When 11 inches are too confining and 17 inches is too big, settling for the best 15-inch laptop under $500 sounds like a perfect deal. Besides, there are quite a few interesting and inspiring laptops out there with narrow bezel screens that add to the premium footprint and hence you get more leverage in terms of visuals and aesthetics.
Many professionals and even students are opting for 15 inches gear but, the budget laptop is still a major parameter to clear. For many reasons, the 15 inches display laptop is more in trend. Besides, the all-rounder output of these gears works efficiently for writing, gaming, and remote communicating, as of course serious office work!
In this article, you are about to unbox those exclusive laptops that are lighter, matter, and robust to the core. With smooth performance, you will find these laptops highly valuable on a fair budget.
Okay Goldilocks, Let’s jump right into the in-depth reviews!
In-depth Review – Best 15-Inch Laptops Under $500
1. Acer Aspire 5
Acer Aspire is the best laptop for its various performance attitude and the most encouraging performance. The 15.6 inches display comes with an HD quality screen that delivers a vivid color gamut.
Moreover, the IPS technology enhances your viewing time the most. The display comes with the full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED-backlit which means you don’t have those annoying dual coloration. This laptop comes with many reasons to opt for it. The AMD Ryzen 3 3200U Dual Core Processor (Up to 3.5GHz) and the installed RAM of 4GB DDR4 is one of them. From gaming to office work, this laptop proves its value in every working sector. Moreover, the 128 GB PCIe NVMe SSD is a reasonable storage capacity if you want it for saving your precious data and software.
Its backlit keyboard is quite well-it and the bright keycaps offer you enough light to see and type even in a dim room.
The connectivity and ports of this laptop wouldn’t let you down either. It lets you have seamless connectivity with 1x USB 3.1 Gen 1 port, 2 x USB 2.0 ports & 1 HDMI port with HDCP support, and the all-day long battery of up to 7.5 hours deliver you smooth results for sure. This laptop is best for regular performance, office use as well as studies.
2. Dell Inspiron 3583
In the 15 inches laptop category, you get this Dell Inspiron laptop that has been the top choice of many professionals and newbies for its user-friendly OS. The durable design, tough build, and decent features come with a fair budget that is under $500. The data storage of this laptop is 128 GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive, ideal for more programs.
In addition to that, there is 4GB, 4Gx1, DDR4, RAM installed and the memory speed is 2666 MHz which is quite an interesting factor. This laptop comes with a relatively faster boot time and a quiet approach to multitasking.
Its 15.6 inches display is high definition and delivers anti-glare screen quality. You don’t have to face or fight with the comfort angle finding, its glare-free display lets you write like a pro.
Therefore you can consider its performance for writing and making assignments without a single doubt. It comes with 02.11ac 1×1 WiFi and Bluetooth which ensure its stable and reasonable performance for connecting with other devices to networks.
Dell Inspiron 3583 features the Intel UHD Graphics 610 which boosts up the graphics and you get to pick fuller details and more enhanced visual quality than you have anticipated.
In a budget like $500, this specification becomes something satisfactory. In a word, this is a compact, simple, and durable laptop best for writing and regular work. For graphics, you can play light games as well!
3. Lenovo IdeaPad 3
With its 15.6’’ inches display and diagonal, HD design you also get the micro-edge bright view quality. The resolution of this laptop has been kept at 1366 x 768p. If you are searching for a laptop that makes a wider impression, this laptop by HP comes as a perfect deal.
In addition to its display, you have the 11th Gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 Processor that makes the visual’s quality better. For light photo editing, playing games, and working as a start-up on illustration, you can consider its performance.
Moreover, it comes with a Dual-Core Processor 3.4 GHz base frequency, 8 GB RAM DDR4, and a 256 GB SSD for data. In addition to that it comes with high-end RAM efficiency.
