While a Php 40,000 budget for a new laptop doesn’t sound like much (especially when compared to high-end machines out there), you’d be surprised at the amount of laptop you can get with that amount of money.
Yes, not all the laptops in this price range will have top-tier build quality or the most powerful CPU but, what you can expect is a decently built chassis, a reliable and fast-enough mid-range processor, a good screen, and at least 8GB of RAM (or more).
This makes an all-around laptop experience that won’t have you regretting not spending more.
So, if you’re looking for a new laptop and have Php 40k to spend, you’re in the right place. In this article, we’re going to take a look at some of the best laptops you can buy under or around Php 40,000 in the first half of 2023.
As a disclaimer, all of these laptops fell within our set budget price at the time this article was written. This includes SRP or prolonged sales prices. However, it must be noted that the prices of these machines may vary as time goes on.
With that, let’s get into the best laptops you can buy under Php 40k!
Table of Contents
Best Laptops You Can Buy under 40k (1H 2023)
HUAWEI MateBook D 14 2021
First on our list is HUAWEI’s MateBook D 14 2021. It features a 14-inch IPS screen, an 11th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of internal SSD storage.
The D 14 is primarily made of aluminum alloy, giving it a solid and premium build for its price. You also get a fingerprint sensor on the power button, a 65W USB-C charger, and a keyboard layout that’s similar to Apple’s MacBook laptops.
It’s going to be a great option for those looking at HUAWEI’s larger MateBook D 15 but need a more compact and portable machine. We do, however, wish that the webcam wasn’t embedded underneath the keyboard since it is hard to adjust the camera angle in use.
Aside from that, the MateBook D 14 is a great all-around laptop.
Price: around Php 32,999
ASUS Vivobook 16X M1603QA-MB230WS
Next up is the ASUS Vivobook 16X (M1603QA). The Vivobook 16X features a 16-inch IPS display, an AMD Ryzen 5 5600H, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage.
The Vivobook 16X has the biggest screen on this list that gets bright and will be perfectly serviceable for day-to-day use. Performance is a high point here as the Ryzen 5 5600H on the 16X gives us more power and battery life than usual at this price.
You do only get a plastic build and construction on the Vivobook 16X, which may be a cause for concern in terms of long-term durability. But if performance is your number one concern, the Vivobook 16X should be one of your top choices.
Price: around Php 35,380
Acer Aspire 5 (A515-45-R03P)
We’d be remiss if we didn’t include the Acer Aspire 5 (A515-45-R03P). This Aspire 5 comes with a 15.6-inch display, an AMD Ryzen 5 5500U, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD storage.
The Aspire 5, and its past iterations, have been a solid offering from Acer for years now. This is especially since they’re almost always available and come in different configurations for different needs.
With this Aspire 5, you get solid performance, really good port selection, and a decent screen.
The Aspire 5’s lid is made out of aluminum and the chassis is made from a mix between plastic and metal. Some might prefer having a laptop with an all-metal build but we think that the average user won’t mind at all. Overall, the Acer Aspire 5 is a solid option.
Price: around Php 35,995
MSI Modern 14 (B5M-084PH)
Moving on we have the MSI Modern 14 (B5M-084PH). This Modern 14 has a 14-inch IPS display, an AMD Ryzen 5 5500U, 16GB of RAM, and 512 GB internal SSD storage.
Our favorite part about the Modern 14 (B5M-084PH) is that you can get it in three variants: one with 8GB of RAM, one with 16GB, and one with 32GB.
For our Php 40,000 budget, you should definitely get the 16GB RAM variant (check the Shopee link) to get better multitasking on top of the fast performance provided by the Ryzen 5 CPU.
The keyboard on the Modern 14 is also one of the best on this list as it has really good travel, nice spacing between keys, and an overall comfortable layout. It doesn’t have the best webcam on here but we’re just happy there’s one to begin with.
Price: around Php 34,999 (16GB RAM)
Acer Swift 3 (SF314-43-R06N)
We also have the Acer Swift 4 (SF314-43). It features a 14-inch IPS display, an AMD Ryzen 5 5500U processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD.
The Swift 3, like the Aspire 5, offers an all-around package that’s hard to beat. What sets the Swift 3 apart from the Aspire 5, however, is the all-aluminum build and its more color-accurate display (72% NTSC color gamut or 100% sRGB).
Users who do graphic design and/or want a more durable laptop should definitely take a good look at Acer’s Swift 3. The Swift 3 also has a really good keyboard and a fingerprint sensor on the chassis for biometrics.
The biggest downside of the Swift 3 (SF314) is the lack of RAM upgradeability, with the RAM being soldered to the motherboard.
Price: around Php 33,000 – 36,999
Lenovo Ideapad 3
For our second to last option, we have the Lenovo IdeaPad 3. It has a 15.6-inch FHD Touchscreen panel, an 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of internal SSD storage.
This is the only laptop on our list that has a touch screen so those who like to draw or navigate their computer with gestures will have the IdeaPad as their main option.
The Intel i5 processor on the IdeaPad, and the 12GB of RAM, will offer users a zippy experience be it for productivity, web browsing, or multitasking.
We just wished that the laptop had more than 256GB of SSD storage out of the box.
Price: around Php 37,995
realme Book Laptop
Lastly, we have the realme Book Laptop. It comes with a 14-inch 2k IPS display, an 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage.
While this serves as realme’s first laptop, it’s crazy how much value you get at this Php 40k price range. It has the best screen on this list, having the highest resolution (2160 × 1440) and one of the most color-accurate displays (100% sRGB).
Not to mention the fact that it has really good build quality (aluminum body) that makes you question whether plastic laptops should even be considered at this budget.
Add to it the great performance and decent keyboard experience — and you got yourself a really good machine. While its trackpad and battery life are just average to above average, you really can’t go wrong with the realme Book laptop, especially at this price.
Price: around Php 39,990.00
That ends our list of the best laptops you can buy under Php 40,000!
Of course, there are tons of laptops out there, with varying degrees of pros and cons. But we think any of these laptops will give you a perfectly good experience for the Php 40k spend.
What laptop are you going to get? Do you know any laptop that you think should’ve made the cut?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!
Thanks for sharing this list. Since you asked of laptops that should have made the cut, I can add some insight.
In the 35k+ price range, I think all laptops should at least have 6 cores or 16 GB of RAM. 11th gen Intel’s in particular I think shouldn’t belong in the list. For instance the HP 15S-FQ5184TU Laptop sells for just Php 36,960 in Data Blitz and has the i5-1235U with 2 performance cores and 8 efficiency cores. Huge performance leap even over the 11th gen i7.
The Acer Aspire 3 A315-24P-R255 is another promising one. That has 16 GB of DDR5 RAM for only Php 36,895 . The Ryzen 5 7520U is only a quad-core in an aging architecture but it’s still a good performer for light tasks.
For an even smaller budget, there’s also the Acer Aspire 3 A315-24P-R4KG for only Php 29,195.00 . Has a slower Ryzen 3 7320U but still quad-core and still does quite well benchmark-wise almost matching the i5-1135G7 in performance.
Can imagine the compromise is on the build quality but all laptops have Full HD displays and 512 GB RAM so I’d say those options are worth considering.