Best budget laptop for programming in 2023

Disclosure: “This post contains affiliate links. If you click one and make a purchase, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps support the site so we can continue to offer great content to you!”.

You don’t need an expensive laptop with all the latest features for your programming career. Based on my experience, a capable laptop with sufficient processing power, RAM, and graphics card can handle nearly 90% of typical programming tasks.

I spent five years as a professional web developer using a $300 used MacBook Pro from 2012. Despite tackling demanding coding tasks, I rarely found the need to upgrade to a newer laptop.

In this guide, I’ll present a list of the best budget laptops for programming. These laptops are selected to offer exceptional value for money. While focusing on affordability, I’ve also ensured they don’t compromise on meeting most of your work requirements.

For those shopping for a laptop, I’ve categorized my recommendations by budget.

Table of Contents

List of Best Budget Laptop for Programming

Best budget laptop for programming under $300
- Lenovo IdeaPad 3i – (2023) 14 inch with 8 GB RAM
- HP 14-DK1003DX-500
- Lenovo Thinkpad T470s 14 inch
Best budget laptop for programming under $400
- Lenovo ideapad 3i – (2023) 14 in – 12 GB RAM – Core i3 11th Gen
- HP Notebook 15 – (2022) 15 in – 8 GB RAM – Core i3 11th Gen
- Acer Aspire 5 – (2022) 15 in – 8 GB RAM – Core i5 11th Gen
Best budget laptop for programming under $500
- Lenovo ideapad 3i – (2022) 15 in – 8 GB RAM – Core i5 12th Gen
- HP Newest 15 Inch – (2022) – 16 GB RAM – Core i3 11th Gen
- Lenovo IdeaPad 3i – (2023) 14 in – 20 GB RAM – Core i3 11th Gen
Best budget laptop for programming under $600
Best budget laptop for programming under $700
Best budget laptop for programming under $800
Best budget laptop for programming under $900

Best budget laptop for programming under $300

1. Lenovo IdeaPad 3i – (2023)

Lenovo IdeaPad 3 – (2023) — Image credit: Amazon

Highlights:

Display Size: 14″
Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
Processor: ‎3 GHz core_i3_family
Ram Memory Installed: 8 GB
Hard Drive: ‎128 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor: Intel UHD Graphics 620
Chipset Brand: Intel
Average Battery Life (in hours): ‎7.5 Hours
Operating System: Windows 11 S
Item Weight: ‎4.64 pounds
Product Dimensions: ‎12.88 x 9.49 x 0.78 inches
Special Feature: Dolby, Narrow Bezel

2. HP 14-DK1003DX-500

HP 14-DK1003DX-500 — Image credit: Amazon

Highlights:

Display Size: ‎14 Inches
‎Display Resolution: 1366 x 768 pixels
Processor: ‎2.3 GHz athlon_silver_3050U
RAM: ‎8 GB DDR4
Hard Drive: ‎128 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor: ‎AMD Radeon Graphics
Chipset Brand: ‎AMD
Operating System: ‎Windows 10 S
Item Weight: ‎3.3 pounds
Product Dimensions: ‎12.8 x 8.9 x 0.8 inches
Special Feature: Anti-glare

3. Lenovo Thinkpad T470s

Lenovo Thinkpad T470s — Image credit: Amazon

Highlights:

Display Size: ‎14 Inches
‎Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
Processor: 2.4 GHz 1_2GHz_Cortex_A8
RAM: ‎8 GB DDR4
Hard Drive: ‎256 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor: ‎Intel HD Graphics 620
Chipset Brand: ‎Intel
Operating System: ‎Windows 10 Pro
Item Weight: ‎3.6 pounds
Product Dimensions: ‎9.15 x 13.25 x 0.79 inches
Special Feature: Anti-glare

Best budget laptop for programming under $400

1. Lenovo ideapad 3i – (2023)

Lenovo ideapad 3i – (2023) — Image credit: Amazon

Highlights:

Display Size: 14″
Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
Processor: ‎3 GHz core_i3_family
Ram Memory Installed: 12 GB ‎DDR4
Hard Drive: ‎512 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor: Intel UHD Graphics 620
Chipset Brand: Intel
Operating System: Windows 11
Item Weight: ‎‎3.08 pounds
Product Dimensions: ‎12.88 x 9.49 x 0.78 inches
CPU Speed: 3 GHz

2. HP Notebook 15 – (2022)

HP Notebook 15 – (2022) — Image credit: Amazon

Highlights:

Display Size: ‎15.6 Inches
‎Display Resolution: ‎1366 x 768 pixels
Processor:‎3 GHz core_i3_family
RAM: ‎8 GB DDR4
Hard Drive: ‎‎256 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor: ‎‎Intel UHD Graphics
Chipset Brand: ‎Intel
Average Battery Life (in hours): ‎45 minutes
Operating System: ‎Windows 11 Home
Item Weight: ‎‎3.75 pounds
Product Dimensions: ‎‎14.11 x 9.53 x 0.71 inches

3. Acer Aspire 5 – (2022)

Acer Aspire 5 – (2022) — Image credit: Amazon

Highlights:

