1. The list in brief ↴
2. Best cheap RTX 4060
3. Best cheap RTX 4070
4. Best cheap RTX 4080
5. Best cheap RTX 4090
6. Best handheld gaming
7. Best premium handheld
8. Benchmark comparisons
9. Recently reviewed
10. How to find the right laptop
11. FAQs
12. How we test
13. Why trust Laptop Mag
The best cheap gaming laptops are getting more expensive, and prices will only increase, so I curated this list of the best cheap RTX 4060, RTX 4070, RTX 4080, and RTX 4090.
"Cheap" is all relative, but these are the cheapest and highest-quality models within those categories. Price-to-performance ratio is the key. So, determine the level of gaming performance that falls within your budget.
If you want to stay under $1,000, you can snag the Dell G16 (7630), which features a powerful RTX 4060 GPU. That can carry you through Cyberpunk 2077 at a minimum of 30 fps at 1080p on max settings.
If you want the best gaming laptop overall, that's the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i, which features an RTX 4080 GPU. It'll get you everything you want and likely more.
And I've included a couple of handheld gaming PCs as well. Trust me, if you're looking to game on a budget, don't count these out because of their form factor.
We review at least 100 laptops annually, encompassing every price point and use case. We evaluate several criteria, including gaming and overall performance, display, battery life, and, of course, value.
Here are the best cheap gaming laptops for each level of desired performance and if you are ready to buy today, check our best Black Friday gaming laptop deals.
The Quick List
Best cheap RTX 4060
The Dell G16 (7630) is not only the most affordable gaming laptop on this list, but it's also the only one that supports premium features like a mechanical keyboard. Don't let its price fool you, this RTX 4060 gaming laptop is a champ.
Best cheap RTX 4070
Lenovo Legion Pro 5i bumps you up to an RTX 4070, but that's not the only advantage this baby has. Check out its exceptional keyboard, solid speakers, and great display (when configured properly).
Best cheap RTX 4080
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i offers a whole other level of performance with its RTX 4080 GPU. It manages to retain a decent level affordability despite all of its great features.
Best cheap RTX 4090
The Origin EON16-X ain't cheap, but it's not as expensive as you might think, especially for a gaming laptop toting the highest performing RTX GPU. Its customizability and RTX 4090 power make it a dream.
Best handheld gaming
The Asus ROG Ally is our favorite handheld gaming device. Its AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, comfortable ergonomic grip, and convenient Armoury Crate app make it feel snappy and powerful all at once.
Best premium handheld
The Asus ROG Ally X is a massive improvement over the original Ally between its ergonomics and battery life to its additional RAM and Thunderbolt 4 port. At double the price of its predecessor, it's still better than some cheap gaming laptops.
Rami loves a great cheap gaming laptop. You shouldn't have to sacrifice everything outside of power just to be able to afford to game with your friends. Rami has spent years reviewing dozens of the best cheap gaming laptops, and he can spot a cheap one from a well-priced one. Extensive testing and hands-on experience have taught Rami how to ensure that you will get the most for what you're paying for.
The best cheap gaming laptops you can buy today
Why you can trust Laptop Mag Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Whether you're looking for an RTX 4060 or RTX 4090 gaming laptop, there's always a model out there that is cheaper than the rest. But cheap doesn't mean bad. These gaming laptops offer the greatest price-to-performance ratio when all things are considered. These are the best cheap gaming laptops based on our extensive testing and hands-on experience.
Best cheap RTX 4060 gaming laptop
Dell G16 (7630) is an exceptional RTX 4060 gaming laptop that I hesitate to call "cheap." Not only does it support incredible graphics and performance but its gorgeous 16-inch display and mechanical keyboard rivals premium gaming laptops.
✔️ You want a gorgeous display uncompromised by price: I've only see displays this color on gaming laptops that cost five times the Dell G16's sale price.
✔️ You want a keyboard plucked from your fantasy: With a Cherry MX mechanical keyboard, your fingers and ears will be forever grateful to you during an hours-long raid.
✖️ You want great speakers: There's not a lot you can do either beside dump more money into another audio solution.
✖️ You use frequently use a touchpad: If you're someone that's using the touchpad when not gaming, then this might be a pain to work with. It's way too tiny.
The Dell G16 (7630) is easily the best cheap gaming laptop, especially when you're shooting for an RTX 4060 GPU, which is by no means a weak competitor. Scoring this baby under $1,000 will net you features that surpass even premium gaming laptops.
