A laptop is an essential part of any student’s and professional’s life as it allows them to study, work, and play.
Finding the laptop that best suits your needs and budget is essential because there are many options.
This blog will discuss the different factors to consider when choosing a laptop with an i3 processor.
From processor to build quality, we’ve covered it all! So whether you’re in the market for a cheap i3 laptop or want to learn about the latest and greatest, keep reading!
Today, there are many different types of laptops on the market.
The most popular are those based on Intel processors. They offer outstanding performance, good battery life, high-speed internet connections, and gaming performance.
You should consider the processor’s core, thread, and generation when deciding which laptop to buy.
The processor is the laptop’s brain and has a major impact on performance.
So make sure you get a product compatible with your operating system and application or software.
This article will describe the Core i3 processor in detail. It is Intel’s mid-range CPU with top-end performance.
Overview: TOP 3 Best Intel i3 Laptops
Is Intel Core i3 better than AMD Ryzen 3?
First, it should be known which of the two premises is more popular and why.
Now, if you check gaming laptops, they mainly offer processors from AMD because it’s also cheaper, and in terms of performance, it’s a little bit ahead of Intel.
Compared to the latest generation Intel Core i3, AMD Ryzen 3 is a bit more powerful.
However, in terms of CPU frequency, the Intel Core i3 processor has a higher frequency than the AMD Ryzen 3 processor.
Generally speaking, AMD Ryzen 3 has a top speed of 3.6GHz and an average speed of 3+GHz, while an Intel Core i3 is clocked at 4.2GHz and an average rate of 3+GHz.
Higher clock speeds mean you can run the most information and software per second and multitask even faster on Intel Core i3 tan AMD Ryzen 3.
Intel Core i3 has single and dual cores/threads, while AMD Ryzen 3 has two and four.
If you’re on a tight budget and confident in AMD’s processors, Ryzen 3 is the way to go.
Also, Read
The Best Laptops with Intel i3 Processor in 2023
What to look for in an Intel Core i3 Laptop?
When choosing the best laptop for your needs, it’s essential to consider a few key factors.
There are a lot of things you should look for when buying a cheap Intel Core i3 laptop –
Processor: Latest-generation CPUs with more cores and threads make laptops faster. Currently, the 12th gen intel core i3 is the best CPU.
Graphics card: A computer with a powerful GPU can run rendering, encoding, gaming, and faster. I3 CPU, integrated intel UHD, is the highest possible graphics card.
Battery Life: Battery life is critical for students, business professionals, and those who frequently use their laptops outdoors. Choose a computer with at least 5 hours of battery backup.
Display: Higher resolution, higher refresh rate screen for crisp, clear images. You’ll quickly see a sharp, clear image if your laptop has a good display.
Build Quality: The longevity of a laptop depends largely on the quality of its construction and the type of materials used. Metal frame laptops will last longer than plastic, so choose wisely.
RAM and Storage: The latest and more RAM means it can handle more tasks simultaneously. With i3, you get 4GB-16GB RAM (2666 MHz to 3200 Mhz).
The latest and fastest SSD storage makes laptops faster, up to 17x faster than HDDs.
Recommended Specifications
| Features | Cheap (Under $300) | Mid-Range (Under $400) | Premium (Under $700) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 9th, 10th Gen Intel Core i3 | 11th, 12th Gen Intel Core i3 | 12th Gen Intel Core i3 |
| Graphics Card | Integrated Intel HD | Integrated Intel UHD | Integrated Intel UHD |
| RAM | 4GB | 4-8 GB | 8-16 GB |
| Storage | 64GB – 128GB SSD | 128GB – 256GB SSD | 256B+ SSD |
| Display | 14-15.6 inch HD | 13, 14, and 15.6-inch FHD | 14, 15, and 17-inch FHD |
| Battery | Up to 4 hours | Up to 6 hours | Above 6 hours |
| OS | Windows 10, ChromeOS | Windows 11 Home, ChromeOS | Windows 11 Home or Pro |
1. HP 15
Specifications
| CPU (Processor) | 11th Gen Intel Core i3-11154G Processor (upto 4.1 GHz) |
| GPU | Intel UHD Graphics |
| RAM | 8 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 256 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD |
| Screen | 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080), IPS, 60Hz display |
| Weight | 3.75 lbs (1.7 kg) |
| Battery Life | Up to 11 hours |
| Others | Full-size backlit keyboard, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 4.2, Windows 11 Home |
Read our full HP Pavilion 15 2022 Review
HP 15 laptop is specifically designed for media and gaming. It has a powerful Intel Core i3-1115G4 11-gen processor, clocking at 4.1 GHz and featuring 6 MB of cache memory.
This is a good choice if you are seeking a powerful laptop processor capable of handling multitasking and gaming.
