Cheap gaming laptops are as mythical as unicorns in the eyes of most gamers and finding them online can be a real chore. Investing in a good laptop can be tricky especially if you are looking for a laptop that can be used for multiple purposes.

You might want a gaming laptop that you can also use for work or other forms of entertainment. Considering the number of choices available in the market, it may seem difficult to find a great gaming laptop as it is. Add a tight budget to the equation and the problem gets even worse.

So if you are struggling with the same dilemma, worry no more. We spend days of research on the web for the best gaming laptops under $500 and list them right here for anyone.

In this article, you will find everything you need to know about the best performing gaming laptops under $500. Although you can’t expect too many advanced features in devices of this budget, the ones listed here seem to be a cut above the rest terms of performance.

Affordable Gaming Laptops: Summary

Cheap Gaming Laptops Under 500 Bucks

It was quite difficult for our team to produce such listing with cheap laptops for gaming. We have provided all the needed information with our recommendation as well. You wish to make an informed decision about the low price laptop to buy for gaming.

Acer Aspire E5-575G-53VG Laptop

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The first gaming laptop to make it to this list is the Acer Aspire. This Acer beauty comes with 7^th generation Intel core. The i3-7100U is a processor that is ideal for gaming with its processing speed of up to 2.4 GHz. The laptop comes complete with NVIDIA GeForce 940MX to ensure that your gaming experience in uncompromised. With an NVIDIA graphics card, you can’t go wrong as gaming is concerned. The 8GB RAM and 256SSD hard perfectly complement the processor. So, if you are looking for a semi-lightweight device that you would want to carry around, Acer Aspire is the one for you.

Acer Aspire E5-575G-53VG Laptop

Pros

Pros

• Exceptional value
• Full-HD display
• Plenty of storage space
• All-day battery life
• Robust connectivity options

Cons

Cons

• Unnecessary bloatware
• Slow mechanical hard drive
• Lowly TN-panel

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Dell 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop

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It is impossible to miss a Dell laptop while listing out affordable devices. Complete with Intel i5-6300HQ quad-core, this gaming laptop has a processor speed of 2.3GHz. Rest assure that this laptop will not leave you stuck or lagging in middle of a game. Turbo speed of up to 3.0GHz makes this laptop one of the best performing laptops. Being a part of the Inspiron series by Dell, this laptop can easily oscillate between gaming and work. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M gives you the best in class gaming experience backed with an 8GB RAM more than enough for most of the games.

Dell 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop

Pros

Pros

• SSD hard drive.
• IPS display.
• Antiglare screen
• 6 Full HD display.
• NVIDIA graphic card.

Cons

Cons

• Quality of touchpad is not good.
• Low storage space.

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Lenovo seems to really get what a real gaming experience should be like. At an affordable price too. With a 1TB hard and 8GB RAM, you will never complain of this one is getting stuck or slowing down. It has an AMD quad-core processor of 2.7GHz with windows 10.

The 15.6 inches HD display has AMD Radeon graphics which make the picture quality quite good. The battery life is decent with its Li-ion battery made of 2 cells and can be expected to last for 4-hours. The battery timing is not that good in this laptop. If you are looking for a pocket-friendly laptop for gaming, this one could be a good choice.

Lenovo Ideapad 15ABR 15.6

Pros

Pros

• Provides plenty of storage.
• Wi-Fi technology provides internet speed up to 3x times.
• Type C USB port.

Cons

Cons

• Low screen resolution.
• Heating is a major issue in all AMD machines.

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ASUS VivoBook F510UA 15.6” Full HD Nanoedge Laptop

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The Asus Vivo book gives you the best processor in all the gaming laptops that are listed in this article. Isn’t it a delight to have the 8^th gen with Intel core-i5? It comes with the 8 GB of built-in RAM and 1TB of storage capacity. 8 GB of RAM allows you to run comfortably without making the laptop feel sluggish. The design has been improved over to last year’s Vivobook, and it is both lighter and thinner. If you want to work and play on to go, this is one of the lightest laptops in this price range. The display is not best, it more than makes up with its stylish design and color.

ASUS have cut some concerns with the storage, opting for a slow 1TB 5400RPM HDD as opposed to an SSD. This is going to make applications and boot times rather slow and tedious sadly, but the other hardware compensates for this.

ASUS VivoBook F510UA 15.6” Full HD Nanoedge Laptop

Pros

Pros

• Up-to-date CPU.
• Plenty of storage space.
• 8GB RAM.
• Premium look.

