The best budget gaming laptops in 2023

Pros: Configurations with solid RTX 30-series GPUs, disperses heat really well, fantastic price

Cons: Bulky, screen is dim

The Acer Nitro 5 is an affordable gaming laptop that offers powerful hardware for a low price. It’s currently our top pick overall for the best gaming laptop on a budget.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 30-series graphics cards aren’t as popular as they used to be, but they’re still incredibly capable GPUs. The Acer Nitro 5 is one of the most affordable 30-series gaming laptops. Even a model that costs less than $800 has a 15.6-inch screen and an RTX 3050 Ti — that’s strong enough to run nearly any game at stable frame rates. It even supports ray tracing in most games, which isn’t always a guarantee on cheap gaming laptops.

This isn’t to say that the Nitro 5 can run every game at the highest settings. In our testing, some intensive titles like Cyberpunk 2077 lagged no matter how much we turned the graphics down, especially when other apps were open. But others, like Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered and Halo Infinite, stayed stable. And popular games with simple graphics, like Fortnite and Valorant, always ran wonderfully.

The Nitro 5’s biggest flaw is its hardware design. The HD (1920×1080) screen on the 17.3-inch model we reviewed is dim, and the colors are dull. Coming in at six pounds (along with another one pound charger), it’s also heavy. The Nitro 5 works best when kept stationary and connected to a brighter external monitor.

One warning we will make about the Nitro 5, though: It’s available in over a dozen different configurations with 15.6- 16-, and 17.3-inch screen options, each one with its own unique combination of hardware and price. If you’re buying a Nitro 5, double check that you’re buying the right configuration for your needs before you commit. But also know that no matter the configuration, they all offer great value.

Check out our full Acer Nitro 5 laptop review.

Pros: Thin and easily portable, surprisingly good graphics for the price

Cons: Weak processor, gets hot quickly

Unlike other entries on this list, Acer doesn’t really market the Aspire 7 as a “gaming laptop.” It’s more of a general use, “everyday” laptop that just happens to feature a great graphics card. But if you’re looking for a budget laptop with a 15.6-inch screen that’s both powerful enough to play your favorite games and portable enough to carry wherever you go, the Acer Aspire 7 is a fantastic choice.

The Aspire 7’s RTX 3050 GPU is surprisingly high-end for an everyday laptop. It’s not the best around, but it’s more than powerful enough to run most modern games, alongside content creation apps like Adobe Photoshop and Premiere.

The Aspire 7’s biggest strength is its size. It’s slim and relatively light, and doesn’t have the giant bumper on the back that some gaming laptops do. This does mean that it gets hot quickly, though, especially when playing intensive games. You’ll want to keep the Aspire 7 elevated when gaming. Check out our guide to the best laptop cooling pads for some options to help with airflow.

The laptop’s Intel i5-1240P processor does slack a bit, though, and it’s weak compared to the kind of CPUs you’ll find on true gaming laptops.

Pros: Powerful RTX 4060 graphics, good CPU, relatively light, plenty of ports

Cons: Loud fans, not much RAM, not pretty to look at, low battery life

Gigabyte is known for reliable, no-frills PC gaming hardware, and the 2023 version of its Gigabyte G5 laptop is a perfect example of that philosophy. The G5 doesn’t look great in design, but it’s powerful, and at around $950, it’s one of the most affordable RTX 4060-equipped laptops around.

Weighing in at about 4.5 pounds, the 15.6-inch Gigabyte G5 is outfitted with an RTX 4060 graphics card and a 12th gen Intel i5 CPU. Those are fantastic specifications for the price, and will mean stable frame rates in nearly any game. RTX 40-series cards also support Nvidia’s AI-powered Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) feature, which can massively boost frame rates in supported games without straining your hardware. This is accompanied by a Full HD 144Hz screen and a great trackpad and keyboard.

In terms of other specs, the G5 isn’t perfect. It only comes with 8GB of RAM which isn’t enough to play some intensive games without lag. Call of Duty: Warzone, for instance, recommends at least 12GB. But luckily the RAM is customizable, meaning you can add up to 64GB later. Just remember to account for that in your budget.

It’s got some flaws in design, too. The G5’s thermals ensure that you won’t burn your thighs while gaming, but its fans get incredibly loud. The battery life is poor as well. And when it comes to aesthetics, the G5 isn’t pretty — it’s essentially a plain black box with the word “Gigabyte” stamped on it.

