The best cheap gaming laptop deals for March 2024: affordable options for all budgets up to $1,000

You'll find all of this week's best cheap gaming laptop deals neatly rounded up into one neat package right here on this page. Regardless of whether you're strictly on a budget or have a bit of cash to spend you'll find plenty of options here - generally up to around $1,000 in value. We've included gaming laptop deals of all shapes and sizes here and also pulled in a few additional high-end options for those curious to see what their budget will get them should they spend a bit more.

Gaming laptop deals by budget

Asus Zephyrus G14 on purple background

(Image credit: Future)

1. Under $700
2. Under $800
3. Under $900
4. Under $1000
5. Buying advice

To source our cheap gaming laptop deals recommendations, we rigorously price check most of the big-name retailers that you'd expect - Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, HP, and Dell to name just a few. The best choices tend to come from these stores, but we've always got an eye out for other listings from specialist retailers. We always shop around to find the very best value choices and take care weed out any of the sub-par listings you often find at auction houses or the like. 

Brand-wise, you'll find worthy machines from gaming laptop deals veterans like Acer, Dell, Lenovo, and Asus, though we never let big brand recognition totally sway our choices - value for money is the most important factor. Speaking of value, you'll find listings ranging all the way from around $600 to $1,000 with our choices, with plenty of options should you want to spend a little more to score yourself one of the machines reviewed on our best gaming laptop buyers guide.

And, for those who need a little guidance on their gaming laptop deals journey, scroll down to the bottom of the page where you'll find an extensive FAQ section. No question is too basic to be answered and you'll find plenty of unbiased expert advice there to help you find exactly what you're looking for, even if you're not up to speed with all the technical lingo. 

Best gaming laptop deal under $700

HP Victus 15: $799 now $479.99 at Best BuyProcessor: Graphics card: RAM:SSD:

HP Victus 15: <a href="https://shop-links.co/link?skuId=6541840&publisher_slug=future&exclusive=1&u1=hawk-custom-tracking&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fhp-victus-15-6-gaming-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-7535hs-8gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-rtx-2050-512gb-ssd-mica-silver%2F6541840.p%3FskuId%3D6541840&article_name=hawk-article-name&article_url=hawk-article-url" data-link-merchant="bestbuy.com"">was $799 now $479.99 at Best Buy
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS
Graphics card: RTX 2050
RAM: 8GB
SSD: 512GB

We rarely see cheap gaming laptop deals as cheap as this heavily discounted HP Victus at Best Buy. We've seen this one for $50 cheaper before but it's still a pretty decent budget buy with its RTX 2050 graphics card and Ryzen 7 chip. The RTX 2050 isn't exactly a high performer but it will easily play most eSports and indie titles at 1080p. For more graphically demanding games you'll likely have to pull those settings down but it should run most titles.

Performance level: 1080p, mid settings
Specs score: ⭐⭐
Value score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What to expect at this price point

Performance: lower to mid graphics settings
Design:
usually plastic, relatively bulky
Display:
1080p resolution, not super bright, often lower refresh rate (60Hz)

How we pick out gaming laptop deals under $700

At under $700, we're primarily looking for a machine that will suffice for the basics. That means at least a GTX 1650 graphics card, preferably an RTX 3050, and at least an 11th gen Intel Core i5 or the equivalent from AMD. We're automatically filtering out sub-par choices that don't have dedicated graphics cards or machines that claim to be 'gaming' machines but clearly aren't. While we haven't reviewed all of these cheaper models personally here at TechRadar we can guarantee you that all of them have components that are 'gaming ready' and enough power to play most games at 1080p, albeit at lower graphical settings.

Best gaming laptop deal under $800

Gigabyte G5 KF gaming laptop: $999$749.99 at Amazon
Graphics card: 
Processor: 
RAM: 
Storage:

Gigabyte G5 KF gaming laptop: <a href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=8428&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2FGIGABYTE-G5-1920x1080-i5-12500H-KF-E3US333SH%2Fdp%2FB0BVRGF3MR%2F%3Ftag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dhawk-custom-tracking-20" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"">was $999 now $749.99 at Amazon
Graphics card:
RTX 4060
Processor:
Intel Core i5-12500H
RAM:
8GB
Storage:
512GB SSD

Our top pick for overall 'bang for the buck' right now is this heavily discounted Gigabyte G5 at Amazon. Sure, it's not the fanciest machine on the market right now, but it's one of the cheapest we've ever seen to feature a powerful RTX 4060 graphics card. The chipset in this machine is a little older, but it will pair up nicely with the RTX 4060 to provide smooth frame rates at 1080p resolution. Add in a cheap RAM upgrade and you've got a great mid-budget gaming laptop here. Note, this deal is also available at Newegg <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=kXQk6%2AivFEQ&mid=44583&u1=hawk-custom-tracking&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newegg.com%2Fp%2FN82E16834233559" data-link-merchant="newegg.com"" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"">for the same price. 

