To assist you in choosing a budget powerhouse, we examined the least expensive gaming laptops.
PC gaming can be expensive due to the price of the necessary gear and video games. However, this does not imply that in order to get started, you must spend tens of thousands of dollars on a brand-new gaming laptop. Under $1,000 will get you a gaming laptop with a 1080p display, a discrete GPU, and a CPU capable of handling demanding games.
Various parameters may need to be lowered depending on the game. In this pricing range, there will be restrictions. Some systems won’t have the newest processor generations, top-of-the-line GPUs, ample storage to run more than a few games simultaneously, and you probably won’t go past 8GB of RAM.
You must determine what it is that you really desire. But if you enjoy esports and independent games, which don’t require as much graphic processing power, you should be able to find something that will allow you to play some games.
As power users, we strongly advise you to think about spending a little more if you can. We also keep rankings of the top gaming laptops overall and the best gaming laptops around $1,500. It helps to have a better GPU, SSD, or screen, and the build quality is probably greater as well. However, if you’re struggling financially, as so many people are right now, there are still solutions available to you. If you later come into some extra cash, you can typically upgrade the RAM or add additional storage to your laptop on your own.
We learned about several new low-cost GPUs at CES 2023. It’s conceivable that the new Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 will power a new wave of sub-$1,000 gaming laptops.
We run benchmarks on a wide range of gaming laptops from a variety of different brands at varying price points to determine what to look for in a PC. On the best gaming laptops under $1,000, the majority of games should run, albeit not necessarily at their highest settings or quality.
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The Top Laptops for Gaming Under $1,000
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Acer Nitro 5
(The finest gaming laptop under a grand)
SPECIFICATIONS
- Intel Core i5-12500H CPU
- GPU: GeForce RTX 3050 from Nvidia
- 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080, 144 Hz TiDisplay
- 5.51 pounds or 2.5 kilogrammes
BEST OFFERS OF THE DAY
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- The Best
PURPOSE OF BUYING
- +Affordable
- The design has been improved
- + Reasonably good gaming performance for the cost
CONDITIONS TO AVOID
- -Display appears slightly bleached out
- – A lot of bloatware
We frequently cite the Acer Nitro 5 as an excellent illustration of the kind of gaming laptop you can purchase on a tight budget. Most games may be played on the tested model, which has an Intel Core i5-12500H, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, a 512GB SSD, and 16GB of RAM. When we reviewed it, it was $899.99, but we’ve seen it go for as little as $799.99 on sale.
The 512GB SSD will allow you to store a few games, and the 16GB of RAM is more than you typically see in this price bracket, which is helpful for speed.
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HP Victus 15
(Simple and affordable)
SPECIFICATIONS
- Intel Core i5-12450H CPU
- GPU: GeForce GTX 1650 from Nvidia
- 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080, 144 Hz display
- Weight: 5.04 pounds / 2.29 kg
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PURPOSE OF BUYING
- +Powerful beginner gaming
- +High levels of production
- +Relatively cheap for a gaming laptop
CONDITIONS TO AVOID
- Better display is possible.
- – An abundance of preinstalled software
- Single-channel RAM is present in our test unit.
The HP Victus 15 is a wonderful place to start if you’re searching for something extremely affordable. HP offers a base setup with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650. As of the time of writing, it appears that a $699.99 variant with a 256GB disc is currently available. We evaluated it for $799.99 with a 512GB SSD.
The Victus succeeds in its appearance in certain ways. Although it doesn’t appear to be cheap, it is. In fact, it appears less like a gaming laptop and more like a professional machine. The Victus 15 and its Intel Core i5-12450H processor fared brilliantly in our productivity tests, allowing you to combine work and play if you’d like.
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Dell G15 (5520)
(affordable 1080p gaming power)
SPECIFICATIONS
- Intel Core i5-12500H CPU
- GPU: GeForce RTX 3050 Ti from Nvidia
- 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080, 120 Hz display
- 5.89 pounds in weight (2.6 kg)
BEST OFFERS OF THE DAY
Examine Amazon
PURPOSE OF BUYING
- +Affordable
- The design has been improved
- + Reasonably good gaming performance for the cost
CONDITIONS TO AVOID
- -Display appears slightly bleached out
- – A lot of bloatware
The Dell G15 offers good 1080p gaming for the money at a starting price of $899.99 (and as we tested it). You’ll still need to lower the settings to play intensive games at high frame rates outside of some tournaments.
