The touchscreen is a basic thing you find in tablets and smartphones, but it is not common for a laptop to have a touchscreen. However, there are many laptops, especially from Dell and HP, that make both the normal touch screen laptops and 2-in-1 machines. It is really useful to open files and programs directly by touching the screen. There is no need to move your fingers every time on the trackpad to point the cursor on a particular app. Also, some of the touchscreens support the stylus to write anything on the screen.
According to a survey, touchscreen laptops or touchscreens have many benefits over normal screen laptops. Touchscreens are the best replacement for mice and keyboards, they provide reality-based interaction, and they improve accessibility. Also, they are user-friendly, faster, and easy to maintain and save you time. Read here about the benefits of a touchscreen. So, if you are looking for a budget-friendly touchscreen laptop under $500, then here we have a list of the seven best touchscreen machines that are decent enough for decent usage.
Best Touchscreen Laptops Under $500
HP 2-in-1 12.3-inch Touchscreen Chromebook – Comes with 2K Screen Resolution
- Display: 12.3" Touchscreen
- Processor: Intel Core M3
- Memory: 4GB
- Storage: 32GB
- OS: Chrome OS
Display: This Chromebook from HP is the best touchscreen laptop that you can get under $500. It comes with a 12.3-inch diagonal 2K WLED-backlit touchscreen display with pen input. With 2400 x 1600 screen resolution, your viewing experience will surely get enhanced. Its screen is detachable so that you can easily convert it into a tablet.
Graphics Card: The laptop comes with an integrated Intel HD Graphics 615 GPU. It is a decent graphics card that can meet your basic graphics needs.
Processor: It is featured with a 1.0 GHz Intel Dual Core M3-7Y30 processor. With Turbo Boost technology, this clock frequency can boost up to 2.6 GHz.
RAM: It comes with 4GB LPDDR3 SDRAM that provides a decent multitasking facility.
Storage Capacity: The system is featured with 32GB eMMC (Embedded Multi-media card) storage. There is no SSD or HDD. If we compare the performance of eMMC, SSD, and HDD, then eMMC is between SSD and HDD.
Keyboard: There is a light keyboard that provides a solid and comfortable typing experience. Also, its touchpad is responsive.
Ports: There are two USB 3.0 Type-C ports, an SD card reader, and a microphone/headphone combo jack.
Wireless Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.2 and 802.11ac Wi-Fi (2 x 2)
Battery Life: Its 12 hours of battery life is enough for average workday usage.
Our Opinion:
It has a decent processor that gives satisfactory performance. Its colorful display and battery life are awesome. Also, its sound system is loud enough to fill a medium-sized room. The keyboard is not backlit.
Microsoft Surface Go – Smallest Screen Size
- High res 10 inch PixelSense: Display designed to be viewed, touched, and written on
- Lightest surface yet, starting at 1.15 pounds. Touch: 10 point multi touch
- All day battery life, with upto 9 hours of unplugged power. Ambient light sensor
- Runs Windows 10 Home in S Mode, streamlined for security and superior performance
- Includes multi tasking USB C, fast charging surface connect, and headphone jack. Use it in Laptop, Tablet or Studio Mode
Display: If you love Microsoft products and want a cheaper laptop, then this Microsoft Surface Go should be your choice. Its touchscreen size is 10-inch which comes with a PixelSense display, stylus, and 10-point multi-touch support. Its maximum screen resolution is 1800 x 1200 pixels.
Graphics Card: If we talk about its graphics card, then it is an integrated Intel HD Graphics 620. It is slightly better than what HP 2-in-1 laptop is offering.
Processor: Microsoft Surface Go features an Intel Pentium Gold Dual-Core 4415Y processor with a 1.6 GHz base clock speed.
RAM: With 8GB DDR SDRAM, you will be able to multitask well. Its RAM size is bigger than the HP 2-in-1 laptop.
Storage Capacity: SSD is the fastest drive in the market. And this laptop comes with a 128GB SSD to read and write data fast.
Keyboard: To use your device with a keyboard, there is a Surface Signature Type Cover that is easy to pair with Surface Go. This attachable keyboard will surely give the real keyboard experience.
