Well, most of you have to agree with me on this that nowadays, finding the best gaming laptop under 500 dollars is a tedious task. As there are well over hundreds of websites with all the guides for a gaming laptop but none of them will be as per your choice. Now in this post, I have compiled the best gaming laptops under 500 which you may find reliable. I have spent days researching on these gaming laptops.
If we put it in a nutshell, gaming laptops are laptops made with high-performance parts to deliver better performance with mobility. You cannot simply differentiate between a gaming laptop and regular laptop just by looking over it. These machines are capable of matching the performance of a desktop and feature top quality graphics card, high-performance processors, high-class RAM and storage along with backlit keyboard and many other features. Besides gaming, these great machines can be used to other high performance demanding applications.
For starters, the best features you can get in within the $500 budget are the Intel’s latest 7th gen Core i5-7200U, 256 GB SSD, NVidia GeForce 940MX GPU and 8 GB of DDR4 RAM along with FHD display.
Features to look for the best gaming laptop under 500:
1. Graphics Card: It is one of the most vital components of a gaming laptop and is not the section to make any compromise. The modern day games consist of most complex and high-end graphics, so having a good GPU which has dedicated graphics memory helps a lot. Without a good graphics card, a gaming laptop will not provide you the satisfaction of playing games no matter the processing power of CPU and gigabytes of RAM you have. In this budget, you can have NVidia’s GeForce GTX 940MX which is twenty percent stronger than the GTX 940 M, or you can get Radeon R6 Kaveri. Both of these graphics cards are quite brilliant in this tier and can run latest games at decent frame rates.
2. Processor: Everyone knows that it is known as the heart of a computer and without this machine cannot perform a single operation leave the gaming a part. So you have selected a decent graphics card which can deliver as per your requirements now you need a processor which is powerful enough to utilize the GPU to give you maximum performance. If the processor in your system is not up to the mark, then too much pressure from high graphics game may damage it. It becomes apparent to have a good processor and this range you can get 6th/7th gen Intel Core i5 processor or AMD’s A10-8700p. There are some other processors available to which are quite useful in the regard.
3. RAM: As a gaming laptop has to deal with high gaming graphics processes and other complicated programs at the same time is becomes highly important to have a good amount of physical memory. A minimum of 8 GB of ram is required to play high-end games beside gaming this RAM would help in multitasking, and the system will perform smoothly. In this budget, you can get a maximum of 12 GB of RAM.
4. Display: The screen quality significantly enhances the gaming experience, but under the tight budget of $500 your choices are limited. Still, we have found some laptop with FHD 1920 X 1080 resolution on a 15-inch screen. FHD screens are ideal for watching movies and pics. A few of 17-inch options are also available in this range.
5. Storage: When you are looking for gaming laptops then it must have sufficient storage to house all your favorite games and media. Nowadays you can get a 256GB Solid State Drive (SSD) in this budget, which speeds up the bootup time of Windows and reduces the loading time of the game. As these flash drives are expensive, so SSD with a small capacity is installed on laptops.
As far as your storage requirements are considered there a larger number of laptops available with 1 TB hard drive, but most of them are of the 5400RPM which are slow. Try to find a spinning hard disk of the 7200RPM which are comparatively much fast.
6. Other features: There are other features which you might want to have a look on. These are mentioned below.
- Operating system: Choose the laptop which comes preinstalled with Windows. As most of the games and software are designed for windows based operating system, it’s preferred to have windows based operating system. Besides if you purchase windows later, it may cost you a bit more.
- Connectivity: Features like USB 3.0, USB-C, HDMI slot or Bluetooth 4.0 offer better connectivity features. Don’t give priority to these options always see them as a secondary choice.
- Battery life: These laptops mostly use a low voltage processor so gives a longer battery life, and you need to replug it after a more longer period. There are a few laptops available in this budget which give decent backup and can last up to 8 hours for light use.
- Keyboard: Always select a laptop with the spacious and sturdy keyboard as you are not going to carry an external keyboard all the time. Look for the keyboards which can withstand your gaming session. If you get a backlit keyboard that’s a bonus.
