Finding a cheap laptop that does everything you want it to do is not an easy task. Buying something at an affordable price inherently means corners have to be cut, so you have to look hard for something that fits your needs. That's all the more true for gaming laptops, which need to have certain expensive components inside, like dedicated GPUs. We're here to help with that, and we've rounded up the best cheap gaming laptops you can buy today.
What constitutes a cheap laptop varies depending on the category we're looking at. In general, the best cheap laptops we recommend cost $700 or less, but it would be very hard to find a good gaming laptop at that price. For this list, we're considering the best cheap gaming laptops that cost under or around $1,000 (at writing time). That gives you a fair bit of choice and some great laptops already. Depending on discounts, you may be able to upgrade certain parts of these laptops and stay within that budget, but we're focusing on the base configuration, so you can explore possible from there.
Lenovo LOQ 15i (2023)
Overall great performance and a ton of storage
The Lenovo LOQ 15 is a solid, but affordable gaming laptop that's packing 13th-gen Intel processors and an Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU with 6GB of memory. It also has a large 1TB SSD for your games.
- 13th-generation Intel Core processors
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 with 6GB of VRAM
- 1TB SSD fits plenty of games
- There are newer GPUs on the market
- You'll need to upgrade the RAM at some point
Lenovo makes some of the best gaming laptops in the field with its Legion lineup, but if you want something cheaper, the new LOQ 15 is nothing to scoff at. It offers a solid balance of specs, so you can enjoy the latest games with no problems.
Powering this laptop is a 13th-generation Intel Core i5-13420H, a lesser-known model with 8 cores and 12 threads that still offers great performance for gaming and everyday use. That's paired with an uncommon version of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 GPU, which has 6GB of memory and uses 95W of power. This should give you much better performance than you might expect from an RTX 3050. You get 8GB of RAM (though you can upgrade later) but the good news is there's a massive 1TB SSD, so you can actually fit a few modern games here out of the box.
The display is pretty solid, too. It's a 15.6-inch panel with Full HD resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate, which is about what you might expect for this price. It does allow you to enjoy smoother gameplay in lighter games, where the GPU can push that many frames. It's also decently bright at 350 nits, and color coverage hits 45% of NTSC. Impressively, the laptop also includes a 1080p webcam, though there's no Windows Hello support.
Starting at 5.29 pounds, the Lenovo LOQ 15 is not a lightweight laptop, but that will be a trend throughout this list. Gaming laptops are always on the heavier side, especially cheaper ones. It does have a nice keyboard with a simple white backlight, though. As expected of gaming laptops, connectivity is a strong point for this one, with one USB Type-C port, three Type-A connections, HDMI, RJ45 Ethernet, and a headphone jack. Everything you could want.
All in all, this is a laptop that offers a very capable gaming experience on the cheap, and you can sometimes find it discounted, making it an even better deal.
HP Victus 15 (Intel, 2023)
Capable specs with a sleek design
The HP Victus 15 is an affordable gaming laptop with 13th-gen Intel Core processors and discrete Nvidia graphics up to a GeForce RTX 4050. It comes in a fairly sleek-looking package in a few colors.
- 13th-gen Intel Core processors and up to GeForce RTX 4050 graphics
- Sleek design language with three color options
- Plenty of ports
- 720p webcam
- No Windows Hello support
The HP Victus line debuted in 2021, and the latest 15-inch model is another great option if you want to get into gaming on the cheap.
Performance-wise, it also comes with a 13th-generation processors, starting with a Core i5-13500H, a processor with 12 cores and 16 threads that should deliver great performance for gaming. It also comes with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 GPU out of the box, though if you can afford it, there's an option for an RTX 4050, too. It's enough to run most modern games without a problem. Additionally, the base model has 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, though you can go further if money allows for it.
As the name suggests, the Victus 15 comes with a 15.6-inch display, and again, it's a 16:9 aspect ratio and Full HD resolution. This display comes with a 60Hz refresh rate by default, but there are upgrade options including a 144Hz panel and even the option for a brighter 300-nit display. Predictably, the HP Victus 15 comes with a 720p webcam, and there's no support for Windows Hello of any kind.
Design-wise, the HP Victus 15 comes in either black, white, or "performance blue", so you have some choice in how you want your laptop to look. At 5.06 pounds, the Victus 15 is reasonably portable for a cheap gaming laptop, and the design in general feels pretty sleek and subdued. As for ports, you get one USB Type-C (3.2 Gen 1) port, two USB Type-A (3.2 Gen 1) ports, HDMI 2.1, gigabit Ethernet, a headphone jack, and a full-size SD card reader. It's a solid setup for gaming, giving you everything you need to connect peripherals, monitors, and the internet.
