Shopping around for the best laptop under £600 can turn out to be a bit of a disheartening experience. But, it doesn't have to be, thanks to some of the best laptops to hit the market at reduced prices recently. While you'd be right to temper your expectations a little when it comes to serious power, you'd be surprised to find out just what a sub-£600 laptop can do. And believe us, we're talking about a lot more than just a few emails and some web browsing.
But how much should you spend? After all, there are plenty of laptops under £400 that you could go for, leaving you plenty of cash to spare. But, is that really going to give you what you need? And the opposite is just as true - should you spend all of your £600 on a laptop only because it has a 17-inch screen? Spoiler: probably not. Finding the best laptop under £600 to suit you is a little bit of an art - that's where our experts come in.
Best laptop under £600 in 2024 at a glance
• Best overall laptop under £600: ASUS Laptop Vivobook 16 M1605YA - View at Amazon
• Best budget laptop under £600: ASUS Vivobook 15 X515JA 15.6 Full HD Laptop - View at Amazon
• Best laptop under £600 for students: MSI Modern 15 Inch FHD Laptop - View at Amazon
• Best gaming laptop under £600: HP Victus Gaming Laptop 15-fb0020na Bundle - View at Amazon
Perhaps the key question to ask yourself is: what do I need to achieve with my new laptop? Some of the best laptop deals will promise you the Earth but cut the wrong corners to bring the price down. A machine chosen for light video editing or design will need a sensible amount of RAM. One chosen for gaming will require a dedicated graphics card and more RAM and CPU power than most. A lightweight office productivity laptop will need average amounts of all of the above. So, when considering your needs, our buyer's guide and more are at the end of the article to help out.
The main thing to remember here is: don't regard a budget of £600 or less as wasted money. Just because the majority of cutting-edge 17-inch laptops cost well over £1000. As we mentioned earlier, you can now buy more raw computing power than ever before for much less than you'd expect. Now, let's lift the lid on some of these hidden computing gems and find you the best laptop under £600 available right now.
Best laptop under £600 in 2024
Best overall laptop under £600
ASUSWhile the ASUS brand is synonymous with quality and high-end PCs, the Vivobook 16 was clearly specced to cut all the right corners to keep the cost down. And by that, we mean that the only obvious areas where this differs from a machine closer to costing £1000 are the lack of a dedicated graphics card and fingerprint reader. The rest of the laptop, both inside and out, is nothing short of stunning for a sub-£600 machine. Here we not only have 8GB of RAM, but also a suitable 256GB SSD for super-fast load times and plenty of storage capacity; both respectable for what we'd expect to see at this price point.
The CPU is a Ryzen R5 too, so will cope with some heavy-duty computing tasks. Light gaming will trip along smoothly too, as despite having an integrated graphics card, it is an AMD Radeon. Ports are in reasonable supply too, so you'll be able to attach external SSDs, keyboards and more. Lastly, there's a webcam alongside that 16-inch display, so not only will you get a very practical screen size that's ideal for all kinds of users, but you can stay in touch via video calls too. Just brilliant, especially at a price that will leave you enough left over for a budget mouse or keyboard.
Pros
- Great 16-inch screen
- Speedy Ryzen CPU
- Plenty of ports including USB-C
- Built-in webcam
- Very solid battery life
Cons
- No fingerprint reader
- Integrated graphics card is fine, but high end gamers will need more power
Best budget laptop under £600
It's hard to argue with a Windows laptop that costs under £400 let alone the £600 limit we're looking at here. But, as a low-budget option within an already-budget category, this gets enough right to more than qualify. Surprisingly considering the price and spec, this isn't running Windows in the lightweight 'S' mode - it's Windows 11 out of the box. At 15.6", the screen is a highly practical size, has reasonably wide viewing angles, and is great to see on such an affordable laptop.
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD - making this machine ideal for browsing, daily office tasks, Microsoft Office 365 and streaming videos. Once again, this outstrips many other budget laptops on the gigabyte count. Plus, don't forget, this is an SSD, so boot times will be fast, as will load times. Yes, the Intel Core i3 processor isn't the very latest generation, but it's capable of delivering a swift enough experience for the average user. Extras like being light, and super-portable, with a backlit keyboard, anti-glare screen and good battery life make this a formidable budget laptop option.
Pros
- Very lightweight
- Powerful enough for office tasks and browsing
- 15" display with great viewing angles
- Backlit keyboard
- User-upgradable RAM and storage
Cons
- Not suitable for gaming
Best gaming laptop under £600
HP may not be a brand that people associate with gaming setups, but that's changed recently with their OMEN desktop range and this: the HP Victus Gaming Laptop 15-fb0020na. But before we dive in, let's look at what this isn't. It's not a beast of a dedicated gaming laptop fit for super-high-resolution AAA titles - you'd need to spend two to three times more to get close to that. But, as a budget gaming option, it's ideal for running lightweight games and modern titles like Minecraft, Roblox and Rocket League at appropriate resolutions and framerates. Let's look at why that's even possible on a machine costing closer to £500 right now.
