Best Budget Laptop Canada: The rise of modern technology has made life ever the more easier and fast-paced. Instead of using books and pens as we did in the old days, we now use laptops to help us with our daily tasks. While these devices are highly portable and convenient to use, they are also awfully expensive to buy. And if you don’t do the proper research for your requirements, you can be sure to break your back by paying the costs for something you can’t even use!
Since the global pandemic has made it essential for people to own laptops, the market has introduced some quality budget options. Although these products come with limited functionality, they don’t necessarily require you to settle for less. In order to make it easier for you and help make your laptop shopping experience a pleasure, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best budget laptop Canada. Listed below, you will find a comprehensive guide of some of the best laptops, all under 600 CAD. Each product has been carefully handpicked to cater to your needs without draining your wallet.
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Our Picks of Top 5 Best Budget Laptop Canada Product Reviews in 2021
1. Acer Canada Acer Swift 3 Ultra Slim and Light Laptop
The Acer Swift 3 is a reliable laptop that features an ultra-slim design which makes it highly portable and compact for storage. It weighs only 2.62 lbs and features a sleek metal body that makes it not only easy to carry but also worth bragging about. The Acer Swift comes with many features to aid everyday tasking, and we’ll discuss some of these briefly. Starting with the price factor, this laptop is more on the higher range of budget laptops, yet it is still very affordable compared to other laptops in the market.
The Acer Swift 3 offers a large number of ports to aid connectivity. You can connect secondary devices or USBs to its docks and easily transfer your files. It also features a quality WiFi adapter that helps a diverse number of functions to be carried out on the web. The signals are excellent and allow you to surf the web hassle-free. Thanks to the 10th Gen Intel Core i5 processor input into this laptop, you can multitask and edit your documents quickly without lag. Consumers report that the computing speed is exceptional and offers a groundbreaking performance compared to other Acer models. It has also been reported that you can open up to 70 different tabs with different applications and yet experience the normal functioning of the processor. Moreover, the Acer Swift 3 also comes with 8GB RAM, which can even run some high graphic games. Hence, this laptop is a good starter option for the ones who have just started gaming.
Another good feature of the Acer Swift worth mentioning is its intelligent display. Built with a 14 inch HD 1920 x 1080 display and with Colour-enhancing technology, this laptop ensures premium image quality. Of course, the colors and graphics are not the best, but they are very crisp and vivid for the price point. Lastly, it also has a fingerprint sensor embedded which helps aid the security of the system. Overall, everything about this laptop is great; however, there have been some concerns over the battery life.
2. ASUS VivoBook 15 F515 Thin and Light Laptop
Another quality product worth checking out is the ASUS VivoBook 15. It is a good budget option for those looking to find a laptop that efficiently carries out daily tasks like emails, zoom calls, and editing. However, there are notable limitations in battery life and display quality that cause it to be a bad fit for gaming and movie enthusiasts.
Starting with the performance, this unit comes with an Intel Core i3-1005G1 processor, which offers a decent computing speed. This processor works great for basic computer tasks like downloads, file transfers, and writing applications, but anything that requires a higher power is not manageable. As for the design, the VivoBook is an attractive laptop that offers an extensive range of colour schemes. Users rave about the stylish look it provides. The ASUS Vivobook also comes with an in-built webcam which offers a decent picture quality. Nothing too great and nothing that doesn’t allow you to recognize yourself!
This laptop has been built with a modern SSD drive that allows it to load and boot quickly. The WiFi strength is also tremendous, thanks to its advanced adapter. Most consumers report that the performance is almost comparable to expensive options. As for the touchpad, it is also precise and responsive. Moreover, the ergonomic keyboard is also specialized to be backlit and provide a more comfortable typing experience. Unlike most cheap laptops, the heat management is also very well managed in this device. The only downside worth noting is the poor screen display.
3. Acer Chromebook 315, Intel Celeron N4000
Chromebooks have become increasingly popular as of today due to their advanced functionality and low costs. For those wondering how these devices are any different from a standard laptop, the answer lies in the operating system. Chromebooks utilize Google Chrome’s OS, where laptops use Windows. As of today, Chromebooks have spiked in sales because they are considered the best for educational purposes. So, if you’re a college or university student, the Acer Chromebook might be the ultimate pick for the best budget laptop for students.
