The best budget gaming laptop in 2024: affordable gaming on the go

PRICE
VERDICT
REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID
VERDICT
REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID
An MSI Katana 15, currently the best cheap gaming laptop, against a purple techradar background
(Image credit: Future / MSI)

Finding the best budget gaming laptops becomes easier when you know what to look for, and you don't have to spend a fortune to get great gaming performance on the go. 

The MSI Katana 15, for example, is our top pick for the best cheap gaming laptop on the market right now thanks to its updated specs and sub-$1,000 price point, something you can rarely find once new models hit the market. 

If you're looking for more great budget gaming laptop options, we've tested dozens of models from top manufacturers like HP, Dell, Lenovo, MSI, and Asus that offer a great balance of price, performance, and portability. While you might not find 4K displays or the highest-end processors and GPUs like those on the best gaming laptops from premium brands like Alienware or Razer, we've rounded up some of the best budget-friendly laptops going that will get you the performance you need at a price you can afford.

The best budget gaming laptops in 2024

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

MSI Katana 15 (2023) in a gaming desk setup

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)
The best budget gaming laptop

Specifications

CPU: Up to Intel Core i9-13900H
Graphics: Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070
RAM: Up to 32 GB DDR5-5200MHz
Screen: Up to 15.6-inch FHD IPS, 144Hz
Storage: Up to 1 TB SSD

Reasons to buy

+
Solid gaming performance at 1080p
+
Fast refresh rate
+
Good entry-level price

Reasons to avoid

-
Trackpad isn't great
-
Middling battery life

The MSI Katana 15 (2023) is an ideal solution for budget-conscious gamers seeking 1080p gaming on a laptop without exceeding the $1,000 mark. This model emphasizes core gaming capabilities at an accessible price, starting at just $999, by offering exceptional value with its 13th-Gen Intel Core i7, 16GB of RAM, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, and a 1TB SSD, surpassing other laptops in its price bracket that have outdated specifications.

While alternatives like the Acer Nitro 5 offer lower prices with slightly older components, they don't match the Katana 15's performance. Although there are higher-end versions of the Katana 15 available, with the top model priced at $1,899, the entry-level variant stands out for its affordability and performance balance. Each model, regardless of region, offers different processor generations and price points to suit various budgets.

Despite its larger size and slightly outdated design, the Katana 15 doesn't compromise on gaming performance. It's equipped with an effective thermal system for cooling and impresses with its ability to smoothly run demanding games like Control and Far Cry 6, only requiring minor setting adjustments for titles like Cyberpunk 2077. The MSI Katana 15, while having some limitations, exemplifies a harmonious blend of gaming power and cost-effectiveness, making it a standout choice for those seeking a budget-friendly gaming laptop.

Read the full MSI Katana 15 (2023) review

An Acer Nitro 5 sitting on a desk

(Image credit: Future)
Handling your most demanding PC gaming, but not without issue

Specifications

CPU: Up to Intel Core i7-12500H
Graphics: Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050
RAM: Up to 32GB DDR4
Screen: 15.6-inch FHD
Storage: Up to 2TB PCIe SSD

Reasons to buy

+
Solid performance all around
+
Well designed keyboard
+
Excellent price

Reasons to avoid

-
Terrible battery life
-
Its design is rather plain
-
Slow recharge time

This is the refresh on the previous version, the Acer Nitro 5 (2022), which greatly improves on specs without sacrificing much on the price point front. This is still a budget laptop through and through, forgoing the fancier bells and whistles of more premium machines for a practical design and experience. 

It includes an Intel Core i5-12500H processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card, 16GB RAM, and 512 PCIe SSD storage. While the bezels are still thick and the trackpad mid at best, it's a reliable beast that will play any PC game you throw at it, and most of them on high settings to boot. Just don't unplug it too often, the battery won't last and it takes forever to recharge.

Read our full Acer Nitro 5 (2022) review

An HP Victus 15 on a desk

(Image credit: Future)
The best budget gaming laptop from HP

Specifications

CPU: Up to 13th-gen Gen Intel Core i5/AMD Ryzen 7535HS
Graphics: Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050
RAM: Up to 16GB
Screen: 15.6-inch FHD
Storage: 512GB SSD

Reasons to buy

+
Great gaming performance
+
Solidly built

Reasons to avoid

-
Below average webcam quality
-
Extremely poor thermal performance

Easily the best budget gaming laptop put out by HP, the Victus 15 is a remarkably robust device for not a whole lot of money. With Intel, AMD, and Nvidia hardware configurations, it's a powerful device, but even some of the lower-spec configurations can get you great 1080p gaming at a very affordable price point.

In particular, going for the Intel Core i5-12450H and Nvidia GTX 1650 combo can save you a lot of money while still enabling you to get great frame rates on your favorite games at reasonably high settings. You won't be able to enable any ray tracing in your games due to the limitations of the GTX GPU, but in our experience, it really isn't that big of an issue, especially if you can find this configuration on sale, which it often is.

