There are tons of offerings featuring both AMD and Intel processors, all with their own unique quirks that might make them the perfect gaming laptop on a budget for you, so no matter if you are looking for an affordable powerhouse or a stunning display, there’s a budget gaming laptop that’s right for you.
Here are the best gaming laptops on a budget available today.
Q: Is 500 Dollar Gaming Laptop Worth It?
Playing demanding games on a $500 machine won’t be ideal. The GPU may not be high enough to give you the best visuals. The processor and RAM won’t be high-end and you can’t expect it to last for long gaming sessions. Furthermore, low-budget gaming laptops are prone to heating issues. To get a reliable machine, pump up your budget.
It’s not often you see an affordable gaming laptop with a great screen as well as powerful specs, but the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 Gaming Laptop boasts both, with its stunning 17.3-inch display and 144Hz refresh rate, it is a visual treat from a laptop that won’t break the bank.
The only downside to the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 is the 8GB of DDR4 RAM, but thankfully there is plenty of room for upgrades in the laptop, with room for a total of 64GB of DDR4 RAM, and even room for more storage.
With a display of 15.6 inches wide and a resolution of 1920x1080, you will be able to have the best possible gaming experience on a budget. As you play, Acer Cool Boost technology with twin fans and dual exhaust ports will keep your device cool and calm. Therefore it’s recommended for gamers who enjoy long sessions.
If you’re used to playing games with a mechanical keyboard and mouse, you’ll be pleased to know that the Acer Nitro 5 features tactical keys; they have a travel distance of just 1.6mm, alongside backlighting that makes gameplay even more enjoyable.
Students will love this laptop too since it comes with Windows 11, 256GB M.2 storage, a webcam, Bluetooth, speakers, and plenty of ports. It offers everything you need to work and play at an entry-level price, without cutting too many corners.
The build quality is superb and the included backlit keyboard adds a nice touch to those who like to game or work later into the evenings. Better yet, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is pretty lightweight despite its components; ideal for traveling or taking it to your friend’s house for a gaming session. However, you’ll need to take the power cable with you as it eats into the battery life pretty quickly.
Furthermore, its 512 GB storage capacity allows you to download heavy games with hefty file sizes and the 8GB RAM enables it to run multiple games simultaneously. Thus, a high storage and memory mix is key to maximizing efficiency.
Additionally, two USB ports along with HDMI, type-C, and Ethernet ports allow you to connect headphones and other gaming accessories simultaneously. The laptop delivers crystal clear sound without generating echo with Dolby audio technology, enabling you to stream live video more effectively.
This machine extracts all heat away from underneath and is pretty good at exhausting heat to cool the system making it ideal for gamers who enjoy high-resolution video games since standard PCs tend to overheat during those games.
Besides being ideal for casual gamers who want more portability, this laptop can also be used for photo and video editing thanks to its high-quality display.
With a GeForce GTX NVidia graphics card, you can enjoy exceptional visuals while playing games on an energy-efficient laptop. Due to its resolution of 1920x1080, its GPU promises to provide the best visual experience from a 1080p laptop.
Thanks to the Lithium Polymer battery, you can play video games continuously for approximately seven hours. Furthermore, its enthusiastic cooler boost five technology prevents the system from overheating, making it an ideal machine for playing graphics-intensive games.
For starters, the Gigabyte G5 GD comes with 16GB RAM, a 512GB SSD, RTX 3050 graphics, and an 11th gen Intel processor. These components alone make for a great gaming laptop, allowing you to play some AAA titles and most mid-level games with ease. However, you will be tied down by its limited battery life of up to four hours which isn’t ideal for traveling.
Despite the processor being excellent in its own right, if the Gigabyte G5 GD came equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 4800H or 5800H, it would have made this budget gaming laptop an absolute steal. Still, it’s plenty powerful enough if you’re not using it all the time and don’t mind it being plugged in constantly.
Q: Which Brand Is Best For Gaming Laptops?
While there are many budget gaming laptop brands, not all of them will offer the same level of performance at an affordable cost. One of the most reliable and high-performance budget gaming brands is Acer.
Q: How Much RAM Do I Need For Gaming?
In general, 8GB RAM is sufficient for a laptop with a good processor. If you want your gaming machine to be able to run high graphics-intensive games without much difficulty, upgrading it to 16GB will be worth it.
However, you should also carefully choose your GPU, processor and check your machine’s heat efficiency before deciding which laptop is best for you.
Q: Do Gaming Laptops Overheat Much?
A gaming laptop is usually equipped with a performance processor and a dedicated graphics card. When playing graphics-intensive video games, these components produce too much heat, which can cause gaming laptops to overheat.
Most manufacturers indeed install dedicated cooling systems, but there are times when the heat being emitted by the laptop outweighs the heat being released from it. No matter how much money you spend on your gaming laptop, you expect it to heat up occasionally.
