Are you looking for a cheap laptop for coding?
If your answer is yes, you’re at the right spot. The explanation is that choosing the best cheap laptop for programming is not easy, and we think you don’t have a lot of time to do proper research as a student or experienced programmer, or developer.
If you think you can perform all your programming tasks with a standard low-set laptop, you are incorrect. It is not strong enough to give you a smooth working experience, and you will also face problems that lag. And you can’t rely on your job in this case.
Even I’ve upgraded my laptop as a blogger. Blogging doesn’t need that powerful laptop, all you have to do is to browse all day long on your laptop. But let me tell you honestly, now on core i7 9th generation and 16 GB ram, I’m feeling like coming back from a long roadside walk or ride and cleaning my nose in the first place, hehe.
You first have to decide what programming language you can use and which form of programming you can do and how powerful a machine you will need to use before you purchase this laptop. It will allow you to select the right laptop for you according to your needs. We have also guided you that how often should you upgrade your laptop for ensuring the best possible productivity.
You need to consider other items, so we recommend you go through the following few things before starting on the list of the best cheap laptops for programming.
Buyer’s Guide For Best & Cheap Laptop For Coding
As a prelude to working on the notebooks, let’s look into what programming needs are needed. When shopping for a low-cost programming laptop for CS students, keep these three things in mind.
CPU (Central Processing Unit)
When your code is being executed, you’ll need a fast and efficient processor to keep track of all the variables. The AMD Ryzen 4th generation or a similar CPU with four cores would be appropriate as a starting point.
AMD’s new Ryzen processors are ahead of the competition in the current CPU market. They outperform their competitors in terms of speed, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. If you’re in the market for a laptop right now, look for models using AMD’s Ryzen 4000 series processors.
And yes, sometimes programmers and hackers use external devices like Raspberry PI, which are full computers in themselves. So if your laptop is somehow working then you can also consider connecting this device to your computer too, so that you’ll not need a new laptop.
RAM (Random Access Memory)
A fast processor isn’t enough because large and resource-intensive programs and apps require more memory, which means a larger RAM is needed.
These days, a laptop’s memory should be between 8GB and 16GB, which is more than enough to handle your processes.
Battery life and weight are also useful, but they come with a price tag to match.
Operating System (OS)
When it comes to operating systems, most programmers either use Windows or Mac.
For Windows developers, this means more options. The Mac devs, on the other hand, are restricted to working on the MacBooks that are now available on the market.
However, Linux remains popular among programmers and developers. When looking for laptops, they frequently go for ones that come pre-installed with Linux. However, because Linux is free, most developers install it on their personal computers as well.
For those unfamiliar with Linux, it is mostly used on mainframes, servers, and mobile devices. You can also use it on desktops and laptops.
Because you can install a Linux distribution on virtually any laptop on this list, I haven’t included any recommendations for Linux laptops.
Chromebooks still employ eMMC storage, which is rather slow and far from the SSDs we see on Windows and Mac laptops in the market; thus, I don’t advocate ChromeOS laptops over Microsoft Windows laptops, either.
To summarise, depending on your demands, I recommend either a MacBook or a Windows Laptop for data programming and coding.
You Should Also Check Our Best Laptop Suggestions For Engineering Professional:
Below in the table, there are some best laptop suggestions for engineering professionals.
List Of 13 Best Cheap Laptop for Programming:
Well here is a complete list of the best and cheap laptops for coding. So if you are a freelance programmer or just a programming student then you can choose one of these our top picks:
1. HP 15-dy1036nr – Best Cheap Coding Laptop
| Processor | 10th Generation Intel Core i5-1035G1 1.0GHz Quad-Core |
| Ram | 8GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 256GB SSD |
| Display | 15.6-inch Full HD |
| Battery Life | Up to 10 Hours |
HP 15-dy1036nr is the best choice in our list of the best cheap laptop for programming. This laptop is the most affordable on the list and has no efficiency compromises. It is powered by a quad-core Intel Core i5-1035G1, the latest 10th generation, and has 8GB RAM to support all your multitasking processors.
Although it doesn’t have dedicated graphics, Intel’s integrated UHD graphics can handle casual gaming and programming very well. It is supplied with a beautiful 15.6-inch 1080p display with minimal bezels and an anti-blind layer on the end. Moreover, it gets bright and dark enough to encode from anywhere and under any lighting conditions conveniently.
