Between chip shortages and the crypto mining craze, buying a pre-built gaming laptop is about the only way you're going to get your hands on a new GPU; especially if you want the latest RTX 30 series from Nvidia. Gaming laptops worth their salt also tend to be on the pricey side, but fortunately for you, we've combed the internet to find some of the best bundles and deepest discounts on top brands like Alienware, MSI, and ASUS. We not only tell you how much you can save, but what you can expect from each model so you can find the right gaming laptop for your play style.
Also: Best laptop deals available right now: HP, Dell, Lenovo, and more
Right now, you can take over $800 off the Alienware x15 gaming laptop at Dell. It's equipped with an Intel Core i7-11800H processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU. The 15.6-inch screen produces 1440p resolution as well as a 240Hz refresh rate, and 2ms response time; it also works with G-Sync to prevent screen tearing. With Wi-Fi 6, you'll get ultra-fast wireless internet speeds, and Bluetooth 5.2 gives you more stable connections to wireless peripherals. Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C ports let you quickly transfer files, charge devices, and even connect external displays for when you need to multitask. It has a commendable, 6 hour battery life, so you may want to keep your charging cable handy if you plan on any marathon sessions.
The Gigabyte AORUS 15P is a great, higher-end gaming laptop designed to compete with brands like MSI and Alienware, and at Best Buy, you can snag one for $450 off, plus 3 months of Webroot antivirus software and 15 months of Microsoft 365. It features an Intel Core i7-11800H CPU, 32GB of RAM, 1TB SSD, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080.
It also has a Thunderbolt 4 port for connecting an external display, storage devices, and charging your laptop. With Wi-Fi 6 compatibility, you'll get super fast wireless internet speeds for that extra edge you need in online matches. Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity gives you more stable wireless connections to peripherals like headsets and mice. The 15.6-inch screen produces great 1080p resolution and has a max refresh rate of 240Hz for buttery smooth action. It has a great battery life of up to 8 hours, so your gaming laptop can double as your workstation during the day.
The MSI GS66 Stealth features a 10th gen Intel Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q graphics card. And just because it has an older processor and GPU, that doesn't mean it won't be able to handle the latest games. The 15.6-inch screen produces 1080p HD resolution, and an anti-glare coating gives you better visibility by cutting down on reflections from overhead and ambient light. It has Wi-Fi 6 for faster wireless internet speeds than previous models, and the laptop is VR ready so you can keep up with whatever the future has in store for gaming. You can get over 8 hours of use on a full battery, letting you play all day, worry-free.
More: Best gaming laptop 2022: Top rigs for on-the-go gaming
This high-powered gaming laptop is $300 off right now at Best Buy. It's built with an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS processor, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU. The 15.6-inch screen gives you 1440p resolution, and is capable of producing up to 100 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut for ultra life-like images. The 6 integrated speakers work with Dolby Atmos for 3D surround sound without a headset, and the fingerprint reader protects your games and laptop from unauthorized access and logins. On a full charge, you'll be able to get around 8 hours of use out of your laptop, which is perfect for those intense raids that take all night.
Alienware may be owned by Dell, but the parent company has its own share of great gaming laptops. And you can get a G15 directly from Dell for just $931. It has an Intel Core i5-10500H CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card. If you've been looking for a budget-friendly gaming laptop or are new to PC gaming and don't know where to start, this is the perfect choice for you. It has Wi-Fi 6 compatibility for ultra-fast wireless internet speeds as well as Bluetooth for wireless peripheral connections. The 15.6-inch screen produces 1080p resolution and a native refresh rate of 120Hz for smoother action during intense scenes. It also features narrow bezels for a bigger viewing area so you never miss important items or fall victim to hidden enemies. And the 10 hour battery life lets you game all day worry-free.
More: Best cheap gaming laptop of 2022: Level up for less
You can get your hands on a new MSI GF65 Thin at Walmart for $300 off, which means you'll have plenty of cash left in your pocket to pick up Elden Ring or the PC port of God of War [2018] to take advantage of the top-notch components packed inside. It's got an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 and 10th gen Intel Core i7 for plenty of power, and while it only comes with 8GB of RAM, you can upgrade the laptop yourself later as your needs change. The 15.6-inch, 1080p screen gives you plenty of viewing area, and the 144Hz refresh rate keeps even the most fast-paced action buttery smooth. MSI boasts that the battery can last around 7 hours, but that's while web browsing and streaming movies; if you want to game, you'll have to keep your charging cable handy, since you'll only get about 3 hours out of a fully-charged battery.