Rami Tabari said, "The opening to the Secret Level trailer gushes with neon blue colors, and they radiate on the G16’s display," in our review of the Dell G16 (7630).
The Dell G16 pops off in the benchmarks with its RTX 4060, scoring 88 frames per second on the Assassin’s Creed Mirage (Ultra, 1080p) benchmark. That matched the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 (88 fps) and wiped the Asus TUF Gaming A14 (87 fps). It was even capable of capturing Cyberpunk 2077 at max settings (1080p) with an average of 33 fps. Making that game playable on a budget gaming laptop is impressive, but that's in line with the RTX 4060 GPU, as the TUF Gaming A14 (30 fps) and Helios Neo 16 (32 fps) made it across the 30-fps barrier.
Now let's discuss the Dell G16's 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz display. It rocked up with 114% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. Seriously, that's more color than I've seen on some premium gaming laptops. You're blessed with greatness on this front, especially for the price. However, it averaged 310 nits of brightness. That's not great, but you can get around that by turning off a few lights. Color is harder to fix.
Then there's the Dell G16's keyboard. It's tough to beat a Cherry MX mechanical keyboard. Most premium gaming laptops don't even support that feature, which is why I love this gaming laptop. The tactile keys are immensely satisfying due to their punchy and clicky feedback. If you're not planning on buying a discrete gaming keyboard, then this is a huge boon.
The battery life isn't as bad as you might expect. At 5 hours and 4 minutes, you can squeeze in a little over half a workday. It's not great since we've seen gaming laptops get above 10 hours, but you can get some use out of it before you need to reach for a charger.
However, not everything is sunshine and rainbows. Unfortunately, the speakers left much to be desired; they're quite sharp and uncomfortable to listen to. I recommend checking out the best gaming headsets.
Despite that and some touchpad issues that may not interfere with the gaming experience, the Dell G16 is a model gaming laptop that belongs in your shopping cart. I wouldn't buy any other gaming laptop under $1,000.
See our full Dell G16 (7630) review.
Best cheap RTX 4070 gaming laptop
Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (Gen 9) is the best of the best in its category, squeezing in an RTX 4070 at just $1,500. Between its gorgeous display and epic performance, there's no stopping this rig.
✔️ You want an RTX 4070 under $1,500: It's rare to find an RTX 4070 gaming laptop without paying close to $2K, but the Legion Pro 5i is here to save your wallet some grief.
✔️ You want a vivid display: Ignore the display configured in our review unit. Instead, choose the 100% DCI-P3 and 500-nit panel at check out. That'll much more vivid and vibrant.
✖️ You need to be unplugged: You're not going to get much time away from an outlet. It'll die before half a workday is up.
✖️ You want a simple checkout: This isn't bad, but you do need to double check your configuration so you're getting the best for the best deal. We recommend: Intel Core i7-14700HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 8GB, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz.
It's tough to recommend any other RTX 4070 gaming laptop besides the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (Gen 9). It's not just because it sits at the top of the best gaming laptops under $1,500. Well, kind of. But its all-around quality features for the price make it the best competitor.
Claire Tabari said, "With the Gen 9 refresh, Lenovo maintained its powerful graphics performance, excellent keyboard, sturdy exterior, and attractive price point," in our review of the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i went through a gauntlet of graphics tests, which include benchmarks for Assassin's Creed Mirage (103 fps, Ultra, 1080p), Far Cry 6 (100 fps, Ultra, 1080p), and Red Dead Redemption 2 (71 fps, Medium, 1080p). Those numbers outpaced its competitors, although the Razer Blade 14 made for a strong rival, pulling ahead on Mirage and RDR2.
We loved the previous Pro 5i's keyboard, and thankfully nothing has changed. In fact, Claire Tabari called it her keyboard soulmate. It stands out and excels as one of the best thanks to its decent key travel. We also liked that the arrow keys got a little nook.
Let's chat about this display. You may see one of our cons dinging the Legion Pro 5i's panel. That's because its 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 165Hz screen came in at 78% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and averaged 346 nits of brightness. It's not terrible, but it could be a lot better. And or a $70 bump (still within the sub-$1,500 range), you can make it better. If you get the 240Hz model, you'll get 100% DCI-P3 and hit 500 nits of brightness. That's Lenovo's claim, at least, and I'm inclined to believe that claim, considering Lenovo advertised the model we tested as 100% sRGB and 300 nits of brightness. It beat both those expectations, with sRGB coming in at 110%.