A shared graphics memory is available with the Intel UHD Graphics on the device. On the device, users can play high-definition video games. Performance is enhanced while power consumption is reduced.
Its 8GB DDR4 RAM allows it to run multiple applications and browser tabs simultaneously without experiencing any slowdown.
There is an upgrade to the hard drive from 256 GB to provide you with more space for files and programs.
HP 15 2023 is the perfect I3 laptop for students and business travelers.
It is stated that the battery life is ten hours, which seems accurate. Your fairly intensive daily workflow of web browsing, e-mails, and word processing, provided four to five hours of working time.
A 15.6-inch screen with 1920 x 1080 resolution provides crystal clear images for media content.
Windows 11 Home is pre-installed and has a USB 2.0 port for connectivity. In terms of wireless connectivity, HP 15 offers wifi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2.
Pros
- Affordable
- Lightweight and Thin
- It has Backlit Keyboard
- Long-lasting Battery Life
- Outstanding Design
Cons
- Not for High-end Gaming
- The display could be better
2. Acer Aspire 5
Specifications
| CPU (Processor) | 11th Gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 processor ( up to 4.1 GHz ) |
| GPU | Intel UHD Graphics |
| RAM | 4 GB DDR4, 4.1 GHz |
| Storage | 128GB NVMe SSD |
| Screen | 15.6 inches Full HD (1920 x 1080) narrow bezels display |
| Weight | 4.19 lbs (1.90 kg) |
| Battery Life | Up to 8.5 hours |
| Others | Wi-Fi6, Bluetooth, HD webcam, Windows 10 Home ( S Mode ) |
Acer Aspire 5 is a highly affordable 11 the gen i3 laptop with a 1115G4 Processor. The processor has dual cores with Turbo Boost speeds up to 4.1 GHz.
The 11th-generation Intel Core i3 processor ensures outstanding performance and intelligent design, enabling accurate and fast application processing while also providing excellent responsiveness.
It is equipped with Intel UHD Graphics. This PC is designed to provide the best of both worlds with performance and power efficiency.
The Acer Aspire 5 is equipped with 4GB of DDR4 memory. Acer has now upgraded the memory to a 128GB PCIe NVMe SSD to boost the performance of this laptop.
It is an excellent upgrade compared to the previous generation of Aspire, which was equipped with SATA SSD storage only.
Acer advertises that the battery life of the Aspire 5 is eight hours. Although we tested it, it lasted for 6 and 55 minutes, consisting of continuous internet browsing over Wi-Fi at a brightness level of 150 nits.
It features a sleek design and excellent value for money; this laptop is a great buy.
It features a 15.6-inch display with Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, an aspect ratio of 16:9, and narrow bezels, which make it a reasonable budget I3 laptop for photo editing and music production.
The port selection consists of USB 2.0 ports and three USB 3.0 ports.
If you need a laptop that can multitask in the workstations, consider the Acer Aspire 5. Its OS is Windows 11 Home (S Mode). For connectivity, this laptop includes wifi 6 and Bluetooth 5.
Pros
- Latest and most Powerful CPU
- Superfast and more Storage
- Fingerprint Available
- Good Battery Life
- Good Audio Quality
- Various Ports
- Value for money Product
Cons
- Little bit heavy
3. Lenovo Ideapad 3
Specifications
| CPU (Processor) | 11th Gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 Processor (6MB Cache, up to 4.1 GHz) |
| GPU | Intel UHD Graphics |
| RAM | 8GB DDR4 SDRAM |
| Storage | 256GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD |
| Screen | 15.6 inch HD (1366 x 768) touchscreen Anti-glare Display |
| Weight | 4.09 lbs (1.78 kg) |
| Battery Life | Up to 7 hours |
| Others | Fingerprint reader, Bluetooth 5.0, Windows 11 Home |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 has Intel’s 11th generation CPU, and it is a budget laptop with an i3 processor for college students and gaming.
The laptop has a dual-core processor with a 3.0GHz Intel Core i3-1115G4 processor. With its 4.1GHz Turbo Boost, it is easy to notice that it can keep up with all you need.
Intel UHD Graphics 620 provides a more powerful graphics experience. It is the new generation of graphics cards and is anytime, anywhere compatible with all laptops from Lenovo.
Also, It has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. It has 2 Cell Lithium-polymer batteries and a decent battery life of 7 hours.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 came with great specs, and the specs of this laptop were excellent enough to satisfy both price and performance.
It comes with a 15.6-inch and 1366 x 768 display, providing excellent viewing quality.
The touch screen offers a comfortable and pleasant experience in touch mode. This is the perfect choice for people who like to work on the go or use Lenovo laptops in retail stores or coffee shops.
