Best budget laptops for parents under $450?

I'm picking up a laptop for my folks. It’ll mostly be used for Microsoft Office, browsing, saving photos, and maybe my dad playing a few casual arcade games here and there...

The Dell XPS 13 seems to have a sturdier build than what the other brands are offering. My only gripe is that it's pretty boring looking in black.

I guess I'm wondering if the Latitude Dell is any lower quality? The specs seem about the same to me.

This HP is definitely more powerful, but I'm not sure they actually need all that extra juice. Maybe it isn't worth it just for a better screen and a backlit keyboard. I haven't seen the build quality in person though, unlike the Dell XPS 13.

I already ruled out the Apple model because it looks kind of flimsy.

The HP ProBook is decent. It doesn't have a powerhouse processor, but the dedicated graphics card helps make up for it, which you definitely need at 4K resolution. You won't make a mistake with that one.

Personally, I’m leaning toward Dell because of that 3-year warranty. The main difference between the Latitude and the Pavilion is that the Latitude is built as a business machine—it only has a VGA port for HDMI needs and features an anti-glare screen so you can actually see what you're doing in daylight.

The Pavilion is more of an entertainment model, so it includes HDMI for hooking up to a TV and stuff. Its screen has a glossy coating (just like most laptops from any brand) that improves contrast, sharpness, and color saturation, making everything look brighter and more vibrant. The side effect is the glare, which can be annoying depending on how much light hits it. But again, that’s just how it works with almost every laptop that doesn't come with an anti-glare screen. Most laptops are like that; the Latitude is actually one of the rare ones that offers this kind of display.

By the way, are 17.3" models out of your budget? For older guys like me, a slightly larger screen is a lot easier on the eyes.😬

Thanks, you're fast.

Have you actually gotten your hands on both? I'm curious about how much that HP actually feels like a quality machine.

I've messed around with ASUS and Apple laptops in that same price range, and honestly, I've always hated their keyboards... Dell feels a bit more solid to me.

p.s. 17" seems a bit much according to $1333, honestly it feels like overkill

I haven't personally tested it, but the HP ProBook is definitely a step up from the standard HP lineup in terms of build quality and materials. You could easily put it in the same league as the Pavilion series. On the other hand, you have to remember that ASUS and Apple laptops in this price bracket are basically entry-level, so you get exactly what you pay for regarding build quality.

Another dead giveaway for better quality is the backlit keyboard. Without fail, you'll only see that feature on the higher-end, more expensive laptops across all brands.

I’ve got a Dell Inspiron 15 http://www.acer.com/ac/hr/HR/content/model/NX.MVNEX.022

It works fine, I guess.

So, I'm looking at this one too. Red or white would probably look cool for my mom.
Maybe I'll pick it up at Best Buy.

Turns out it's actually cheaper than the HP Pavilion 15. The only other option near that price point might be the Dell Inspiron 3542, though that also just has onboard graphics.
But the advantage of the Dell is the better graphics card if they want to play some simple games, like racing games or pinball.
My only real worry is upgrading the Dell—that seems easier, whereas with the Dell Inspiron 15, I think you have to take the whole thing apart just to add more RAM. :/

Now I'm stuck deciding between the Dell Inspiron 15 or the Dell Inspiron 3542

(Seems like it's about the same quality as the HP Pavilion 15)

If I remember correctly, for businesses, the warranty is only one year.