We've picked out a selection of our favourite cheap gaming laptop deals on this page for all our readers looking to save a bit of cash on their next machine. We've searched high and low across the web to find the recommendations that we think offer the best bang for the buck right now. Regardless of whether you're looking to spend as little as possible or have a bit of cash to secure something with some power, we've got gaming laptop deals recommendations that offer value across a range of budgets.
1. Gaming laptop deal of the week
2. Under £700
3. Under £800
4. Under £900
5. Under £1000
6. Frequently asked questions
7. The best gaming laptops
You'll find entries from all the UK's top retailers on our list - Amazon and Currys in particular. You may also find a couple of picks from lesser-known, but just as reputable, retailers like Box.co.uk and Laptops Direct - brands that have really been stepping up their gaming laptop deals recently to challenge the bigger players out there.
We've separated everything out into easy-to-navigate price brackets, which you can skip to using the handy links provided. We're aiming to cater for budgets ranging from about £600 all the way to £1,000, give or take. As you'd expect, the cheaper options are going to be more cost-effective but if you're looking for something that can really max out most games, then we'd recommend spending a little more if you can. Luckily, the more expensive gaming laptop deals on our list tend to be just as good value as the cheaper ones.
And if you get stuck or need some additional guidance, simply scroll down to our cheap gaming laptop deals FAQ section. There, you'll find unbiased advice from TechRadar's experts to get you up to speed if you don't know your RAM from your refresh rate.
If you're in the US, we also have a dedicated guide for gaming laptop deals under $1000.
Cheap gaming laptop deal of the week
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Cheap gaming laptops under £700
Cheap gaming laptops under £800
Cheap gaming laptops under £900
Cheap gaming laptops under £1000
Frequently asked questions
How much should I spend on a cheap gaming laptop?
The answer to this really depends on what kind of performance you're after. If you're setting the bar low, then you could get away with spending as little as £600. We would, however, recommend bumping your budget up to between £700 to £900 if you can afford it.
Machines that sit within this price range generally offer pretty great bang for the buck. You'll find models with specs that can play nearly every modern game smoothly but nothing that's too overkill. You can spend anywhere up to £1,500 on a machine and not reach diminishing returns with performance, but at half that price you should be able to get a machine that runs games well enough at 1080p.
We’d definitely recommend spending at least £700 if you’re comfortable doing so. Any lower and you’ll most likely find issues with frame rates and performance or have a machine that will need to be upgraded fairly soon. It can be tempting to pick up a cheaper ultrabook with a Core i7 or Ryzen 7 processor and tons of RAM but remember these don't come with the dedicated graphics card or cooling requirements you'll need for proper gaming.
Where to find the best gaming laptop deals in the UK
The best retailers in the UK for picking up reliable cheap laptops tend to be Amazon, Currys, Box, and Laptops Direct. Amazon is always a good shout, and, as you'd expect has particularly good sales around events like Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday. Currys and Box also have very strong alternatives, with the latter offering incredibly competitive options across all price points throughout the year. Laptops Direct tends to be great for cheaper and end-of-line products, and it's also worth mentioning AO.com and Very - retailers that every so often throw their hats in the gaming laptop deals ring too.
Ebay is another option, although we always recommend picking up a brand new gaming laptop from one of the big retailers instead of at auction. That way you’re definitely getting full warranty, as well as an as-described laptop.
Here are some quick links to the best gaming laptop deals retailers, in case you want to head over to their sites and check them out yourself.
What should I look for in a cheap gaming laptop?
The answer to this question depends heavily on what games you plan to play. We always recommend checking out the recommended and minimum system requirements of your favourite games to determine the ideal specifications for you.
Just for good measure however, we'd recommend the following as a minimum if you're strictly on a budget:
- Minimum - Intel Core i5 (9th gen) / AMD Ryzen 5 (3rd gen) processor or later
- Minimum - Nvidia GTX 1650 / AMD RX 5500M graphics card or later
- Minimum - 8GB of RAM
- Optional - 512GB solid-state drive
- Optional - 120Hz refresh rate display monitor
If you choose to go lower and the above you may start to encounter issues with frame rates and performance even on the lowest settings in modern games. It’s also worth bearing in mind that the latest games also push the boundaries of minimum specs each year, so the higher you go now will pay dividends in the future if you plan on holding off on an upgrade for some time.
When's the best time to pick up a gaming laptop deal?
Gaming laptop deals tend to be a fairly regular fixture over at the big retailers all year round so there’s always plenty of options if you’re looking to pick something up quickly. That said, the big yearly sales events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Amazon Prime day tend to yield great discounts and are definitely worth waiting for if you’re willing to be patient.
We always recommend doing the research on the particular model and specs you want then checking in every now and again to see if there’s a discount. We update this page regularly, so definitely bookmark it and feel free to check in. We also run dedicated gaming laptop deals spotlights over on our dedicated deals feed.
The best cheap gaming laptops of 2023
The Asus TUF Dash F15 is currently our favorite budget-minted gaming laptop here at TechRadar. It's not the cheapest model on the market by a long stretch, but it offers impressively recent components at a reasonable price of anywhere between £600 to £1,000 depending on your specs.
The biggest selling point for the Asus TUF Dash F15 is its superbly lightweight and thin design, which really bucks the reputation of cheap gaming laptops being clunkers. This won't be a huge deal breaker if you're planning on a more static setup, but those traveling every day will definitely appreciate a machine under 5 lbs.
Read the full Asus TUF Dash F15 review
The MSI GF63 has been a staple for our cheap gaming laptop deals roundup for a good few years now and the most recent model is particularly good if you're looking for a decent machine on a budget. Specs and internal load-outs can depend from specific model to model, but you'll generally always get a decent bang for the buck machine.
We were sent the RTX 3050 Ti version when we reviewed this one back in 2022 and found it to be a decent performer. For the price, the build is great and you get a solid range of ports for everyday use. Generally speaking, there's a lot to like about this budget machine from MSI so we'd definitely highlight it as a model that's worth keeping an eye out while you're shopping.
Read the full MSI GF63 Thin (2022) review
The Lenovo Legion 5 can be a little pricier than some options, but it's a model that's often subject to significant price cuts at the leading retailers. If you can pick up a deal, it's a really strong contender for a mid to upper-range gaming laptop thanks to its excellent display, solid design, and competitive specs.
Our review unit for this one featured a hefty RTX 3070 graphics card and Ryzen 7 but you'll find much cheaper options featuring RTX 3060s and even RTX 3050 Ti's. From a deals perspective, it's usually the RTX 3060 models that are in the sweet spot for value as you can sometimes pick them up for as little as £849, which is a great price.
Read the full Lenovo Legion 5 Pro review
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