Best Budget Gaming Laptops with dedicated GPU & How To Choose One
We take a close look at budget gaming laptops that are fully capable for playing today’s demanding games while on the go. Plus, we tell you what to look for when choosing one. Not only are they affordable, these laptops are equipped with dedicated GPU (graphics processing unit) too.
AMD is making a comeback, and is giving Intel a run for its money. With a full range of desktop and mobile processors, consumers have more choices. While the Ryzen 7 processors featured in the laptops on our list are based on the 3000 series, the latest 4000 series promises even more performance with up to 8 processing cores.
Powered mainly by the Ryzen 7 mobile processor, AMD’s leading processor in the Ryzen series and coupled with super fast SSD storage as well as plenty of memory, these laptops will take on any task you throw at in.
Intel is not taking it sitting down either, their hexa-core processor makes an appearance in our budget laptop list. With both Intel Core i7 and AMD Ryzen 7 parts, you are assured of a capable machine suitable for gaming and content creation. Here, we explore how one goes about choosing the best gaming laptop.
Choosing the Right Budget Gaming Laptop
While price is foremost on ones mind when picking a budget gaming laptop, choosing the right machine for your budget means understanding the differences between the machines. Obviously, the bigger the memory and storage the better but what else do you look for.
Choice of Processors
At the heart of the each gaming laptop is its processor. To understand the real world performance of the processor, we take a snapshot of the average performance results from a sample of data collected by the PassMark. Here, we see that the most expensive processor is also the best performing. Better value processors such as the Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 5 falls behind its Intel counterparts in terms of performance.
The top tier processors in the laptops in our line-up are as follows [PassMark Average CPU Mark]:
- AMD Ryzen™ 7 3750H Quad Core Processor 2.30GHz, Turbo Boost up to 4.0Ghz 2MB L2 and 4MB L3 Cache [8834]
- Intel® Core™ i7-9750H Hexa Core Processor 2.60GHz Turbo Boost up to 4.5GHz [13559]
The mid-range processors from AMD and Intel are as follows [PassMark Average CPU Mark]:
- AMD Ryzen™ 5-3550H Quad Core Processor 2.10GHz, Turbo Boost up to 3.7GHz 2MB L2 and 4MB L3 Cache [8421]
- Intel® Core™ i5-9300H Quad Core Processor 2.40GHz, Turbo Boost up to 4.10GHz 8MB Smart Cache [9848]
As you can see, the AMD Ryzen parts are slower but that is just what bargain hunters and those on a limited budget are going to have to live with. Also, looking at the processor alone doesn’t not paint an overall picture of its performance. There is also the graphics processing unit.
Still, machines with AMD Ryzen processors are more affordable. This is not to say that the Ryzen parts are rubbish. On the contrary, early reviews of the next generation Ryzen 4000 series mobile processors with up to 8 cores see significant gains. When the 3000 series mobile processors first appeared in the market, they compared favourably to the earlier generation Intel Core-i quad-core processors.
| Processor | Average CPU Mark |
| AMD Ryzen™ 7 3750H | 8834 |
| Intel® Core™ i7-9750H | 13559 |
| AMD Ryzen™ 5-3550H | 8421 |
| Intel® Core™ i5-9300H | 9848 |
Older Processors
There are still, in the market, gaming laptops with previous generation chips. You can spot these easily by looking at the last four digits. For AMD, the previous generation Ryzen CPU carry a 2000 series number e.g. Ryzen 5-2500U. On the other hand, for Intel, the previous generation Core-i CPU carry an 8000 series number e.g. Intel Core i7-8750H.
Both Intel and AMD have newer tenth generation (10,000 series) and fourth generation (4000 series) respectively but at the time of writing, these are still rare and if you can get your hands on laptops using these parts, they will probably come with an hefty price tag.
Graphics Processing Unit
Based on our list of budget gaming laptops, there are three main graphics processing unit in use. They are the dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q, GeForce GTX 1650 and AMD Radeon RX 560X GPU.
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q tops the list in terms of performance. In most cases, it is almost 40% faster than the GTX 1650. You can learn more about the performance comparison between the two GPUs here. This includes gaming tests with titles such as Far Cry 5, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands.
Next we have the GeForce GTX 1650 vs AMD Radeon RX 560X. In this comparison, the GeForce GTX 1650 is faster compared to Radeon RX 560X. In any case, any graphics processing unit is better than none and being the slowest also means that laptops with the Radeon display will be cheaper. Here is a snapshot of the performance comparison by HWBench.
