The concept of a cheap gaming laptop is a relative concept. The cheap gaming laptops usually don’t have the ability to run the most prestigious, demanding games, or at least not in the desired settings of high and ultra.
Even in the 2016 it is a difficult task to encounter the laptop that will meet the recommended demands from its user. We know that there are people who won’t spend $1500+ on a gaming laptop from financial or some other reasons. However, it is very important that the ideal budget laptop has the specifications capable of coping with challenges of today and tomorrow.
This is why we created a post that unites the best gaming laptops that fit in your wallets. Keep scrolling and find out about the cheap gaming laptops 2018.
| Images | View full detail on Amazon.com |
|---|---|
| [img_products img_code="41xf%2B-7LIQL" alt="MSI GL72 6QD-001 17.3" Gaming Laptop Notebook Geforce GTX 950M i5-6300HQ 8GB 1TB" code="B01AC40O5O"] | #1. MSI GL72 6QD-001 17.3" Gaming Laptop Notebook Geforce GTX 950M i5-6300HQ 8GB 1TB |
| [img_products img_code="41HfDkXXyeL" alt="Acer Aspire E5-575G-53VG 15.6-Inch Full HD Laptop (Intel Core i5, NVIDIA 940MX, 8GB DDR4, 256GB SSD, Windows 10)" code="B01DT4A2R4"] | #2. Acer Aspire E5-575G-53VG 15.6-Inch Full HD Laptop (Intel Core i5, NVIDIA 940MX, 8GB DDR4, 256GB SSD, Windows 10) |
| [img_products img_code="4133Wl4%2BoGL" alt="Lenovo Ideapad 700-15ISK Intel Core i5-6300HQ 2.3GHz 8GB RAM 1TB HDD Win 10 Home" code="B01I7WYHJ2"] | #3. Lenovo Ideapad 700-15ISK Intel Core i5-6300HQ 2.3GHz 8GB RAM 1TB HDD Win 10 Home |
| [img_products img_code="41WN8y6bohL" alt="ASUS K501UX 15.6-inch Gaming Laptop (Intel Core i7 Processor, NVIDIA GTX 950M, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Hard Drive, Windows 10 (64 bit)), Black/Silver Metal" code="B0146DD02G"] | #4. ASUS K501UX 15.6-inch Gaming Laptop (Intel Core i7 Processor, NVIDIA GTX 950M, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Hard Drive, Windows 10 (64 bit)), Black/Silver Metal |
| [img_products img_code="41y-2Z%2BxLqL" alt="Asus X555UB 15.6-Inch Full HD Laptop (6th Generation Intel Core i5 6200U, 2.3GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB 7200rpm HDD, NVIDIA GeForce 940M, DVD, Bluetooth, HDMI, HD Webcam, Windows 10 Home), Black" code="B01D0UJ5KW"] | #5. Asus X555UB 15.6-Inch Full HD Laptop (6th Generation Intel Core i5 6200U, 2.3GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB 7200rpm HDD, NVIDIA GeForce 940M, DVD, Bluetooth, HDMI, HD Webcam, Windows 10 Home), Black |
| [img_products img_code="41BrD2bCAeL" alt="Dell 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop (6th Gen Intel Quad-Core i5-6300HQ Processor up to 3.2GHz, 8GB DDR3, 256GB SSD, Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M, Windows 10)" code="B015PYYDMQ"] | #6. Dell 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop (6th Gen Intel Quad-Core i5-6300HQ Processor up to 3.2GHz, 8GB DDR3, 256GB SSD, Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M, Windows 10) |
| [img_products img_code="51t7YAnGRbL" alt="Acer Aspire V 15, 15.6 Full HD, Intel Core i5, NVIDIA GTX 950M, 8GB DDR4, 256GB SSD, Windows 10 Home, V5-591G-55PV" code="B01ER4AJPU"] | #7. Acer Aspire V 15, 15.6 Full HD, Intel Core i5, NVIDIA GTX 950M, 8GB DDR4, 256GB SSD, Windows 10 Home, V5-591G-55PV |
Top 7 Best Cheap Gaming Laptops to Buy 2018
In case even this laptop was a too large bite on your wallet, or it simply went off the shelves, we still have 6 options that could be either proficient and efficient towards your gaming needs. We feature laptops of different prices, setups and components, though all of them share the equal passion for gaming.