In the connectivity and ports area, you get this laptop fully featured with the Integrated 10/100/1000 GbE LAN, 1 multi-format SD media card reader, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.2 combo. In addition, you also have its 12 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1 x USB 2.0 Type-A, 1 x HDMI, and 1 x Combination Audio Jack combo that is something super satisfying in a budget like 500.
Moreover, you have its HP True Vision 720p HD camera with integrated dual array digital microphones. This is a great laptop for regular working, attending Zoom meetings, browsing, and searching. In short, for office and home use you also have its reliability intact.
4. ASUS VivoBook 15 F515
ASUS laptops are so much in demand that no list can be completed without including a laptop by this brand. For the best 15-inch laptop under $500, this laptop is more innovative and comes up with a smarter approach. The style is one of the major game changers.
Its 15.6 inches display comes with the Full HD NanoEdge bezel screen that looks more impressive than regular gear. Moreover, it delivers you the 83% screen-to-body ratio effortlessly.
Moreover, you have its vigorous and high-performing Intel Core i3-1005G1 Processor 1.2 GHz (4M Cache, up to 3.4 GHz) which is why you have its robust performance be it gaming, graphical work, or any other intensive tasks. Also the embedded 4 GB DDR4 RAM and 128GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD data storage is appreciating in its output approach. Faster swiftness working is ensured with this laptop.
What’s more amazing is its highly user-friendly and ergonomic backlit keyboard and the smart fingerprint sensor activated via Windows Hello that welcomes the office and professional workmen to the core.
Also, it has a metal support brace underneath the keyboard premium stability in performance and durability. For data security and privacy this feature makes this laptop stand out.
ASUS VivoBook 15 F515 is one of the reliable and high-end laptops that make sure its features are quite useful. You have its USB 3.2 Type-A (Gen1), USB 3.2 Type-C (Gen1), USB 2.0, SD card reader, and HDMI that makes its responsive external device and peripherals approach quite practical.
5. Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-36UT
This last pick in this article would prove to be your absolute pick. It comes with fair and decent features that ensure you perfection in performance, and robust and premium task execution.
Firstly you have its 11th Generation Intel Core i3-1115G4 processor that conveys the right kind of speed and unbeatable output even for gaming. Moreover, the Turbo Boost technology gets up to 4.1GHz for giving satisfying results for most apps and software runs.
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-36UT is a slim laptop that is best for carrying it elsewhere. Moreover the lightweight design lets you hold it for hours. Its display is 15.6’’ inches and the full HD quality in the vivid display is stunning to pick and highlight details.
Also, the 82.58% screen-to-body, 16:9 aspect ratio, and narrow bezels elevate the viewing experience, as well as working preference. Its ergonomic build quality lets you work in a smarter way.
The ergonomically-designed hinge lifts of the keyboard have been designed for the best writing position. When you have to write longer assignments, or articles or make notes with speed, this keyboard style enhances your working way with comfortable typing.
Its embedded 4 GB DDR4 onboard memory and the 128 GB NVMe solid-state drive storage should be enough for storing your data, files, and more media. This laptop is best in many ways such as its Acer’s Purified Voice technology that becomes your companion when you are attending zoom meetings or Skype calls.
The features and qualities are endless; this laptop is the top choice that you should consider without paying more than $500!
Final Verdict
This short and sifted list of 15-inch laptops is quite reliable for professionals. If you have been using any of these laptop brands you will find the quality improved and more optimal. Always keep your preference in buying the laptop at first and then make a final move. After all, it’s your money and you definitely don’t want to spend it on pretentious gear!
Writer Graham Grieve brings two decades of technical communications experience to The Holy Tech coverage. Isaac contributes articles on laptops, tablets and PCs, alongside various software and hardware guides. Isaac is a former newspaper journalist who also worked in tech communications for some of the country’s biggest corporations. He also counsels and creates material for other technology publications and hosts a podcast.
Isaac’s in-depth reporting and knowledge of hardware and software issues helps The Holy Tech’s readers learn how to choose the right products, or solve tricky problems.