To sum up, if you want more power in the graphics and gaming department, choose a laptop with GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max Q, for a balance in graphics prowess and price, choose the mid-range GeForce GTX 1650. Finally, for the occasional gamer, the Radeon RX 560X graphics should be more than sufficient for your requirements.
Memory and Storage
The laptops here max out at 16GB RAM memory. Most of the systems starts with 8GB RAM with the odd one with 24GB RAM. It is likely that you can upgrade these by replacing existing memory modules with bigger capacity sticks for up to 32GB RAM. If you work with big files such as high resolution images and 4K videos, you would want more memory. Equally, if you multi-task and work with multiple windows and applications at the same time, you wan the biggest memory you can afford.
As for storage, SSD or Solid State Drives are better and faster than the conventional HDD or Hard Disk Drive. There are no moving parts in SSD and read and write throughputs are much faster in comparison. They are also more expansive as you go up in size, which begs the question, how big do you need your SSD to be. For the average user 256GB SSD is plenty. If you are a hard core gamer, you might want a laptop with 512GB SSD storage.
There is but a third option which is a combination of SSD and HDD storage giving users the best of both fast and spacious storage. Carry all your videos and photos in the HDD storage leaving the SSD storage for programs and games. This option is offered as as 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD or 512GB SSD + 1TB HDD. Again, such a combination will push the price up. Our advice is, if this is going to be your sole gaming machine and workstation, choose a combination storage.
Top 12 Best Budget Gaming Laptops
If you’re after a portable gaming laptop, and do not wish to spend a lot of money, then you can’t go wrong with one of these budget gaming machines. Here are 12 of the best gaming laptops for around 1000 or less.
- ASUS TUF FX705DT 17.3″ FHD Gaming Laptop, AMD Ryzen 7-3750H, 8GB DDR4, 512GB SSD, GeForce GTX 1650 4GB, 4.7s36 {BEST}
- Lenovo Legion Y540 17.3″ FHD Gaming Laptop, Intel Core i7-9750H Up to 4.5GHz, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB 7200RPM HDD + 256GB PCIE SSD, GeForce GTX 1650 5s2
- MSI GF75 Thin 17.3″ FHD Gaming Laptop, Thin Bezel, Intel Core i7-9750H, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD, GeForce GTX1650 4.6s71
- Lenovo Legion Y540 15.6″ FHD Gaming Laptop, 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750H Up to 4.5GHz, 24GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB HDD + 512GB PCIE SSD, GeForce GTX 1650 4GB 4.6s34
- Acer Nitro 5 AN515-43 15.6″ FHD Gaming Laptop, AMD Ryzen 7-3750H , 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD + 256GB SSD, AMD Radeon RX 560X GPU (Shared) 899.99 4.5s2
- HP Omen 15 15.6″ FHD Gaming Laptop Intel Core i7-9750H; NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB GDDR5; 16GB RAM; 1TB HDD+256GB SSD 5s2
- HP Pavilion Gaming 17 17.3″ FHD Gaming Laptop Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design, 8GB RAM, 256GB Solid State Drive, Windows 4.7s8
- Lenovo Ideapad L340 15.6″ FHD Gaming Laptop, Intel Core i5-9300H, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB Nvme SSD, GeForce GTX 1650 4.4s315
- Dell G5 15 Gaming Laptop (Windows 10 Home, 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750H, 16 GB RAM, 256GB SSD + 1TB SATA, NVIDIA GTX 1650 G5590-7679BLK-PUS 4.3s80
- ASUS TUF FX505DU 15.6″ FHD Gaming Laptop, AMD Ryzen 7-3750H, 16GB DDR4, 256GB PCIe SSD + 1TB HDD GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 4.2s820
- ASUS ROG 15.6″ FHD Gaming Laptop, Intel Core i7-9750H, 16GB DDR4, 1TB HDD + 512GB SSD, GeForce GTX 1650 4.3s95
- MSI GF63 Thin 9SC-066 15.6″ FHD Gaming Laptop, Intel Core i7-9750H, 16GB, 512GB NVMe SSD, GeForce GTX1650, 4.3s95
You will find that a few of the laptops on our list were repeated namely the ASUS TUF FX05 and the Lenovo Legion Y540. On closer examination, these are indeed the same laptop but with different parts and configurations. A big one to watch for is the size of the display.