The only drawback of this laptop is that the keyboard is not backlit, but is easy to type and has a Numpad, only if that matters to you. All ports and slots needed are lined on either side of the laptop and make the HP 15-dy1036nr notebook a full programmer all-round kit.
2. Acer Aspire 5 – Budget Programming Laptop
| Processor | Intel Core i5-10210U 1.6GHz Quad-Core |
| Ram | 8 GB DDR4 RAM |
| Storage | 512GB SSD |
| Display | 15.6-inch Full HD |
| Battery Life | Up to 9 Hours |
If you’re programming or playing, Acer Aspire 5 is a cost-effective all-around laptop that manages nearly everything you throw at it.
This laptop offers enough power to use this laptop to create games and program graphics at the price of about $600. It is powered by the new Intel Core i5 Quad-core processor of the 10th generation and combines 8GB of RAM with dedicated 2GB DDR5 video memory Nvidia GeForce MX250. Enough said? Enough said? It also has 512GB of SSD, making it the most powerful laptop in the section to program and play.
Acer Aspire 5 is also fitted with a fantastic keyboard with tactile backlights and a 9-hour battery backup! That was unforeseen. Is it not? Is it not? It also has an additional RAM slot and an empty disk bay for the future to expand its capacity, which is a significant plus if you play on the laptop or intend to use this computer for heavy growth.
The Acer Aspire 5 is one of the most affordable budget programming laptops for 2022 with all these great features.
3. HP Spectre x360 – Cheap Laptop For Coding
| Processor | 10th-generation Intel Core i5 – i7 |
| Ram | 8GB – 16GB |
| Storage | 256GB – 2TB SSD |
| Display | 13.3-inch Full HD |
| Battery Life | Up to 10 Hours |
The x360 2-in-1 laptop from HP had a fantastic refreshment for 2022. The increase in specimens, including Intel Core processors and Intel Iris Plus graphics from the 10th generation with its impeccable 2-in-1 design and new gem-cut chassis, means that this version is one of our best cheap coding laptops.
The HP Spectre line has always been made up of incredible instruments. If we say the Spectrum x360 brings it to a new level, this should mean something. It is one of the most lovely laptops on the market, and with its gemstone cut, style, and elegant profile is rough on the inside. HP has fitted this with long battery life, so you get a hands-down on one of the best laptops on the market. As such, it is a budget programming laptop.
4. Microsoft Surface Pro 7 – Best Cheap Laptop for Programming
| Processor | 10th Gen Intel Core i3 – i7 |
| Ram | 4GB – 16GB |
| Storage | 128GB – 1TB |
| Display | 12.3-inch Full HD |
| Battery Life | Up to 11 Hours |
The seventh version of the award-winning Microsoft product may not be the generational leap for many Microsoft tablets but provides some enhancements compared to its predecessor.
This 2-in-1 technical tablet has made remarkable power gains, making it more versatile than ever.
It also features a USB-C port and wifi 6 interface. With its quad-core processors and plenty of RAM, you can quickly and reliably compile code even if you’re on the go. Bear in mind that you will have to pay extra for the form cover – trust us, you won’t want any coding done on a touch screen.
5. Dell Inspiron 15 5593 – Best Laptop for Programming and Gaming
| Processor | (10th Gen) Intel Core i5-1035G1 |
| Ram | 8GB DDR4 RAM |
| Storage | 512GB SSD |
| Display | 15.6-inch Full HD |
| Battery Life | Up to 7 Hours |
Let’s start this list with the Dell Inspiron 15 5593 Dell laptop, one of the most trusted laptop brands. And this is the cheapest laptop on the whole list, but the performance does not compromise. It is also the best cheap laptops for programmers for anyone with a small budget.
This Dell laptop chassis is finished in silver with Dell’s lid branding, which gives a premium appearance and feel. A 15.6 cm full HD LED-Backlit monitor of this laptop is anti glare.
This laptop is powered by the new 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G1 6Mb cache and 3.6GHz turbo boost technology. And it comes with 8GB DDR4 RAM and is incorporated with Intel UHD Graphics 620 to handle your multitasking. The 512GB of SSD drive that is good enough to store your personal and professional data supports this device’s storage section.