The Gigabyte G5 is simple. But for gamers wanting great performance on a budget, it’s absolutely a standout pick.

Pros: More RAM than other budget models, cool full-sized keyboard, powerful RTX 4050 GPU

Cons: Average CPU, bulky design

MSI has so many different kinds of gaming laptops that it’s often hard to tell them apart. But gamers looking for a budget laptop build should take a look at the 15.6-inch MSI Bravo 15.

We’ve seen this Bravo 15 configuration on sale for as low as $800, and it gives you both an RTX 4050 GPU and 16GB of RAM, the latter of which is annoyingly rare on laptops at this price. With that hardware, nearly any game you play will look great and run just as well. The Bravo 15’s biggest bottleneck is its CPU — its AMD Ryzen 5-7535HS isn’t as powerful as the processors in some of our other best budget gaming laptop picks, but is still enough to run intensive programs and help you multitask.

The Bravo 15’s build fits its budget status. It’s bulky, loud, and looks very simple. Battery life is middling, and the HD (1920×1080) 144Hz screen isn’t anything to write home about. We’re fan of the backlit keyboard, though, which features translucent WASD keys and a full numpad, which isn’t a guarantee on laptops.

The Bravo 15 isn’t MSI’s only budget laptop, but we like this one better than the more popular Cyborg 15. The Cyborg 15 technically offers better specs and more portability for a similar price, but its graphics card can only draw up to 45W of power, which severely limits its performance.

Pros: Fantastic graphics and CPU, highly customizable, slim frame

Cons: Need to pay extra for a good screen, not a lot of storage space or ports

HP doesn’t come up very often in PC gaming conversations. That’s unfortunate, because the HP Victus 16t-r is one of the best budget gaming laptops you can buy. It offers power and portability in a highly customizable package, giving it an edge over other similarly priced laptops.

First, let’s talk about power. For about $1,190, you can configure a Victus with an RTX 4060 GPU and a 13th-gen Intel i7-13700HX CPU. That graphics card has the power to run nearly any game at max settings with a consistently high framerate, including with ray tracing and DLSS frame generation. And the i7-13700HX is beefy enough for heavy multitasking, as well as video editing and other forms of content creation.

This setup also gives you 16GB of RAM and 512GB of solid state storage. That’s not a lot of storage, especially considering how big games are these days, but it’s upgradable.

The biggest flaw with this setup is the screen. By default, the 16t-r’s screen only goes up to 250 nits in brightness, and has a relatively slow refresh rate of 144Hz. I’d definitely recommend splurging for the upgraded 165Hz or 240Hz versions, which are only $80 or $140 more, respectively. Both of these versions are brighter too, going up to 300 nits. And every version is 16.1 inches, which is one inch bigger than most of our other picks.

When it comes to value, it’s hard to beat the HP Victus 16t-r. Try to buy it direct from HP’s website, if you can — they offer lots of customization options and discounts that’ll help you stay within your budget.

Pros: Very powerful CPU and GPU, lots of storage space, can be configured with a bright 400-nit screen

Cons: Not many ports, runs hot and loud, mediocre trackpad

The Dell G15 is a popular 15.6-inch budget laptop, and for good reason: It’s an inexpensive option that offers both great graphics and some of the best laptop CPUs you can buy.

Depending on your budget, you can buy the Dell G15 with an RTX 3050, RTX 4050, or RTX 4060 GPU, which are all great options. But the G15’s processor is where it truly shines: The Dell G15 is one of the only budget laptops to use the newest 13th generation of Intel CPUs. These are leagues faster than any other laptop CPUs on the market, and turn this inexpensive device into a multitasking beast. There are AMD versions available as well that are nearly as fast.

That’s not the G15’s only surprising feature. The RTX 4050 model can be configured with with 16GB of RAM and a full terabyte of solid state storage, both of which are fantastic for the price. And unlike other budget laptops, it’s got a great screen: Full HD or 1440p options are available, as well as a configuration that supports up to a 240Hz refresh rate, which is nearly double the industry average. You can also configure it with a 400-nit screen via Dell’s website, which we recommend to get the most vibrant visuals. It’s one of the few budget gaming laptops that doesn’t suck to watch movies on.