Performance level: 1080p, high to ultra settings
Specs score: ⭐⭐⭐
Value score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What to expect at this price point

Performance: mid graphics at 1080p
Design:
usually plastic, relatively bulky
Display:
1080p resolution, usually 144Hz

How we pick out gaming laptop deals under $800

This price bracket tends to actually be quite quiet for gaming laptop deals, depending on the time of the year. Generally speaking, $799ish is a budget that sits between the super budget machines and the start of the 'mid-range' gaming laptops. Subsequently, this area often has sub-par options - particularly when retailers try and upsell an otherwise budget machine. We've taken special care to omit these poor-value choices and instead focused on finding mid-range options that feature rare price cuts or clearance deals. If you can find a machine with an RTX 3060 at this price, that's a particularly good buy in our opinion.

Best gaming laptop deal under $900

Asus TUF 15 gaming laptop$1,199now $899.99 at Best Buy
Processor:&nbsp;Graphics card:&nbsp;RAM:SSD:

Asus TUF 15 gaming laptop: <a href="https://shop-links.co/link?skuId=6560989&publisher_slug=future&exclusive=1&u1=hawk-custom-tracking&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fasus-tuf-gaming-a16-16-165hz-gaming-laptop-fhd-amd-ryzen-7-7735hs-with-16gb-ddr5-memory-radeon-rx7700s-512gb-pcie-ssd-off-black%2F6560989.p%3FskuId%3D6560989&article_name=hawk-article-name&article_url=hawk-article-url" data-link-merchant="bestbuy.com"">was $1,199 now $899.99 at Best Buy
Processor: 
AMD Ryzen 7-7735HS
Graphics card: Radeon RX7700S
RAM: 16GB
SSD: 512GB

Here's a great gaming laptop deal on a mid-range Asus TUF at Best Buy. This all-AMD-equipped model is a fantastic bang for the buck option right now if your budget is under $900 thanks to the excellent pairing of a new Ryzen 7 chipset and mid to upper-range RX7700S GPU. For 1080p in particular this machine is a fine choice and one that doesn't need any glaring upgrades to get the most of it (it's already got 16GB of RAM, for example).

Performance level: 1080p, ultra settings
Specs score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Value score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What to expect at this price point

Performance: mid to high graphics
Design: usually plastic, sometimes slimmer
Display:
1080p resolution, usually 144Hz

How we pick out gaming laptop deals under $900

This price range is usually where the real mid-range machines start and subsequently, we'd recommend this section if you're looking for silky-smooth performance on most games. When we look for gaming laptop deals in this price range we prioritize a mid-range graphics card, such as an RTX 3060. Generally speaking, it's often difficult to find higher-end specs like a Core i7 or Ryzen 7 processor at this budget range, so often compromises have to be made. In these cases, we nearly always weigh in favor of getting a decent GPU as that's what's going to give you the most bang for the buck in regards to performance in game.

Best gaming laptop deal under $1,000

Dell G15 gaming laptop$1,499now $999.99 at Dell
Processor:&nbsp;Graphics card:&nbsp;RAM:SSD:

Dell G15 gaming laptop: <a href="https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-6361382-12578053?sid=hawk-custom-tracking&url=https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/gaming-laptops/g15-gaming-laptop/spd/g-series-15-5530-laptop/usegbts5530gjpx" data-link-merchant="dell.com"">was $1,499 now $999.99 at Dell
Processor: 
Intel Core i7-13650HX
Graphics card: GeForce RTX 4060
RAM: 16GB
SSD: 1TB

This Dell G15 is a little on the pricey end for a gaming laptop with an RTX 4060 but the combination of a beefy 13th gen Core i7 and 1TB SSD make it a great all-rounder if your budget can stretch this far. You'll have plenty of space for multiple game installs on this one and the powerful chipset also makes it a great choice for a productivity workhorse. 

