Looking for the cheapest laptop with SSD? We have compiled a list of some of the best budget laptops with SSD you can find right now in order to help you narrow down your search. SSDs brought a huge performance upgrade to computers: an SSD makes your laptop boot faster, open programs almost instantly, copy files quickly, and overall improve a notebook’s responsivity. However – and even if the prices have been dropping every year- SSDs are still expensive, and the cost gets progressively higher as capacity gets larger. This is the reason why you will not see many budget laptops with SSD out there.
What is a Solid State Drive (SSD)?
A solid-state drive is a storage device that uses flash memory to store files. SSDs have no moving parts, unlike traditional mechanical hard drives which contain spinning disks and movable read/write heads: put simply, an SSD is a hard drive that doesn’t move. It is the same technology used to make regular USB flash drives, since both SSDs and flash drives currently use the NAND-based flash memory, which can retain data even when powered off. Because of their cost, SSDs were only used by the military and aerospace industries during the 1990s. In 2009, SSDs began to appear in laptops and manufacturers started to offer them as an option for a number of models.
Advantages of Solid State Drives over traditional hard drives:
-Reading and Writing Speed: Since SSDs have no moving parts, there no spinning drive platter or moving read/write heads like traditional hard drives. An SSD needs 100 micro-seconds at most to access data, while a mechanical drive needs 5000 to 10000 micro-seconds. File Copy / Write Speed is usually between 220 MB/s – 550 MB/s (depending on the model) for an SSD, while it ranges between 50 MB/s to 120 MB/ s for a mechanical drive. For a user, this translates to faster boot times, quicker file and transfers.
-Less Battery consumption, less heat and no noise: an SSD will only consume 2watts of your battery, when a HDD will eat 7 watts. For a laptop, this means extra run time. And thanks to the fact they there are no moving parts, SSDs run quietly don’t generate any noise or vibration, and less heat.
– More durable and reliable: Again, since there are no moving parts involved, SSDs are sturdier and can handle shocks or drops better than an HDD, making them particularly appealing for mobile devices. They also have less failure rates than HDDs: the moving parts that make up a traditional hard drive wear out over time and this is usually the reason behind a disk failure. SSDs on the other hand have write cycles, which is the number of times the cells in the flash memory can be written and erased. This is the lifespan estimated by the manufacturer, which is usually around 20-40GB per day.
What to avoid when buying a budget laptop with SSD? Not all SSDs are equal!
You will find many cheaper laptops with eMMC flash storage, which are also advertised as solid state drives (SSD) – and which is true by the way- and you might be wondering why there is such a price difference compared to the ones listed here. Usually, these laptops come with 32GB, 64GB or even 126GB storage.
eMMC stands for embedded MultiMediaCard, and while it has a lot in common with SSD, since both are solid state and don’t contain any moving parts; there is a big difference between the two when it comes to performance. eMMC and SSD have other things in common too, but eMMC usually operates with fewer memory gates, which means that it’s going to be way slower than a standard SATA SSD, and there is no comparison when it comes to PCIe SSDs. Here is a good article if you want to read more about eMMC and SSD. In terms of performance, eMMC usually offers half the speed a SATA SSD can offer, and in some cases, eMMC is only slightly faster than a standard HDD. However, it doesn’t mean that you should avoid at it all costs. There is definitely a market for eMMC, especially in Tablets, Chromebooks, and cheap Windows laptops.
What about PCIe and NVMe?
When it comes to performance, PCIe SSDs provide the highest speeds right now, because the SSD is directly connected to the via the PCIe slot, instead of a SATA connection like earlier SSDs. Transfer speeds are usually higher than 1000MB/s, and that’s for the entry level PCIe SSDs.
If you want to read more about PCIe SSDs and their advantages, we have recently published a dedicated article, with a selection of some of the best laptops with PCIe SSD.
Best Budget Laptops with SSD:
Now that you have an idea about SSDs, you’re probably even more convinced to buy an SSD laptop. But if budget is a problem and you don’t what to spend a lot of money on your purchase, there is still hope for you! We have done the work for you and compiled a list of some of the best budget laptops with SSD available right now.
HP 14-df0023cl: The Cheapest Laptop with SSD!
The HP – 14-df0023cl is a perfect laptop for school and everyday use, and it does offer plenty of value for its price too. This laptop packs an 8th generation Intel Dual-Core i3-8130U Processor, 4GB of RAM, a 128GB SSD, and a 14 inch Full HD display. You definitely cannot ask for more from a laptop that’s priced under $400., so if you’re looking for a cheap laptop with SSD, this should be first your list!
The HP 14-df0023cl is also a great option if you’re looking for a lightweight laptop for school, since it only weighs 2.16lbs and is only 0,78 inch thick. The HP – 14-df0023cl also has a good number of ports, including 1 USB Type C port, 2 USB 3.1 ports, HDMI and Ethernet. Battery life is also good.
| Processor | Core i3-8130U Processor |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Storage | 128GB, SSD |
| Graphics | Integrated, Intel UHD 620 |
| Screen | 14 inch, 1920X1080 |
| Connectivity and Ports | 1 – USB 3.1 port Type C2- USB 3.1
1 – HDMI port, Ethernet Card reader, Bluetooth, backlit keyboard |
| Battery | up to 7 hours battery life |
Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-30BQ : Another great budget laptop with SSD
The new Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-30BQ comes with a lot of improvements compared to the last generation, and offers even more value for its price. This laptop comes with an Intel i3-8145U Processor, 4GB of RAM, a 128GB PCIe NVMe SSD, all packed in a stylish slim design. The aspire 5 is not only one of the cheapest laptops with SSD you can find, but it’s also comes with the fast PCIe NVMe standard; which offers even more speed compared to traditional SSDs. And if you need more power and more storage space, you can get the i5 variant for about a hundred dollars more.
