This is the cheapest AMD Ryzen laptop, but it has two big flaws

HP 14-dk1022wm laptop - $299.00 from Walmart

HP 14-dk1022wm laptop - <a href="https://goto.walmart.com/c/1943169/565706/9383?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FHP-14-Ryzen-3-4GB-128GB-Laptop-Silver%2F779578906" data-link-merchant="walmart.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">$299.00 from Walmart
(roughly £240)
HP was so close to nailing it with this affordable business laptop, powered by AMD Ryzen. The machine boasts decent specs and a smart aesthetic, but the screen is seriously outdated and upgrade options are limited too.

The 14-dk1022wm is currently HP’s most affordable business laptop on the market right now, at just under $300 from Walmart (roughly £240).

This 2020 model comes with the AMD Ryzen 3 3250U, a dual-core CPU with a base clock of 2.6GHz. It's comparable to an Intel Core i3-8121U processor, which is to say it's not too shabby, especially with AMD Radeon 3 Graphics.

In terms of aesthetic, the machine is a considerable step up from the graphite-coloured models of yesteryear, with a sharp-looking silver finish. We also appreciate the large single hinge and ultra-narrow bezel on the frame.

However, the display is a 14-inch SVA model, which is inferior to an IPS equivalent - usually a sign of cost-cutting. It's also worth noting that this screen is HD only, not full HD.

The rest of the specification is decent, but nothing to write home about. There’s 4GB of DDR4 memory (sadly soldered on board, so not upgradable) and a 128GB M2 SATA3 SSD.

Connectivity options, meanwhile, include a Gigabit Ethernet port, card reader, 802.11ac, Bluetooth, three USB ports, an audio port and an HDMI port.

The 41WHr 3-cell battery will power the laptop for up to eight hours, which is remarkable for an entry level laptop and, at only 3.33Lbs, this is also a pretty portable notebook.

Should 128GB prove too small for you, there’s a 1TB model (14-dk1025wm) that costs around the same, but it has a much slower hard disk drive rather than an SSD and has a much shorter battery life.

Bear in mind

  • This product does not ship to all regions, so non-US customers will likely need to use a specialist parcel forwarding service to take advantage of the deal.
  • If you've managed to find a cheaper product with equivalent specifications, in stock and brand new, let us know and we'll tip our hat to you.
Desire Athow
Managing Editor, TechRadar Pro

Désiré has been musing and writing about technology during a career spanning four decades. He dabbled in website builders and web hosting when DHTML and frames were in vogue and started narrating about the impact of technology on society just before the start of the Y2K hysteria at the turn of the last millennium.