However, it’s not a perfect laptop. The on-board speakers are pretty mediocre, it only comes with a single USB-C port, and the trackpad is pretty small. It can also run hot and loud under load, but that’s a given with most gaming laptops, especially at this price point.

The Dell G15 earns its popularity with great hardware and a price that’s hard to beat. We’re excited to see how Dell improves it in 2024 and beyond.

Check out our full Dell G15 review.

Pros: Incredibly sturdy construction, long battery life, high-end graphics

Cons: Best version is exclusive to one retailer, CPU can run slow

It isn’t just the name — the Asus TUF A15 is a sturdy budget laptop that can survive drops, bumps, and more, all while letting you play nearly any game at the highest settings. It’s got excellent battery life, and we’ve yet to find a gaming laptop that beats it there.

The TUF A15 is built to “military grade” standards that give it an incredible amount of protection against impact damage and extreme temperatures. If you need a laptop that’ll hold up to a rigorous traveling schedule, then the TUF A15 is a perfect choice. This sturdy construction is backed up with a massive battery that can last upwards of eight hours on a single charge, if run with power saving modes on.

It’ll hold up to the most intensive games and apps, too. The 2023 TUF A15 is built with an RTX 4050 GPU and an AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS, powerful enough to compete with Intel’s 13th-gen chips. A version of the TUF A15 exclusive to B&H upgrades this hardware to an RTX 4060 and a blazing fast AMD Ryzen 9 for no extra charge, which is an unbelievably good deal for less than $1,200.

In terms of flaws, some reviewers have had issues with the CPU, claiming that programs can lag if more than a couple are active at once. Keep an eye on the TUF A15’s Task Manager to avoid this. It’s also outfitted with a dim 15.6-inch screen, meaning it can be hard to see in well-lit environments.

The Asus TUF A15 is the definition of “reliable,” and it’s a great choice for gamers who know they’ll put their hardware through its paces.

Pros: Sleek aesthetic, one of the best screens you can get on a Chromebook, long battery life, very affordable

Cons: Runs Chrome OS instead of Windows, restricted to cloud games or very simple titles, little RAM

Chromebooks aren’t known for their beefy specs, but they can be an excellent, affordable option for people who just want to play cloud gaming services.

When you play a game using a cloud gaming service, the game is actually running on a high-end computer somewhere else, and the game’s visuals get sent to your computer as a video stream. All you need is a strong internet connection to receive those visuals and send your controller inputs. The rise of services like Xbox Game Pass, Amazon Luna, and Nvidia GeForce Now have done a lot to make cloud gaming more popular.

If you only plan on using cloud gaming apps — or if you’re on an extremely tight budget — consider the Acer Chromebook 516 GE. Chromebooks don’t use Windows, but instead run on Chrome OS, a unique system where nearly every app operates through the web browser. It’s not as flexible or customizable as Windows, and can’t run anywhere near as many programs, but it’s great for users who only need basic computer features.

What sets the 516 GE apart from other Chromebooks is its design. It’s outfitted with a bright 16-inch screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and 2560 x 1600 resolution, making it better for gaming than other Chromebooks. The keyboard is lined with RGB lights, giving it a sleek and colorful look. And it’s one of the only Chromebooks to have a built-in Ethernet port, which is a necessity for maintaining a fast and stable internet connection. All of this is backed up by a great 12th generation Intel i5 and a long-lasting battery.

Right now, you can score an Acer Chromebook 516 GE for $650. That’s cheaper than nearly any modern gaming laptop, but actually relatively expensive for a Chromebook. We consider the Acer Chromebook 516 to be the best Chromebook available — especially for gamers — but if you don’t care about the design, or if you can put up with a weaker CPU (and possibly worse cloud gaming performance), there are cheaper options available.

Pros: Supremely portable, powerful graphics, can connect to external accessories for traditional PC experience

Cons: Design makes most Windows apps hard to use, process to remap controls is awkward, low battery life

Though it’s not a laptop in the traditional sense, if you’re exclusively interested in playing PC games, then the Asus ROG Ally is definitely worth a look.

The ROG Ally is a “handheld gaming PC” — it’s shaped like a Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck, but runs on a completely standard version of Windows 11. This means you can run any app and play any game that you’d be able to on a regular laptop. This includes game libraries like Steam and Xbox Game Pass, browsers like Google Chrome, and even productivity apps like the Microsoft 365 suite. The ROG Ally also has the processor and GPU to back this feature up, handling intensive games like Forza Horizon 5 at stable speeds. Battery life is pretty mediocre, though.

