When most people think of gaming laptops, they imagine the latest high-end gaming consoles with graphics cards, processors, and more. Of course, gaming laptops in that caliber will come with a high price. However, it is possible to get a budget gaming laptop that can still play the latest AAA title without spending thousands of dollars. If you are looking for the best budget gaming laptop, then here you are. All our recommendations come for a delicious $1,250 or below, which means you can still enjoy an immersive gaming experience for a cheaper price. They all have fast SSDs, dedicated graphics cards and spacious screen sizes that are essential when investing in budgeting gaming laptops.
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Best Budget Gaming Laptops in 2025
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Screen size: 15 inches | touchscreen: No | processor: 13th Generation Intel Core i5/i7 | Memory: Up to 16GB | Storage: Up to 512GB | weight: 2.81 lbs | Battery life: Up to 6.5 hours
Dell was one of the first PC manufacturers to combine a lot of graphics power in a $1,000 system. The latest G15 builds on this experience. It starts at $800, Intel’s Class 13 i5-13450hx, RTX 3050 laptop GPU and 8GB RAM start at $800, making it one of the best budget gaming laptop choices around. We recommend using NVIDIA’s G-Sync technology, pairing with a $1,000 model with 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD and a 165Hz 1080p screen to ensure high FPS and smooth gaming performance.
While not Alienware, the G15 comes with some premium brand design tips and comes with sharp, angular and LED foldable keys. Its price is also surprisingly sturdy, and the durable chassis should last for years. While it’s not a full introduction to RGB, it can still provide an attractive gaming aesthetic without overly illuminated effects.
Dell $900
Macro
Screen size: 15 inches | touchscreen: No | processor: 12th Generation Intel Core i5 | Memory: Up to 16GB | Storage: Up to 512GB | weight: 4.8 lbs | Battery life: Up to 8 hours
The Acer Nitro 5 is another great affordable gaming laptop option, although we haven’t seen it get Intel’s 13th-generation chip yet. Still, the 12th generation model isn’t slacking off: it comes with 16GB of RAM, NVIDIA’s RTX 3050 and 512GB of storage. Like Dell, Acer has enough experience building PC consoles, so this could survive years of extreme gaming. The Nitro 5’s multi-color RGB backlit keyboard and rear red accent also give off a stronger gamer vibe than the G15. Side note: Acer’s Nitro 16 may also be worth considering because it has a newer CPU and GPU and improves Wi-Fi capabilities to provide better online gaming, so whether it drops below $1,000.
Best Buy $1,000
HP
Screen size: 15 inches | touchscreen: No | processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Memory: Up to 64GB | Storage: Up to 4TB | weight: 5 lbs
The HP Victus 15 is the ideal affordable gaming laptop for anyone who doesn’t want to see on a gaming laptop. Its all-black chassis is sleek and low-key, and it is a great choice for those who need a laptop for gaming and web browsing. The laptop’s monitor impresses, offering a 144Hz FHD screen that helps maintain a smooth frame rate in fast-paced gaming.
Under the hood, it still contains enough graphics to handle modern gaming, including AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, NVIDIA’s RTX 3050 TI, 16GB of RAM and SSD storage for up to 4TB. It also includes a reliable choice of connectivity options, including USB-C and HDMI 2.1, so you can easily connect it to an external monitor. While it may not have flashy RGB lighting, its stable performance and subtle design make it an excellent choice for gamers who want to balance work and game.
$899 from Amazon
What is a budget gaming laptop?
For a high-end gaming experience, you can easily spend $5,000 on a completely cheating notebook like the Razer Blade 18. But when it comes to the best budget gaming laptops, we focus on the other end of the pricing range: under $1,000 below laptops. It was hard to find gaming options with decent performance at that price point in the past, but as PC prices fell, they no longer seem like unicorns.
Strengthening the system to between $1,000 and $2,000 allows you to firmly stay in the mid-range area, which is beyond the scope of this guide. Still, it’s worth noting that these high-end models can be pushed to sales under $1,000. Be sure to check out our guide to the best gaming laptops to give a general overview of what to look for in these more expensive systems.
Is a cheap gaming laptop worth it?
Cheap gaming laptops are definitely worth it if you want to save money and stay realistic about what you get in this price range. You can expect to find the latest (but not the largest) CPUs from Intel and AMD, as well as entry-level GPUs like Nvidia’s RTX 3050. The budget model is also usually paired with an FHD screen and runs at a height refresh rate of 120Hz or later to ensure a smooth frame rate in your favorite game. But there are a few exceptions: Dell’s G16 (currently discounted to $900) is known for its 16-inch quad-HD+ screen.
Many cheap gaming laptops also browse specifications such as RAM and hard drive space. We recommend getting at least 16GB of RAM and SSD storage, at least 512GB. Modern games require a lot of memory to run, and they are also huge, so you won’t be able to use too much with Windows 11 on a 256B SSD. You might be tempted to jump on one of those small gaming laptop deals from Walmart or Best Buy, but if you come across 8GB of RAM or a tiny SSD, that’s not worth it.
As for build quality, hopefully find more plastic on budget consoles than metal. Still, we recommend that the best budget gaming laptop should be solid enough to last for a few years. Affordable systems will also be heavier and thicker than mid-range and high-end models, and generally do not have the best Wi-Fi or connectivity options. Battery life is another trade-off, although even the most expensive gaming laptops may struggle with lifespan.
