Not only the area of application can influence the choice of the right notebook, but above all the price. Since the notebook market is almost oversaturated with far more than 3000 different devices at the moment, and a gift is seldom excessively expensive, we have set the price limit in our purchase advice at a maximum of 500 euros.
If you’re looking for a high-end notebook, you won’t find it in our buying guide. Gaming notebooks are also excluded from this budget – our suggestions work exclusively with the processor’s internal graphics unit. In order to maintain an overview, the notebook recommendations are divided into different display diagonals.
Starting with small 11.6-inch devices, through 13.3 and 15.6 inches, to large 17. 3-inch notebooks, which should probably function more as a desktop replacement. Furthermore, at least four gigabytes of RAM were required to ensure smooth working under Windows. In principle, all notebooks under 15 inches have no optical drives for reasons of space.
So if you want to install software from an optical data carrier, you either have to transfer it to a USB stick or buy an external DVD drive with a USB port. We also consider convertibles in our purchase advice.
Thanks to the docking or folding mechanism and touch display, these can be used both as a tablet and as a conventional notebook with a keyboard. They are available in different sizes and configurations.
Starting with small devices with tablet hardware up to high-end models for several thousand euros. All notebooks in our price comparison All convertibles in our price comparison
Our recommendations
Up to 12.
4-inch The smaller the technology, the higher the price. If you turn the price screw on the small notebooks to a maximum of 500 euros, the selection is quite clear. In the lower price range, an Intel Pentium Silver is mostly used here, which is considered a good entry-level processor.
The Acer Chromebook Spin 511 is a really good entry-level notebook with ChromeOS, Intel Celeron N5100 quad-core, and an 11.6-inch display for around 400 euros. With a weight of 1.3 kilograms, it is the ideal companion for on-the-go. RAM and storage are sufficient with 8 GB and 64 GB. If you want it to be a little faster, then the Huawei Matebook E 2in1 is recommended.
This convertible comes with an Intel Core i3-1110G4 (2/4 x 2.5-3.9 GHz), 8 GB RAM, 128 GB flash memory, and a 12.6-inch HD OLED display. With 700 grams, Bluetooth, and Windows 11 Home 64-bit, it is also perfect for mobile use and is available for less than 500 euros. The Surface Go 3 from Microsoft has a little less performance, but it is very compact and correspondingly mobile.
An Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y with two cores and four threads and up to 3.4 GHz works in the 544-gram light case. In addition, there is 4 GB RAM and 64 GB flash memory including pre-installed Windows 11 S. The 10.5” IPS display has a whopping 1920 x 1280 pixels and of course, supports touch input.
Acer Chromebook Spin 511 R753TN-C6NQ (NX.A90EG.002) Best offer of:375.00€incl. Shipping 14 more prices and providers Huawei MateBook E Nebula Gray (53012TCN) Best offer from: €409.00 incl.
Shipping 1 additional price Microsoft Surface Go 3 Pentium 4/64GB platinum (8V6-00003) Best offer from: €369.00 incl. Shipping 22 more prices and providers Can’t find the right device? Here you will find all 10”-12” notebooks.
13-Inches
3 to 14-inch notebooks The selection of 13.3 to 14-inch devices under 500 euros is a bit larger compared to the 11.6-inch models. Due to the larger dimensions, the prices are correspondingly lower. This is also the case with the Aspire 1 A114 from Acer for just under 250 euros. Windows 11 S is included as the operating system.
The Intel Pentium Silver N6000 clocks at up to 3.3 GHz and is supported by 4 GB of RAM. It is supported by a 128 GB SSD. The whole thing is rounded off by a 14” Full HD display. For a little more you can get the Asus VivoBook 14 with 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, and an Intel Core i3-1115G4. At 1.55 kg, the notebook is also well suited for mobile use. The 14” IPS display has a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. Windows 10 Home is also preinstalled.
The best for around 500 euros is the Lenovo V14 G2 ITL with a 14” Full HD IPS display, eight gigabytes of RAM, 256 GB SSD, and a powerful Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor. It is also relatively light at 1.6 kg but comes without an operating system.
Acer Aspire 1 A114-33-P9PB silver (NX.A9JEV.00H) ASUS VivoBook 14 F415EA-EB803T 1 additional price Lenovo V14 G2 ITL (82KA0025GE) Can’t find the right device? Here you will find all 13”-14” notebooks.
Up to 15.6-inch notebooks
The 15.6-inch diagonal is the most common among notebooks. Even if you set the maximum budget at 500 euros, there are still several hundred devices to choose from.
Our first recommendation is the HP 15s-eq2422ng with AMD Ryzen 3 5300U and up to 3.8 GHz clock for around 300 euros but without an operating system. The eight gigabytes of RAM are joined by a 256 GB SSD and a matte IPS display with Full HD resolution.
If you prefer an Intel Core i5 for around 500 euros, the Huawei Matebook B3-520 with a 15” Full HD IPS display, eight gigabytes of RAM, 512 GB SSD, and an Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor is ideal. It is also very light at 1. 56 kg and comes with pre-installed Windows 10 Pro. You also get a matte, high-resolution display and a fast CPU with the Lenovo V15 G2 ALC.
Here the buyer can look forward to an AMD Ryzen 5 5500U, 8 GB RAM, and a 256 GB SSD. Version 10 Pro is installed as the Windows operating system. HP 15s-eq2422ng (4L3V3EA) Huawei Matebook B3-520 (53012JDU) Lenovo V15 G2 ALC (82KD005CGE) Best offer from:444.61€incl. Here you will find all 15” notebooks.
17. inches Notebooks:
3-inch notebooks Notebooks with a display diagonal of 17.3 inches are more suitable as a desktop replacement than as a mobile device due to their size and weight. In a direct comparison to 15.6-inch devices, the price for comparable equipment is higher.
Our first recommendation in this class is the HP 17-cp0600ng with AMD Ryzen 3 3250U (2/4 x 2.6 – 3.5 GHz), 8 GB RAM, and a 256 GB SSD. In addition, with Windows 10 Home and a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, you can get this notebook for just under 500 euros.
The Asus VivoBook S17, which comes with an Intel Core i3-1115G4 (2/4 x 3.0 – 4.1 GHz) and Windows 11 Home, also costs just under €500. The 17.3-inch IPS display has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. Eight gigabytes of RAM and a 256 GB SDD are also installed.
HP 17-cp0600ng (43B08EA) Best offer of:572.47€incl. Shipping 3 other prices and providers ASUS VivoBook S17 S712EA-AU402W Can’t find the right device? Here you will find all 17” notebooks.
The hardware Scot says:
If you are looking for a notebook or convertible for less than 500 euros, you should be aware that you are not getting a high-end device. Gaming is almost impossible, as are demanding applications.
However, if the notebook is intended for office tasks, surfing, or watching films, this price range is the right choice. We definitely recommend a notebook with an integrated SSD, which significantly speeds up the loading of programs. Which notebook for up to 500 euros can you recommend?