The Victus 15t doesn't necessarily offer the same value for your money (outside of sales, that is) but it's still a very capable gaming laptop, and the sleek subdued design might make it ideal for you, especially if you're a student gamer and want something you can use at school.
Gigabyte G5 (2023)
Latest Nvidia GPU in a lightweight design
The Gigabyte G5 is a powerful gaming laptop that's packing older Intel processors, but it has more powerful GPUs than most laptops in this price range, which is good for future-proofing. It also has some unique design features,
- Powerful Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics for a low price
- 16GB of RAM by default
- Surprisingly light with a ton of ports
- Older CPU
- 720p webcam
Gaming requires a powerful GPU, so while we generally recommend a well-balanced machine, the Gigabyte G5 is perfect if you want a laptop that focuses on the GPU. Plus, it's lighter than many others in this segment.
Because of that, this laptop actually comes with a 12th-generation Intel processor, specifically a Core i5-12450H, a processor with 8 cores and 12 threads. Not the newest CPU around anymore, but still a very capable one. The GPU, however, is an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 with 75W of power. It's the most powerful GPU you'll find in a laptop at this price, which makes it a great choice for gaming. Plus, it also includes 16GB of RAM by default, along with a 512GB SSD.
The display is solid, too. It's yet another 15.6-inch panel with Full HD resolution, and it comes with a 144Hz refresh rate by default, which is pretty great to have at this price point. It also includes a 720p webcam, a common downside with these laptops. Windows Hello support is absent, too, which is also pretty typical for cheap gaming laptops.
Despite the powerful performance, the Gigabyte G5 also manages to be one of the most portable laptops on this list. It comes in at just 4.59 pounds, which is impressive for this kind of machine, and something you won't see in a lot of laptops. It also has some unique design elements that make it fairly different from others in its price range. As for ports, it has one of the most advanced setups on this list, too, with two USB Type-C and two Type-A ports, HDMI, mini-DisplayPort, RJ45 Ethernet, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader. It's hard to imagine a laptop with more ports than this.
No matter who you are, the Gigabyte G5 is an excellent gaming laptop that gets a lot right, while somehow managing to be fairly portable. It earns an easy recommendation from us.
ASUS TUF Gaming F17
Large screen for more immersion
The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 is a great option if you want a larger screen at a lower price, while still getting the perks of a gaming laptop. It has powerful processors and discrete graphics, making it ideal for gamers on a budget.
- Large 17-inch display with 144Hz refresh rate
- Some unique design elements, such as translucent WASD keys
- Solid supply of ports
- 11th-gen Intel processor is starting to look old
- It's big, so it's heavy
Gaming is all about immersion, and nothing can help you more with that than having a large screen to see your games on. The Asus TUF Gaming F17 gives you exactly that, along with quite a bit of power to run your games, too.
Performance is one of the sacrifices made to get this large screen, so we're looking at an 11th-generation Intel Core i5-11260H, a processor with six cores and 12 threads that's still fairly fast, but a couple of generations old. It does include a solid GPU, though, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, which is more than capable of running modern games. It uses up to 75W of power, so it's decently fast, too. The laptop also includes 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, though you can upgrade later.
The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 also comes with a 17.3-inch Full HD display with a typical 16:9 aspect ratio. It also has a 144Hz refresh rate, so your games can look that much smoother, as long as the GPU can keep up. Keeping in line with what we've seen so far, the webcam above the display is another 720p camera, and there's no form of Windows Hello support, either.
Unlike some other laptops on this list, the TUF Gaming F17 doesn't do much to hide its gaming-oriented nature with its edgy, bold design. The WASD keys are fully translucent, too, so it's even clearer this is a gaming laptop. Being a large 17-inch laptop makes this one of the heaviest devices on this list, weighing 5.73 pounds.
As for ports, there's a solid supply overall. You get one USB Type-C (3.2 Gen 2) port, three USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, HDMI 2.0b, RJ45 Ethernet, and a headphone jack. That covers most of the basics, even giving you wired internet if you absolutely need a lag-free experience.
For those looking for a cheap 17-inch gaming laptop, the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 is still one of the best options out there, and it's one of the more affordable options too.
