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Is this $450 laptop from an unknown brand too good to be true?
·1 min read
Key Takeaway
Finding a good laptop under $500 was hard enough before RAMageddon. They nearly always had cheap hardware and underpowered, often outdated chips.
Published August 8, 2026 · Category: Tech
Overview
Details
Cute name, especially if it were a wookiee. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge
Finding a good laptop under $500 was hard enough before RAMageddon. They nearly always had cheap hardware and underpowered, often outdated chips. That's what made the MacBook Neo so disruptive: It offered great build quality and good-enough performance starting at $599. Windows laptops couldn't touch it. Even though it's gone up to $699, it's still the laptop to beat.
So when little-known Chinese brand Chuwi announced a $450 Windows laptop with an aluminum build and a brand-new Intel Wildcat Lake processor, it sounded too good to be true.
It is.
Chuwi UniBook
Score: 3
Pros
Cons
It's $450
Tons of ports for a small laptop (though none are very …
What is "Is this $450 laptop from an unknown brand too good to be true?" about?+
Finding a good laptop under $500 was hard enough before RAMageddon. They nearly always had cheap hardware and underpowered, often outdated chips. That's what made the MacBook Neo so disruptive: It offered great build quality and good-enough performance starting at $599. Windows laptops couldn't touch it. Even though it's gone up to $699, it's still […]
We use cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience, serve personalized ads, and analyze traffic. You can manage your preferences or accept/reject all.
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EssentialRequired for the site to function. Always active.
AnalyticsHelp us understand how visitors interact with the site.
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