That you cannot afford a thousand dollars doesn’t mean you cannot have a good gaming experience. There are a few laptops below $500 that can still give you the luxury of playing some decent titles out there. If you are just getting into the gaming world and would like to test this enormous water, buying one of these cheap gaming laptops will give you a head-start.
To be sincere, if you are looking for budget gaming laptops in 2021 that are below $500, don’t place your expectations too high. You will definitely have a hard time playing some of the 2021 game titles. While some will play with lots of lags, others will not play at all. However, after a thorough review of hundreds of laptops, we have come up with a list of the best gaming laptops under $500.
One drawback is you don’t find a dedicated graphics card under the budget of $500 which will make it complicate for playing modern games but still there are few of your favorite games in low settings.
Review of the best gaming laptops under $500 of 2021
To qualify to be on our top list, we looked at the processor and the processor speed as well as the RAM size. We also examined the quality of the display and the overall design of these gaming laptops. We painstakingly screened these laptops to make your job easier when you want to buy. Here is our list of the best gaming laptop under $500.
ASUS VivoBook F510UA Thin and Lightweight 15.6 – Best overall
If you have only $500 to spend on a gaming laptop, it definitely has to be the ASUS VivoBook F510UA. This cheap gaming laptop ticked all our checklist boxes. It runs on the powerful 7th Generation Intel Core i5 with a processor speed of 2.5GHz which can be Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz. This processor combines well with an 8GB RAM to give you the power to play most titles without lags.
The Full HD 15” screen is further enhanced by the ASUS Splendid software to give you a crystal clear glare-free display. It comes with a 1TB hard disk which should be enough to hold all your favorite game titles. At a weight of 3.7 pounds, it is light enough for you to carry it anywhere you want. You will also be getting an ultra-thin body and a battery power of up to 9 hours. The ASUS VivoBook F510UA clearly stands above the competition and definitely the best budget gaming laptop of 2021.
Pros
- Fingerprint sensor gives you extra protection
- Full HD and anti-glare display
- Asus Splendid software enhancement for better visuals
- Processor speed of up to 3.1GHz
- Lightweight and sleek design
- Up to 9 hours of battery life
Cons
- Lacks a Solid State Drive (SSD) which is vital for faster game load
- Runs on 2 processors which is small compared to competitors
- Keyboard does not have a backlight
2019 ASUS VivoBook F510QA – Best for performance
When it comes to gaming, performance is everything and the ASUS VivoBook F510QA lives up to the expectation. This affordable gaming laptop comes with the powerful AMD Quad Core processor with a speed of 2.7GHz which can be further boosted to 3.6GHz. To further boost performance and keep lags at the barest minimum when playing high-end games, the ASUS VivoBook F510QA throws in a 16GB RAM.
Thanks to the ASUS Splendid software enhancement and the AMD Radeon R7 Integrated graphics chipset, you will be getting a full HD image quality like you have never seen before on any budget gaming laptop. It has a 256GB SSD for fast game load and a 1TB hard drive where you can store all your favorite games. Although the ASUS VivoBook F510QA can be considered heavy at 4.41 pounds, it offers you up to 6 hours of battery life which is great for outdoor gaming.
Pros
- Full HD, WideView anti-glare display
- Large RAM and storage space
- Up to 6 hours of battery life
- AMD Quad Core processor with a speed of up to 3.6GHz
- Presence of large SSD memory for fast game load
Cons
- Keyboard does not have a backlight
- Slightly heavy
Acer Aspire 5 Slim – Best for outdoor gaming
If there is a single criteria that should qualify a laptop for outdoor gaming, it should be that it should have a long battery life. The Acer Aspire 5 has got your back if you are a heavy outdoor gamer. This sleek laptop boasts of a battery life of up to 9.5 hours giving you the power to enjoy your favorite games while out on a trip with your friends—but that is not all. With the Acer Aspire 5 you will be getting the 8th Generation Intel Core i5 processor with a speed of up to 3.9GHz.