It also has a full-sized backlit keyboard with a numeric pad that works well in any situation. It has all the necessary ports and slots for multimedia connectivity.
6. ASUS ZenBook 14 – Best Cheap Laptop for Programming
| Processor | (10th Gen) Intel Core i7-10510U Processor |
| Ram | 16GB DDR4 RAM |
| Storage | 512GB SSD |
| Display | 14-inch Full HD |
| Battery Life | Up to 9 Hours |
If you want to take your laptop daily with you and search for a light and thin laptop, this ASUS ZenBook 14 is the right book for you. If we are talking about this laptop’s construction, there is a military-grade toughness chassis in Royal Blue, which looks very stylish.
This ASUS laptop is also compact and powerful, so you can take all of the powerful specs easily in just 0.7 small profiles that weigh only 2.78 pounds.
It has a 14-inch full 4-way HD NanoEdge lens display that offers you rich color visuals. And its NanoEdge bezel gives a body ratio of 92 percent, which looks fantastic.
This laptop’s specifications have an Intel Intel Quad Core i7-10510U processor of the latest generation with turbo boost technology up to 4.6GHz. It is backed up by 16 GB of RAM to handle all applications, compilers, code editors, and local servers. If you’re interested in this notebook’s storage compartment, there is a faster 512GB SSD and laptop performance improvements.
If you are using programming software or a graphics card, don’t worry because it comes with a 2GB dedicated memory NVIDIA GeForce MX250 graphic. According to the specifications of this notebook, it is suitable for programming and coding, and it can run all applications related to programming very smoothly.
The Revolutionary Screenpad 2.0 is shown in the image above and offers you smarter control over multitasking. The battery life is also impressive, giving battery backup for up to 9 hours.
All in all, Asus has done so much to make this small. This lightweight notebook is great in all respects, from building to results.
7. Acer Nitro 5 – Cheap Laptop for Learning to Code
| Processor | (9th Gen) Intel Core i7-9750H Processor |
| Ram | 16GB DDR4 RAM |
| Storage | 256GB SSD |
| Display | 15.6-inch Full HD |
| Battery Life | Up to 9 Hours |
If you have a budget of approximately $1000 and are looking for jobs and a gaming console. This Acer Nitro 5 meets all your needs in this budget. It is another Acer laptop in this series, but it is by its very nature a pure game laptop. If we see this laptop-style, everybody can quickly understand that it is laptop gaming.
The outside of this notebook is finished in a red-black with an appealing appearance. You get 15.6 inches of full HD IPS 144Hz Gaming Display with this laptop, which provides impressive color and clarity while playing games or watching movies.
This Acer laptop is wired to an Intel Core i7-9750H powerful processor and 16GB of DDR4 RAM. Thank you for supplying 6GB of dedicated memory with a solid NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 for satisfying your game creation and graphics programming needs.
If you worry about this notebook’s storage compartment, it contains 256GB of SSD drive, which reduces boot times and loads the application more quickly than the HDD drive.
Many of you can disappoint due to less storage, but this laptop allows you to upgrade your storage through your available hard disk. Besides hardware, Acer CoolBoost technology ensures that the internals is chilled with dual fans. This laptop features a full-size red-backlit keyboard with a dedicated numeric keyboard to enhance the working experience.
Moreover, the battery life is also incredible with this gaming laptop, which can provide you with about 8 hours of battery backup.
Overall, we can conclude that this Acer Nitro 5 game laptop is a perfect choice for you with an approximate budget of $1,000 and can be purchased right now.
8. ASUS VivoBook 15 – Best Cheap Laptop for Programming
| Processor | 10th Gen Intel Core i3-1005G1 (Ice Lake) |
| Ram | 8GB RAM |
| Storage | 128GB SSD |
| Display | 15.6-inch Full HD |
| Battery Life | Up to 6 Hours |
ASUS VivoBook 15 is a great choice when you’re looking for the best cheap laptop for programming.
It has the newest 10th Gen Intel Core i3-1005G1 (Ice Lake) with 8GB RAM and a 128GB SSD processor for storage. The storage of the notebook is tiny, but it is SSD, so functionality flashes quickly. Moreover, if you want more storage, you can easily use an external hard drive or swap the SSD.
