Reviews

Professional-Grade Laptops at a Great Value: Top 3 Laptops Under $1200

If you’re hunting for your favorite laptop for the price 1200$ or less, your hunt is over now.

You see, the thing is you’ve a BIG budget. And you expect a BIG value for the money. However, you cannot just go and buy any laptop priced 1200$ in the market, right? You wouldn’t want to risk your money just like that.

Specs are like chalk and cheese, and reviews are as mixed as tossed salad…for each laptop online.

 The situation is perplexed...

But, we have good news so keep your cool. We have sorted out some things for you, and made it way easier. After some digging, we discovered the best laptops under 1200$ you can buy right now.

These are, what I said earlier, a great value for your money. Whatever your need or desire is, these are all jam-packed with faster chipset and latest OS. Whether it’s for work or personal use — your life will be a lot easier with these laptops.

Apple MackBook Pro 2020

Apple MackBook Pro 2020

This machine can do everything you possibly can imagine. Whether you need speed, looks, portability, a great display, and a longer battery life — it has got everything.

MackBook Pro 2020 comes in multiple colours, so you can choose the color you vibe with.

It has a really sleek keyboard with comfy keys, and a larger trackpad for easier navigation. This large trackpad comes handy when you are putting your inner artist out there and drawing your imagination on screen.

The best of all is the customization option, so you can customize its specs the way you prefer.

This powerful machine is built for productivity and performance. You can edit and produce music videos in Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere Pro. Or you can do heavy and detailed professional graphics in Illustrator. Install a number of plugins, softwares, do live recording, and streaming — in short, everything. Its Apple-designed M1 chip truly blows Intel out of the game.

And you know what they say, no body games on Apple — but you CAN if you want to. It delivers non-stop zero-lag performance on all modern games.

The surprising part is that thousands of folks have rated it five stars. This is the investment that’s gonna last over a decade or even more. So, if you have the budget for it, get it today from the link below. It’s worth every single penny.

Features:

  • M1 chip by Apple for better CPU and GPU performance
  • Battery: up to 20 hours
  • 8-Core CPU, 8-Core GPU, 16-Core Neural Engine
  • 8GB RAM
  • Active Cooling System Enabled
  • 3″ Retina Display with 500 nits of brightness
  • FaceTime HD Camera
  • Weighs 3 pounds

About This Item

  • Apple-designed M1 chip for a giant leap in CPU, GPU, and machine learning performance
  • Get more done with up to 20 hours of battery life, the longest ever in a Mac
  • 8-core CPU delivers up to 2.8x faster performance to fly through workflows quicker than ever
  • 8-core GPU with up to 5x faster graphics for graphics-intensive apps and games
  • 16-core Neural Engine for advanced machine learning
  • 8GB of unified memory so everything you do is fast and fluid
  • Superfast SSD storage launches apps and opens files in an instant
  • Active cooling system sustains incredible performance
  • 13.3-inch Retina display with 500 nits of brightness for vibrant colors and incredible image detail
  • FaceTime HD camera with advanced image signal processor for clearer, sharper video calls 

Pros:

  • Good storage capacity
  • Apt for every use
  • Unbelievable battery life
  • It’s Fast.
  • Magical keyboard

Cons:

  • Feels a bit pricey

HP Pavilion 15.6″ Laptop

The coolest part about this laptop is it’s price. Considering all the specs, performance, and value you can churn out from this laptop, it could have easily cost you somewhere between 1500 to 2000 dollars. But glad you can get it as low as under $900, which is insane.

And let me tell you right off the bat that this machine is not for gaming. If you are a gaming geek, check out other laptops in our list.

This laptop is purely professional, fashionable, and made for daily home use. The screen has an IPS display and full HD resolution. And good thing, it is 15″ in size, which should be pretty wide and give a realistic experience when watching movies.

Overall, the display looks sharp, colourful, and beautiful. With its backlit LED, you can even play movies and watch videos in the bright sunny days, and still expect to see everything clearly.

What’s more…

The keyboard is really decent. The keys are comfortable to type on, not something flimsy and squirky. So if you are someone who regularly deals with assignments, writes novels or stories, or works on excel sheets, this can be a great thing for you. It has a good Operating System.

But I do want to mention the keyboard layout is a bit different than you normally would see in HP or ASUS computers. Some of the number keys are placed differently. This shouldn’t be a deal breaker because we hardly use those keys, and you can get used to it within a week or so.

Next thing, the design, which looks okay — to be honest, it’s not something groundbreaking. It could have been a little more attractive, and a little more sleek. But that’s just a personal opinion.

And I guess you have to compromise on something if you are getting it for an insanely low price.

So if you need a budget laptop for professional and home use, this should be it.

