HP ProBook 14" 445 G9 2022, Ryzen 5 5625U, 64GB, 512GB SSD, Silver

64GB of RAM in a sub-$600 refurb business laptop is the best budget multitasking deal we've seen all year. Buy it for the RAM, tolerate everything else.

The Ryzen 5 5625U is a solid 6-core chip that handles everyday tasks without breaking a sweat. It's not a speed demon, sitting right around the middle of the pack in our database, but paired with 64GB of DDR4 it chews through browser tabs, spreadsheets, and even light development work without flinching. The integrated Radeon Graphics are exactly what you'd expect, fine for Minecraft and Stardew Valley but don't even think about modern AAA titles. The 512GB SSD is adequate but nothing special, and the Wi-Fi 5 is a bit dated. The real surprise is how smooth this thing feels for a refurb at this price.

Against the MacBook Air M4, the ProBook loses on battery life, display quality, and raw CPU performance, but it wins on RAM capacity and price. The ThinkPad T14 Gen 6 is the more natural competitor, with better build quality and a nicer keyboard, but you'll pay significantly more for similar specs. The Surface Laptop 7th Edition has a gorgeous screen and better portability, but again, you're paying a premium. If you need 64GB of RAM on a budget, nothing else in this price range comes close. If you just need a nice laptop for browsing and writing, the MacBook Air is the better machine, full stop.

Here's where it gets interesting. Prices on this thing swing wildly from $450 to $1,210 depending on the config and seller. The sweet spot is the 64GB RAM model at the lower end of that range. At $450 to $600, this is a steal. At $1,200, you're getting ripped off and should buy a new ThinkPad instead. The best deals are on Newegg, where refurb units with the full RAM loadout pop up regularly. Don't pay more than $600 for this laptop, period.

The HP ProBook 445 G9 is a weird one. On paper it's a boring business laptop, but someone crammed 64GB of RAM into this thing and now it's quietly one of the best budget workhorses you can grab refurbished. The Ryzen 5 5625U isn't going to blow anyone's hair back, but for students, office work, and light indie gaming, this is a lot of machine for the money. The real story here is the RAM. 64GB in a sub-$500 refurb is almost unheard of, and it makes this laptop punch way above its weight for multitasking, VMs, and memory-hungry workflows.

If you want a premium display, all-day battery life, or any kind of real gaming performance, this isn't it. Go get a MacBook Air M4 or a ThinkPad T14 instead. And if you're just browsing the web and writing emails, you don't need 64GB of RAM, save your money and buy something lighter with a better screen.

The HP ProBook 445 G9 is a niche pick, but for the right person it's a no-brainer. If you're a student, developer, or anyone who needs a ton of RAM without spending MacBook money, grab the 64GB refurb while it's under $600. It's not flashy, the display is meh, and the Wi-Fi is dated, but it gets the job done and then some. Just don't overpay for it.