrome OS and has a storage capacity of 32GB SSD that makes it look underpowered. But Acer saves the day with a microSD card slot that lets users add additional storage space.

It has a responsive touchscreen making it a highly functional device in both regular and tablet modes. The Acer Chromebook Spin 311 is a dependable device that can serve a purpose for regular college students. But if you’re a student who needs a budget device with features to handle high-end apps, then look the other way.

Why You Should Buy This One

A sturdy Chromebook with premium design and a decent battery life. The Acer Chromebook Spin 311 makes for a good pick for students with standard requirements and easy day-t-day tasks to get through their education. Pick this if you do not have any special needs for your course.

Conclusion

Did you find our list helpful in picking the best student laptop under $300?

We live in blessed times to get a decent piece of machinery under $300 and bring it to work for our everyday needs. Right from a wholesome Windows laptop to a new-age Chromebook, you get a wide range to pick from.

As a student, you don’t need to blow up a lot of cash to get a great laptop. You can pick any laptop from our list and get through daily needs like browsing the internet, editing your project work, and more. You also get many features under $300, such as a convertible design, decent graphics, enhanced connectivity, portability, and a lot more.

If you want a super handy laptop with mobile-like functionality, then go for Chromebooks. But if you want to fulfill many needs with Windows functionalities, then go for a budget Windows laptop from our list.

The ultimate decision lies in your hands. Choose wisely and save some bucks while you are at it. One word of caution though, if you’re enrolled in a course that requires high-end apps and specialized software, then you will have to stretch your budget and get a laptop that suits your curriculum needs.

Things to Consider Before Buying Best Students Laptop Under $300 in 2021 – Complete Buying Guide

Here are the important specs to check before buying a laptop under $300. As for any device, you should do your own set of research before spending your precious money. Below are the features you need to check before deciding on a device. 

Processor

The processor is the powerhouse of a computer. Considering the $300 price point, we cannot ask for a higher CPU, GPU, and RAM capacity. However, we can definitely assess the performance by the chipset integrated into it. Intel Celeron is a good processor and a great fit for those on a low budget. As for RAM, anything above 3GB is decent enough to handle your standard tasks. 

Storage

There are three types of storage in laptops – SSD, eMMC, HDD. SSDs. SSDs make for an ideal pick as they consume lesser power and faster hard disk access. SSDs are more reliable and speedy than HDD. 

For heavy users, at least 256GB SSD paired with 4GB RAM is the basic requirement. In contrast, moderate users can compromise a bit on that configuration. 

Screen Size and Battery

Any screen size between 11.6 inches to 15.6 inches is ideal on laptops. Students may want to consider going for a smaller screen for better portability. As for battery life, it should not be less than 8 hours. 

FAQs: Frequently Asked Question(s)

We answer some of the most asked questions (FAQs) about best student laptops under $300.

Should I Buy a Fanless Laptop?

If most of your work time is spent outdoors and among a group of people in surroundings like classrooms or a library, then it is best to get a fanless laptop as it will not disturb people around you. The only shortcoming is that a fanless setup might not help fix the device heating. So, better to avoid prolonged use.

Which laptop configuration is best for students?

For students, there is no common configuration. The setup depends on the type, of course, they are pursuing at college. For example, a software engineering student would need a powerful processor for coding, while the graphic designing student would also require a powerful chipset with a good graphics card for handling heavy designing software like Photoshop.

Similarly, a humanitarian or commerce student would get away with the entire course duration on a standard laptop with a basic configuration.

Which is Better: Chrome-Powered Laptops or Windows?

Windows laptops are great for students who are more reliant on Windows applications and software. Windows laptops with powerful configuration is a great pick for students doing advanced studies. However, Chromebooks are pretty impressive with their speeds and seamless support for Google apps. It is an excellent pick for tasks like browsing, entertainment, and more.

Is it possible to play games on $300 laptops?

Let’s get the cat out of the bag on this question. A budget laptop will not give you enough power to play high-end games with sophisticated graphics. So, the answer is no. You can’t play console-level games on a budget laptop. The screen is basic, and the graphics performance would be dismal. You can, however, play some light games that can comply with the configuration.

What features can a $300 laptop have?

A budget laptop under $300 has some standard specs like an HD screen, up to 4GB of RAM, 128GB SSD/500GB HDD, standard AMD/Celeron chipset, and more.

 

Zara Ali

Zara is a seasoned tech journalist with over 6 years of experience and expertise in producing content around consumer electronics, software, hardware, and more. She has worked with some of the leading tech publications like ExtremeTech, Wccftech, MakeTechEasier, MySmartPrice, and several others. When not writing about the latest in the world of tech, she likes to indulge in creating memes!