Looking for a budget-friendly gaming laptop that can deliver solid performance without breaking the bank? We’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll be discussing the 5 best budget gaming laptops of 2023.
These Gaming Laptops are perfect for high school or college students who don’t need the absolute best performance but still want a solid gaming experience. They’re also great options for younger gamers who may not be ready for the responsibility of a premium, $2,000 notebook.
1. Asus TUF Dash 15.
The Asus TUF Dash 15 is a powerful and stylish gaming laptop that offers solid performance and a range of features at an affordable price. It features a 15.6-inch 1080p display with a smooth 240Hz refresh rate, making it ideal for fast-paced gaming. The laptop is equipped with an Intel Core i7–12700H processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics, 32GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD, providing excellent gaming performance and multitasking capabilities.
The TUF Dash 15 also has good thermal management, quiet cooling fans, and relatively good battery life, making it suitable for both work and play. However, it does have some drawbacks, including underwhelming graphics performance compared to other RTX 3070-based laptops and the absence of a webcam or biometric features.
Pros:
- Solid 1080p gaming performance
- Relatively good battery life
- Quiet cooling fans
- Smooth 240Hz screen
- Good thermal management
Cons:
- Underperformed two other RTX 3070-based laptops tested so far
- No webcam or biometric features
2. Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is a powerful gaming laptop that offers a great gaming experience at an affordable price. It is equipped with the latest generation AMD Ryzen™ processor and NVIDIA® GeForce® graphics, which provide excellent performance for gaming and other demanding tasks. The laptop supports up to 16GB of DDR4–3200 memory and has two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots, making it easy to upgrade the memory for even better performance.
The IdeaPad Gaming 3 also features a 15.6-inch FHD display with a 165Hz refresh rate, which ensures smooth and tear-free gaming visuals. The laptop has a backlit keyboard with 1.5mm of key travel, providing a comfortable typing experience even during long gaming sessions. The IdeaPad Gaming 3 is a great choice for gamers who are looking for a budget-friendly gaming laptop that doesn’t compromise on performance.Pros:
- Powerful AMD Ryzen™ processor and NVIDIA® GeForce® graphics
- Upgradable memory with two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots
- 15.6-inch FHD display with a 165Hz refresh rate for smooth gaming visuals
- Backlit keyboard with 1.5mm of key travel for comfortable typing
- Affordable price
Cons:
- Limited storage options, especially for the RTX 3060 models, which support only two drives with a maximum capacity of 1TB
- The laptop is relatively heavy, weighing around 2.25 kg (4.96 lbs)
3. Acer Predator Helios 300
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is a gaming laptop that strikes a balance between design and performance. It features a fully metal build, giving it a sturdy and premium feel. The laptop is equipped with a powerful 12th-gen Intel Core i7–12700H processor and high-powered RTX 30-series GPUs, making it a capable gaming machine. Here are the pros and cons of the Acer Predator Helios 300:Pros:
- Design and build quality
- Powerful hardware
- Good value for the price
- Refreshing amount of bang for your buck
- Capable of handling the latest gaming titles
Cons:
- Short battery life
- Display brightness and contrast could be better
4. MSI Katana GF66
The MSI Katana GF66 is a gaming laptop that offers a balance between performance and affordability. It is equipped with the latest 11th Gen. Intel® Core™ i7 processor, providing up to 40% performance gains over the previous generation. Paired with the NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 30 series graphics, the Katana GF66 delivers true performance during gameplay. Here are the pros and cons of this product:Pros:
- Powerful performance with the 11th Gen. Intel® Core™ i7 processor and NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 30 series graphics.
- 15.6″ Full HD display with a 144Hz refresh rate for smooth and immersive gaming experiences.
- Thin bezel design for a more compact and portable form factor.
- Exclusive Cooler Boost 5 Technology for efficient cooling during intense gaming sessions.
- 1TB solid-state drive for ample storage space and fast loading times.
Cons:
- Middling CPU performance, which may limit its overall power and thermal capabilities.
- The screen could have better color vibrancy and brightness.
5. Acer Nitro 5
The Acer Nitro 5 is a budget-friendly gaming laptop that offers impressive performance and a variety of features for its price. It is available with either Intel 10th Gen. or AMD Ryzen 4000 H-series processors, an NVIDIA GTX 1650 or 1650Ti GPU, up to 16GB of RAM, and fast NVMe SSDs. Here are five pros and two cons of the Acer Nitro 5:Pros:
- The Nitro 5 offers excellent gaming and workstation performance, thanks to its powerful processors and dedicated graphics cards
- It is easy to access the laptop’s internals, with two memory slots supporting up to 64GB of RAM and room for additional storage drives
- The Nitro 5 provides decent battery life, allowing for extended use without frequent charging
- The laptop features a dual-fan cooling system that helps keep the device cool during intense gaming sessions
- The Nitro 5 is a budget-friendly option for gamers, offering a good balance of price and performance
Cons:
- Some users may find it challenging to find the exact configuration they want, as most vendors, including Acer, sell the laptop with a pre-determined configuration
- The Nitro 5 uses DDR4 memory, which is slower than the newer DDR5 memory used in some other laptops
