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I have already compiled a list of the best budget laptops for gaming. These gaming laptops under $500 provide the best of both worlds because they are both excellent and affordable.
You will achieve a good gaming experience with these cheap gaming laptops.
As you know, the best gaming laptops are those made expressly to handle the heavy stress associated with playing games.
They typically need to have higher requirements for the processor, RAM, graphics, and disk drive.
Because of this, a good gaming laptop frequently costs at least $1,000, which is extremely inconvenient for players on a tight budget.
In light of this, numerous firms have released inexpensive gaming laptops, with prices ranging from $300 to more than $1000.
Cheaper gaming laptops are typically of lower quality, and the greatest ones are typically pricey.
Thankfully, there are best gaming laptops under 500 that can compete in performance with more expensive ones.
Quick Recap Table Best Gaming Laptops Under 500
| No. | Preview | Product Name | Price |
| 1. |  | HP 14 | Check Lowest Price |
| 2. |  | Lenovo IdeaPad 3 | Check Lowest Price |
| 3. |  | Acer Aspire 5 Slim | Check Lowest Price |
| 4. |  | Dell Inspiron 15 | Check Lowest Price |
| 5. |  | Newest Dell Inspiron 3510 Laptop | Check Lowest Price |
| 6. |  | Samsung Chromebook Plus v2 | Check Lowest Price |
| 7. |  | Dell Inspiron i5575 | Check Lowest Price |
Things I Consider When I Made This Top Gaming Laptop Selection
Since I can remember, I’ve started playing games on Steam, and for more than ten years I’ve been writing about computers for websites like CNN Underscored and Gear Patrol.
In my search for the newest and best gadgets, I’ve examined a wide range of PCs and laptops.
I conducted research on the types of hardware you would be able to buy with such a budget in order to locate the best gaming laptops under $500, which was a difficult assignment.
With that knowledge in hand, I made my individual recommendations based on customer reviews and third-party ratings.
Here is 5 most important thing I research to make the list in this post:
1.) Processor
Any computer’s heartbeat is provided by its central processor unit, or CPU.
It executes the calculations that your computer needs to carry out in order to run programs and carry out various tasks, such as word processing and photo editing.
Although there are many variables that affect a computer’s actual performance, the two simplest ways to assess a CPU’s strength are its number of processing cores and clock speed.
The number of calculations or “cycles” the CPU can perform per second is measured by the clock speed, which is displayed in Hz.
For instance, a CPU running at 2.8 GHz completes 2.8 billion cycles per second.
Your processor’s ability to manage several tasks at once is provided by its compute cores.
In general, having more cores improves multitasking, especially for jobs that demand a lot of processing power, like video encoding.
Modern Windows laptops with an 11th or 12th Generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processor and 6-8 processor cores, or an AMD Ryzen 5 processor, are expected to be among the best.
You’re more likely to see the older generation of the most basic processors available, such as an Intel Core i3 processor from the 10th generation or something from AMD’s Ryzen 3000 series, as I looking for laptops with the strictest of budget restrictions.
If you have to choose, it never hurts to forego extra features in favor of a straightforward laptop with a strong CPU.
More than any other component, the processor controls how long your laptop will operate at its best.
2.) Graphics
Any gaming laptop must have a graphics processing unit, or GPU, which enables the rendering of both 2D and 3D visuals.
A GPU relieves part of the load on the CPU and speeds up rendering while working with high-resolution video and art.
Dedicated graphics cards, which act as a second processor to perform visual processing for games, video encoding, and other tasks requiring a lot of graphics, are typically found in gaming PCs.
Nvidia and AMD are two firms that produce specific graphics cards for desktop computers as well as smaller variations for laptops.
On rare occasions, a particularly sizable laptop will come equipped with a “full-size” desktop graphics card. These laptops frequently weigh too much to be carried about all day.
However, for the purposes of this article, I will concentrate on integrated graphics, a tiny processing unit that’s incorporated into the CPU of your laptop.
Basic graphics processing tasks like web browsing and streaming video can be handled by integrated graphics.
New games or other GPU-intensive tasks are not intended for them.