To begin with, the laptop comes along with a beautiful display, impressive battery life and a sleek design. It is ridiculously cheap too, so at first glance, it does seem like a promising tool. It comes with a 1 GHz Intel processor, which allows your Chromebook to perform smoothly with minimum lag. Even with ten plus tabs, the Acer Chromebook is reported to perform splendidly. As for the display, it offers a full HD 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution which provides a sharp picture that enhances your Netflix and youtube experience. However, the sound quality is a little damp due to the positioning of the speakers below the laptop. This can be overcome with proper adjustment, so this proves to be a minor issue.
It is crucial to note that Chromebooks are heavily reliant on an internet connection; thus, their inbuilt storage is low. That means you can easily surf the web and use applications like Google Docs and Google Spreadsheets or Zoom, but you can’t store too many files. Also, since Chromebooks do not accompany Windows, there are obviously limitations to the amount of word/spreadsheet processing that can be done. It can even be hard for a user to get used to it at first. Lastly, it is a little heavier than its competition but nothing that’s too much. Although the Acer Chromebook lacks certain features, it is suitable for student needs.
4. Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 13″ Laptop
Since Chromebooks are the most reliable and ultra budget-friendly option amongst laptops, we’ve included another unit from Lenovo. The Lenovo Flex 5 is rated as one of the best Chromebooks of 2021. This product is highly durable and an excellent pick for everyday performance as it is lightweight and assists multifunctionality. The Lenovo Chromebook offers a 13-inch screen display that incorporates a large viewing angle to enhance your movie-watching experience. The display and screen resolution is fantastic as per quality, and you can control the screen via touch or a stylus which makes this product a favorite of many.
Unlike other cheaper alternatives, this unit offers a backlit keyboard that is comfortable to use. The laptop offers 4GB of memory which is perfect for uses like email writing, word processing or streaming music and videos. You can also open a large number of tabs on this with minimal sluggishness. Battery life is also very impressive. It matches up to its expected 10 hours listed on the specs. As for the software, it is run by Google OS, which regularly updates automatically to dispose of the threat of viruses or malware. This effectively extends the life of the laptop. This device features a 360-degree convertible design, so whether you’re in an office or work, you can always fold your laptop for a more personal experience. Lastly, this unit also offers a large number of ports to aid your connectivity needs.
5. HP Stream 11-Inch Laptop
For the final product on our list of best budget laptop Canada, we’ve included a super cheap laptop that is only worth 230 – 250 CAD. Don’t be mistaken though, despite it being an affordable choice; it still offers a decent performance that other devices at its price point may not provide. This small but powerful laptop accompanies a 1.6GHz Intel Celeron N3060 processor, which helps get basic tasks done quickly. Editing documents, downloading files and writing emails are easily manageable with this device. However, as soon as more than ten tabs are opened, there is a notable lag in the performance.
Other than management of tasks, the HP Stream also offers several other great features like superior audio quality and sleek design. Unlike most budget laptops that tend to compromise on their speakers, the manufacturers of HP Stream have incorporated high-performance dual speakers that really give your music and movies that burst in audio. The quality of the audio is loud and crisp; in fact, some users claim it’s even better than your average high-end laptop speaker.
As for the design of this model, the HP Stream comes in a very compact and almost toy-like size. The color of this laptop is a rich royal blue, something worth showing off to your friends. The keyboard and touchpad are also decent in terms of operation. However, there are some critical reviews about their positioning. Users report that typing isn’t very comfortable with this model, resulting in incorrect spelling and a slow pace of typing. The heat management of the system isn’t the most efficient as well as consumers have reported that the laptop gets uncomfortably hot after a while of use. Lastly, the HP Stream’s 11 inches, 1366 x 768 screen doesn’t offer a good picture quality either and cuts back on the screen’s brightness. All in all, this laptop is okay, but it does come with a significant number of disadvantages. Regardless this is to be expected with the cost factor.
Final Thoughts
In order to get the best value for your money, there are a number of factors you must consider before buying a low budget laptop for your use. Essentially, you should assess the usage, cost margin, portability, processor speed and specifications like RAM and display. We hope you enjoyed our recommendations for the best budget laptop Canada and have found the perfect product that assists your needs.