More: Most expensive gaming computers: $20,000 is a small price to pay for victory
The HP Pavilion gaming laptop is already a fairly budget-friendly option, but right now, you can pick one up for under $600. It features an AMD Ryzen 5 5600H CPU, 8GB of RAM, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 GPU, and a 256GB SSD. The 15.6-inch screen has narrow bezels for more working space, an anti-glare coating for better visibility, and 1080p HD resolution. It also has Wi-Fi6 and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, and the 9 hour battery life is pretty impressive for a budget gaming laptop.
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We've gone and rounded up all of this week's best cheap gaming laptop deals into one handy page right here. Not only have we got a great selection, but you'll also find an overall recommendation for overall value and plenty of guidance for first-time buyers. Even if you're an experienced gamer looking for an upgrade you should find some decent buys here - particularly in the higher-end bonus choices that we've included at the bottom of the list.
Our cheap gaming laptop deals recommendations focus on sales from trusted retailers like Amazon, Dell, HP, Best Buy, and a few other wild-cards as well. Of course, we're always scanning these retailer's pages every week so we don't miss a single sale and we're always comparing and contrasting their offerings to weed out any sub-par choices.
Brand-wise, you'll find worthy machines from gaming laptop deals veterans like Acer, Dell, Lenovo, and Asus, although we never let big brand recognition totally sway our choices - value for money is the most important value. Speaking of value, you'll find options ranging all the way from around $600 to $1,000 with our choices, with plenty of options should you want to spend a little more to score yourself one of the machines reviewed on our best gaming laptop buyers guide.
If at any point you get stuck or need a bit of additional guidance, simply scroll down to our cheap gaming laptop deals FAQ section. Right there you'll find completely unbiased advice and expertise from TechRadar's experts to get you up to speed if you don't know your Nvidia's from your AMD's. It'll also help you out if you're not sure how much to spend.
- In the UK? Head on over to the best UK deals under £1,000
Cheap gaming laptop deal of the week
Gaming laptop deals under $700
MSI GF63 15.6-inch gaming laptop: $749 $599.99 at Best Buy
Save $150 - A new addition to the Best Buy site this week, this 15.6-inch MSI features an Intel Core i5-10500H processor, GTX 1650 graphics card, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB SSD. Under a normal price, this one would be a hard sell but a huge discount actually makes this one of the best cheap gaming laptop deals out there right now. It's not high-end but it'll play Fortnite, Minecraft, and most basic eSports titles on a budget.
HP Victus 16.1-inch gaming laptop: $809 $649.99 at HP
Save $160 - A super-cheap gaming laptop deal that's worth considering this week is this HP Victus - which features a GTX 1650 graphics card, AMD Ryzen 5-5600H processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. These are very much basic components but the price is pretty damn good here. If you're buying a laptop for solely casual gaming or less demanding games like Minecraft or eSports titles, then this is a fairly good choice.
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15.6-inch gaming laptop: $755.16 at Amazon
The cheapest gaming laptop deal we've found on Amazon that's worth considering is this Lenovo IdeaPad 3 - featuring a GTX 1650 graphics card, AMD Ryzen 5-5600H processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. These specs will get you going if you're looking for something that will cover the basics. Depending on how patient you are, however, you may want to hold out for a machine with an RTX 3050 graphics card to drop into this price range.
MSI Sword 15.6-inch gaming laptop: $1,199 $899.99 at Best Buy
Save $300 - A huge discount at Best Buy makes this MSI Sword a great mid-range gaming laptop deal. With an Intel Core i7-11800H processor, RTX 3050 Ti graphics card, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD, you're getting a really respectable amount of power here for 1080p gaming. For this price, we'd have loved to see an RTX 3060 but no one can deny this MSI has a ton of power under the hood.
Alienware m15 gaming laptop: $1,349 $999.99 at Dell
Save $350 - If looks are important to you then you could consider opting for this gorgeous Alienware m15 over at Dell - which has a huge price cut currently. Inside, its AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and RTX 3050 Ti give it plenty of power, although you're definitely paying for looks here - and a more premium brand. For an easy upgrade, we'd throw in a second stick of 8GB RAM here to push that up to 16GB.