It is typically the best bang for your buck laptop with the latest details. It also features a 15.6-inch full HD monitor, a backlit keyboard, and a fingerprint scanner, making it the perfect value for money, the best option, and one of the cheapest laptops for programming.
9. Lenovo ThinkPad T590 – Cheap Laptop for Python Programming
| Processor | 2.2GHz Intel Core i7-8750H |
| Ram | 16GB |
| Storage | 512GB SSD |
| Display | 15.6-inch Full HD |
| Battery Life | Up to 6 Hours |
Lenovo’s ThinkPad notebook line is a well-known businessman because of its corporate-proof design and valuable features.
It is also famous because of its security attributes. Like its predecessors, the newly upgraded ThinkPad T590 appears. However, the screen now has small bezels, and ThinkShutter can cover the camera if not used for privacy purposes.
The adjustments are mainly made to the interior. Therefore the ThinkPad T590 contains the hottest Whiskey Lake 8th Gen Intel processors and gives the option to choose 32GB RAM and storage, respectively, and 1TB SSD depending on the PCIe. Therefore, it is relatively capable on the hardware front, making it essential to program and build computers.
All interfaces and slots, including standard USB 3.1 interfaces, HDMI, Ethernet, USB Type-C Thunderbolt, and SD card reader, are included.
However, its battery lasts up to 14 hours with a single charge! It is shocking! It’s easily one of the best cheap coding laptops you can buy at this time.
It’s robust interiors, a unique 1080p screen, and doesn’t forget a ThinkPad keyboard, which is not easy to find a replacement.
10. Apple MacBook Air M1 – Best Laptops for Programming Students
| Processor | Apple M1 (8-core) |
| Ram | 8GB – 16GB |
| Storage | 256GB – 2TB SSD |
| Display | 13.3-inch, 2,560 x 1,600 Retina True Tone |
| Battery Life | Up to 11 Hours |
The Apple MacBook Air got a range of significant updates after a much-needed upgrade, making it one of the best cheap laptops for programmers in 2022.
Although the MacBook Pro isn’t the powerful one (or some high-end Windows laptops), the M1 chip is now the same as those bigger laptops, so it isn’t too far away!
The 10th generation of Intel processors in the last 2020 model is much faster than the previous version, and the M1 is much better, so with this MacBook Air, you are getting a super-fast laptop. And at the same rate!
All of this speeds up the time it takes to compile code, so your workflow will be affected. The new MacBook Air is still as compact as ever, with an extraordinarily lightweight design, which makes carriage simple – and ideal for programmers traveling extensively.
11. HP Envy 13 – Best Cheap Laptop for Programming
| Processor | 8th generation Intel Core i5-i7 |
| Ram | 8GB – 16GB |
| Storage | 256-512GB SSD |
| Display | 13-inch Full HD |
| Battery Life | Up to 10 Hours |
The new HP Envy 13 is an outstanding collection for programmers.
HP has recently made significant improvements to this famous 13-inch laptop with size and weight reduction. In addition to a high-quality touch-sensitive display, it is powerful as well as super compact. Perhaps the most impressive improvement is the incredible all-metal style, covering the keys and around the screen, the nickname ‘Envy.’
The keyboard has plenty of movement, and the pad is big enough for comfort – both critical aspects of a laptop for long code-driving sessions.
12. Dell G7 17 – Best Budget Laptop for Programming 2022
| Processor | 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-9750H |
| Ram | 16GB |
| Storage | 512GB SSD |
| Display | 17.3-inch Full HD |
| Battery Life | Up to 7 Hours |
The DELL G7 is one of the most reliable laptops for programming. The 17.3-inch wide monitor allows the computer more space so you can open several windows simultaneously.
The Dell G7 17 is here to do its only job, supplying programmers and game developers with a stable interface and durable construction. While it does not look like a gaming laptop, many talented computer programmers consider it despite those giant specifications.
The 17.3-inch full HD screen provides a more than adequate viewing experience to the programmer. Given the length of time spent by the coders on your laptop, the resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels on this IPS monitor is also a valuable feature.
