The laptops of today come in all shapes and sizes. If you’re on a strict budget and want something to browse the web with, you can opt for a $200 Chromebook. On the other hand, if money is not a factor then you can snap up a $2,000 laptop for heavy gaming and video editing. For the rest of us, a 15-inch laptop that falls under the $1,000 category is the sweet spot. They usually have enough power to do demanding tasks such as CAD, photo or video editing, a bit of gaming, browsing and most of your office work.

The best 15-inch laptop under 1000 will be like your Swiss Army knife- the perfect balance of performance and portability along with a good mix of hardware and software designed for the most demanding tasks. Moreover, modern laptops under 1000 will have a beefy battery life so you can work, play or watch for a long time.

Take a look at our 5 best laptops under $1000

Laptop ModelWeightStorageProcessor 
Acer Aspire E5.27 lbs256 GBIntel Core i5
Dell Inspiron 15 70005.78 lbs1 TBIntel Core i5
Lenovo Yoga 7202.65lbs256 GBIntel Core i5
ASUS Vivobook S3.7 lbs256 GBIntel Core i5
Acer Swift 33.64 lbs256 GBAMD Ryzen 5


1. Acer Aspire E 15, 15.6″ Full HD

Laptops are typically designed as is, which means there’s very little room for tinkering around. The Acer Aspire 15.6 inch laptop is a notable exception to the rule- you’ll be able to add a hard drive or more memory on your own with little to no trouble. Legacy fans will feel truly at home with Acer’s offering, as it has standard desktop trappings such as HDMI output, an Ethernet jack and a DVD burner. The Aspire E 15 can very well replace your desktop and become your go-to machine for everyday use.

The Aspire E 15 packs an energy-efficient 8th gen Intel i5 processor and a Nvidia GeForce MX150 graphics card, a combination that’s rarely seen in 15-inch laptops under $1,000. The full HD screen is bright, sharp and displays a wide array of color gamut and exceptional off-angle viewing. You won’t have to crane your neck to see everything at once when editing or watching YouTube and Netflix videos.

Input is done exceptionally well with the Acer Aspire E 15. Users are treated to a tactile typing experience, thanks to the backlit keys and the Windows Precision touchpad. Typing out emails, documents and chatting on social media become more pleasurable. Those who can’t live without mouse input will find the smooth and responsive pad more than satisfactory when they’re on the go.

All in all, the Aspire E15 should hold up well as your everyday laptop for most tasks, including video editing and a bit of gaming and entertainment on the side!

Pros

  • The Aspire E line is known for providing maximum value for your money
  • Fully upgradeable
  • Legacy ports are a nice welcome
  • A full number pad
  • Battery life is better than expected

Cons

  • Compromised mobility for performance
  • Bezels are a bit bigger than newer models
  • Not the best-looking 15-inch laptop

2. Dell Inspiron 15 7000

Hardcore gamers who want to play all the latest graphics intensive games normally turn to desktops if the $2,000 price tag is too high for their budget. Dell has realized this conundrum and created the Inspiron 15 7000 to fill in that gap. The Inspiron 15 7000 gives gaming laptops $2,000 and above a run for their money by churning out pixels at a fast rate to satisfy your need for speed!

Shopping around for budget gaming laptops? Dell has crammed the best hardware they could find inside a powerful machine that’s under a thousand bucks. Leading the charge is an Intel i5 quad-core processor, followed by a generous 8 GB of RAM and the new GeForce 1050 graphics card by Nvidia. This hardware trifecta ensures all the programs and games you’ll be running will churn out at a buttery smooth framerate.

You won’t find the Inspiron 7000 lacking in terms of storage. A 1 TB SSD boots up the system quickly and runs games at HD resolution (1920 x 1080) with medium to high detail settings.

Pros

  • Excellent screen display in full HD
  • Exhibits a fun, stylish and premium design
  • Has Legacy and 3 USB ports

Cons

  • Sub-par touchpad
  • No USB-C

3. Lenovo Yoga 720 15″

You’d be surprised to find that there are excellent convertible laptops that fall under the 15.6-inch variety. Case in point- the Lenovo Yoga 720 is considered as one of the best 2-in-1’s under the 1,000 mark. The laptop offers premium hardware that pushes the limits of what $1,000 laptops can be capable of!