Gigabyte G5 15.6-inch gaming laptop: $1,199 $949 at Newegg
Save $240 - Another superb gaming laptop deal from Newegg, this Gigabyte G5 comes with an RTX 3060, Intel Core i5-10500H, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD. While we'd of loved to see a more recent CPU on this build, it's one of the cheapest on the market right now to feature an RTX 3060 - a great upper mid-range graphics card. Note, to get your full saving here you'll need to apply for a mail-in rebate, so bear that in mind.
Generally speaking, the most reliable retailers that have plenty of options and the best prices are Best Buy and Amazon, although Dell and HP often have great sales on Holiday events like Black Friday. You might get lucky on Ebay or another auction site, but we definitely recommend picking up your cheap gaming laptop from one of the big official retailers, as you're sure to be getting a decent warranty, as well as the latest components more or less.
Newegg, B&H Photo, and Adorama are also worthy mentions, and definitely worth a quick comparative glance. They don't tend to price match quite as well as Amazon and Best Buy however, unless they're doing a closeout deal.
Here are some quick links to the best gaming laptop deals retailers, in case you want to head over to their sites and check them out yourself.
- Best Buy - often has the best gaming laptop deals nationwide.
- Amazon - great marketplace options, plus exclusive gaming laptop deals.
- Dell - only sells own brand, but excellent price cuts all year round.
- Lenovo - particularly good for flash sales around Black Friday.
- Newegg - often not the best, but occasionally has gold.
- HP - great options for cheaper gaming laptops especially.
- Acer - often sells out, but another great cheap option.
- Adorama - has lower-priced options mostly.
- B&H Photo - another top contender and a viable alternative retailer.
What should I look for in a cheap gaming laptop?
This is completely subjective, depending on what type of games you want to play and what kind of level of performance you want. Specs-wise, we'd recommend determining the level of specs you need by checking out the recommended and minimum system requirements of your favorite or upcoming games. This can give you a general idea of what you need, as well as stop you from buying that new gaming laptop that's not going to be able to play new releases.
Just for good measure however, we'd recommend the following as a minimum if you're strictly on a budget:
- Minimum - Intel Core i5 [9th gen] / AMD Ryzen 5 [3rd gen] processor or later
- Minimum - Nvidia GTX 1050 / AMD RX 560x graphics card or later
- Minimum - 8GB of RAM
- Optional - 512GB solid-state drive
- Optional - 120Hz refresh rate display monitor
Anything lower than the above and you'll tend to struggle with modern games at 1080p settings. You can, of course, get away with lower-level or older components if you're just planning on playing older games, but for new releases, definitely consider the above as a bare minimum.
How much should I spend on a cheap gaming laptop?
Again this is completely subjective based on your requirements, but in our opinion the best bang for the buck machines tend to sit around the $700 to $900 price range.
You can of course go lower but you'll often encounter machines that simply aren't designed for gaming or quite frankly up to the task. It can be tempting to pick up a cheaper ultrabook with a Core i7 or Ryzen 7 processor and tons of RAM but remember these don't come with the dedicated graphics card or cooling requirements you'll need for proper gaming.
When's the best time to pick up a gaming laptop deal?
Luckily for gamers on a budget, gaming laptop deals tend to be a weekly feature over at most of the big retailers so there's always plenty to chose from. That said, there are definitely high points throughout the year, namely big sales events such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Amazon Prime day which can yield great results for those willing to wait. And as several of our picks from this week show, Labor Day sales have provided some excellent savings, as well.
Our top tip - do your research. Narrow down which model and specs you want and check-in at your favorite retailers each week. Alternatively, let TechRadar simply do all the work for you and become a regular visitor to this page or our dedicated deals feed.
The best cheap gaming laptops of 2021
CPU: Intel Core i5 – i7 [10th, 11th-generation] | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 – RTX 3060 | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD [1,920 x 1,080] IPS | Storage: 256GB - 512GB SSD
Affordable
Great performer for the money
Average IPS displays
USB 2.0 on the cheaper specs
The Dell G15 is the company's latest budget-orientated machine for 2021 - replacing the excellent G3 and G5 ranges with a single consolidated, highly customizable, option. New features include your choice of the latest RTX graphics cards, 11th gen Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, and a new chassis that's actually reminiscent of the super-premium Alienware laptops from Dell - albeit with muted shades of grey and fewer bells and whistles. Options also exist for AMD-based components, and, depending on whether there are seasonal sales over at the Dell site, incredibly compelling discounts all year round. In short, you can't go wrong with one of these machines if you're strictly on a budget.