| Images | View full detail on Amazon.com |
|---|---|
| [img_products img_code="41xf%2B-7LIQL" alt="MSI GL72 6QD-001 17.3" Gaming Laptop Notebook Geforce GTX 950M i5-6300HQ 8GB 1TB" code="B01AC40O5O"] | #1. MSI GL72 6QD-001 17.3" Gaming Laptop Notebook Geforce GTX 950M i5-6300HQ 8GB 1TB |
| [img_products img_code="41HfDkXXyeL" alt="Acer Aspire E5-575G-53VG 15.6-Inch Full HD Laptop (Intel Core i5, NVIDIA 940MX, 8GB DDR4, 256GB SSD, Windows 10)" code="B01DT4A2R4"] | #2. Acer Aspire E5-575G-53VG 15.6-Inch Full HD Laptop (Intel Core i5, NVIDIA 940MX, 8GB DDR4, 256GB SSD, Windows 10) |
| [img_products img_code="4133Wl4%2BoGL" alt="Lenovo Ideapad 700-15ISK Intel Core i5-6300HQ 2.3GHz 8GB RAM 1TB HDD Win 10 Home" code="B01I7WYHJ2"] | #3. Lenovo Ideapad 700-15ISK Intel Core i5-6300HQ 2.3GHz 8GB RAM 1TB HDD Win 10 Home |
| [img_products img_code="41WN8y6bohL" alt="ASUS K501UX 15.6-inch Gaming Laptop (Intel Core i7 Processor, NVIDIA GTX 950M, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Hard Drive, Windows 10 (64 bit)), Black/Silver Metal" code="B0146DD02G"] | #4. ASUS K501UX 15.6-inch Gaming Laptop (Intel Core i7 Processor, NVIDIA GTX 950M, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Hard Drive, Windows 10 (64 bit)), Black/Silver Metal |
| [img_products img_code="41y-2Z%2BxLqL" alt="Asus X555UB 15.6-Inch Full HD Laptop (6th Generation Intel Core i5 6200U, 2.3GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB 7200rpm HDD, NVIDIA GeForce 940M, DVD, Bluetooth, HDMI, HD Webcam, Windows 10 Home), Black" code="B01D0UJ5KW"] | #5. Asus X555UB 15.6-Inch Full HD Laptop (6th Generation Intel Core i5 6200U, 2.3GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB 7200rpm HDD, NVIDIA GeForce 940M, DVD, Bluetooth, HDMI, HD Webcam, Windows 10 Home), Black |
| [img_products img_code="41BrD2bCAeL" alt="Dell 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop (6th Gen Intel Quad-Core i5-6300HQ Processor up to 3.2GHz, 8GB DDR3, 256GB SSD, Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M, Windows 10)" code="B015PYYDMQ"] | #6. Dell 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop (6th Gen Intel Quad-Core i5-6300HQ Processor up to 3.2GHz, 8GB DDR3, 256GB SSD, Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M, Windows 10) |
| [img_products img_code="51t7YAnGRbL" alt="Acer Aspire V 15, 15.6 Full HD, Intel Core i5, NVIDIA GTX 950M, 8GB DDR4, 256GB SSD, Windows 10 Home, V5-591G-55PV" code="B01ER4AJPU"] | #7. Acer Aspire V 15, 15.6 Full HD, Intel Core i5, NVIDIA GTX 950M, 8GB DDR4, 256GB SSD, Windows 10 Home, V5-591G-55PV |
#1. MSI GL72 6QD-001: The Best Cheap Gaming Laptop 2018
[amazon_link asins=’B01AC40O5O’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’lincolnlabs02-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’210cd5d7-fc93-11e6-ae48-3d23e3fc6983′]Not as cheap, the MSI GL72 is one of the cheap gaming laptop that can suit either gamers and casual users.
It features a prestigious choice for gamers whose wallet is not as deep as everyone’s but good enough to please the more or less high demands that were set on today’s games.
