Cheap Laptops The best value budget laptops under £300
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Laptops come in many shapes and sizes, so choosing one can be a challenge. Here's a round-up of the best-equipped we could find for less than £300.
The most important parts to check when choosing a laptop are the ones that are hard to upgrade: the processor, screen and graphics card. Paying a little more for a machine with a newer processor is often wise, as it'll be more future-proof.
Note: Due to the popularity of this site's weekly email, deals listed here can sell out at speed.
Sub-£300 laptop bargains
Last updated:
- 4
- August
- 2011
All the laptops listed come with full wi-fi capabilities, Windows 7 Home edition, and a minimum of 2GB RAM, though you can upgrade in most cases.
What do you get for this budget? The machines below are perfect for day-to-day tasks such as online banking, shopping and sending emails.
However, if you want to play the latest high-res games, edit videos or run any other processor-hungry app, expect to struggle with these laptops.
Spotted a better deal than these? Tell us in the forum
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Important!
Ensure you know how to shop safely
before trying these deals
Tips for shopping safely
Whether it's a retailer or restaurateur, airline or air-conditioner seller, computer shop or car rental company, there are always two main risks: either it's a dodgy company, or it's a legit company that has financial problems and goes bust.
The aim of these tips is to help you minimise the risks.
What happens if a company goes bust?
Quite simply, its customers are immediately transformed into creditors.
This hits hardest if you've ordered goods or tickets from them, and not had delivery, as then you are simply one of a line of people trying to get your money back out of the company's assets, and you usually get back much less than you paid in.
Even if you've had delivery, if the company you bought from goes under and there's a problem with the goods, it can mean you've no comeback.
While MoneySavingExpert.com endeavours to check deals are valid, we don't check companies ' finances - even huge names like MFI and Woolies have folded - so it's very important you use the right strategies to stay protected where possible...
DO: Pay by credit card for goods over £100
Pay by credit card for something over £100, eg, flights, kitchens, sofas, and Section 75 laws super-charge your consumer rights.
Unlike debit cards, cheques and cash, pay in full or part (even just £1) on a credit card and by law the lender's jointly liable with the retailer. This means you have exactly the same rights with the card company as you do with the retailer, so if it goes bust, you can simply take your complaints there instead and get money back if no delivery.
Yet it's important you ALWAYS REPAY IN FULL each month, so there's no interest cost. See the Section 75 guide for a full guide and Cashback Credit Cards for how to earn cash on top too.
DO: Protect purchases under £100
Section 75 doesn't apply to purchases under £100, but there's still an option which can help. It's not a legal protection, just Visa rules, but it's a good secondary back up.
Spend on a Visa credit or debit card and, if the goods don't appear within 120 days, you can ask your bank to reclaim the cash from the seller's bank. See the Visa Chargeback part of the Section 75 guide for full details.
DON'T: Use unfamiliar sites without checking
Bogus websites are often set up to cash in on popular products like Ugg boots and Tiffany necklaces, so be wary if it's an unfamiliar site. And don't think that because it appears on a reputable search engine, that makes it a reputable site - always check.
DO: Check the site's legit
Most folks know to look for a security padlock on a website's bottom right, but that doesn't mean the site's legit, just that payment's secure.
To find out who registered the site and when, search the Whois database. Reputable firms should also appear on the Companies House site, the UK Govt's official companies register. Be very wary of businesses with just a PO BOX or email address.
Study the site's worldwide web ranking on Alexa. Anything in the top 100,000 means it's reasonably big - a good, though not foolproof, indication of legitimacy. Do a quick Google search for other shoppers' experiences.
DON'T: Let your anti-virus run out
Crucially, ensure your security's up-to-date - free software can be downloaded to your computer in five mins. Full details in the Free Anti-Virus Software guide.
DO: Know your distance selling rights
Many people are surprised to learn you've MORE rights buying online (or telephone/catalogue) due to the Distance Selling Regulations.
This gives a legal right to send most goods back within a week for a full refund (including outward delivery costs), even if there's no fault. You'll usually need to pay for the return delivery. Read Consumer Rights for a full guide.
However, of course this is balanced by the fact that, order online, and that automatically means a time gap between ordering and delivering - when the company has your money. So if it goes bust in that time, the distance selling rights don't help.
DO: Understand sometimes there's no protection.
Ultimately, there is always a risk that a company can go bust. If the above routes don't apply, then you have to make a decision about whether you're willing to take the risk of parting with your cash.
Don't be overly scared of this: every day we all make transactions based on trust, and this is part of that, but do balance up the amount you're spending against the risk. Don't give large amounts of money to a company you're not sure of.
Close
Acer Aspire 5336: £280 delivered
Top pick for spec and price
The Acer Aspire 5336 is a good all-rounder laptop, and at £279.99 delivered from Currys*, it's well under budget.
The laptop comes with a dual core Cerelon processor making it a fairly decent performer when it comes to day-to-day stuff like messaging friends on Facebook and watching TV shows on the BBC iPlayer.
