In this video we’re going to be checking out the five best budget gaming laptops available right now. I made this list based on performance, features, price and more. I’ve included options for every type of consumer, so if you’re looking for a budget gaming laptop with the best battery performance or one that can push 144 hertz on a 17-inch screen will have the product for you.
The fifth product on our list is the Acer Nitro 5. This is a great entry-level gaming laptop. If you game on the go and you want an inexpensive laptop that not only performs great but also has above average battery performance, then the Acer Nitro 5 is one of your best options.
Currently priced at 680 dollars the Nitro 5 delivers big gaming experience for over 11 hours which is pretty incredible. It packs some serious specs under the hood so it can handle most titles, but you may have to drop the settings down a notch for extra smooth gameplay. You’ll find the 15.6-inch 1920×1080 screen is surprisingly good and you won’t see inverted colors even when you look at the matted display from extreme angles. It is a little on the dim side but for a gaming laptop that sub 700 that’s definitely not a deal breaker.
The built-in speakers are decent much better than you’d expect from a budget laptop, but you’ll still want to throw on some gaming cans for a more immersive experience. The keyboard feels solid and snappy with really cool red backlighting; however, the trackpad has no dedicated left and right mouse buttons which can make it a little frustrating.
The key features are:
Specs. Intel core i5 9300 h processor, NVidia GeForce GTX 1650, 8 gigabytes ram with 256 gigabytes SSD.
Display. 15.6-inch 1920×1080 resolution running at 60 hertz.
Twin fans and Acer coolboost. Adjustable cooling system keeps it running cool especially with its plastic chassis.
Amazing battery. Over 11 hours of battery life.
Ports. RJ45 ethernet port, HDMI, 2 USB 3.1, one USB 2.0 and one USB C port, but unfortunately no mini display port.
If you’re looking for an inexpensive gaming laptop that balances performance and price without sacrificing battery life, then the acer nitro 5 crushes the typical six hours on most budget gaming laptops making it a great option for you.
The fourth product on our list is the Asus TUF FX505DT. This is our best gaming laptop under 800. If you’re looking for one of the best gaming laptops without spending over 800 dollars, then the Asus TUF FX505DT delivers some serious gaming performance without much compromise making it an ideal option for you.
Currently priced at seven hundred forty dollars the TUF FX505DT may be an entry-level gaming laptop but you’ll find there’s enough firepower under the hood to push 120 hertz refresh rates for ultra-smooth gameplay at full HD resolution and even if you’re not clocking 120 frames per second the refresh rate gives you silky smoothness to whatever game you throw its way.
Games play flawlessly and look quite amazing, with the IPS level nano edge display the images are unbelievably clear. The colors are vivid and accurate like you would find on more expensive gaming laptops like the acers predator Helios 300 coming up later in the video.
The keyboard has RGB backlighting and aside from looking quite cool, they’re optimized for gameplay with improved ergonomics for those marathon sessions. If you like to game on the go, you’ll appreciate that the ASUS is built to be extremely durable so it can take a few knocks and bumps when you’re taking it to school or the corner coffee shop. It’s unfortunate that for a mobile gaming laptop you’ll only get about 4 hours of battery performance.
The key features are:
Specs. AMD Ryzen 5 R5 3550H, NVidia GeForce GTX 1650, eight gigabytes ram with 256 gigabytes SSD.
Performance. One of the best gaming performances around for the price.
Nano edge display. 15.6-inch 1920 by 1080 resolution running at 120 hertz delivering extreme immersion on an ultra-fast display.
Built tough. Tested and certified to meet military grade standards for toughness and durability.
Immersive audio. DTS headphone XY delivers high fidelity, 7.1 channel, virtual surround sound audio.
If you’re looking for an affordable entry-level gaming laptop that delivers some incredible performance with better than average smooth gameplay then the Asus TUF FX505DT delivers ultra-smooth gameplay at full HD resolution running at 120 hertz, doubling most budget gaming laptops making it a great option for you.
The third product on our list is the Dell G5 15 SE. This is a great value per dollar option. If you’re looking for a gaming laptop that gives you one of the biggest bangs for your gaming buck without spending over one thousand dollars, then the Dell G5 15 SE may be one of your best value options.
Currently priced at 930 dollars the g515se doesn’t necessarily stand out for performing extremely well in any category but overall, the performance is solid. It comes with speedy components 144hz refresh rate and some great features to really make it an enticing package at a great price for gamers looking for an entry-level gaming laptop without the heavy investment of a premium gaming laptop.
The design is pretty basic and a bit clunky with its all-plastic design, but you’ll find the overall gameplay is pretty good. Even at 1080p with higher settings most games play great and if you knock it down a notch, you’ll find you can run most games at 60 frames per second. However, you’ll find it does struggle with the more demanding games.
