Laptops have improved dramatically over the last few years especially this year. With Intel and similar chipmakers introducing new chipsets that are faster and better, people can expect devices running more than half a day and at impressive speeds. Laptops continue to gain more value compared to traditional personal computers because of their portability and functionality. The challenge now is for users to find the right device within their means.

When working with a budget, users should not compromise just as easily. There are good laptops out there if they only know how to look and evaluate the specs. The following list shows some of the best laptops and for a good price.

Asus VivoBook S56CA-DH31-CA (Starts at $599 with Lowest Price at $431.99)

The Asus VivoBook features 15.6-inch display offering 1,366 x 768 resolution. Users can watch videos at 720p. The device runs on Windows 8. Other features include VivoBook S56C's speakers, integrated DVD burner and chiclet-styled keyboard. Users may need to get used to the keyboard and style of the device before they get comfortable with travelling with it though.

Similar to other ultrabooks, the device features a combined headphone and microphone jack, cardreader, two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI and VGA ports, USB 3.0 port and Ethernet port. The VivoBook provides combined 500 GB 5,400 hard drive and 24 GB SSD. It runs on 1.8-GHz Intel Core i3-3217U processor with 6 GB RAM.

HP Pavilion Chromebook 14 (Starts at $330 with Lowest Price at $259.99)

Take away the Google Chrome logo and it will be hard to distinguish between the HP Pavilion Chromebook 14 and the HP Pavilion Sleekbook 15z-b000. The chassis is similar and it sports a glossy black finish. The laptop is portable enough weighing only 3.73 lbs.

The device features a 14-inch display and 1,366 x 768 resolution. Despite it being a Chromebook, the HP Pavilion does a good job executing laptop-like functions, and users can accomplish a variety of tasks with it. Similar to other Chromebooks, it runs the Chrome OS. Other features include Gmail, Google Media Player and Google Drive.

Toshiba Satellite S55t-A5277 (Starts at $999.99 with lowest price at $739.99)

Toshiba Satellite is an ideal choice for those searching for a device that can replace their desktop computer for roughly $1,000 or less. Features include 15.6-inch touch screen, 1,366-by-768 resolution, fourth-generation Intel Core i7-4700MQ procecssor with 12 GB RAM and Nvidia GeForce GT 740M discrete GPU. It may not be as thin and light as other devices but those looking for something closer to home or to their desktop computer can find this laptop the ideal choice.

Acer C7 Chromebook C710-2457 (Starts at $229.99 with Lowest Price at $229.99)

The C7 Chromebook follows a similar design as the previous generations. It sports a plastic chassis. Other features include an 11.6-inch display and 1,366-by-768 resolution. It sports the usual four-cell battery and increases the RAM allotment from the previous generation. It now offers 4 GB RAM instead of 2 GB. Although the C7 Chromebook may appear small, it is packed with features. These include combination headphone and microphone jack, three USB 2.0 ports, HDMI-out port, VGA output, integrated card reader (SD/MMC) and Ethernet port.