- Day by day the craze of games is increasing because the gaming industry has evolved in the last couple of years rapidly and the newly designed games are much more exciting and have superior graphics. The high-end gaming laptops are very expensive, and not everyone can afford to pay $2000 bucks, so I prepared this list of the best gaming laptop under 500 USD. You may opt for any of the laptops in this list, these gaming laptops will still get the job done for you. So without wasting time anymore let’s get to our list of best gaming laptop under 500.
1) Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15” Laptop
For its cost, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15” Laptop is nothing less than a ‘satisfaction bomb.’ Seriously, this device has all the glowing features that you normally see in something costing almost twice.
It also looks as good as it appears in the product images. This is to say that the product images are not fabricated to create a false sense of hope. It really has a nice and attractive look to it.
Of course, it’s the inside that really counts. Without being too technical, let’s tell you more about this best gaming laptop under 500 USD.
Product Highlights:
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15” Laptop is good for light gaming, net surfing, school work, office presentations, and things along the same lines, which is not bad for a product of its price point.
Talking about the product specs, it has 4GB RAM fused in the motherboard. Plus, it has an open slot for RAM expansion. The AMD Ryzen 3 3250U processor and the integrated graphics help you multitask smoothly with decent frame rates.
The battery life is satisfactory as well. Even with 80% plus brightness, you can expect 5-6 hours of performance on any given day. It’s also designed to remain cool when subjected to heavy tasks.
Typing feels great as well because of the surprisingly good keyboard. As advertised, the touchpad clicks very well. This thing also has a sliding camera cover for enhanced user privacy. No one will be able to capture anything without your consent.
The setup is a breeze too. It hardly takes 10 minutes to get going. Better still, the device comes with a free one-month trial of Office 365. Despite the thin frame, the laptop offers sufficient USB slots as well. You can use a headphone jack too.
As you can tell, this Lenovo laptop packs up a good punch. Not only does it look great, but it also behaves as expected. It’s a nice machine for its price point. On the whole, it offers impressive value for money on any given day.
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2) Acer Aspire 5 Laptop
If you don’t want to spend the rest of your life searching for a budget gaming laptop, feel free to take a shot at the Acer Aspire 5 Laptop. Truthfully speaking, this freaking little device has a lot going for it.
As a result, you will see many reviews where past customers have showered praises on it for what it is. Most of them have stated that they never encountered any issue with this laptop.
Product Highlights:
As advertised, the Acer Aspire 5 Laptop is good for office natured jobs and casual home use. Of course, it can handle light/medium gaming activities as well. Unlike the competition, it can cope up with eight hours of non-stop use without any fuss.
Other major offerings include a fingerprint reader, 15.6” FHD stunning display, backlit keyboard, and FPR reader. It also has built-in microphones that do a great job of filtering out the typing noise.
Credit to the 10th Generation Intel Core i5-1035G1 Processor, 8 GB memory, and 256 GB SSD, it performs well, connects easily, delivers superb speed, and doesn’t malfunction at all.
Keep in mind that the laptop also starts quickly. Moreover, it has expansion slots to help you improve the offered speed and performance. Better still, you get a full range of ports for extensive connectivity.
Not to mention that the thin and light design of this model makes it easy to travel with it. In short, there’s nothing catastrophically wrong with this product, making it a great choice for a go-to lifestyle. So, don’t be nervous about getting this device.
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3) Dell Inspiron 15.6″ HD Laptop
The Dell Inspiron 15-6” HD laptop is far better than other modestly priced gaming laptops out there, which should explain why it’s included in this best gaming laptop under 500 USD list. Seriously, there are many good selling points on this laptop.
Right from the looks, functionality, to the product specs, this device can mercilessly put other budget laptops to shame on any given day. It’s ideal for most casual uses, including gaming activities.
Frankly put, the performance is typically the same as other expensive models. Even when tested to its limits, it performs seamlessly—a piece of information confirmed by acquaintances who have used this product long enough to judge it accurately.
