Gaming laptops are often expensive, bulky and power-hungry, but that doesn’t mean you have to break the bank to enjoy your favorite PC games. There are plenty of affordable gaming laptops that can deliver decent performance, portability and battery life without costing a fortune. In this article, we’ll review some of the best budget gaming laptops you can buy in 2023, based on our testing and research.
Asus TUF Dash 15
The Asus TUF Dash 15 is our top pick for the best budget gaming laptop, as it offers a great combination of performance, design and value. For under $1,200, you get a 12th-gen Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics that can handle most games in 1080p at high settings and smooth frame rates. The 15.6-inch IPS display has a 144Hz refresh rate and decent brightness and color accuracy, while the keyboard and touchpad are comfortable and responsive. The laptop also has a sturdy and sleek aluminum chassis, a Thunderbolt 4 port, and a decent battery life of around six hours.
The Asus TUF Dash 15 is not perfect, though. The display is a bit dull and lacks contrast, the speakers are weak and tinny, the webcam is low-quality and lacks a privacy shutter, and the cooling system can get loud under load. However, these are minor drawbacks compared to the overall value and quality of this laptop.
You can buy the Asus TUF Dash 15 from Amazon for $1,199.
Dell G16 Gaming Laptop
The Dell G16 Gaming Laptop is another excellent option for gaming on a budget, especially if you want a higher-resolution screen. For around $1,500, you get a 13th-gen Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics that can run most games in QHD+ (2,560 x 1,600) resolution at medium to high settings. The 16-inch display has a 165Hz refresh rate and supports Dolby Vision HDR for stunning visuals. The laptop also has a spacious keyboard with RGB backlighting, a fast NVMe SSD, and a good selection of ports, including HDMI 2.1 and USB-C.
The Dell G16 Gaming Laptop is not without flaws, though. The battery life is mediocre at best, lasting around four hours on average. The laptop is also quite heavy at 6.3 pounds and thick at 1.01 inches, making it less portable than some competitors. The fans can also get noisy when gaming, and the webcam is average at best.
You can buy the Dell G16 Gaming Laptop from Dell for $1,499.
Acer Nitro 5
The Acer Nitro 5 is the best gaming laptop for the very tightest budgets, as it offers decent gaming performance for under $900. You can choose between a 15.6-inch or a 17-inch model, both with a 1080p IPS display with a 144Hz refresh rate. The laptop comes with a 12th-gen Intel Core i5 processor and Nvidia GTX 1650 graphics that can run most games in low to medium settings at playable frame rates. The laptop also has a comfortable keyboard with red backlighting, a large touchpad with Windows Precision drivers, and an easy-to-upgrade design that lets you add more RAM or storage.
The Acer Nitro 5 is not very impressive in terms of design or battery life, though. The laptop has a plastic body that feels cheap and attracts fingerprints easily. The battery life is also poor, lasting around three hours on average. The speakers are weak and distorted, the webcam is low-resolution and grainy, and the cooling system can get hot and loud under load.
You can buy the Acer Nitro 5 from Amazon for $898 (15-inch) or $1,239 (17-inch).
Other Alternatives
If none of these laptops suit your needs or preferences, there are some other alternatives you can consider. For example:
- The Acer Predator Triton 300 SE is a slim and light gaming laptop with an Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics that can handle QHD gaming at high settings. It also has a 14-inch IPS display with a 165Hz refresh rate and G-Sync support, a backlit keyboard with per-key RGB lighting, and a decent battery life of around seven hours. However, it costs around $1,400 and has limited storage space (512GB), loud fans, and no webcam.
- The Legion Slim 7 Gen 7 is another thin and light gaming laptop with an AMD Ryzen 7 processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics that can run most games in QHD at high settings. It also has a 15.6-inch IPS display with a 165Hz refresh rate and Dolby Vision HDR, a comfortable keyboard with white backlighting, and a good battery life of around eight hours. However, it costs around $1,500 and has a dim screen, weak speakers, and no webcam.
- The Dell G5 15 SE (2020) is an affordable gaming laptop with an AMD Ryzen 7 processor and Radeon RX 5600M graphics that can run most games in 1080p at high settings. It also has a 15.6-inch IPS display with a 144Hz refresh rate and FreeSync support, a spacious keyboard with RGB backlighting, and a decent battery life of around six hours. However, it costs around $1,000 and has a bulky and bland design, a noisy cooling system, and a low-quality webcam.
- The HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0046nr is a budget gaming laptop with an Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti graphics that can run most games in 1080p at high settings. It also has a 15.6-inch IPS display with a 144Hz refresh rate and decent brightness and color accuracy, a comfortable keyboard with green backlighting, and a good battery life of around seven hours. However, it costs around $1,100 and has a plastic body that feels cheap and flexes easily, loud fans, and no Thunderbolt 3 port.
- The Acer Nitro 5 Chromebook 516 GE is the best gaming Chromebook you can buy, as it offers decent performance for Chrome OS games and Android games. It has an Intel Core i5 processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics that can run some games in 1080p at medium settings. It also has a 15.6-inch IPS display with a 144Hz refresh rate and decent brightness and color accuracy, a comfortable keyboard with red backlighting, and a long battery life of around nine hours. However, it costs around $680 and has limited storage space (256GB), weak speakers, and no webcam.
- The EVOO LP-7 is a budget gaming laptop from a new brand that offers good performance for the price. It has an AMD Ryzen 7 processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics that can run most games in QHD at high settings. It also has a 17.3-inch IPS display with a 165Hz refresh rate and decent brightness and color accuracy, a comfortable keyboard with RGB backlighting, and an easy-to-upgrade design that lets you add more RAM or storage. However, it costs around $1,300 and has poor build quality, loud fans, and no webcam.
Conclusion
Gaming on a budget doesn’t have to mean compromising on quality or performance. There are plenty of affordable gaming laptops that can offer you a satisfying gaming experience without breaking the bank. Whether you want a large or small screen, high or low resolution, Intel or AMD processor, Nvidia or Radeon graphics, or Windows or Chrome OS operating system, there is a budget gaming laptop for you. We hope this article helped you find the best budget gaming laptop for your needs and preferences. Happy gaming!