This affordable gaming laptop will also offer you a full HD IPS-type display backed by the Intel UHD Graphics 620. The inclusion of the Acer TrueHarmony gives you a deeper bass and more volume for a more immersive gaming experience. It is also one of the budget gaming laptops of 2021 that has a backlit keyboard, giving you total control in poorly-lit environment. Two major drawbacks we found with the Acer Aspire 5 is the low storage space of 256GB and the roughly 4 pounds weight which can be considered heavy for a cheap laptop.
Pros
- Fingerprint sensor for improved security
- High processor speed of up to 3.9GHz
- Long-lasting battery life that supports outdoor gaming
- Acre TrueHarmony for improved audio
- Full HD, IPS-type anti-glare display
Cons
- Slightly heavy
- Extremely low storage space
Lenovo L340 – Best for large screen
If you want an affordable laptop with a large screen, the Lenovo L340 will easily fill the void. It has a 17.3” screen with a resolution of 1400 x 900 that combines with the Integrated Intel UHD Graphics to bring quality image to your screen. The Lenovo L340 also comes with the latest 8th Generation Intel Core i3 with a speed of 2.1GHz which can be Turbo Boost to 3.9GHz for an incredibly smooth gameplay. Thanks to the 8GB RAM, you can multitask as much as you want.
The Lenovo L340 has 1TB storage space which gives you enough room to carry all your favorite titles along. This laptop will also give you about 9 hours of battery life which is great for outdoor gaming. However, this budget gaming laptop has its own flaws. One of the first we discovered is that it runs on 2 processors. It can also be considered heavy at 4.41 pounds. If you can look beyond the shortfalls, the Lenovo L340 offers a great value for money.
Pros
- Large screen viewing experience
- Up to 9 hours of battery life
- Storage space of up to 1TB
Cons
- Display is not full HD
- Processor speed is low
- Slightly heavy which can affect handling
- Runs on 2 processors
- Keyboard does not have a backlight
Further reading:
Best gaming laptop under 600
9 Refurbished gaming laptops
Gaming laptop under 700
Lenovo Flex – Best for design
Gamers with an uncanny sense for style will easily fall in love with the Lenovo Flex. This stylish affordable gaming laptop doubles as a laptop and a tablet. Its touchscreen functionality offers you more ways to play your games. The Lenovo Flex also prioritizes security by providing a shutter that close up the webcam when it is not in use. Notwithstanding that the screen is a bit smaller (14 inches) than other gaming laptops, it brings to you Full HD display.
The Lenovo Flex runs on the AMD Ryzen 5 mobile processor with a speed of up to 2.1GHz and this combines with a 12GB RAM to deliver super-fast performance. One area the Lenovo Flex stands out of the crowd is that it offers up to 8 hours of battery life. You can also get up to 80% of battery in just 1 hour charge—thanks to the Rapid Charge technology. This budge-friendly laptop is also lightweight at 3.52 pounds but has a disappointing storage memory of just 256GB.
Pros
- Extremely flexible and stylish
- Touchscreen functionality
- Up to 8 hours of battery life and rapid charge
- Shutter that seals the webcam for improved security
- Lightweight and easy to handle
Cons
- Disappointing storage space
- Runs on only 1 processor
- Lacks backlit keyboard
- Low processor speed
Acer Aspire A3 – Best for sound
Only a few budget gaming laptops of 2021 can be compared to the Acer Aspire A3 when it comes to sound. It has two speakers for a full immersive sound experience. Plug in your gaming headset into the audio jack and get drawn into the game. It comes with the 7th Generation Intel Core i5 with a speed of about 2.5GHz. The speed and performance of the processor gets a boost from the 6GB DDR4 RAM which is upgradable to 12GB.
The Acer Aspire A3 is not without its shortfalls. The 15.5” screen is not full HD and maxes out at 1366 x 768. It runs on only 2 processors and has a disappointing storage space of 256GB. However, it has a solid state drive which boasts game load time. The Acer Aspire A3 is also heavy at 4.85 pounds. Nevertheless, when you choose this affordable gaming laptop, you will be getting up to 6.5 hours of battery life which is great for outdoor gaming.
