When shopping for a laptop under $250, choices are limited. Laptops at this price range are as basic as can be, maybe not in features or software, but in hardware and specs, with miniscule amounts of RAM and weak, underpowered processors.
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The BestReviews Testing Lab had the chance to pit two budget laptops against each other, the 15.6-inch Lenovo IdeaPad 1 and the 14-inch HP N150 laptop, both with memory and storage upgrades to the maximum amount we could find. To cut to the chase, neither machine is very good, but the HP N150 is better. It has a higher maximum possible RAM and a somewhat less objectionable display, and that makes all the difference.
In this article: 15.6-inch Lenovo IdeaPad 1, 14-inch HP N150 laptop
We tested both the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 and the HP N150 laptop over the course of a week, mixing deliberate testing scenarios with general use. We tested them for design and build quality, hardware specs and capabilities, display and audio quality, connectivity and port selection, software included and battery life. For usability, our test models had memory and storage upgrades from the base specs.
Specific tests included picking up and stressing the laptops to check for build quality and flex, and carrying them in laptop backpacks to check weight and portability. We measured processor and hardware with Geekbench 6, and evaluated usage and productivity with multiple tabs in Google Chrome, Microsoft Office apps and other included software.
We also tested port and wireless I/O speed as well, and used a smartphone colorimeter and light meter app to evaluate the display for brightness and color accuracy. Finally, we played a full-screen HD video on loop at 150 nits brightness until shutdown to test screen usage, speaker quality and battery life.
Based on our testing, budget laptops can often trade performance and build quality for a lower price, making them better suited for basic tasks rather than demanding use.
Processor: Intel Celeron N4500 (2.8 GHz max) | Display: 15.6" 1920 x 1080 FHD TN | Memory: 12GB | Storage: 128 GB eMMC + 512 GB SSD | Battery life: 9 hr
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 is a 16-inch budget laptop with an Intel Celeron N4500 processor and a base of 4GB of RAM. Our test model had an 8GB RAM module preinstalled for a total of 12GB of memory, while a 512GB SSD expanded the built-in 128GB eMMC. It has a listed battery life of 9 hours, though we obtained seven hours and 10 minutes during our battery drain test.
The IdeaPad 1 has a low-cost 15.6-inch TN screen with FHD resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels. TN panels are infamous for their rudimentary picture quality, and this was the most obvious and most glaring problem we had with the ideaPad 1. The Celeron processor runs at a typical 1.1 GHz with turbo bursts up to 2.8 GHz, which makes it slow and sluggish for anything but the most basic tasks. While low-cost, it isn’t particularly small or light, and may not fit in some more compact backpacks or laptop cases.
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Processor: Intel N150 (3.6 GHz max) | Display: 14” 1366 x 768 pixels HD-ready LCD | Memory: 16GB | Storage: 128 UFS + 256 MicroSD | Battery life: 11 hr
The HP N150 laptop (model 14-dq6011dx) is a 14-inch budget laptop with an 4-core Intel N150 processor, 4GB of memory and 128GB of built-in UFS storage. We tested an upgraded model with 16GB of memory and a 256GB microSD card added for storage, which made opening and using apps faster and more responsive, with smooth screen redraw and usable multitasking.
The 14-inch LCD screen offers a 1366-by-768 HD-ready resolution and was a little cramped for multiple windows. It comes with Windows 11 preinstalled in S mode and a dedicated Copilot key to access Microsoft’s AI. Our test model came with a lifetime license to Office 365 as well as individual Office apps, but we couldn’t access it during testing. Battery life is listed at 11 hours, but we only got seven and a half hours in our battery drain test.
Budget laptops are not meant to impress, but the ones we tested do have some strong points.
Budget laptops have a lot of negatives, usually in the display technology, processing power and build quality.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 retails for around $250 at its base spec, but often goes for under $200. Our upgraded test model cost $290 at a discount from $340.
The HP N150 costs $220 at its base spec. Our enhanced test model goes for $370 on Amazon, without a discount.
Neither the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 nor the HP N150 14-inch laptop impressed us in testing. Both come with weak processors, mediocre displays or worse, and very low amounts of RAM and storage. While boosting RAM helped make the HP N150 laptop usable enough, it didn’t really help the IdeaPad 1, and the Lenovo’s TN LCD screen was overall unpleasant to look at. While the Lenovo had a few areas where it was adequate, the HP was simply more adequate and more useful.
We think that if you can push your budget just a little bit higher, you can get much better machines and value. But if you have to choose between the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 and the HP 150 14-inch laptop, get the HP.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
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