Cons

Cons

• Keyboard flex.
• Slow hard drive.

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HP 15.6″ Laptop, AMD A6-9220

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This laptop is a piece of art in itself. The signature AMD dual-core processor performs with 2.50GHz speed. For gaming purpose, the AMD Radeon is a great choice. The hp is designed to combine rugged design with mobility and affordable features. The device can be purchased with different hardware configurations.

It comes with the 4 GB of built-in RAM. With 4GB of RAM may not be best out there.  This device may not has a plenty of storage space because of a built-in 500GB hard drive, there should be enough power available for easy everyday use.

HP 15.6″ Laptop, AMD A6-9220

Pros

Pros

• Thickness of just 0.9”.
• Radeon is the best choice for gaming.
• Full HD display.

Cons

Cons

• Heating of AMD machines may cause some damage in the machine.
• There is not a plenty of storage space.
• RAM needs to be upgrade for better gaming.

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Lenovo Z50 Laptop Computer

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The Lenovo laptop is definitely an excellent choice for gamers on a budget price. It is well-built and has a decent battery life despite sporting one of the older AMD processors which is not very power efficient. The Radeon R7 integrated graphics is not as powerful as a dedicated GPU but still beats any Intel HD graphics option at comparable prices.

With an upgraded 8 GB RAM and 1TB hard drive, this one won’t fail you, whether it is work or gaming. The 64-bit windows 10 system gives you a reliable 5 hours of battery life on full charge.

6” inches high-performance laptop. . 8 GB RAM 1 TB HDD  display. . Windows 10 home. Up to 5 hours battery life.

Lenovo Z20 Laptop Computer

Pros

Pros

• Plenty of storage space.
• Dolby home theatre.
• Lots of I/O options.
• Only 0.98” thick.
• AMD FX 7500 quad core, base 2.1 GHz with a boost of up to 3.3 GHz.

Cons

Cons

• Resolution of display is just 1366×768 pixels.
• The heating issue with AMD.
• Touchpad is not very responsive.

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Lenovo IdeaPad 320 15.6-Inch Laptop

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This IdeaPad 320 from Lenovo might not seem like a very compelling choice at first, because of its lack of a dedicated graphics unit and mediocre 1366×768 resolution display.

It is powered by an extremely efficient and highly capable with 7^th gen Intel Core i3 CPU running at a base 2.4 GHz. Laptop core i3 processors are actually very similar to their more expensive core i5 cousins. Lenovo 320 comes with 4GB of DDR4 high-speed RAM and has a massive 1TB mechanical HDD installed for mass storage.

Lenovo Ideapad 320

Pros

Pros

• Plenty of storage space.
• Latest Intel HD series graphics.
• Core i3 7^th
• The oversized island-style keyboard feels much more tactile and better to type on.

Cons

Cons

• RAM needs to be upgradable.
• Resolution of display is just 1366×768 pixels.

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Lenovo Flagship IdeaPad 310

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Lenovo Flagship comes with a feature of a touchscreen. The Lenovo edge 15 is easily the edgiest of all laptops listed in our research. While all the other gaming laptops are still a standard notebook with keyboard input, this one is 2 in 1.

The Lenovo flagship comes with Intel Core i5-8250U smart quad-core processor with a 2.5GHz frequency which is quite good for a gaming laptop of this price range. The 8^th gen makes this laptop superior in all the other laptops listed in this search.

Lenovo Flagship ideapad 310

Pros

Pros

• 12GB RAM
• Plenty of storage space.
• Touchscreen
• 8^th gen
• Dolby audio

Cons

Cons

• Screen resolution is not much impressive.
• Battery timing is low.

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HP Notebook 15.6 Inch Touchscreen Premium Laptop PC

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The HP notebook laptop is a very good choice for those who are looking for a multimedia laptop that is suitable for both working and play in a low budget.

This laptop features a touchscreen that is also an impressive feature. It also features a super-multi DVD burner, Bluetooth and comes with windows 10 home. Screen resolution is not that good with the 1366×768 pixels but the display is Full HD.

HP Notebook 15.6 Inch Touchscreen Premium Laptop PC

Pros

Pros

• Value for the money.
• Decent processor.
• Good overall performance.
• Large HDD.

Cons

Cons

• Seemingly poor quality control.
• Middling display.
• Low resolution.
• Feels slightly cheap.

