Getting a best and cheap gaming laptop under $500 is hard to find. The demand for cheap laptops remains strong due to unemployment and Covid-19. While this may also be the best time for season cuts on laptops.
Whether you are looking for Windows or Chrome OS the best gaming laptop under $500 will not be easy to find but not possible also. That’s all because there are many alternatives out there in the market.
In addition, there are many products in this price range that sometimes don’t guarantee a good overall experience, so we decided to help you.
Note: Please keep in mind that since the prices may increase or decrease with the time therefore; some laptops may cost you more than $500. For this reason I apologize you in advance.
Table of Contents
Best and Cheap Gaming Laptop under $500
Below is a list of cheap gaming laptops under $500.
HP 14-INCH RYZEN 3 VEGA 3 GRAPHICS GAMING LAPTOP
First of all, I’ll explain why I put this one on the top of list: The review of this laptop is based on my own use.
I bought this laptop for my office work. It can manage everything for me. Mostly I do writing, video/photo editing, downloading, and watching 1080p videos on YouTube, and Dailymotion.
In my free time, usually in the evening, my daughter enjoys some games on it. She plays light and mid-range games and I have to claim it runs smooth.
REASONS I BOUGHT THIS GAMING LAPTOP
First of all, I noticed two other models with good value for money. One is the HP Steam 14” Laptop, AMD R3 Graphics 32 GB SSD, 4 GB DDR4, the starting price is about $251, but due to the lack of storage space, I find it hard to like it.
The other is the Dell Inspiration Core i3, 8+128 GB, the price ($479) of this laptop is very interesting. I hesitated a moment and did not place an order.
The reason I didn’t buy Dell Inspiration because of ratings and the interest of other buyers.
I got to see the new HP 14” Ryzen 3, 8+128 GB, Dual core laptop. All of the above the price of this laptop is very fair.
Now let me tell you why I chose this version.
First of all, there is a 2.5″ bay to fill the SSD with. I can also expand the memory.
The Dual core 2.6 GHz processor (Expandable up to 3.50) and Vega 3 Graphics is enough for my daughter to enjoy games of her demand. Maybe I need some more storage because up to 60 GB occupied by games.
So I decided to add more storage may be up to 256 or 500 GB.
The second reason I got this choice was my friend Joseph. He is an IT expert so before buying, I contacted him for advice.
Considering my requirements he immediately recommended me this model and told me he also bought this model for his son.
Talking about gaming performance he told me that you can play games like GTA 5 without any freeze and other games can play with 30-60 FPS. The CSGO game runs more smoothly on 70+ FPS.
In the upcoming days, I’m going to buy one more this cheap gaming laptop under $500 separately for my daughter.
FAST PERFORMANCE
HP 14, 3200U, 8 GB RAM, 128 GB M.2 SSD is super fast laptop. It does not get very hot so you can put it up on your legs when you’re at work.
Keeping in mind the performance, it feels better than Core i3, Core i5, and even Core i7.
It can do a great job with entertaining and learning. I think the asking price for a touch screen is proper and you get what you paid for.
You can attend online school every day and hold regular Zoom meetings with teachers and classmates. You can also use it for client’s video editing.
In daily routine while working I do open more than 10 tabs in browser and it still works fast. Some times I do listen music on YouTube during working.
In short, the overall speed performance of this laptop is fast enough to get the job done.
GAMING PERFORMANCE
This laptop comes with exclusive rights to GPU. Radeon Vega 3 graphics are combined to deliver unbelievable performance.
This allows for excellent performance in all games and a variety of everyday graphics tasks.
You can play the latest games at 1080p high definition.
BATTERY LIFE
Let me put this very clear, if you need long battery life, this may not fits you. Almost everything was found excellent except the battery life.
Don’t be so scared as it’s not bad as well. But the average battery life is almost 5 hours while steaming continuous videos or playing games. This may not be good for those buddies who go outside for a long day.
If you edit videos or do some research work online it may lasts for more than 6 hours, which is still not bad I think.
DISPLAY
The 14-inch LED screen offers clear and bright colors. The beautiful screen is a great way to stay productive. You get quality display while watching movies.
Compared to other products, it has a very reactive touch screen for this price. Avoid using it outdoors as the screen is not too bright.
With the Dual-core AMD R 3 processor, you can run a variety of applications and processes needed for everyday use, at work, and at home.
The nice display also makes it easy on the eyes. Get the kind of performance you expect from an HP laptop at a price that makes sense.
It also comes with a nice camera to take pictures and videos..
