10 laptops that are WAY cheaper than DOH’s 175K laptop

AND better specs too!

So, DOH has recently presented their audit to the public. They purchased 4 sets of laptops with accessories worth Php 700,000 in total in one of these audits. But here’s the kicker, the specs are not worth their price. It’s unbelievable. DOH didn’t mention the brand of the laptop, but they did state technical specs in detail.

DOH 2-in-1 laptop specs:

• “at least” Intel Core i5 10th gen (possibly the “U” trim and not the overclockable “H” trim, can possibly be lower or higher)
• “at least” Windows 10 Home – 64 bit
• “at least” Intel UHD graphics (meaning there may be a custom graphics card from any of the four)
• FHD (1920×1080) 15.6in. display, 60Hz refresh rate, anti-glare and reflective glass, Capacitive Touch Screen, Corning Gorilla Glass 6 DX protection, Pen Support
• “at least” 8GB RAM, LPDDR3 (can be higher)
• “at least” 512GB SSD, M.2 PCIe NVMe (can be higher)
• Ports:
  • 1x USB 3.2 with PowerShare
  • 2x USB-C with Thunderbolt 3 support (for fast charging)
  • 1x HDMI 2.0 port
  • 1x 3.5mm jack
  • 1x Memory/SD Card Reader
• Webcam, FHD resolution
• “at least” 52Wh battery
• Intel Wi-Fi 6 modem and Bluetooth 5.0
• Microsoft Office 365, Anti-virus (did not specify brand) with 1 year subscription
• 3 years warranty
• Price: Php 175K/set

In addition, there is also a USB-C Mobile Adapter that is the same brand as the laptop they’ve purchased

USB-C Mobile Adapter (and other Laptop Accessories)

• Gigabit Ethernet
• Interfaces:
  • 1x USB-A
  • 1x HDMI
  • 1x VGA
  • 1x Display Port
  • 1x Ethernet 1000, RJ-45
  • Cables: Integrated USB-C
• System Requirements: MacOS, Windows 7/8/8.1/10

Seen from the specs above, it’s only Intel Core i5 (possibly lower) and only 512GB storage. It’s not worth the price it’s asking for (175K each, for such low specs??? Are you for real DOH?). And as mentioned above, our home laptop has way higher specs than the DOH laptops (though not 2-in-1) at such a lower price. Yes, that’s a flex, how can you tell? And no, the 2-in-1 feature with touchscreen does not justify the expensive price.

So here, we’re going to list 10 laptops (based on specs) that are better than DOH’s at a lower price. Take note that these laptops are listed in no particular order. Prices are based on Villman’s listing. (Since some official websites post outdated specs or prices)

10. Acer Nitro 5

What could be better than starting this list with a gaming laptop? Nothing of course. This list is not in order anyway and we have no preferences.

Anyhow, the Acer Nitro 5 is a classic gaming laptop that many reviewers still recommend to this day. Thanks to an efficient cooling system and economical price. Oh yeah, as a bonus, the latest iteration comes with RTX 3050 GPU with clock speeds up to 1740MHz. Also, unlike DOH’s laptop, this one comes with 144Hz refresh rate! Which is more than enough for fast-paced FPS (first person shooters).

Acer Nitro 5 specs

• Intel Core i5-11400H, 2.7GHz clock speed, up to 4.5GHz
• NVIDIA RTX 3050 1500MHz, up to 1740MHz clock speed
• 8GB RAM, LPDDR4x, up to 32GB
• 512GB SSD, M.2 PCIe, NVMe
• 15.6in. FHD (1920×1080) IPS LCD, anti-glare, 144Hz, up to 170° viewing angles, 16:9 aspect ratio
• Acer CoolBoost Cooling System, NitroSense cooling management system
• Ports:
  • 1x HDMI 2.1
  • 2x USB 2.0
  • 1x USB 3.1
  • 1x USB 3.0
  • 1x USB-C
  • 1x audio jack
• Chiclet Backlit Keyboard (RGB)
• Price: Php 51,999 with free Acer Bag (Villman.com)

As you can see, although it comes with an Intel Core i5 processor and only 8GB RAM and 512GB storage, the laptop still guarantees high-end performance for a low price. Also, unlike the outdated DDR3 RAM that DOH’s laptop comes with, this one comes with DDR4 RAM and the processor is overclockable and is actually for performance use.

9. Acer Aspire 5 A514-54G-7698

The Acer Aspire 5 is our home laptop and the one we used to write this article. Unlike smartphones, laptop models come in different screen sizes, processors, GPUs, screen types and even features. This particular model comes with a fingerprint scanner (ours didn’t).