There are several games available today that operate on integrated graphics passably, but none of them look as nice or perform flawlessly on integrated graphics, especially those that are paired with low-end processors.
3.) Memory
Your apps can temporarily store data in random access memory, or RAM, and instantly access it again if necessary.
You’ll need a laptop with extra RAM if your workflow necessitates running many applications simultaneously.
Manufacturers typically let customers replace their RAM before buying, and occasionally even after.
Since you frequently cannot add RAM to a laptop, me personally advise 16GB on a new computer for gaming.
This will provide you the room to operate more demanding games alongside other activities like streaming software.
Again, though, you’ll probably have to go for 4GB or 8GB for $500 or less.
4.) Display
The finest gaming laptops can make games appear fantastic with bright, vibrant screens, similar to specialist gaming monitors.
Gamers might prefer a bigger screen since it fosters immersion, particularly in a temporary setting. If I was to pick out just one size, it would be 15 inches.
The screen is big enough for comfortable gaming at this size, without making your laptop too heavy to carry about all day.
17-inch displays are available on some gaming laptops, but they’re only suitable if you use your laptop mostly on a desk.
Whatever size you choose, the likelihood is that it will have a 1080p (Full HD) screen. Your games will seem sharp enough on a 1080p display, and your PC won’t crash from the pressure.
You’ll need to look at a more expensive gaming laptop with a more potent GPU if you want a display that is 1440p (Quad HD) or 4K (Ultra-High Definition) and delivers a high refresh rate.
5.) Battery life
People purchase gaming laptops with the intention of taking their gaming everywhere they go, but the PC battery life can severely restrict this promise.
The unfortunate fact is that gaming laptops don’t have the longest-lasting batteries. Even the most costly, top-tier devices cannot last a full day of continuous use.
One tiny plus is that our current selections, which lack dedicated graphics cards, might offer longer battery life than excellent gaming laptops.
However, playing games will use up your laptops’ battery far more quickly than performing other chores, so you should limit your gaming time.
One eye should be on the battery meter, and the other should be scanning for open outlets.
Best Gaming Laptops Under 500 of 2022
1.) HP 14
Our top choice for the best gaming laptop under $500 currently available is the HP 14.
The laptop comes standard with a 256GB SSD, 8GB of DDR4 RAM, and an AMD Ryzen 5 5500U processor with Vega 7 integrated graphics.
It runs Windows 11 and has a 14-inch 1080P display. Additionally, it just weighs 3.5 pounds or such.
The majority of the games that are now available can be played on this capable laptop.
The HP 14 is your best choice if you’re looking for a powerful gaming laptop that costs less than $500.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3, our second-place $500 gaming laptop, has identical specifications to the HP laptop with the exception that it has a superior design and a 15.6-inch screen.
Therefore, the IdeaPad might be a better choice for you if you like a larger screen and a better-looking design.
Thanks to the Ryzen 5 5500U and the integrated Vega 7 graphics, this laptop can easily handle non-demanding esports games like Dota 2, League of Legends, Rocket Leagueetc, Fortnite and many more.
Provide you with medium-to-higher settings with a high frame rate.
Even some games that are more difficult should run at playable frame rates on lesser settings.
The HP 14 is definitely your best choice if you’re on a tight budget but require a laptop that will allow you to play your favorite games.
Specifications:
| Hard Disk Size | 128 GB |
| CPU Model | Pentium |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Graphics Coprocessor | Intel HD Graphics 610 |
Pros:
- 4MB cache cleaning technique with intelligent dual-core processor, HD computing quality
- 128GB SSD to store a large number of exe downloader and run exe files
- AMD Ryzen 3 3200U processor with a base clock speed of 2.60 GHz
Cons:
- There is no additional GDDR5 VRAM graphics processor memory available
2.) Lenovo IdeaPad 3
The RAM, graphics card, and processor among the numerous specs that the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 and the HP 14 have in common mean that their gaming performance benchmarks are almost comparable.
However, I would suggest the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 over the HP 14 if you favor its design and larger display.
