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RAM prices are up, but you can still get a decent gaming laptop for cheap — here are two budget picks from Lenovo and Asus
Two affordable options that are good value today
As someone who regularly rounds up the best gaming laptop deals, I've often found myself exasperated by the lack of decent listings. Ever since RAM prices spiralled, it's been increasingly hard to find good offers that I'd actually buy.
There are still a few good deals here and there, including listings that I'd recommend to those who are on a budget.
The best option I've found this week is this Asus TUF F16 with an RTX 5050 for $899 (was $1,299) at Amazon. For the price, this is actually a fair deal right now, considering the combination of an RTX 5050 and Intel Core i5 chipset should allow you to play a wide range of titles smoothly. With $400 off, you're also not overpaying for what is essentially a budget machine here.
Even cheaper still is the Lenovo LOQ for $789 (was $1,049) at Best Buy. This particular configuration features an RTX 4050 graphics card and Ryzen 5 chipset, so it's roughly equivilent with the Asus, albeit a little older. I'd recommend coughing up the extra for a machine with a newer RTX 5050, but this Lenovo will definitely get you started on the cheap if you're willing to tweak a few graphical settings here and there.
Cheap gaming laptop deals this week
Graphics card: GeForce RTX 5050
Processor: Intel Core i5-13450HX
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 512GB
With a compelling 30% discount, this Asus TUF is a rare gaming laptop deal at Amazon this week. With a combination of an RTX 5050 graphics card and Intel Core i5 chipset, you'll be able to play a surprisingly large range of titles with this machine, even if it is a budget option overall.
Graphics card: GeForce RTX 4050
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5-7235HS
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 512GB SSD
Even cheaper still is this Lenovo LOQ at Best Buy. With an RTX 4050 graphics card, this one is a little older than the Asus above, but it's still pretty capable thanks to a decent Ryzen 5 chipset. If you're willing to tweak a few settings here and there, then this is a good budget option.
Also available this week
Graphics card: RTX 5060
Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9-275HX
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 1TB
You're jumping up significantly in price with this Acer Predator Helios at Best Buy this week, but it's a premium machine that's worth every penny. For one, you get a high-end 240Hz OLED display here, which really sets it apart from cheaper models. On top of that, the combination of an RTX 5060 and Ultra 9 chipset definitely gives this one plenty of performance for playing all the latest titles and making the most of the OLED display.
Graphics card: RTX 5070
Processor: Intel Ultra 7
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 512GB
Getting an RTX 5070 gaming laptop for just $1,300 is still pretty rare these days, so this Acer Nitro V at Best Buy is definitely worth checking out. While it's not the cheapest machine on the market by any stretch, you should be able to get great performance right out of the box with this Acer, thanks to not only the RTX 5070 graphics card, but also a powerful Ultra processor, too.
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Alex is TechRadar's retail editor, specializing in buying advice and general tips on how to save our readers as much cash as possible. He's covered major retail events in some capacity for over seven years now; both in editorial and other ecommerce adjacent roles on TechRadar, T3, GamesRadar, and other Future PLC sites. Alex's expertise touches on most areas, but he has a particular love for phones, laptops, and cameras, being an avid photographer.
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