Top 5 Budget Friendly Laptops for Students

For students, finding the perfect balance between usability and affordability is difficult enough without having to give up on features and benefits just to stay within their price range. Many high schools and universities are giving away laptops with the cost of tuition; however, for those who are not fortunate enough to receive one in this manner, check out the top five laptops that will not break the bank while allowing you to achieve all of your educational goals as a student this coming school year.

HP Pavilion dv6-2130ee

This HP laptop is made for students with a very budget friendly price of $799 or less. With a lightweight design of 6.34 pounds and an HD widescreen display of 15.6 inches, it is easy to throw in a case and carry it across the school grounds. Using the Intel Core i3 2.13 GHz processor and up to 500 GB SATA storage, this HP has all the power and storage a student needs to work on term papers, surf the Internet with the installation of Windows 7 and even fit in some entertainment (if they can find the time!). It also includes the NVIDIA GeForce GT 230M graphics card, which is arguably one of the best available. The perfect blend between power, beauty and affordability are what get this HP on the list.

Dell Inspiron 17

This 17.3-inch widescreen Dell laptop is perfect for students who need the best for less. This laptop has an Intel Core2 Duo T6600 2.2GHz processor and an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500HD video card. Perfect for every student's needs, this Dell also comes with a 500 GB SATA hard drive, which is plenty of room for storing all the homework and term paper research. Additionally, the Windows 7 Home Premium is great for web surfers and researching as well as the various Dell Wireless network card options available. Included in the price is a one-year support contract. Weighing in at 6.8 pounds, it is easy to manage. Starting at $529 with a $200 discount at Dell.com, back to school discounts and customization area also available.

Toshiba Satellite L645D-S4025 (L64 Series)

This is a perfectly designed mobile laptop for students. Made to carry anywhere weighing in at less than five pounds, this laptop also comes in a n array of Fusion Finish colors. Perfect for the eco-friendly student, this Toshiba comes with the Toshiba Eco-utility and PC Health monitor to help save energy in addition to its long lasting Lithium-ion 6-cell battery which lasts long enough for three hour long classes. The display is 14 inch HD Widescreen LED with a 1366x768 pixel resolution. A 250GB hard drive and a DVD double layer drive, storage is more than adequate. With wireless 802.11 b/g/n and an Ethernet/LAN port, the Satellite does lack communication skills (no Bluetooth) but get s the job done anyway. This Toshiba laptop starts at $515 and is completely customizable; however, the more you add the more it costs.

HP ProBook 4410s

Yes, another HP makes the list. This HP ProBook is an excellent laptop for all sorts of activities including those for the business and student users. This laptop makes it easy to transition from studying hard to work usage in a minute. It comes with an Intel® Core™2 Duo 2.10 GHz processor and a Mobile Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator, so power is not a problem. Intel wireless 802.11 a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.0+ is also a plus, since portability and connecting to the Internet from anywhere is a must. Weighing in at a little over six pounds, this HP comes with a 320GB hard drive, multiple USB 2.0 ports and a DVD drive so using the laptop on the go is not only easy but efficient as well. Starting at $799 and offering various discounts for students, this HP ProBook can be found almost anywhere and is completely customizable with many more choices than are listed here.

Acer Aspire TimelineX

The Acer Aspire laptop is becoming something of a miracle. Not only do these laptops offer the best in hardware, they do not skimp on the technology just because the price is so affordable. This Acer uses the best in Intel technology with a choice of Intel Core™ i7, i5 or i3 processors in addition to up to eight hours of battery life for even the smallest Acer. The choice of display is from an 11.6 inch, 13.3 inch, 14 inch or a 15.6 inch; all of which are HD Widescreen rated. The graphics are beautifully displayed and this is a perfect laptop for gamers and a movie watcher as well as it is for students and business users and at less than an inch think, it is extremely portable. This all around Acer Aspire TimelineX laptop comes with all the trimmings and starts at just $400; available from various websites and stores worldwide.

HP ProBook 4110s

Toshiba Satellite L64 Series

HP Pavilion dv6-2130ee

Dell Inspiron 17

Acer Aspire TimelineX