Don't be fooled by brands that promise "gaming" performance for less than €500 or €600! On average, a gamer laptop costs 2.4 times more than a standard laptop because of its components (screen, processor, graphics card). But that doesn't mean you have to break the bank either! Follow our guide to find the best cheap gamer laptops for this year.
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Our selection
"With its Pavilion 16-a0000sf/16-a0076nf, HP has succeeded in offering a cheap gamer laptop with excellent build quality. Due to its incredible price/performance ratio, it is…"
"The Dell G3 15 3500 is a classic gamer laptop that looks massive but offers good performance. Of course, its main asset is its price.…"
"Acer has refined the design and upgraded the thermal module, keyboard and screen options, and hardware specifications of the Nitro 5. Despite mediocre speakers and…"
"For less than 1000 euros, the Asus TUF 706LI-H7163T is without a doubt the gamer laptop that offers the best performance. We like its solid…"
With its Pavilion 16-a0000sf/16-a0076nf, HP has succeeded in offering a cheap gamer laptop with excellent build quality. Due to its incredible price/performance ratio, it is normal that it occupies the first place in this comparison.
See priceThe design of the Pavilion 16-a0000sf/16-a0076nf isn't quite top of the line for a gamer laptop. But it does have a clean look and a solid body. HP opted for a matte black color scheme. The sturdy chassis, and metal cover and keyboard add a touch of elegance. The bezels of the 16.1-inch screen (Full HD, 60 Hz) are made of plastic: so you don't get a super-premium wraparound metal feel. But considering the price, we won't quibble.
In terms of configuration, the HP Pavilion Gaming 16-a0000sf/16-a0076nf has chosen an Intel Core i7-10750H processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 6GB graphics card. A lot of work to be done.
The Dell G3 15 3500 is a classic gamer laptop that looks massive but offers good performance. Of course, its main asset is its price. However, this is a laptop truly dedicated to gaming, sold for less than 800 euros.
£ on FnacThe overall design of the Dell Inspiron G3 15 3500 is nice with the Dell logo on top. The right side has the SD memory card slot, audio output jack, two USB Type-A ports and the lock slot. The left side has the RJ45 Ethernet, a USB Type-A and HDMI ports besides the power input jack. Opening the cover can be done with one hand, although there is some resistance.
The Dell Inspiron G3 15 3500 has a 15-inch full HD display with a 120 Hz refresh rate. The bezel, which includes the 720p webcam and dual microphone, is quite thin. This Dell Inspiron G3 15 3500 packs a 10th generation Intel Core i5-10300H processor with 4 cores and 8 threads. The base frequency is 2.5 GHz and can go up to 4.5 GHz. Note legally the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card and 8 GB of RAM.
Acer has refined the design and upgraded the thermal module, keyboard and screen options, and hardware specifications of the Nitro 5. Despite mediocre speakers and the black plastic shell, the Nitro 5 AN515-55-78F6 is competitive.
See priceJust like the previous generations produced by Acer, this Nitro 5 AN515-55-78F6 is made entirely of plastic. But despite this cheap look that might put off some buyers, this gamer laptop proves to be sturdy, with a solid screen and little flex in the lid or keyboard. Compact and lightweight, it comes with an Intel Core i7-9750H processor, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and an Nvidia RTX 2060 graphics card.
This model has a 15.6-inch display, with a thin Full HD IPS panel, 144Hz refresh rate and pretty good response times.It's a solid choice for gaming and everyday use, with 100% sRGB color coverage, wide viewing angles, and nearly 400 nits of brightness at its highest setting.
For less than 1000 euros, the Asus TUF 706LI-H7163T is without a doubt the gamer laptop that offers the best performance. We like its solid battery life and its large storage space. However, the display quality remains disappointing.
£ on CdiscountPriced at less than $1,000, the Asus TUF 706LI-H7163T offers more than you might expect. It combines a 10th-generation Intel i5-10300H 4-core processor with 8GB of RAM and a generous 512TB SSD. It backs up its 17.3-inch Full HD display with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti graphics card.
