Laptops are excellent devices for people who are always on the go. Display, battery, keyboard, touchpad, it’s all merged into one device, easy to carry and maintain. No matter if you need it for work, gaming, or any other reason, you never have to be tied to a single location. Besides, in the case of a sudden power blackout, you will be able to use it for at least an hour, or a couple of hours if minimally used. Although they both have their pros and cons, there are various reasons why you should choose a laptop over a desktop computer.
However, that’s where the problem begins. Choosing the right laptop to suit your needs is not always an easy task to do. There are various things to consider, and it gets more complicated when you try to limit the budget. To save you from the long and tedious process, we have listed the best models that you can buy in India under Rs. 35000 in 2020. On the other hand, if you want to shop for a laptop that’s not on the list, be sure to check our buying tips. They will save you lots of time and money.
Which Platform to Pick?
One of the first things that you should clarify is which platform you want on your laptop. There are three leading platforms that you should choose from, and those are Windows, Mac, and Chrome OS. It’s a bit tricky question to answer, especially if you are not familiar with both Macs and PCs. We can’t say which of these three platforms is the best since it mainly depends on your needs and personal reference.
Windows is the most flexible operating system since it runs on more laptops and desktop computers than the other two systems. You can find Windows laptops in a price range from under $150 to several thousands of dollars. They offer various features, such as fingerprint scanners, touch-screens, and even Dual GPUs. Since the launch of Windows 10 on July 29, 2015, Windows has introduced various useful features. Now you can use follow-up questions with Cortana, and even search email using your natural language. Windows 10 laptops are ideal for students and business people, but also, they are the only machines that passionate gamers should consider.
If you decide to buy a new MacBook, you will notice that all of those come with Apple’s latest desktop operating system, macOS Catalina. In short, the system offers very similar functionality to Windows 10 but presented in a different way. For example, Apple has done a lot when it comes to integrations between devices. Therefore, you can perform transactions via Apple Pay, take calls or messages from your phone, and even unlock your laptop via the Apple Watch. However, no MacBooks come with a touch-screen.
In the end, we have Google’s OS, which is simple and secure but very limited compared to Windows and Mac. The user interface is very similar to Windows’, and the main app that you use is the Chrome browser. However, many web apps don’t work well offline, but it’s slowly changing, as almost all Chromebooks can now run Android apps. In short, Chromebooks are excellent devices if you need them mainly for surfing the web, checking the email, and other simple, online stuff. It’s apparent that they are not for gaming, or even working.
Choosing the Right Size
Another crucial factor to consider when buying a new laptop is the display size. Laptops are usually categorized mainly by their size, starting from the tiniest ones that have 11 or 12-inch screens. They typically weigh around 3 pounds (~1.5 kilograms). Then, there are laptops with 13-14″ screens, which provide the ideal balance between portability and usability. The most popular screen size on laptops is around 15-16″, and they are pretty good if you aim for a big screen, and don’t need to often carry the laptop with you. In the end, if you want your laptop to be always on your desk, you should aim for the 17-18″ screen size. Besides a large screen, they usually come with enough power for playing high-end games or do some productive work.
Pick the Right Specifications
Don’t worry if you get confused with laptop specifications – they might even confuse a computer geek. The fact is that processors, RAM memory, GPUs, and so on, can be different than the ones that are used for desktop computers. Let’s see what you should pay attention to.
CPUs are the “brains” of a computer. They can cost a lot and do miracles. However, depending on your needs, you might buy the least expensive one and be completely satisfied. If you are looking for extreme performance, you should aim for Intel 10th-Gen CPUs. They are recently introduced, and they are all about raw performance. If you still want good performance, but you don’t need it to be that powerful, you can choose between i3 and i7. On the other hand, if playing high-end games or doing some professional modeling doesn’t interest you, then go for AMD A, FX, or E series. Those are usually found on low-cost laptops, and provide a decent performance that is good for surfing, using media, and other similar stuff.