Perhaps, not all the high, demanding games can run perfectly on it, most of them definitely support the medium to high setting, which is very important.
This modest, yet powerful machine features the components that are sufficient for the vast majority of gamers.
These include the powerful NVidia GTX 950M graphics card and a Intel Core i5 (6th Gen) 6300HQ / 2.3 GHz that can clock to turbo up to 3.2 GHz. This machine also has 8GB of RAM, and for storage this machine has 1TB which is quite enough for some good-quality gaming.
Keep scrolling this rather interesting review in order to find out more about your new potential budget gaming laptop.
Design
The gaming laptops of the G series are mostly similar and there are not too many differences between them. It features quite thicker built, but that’s what is usually expected by the gaming laptop. The chassis is made out of plastic but it still looks very elegant and resistant.
The system itself is quite persistent. It doesn’t easily creak but there are weak points on it including the keyboard. It is not significantly different than other MSI’s model, especially in the G series that is one of the best gaming series, gaming laptops offer nowadays.
When you open this laptop, you will see a large 17.3-inch screen, and in this case bigger is better. More things will be exposed whilst gaming and that’s generally good, because we tend to like to see larger things. Other things that are different compared to the G series is the lack of the sinister red, or any other colored and/or vibrant colors on the keyboard or touch bar of the laptop. This is mostly because not just MSI but also other manufacturers tend to make cheaper versions of gaming laptops less gaming-friendly in terms of design.
For instance, you won’t see many gaming details on this, or any other laptop from our list, whereas the more expensive, the higher budget ones have completely different, sporty and bold gaming look. Don’t let that worry you. The lack of confident design isn’t something that is too crucial for the best gaming experience.
At 2.72kg (6 pounds), we think that this laptop goes in the category of lightweight laptops, which is generally good. But, it is still challenging to wear it across in the bus or any other destination. All being said, we think this laptop still fulfills its duty and lets you travel with it with no sweat. It can easily fit in some larger bag, considering its dimensions 16.5 x 10.5 x 1.5 inches.
Keyboard and Touch Bar
Both keyboard and touch bar are pleasing to touch.
Low budget laptops always come with several or at least one flaw. This flaw other than in components often lays in outside looks such as keyboard or touchbar. This is not the case with G series keyboards. MSI GL72 has very nice, smooth and deep keyboard for gaming. Its keys are very responsive and comfortable to touch. Keyboards on laptop usually come very loud, which is very disturbing to gamers, and people who like to type in general.
The GL72 tells a different story. The keys are deep and customizable. This laptop is a comfort in terms of keyboard. Despite the lack of fancy backlights that mostly decorate and compliment the keyboards of the most expensive, high-ranged laptops, this keyboard is the same elegant and efficient without them.
As about a touch bar. Well, I think it is very nice, but not as fast as what other competitors have to offer. But unless you’re a fan of the Sims or some other static-like game I don’t need you will be needing it.
The touch bar is still very smooth, responsive and fast enough for those who are using the laptop in the casual daily needs. It has two buttons for the left and the right click, and it features the multi clicking feature which is very nice, but not necessary. Most of the gamers prefer to use the mouse in the gaming endeavors, so even if you encounter some minor disappointments with the touch bar, those issues are easy to overcome with a nice gaming mouse.
Display
The GL72 is a 17-inch laptop that comes with a high-quality screen, powering the 1920 x 1080 resolution and full HD. This LED backlight comes with anti-reflective feature that is very helpful when we are deeply concentrated into gaming.
The screen is at times muted though, which kills the joy of anti-reflective MSI Matrix display, but it is still good enough to meet the demands of an average gamer that loves the todays games. Keep in mind that this is a budget gaming laptop, and not everything can be set to the highest performance in order to suffice.
This matte display, that doesn’t support a touch sensitivity does a good job for gaming. MSI laptops are mostly meant for gaming, especially the G series. Therefore a good screen should be one of the manufacturer’s top priorities.
Audio
Laptops usually encounter various issues with the stereo, especially gaming laptops. The problem is inheritent and in most cases it persists. It’s not the same with the MSI GL72. The solid speakers will produce the good-quality sound, not perfect but good enough to play your favorite games without the hassle.