This cheap gamer laptop has a longer battery life and a more durable construction than many competitors. It has passed MIL-STD 810H tests against shock, vibration and extreme environmental conditions. The GTX 1650 Ti won't max out the display, but its refresh rate reaches 120 Hz.
Any specific needs?
The best cheap gamer laptop under 800 euros
The best cheap gamer laptop under 1500 euros
The best cheap gamer laptop under 900 euros
Your guide :
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| TOP OF THE TOP | NOT EXPENSIVE | TOP OF THE RANGE | Less than 900 €. | |
In accordance with our commitment, this buying guide does not contain any sponsored products. |
9/10 |
7/10 |
7/10 |
8/10 |
| OUR SELECTION |
HP Pavilion Gaming 16-a0000sf/16-a0076nf
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Dell Inspiron G3 15 3500
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Acer Nitro 5 AN515-55-78F6
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Asus TUF 706LI-H7163T
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With its Pavilion 16-a0000sf/16-a0076nf, HP has succeeded in offering a cheap gamer laptop with excellent build quality. Due to its incredible price/performance ratio, it is normal that it occupies the first place in this comparison.
|
The Dell G3 15 3500 is a classic gamer laptop that looks massive but offers good performance. Of course, its main asset is its price. However, this is a laptop truly dedicated to gaming, sold for less than 800 euros.
|
Acer has refined the design and upgraded the thermal module, keyboard and screen options, and hardware specifications of the Nitro 5. Despite mediocre speakers and the black plastic shell, the Nitro 5 AN515-55-78F6 is competitive.
|
For less than 1000 euros, the Asus TUF 706LI-H7163T is without a doubt the gamer laptop that offers the best performance. We like its solid battery life and its large storage space. However, the display quality remains disappointing.
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Display
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16.1-inch, Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels), 60 Hz
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15.6-inch, Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels), 120 Hz
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15.6-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels), 144 Hz
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17.3-inch, Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels), 144 Hz
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Processor
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Intel Core i5-10750H
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Intel Core i5-10750H
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Intel Core i7-9750H
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Intel Core i5-10330H
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Graphic card
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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060
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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060
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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650Ti
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RAM
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16 GB
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8 GB
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16 GB
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8 GB
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Storage memory
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SSD 512 GB
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SSD 250 GB
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SSD 1 TB
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SSD 512 GB
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Acer Nitro, HP Omen, Asus AXX, Lenovo Legion... You can find some nice nuggets for less than 1 500 euros. Below 700 euros, you will mostly have refurbished gamer laptops. Obviously, the graphics card, storage, memory and processor determine the price.
Do not buy a gamer laptop with a GeForce GTX 960M, 965M, 970M or 980M graphics card. There are much better GPUs out there, based on the GeForce 1000 series. And in their vast majority, these often cost less than those based on GeForce 900 series.
The GeForce GTX 1050 is still very common at less than 1,000 euros. But it may have trouble running the latest demanding titles like Call of Duty. Slightly better, the GTX 1050 Ti remains a rare and expensive commodity outside of promotions. But this graphics card is a must for playing Fortnite on a budget.
More powerful than the 2 previous GPUs, the GeForce GTX 1650 (Ti), GTX 1060 and AMD Radeon 5500M offer excellent performance. They make full HD gaming smooth, including the most demanding titles. Machines with these GPUs are often good deals, even without a promotion.
Between $1,000 and $1,500, you could find a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, RTX 2060, or even GTX 1070 graphics card, but pair them with an octo-core Core i7 processor to keep them in check. GeForce RTX 2070 and GeForce RTX 2080 are not available in so-called "cheap" gamer laptops.
It's worth noting that AMD graphics cards are becoming increasingly rare on gamer laptops. They are mainly found in Apple MacBook 15, some Acer Nitro and Asus TUF with AMD Ryzen or AMD Polaris platforms. However, AMD GPUs are good investments at less than 800 euros.