When it comes to RAM memory, you can find laptops with as low as 4GB of RAM. However, we advise you to buy a laptop of at least 8 or 16GB. The fact is that software and applications are becoming more and more demanding, and over time, you might find that your RAM is insufficient. Besides, the laptop of 8GB RAM doesn’t cost much more than the one with 4GB, and it can be an excellent long-term investment.
Having a good Storage Drive (or Hard Drive) is a crucial thing. It is even more important than RAM sometimes. If you don’t need ample internal storage, you should buy a Solid State Drive (SDD), instead of a Hard Drive. The reason is that they provide at least 3X the speed of a Hard Drive, and you will also notice that the overall laptop performance is much better. Everything you do is in some way related to your drive and storage memory.
When buying a laptop, you should pay attention to its display. Not the diagonal size only, but the resolution, too. Sadly, some laptops come with 1366 x 768 resolution even today. If you have enough money to afford it, we recommend buying a laptop with a Full HD display that provides a 1920 x 1080 resolution. You might even want to aim for UHD or 4K, but they consume more power, which directly leads to shorter battery life. Choose wisely, according to your needs.
The last thing that we mention, but that’s also equally important, is the GPU. So, if you are not playing any video games or doing 3D modeling, you will be satisfied with the integrated graphics chip. In another case, you will need a graphics card that is not integrated and doesn’t share system memory.
Planning Based on Your Budget
Obviously, depending on your budget, you can get a “usable” or a high-end machine. The least expensive machines are Chromebooks, which you can buy for $150-250. They run Google’s browser-centric operative system and should be used only as secondary computers. On the other hand, you might want to buy a Chromebook for your kid.
If your budget is $300-600, you can get a pretty decent laptop with Intel Core i5 and 500GB hard drive. However, most of the laptops in that price range don’t have Full HD resolution, a long battery life, or an SSD. If you want to spend $600-900 for your new laptop, you can get a very good machine. They usually have SSDs and Full HD resolution. In the end, if your budget is higher than $900, you will get a notebook that’s more portable and more powerful. You can expect a higher resolution, great GPUs, and faster processors. However, note that your laptop is only as good as the company that made it. You should always mind the brand when buying a new device, especially if you are ready to invest a hefty amount of cash.
Model | CPU | GPU | RAM | Storage | Display Resolution | Display Size |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lenovo Ideapad L340 | i5 Quad-Core | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 GPU | 8GB | 1TB HDD | Full HD | 15.6-inch |
Acer Aspire 3 Thin A315-54 | 2.10 GHz Intel Core i3-8145U | Intel UHD Graphics 620 | 4GB | 265GB SSD | Full HD | 15.6-inch |
Asus VivoBook 15 | 7th Generation Intel Core i3-7020U | Intel HD Graphics 620 | 8GB (upgradable to 12GB) | 1TB HDD | Full HD | 15.6-inch |
HP 14Q CS0023TU | 7th Gen Core i3-7020U | Integrated Graphics | 8GB | 256GB SSD | 1366x768 | 14-inch |
Lenovo Ideapad S145 Laptop | 8th Gen i3-8145U processor | Integrated Graphics | 4GB | 1TB HDD | Full HD | 15.6-inch |
Dell Inspiron 15 3584 | 7th Gen Core i3-7020U | Intel HD Graphics | 4GB | 1TB HDD | Full HD | 15.6-inch |
Top 6 Laptops Under Rs. 35000 in India
#1 Lenovo Ideapad L340
CPU: i5 Quad-Core | GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 GPU | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 1TB HDD | Display Resolution: Full HD | Screen Size: 15.6-inch
+ Excellent GPU!
+ Ideal for gaming
+ 8th-Gen Processor
− Battery life could be improved
The Ideapad L340 is, by all means, the best entry-level gaming laptop that you can buy for Rs. 35000. With its impressive i5 quad-core processor and 4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 GPU, it efficiently provides a beautiful and smooth gaming experience in 60 FPS. Of course, being a gaming laptop doesn’t mean that you can’t use it for the office, or some 3D modeling.
