Nowadays, a computer has become one of our basic needs, especially its laptop form is the most viable. Whether it’s about doing skype to your distant relatives, watching recipe videos in the kitchen or just storing your memories, a laptop isn’t less than a family member.
Unlike any gaming or music production, the best laptops for basic home use don’t require any powerful hardware, you’ll easily get a decent machine without spending thousands of dollars. In this post, I will discuss each and every feature that you should keep in mind before choosing the best laptops for casual use in 2025. Moreover, you’ll get my hand-picked recommendations from budget to the expensive price.
So, without further ado, let’s get started!
So, what are the important features, which we need to consider before choosing the best laptops for basic needs?
Best Laptops for Casual Use and Basic Needs – Buyer’s Guide
First thing first, as you also aware of, a processor is the most important component of any computer.
But which processor would be the best for our basic computing needs?
As I also said above, we don’t need much powerful computer hardware for a family-use laptop, but unless you’re on a very tight budget I won’t recommend an Intel Core i3 laptop. You’ll be better off with the Intel Core i5 family, it will give an interruption-free user experience and you’ll not need to think about the upgrade at least for 4-5 years. On the other hand, if you’re planning to Core i7 laptop, it would be a bit overkill, but it would be more future-proof as well.
Beside of these, I want you to suggest the Intel U product lineup processors, such as i3-8130U, i5-7200U, i7-8565U. Basically, these processors have been designed for lower power consumptions while maintaining the performance. Therefore, you’ll get better battery life.
TLDR: At least get an Intel Core i5 processor from the U product lineup. If your budget allows, the Intel Core i7 processor would be the best.
Don’t worry I will try to cut down the cost of your laptop in upcoming requirements without any compromise in the performance.
How much memory would be sufficient for a family laptop?
Well, the days have been gone, when the computer memories were horribly expensive. Nowadays, you can easily get 8GB memory in many budget laptops, therefore, it doesn’t make any sense to go below that range. The 8GB memory is quite enough for the best laptops for family use, it can handle all casual work like skype or streaming videos along with multitasking.
Don’t’ worry about the memory type, frequency, latency or other technical terms, in the laptops you won’t find too much difference.
How much storage would be ideal for a general-purpose laptop?
The storage capacity will depend on your requirements, and you have to solve this yourself. If you have a large collection of family video/photos, music/movies then you should think about large HDD, while if you view mostly online contents, then even small SSD might be ideal for you.
As you have seen, I haven’t recommended an SSD for large data collection, because they are very expensive. Here is a solution for that if you have large data collection, you can still go with an SSD in the budget price. You can pick a laptop with hybrid storage combination; it means the small SSD will be used for Window installation and HDD will be used for storing your large collection of data.
For those who still don’t know what an SSD is? Basically, the SSD is the latest data storage technology, which is more reliable, portable, lightweight, faster and consumes less energy. Laptop with the SSD drive would be approximately 3 or 4 times faster than a laptop with HDD with the same hardware configuration.
If we talk about the Apple machines, the higher storage variants are extremely expensive. In this situation, I would suggest purchasing an external hard drive, however, if you have a large budget, these things don’t affect at all.
Do we need a dedicated graphics card?
You don’t need dedicated graphics for a basic-usage laptop, but you or any of your family member also play some games or do some graphics intensive tasks, then it won’t be a big deal to invest in a dedicated GPU. Personally, I don’t recommend spending extra on a dedicated graphics memory. In facts, laptops without dedicated GPU last longer.
If you’re going with a dedicated GPU then I would like to suggest Nvidia graphics chips. As compared to the AMD Graphics the Nvidia graphics chips, performs better with somewhat lower energy consumption. But if you’re on a very tight budget, an AMD GPU is the only option.
How much big laptop is ideal for basic home needs?
Usually, 15.6-inch laptops are the most common, and they are just perfect for casual use. You can watch videos, edit photos or play some light games, this screen size is just perfect. But if you looking for more on-the-go use, you will be better off with 13 or 14-inch laptops. While if you looking for your old desktop replacement, you can also go above 15-inch laptops.
Doesn’t matter which size you’re choosing as per your requirements; I just want to suggest a full HD screen. Moreover, some laptops are coming with 2-in-1 design, they provide even more flexible user experience. You can utilize them as a portable tablet or a powerful laptop.