POWERFUL M.2 SSD DRIVE & RAM
The HP 14 offers 128 GB storage, and 8 GB of DDR4 memory to keep your data secure and the computer runs fast, so it works with highly flexible programs.
There is an empty RAM slot to enable dual-channel memory (a significant increase in frame rate), I recommend adding the second RAM.
With this RAM, you can run multiple apps at the same time without any problem.
LIGHTWEIGHT
This lightweight, 14-inch computer is perfect for traveling, home, or on the go. It’s small enough to manage easily but powerful enough to get things done.
It comes with a nice keyboard to keep typing comfortable.
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HP 14″ Touch Screen Laptop, R3 3200U | Color: Black Storage: 128 GB SSD RAM: 8 GB Processor: Dual-core 2.6 GHz Graphics: AMD Radeon Vega 3 |
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LENOVO IDEAPAD 3 15.6″ VEGA 8 GRAPHICS GAMING LAPTOP UNDER $500
Do you know what kind of laptop you have now? Is it a gaming laptop? However, the 15.6-inch Lenovo IdeaPad 3 laptop can run the latest games at maximum settings.
With AMD Ryzen 5 3500U Quad-core processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, and Vega 8 Graphics, this lightweight and slim laptop ensures you get the most out of your games.
GAMING PERFORMANCE
Get the latest games, videos and music without sacrificing power. IdeaPad 3 is the latest and powerful laptop, so you can keep up to date with the latest developments.
Whether at home or on the go, AMD Ryzen 5 quad-core processor and 8GB of memory can achieve high-speed multitasking to meet your entertainment needs.
The AMD Vega 8 graphics and processing power can perform many gaming demands and ensures reliable operation and maintains its stability.
This outstanding cheap gaming laptop under $500 has everything you could ask for, however, it’s not going to be enough to play all games.
Tests have shown that this laptop does not meet the power requirements for games like Warzone at 1080p.
You can play the games like the witcher 3 and Warzone but it needs to be set at poor graphics quality. For more efficiency, you need to add 1 more 4 GB slot to the memory.
DESIGN
One of the main advantages of the IdeaPad 3 laptop is its size and build quality. Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is a one-piece design. The easy-to-turn hinge makes this laptop easy to open. You can open it to 180 degrees.
High quality matte aluminum surface increases the aesthetics of the laptop. This gives the IdeaPad 3 a sleek, stylish and durable look.
KEYBOARD & TRACKPAD
The keyboard has a numeric keypad that is not seen on most gaming laptops. The keyboard is comfortable, but the keys are small and flimsy.
The good news is that the buttons are soft and silent when pressing. With1.5mm of key travel, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 offers a comfortable typing experience.
Trackpad is also responsive and fast, but a little smaller and is located on the left of the laptop.
BATTERY LIFE
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 laptop has an average battery life that lasts almost 6-7 hours on a single charge. After all, this laptop is simple, which means it can be very efficient.
Take it for a test drive and get what the latest laptops offer.
CONCLUSION
The AMD Ryzen 5 3500U quad-core processor works well, but if you want to play high-end games, we recommend using a more powerful GPU.
If you need portability, the small 15.6 inch Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is for you. If you want to pay an additional $, you can opt for the HP Pavilion Gaming core i5 Gaming Laptop. It has the same processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, and a 15-inch screen is much better.
If you need a new laptop, Lenovo or HP pavilion is a good choice. Both have great specs and the best specs on the market.
Overall, it’s great to have a gaming laptop on your shopping list. Choose the one that fits your budget and from there you go.
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Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15.6″ Inch AMD Ryzen 5 laptop | Color: Almond SSD: 256 GB RAM: 8 GB Graphics: AMD Ryzen Vega 8 Processor: Quad-core |
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LENOVO IDEAPAD 3, BEST BUDGET GAMING LAPTOP UNDER $500
If you’re in the market for a new laptop, you may think that the best idea is to find a laptop with a powerful processor. But the truth is that your laptop’s processor can’t do anything without memory.
That’s why you’ll want to find a laptop with a good balance of CPU and memory.
The newest Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15″ is a cheap gaming laptop under $500 and is a great example of a powerhouse laptop with a nice balance of CPU and memory.
AFFORDABLE PRICE
If you look at the specs data of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3, you immediately realize that it offers a very good price-performance ratio.
The display is an IPS panel with a viewing angle of 178 degrees.
However, if you want a more immersive experience, you can upgrade to the GTX 1060 graphics card with 4 GB of extra memory.
If you’re using a 1080p monitor, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is great for general tasks like social networking, web browsing, document editing, and productivity.