The laptop features four speakers that fill the area with a pleasing sound without too many malfunctions. The microphone is also good, but we recommend you to get good gaming headphones that will fill in the needs that this budget laptop cannot give. This doesn’t mean that the speakers are bad, but just like the most gaming laptops, speakers are not too loud even though there are four of them, and getting a pair of good headphones with microphone with sharp and clear tone will save you the unnecessary concerns, in case some of them arise.
Heat
Gaming computers are known for overheating when they are exposed to a too large pressure to handle. Same thing is with laptops, if not worse. The GL72 just like the most of the G series laptops have quality to be proud of.
When they are running high-end, demanding games, they will heat, but the fans successfully channel the heat away from the most important components such as the graphics card and the processor. It is well-known that the optimal temperature during playing games should be around 60 degrees Celsius on GPU and 80 degrees Celsius on CPU. These values can vary, as much as some games such as Witcher III and Battlefield can easily boost these temperatures.
If problems with heat are encountered, it is important to have a padded cooler under the laptop that will support the ventilation inside the laptop and prevent it from overheating. The fans also channel the dust outside the laptop better than some other laptops appear to do, but it is still recommended to clean it occasionally, as heat is another great enemy of gaming, especially caused by the dust stuck in the vents.
Battery Life
MSI GL72 6QD-001 is equipped with an internal 6-cell battery, which is one of the bad aspects of this cheap, yet powerful laptop. Replacing this battery is very difficult and mostly not recommended. Hopefully you will never have to deal with replacing it.
It is a well-known culture that the laptops that are handy in the world of gaming and high-end graphics settings risk their battery life in order to achieve the top of their performances. Same is for this laptop. Battery doesn’t last longer than 2 and eventually 3 hours, which is one of the biggest flaws to this model.
You will usually need to ask your friend to make you a space that is good for either charging and playing, when you are going for a gaming sleepover. This is not as big as downfall because even the mid-priced, and high-priced laptops encounter similar or the same problems and not much higher time until their laptop slaps them in the face.
Performance
We’re now at the most important section, the performance of our budget gaming laptop.
Like we said before, MSI GL72 6QD-001 looks like a good choice for people with a small budgets, mostly because it can run almost every game from high to reasonable settings that will still appeal to the lovers of high graphics.
To get started, what ensures this laptop to be so gaming-friendly even in the lower branches of budget is the NVidia’s GeForce GTX 950M with 2GB of dedicated memory. The laptop is capable of playing GTA V on around 35-40 FPS on high settings while games such as Witches III can reach around 25 frames per second on the same settings. The 25 frames per second do not ensure the highest-quality of gaming, without stuttering and glitches but they will still represent sufficient amount of FPS to enjoy gaming.
To back up the graphics card, there is Intel Core i5 (6th Gen) 6300HQ / 2.3 GHz that is one of the recommended processors for the graphics card listed above. The processor is eligible for turbo speed which reaches up to 3.2 GHz. The processor activates the turbo when its exposed to high-demanding games.
This gaming system comes with 8GB of RAM, which are more than sufficient for gaming laptop on this range. Good thing is that the memory is easy to extend but in my opinion, there’s no need for that. Even though the system has 2 memory slots that can go up to 32GB, most of the games of today don’t go above 8GB even in the recommended demands. Perhaps more RAM will be required in the games to come in the future, but in that case you will need a new laptop with better components as well.
For the storage, this laptop has 1TB mechanical hard drive, that is not enough for the laptops of better quality, but for this one will be just enough. Laptops that are more expensive are coming with solid-state drives that range between 128 and 256 GB of memory, eventually 512GB but that goes far beyond the budget. This amount of storage will suit to people who like to save their series or movie collections, and memorable moments from games, but not if you like to record your most epic moments and upload them on Youtube.
Things that I didn’t like
Even in the 2016 there will always be something that will be missing, so with this laptop too.
This laptop has already preinstalled Windows 10 and as much as that’s great, it’s horrific as well. The manufacturer should’ve at least tried hard enough to install the legit drivers and not have the users manually download them. You might want to use a wired connection to download the drivers for audio and wireless internet. Else, your computer will sound like a $2 mobile radio and you will have a lot of issues with wireless connection.
