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Top 5 budget notebooks under S$1,000

By Darius Chang
April 7, 2009
Not all of us need a speed demon-possessed laptop. If emailing and surfing the Internet are you rmain staples, why use a Porsche just to drive two streets down to the grocery store? Save the cash and get a budget unit for under S$1,000. However, we do recommend that no matter which system you choose, max out the RAM. It makes a big difference in performance for a relatively small price. Moreover, gone are the days when budget laptops are huge ugly machines with compromised feature sets. We've selected a range of machines with different screen sizes to suit your usage pattern.

For those with eagle eyes, you may have noticed that despite their low cost, Netbooks are not included in the budget lineup. Due to their small screens and compromises made in terms of feature set and keyboard comfort, this category of machines are not considered full-fledged laptops, but computing companions to be used for quick sessions of emailing and Internet surfing.

Note: The selection is based on listed retail prices at Singapore Sim Lim Square stores correct as of April 3, 2009. Models from the same series are represented only once. All prices reflect the prevailing 7 percent sales tax.

Click here for a feature comparison table.
1.  Acer Aspire 2930Z (12.1-inch LCD)

Outlook: Possibly one of the cheapest 12.1-inch laptops in the market, this model also comes with an integrated DVD burner on the latest Centrino 2 platform. With its multimedia entertainment focus, this Aspire even comes with the second generation Dolby Home Theater sound quality.
Specifications: Pentium Dual-Core 2.0GHz processor; 1GB RAM; 12.1-inch display; 250GB HDD; DVD writer; Windows Vista Home Basic.

Price: S$999

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2.  Compaq Presario CQ40 (14.1-inch LCD)

Outlook: Built for the budget crowd, the 14.1-inch Compaq Presario CQ40 is based on the Centrino 2 chipset with Intel's latest integrated graphics processor. The higher-end variant, the CQ45, costs a little more but will net you a discrete video card in the form of an Nvidia GeForce 9200M GS chip.
Specifications: Pentium Dual-Core 2.0GHz processor; 2GB RAM; 14.1-inch display; 320GB HDD; DVD writer; Windows Vista Home Premium.

Price: S$999

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3.  Lenovo 3000 G410 (14.1-inch LCD)

Outlook: Though it does not have the hardy chassis or ThinkVantage technology of its ThinkPad siblings, the G430 is still an impressive machine in a relatively portable form factor. Moreover, its OneKey Recovery button allows fuss-free backups and restores should your machine suffer a system crash.
Specifications: Pentium Dual-Core 1.86GHz processor; 1GB RAM; 14.1-inch display; 160GB HDD; DVD/CDRW combo drive; Windows Vista Home Basic.

Price: S$899

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4.  Asus X51R (15.4-inch LCD)

Outlook: Despite a price tag rivaling many Netbooks, this midsized machine comes with a competent feature set as well as a generous two-year warranty. Its ATI-based integrated graphics platform has also been reported to outperform its Intel rival.
Specifications: Pentium Dual-Core 1.86GHz processor; 2GB RAM; 15.4-inch display; 120GB HDD; DVD writer; Windows Vista Home Basic.

Price: S$799

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5.  Toshiba Satellite L300 (15.4-inch LCD)

Outlook: For a budget midsized machine, the Satellite L300 comes with a one-year international warranty with built-in Webcam and DVD writer. The USB ports are unique in that they can continue to charge your connected devices even when the unit is turned off.
Specifications: Pentium Dual-Core 2.0GHz processor; 2GB RAM; 15.4-inch display; 160GB HDD; DVD writer; Windows Vista Home Basic.

Price: S$899

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