The ports on this device include two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0 port, and one HDMI port.
The operating system of Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is Windows 11 Home. It grants access to a wide range of applications: Google, Microsoft Office suite, YouTube, and other free software and makes it the best I3 laptop for students.
It has 802.11ac wifi and a Bluetooth Media Card reader, so you can use your wireless devices wherever, anywhere, and any time.
4. ASUS VivoBook 15
Specifications
| CPU (Processor) | 11th Generation Intel Core i3-1115G4 Processor |
| GPU | Intel UHD graphics |
| RAM | 8 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 128GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD |
| Screen | 15.6-inch Full HD display with a stunning 83% screen-to-body ratio |
| Weight | 3.97 lbs. (1.8 Kg |
| Battery Life | Up to 6 hours |
| Others | Backlit Keyboard, Fingerprint Sensor Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Windows 11 Home |
ASUS VivoBook 15 is a lightweight body and thin laptop, making it perfect for people who prefer portable ones.
This laptop has the latest 11th generation Intel i3-1115G4 processor and works at a clock speed of 4.1 GHz and 6M Cache memory. This energy-efficient processor can handle demanding workloads, simple maintenance, and low noise levels.
It is the ultimate portability and lightweight notebook and is ideal for budget buyers.
With their UHD Graphics, the ASUS VivoBook 15 with the Intel processor packs a lot of power and still fits your business needs while you travel around.
It is a thin laptop with a high-resolution screen, slim and light design, excellent performance, and a good i3 laptop for video editing.
The 15.6″ full HD display gives a brilliant visual experience, bending up to 178° viewing angle and 83% screen-to-body ratio. It comes with 8 GB of RAM. It can be upgraded up to 16 GB of DDR4 RAM by using a memory upgrade kit.
The battery easily lasts for 6 hours. The port selection consists of two USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 ports. The device features Windows 11 Home built-in, with the latest updates, allowing you to install it without any issues.
5. HP 17
Specifications
| CPU (Processor) | 11th Generation Intel Core i3-1115G4 (upto 4.1 GHz) |
| GPU | Intel UHD graphics |
| RAM | 8 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 256 GB NVMe PCIe SSD |
| Screen | 17.3 Inches HD+ 1600 x 900 Pixels display |
| Weight | 5.25 lbs. (2.38 kg) |
| Battery Life | Up to 6 hours |
| Others | Wi-Fi , 720p HD camera, Bluetooth, Windows 11 Home |
This HP 17-inch laptop features an Intel Core i3 1115G4 processor, the latest generation of the Intel Core i3 family.
It’s designed to provide the best connectivity and responsiveness.
Compared to previous generations of processors, this one runs applications faster, which means your work will be completed in much less time.
Integrated Intel UHD graphics have been provided to give you the best performance, making it a budget i3 laptop.
You will find and run this to be true for most productivity and gaming applications.
There is 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of SSD space that can hold up to 15 times more files than conventional hard drives, and it’s a cheap i3 laptop that can run MS office, so you won’t be able to keep up with your competition.
A thin and light design is the key to making it portable, and it has been designed to take on any task. The screen size of this laptop is 17.3 inches.
Its big display makes it a good I3 laptop on a budget in 2023. The 1600 x 900 pixels resolution is not enough for high-definition displays so you can consider this i3 laptop for video editing.
The display’s resolution is lower than other laptops in this class, but if you can compromise in the display section, you can think of it.
The company claimed to have a battery life of approximately 8 hours. But in our testing, it gives us 7 hours of battery backup. There are three USB 3.0 ports included in the port selection.
It has a Windows 11 Home-based os. It has Bluetooth 5.0 and wifi 6.0 connectivity, which provides easy connectivity to mobile devices like tablets and internet access.
6. Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5i
Specifications
| CPU (Processor) | 12th Gen Intel Core i3-1215G4 processor |
| GPU | Intel integrated graphics |
| RAM | 8GB LPDDR4x |
| Storage | 128GB SSD |
| Screen | 13-inch narrow bezel FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS display |
| Weight | 2.97 lbs (1.34 kg) |
| Battery Life | Up to 10 hours |
| Others | Touchscreen, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, Chrome OS |
The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5i comes with a 12th-generation Intel Core i3-1215G4 processor, which is very high in performance. The processor is based on Intel at a frequency of up to 2.1 GHz.
The Intel processor and graphics have a lot of advantages, and the best price segment makes it a budget i3 laptop.
It helps to get rid of low battery life and ensures that your graphics card is always on, which means you can use it to play games or browse the web without leaving the comfort of your desk.
It comes with 8 GB of LPDDR4x memory and 128GB of storage. The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 is a slim, lightweight laptop with a stunning 13″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) LED display.