As a mainstream laptop, it does not carry the same performance level as the Nitro 5, but is still kicking and good for some games. The Intel Core i7 11th gen processor that this particular recommendation we have will not be as buttery smooth as the Intel Core i5 of the Acer Nitro 5 as the clock speed is lower and has a “U” trim, which means it’s a power-saving processor.

The laptop still comes with an FHD IPS LCD screen at 14in. Though, the refresh rate is just the usual 60Hz since it’s meant for multimedia use.

Depending on the colour, there are different model numbers, but the specs are pretty much the same. This listing shows a black colour.

Compared to our own Acer Aspire 5, this one uses a newer 11th gen Intel Core i7 and comes with 1TB HDD with 256GB SSD, ours came only with 1TB SSD. Though this one comes with only 8GB RAM instead of the 12GB RAM ours came with by default.

Acer Aspire 5 Specs

• Intel Core i7-1165G7
• NVIDIA GeForce MX350, 2GB VRAM
• 8GB LPDDR4 RAM, up to 20GB, Single slot
• 1TB HDD, 5400rpm + 256GB SSD, NVMe M.2, SSD expandable up to 512GB M.2
• FHD IPS LCD, 14in., blue light protection, anti-glare
• Ports
  • 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1
  • 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2
  • Audio Jack
  • USB-C
  • HDMI
  • Ethernet port, RJ-45
• HD+ (1280×720) webcam
• Chiclet Keyboard, optional backlight
• Fingerprint Sensor
• 48Wh battery
• Price: Php 47,999

8. Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 15ARH05

Another gaming laptop in the list, and it’s even cheaper than the Nitro 5!. The Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 is an ideal gaming laptop on the cheap, it comes with AMD Ryzen and NVIDIA GTX1650 graphics. A large downgrade in contrast to Nitro 5, but it’s what you get for a lower price point. Still, a competitive gaming laptop that can play newer titles on at least low or medium graphics.

Also another price reduction measure is the lower 120Hz refresh rate and the laptop only comes with 1TB HDD by default. A lower refresh rate means more blurry images presented on screen when you’re moving really fast. Quite noticeable in many Battle Royale or FPS games. It is still expandable for up to 512GB SSD or another 1TB HDD though as it has another storage slot

Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 specs

• AMD Ryzen 4600H 3GHz, up to 4GHz
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB VRAM, GDDR6
• 8GB DDR4 RAM, up to 16GB, dual-channel, dual slot
• 1TB HDD 5400rpm, additional slot for extra storage:
  • up to 1TB 2.5″ HDD and/or up to 512GB SSD M.2
• 15.6in. FHD IPS LCD, anti-glare, 120Hz
• Ports
  • 2x USB-A 3.1 Gen 1
  • 1x USB-C
  • HDMI 2.0
  • Ethernet port
  • Audio port
• Blue backlit keyboard
• Dolby Audio
• 45Wh Battery
• Price: Php 39,995

7. Acer Spin 5 2-in-1 notebook SP513-54N-53X8

Since we’re on the subject of 2-in-1 laptops (since that’s what apparently DOH bought), we might as well recommend something for starters.

The Acer Spin 5 is one of many examples of an economical 2-in-1 notebook. Like other 2-in-1s, this one has a 360° flippable screen as well as touch screen support, which means it is viable for digital artists since it also has pen support. It comes with good specs under the hood. Under it comes the Intel Core i5-1053G4 processor with integrated Intel Iris Plus graphics, the newest graphics card Intel has manufactured for their own processors. Also, the display is also higher res than some other contemporary laptop, it comes with a 2K resolution with good colour saturation so it’s really meant for multimedia users.

The laptop is small, having a screen size of 13.5in. similar to a tablet. This small size should make it easy and lightweight to carry.

The downside is that you can’t expand the RAM beyond 8GB and you get a pretty low clock speed processor of 1.10GHz, expect that, when running demanding apps such as newer game titles, the laptop may as well be used for cooking breakfast.

