Best Cheap Refurbished Laptops Under $100 – 2023

Being on a budget isn’t fun at all, but being on a budget and requiring a laptop in order to handle the tasks and work you have assigned is an even worse thing when it’s combined. Luckily, in this post, you can find cheap laptops under $100 that won’t break your bank, yet will help you out for a period of time.

Almost everyone has been there in such a position, and even some of us were there. That’s why, even though it seems impossible to find a best laptop under $100, it was a challenge that we accepted and managed to finish.

And if you’re looking to buy the first laptop for your child as a gift, this is the best place to find the reliable and powerful enough to give your child a great start and learning experience.

Therefore, by the end of this post, you’ll have 5 different laptops to choose from which all cost just under $100, but will be useful and helpful no matter the tight budget we’re working with. All you have to do is make a decision, and go for it!

Best Laptops Under $200 – 2023

Reviews of the Cheapest Laptops Under $100 – 2023

1. HP ProBook 6405B

When you’re looking for the best, yet the cheapest Windows laptop – there’s no better choice than HP ProBook 6450B. It comes with decent configuration which is easily upgradeable so it’s a great choice for longer-term use.

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Key features & details

This 14″ laptop comes with a decent configuration, featuring a dual-core Intel i5 processor in combination with 2 GB RAM that is upgradeable up to 8 GB, and a 250 GB HDD storage that can be replaced with an SSD.

There’s even a dedicated graphics card ATI Mobility Radeon HD with its own 512 MB dedicated memory.

You might not be able to handle the most demanding or even regular video editing, but you will be able to handle some photo editing, some heavy internet use, or even a bit of gaming, but don’t expect to play the latest titles.

If you were looking to handle photo editing and even some regular video editing, you should bump up your budget a little bit. And if that’s something you can do, then you should check out our the best laptops for video editing post.

One of the greatest things about older laptops were the ports. HP ProBook 6450B has plenty of them, including DVD/RW drive, ethernet port, 3 USB ports, HDMI, and there’s even micro SD card reader.

You definitely won’t lack ports with this laptop, and that’s something most people like about this laptop. It’s that older style when laptops were built with attention to ports and connectivity instead of its thin size.

For an older laptop that costs just around $100, it’s having a pretty good LED screen which we can even see nowadays in some of the cheaper laptops.

It offers an HD resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, which is really decent for such a laptop. It’s also an WXGA display which means that it’s a display suitable for watching DVD’s.

The reason behind that is that the width and height are made in a way to suit most of the DVD’s resolutions.

Surprisingly, HP ProBook 6450B can still hold about 7 hours of battery life on a single charge, which is more than enough for a day of regular use.

Even though we’re talking about a $100 laptop that is a bit older, yet it comes with a pretty powerful configuration for its age – it’s a laptop that still shows how portability is achievable.

You won’t be slowed down by cables and you won’t have to sit most of the time next to the outlet.

Hardware specifications for HP ProBook 6450B

Processor Dual-Core Intel i5, 2.4GHz RAM 2 GB DDR3 Storage 250 GB HDD Graphics ATI Mobility Radeon HD 540V Display 14” HD LED Operating System Windows 7 Battery Life Up to 7 hours Weight 7.9 lbs Other Features A lot of ports

2. Apple MacBook 2009

If you’re looking for an entry-level laptop into the world of Mac OS, Apple MacBook from 2009 is one of the cheapest MacBooks you can get. It’s equipped with an older, yet the smooth operating system has a very well-known Apple unibody design, and decent components.

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Key features & details

Even though this laptop is almost 10 years old, it’s still a decent laptop that can take care of most light tasks users are mostly doing on the internet.

Apple’s unibody design is a really classic design that optimized to boost the comfort along with the performance of the laptop itself. For example, the unibody enclosure is really beautiful, with combined gesture-based touchpad, minimum glare on the screen, and wise battery placement.

When Apple released the MacBook in 2009 with the unibody design, it was one of the nicest laptops, yet also one of the most affordable ones in the Apple line up.