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Dell Inspiron 15.6-inch HD Touchscreen Laptop PC

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This laptop has received positive reviews for its decent specs for the price. Dell always designs the laptops with great specs in low prices.

Dell Inspiron 15.6-inch HD Touchscreen Laptop PC

Pros

Pros

• Remarkable storage space.
• 8GB RAM.
• Touchscreen.
• 7^th gen core i5.
• 2 3.0 USB ports.
• Backlit keyboard.
• Decent performance.

Cons

Cons

• Mediocre screen quality.
• Slow HDD.
• Average battery life.

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HP  17.3″ 1BQ14UA

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It supports a large 17.3 inches display that seems to be has drawn most to this laptop. The large bright view glossy display is said to be good overall, all it is 1600×900, which means it is not full-HD display as with most modern laptops.

HP pavilion 17 comes with extremely efficient and highly capable with 7^th gen Intel Core i5 CPU running at a base 2.5 GHz processor and 8GB of DDR4 RAM, affording you decent multitasking capabilities and a machine powerful enough to run some demanding programs reasonably well. But the slower 5400RPM hard drive means slower load times on programs and boot times will be longer than laptops that come with an SSD.

HP 17.3 Inches1BQ14UA

Pros

Pros

• Fast processor.
• Plenty of storage space.
• Large display.
• Decent amount of RAM.
• Touchscreen.
• 1600×900 display.
• 3 backlit display.

Cons

Cons

• Dull audio.
• Numpad or power LED light.
• Slower 5400RPM hard drive.

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HP 15-ba043wm 15.6 Touchscreen Laptop A10-9600P

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A gaming laptop should feature dedicated graphics, however, this doesn’t mean you can’t game on a laptop with dedicated graphics. The hp 15 features a 7^th gen Radeon R5 Bristol Ridge GPU with up to 4.25GB of shared video memory. Its R5 graphics boast a GPU clock speed of 800MHz and will allow you to play some of the best classic titles.

HP 15-ba043wm 15.6 Touchscreen Laptop A10-9600P

Pros

Pros

• Quad-core AMD CPU.
• Radeon R5 GPU.
• Responsive touchscreen.
• A large amount of storage.
• 8 GB RAM.

Cons

Cons

• Integrated graphics.
• Slower 5400RPM hard drive.
• Not for serious gamers.

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Lenovo Ideapad 500 15.6-Inch Laptop

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The IdeaPad 500 features a full HD display. Which makes it the better choice if you are interested in movies or photo editing. If we consider it about gaming then its gaming performance is surprisingly good for a laptop costs less than 500 dollars, because of the AMD A10 8700P quad-core APU.

Featuring a sleek design and smooth silvery white finish, this 15.6” Lenovo IdeaPad is truly amazing for the price. The Radeon R6 graphics unit shares the memory with the 8GB of DDR3 RAM that is installed onboard the Lenovo IdeaPad 500. Get ready for smooth gameplay and seamless multitasking thanks to the quad-core processor and 8GB of RAM, combined with a massive 1TB HDD.

It’s the most remarkable and attractive feature is its 1920 x 1080P Full HD display. This display is not common in affordable gaming laptops. It comes with windows 10 home.

Lenovo Ideapad 500 15.6-Inch Laptop

Pros

Pros

• AMD A10 quad-core
• Radeon R6 graphics.
• 8GB RAM
• 1080p display.
• Plenty of storage space.
• Full-size keyboard.

Cons

Cons

• Battery time is low
• The really thick bezel around the bottom of the display.
• Heating issues with AMD machines.

 

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HP 15.6″ Touch Screen 15-ay191ms

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HP 15-ay191ms is one of the best laptops for light gaming in the budget. The laptop offers much more than just the strong chassis. Starting with the display, it comes with 15.6 inches HD display with touch support. However, the laptop is not best in terms of colour accuracy.

The keyboard of this laptop is not backlit, and it is also not the most comfortable one to type on.

Title Here

Pros

Pros

• Responsive touchscreen.
• A large amount of storage.
• 8 GB RAM.
• Decent performance.

Cons

Cons

• Integrated graphics.
• Slower 5400RPM hard drive.
• Not for serious gamers.
• Low resolution.

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Dell Inspiron 15 5000 Series i5547-7502sLV 15-Inch Touchscreen Laptop

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This budget-friendly gaming laptop from Dell promises to provide very stable yet power packed performance for the asking price.

