5 Best Gaming Laptop under $500

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Not gonna lie but it is next to impossible to get the best gaming laptop under $500. Don’t get disappointed, you can still able to play less demanding games on cheap gaming laptops which are either close to $500 or even less than $500.

If you are someone who is looking best gaming laptop under $500 for playing CSGO, League of Legends or sandbox games like Minecraft, Roblox etc, the below-mentioned gaming laptops will serve you with the best gaming performance. If there is the slightest room to expand your budget, you should check our list of best gaming laptops under $800 where we have added gaming laptops ranging from $600-$800 and comes with a dedicated RTX series GPU for top-notch gaming.

If you don’t want to spend more than $500, we have tried to find the best gaming laptop under $500 just for you.

Best Gaming Laptop under $500 in 2023

Most gaming laptops in this list are slightly more than $500 and come with GTX 1650 Graphics cards so that you can have the best gaming performance on a limited budget. The good news is, if you grab these gaming laptops during a festive sale, Black Friday or Prime Day, you might be able to get these gaming laptops at a discounted price.

So without much talking, let’s get straight to our list of best gaming laptops under $500.

1. Asus Vivobook Pro 15

Asus Vivobook 15 is one of the most impressive laptops you can get under $500. It runs on AMD Ryzen 5 5600H 6 core processor with a max boost of up to 4.2 GHz. Coupled with 8GB DDR4 RAM and 4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 GPU, you can expect a good gaming performance on medium graphics settings.

For storage, it got a 512GB SSD which is much faster than a Hard Disk Drive and offers smooth functioning of the laptop. With these specs and hardware, you can easily run low graphic demanding games as well AAA gaming titles without much trouble. For smooth gameplay, you should change the graphics settings to medium or even low and you can have enjoyable gaming on a budget.

The 15.6-inch Full HD resolution display is pretty good. The side’s bezels are thin looks good and are also responsible for providing an immersive viewing experience, especially while watching movies, and video on this screen. The lid is made of metal and you can adjust the hingle up to 180 degrees which, to be honest, is unnecessary.

Not many gaming laptops come with a fingerprint scanner but Asus Vivobook 15 Pro does have a fingerprint scanner to add an extra layer of privacy and security. Other than that, you also get a webcam shutter to keep your privacy intact.

For connectivity, it got USB 3.2 Type-A, USB 3.2 Type-C with DisplayPort and Power Delivery, HDMI 1.4, Media Card Reader, 3.5mm combo jack. Unfortunately, there is no RJ-45 Ethernet Port which sometimes gets crucial for low latency gaming. But, you can still connect a LAN cable without an ethernet port on laptop.

Considering the price, Vivobook 15 Pro is a value-for-money gaming laptop that comes with a powerful Ryzen 5 processor coupled with a dedicated GTX 1650 Graphics card and fast SSD. If you have a limited budget and looking for the best gaming laptop under $500, Asus Vivobook 15 Pro is something you should definitely consider.

Buy Now: Amazon

2. MSI GF63

MSI makes some of the best gaming laptops in the market. MSI GF63 is a budget-oriented gaming laptop that comes with a 10th Gen Intel Core i5 4 Core processor coupled with 8GB DDR4 RAM. The processor is outdated for 2023 but for its price, it is totally acceptable. Things get a little bit better with the 4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650.

With a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display, the colors look pretty good on GF63. This whole gaming rig can easily give you high FPS gaming performance at full HD resolution. Games like CSGO, Fortnite, League of Legends, Minecraft etc are easily playable without any extra stress on the laptop. With the right graphics settings, you can easily pull the best performance out of this gaming laptop.

The internal SSD is limited to 256GB which is not sufficient for the current scenario and high-resolution photos and videos. For extra data storage, you might have to connect an external hard disk. For connectivity, it got USB 3.2 Type-A ports, USB Type-C, HDMI 1.4, RJ-45 ethernet port and a 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack.

Overall, MSI GF63 is a decent package that allows you to play light games at low to medium graphics settings. It is slightly more than $500 but if you are buying it during sales, there are chances of getting it much less than its original price right now.

Buy Now: Amazon

3. HP Victus

HP Victus is simply a brilliant gaming laptop you can grab for around $500. It got a stunning new design and offers all the latest hardware for high-quality gaming performance on a budget.

Under the hood, it runs on 12th Gen Intel Core i5 8 Core processor. The other gaming laptop in this list comes with 4 or 6 cores but here HP Vicuts, it is providing 8 Core which means smooth multi-tasking and better gaming performance. Out of the box, it comes with 8GB DDR4 RAM but it can be expandable up to 32GB which will make this a beast laptop.

For gaming, it got a 4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Graphics Card. With this hardware, you can play any sort of gaming title at recommended graphics settings. This rig is enough for FPS games like CSGO, Fortnite, Valorant, Apex Legends etc. as well as for other genre of gaming at low to medium graphics settings.

Another brilliant thing about HP Victus is its display. It comes with a 15.6-inch Full HD 1920 x 1080p resolution IPS display with a 144hz refresh rate. The frame rates on this display look buttery smooth, lag-free, and gorgeous gaming experience. The bezels are also thin which aesthetically looks appealing.