The laptop itself isn’t that heavy, but it’s not very light either. It’s in the middle where it won’t cause you trouble when you need to carry it with you, but you will probably feel it in your backpack.

Apple MacBook can be almost 10 years old, but the components were so powerful back then that they’re still okay for use in 2018 and will be okay for at least 2 years.

Intel Core 2 Duo processor is still good enough for most of the internet-based tasks today, but you shouldn’t expect whole a lot from it. Even though Apple laptops are well-known for video, music, and photo editing, this one isn’t suitable for this anymore.

However, what you can expect from the performance is regular smooth internet use.
There are only 2 GB of RAM, but with a bit of skill and knowledge, this can be upgraded, and it’s something we would recommend nowadays. For storing the files, there is 250 GB HDD which is running pretty decent, but yet a start-up can be a bit slow. Other than that, it’s running smooth.

Also, you should be aware that this laptop can’t handle the latest Mac OS X, yet the OS it’s compatible to run is the Snow Leopard, which is still pretty decent, smooth, and can install most of the apps we use nowadays.

With the unibody invention from Apple, the screen has seen some improvements. In this laptop, the screen is 13.3 inches big diagonal display.

The screen finish is glossy, but not very glossy that it reflects light, and the millions of colors the display supports, you will enjoy the beautiful and vivid image.

It might not be like Retina nowadays, but it was a pretty great technology back then and believe it or not, but this laptop might have a better screen than some of the budget laptops nowadays.

Max screen resolution is 1366 x 768 pixels which are great when you combine it with over million of supported colors.

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Hardware specifications for Apple MacBook 2009
Processor	Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.26GHz
RAM	2 GB DDR3
Storage	250 GB HDD
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce 9400M
Display	13” LED backlit glossy display
Operating System	Mac OS Snow Leopard
Battery Life	Up to 7 hours
Weight	4.7 lbs
Other Features	Good amount of ports, multi-gesture touchpad

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3. Acer Chromebook

Acer chromebook is a laptop that is made using modern technology in combination with the Chrome OS that is really suitable for budget laptops where smoothness is required. This laptop has a decent configuration, even features an SSD and a lot of RAM, is quick, suitable for various things, but it can’t handle heavy-duty tasks.

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Key features & details

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Chrome OS is perfect for budget laptops because it’s extremely fast, very well optimized, and has incredible support rather than any other OS.

With OS, Acer Chromebook boots up in only a few seconds, preserves the battery, resists viruses better than any other OS, and there’s no more wait, worry, or updates.

It’s very simple to get used to it, and if you happen to get a budget laptop that doesn’t come with a lot of memory – another great thing is that it’s optimized to work well with Google and all of Google Apps including Google Drive.

What we really liked about Chrome OS is that it is specially designed for productivity and it’s a great OS if you’re looking to get work done straight away with no fooling around.

Even better is that you can have any Android apps installed on the Chrome OS. All apps available on Google Store can be installed within seconds.

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This laptop costs a bit over $100, but it’s one of the most modern laptops that you can get in 2018, which will last you for at least 4-5 years of regular use.

Acer Chromebook is equipped with Intel Celeron 2955U dual-core processor that can achieve 1.4GHz per core, and 16 GB of RAM, with 16 GB of SSD storage (which isn’t a lot, but it’s very fast).

If you’re looking for a laptop that will handle all your regular tasks, and you are used to storing files and your information online, Acer Chromebook is the perfect laptop.

Thanks to the configuration, it can even run some simple Android games that you would usually play on your Android phone.

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This laptop is designed for two things. One is productivity, and the second is speed.

Combine these two things together, and you get a laptop optimized for users who need to get their work done, no matter where they are, without having to stick to charger and cables.

As mentioned earlier, this laptop comes with an SSD storage, which isn’t a lot, but considering the price of this laptop – it’s very surprising to see such storage used.

