8 Laptops Under $800

In a time when great laptop deals abound, we found an outrageous octet of bargains ranging from tiny netbooks to desktop replacements suitable for multimedia and light 3D gaming.

by Cisco Cheng


Up until recently, getting a laptop for less than $800 has involved making painful compromises, settling for a refurbished system, or purchasing something at a fire sale. However, with the laptop industry on the brink of saturation, you don't have to look far to find countless very capable laptops being sold at hard-to-believe prices. Here I've selected eight laptops that all have at least a base configuration that costs $800 or less—and lucky for you, some cost a lot less.


Now you're not getting bare-bones systems at this price. Features include big hard drives, ample USB ports, media card readers, and webcams. These under-$800 laptops run the gamut from the general-purpose Gateway T-6836, which is high on design, memory, and performance, to the modern MSI Wind netbook, which is light in weight but not on features or performance. Netbooks are making quite a splash in the industry because they can do a lot but don't cost a lot.

Healthy competition and constant refresh cycles are allowing consumers to enjoy the luxury of more than one computer in the home—a boon especially for families tired of sharing. Below are just some of the great laptop deals you can grab now.