When it comes to ports for connecting other peripherals, HP Victus got HDMI, USB Type-C with DisplayPort, USB 3.2 Type-A port, Media Card Reader, RJ-45 Ethernet Port, 3.5mm combo jack. Other than that, it also got B&O Audio, a Backlit keyboard, a Wider 720p webcam, larger trackpad.

Running on the latest Windows 11, HP Victus checks everything you need in a cheap gaming laptop. If you are in the market looking for the best gaming laptop under $500 or around it, HP Victus should be on your radar.

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4. Acer Aspire 5

For those who don’t want to overspend on a laptop and can’t wait for a sale, here is an extremely affordable gaming laptop under $500. To be honest, it is not a gaming laptop but it can run low graphics demanding games and give you a proper gaming experience.

Acer Aspire 5 runs on 11th Gen Intel Core i3 dual-core processor. There is another variant of Acer Aspire 5 that uses an AMD Ryzen 3 processor. Both the processor are equivalent and provide similar computing performance. The 12GB DDR4 RAM is a good surprise by Acer. Multitasking goes smoothly and it also helps in improving gaming performance. Along with that, it also got 1TB SSD. You can easily install multiple games as well as store important media files, and documents without feeling then need for connecting external hard disk.

For graphics, it only relies on Intel UHD Graphics and there is no dedicated graphics card on Acer Aspire 5. With that saying, you will only be able to run games at low graphics settings. There are a lot of games you can play on Acer Aspire 5 which don’t require a graphics card. Games like Fortnite, CSGO, Minecraft, Doom, Forza Horizon 4, and Roblox are a just few names to say.

The 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display is a gorgeous screen. The colors are vibrant and accurate without any sort of compromise. Even the build quality feels durable and doesn’t feel cheap. Acer Aspire 5 also comes with multiple ports like HDMI, USB Type-C, RJ-45, USB 3.2 Type-A, USB 2.0, 3.5mm headphone jack which are good enough for connecting external monitors, gaming keyboard, mouse, and headphones. The white laptop will look good with a white gaming monitor.

The whole package is pretty interesting for this price. Needless to say, it is a basic machine and not a powerful gaming rig you can use for high-quality gaming but for this price, Acer Aspire 5 is a gorgeous-looking, slim laptop that can also be used for basic gaming.

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5. Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is another cheap gaming laptop you can get for around $500. It comes with AMD Ryzen 5 5600H processor coupled with 8GB DDR4 RAM and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card.

It is a pretty standard specification in this price segment that can give you a decent gaming performance. The 256GB SSD however is a little downside and you might need to plugin an external HDD for the storage of other data. The extra price you are paying over $500 is the cost of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card which is a good GPU for the price. It can run multiple gaming titles at recommended graphics settings.

Those who only play FPS games will love this laptop. The hardware is good enough to provide an enjoyable FPS gaming experience. Not just FPS, this laptop can also run story mode gaming at low to medium graphics settings. You might have to deal with low frame rates though. With some tweaks in graphics settings, you can get a satisfactory gaming performance.

The 15.6-inch Full HD display also comes with a 120hz refresh rate and IPS panel. The 120hz refresh rate is still better than the 60hz display. Connectivity-wise, you get all the basic ports including HDMI 2.0, USB Type-C, USB Type-A, RJ-45 Ethernet Port, 3.5mm headphone jack.

For better sound while gaming, IdeaPad Gaming 3 also boasts 2×2 Speakers Nahimic Audio that gives spatial, boosted sound while gaming. It also got a white backlit keyboard for late-night gaming sessions. If you have a limited budget and looking for the best gaming laptop under $500, Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is a good option to consider.

Buy Now: Amazon

Best Gaming Laptop under $500: What’s Your Pick?

It is your time to pick one laptop that checks everything you are looking for in a cheap gaming laptop under $500. For this price segment, there is next to no powerful gaming laptop that also comes with a dedicated GPU. Almost every gaming laptop under $500 only comes with Intel UHD Graphics which is an integrated GPU on the CPU for processing day-to-day graphics.

For gaming, a basic Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 GPU is highly recommended. We have tried to mention such gaming laptops that at least come with GTX 1650 GPU for decent gaming performance but those laptops also cross the budget of $500. If you can expand the budget, go for laptops that come with a dedicated GPU instead of Intel UHD Graphics.

Coming to CPU, most gaming laptops under $500 comes with an Intel Core i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 processor. But if you go towards MSI, HP Victus or Asus Vivobook mentioned in this list, you will find an Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 processor coupled with GTX 1650 GPU which makes the basic gaming machine that will offer an enjoyable gaming experience without any trouble.

The Intel Core i5 and AMD Ryzen 5 with GTX 1650 also fulfill the minimum system requirement of many gaming titles.

Overall speaking, you will only find the basic office, work, and student laptops under $500 which are capable to provide basic gaming performance. If you are into light, casual gaming, these gaming laptops are enough for you. However, if you have some good expectations from a gaming laptop, you should check our recommendations for the best gaming laptop under $1000 that will offer you some solid gaming rig.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have some burning questions regarding cheap gaming laptops under $500? Here are answers to the most frequently asked questions.