Like the other laptops on this list, there is a tonne of opportunity for development. When we disassembled our review equipment, we found 8GB of single-channel RAM, which made an upgrade simple. A few games can fit on the 512GB SSD, but it might be upgraded later (other cheap gaming laptops have even less capacity)!
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Lenovo IdeaPad 3
(beginning from about $700)
SPECIFICATIONS
- Intel Core i5-12500H CPU
- GPU: GeForce RTX 3050 Ti from Nvidia
- 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080, 120 Hz display
- Weight: 2.31 kilograms/5.1 pounds
BEST OFFERS OF THE DAY
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PURPOSE OF BUYING
- + Relatively affordable
- +Sleek, contemporary design
- +Superb speakers
CONDITIONS TO AVOID
- -Base model has 256GB SSD and single-channel RAM.
- -Lowering the game’s settings is necessary.
Like many gaming laptops priced around $1,000, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 doesn’t have the best specifications to begin with. We tested it for $709.99 with a Core i5-12500H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD.
The SSD was compact, and the RAM was single-channel. However, given that it costs about $700, some bargain shoppers may be able to upgrade it by adding more storage and RAM.
Despite the low price, the design is sleek and contemporary, which is excellent because many inexpensive laptops have dated-looking aesthetics. Additionally, the speakers are decent for the budget, and the 1080p display supports esports games at 120 Hz.
The Best Gaming Laptops Under $1,000: What to Expect
GPU: When it comes to high resolutions and a variety of effects, the graphics card is probably going to have the most impact on how effectively your gaming laptop performs. The cheapest gaming laptops we’ve tested are equipped with an older GPU from Nvidia called the GeForce GTX 1650, so you may need to adjust some settings. If you can get an RTX 3050 or, even better, an RTX 3050 Ti in your pricing range, that card will let you go a little bit further. If you come across a system with an RTX 3060 on sale in this price range, seize the opportunity. There are currently no AMD-based GPUs in these notebooks.
Screen: A 15-inch laptop should be expected as it seems to be the most common size in this price range. Having said that, the normal size of a gaming laptop is between 14 and 17 inches. The fact that you won’t get a resolution higher than 1080p is understandable given that these PCs’ low-end GPUs aren’t capable of supporting games at 2K or 4K resolutions. These laptops may include 144 Hz displays, while the least expensive models will only have 60 Hz panels. If you run esports games at low enough settings to reach those types of frame rates, the 144 Hz is a benefit.
CPU: Here, you can’t be too fussy. The bulk of these laptops are equipped with Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 processors; however, you may occasionally come across an i7 or R7. Some, but not all, of the laptops in this price range have outdated CPUs, such Intel’s 11th Gen.
RAM: Most gaming laptops under $1,000 still use DDR4, even if more costly laptops have switched to DDR5. On the low end, expect 8GB, however some systems can fit 16GB. Some systems only provide you with one single-channel (8GB) RAM stick. Consider strongly upgrading to 16GB, either by paying more at the time of purchase or by purchasing additional RAM and installing it yourself.
Storage: Most likely, you’ll discover a 256GB or 512GB SSD. You won’t be able to put that many games on a 256GB drive, thus having a 512GB SSD is a major advantage in this situation. (Keep in mind that Windows uses up space, too!) Study the subject of upgradeability. In our testing, we discovered that some of these laptops include additional drive bays that you may later add on your own for less money than what laptop dealers will charge you.
Bottom Line:
Even the top gaming laptops under $1,000 have trade-offs. Some businesses choose to use lower-end GPUs, while others choose to use cheap SSDs. You must choose what sacrifices you are willing to make. If you make the right decisions, you can play PC games on a budget even if you have to lower some settings or reinstall some games. And with some preparation, you might be able to perform some improvements on your own that will significantly enhance the experience.
Of course, factors other than performance should be taken into account. You should examine how these laptops feel and look, as well as if they have the connections and keyboard you prefer. Therefore, before making a purchase, conduct some research to ensure that you have all you require. Check to see the laptop in person if you can before making a purchase.