In terms of ports, the Aspire 5 has everything you need: including 3 USB ports, and 1 USB type C, HDMI, Ethernet, and a card reader. Battery life is also great, with around 9,5 hours of use. You should also note that this laptop comes with Windows 10 in S mode, which is great for schools for example; however, you can also switch to the normal mode; just keep in mind that if you do that, you won’t be able to revert back to S mode again.
| Processor | Core i3-8145U Processor |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Storage | 128GB,PCIe SSD |
| Graphics | Integrated, Intel UHD 620 |
| Screen | 15,6 inch, 1920 x 1080 |
| Connectivity and Ports | 1 – USB 3.1 port Type C
2- USB 3.1 1- USB 2.0 1 – HDMI port, Ethernet Card reader, Bluetooth, |
| Battery | up to 9,5 hours battery life |
Lenovo Ideapad 330
The Lenovo Ideapad 330 is another great all purpose laptop that’s great for home and office use. The Ideapad 330 features an 8th generation Intel Core i3-8130U, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. You can also configure the amount of RAM and SSD storage and choose between different colors.
The Lenovo Ideapad 330 also comes with a decent amount of ports: 1 USB 3 Type C port, 2 USB 3.1 ports, HDMI, and ethernet. The 15,6 inch screen is not Full HD however, and has a resolution of 1366×768. But it’s no deal breaker , and the Ideapad 330 still makes a perfect match for those who want a decent laptop for home use, without breaking the bank.
There is also another variant of this laptop, which comes with an AMD Quad Core Processor and 256GB SSD and Full HD Display. You can check this one by clicking here.
| Processor | Core i3-8130U Processor |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage | 512GB, SSD |
| Graphics | Integrated, Intel UHD 620 |
| Screen | 15,6 inch, 1366×768 |
| Connectivity and Ports | 1 – USB 3.1 port Type C2- USB 3.1
1 – HDMI port, Ethernet Card reader, Bluetooth, |
| Battery | up to 7 hours battery life |
Dell Inspiron 3567
The Dell Inspiron 3567 is another great option if you’re looking for a powerful budget laptop for daily use. Powered by a 7th gen intel core i5-7200U processor and 8GB of RAM, his laptop also comes with a 256GB SSD. Thanks to the SSD, the Inspiron 3567 is very responsive and can handle everyday tasks easily.
The 15,6 inch screen has a 1366 x 768 resolution, and is also touch compatible. Battery life is decent.
| Processor | Core i5-7200U Processor |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage | 256GB, SSD |
| Graphics | Integrated, Intel UHD 620 |
| Screen | 15,6 inch, 1366×768 |
| Connectivity and Ports | 1 – USB 3.0 port 2- USB 2.01 – HDMI port, EthernetCard reader, Bluetooth, |
| Battery | up to 6 hours battery life |
HP 14-df0020nr
HP has been putting out some great budget laptops lately, and the HP 14-df0020nr is definitely one of them. This laptops comes iwth an 8th generation intel core i3-8130U processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD for fast performance.
The HP 14-df0020nr also comes with a great 14 inch Full HD screen and Stereo speakers, which is why this is a great multimedia laptop too. And despite being 0.78 inch thin, the HP 14-df0020nr comes with 3 USB ports (including 1 USB Type C), HDMI, and an ethernet port. Battery life is great, and you can easily get 8 hours of use or more with this notebook.
In short, If you’re looking for a lightweight laptop that offers great value for the money, then the HP 14-df0020nr should be on your short list.
| Processor | Core i3-8130U Processor |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Storage | 128GB, SSD |
| Graphics | Integrated, Intel UHD 620 |
| Screen | 15,6 inch, 1366×768 |
| Connectivity and Ports | 1 – USB 3.1 port Type C 2- USB 2.01 – HDMI port, EthernetCard reader, Bluetooth, |
| Battery | up to 10 hours battery life |
Dell Inspiron 5000
Looking for an even better deal? then have a look at the Dell Inspiron 5000. This laptop is packed with the necessary power to handle every tasks. It comes with an 8th Gen intel core i3-8130U processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. The specs are actually customizable, and you can choose the amount of RAM and Storage that you want.
The insipron 5000 15 also sports a Full HD 15,6 inch touch display that produces sharp and vivid colors. This laptop is great for browsing, doing office work, or watching movies. It also comes with a nice backlit keyboard.
| Processor | Core i3-8130U Processor |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage | 256GB, SSD |
| Graphics | Integrated, Intel UHD 620 |
| Screen | 15,6 inch, 1920 x 1080 |
| Connectivity and Ports | 2 – USB 3.1 port 2- USB 2.01 – HDMI port, EthernetCard reader, Bluetooth, |
| Battery | up to 8 hours battery life |