Other thing that I didn’t like is the short-life battery. I know, and it is understandable that gaming laptops sacrifice the battery life. But even my old Asus had 4 hours battery and now is 2016.
There are other minor issues with audio and touch bar, but these issues are easy to solve in a timely manner.
Another thing I didn’t like is the lack of a solid-state drive, which somewhat drives me crazy. It is sad to see that this price can’t buy a laptop that has either 1TB of storage and at least a 128GB SSD that is more than essential in every gaming laptop now.
Reason for Recommending
Personally, MSI and Asus laptops give the best offers for gaming laptops.
MSI GL72 is a gaming laptop that is worth buying because it represents the cheaper model from the G series. It can handle almost everything the laptops of higher prices and performances can do, just on a lower level that is understandable of the low performances.
Summary
MSI GL72 is currently the best combination of price, performances and portability in the lower range of prices, and it allows you to still be a strict, professional and prestigious game despite the lower components than those that happen to belong to laptops of $1000+
The NVidia GeForce GTX 950M still does amazing job keeping up with the demands of games on a nearly desktop experience. Supported with 6th generation Intel processor you will be able to keep up with other games at least until the better option appears for either gaming world and your budget.
[amazon_link asins=’B01AC40O5O’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’lincolnlabs02-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’35f54fa5-fc93-11e6-ba38-3b2f1d7273f5′]
#2. Acer Aspire E5-575G-53VG 15.6-Inch Full HD Laptop
[amazon_link asins=’B01DT4A2R4′ template=’ProductAd’ store=’lincolnlabs02-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’b2e0cb4b-fc92-11e6-b62f-e1b288cb0d3a’]Acer Aspire is one of a few gaming laptops in the budget that offers either great gaming and casual experience along with a long and efficient battery life, especially a laptop that can be found under $600.
E5 is definitely a laptop that is much better than you will expect.
Its components include an Intel Core i5-6200U processor with 2.3 GHz of dual-core power, and 8 GB of RAM that are expendable. The laptop has 256GB SSD drive and handles daily activities such as Netflix and midranged gaming without a problem.
In terms of graphics this laptop is proud for its NVidia GeForce GTX 940MX that can handle most of the games today on mid to high settings. The laptop also has a respectful battery life and USB-C Drive
Things that I liked
- I liked the battery life of this laptop that is dedicated to gaming as much as the daily activities. No other 15-inch laptop could handle as much as this laptop. Set up and oriented purely in internet researching and surfing the battery managed to survive over 9 hours.
- The laptop is a good combination of components that contribute to a successful, high-end gaming experience for the price.
- What is not likely on other laptops in the price, this laptop features USB-C type drive that requires an additional adapter. But, then again it is unusual to see it on laptops especially those that belong in the mid-range.
Things that I didn’t like
- The keyboard and touch bar are not as responsible and comfortable as the other 15-inch laptops. These problems are not hard to solve. However, it’s highly unlikely to encounter this kind of disappointment.
- The laptop is a bit sturdy and heavy. This is likely for laptops that have better performance but not for this one. The laptop is 2.4kg in weight, but I wish it was a bit more lightweight.
Reason for Recommending
If you’re looking for a laptop that can handle much more than you expect, then this is the laptop for you. It will allow you to not just play games, but it will handle heavy programs such as illustrator and photoshop without a problem.
Summary
Acer Aspire E5 easily handles all tasks that you put on it. The graphics card GTX 940MX might not be the best graphics card in the range, but it handles most of the games on medium settings and that’s alright. The laptop has a solid amount of RAM, good processor and storage and most of all, it features USB-C drive and battery that is a must have.
#3. Lenovo Ideapad 700-15ISK
[amazon_link asins=’B01I7WYHJ2′ template=’ProductAd’ store=’lincolnlabs02-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’eb7ad8aa-fc92-11e6-9c07-278f31d19536′]Lenovo usually takes pride in proficient mobile phones, and business-suite laptops that are not eligible for gaming.
