Not everyone needs a powerful laptop, and though the HP Stream 11 isn’t going to win any performance accolades it is a decent choice as a cheap laptop on which to do homework, work with documents, browse the web, enjoy social media and watch online video.
The Stream has an 11.6in HD screen, which is smaller than most, but ideal if you want a machine that is going to be easily portable. This budget laptop weighs just 1.06kg.
Typically retailing at £179, a Cyber Monday discount sees a full copy of Microsoft Office Home & Student (retails separately at £119.99) and a Jam portable bluetooth speaker (£9.99) thrown in for just £188.99.
Core specs include an Intel Celeron N4000 processor, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of solid-state storage, along with dual speakers, dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, a basic webcam, a 3.5mm headphone jack, HDMI, a USB-C port and three USB 3.0 ports. The battery is said to last up to 13 hours, and though the storage allocation is rather meagre, microSD support does let you expand this.
Rather than Windows 10 Home this laptop runs Windows 10 S, which is primed for cheaper systems and education-oriented PCs. It is more streamlined and runs much faster than full-fat Windows, allowing the machine to also boot much more quickly, but a key difference is it will run only applications available in the Windows Store.
Since it is possible to get Microsoft Word for free, you might prefer to buy only the HP Stream 11 itself, which we’ve seen as low as £139 for Cyber Monday. Check out our live price comparison below:
If the HP Stream 11 doesn’t take your fancy, here are some other great deals on cheap laptops under £300:
Best Budget Laptop Deals
Lenovo 100e Chromebook
This Chromebook from Lenovo is now under £130 and will make a handy laptop for doing basics like email and word processing. It’s highly portable with a compact 11in screen.
Coda 1.2
This portable 12.5in laptop from Coda comes with an Intel Celeron processor and bundled year of Microsoft 365 worth £59.99.
Get the price under £100 with code ‘JUBILEE20’.
Lenovo IdeaPad 3i 14
The IdeaPad 3i is a stylish and dependable option if you need an affordable Windows laptop.
You can also pick up a Pentium Gold model with £110 off.
Asus VivoBook E510MA
This full-size Vivobook is already cheap and you can save £20 and get a year’s subscription of Microsoft Office 365 included. A bargain if ever we saw one.
HP Chromebook 14a
Get effectively £100 off this HP Chromebook with a 14in IPS display, 64GB of storage and B&O speakers
Avita Liber V 14
Avita might not be the most well-known laptop brand but we’ve been impressed with the ones we’ve tested.
The Liber V has an AMD Ryzen 3 processor and 256GB for not much money at all.
Asus CX1400CNA
This Chromebook is extremely cheap and is an affordable way to get a 14in laptop for basic daily tasks.
Coda 1.4
The 2-year warranty, Norton 360 Deluxe and Microsoft 365 bundle included with this laptop are worth almost as much as you’ll pay for the device itself.
Use code ‘JUBILEE20’ for the full discount.
Asus Chromebook Flip C214MA
This convertible Chromebook from Asus is affordable and versatile. It’s got an Intel Celeron processor and a 3-year warranty.
Asus C423NA Chromebook
The C423 is a solid all-rounder, especially at this price. This Intel Celeron N3350 model with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage is now under £160 with a useful discount.
Author: Marie Black, Editor In Chief
Marie is Editor in Chief, managing and leading the consumer editorial team. When she's not devising content strategy and analysing data she is a regular contributor of reviews, tips and tricks.
Marie has been writing about tech for 15 years, our resident Xiaomi and Chinese tech expert and a follower of all upcoming phones. AKA Tech Advisor's Power Ranger, she is the go-to for charging tech.