The Legion Pro 5i supports a decent set of speakers. It's not as powerful as its predecessor, but it's still quite punchy and balanced. Gaming headsets are still a better alternative, however.
Before you pull the trigger on that purchase, be careful how you configure the Legion Pro 5i. Get it with Intel Core i7-14700HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 8GB, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, and 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz display. On sale, that should be around $1,500. The difference between our unit is downgrading the CPU and RAM while upgrading the display. This is a great balance overall.
The biggest con is its battery life; you won't get much out of 3 hours and 43 minutes.
Despite that, if you want the best cheap RTX 4070, this is it.
See our full Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (Gen 9) review.
Best cheap RTX 4080 gaming laptop
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) is an absolute champ in every sense of the word. It's the greatest gaming laptop we've reviewed and it happens to be quite affordable as well. Its display and keyboard match its premium graphics.
✔️ You want your gaming laptop to be an all-rounder: That intense RTX 4080 performance is paired with a gorgeous display, clicky keyboard, and loud audio. You've got everything you need with this gaming laptop.
✔️ You want to stay under $2,500: If you're hunting for an RTX 4080 gaming laptop, you're not going to find something "cheap" necessarily, but this is the cheapest quality RTX 4080 gaming laptop.
✖️ You want the best display: Now, the Legion Pro 7i sports a gorgeous display, but it doesn't support the best technology. It's not 4K or OLED, which means it's not as sharp or as bold as it could've been, respectively.
✖️ You need to travel: Not only is this thing chunky but it also has an incredibly short battery life.
It can be tough to find a cheap gaming laptop with an RTX 4080, but Lenovo answers the call with the Legion Pro 7i. It doesn't do it at the expense of performance or quality features. In fact, it supports a gorgeous display, strong audio, and a clicky keyboard. That price tag falls under $2,500 (on sale).
Madeline Ricchiuto said, "While gaming laptops don’t need great audio, the Legion Pro 7i has some incredibly loud speakers onboard," in our review of the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9).
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) traveled across Yara in the Far Cry 6 (Ultra, 1080p) at a strong 105 frames per second. When lassoing the Red Dead Redemption 2 (Medium, 1080p) benchmark, it pulled in 96 fps. It consistently landed as the second-highest performer in both benchmarks, toppling the Alienware x16 R2 and the Gen 8 model. The MSI Vector 16 HX landed a few frames ahead of the rest.
Don't worry about the display, either. Its 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz panel covered 108.7% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and averaged 456 nits of brightness. That's a whole lot of gorgeous packed into a 16-inch panel. It's no 4K or OLED, but the Legion 7i is tough to beat in any category.
As mentioned in the above quote, we were impressed with the audio quality, its Harman Super Linear Speaker System speakers producing a pleasant dynamic sound.
We also loved the keyboard, which supports bouncy keys that make it more than comfortable to type with.
Despite being a premium gaming laptop, it does come with a fairly heavy chassis, weighing in at 5.8 pounds. Given that it got 4 hours and 29 minutes of battery life in our testing, it's not the best travel companion anyway.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i still climbs its way to the top of our best gaming laptops list.
See our full Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) review.
Best cheap RTX 4090 gaming laptop
Origin EON16-X offers the most powerful RTX 40-series packed into a gaming laptop that is under $3,000. Is that cheap? No, but it sure as heck beats its $5K competitors.
✔️ You want a customizable gaming laptop: While this laptop is relatively affordable, you might as well get the most out of your customization if you're paying $3K. From the specs to the design itself, it's in your hands
✔️ You want the best gaming performance: You won't get anything stronger than the RTX 4090, so if power is what you're after, this is it.
✖️ You want a super colorful display: The Origin EON16-X is colorful, but it's not that colorful. Considering its price, it could've done better than 76.6%.
✖️ You need long battery life: Surprise! The uber powerful gaming laptop can barely hold a charge before dying.
The Origin EON16-X is at the top of its game thanks to its massive RTX 4090 GPU packed into a gaming laptop that's just under $3,000. Again, few people would call this "cheap," but it's cheaper than its RTX 4090 competition. And it offers great features that'll carry you through the most intense AAA games.