Display Size: ‎14 Inches
‎Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
Processor: 2.4 GHz 1_2GHz_Cortex_A8
RAM: ‎8 GB DDR4
Hard Drive: ‎256 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor: ‎Intel HD Graphics 620
Chipset Brand: ‎Intel
Operating System: ‎Windows 10 Pro
Item Weight: ‎3.6 pounds
Product Dimensions: ‎9.15 x 13.25 x 0.79 inches
Special Feature: Anti-glare

Best budget laptop for programming under $500

1. Lenovo ideapad 3i – (2022)

Lenovo ideapad 3i – (2022) — Image credit: Amazon

Highlights:

Display Size: ‎15.6″
Display Resolution: ‎1920 x 1080 pixels
Processor: ‎1.3 core_i5
Ram Memory Installed: ‎8 GB DDR4
Hard Drive: ‎512 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor: ‎Intel Iris
Chipset Brand: Intel
Operating System: ‎Windows 11 Pro
Item Weight: ‎‎4.75 pounds
Product Dimensions: ‎‎14.14 x 9.31 x 0.78 inches
Special Feature: Anti-Glare Coating

2. HP Newest 15 Inch – (2022)

2022 Newest 15 Inch HP Laptop — Image credit: Amazon

Highlights:

Display Size: 15.6 Inches
‎Display Resolution: ‎1366 x 768 pixels
Processor: ‎3 GHz core_i3_family
RAM: 16 GB DDR4
Hard Drive: ‎256 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor: ‎‎Intel UHD Graphics
Chipset Brand: ‎Intel
Operating System: ‎‎Windows 11 Home
Item Weight: 3.75 pounds
Product Dimensions: ‎‎14.11 x 9.53 x 0.71 inches
Special Feature: Anti-glare

3. Lenovo IdeaPad 3i – (2023)

Lenovo IdeaPad 3i – (2023) — Image credit: Amazon

Highlights:

Display Size: ‎14 Inches
‎Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
Processor: ‎3 GHz core_i3_family
RAM: ‎20 GB DDR4
Hard Drive: 1024 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor: ‎Intel UHD Graphics
Chipset Brand: ‎Intel
Operating System: ‎‎Windows 11
Item Weight: ‎‎3.08 pounds
Product Dimensions: ‎12.88 x 9.49 x 0.78 inches
Graphics Card Description: Integrated

Best budget laptop for programming under $600

1. Lenovo IdeaPad 3i – (2023)

Lenovo IdeaPad 3i – (2023) — Image credit: Amazon

Highlights:

Display Size: 14″
Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
Processor: ‎4.3 GHz apple_ci5
Ram Memory Installed: ‎24 GB DDR4
Hard Drive: ‎1 TB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor: ‎Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Chipset Brand: Intel
Operating System: ‎Windows 11 Home
Item Weight: ‎3.15 pounds
Product Dimensions: ‎‎12.76 x 8.49 x 0.78 inches
Special Feature: Anti-glare, Backlit Kyb, Fingerprint Reader

2. HP i5 15-dy5399nr (2023)

HP i5 15-dy5399nr (2023) — Image credit: Amazon

Highlights:

Display Size: ‎‎15.6 Inches
‎Display Resolution: ‎1920 x 1080 pixels
Processor: ‎4.4 GHz core_i5
RAM: ‎16 GB DDR4
Hard Drive: ‎512 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor: ‎‎Intel UHD Graphics
Chipset Brand: ‎Intel
Average Battery Life (in hours): ‎7 Hours
Operating System:‎Windows 11 Home
Item Weight: ‎‎5.05 pounds
Product Dimensions: ‎‎14.11 x 0.71 x 9.53 inches
Special Feature: Micro-edge Bezel

3. Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 — Image credit: Amazon

Highlights:

Display Size: ‎14 Inches
‎Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
Processor: ‎2.1 GHz amd_ryzen_5_5500u
RAM: 16 GB
Hard Drive: ‎256 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor: ‎AMD Radeon R5
Chipset Brand: ‎‎AMD
Average Battery Life (in hours): ‎12 Hours
Operating System: ‎Windows 10 Pro
Item Weight: ‎3.31 pounds
Product Dimensions:‎ 12.66 x 8.56 x 0.82 inches
CPU Speed: 2.1 GHz

Best budget laptop for programming under $700

1. Lenovo ThinkPad E15 – (2023)

Lenovo ThinkPad E15 – (2023) — Image credit: Amazon

Highlights:

Display Size: ‎15.6 Inches
Display Resolution: ‎1920 x 1080 pixels
Processor: ‎2.3 GHz ryzen_5
Ram Memory Installed: 16 GB DDR4
Hard Drive: ‎256 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor: ‎Integrated AMD Radeon Graphics
Chipset Brand: AMD
Operating System: Windows 11 Pro
Item Weight: ‎3.92 pounds
Product Dimensions: ‎14.37 x 9.45 x 0.74 inches

2. Lenovo ThinkPad L14 – (2023)

Lenovo ThinkPad L14 – (2023) — Image credit: Amazon

Highlights:

