It's August, and the season for new laptops is upon us. While the latest laptops are available at a higher price tag, this is the right time for students and budget buyers to grab one of the older machines at a lower price tag. You have amongst a half a dozen laptop makers, with prices starting as low Rs 20,000 and running up from there. For this back to school laptop guide, we are considering a mix of all kinds of laptops starting at as low as Rs 25000, going all the way to Rs 93000.
We have picked your usual entry level laptops with GPUs, added some lightweight machines, some gaming laptops, and even a convertible. So, without any further ado, let’s begin.
ASUS X540SA-XX384T
Price: Rs 25,000 (approx)
As the price suggests, the Asus X540SA is an entry level machine that offers usable performance and utility. It even features a USB Type-C port and comes preloaded with Windows 10.
Specifications: CPU: Intel Pentium Quad Core N3710, RAM: 4GB DDR3, Storage: 500GB HDD, Display: 15.6-inch HD
Acer Swift 3
Price: Rs 36,000 (approx)
The Acer Swift 3 may look like a Apple MacBook Air, but it does not cost half as much, while still managing to offer a decent experience and runs on Windows 10.
Specifications: CPU: Intel Core i3-6006U, RAM: 4GB DDR4, Storage: 128GB SSD, Display: 14-inch HD
Acer Aspire E5-575G
Price: Rs 36,000 (approx)
Acer has been putting out some really good laptops recently and the E5-575G is literally the combination of all the things a budget user demands.
Specifications: CPU: Intel Core i3-6006U, GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, RAM: 4GB DDR4, Storage: 1TB HDD, Display: 15.6-inch HD
HP Pavilion x360
Price: Rs 45,000 (approx)
The Pavilion x360 is the only laptop on this list that offers a rotating display. It also has a respectable set of hardware, including the latest 7th gen Intel Core i3 processor and a full HD display.
Specifications: CPU: Intel Core i3-7100U, RAM: 4GB DDR4, Storage: 1TB HDD, Display: 13.3-inch FHD
Lenovo Ideapad 310
Price: Rs 46,000 (approx)
The Ideapad 310 is one of the most reliable options in the budget range. It is available in a variety of configurations, but the one we have selected here will serve casual gamers and web hoggers alike.
Specifications: CPU: Intel Core i5-6200U, GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 920 (2GB), RAM: 4GB DDR3, Storage: 1TB HDD, Display: 15.6-inch HD
LG Gram 14
Price: Rs 64,000 (approx)
The LG Gram has been one of the most prominent ultrabooks of the year and is currently available at a highly discounted price. If you don't know, the gram weighs less than a Kilo.
Specifications: CPU: Intel Core i5-6200U, RAM: 8GB DDR3L, Storage: 256GB SSD, Display: 14-inch FHD
Microsoft Surface Pro 4
Price: Rs 66,000 (approx)
The Surface Pro 4 from Microsoft is another convertible in this list, but unlike the Pavilion x360 we mentioned earlier, the Surface Pro is a tablet first and a work machine later. It is one of the best performing convertibles we have tested in recent times. Although the fact that the keyboard is not included in the box is a problem indeed.
Specifications: CPU: Intel Core i5, RAM: 4GB DDR3, Storage: 128GB SSD, Display: 12.3-inch 2736 x 1824
Apple MacBook Air
Price: Rs 80,000 (approx)
The MacBook Air is a no brainer if you just want a Mac OS powered device. It is also available in a 128GB storage option, but we think if you are buying one, go for the 256GB variant.
Specifications: CPU: Intel Core i5, RAM: 8GB LPDDR3, Storage: 256GB, Display: 13.3-inch 1440 x 900
Acer Nitro 5
Price: Rs 75,000 (approx)
The Nitro 5 is another Acer machine that punches way above its price and as a matter of fact it offers better value for your money. After all, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is a tried and tested GPU for 1080p gaming.
Specifications: CPU: Intel Core i5-7300HQ, GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, RAM: 8GB DDR4, Storage: 1TB HDD, Display: 15.6-inch FHD
Lenovo LEGION Y520
Price: Rs 93,000 (approx)
If your gaming quotient is all that matters to you then you can't get a better machine under a lakh, than the Lenovo Legion Y520. It also has a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti at its heart that is mated to an Intel Core i7-7700HQ.
Specifications: CPU: Intel Core i7-7700HQ, GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, RAM: 8GB DDR4, Storage: 1TB HDD + 128GB SSD, Display: 15.6-inch FHD