Stevie Bonifield said, "The Origin EON16-X offers competitive performance compared to much more expensive premium gaming laptops," in our review of the Origin EON16-X.
Ready to see what an RTX 4090 GPU can do? The Origin EON16-X cleared through Assassin's Creed Mirage (Ultra, 1080p) at 145 frames per second, flying by the Razer Blade 16 (130 fps) and MSI Titan 18 HX (144 fps). On the Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultra, 1080p) benchmark, the EON16-X averaged a strong 65 fps, skipping past Razer (63 fps) while getting overwhelmed by the Titan (69 fps).
One of our favorite features of the Origin EON16-X is its customizability. You can go wild in the spec configuration, stuffing it with an 8TB SSD. Then there's the exterior print, which you can select via a number of presets or even upload your own custom print.
The 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz display is smooth, sharp, and plenty bright, coming in at 529 nits of brightness. Unfortunately, it's not that colorful, covering only 76.6% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. Even the cheapest gaming laptop on this list offers more color than that, although no other entry can match its brightness.
Its front-firing speakers shouldn't be trifled with, either. The Origin EON16-X supports a well-balanced sound profile, coming in with clean and punchy audio.
Despite that, it'll be tough to get around with only 4 hours and 38 minutes worth of battery life.
As long as you don't intend on walking around unplugged, and don't mind a slight desaturation, then the Origin EON16-X is an excellent RTX 4090 gaming laptop for the price.
See our full Origin EON16-X review.
Best handheld gaming
Asus ROG Ally is a handheld gaming PC. It's similar to the Nintendo Switch in regards to the design, but this gives you access to Windows 11 and all of your PC games. If you game on a controller, this might be for you.
✔️ You want a comfortable gaming experience: There's nothing quite like snuggling up in bed or on your couch while playing your favorite PC game. Overwatch? Play of the Game. Fortnite? Victory Royale, baby.
✔️ You want to save the most: Yes, you're on the cheap gaming laptops page, but handheld gaming PCs are the most affordable gaming devices that you can buy right now. So if you want a true entry-level price, go with the Ally.
✖️ You want strong performance: You won't be playing AAA games on the highest settings. There's a lot of potential here, with it scoring 29 fps on Assassin's Creed Valhalla on High. You'll need to play on lower settings with most games.
✖️ You want to play with a keyboard and mouse: PC games that don't offer controller support will not be playable on the Ally. And the games that do may not offer the best gaming experience.
You're probably thinking, "This isn't a gaming laptop." Well, I'm here to tell you that it's arguably better. Handheld gaming devices are cheaper than your average gaming laptop and have quite a bit of power backing them.
The Asus ROG Ally is a classy entry into the handheld gaming scene post Steam Deck. One of your greatest advantages with the ROG Ally is the display. Yes, it's smaller than a gaming laptop, but it looks way better. The 7-inch, 1920 x 1080p AMD FreeSync touch panel sports a 7-millisecond response rate with a 120Hz refresh rate. It averaged 465 nits of brightness, brighter than some premium gaming laptops.
As far as performance goes, you won't play games on high settings, so put that out of your mind. But considering the size, the Ally pushed hard on our testing. For example, with Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, the ROG Ally scored 29 fps at 1080p on High. Turn that to low, and you'll likely get over 60 fps.
Regarding portability, the ROG Ally weighs only 21.4 ounces and measures 11 x 4.4 x 0.8 inches. You can practically throw this thing in a purse (I did). Unfortunately, its portability doesn’t extend to the battery life. Unlike the other products on this list, you’re getting 1 hour and 43 minutes — that is persistent gaming. If you’re not gaming, it lasts 5:51, but something tells me you won’t be using this Switch-like device for anything but.
The Asus ROG Ally may not be what you're looking for, but you should consider it between the price and what you get. This is great for controller-based gaming and playing on the go, whether on your daily commute or traveling across the skies.
See our full Asus ROG Ally review.
Best premium handheld
Asus ROG Ally X is an improved version of the Asus ROG Ally. It's more expensive but it offers a more ergonomic chassis and double the battery life. This is the handheld gaming PC to buy if you can afford it.
✔️ You want the best ergonomics for PC gaming: Gaming on the go is one thing, but gaming with a comfortable controller is an entirely different beast. This is the best of both worlds, offering satisfying new ergonomic features.