Best Laptops for Basic Home Use in 2025 – Reviews
1. Acer Aspire E 15 (Most Inexpensive Laptop)
5.27 lbs | i3-8130U @3.4GHz | 6 GB | 1 TB HDD | 15.6-inch | 1920 x 1080 | 13.5-hours | Windows 10 Home
As I said in the buyer’s guide unless you’re on a tight budget, I don’t recommend an Intel Core i3 laptop. If you’re going to go, you should choose the latest Generation processor, which this laptop is offering.
The Acer Aspire E 15 is offering Intel latest Core i3-8130U processor, which can deliver acceptable performance. Actually, it’s a dual core processor which can go up to 3.4GHz clock rate. Moreover, with the support of 6GB inbuilt memory and 256GB SSD (also available with 1TB HDD), you can do all casual work with this buddy.
But I want to warn you if you’re going to use this laptop for gaming or some higher processing task then don’t go for it. Its Intel Core i5 version is a much better choice, however, it’ll cost you a bit extra but totally worth it.
Because of the Intel U product line processor (as I discussed in the buyer’s guide), this laptop is offering a longer battery life. it can last up to 13.5 hours with a single charge on web browsing, it’s a really a great battery backup as compared to the rivals.
The Acer Aspire E 15 is coming with a 15.6-inch LED-lit display with the full-screen resolution, the screen quality is very good it can deliver great colors and sharpness for your videos or photos.
In my opinion, the design isn’t too great. you’re getting thick bezel and heavy body, it’s really somewhat outdated. However, for this price, you can’t expect more from it, you’re already getting many great features.
If you really have a very strict budget, the Acer Aspire E 15 could be a great laptop for family use. However, if you can afford its Core i5 version, it would be a much better choice.
PROS
- Most affordable laptop for family use
- Good 15.6-inch display with full HD resolution
- Extensive connectivity options
- Acceptable performance with Core i3 8th Gen processor
- Longer battery life
- Sturdy build quality
CONS
- Outdated design with thick bezel and heavy body
2. HP Pavilion X360 (Cheapest 2-in-1 Laptop for Home Use)
3.72 lbs | i3-8130U @3.4GHz | HD 620 | 4 GB | 16GB Optane + 1 TB HDD | 15.6-inch Touch | 1920 x 1080 | 7 hours | Windows 10
The main advantage of a 2-in-1 laptop is, you can use them as you want. Whether you’re watching a movie, drawing, or doing something productive work, a convertible laptop work just great. While considering the budget price range, the HP Pavilion x360 laptop could be a great choice for basic home use.
This HP convertible laptop is also offering the same processor, which has also used in the previous laptop. Moreover, the screen size and resolution are the same as well. But the Acer Aspire E 15 is offering high memory along with longer battery life. On the other hand, the HP Pavilion X360 laptop has a beautiful touch-enabled display with a gorgeous, portable 2-in-1 design.
In the performance department, as you know the processor is the same our previous laptop, but you’re getting Intel Optane memory with 1TB HDD, therefore, it can perform a bit better.
Aesthetically, the HP Pavilion x360 is a far better than the Acer Aspire E 15 laptop, with the compact body, slim design, and thin bezels, it can easily steal the heart of anyone. Additionally, it weighing almost half than that, which make it more convenient to carry.
The Pavilion X 360 series offers the backlit keyboard, which makes them easy to use in low light without disturbing your partner. HP has also included the digital Pen, which can be used to teach drawing your children or taking notes on-the-go.
If you’re looking for a portable laptop for your basic home needs, the HP Pavilion X360 could be a perfect choice without spending a horrible amount of money.
PROS
- Stunning full HD display with touch support and thin bezels
- Good performance with Intel Core i3 processor and Intel Optane memory
- Backlit keyboard and latest USB Type-C
- Lightweight body with compact and premium design
- Convertible design – can be used as a laptop or tablet
CONS
- Only 4GB memory, though not bad for everyday use
3. Lenovo V330 (Another Great Budget Laptop)
2.65 lbs | i5-7200U @3.1Ghz | 8 GB | 256 GB SSD | 15.6-inch | 1920 x 1080 | 6-hours | Windows 10 Pro
My both previous laptops recommendation have powered by the Intel Core i3 processor, and I would only recommend them for those who don’t want to spend high on their laptop. As a cheap laptop, you can’t expect the higher performance from them, however, they are enough good for casual use. Lagging or freezing is most common in the intel core i3 laptops, so, you are advised to think twice before making your purchase.