Lenovo LOQ 15
Powerful performance for AMD fans
The AMD version of the Lenovo LOQ 15 is powered by AMD Ryzen 7040 series processors and powerful Nvidia GPUs, so it's still a great gaming laptop for fans of the red team. It's otherwise similar to the Intel model.
- Latest Zen 4-based AMD Ryzen 7040-series processors
- Decently bright display for the price
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 40 series is available if you can afford it
- Somewhat heavy
- No USB4 support
Not everyone is a fan of Intel processors, and if you're looking for a gaming rig that's powered by rival AMD, Lenovo gives you a great option with the LOQ 15. Indeed, while we already recommended the Intel model, this version is also great.
For one thing, it's powered by the latest AMD Ryzen processors, specifically a Ryzen 5 7640HS in the base model. This is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, and it should deliver great performance across the board. The base model also includes Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics for solid gaming performance overall, and you can opt for a newer RTX 4050 if you can stretch your budget. The standard configuration also includes 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, though you can upgrade later.
The display is about the same as in the Intel variant, being a 15.6-inch panel with Full HD resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. The panel also reaches 350 nits of brightness, which, as we've mentioned, is fairly rare for this price point. On top of that, the laptop includes a 1080p webcam (another rarity for this price), though it still lacks Windows Hello support of any kind.
Design-wise, there also aren't that many differences between this and the Intel version, so it's about what you'd expect for a Lenovo gaming laptop. It's fairly heavy, at 5.29 pounds, so portability isn't the best for this size. It does, however, have a solid supply of ports, including USB Type-C, three USB Type-A ports, HDMI, RJ45 Ethernet, and a headphone jack. Again, no USB4 or Thunderbolt support is present, not that you should expect it at this price.
It's only logical that, since the Intel version of the LOQ 15 made the list, the AMD version would too. It's still a fantastic laptop, just geared more toward AMD fans.
Dell G15
Older hardware, but still pretty fast
It's packing older hardware, but if you want an affordable AMD gaming laptop, the Dell G15 is still a great option. It has older processors, but it's still very capable of running modern games, and it has a unique design, too.
- AMD Ryzen 5 6600H and Nvidia RTX 3050
- 120Hz display
- Fairly large 512GB SSD
- Very thick and heavy
The Dell G15 is a great alternative to the Lenovo LOQ 15 if you don't need the latest and greatest specs. It's another example of a great AMD laptop that's definitely worth checking out if you don't have a huge budget.
First off, the Dell G15 comes with AMD Ryzen 6000 series processors, so it's a little older, but the RYzen 5 6600H still delivers great performance with its 6 cores and 12 threads, whether that's for gaming or anything else. It's paired with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050, which lets you play modern games just fine. Finally, you get 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD in this configuration, and you can always make some upgrades down the line as your budget allows.
The display on the Dell G15 is a 15.6-inch panel, and it comes in Full HD resolution. This model includes a 120Hz refresh rate by default, though, which is great if you want a smoother experience for gaming and in general. It's just 250 nits of brightness, so you won't want to use it outdoors, but it's not like you'd want to carry this around anyway. The Dell G15 also has a typical 720p webcam, and it doesn't support Windows Hello.
Depending on the model, the Dell G15 is an interesting laptop design-wise. There's a relatively plain black model, but there's also one that mixes black and grey for a pretty unique look. Both models have some orange accents, too, so it's obvious it's a gaming laptop. The Dell G15 is pretty heavy, though, weighing 5.55 pounds. On the flip side, you get a lot of ports. It has one USB Type-C port (3.2 Gen 2), three USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, HDMI 2.1, RJ45 Ethernet, and a headphone jack.
The Dell G15 packs fairly powerful specs, and it's a great gaming laptop, with the added benefit of looking pretty unique compared to others on this list. If that's what you're looking for, then this is one of the best cheap laptops you can buy right now.
Acer Aspire 7
For gaming on the side
If gaming isn't your main priority, the Acer Aspire 7 is a great laptop for day-to-day use that still has a lot of gaming power. It includes 12th-gen Intel processors and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050.
- Thinner, lighter, and sleeker than most laptops on the list
- It still has solid performance with a GeForce RTX 3050
- Fingerprint reader for easy login
- CPU performance may not be quite at the same level as others
- 720p webcam despite being a more mainstream laptop
- 60Hz display
There's a good chance you have a bit more going on in your life than gaming, and it's great to have a laptop that can do everything. The Acer Aspire 7 is a great example of exactly that, and it's a very affordable machine, too.