1. ASUS TUF FX705DT 17.3″ FHD Gaming Laptop
AMD Ryzen 7-3750H | 8GB DDR4 RAM | 512GB SSD | GeForce GTX 1650 4GB | 5 hours 39 mins – BIG SSD STORAGE
We start off with a big and affordable, budget gaming machine from ASUS. The TUF FX705DT has a huge 17.3-inch Full HD display and is powered by a capable Ryzen 7-3750H processor. Together with ample 8GB memory and super fast 512GB SSD storage, it proves to be a strong performer. Plus, it is wrapped in a robust chassis, achieving the military grade MIL-STD 810G standard making it more durable and can withstand shock, vibration, temperature, humidity, altitude and solar radiation.
It is so good, it even won the coveted Reddot design award in 2019. The GeForce GTX 1650 is not the fastest GPU but is sufficient. For the price, this FX705DT is a great budget gaming laptop to have. Given its size and battery life, it works great as a desktop replacement machine. For the avid gamer, get a gaming headset or external speaker for better quality sound.
2. Lenovo Legion Y540 17.3″ FHD Gaming Laptop
Intel Core i7-9750H Up to 4.5GHz | 16GB DDR4 RAM | 1TB 7200RPM HDD + 256GB PCIE SSD | GeForce GTX 1650 4GB | 5 hours – BIG MEMORY & COMBINATION STORAGE
Second of the three 17.3-inch laptops here, this big and bright Full HD display is capable of 300 nits with anti-glare treatment and IPS technology. This makes the gaming laptop a treat to use. Powered by 9th generation Intel Core i7-9750H with 6 cores and a dozen processing thread, it is zippy too with boost speed of up to 4.50 GHz. Together with the huge 16GB RAM and combination storage marrying a huge 1TB 7200 RPM spindle hard disk with super fast 256GB PCIe solid state drive storage, this is an idea gaming machine.
Did we mention that it also comes with a dedicated GPU in the form of the GeForce GTX 1650 with 4GB of dedicated graphics memory and a cool blue backlit keyboard. This is a well-built mid-range gaming laptop with tonnes of memory, processing power and storage that punches above its price point in a very understated way. It found its way here in this configuration in particular due to it being last year’s model with the basic 60Hz display and slower GeForce GTX 1650. Its predecessor, while still using the same Core i7 processor now features a 144Hz display and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 with 6GB GDDR6.
The machine is well built and has a sturdy feel to it. It has a low key, understated look but offers decent gaming performance with great sound. The battery life is a let down but so are most of the big power hungry laptops found here.
3. MSI GF75 Thin 17.3″ FHD Gaming Laptop
Intel Core i7-9750H | 16GB DDR4 RAM | 512GB NVMe SSD | GeForce GTX1650 4GB | 7 hours – BIG MEMORY & BIG SSD STORAGE
Third on our list is yet another big gaming laptop. This is yet another mid-range gaming machine taking advantage of Intel’s hexa-core chip, the Intel Core i7-9750H. More expensive iterations of the machine is available with GeFore GTX 1660. However, what you are looking at is the cheaper MSI GF75 Thin with GeForce GTX1650 with Max-Q and 4GB GDDR5 dedicated memory.
It may not come with a combination storage see in the similarly spec’ed Lenovo Legion Y540 above, but it does have a single spacious 512GB NVMe SSD storage. With a big 16GB memory and plenty of space on the SSD, this machine will zip through every app and game you use. In the looks department, it has plenty going for it too. It may not be ‘shouty’ or over the top but the crimson red backlit keys and minimalist styling and slim profile does it for me.
Big 16GB memory and big 512GB NVMe SSD fast storage gives this laptop an edge. The MSI GF75 Thin has razor thin bezels giving it a high 88% screen-to-body ratio. This help keeps the footprint small and together with its slim profile, makes this a portable gaming machine even with a big 17.3-inch display. Plus, it puts up a decent battery life too.
4. Lenovo Legion Y540 15.6″ FHD Gaming Laptop
Intel Core i7-9750H Up to 4.5GHz | 24GB DDR4 RAM | 1TB HDD + 512GB PCIE SSD | GeForce GTX 1650 4GB | 5 hours – BIG MEMORY & COMBINATION STORAGE
A more expensive model bearing the faster GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is also available but real savings is to be had with this Legion Y540 15.6-inch using GeFore GTX 1650 with Intel Core i7-9750H hexa-core processor, huge 24GB RAM memory and spacious combination storage. The later is made up of super fast 512GB PCIe SSD and 1TB HDD. Bearing the same name, an earlier Legion Y540 on our list had a 17.3-inch bigger display but smaller SSD storage.
