You asked for a laptop costing under £600.

You told me that you need it for office work (Word, Excel), web browsing, email, watching online videos and light gaming.

I searched a range of different shops for something that would suit your needs. I always choose three options – the best long-term value option (i.e. best suited to meet your needs for the longest possible time), the cheapest option that still meets your needs effectively and a mid-range option which is a compromise between the two. I’ve explained my reasoning below so that you understand why I recommended these models.

Prices correct as of 16th September 2021

1. Best long-term value: Asus VivoBook 15 Core i5
£599

Key features:
CPU: Core i5 1135G7
RAM: 16Gb
Storage: 512GB
This is my top recommendation in your budget.

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2. Cheapest option: ASUS VivoBook 14inch
£478.99

Key features:
CPU: Core i5 1035G1
RAM: 8Gb
Storage: 256GB
Advantage over option 1: Cheaper
Disadvantage over option 1: Lower RAM, slightly older CPU, less storage

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3. Mid-range option: Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Ryzen 5
£565.98

Key features:
CPU: Ryzen 5 4500U
RAM: 8Gb
Storage: 256GB
Advantage over option 1: Cheaper, slightly better performance in games
Disadvantage over option 1: Lower RAM, slightly older CPU, less storage

Why did I choose these for you?

• CPU – I only chose modern CPUs at the i5 or Ryzen 5 level or above. This will make your computer faster and it will be better future-proofed.
• RAM – I only chose 8GB or above. This will help your computer do more things at once. More RAM means your computer is better future-proofed.
• Storage – I only chose SSDs of 256GB or above for Windows, your apps and your personal files. If you have lots of data to store (e.g. a big photo library), I recommend you do this on an external hard drive as this may be cheaper than choosing a laptop with more available storage.

Some of the links on this page are affiliate links – that means if you go on to buy after clicking one of them, I may receive a small payment. This is how I am able to provide this service for free. It does not affect the price you pay, nor does it affect the recommendations I make – I will always recommend the best I can find to fit your usage, regardless of what shop it is from or any affiliation.