Best Affordable Mid-Range 2-in-1 Laptop PCs: Versatility & portability without compromise

Samuel Tan2-in-1s, Best Laptops, Best Of..., Laptops 0

Want a laptop that can do anything and yet is affordable. We take a look at mid-range laptops capable of photo and video editing, multitasking and even take on some seriously processor intensive applications. All that in a versatile 2-in-1 profile for maximum versatility and portability.

It’s not always that you find laptops that tick so many boxes, yet come with affordable price tags. In our search for a versatile and balanced performer, we discovered that a powerful PC need not be expensive. We are not talking about high-end over the top machines or gaming laptops. If you are the sort that wants to the job things done, to bring your creative ideas to life, quickly and smoothly, we have the answer.

Table of Contents

Why Convertible or 2-in-1 Laptop PCs

Why get a laptop when you can get a convertible laptop. Instead of your standard laptop, get a 2-in-1 laptop instead and enjoy the convenience of a laptop and tablet. It also has two other modes, show and tend mode.

The first works well as a workstation with external keyboard and mouse, for presentation or as Echo Show if your laptop supports Alexa. We call this the show mode, sometimes known as the stand mode.

The second works as a digital whiteboard if you have the optional stylus or simply as a no-distraction streamer to enjoy your favourite TV show. This is known as the tent more but we like to call it the sharing mode.

Additionally, there is a fifth mode, which is open the laptop fully on the desk, hinge extended to 180 degrees. This leaves the laptop flat on the surface allowing more than two people to view and work on the PC. We call this the flat mode.

Comparing the Performance

Before we jump right into the laptops, let’s look at the processors in use. To keep the costs down and the prices affordable for consumers, our mid-range laptops use either the Intel Core i5 or the AMD Ryzen 5 processors. For the Intel Core i5 based laptops, you will find that there are still some 8th generation Intel Core i5 around. However, for most parts, we look at 2-in-1 laptops with the new 10th generation Intel Core i5.

Here is how they compare using PassMark’s Average CPU Mark as benchmark following by a bar graph to for comparison. These ratings from www.cpubenchmark.net are an average of submitted scores by real work users and are correct at the time of writing.

Processor

	Average CPU Mark	Single Thread Rating	Cross-Platform Rating
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U with Radeon Vega 8 Mobile	7227	2017	10090
Intel Core i5-10210U with Intel UHD Graphics	6997	2394	11670
Intel Core i5-8265U with Intel UHD Graphics 620	6463	2194	10774

The higher the score, the better the performance

Based on PassMark CPU Score above, the Average CPU Mark (Blue Bar) for AMD Ryzen 5 3500U is higher compared to Intel Core i5-10210U. This could be attributed to the fact that the Ryzen 5 has a more powerful GPU, see GPU benchmark in the next section. The Intel Core i5-10210U scores higher in Cinebench R20 and R15 as well as Geekbench 5 thanks to its higher clock speed and bigger cache memory.

	Intel Core i5-10210U	Ryzen 5 3500U
Cores / Threads	4/8	4/8
Base / Max frequency	1.60 – 4.20 GHz	2.70 – 3.70 GHz
Cache	6 MB Intel Smart Cache	4 MB L3 Cache
TDP / up / down	15W / 25W / 10W	15W / 35W / 12W
Memory support	DDR4-2666, LPDDR3-2133	DDR4-2400

GPU performance

When it comes to graphics, the AMD Ryzen 5 with its Radeon Vega 8 scored higher in all tests. See GPU benchmark performance comparison between AMD Ryzen 5 3500U with Radeon Vega 8 Graphics versus Intel Core i5-10210U with Intel UHD Graphics from laptopmedia.com below.

The Ryzen 5 part may score lower in Cinebench but aces over Core i5 in graphic based benchmarks like 3DMark Fire Strike and Unigine Heaven. It is reported that the Radeon Vega 8 Graphics is up to 112% faster than Intel UHD Graphics.

Top 5 Best Affordable Mid-Range 2-in-1 Laptops

Our choices of affordable mid-range 2-in-1 laptops come from a variety of manufacturers including Dell, HP, ASUS and Lenovo. To make it easier for our reader, we list the processor used next to each laptop, see list below.