Performance level: 1080p, ultra settings
Specs score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Value score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What to expect at this price point

Performance: high graphics
Design: often slimmer
Display:
1080p resolution, usually 144Hz

How we pick out gaming laptop deals under $1,000

For just under $1,000, you should expect to be able to score a machine with both a mid-range graphics card and a relatively decent CPU like a Core i7 or Ryzen 7. It's this balance of components that we look for in a gaming laptop deal at this price point. Put simply, we want specs that tick all the boxes for 1080p gaming at $1,000, including 16GB of RAM if possible. The theme for this particular price bracket is great out-the-box performance without the need for any upgrades down the line. This is also a budget range where we tend to review a lot of gaming laptops personally here at TechRadar, which also greatly informs our choices in regard to model selection.

Best gaming laptop deal over $1,000

Alienware M16 gaming laptop: $1,949$1,399.99 at DellProcessor:&nbsp;Graphics card:&nbsp;RAM:SSD:

Alienware M16 gaming laptop: <a href="https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-6361382-12578053?sid=hawk-custom-tracking&url=https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/gaming-laptops/alienware-m16-gaming-laptop/spd/alienware-m16-r1-laptop/useahbtsm16r1rplggxm" data-link-merchant="dell.com"">was $1,949 now $1,399.99 at Dell
Processor: Intel Core i7-13700HX
Graphics card: RTX 4070
RAM: 16GB
SSD: 1TB

Price cut: If you've got your sights set on a premium Alienware gaming laptop, our favorite deal at the official Dell site this week is on this RTX 4070-equipped M16. This one has just been reduced to a record-low price of just $1,399  - and it's also loaded with a decent 13th gen Intel Core i7 chipset and 1TB SSD. While not as portable as some of the options out there right now, this 16-inch machine is the perfect choice for 1440p gaming.

Performance level: 1440p, ultra settings
Specs score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Value score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What to expect at this price point

Performance: ultra graphics
Design: slimmer, sometimes metal
Display:
1080p to 1440p resolution, 165Hz and above

How we pick out gaming laptop deals over $1,000

This particular section is an addendum to our cheap gaming laptop deals list and is a kind of area where we post listings that have caught our eye, but aren't necessarily super budget options. Our main criteria for this section? How much power you get for your dollar. At this budget, we expect a gaming laptop deal to feature not only a high-end GPU and CPU, but an excellent display and premium design too. Manufacturers also tend to send their high-end machines to us for review, so many of the choices in this area will be specifically picked out from our overall best gaming laptops buyer's guide.

Buying advice

Two alienware gaming laptops on teal and grey background with techradar logo

(Image credit: Future)

How to get a cheap (but good) gaming laptop

1. Determine how much power you need

You'll be able to play a surprisingly large amount of titles well with an RTX 3050 gaming laptop

First thing's first, make a list of all the games you're planning on playing with your shiny new gaming laptop. Got your list ready? Good. You'll now need to determine the recommended and minimum specs for each of your titles. We'd recommend looking your list of games up on the Steam web store as it has a very easily visible list of minimum specs for each title. If you're buying on behalf of a friend or child, get them to list their favorite games out for you and take it from there.

As a general rule of thumb, the older the game, the less power you'll need. If you're planning on playing strategy games, eSports titles, or indie games then you might find that a machine with an RTX 3050 or similar entry-level graphics card is more than enough. Conversely, if you're looking to play CyberPunk 2077 or a similar big studio blockbuster title on max graphical settings, then you'll probably want to look at a machine with an RTX 3070 graphics card or equivalent. Again, use the games recommended specs as general guide line for how much grunt you'll need.

It's worth noting that you'll be able to play a surprisingly large amount of titles well with an RTX 3050 gaming laptop. Just because it's a budget option doesn't mean it'll exclude you from playing all the latest games. Just remember though, you may have to sacrifice a fair amount of graphical fidelity to get those games running smoothly. 

2. Set your budget

We'd recommend spending somewhere between $650 to $850 for a first time buyer

Ok, so you've got your wish list of specs. Now let's set a budget and go from there. You may find that your budget is bang on for your requirements here. Conversely, it could be the case that the machine of your dreams is a little out of your budget range, for now at least.

As a starting point, we'd recommend spending somewhere between $650 to $850 for a first time buyer. Most of the best 'bang for the buck' machines tend to land within this budget range, with fairly decent graphics cards for 1080p gaming. Cheaper options do crop up occasionally, but often feature older specs and smaller storage. Your mileage may vary, but we'd generally recommend spending a bit more if you can to get a machine that will last a few more years down the line.