Acer Spin 5 specs

• Intel Core i5-1053g4 1.10GHz, up to 3.7GHz
• Intel Iris Plus integrated GPU
• 8GB DDR4 RAM, cannot be expanded
• 512GB SSD M.2 NVME
• 13.5in. 2K resolution (2256×1504)
• Ports
  • USB-C, Thunderbolt 4
  • USB 3.1 Port
  • USB 3.2 Port
  • Audio Port
  • HDMI
  • MicroSD Card reader
• Optional backlit keyboard
• Fingerprint Sensor
• 4-cell battery
• Price: Php49,999

6. Microsoft Surface Pro 7

Probably the most expensive laptop in this list, the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is Microsoft’s answer to the iPad Pro. In their cringeworthy ad, they dared compare the Surface Pro to the iPad Pro, and in the end they claimed the Surface 7 Pro is cheaper than the iPad Pro. The price listed is $880. BUT this is just the lowest end version of the 2-in-1 laptop (with laughably Intel Core i3 processor and 128GB SSD storage). Sneaky and malicious marketing tactic right there. They hit themselves in the foot

Anyway, that isn’t the version we’re recommending, what we’re recommending is the i7 variant that is quite expensive (at Php105K) but still has higher specs than what DOH has purchased.

The laptop should come with a kickstand and has touchscreen support and 2K resolution, which means it’s really useful for artists who aren’t into iPads

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 specs:

• Intel Core i7-1065G7
• Intel Iris Plus Graphics
• 16GB LPDDR4x RAM
• 256GB M.2 SSD
• 12.3in. PixelSense IPS LCD, 2K (2736×1824) resolution, 3:2 aspect rartio
• Windows 10 Home
• Capacitive Touch screen
• 8mp front camera
• 5mp rear camera
• Ports:
  • 1x USB-A
  • 1x USB-C
  • 1x Audio port
  • Surface Cover Port
  • MicroSDXC card reader
• Windows Hello authentication (fingerprint, facial scanning)
• Far-Field Studio Microphone
• Surface Cover with Keyboard and Kickstand
• Price: Php 104,999

5. Dell Inspiron 7306 2-in-1

The Surface Pro 7 too expensive for you? Luckily there are a couple of alternatives, the Dell Inspiron 7306 is one example.

In comparison to the Surface Pro 7, this 2-in-1 laptop comes with a higher 512GB storage so you can store plentiful amount of videos and some games. As with all SSD storage, the laptop will restart blazingly fast. Unlike the Surface Pro 7, this uses an 11th gen Intel Core i7 processor, and at a cheaper price too! The display is also larger, and has even more resolution (UHD), measuring 13.3in. This laptop also comes with its own stylus pen that is rechargeable via USB.

Dell Inspiron 7306 specs

• Intel Core i7-1165G7, up to 4.7GHz
• Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics
• 16GB LPDDR4x, 4267MHz
• 512GB M.2 SSD PCIe NVMe
• 13.3in. UHD (3840×2160), capacitive touchscreen, active pen support
• Webcam, HD
• Windows 10 Home
• Ports:
  • 1x USB-C, Thunderbolt 4
  • 1x Audio Port
  • 1x HDMI 2.0
  • 1x MicroSDXC Card Reader
• 4-cell battery
• Price: Php 89,990

4. Apple MacBook Pro 13in.

We initially thought that DOH purchased Macbooks, however tech specs say the laptops they use use Windows 10 so that’s definitely off the list.

Still, we are recommending it, it’s either this or the iPad Pro 12.9in. Let’s start first with this.

The new MacBook Pro uses the newly announced M1 chip that also powers the iPad Pro (making that just a portable MacBook at this point). This chipset has 16 billion transistors and combines all the aspects of GPU, CPU, and Apple’s own Neural Engine into a single chipset, similar to many chipsets used on smartphones. The chipset uses an octa-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 power efficiency cores.

The laptop uses MacOS 11 “Big Sur” and is completely compatible with other Apple handsets, making this laptop the most flexible out of anything on this list. Apple’s Ecosystem makes things easier to work with other Apple products. However, if you’re using an Android phone or another Windows computer, then things might not be as easy.

Apple MacBook 13in. specs:

• Apple M1
• 16GB LPDDR4 RAM
• 512GB SSD
• 13.3in. Retina display, IPS LCD, 2K resolution (2560×1600)
• Touch Bar (long touch screen taskbar), Touch ID (Fingerprint Scanner)
• Force Touch (long-press trackpad)
• Ports:
  • 2x USB-C, Thunderbolt 4
• FaceTime Video, 720p webcam
• 58.2Wh battery, Li-Po
• Price: Php 95,990

3. Apple iPad Pro 12.9in.

At this point, the iPad Pro may be considered a laptop since it has laptop-like specs and functions (including the Apple M1 chip). Technically, it’s a 2-in-1 notebook marketed as a tablet.