Modes of Use: There are three modes of use. Laptop mode, tablet mode, and studio mode
Ports: There is one USB Type-C port, one Surface Connect port, a micro SD card reader, a Surface Type Cover port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Wireless Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.1 and 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible Wi-Fi
Battery Life: It also offers an excellent battery life of up to 9 hours.
Our Opinion:
Its display and SSD storage options are the best features. Its magnesium body feels solid and gives a premium look. Also, it comes with surprisingly strong graphics. The Pentium processor is not for doing all tasks.
HP 2018 15.6-inch Touchscreen Laptop PC – Heaviest Touch Screen Laptop under $500
- 15.6-inch HD touchscreen
- Intel Core i5-7200U
- 8GB memory/2TB HDD
- Up to 8 hours battery life
Display: Another best touchscreen laptop that you can get under $500 is the HP Pavilion 15.6. It comes with a diagonal-shaped 15.6-inch touchscreen featuring 10-finger multi-touch support. The laptop is featured with an HD SVA WLED-backlit display (1366 x 768).
Processor: If we talk about its processor, then it is a 2.5GHz Intel Dual Core i5-7200U processor. Its clock speed can boost up to 3.1 GHz. This is one of the most powerful processors available at a $500 price range.
Graphics Card: It is equipped with an Integrated Intel HD Graphics 620 GPU featuring up to 4181MB of graphics memory.
RAM: The laptop comes with 8GB DDR4 SDRAM.
Storage Capacity: It is featured with a 2TB HDD. Although HDD can’t beat SSD in performance, it is still not a bad storage option. 2TB storage space is quite enough, but you have to bear the slow nature of the drive.
Keyboard: There is an island-style full-size keyboard that also has a numeric keypad.
Ports: There are two USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, one USB 2.0 port, RJ-45, an HDMI, a multi-format card reader, and a microphone/headphone combo jack.
Wireless Connectivity: 802.11ac WLAN (1x 1) and Bluetooth
Battery Life: It has a good battery life of up to 8 hours.
Our Opinion:
It is a powerful laptop having great processing speed. With good RAM size and 2TB storage capacity, this laptop is a must-buy product. The HDD drive is really slow.
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 FHD Touchscreen Laptop – Fastest Processor
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Display: This Dell Inspiron 15 comes with a Full HD (1920 x 1080) True-Life LED-backlit display. The 15.6 wide touchscreen is there to enhance the FHD experience.
Battery Life: It has a short battery life of up to 5 hours.
Keyboard: Its backlit keyboard offers a good typing experience. The key travel distance is decent, and the keys are placed at a uniform distance.
Graphics Card: The laptop comes with the same Integrated Intel 620 Graphics card.
Processor: The system is powered by a 1.6 GHz, 8th generation Intel Quad-Core i5-8250U processor. Its clock speed boosts up to 3.4 GHz with Turbo Boost technology. This processor performs better and faster than the i5-7200U processor. Also, it has beaten the i7-7500U processor in performance by 26%.
RAM: It also comes with the same 8GB DDR4 SDRAM, like the above-mentioned HP and Microsoft Surface Go.
Storage Capacity: Its 1TB HDD storage capacity is enough, but HDDs are slower than SSDs and eMMCs. But you have the option of adding an SSD.
Ports: There are two USB 3.1 ports, a USB 2.0 port, a media card reader, and an HDMI.
Wireless Connectivity: 802.11ac Wi-Fi (dual band) and Bluetooth 4.2
Our Opinion:
It is a very decent laptop with a responsive touchscreen, a fast processor, and a backlit keyboard. Also, the clear loudspeakers force you to love the machine. The HDD drive is slow. Also, its fingerprint scanner sometimes becomes unresponsive.