POWERFUL HARDWARE
Take on your day with speed and power. Lenovo IdeaPad 3 includes powerful hardware.
With the performance of the AMD Ryzen 5 3500U quad-core processor and 8GB of memory, you’ll have no problem running most games on medium settings.
This laptop features a 15.6-inch Full HD display (FHD) with 1920 x 1080 resolution.
The IdeaPad also includes a 256GB solid-state drive, so you can download your favorite apps and games faster.
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is the perfect combination of speed, power and affordability.
GREAT GRAPHICS CARD
If you want to get more out of games, a good graphics card is the key. AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 Graphics can run the games at medium settings.
To learn more about graphics performance, and the ways to improve gaming performance please visit here.
Although you can’t play high-quality 1080p graphics games, such as games with the ultra settings, the performance of the graphics card in the middle is certainly impressive.
BATTERY LIFE
This was one of the biggest drawbacks that attracted me. Battery life is not very good.
It can play 5 hours of continuous game on a single recharge. This is slightly better than the original Lenovo Yoga 2.
However, a fast charger is required as you need to charge it twice a day.
The second charge can last all day. If you use it for multitasking, chances are good that you will go on standby frequently.
That said, the battery life of this laptop is better than the Yoga 2.
I haven’t mentioned this before because it might interfere with the actual reviews, but in terms of battery life, this is very similar to a 15″ MacBook Pro with a touch bar.
BUILD QUALITY
The device itself is made of lightweight and durable plastic, which you would expect from a modern laptop.
There is a feeling of a metal body with a durable appearance. What surprised me most about the overall design was that it didn’t look or feel like a premium laptop.
The 3.6 pounds machine doesn’t seem to be able to last through a long gaming day like a regular desktop computer, but the lightweight added for stability is enough to keep you running the software. Size is the best of this laptop.
KEYBOARD & TRACKPAD
Not only functionality is great, but also the advantage of easy-to-enter keyboard keys. The simple layout and light touch, yet solid feel.
It’s easy to type and edit on your laptop. You can feel which key you are pressing. This is a quieter keyboard than other laptop keys.
The trackpad is slightly left-sided, not centered. This is the most important factor for modern laptops.
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Lenovo IdeaPad 3, 15.6″, 2020 Model | Color: Blue Storage: 256 SSD RAM: 8 GB Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 Quad core Graphics: AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 |
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ASUS VIVOOBOOK F512
ASUS VivoBook F512 is a lightweight laptop packed with the latest features.
It is the best laptop for the style-conscious. Thin and light, this is perfect for those on a budget.
Overall, this laptop is well worth the money because of its affordability and performance.
GAMING PERFORMANCE
The game is fun. Games like Shadow of War, Hitman, and Rise of the Tomb Raider can be played without delay. This is great when playing on the go.
Consider the best possible performance in gaming and multitasking. You can play any game, you can do more than one thing at a time.
SECURITY
It has tight security and comes with Windows 10 Home and a 1TB HDD.
There is a fingerprint scanner to prevent online theft. It is very easy to use and works just as fast as the built-in scanner.
The laptop is dust and moisture resistant, which can lead to overuse in the outdoors.
AESTHETICS
Vivoobook is a unique design that will catch your eye at first sight. The smooth surface of the cover and sides provides a comfortable and secure grip.
The design of the Asus VivoBook F512 system is impressive. Asus has a specific design for all their series.
The frame is very nice and light and has a small bezel. The laptop is built around a metal shell and the 2.5D curved glass does not distract the user from the view.
The slim bezels improve the look of your laptop. The top bezel is a little bigger than the side ones with Asus branding.
It has a keyboard that lights up under the touchpad. The keyboard is comfortable to use with a travel keyboard which is compatible with key travel of 1.7mm.
In addition, there is a touchpad fingerprint reader to unlock the device.
LIGHTWEIGHT
Weighing only 1.58 kg, this laptop can be carried in a light suit or bag. It is very easy to carry with the adjustable feet and telescopic handle.
The ASUS VivoBook F512 laptop is extremely compact to fit comfortably in your hand.
DISPLAY
If the screen to be spoken, so it has a large 15.6-inch Full HD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and a wide viewing angle.
The innovative design of the NanoEdge provides incredible wide view. Therefore, the desired brightness and contrast is very good.
The 15.6-inch FHD display features a high brightness of 500 knits, making it ideal for indoor use.
As for the display, it’s bright and gives a good and crisp viewing experience even in direct sunlight. It can be used at night with backlight on.
It also has an anti-glare panel that provides adequate brightness and reduces glare on the screen.
PROCESSOR
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U Processor provides maximum processing power for high speed applications.
