The best laptops under $1,000 in Australia (and what to avoid)
The laptops under $1,000 worth buying at Australian stores today, which specs to insist on at this price, and the cheap configurations that will frustrate you within a year.
In this guide
Under $1,000 is where laptop shopping goes wrong most often. Stores fill this price range with configurations that look fine on a shelf tag and feel slow within months: 4GB or 8GB of memory, tiny storage, dim screens. The good news is that a well-chosen laptop at this price is genuinely good for study, work and everyday use.
The rule at this price: 16GB and an SSD
If you remember one thing: buy 16GB of memory and at least 256GB (ideally 512GB) of SSD storage. Windows 11 with a browser full of tabs already uses more than 8GB, and most budget laptops can't be upgraded later. A laptop with a slightly slower processor and 16GB will feel faster than a quicker chip with 8GB.
The best laptops under $1,000 with 16GB
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HP 15.6 inch Laptop 15-fd1263TU, Silver2 stores · cheapest at HP Storefrom$999 - 2
Acer Extensa O14-71 14in WUXGA IPS Intel Ultra 5-115U 512GB SSD 16GB RAM W11P Laptop2 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$999 - 3
ASUS ExpertBook P1 14in FHD Ryzen 5-150 512GB SSD 16GB RAM W11P Laptop2 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$999 - 4
MSI Modern 14 F13MG 14in FHD IPS i5-1334U 512GB SSD 16GB RAM W11H Laptop2 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$999 - 5
ASUS ROG Xbox Ally - 7" 120Hz, Ryzen Z2 A, 16GB/512GB - Gaming Handheld (White)1 stores · cheapest at PLE Computersfrom$999 - 6
HP 15.6-inch Core 5-120U/16GB DDR4/512GB SSD Laptop - Natural Silver1 stores · cheapest at Harvey Normanfrom$998 - 7
HP Pavilion Plus 14" EVO i5 16GB 256GB Laptop1 stores · cheapest at The Good Guysfrom$944
These are in stock today with 16GB of memory, sorted from the top of the budget down, because at this price the extra hundred dollars usually buys something you'll notice (a better screen, more storage, a newer chip).
If you can stretch to $1,300
A little more money buys a much better laptop: newer processors, brighter screens, often OLED. These are the most widely sold 16GB laptops up to $1,300:
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ASUS Vivobook 16 16in WUXGA Ryzen AI 5 330 512GB SSD 16GB RAM W11H3 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$1,099 - 2
ASUS Vivobook 16 16in FHD OLED Ryzen 7 170 512GB SSD 16GB RAM W11H Laptop - Cool Silver3 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$1,279 - 3
ASUS Vivobook Go 15 15.6in FHD AMD Mendocino R5 512GB SSD 16GB RAM W11H Laptop3 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$1,299 - 4
ASUS Vivobook S14 14in WUXGA OLED Ryzen 7 260 1TB SSD 16GB RAM W11H Laptop - Matte Grey3 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$1,249 - 5
ASUS ExpertBook P1 15.6in FHD Ryzen 5-150 512GB SSD 16GB RAM W11P Laptop3 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$1,199 - 6
Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 16inch WUXGA IPS Ultra 5 125U 256GB SSD 16GB RAM W11P Laptop2 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$1,149 - 7
ASUS Vivobook 16 X1607 16in WUXGA IPS 60Hz Intel Core Ultra 5 512GB SSD 16GB RAM W11H Laptop - Quiet Blue2 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$1,199 - 8
ASUS Vivobook 16X 16in WUXGA 144Hz i5-13420H RTX 3050 512GB SSD 16GB RAM W11H Laptop - Indie Black2 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$1,299
What to avoid
- 4GB of memory. Only acceptable on a Chromebook for a child or for very light use.
- eMMC storage or 64GB to 128GB drives. Windows updates alone can fill them.
- Very old processors. A low price can hide a chip from several generations ago. Compare the exact model in the spec.
- TN screens and 1366×768 resolution. Washed-out colours and poor viewing angles. Look for IPS or OLED and at least Full HD (1920×1080).
Chromebooks
A Chromebook runs ChromeOS, which needs much less power than Windows, so a cheap one can feel snappier than a cheap Windows laptop. It suits school use (some schools ask for one), web-based work and browsing. It doesn't run regular Windows software.
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Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 MediaTek Kompanio 520 4GB 128GB Chromebook1 stores · cheapest at The Good Guysfrom$294 - 2
HP Chromebook 14 inch 14a-nf0007TU, Silver2 stores · cheapest at HP Storefrom$349 - 3
Lenovo Duet 3 11" SnapDragon 4GB 128GB eMMC Chromebook1 stores · cheapest at The Good Guysfrom$434 - 4
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15.6" Celeron N4500 8GB 128GB Chromebook1 stores · cheapest at The Good Guysfrom$444 - 5
ASUS 14" N50 8GB 128GB Chromebook1 stores · cheapest at The Good Guysfrom$474
Where to buy
Laptop prices vary a lot between stores, and configurations differ. See where to buy a laptop, or the best laptops for students if it's for uni or school. Every laptop is on the laptops page with each store's price.