Performance-wise, the Acer Aspire 7 comes with an Intel Core i5-1240P processor, which has a lower wattage than most gaming laptops, but it still has 12 cores and 16 threads, so performance is very good. For graphics, the Aspire 7 packs an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050, which can use up to 50W of power. That should still be enough to handle a lot of modern games without issue, though you may need to change some settings here and there, so everything runs smoothly. Additionally, you get 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, but you can always upgrade those later.
Because gaming isn't the only focus of the Aspire 7, the display doesn't have a high refresh rate. This is a 15.6-inch panel, and it comes in Full HD resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate, which is good enough for basic day-to-day use and casual gaming. Unfortunately, while this is a more everyday-type laptop, it still comes with a 720p webcam. On the bright side, this is the only laptop with Windows Hello support so far, thanks to a fingerprint reader built into the device.
Being designed more towards everyday life, the Acer Aspire 7 does have a cleaner look, with a plain black chassis that looks sleek and subdued, It also emphasizes portability a bit more, so it's fairly light, coming in at 4.63 pounds. It's not the lightest laptop on the list, but it's close. As for ports, you get one Thunderbolt 4 connection, along with three USB Type-A ports, HDMI, RJ45 Ethernet, and a headphone jack. It's the only laptop with Thunderbolt support so far, and that's great to see.
It's not the fastest laptop on the list, but the Acer Aspire 7 is more than capable of running modern games, and it's great for anyone who only occasionally plays games.
HP Pavilion Plus 14
Lightweight design with gaming power
The HP Pavilion Plus 14 is a lightweight and thin laptop, but it still has powerful specs so it can handle some gaming while still being portable. It's not as powerful as others on this list, though.
- Thinnest and lightest laptop on the list
- Discrete Nvidia graphics can handle lighter games
- 5MP webcam is easily the best of the bunch
- Optional OLED display
- It's not good for more demanding games
- 60Hz display
Students are one of the primary audiences for gaming, and the HP Pavilion Plus is the perfect way to bridge the two worlds. This is a small, lightweight laptop, but it still has the specs to run some lighter titles.
Powering the HP Pavilion Plus 14 is an Intel Core i5-1335U processor, which is a 15W CPU with 10 cores, 12 threads, and boost speeds up to 4.4GHz. It can't rival the performance of other laptops on this list, but for some light gaming, it's totally fine. It's accompanied by an Nvidia GeForce MX550 GPU, which enables you to play some lighter esports games like Rocket League or Fortnite. The laptop also includes 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD.
The display is one of the best parts about the HP Pavilion Plus 14, though it's not going to have a high refresh rate. It does have a sharp 2.2K resolution in the base model, though, which makes it great for productivity, in addition to gaming. There's also a 2.8K OLED model, which is fantastic if you can afford it. Not only that, you get a 5MP webcam above the display, far and away the best on this list. Still no Windows Hello facial recognition, but there's a fingerprint reader, at least.
This relatively low-power design also makes this a much lighter laptop than anything else on this list. It comes in at a mere 3.09 pounds, and it's just 16.5mm thick. Compared to the laptops above, this is a featherweight, and it also looks subdued with its plain silver chassis. The downside to this is that you don't get as many ports, but frankly, it's hard to complain. There are two USB Type-C and two Type-A ports, plus HDMI, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader. That's not bad at all.
The HP Pavilion Plus 14 officially starts at $889.99, but thanks to a big discount, you can grab it for just $649.99 at writing time, which gives you room for a lot of upgrades while staying in the $1,000 budget.
Best cheap gaming laptops in 2023: Bottom line
Those are, in our opinion, the best cheap gaming laptops you can buy today. The Lenovo LOQ 15i is our top pick because it provides such a great balance of performance, a solid display, port selection, and price. It even includes niceties like a 1080p webcam, which is incredibly rare for gaming laptops in this price range. If you're shopping for a gaming laptop that's relatively affordable, that's the one for you.
Lenovo LOQ 15i (2023)
The Lenovo LOQ 15 is a solid, but affordable gaming laptop that's packing 13th-gen Intel processors and an Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU with 6GB of memory. It also has a large 1TB SSD for your games.
Otherwise, if you want something with a bit more GPU power, the Gigabyte G5 comes with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 in the base model, which is pretty rare to see. It does come with an older processor, but between the GPU and the fact that it includes 16GB of RAM, it's a great choice right off the bat.
If you have a bigger budget, consider checking out our list of the best gaming laptops in general. There are some fantastic options there. Or stop by our list of the best laptops if gaming isn't a big focus for you.