You may find an even cheaper version of this machine with 16GB memory. Battery life could be better but like the 17.3-inch version above, it is plagued with short battery life. If you like the Legion series and plan to go all out, check out the Legion Y540 with RTX 2060 graphics.
5. Acer Nitro 5 AN515-43 15.6″ FHD Gaming Laptop
AMD Ryzen 7-3750H | 8GB DDR4 RAM | 1TB HDD + 256GB SSD | AMD Radeon RX 560X GPU – COMBINATION STORAGE
The higher Acer Nitro 7 with Intel Core i7-9750H did not get a favourable review as it uses the slower GeForce GTX 1050 gpu. This particular model however caught out eye. Based on AMD Ryzen 7-3750H it is easily one of the cheapest laptop on our list. Ryzen and AMD Radeon RX 560X GPU is a great combination for gaming. Plow through Rocket League, FIFA, Fortnite, Apex and other games without breaking a sweat. The combination storage helps make this an all round machine for gaming and work with enough room to store all your files and videos.
Great value for money but those huge bezels makes this laptop. Ryzen 7 with AMD Radeon RX 560X is fast enough for older games, new games at reduced frame rates and casual web based gaming. Plus, when you are done with gaming, it has plenty of power and room left for your work.
6. HP Omen 15 15.6″ FHD Gaming Laptop
Intel Core i7-9750H | 8GB DDR4 RAM | 1TB HDD + 256GB SSD | GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB | 6 hours 15 minutes – COMBINATION STORAGE
We managed to find a great deal on this HP Omen 15 with this exact specification. For those looking for a portable gaming laptop, a 15.6-inch device is the ideal size. Not as big as the 17.3-inch laptop and not too small that it spoils the gaming experience. The fact that this is powered by a 9th generation Core i7 9750H hexa-core processor is a real bonus. That and the generous 16GB memory and 256GB SSD and 1TB HDD combination storage. You can find models that use displays with higher 144Hz refresh rate and bigger 512GB PCIe SSD storage but that is going to push the price up. This we feel is a good compromise.
Desktop class performance in a portable and attractive package with plenty of storage and memory to boot. But, you are going to have to live with a standard 60Hz display vs 144Hz on higher models. Battery life is also not that great.
7. HP Pavilion Gaming 17 17.3″ FHD Gaming Laptop
Intel Core i7-9750H | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD | 8 hour 45 mins 4.7s8
A bigger display and a newer, much faster GPU, the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti. To keep the price down, the 17.3-inch laptop powered by Intel Core i7-9750H comes only with 8GB RAM memory and a smaller 256GB SSD. You can find a version with combination storage like the HP Omen above using up to 512GB PCIe SSD and 1TB HDD but that will cost more. The 17.3-Inch diagonal Full HD(1920×1080) IPS panel has Anti-Glare treatment with 60Hz refresh rate. More importantly, that display is driven but a very capable GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q graphics. One that promises to perform and deliver realistic graphics while staying cool and quieter.
A balance of price and performance with plenty to gain from NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti graphics. However, you are likely to be looking to upgrade the memory and even the storage in a year or two.
8. Lenovo Ideapad L340 15.6″ FHD Gaming Laptop
Intel Core i5-9300H | 8GB DDR4 RAM | 512GB Nvme SSD | GeForce GTX 1650 – BIG SSD STORAGE
Dropping down to a slower Intel Core i5-9300H is a sure way to take a large chunk of your gaming laptop’s price tag. While there are plenty of gaming laptops based on Intel Core i5, this particularly one made the cut. Based on 9th generation Intel Core i5-9300H, the laptop has 8GB RAM memory and a large 512GB NVMe SSD storage. Most importantly, it comes with dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics and advanced Dolby Audio technology. It isn’t a gaming machine otherwise.
Very reasonably priced owing to the choice of processor. Still, this is a great gaming machine at 1080p in ‘Quick’ mode and includes a ‘Quiet’ mode for work. There are other laptops out there using the same chip but we feel confident that this is the best configuration for it price thanks to the GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card. Furthermore, the battery life is not bad either.
