https://www.cnet.com/news/best-cyber-monday-2018-deals-at-staples-canon-imageclass-laser-printer-amazon-fire-hd-echo-dot-google-home-hub-hp-pavilion/

This basic, but decently outfitted 14-inch laptop has an Intel Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive. Some similar Core i3 models are $40 or so less, but I think an i5 CPU is worth the extra investment. 

With a Intel Core i3-8130U processor, 8 GB of memory and 1 TB hard drive, this desktop would be a cool gift.