It's best not to dwell too much on the processor. A Core i5 is enough, especially if you use the computer only for video games. Focus mainly on the graphics card. But between 1,200 and 1,500 euros, an Intel Core i7 processor with 6 cores will be essential to really take advantage of the GPU.
In fact, the gain of 6-core CPUs like Core i7, Core i9 or Ryzen 7 4800H(S) remains limited if you compare with 6-core Core i5 and Core i7. It is the graphics card that brings real differences to gamer laptops.
Faster than the mechanical hard drive (SATA), the SSD disk however offers a limited storage capacity. Between 800 and 1,500 euros, you will have a gamer laptop with a 128 to 512 GB SSD. With 128 GB, you will quickly reach your limits in terms of capacity, knowing that a single game can occupy 50 GB!
The SATA drive costs less and offers much more storage space, on average 1 TB. Note that some gamer laptops such as Lenovo Legion combine an SSD for the system and a mechanical hard drive to install your games. If necessary, don't hesitate to add an external hard drive to your SSD.
In general, a cheap gaming laptop has a Full HD screen. Good image definition and performance will be there. The 4K screen is expensive and often hinders the fluidity of games, no matter how powerful the GPU is. In addition, you need a screen of at least 17 inches to really appreciate the 4K format.
Go for the IPS screen. Although the TN panel offers a faster response time, you have to position it facing you to avoid seeing color variations. Also consider the refresh rate. Indeed, 120 and 144 Hz screens are numerous on gamer laptops sold around 1,000 euros.
Unless you've unearthed a rare promo, gamer laptops at 600 euros are refurbished machines. Count 750 to 1 500 euros for a new machine. If you don't have such a budget, treat yourself to a classic laptop and subscribe to a cloud gaming service. In this case, the fiber optic connection will be essential.
When it comes to GPUs, the amount of video memory is not important. The impact of this criterion is negligible, which is why it is not taken into account. Also note that the graphics card of a gamer laptop is soldered, so irreplaceable. That's why you need to choose carefully before buying.
In this image, the screenshot on the left uses ray-tracing. As you can see, this process offers a more realistic rendering of light reflections and reflections as well as explosions. The technology powers Nvidia's GeForce RTX GPUs and the upcoming PS5 and Xbox X consoles. And AMD is preparing a fightback with its RDNA 2 architecture.
Still in the testing phase, this improvement in light rendering will be of most interest in 2-3 years. Currently, only a few titles like Shadow of Tomb Raider or Battlefield V support ray-tracing, although the number will grow with upcoming updates and expected title releases.
With ray-tracing, calculations will theoretically be more accurate for game developers and the impact on your gamer laptop's performance will decrease. But for now, that impact remains significant in terms of frames per second or FPS.
Powerful, the gamer laptop is also versatile. It allows you to play your favourite titles, watch movies and series, access quality streaming services, listen to music, do computer graphics and 3D modelling, or browse the internet. The graphics card offers a wide range of possibilities.
Even at less than 1,500 euros, the gamer laptop can withstand intensive use. In addition, the presence of a battery promotes mobility, with the ability to play anywhere. This computer has an efficient cooling system, not to mention its often high-quality audio system.
Finally, the design of the machine is rarely sloppy.
Expensive or not, the gamer laptop suffers from a big flaw: its poor autonomy. Count on 1.5 to 4 hours of use depending on the machine and the title you play. And this autonomy remains problematic even for uses other than video games. Note also that there is no such thing as a silent gamer laptop.
Cloud gaming can be defined as the Netflix of video games. Like the streaming giant, the games you play are in the cloud and not on your computer. No more hassles about the power needed to run the games properly. Cloud gaming servers do it for your machine!
