The most affordable of the basic laptops on our list, the Aspire 3 still does all the essentials well. The i3 processor is more than adequate for most regular office tasks, but with just 4 GB of RAM and standard UHD graphics, you won’t be editing much multimedia or playing AAA games on this machine.

The advantage of the less powerful CPU is twofold: it runs cool enough so the fans seldom kick in and this also saves a lot of battery power, so you can get almost a full day’s work in before searching for a wall socket. The screen is decent, although not as pin sharp as more expensive models. The bodywork is all plastic, though the silvery finish all round is very pleasant.

Typing is a hit-and-miss experience: The keys feel small and are very lightly sprung, so there isn’t as much resistance or feedback as you might be looking for. But we did appreciate the number pad squeezed in on the right-hand side, which is very useful for working in spreadsheets. We also liked the port layout, offering two USBs, one USB-C and HDMI for an external screen.

15.6” screen, i3 CPU, 4 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD storage, 2xUSB/1xUSB-C/HDMI, 200x363x238 mm, 1.80 kg, R8 000