It comes preloaded with 8GB of RAM to take care of multitasking on the system. Storage on the laptop is backed by a massive 1TB of a hard drive which offers large enough space to store all the game and user-related data.

The laptop sports a 15.6 inches HD display powered by Dell’s proprietary True-Life display technology to offer crisp and sharp visuals.

This latest laptop from Dell is a very affordable and powerful gaming laptop is surely one of the best you can get under $500.

Dell Inspiron 15 5000 Series i5547-7502sLV 15-Inch Touchscreen Laptop

Pros

Pros

• AMD A9
• Radeon R5 graphics.
• 8GB RAM
• Plenty of storage space.

Cons

Cons

• Heating issues with AMD machines.
• Not for serious gamers.
• Low resolution.

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Best Affordable Gaming Laptops – Buyer’s Guide

The fact that gaming laptops cost more than normal laptops does not mean that you can’t enjoy playing games if you have a small budget. If you do your homework well, it is possible to find a good laptop that will let you enjoy your game with no abandon. The above-mentioned laptops are best the best you can ever find for a budget of under $500.

We have discussed some of the most notable laptops for gaming under $500, you might also feel the need to check some other options out for yourself if you wish to explore a little more and be certain that you are spending on right product, here is quick guide which may help you to while finalizing your choice. The range of choice is plenty in the market and it might get really confusing to pick one.

What to look for in gaming laptop under $500?

Graphics card

The first and the most important component of a gaming laptop that you must consider is the graphics card. For having a quality gaming experience, it is necessary to have a graphics card that can support the latest games while ensuring that you can play seamlessly. Nobody wants their latest games to have a feel of some bad 80s video games. Considering that the gaming graphics have improved considerably in the past decade, it is advisable for you to pick a laptop with a graphics card that can support most of the latest games and updates.

NVIDIA and AMD graphic cards are often sufficient for the most popular games available today. However, make sure you keep a good graphics card at the top of your priority when you are buying a gaming laptop.

Storage

We all know that games are space consuming and most recent games require at least 500GB for installation to begin with. Considering this, to have an excellent gaming experience, 1TB is what most experts recommend. However, you could still be able to live by with 500GB, provided you don’t mind restricting your choice of games and stay away from updates.

Ideally, an SSD is what you should be looking for. But an HDD of at least 1TB should also do just fine.

Screen

Another compromise that you may have to make to fit your budget is the screen. It may be the size or the resolution of the display. While some of the laptops listed here are with a full high definition screen, other gaming laptops in this budget may not be the same. For an excellent and vivid gaming experience, visuals play a major role. Like every gamer, you may wish to enjoy the game with lifelike visuals which it is designed to have. But considering that these gaming laptops, some leeway needs to be given on the screening requirement. A 15 inches screen with a full HD or even without an HD display should be sufficient for a near real-life experience in the screen size, the overall size of laptop increases.

If you are keen on having night gaming sessions quite often, it is good to invest in a laptop has a backlit screen.

Battery life

While most laptops offer a battery life of as high as 8 hours in this age, we can’t expect the same for gaming laptops in this price range. When given a choice between a better processor and a graphics card and long lasting battery life, all manufacturers invariably choose a former and rightly so. However, you can easily find a good gaming laptop around 4 hours of battery life. This is about the same battery life as most of the entries on this list.

These days it is not really difficult to find a charging point on the go, so you could compromise a little on the battery life if you can get another feature that is a must-have.

Performance

Performance mainly depends on the processor and the RAM. While the processor decides the speed of the performance, the RAM will define the efficiency. The frequency is in GHz range and for a gaming laptop in this budget, you can hope a 2.5 GHz or higher.

Another factor to be considered is the core if the laptop has a dual or quad core. It simply means that the laptop is equipped with 2 and 4 processor core chips respectively. The last aspect of the performance of the gaming laptop is its RAM. The processor is not of much help without a good RAM. Again the higher the RAM, the better the processor will perform.

Weight

This brings us to the next specification to keep in mind while picking a gaming laptop, literally. If you are planning to use your gaming laptop for long LAN gaming sessions with your friends, you would certainly want to invest in a laptop that weighs even as less as 3lbs laptop is not of very high priority, it is still something you should keep in mind. The sole reason being a bulky device may not encourage you to carry it around. Hence you will see that most devices on this list are some of the lightest gaming laptops affordable.