Who needs an RTX 5080 when you can get an RTX 4080 gaming laptop for half-price?

MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio 16 laptop on purple background with big savings text overlay

(Image credit: Future)

Yes, I know that the release of the next-gen Nvidia RTX 5000 series graphics cards is imminent but I'm telling you - there are some great deals on soon-to-be-older gaming laptops with RTX 4000 cards.

Best Buy's current blow-out sale, for example, is offering an Acer Nitro V with an RTX 4060 for just $749.99 (was $1,099) right now - a Black Friday-level deal. If you're on a budget and want a laptop that's going to be able to provide smooth frame rates on the majority of games at 1080p, then this is simply a fantastic option right now.

For those who want something with a little more power, I'd highly recommend the Asus Zephyrus G16 for $1,099 (was $1,599) at Best Buy. This machine is easily one of the cheapest on the market right now to feature an RTX 4070 graphics card, and you'll also get an incredibly slick and lightweight design with this premium machine. Again, a fantastic value choice that won't completely break the bank this week.

And finally, I've saved the best deal until last. Right now, you can get this RTX 4080 equipped MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio 16 at Amazon for just $1,699 (was $3,299). The retailer must be desperate to get rid of these things because you don't often see a near 50% price cut on gaming laptops - even with clearance deals. With an RTX 4080, Intel Core Ultra 9-185H, 64GB of RAM, and 4k mini LED display, this is an outstanding laptop for under $2,000 and well worth the cash.

Super cheap RTX 4000 series gaming laptop deals

Graphics card: GeForce RTX 4060
Processor: Intel Core i7-13620H
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 512GB

This Acer Nitro V is just about the cheapest RTX 4060 gaming laptop deal I've ever seen and an absolute bargain, even if the release of the next generation of Nvidia cards is imminent. For under $800, you're getting a great GPU alongside a powerful i7 chipset, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. Slightly smallish storage drive aside, this machine is all you need right now for 1080p gaming on a budget.

Graphics card: GeForce RTX 4070
Processor: Intel Core i7-13620H
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 1TB

If you're looking for a machine that looks as good as it runs, then this Asus Zephyrus G16 at Best Buy is a fantastic choice. Not only is it the recipient of a massive discount, but the combination of an RTX 4070 graphics card and gorgeous high-end design makes this a surprisingly great value choice at this price point. While it's not incredibly powerful, this machine is strong enough to easily max out the graphical settings of most games on its 165Hz 1080p display.

Graphics card: GeForce RTX 4080
Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9-185H
RAM: 64GB
Storage: 1TB

An RTX 4080 gaming laptop for under $1,700? This MSI Stealth 16 is already a bargain based on that fact alone, but this machine also features a really up-to-date Ultra 9 chipset, 64GB of RAM, and a 4K mini LED display. In short, this is one specced-out machine for under $2,000 and well worth checking out - even if it is soon to be replaced by an RTX 5080 model.

See more: check out all of today's gaming laptop deals at Best Buy

Are these worth it with the new Nvidia graphics cards coming?

An RTX 5090 on its retail packaging on a desk — (Image credit: Future)

This depends on how long you're willing to pay and how much you're willing to pay. Right now, the cheapest RTX 5000 series machine listed at Best Buy is this Asus ROG Strix G16 with an RTX 5070 Ti for $1,899.99. It'll likely be a good few months before we see the first real price cuts on RTX 5000 series machines, and even then, I don't expect the discounts to be truly excellent until Black Friday in November.

If you're looking to save some cash, then an RTX 4000 series machine isn't a bad buy since you still get support for essential Nvidia gaming features like Frame Generation and DLSS 4. With that said, the RTX 4000 series cards don't support Multi-Frame Generation, which is the most advanced (and performative) version of said technology.

Check out more options with our main cheap gaming laptop deals page.

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Alex is TechRadar's deals editor, specializing in getting our readers the best bang for the buck on the tech that we know and love. He's a dab hand at covering retailer events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day having over seven years of e-commerce experience at Future PLC; including bylines at our sister sites T3 and GamesRadar. Alex's expertise touches on most areas of TechRadar but he has a particular love for phones, laptops, and cameras, being an avid photographer. Outside of work, you'll find him indulging his love for street and travel photography, at home working on music, or down at the local climbing gym.