Dell Latitude 14" 3450 2026, Core i3-1315U, 8GB, 512GB SSD, Gray

The Dell Latitude 3450 is a featherweight budget laptop that nails the basics for around $275. It's incredibly light, has great ports, and runs Windows 11 Pro on a snappy SSD. Just don't expect gaming or a bright screen, and know that 8GB of RAM is the bare minimum.

The i3-1315U is a 6-core chip that handles everyday tasks without drama. Word docs, Chrome tabs, Zoom calls, all fine. The 8GB of DDR5 helps, but it's the bare minimum for Windows 11 in 2025. The integrated graphics are what they are, which is to say don't expect to game on this thing. Our database puts gaming performance in the bottom tier, so keep the Steam library on your desktop. Storage is a 512GB NVMe drive, which is solid and snappy for this price point. CPU performance lands in the lower-middle range, which is exactly what you'd expect from an i3. It won't win benchmarks, but it won't make you wait for Excel either.

Stacked against the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, the Latitude 3450 loses on build quality, screen brightness, and raw performance. But the ThinkPad costs several times more. The Apple MacBook Pro is in a completely different universe of performance and price. The HP OmniBook X Flip and ASUS Vivobook TP3407SA are closer competitors in the budget space, but they tend to cost more for similar specs. The Samsung Galaxy Book5 offers a better screen but typically runs pricier. For pure value, the Latitude 3450 undercuts all of them significantly.

At $275, this is a steal for what you get. A Windows 11 Pro machine with a 512GB SSD, Thunderbolt, and a 14-inch FHD display for under $300 is hard to argue with. The affordability ranking in our database puts it near the top of the charts. You're getting a business-class chassis and OS at a Chromebook price. The trade-offs are real, dim screen, limited RAM, weak graphics, but for the money, they're acceptable trade-offs.

The Dell Latitude 3450 is a business laptop that found its way into the student discount bin, and honestly, that's where it shines. You get a 13th Gen i3, 8GB of DDR5, a 512GB SSD, and Windows 11 Pro for around $275. That's a lot of functional computer for the price of a decent dinner for four.

It's also absurdly light at 0.87kg. Like, pick it up and wonder if they forgot the battery light. The 14-inch FHD IPS panel is fine for documents and spreadsheets, though 250 nits means you won't be working poolside in direct sunlight. The port selection is genuinely useful with Thunderbolt, Ethernet, and HDMI 1.4 all present.

Skip this if you need to run demanding software, edit video, or do any gaming. The integrated graphics and 8GB of RAM will frustrate you fast. Also skip it if you work outside a lot, since the 250-nit screen washes out in sunlight. And if you need all-day battery life without hunting for outlets, look for something with a bigger battery.

This is a student laptop or a secondary work machine for someone who lives in Google Docs and Microsoft Office. If you need a light, cheap, capable Windows machine for writing papers, taking notes, and browsing the web, this is a fantastic buy. If you need to edit video, run heavy software, or game, keep walking. The 8GB of RAM will be the first thing to annoy you in a couple years, but at this price, you can forgive a lot.