The 5 Best Laptops Under $1,000 - Black Friday 2024

The best laptop under $1,000 we've tested is the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022), a 13-inch ultraportable designed for general productivity. It has an exceptionally sturdy all-aluminum build, a bright and sharp Retina display, a spacious keyboard, and Apple's industry-leading haptic touchpad. You also get great-sounding speakers and an excellent 1080p webcam. Performance isn't a problem; its M2 SoC can easily handle general productivity tasks and even some light programming and video editing. Port selection is its biggest drawback, as it only has two USB-C ports with support for a single external display.

As for the RAM configuration, it gets a little complicated. Apple has recently discontinued the 8GB model and made 16GB RAM the baseline spec with no price increase, meaning you can get a 16GB model for $999 or less. This change has prompted retailers to reduce the price of the 8GB model. Some people might be able to get away with 8GB, but it's best to go for 16GB, especially if you plan on using Apple's AI features. The base RAM configuration change also applies to the M3 Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024), but in this case, only the 8GB model is under $1000 USD. The upgrades on the M3 model are fairly minor; they include Wi-Fi 6E, slightly better performance, and support for two external displays, though the latter only works with the laptop closed.

The best Chromebook under $1,000 we've tested is the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (2024). It has a 14-inch screen that gets bright enough for use in most indoor settings and provides just enough space for split-screen multitasking. Since this is a 2-in-1, you can set it up in tent mode for media consumption or use it as a tablet. Its IPS touchscreen display looks vibrant, and in addition to touch input, it has USI stylus support (although the stylus isn't included with the laptop). The only downside is the display's poor reflection handling; it isn't suitable for use in bright environments, as any direct light sources like lamps or the sun will be visible.

Ports include one USB-A, two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4, and an HDMI port. Its battery life is great at over 10 hours of light use, and you can charge over USB-C. Regarding specs, this laptop is available with various Intel Meteor Lake CPUs. Although these are low-power models, they're more than fast enough for anything you'd need to do on a Chromebook. Its keyboard and touchpad are easy and comfortable to use, and the webcam is fantastic, offering a clear image. Of course, not every piece of software is compatible with ChromeOS, so be sure to check for compatibility if you need to use any specialized programs.

The best 2-in-1 tablet for under $1,000 that we've tested is the Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024), a tablet Windows PC with a built-in kickstand and detachable keyboard. With this versatile form factor, you can detach the keyboard to make the device lighter and easier to hold or to save space, like on a kitchen counter or airplane tray table. The most important thing to know about this device is that it runs on an ARM processor. The Snapdragon chips are more than adequate to handle general productivity tasks, and they're quite power-efficient, giving you an all-day battery life. That said, you need to ensure that the apps you use are compatible or run well enough through Microsoft's Prism emulation layer to get your work done.

While most models are more expensive, for under $1,000, you can get a model with the Snapdragon X Plus and an IPS panel. The display looks incredibly sharp and gets bright enough for outdoor use. Plus, it has a 120Hz refresh rate, which makes the system feel more responsive, especially when using pen input. Unfortunately, you must buy the stylus separately; the same goes for the keyboard. The stylus is optional, but the keyboard is a near necessity because Windows isn't particularly touch-friendly, and the keyboard also helps protect the screen from scratches. Because these are extra purchases, this will bring your total above $1000; if you can stretch your budget, we definitely think it's worth it. The webcam is excellent and among the best on the market, and you also get an IR camera for quick logins via facial recognition. Last but not least, the battery life is great at over 11 hours of light use.

Our best gaming pick is the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition (2023). For under $1,000, you can get this laptop with a Ryzen 7 7735HS, an AMD Radeon RX 7600s GPU, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a fast 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD. This configuration can deliver high, consistent frame rates in demanding AAA games at 1080p or even 1440p, depending on your settings. The only display option within the budget is a 165Hz FHD+ IPS panel; while it doesn't get very bright, it does support variable refresh rates to reduce screen tearing.

This laptop sports a solid port selection for peripherals and external displays, including an Ethernet and HDMI 2.1 port. The RAM and storage are user-replaceable, providing a clear upgrade path down the line. Thermal throttling is minimal under load, but the laptop does get hot and loud. Thankfully, there aren't any hot spots around the WASD keys. This laptop also isn't particularly portable as it's relatively bulky, and you'll need to carry along its fairly beefy charger for use on the go, as its battery lasts only a little over an hour when gaming.