DELL Inspiron 14 54912 Intel Core i5-10210U
HP ENVY x360 15.6 AMD Ryzen 5 3500U BEST FOR GAMING
ASUS ZenBook Flip 14 AMD Ryzen 5 3500U BEST FOR PORTABILITY
LENOVO IdeaPad C340 14 Intel Core i5-10210U
HP Pavilion x360 14 Intel Core i5-8265U

ALSO: Check out these slightly more expensive options:

LENOVO Yoga C740 14 Intel Core i5-10210U BEST BATTERY LIFE
DELL Inspiron 13 7391 13.3 Intel Core i5-10210U ULTRA PORTABLE

1. DELL Inspiron 14 5491 Intel Core i5-10210U

Available in Urban Grey or Platinum Silver (below), this 14-inch laptop from Dell is powered by the 10th generation Intel Core i5-10210U processor clocking up to 4.2GHz speed with 8GB DDR4 2666MHz memory and 256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe solid state hard drive.

It also comes complete with a finger print sensor and a whole host of expansion ports including USB Type-C. The 14-inch toushcreen display also supports Dell Active Pen with up to 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity. However, the stylus is available separately. Finally, the 8 hours battery life isn’t amazing. With real use, that figure is more like 4-6 hours with 8 hours if used in low power mode.

Intel® Core™ i5-10210U Processor
RAM: 8 GB / Storage: 256 GB SSD
Full HD touchscreen
Battery life: Up to 8 hours
Dimensions and Weight: 19.95 x 328 x 233.8 mm (H x W x D), 1.86kg

2. HP ENVY x360 15.6 AMD Ryzen 5 3500U – BEST FOR GAMING

The biggest 2-in-1 laptop in our list with a 15.6-inch Full HD toushcreen display, the HP ENVY x360 powered by AMD Ryzen 5 2500U and Radeon RX Vega 8 graphics with 8GB DDR4 memory and 256GB SSD still manages to last for up to 13 hours on a single charge. It is also able to keep a slender figure with a slimline profile measuring only 17.2mm tall.

A smaller 13.3-inch model is also available, the HP Envy x360 13 with the same processor, memory and storage. That combined with the onboard Radeon RX Vega 8 embedded GPU makes this a laptop powerful enough to take on the occasional pro game titles. Even with all that power it shares the best battery life title with the Lenovo Yoga C740 laptop at the bottom of this list. If you don’t mind the size, here is a laptop we would recommend as a true all-in-one to replace your desktop.

AMD Ryzen 5 3500U Processor
RAM: 8 GB / Storage: 256 GB SSD
Graphics: AMD Radeon Vega 8
15.6-inch Full HD touchscreen with Stylus included
Battery Life: Up to 13 hours – BEST BATTERY LIFE
Dimensions and Weight: 17.2 x 246 x 359 mm (H x W x D), 2.05kg

3. ASUS ZenBook Flip 14 AMD Ryzen 5 3500U – BEST FOR PORTABILITY

Ultra small bezel with NanoEdge display and super lightweight body, what is not to like. The ASUS ZenBook Flip 14 2-in-1 has another trick up its sleeve, the backlit track pad that doubles as a num pad. This can be activated with a tap on the icon on the touch pad.

It also has a superior hinge. Not only does it flip the laptop with its 360 degree rotation to turn the device into a tablet, it includes the ErgoLift feature found on their standard laptops. What this does is, it raises the screen to a higher viewing position and tilt the keyboard at an angle for easier typing.

Powered by AMD Ryzen 5 it will take on even the most demanding applications without any lag. The 9 hours battery life is a little disappointing but you can still leave home without your adapter and this is one of the lightest laptops in our list. ASUS ZenBook Flip 14 is our choice for portability.

AMD Ryzen 5 3500U Processor
RAM: 8 GB / Storage: 256 GB SSD
Graphics: AMD Radeon Vega 8
14-inch Full HD touchscreen
Battery Life: Up to 9 hour
Dimensions and Weight: 18.9 x 322 x 215 mm (H x W x D), 1.4kg – LIGHTEST

4. LENOVO IdeaPad C340 14 Intel Core i5-10210U

The LENOVO IdeaPad C340 is another 2-in-1 laptop powered by Intel Core i5. A cheaper version bearing the same name and model number is one powered by the AMD Ryzen 3 3200U. Still, the Intel Core i5-10210U version with 8GB DDR4 memory and 256GB SSD storage is amazingly good value.

