Lightweight construction and sleek designs often come at a high price, and finding the cheapest laptops for sale can be daunting, as there are hundreds of different models and brands on the market. When you’re looking for laptops, the following tips can save you money and time as you navigate the complex world of laptop comparison.

First, consider buying a used laptop. The price of a laptop computer drops off significantly when you’re buying one that’s already been used for a year or two. It may not be as shiny as a new model, and it may have cosmetic problems, but if it works and fits your price range, it may very well be worth it. A new MacBook with a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB DDR3 memory, and a 250GB hard drive costs about $999, but an eBay search will uncover big sales on laptops that are the same or similar models selling for much lower. Wherever you buy your laptop, make sure that the seller has positive reviews and that other customers have been satisfied with their purchases. Don’t buy a computer that is marked “as is,” and be wary of counterfeits and deals that seem too good to be true. When shopping online, you can’t physically see the product you’re getting, so be careful what you buy.

Second, comparison shopping is always a good idea. You might be tempted to go with the first laptop you see on the first site that you see, particularly if it’s within your price range and has all of the features that you need, but looking at several sites will work in your favor. A Lenovo ThinkPad T510 with 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-520M processor, 2GB RAM, and a 250GB hard drive is listed on various sites at $995, $899, and $950, so you’re probably doing yourself a favor if you look around. Google Product Search and other comparison-shopping tools can be your friend. Also, if you see a model you like at the lowest price you can find, try searching for a different brand or model that has the same features.

Third, decide what the essential features you need in a laptop are. Things like hard drive space, speed, and weight should be high on your list. Features like fingerprint recognition and backlit keyboards can be useful or fun if you have the cash, but if you’re on a budget, these should be lower on your list. Some sites let you customize your laptop with only the features you need, so make sure that you uncheck anything you feel is unnecessary — otherwise, you could be paying extra for features that you don’t even want.

With a few hours’ research, you should be able to come up with a laptop that fits your needs and budget. Be sure to consult friends and family with technical expertise, as they can often be valuable sources of information. Don’t make any hasty decisions — remember, the laptop’s going to be there tomorrow.

1 – HP Pavillion dv5t

The dv5t features an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, up to 4096MB DDR2 System Memory, NVIDIA GeForce Go graphics available and 15.4″ diagonal WXGA BrightView Widescreen. It only weighs 5.5lbs Starting price $1100.00. This is one of the best HP laptops on sale.

2 – Dell Studio 15

 Our Dell Studio 15 review : This screen is just 15.4″, it’s OS is Windows Vista® Home Premium, 2.00GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, with 3GB of memory. CD/DVD burner, 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450 video card. As well as a 56 Whr Lithium Ion Battery (6 cell). Starting price $749.00. It’s one of the better cheap Dell laptops on the market today.

3 – Lenovo ThinkPad T61

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T9300 (2.5GHz 800MHz 6MBL2), genuine Windows Vista Home Premium, it’s screen is only 14.1″, Hard Drive 160GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm with Disk Encryption, 2 GB PC2-5300 Memory, 9 cell Li-Ion Battery. Starting price $1082.00

4 – Dell XPS M1530

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor ,Genuine Windows Vista ® Home Premium Edition,Size: 160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive, 2GB memory, 128MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8400M GS, along with a 56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery. Starting price $999.00

5 – Sony VAIO FW

It’s screen is 16.4″ makes it great to watch DVD’s and Blu Ray discs. Weighs only 6.4lbs, Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium . Capable to hold 400GB hard drive, 4GB RAM and a 2.80GHz Intel Core 2 Duo. A battery life of five and a half hours. Starting price $1059.00

6 – Toshiba Satillite A305/A300

AMD Turion™ X2 Dual-Core Mobile Processor RM-70, 4GB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz SDRAM, 320GB hard drive, a 15.4″ display screen. Starting price $899.00

7 – Lenovo ThinkPad T400

2.0MB Intel® Core™ 2 duo processor, Genuine Windows Vista ® Business Edition, The T400 has 14.1? display screen, up to 320GB of hard drive, and 8GB RAM, The unit weighs quite a bit less than most at 4.7lbs. Starting price $1130.00

8 – Dell XPS M1330

2.0MB Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor, Genuine Windows Vista ® Home Premium Edition, It comes with built-in camera Standard Display with 2.0 Megapixel Webcam, 2GB of memory,Size: 160GB 5400RPM Hard Drive, Intel® Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 3100 video card. Starting price $949

9 - HP pavilion dv6700t

The HP Pavilion dv6700t Entertainment Notebook PC delivers a 15.4″ Brightview display, dazzling new high-gloss design, Intel’s Core Duo processors and the option to upgrade to an Nvidia GeForce 8400M GS graphics card with 256MB dedicated video memory. The weight is up there at 6.3lbs Starting price $899.00

10 – Dell Insprion 1525

1.0M/2.0GHz Intel® Celeron® 550, Genuine Windows Vista® SP1 Home Basic Edition, 15.4 diplay screen, 1GB memory, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 video card. Starting price $499

Update: This review was submitted by our reader Brandon A.

To date, I have purchased an HP G60-610CA Notebook, a Toshiba Satellite A660, and a Lenovo IdeaPad 12 Intel Atom N270 Laptop, and the Lenovo model was the cheapest of the three. Having said that, it also ran just as good as its peers (meaning the two other laptops I have purchased), and quite frankly, performed significantly better than I had ever expected. With an inexpensive price tag of only $350, I didn’t expect outstanding results or anything of the sort, but I was pleasantly surprised. I bought this laptop for basic internet browsing, instant messaging, and basic document work, and I found that the 1 GB of RAM and 160 HD more than met my needs. Is it the fastest and most powerful laptop on the market? No, absolutely not. Is it a very capable model that will certainly satisfy most, if not all, consumers? Yes, it will. The Lenovo IdeaPad 12 Intel Atom N270 Laptop is lightweight, compact, and durable, and quite frankly, a steal amidst other high priced competitors.

Reader Question: What is the best deal you’ve ever gotten on a laptop and what brand was it?