At first, let’s talk about the design. What we like is that, although it’s a gaming laptop, it doesn’t look like a futuristic, sci-fi laptop for teenage gamers. It comes in a brushed black chassis with a dominant blue keyboard lighting and looks smooth and polished. The palm rest place is soft, so you won’t feel pain or discomfort after using it for long periods of time. It’s much better than hard and robust plastic, but it’s also less stylish than the brushed aluminum on a similar device, Acer Predator Helios 300. On the other hand, it’s much easier to keep clean. The side screen bezels could be a bit thinner, but they are definitely small enough to give this laptop a beautiful, modern look.
When it comes to the display, we are delighted. Okay, it doesn’t come with 144Hz like some expensive gaming laptops, but if we consider the price, a 60Hz display is expected. It features Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, but apart from that, it provides a bright and colorful picture, ideal for gaming. However, you should know that L340 offers only the necessary connectivity parts. There is no SD-card reader, and it comes with a single USB Type-C port, a pair of USB 3.1 ports, an Ethernet port, HDMI 2.0 (instead of 1.2 or 1.4 like some laptops have), and an audio jack for headphones and mic. However, we noticed that the lack of a 2×2 MIMO technology antenna doesn’t allow high transfer speeds like the one that HP Omen 15 has, for example. But still, transfer rates at around 300 Mb/s when sending your data are very decent.
The keyboard is done pretty well. Most laptops feature the popular RGB lighting, but with L340, it’s a little different. It features a blue monochrome backlighting, that looks amazing. There is a two-stage brightness that you can adjust depending on whether you are indoors or outdoors. The keyboard feels very comfortable to type on, and a touchpad offers short travel and precise point of pressure. The Numpad keys are slightly smaller, but it still feels comfortable to type on them.
Apart from all that, the actual performance is what we like the most. It’s a powerful gaming laptop, capable of running modern games pretty smoothly. However, you should avoid Ultra-High graphics settings, or connecting to an external monitor with 4K resolution. The 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor, paired with lots of RAM and a very good HDD, allows smooth operation when it comes to everyday computing tasks. There is also a turbo mode that maxes 2.4GHz base clock speed to an incredible 4.1GHz.
Let’s talk a bit about the actual games. The first game that we tested on this laptop was Witcher 3. Of course, we set all the settings to Ultra and started the game. Everything ran pretty smoothly; however, we were barely able to exceed 30 FPS. If you ever played a game in 60 FPS, then you know that it’s a big difference. On the other hand, when we lowered the settings a bit, we managed to maintain constant 60 frames per second, while not significantly compromising the graphics quality, and we also kept the max resolution. Then, we tested Far Cry 5 and Rise of the Tomb Raider at Medium – Very High settings, and we were overly satisfied.
However, you should note that all of that high-end hardware leads to increased power consumption. Therefore, our average measured battery life was slightly above 4 hours. Apart from that, Lenovo Ideapad L340 is, by all means, our top choice for the price. If you are looking for a high-end, yet affordable laptop, especially if you are a passionate gamer who aims for portability, don’t miss it out!
#2 Acer Aspire 3 Thin A315-54
CPU: 2.10 GHz Intel Core i3-8145U | GPU: Intel UHD Graphics 620 | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 256GB SSD | Display Resolution: Full HD | Screen Size: 15.6-inch
+ Thin and lightweight
+ Powerful performance for that price range
+ Decently bright and sharp display
− No Type-C ports
What caught our attention is that Acer Aspire 3 comes with an 8th-gen Intel Core i3 processor and offers performance that is found on laptops twice the price. Although the battery life is a bit limited, with the outstanding build quality and all the other details, this laptop is an excellent choice and the top on our list.
Acer Aspire 3 comes with a very convenient keyboard and a large touchpad. The touchpad offers plenty of space to maneuver and supports page scrolling with two fingers, as well as right clicks. However, you can still use the left and right clicks by pressing down the touchpad. A315-54 lets you push the screen all the way, which is a feature you’ll probably never need, but it’s excellent flexibility that prevents accidentally snapping the screen.
