If you’re searching for a laptop powered by an Intel Core i3 processor, you’re looking for a device that balances affordability, efficiency, and reliable everyday performance. This guide is crafted for students, casual users, remote workers, and anyone who values smooth computing without overspending.
We understand that not every user needs a powerhouse. Sometimes, you want a machine that effortlessly handles web browsing, streaming, document editing, and light multitasking—without the bulk or the price tag. That’s where Core i3 laptops shine.
Affordable Performance That Keeps You Moving
The Intel Core i3 lineup has evolved into a surprisingly capable chip series. Today’s Core i3 processors are energy-efficient, quick enough for most daily tasks, and well-suited to modern software demands. Still, many users face confusion: Will an i3 handle video calls and spreadsheets without lag? Can it manage casual photo editing or light coding?
If you’ve ever felt your laptop struggle with browser tabs or apps, or worried about battery life during a workday, you’re not alone. But the right Core i3 laptop addresses these pain points with balanced specs, solid build quality, and smart feature sets designed to maximize productivity without compromise.
We’ve looked at dozens of Core i3 laptops to find models that offer smooth performance, portability, and great value. These machines are perfect if your workflow centers on internet research, office suites, streaming media, video conferencing, and even light photo editing or casual gaming.
Our goal is to help you avoid bottlenecks in RAM, storage, or display quality that too often drag down entry-level laptops.
What Makes a Core i3 Laptop Worth It?
Here’s how we evaluate these laptops, focusing on the specs that matter most:
- Processor: We recommend Intel Core i3 models from the 11th generation or newer, as they feature improved integrated graphics and better power efficiency compared to earlier generations.
- Memory (RAM): At minimum, 8GB of RAM is essential to maintain smooth multitasking across multiple browser tabs and apps.
- Storage: Look for laptops with at least 512GB SSDs. SSD storage drastically improves boot times and file access compared to traditional hard drives.
- Display: A Full HD (1920×1080) screen enhances clarity for reading, video playback, and general use. IPS panels offer better viewing angles and color accuracy.
- Battery Life: Many Core i3 laptops deliver 6 to 10 hours of use, ideal for students or remote workers needing all-day mobility.
- Portability: Lightweight designs, often under 3.5 pounds, make these laptops easy to carry between classes, meetings, or travel.
- Connectivity: USB-C support, Wi-Fi 6 compatibility, and HDMI outputs add flexibility for peripherals, faster internet, and external displays.
We’ll walk you through laptops that combine value, efficiency, and a user-friendly experience. Each choice balances everyday usability with thoughtful design features, from comfortable keyboards and responsive trackpads to reliable webcams and sturdy chassis.
You’ll find options suited to:
- Students balancing study, streaming, and light project work.
- Professionals needing budget-friendly machines for office tasks and video calls.
- Casual users who want a dependable laptop for browsing, emails, and entertainment.
Our picks avoid compromises that frustrate users, focusing instead on systems that feel snappy, look sharp, and last through the day.
Best Intel Core i3 Laptops that you can buy:
Contents
- Lenovo IdeaPad 330
- Acer Aspire 5
- Acer Aspire E 15
- Dell XPS 13 9360
- ASUS P2530UA-XH31 P-Series
- Dell Inspiron 15 3567
- HP 15-ay039wm 15.6 inch
- ASUS X540UA-DH31
- HP 15-ay041wm Touchscreen
- Acer Chromebook 14
- Acer Spin 3 - 14"
- Asus X540LA-SI30205P
- Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5566
- HP Pavilion x360
- HP 17-inch Laptop
- Dell Inspiron 15 2-in-1 Laptop
- Lenovo IdeaPad 320
- Dell Inspiron 15
- Dell Inspiron i5368-1214GRY 13.3
- HP Jaguar 15-bs060wm
- Lenovo ideapad 110
Lenovo IdeaPad 330 |
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| CPU | Intel Core i3-8130U |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics |
| Display Size | 15.6 Inches |
| Display Resolution | HD 1366 x 768 pixels |
| RAM | 8 GB DDR4 |
| Storage Space | 1 TB HDD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | 2 x USB 3.0 Type A Ports, 1 x USB 3.0 Type C Ports, 1 x HDM |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 4.9 x 10.2 x 0.9 inches |
| Weight | 4.85 pounds |
| Pros | Large Storage Capacity, Performance, Price |
| Cons | NA |
Acer Aspire 5 |
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| CPU | 7th Generation Intel Core i3-7100U Processor (2.4GHz, 3MB L3 cache) |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 620 |
| Display Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1920 x 1080 Pixels |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Storage Space | 1 TB HDD 5400 rpm |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | 1 - USB 3.0 Ports; 2 - USB 2.0 Port; 1 - HDMI Port with HDCP support; Secure Digital (SD) Card Reader; |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 15.02 x 10.2 x 1.19 in |
| Weight | 5 pounds |
| Pros | Display, Battery Life, Performance |
| Cons | NA |
Acer Aspire E 15 |
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| CPU | 8th Generation Intel Core i3-8130U Processor (Up to 3.4GHz) |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 620 |
| Display Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display Resolution | Full HD (1920 x 1080) |
| RAM | 6 GB DDR4 |
| Storage Space | 1 TB HDD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | USB 3.0 & 2.0 |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 15.02 x 10.2 x 1.19 inches |
| Weight | 5.27 pounds |
| Pros | Affordable Price, Good performance, Quality Display |