These are faster than the Intel Core i5 and Intel Celeron processors.
It is powered by 8 GB of RAM, an AMD processor makes it easy to perform all tasks.
In terms of sound, the VivoBook is considered to be the best sound quality.
HARDWARE
ASUS VivoBook 15 includes 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD + 1 TB HDD to support multitasking. This can be easily expanded if needed.
In terms of warranty, ASUS VivoBook 15 come with a 1-year limited warranty. This is a standard combination of hardware that provides powerful performance.
The hardware and CPU of this laptop is specifically designed for fast gaming.
GPU
There is also AMD discrete GPU that enhance the performance of laptops. This will allow you to play better graphics intimate games.
You can even download high graphic games for the Ryzen 5 series, but run it on low settings.
Thanks to Radeon RX Vega 8 graphics, which is more powerful than Intel UHD620. It helps to play high resolution videos on YouTube and outperforms the gaming activity.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Take a closer look at this laptop with a very good screen size and quality. The GPU you get depends on your game. The battery life is average or maybe a bit above average.
The keyboard and trackpad are also great. Overall, this is a good laptop and it will suit your needs perfectly.
It’s faster than most laptops.
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ASUS Vivobook F512, Backlit, Fingerprint Reader | Color: Slate Grey Graphics: AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 SSD: 128 GB HDD: 1 TB Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3500U Display: 15.6″ |
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Laptops for Gaming: The Ultimate Guide to Cheap Gaming Laptops
The biggest challenge when buying a gaming laptop is finding one that is not expensive. This guide describes the ultimate guide to buy a cheap gaming laptop under $500.
But first, let me explain why you should buy a gaming laptop.
The laptop is not only used for email, web browsing, and word processing but also laptop gaming is a must for today’s PC gamers.
With a good gaming laptop, you can play games based on resolutions, frame rates, and graphics settings that don’t normally appear on your home screen.
However, as desktop and gaming laptops become more competitive, there is still an aspect to gaming laptops.
What Is a Gaming Laptop?
The most common definition of a gaming laptop is that you need to be able to run a first-person shooter and most MOBA.
You can’t expect more from a laptop that can’t play Crysis. That’s why the best gaming laptops seem expensive.
You can get a best budget and cheap gaming laptop under $500 easily.
These laptops usually only play medium-end games like Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, but you can’t expect much more from these laptops.
Multiple laptops are suitable for gaming. If you need a traditional laptop for work, web browsing, or Netflix streaming, a gaming laptop may not be the best solution.
Gaming laptops can play multiple games with faster response times, smoother and more stable frame rates, and complex effects such as shadows and reflections that work well on very high-resolution displays.
Gaming laptops will be able to play many new games, but if you want to play old games from the early 2000s to the mid-2000s, you need a laptop with a decent graphics card.
How Much Should I Spend On a Gaming Laptop?
It’s all a matter of choice. The answer depends on the person.
It’s tempting to invest too much, but it’s more frustrating than ever. For many people, $500 range is a great gaming laptop.
The above collection of $500 gaming laptops includes a wide price range, but the $500 price range is fine for the vast majority of gamers.
If you spend more, such as a gaming laptop under $700 or a gaming laptop under $1000, you increase not only the price but also performance and design quality.
Our above list of best gaming laptops under $500 is completely detailed. You get a laptop that will last more than 10 years.
Some gaming laptops under $500 are actually better than the best gaming laptops you can buy for $1000.
Whether you spend $500 on a gaming laptop depends on the game you want to play and your personal taste.
At the highest level, you need something that can play the latest games or handle the fastest Gameplay without graphical wisdom.
If you opt to spend more less money on laptop visit this link, Best gaming laptops under $400
What Factors Should I Consider When Buying a Gaming Laptop?
A good gaming computer needs a lot. The first and most obvious is the quality.
Here are some precautionary considerations when buying a gaming laptop:
Graphics:
First of all, your laptop must be powerful enough to run your game at a good frame rate of 60 FPS.
With the help of this type of laptop, any game can run at a decent 30 fps. In most cases, games running at 60 fps provide a fluid experience.
Don’t buy a laptop with bad graphics, it won’t be worth it.
Make sure your Graphic card handles the latest games at high frame rates. If the card is old, even if it’s powerful, it’s probably not enough for most games, especially new games.
Battery Life:
We need to think about battery life. It may not require a laptop with long battery life, but a laptop that lasts for 3 hours is fine.
If your gaming laptop’s battery lasts only an hour, you need to play on plugged in battery.
This is a big issue, especially if you’re out at a convention or with a group of gamers.