The laptop is slightly weighty, but not too much. Although it weighs 1.9 kilograms, it’s pretty thin, with no more than an inch when closed. You can easily fit it into the backpack, and it won’t take up much space. Also, we noticed that instead of classic rubber feet, it comes with a long rubber strip that perfectly ensures the laptop is in place during use.
The Aspire 3 is equipped with an excellent Intel Core i3 2.1GHz processor and 4GB of RAM memory. It also comes with an SSD storage of 256GB. You will notice that there is an HDMI port, as well as a single USB 3.1 and a pair of USB 2.0 ports. However, there are no disk drives or card readers, but the truth is, people are using disk drives less and less as technology advances.
Acer Aspire 3 is very responsive; however, it might slow down if overburdened. If you browse the internet or watch a movie, it will work smoothly. However, if you open too many tabs or start a few programs at once, it becomes slightly slower. On the other hand, it perfectly runs programs such as Photoshop or editors like Premiere. We also did a Benchmark test to see how it performs, and the results are excellent. Aspire 3 was around 17-18% ahead of other laptops with similar specifications.
The display is decently bright and sharp, but not uncomfortably. It comes with an anti-glare feature, which leads to the screen having a matte look instead of a glossy one that you may find on most of the other laptops. The feature is especially useful for students or other people who need to write, view, or read tons of documents.
The company promises 8 hours of battery life. However, when we looped a movie at 50% brightness, the battery lasted around 6 hours. In case you want to use the screen at full light and do other stuff apart from watching movies, that battery life will be even shorter.
#3 Asus VivoBook 15
CPU: 7th Generation Intel Core i3-7020U | GPU: Intel HD Graphics 620 | RAM: 8GB (upgradable to 12GB) | Storage: 1TB HDD | Display Resolution: Full HD | Screen Size: 15.6-inch
+ Improved cooling solution
+ Sturdy build quality
− The battery could be better
− The display is a bit dimmed
With the price of Rs. 32,000 – 33,000, VivoBook 15 might be slightly overpriced. We don’t say that it’s not worth the money, but before deciding to buy it, think about what you need. So, what does Asus VivoBook 15 have to offer?
At first, it’s a very modern-looking laptop. The body is made of Slate Gray plastic, and thin bezels around the display make it look even better. Probably thanks to the thin bezels, the screen boasts an impressive 83% screen-to-body ratio. The body material is anti-glare, so if you are using it in the low-light condition, you won’t be distracted by the screen reflections. Another great thing is that the display is 15.6-inch and runs in Full HD resolution. You can enjoy a perfect, vivid, and sharp image.
The laptop is powered with an excellent 7th generation Intel Core i3 processor and 8GB of RAM, while the storage is pretty much enough – 1TB, although not SSD. With 8GB of RAM, VivoBook 15 can do all the necessary daily stuff, while also being able to withstand the extra burden. You can also play games on it since it has enough RAM memory and a good CPU. However, don’t expect anything extraordinary, since the GPU unit is not that good when it comes to gaming.
We noticed that the keyboard of Asus VivoBook 15 has a kinda Mac-like finish. The keys are black and square, and it’s obvious that it’s the imitation of Apple’s keyboard. However, it works pretty well and feels comfortable while typing. The battery is also relatively good, with 6 hours of battery life, while it also charges completely under 100 mins.
Overall, it’s a pretty decent laptop for its price tag. It comes with pre-installed Windows 10, 8GB of RAM, and a very nice, sleek, yet non-reflective design. On the other hand, it’s not the lightest laptop and has no SSD. if that’s okay with you, VivoBook 15 might make a perfect choice.
#4 HP 14Q CS0023TU
CPU: 7th Gen Core i3-7020U | GPU: Integrated Graphics | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 256GB SSD | Display Resolution: 1366×768 | Screen Size: 14-inch
+ Comes with a very fast SSD
− No Full HD resolution
One of the best laptop manufacturers for the India market, HP, has recently launched model 14Q. There are already some variations of 14Q, but CS0023TU is definitely the best among all the others. We can confidently say that because we have spent hours testing almost all of the HP models, to choose the best. The CS0023TU model has numerous excellent features that other models don’t, but however, it also has some significant cons. At first, let’s talk about its features.