Of course, this isn’t to say that you’d want to run every Windows app on the ROG Ally. The joysticks and touchscreen are much better suited to games than editing Excel spreadsheets. And the steps to remap your controls to fit each game you want to play can be confusing at first. But if the need arises, you can use a USB-C hub to connect the ROG Ally to an external mouse, keyboard, and even monitor, turning it into a real computer.

The ROG Ally is a unique little device. It’s not a laptop, but it’s hard to find a more portable gaming PC, especially for the price.

We write all our laptop guides using a combination of in-depth testing, research, comparison, and past experience with gaming hardware. 

When reviewing units, we evaluate the best budget gaming laptops using a variety of different criteria, including price, graphical power, build quality and portability, multitasking performance, and more. Which laptops are using the newest generation of CPUs and GPUs, and which ones are lagging behind? Which companies are charging more for outdated or underpowered hardware? The best budget gaming laptops need to excel across categories to make it onto our list of recommendations.

Once we publish a guide, we don’t stop testing or reviewing. We keep a close eye on new releases and reevaluate guides multiple times per year, updating the picks as needed. This helps us give you, the reader, the most accurate and well-rounded recommendations possible.

Is Cyber Monday a good time to buy a gaming laptop?

Yes! Cyber Monday is a good time to buy pretty much anything, but gaming laptops have another advantage: As the year ends, retailers like Best Buy are going to do whatever they can to sell their entire stock of laptops, so they have room for the new laptops that’ll debut next year. This means that gaming laptops often see even higher discounts than most other electronics.

Before you buy a gaming laptop on Cyber Monday, though, try to compare prices from a variety of retailers. There’s no guarantee that Amazon will have the same price as Best Buy, or NewEgg, or Walmart, and vice versa. Sometimes even the manufacturer’s direct website has the best price. Do your research before committing.

What are the differences between a budget gaming laptop and a midrange or high-end gaming laptop?

The best budget gaming laptops are more powerful than ever. But the absolute most powerful gaming laptops will still cost hundreds of dollars more.

Right now, the best graphics card you can get in a budget laptop is an RTX 4070, and even that’s incredibly rare. If you want an RTX 4080 or RTX 4090 — the kind of cards that can run games at high settings in 4K and run virtual reality titles without a stutter — you’ll need to open up your wallet.

These more expensive laptops will also have better CPUs, meaning apps and files will open and load faster; better screens with higher refresh rates and clearer speakers, which help your games look and sound better; and more storage space, meaning you can have more games and apps installed at once. Depending on the model, they might be able to do all this while having better battery life and lighter frames, too.

Some will include extra bonuses as well, like the mechanical keyboards built into high-end Alienware models, or the customizable chassis featured on some Asus laptops.

What kind of games will I not be able to play on a budget gaming laptop?

There are very few, if any, games you outright won’t be able to play on even the cheapest laptops we’ve featured here. That includes hyper intensive titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Forza Horizon 5, and Far Cry 6.

But if you’re only using an RTX 4060 or older, don’t expect to play those intensive titles at the highest settings without any stuttering, especially if ray tracing is enabled. That’s doubly true if you plan on connecting the budget laptop to a 4K monitor, which will put extra stress on the GPU.

RTX 40-series cards support Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) feature, which uses AI to artificially increase your frame rate in some games. But even this feature isn’t perfect, and is prone to lag spikes.

Is it worth buying a gaming laptop with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 20-series or 10-series graphics card?

This is a complicated question. If you’re looking for a budget gaming laptop with the highest amount of graphical power possible, then no, you should stick with an RTX 30-series graphics card or higher.

But older gaming laptops with RTX 20-series and 10-series cards aren’t bad — they can still handle most games at medium-to-high settings — and they’re cheaper than ever. And spending less money on the GPU means you’ll have more money to spend on the CPU, RAM, storage space, and other features, which can be equally as important to some users.

You also shouldn’t discount gaming laptops with AMD graphics cards! We haven’t recommended any here simply because we feel Nvidia offers more value per dollar in laptops. Nvidia cards are also better at ray tracing, and exclusively support DLSS. But new AMD cards, like those from the AMD Radeon RX 70-series, are still incredibly capable for most games. Check out our AMD vs. Nvidia graphics card guide for more details on how the brands stack up.