If you’re also interested in having a good number of ports, one laptop might also have a better port selection.
But if I had a $500 budget for a gaming laptop, I would personally choose gaming performance over ports.
Specifications:
| Hard Disk Size | 128 GB |
| CPU Model | Core i3 Family |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Home |
| Graphics Coprocessor | Intel UHD Graphics |
Pros:
- Identification via fingerprints
- Gameplay is enhanced by a dedicated graphics card
- Price is reasonable
- Compatible with Android apps
Cons:
- There is no touchscreen
3.) Acer Aspire 5 Slim
Sincerely, I wouldn’t even consider looking at this laptop unless I had to, especially in light of the other two machines on this list of the best gaming laptops under $500.
It’s not worth it because this device’s CPU and GPU are inferior to those of the HP 14 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3.
But I had to include it in the list because it fell below my $500 spending limit for a gaming laptop.
The most recent version of the Acer Aspire 5 Slim has a sizable 15.6-inch Full HD IPS screen, an AMD Ryzen 3 3350U quad-core processor, and 8GB of RAM.
Or you can upgrade the RAM to 12GB for a little bit more money.
Games should load and run rapidly on the laptop because it also includes a 256GB SSD and Radeon Vega 6 GPU.
A large touchpad, a complete keyboard with a row of number buttons, and a numeric keypad are also included.
Additionally, the Acer Aspire offers a USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 port, an HDMI port that supports HDCP, Wi-Fi 6, and a battery life of up to 8 hours.
The specs, battery life, and price are all good, and it should be sufficient to run games like Fortnite and Minecraft.
Specifications:
| Hard Disk Size | 128 GB |
| CPU Model | Ryzen 3 3350U |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Operating System | Windows 11 |
| Graphics Coprocessor | AMD |
Pros:
- Fingerprint reader integrated
- Slim design is simple to carry or pack
- Backlit keyboard for convenient use in low light
- Windows 11 operating system already installed
Cons:
- Video processing power is constrained by an integrated graphics card
4.) Dell Inspiron 15
The Dell Inspiron 15 is a cost-effective laptop that provides excellent value.
This laptop is a great option for anyone looking to make their first upgrade from an older model because it has a stylish design, a long battery life, and enough capability for simple activities.
Dell’s budget-friendly laptop has an Intel Core i3 processor, UHD graphics, and 8GB of RAM to play Counter-Strike: GO and Rocket League with ease.
A 256SSD hard drive is another feature of the Inspiron 15, providing you with sufficient computer space to save and download your preferred Steam games.
Specifications:
| Hard Disk Size | 1 TB |
| CPU Model | Celeron |
| RAM | 16 GB |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Graphics Coprocessor | Intel UHD Graphics 600 |
Pros:
- For the price, decent Radeon Vega 8 integrated graphics
- 1TB hard drive plus 256 SSD
Cons:
- The Ryzen 5 2500U CPU could be improved
- Hefty bezels
5.) Newest Dell Inspiron 3510 Laptop
With 16 GB of RAM, the newest Dell Inspiron 3510 laptop can operate more quickly and be used for a variety of tasks, including gaming, studying, working, and other computer tasks.
The Dell laptop is portable and has a small profile, making it simple to carry it into a bag or backpack for the trip to school.
The laptop’s lengthy battery life enables users to complete classes without looking for a nearby outlet.
However, because it relies on the CPU for graphics processing, the integrated graphics card lowers the overall speed and operational power of the computer while also helping the computer conserve battery life when in use.
With the built-in webcam and microphone, this system works well for many popular games as well as for online courses and calls.
The 15.6-inch anti-glare screen of the gaming laptop ensures that players are not distracted by glare while playing.
Specifications:
| Hard Disk Size | 128 GB |
| CPU Model | Celeron N4020 |
| RAM | 16 GB |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Graphics Coprocessor | Intel UHD Graphics |
Pros:
- 15.6-inch anti-glare LED screen
- Webcam and microphone built-in for zoom lessons
- Battery life is extended
- Design is slim and light
Cons:
- The video processing power of an integrated graphics card is limited
6.) Samsung Chromebook Plus v2
The laptop from Samsung, the Chromebook Plus V2, has a 1.5 GHz Intel Celeron processor, 4 GB of RAM, and 32 GB of eMMC storage.