Shortly, it comes with Core i3 7th-gen CPU, and a very nice, thin 14-inch display. The storage space of 256GB is not too much, but we should mention that it’s a very fast SSD. Also, the laptop weighs only 1.43 kilograms, which is pretty decent.
When it comes to the display, we were surprised that it doesn’t offer a Full HD resolution. Instead, the display resolution is 1366 x 768, which provides a decent image, but not the amazing one. However, the colors are pretty vivid and the brightness is satisfying.
We already mentioned that this laptop comes with 256GB SSD, and that’s one of the things that we are overly satisfied with. It’s not a huge, breathtaking amount of storage that other models don’t provide, but the fact that you get SSD for that price is amazing. We talked at the beginning of the article the importance of SSD – it doesn’t only affect the copy/paste speed, but the overall laptop performance, too. However, if you are a person who needs lots of storage, then this laptop is not for you. You should buy it only if you primarily opt for SSD when it comes to storage.
Another pretty nice thing is that CS0023TU comes with 8GB of RAM. It’s enough for some serious multi-tasking, and you won’t find a laptop with more RAM memory in that price range. In one sentence, 14Q comes with 8GB of RAM and Intel HD Graphics 620, which is very good. Besides, the laptop has the in-built Bluetooth 4.2 and WiFi 802.11 b/g/n.
One of the reasons this laptop weighs only 1.43 kg is that it comes with SSD instead of the classic hard drive. It’s pretty good for a person who travels a lot, since it’s light and thin, and you can easily fit it into a normal-sized backpack. HP 14Q comes with Lithium battery whose average life is around 7 hours, but it greatly depends on the way you use it. Overall, we were satisfied with the battery life.
HP 14Q CS0023TU comes with a single USB 2.0 port, a pair of USB 3.0 ports, a port for HDMI, and an audio jack. Like many laptops of today, it doesn’t have a CD-drive, so if CD-drive is a must for you, you should skip 14Q. Besides the left and right mouse click, the touchpad of this laptop also recognizes some gestures. However, for the easiest use, we recommend you to buy an external mouse. The keyboard is pretty fine, since it has big, yet light buttons.
We can confidently say that in this price range, it’s one of the best laptops that you can choose. However, depending on your needs, you should pay attention to all the things we mentioned. Note that it also doesn’t have a backlit keyboard, so working at night might be a bit tricky.
#5 Lenovo Ideapad S145 Laptop
CPU: 8th Gen i3-8145U processor | GPU: Integrated Graphics | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 1TB HDD | Display Resolution: Full HD | Screen Size: 15.6-inch
+ Quiet
+ Thin and light body
− Build quality could be slightly better
− Poor viewing angles
You must have heard of Lenovo – a Chinese company that builds great devices and sells them at a very reasonable, on-budget price. The same applies to S145 – you get a large screen and lots of storage, for a decent price – especially if you take advantage of the actual discounts. However, you shouldn’t expect to get a high-end gaming laptop, to suit your gaming needs. Lenovo S145 is primarily built for light tasks, such as checking emails, browsing the web, and similar stuff. On the other hand, you can still find pricier Lenovo devices with extremely good processors and GPUs.
It’s a fairly portable laptop, and although it’s made from plastic, it’s pretty robust and strong for the laptop in that price range. S145 has a 15.6-inch display which is pretty decent for watching movies or doing some light gaming. It also provides a Full HD resolution, which we honestly didn’t expect. Such a surprise!
S145 has an integrated basic Celeron or Pentium chip, while you can also get a more expensive version with up to 10th-Gen Intel Core i7 processors. Those devices also offer much more RAM and a better GPU, in case you want a gaming device. As mentioned, this laptop has more than enough power for simple, light tasks, or some older games, but high-end gaming is far from possible. We also noticed that the battery is not very good, compared to similar laptops. It becomes an even bigger problem if you buy one of the pricier models – they keep the same battery that has to power more demanding hardware, which leads to even shorter battery life.