Product Highlights:
The laptop is fast, reliable, and attractive. The battery on it lasts for several hours at a stretch. Thanks to its better than ‘decent’ hardware specifications, it launches quickly too. Plus, it doesn’t lag during use.
Seriously, the Intel Celeron Processor 4205U processor in it is a bomb. It ensures rock-solid performance at all times. The fact that it also houses an 8 GB RAM and 1 TB hard drive, the laptop runs smoothly while offering ample storage space.
Structure-wise, it has a minimum thickness to it. This isn’t to say that it’s not adequately sturdy. In other words, the laptop is sleek and attractive while being reasonably strong, all at the same time.
The screen is likable too. You will also appreciate the ease of set up. Not to mention that the typing ergonomics is spot on. It types well, even at a fast speed. To safeguard your data, an antivirus package is included in the deal for no additional cost.
Keep in mind that this Dell device also arrives sooner than the estimated delivery date, as confirmed by past users, which is really nice to know. Everything considered, you are definitely getting a good bang for your budget laptop bucks.
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4) HP 2019 14″ Laptop
If you need a light, fast, and economical gaming laptop, do not hesitate to add the HP 2019 14-inch laptop to your shopping cart. Of course, it’s not a powerhouse like other expensive models out there.
So, don’t make a fool of yourself by expecting a workhorse at this price point. That said, it does deliver better than ‘decent’ results. In fact, it actually outperforms other models in its product category.
Basically, it runs as it should. From office work to simple gaming, it can handle everything like a boss. In short, it’s a great everyday use laptop that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
Product Highlights:
Performance-wise, this laptop offers a smooth gaming and computing experience. For those who don’t know, the size of the SSD is 128 GB, and this thing houses an 8 GB RAM. It also features a 7th Gen Intel Core i3-7100U processor.
All of this helps with multitasking without any lags or slowness. Keep in mind that there are hardly any moving parts to this device, which also equates to fast start up. Believe it or not, it boots up in 6-7 seconds.
It also has an SD card slot, which means that the storage space is expandable. The included HMDI and Ethernet port can be of great help too, when you travel to a place with a slow Internet connection. So, there are no weak links to this product.
Speaking about the structure, the construction quality of this laptop seems good enough to not break easily. Should your laptop fall accidentally, it may survive the drop. This should give you a fair idea about the construction quality of this device.
The laptop set up is easy too. The device literally walks you through the setup process. Looking at the affordable price and awesome reviews, you should definitely not skip this laptop, assuming that the size of the device (14-inch) is right for you.
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5) Lenovo 100E Chromebook 2ND Gen Laptop
This laptop does everything that you would expect from an affordable laptop of its nature. So, if you are getting it for gaming, web browsing, online shopping, office work, and activities along the same lines, there’s no way you will be disappointed.
It looks nice, it charges fast, it’s sturdy enough, and it supports multitasking. All of this means that it has better than ‘modest’ product specs, which is, honestly, very true. So, the product description is not full of crap.
Product Highlights:
The Laptop has 4 gigs of RAM, sufficient port support, and an extremely long battery life of approximately 9-10 hours. Better still, it boasts of a 720P HD camera (front-facing), antiglare 11.6-inch HD screen, and a drop/water-resistant design.
It also has a nice keyboard and trackpad feel to it, which should tell you that Lenovo has paid great attention to details. Another nice thing about this lap device is that it weighs only 2.7 lbs. Weight-wise, it’s actually one of the lightest around.
Not to undermine the fact that the MediaTek MT8173C Processor in it is optimized for everyday practical use. Plus, this thing has rubberized edges to protect it against occasional drops.
Everything is easy to setup as well. Once it’s ready to use, it will come to your notice that the screen resolution and brightness are really up to the mark. As you can guess by now, this laptop is near-perfect in all aspects of use.
In other words, it performs better than expected. Plus, it works like new for longer. For the price paid, you will have zero complaints, and you might even recommend it to others around you.