Read the full HP Victus 15 review

Gigabyte G5 2023

(Image credit: Future)
A solid balance of performance and portability

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i5-10500H - Core i7 10870H
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060
RAM: Up to 64GB
Screen: 15.6-Inch 1920 x 1080p
Storage: 512 GB SSD

Reasons to buy

+
Beautiful display
+
Relatively quiet during intense gaming
+
Very portable

Reasons to avoid

-
Port placement could be divisive
-
Dated trackpad
-
May struggle with some non-gaming tasks

If you want a solid budget gaming laptop that’s also thin and light, the Gigabyte G5 is the ideal portable machine. It only weights 2.2 kg, meaning that when carried it around to test the weight, we could barely feel it. It also comes with a beautiful HD display and anti-glare tech that we found during testing helps enhance not only the visuals but ensures that your eyes don’t suffer. Another benefit is that the fans are surprisingly quiet, even when we tested out more intensive titles like Dirt 5 and Cyberpunk 2077.

The laptop houses an impressive Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 which, we found when running it through its paces, can handle pretty much any PC game at high settings. Unfortunately, productivity testing proved that the 10th Gen Core i5 CPU is a bit dated and struggles with non-gaming tasks. We also had to switch to a proper gaming mouse during testing, as the trackpad is also a bit dated and hard to use.

The Gigabyte G5 has a solid port selection, though it’s missing an ethernet port. But having ports in the back of the laptop can be divisive, as some people may be unable to easily reach them when having to plug in a USB drive or wireless mouse. But the positive is that having ports in the back reduces clutter when it’s plugged in and sitting pretty on your desk.

Read our full Gigabyte G5 review

MSI GF63 Thin gaming laptop open on a wooden desk, with a plant next to it.

(Image credit: Future)
Premium specs in a thin profile at an affordable price point

Specifications

CPU: Up to Intel Core i7-11800H
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti
RAM: Up to 64GB DDR4-3200
Screen: 15.6-inch FHD
Storage: 512GB PCIe Gen3 SSD

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent performance given the price
+
Solid build quality
+
Good range of ports

Reasons to avoid

-
Average battery life
-
Some annoying bloatware
-
Charge cable can block a USB port

The MSI GF63 Thin (2022) is still one of the best budget gaming laptops that you can purchase. It's thin, light, and at an incredibly affordable price point with a solid 15.6-inch display. 

It features an Intel Core i7-11800H processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card, 8GB DDR4-3200 RAM, and 512GB PCIe Gen3 SSD storage. It doubles the storage space of the previous model, which means more games you can have installed on your laptop. And thanks to those solid specs, it'll run any game off your PC library and at high settings too.

Read our full MSI GF63 Thin (2022) review

How we test gaming laptops

Testing a gaming laptop isn’t as easy as you might think. But, then again, neither is narrowing down your options and choosing the best one for you, which is why we take our job seriously. Even if that means gaming for hours on end – hey, someone’s gotta make the sacrifice, right?

In all seriousness, we put every gaming laptop we test through its paces to make sure it delivers as promised and is worth your hard-earned case. That means that on top of playing the latest and hottest games on it, noting things like gaming and thermal performance, we also run synthetic benchmarks like PCMark 103DMark and Geekbench 5 as well as battery tests.

Because a gaming laptop is only as good as its peripherals, we take a look at how smooth and fast the display is, how comfortable and responsive its keyboard is, whether or not there are enough ports on hand, and how good its overall design is. We also test its webcam, in case users want to utilize it for game streaming. 

We then take everything we’ve learned about the gaming laptop and compare it to its price – whether or not it’s performance and features are worth that price tag, and whether or not it offers the best value to customers.

How to buy the best budget gaming laptops

While there are tons of different budget gaming laptops to choose from, said choices can be overwhelming. Then there's the fact that some retailers will try to over inflate the price of some laptops when its specs should discount it far more.

That's why it's important to come in knowing what specs are best for your needs, so you can not only choose the perfect laptop that suits them but you also know which offerings to avoid on altogether. And that's where we come in, with all of the information you need to make the most informed decisions.

What specs should I look for in a budget gaming laptop?

• CPU: For gaming, an Intel Core i5 is perfectly suitable, as the GPU is far more important than the CPU and the i5 can handle any processing just fine.

• GPU: For most average gaming needs, an RTX 2060 GPU is more than enough. But if you want to play on high to max out settings, an RTX 3050 and higher is what you're looking for.

• RAM: 16GB of RAM will take care of all your memory needs for any game, though you can get away with 8GB for all but the latest titles if you need to shave off some money.

• Storage: At least 516GB is preferable since that will allow you to install a good amount of games on your PC before having to upgrade or purchase an external hard drive.

• Display: An HD display is good enough for most games, and at least a 120Hz refresh rate should ensure a smooth gameplay experience.

How much should I spend on a gaming laptop?

When looking for a budget gaming laptop, a solid price point to use as a metric is $1,000. The vast majority of gaming laptops currently retail under that price, with anything above it starting to hit the mid-range and more premium options.

Today's best budget gaming laptop deals

Allisa James
Computing Staff Writer

Named by the CTA as a CES 2023 Media Trailblazer, Allisa is a Computing Staff Writer who covers breaking news and rumors in the computing industry, as well as reviews, hands-on previews, featured articles, and the latest deals and trends. In her spare time you can find her chatting it up on her two podcasts, Megaten Marathon and Combo Chain, as well as playing any JRPGs she can get her hands on.

With contributions from