Firstly, it's powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 5600H processor and comes with a dedicated graphics card - the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650. All in all, that means the Victus can handle most modern games at medium settings. And you're not playing on a postage stamp either - the display is a 15.6-inch at full-HD resolution; but the icing on the cake is the refresh rate. It's 144Hz, as high as premium gaming laptops, so you can expect super-smooth gaming action.
The HP Victus Gaming Laptop 15-fb0020na is a surprisingly good option for budget gamers who need to put their money into the core areas that gamers need - GPU, CPU and RAM.
Lastly, right now, this comes as a bundle with a HyperX Pulsefire Mouse & HyperX Cloud Stinger Headset - so get ready for serious multiplayer action right out of the box.
Pros
- 16:9 ratio full HD display
- Terrific gamer-friendly design
- Great RAM and SSD capacities
- Excellent HP build quality
- Has a solid GPU
- Easy to upgrade
Cons
- High-end gamers will want more RAM and GPU power - but at a higher price tag
- On the heavy side
Best business laptop under £600
Here, quality mid-budget brand Lenovo has come up with a laptop that's good-looking, well-specced and affordable. So, finding that it also comes with Windows 11 Professional and MS Office Pro makes this a seriously good proposition for any business. The 15.6" screen is large and clear enough for detailed office tasks, and the graphics card is an AMD Radeon Vega 8 - more than powerful enough to deliver multimedia presentations (or some light gaming between meetings..). Battery life is excellent, at around 10 hours too.
In terms of the technical goodness on the side, this has 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD - more than enough to run Windows 11 and store all the apps your business needs. Having a fingerprint reader is a nice security feature, and the touchpad supports multipoint gestures. The only real omission here for businesses is the lack of a built-in webcam, but as that's a cheap and easy fix, this machine is still a spectacular deal.
Pros
- Good amount of RAM for a business machine
- Windows 11 Pro for compatibility with most business infrastructure
- MS Office Pro Plus included
- Understated design
- Thin and light
- Fingerprint sensor for security
Cons
- No built-in webcam, so a USB one will be needed
Best laptop under £600 for students
Already featured on our list of the best student laptops, this 15-inch MSI Modern laptop is the perfect solution for any student who needs to get their work done with reliability and speed. Essential for lugging around campus, the case is nice and slim not to mention lightweight with military-grade durability. Inside though, is a fast Intel Core i5 processor to handle all of the usual Windows applications and everyday tasks with ease. A nice upgrade to a student laptop, and a cut above most, is the 8GB of RAM. You won't be playing the more demanding titles at 4K 120fps on this, but you should be able to while away your lunch break in the Student Union bar with some simpler games.
The display itself is an IPS panel, another step up from other dimmer types, and the usability is further extended by the addition of a backlit keyboard - so, taking notes in a dimmed lecture hall is that much easier and more accurate. The 512GB SSD is another surprising upgrade over many other sub-£600 laptops. Battery life is good enough for the average day of lectures as well, and when you're done for the day you can stream movies and spend some of that Student Loan with some online shopping. Perfect.
Pros
- Brilliant all-rounder
- Military-grade durability
- Plenty of ports
- Lightweight case and thin bezel
- Backlit keyboard
- Hi-Res audio
Cons
- Slightly plasticky build here and there
- No Bluetooth
Best laptop under £600 with a large screen
Even we found it a challenge to not only find a laptop with a 17-inch screen at this price range, let alone one made by a brand as reliable as HP. This Laptop PC 17-cn0000sa is the definition of a solid all-rounder that will please those who prefer a little more room for both screen and keyboard layout. The display is Quad-HD too, which is higher than most others on this list. The GPU is a standard integrated Intel version, so you won't really be gaming on this; But, for everything else, this is going to be an excellent option. The RAM and SSD sizes are on the low side, so it's easy to see where and how HP has piped its manufacturing costs (hint: it's that beautiful screen). That said, 256GB is enough storage for many and it is a fast-loading SSD too.
The battery life of the HP Laptop PC 17-cn0000sa is reasonable, and there's a really good range of ports for extra connectivity. Speaking of extras, this comes with some excellent and genuinely useful bells and whistles, in the shape of a fingerprint reader, a backlit keyboard, and a webcam. If it's a 17-inch screen you want and you have £600 to spend, this is a reliable option that will leave you with enough spare cash for plenty of accessories.