Processor Speed:
Also, look for decent processing power. With a good processor speed, a laptop could be able to handle most games.
You can also use the Intel Dual Core processor to run most games at low settings.
Or you can choose a quad-core processor similar to the Intel i7 processor. It can provide a great experience when you start to push the boundaries.
RAM:
RAM is an important and often biggest bottleneck on gaming laptops.
The gaming laptop requires at least 8GB of RAM or more. Most of the priceless gaming laptops only have 4GB of RAM. They have some between 4 and 6 GB.
SSD Drive:
Most games also benefit from the fact that they need to read or write a lot of disk space, so they also need a proper SSD drive.
Screen resolution:
When it comes to screens, you have to look for a lot, the higher the screen resolution, the sharper and better the graphics.
What Is The Best Gaming Laptop For The Money?
If you have the money and need a best and cheap gaming laptop under $500, you can buy the above listed gaming laptops right now.
If you are opting to spend some more money, Acer Nitro 5 is the best gaming laptop under $700 that comes with great features. The graphics are great for console or computer games.
It’s not a bad laptop, but it’s not a great laptop either. Also, I think the laptop is a bit heavy.
This is a great gaming laptop for the money, but you can find other powerful options for less money.
The Nitro 5 CPU runs faster and the larger 1080p display. It also gets plenty of RAM and SSD storage.
If the laptops listed does not meet your budget, we’ve also compiled a list of cheap gaming laptops under 300 dollars.
Comparison: Gaming Laptop Under $500 VS Gaming Laptop Under $700
As expected, most of the cheaper gaming laptops use Nvidia Max-Q graphics cards. What you buy depends on how you use it.
Gaming laptops have everything you need. You can choose the Razer Blade for quality and price.
Gaming Laptop Under $700:
The gaming laptop for $700 is perfect for gaming that makes you feel right at home. It has a powerful Intel Core i7-8750H processor and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics processor.
It will give you the best gaming experience, so if you are a gamer, do some research to decide which of the laptop is best for you.
Under $500:
In general, choosing a cheap gaming laptop under $500, you need to assess your needs and all other factors your device needs in terms of price.
Of course, devices in this price range can’t take advantage of touch screens like tablets, which aren’t supposed to buy these budget models.
The tech world can meet all of your needs, so ask yourself what your needs are before you buy.
For less than $500, you can get a laptop with an Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 3-5 processor, 128-256GB SSD, and 4 to 8GB of RAM. All features are good.
Conclusion
So the above is the list of the cheap gaming laptops under 500 dollars that you can buy today.
If you are thinking of buying a gaming laptop with high-end features, there are many options to consider.
However, if you are not bound to money you can also buy MSI GF75 17-inch laptop, the best gaming laptop under $1000.
Also, Acer Aspire E 15 vs Lenovo IdeaPad L340 both are excellent.
The Acer Aspire E 15 features a 15.6-inch display, 8th Gen Core i5 processor, and an Nvidia GeForce MX150 graphics chip, plenty of RAM and reliable storage, as well as a good solid-state drive.
The Lenovo IdeaPad is a budget laptop, it has a great gaming console, with a 15.6-inch screen, Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 256GB SSD.
FAQ
Prices usually range from $500 to $700, depending on the laptop brand, budget, and features. If you want to buy a best gaming laptop under $700, consider Dell G3.
It comes with 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, 8th Gen Core i5 process. It also includes dedicated NVIDIA GTX 1050 GPU. For %700 you can get Lenovo IdeaPad L340, MSI GV62, MSI GF63, or Acer Aspire E 15. They almost have the same specs, but the MSI is actually more powerful.
Buying a gaming laptop will help you immerse yourself in the game. The advantage is that you can create your own mods.
Extending Battery: Buying a cheap gaming laptop such as $500 can shorten battery life, but you can also buy the GTX 1050T, which extends battery life.
Higher Graphics: Advanced graphics cards are usually expected to have, so you can get better images. But that’s not the case with a $500 laptop. You can get 1060 GPU which supports 4k with uninterrupted graphics.
Better Performance: A common problem with cheap gaming laptops is that they are slow and time-consuming. But that’s not the case with a $500 laptop. The problem is usually because the processors are not powerful enough.
We chose the compare the best of each price range, from $500 to $700. We are confident that our list will help you choose the option that best fits your budget.
Laptops game can be a big investment for gamers and for those who take their hobbies seriously and want to play at a higher level. If you don’t know what a gaming laptop is, we’ve already described what to look for at the time of purchase.
For better specs and gaming experience check out also lists below.