Lenovo Flex 11 Chromebook – Best Chromebook under $500
- POWERED BY INTEL: The Lenovo Flex 11 packs a punch with powerful Intel Pentium processing, 4 GB DDR4 memory and speedy 64GB of eMMC SSD storage
- ON THE GO LAPTOP: Weighing in at just 2.75 lbs. and constructed with premium materials, this small, convertible laptop transitions seamlessly from work to play
- VERSATILE CONNECTIVITY: With multiple ports including USB 3.0, Type-C, HDMI, and a 4-in-1 card reader, you’ll be able to hook up your laptop computer to your existing devices with no fuss and no extra purchases
- DYNAMIC ENTERTAINMENT: Featuring HD resolution on an anti-glare touchscreen and the crystal-clear sound of Dolby Audio Premium, the Flex 11 provides the quality of a home theater in compact form
- REDESIGNED WITH YOUR COMFORT IN MIND: The Flex 11 features an ergonomic keyboard for maximum comfort and a redesigned touchpad for a more precise user experience with multi-finger gestures. Touch, click, and zoom—you’ll feel the difference
Display: Another 2-in-1 machine on our list is the Lenovo Flex 11 Chromebook. It comes with 11.6-inch HD (1366 x 768) LCD touchscreen featuring IPS technology and an anti-glare panel. Its touchscreen is quite responsive and has 10-point multi-touch support.
Storage Capacity: It has the same 32GB eMMC storage option that is part of the HP 2-in-1 laptop.
Graphics Card: It comes with an integrated PowerVR GX6250 graphics card.
Processor: The system is equipped with a Dual-Core MediaTek MTK 8173C processor featuring 1.7 GHz base clock speed that can boost up to 2.1 GHz.
RAM: The laptop is powered by 4GB LPDDR3 RAM. This RAM size is sufficient for decent multitasking.
Keyboard: Its water-resistant keyboard is quite sturdy and durable.
Modes of Use: The machine features three modes of use, including laptop mode, tablet mode, and studio mode.
Ports: If we focus on its ports, then there is USB Type-C, a USB 3.0 port, an HDMI, an SD card reader, and a microphone/headphone jack.
Wireless Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11 a/g/n/ac Wi-Fi
Battery Life: The system offers up to 10 hours of battery life.
Our Opinion:
This is by far the best Chromebook you can buy for under $500. It is quite sturdy and durable and has good speed and performance. The keys of the keyboard require some force to be pressed. Also, its Wi-Fi sometimes gets disconnected automatically.
Dell Inspiron i7359-1145SLV 13.3-inch Touchscreen Laptop – Shortest Battery Life
- Intel Dual Core i7-6500U 2.5 GHz Processor
- 8 GB DDR3L SDRAM
- 256 GB SSD Storage; Optical Drive Not included
- 13.3 Inch FHD (1920 x 1080 pixels) LED-lit Truelife Touchscreen
- Windows 10 Operating System; Silver Chassis
Display: If you want a less powerful but decent laptop under $500, then this Dell Inspiron is ideal for you. It is a 2-in-1 laptop that has a 13.3-inch HD (1366 x 768) LED-lit Truelife touchscreen display with pen input and an IPS panel.
Processor: Its 2.3 GHz, 6th generation Intel Dual-Core i3-6100U processor gives a decent performance.
RAM: The laptop is equipped with 4GB DDR3L SDRAM.
Storage Capacity: It comes with 500GB HDD, whereas the above-mentioned Dell model has 1TB HDD storage capacity.
Graphics Card: It is powered by Intel HD Graphics 520.
Keyboard: The system has a backlit keyboard that is comfortable to use.
Ports: There is a media card reader, a USB 3.0 port, and an HDMI.
Wireless Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0 and Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
Modes of Use: You can select any mode from tent, laptop, or tablet mode to use the machine at your convenience.
Battery Life: The laptop offers more than 4 hours of battery life.
Our Opinion:
Its build quality is excellent. The inclusion of the IPS technology in the display is definitely a plus. Also, its processor is decent. It has short battery life. Also, its trackpad is a bit over-sensitive.
ASUS Transformer 12.5-inch Detachable Touchscreen Laptop – Excellent Build Quality
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Display: This ASUS Transformer comes with 12.5-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) ASUS TruVivid LCD touchscreen display with IPS technology and stylus support. Its screen is also detachable to use as a laptop when required.
Graphics Card: The system features an integrated Intel HD Graphics 5300.
Processor: The laptop is powered by a 0.80 GHz- 2.0 GHz Intel Dual Core M-5Y10 processor.
RAM: Its DDR3 RAM size is 4GB.
Storage Capacity: It has the fastest SSD drive that has 128GB storage capacity.
Keyboard: It comes with a standard notebook keyboard.