It is in a sleek build with a 360° rotating hinge. The Chromebook Flex 5 is not just a laptop – it has become a better laptop with an i3 processor for college students who assist in digital life education, leisure time, business, online meeting, and productivity.
For battery, the company claims to have 10 hours of battery. But it lasted for 8 hours when used usually.
This device comes with two USB 3.1 Type-C ports, one USB 3.1 Type-A port, an audio jack, and a Micro SD card slot.
It features the latest Intel wifi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 technology, making it a fast and reliable connection to the Internet.
It is Chrome OS-based laptop that is quite a popular and cheapest I3 laptop for students and school-age kids. They are cheap, run on a clean operating system, are relatively fast, and can be used to create simple websites.
Pros
- Affordable Price
- Excellent Battery Life
- Backlit Keyboard
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
- Ultra Slim and Portable
- Full HD Display
Cons
- Should have more storage
The Best Intel Core i7 Laptops: Comparison
| Products | Our Ratings | Type | CPU | GPU | RAM | Storage | Battery | Display | OS |
| HP 15 | 9/10 | Students/ Traditional | 11th Gen Intel Core i3-11154G | Intel UHD | 8GB DDR4 | 256GB SSD | Up to 11 hours | 15.6-inch FHD 60Hz | Windows 11 Home |
| Acer Aspire 5 | 9/10 | Students/ Traditional | 11th Gen Intel Core i3-11154G | Intel UHD | 4GB DDR4 | 128GB SSD | Up to 8.5 hours | 15.6-inch FHD 60Hz | Windows 11 Home S Mode |
| Lenovo Ideapad 3 | 8.5/10 | 2-in-1/ Touchscreen | 11th Gen Intel Core i3-11154G | Intel UHD | 8GB DDR4 | 256GB SSD | Up to 7 hours | 15.6-inch HD 60Hz | Windows 11 Home |
| ASUS VivoBook 15 | 9/10 | Students/ Traditional | 11th Gen Intel Core i3-11154G | Intel UHD | 8GB DDR4 | 128GB SSD | Up to 6 hours | 15.6-inch FHD 60Hz | Windows 11 Home |
| HP 17 | 8.5/10 | Students/ Traditional | 11th Gen Intel Core i3-11154G | Intel UHD | 8GB DDR4 | 256GB SSD | Up to 6 hours | 17.3-inch HD+ 60Hz | Windows 11 Home |
| Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5i | 9.5/10 | Students/ Traditional/ Chromebook | 12th Gen Intel Core i3-1215G4 | Intel UHD | 8GB LPDDR4x | 128GB SSD | Up to 10 hours | 13-inch FHD 60Hz | Chrome OS |
This overview of i3 processor laptops from the most popular brands that can run on high-resolution screens with good processors.
Difference between the i3 generation
The Intel Core processor is leadership in the CPU world. This is because it has a superior architecture, higher clock speeds, and better efficiency than the previous generations.
There are many different generations of core i3 processors. The best of all is the 10th, 11th, and 12th generations.
The great thing is that these processors are affordable and can be bought without a high-end graphics card.
i3 10th generation is good for productivity, but it also depends on your tasks. It may not be a perfect solution in all situations, but it is good.
Intel introduced their 11 th gen i3 laptop in 2021. This processor is an excellent alternative to the ones used by many mainstream systems because of its high efficiency and decent power consumption. An important aspect is that this processor gives you solid multitasking performance.
The 12th generation of the Intel Core i3 process, more considered, provides faster performances, better visualization, CPU efficiency, and applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
It will depend on the generation of the processor like-
1. 12th Gen Intel Core i3 laptops start at $500.
2. 11th Gen Intel Core i3 Laptops Starting at $300
3. And 10th Gen Intel Core i7 laptops start at $300.
Intel Core i5, i7 processors provide better performance because it has more cores and threads, but i3 processors are cheaper and still offer good performance for everyday task. Intel core i3 is perfect for daily task but not for gaming and other heavy task.
The best features to look for in a laptop with an i3 processor are-
1. laptop with at least 4GB RAM
2. It should have the HD, HD+, and FHD screen
3. Minimum 128GB SSD
Final Words
Finally, we rounded up the best laptops with i3 processors in 2023.
If you’re still confused about choosing a cheap i3 laptop, consider this
- An affordable laptop with an i3 processor should be small enough to be helpful.
- It should have enough capacity to run all the apps you want without complaining that it’s getting slower and slower.
- The CPUs of these computers should be powerful enough to perform all the tasks you need and run multiple applications at lightning speed.
We’ve seen laptops that can multitask, take great photos, and blow your mind with their performance.
Every laptop has its pros and cons, but if you’re looking for an inexpensive i3 notebook that can run for hours at 4K for free, these are the laptops you should consider.