While if you can spend around 200 or more dollars, then you can enter the Intel Core i5 family, which would be the most viable choice for home use.
The Lenovo V330 is my most affordable recommendation from the Intel Core i5 laptop, it can deliver a wonderful performance for your all general needs, you can do light photo editing, internet browsing or even casual gaming.
First of all, the Lenovo V 330 is paired with Intel Core i5-7200U processor, 8GB memory and 256GB SSD, which is actually a very clever combination for squeezing out optimal performance. As compared to the Intel Core i3 laptop, it can perform a far better. However, the Intel Core i5-7200U is also a dual-core processor, but it has a higher clock rate, which is one of the crucial elements of processor performance.
In the display department, this buddy is equipped with a 15.6-inch full HD LED-backlit panel, which also has the anti-glare coating, therefore the display quality is going to be just wow. The view angles and brightness level would be great.
Lenovo’s business series laptops are widely popular all over the world, especially they have used by big organizations. There is no wonder behind it. Actually, Lenovo’s business series is well-known for higher security, great performance, and durability. The Lenovo V330 laptop also has some fraction of that series, and it also loaded with some security features like fingerprint sensor, TPM (Trusted Platform Module) and APS (Active Protection System) technologies. However, as a usual laptop, we don’t need that much security but in this horrible cyber world, security should be your first priority. Additionally, the webcam of this laptop is also secured by a privacy shutter, which will make it working only when you want it.
The Lenovo V330 is also a slim and compact laptop with low weight, therefore you won’t face any issue while using it in your lap or on-the-go.
Overall, the Lenovo V330 is one of the best laptops for general use in 2025, which is offering great display, optimal performance, compact body, higher security at a very aggressive price.
If you don’t have any fancy requirements like powerful gaming or intense photo editing, you’ll be better off with this machine.
PROS
- Attractive price for great features
- Better display quality with full HD resolution and Anti-Glare coating
- Higher security features like fingerprint sensor, TPM chip, APS and privacy cam
- Seamless performance with Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB memory and SSD combination
- Wide range of connectivity option including USB 3.0, USB Type-C, HDMI, VGA and RJ-45 (LAN)
- Compact and professional design with a lightweight body
- Good battery life
CONS
- The trackpad is very sensitive, you have to change the settings according to your need
4. MSI GV62 8RD-200 (Solid Choice with Gaming Compatibility)
4.8 lbs | i5-8300H @3.9 GHz | GTX 1050Ti 4GB | 8 GB | 16GB | Optane + 1TB | 15.6-inch | 1920×1080 | 3 – 4 hours | Win 10
While the Lenovo V330 is already a great laptop for family use, but it has lacks of higher graphics processing, therefore you can’t do severe photo editing or play high-end games. There is another very popular laptop named Asus VivoBook, which is also offering many great features for an awesome price, but unfortunately, it also doesn’t have dedicated graphics.
If you’re planning to work with some graphics-oriented tasks, MSI GV62 8RD-200 laptop might be the right fish for you. With the 4GB Nvidia GTX1050Ti GPU, it can drag most of the moderate games or graphics-hungry applications. Moreover, your laptop’s processor would be thankful for that.
Before discussing this laptop further, I would like to tell you some drawbacks. First of all, it’s a very heavy laptop, therefore it might be not suitable for carrying around, plus it has poor battery life. If you can adopt these cons, seriously this laptop is the beast from the performance aspect.
There is no special feature in the display, it’s a standard 15.6-inch full HD IPS panel. But it has more concrete than our all previous laptops. It is powered by the Intel Core i5-8300H processor, which has 4 cores and work up to 4GHz, that’s why I said above it’s a beast. There is no real fault of battery for delivering a lower back up, the processor is jet engine itself which is hogging it down quickly. If you have read the buyer’s guide, I have already mentioned choosing a U series processor, if you need longer battery life.
The storage capacity is better, under the hood, it is offering 16GB Intel Optane memory + 1TB HDD combination, which is just great for performance and large storage.
