Looking for the best budget gaming laptop?
You're in luck, because we've tested all the latest and best gaming laptops for gaming on a budget, and it turns out you don't have to spend a fortune to get great gaming performance on the go.
Take the MSI Katana 15, our top pick, as a prime example. It's the best cheap gaming laptop going in 2024 thanks to its respectable hardware and its less-than-$1,000 price point, which is a rare feat in today's market.
Having tested more than 1,800 laptops over our 15 years here at TechRadar, we know what makes a great gaming laptop tick, and we especially love those that can get the job done on a shoestring budget like the Acer Nitro 5 and HP Victus 15, both of which deliver fantastic 1080p performance without breaking the bank.
We've compiled all of our top picks for the best budget gaming laptop in 2024 below, based on our extensive testing both with synthetic benchmarks and our real-world usage, to help you find the best laptop for gaming on a budget.
The quick list
Value ★★★★☆
Performance ★★★★☆
Battery life ★★★☆☆
The MSI Katana 15 offers solid 1080p gaming performance and affordability, despite mediocre battery life and trackpad.
Value ★★★★☆
Performance ★★★★☆
Battery life ★☆☆☆☆
The battery life on the Acer Nitro 5 is terrible, but it's performance is fantastic and it's super affordable.
Value ★★★★☆
Performance ★★★★☆
Battery life ★★☆☆☆
There are a ton of configuration options for the HP Victus 15, and they are all very reasonably priced for budget gamers.
The best budget gaming laptops in 2024
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Below, you'll find in-depth write-ups for each of the best budget gaming laptop picks on this list. We've rigorously tested all of the models on this list, so you can rest assured that you're going to find only the best laptops for cheap gaming on the go.
The best budget gaming laptop overall
The MSI Katana 15 (2023) is an ideal solution for budget-conscious gamers seeking 1080p gaming on a laptop without exceeding the $1,000 mark. This model emphasizes core gaming capabilities at an accessible price, starting at just $999, by offering exceptional value with its 13th-Gen Intel Core i7, 16GB of RAM, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, and a 1TB SSD, surpassing other laptops in its price bracket that have outdated specifications.
While alternatives like the Acer Nitro 5 offer lower prices with slightly older components, they don't match the Katana 15's performance. Although there are higher-end versions of the Katana 15 available, with the top model priced at $1,899, the entry-level variant stands out for its affordability and performance balance. Each model, regardless of region, offers different processor generations and price points to suit various budgets.
Despite its larger size and slightly outdated design, the Katana 15 doesn't compromise on gaming performance. It's equipped with an effective thermal system for cooling and impresses with its ability to smoothly run demanding games like Control and Far Cry 6, only requiring minor setting adjustments for titles like Cyberpunk 2077. The MSI Katana 15, while having some limitations, exemplifies a harmonious blend of gaming power and cost-effectiveness, making it a standout choice for those seeking a budget-friendly gaming laptop.
Read the full MSI Katana 15 (2023) review
The best budget gaming laptop for value
This is the refresh on the previous version, the Acer Nitro 5 (2022), which greatly improves on specs without sacrificing much on the price point front. This is still a budget laptop through and through, forgoing the fancier bells and whistles of more premium machines for a practical design and experience.
It includes an Intel Core i5-12500H processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card, 16GB RAM, and 512 PCIe SSD storage. While the bezels are still thick and the trackpad mid at best, it's a reliable beast that will play any PC game you throw at it, and most of them on high settings to boot. Just don't unplug it too often, the battery won't last and it takes forever to recharge.
Read our full Acer Nitro 5 (2022) review
The best configurable budget gaming laptop
Easily the best budget gaming laptop put out by HP, the Victus 15 is a remarkably robust device for not a whole lot of money. With Intel, AMD, and Nvidia hardware configurations, it's a powerful device, but even some of the lower-spec configurations can get you great 1080p gaming at a very affordable price point.
In particular, going for the Intel Core i5-12450H and Nvidia GTX 1650 combo can save you a lot of money while still enabling you to get great frame rates on your favorite games at reasonably high settings. You won't be able to enable any ray tracing in your games due to the limitations of the GTX GPU, but in our experience, it really isn't that big of an issue, especially if you can find this configuration on sale, which it often is.
Read the full HP Victus 15 review
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The best budget gaming laptop: FAQs
What specs should I look for in a budget gaming laptop?
• CPU: For gaming, an Intel Core i5 is perfectly suitable, as the GPU is far more important than the CPU and the i5 can handle any processing just fine.
• GPU: For most average gaming needs, an RTX 2060 GPU is more than enough. But if you want to play on high to max out settings, an RTX 3050 and higher is what you're looking for.
• RAM: 16GB of RAM will take care of all your memory needs for any game, though you can get away with 8GB for all but the latest titles if you need to shave off some money.
• Storage: At least 516GB is preferable since that will allow you to install a good amount of games on your PC before having to upgrade or purchase an external hard drive.
• Display: An HD display is good enough for most games, and at least a 120Hz refresh rate should ensure a smooth gameplay experience.
How much should I spend on a gaming laptop?
When looking for a budget gaming laptop, a solid price point to use as a metric is $1,000. The vast majority of gaming laptops currently retail under that price, with anything above it starting to hit the mid-range and more premium options.
How we test the best budget gaming laptops
Testing a gaming laptop isn’t as easy as you might think. But, then again, neither is narrowing down your options and choosing the best one for you, which is why we take our job seriously. Even if that means gaming for hours on end – hey, someone’s gotta make the sacrifice, right?
In all seriousness, we put every gaming laptop we test through its paces to make sure it delivers as promised and is worth your hard-earned case. That means that on top of playing the latest and hottest games on it, noting things like gaming and thermal performance, we also run synthetic benchmarks like PCMark 10, 3DMark and Geekbench 5 as well as battery tests.
Because a gaming laptop is only as good as its peripherals, we take a look at how smooth and fast the display is, how comfortable and responsive its keyboard is, whether or not there are enough ports on hand, and how good its overall design is. We also test its webcam, in case users want to utilize it for game streaming.
We then take everything we’ve learned about the gaming laptop and compare it to its price – whether or not it’s performance and features are worth that price tag, and whether or not it offers the best value to customers.
How to choose the best budget gaming laptop
While there are tons of different budget gaming laptops to choose from, said choices can be overwhelming. Then there's the fact that some retailers will try to over inflate the price of some laptops when its specs should discount it far more.
That's why it's important to come in knowing what specs are best for your needs, so you can not only choose the perfect laptop that suits them but you also know which offerings to avoid on altogether. And that's where we come in, with all of the information you need to make the most informed decisions.
Today's best budget gaming laptop deals