Dell G7 17 is very heavy at 17 inches compared to a few other individuals. It is not ideal for portability, but its excellent performance stands out. The 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-9750H processor improves the cost-effectiveness of the laptop. If you compile a comprehensive code or use CPU-intensive IDEs like Android Studio, it can be done smoothly by the processor.
The high-quality processor is combined with a powerful 16GB DDR4 RAM, which provides quick access to applications and programs for Dell G7 17. A 512GB M.2 PCIe, NVMe SSD setup goes a long way towards internal storage for those who code regularly.
The Dell G7 17 graphics device laces the NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti power with 6GB of VRAM. The existing GPU increases the performance of the mid-range laptops for programming. You can also run resource-intensive applications such as Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Adobe XD, Sketch, and more with this unit. There is nothing to deter you if you intend to follow graphic design or web design.
The keyboard unit is, however, not the best-in-class, although it features RGB backlit. The typing experience is right, even though the main journeys are not very profound. The Dell G7 17 speakers are pretty decent at a fair price as you tweak the laptop’s sound.
The lifetime of the Dell G7 17 battery is modest for up to 7 hours. The dell g7 laptop’s processor performance, GPU, and RAM on the laptop can be modified.
Ergo, it’s a good option for people looking for a mid-range corporate laptop to suit their budget.
13. Lenovo Legion 5 – Best Cheap Laptop for Programming
| Processor | 2.9GHz AMD Ryzen 7 4800H |
| Ram | 16GB |
| Storage | 512GB SSD |
| Display | 15.6-inch Full HD |
| Battery Life | Up to 6 Hours |
Programmers have precise gadget-centered specifications, and Lenovo Legion 5 is a reasonably credible option. This notebook also has all functions that fit the essence of programming-specific work, including a resourceful keyboard, active refrigeration hardware, and a good RAM chunk.
The AMD Ryzen 7 4800H CPU meets the processing requirements with a 7nm architecture. The octa-core processor is also improved by SMT, which allows programmers to begin multi-threaded tasks quickly. The improved clock speed of up to 4.2GHz is a helpful resource for complex coding and complex software development scenarios.
The GTX 1660 Ti GPU is also available to programmers to combine code with necessary game-centered graphics to pave the way for highly functioning logic. Thus, this graphics card will help you design some of the best games on the market if you have the same view. Furthermore, the Turing-based VRAM GPU is also a handful if you want to try some high-end games before scheduling related programs.
The Legion 5 High-Speed RAM 16 GB memory allocation and a sizeable 512GB SSD module are among the virtues. Most notably, the current chunk of device memory processes 3200MHz, one of the few programming specifications. The storage unit also comes with NVMe compatibility that boots the Windows 10 Home OS in almost no time.
More significantly, every favorite programming application such as UltraEdit, Visual Studio Code, Bitrise, and Xcode is compatible with the featured operating system. Although the visual attributes do not match the programming indulgences, the 15.6-inch monitor is undoubtedly an insightful ally if you want to make coded applications, games, and UIs.
Lenovo takes productivity programming seriously and has a durable backlit keyboard to support its goals. The leading TrueStrike keyboard is well known for its outstanding 1.5-mm essential movement, a powerful asset for unstoppable coders. You will have access to the Acoustic System of Dolby Atmos to listen to soft music, an HD webcam, and good mics.
As for the thermal layout, Lenovo is proud of the technology Coldfront 2.0, best known for improving thermal tuning. However, the fans and heat pipes increase to 5.51 pounds, making it one of the heaviest heat gadgets on the list. Connectivity: you have the following ports depending on: HDMI, Type-C, and 4 USB 3.1, followed by wifi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, and Ethernet support.
Surprisingly, Lenovo produces a pretty battery module that can pump out for moderate use for nearly 9 hours. As a programmer, you are never without juice, mainly when you are in the middle of complicated codes and relevant scenarios.
Conclusion
These are finally the best cheap laptop for coding for students or freelance developers selected by our laptop experts’ team to consider the programmers’ needs. We hope that our research and hard work in developing this laptop purchasing guide to help you find the right laptop for yourself.
Both short reviews of the above laptops enable you to select the best cheap laptop for programming. If you’re still lost or need some help with the laptops, leave a comment below.