Decent processor and a lot of RAM all work well together in order to produce the speed of light, from the moment you boot up the laptop.

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Even though this isn’t the thinnest or the lightest laptop on the market, it features one of the best designs when it comes to budget laptops around $100.

It’s built from a robust plastic that will protect your laptop whenever you’re on a go, and a lot of ports will allow you to have the connectivity you require at any given time.

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Hardware specifications for Acer Chromebook
Processor	Intel Celeron 2955U, 1.4 GHz
RAM	16 GB DDR3
Storage	16 GB SSD
Graphics	Intel HD Graphics
Display	11.6” LED display
Operating System	Chrome OS
Battery Life	Up to 8-9 hours
Weight	3.65 lbs
Other Features

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4. Dell Latitude E6510

If getting the best configuration is the most important thing for you, we are proud to say that Dell Latitude E6150 is the most powerful budget laptop we have reviewed and featured in this post. It’s a well-sized laptop that is durable, and yet it features one of the best Intel processors, lots of storage, and many ports.

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Key features & details

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You should know that Dell Latitude E6510 isn’t a laptop you would get if you’re looking for a thin laptop that weighs almost nothing.

It’s a bulky laptop that is a bit on a heavier side, and while this might be a problem for some users, it’s worth to mention that this laptop is really durable and it’s well-made.

Dell Latitude E6510 is designed using robust materials that are very protective over the configuration located inside.

There are even two USB ports made one on top of the other, which only shows how thick this laptop is. But we believe that even if you have dropped it, no real damage would occur.

Even the screen is a bit thicker than usual, and that’s really useful for people who travel a lot or work from different locations yet don’t have a lot of time or aren’t very cautious about the laptop.

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If the connectivity is always a problem, we believe that it won’t be with this laptop.

Dell Latitude E6510 has many different ports, almost anything you can think of – you can connect it with this laptop.

There are plenty of USB ports on each side, microphone jack, audio jack, 1394 port, card reader slot, and even a button to turn on/off the wireless connection.

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The performance was Dell’s point when they were building Latitude E6510. It features Intel i5 processor that is combined with 2 GB of RAM, and 320 GB of HDD storage, you get an optimized performance powered by Windows 7 operating system.

It’s definitely not a laptop for any heavy using such as video rendering, but for regular use, internet use, a few light software use, and for storing a lot of files and data, this is the right laptop.

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Hardware specifications for Dell Latitude E6510
Processor	Intel i5 520M, 2.40GHz
RAM	2 GB DDR3
Storage	320 GB HDD
Graphics	NVIDIA NVS 3100M
Display	15.6” HD display
Operating System	Windows 7
Battery Life	Up to 8 hours
Weight	11.3 lbs
Other Features	Good amount of ports, great wireless & Bluetooth connectivity

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5. Samsung Chromebook

Samsung Chromebook is a very compact and small laptop that is very portable, not too powerful but very well optimized to handle the most common tasks that everyday users perform. It features a flawless OS, quick SSD storage, and a great lightweight design.

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Key features & details

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When you need a laptop that won’t slow you down and will keep you portable, Samsung Chromebook is the most ideal laptop you can find. It’s a laptop that comes with the best battery life considering the price tag of around $100.

On a single charge, you can use the Samsung Chromebook for up to 11 hours with is brilliant.
The performance isn’t the strongest, however, this laptop is suitable for working through documents, checking email, multimedia, and entertainment.

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Sometimes, our smartphones are smart enough but aren’t big enough for the needs we have. Therefore, Samsung Chromebook is a perfect laptop.

It’s not too big, yet not too small, it’s optimized to be very quick and it has a battery that can push through a day or two without having to keep it on a charger.

Lightweight improves mobility and portability, which allows the users to work from anywhere, carrying the laptop for as long as it’s necessary.

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Samsung is a very reliable brand and just like other Samsung laptops, their Samsung Chromebook is really very well built.

When you look at it considering all aspects, it’s a laptop built mainly for portability, with great battery life, and decent performance. It’s everything a person who loves working on a go would require.