In reality, cloud gaming is possible with a "normal" computer, an Android smartphone, or even a connected TV. All you need to do is install fiber optics and subscribe to a service like Shadow, GeForce Now, Stadia (Google) or xCloud (Microsoft) or PlayStation Now (Sony). The subscription costs 15 to 30 euros per month.
But not everyone can afford fiber. In addition, there is a risk of latency if the video stream travels too far before reaching your computer. As for images, no current service offers UHD cloud gaming since the technology is still in its infancy. Finally, the audio quality often leaves something to be desired.
The arrival of cloud gaming signals the end of game consoles and, to a lesser extent, of PC gamers. But this technology is still in its infancy, and criticism of the quality of service is regularly heard.
For an advanced, immersive gaming experience at a reasonable price, buy a cheap gamer laptop. If you can't afford to invest in a new machine, try cloud gaming.
In our opinion, the best brands of Cheap gamer laptops in 2022 are :
The American manufacturer is highly recommended if you have a budget between 1,000 and 1,500 euros. Pavillion or Omen, HP gamer laptops offer the power needed for long hours of video games.
If you're on a budget, don't bother with the Asus ROG. Rest assured, the A-series gamer laptops offer a compromise between reasonable price and high performance. A good choice between 1,000 and 1,500 euros.
If you look hard enough, you can find an Acer Predator for around 1,500 euros. For less than 1,000 euros, you can go for the Acer Nitro 5. The Taiwanese manufacturer remains a reference for cheap gaming laptops.
The Chinese manufacturer remains the world's number one computer manufacturer. Its gamer laptops, the famous Legion, will appeal to gamers looking for a powerful multimedia machine between 800 and 1,200 euros.
Forget the overpriced and often disappointing Alienware series. But the G series from the American manufacturer Dell offers us some very interesting surprises. But the 4 brands mentioned above are to be found first.
The diagram below will help you to get an idea of the typical prices for each price range (entry-level, mid-range and high-end).
However, more expensive does not necessarily mean better.
We therefore advise you to always consult our ranking before deciding, rather than blindly relying on price ranges.
Disable unnecessary 3D effects.
Many GPU-equipped laptops come with graphical effects that enhance the aesthetics of the normal display of windows and menus. Gamer laptops are no exception, even though these 3D effects are useless when you're gaming. Disabling them will make you gain power.
Optimize your SSD.
To
do this, check the activation of the TRIM function by opening the command prompt in administrator mode. Type "fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify". If the answer is "DisableDeleteNotify = 0", it means that TRIM is active. Thus, the data traffic in the SSD will be smoothed and standardized.
Optimize the game itself by installing its latest patches.
Don'
t just optimize your gamer laptop. Do the same with the game by installing its latest patch updates. Once these improvements are made, the game will be lighter, less buggy, etc. And its playability gains in fluidity.
Update all your drivers.
Windows
, Linux or Mac OS, Intel or AMD processor, it doesn't matter what your gamer laptop is configured or priced
for.
Keeping the performance at the top requires updating all its drivers, especially the graphics card driver.
Manage the overheating of your machine.
The
built-in fan and huge air outlets of a gamer laptop are not enough to cool it. Buy an air extractor or cooler, KLIM being an excellent and cheap brand. Don't play with the laptop on your lap or a soft surface. Above all, do not overclock your machine, otherwise it will overheat and cause irreparable damage.
The best cheap gamer laptop depends on your needs and your budget. Read our buying guide to find out more.
If you have a limited budget, be prepared to compromise on design, screen size, RAM, SSD capacity. In reality, it's all about the power of the graphics card. Read our guide to finding the perfect GPU for your budget.
All gamer laptops suffer from poor battery life. It's especially during video game sessions that the problem arises. At maximum load, you can expect 1.5 to 4 hours of autonomy. That's why you should always take the AC adapter with you.
Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a silent gamer laptop. The graphics card and processor will always make noise, no matter how much you're willing to pay.
Acer, HP, Asus, Lenovo and Dell are good values if you have a limited budget.
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