9. Dell G5 15 Gaming Laptop
Intel Core i7-9750H | 16 GB DDR4 RAM | 256GB SSD + 1TB SATA | NVIDIA GTX 1650 – BIG MEMORY & COMBINATION STORAGE
The Dell G5 made our list with their take on what a gaming laptop should be. Powered by the hexa-core part, Intel Core i7-9750H, it has a much faster graphics card this time compared to GTX 1050 Ti graphics. However, the let down is that the 15.6-inch display is a little dim and sound aren’t that great either. Still, a gaming laptop with Core i7, 16GB RAM memory, combination storage and NVIDIA GTX 1650 with dedicated 4GB graphics memory at a reasonable price is enough for most gamers.
10. ASUS TUF FX505DU 15.6″ FHD Gaming Laptop
AMD Ryzen 7-3750H | 16GB DDR4 RAM | 256GB PCIe SSD + 1TB HDD | GeForce GTX 1660 Ti – BIG MEMORY & COMBINATION STORAGE 4.2s820
They Ryzen 7-3750H may not be the fastest cpu on the block but put this in the same laptop is the super fast and efficient GeForce GTX 1660 Ti and you have a match made in gaming heaven. Plus, with the money saved from not going with an Intel Core i7, ASUS was able to squeeze in 16GB memory, combination 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD and 1TB HDD storage in a thin 1.02-inch chassis designed to MIL STD 810 military standard for durability. On top of that, for the first time in our budget gaming laptop list, a 120Hz IPS display. Other features worthy of mention here are the RGB backlit keyboard and dust ejecting fans.
11. ASUS ROG Strix G 15.6″ FHD Gaming Laptop
Intel Core i7-9750H | 16GB DDR4 RAM | 1TB PCIe SSD | GeForce GTX 1650 – BIG MEMORY & BIG SSD STORAGE
ROG short for Republic of Gamers is ASUS’s range of gaming laptops. The ASUS ROG Strix G is the first 15.6-inch gaming laptop to come with a full 1TB of PCIe SSD storage, that is double the super fast solid state drive we have seen in all the laptops here. So there, it does not only come with a fast hexa-core processor and 16GB memory, the Strix G is proof that you can get 1TB SSD storage on a budget gaming system.
12. MSI GF63 Thin 9SC-066 15.6″ FHD Gaming Laptop
Intel Core i7-9750H | 16GB DDR4 RAM | 512GB NVMe SSD | GeForce GTX1650, 4.3s95 – BIG MEMORY & BIG SSD STORAGE
BONUS: ASUS Vivobook K571 Laptop
Intel Core i7-9750H | 16GB DDR4 RAM | 256GB PCIe Nvme SSD + 1TB HDD | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB – ULTRA PORTABLE 4.5s48
This ultra portable entry from ASUS has high screen to body ratio of 80% with a super slim bezel of up to 7.4mm. That ultra small and compact body wraps a vivd 15.6-inch Full HD display with 120Hz refresh rate and wide viewing angle of 178 degrees. It doesn’t stop there, there is an extensive array of ports and connectivity options and a cool to touch chassis even from prolonged use thanks to its dual fan and rear vent cooling system.
Plus, it has the biggest amount of memory on any laptop, a full 16GB and a combination of SSD and HDD storage, 256GB+1TB which offer plenty of room and speed for all your content and games. But the single most important element of the machine to us here is the dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GPU with 4GB of dedicated graphics memory. Here is a laptop that is not only ultra portable and lightweight but packs all the punches you need from a gaming laptop.
- 15.6 inches 120Hz Nano edge Full HD 1920 x 1080 display
- Powerful Intel Core i7-9750h processor (12M Cache, up to 4.5 GHz)
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR5 with Windows 10 Home
- 16GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD,1TB HDD
- Ports: USB 3.1 Type-C x 1, USB 3.1 Type-A x 1, USB 2.0 x 2, and HDMI, Ethernet, SD Card Reader
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 5/802.11AC Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0
- Dimension: 359 x 248 x 21.9 mm (WxDxH), Weight: 4.72lbs
OTHERS: ASUS TUF FX505DT Gaming Laptop
Features: 15.6″ FHD, AMD Ryzen 5-3550H, 8GB RAM, 512 GB SSD GeForce GTX 1650 799 4.2s816