Along with that, Samsung also offers a 90-day warranty for a free return since this is a refurbished product.

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Hardware specifications for Samsung Chromebook
Processor	Intel Celeron N3050, 1.6 GHz
RAM	2 GB DDR3
Storage	16 GB SSD
Graphics	NVIDIA HD Graphics 400
Display	11.6” HD display
Operating System	Chrome OS
Battery Life	Up to 11 hours
Weight	3.65 lbs
Other Features

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Picking The Best Cheap Laptop Under $100 – 2023

1. Brand Choice

Even though it’s hard to find a decent laptop at a tight budget, it’s important to pay attention to brand since it can either make or break your decision sometimes.

Even though we’re looking for laptops that cost just under $100, believe it or not, a brand can play a crucial role in the decision-making process.

If you ignore the price, you’d probably go for some of the most known brands in the world of laptops. Therefore, going for credible brands even when you’re on a budget is important.

The reason for that is because reliable brands make special models that are affordable for people who are on a tight budget, and yet, even though they might lack some aspects in performance or design-wise, they’ll still be solid, reliable, and offer decent performance.

While on the other hand, some unknown brands might get you in more problem than solutions.

2. Performance

Performance still matters, no matter it’s a budget laptop. Try to get the best out of it for the price you pay.

You can’t expect to get the best performance when you’re choosing a laptop that costs just under $100, but what you can expect and hope for is a laptop that is decent and runs smoothly for the tasks you’re going to use it for.

If you don’t set your bars high, meaning, a laptop under $100 probably isn’t very suitable for video editing tasks, or any other type of heavy-duty tasks, but it’s going to offer decent performance in other aspects.

However, going for a laptop that features a decent configuration and yet has an easy way to upgrade some of the components is the most ideal situation.

3. Storage

The more storage you get, the better it is for you. You can always upgrade later. Paying attention to type of storage matters as well.

We’ve seen some of the cheapest laptops to even come with an SSD type of storage, which is pretty amazing. However, you have to keep in mind that you might not get whole a lot of storage available, but it’s going to be enough for the beginning.

Storage is also always upgradeable, which is a great thing, but if you can score a laptop with great storage space, it’ll be one less thing to worry about later.

However, you should know approximately how much storage is enough for you and what type of files will you be storing.

If you don’t require a laptop with a lot of storage (you store and do everything online), you will be fine with a laptop that comes with a very limited amount of storage.

In that case, we’d recommend you go for an SSD storage, no matter how small the amount is.

4. Battery Life

The better battery life, the better it is for you. Even budget laptops have decent battery nowadays, so don’t settle for less.

Cheap laptops might not come with a battery that will last up to 13-15 hours, but surprisingly, they still come with a battery that offers a decent life.

On average, you could probably find a laptop that can last about 6 to 9 hours of regular use on a single charge. And we’d recommend you to satisfy yourself with a laptop that comes with battery life in that range.

It’ll be more than enough to spend a day or even two days of doing light work on your laptop without having to keep it constantly on a charger.

5. O.S

Paying for O.S when you’re on a budget can be hard. Find a laptop that comes with a decent pre-installed O.S.

Even nowadays, there are some laptops that still come with free BIOS, meaning that they don’t come with an OS, yet you have to get your own OS installed.

Luckily, even most of the cheapest laptops come with either Windows or a Chrome OS which is good enough.

Therefore, we wouldn’t recommend satisfying with a laptop that doesn’t come with a pre-installed OS (if you don’t have an OS to install by yourself), since that will be an extra cost you probably won’t want to cover.

Frequently Asked Questions

Resources

1. Jeff Dunn, How to buy a cheap laptop: BUYING GUIDE, Business Insider, January 29, 2017
2. Tyler Lacoma, 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Buying a Laptop, Digital Trends, December 12, 2018
3. Tom Bruce, Refurbished laptops: Everything you need to know before buying one, Expert Reviews, December 5, 2018