However, its Intel-based integrated graphics are pretty poor, so gaming is almost impossible. If you do encounter problems, customer service feedback for Acer is poor.
Processor: Intel Cerelon T3500 2.1GHz
RAM: 3GB
Hard Drive: 320GB
Optical Drive: DVD +/- RW Drive (read/write CD & DVD)
Display: Widescreen 15.6" (resolution 1366 x 768)
Graphics: Integrated Intel graphics
Included Software: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit
Warranty: One-year manufacturer warranty
Toshiba C660: £250 in-store
Cheapest in-store deal
This Toshiba C660 is £249.99 and can be reserved and picked up from Argos* for free, or delivered for an extra £5.95.
For its price it has a good spec, and its workhorse 2.3GHz Cerelon processor, 250GB hard disk and decent onboard graphics mean it's perfect for everyday general use. However, reviewers have described its keyboard as "clunky" and its build-quality "iffy".
It has a 2-in-1 memory card reader, which makes uploading and sharing photos easier, although the laptop lacks a built-in webcam, so if you want to talk to friends on Skype you'll need to purchase an external webcam.
Pay £34 less for a refurb model
If you want it cheaper, consider getting a refurbished model from Argos' eBay outlet store, for £215.98 delivered. It comes with a one-year full Argos warranty.
It's worth noting the fact it is refurbished has little impact on your consumer rights. It still must obey the Sad Fart rules, and be of a satisfactory quality, as described, fit for purpose and last a reasonable length of time.
Processor: Intel Cerelon M925 2.3GHz
RAM: 2GB
Hard Drive: 250GB
Optical Drive: DVD +/- RW Drive (read/write CD & DVD)
Display: Widescreen 15.6" (resolution 1366 x 768)
Graphics: Intel shared graphics (integrated)
Included Software: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit
Warranty: One-year manufacturer warranty
Acer eMachines E642: £250 delivered
Best spec laptop under £300
If you're looking for a higher-end laptop, Currys* has a cheap online-only deal for £249.99 delivered. The Acer eMachines E642 gives you a dual core AMD Athlon II M340 processor, 3GB ram and a whooping 500GB of hard drive - making it the highest spec from our picks.
The E642 has three USB 2.0 ports, and a built-in webcam and mic, so you can easily video chat to your friends on Skype.
Processor: AMD Athlon II M340 2.2GHz
RAM: 3GB
Hard Drive: 500GB
Optical Drive: DVD +/- RW Drive (read/write CD & DVD)
Display: Widescreen 15.6" (resolution 1366 x 768)
Graphics: ATI Radeon graphics (integrated)
Included Software: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit
Warranty: One-year manufacturer warranty
Spotted a cheap laptop deal we've missed?
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Quick Glossary
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Processor: The bit that crunches the numbers - the single most important thing to consider when choosing a laptop.
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RAM: Stands for Random Access Memory, the memory that programs draw from to run smoothly. The more RAM, the quicker you can expect your software to run.
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Hard Drive: The bit that stores all your data. It is measured in gigabytes (themselves comprised of 1024 megabytes). You should be looking for around 150GB as a minimum, but bear in mind you can always add an external drive later if you need to.
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Optical Drive: The drive that reads optical media: CDs and DVDs. Most laptops are now capable of writing and rewriting discs as well as playing them, so you can record whatever you like on them (though keep 'em out of the sun afterwards or they'll stop working).
Need more memory?
Memory retailer Crucial has a handy tool on its site for selecting the right type of RAM for any laptop; you just need to input the name and brand.
It's prices are often competitive too, though it's always worth searching elsewhere (once you've found the right type) to make sure you've got the absolute best price.
Want software too?
Unfortunately. grabbing good hardware's only half the battle. Big software manufacturers will happily relieve you of any left-over cash in exchange for their wares.
Yet you can avoid them if you know where to look. There are so many great, free-to-use equivalents of office suites, graphics programs, and other software that you may never need pay for one again. See our Free Office Software article for a complete rundown of the best.
The same goes for Anti-Virus/Spyware and other security software; don't be scared into buying big corporate programs. Check out their no-spend equivalents in the Free Anti-Virus & Safety Software guide.
Want something more basic?
If you're just looking for a portable laptop for basic things such as emailing, word processing and web surfing, you may well be better off considering one of the new range of smaller "netbook" laptops. They shouldn't replace a desktop or laptop PC, but they'll certainly complement it. Read Cheap Netbooks for the latest top picks.
You've only included laptops from big suppliers. Why?
The power of this site means we can only feature laptops that are in plentiful stock. You may be able to beat these prices by going to local and smaller computer retailers and asking them if they can beat the deal you've seen here. Give it a go, but make sure you're getting the same spec, as most models are available with various options.
Seen a deal you think should be added/changed?
Post in the Cheap Laptop Deals Discussion
WARNING! Please think very carefully before buying one of these
This site is about getting the best deals, but you should always spend within your means, so remember the MoneySaving mantras:
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