Best Cheapest 4k Laptops – Best Value For Your Money

The best budget 4K laptops can be hard to find, knowing how expensive 4K displays are. Although 4K resolution is the trend these days, most of our computers and laptops cannot output 4K content.

While professional content creators, editors, and designers would want to invest in the best 4K laptops, those who simply want to enjoy the vivid viewing experience of a UHD screen would benefit from our list.

Be it gaming, watching your favorite Netflix series, or a bit of photo/ video editing, these affordable laptops will provide you all, without burning a hole in your pocket!

Best Budget 4K Laptops— At a glance

Is a budget 4K laptop worth buying?

A cheap laptop is a good investment for students or those who are new to the world of 4K. Unfortunately, most affordable options cut down on the laptop’s battery life. However, if you’re willing to make the splurge, you can get the most top-notch 4K product in the market.

Which one is better— 4K or 1080p?

It depends on your needs. If you want a better viewing experience with color accuracy, go for 4K. Content creators and professional gamers are also recommended to opt for 4K laptops over 1080p. Read full review here.

 

Best Budget 4K Laptops

1. Dell XPS 12 XPS9250

Dell XPS 12 XPS9250 is definitely one of our top picks for 2 in 1 4K laptops. The responsive touch screen, innovative design, a comfortable keyboard, and variety of ports make Dell XPS 12 a versatile yet cheap 4K laptop.

This portable laptop cum tablet’s joint is magnetic, so you don’t have to worry about any additional mechanical parts. The Corning Gorilla Glass screen makes it durable enough for tablet-mode. With an average brightness of 399 nits and a maximum brightness of 437 nits, the Dell XPS 12’s display is suitable for working outdoors as well.

Dell may have lagged behind when it comes to the keyboard durability. However, with good key travel and soft-touch finish, it is a comfortable keyboard overall.

Amazon rating: 3/5

Pros:

• Excellent viewing experience from all angles (bright enough for working outdoors)
• Responsive multi-touchscreen
• Unique and stylish design
• Native pen support
• Seamless (magnetic) detachment of screen from keyboard
• Comfortable keyboard, not a fingerprint magnet
• Adjustable keyboard backlight
• Large and sleek touchpad
• Dell’s Premier Folio included
• Micro SD card reader
• Noiseless

Cons:

• Below-average battery life
• Using in laptop-mode can get uncomfortable
• No fan
• No dedicated power socket
• Not upgradable
• Glossy screen can make it challenging to work in very bright environments
• Keyboard is not as durable as tablet

2. HP Envy 13 Inch Thin Laptop

With a gorgeous, lightweight chassis, the HP Envy 13″ laptop combines portability and efficiency, making it one of the best budget 4K laptops in our list. Its silver metal frame, thin bezels, and slim power button with an LED strip add on to its elegant design. Overall, this compact device sort of resembles the ultra-stylish Spectre x360.

Surprisingly, this product isn’t just about looks. With 397 nits of peak brightness, the vivid display outshines those of the ZenBook S UX333FA (225 nits) and the Notebook 9 Pro (254 nits). The Bang & Olufsen software makes the sound quality top-notch, so you won’t be needing your headphones anymore. Plus, this 13″ device makes multitasking a breeze.

However, one of the few minor downsides of the HP Envy 13″ is the fact that it comes jam-packed with pre-installed programs that you might not need in the long run.

Amazon rating: 4/5

Pros:

• Attractive and lightweight
• Fast performance, excellent for multitasking
• Powerful speakers
• Comfortable keyboard, good key travel
• Fingerprint sensor
• Bright display
• Micro SD-card reader
• Responsive touchscreen
• Precision touchpad
• No loud fans, no overheating
• Physical switch to shut the webcam

Cons:

• No Thunderbolt 3
• The “drop jaw” does not look very durable
• Paint on the keys is a bit sticky
• Short battery life
• Too many unnecessary pre-installed programs

3. Lenovo Ideapad S940 Laptop

Its super small footprint makes the Lenovo Ideapad S940 one of the slickest budget 4K laptops in our list. The jaw-dropping 4K HDR display combined with Contour Display technology ensures an immersive viewing experience. Moreover, this portable device delivers 100% sRGB coverage and 86% Adobe RGB with a peak luminance of 540 nits, which is exceptionally bright for a device this small.

The Lenovo Ideapad comes with Dolby Atmos quad speakers, which ensure excellent sound quality. We liked the keyboard too, although the key travel is slightly on the shorter side. The dark grey keys are well in contrast with the backlighting, making the alphabets/ number/ characters clearly visible under sunlight.

Furthermore, the large trackpad is smooth and responsive. But due to its size, one is left with no option other than placing the palms on the edge of the device, which might get uncomfortable during long hours of work.

