Budget laptops for basic use?

Hi there.

Can anyone recommend a budget-friendly laptop under $500? I’d prefer something with an AMD chip if possible. It'll mostly be used for browsing—think YouTube, forums, and reading the news—plus watching movies. Having an optical drive would be a nice bonus.

Thanks,

Honestly, if we're talking about buying something brand new, you'd be looking at a seriously underpowered laptop. Are used options off the table? And Intel isn't an option either? Anything from AMD that isn't a Ryzen chip—especially in the low end, like those E1 pieces of junk—is just terrible.

Look, I wouldn't mind buying used.

Everywhere I look, it’s nothing but Intel on the shelves.

Where are you located? We need to filter out the listings that aren't within driving distance for a local pickup.

Roughly speaking:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/hp-laptop-listing-example
https://www.ebay.com/itm/dell-laptop-listing-example
https://www.ebay.com/itm/lenovo-laptop-listing-example
https://www.ebay.com/itm/hp-laptop-listing-example-2

redscro should probably keep a closer eye on the current market trends, but the reality is this: you either go with something newer that still carries a manufacturer's warranty, or you opt for an older, high-end premium model that lacks any remaining coverage.