Looking for an affordable laptop for class? Here’s one I recommend for $299

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There are no shortage of great laptop deals ahead of Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days event, kicking off next week on October 7th. But one of the best inexpensive laptops you can snag is the Dell Inspiron 3530, a 15-inch laptop for just $299 that can cover all your bases as a well-rounded and versatile machine. 

So what’s so good about it? First off, it’s part of Dell’s Inspiron lineup, which is known for being reliable machines for a wide range of use cases. In terms of hardware, it comes with Ian Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. 

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This makes it geared toward everyday tasks like surfing the web, writing emails, and light workflows. If you’re a student, it’s a great laptop for taking notes, writing papers, and staying on top of all the communication in Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and other videoconferencing apps, especially with the HD webcam. 

The 15-inch display is not too big, not too small, yet still portable and something you can easily slip into a bag at just 0.7 inches thick. It also has a full-sized keyboard, which is great for students in business, finance, or science, since you can efficiently use the number pad on the right instead of struggling with the top row numbers. 

In terms of ports, you’re well connected, with an HDMI, SD card reader, two USB-A ports, a headphone jack, and a USB-C. Just note that you won’t be able to charge the laptop using the USB-C port — it has its own proprietary power jack. This is one of those things that might be inconvenient for some, but it keeps the price low.

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All in all, you can’t get much more affordable than this for a Dell that’s part of the company’s main lineup. If you’re a student looking for a device to take on campus, want a secondary machine for travel, or just don’t want to break the bank on a new laptop, I recommend the Inspiron 3530 as one of the best bang-for-your-buck 15-inch laptops on sale right now. 

Deals are subject to sell-out or expire at any time, though ZDNET remains committed to finding, sharing, and updating the best product deals for you to score the best savings. Our team of experts regularly checks in on the deals we share to ensure they are still live and obtainable. We’re sorry if you’ve missed out on this deal, but don’t fret — we’re constantly finding new chances to score savings and sharing them with you at ZDNET.com. 

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