On the other hand, you get pretty decent storage with this laptop. It comes with 1TB hard disk, however, it’s not SSD. The fact is that SSDs are very popular today, so if you used SSD before, you will notice that 5400rpm hard disk is much slower. If you ever want to upgrade memory or storage space, you can simply undo 10 screws and remove the cover. However, opening the machine will end its warranty, so do it at your own risk.
We can conclude that for the cheap price, it’s a pretty decent laptop. However, if you want to buy a better one, don’t look for higher-end options of S145. Instead, choose from the ones that we mentioned above.
#6 Dell Inspiron 15 3584
CPU: 7th Gen Core i3-7020U | GPU: Intel HD Graphics | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 1TB HDD | Display Resolution: Full HD | Screen Size: 15.6-inch
+ 24 months of manufacturer’s warranty
+ Simple, straightforward design
− Large bezels around the screen look out fashioned
− The processor could be a bit better
If you are not a gamer but are still looking for a laptop with a decent performance, Inspiron 15 is your best way to go. It’s a very reliable notebook that offers a 15-inch display and Full HD resolution, for less than Rs. 30,000. Dell laptops are known to age well, so if properly maintained, you won’t have any problems selling them in the future. Besides, although it doesn’t offer a breathtaking performance, Dell Inspiron 15 is a very reliable device.
The Full HD display offers a clear and vivid image, optimal for watching movies or surfing the web. However, we didn’t like the large bezels around the screen that look old-fashioned and remind of laptops of 10 years ago, if not even older ones.
It comes with 4GB of RAM which is decent for normal usage, but definitely, you won’t be able to play Witcher 3 at Ultra settings. There is a 1TB hard drive inside, and although it’s not SSD, it’s still pretty good having its price in mind. We also notice that it works very well with the 7th-gen Intel Core i3 processor, however, we expected at least 8th-gen chipset for that price. What we liked a lot is the fact that the keyboard is placed with perfection. Buttons are very responsive and have a very short travel path, which you will get used to in no time. Just pressing the buttons feels very good and satisfying.
In short, Dell is India’s most trusted brand, and if you buy a Dell laptop, it will last for a long time if maintained properly. It’s a very good choice if you are looking for a decent laptop on the budget.
Best Laptops Under Rs. 35,000 in India
Best Laptops Under Rs. 35000 with i7 Processor
If you are into modern technology, you probably know that the i7 processor is amazing. Therefore, it’s almost impossible to find the laptop with the i7 CPU under 35,000. On the other hand, you can buy a laptop with an i5 processor, paired with 6-8 GB RAM, which leads to equal performance. In that case, be sure to check out Acer Aspire E5-575G. Besides the mentioned specifications, you will also get a 1TB HDD and a nice, 15.6-inch display.
Best Laptops Under Rs. 35000 for Programming
For professional programmers, the best choice would be Lenovo Ideapad 320E. It comes with an integrated GPU, 802.11 AC WiFi card that allows you to surf the internet faster, and pre-installed Windows 10. Be sure to check it out!
Best Gaming Laptop Under Rs. 35000
Obviously, you can’t expect an ultimate performance for that price. However, if you still want a gaming laptop under Rs. 35,000, you should buy Lenovo Ideapad 340 that we already mentioned above. It’s the best entry-level gaming laptop in that price range.
Best Dell Laptop Under Rs. 35000
Dell laptops are popular in India, and there are plenty of models to choose from. However, if you are looking for the best choice under Rs. 35000, we strongly recommend you to check out Dell Vostro 15 3568 or Dell Inspiron 15 3584 that we already mentioned. You won’t make a mistake by buying any of these two.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are some pretty good laptops to choose from, under Rs. 35,000. Our top choice is the Lenovo Ideapad L340. It comes with the i5 processor, Full HD display, a very comfortable keyboard, and a few more excellent components. It’s the best laptop that you can buy in the mentioned price range. On the other hand, depending on your needs, you might want to buy a laptop with not-so-good specifications, at the lower price. Therefore, be sure to double-check the list above, since those are the best laptops that you can buy in India at a decent price.
Do you think that there is a good laptop that is not on the list? Please let us know in the comments below.