Pros
- 17" display
- Enough RAM for most everyday tasks
- Fingerprint reader
- Anti-glare screen
- Large keyboard and trackpad
- Decent battery life
Cons
- No dedicated graphics card (not surprising at this price point)
- RAM is at the lower end of the scale
Best laptop under £600 in 2024: Buyer's guide
Identify your computing needs
Knowing what you need to accomplish on your new laptop is essential. Identify those needs in detail and a great purchasing decision will follow. As mentioned in the intro, if you're a content creator who churns out artwork or digital media, the graphics card, screen and RAM are your priority. However, someone who needs to connect to Office 365 for business tasks or general browsing should look at the CPU and the quality and size of the keyboard. Take the time to list your essential laptop uses and any entertainment needs, then compare with the spec sheet to get your choice just right.
Stick to your budget, but don't go too low
While we all know how easy it is to overspend, this piece of advice is a little different: don't go more 'budget' than you need to. Remember, the best laptop for less than £500 may undercut your budget nicely enough, but if you don't spend wisely you'll get a lot less for your money. A whizzy-looking laptop that costs under £300 might look the business, but chances are you'll regret not getting that higher-specced RAM or SSD or slightly larger screen.
Always check and double-check any laptop specifications against the needs of any particular software you use. Any of the recommendations on our list will make a great choice in terms of sticking to your budget, but they all have different strengths when it comes to software and hardware capabilities.
Protect your new kit
Although you're not likely to be getting much change from a budget laptop, make room for accessories and peripherals. No matter how short your commute or travel plans are, look into getting a laptop backpack, an impact-proof case or a laptop bag for extra protection.
Security: Consider getting a VPN
Even the best laptop under £600 will need to hook up to a public wifi network when out and about. Antivirus software is essential, so look at security suites such as Bitdefender or McAfee if you don't have one. But, what about protecting your privacy and personal data? A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a secure tunnel to the internet that hides your IP address from would-be hackers and snoopers. Our experts highly recommend getting an affordable VPN for extra security.
Best laptop under £600 in 2023: Frequently asked questions
Which brand of laptop is best?
Here at What's The Best, we always look for well-known reliable brands such as ASUS, MSI, HP and so on. That said, many relatively newly established brands like Huawei also compete well on both quality and price. Our pick of the best laptop under £600, the ASUS Laptop Vivobook 16 M1603QA, is a great all-rounder that pushes the price down without breaking core performance.
Do laptops under £600 come with MS Office?
As we enter the budget category, there's obviously less room for manoeuvre when it comes to freebies and extras. Thankfully, Microsoft now offers many of its productivity tools and products online via its 365 service. You can get an excellent deal on Microsoft 365 (currently including a free antivirus bundle) at the time of writing.
Are laptops under £600 good for gaming?
Yes, absolutely. Normally, when it comes to AAA titles, we'd recommend a dedicated gaming laptop. But, not all gamers want or need excess power for light casual gaming. Surprisingly, some of our picks pack more gaming grunt than we expected; so you can look forward to Minecraft, Roblox and more at very reasonable resolutions and framerates.
As always, after making sure your GPU is up to the task, look for a laptop with a large screen. Or, if you're deskbound, connect a second monitor and enjoy those graphics to the max. But remember - even the latest and greatest gaming laptops can suffer from slow-down depending on software, settings and more. So, we've put together a simple guide on how to make your Windows laptop run faster.
Best laptop under £600 in 2024: Jargon buster
Solid State Drives (SSD)
Whereas laptops of old were chunky enough to house a regular spinning disk hard drive, SSD is a newer technology and uses no moving parts. It's faster, a lot smaller in size and runs more efficiently, which is why you'll find them in the majority of modern laptops. They write and read using electronic flash memory, much like USB flash drives. Data is stored in grids and blocks, and though the process is more complicated than in HDD, the available space is utilised more efficiently thanks to a series of processes that go on behind the scenes.
Windows 10 / Windows 11 'S' mode
Windows S mode is a streamlined version of Windows 10 or 11 ideal for some laptops. S mode improves security and only allows apps from the Microsoft Store, and Microsoft Edge for browsing. Microsoft’s S mode FAQ is a good starting point.
CPU
A Central Processing Unit, or CPU, processes and executes instructions. They often consist of multiple cores - the higher the number of cores the more processes it can carry out, improving performance. CPUs have a 'clock speed' that is measured in GHz - the frequency of the number of operations. In theory, the higher the GHz number, the better and quicker a computer can operate.
RAM
Random Access Memory, or RAM, is short-term memory. It temporarily holds information for quick access by the CPU as it runs various programs and services. The more RAM available, the more quick-access information there is for the CPU, thereby improving computer performance.
GPU
A GPU is a Graphical Processing Unit - the central component of a graphics card. It handles the rendering of images to the computer screen
Resolution
Resolution is the measurement of pixels on your screen, such as 1920 x 1080 (Full HD). Therefore, the higher the pixel count, the greater the resolution of your screen which means more detail. 4K screens are currently at the higher end of available PC and laptop resolutions.
Chris Duffill is a Tech Product Writer for What's The Best. He specialises in audiovisual, computing, and gadgets. He also writes for Yours.
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