Let’s face it. Laptops are expensive, especially gaming laptops. Those who want a good portable gaming laptop would need a lot of money to get a great gaming experience. No wonder we end up getting gaming consoles. They are more affordable. But luckily, there are affordable gaming laptops for those with a tight budget. So if you really looking for a cheap gaming laptop, here are some for you to consider.
ASUS ROG G531GT
Windows 10 | 15.6-inch Full HD, 1920 x 1080 resolution, energy-efficient LED backlight | 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H Hexa-core | 8 GB of RAM | 512 GB SSD | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 | Weighs 5.29 lbs. (2.4 kgs) | Other features include: HDMI output, Wi-Fi, Ethernet | RGB backlit keyboard | Headphone output | 4-hour battery life
Here you are looking at the all-powerful ASUS ROG G531 GT gaming laptop. It comes with an Intel Core i7 processor with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card, a storage capacity of 512 GB, and 8 GB of system memory to help you with multitasking.
This affordable gaming laptop also comes with a 15-inch full HD screen that boasts a resolution of up to 1920 x 1080. It only weighs 5.3 pounds and 4 hours of battery life. In stores right now, the G531 is around US$1000, if not a little higher. But it’s a good price making it one of the best budget laptops for gaming.
The only drawback is that the poor battery life, but it has top-of-the-range processing power, and good system memory, it’s lightweight and portable so it is easy to carry.
Acer Nitro 5
Windows 10 | 15.6-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) | 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8300H Quad-core | 8GB of RAM | 1TB HDD | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics | Weighs 6 lbs. (2.7 kg) | Other features include: HDMI output, Wi-Fi, Ethernet | Built-in SD card reader slot | Includes built-in HD webcam and 2 microphones | Headphone/microphone input | 5.5-hour battery life
Next, we have the Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop. It comes with an Intel Core i5 processor with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card for gaming performance, a storage capacity of 1 TB, and 8 GB of system memory to help you with multitasking. It also comes with a 15-inch full HD screen with a 1980 x 1080 resolution, it’s lightweight at 6 pounds and has a battery life of 5.5 hours.
This affordable gaming laptop is under the $1000 budget price range. The gaming laptop is one of the cheapest right now at that price range but there are some drawbacks to note: the bezels are too thick which reduces the screen display; the sound quality is not that good and has a poor quality mouse-pad.
The quad-core processor and graphics card make this adequate to play games but at medium to high settings. You can play your old favorite games though at higher settings.
You are looking at 5.5 hours of battery life, but the system memory and the storage space is pretty good. It is indeed a good gaming laptop for graphic and architecture modeling at the office and for gaming as well, just be mindful of what games you test it with.
ASUS GA502
Windows 10 | 15.6-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) 120 Hz | AMD 2nd Gen Ryzen 7 3750H Quad-core | 8GB of RAM | 1TB HDD | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti | Weighs 6 lbs. (2.7 kgs) | Other features include: HDMI output, Wi-Fi, Ethernet | Built-in SD card reader slot | Includes built-in HD webcam and 2 microphones | Headphone/microphone input | 8-hour battery life
Experience life-like visuals when playing HD games with the ASUS GA502. It comes with a 15.6-inch full HD screen powered by an NVIDIA GeForce 1660 Ti Max-Q graphics card, an AMD Ryzen 73750H quad-core processor, 16 GB of system memory for quick and rapid responses, 1 TB of storage capacity, and 8 hours of battery life.
The keyboard layout will include four hotkeys for faster, more intuitive control (perfect for you gamers).
The ASUS GA502 gaming laptop is under the $1500 price range. The quad-core processor and the NVIDIA graphics card can allow you to play most games at medium to high settings. The 8 hours of battery life is pretty good for a gaming laptop so it is a great boost. Plus it looks pretty with its black metallic finish.
Razer 15
Windows 10 | 15.6-inch Full HD, 1920 x 1080 resolution | 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H Hexa-core | 16GB of RAM | 2TB SSD | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Maxi-Q | Weighs 4.5 lbs. (2 kgs) | Other features include: Virtual Reality Ready | Glass touchpad | Dolby Atmos Stereo built-in surround system | Anti-ghosting keyboard with full key, single-zone RGB lighting | Built-in Webcam with microphone | HDMI output, Wi-Fi, Ethernet | Headphone/microphone input | 6-hour battery life
Next, you are looking at 2018’s Razer 15 gaming laptop. It comes with an Intel i7 hexacore processor, 16 GB of system memory to optimize multitasking, 2 TB of storage capacity, and a GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card for top-line gaming.
It also comes with a 15-inch full HD screen with 1920 x 1080 resolution, weighs 4.5 pounds, and a battery life of 6 hours. The Razer 15 is more expensive, putting it in the price range of less than $2000, but with extra system memory and hard disk space, you can get I say it’s at a good price.