✔️ You want the most of gaming on the go: Another wild improvement to the Asus ROG Ally X is its battery life. With double the time, the Ally X lasts a good 2:15. That makes most work commutes infinitely more tolerable.
✖️ You want strong performance: Yes, you get additional RAM with the Asus ROG Ally X, but the overall performance is no different than the Ally, as they feature the same APU.
✖️ You want to budget properly: While the Asus ROG Ally is a great cheap alternative, the Ally X is roughly double the price. It's harder to argue for, especially since it's less powerful than its gaming laptop alternatives.
Yet another cheap gaming solution that isn't a gaming laptop. While it's not as cheap as its predecessor, the Asus ROG Ally X is still less expensive than most gaming laptops.
What's so different about the Asus ROG Ally X? The most notable difference is the ergonomics. There's a springiness to the bumpers and triggers, there's more tension in the joysticks, the grips are more comfortable, and the back buttons are positioned better.
The battery life also increases significantly, jumping from Ally's 1 hour and 1 minute to 2 hours and 15 minutes. Both times are relatively short, but doubling the play time puts it further in line with gaming handhelds like the Nintendo Switch.
Other updates include 24GB of RAM and a Thunderbolt 4 port, which increase performance and charging speeds, respectively.
The display is the same 7-inch, 1920 x 1080, 120Hz panel as the original, but it scored slightly higher marks. It hit an average of 523 nits of brightness (from 465 nits) and covered 80% of the DCI-P3 color gamut (from 76.1%).
It does feature the same performance, which is decent but a bit disappointing considering the price bump. Playing Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree at maximum graphics with ray tracing turned all the way up produced anywhere from 27 to 35 frames per second.
However, the Asus ROG Ally X is a bit chunkier, coming in at 1.5 pounds and 11 x 4.4 x 1~1.5 inches versus the Ally at 1.3 pounds and 11 x 4.4 x 0.8 inches. We also found that the D-pad is a little too close to the screen, which is a miss in terms of its revamped ergonomics.
Overall, the Asus ROG Ally X is a great option for those who seek the best out of a gaming handheld. If you want a gaming laptop with high-tier portability, just get the Asus ROG Ally X. It's cheaper, too.
See our full Asus ROG Ally X review.
Benchmark comparisons
Click to view chart data in table format
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Dell G16 (7630) | Lenovo Legion Pro 5i | Lenovo Legion Pro 7i | Origin EON16-X | Asus ROG Ally | Asus ROG Ally X |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (Higher is better) | 11,209 | 17,585 | 17,329 | 15,888 | 10,614 | 11255 |
| Handbrake time (Lower is better, (MM.SS)) | 4.19 | 3.06 | 3.11 | 3.15 | 4.56 | 6.45 |
| Borderlands 3 benchmark (Higher is better) | 85 | 100 | 105 | 161 | Row 2 - Cell 5 | 31 |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark (Higher is better) | 88 | 103 | 123 | 177 | Row 3 - Cell 5 | 22 |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 benchmark (Higher is better) | 64 | 71 | 96 | 127 | Row 4 - Cell 5 | 17 |
| Helldivers 2 benchmark (Higher is better) | Row 5 - Cell 1 | Row 5 - Cell 2 | Row 5 - Cell 3 | Row 5 - Cell 4 | 42 | 44 |
| Doom Eternal (Higher is better) | Row 6 - Cell 1 | Row 6 - Cell 2 | Row 6 - Cell 3 | Row 6 - Cell 4 | 60 | 60 |
| SSD Transfer rate (Higher is better, MBps) | 1,719 | 1,933 | 2,025 | 1,784 | 769 | 1,346 |
| Battery life - Web surfing (HH.MM) | 5.04 | 3.43 | 4.29 | 4.28 | 5.51 | 8.19 |
| Battery life - Gaming (HH.MM) | 1.06 | 0.47 | 0.51 | 1.09 | 1.43 | 3.04 |
| DCI-P3 Color Gamut (Higher is better) | 114 | 78 | 108.7 | 76.7 | 76.1 | 79.8 |
| Display Brightness (Nits) | 310 | 346 | 456 | 529 | 465 | 523 |
| Hottest temperature (Lower is better, 95 degree comfort threshold) | 107 | 110 | 106.7 | 130 | 115 | 95 |
Recently reviewed
How to Choose One of the Best Cheap Gaming Laptops
When shopping for a gaming laptop, there's a lot to consider. We wrote a detailed piece about the nine most important factors. But to simplify the process of choosing a system, here are seven key points to keep in mind.