Ports: There is a microSD card reader, micro HDMI, one micro USB 3.0 port, and a headphone/microphone combo jack.
Wireless Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0 and Dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi
Battery Life: The laptop can work for around 8 hours with full charging.
Our Opinion:
It is a great 2-in-1 laptop that gives a decent performance. It has a good battery life, and its build quality is superb. Sometimes, the keyboard loses Bluetooth connectivity with the tablet. Also, the integrated sound system is terrible.
Buyer’s Guide
The factors that you should consider when buying the best laptop with a touchscreen under $500 are as under.
Display
The first thing that you must look at is the touchscreen size and the type of display it offers. Normally, people go for 14 to 15-inch screen sizes, so it is better to have a 15-inch touchscreen. But those machines that are 2-in-1 come with 10 to 13-inch screen sizes. If we talk about display, then for under $500, you can get 2K displays on some of the laptops. And the rest of the machines come with either Full HD or HD display.
Also, IPS technology and an anti-glare panel are nice additions. Anti-glare fights with the very bright light, and the IPS panel provides wide viewing angles and nice vibrant colors. So, when selecting a laptop, don’t forget to check the screen size and resolution. Also, it is essential for you to focus on the touch sensor of the screen. Make sure it has multi-touch and stylus support.
Processor
The second thing that you must look at is the processor of your laptop. CPU is the brain of the computer. It is a place where most of the calculations take place. So, the faster the processor, the faster will be the calculations and performance of your system. You have to focus on the clock speed and the number of cores present in the processor. The base clock speed of 2.0 GHz or higher is ideal, and the number of cores must be at least two.
The laptops that we have reviewed feature a 2.6 GHz Intel Dual Core M3-7Y30 processor, 1.6 GHz Intel Pentium Gold Dual-Core 4415Y processor, 3.1 GHz Intel Dual Core i5-7200U processor, 3.4 GHz 8th generation Intel Quad-Core i5-8250U processor, 2.1 GHz Dual-Core MediaTek MTK 8173C processor, 2.3 GHz 6th generation Intel Dual-Core i3-6100U processor, and 2.0 GHz Intel Dual Core M-5Y10 processor.
RAM
With a touchscreen laptop under $500, you will get either 4GB RAM or 8GB RAM. For reliable and smooth performance and multi-tasking, RAM is quite important. You can go for 4GB RAM, but it is better to go with 8GB to get the best support. In our list, all the laptops have either 8GB or 4GB RAM.
Storage Drive
People always get confused between SSD and HDD. SSD is a Solid State Drive, and HHD is Hard Disk Drive. If we compare both in terms of performance, then SSDs are faster than HDDs. But there is also an eMMC drive that is Embedded, Multi-media Card. Its performance lies between HDD and SSD. So, in touchscreen laptops under $500, you will see all these drives. If you want faster performance, go for SSD. Otherwise, you can have either eMMC or HDD.
Graphics
Under a $500 laptop, you will always get an integrated graphics card. These integrated GPUs provide decent performance while gaming and doing graphics-intensive tasks.
Keyboard and Trackpad
It is also necessary to check the keyboard and trackpad of the laptop. If you do a lot of typing, then the keyboard must be comfortable to use. Also, make sure the trackpad is responsive but not overly sensitive.
Battery Life
The last thing that you should consider is battery life. Try to get a laptop that offers a good battery life so that you can easily use your laptop during a long power outage or traveling.
FAQs
Which is better to buy? A normal touchscreen laptop or 2-in-1 laptop
Both options are good. If you want a big screen of 15 inches, then it is ideal to go with a normal touchscreen laptop. But if you travel a lot and the screen size doesn’t matter to you, then a 2-in-1 system is ideal for you.
Can I get a powerful processor at a $500 price range?
Not a single laptop in this price range comes with a powerful processor. The best you can get is an i5 processor. If you want a touchscreen laptop with a powerful processor like i7, then you must have to increase your budget.
Can I play recent games on a touchscreen laptop for under $500?
You can play decent or older games, but in order to play recent high-end games, you must have a high-end graphics card installed on your laptop. The laptops under $500 feature integrated graphics cards that don’t support games like PUBG, Fortnite, and so on. In order to play these games, you must have to increase your budget.