Top 8 Best Intel Core i5 Laptops: Balanced all-round performers for education

Samuel J Tan Laptops, Personal Technology, Technology 0

A laptop for learning need not be expensive, but simply going for the cheapest options can be a false economy. Over time, these entry level machines will become slower, prompting the need for an upgrade sooner. Choosing a laptop powered by Intel core i5 means it is super quick to handle big projects now and fast enough to last through college or university.

Table of Contents

Why Intel Core i5 Processor

There are many reasons to opt for a laptop based on Intel Core i5 processor over the slower Core i3 or the top of the chart Core i7 but the main reason is to balance cost and performance. Most students do not need the extra power from an expensive Intel Core i7 laptop. And, while Intel Core i3 laptops are cheap, they are more for basic everyday computing like streaming, browsing the web, checking emails, streaming videos and using office productivity software. The Intel Core i5 laptop sits in between the two offering the best in performance for a price that most parents can afford.

It is fast enough to handle big assignment? The quick answer is “yes”. It will be fast enough for digital content creation such as graphic design, photo editing, and even video editing. The Intel Core i5 processor with sufficient memory and super fast SSD storage will fly through demanding applications and deal with multitasking without breaking a sweat. It is also fast enough for big projects like 3D modelling, CAD applications, complex spreadsheets and Animation. In other, it is perfect for students and power users alike.

Top 8 Best Laptops for around 500

We start with three of the best 15.6-inch laptops with Intel Core i5 processor followed by five of the best 14-inch laptops with Intel Core i5.

ASUS VivoBook X509 15.6-inch Laptop
HUAWEI MateBook D 15.6-inch Laptop – BEST OVERALL BIG LAPTOP
ACER Aspire 3 15.6-inch Laptop
HUAWEI MateBook D 14-inch Laptop – BEST SLIMMEST & LIGHTEST LAPTOP
LENOVO IdeaPad 5i 14-inch Laptop
HP Pavilion 14-ce3510sa 14-inch Laptop – BEST FOR MEMORY & STORAGE
LENOVO IdeaPad 3i 14-inch Laptop
HP 14-cf2504sa 14-inch Laptop – BEST VALUE VALUE

Here is a closer look at each of these laptops

1. ASUS VivoBook X509 15.6-inch Laptop – Intel® Core™ i5 256 GB SSD Grey

ASUS’s X509 is a full size 15.6-inch laptop with a full backlit keyboard that includes num pad to the right and 1.4mm key travel. The only other laptop with num pad is the Acer Aspire 3 15.6-inch below. It also comes with a spacious touchpad with a built-in fingerprint scanner on the top right corner. While it is not obvious to us how long the battery lasts, the laptop supports fast-charge to top it up to 60% in just 49 minutes.

That 15.6-inch display is a Full HD panel with 178 degree wide viewing angle and anti-glare coating. It is surrounded by small NanoEdge bezels to keep the display top and center. While case may look like any other case, it has clever designs like reinforced lids with side impact protection beams and reinforced support brace under the keyboard for stalbe typing. Overall, a rigid and strong lid, hinge and body.

15.6-inch Full HD NanoEdge bezel
Intel® Core™ i5-1035G1 Processor
RAM: 8 GB / Storage: 256 GB SSD
Battery life: NA
22.9 x 360.2 x 234.9 mm and 1.8kg

2. HUAWEI MateBook D 15.6-inch Laptop – Intel® Core™ i5 256 GB SSD Space Grey [BEST OVERALL BIG LAPTOP]

For a 15.6-inch laptop, the Huawei MateBook D15 is the slimmest and lightest in our list, an accolade that it shares with its smaller 14-inch model in its class. It weighs only 1.5kg and measures just 17mm thin. Huawei does not compromise on quality when it comes to the MateBook. Its sturdy aluminium chassis and high-end design is extraordinary at this price point. It has one of the smallest bezels.

This is made possible by embedding the web cam into a pop-up key on the keyboard. This is found in the top most row, in the middle of the function keys. It may not appeal to everyone as it means the viewing angle is bottom up. To get around this, angle the display back and look down at the screen for a more natural face-to-face chat.

Finally, that 15.6-inch display gets IPS treatment for maximum brightness whichever angle you view it from, it has a fingerprint sensor which none of the other entries apart from MateBook D14 have and supports quick charge to bring the flat battery back up to 53% in an hour.

15.6-inch IPS LCD Full HD Display
Intel® Core™ i5-10210U Processor
RAM: 8 GB / Storage: 256 GB SSD
Battery life: Up to 8 hours with quick charge
16.9 x 357.8 x 229.9 mm (H x W x D) and 1.53kg – SLIM & LIGHTWEIGHT

3. ACER Aspire 3 15.6-inch Laptop – Intel® Core™ i5 256 GB SSD Black

The third and last laptop on our list with a big 15.6-inch display is this, the Acer Aspire 3. It is a fast and responsive machine, at the same price point at the two earlier laptops. It even has the same battery life as the Huawei above. While it comes with a full-size keyboard with num pad to the right, the keys are not back-lit which is a bit of a disappointment. Otherwise, the display supports BlueLightShield to reduce strain from prolonged used by reducing the blue light.