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6) ASUS F512DA-EB51 VivoBook 15 Thin and Light Laptop
Technically, this laptop costs more than 500 bucks. But then, the asking price is not too far from 500 dollars. Not to mention that it’s totally worth the extra investment. Therefore, it was consciously included in this list of best gaming laptop under 500 USD.
From AMD Quad Core R5-3500U CPU, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, to AMD Radeon Vega 8 integrated graphics, and more, this laptop has nice specs to boast about. Of course, it also allows you to upgrade the RAM and SSD, if needed.
Should you feel the need to better the laptop’s performance, there’s nothing stopping you from doing it. Basically, it has empty slots for product expansion. The best part is that you will hardly ever notice a drop in performance.
Product Highlights:
From the perspective of someone using this laptop for playing games or working from home, this laptop scores full marks. Even though it’s not designed specifically for gaming, you can play light and medium games on it without any hiccups.
From the battery, you can easily expect 4-5 hours of nonstop performance on a full charge. Of course, the battery life would depend on the activity. Give and take, expect one hour more or less, based on the programs you run on the laptop.
Another nice thing about this laptop is that it has a nice 4-way NanoEdge display that results in the laptop maintaining minimum dimensions and overall footprint. Yes, the screen-to-body resolution ratio is almost 90%.
What also stands apart is the ErgoLift hinge design of this laptop. It automatically offers a gentle tilt to the keyboard for a better than usual typing experience. Believe it or not, typing on this device barely takes any effort.
The laptop looks very modern and stylish too. Of course, the operational speed is solid as well. The 8 GB RAM lets you run most programs fast. Also, this laptop turns on and off quickly. Plus, it’s lightweight enough to easily travel with it.
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7) Newest HP Pavilion Intel Pentium Silver N5000 4GB 128GB SSD Windows 10 Laptop
This laptop is literally a budget beast. It’s more than capable of mid-range gaming, video editing, and other tasks along the same lines. So, you can not only imagine but also expect great performance from this laptop.
Keep in mind that it weighs around 3.95 lbs, which is considerably light for a 15.6-inch laptop. Also, the battery on this thing doesn’t deplete quickly. It starts to wear down only after 7-8 hours of nonstop use.
The recharging speed is praiseworthy too. It goes from zero to fifty percent in less than an hour. It also gets delivered within a reasonable timeframe, as reported by a host of past shoppers out there.
Product Highlights:
This HP Pavilion Laptop comes with solid product specs to keep you productive and entertained for hours and hours. This is to say that the included Intel Pentium Silver processor, UHD graphics, 4 GB RAM, and 128 GB SSD work their magic at all times.
Props to the company for integrating dual-array digital microphones, stereo speakers, and backlit keyboard to spice things up. It also has a fan to cool down the machine when it seems to heat up. You will hardly hear any noise from the fan.
The best part is that this laptop comes fully loaded with almost everything you need to get started right off the bat. Of course, the pricing is fair as well. You seldom find such products for a low asking price.
Not to mention that the red color looks awesome on this device. It’s an immediate attention grabber, to say the very least. For the look alone, you would be willing to throw a lot of money.
It also has necessary features on it to enhance product security and performance. For instance, it includes Microsoft Windows 10 in ‘S’ mode. Needless to say, you can get out of this mode quickly if you want to do so.
- Not a touchscreen machine
- Included speakers are not the best
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Since our budget is quite low for a gaming laptop, these are the still the best gaming laptops under 500 which I have found to be reliable. Of course I would still recommend the top 3 gaming laptops on this list but at the end of the day, you still have your own preference. But I assure you that any of these laptops within this budget range is still good. If you ask me, the best gaming laptop under 500 dollars that i will buy is the Acer Aspire E 15.
If you are wanting more and also have the budget, you can check also my other lists like the Best Gaming Laptop Under 1000 and Gaming Laptops Under 1500 dollars.
By the way feel free to drop your opinions and reviews too below. See you again next time.