While the top and size bezels are small, the bottom bezel is just too big. Still, the display supports the optional Lenovo Active Pen 2 for pen input, the webcam has a TruBlock Privacy Shutter to physically block out the camera when not in use and it supports Rapid Charge technology. The latter means you can bring the charge level up to 80% in just one hour.

Intel® Core™ i5-10210U Processor
RAM: 8 GB / Storage: 256 GB SSD
14-inch Full HD touchscreen, Lenovo Active Pen 2 is optional
Battery Life: Up to 8 hours
Dimensions and Weight: 17.9 x 328 x 229 mm (H x W x D), 1.65kg

5. HP Pavilion x360 14 Intel Core i5-8265U

We are still waiting for HP to update their Pavilion x360 2-in-1 laptop with new 10th generation CPUs. In the mean time, we have to make do with 8th generation Intel Core i5-8265U. Performance wise it is not very different from the 10th generation Core i5, just slightly slower. Together with 8GB DDR4 memory and 256GB SSD storage, it stands shoulder to shoulder with most of the laptop here in terms of specs.

The same chassis is also used to carry the budget-end processors; the Intel Pentium 5404U and Intel Core i3 8145U featured in the best budget 2-in-1 laptop PCs. The difference here is this laptop can last up to 9.5 hours on a full charge. It also supports quick charging to bring it from 0 to 50% charge in just 45 minutes.

Intel® Core™ i5-10210U Processor
RAM: 8 GB / Storage: 256 GB SSD
14-inch Full HD touchscreen
Battery Life: Up to 9.5 hours
Dimensions and Weight: 20.5 x 222.9 x 324 mm (H x W x D), 1.59kg

ALSO: Check out these slightly more expensive options:

LENOVO Yoga C740 14 Intel Core i5-10210U – BEST BATTERY LIFE

If you have a couple more hundred to spare, the Lenovo Yoga C740 is a good go to 2-in-1 laptop. It is powered by 10th generation Intel Core i5 processor and comes with 8GB DDR4 memory and 256GB SSD storage. What you pay for is not just the premium look and diamond cut aluminium chassis, but the superb battery life with Rapid Charge support as well as slim and lightweight body.

Other notable features include quiet dual action fans to keep the chassis cool, fingerprint reader, two 2W Dolby Audio stereo speakers, backlit mambrane keyboard and spacious multi-touch glass trackpad. Just the premium touches you want in a mid-range laptop.

Intel® Core™ i5-10210U Processor
RAM: 8 GB / Storage: 256 GB SSD
14-inch IPS LCD Full HD touchscreen
Battery Life: Up to 13 hours – BEST BATTERY LIFE
Dimensions and Weight: 16.9 x 322 x 215 mm (H x W x D), 1.4kg – SLIMMEST, LIGHTEST

DELL Inspiron 13 7391 13.3 Intel Core i5-10210U – ULTRA PORTABLE

Just like the Yoga C740 is to the IdeaPad C340, the Dell Inspiron 13 7000 series is the higher, more stylish model to the Dell Inspiron 14 5000 series we see at the top of the list. It does come at a price, at around a hundred more than those on our list above. You can go higher with Dell XPS 2-in-1 laptops but that would be asking for silly money. Of the two screen sizes on offer 13 and 15, we picked the slimmer and lighter 13-inch model.

In fact, this premium 2-in-1 has the slimmest chassis compared to all other laptops in our list. The chassis is made from stamped aluminium. The fingerprint sensor is integrated into the power key and it uses a mono barrel hinge for ventilation. Like the ASUS laptop, the drop hinge keeps the laptop slightly lifted when working at the desk. For the extra money, you also get a Thunderbolt 3 port with power delivery and DisplayPort functions, a first here among mid-range 2-in-1 laptops. And, for good measure, the Dell Premium Active Pen is included.

Intel® Core™ i5-10210U Processor
RAM: 8 GB / Storage: 512 GB SSD
13.3-inch Full HD touchscreen with Active Pen Stylus Included
Battery Life: Up to 9 hours
Dimensions and Weight: 15.9 x 306.7 x 215.9 mm (H x W x D), 1.45kg – SLIMMEST