| Cons | Plastic Body |
Dell XPS 13 9360 |
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| CPU | Intel Core i3-7100U Dual-Core Processor (3M Cache, 2.40 GHz) |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics |
| Display Size | 13.3 Inches |
| Display Resolution | FHD (1920 x 1080) |
| RAM | 4GB lpddr3-1866mhz |
| Storage Space | 128GB SSD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | USB |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 16.8 x 15 x 3.9 inches |
| Weight | 4.5 pounds |
| Pros | Thin, Premium Design |
| Cons | Quite Expensive |
ASUS P2530UA-XH31 P-Series |
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|---|---|
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| CPU | |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 520 |
| Display Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1366 x 768 pixels |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Storage Space | 500 GB HDD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | 3 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB2.0. 1 x HDMI, 1 x VGA port. |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 15 x 10.1 x 0.9 inches |
| Weight | 5.2 pounds |
| Pros | Battery Life, Display, Size |
| Cons | NA |
Dell Inspiron 15 3567 |
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|---|---|
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| CPU | 7th Generation Intel Core i3-7130U Processor (3MB Cache, 2.70 GHz) |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 620 |
| Display Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1366 x 768 Pixels |
| RAM | 4 GB DDR4 |
| Storage Space | 128 GB SSD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | USB, hdmi |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 0.93 x 10.25 x 14.96 inches |
| Weight | 4.96 pounds |
| Pros | Price, Performance |
| Cons | NA |
HP 15-ay039wm 15.6 inch |
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|---|---|
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| CPU | Intel Core i3-6100U Dual-Core |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 520 |
| Display Size | 15.6 INCHES |
| Display Resolution | (1366 x 768) PIXELS |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Storage Space | 1 TB 5400 rpm SATA |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | 1x USB 3.0 port, 2x USB 2.0 ports, 1x HDMI out port, 1x headphone/mic combo, 1x RJ-45 Ethernet port |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 15.13 x 10.02 x 0.96 inches |
| Weight | 4.73 lbs |
| Pros | Large Storage Capacity, Good performance |
| Cons | NA |
ASUS X540UA-DH31 |
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|---|---|
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| CPU | Intel Core i3-6006U 2.0GHz processor |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 520 |
| Display Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1920x1080 pixels |
| RAM | 4GB DDR4 |
| Storage Space | 1 TB HDD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | USB 2.0, USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Type C (gen 1), RJ45 LAN, HDMI, and VGA |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 15 x 9.9 x 1.1 inches |
| Weight | 4.4 pounds |
| Pros | Large Storage Capacity - Price - Build Quality - Display Quality |
| Cons | NA |
HP 15-ay041wm Touchscreen |
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|---|---|
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| CPU | Intel Core i3-6100U Dual-Core |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 520 |
| Display Size | 15.6 Inches |
| Display Resolution | 1366 x 768 pixels |
| RAM | 6 GB |
| Storage Space | 1 TB mechanical_hard_drive |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | 1 x USB 3.0 port, 2 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x HDMI out port, 1 x audio out/in jack, 1 x RJ-45 Ethernet port |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 15.13 x 10.02 x 0.96 inches |
| Weight | 4.5 pounds |
| Pros | Price, Touch Screen, Many Ports, Long battery life. |
| Cons | NA |
Acer Chromebook 14 |
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|---|---|
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| CPU | 6th Generation Intel Core i3-6100U Processor 2.3GHz |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 520 |
| Display Size | 14 inches |
| Display Resolution | 190 X 1080 Pixels |
| RAM | 8GB LPDDR3 |
| Storage Space | 32 GB |
| Operating System | Chrome OS |
| Ports | USB 3.1 (Type-C) |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 13.03 x 8.94 x 0.88 inches |
| Weight | 3.2 pounds |
| Pros | Long battery life - Lightweight - Affordable - Good Display |
| Cons | Does not Run Windows 10 |
Acer Spin 3 - 14" |
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|---|---|
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| CPU | Intel Core i3-8130U Processor (Up to 3.4GHz) |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 620 |
| Display Size | Full HD (1920 x 1080) |
| Display Resolution | 14 inches |
| RAM | 4 GB DDR4 |
| Storage Space | 1 TB HDD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Ports | USB, Power |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 9.06 x 13.19 x 0.82 inches |
| Weight | 3.75 pounds |
| Pros | Price, Long Battery Life, Weight |
| Cons | NA |
Asus X540LA-SI30205P |
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|---|---|
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| CPU | Intel Core i3-5020U 2.2GHz Processor |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics |
| Display Size | 15.6-Inch |
| Display Resolution | HD 1366 x 768 |
| RAM | 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM |
| Storage Space | 1 TB HDD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | USB, Ethernet, Audio Jack |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 10.08 x 15.04 x 1.02 in |
