Updated Jun 12, 2024 at 09:34 am
By Thomas Szwedska
overview 15 comments
Shopping for a gaming laptop can be challenging, as gaming is a demanding task with many requirements. First and foremost, you need to look for a system with a powerful CPU, a dedicated GPU, and a good cooling system to reach high, consistent frame rates. You'll also want a laptop with a high-quality display to see a clear image in fast-paced games, a comfortable keyboard that won't cause fatigue on long gaming sessions, and a fast SSD to reduce loading times. These things add up, making gaming laptops far more expensive than your typical thin, light ultraportables. That said, good budget options are available, costing around $1,000 or less. Below is a list of a few we've tested to get you started. The list is short for now but will grow as we review more laptops.
We'vetested over 120laptops, and below, you'll find our recommendations for the bestbudget gaming laptops and the best cheap gaming laptops. You can also check out our recommendations for the best budget and cheap laptops, the best laptops for college, and the best gaming laptops.
-
Best Budget Gaming Laptop
ASUS TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition (2023) 8
Gaming
8.6
Portability
6.1
Variable Refresh Rate
FreeSyncTyping Quality
8.0
Thermals And Noise
5.9
Serviceability
8.4
See all our test results
The best budget gaming laptop we've tested is the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition (2023). This 16-inch all-AMD system pushes high frame rates in demanding AAA games, giving you a smooth and immersive gaming experience. The base configuration costs around $1,000 USD; you get a Ryzen 7 7735HS CPU, a Radeon RX 7600S GPU, a 165Hz FHD display, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. Faster configurations are available if you're willing to pay more. Both the 165Hz FHD and the more costly 240Hz QHD panel support variable refresh rate to reduce screen tearing.
This laptop feels sturdy and provides easy access to the internals for repairs and upgrades. There are two storage drive slots—upping storage capacity will probably be necessary since 512GB (or even 1TB) isn't a lot these days. You can also replace the wireless adapter, as the existing module only supports Wi-Fi 6. Ports include four USBs (two As and two Cs), a true HDMI 2.1, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and an Ethernet port. Thermal throttling isn't a problem, but the laptop gets hot and loud. Unfortunately, this is a rather bulky laptop, so it isn't the best for on-the-go use, and the battery lasts only a little over an hour when gaming.
See our review
-
Best Cheap Gaming Laptop
Lenovo LOQ 15 (2023) 11
Gaming
8.7
Portability
5.7
Variable Refresh Rate
FreeSyncTyping Quality
7.5
Storage Drive Performance
9.3
Thermals And Noise
7.2
Serviceability
7.6
See all our test results
Our best cheap pick is the Lenovo LOQ 15 (2023). This15.6-inch model is available with up to an AMDRyzen 7 7840HS and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060. Every configuration can deliver a smooth gaming experience at 1080p, though you'll have to play with the settings a bit on the RTX 3050 models to get over 60 fps. The RTX 4050 and 4060 models can handle 1440p gaming; we recommend the latter, as the RTX 4050's 6GB VRAM is very limiting at the QHD resolution. Display options include two FHD (60Hz and 144Hz) panels and a 165Hz QHD panel. We recommend one of the high-refresh options for gaming, as they'll provide better responsiveness and support VRR to reduce screen tearing. The 144Hz panel's response time is rather slow, so you'll likely see some ghosting in fast-moving scenes.
As for the rest of the device, the laptop feels relatively sturdy despite being entirely plastic. The keys have a lot of travel and don't require much force to actuate; they just lack tactility, so it's sometimes hard to know if you've actuated a key. Port selection is great, asyou get three USB-As, one USB-C (not Thunderbolt or USB4, unfortunately), an HDMI 2.1, and an Ethernet port. RAM and storage are also user-replaceable, so you can upgrade later on. There's no fingerprint sensor or facial recognition camera, though we don't expect such features at thisprice. You can find a wide range of variants available on Lenovo's websiteherefor below $1,000 USD.
See our review
-
Best Cheap Gaming Chromebook
Acer Chromebook 516 GE (2022) 13
Gaming
5.1
Portability
7.6
Variable Refresh Rate
NoTyping Quality
7.5
Storage Drive Performance
5.2
Thermals And Noise
9.1
Serviceability
6.0
See all our test results
The best gaming Chromebook we've tested is the Acer Chromebook 516 GE (2022). Unlike Windows gaming laptops, this device runs Chrome OS and is designed specifically for cloud gaming services like NVIDIA GeForce NOW. Cloud gaming means that all the processing takes place on NVIDIA's server—or whichever company provides the service—and the image is streamed to your device, like any video streaming service. The laptop comes with a three-month trial of GeForce NOW. You can play games from the Google Play Store; know that these titles are made for smartphones and tablets running on an ARM processor, so they might not always run properly. Also, some of them lack keyboard, mouse, and controller support.
The laptop feels well-built, and while it's on the bulkier side, it isn't too heavy. It sports a nice 16-inch QHD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It gets bright enough for use in most indoor settings, and its response time is good, resulting in a clear image in fast-moving scenes. The keyboard feels spacious, doesn't get hot under load, and has RGB backlighting. Don't get too excited; it only has a single lighting zone. You get Wi-Fi 6E and an Ethernet port, which is great because cloud gaming performance heavily depends on your internet connection. At around six hours of light use or an hour of gaming, battery life is shorter than the other picks,so keep the charger close.
See our review
Recent Updates
-
Jun 12, 2024: We've verified that all picks are valid and available and made minor text changes to reflect availability and pricing.
-
May 14, 2024: Minor text changes to reflect availability and pricing.
-
Apr 15, 2024: Small text update to provide information regarding sales. No change in recommendations.
-
Mar 15, 2024: Replaced the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 (2021) with the Lenovo LOQ 15 (2023) because the LOQ 15 is better and easier to find. Removed the HP Victus 15 (2022) from the Notable Mentions because it's discontinued and hard to find. Added the ASUS TUF Dash F15 (2022) as a Notable Mention.
-
Feb 22, 2024: Replaced the ASUS TUF Dash F15 (2022) with the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition (2023) because the F15 is discontinued and hard to find.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the bestbudget gaming laptops you can get. In addition to the test results, we factor in the price (a cheaper laptopwins over a pricier one if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no laptops that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you prefer to make your own decision, here’s the list of all of our laptop reviews. Keep in mind that most laptops are available in various configurations, and the table only shows the results of the model we tested, so it’s best to see the full review for information about other variants.