Amazon rating: Unavailable

Pros:

• Robust industrial design
• One of the most light-weight laptops in the market
• Dolby Atmos quad speakers
• Windows Hello
• Exceptionally bright display
• Contour Display technology
• Well illuminated keys
• Big and smooth trackpad

Cons:

• Short battery life
• Only USB Type-C ports
• Small keyboard deck can get uncomfortable
• Short key travel
• Bad web camera quality
• Not enough variety of ports
• Slightly audible fan noise

4. ASUS ZenBook Pro UX501VW-US7

Even the name makes it evident that the ZenBook Pro is ASUS’ version of Apple’s MacBook Pro. However, this budget 4K laptop has significantly better specs than its expensive contemporary. With a simple and sophisticated design, the ZenBook Pro is thin yet power-packed.

This laptop’s stunning color reproduction makes it ideal for editing pictures and videos. Subsequently, it has a vivid and accurate display. However, the glossy coating can be bothersome while working in bright environments.

Being a small laptop with almost zero thermal throttling while tackling our multimedia needs, the ZenBook Pro is undoubtedly ASUS’ trump card.

Amazon rating: 3.5/5

Pros:

• Slim yet sturdy
• Ample space on the brushed metal deck allows an ergonomic work position
• Good key travel
• Accurate touchpad
• SD card reader
• Bang & Olufsen speakers
• No heating issues, zero throttling
• Sufficient variety of ports

Cons:

• Odd placement of power button
• Webcam quality is below average
• Sound lacks bass
• Uneven backlight on keyboard
• Lid and palm rest has a slight flex

5. Dell XPS 13 9370 Laptop

The Dell XPS 13 9370  has one of the best displays on our list. The high screen-to-body ratio and dense PPI ensure stunning images and texts. The rose gold chassis and thin bezels bring together aesthetic and quality.
With a maximum luminance of 496 nits, this beautiful device is suitable for working in brightly lit environments. However, the level of brightness drops while running on batteries. This is because the Dynamic Backlight Control (DBC) is activated by default. But that isn’t much of a bother since the feature can be adjusted from the BIOS menu.

The keyboard provides an enjoyable typing experience with sufficiently long key travel. Moreover, the backlight of the keyboard varies slightly according to the color of the device to provide better contrast.

Amazon rating: 4/5

Pros:

• Very high screen-to-body ratio
• Micro SD slot
• Power-button integrated fingerprint reader
• Windows Hello
• Bright display
• Good key travel

Cons:

• Slight coil whine
• Average sound quality
• Smaller internal battery
• Poorly angled webcam, low quality

6. HP Spectre x360 15-CH011DX 4K IPS 2-in-1 Touch Screen Laptop

The HP Spectre x360 15-CH011DX is a head-turner of a device with its unique bronze accents. But with its excellent processor performance, this product isn’t just about looks. The large and heavy 2-in-1 laptop may not be very convenient to use in tablet mode, but nevertheless, HP has not disappointed with other features.

We love the typical, long-travel keyboard that other brands are letting go of to reduce the size and weight of their laptops. The touchscreen is also responsive and accurate, and the selection of ports is impressive.

This budget 4K laptop can render games seamlessly at 1080p, even though it isn’t a gaming device.  For better 4k gaming experience, we recommend, upping your budget.

Amazon rating: 4/5

Pros:

• Powerful performance
• Attractive design
• Great keyboard, long key travel
• Good selection of ports
• Full-size SD card slot
• Responsive Touchscreen
• HP’s Digital Pen included
• Loud and clear speakers
• Big battery

Cons:

• Too thick and heavy for tablet use
• Mediocre 4K screen
• Disappointing battery life
• Heating issues
• Average touchpad

7. Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Laptop

Despite being a budget 4K product, the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 looks superior with its aluminum finish. Coming with an affordable price tag, the Inspiron embodies simplicity and powerful performance.
Although the Inspiron 15 7000 has some flex on the screen, the sturdy hinge helps keep durability issues at bay. The keyboard is satisfactory, if not the best, with good key travel and even backlighting.

This affordable product has a smooth and responsive touch screen, making it a useful study tool for students. The sound of the fans is not very bothersome, and the variety of ports is great.

Amazon rating: 4/5

Pros:

• Sturdy hinge
• SD card slot
• Stylish, looks premium
• Precision trackpad
• Good key travel
• Accurate touchscreen
• Fans are not too loud
• No major heating issues
• Great port selection

Cons:

• Flexy screen
• Trackpad is not very responsive
• Small keyboard (as compared to the laptop)
• Short battery life
• 2 core CPU is insufficient for consuming 4K content

Conclusion

Buying a 4K device is quite an investment, so one must make sure what he/ she needs on a regular laptop first. With our list, we hope your dilemma has been eased out a bit.

If you have any more doubts or queries, leave a comment below, and we’ll be quick to reply. Don’t forget to share this article and stay tuned for more updates.