| Weight | 5.07 lbs |
| Pros | Price, Design, Battery Life |
| Cons | None |
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5566 |
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|---|---|
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| CPU | 7th Gen Intel Core i3-7100U |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 620 |
| Display Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1366x768 pixels |
| RAM | 6 GB DDR SDRAM |
| Storage Space | 1 TB mechanical_hard_drive |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | USB, Ethernet, Power, HDMI |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 10.2 x 14.9 x 0.9 inches |
| Weight | 4.85 pounds |
| Pros | Price, Build Quality, Battery Life |
| Cons | NA |
HP Pavilion x360 |
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|---|---|
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| CPU | 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-7100U |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics |
| Display Size | 14 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1366 x 768 pixels |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Storage Space | 500 GB HDD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | 1x USB Type-C; 2x SuperSpeed 10Gbs USB 3.1; 1x HDMI |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 13.2 x 8.9 x 0.8 in |
| Weight | 3.79 lbs |
| Pros | Touch Screen, Battery Life, Performance |
| Cons | NA |
HP 17-inch Laptop |
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| CPU | 7th Generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-7020U Processor, Dual-Core, 2.3GHz |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics |
| Display Size | 17.3 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1600 x 900 Pixels |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Storage Space | 1 TB HDD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | USB |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 10.72 x 16.33 x 0.96 inches |
| Weight | 5 pounds |
| Pros | Price, Performance, Size |
| Cons | Plastic Body |
Dell Inspiron 15 2-in-1 Laptop |
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|---|---|
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| CPU | 7th Generation Intel Core i3-7100U Processor (3M Cache, up to 2.40 GHz) |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 620 |
| Display Size | 15.6-inch |
| Display Resolution | FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS |
| RAM | 4 GB DDR4 |
| Storage Space | 500GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Ports | USB, Ethernet, HDMI |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 10 x 15 x 0.8 inches |
| Weight | 4.54 pounds |
| Pros | Price, Performance, Display, Battery Life |
| Cons | NA |
Lenovo IdeaPad 320 |
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|---|---|
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| CPU | Intel core i3-7100U |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 500 |
| Display Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1366x768 pixels |
| RAM | 4 GB DDR4 |
| Storage Space | 1 TB HDD |
| Operating System | Winows 10 |
| Ports | USB, HDMI |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 14.9 x 0.9 x 10.2 inches |
| Weight | 4.84 pounds |
| Pros | Price, Display, Battery Life, Design |
| Cons | NA |
Dell Inspiron 15 |
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|---|---|
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| CPU | Intel Core i3-7130U Processor 2.7GHz |
| GPU | Intel Integrated HD 620 Graphics |
| Display Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1366 x 768 pixels |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Storage Space | 1 TB HDD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | USB |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 19.5 x 13.7 x 2.6 inches |
| Weight | 7.01 pounds |
| Pros | Price, Performance |
| Cons | Quite Heavy |
Dell Inspiron i5368-1214GRY 13.3 |
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|---|---|
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| CPU | Intel Core i3-6100U |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 520 |
| Display Size | 13.3 Inch |
| Display Resolution | 1920x1080 pixels |
| RAM | 4 GB DDR4 |
| Storage Space | 1 TB HDD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | USB, HDMI, Ethernet |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 8.85 x 12.75 x 0.76 inches |
| Weight | 3.44 pounds |
| Pros | Display Quality, Performance, Build Quality |
| Cons | NA |
HP Jaguar 15-bs060wm |
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|---|---|
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| CPU | Intel Dual Core i3-7100U 2.40 GHz |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 620 |
| Display Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display Resolution | (1366 x 768) pixels |
| RAM | 8GB DDR4 |
| Storage Space | 1TB 5400 rpm SATA hard drive |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Ports | SD media card reader, 2xUSB 3.1, 1xUSB 2.0, 1xHDMI, 1xRJ-45 |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 19.1 x 11.9 x 2.8 inches |
| Weight | 4.2 pounds |
| Pros | Price, Performance, Latest Specs |
| Cons | Not Full HD |
Lenovo ideapad 110 |
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|---|---|
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| CPU | 6th Generation Intel Core i3 processor |
| GPU | |
| Display Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1366 x 768 pixels |
| RAM | 8 GB SDRAM |
| Storage Space | 1 TB HDD 5400 rpm |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | USB, HDMI |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 14.8 x 10.4 x 1 inches |
| Weight | 1.04 pounds |
| Pros | Lightweight, Price, Performance, Design |
| Cons | NA |