If you have a mid-range budget and need a multipurpose laptop the MSI GV62 8RD-200 could be the right choice, which has higher graphics processing along with powerful performance.
PROS
- Powerful processing with Intel Core i5 H series processor and dedicated Nvidia GPU
- Efficient cooling with dual fan system and large heat pipes for sustainable performance
- Backlit keyboard and extensive connectivity options including USB Type-C, mini DisplayPort, and HDMI
- Solid build quality
CONS
- Poor battery life and hefty body
5. Lenovo Yoga 730 (Best 2-in-1 Laptop for Casual Use)
2.65 lbs | i5-8250U @3.4GHz | 8 GB | 256 GB SSD | 15.6-inch Touch | 1920 x 1080 | 8-hours | Win10
The Lenovo Yoga 730 is probably the best convertible laptop for basic home use in 2025. Is it the best laptop if you can spend 1000$ or even more? Absolutely not, there are many great options are available such as Microsoft Surface Book 2 or Lenovo Flex 5, but they are a bit overkill for this purpose, therefore, I don’t want you to spend extra.
This laptop has enough capability to handle all general tasks that you want to do. Whether it’s about watching your favorite show while snuggled up in the bed or editing your latest photos, this laptop will stay with you in every situation.
First of all, the Lenovo Yoga 730 is offering the latest Intel Core i5-8250U processor, 8GB memory, and 256GB PCIe SSD, which can really deliver smoother performance. Especially, the PCIe based SSD storage is even faster than SATA based SSD, which has a significant contribution to this great performance.
The Lenovo Yoga 730 is offering a full HD multi-touch support IPS screen, which provides wider view angles and vivid color production. Besides a sharp screen quality, it has narrow bezels, and it looks just marvelous.
When it comes to design, as you know it supports 360-degree rotations. Moreover, it is offering a very slim and compact body along with lightweight. You can use this laptop anywhere and, in any style, as you want.
On the right side on the palm rest area, there is a fingerprint sensor has equipped which can be used for secure log in to your Windows or other supported Web application.
The best thing about this laptop, it has the latest ThunderBolt 3 ports, and it provides versatile connectivity. You can connect high-definition external displays, storage devices and even charge your laptop at the same time with a single cable, which is really cool.
Overall, if you looking for a decent laptop versatile laptop for your basic home needs, the Lenovo Yoga 730 laptop is likely hard to skip.
PROS
- Premium design with a beautiful and compact body
- Seamless performance with multitasking capability
- Latest features like fingerprint sensor and ThunderBolt 3 port
- Outstanding display quality with micro bezels
CONS
- Only two USB ports
6. LG Gram 15 (Overall Best Choice for Windows)
2.4 lbs | i5-8250U @3.4GHz | UHD 620 | 8 GB | 256 GB SSD | 15-inch | 1920 x x1080 | 19.5-hours | Windows 10 Home
Have you heard about the LG Gram laptop? Before, the LG Gram series, LG’s laptops weren’t very popular. But with the Gram series, LG has made a valuable space in the laptop industry. Actually, this series is especially known for the lightweight & slim design along with powerful performance and longest battery life. That’s why the LG Gram 15 laptop might be the best choice for casual use. However, there is a newer version has already launched with the 17-inch screen if you are interested in the bigger display you can go for it. I have selected this 15-inch model due to the best price and our requirements.
This model is offering a 15.6-inch full HD IPS panel, which is just perfect for all general tasks. It is enough good to provides a decent picture quality for your photo editing or video streaming needs.
The best thing which I have already highlighted above about this Gram series – it has amazingly lightweight construction, it has around 2.4lbs weight. Moreover, according to the Mobile Mark 2014 standard, this laptop is offering 19 hours of longest battery life, that’s totally insane.
Despite having a slim and compact body, this laptop won’t let you compromise in the performance department. With the Intel Core i5-8250U processor, 8GB of memory, and 256GB SSD storage, you won’t face any lagging or freezing even while doing multitasking.
Due to a very compact and lightweight design, this laptop is ideal for traveling or doing some on-the-go tasks, and it can be easily fit in a standard backpack without any problem.
Some people think this laptop might not be durable due to the extremely lightweight body, but it’s not simply true. You won’t believe, the LG Gram has passed the seven industry-standard test and has proven the military-grade durability. All this has been possible due to its carbon magnesium full metal body, which makes its shell tougher while keeping it lightweight.