3. Shop around... or let us do it for you

Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon, Dell, and HP are the best retailers

Now you're clued in and know what you need, it's time to shop around. In the US, the best retailers to check for gaming laptop deals are Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon, Dell, and HP, all of which will have fairly cheap machines up for grabs at any one time. Patience will be rewarded here, especially if you're coming up to a big sales event like Amazon Prime Day or Black Friday. Before you jump in, it's always worth it staking out a listing and seeing if the other retailers are offering something better.

Alternatively, you can simply bookmark this page and let us do all the hard work for you. We update this page every week, generally on a Monday or Tuesday with the best gaming laptop deals we can find - many of which we've personally tested here at TechRadar.

What specs are most important?

Prioritize these specs

Spooky graphics cards do battle against down to earth laptops and pcs

(Image credit: Future)

1. Graphics card (GPU)
2. Processor (CPU)
3. RAM
4. Storage
5. Display

The graphics card is by far the most important component for gaming laptop deals in 2023. It's the heart of the machine and the part that's most responsible for pushing out smooth gameplay. If you're going for maximum bang for the buck, you'll generally want to prioritize getting a better GPU over other components.

That's not to say the other specs aren't important though. The processor is going to be responsible for fast loading times, smooth general use, and supporting your graphics card in game. It's the second most important component to prioritize, and, depending on your game, can make a huge difference to your overall performance. The RAM is also an essential supporting component for boosting frames per second and loading times in game. We would, however, rank it third in importance because it's fairly cheap and easy to upgrade this component yourself with a bit of know-how.

Depending on your use case, we'd rank the storage and screen as the next important specs to consider. Both of these are more quality of life improvements but there are many gamers who consider a 512GB SSD, for example, to be an essential requirement for a laptop. Some budget laptops will ship with 256GB storage drives, which isn't enough to hold more than a few modern games at once, depending on genre. The overall quality of screen, and especially refresh rate, is obviously important if you're going to be primarily using your laptop as is without an external monitor. As a general rule of thumb, we'd say go for a display with a refresh rate of 120Hz or greater. It's extremely rare to find a 60Hz monitor on a gaming laptop these days but they're best avoided if possible as this will make your gameplay feel sluggish in comparison.

What are the bare minimum specs?

This is completely subjective, depending on what type of games you want to play and what kind of level of performance you want. Just for good measure however, we'd recommend the following as a minimum if you're strictly on a budget:

  • Minimum - Intel Core i5 (10th gen) / AMD Ryzen 5 (3rd gen) processor or later
  • Minimum - Nvidia GTX 1650 / AMD RX 5500 graphics card or later
  • Minimum - 8GB of RAM
  • Optional - 512GB solid-state drive
  • Optional - 120Hz refresh rate display monitor

Anything lower than the above and you'll tend to struggle with modern games at 1080p settings. You can, of course, get away with lower-level or older components if you're just planning on playing older games, but for new releases, definitely consider the above as a bare minimum.

Can I get a gaming laptop deal for under $500?

Unlikely, to be honest. There are occasional listings on Walmart especially that get close to $500 but they often feature last-gen components and are often not the best value in context. At any one time you'll often also find third-party listings on Amazon, eBay, or Newegg that advertise 'gaming laptops' but are in fact office computers or ultrabooks. If the laptop being advertised doesn't have a dedicated graphics card like an Nvidia RTX or AMD Radeon RX then it's a dead give away that it's being falsely advertised as a gaming laptop. Usually these listings may run from around $350 to $600, which is suspiciously cheap for a gaming laptop. In general, our advice is to ignore these third party listings and save up a little bit more for a budget gaming machine. 

When's the best time to pick up a gaming laptop deal?

Luckily for gamers on a budget, gaming laptop deals tend to be a weekly feature over at most of the big retailers so there's always plenty to chose from. That said, there are definitely high points throughout the year, namely big sales events such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Amazon Prime day which can yield great results for those willing to wait. And as several of our picks from this week show, Labor Day sales have provided some excellent savings, as well.

Our top tip - do your research. Narrow down which model and specs you want and check-in at your favorite retailers each week. Alternatively, let TechRadar simply do all the work for you and become a regular visitor to this page or our dedicated deals feed.

Alex Whitelock
Deals Editor

Alex is deals editor at TechRadar. With over three years of experience on-site and eight years working in e-commerce, Alex has made it his personal mission to share all his favorite tips, bargains, and deals with our readers here at TechRadar. At work, he specializes in computing, phones, and covering huge sales events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. Outside of work, you'll find him indulging his keen love of photography and PC gaming, or down at the local climbing gym hanging off boulders far too difficult for his abilities. His editorial bylines also include contributions to T3 and GamesRadar.