However, the case is not the same with the Lenovo Ideapad 700. Sleek design laptop features 2.3 GHz Core i5 6300HQ CPU, 8GB of DDR4 RAM and the famous GTX 950M GPU along with a IPS panel.
This laptop has a lot to offer
Things that I liked
- I liked that this laptop is a fine combination of perfect components for the price. The combination of components allows you to play games on high settings such as GTA V and Fallout 4 which is more than good.
- Another thing that I liked is an IPS panel instead of TN panel. We wrote about this in our previous articles, why is IPS panel better than TN panel, but we are sure that you know it as well.
- Sleek and beautiful thin design, relatively lightweight, which allows you to carry it around without a problem.
Things that I didn’t like
- The only thing I minded about this laptop is its mediocre to low battery life that ceases to amaze me. I was looking forward to a better battery life from Lenovo.
Reason of Recommending
If the MSI GL752 is a missing option on the list, but you’re looking for a better graphics card than GTX 940MX this is the laptop of your dreams. If you are a visitor of cafes and libraries, this lightweight laptop will allow you to carry it without a problem.
Summary
Lenovo Ideapad 700 is a good-quality laptop under $700 that can meet the requirements of the most of the gamers that are looking for a lower price laptop. It regularly handles tasks such as internet surfing, gaming, Netflix and sturdy programs such as photoshop and illustrator. The NVidia GTX 950M allows high-quality games that are demanding to run smoothly on the laptop without too much lag and stuttering.
#4. ASUS K501UX 15.6-inch Gaming Laptop
[amazon_link asins=’B0146DD02G’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’lincolnlabs02-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’0c9b5fde-fc93-11e6-999c-41a10f5f95f1′]Asus K501UX is a stylish, sleek and lightweight gaming laptop on an entry-level.
It is a combination of a beautiful design and great gaming components that guarantee proficient gaming time, and playing on high settings despite the lower build.
It has a strong build and a powerful HD experience alongside a discrete NVidia GTX 950M graphics card that allows this Asus K501 to run most of the games on high settings.
The laptop also boats the Skylake Core i7-6500U processor and 8GB of RAM. With these components, this laptop is unstoppable in terms of entry-level laptops for gaming. The storage is served by a 256 GB solid-state drive.
Things that I liked
- The nearly featherweight of this laptop allows its users to drag it around to infamous LAN parties that are gamers’ favorites. Carrying it on travels and on the bus has never been easier on this laptop.
- Even though it doesn’t fully operate as a gaming laptop, K501UX has fully deep and comfortable keyboard and a responsive, smooth touch bar.
- Superior to TN panels, the screen of this laptop features the IPS panel that is very popular.
Things that I didn’t like
- I feel bad about only 256GB SSD without accompanying with a 1 TB hard drive. I don’t find this amount of storage will suffice the requirements gamers usually put when it comes to storage. But, the solid-state drive this laptop features is quite fast and the laptop has one more slot that can fit another SSD drive. Lack of gaming aspect the ROG laptops have, such as the sinister red lights in the keyboard and touch bar. It is a shame that such a good machine even in the cheap section doesn’t have more of a gaming attitude.
Reason for Recommending
Asus K501UX is the best option for gamers that don’t have money to spend on an advanced gaming equipment. The cheap gaming laptops can’t have a better choice than this laptop because it offers either productivity, high-end performance in both gaming and business purposes. You can easily run a virtual machine, Photoshop, Visual Studio and much more programs aside from gaming. It is a good-quality all purpose machine that suits your needs.
Summary
Another laptop from the section of the cheap gaming laptops is definitely Asus K501UX. With its slim design, high-end components and IPS panel screen, this mid-priced machine can take you far and beyond in both terms of gaming and other purposes. Its slim and thin design allow it to fit easily in the bag and its weight allows it to be a guest on many LAN parties. It is a pleasant visitor of libraries and cafes in case you need to finish some work. This is one of the cheap gaming laptops you must have.
#5. ASUS Laptop X555UB-NH51 15.6-Inch Full HD Laptop
[amazon_link asins=’B01D0UJ5KW’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’lincolnlabs02-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’4a1522df-fc93-11e6-9ffd-57e0dceef8ff’]In case your favorite option of the cheap gaming laptops in the budgets has been sold out, or you even want to go under in the terms of budget, we present you with Asus X555UB, another gaming laptop with mid-ranged performances to compliment your desk.