Need more power for heavy gaming or for finishing up video editing or Photoshop work? The Lenovo Yoga 720 is your man. Under the hood, you get an 8th generation Core i7 Intel processor housed within a low-voltage platform. The quad-core configuration delivers processing power whenever you need it. The 8 GB of RAM is great for switching between multiple browser tabs, apps, and various other programs. As for graphical power, a GTX 1050 with 4 GB of video memory makes short work of high settings on the latest video games.

Everything you do is displayed on a bright, 15.6 inch HD touchscreen on a 1920 x 1080 resolution. Lenovo is known for producing screens that can be viewed on a wide variety of angles, which becomes evident when you turn on the Yoga 720. Let’s not forget that the 360-degree fold and flip design can be configured to stand, tent, tablet or laptop mode.

Rounding out the features is a fingerprint scanner for innovative security and a Thunderbolt port for easy connections with external drives and compatible monitors, which could be a godsend for digital content creators.

Pros

  • Has a metal case that’s very stylish
  • Thunderbolt 3 port
  • Battery life is exceptional at 13 hours

Cons

  • No keyboard backlight

4. ASUS Vivobook S

The ASUS Vivobook S is one of the most balanced 15.6-inch laptops to ever come out of the market. This laptop is for users who do a bit of everything and for those who appreciate a solid and reliable laptop they can bring with them everywhere.

Asus has managed to cram in premium components in a 14-inch shell that’s only about 18 mm thick. It’s extremely lightweight at just 1.7 kg and yet has a vivid 15.6 inch IPS display that has a wide viewing angle. Typing on the keyboard feels nice with the added benefit of being able to see the keys even during night time. All the slots and ports you’ll need to hook up additional equipment and drives are on the left and right side.

As for the specs, the Vivobook S sports an impressive i7 quad-core Intel processor and 8 GB of RAM for all your work and play needs. Users won’t need to switch to a desktop as the Nvidia graphics card can handle modern games set to medium or high settings. Booting to Windows and games is handled by a speedy 256 GB SSD and 1 TB of storage for your files, documents, music, games, and downloads. Audio is handled by Asus SonicMaster system for truly immersive experiences with games, videos, and movies on the go.

Pros

  • Ergonomic, backlit keyboard
  • Sleek and stylish chassis
  • Brings solid all-around performance
  • Slim bezel design

Cons

  • No ethernet port
  • Front cam is practically unusable

5. Acer Swift 3

The Acer Swift 3 is surprisingly lightweight, packed with components that are geared for productivity while on the go. It’s also a very durable laptop, thanks to its aluminum shell that can take everyday bumps and the occasional fall.

Under the Swift 3’s hood is Intel’s latest Coffee Lake processor running alongside a generous 8 GB of RAM. The 256 GB of SSD fuels the laptop’s innards, delivering rapid loading times on Windows, programs, and games. It’s worthy to note that the display is better than most TNs out there and can be viewed at many different angles.

While you won’t be able to truly maximize high-end gaming due to the Intel 620 HD running the video department, you’ll still be able to run video, photo and graphic editing software without a hitch. The island-style keyboard makes for a pleasant tactile experience you’ll find on higher-priced laptops.

Last but not the least, you get all the necessary ports and connectivity options, including USB Type-C, SD slot, two USB 3.0 ports and an HDMI output. Acer chose to forego the legacy ethernet port and instead, put in the latest dual band 802.11 ac wireless adapter for lightning-quick network transfer speed.

Pros

  • Very durable and lightweight
  • The latest hardware components
  • Accurate IPS display
  • Spacious touchpad

Cons

  • No ethernet
  • The fingerprint scanner is wonky

Final Thoughts

Take your pick among the best 15-inch laptops under 1000 depending on your needs. Keep in mind that when choosing a 15-inch laptop with a $1,000 price tag, you should get a machine that offers great performance, fast boot-up times, good battery life without sacrificing portability. Some of the laptops listed here are better at running games, while others will prove to be capable workhorse companions. No matter what you choose, you can be sure that you’ll be getting your money’s worth in these fine machines!