Features:

  • White color finish
  • Windows 10 Home
  • 6″ FHD WLED Backlit Display
  • BIOS Recovery Available
  • Alexa Capable
  • 10th Gen Core i7-1065G7 Intel Processor (1.3GHz Base Frequency, 3.9GHz Turbo Power)
  • 512 GB PCIe(R) NVMe(TM) M.2 SSD, 16GB RAM
  • Battery: Up to 10 Hours (Fast-Charge 0-45% in 45 minutes)
  • Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5, and two USB 3.0 ports for Connectivity
  • Weighs 4.08 pounds

About This Item

  • Powerful professional performance for your workday: Tackle video meetings on crowded networks with ultra-fast gigabit Wi-Fi 6 (2×2) and Bluetooth(R) 5 for up to 3x faster transfer speeds than Wi-Fi 5, safeguard against viruses, malware, and ransomware with Windows 10 Pro built for the most security and productivity, and comfortably work all day with elevated keyboard and numeric keypad
  • Amazon Alexa: Just ask and Alexa can check your calendar, create lists, answer questions, play music, control your smart home and more
  • BIOS recovery and protection: Automatically checks the health of your PC, protects against unauthorized access, secures local storage and recovers itself from boot up issues
  • Display: 15.6-inch diagonal Full HD IPS Bright View micro-edge WLED-backlit display (1920 x 1080); 81% screen to body ratio
  • Battery life: Up to 10 hours (mixed usage), up to 5 hours and 45 minutes (video playback), up to 8 hours and 45 minutes (wireless streaming); 0 to 50% charge in 45 minutes with HP fast charge
  • Thin and light (unpackaged): 14.24 inches (W) x 9.67 inches (D) x 0.70 inches (H); 4.08 pounds
  • Environmentally conscious: Low halogen, mercury-free display backlights, arsenic-free display glass in this ENERGY STAR(R) certified, EPEAT(R) Silver registered HP laptop
  • Operating system and warranty: Windows 10 Pro and 1-year limited hardware warranty with 24-hour, 7 days a week web support when shipped from and sold by Amazon.com 

Pros:

  • Insane price
  • Powerful specs
  • Can handle every use
  • Boots faster
  • Good storage
  • Upgradable

Cons:

  • Poor design

Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop

Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop

This can be the most insane gaming laptop in the GOOD budget. The GPU seems to be so powerful that you can throw anything on it, and the program just flows like water.

Wondering what you really can do with it?

You’ll be able to play pretty much every hard-core modern game like Warzone, PUBG, and Hitman, and still get smooth 100+ FPs. With it’s 144Hz display, you’ll not be beating your head because of lag. Considering the price range, it’s amazing that you can get this much value. It’s IPS screen has an LED backlit display, which is good for using it out in the bright sunny day. Glad you’ll not be bombarded with annoying glares, which make it so hard to see the screen.

Talking about the keyboard, the keys feel so delicate; great for typing. And if you’re someone who regularly makes reports or types school assignments, this can be your way out.

The design is so thin and sleek — better than its 2018 model, which was also cool but slight improvements were needed.

However, the battery will drain quicker if you play games all day long. And it will get hot if you don’t turn on its fans.

After all, it’s a gaming laptop. So all these things are expected. But if you limit the GPU power, keep the fans on, and try playing at a cooler temperature, you can expect almost 5 hours of continuous gaming, which shouldn’t be disappointing.

And also, keep in mind, it may shut off automatically if it gets over 97 degrees. So remember to keep it’s RAM clean, and keep the cooling fans on.

Overall, considering the specs, the memory, and the value you’re getting, it should be a great deal. Go check it out. Thousands of folks have already bought it, and they’re happy with the purchase.

This thing is safe to last almost a decade with you.

Features:

  • Black color
  • Windows 10 Home
  • 6″ FHD LED Backlit IPS Display with 144Hz Refresh Rate, and 300 nit brightness
  • 9th Gen Intel Core-i7 9750H (4.5GHz)
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660-Ti Graphics | 6GB DDR6 VRAM
  • 16GB DDR4 RAM (2666MHz) | 256GB PCIe NVME SSD | 2 PCIe Slots (One for Upgrade)
  • LAN: Ethernet E2500
  • Backlit Keyboard
  • 4th Gen Metal AeroBlade Fan
  • Battery: up to 6 hours
  • Weighs 5 pounds

About This Item

  • 9th Generation Intel Core i7-9750H 6-Core Processor (Up to 4.5 GHz)
  • 15.6″ Full HD Widescreen IPS LED-backlit display | 144 hertz refresh rate | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Graphics with 6 GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM
  • 16GB DDR4 2666MHz Memory | 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD (2 x PCIe M.2 slots – 1 slot open for easy upgrades) & 1 – Available hard drive bay
  • LAN: 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 port) | Wireless: Intel Wireless Wi-Fi 6 AX200 802.11ax
  • Backlit keyboard | Acer CoolBoost technology with twin fans and dual exhaust ports 

Pros:

  • Best price
  • Plays almost every modern game
  • Solid built and Sleek look
  • Faster Wi-Fi
  • Good cooling fans
  • Powerful GPU

Cons:

  • Bluebacklight might hurt eyes while in the bedtime

Conclusion

In conclusion, the top 3 laptops under $1200 offer an exceptional value proposition by providing professional-grade performance without sacrificing affordability.

These laptops are meticulously selected to deliver powerful specifications, cutting-edge features, and reliability that professionals demand. With fast processors, ample storage, high-quality displays, and advanced graphics capabilities, these laptops excel in handling demanding tasks, whether it’s intensive multitasking, content creation, or resource-intensive applications.

The combination of premium build quality, robust performance, and competitive pricing makes these laptops a great investment for professionals who seek optimal productivity without breaking the bank.

Choose one of these top-rated laptops under $1200, and experience the perfect blend of performance, reliability, and value for your professional needs.

Elevate your work, unleash your creativity, and stay ahead of the competition with these exceptional laptops.

Eli Overbey

Elioverbey is a Hillman professor of information science and human-machine emeritus at Carnegie Mellon University. Elioverbey has a broad interest in design technology and social effects, spanning from computer-based teamwork and computer-assisted collaborative research to human-robot interaction.
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