Yes! you guessed it right, the LG Gram is also offering the latest ThunderBolt 3 (USB Type-C) port, therefore, it is capable of versatile connectivity. You can connect 4K displays, storage device and even charge your laptop with that single cable simultaneously. Moreover, the HDMI, USB, and headphone jack are also given for your convenience.
Whether it’s about performance, battery life, display quality, durability or design the LG Gram is probably the best laptops for casual use in 2025. Also, if you need a different size, the LG Gram is also available in 13-inch, 14-inch, and 17-inch variants, you can check them out.
PROS
- Amazing display quality with full HD resolution and narrow bezel
- Brilliant performance with one of the most powerful and energy-efficient Intel Core i5 processors
- Longest battery life, probably the best in class
- Amazingly compact, lightweight and durable construction
- The latest feature like ThunderBolt 3 and backlit keyboard
CONS
- Somewhat high price
7. Apple MacBook Air (Overall Best Choice)
2.75 lbs | i5-8210Y @3.6GHz | UHD 617 | 8 GB | 256 GB SSD | 13.3-inch | 2560×1600 | 12 hours | Mac OS X
As we are talking about the best laptops for basic use in 2025, therefore, we don’t need any dedicated GPU memory for that. With that out the way, Apple MacBook Air becomes our top choice, however, if you have a lower budget, I have already listed many great laptops for you above. On the other hand, if you need a bigger display, the MacBook Pro 15 becomes the only options in Apple products.
In facts, you can easily get a higher performance laptop at a very low price as compared to the MacBook. But for those who just need quality, Apple is the last options.
This year the latest MacBook Air has finally got the Apple most popular Retina display, therefore, you can do an, even more, color-sensitive tasks with this laptop as well. The Retina display is the best when it comes to brightness level, view angles or color accuracy.
MacBook Air is slightly heavier than LG Gram 15 because of the aluminum body, but it is more reliable and durable too.
There no need to explain the quality of MacBook Air, the keyboard, sound quality, durability, security, battery life, cameras are just great. You’ll just get a premium user experience, it’s quite expensive though.
Overall, if you’re looking for the best laptop for basic needs, the MacBook Air is the most viable choice, it will allow doing anything without any hiccup that you want.
Unfortunately, the MacBook Air is only available in the 13.3-inch model, if you need something bigger, the MacBook Pro 15 would be the ultimate choice in Apple.
PROS
- Best quality Retina display with richest colors and sharpness level
- Outstanding performance with Intel latest Core i5 processor
- Longer battery life
- Ultimate durability
- Top class keyboard, cameras, touchpad and speakers
- Compact and lightweight body with the highest durability
CONS
- The display might be small for some
- Very expensive price
Wrapping it up
I hope, choosing the best laptop for basic home use in 2025 won’t be a complicated task for you anymore. You can easily hunt a good one according to your requirements. I have tried to fill the most users’ requirements with different types of recommendations, and I hope you have found an apt one for you already. If you haven’t got one till yet, I want to remind you again.
If you don’t have any special requirement and just need a basic laptop for home use, you can also go with Intel Core i3 laptop such as Acer Aspire E 15 or HP pavilion x 360 if you like the convertible design.
But I would like to recommend an at least Core i5 processor for future-proof, it would provide an interruption-free working. With that out the way, the Lenovo V330 is the most inexpensive laptop that I would like to recommend in 2025. While if need something for some graphics-oriented tasks like photo editing or gaming, the MSI GV62 8RD-200 might be a nice choice.
On the other hand, if you’re a fan of convertible design which provides flexible user-experience as well. The Lenovo Yoga 730 is one of the most popular notebooks which you might like.
Overall, the LG Gram 15 is my overall recommendation for the best laptop for family use, it is the lightest, fastest and slimmest laptop in Windows which is offering longest battery life. While for premium range, the latest Apple MacBook Air is the most viable option, it has everything that you’ll need as a family laptop, but it’s quite expensive. Moreover, if you need a bigger display in Apple products the MacBook Pro 15 is even more expensive.
Well, these were my best laptops for general use in 2025, what do you think or have you any question, just let me know in the comment below, I’ll back to you quickly.
Thank you very much for reading, have a great day:)