The laptop boasts 6th-generation Intel Core i5-6200U processor of 2.3 GHz that can go up to 2.8 GHz in turbo mode.
Unlike the laptop above, this model comes with a bit lower graphics card, featuring NVidia GeForce GTX 940M and for storage it has a 1TB mechanical hard drive.
The laptop sports 8 GB of RAM and can easily be extended to 12GB.
However, I think that won’t be necessary. Like most of the laptops in the range made by Asus this machine is also very slim and thin, which makes it eligible for carrying around with ease.
Things that I liked
- Lightweight. Nearly featherweight, Asus X555UB is eligible for travelling and carrying around. Most of the gaming laptops in the competition are heavier, and weighting over 2kg, which is not the case with this laptop.
- Great combination of features. Even though Graphics card GTX 940M is a bit old fashioned for this generation of gaming laptop, the laptop is fully capable of running games of the mid-range.
- Good-quality screen that features 1920 x 1080 resolution and 15.6-inch diagonal.
Things that I didn’t like
- While GTX 940M is better than the integrated units, it is falling behind in terms of quality compared to the competition. With 10 series graphics cards that are based on the Pascal Architecture, this laptop is recommended to the cheap section of gamers that really can’t settle for the better.
- A 4-cell battery that doesn’t last too long. Even though this isn’t fully a gaming laptop, the battery still falls behind. It should be capable of running without the necessary recharging for approximately 3 hours, which is not enough compared to the Acer E5 model that we’ve introduced to you above.
- There’s only 1 TB of memory, meaning no additional slots for the SSD drive, a bit disappointing because in order to upgrade to a solid-state drive, you will have to pull out the mechanical hard drive.
Reason for Recommending
This laptop doesn’t belong to our ultimate recommendation tool. However, if you simply can’t afford a better laptop Asus X555UB is the right choice for you.
Summary
Asus X555UB belongs to the section of low-priced budget gaming laptops with mid-ranged to low-ranged components. It is not capable of running the highest, demanding games future has to offer, but it operates well with games such as GTA V with medium settings. If you’re not too much of a passionate gamer, but are looking for a way to entertain yourself, we recommend you this cheap gaming laptop.
#6. Dell Inspiron 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop
[amazon_link asins=’B015PYYDMQ’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’lincolnlabs02-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’82432823-fc93-11e6-b810-11db18d264a0′]The Dell Inspiron 15 7000 has bold specifications with a very confident attitude for the price.
This budget gaming laptop sports a sixth-generation Intel Core i5-6300HQ processor followed with 8GB of RAM which are just enough for playing games.
The good graphics settings in the gaming are achieved through a NVidia GeForce GTX 960M graphics card that allows playing most of the high-end, demanding games such as Witcher III and Middle-earth: Shadows of Mordor on high settings.
It has a 256GB solid-state drives that allows fast data transfer and a lot of good gaming experience. You can easily extend this memory, but it will lead to more costs.
Things that I liked
- I like that the GTX 960M can nicely fit in the gaming budget of $800. It is a nice combination of components for someone who is not willing to spend over $1000 on a laptop.
- The cooling system works properly. Although the laptop still heats, the warmth on it is not concerning enough. The vents still give a pleasing amount of air out that allow the components to stay cool even during the overclocking.
- IPS panel is another thing that looks great on this laptop. It allows great gaming experience, but also other ways of entertainment. The 1920 x 1080-resolution display provides vivid and vibrant colors and the screen is sharp and clear.
Things that I didn’t like
- The keyboard can get pretty noisy, nearly as much as MacBook Pro’s keyboard. Seems that Dell decided to leave out the cushy, deep and comfy keyboard. Also the keyboard unexpectedly heats whilst gaming, but not necessarily to be a huge concern.
- The laptop is quite sturdy and heavy. Definitely heavier than the previous Asus and Lenovo choices of laptops. But it is quite expected, as Dell Inspiron 15 7000 features much better and more demanding components than usually seen.