Budget: How we split cost categories
Money is getting tight. There was a time when you could find a good gaming laptop for under $1,000, but those are few and far between. If you're looking for a quality gaming laptop and are trying to budget yourself, try aiming for at least $1,300. But let's try to keep you under $1,000 to get the most out of your budget.
Remember that the bigger the GPU, the bigger the gaps in price points. So, list the games you play and start checking the PC requirements. Almost any gaming laptop with a 40-series GPU can play an indie game, but if you're dabbling in AAA titles, you have to decide which settings you're comfortable playing on.
Screen Size: 14 and 16 inches are the go-to
You'll rarely find a 13-inch gaming laptop nowadays, and 15.6-inch laptops have taken a backseat to the hyped-up 14-inch and 16-inch laptops. Those 17-inch gaming laptops also feel like a thing of the past. Well, now we have 18-inch gaming laptops. Yeah, they're beasts, but what all these sizes have in common is that they're getting more compact.
If you're looking for a gaming laptop to take on the go and even use as a school or work laptop, 14-inch gaming laptops are the perfect fit. Smaller gaming laptops also tend to have longer battery life. 16-inch gaming laptops are more manageable in size than 17- or 18-inch machines without sacrificing any power.
Under $1,000, you probably won't get an 18-inch powerhouse, but you can still get portable machines in the 14-inch category.
Screen Resolution: 1080p with high refresh rates or 1440p if you're lucky
Regarding gaming laptop displays, you want to balance frame rates and aesthetics. And if you're planning to get a truly mobile system, battery life also deserves consideration. A 1080p resolution is the bare minimum you'll find, which isn't great unless you're trading resolution for a high refresh rate. Panel makers now serve up screens with a 360Hz refresh rate and a three-millisecond response time, but you might not find that at this price range. Try to aim for 144Hz at least.
Forget about 4K screens, they're overpriced. However, you might be able to find a 1440p screen if you're lucky. And they usually offer at least a 120Hz refresh rate. Remember that laptops with lower resolutions tend to have longer battery life overall.
Refresh rate: 120Hz is a minimum
Depending on the kind of games you're playing, particularly first-person shooters and MOBAs, you'll take anything that enhances accuracy. Surprisingly, the higher a display's refresh rate is, the more accurate your shot becomes. We've experienced this firsthand during many demos. At this point, 60Hz is unacceptable for a gaming laptop (even if it's cheap), so we recommend investing in a panel with at least a 120Hz refresh rate.
You also have to balance graphics performance with resolution and refresh rate. Sometimes, a laptop is paired with a low-performing GPU and a high resolution and refresh rate. The math doesn't add up. If your gaming laptop cannot take advantage of the sharp screen or high refresh rate, then what's the point? Make sure you check the benchmarks.
Intel or AMD?
A couple of years ago, the answer to this question would have been undoubtedly Intel. However, AMD has made a furious comeback with its new Ryzen CPUs, which deliver outstanding overall performance and battery life. Thanks to the new Ryzen chips architecture, they're super power efficient without sacrificing productivity. The Ryzen 8000 series CPUs have consistently impressed with its performance versus battery life.
Not to be outdone, Intel's 14th-generation chips are nothing to sneeze at. Laptop manufacturers have started rolling out systems with Intel's Core Ultra chips. These chips are extremely powerful and are catching up to AMD with their battery life game.
Gaming laptops have been balancing performance with battery life, and it's changing the use case for these rigs for the better.
Battery Life: At least 5.5 hours
Unless it's plugged in, gaming laptop battery life tends to be very short, especially when gaming. However, the battery life of gaming laptops has increased over the years. So much so that anything under 5.5 hours is considered below average. We've reviewed several gaming laptops that last a whole workday and jump into the double digits. With results like that, we expect gaming laptops will match their non-gaming counterparts sooner rather than later. Our most recent power-efficient gaming laptop is the Razer Blade 14, lasting over 8 hours.
Specs: 1080p / Core i5 / 16GB are a minimum
You can spend a lot of time delving into specs, but here are the key components. If you want decent mainstream performance, go for a Core i5 CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 1080p screen.