Unlike other laptops seen on this list, this one uses an AMOLED display which Apple calls Liquid Retina XDR. It comes with three cameras: a 12mp main sensor, a 10mp ultrawide and a TOF LiDAR camera for depth sensing. This type of camera allows for easy separation of subject and background when taking portrait shots.

The tablet also comes with a 12mp selfie camera that can also be used for video calling and FaceTime. In addition, it supports the Apple Pen, which is sold separately

We have a full article regarding the iPad Pro, just click this link

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in. (Wi-Fi + Cellular) specs:

• Apple M1
• 8GB LPDDR4 RAM
• 512GB internal storage
• 12mp main + 12mp ultrawide + LiDAR
• 12mp front camera
• AMOLED Liquid Retina XDR display, 2K resolution (2048×2732), oleophobic coating, scratch-resistant glass
• iPadOS 14.6
• USB-C, Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort, Magnetic Connector
• FaceID, Siri Natural Language
• 40.88Wh, 18W Fast charging
• Price: Php89,990

2. ASUS Vivobook Flip 14 TM420UA-EC028T

Another 2-in-1 laptop that is surely more feature-packed than DOH’s laptop. The major difference in comparison to other 2-in-1 notebooks listed here is the Ryzen 5-5500u processor and AMD Radeon integrated graphics.

This laptop also comes with Windows 10 Pro in which ASUS recommends for businesses. The only major differences between Home and Pro is that the Pro comes with BitLocker encryption service, which you can use to lock or encrypt files or drives and that can only be opened with a password.

As a 2-in-1 laptop, the screen is flippable to 360° and also uses a touchscreen with active pen support.

ASUS Vivobook 14 Flip specs:

• AMD Ryzen 5 5500u
• AMD Radeon integrated GPU
• 8GB LPDDR4 RAM, 1x expansion slot
• 512GB SSD M.2 PCIe, 1x expansion slot
• 14in. IPS LCD, FHD, capacitive touchscreen, active pen support
• Webcam, HD
• Windows 10 Pro
• Ports:
  • 1x USB-A 2.0
  • 1x USB-A 3.2
  • 1x USB-C 3.2
  • 1x HDMI 1.4
  • 1x Audio Port
  • 1x MicroSDXC Card Reader
• 42Wh battery
• NumberPad Touchpad (includes Numpad integrated on touchpad)
• Harman Kardon stereo speakers
• Price: Php 42,995

1. ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 GA401QC

DOH could have bought a gaming laptop and it would still run better than… whatever they’ve bought, there’s also cheaper models (if the ROG Zephyrus G14 is cheap that is)

ASUS is widely popular for their gaming line called “Republic of Gamers” which includes accessories, smartphones, PCs and laptops.

We have chosen a modest laptop for the price in the ROG lineup, that is the ROG Zephyrus G14. This one comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS processor that is nearly comparable to the latest Intel Core i7 “H” lineup. In comparison to the U trim, this one is intentionally made for performance.

In addition, there’s also an RTX3050 GPU inside the laptop with 4GB GDDR6 VRAM. It’s similar to the Acer Nitro 5 listed earlier.

What made it different is that the back cover also lights up, as with other gaming laptops, this comes with thermal cooling that can be managed via an integrated program ASUS has included with the laptop.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 GA401QC specs:

• AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS 3.0GHz, up to 4.3GHz
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX3050 4GB GDDR6 VRAM
• 16GB RAM LPDDR4x, up to 24GB
• 512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 SSD
• 14in. IPS LCD, FHD, 16:9 aspect ratio, anti-glare, 144Hz
• Ports:
  • 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
  • 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 with support for DisplayPort/Power delivery
  • 1x HDMI 2.0
  • 1x Audio Port
• Backlit Keyboard, Chiclet (RGB)
• Dolby Atmos Audio, Stereo speakers
• 76Wh battery
• Price: Php 69,995

Summary and Disclaimer:

As you can tell, there are multiple laptops and notebooks in the market that are way more affordable than what DOH purchased, what’s more, the laptop they’ve purchased is also not justifiable. We don’t know why the prices are suddenly that high. Yes it is a set, but the accessories in the audit does not do justice for the price. They might have certain upgrades for any of the four laptops it came but upgrading a laptop is not as expensive as upgrading a PC, so nothing of the price makes sense really.

DISCLAIMER: None of these laptops have been reviewed by us, all of these recommendations are based on specs alone. If you want to be sure which laptops are worthy and right for you seen on this list, please check out and research different reviews before buying.