You'll find all of the UK's best cheap gaming laptop deals all lined up right on this page here - including our personal recommendations for saving some hard-earned cash. Regardless of whether you're looking for something as cheap as possible or something with a little bit more power, we've found some amazing value choices for a number of differing budgets.
This week there are some great options too. In particular, we're seeing some great mid-range RTX 3060 gaming laptop deals right now in the build up to this year's Amazon Prime Day. These are generally costing around the £799 to £899 range this week, but even if you can't afford those, there are some good budget options for as little as £579 this week.
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 good, retailers like Box.co.uk and Laptops Direct - brands that have really been stepping up their gaming laptop deals recently to challenge the bigger stores out there.
We've separated everything out into easy-to-navigate price brackets, which you can skip to using the handy jumper 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.
If you're at any point stuck and need a bit of help in deciding the right gaming laptop deal for you, then we've also included a 'frequently asked questions' section that's really aimed at those who are just starting out. Put simply, there's a ton of great unbiased information there. If you're in the US, we also have a dedicated guide for gaming laptop deals under $1000 as well.
Cheap gaming laptop deal of the week
Cheap gaming laptops under £700
Cheap gaming laptops under £800
Cheap gaming laptops under £900
Cheap gaming laptops under £1000
Frequently asked questions
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.
- Amazon (opens in new tab)
- AO.com (opens in new tab)
- Argos (opens in new tab)
- Box (opens in new tab)
- Currys (opens in new tab)
- Dell (opens in new tab)
- Ebuyer (opens in new tab)
- HP (opens in new tab)
- John Lewis (opens in new tab)
- Laptops Direct (opens in new tab)
- Very (opens in new tab)
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.
How much should I spend on a cheap gaming laptop?
Again the answer to this will depend on what you deem acceptable as a minimum level, but in our opinion the best bang for the buck machines tend to sit at around the £700 to £900 price range.
At this level you get machines that tend to be able to play games fairly well but skip out on the more premium features. That said, value doesn’t really tend to hit diminishing returns until the £1,500 point and you’ll definitely get a machine that will last a few years at that price.
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.
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 (opens in new tab).
The best cheap gaming laptops of 2022
As one of the cheapest gaming laptops that will still run games at decent settings, the Acer Nitro 5 is well worth a look if you're wanting to get into PC gaming and play modern games too (just don't expect to be running Battlefield V on ultra settings ok?). The design is a bit plasticy and there are some hefty bezels on the screen, but given the low price and the power of the internal spec inside we're more than willing to look past that to get our gaming fix on the go.
Read our full review: Acer Nitro 5
When you’re buying a cheap gaming laptop out of an office supply catalog, you probably shouldn’t expect top of the line gaming performance, but the good news is that the Dell G3 15 rises above those low expectations and provides a quality gaming machine at an affordable price point. With an Intel Core i5-10300H processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, and an Nvidia GTX 1650 GPU, the Dell G3 15 is more than capable of keeping up with most of your gaming needs. There are trade-offs, however. Being built entirely out of plastic, the design of the laptop looks good but feels flimsy with bezels you can fire a rocket through with room to spare.
Read the full review: Dell G3 15
The MSI GF63 Thin looks to set itself out from the rest of the cheap gaming laptops competition by offering a slightly more sophisticated, refined style. It's definitely one of the thinner options, with smaller bezels than you traditionally get at this price point (albeit with a 60hz screen on the baseline model). It's starting specs are also fantastic for the price, with an Intel Core i5, Nvidia Geforce GTX 1650, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. One minor quibble here is that there's currently no AMD options, and the upgraded Core i7 model is quite a jump up in price over the baseline model. That said, the MSI GF63 Thin is a great cheap gaming laptop with expensive appointments that belie its low price tag.
The Dell G5 15 is the ever so slightly more expensive brother of the Dell G3 15 already featured in this guide. They tend to retail for around the same basic asking price, although with the Dell G5 15 you’ve got more wiggle room at the top-end price bracket - with a higher ceiling of possible specs on offer. It’s a little bulkier overall to accommodate for the higher-end components but otherwise shares a pretty similar aesthetic. You do, however, have the option for a 120Hz to 144Hz display on the more expensive configurations, which is a great addition, although the base model still only has a 60Hz screen. Note - The listed specs here are for the standard Intel equipped machine, although there is also a special edition featuring exclusively AMD components.
Read the full review: Dell G5 15
The Asus TUF A15 caused quite a fuss when it was released earlier this year, such is the level of specs on offer for the money. It’s one of the first laptops on the market with the latest 4000 series AMD Ryzen processors and also one of the cheapest ways to pick up an RTX 2060 equipped laptop currently, so there’s a lot on offer for the money here. Note, it’s still very much a budget laptop though, with loud fans, a fairly basic screen, and chunky chassis that is definitely a little more bloated than it’s svelte Asus Zephyrus cousins. Don’t let that detract from the overall package here however, as you’re getting excellent performance for the money for sure.
Read our full review: Asus TUF A15
The HP Pavilion 15 has just received a refresh this year bringing it up to date with the rest of the competition. Being the more budget focused line from HP (as opposed to the more upmarket Omen laptops) means you’re getting a fairly stripped back, basic setup, but there’s still plenty on offer here. You’re getting options for the very latest specifications, with components from both Intel and AMD, and also an aesthetic that definitely stands out from the competition. While the actual design might not be for everyone, HP tends to regularly run sales over on their site which means you can often pick up a great cheap gaming laptop deal if you’re lucky.
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