The battery life here is also low but it’s pretty light to carry. If this one interests you, click to get this affordable gaming laptop.
MSI GS65 Stealth
Windows 10 | 15.6-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) 144 Hz | 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H Hexa-core | 16GB of RAM | 512GB SSD | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti | Weighs 4.2 lbs. (1.9 kgs) | Other features include: Virtual Reality Ready | Dyn audio speakers | SteelSeries per-key RGB keyboard | Built-in Webcam with microphone | HDMI output, Wi-Fi | Headphone/microphone input | 6-hour battery life
I recently went to PC World to research a new gaming laptop for my eldest son, but I have to be honest – they didn’t exactly fill me with confidence when it came to their overall knowledge on the subject.
My son led me to believe that the very lowest spec on processor would probably have to be a Intel Core i7 processor (at least), but PC World claimed that I could probably get away with using a i5 on most games. What is your opinion on this – do you think an i7 level processor is the bare minimum needed for gaming?
A gaming laptop that has an Intel i7 processor is the best you can get for gaming as the processor helps optimize gaming performance and with a good graphics card offer a better gaming experience. A gaming laptop with an Intel i5 processor can be used for gaming but it is not really ideal, as it will demand more power from the processor, and most likely come with specs that are compatible with the Intel i5.
Yes, gaming laptops with the lowest spec will, unfortunately, offer less gaming experience, but are cheaper to buy. i7 gaming laptops are more expensive but will offer a greater gaming experience.
My advice: take a look at the ASUS ROG G531 GT gaming laptop reviewed that is currently on sale at less than $1000. It has an i7 processor with good specs and a good graphics card. To me, an Intel i7 is the best for the bare minimum to have the best gaming experience.
Hey there,
Thanks for a great post! I am not an avid gamer, so I wouldn’t buy any of these laptops for gaming. But most of the times these gaming laptops have high-end specs, thus I might buy one of these as a great programming/development high-end desktop replacement laptop with gaming capabilities 🙂
Thanks again!
Marios
It is actually difficult to give gaming laptops as gifts. The prices have skyrocketed beyond imagination. I believe this is because of the new sophisticated softwares that come with new machines, especially for 2019.
I’ve been convinced of the ASUS ROG G531GT laptop but worried about the battery life. I understand that a poor battery will one day go kaput when you need it the most. Can the battery be replaced or is it in-built?
You are right! It is unfortunate that it has low battery life, so it would mean when gaming on the laptop that you must have your laptop adapter plugged into the wall socket. Yes, the battery can be replaced but it would have to be the same type-and-fit and manufactured by ASUS.
Just remember though it will drain more if you use it for longer periods of time so I recommend using it wisely when you out and about.
Awesome article, if only I read this a few months ago when I was purchasing a new gaming laptop! I used to be completely up to date with new tech, but sadly I’m now about 5 years out from knowing the latest tech in gaming to know what I would need. This article has given some good comparisons of suitable gaming laptops!
Awesome, man. You and I know that technology keeps changing all the time. Who knows what will come tomorrow or what you missed yesterday. But one thing you must keep certain is that we must first keep up to date with the latest tech, and secondly check prices on yesterday’s tech and see if they are affordable and worth using. Keep your eyes peeled and remember this site as I will keep bringing you the latest laptop and digital tech, and also remind you all of the budget techs that still pack a punch today.
Hey Chis how are you? Man what an incredible article. You know I have always had a game console for the simple fact that, I dislike little screens.
I did not know this gaming laptop’s cost so much money. But the technology inside of them are incredible. When it comes to the video cards, what is the best recommendation?
What would be your recommendation for a gaming laptop on a budget? My son ask me for one as he wants to move away from Xbox One.
That’s how I found your article.
Once again thank you for this informatiom.
Cheers,
Wilmer.
The problem is that most of the 2019 gaming laptops have so much of up to date technology that their prices are so high, gaming laptops right now are too expensive, but we must be informed and know that there are budget gaming laptops out there for us gamers to get. So in terms of the best-recommened video card, I’d say a gaming laptop with an NVIDIA GTX 2080 graphics card. But since you say they cost too much money, and you looking for a gaming laptop to suit your budget, then check out the MSI GS65 Stealth. It was one of the best gaming laptops in 2018, and it still packs a punch this year.
Thanks for the comment. Happy gaming.
Thanks for sharing this. I’m always in the market for an inexpensive, but good, gaming laptop. My favorite is Razer. They’re a bit expensive, but they’re the best (in my opinion)
Razer has made a good name for itself with all their products and accessories, especially the gaming laptops they produce. So yes, I agree with you, Razer 15 gaming laptop has been one the top gaming laptops as well.
Thanks for your opinion. Check back here soon for more tech info.