[Our Full Expert Review] Top Deals: Best Budget Gaming Laptops You Can Get Today

Buying the best budget gaming laptop means making some concessions in hardware specifications. But that doesn’t mean you can’t play the same titles as other gamers. You are just limited to lower graphics settings, which is fine.

Steam’s hardware survey shows that the RTX 4060 laptop GPU is the second most-used graphics card globally. It also shows that the vast majority of gamers (55%) play at 1080p, with 1440p gaming coming in at a distant second (19%).

Survey: Steam

These figures show that budget laptops are the mainstream devices, not the high-end, expensive rigs.

So, which budget gaming laptops are the best? I’ll cover the laptops that come out on top in different categories.

Best Budget Gaming Laptops

As mentioned, I’’ll cover the best affordable gaming laptops for different categories. You may not have as many options as someone shopping for a gaming desktop, but there’s a cheap laptop for everyone. I’ll also include technical specifications that affect your overall gaming experience. They include the following:

• GPU total power: Helps you understand your GPU’s performance ballpark. The higher the wattage, the higher the clock rate and heat production. Bigger computers have higher GPU power.
• Screen brightness and refresh rate: Shows your screen’s maximum brightness level. The refresh rate refers to how many frames (or pictures) your display can render per second. Higher refresh rates mean smoother gameplay.
• RAM speed: Measured in mega transfers per second (MT/s) or MHz, it explains how fast your RAM communicates with your CPU. RAM types, such as DDR5 and DDR4, also indicate the level of performance to expect, with DDR5 RAM sticks being faster.
• Battery capacity: Provides insight into battery performance. While bigger batteries mean longer battery life, other factors like GPU power, cooling, and software optimizations also impact your battery.

Knowing these details is important because buying a cheap gaming laptop means forgoing specific specs and getting the best of others. 

Before we begin, here’s a snapshot of the best budget systems on our list:

Lenovo LOQ 15: Best overall budget gaming PC

Image credit: Lenovo

Lenovo’s LOQ series gaming laptops have held a lasting reputation for offering budget gamers some of the best specifications. The LOQ 15 with the RTX 4050 is a great option for budget hunters who want to play at 1080p. The computer has the firepower to play just about any modern game, even the most demanding ones.

Benchmark credit: Gadget Pilipinas

However, you still have to accept the limitations of playing at 1080p, as the computer will struggle with 1440p gaming and ultra-high 1080p graphics settings. You also need to upgrade your SSD to be able to install more games since the included 512GB may be inadequate.

Best entry-level options

Acer Nitro V 15

Image credit: Acer

Acer’s Nitro lineup has always been one of the first series to think about when shopping for budget gaming systems. The Acer Nitro V 15 lives up to that reputation. It’s certainly not the best at producing optimum performance but delivers quite well for its price.

Benchmark credit: Notebookcheck

It’s ideal if you have a restrictive budget but want to enjoy modern games, even if in relatively lower settings. At this price, you should feel good about your purchase.

HP Victus 15

Image credit: HP

Walmart once ran a sale for the HP Victus 15 (2024) at $500, as evidenced by this Reddit post. However, it’s gone up to $639.19 as of the time of writing, which is still a great price for an RTX 4050. Similar offerings on Amazon make it the cheapest gaming laptop on this list.

It’s one of those deals that don’t leave you questioning your purchase decisions down the line. Its 16GB RAM is plenty good for gaming, but you may have to install an extra storage stick to load more games.

Benchmark credit: Notebookcheck

Also, don’t expect the best in terms of speaker quality and fan noise. You may have to invest in headphones for a richer audio experience.

Dell G16 (7630): Best value

Image credit: Dell

Price is the only reason the Dell G16 is not our overall best budget laptop. However, if you can squeeze out $949 for this laptop, you’ll be getting one of the best deals on the market.

Other laptops cut some corners, from RAM and storage size to screen resolution and refresh rate. But not the G16. 

The configuration has enough firepower to deal with gaming at 1080p and 1440p for most modern titles, even at high settings. Throw in frame generation and DLSS, and you’ll be pushing out frame rates that are worthy of the laptop’s beautiful 240Hz screen.