Reason for Recommending
This is the best laptop that you can get under $800. The reason we recommend this gaming laptop is because it can run nearly all games on reasonable or higher settings. It is also good for other actions and not just gaming.
Summary
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 is a budget gaming laptop for every person who wants to play a lot of games without spending $1000 in the process. I believe this machine with a killer GTX 960M graphics card can handle whatever you throw on it. I also think the laptop is likely to live 2 to 3 years until you decide to buy a more capable laptop, with more futuristic components.
#7. Acer Aspire V 15, 15.6 Full HD
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This is the last laptop from our list, but likely not to be left out.
It’s hard to believe this is a gaming laptop, mostly because of its sleek and thin design.
Let’s take a look of its component.
This budget, yet prestigious gaming machine is equipped with 6th Generation Intel Core i7-6700HQ Processor 2.6 GHz that clocks up to amazing 3.5 GHz.
The laptop has an advanced graphics card NVidia GTX 960M with 2 GB of dedicated RAM and 8GB DDR4 RAM which is more than sufficient for good-time gaming and 1TB of memory.
Let’s dig into the pros and cons of this model.
The Things that I liked
- Design. It features black, velvet like color with very thin and sleek design. It is very lightweight compared to other models.
- The keyboard is soft and cushy on touch. It doesn’t make too much noise, which is good.
- Acer Aspire V 15 can be proud for its long battery life, that extends up to 9 hours.
The things that I didn’t like
- I wish that the laptop has the SSD slot for storage. The SSD are faster than mechanical hard-drives, and I kind of expect seeing something like that on laptops in the merely future.
Reason for Recommending
Good combination of components and design. Laptop that is eligible for use on any location, starting from a room to a café or beach. The laptop fancies long and durable battery life and a good-quality screen with vivid specter of colors.
Summary
Acer Aspire V 15 is a mid-priced, good-quality laptop for playing mid-ranged games on high settings, and those that are more demanding on mid-settings. It also runs sturdy programs like photoshop without a problem, and has an above-average battery life. If you’re looking for a budget laptop with a dose of elegance and good-performance, then search no further.
What Makes The Cheap Gaming Laptops Good?
Even in the 2016, it is nearly impossible to find a laptop that will contain everything in the zone of desired budget. In terms of components, design and price, every tested laptop had at least one, if not more issued that could affect the gaming experience in a negative way. So, the question is, what makes the cheap gaming laptops good laptops?
Budget gaming laptops that are usually cheaper than the best possible combination are meant for students, and younger gaming generation who just can’t save up to spend above $1000 for a gaming laptop. These are used mainly at school, they are a loyal comrade in the library and the most expected guests at LAN parties over at your friends.
The things to keep in mind when buying a gaming laptop is the graphics card. The lower-budget ratio of laptop fancies mostly Nvidia GeForce GTX 940MX or GTX 950M. The higher-ratio laptops sport GTX 960M. However, there is no major, essential difference between GTX 960M and GTX 950M.
The budget laptops usually consist of 8GB of RAM that can be upgraded up to 12GB or 16GB. We recommend, but not necessarily, to upgrade your RAM to 12GB, but most of the games work with 8GB of RAM on recommended. For storage, laptops have 1TB mechanical hard-drive and some come with smooth-working, fast SSD drives of 256GB.
The processor we recommend is 6th Generation Intel Core i7-6700HQ as it compatible with graphics cards we offered. However, most of the laptops from our list fancy Intel Core i5-6300HQ or Core i7-6500U.
The good gaming laptop that is cheap cannot follow the latest trends from the world of gaming. But they should have sufficient amount of performance that can cope with the games that came out in the recent years.
Final Words
The best thing we can do is to pick a laptop that has a satisfying set of components that will still manage to run some of the most prestigious games today on mid or lower settings. The technology advances swiftly, and even the best components get outdated after some time. Use the gaming intro maker MakeWebVideo.com to create an intro for your Youtube gaming channel.
The MSI GL752 was our gaming choice for this year for the gamers with tight budgets, but even with the components it has, it still struggles in providing the best frame rate. However, it still stands out from the crowd in the sea full of ordinary, budget laptops. What is your budget gaming laptop of choice?
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