Display Size: ‎14 Inches
‎Display Resolution: ‎1920 x 1080 pixels
Processor: ‎2.4 GHz core_i5
RAM: ‎16 GB SO-DIMM
Hard Drive: ‎‎256 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor: ‎Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Chipset Brand: ‎Intel
Operating System: ‎‎Windows 10 Pro
Item Weight:‎ 3.5 pounds
Product Dimensions: ‎13.03 x 9.25 x 0.8 inches
Special Feature: Anti-glare

3. Dell Inspiron 15 – (2023)

Dell Inspiron 15 – (2023) — Image credit: Amazon

Highlights:

Display Size: ‎14 Inches
‎Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
Processor: 2.4 GHz 1_2GHz_Cortex_A8
RAM: ‎8 GB DDR4
Hard Drive: ‎256 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor: ‎Intel HD Graphics 620
Chipset Brand: ‎Intel
Operating System: ‎Windows 10 Pro
Item Weight: ‎3.6 pounds
Product Dimensions: ‎9.15 x 13.25 x 0.79 inches
Special Feature: Anti-glare

Best budget laptop for programming under $800

1. Lenovo ThinkPad E15 – (2023)

Lenovo ThinkPad E15 – (2023) — Image credit: Amazon

Highlights:

Display Size: ‎15.6 Inches
Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
Processor: ‎2.3 GHz ryzen_5
Ram Memory Installed: ‎16 GB DDR4
Hard Drive: ‎512 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor: ‎Integrated AMD Radeon Graphics
Chipset Brand: AMD
Operating System: ‎Windows 11 Pro
Item Weight:‎ 3.92 pounds
Product Dimensions: ‎‎14.37 x 9.45 x 0.74 inches

2. Lenovo IdeaPad Touchscreen 2022

Lenovo IdeaPad Touchscreen 2022 — Image credit: Amazon

Highlights:

Display Size: ‎15.6 Inches
‎Display Resolution: ‎1920 x 1080 pixels
Processor: ‎2.3 GHz core_i5_family
RAM: ‎16 GB DDR4
Hard Drive: ‎‎512 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor:‎ Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Chipset Brand: ‎‎Intel
Operating System: ‎‎Windows 11 Home
Item Weight: ‎7.8 pounds
Product Dimensions: ‎‎14.09 x 9.29 x 0.79 inches
Special Feature: Anti-glare, Fingerprint

3. Dell Inspiron 3000 – (2022)

Dell Inspiron 3000 – (2022) — Image credit: Amazon

Highlights:

Display Size: ‎‎15.6 Inches
‎Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
Processor: ‎2.3 GHz core_i5_family
RAM:‎16 GB DDR4
Hard Drive: ‎512 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor: ‎Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Chipset Brand: ‎Intel
Operating System: ‎Windows 11 Home
Item Weight: ‎3.81 pounds
Product Dimensions: ‎14.1 x 9.26 x 0.73 inches
Special Feature: Anti Glare Coating, Memory Card Slot

Best budget laptop for programming under $900

1. Dell Latitude 5000 – (2023)

Dell Latitude 5000 – (2023) — Image credit: Amazon

Highlights:

Display Size: ‎15.6 Inches
Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
Processor: 12th Gen Intel 10 Cores i5-1235U
Ram Memory Installed: ‎16 GB DDR4
Hard Drive: ‎512 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor: ‎Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Chipset Brand: Intel
Operating System: ‎Windows 10 Pro
Item Weight: ‎‎3.5 pounds
Product Dimensions: ‎14.09 x 9.19 x 0.78 inches
Special Feature: Anti Glare, Backlit Keyboard

2. Acer Aspire 5 – (2023)

Acer Aspire 5 – (2023) — Image credit: Amazon

Highlights:

Display Size: ‎‎15.6 Inches
‎Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
Processor: 2.1 GHz core_i7_family
RAM: 16 GB DDR4
Hard Drive: ‎256 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor: ‎‎Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Chipset Brand: ‎Intel
Average Battery Life (in hours): 8 Hours
Operating System: ‎Windows 10 Home
Item Weight: ‎3.88 pounds
Product Dimensions: ‎14.29 x 9.36 x 0.7 inches
Special Feature: Backlit Kb

3. Lenovo IdeaPad 5i – (2023)

Lenovo IdeaPad 5i – (2023) — Image credit: Amazon

Highlights:

Display Size: ‎‎15.6 Inches
‎Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
Processor: 2.1 GHz core_i7_family
RAM: 16 GB DDR4
Hard Drive: ‎256 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor: ‎‎Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Chipset Brand: ‎Intel
Average Battery Life (in hours): 8 Hours
Operating System: ‎Windows 10 Home
Item Weight: ‎3.88 pounds
Product Dimensions: ‎14.29 x 9.36 x 0.7 inches
Special Feature: Backlit Kb

I have been an early-age tech enthusiast. I had a computer at the age of 10. Since the first day I got a computer, I started experimenting with it. I played with its hardware as well as its software. Due to this, I have been able to develop a good understanding of computers. Luckily after my graduation as an Aerospace Engineer, I started learning the software development. Since then I have been constantly learning and working with computer systems and its related technologies.