Benchmark credit: Tom’s Hardware

On top of that, you get great upgrade options with 2 RAM and SSD slots. The SSD slots are modular, as you can use 2230 and 2280 form factors on either side. What’s more, it’s one of the easiest laptops open for upgrades.

Best upgrade potential

Acer Nitro 16

Image credit: Acer

The Acer Nitro 16 has two M.2 slots and runs a dual-channel RAM configuration. You can expand your memory to 32GB, which is about the most you can get at this price point. However, Acer allows you to add different SSD form factors, as there are extra screws for smaller-sized units.

The computer is also one of the easiest to open, which means you don’t need a lot of technical experience to install upgrades. 

Apart from the system’s upgradability, it’s quite capable of 1080p gaming in any setting. If you can’t afford the 4060 version, you can get the RTX 4050 configuration for $100+ less.

Benchmark credit: PC World

ASUS TUF Gaming A15

Image credit: ASUS

The ASUS TUF lineup offers some of the most cost-effective laptop offerings for gamers. The TUF A15 with the RTX 4060 is a decent rig for 1080p gameplay at the highest settings and can also pump out respectable frame rates at 1440p.

Benchmark credit: Games Radar

However, you may have to adjust to some of ASUS’s cutbacks for this configuration. 8GB of RAM may be okay for entry-level gaming, but you may have to upgrade to meet the minimum requirements for certain titles like Forespoken and Alan Wake 2. 

The good thing is that upgradability is one of the computer’s strongest suits. You can add extra RAM and M.2 SSD sticks to the additional slots under the hood. I also consider it one of the best laptops for students since its battery can last a while on regular day-to-day tasks.

MSI Cyborg 14: Best portable option

Image credit: MSI

Small gaming computers are not the cheapest gaming laptops. You need to spend more to go smaller. Cramming hardware into smaller spaces just costs more for manufacturers.

That is why the MSI Cyborg 14 is quite the bargain at $1,099. I found options at Best Buy and Amazon ($1,049) at that price, but you may struggle to find it below $1,300 elsewhere.

Image source: Amazon

Benchmark credit: Just Josh

Apart from the performance issue, your upgrade options are also slightly limited. While it has two RAM slots (which is rare for a 14-inch laptop), the size only affords you a single SSD slot.

How to Choose the Best Budget Gaming Laptop: Buying Tips for Every Part

These are the specifications that should make the difference when finding affordable gaming laptops that fit your budget:

Below are some other important factors to consider:

Have a clear budget

Your budget will determine all the sacrifices you have to make. Drawing a line in the sand will ensure you find something that works for you, even if a slightly better configuration costs a few bucks more.

Focus on the specifications that matter

As mentioned, your GPU is the most important component for gaming. Still, it’s a good idea to make your priorities clear. If you want to play games that rely on heavy CPU calculations, you can go for a higher processor. Other specs like speakers, webcams, keyboards, and ports can take a backseat until you have the important ones figured out.

Consider refurbished laptops

Refurbished laptops are not used and dinged-up computers like people imagine. Yes, they’re pre-owned, but these laptops have been restored to the same standards as brand-new systems through repairs and rigorous testing. As such, it is like getting a new computer. The plus side is that they are cheaper. You can purchase manufacturer-certified refurbished laptops or find deals on sites like Amazon and eBay.

Research and compare prices

There may be multiple laptops that meet your requirements and are within your budget. While you should snag up the best deal you find as soon as possible, take a minute or two to check alternatives for better prices and offerings. For example, a computer at the same price might offer slightly better specs than what you wanted to buy.

What Is a Reasonable Price to Pay for a Budget Gaming Laptop?

Budget gaming laptops are generally classified as computers between $600 and $1,000. I consider any amount within that range reasonable as long as you have the best specifications to show for it.

As you would expect, the upper range gets you better hardware and vice versa. The best value on this list remains the Dell G16 at the time of writing. However, you’ll feel good about other lower-priced laptops if your budget is tight.

Get the Best Laptop for Your Pocket

While your choices are limited compared to budget gaming desktops, you can still play the latest titles with low funds. Remember that the goal is finding an option that not only fits into your budget but also makes you feel that you spent right. Achieving that requires identifying where priorities lie, from the types of games you intend to play to your preferred form factor and game resolution.

Head to the comments section to tell us the laptop you picked!

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