Best mid-range laptop Windows PC or Chromebook for work, gaming and more to buy in 2022

These mid-range notebooks will not disappoint you, from Acer and Asus to HP and Huawei.

So you’re looking for the best mid-range laptop? It’s a sound decision. After all, why spend thousands of dollars on a machine if you’re not going to use all of its features? Mid-range laptops, like smartphones, used to imply a compromised experience with lag and poor performance, but the tech world has thankfully moved on.

Today, you can get beefed-up, zippy notebooks for $700/£700 or less, with more than enough power to meet your work and entertainment needs. In other words, unless you have deep pockets (or want the best gaming or video rendering experience money can buy), a less expensive laptop with great — but not cutting-edge — specs is the best purchase decision you can make.

Having said that, there are a lot of laptops available. And we mean it. Sifting through them all can be exhausting, which is why we’ve gone through countless notebooks to compile a list of some of the best mid-range laptops available right now.

What’s the best mid-range laptop?

Before we go over the entire list of mid-range laptops, here are our top three picks:

Best mid-range laptop overall: Swift 3 by Acer

The Acer Swift 3 offers excellent value for money and is the best option for the majority of users (bar more serious gamers). Its Intel i7 processor allows it to easily handle apps and streaming, and its 14in form factor makes it very portable.

Asus TUF Dash F15 is the best mid-range gaming laptop.

If you want to play more demanding games at acceptable framerates, the Nvidia RTX 3050Ti GPU in Asus’ laptop will not let you down. It’s the most powerful complete package on our list, with an Intel i5 processor, making it suitable for video editing as well as general work.

HP Envy x360 is the best mid-range Chromebook laptop.

The Envy x360, which is powered by a powerful AMD processor (Intel options are available), distinguishes itself from the rest of our choices by being a convertible 2-in-1 offering. That means it has a touchscreen that can flip all the way around, instantly transforming it into a finger-friendly tablet.Our round-up of the best mid-range laptops

Acer Swift 3 Laprop

Acer Swift 3

The Acer Swift 3 provides excellent value for money, with specs that rival many more expensive laptops. It’s one of the most powerful picks on our list, thanks to an 11th Generation Intel i7 processor. With 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, it can handle almost anything you throw at it without breaking a sweat. You can access multiple apps, emails, Netflix, photo editing, and more, and thanks to Intel’s Xe graphics, you can even play casual games like Fortnite and Rocket League with ease.

Its 14in Full HD screen makes it a compact notebook that fits into smaller bags, and Wi-Fi 6 takes advantage of the fastest new routers money can buy right now. It’s also Intel Evo certified, which means quick startup times, fast charging, and a long battery life for good measure. If you don’t intend to play more demanding games at maximum settings, the Swift 3 is a steal.

Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5

If you’re looking for something simpler and lighter than Windows, a Chromebook might be the best option for you. Chromebooks, which run Google’s ChromeOS, provide more stripped-down experiences, with a strong emphasis on saving files and running cloud-based apps like Google Docs and Sheets. It can also run Android apps, giving you access to a wide range of productivity tools and mobile games.

Lenovo’s IdeaPad Duet is an excellent mid-range Chromebook that combines sleek design and performance in a small 13.3-inch package. It has enough power for work and streaming, as well as some light Android gaming, thanks to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 processor and 8GB of RAM. Because of its light weight, the battery life is very impressive, with up to 15 hours of use available per charge.

Asus TUF Dash F15

If you want a gaming laptop that can handle more intense games without breaking the bank, Asus’ Tuf Dash F15 is the way to go. While its price tag does not quite cover Intel’s more powerful i7 processor, its 11th Generation Core i5 processor is no slouch, but the real magic is in the GPU department. It’s the best choice on this list for gamers who want to play AAA titles smoothly, thanks to its dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050Ti graphics card.

Video editors and those working with lightweight 3D rendering can also benefit from Nvidia’s hardware, making the Dash F15 an excellent choice for students looking for a do-it-all machine for work and play without the expense of a dedicated console.

Huawei MateBook 14 (2021)

Readers with keen eyes will notice the absence of an Apple MacBook on this list, which should come as no surprise given the company’s premium pricing. Huawei’s MateBook 15 is a solid Windows alternative, combining a MacBook-like design with Windows 11 intelligence.

With an 11th Generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage, this configuration is a solid mid-range performer. The latter provides ample storage, eliminating the need for external storage solutions for files and media. It’s a sleek little device that looks delightfully premium, weighing only 1.49kg and measuring only 15.9mm thick.

HP Envy x360

If you want a convertible Windows laptop — specifically, one with a touchscreen that can flip all the way around for a tablet-like experience — you’ll have to accept that the transforming ability comes at a cost. However, HP’s Envy x360 manages to cram a powerful AMD Ryzen 5 5600U processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage into a package that’s still affordable enough to be considered mid-range.

With Windows 11 pre-installed, its 13.3in touchscreen makes for a compact device that can instantly switch to a finger-friendly form factor, making it ideal for binge-watching shows in bed — not that this is recommended, of course.