FAQs
Should I buy a handheld gaming PC instead of a cheap gaming laptop?
That depends. If you're someone consistently on the go, and would like to game on the go, then yes, you should buy a handheld gaming PC. Even if you don't travel often, it's nice to snuggle up in bed and play on a way more comfortable gaming device.
However, handheld gaming PCs prioritize a controller experience. You won't get the most out of PC gaming without a keyboard and mouse. Listen, I've played Baldur's Gate 3 on controller, but a keyboard and mouse is infinitely superior.
Then there's the performance and price. Yes, a handheld gaming PC is cheaper but it's also weaker. If you're someone just starting out their PC gaming journey, you might be okay with lower graphics for the sake of affordability. But if graphics and performance matter to you, get the cheap gaming laptop instead.
What feature can I cheap out on to get the best affordable gaming laptop?
Again, that depends. But I have a few options for you.
Battery life: You get the most out of gaming laptop's performance when it's plugged in, so this is something you generally shouldn't worry about. However, if you're someone who needs a laptop for school that can also game, then this may not apply.
Touchpad: No one uses a touchpad to play video games. Get the best gaming mouse.
Graphics: This may sound weird, but you do not need the best graphics to play PC games. Even the cheapest gaming laptop on this list can run every single PC game that the others can. You may need to turn down the graphics, but Low, 1080p at a minimum of 30 fps is an all but guarantee. I'm painting a bleak picture here, but the reality is that an RTX 4060 can take on Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p, max settings and still come away with 30 fps. Don't underestimate a cheap gaming laptop.
How We Test the Best Cheap Gaming Laptops
When we bring a laptop into our laboratory, we aim to see how it would work if you brought it into your home or office. While we use industry-standard benchmarks such as Geekbench and 3DMark, we focus heavily on real-world tests that we have developed in-house.
To test endurance, the Laptop Mag Battery test surfs the web at 150 nits of brightness until the system runs out of juice. We use a giant spreadsheet macro that matches 65,000 names with their addresses to judge pure processing power, a video transcoder that converts a 4K video to 1080p, and the Geekbench 5/6 synthetic test.
We ramp up our 3DMark testing to also include Fire Strike Ultra and Time Spy Extreme, which determine how well the laptop copes with DX11 and DX12 4K graphics workloads. If the laptop is equipped with a graphics card that supports DirectX ray-tracing, we also use the 2560 x 1440 Port Royal test. (We don’t bother with Night Raid here—who cares about integrated graphics on a gaming laptop?) For the best-equipped laptops on the market, we may also run Speed Way, which plies the deepest and most demanding features of DX12 Ultimate.
We run all of gaming benchmarks in full-screen mode with vertical sync disabled, always at least at 1920 x 1080 (1080p) resolution, as well as the laptop's native resolution. Games include: Red Dead Redemption 2, Assassin's Creed Mirage, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Borderlands 3, Far Cry 6, and more.
We use a colorimeter to measure screen brightness and color gamut, while other instruments help us determine a laptop's key travel and ambient heat. See this page on How We Test Laptops for more details on our benchmarking procedures.
However, the most important factor in choosing the best cheap gaming laptop goes beyond our benchmarks. It's all about the price-to-performance ratio. We talk about what value a laptop offers in our reviews and lists like this, but the fact is that prices are always changing. Ideally, they get lower, so what may seem mediocre at full price is actually great at half price. So keep that in mind.
Why Trust Laptop Mag
Laptop Mag reviews over one hundred different laptops every year, from paperweight ultralights to everyday workhorses to lumbering gaming notebooks that scorch the frame rates of even the hottest AAA games. We're not just experts in the laptop field, as we go one step further by meticulously testing smartphones, tablets, headphones, PC accessories, software, and even the latest in gaming.
We are 100% independent and have decades of experience to help you buy with confidence. In fact, Laptop Mag has been testing and reviewing products for three decades, and we continue to deliver trustworthy reviews you can rely on.
Our experienced team of writers and editors scour the available information about the laptop and put it through its paces to determine which is best for you. But before they start, the testing team subjects each system to a rigorous regimen of synthetic and real-world tests to see how a system handles the type of work and games you’re most likely to throw at it.
Our editorial trustworthiness is enforced by one of the world's largest technology publishers, Future Publishing. As a company, we have unrivaled experience across every tech sector — and we're the group's specialist for all things mobile tech.
