The 3 Best Budget And Cheap Gaming Laptops - Fall 2023 Reviews

The best budget gaming laptop we've tested is the ASUS TUF Dash F15 (2022). You can get this 15.6-inch model with an Intel 12th Gen Core i5 or i7 CPU paired with an NVIDIA 30-series discrete GPU, up to an RTX 3070. The RAM and the storage drive are user-replaceable, so if you're on a strict budget, you can get a cheaper configuration to start and upgrade later. There are three display options: two 1080p (144Hz or 300Hz) and a 1440p 165Hz panel; unfortunately, none support VRR to reduce screen tearing.

This laptop isn't overly bulky or heavy, so it's still relatively portable, though you'll have to bring the charger with you, as the battery lasts only a little over an hour when gaming. It has Wi-Fi 6 wireless connectivity and an Ethernet port to ensure the fastest and most reliable internet connection when playing online. Other ports include two USB-As, two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4s, and a full-size HDMI. Thermal throttling is minimal, but the laptop gets hot and loud.

Our best cheap gaming laptop pick is the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 (2021). For around $800 USD, you can get a configuration with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600H CPU, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. This CPU and GPU combo can provide a solid 60 fps gaming experience at 1080p in demanding titles, albeit with medium or low settings. 8GB of RAM isn't ideal for gaming, so you'll have to add more memory to get the most out of this laptop or spend a little more for a 16GB model. The SSD is user-replaceable, too, if you want more storage since 512GB isn't a lot these days. This model has a 120Hz display; its response time is slow, but it supports VRR to reduce screen tearing.

Unlike the models we recommend above, this laptop doesn't have a MUX (multiplexer) switch. This feature lets the GPU send information directly to the display without going through the integrated GPU. The lack of this feature can reduce performance, causing as much as a 25% performance loss in games where it matters.

The best gaming Chromebook we've tested is the Acer Chromebook 516 GE (2022). Unlike Windows gaming laptops, this device runs Chrome OS and is designed specifically for cloud gaming services like NVIDIA GeForce NOW. Cloud gaming means that all the processing takes place on NVIDIA's server—or whichever company provides the service—and the image is streamed to your device, like any other video streaming service. The laptop comes with a three-month trial of GeForce NOW. You can play games from the Google Play Store; know that these titles are made for smartphones and tablets running on an ARM processor, so they might not always run properly. Also, some of them lack keyboard, mouse, and controller support.

The laptop feels well-built, and while it's on the bulkier side, it isn't too heavy. It sports a nice 16-inch QHD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It gets bright enough for use in most indoor settings, and its response time is good, resulting in a clear image in fast-moving scenes. The keyboard feels spacious, doesn't get hot under load, and has RGB backlighting. Don't get too excited; it only has a single lighting zone. You get Wi-Fi 6E and an Ethernet port, which is great because cloud gaming performance heavily depends on your internet connection. Battery life is short at around six hours of light use or an hour of gaming, so keep the charger close.