Forget Chromebooks, these Windows 11 laptops are just as cheap but much more powerful

With Amazon Prime Day just about to start, I’ve been preparing to offer my usual advice to not buy a cheap Windows laptop, and instead buy a Chromebook… but I’ve already found some brilliant offers that challenge that idea.

That’s right – this year, there are Windows 11 laptops selling for $400 and under that are actually worth buying. In previous years, sub-$400 laptops were often not worth buying as they were packed with old and underpowered hardware that meant that Windows 11 and its apps would run appallingly.

Meanwhile, Chromebooks running the much more lightweight Chrome OS were much better buys, as for the same price – or even cheaper – you’d get much better performance.

However this year, I’ve found some brilliant ultra-cheap Windows 11 laptop deals that feature modern processors, plenty of RAM and good amounts of storage space. Windows 11 is also a more versatile operating system than Chrome OS and supports a much wider range of applications, and this means if you’re after a cheap yet dependable laptop to work and study on, I’d actually recommend one of these Windows 11 laptops instead.

Make sure you check out our pick of the best Prime Day laptop deals as well, for more excellent savings on a range of devices, including laptops, Chromebooks and MacBooks.

Today’s best budget laptop deals

As the laptops above run Windows 11, you’re able to use complex programs such as Adobe Photoshop, whereas with Chromebooks you’re limited to lightweight apps from the Chrome store or Google Play.

While those apps are perfectly fine for easy tasks, for anyone wanting to do something more complex, such as photo and video editing, a Windows 11 laptop gives you much more versatility.

The fact that these laptops are going for around the same price as many Chromebooks means if you’re not convinced by Chrome OS, you have some excellent choices.

More Amazon Prime Day deals in the US