Top 5 Macbooks Under $700: Expert Picks for Quality

I love this computer! It can charge in two different ways, and it is lightweight and “clean” looking. I bought a nice, but tough case for it, and it looks super spiffy! The computer itself was easy to modify to my needs, and battery life is excellent.

Top of the line Apple. Does it all a trusted and top quality product.

I purchased this 16″ MacBook Pro M4 Max with 48 GB and 1TB for $2,575.26 “Like New” from Amazon Resale while they were offering an extra 20% discount on 11/21/2025. On top of that I signed up for Prime to get the 2% back on my Amazon Visa (i.e. 5% instead of just 3%). I’ve been watching for a deal for a while, as this was not provided “free” through the Vine program, and I was finding it hard to justify such an expensive purchase. I would not typically write a review in that case, but I felt this transaction needed one.I certainly had concerns after reading some of the 1 star reviews, though my experience purchasing this through Amazon Resale was nothing but 5-star. What arrived on 11/25 in my case was treated as high value, and was handed to me by an Amazon driver, only after I provided a 6 digit code. It was sealed in a typical brown Amazon box with no sign of damage. I immediately opened the box, with my wife filming the unboxing just in case. I recommend this precaution, though fortunately all was fine. The box matched the order’s specs, and the SN of the laptop it contained matched that. As well as being as advertised; a scratch-free, perfect laptop.CONDITION:What I received was a mint laptop in an opened Apple retail box taped closed with packing tape. The Apple box had two extra barcodes stuck to its bottom (one was a “LPN” code). Additionally there was an orange “QC15 PASS” sticker signed with the initials “Fg”. The original Apple charger was in the box still sealed in the protective wrap, and the power cable was still coiled around the cardboard, clearly those had not been used. The laptop did not have the protective paper sleeve, nor was there a protective sheet between the screen and keyboard, though even so both the laptop body and the screen were perfect, with no sign of defect.A check of the serial number with Apple’s website confirmed it had first been activated on 10/26/2025, so I was free to activate AppleCare on it within the next 32 days, or just enjoy the standard Apple Warranty until October 26th, 2026. I then powered it up and checked the battery cycles (there were 2), and any signs of it being left tied to an account, or with device management active; there was not.Finally, I ran Apple’s hardware test; it passed. Then I verified all Thunderbolt ports with an external hard drive, as well as the SD slot, headphone jack, and power connector. No issues found. At this point all of my fears were gone, and I was overjoyed.ONE MINOR CONCERN:Other than the expected (open box, lacking protective wrap), it had an odd initial smell. I’m sensitive to smells, and the box and laptop emit what I would best describe as a strong “new car” odor, slightly fruity, but with no stain on the box or residue on the laptop. The smell was mainly from the outside of the box itself. I’d guess it was in close proximity to a leaking car air freshener during shipping, or the return process. My initial concern was that the laptop might have been wiped down with a disinfectant to clean it, which would have the potential of damaging the screen coating. I suppose it is possible the original owner, or Amazon used a deodorizer to sanitize or mask other odors, but I think it is far more likely that another package leaked near it, and the laptop was never exposed to anything directly. I’ve been using it for two days now, and there is no longer any noticeable odor. The Apple box it came in however still smells of it, so I’ve relegated it to the garage.CONCLUSION:Certainly, buying an open box return carries some risk over picking one of these up from the Apple Store. However, the significant savings made it worth that. Fortunately I did not have to deal with a return. However, I’ve always found Amazon to make that easy at my Whole Foods drop point. In the end I now have a high spec version of my dream laptop, as opposed to a base model, which is all my budget would have allowed had I gone with new.FINAL THOUGHTS: My last MacBook Pro lasted me over 10 years, and I’m hopeful that given the high specs of this one, it will enjoy a similar life. I was not expecting to use this for games, as I have a Windows gaming laptop for that, but out of curiosity, I loaded up Cyberpunk 2077 on it, and wow! Running the laptop in clamshell mode with an ultra-wide Samsung gaming display (5120×1440) and two 4K LG monitors on either side showing other work, it does not seem to struggle. Around the rear vents, the MacBook Pro does get warm, but not as warm as my “gaming laptop” does when running the game. The selection of games supporting Apple Silicon is small, but this one definitely makes the MacBook Pro shine! If you are on the fence about buying a MacBook Pro, I would say go for it, especially if you can find a good deal on Amazon Resale. Just be sure to inspect it carefully when it arrives.

Best for video editing. Best for photoshop. Best for photographers who travel. Best for anyone who uses a computer for work…unless you are a gamer. But gamers already know this, so no worries. This computer is better than any PC because of stability and power savings. If I’m not using Adobe, this thing goes all day easily. The screen? Legendary. Colors are spot on. Keyboard? Always lit, easy to type on. It has an SD card slot that you could use for an extra hard drive, but I always dump my work onto an external drive anyway, so my onboard drive is always over 50% free. I have a Ryzen desktop built for video work. This beats it, easily. So glad I got this! My social life is back! If you get the reference, you need this machine. Get it, you only live once.

This MacBook Pro is exactly what I was looking for. It’s fast, the screen is beautiful, and it handles all my school work without a hitch. I love the feel of the keyboard and the battery lasts all day. Great value for the price when bought refurbished.

I’m impressed with the performance of this M5 chip. It’s a noticeable upgrade from my previous laptop. The 24GB of RAM makes a huge difference when I have multiple tabs and applications open. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a solid MacBook Pro on a budget.

Good computer–everything works, although it sometimes seems a little bit slow to respond to input. Beautiful screen and picture quality (bright), ample battery life, good sound quality and seems to have good durability.

Arrived on time. Price was in-line with Apple. Very nice product and the perfect size to use while internationally traveling.

Exactly what my 17 year old was looking for. He was able to do everything he wanted to on it. Gaming, streaming, etc.

Exactly what my 17 year old was looking for. He was able to do everything he wanted to on it. Gaming, streaming, etc. Read more