The popular sub-Rs 30,000 price band comprises a ton of laptops vying for your business. While some manufacturers mange to nail a good balance of price and performance, others tend to overreach on their asking price. Our picks here include the best choices in this price band, including a small and light option, a few that manage to squeeze in a surprisingly powerful processor, and many that have Windows 8.1 (upgradeable to Windows 10) factory installed. Whether you’re a student looking for a good tool for getting those projects done or a home user who needs to create documents and use Web apps, we’ve got you covered.
The popular sub-Rs 30,000 price band comprises a ton of laptops vying for your business. While some manufacturers mange to nail a good balance of price and performance, others tend to overreach on their asking price. Our picks here include the best choices in this price band, including a small and light option, a few that manage to squeeze in a surprisingly powerful processor, and many that have Windows 8.1 (upgradeable to Windows 10) factory installed. Whether you’re a student looking for a good tool for getting those projects done or a home user who needs to create documents and use Web apps, we’ve got you covered.
1. Toshiba Satellite C50-AX0012
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One of the few Intel Core i5 based laptops you can currently snag at this price point, this Satellite C50 embodies excellent bang for the buck among its ilk. Coupled with 4GB of RAM, this full-sized laptop easily serves general workloads and then some. It does not include an operating system though, which is good if you’re the hands-on kind who’d much rather install their own operating system separately.
Processor: Intel Core i5-4200M (2.5GHz boost to 3.1GHz)
Memory: 4GB DDR3
Hard disk: 500GB, 5,400rpm
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4600
Operating system: None
Screen: 15.6-inch, 1388x768
Optical drive: DVD Writer
Ports: 1 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x HDMI
Weight: 2.3 Kg
Price: Rs 29,990
2. HP 15-AF024AU
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Based on a capable AMD A8 processor that also features a built-in (and very capable) graphics chip, this is a great entry-level choice that will serve modest graphics workloads such as basic image processing and casual gaming. At this price, you even get Windows 8.1 (which is upgradeable to Windows 10), and it weighs in slightly lighter compared to other 15.6-inch laptops in the sub-30K price range. A great back-to-school pick.
Processor: AMD A8-7410 (2.2GHz boost to 2.5GHz)
Memory: 4GB DDR3
Hard disk: 1TB, 5,400 rpm
Graphics: AMD Radeon R5 Series
Operating system: Windows 8.1 (64-bit)
Screen: 15.6-inch, 1388x768
Optical drive: DVD Writer
Ports: 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x HDMI
Weight: 2.14 Kg
Other: 3-in-1 card reader, plenty of bundled freebies
Price: Rs 25,490
3. Asus X200MA-Bing-KX495B
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If it’s basic computing you require in an especially petite and portable form factor, this 11.6-inch laptop fits the bill nicely. With comparatively basic specifications that appear to be tailored to only mundane tasks (document creation, Web surfing and the like) this is a 1.24 Kg notebook you can slip into your saddle bag and almost forget about. You do get Windows 8.1 64-bit bundled (upgradeable to Windows 10,) but there’s no possibility of increasing system RAM. If you’re drawn to the size and weight of an ultrabook but baulk at the high prices, the X200MA should please you.
Processor: Quad-core Pentium N3540 (2.1GHz with burst too 2.66GHz)
Memory: 2GB DDR3
Hard disk: 500GB, 5,400rpm
Graphics: Integrated Intel HD graphics
Operating system: Windows 8.1 64-bit
Screen: 11.6-inch, 1366x768
Optical drive: NA
Ports: 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x HDMI
Weight: 1.24Kg
Other: 2-in-1 card reader
Price: Rs 19,900
4. Lenovo G50-45 (80E30142IN)
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A full-sized laptop that packs a capable AMD A8 processor with 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard disk: a good companion for day-to-day task such as creating office documents and using web apps. With Windows 8.1 on board, you’ll also be eligible for the free upgrade to Windows 10.
Processor: Quad-core AMD A8-6410
Memory: 4GB DDR3
Hard disk: 500GB, 5,400rpm
Graphics: ATI Jet LE R5 M230
Operating system: Windows 8.1
Screen: 15.6-inch, 1388x768
Optical drive: DVD Writer
Ports: 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x HDMI
Weight: 2.5 Kg
Other: 2-in-1 card reader
Price: Rs 27,090
5. Dell Inspiron 3442 (344234500iBU1)
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A simple, no-frills 14-inch laptop (well, a shade under) packing an Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM and 500GB hard disk makes this a suitable candidate for regular home and office users. Windows 8.1 comes pre-loaded, with the ability to move up to Windows 10 if you require. This Inspiron series does have a cheaper variant with the Ubuntu GNU/Linux distribution installed, if open source is your thing.
Processor: Intel Core i3-4005U (1.7GHz)
Memory: 4GB DDR3
Hard disk: 500GB, 5,400rpm
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4400
Operating system: Windows 8.1 64-bit
Screen: 13.86-inch, 1388x768
Optical drive: DVD Writer
Ports: 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x HDMI
Weight: 2.2 Kg
Other: 3-in-1 Card Reader
Price: Rs 30,990