15.6-inch Full HD Display
Intel® Core™ i5-1035G1 Processor
RAM: 8 GB / Storage: 256 GB SSD
Battery life: Up to 8 hours
19.9 x 363.4 x 247.5 mm (H x W x D) and 1.9kg

4. HUAWEI MateBook D 14-inch Laptop – Intel® Core™ i5 256 GB SSD Grey [BEST SLIMMEST & LIGHTEST LAPTOP]

Judging purely on size, the Huawei MateBook D14 is the slimmest and lightest of all the 14-inch laptops on our list. However, it does not make it cheaper. In fact, it shares the same price tag as the bigger MateBook D15. It does have an advantage over its bigger sibling in that the battery lasts a whole 4 hours longer for a whopping 12 hours on a full charge. Both are powered by the same processor, memory and storage and come in a sleek and slimline chassis in space grey. In fact it looks very similar to the MacBook Pro except the top and side bezels are much slimmer owing to the web cam being sited on the keyboard.

14-inch IPS LCD Full HD Glossy Display
Intel® Core™ i5-10210U Processor
RAM: 8 GB / Storage: 256 GB SSD
Battery life: Up to 12 hours
15.9 x 322.5 x 214.8 mm (H x W x D) and 1.38kg – SLIMMEST & LIGHTEST

5. LENOVO IdeaPad 5i 14-inch Laptop – Intel® Core™ i5 256 GB SSD Grey [BEST FOR LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN]

Next, we have an 14-inch laptop from Lenovo. This is one of two Lenovos that made it to our list with this being the higher model and therefore more expensive. In fact, it is the most expensive machine on our list, more expensive that the 15-inch laptops above. It differs from other laptops in that where the web cam is housed, there is a bit of a lip making it taller than the rest of the top bezel. That is because it also houses a privacy shutter for the web cam. If nothing, it is useful for opening the laptop. The 14-inch Full HD display is accompanied by Dolby Audio tuned speakers, perfect as an entertainment machine for down time after a long days work. Now, it may not be as thin as the Huawei above but it is still the lightest laptop on our list.

14-inch TN LCD Full HD Anti-glare Display
Intel® Core™ i5-1035G1 Processor
RAM: 8 GB / Storage: 256 GB SSD
Battery life: Up to 9 hours
17.9 x 321.5 x 211.59 mm (H x W x D) and 1.38kg – LIGHTEST

6. HP Pavilion 14-ce3510sa 14-inch Laptop – Intel® Core™ i5 512 GB SSD Silver -[BEST FOR BIG MEMORY & STORAGE]

Also near the top end of our price range is this HP Pavilion 14. Two things that immediately stands out from the other Intel Core i5 laptops in our list is the memory and storage. With the memory, it has the same 8GB RAM capacity but is further improved with a huge 32GB of Intel Optane memory. A sort of secondary memory that helps speed up loading and multitasking. As for the storage, it has twice the capacity of all the other laptops on our list with super fast 512GB SSD.

Now, the boost to the memory and storage is enough to have me reach for my wallet but it does not stop there. The 14-inch Full HD IPS display is vivid and sharp, while the laptop can last over 10 hours on a charge with Fast Charge support (50% in 45 minutes). It also supports Amazon Alexa voice assistant to control your smartphone, set reminders and timers, get the weather and news without lifting a finger.

14-inch IPS LCD Full HD Display
Intel® Core™ i5-1035G1 Processor
RAM: 8 GB / 32 GB Intel® Optane™ / Storage: 512 GB SSD – BIG MEMORY & STORAGE
Battery life: Up to 10.5 hours
17.9 x 326.8 x 225.5 mm (H x W x D) and 1.6kg

7. LENOVO IdeaPad 3i 14-inch Laptop – Intel® Core™ i5 256 GB SSD Blue

The next two laptops are the cheapest on our list, starting with yet another Lenovo, the IdeaPad 3i. This 14-inch laptop has a lower battery life of up to 7.5 hours per charge but comes with Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB DDR4 memory and 256GB SSD storage. Like the more expensive IdeaPad 5i above, it also has dual firing speakers that support Dolby Audio and a webcam with privacy shutter.

14-inch LCD Full HD Anti-glare
Intel® Core™ i5-1035G1 Processor
RAM: 8 GB / Storage: 256 GB SSD
Battery life: Up to 7.5 hours
19.9 x 327.7 x 241 mm (H x W x D) and 1.6kg

8. HP 14-cf2504sa 14-inch Laptop – Intel® Core™ i5 256 GB SSD Silver – BEST VALUE

Last but not least is this HP 14, the cheapest entry on our list of all-rounders. It uses a slightly slower Intel Core i5-10210U. User benchmarks puts the Intel Core i5-1035G used in most of the laptops above except for Huaweis at an average of 8% faster. Available in black, white or silver, you have a choice of colours too. Features that allow the HP 14 to stand out include a mix of 4GB RAm and 16GB Intel Optane memory and up to 10 hours of battery life. The former supports quicker application loading and system booting up time while the latter offers a full day’s use with Fast Charge to pick up 50% of battery level in just 45 minutes.