That’s more than enough to accomplish multitasking.
I had 16 tabs open in Google Chrome while one was streaming a 1080p YouTube video without any hiccups.
It took a fraction of a second longer to navigate between browser tabs while I opened the HipChat and Twitter Android apps.
JetStream JavaScript gave the Pro a score of 126.6, only missing out on the Asus Flip Core m3-127.3 6Y30’s score but easily defeating the Acer R 13 MediaTek MT8173C ARM CPU’s 58.7 score.
The average score for the ultraportable category is 164.5, whereas the Plus received a score of 54.7.
When I was playing Asphalt 8 on the Pro, the games were usually fluid and playable, save for one or two spots that got a little choppy.
Specifications:
| Hard Disk Size | 64 GB |
| CPU Model | Celeron |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Operating System | Chrome OS |
| Graphics Coprocessor | Intel HD Graphics 615 |
Pros:
- Stylus Integrated
- Extremely light and thin
- Smoothly runs Android applications
- Crisp & Colorful Display
Cons:
- Mushy Keyboard
7.) Dell Inspiron i5575
An AMD Ryzen 5-2500U APU powers the Dell Inspiron i5575 gaming laptop.
This is a variation of the Ryzen processors, which were made available for desktop and mobile devices in early 2018.
The Ryzen 5 and 7 have already undergone testing in a number of samples.
The SoC is designed for entry-level and budget laptops.
The combination of a respectable APU, a noisy hard drive, and single-channel RAM operating is bad news for system performance.
The computer may take some time to boot up and load programs as the hard disk gradually gets going.
The negative result for Dell in the PCMark 10 test is much higher at 17%.
A second RAM module might be added to the system to increase performance, or at the very least enable dual-channel operation.
Under the wrist rest up front, all speakers are attached.
They produce sound that travels to the ground, which means the system’s base will reflect the sound.
The quality of sound will be greatly diminished if that surface is soft.
Specifications:
| Hard Disk Size | 1000 GB |
| CPU Model | Ryzen 5 2500U |
| RAM | 16 GB |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Graphics Coprocessor | AMD Radeon Vega 8 |
Pros:
- Beautiful Design
- Strong Frame
- Strong GPU
Cons:
- Pretty standard battery life
Under $500 Gaming Laptops and your Reasonable Goals for Performance in the Game
Unfortunately, when you spend $500 on a gaming laptop, you are unlikely to get good FPS performance on even moderately demanding games.
Most gaming laptops under $500 will have integrated graphics (i.e. part of the CPU) rather than a separate, dedicated GPU, so performance will be narrower.
For anything new, unless it has limited requirements (for example, map-based strategy games like Crusader Kings III), you will typically need to hand over more money.
Older games may operate on acceptable Frames Per Second on medium-high settings.
If mobility is less of a concern for you, I’d advise looking at desktop computers instead, like your self-built gaming PC.
The power and cooling limitations of the laptop chassis severely constrain performance, thus in the end you will almost always obtain at least 50% higher performance for the same price from a desktop system.
Think About a Refurbished Products as an Alternative
Generally speaking, I do not actually recommend refurbished products, even though they are frequently worthwhile to take into consideration.
This is because it is generally believed that you can almost always find any product I recommend in a refurbished state for less money (unless it is brand new, of course), making a list of them all unnecessary.
I review products that have just been released; it is up to you to determine whether or not you want to purchase them used.
Conclusion
It’s important to note that the laptop I suggest for you is not the cheapest one available.
But, each of the aforementioned aspects of a laptop has been put to the test using real-world work scenarios and established benchmarks to determine its strengths and weaknesses.
In the top list above, I have only highlighted the laptops that performed exceptionally well in our tests.
You can choose any laptop from our Best Gaming Laptops Under 500 list based on your wants, tastes, or even your professional demands.
However, it is a really wonderful option for you because it is reasonably priced and contains a lot of features you could require.