CPU: Intel Core i5 - i7 [10h-generation] | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 - RTX 3060 | RAM: 8GB - 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD | Storage: 256GB - 512 SSD
Sharp, colorful bezel-less display
Very affordable
Limited configurations
10th gen Intel CPU
The MSI G563 Thin is one of the cheap gaming laptops to beat, alongside the Nitro 5 and Legion 5. It generally sits comfortably in the lower price brackets alongside its aft mentioned competitors but somehow manages to pack everything into an attractive, part metal chassis - a rarity at this price point. Specs are around the ballpark you'd expect with an entry-level machine - starting at a 10th Gen Intel Core i5 CPU and an Nvidia Geforce GTX 1650, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. With a design that's essentially been unchanged for 2021, these machines have a fairly chunky bezel now and the processor options are a little older too. That said, don't discount them - they're still great value and come packed with the latest RTX 3000 cards on the higher specs.
CPU: Intel Core i5 – i7 [11th-generation]; AMD Ryzen 5 - 7 [4th-generation] | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 – RTX 3060 | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD [1,920 x 1,080] IPS | Storage: 256GB - 512GB SSD
User controllable fans
Good battery life
Decent gaming performance for price
Thick display bezel
The Acer Nitro 5 has been a good option for PC gamers who want to want to forgo the bells and whistles for quite a few years now. The aesthetic here is basic, some would say fairly generic, but not many machines can offer the sheer amount of competitively priced configurations as the Nitro 5. Ranging from super cheap and cheerful GTX 1650 / Core i5 machines to RTX 3060 / Core i7 [and plenty of AMD options too], you'll find Nitro 5 options at all price points - and often on sale too. Downsides, as with most cheaper gaming laptops, tends to be fairly average displays and cheaper RAM options.
Read our full review: Acer Nitro 5
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 - 9 [5000 series] | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 - RTX 3080 | RAM: 8GB - 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD [1,920 x 1,080] IPS | Storage: 256GB - 1TB SSD
Huge array of configurations
New AMD processors
Expensive, unless on sale
While you'll be hard-pressed to find one at the very cheaper end of our gaming laptop deals roundup, the 2021 Lenovo Legion 5 is a solid mid-range option if you're willing to spend a bit more. Not only do they look fantastic with a chassis that's definitely much classier than most cheaper machines, but they generally come with decent screens and respectable components. If you're lucky, you can often score yourself an RTX 3060 / Ryzen 5 configuration for around $899 in a sale - a great price for such a powerful machine. Be warned though, at full retail price these machines can be pretty expensive indeed.
Read our full review: Lenovo Legion 5
CPU: Intel Core i5 - i7 [11th-generation], AMD Ryzen 5 - 7 [5000 series] | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 - 3050 Ti | RAM: 8GB - 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD | Storage: 256GB - 512GB SSD
Really cheap 5th gen AMD chips
Poor display
Dated design
The HP Pavilion 15 is the slightly more budget-focused gaming laptop range from HP [the other being the long-serving Omen laptops]. As is the standard fare with cheap gaming laptops, the HP Pavilion is a decidedly no thrills, fairly stripped back affair that focused on packing in as many up-to-date components as possible for the money. This year's iteration comes with the latest processors from both Intel and AMD, although you tend to be able to find last year's components still available at many retailers for a cut-down price. Probably the main selling point for the HP Pavilion 15 is its range of super-cheap options for the latest AMD Ryzen 5000 series of processors - often offered on machines for well under $700.
Not quite what you're looking for? Maybe our other laptop articles will have what you need.
If you're buying a gaming laptop, you don't want to clutter it with all your everyday computing needs. For something cheap and portable, check out our favorite cheap laptop deals from this week. If you want to even cheaper, check out the best laptops under $500. You can also add extra port functionality to your gaming laptop with these awesome USB-C hubs and docks, or take control of your gaming experience for less with our top picks of the cheapest Xbox One controller deals.