I Need A Cheap Laptop So My Kid Can Play Minecraft
It can be difficult to buy a laptop as a gift for a child. Review sites (even this one) tend to focus on flagship devices and those with unique features rather than basic budget products. This is partly due to reader interest but also because vendors don’t like sending us low-margin, cheap devices that we don’t invest in. This is especially true in the laptop category, where budget devices don't offer much. In recent years, however, there have been some worthy options.
It's these recent budget-friendly releases that I'll be recommending to reader Ben in this week's "Which Gadget Should You Buy?" A business analytics project manager, Ben is in search of a $400 or less laptop for his kid. He has only two requirements: that the system boot quickly and can play Minecraft.
Can my kid play Minecraft on a Chromebook?
When someone tells me that they want a budget laptop, I immediately think of Chromebooks. They typically offer better specs at the same price as Windows PCs. Unfortunately, Minecraft isn't supported on Chrome OS unless you're an education user who can access the Play Store and download the Android app.
What about the Acer Aspire 5!
Bummer. Bob now has to deal with Windows laptops. We're priced far above Mac territory. Although it can be difficult to find a decent $400 laptop with Windows 11 running it, it is possible. Acer Aspire is my first choice for Ben. It's not the most expensive device, but it has some of the best specs for the price.
For just $379, the Aspire 5 comes with a 14-inch, 1080p display, an Intel Core i5-1135G7 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. And since it uses an 11th Gen chip, the Aspire benefits from Iris Xe graphics, which will be more than enough to run Minecraft at decent frame rates.
What's the problem? The Aspire 5 comes packed with bloatware in the typical budget PC style. The webcam is also awful and the design with its thicker display-bezels isn't modern. The bigger issues are its relatively large size (0.7 inches thick and 3.2 pounds isn't exactly thin and light anymore) and plastic touchpad.
Maybe an HP Stream
While many people would recommend the HP Stream to others, not many people enjoy playing games on an 11 inch screen. I'm going therefore to nix it. There is a 14-inch version, but the screen is super low-res and the processor is fairly underpowered. Instead, I would recommend the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 as a bargain (like this one). It might be more laptop than what Ben and his son need, but it's hard to complain given the $330 price.
Minecraft on Surface?
Ben mentioned he'd been looking at Surface devices and would love the Surface Laptop SE if it were being sold to the public (not only purchasable through CDW). I will counter the SE with a Surface Laptop Go, currently priced at $350. The specs aren't great (4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage), but you won't find a laptop that feels more premium at this price. Games minecraft The new Surface Laptop Go 2 is available for purchase at $600 if Ben is willing to pay that much. It has twice the storage and a faster processor.
Would you recommend something else? We'd love to hear from you in the comments. Fill out our simple questionnaire to get help in deciding which gadget you should buy.