Where the G5 15 SE falls behind the competition is its battery performance with only about three hours. It could be a deal breaker for the gamer on the go but for those staying put and close to a power source it shouldn’t be an issue.
The key features are:
Specs. Ryzen 5 4600 h6 core AMD Radeon RX 5600 M, 8 gigabytes ram with 256 gigabytes SSD.
Screen. 15.6-inch VA display is sharp, vivid and reasonably bright with great viewing angles.
144 hertz refresh rates. Delivers extremely fluid and smooth gameplay.
Side mounted speakers. Delivers decent audio that gives it a wider presence by being located near the rear of the keyboard.
Good selection of ports. You get an SD card reader, two USB 2.0 type A ports, mini-DisplayPort, HDMI, USB 3.2 gen1 port, ethernet, and a USB C port with DisplayPort for supported monitors.
The Dell G5 15 SE isn’t perfect, but it does a great job of balancing performance specs and smooth gameplay with 144hz refresh rates without too many compromises making it great for gamers. Looking for an entry-level gaming laptop that delivers the biggest bang for the buck.
The second product on our list is the Lenovo Legion 5. This is a great value per dollar option. If you’re looking for a little more performance bump from the Dell, the Lenovo Legion 5 is a value-driven gaming laptop with a stylish and minimalist design. Unlike its flashier counterparts and definitely brings a lot to the gaming table for its price.
Currently priced at 1 000. the 15.6-inch legion 5 features the highest number of cores available for ultra-thin laptops under the hood to give you some great immersive gaming with nice realism and performance for most games. Although with some of the more demanding newer titles you’ll find it does struggle a bit on the higher settings.
One of the things that sets the Legion 5 apart from other budget gaming laptops is its true strike keyboard that features 100 anti-ghosting and soft-landing switches with great key travel but, unfortunately the clickable trackpad may be off-putting to some.
You’ll also find the thermals are quite efficient and dissipates heat via a dual channel thermal mechanism. And the battery performance is not bad and maxes out around 4 hours.
The key features are:
Specs. AMD Ryzen 7 4800h, NVidia GeForce GTX 1660 TI, 16 gigabytes ram and 512 gigabytes SSD.
Screen. 15.6-inch FHD IPS display with a 144hz refresh rate and 5 millisecond response times.
Ports. You’ll find four USB A, one USB type C, one full-fledged HDMI and an RJ45 connector.
Cold front 2.0. The legion 5 uses a dual channel cooling system that cools the CPU and GPU simultaneously.
Legion true strike keyboard. Features 100 anti-ghosting and soft-landing switches with two levels of backlighting.
Integrated speakers. Two two-watt Harman Kardon speaker system, that’s great for regular use but not necessarily for louder immersive gaming.
The Lenovo Legion 5 is definitely an impressive gaming laptop that packs in a lot of performance and features that’s very value driven at this price point to make it one of the best entry-level options for you. Lenovo will be releasing the new Legion 5 this year with up to hertz refresh rate and 3 millisecond response time, so you can probably expect to pick up this model at reduced prices adding even more value for your dollar.
The first product on our list is the Acer Predator Helios 300 15.6″. This is our best overall budget gaming laptop. If you’re looking for one of the best performing budget gaming laptops around then the Acer Predator Helios 300 may be a great option for you.
Currently priced at 1135. The 15.6-inch Helios 300 matches the Dell G515 Ses 144 hertz refresh rates but with a greater performance bump under the hood. You’re going to get basically ghost free play with fast response times and consistent frame rates with many games running at more than 100 frames per second even on higher settings.
Although it’s not the brightest or most colorful it performs extremely well giving nice visuals with good color accuracy, color gamut and contrast ratio. The thermals are also great you can overclock it and it doesn’t really overheat; however, the fans can get a little loud but on the flip side the performance doesn’t drop.
The keyboard is much better than what you’d find on most affordable gaming laptops. There’s a turbo button at the top but there are no additional customizable macro keys. You do get a 4-zone setup for the RGB backlighting that you can customize with acer’s predator sense software. Like most gaming laptops the Helios 300 also struggles with battery performance. You’ll get about 3 hours and 12 minutes of actual gameplay which falls a little short of the average for gaming laptops.
The key features are:
Specs. I7 10750hz GeForce RTX 2060, 16 gigabytes ram with 512 gigabytes SSD.
Screen. 15.6-inch 1080p IPS display is sharp, vivid and reasonably bright with great viewing angles and high color accuracy with 100 percent SRGB.
144 hertz refresh rates. Delivers extremely fluid and smooth gameplay.
Impressive audio. DTS X ultra-delivers a high-end 360-degree surround sound.
Directx 12 ultimate. The new standard for next gen games delivers better realism and performance.
If you’re looking to squeeze out as much performance from a budget gaming laptop as possible then the Acer Predator Helios 300 is a great choice delivering one of the best gaming experiences for you with plenty of power and performance.