Pros
- Two speakers for louder and more immersive sound
- High RAM size
- Comes with 7th Generation Intel Core i5
- Up to 6 hours battery life
Cons
- Disappointing storage space
- Extremely heavy
- Screen resolution is not Full HD
Dell Inspiron – Best for variety
Dell produces some of the best laptops under $500. With the Dell Inspiron, you will get two varieties of which one is Full HD while the other is just HD. This also gives you the opportunity to skimp on certain features while keeping the price fairly constant. The Dell Inspiron comes with the 7th Generation Intel Core i5 processor with a speed of up to 2.7GHz which has a proven superb performance that can handle large game titles. Also, it has 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD which work together to ensure fast game load and lag reduction.
While the 15.6” screen is not FHD, Dell Inspiron has the Integrated Intel HD Graphics 620 which has a decent display. Interestingly, you can project your game onto a HDTV using the HDMI port. The Dell Inspiron also feels heavy at 4.85 pounds. A few extra perks that would make you want to settle for this budget gaming laptop is that it has a backlit keyboard which allows you to stay in control in poorly-lit environment and a battery of up to 5 hours for long outdoor gaming session.
Pros
- Comes with the 7th Generation Intel Core i5
- Backlit keyboard for staying in control in poorly-lit environment
- Up to 5 hours of battery life
Cons
- Screen resolution is not Full HD
- Disappointing storage space
- Slightly heavy
HP Pavilion – Best for webcam
Gamers that indulge in multiplayer games use webcams to communicate with their team. Having a powerful webcam becomes a great asset at such times. The HP Wide Vision HD Webcam that comes with this HP Pavilion does not disappoint in this regards. In addition, you will be getting a HD Display, thanks to the AMD R7 HD Graphics. This HP Pavilion also trumps a lot of its competitors by having an AMD QUadCore processor with a speed of 2.7GHz which can be Turbo Boost to 3.6GHz.
Unlike many of the competitors on our list of best gaming laptop under 500, this HP Pavilion comes with a SuperMulti DVD+RW burner. When you choose this product, you will be getting up to 7 hours of battery life which is great for outdoor gaming. This budget-friendly gaming laptop has 12GB RAM and 1TB hard drive which gives you enough speed and space. One of the major drawbacks we found with this product is that it feels heavy at 4.63 pounds.
Pros
- High processor speed
- Touchscreen functionality
- Up to 7 hours of battery life
- Comes with SuperMulti DVD+RW burner
- Large storage space
Cons
- Slightly heavy
- Screen resolution is not FHD
Alternatives
Like earlier mentioned, there are lots of shortfalls with the best gaming laptops under $500. However, if you can expand your budget by $100, we have a few alternatives for you that overcomes some of these limitations.
Acer Aspire E 15 – Best for $100 extra
With just $100 extra, the Acer Aspire E 15 will be offering you the NVIDIA GeForce MX150 with 2GB of dedicated VRAM. It comes with the 8th Generation Intel Core i5 processor with a speed of 3.4GHz and 8GB dual RAM which gives you amazing speed and performance. With the Acer Aspire E 15 you will be able to handle some of the recent titles in Full HD with minimal lags. Another important inclusion to this affordable gaming laptop is 8X DVD Double-Layer Drive RW.
The Acer Aspire E 15 is a monster in terms of power, offering up to 15 hours of battery life. The speaker of this gaming laptop is uniquely designed to limit audio distortion and pairs with the Acer TrueHarmony to give depth, wide range of bass, and volume boost for a more immersive gaming experience. The major shortfalls you will have to battle with are large weight of this gaming laptop (5.27 pounds) and the disappointing storage space. Notwithstanding, it still stands taller than the best gaming laptops under $500.
Pros
- Dedicated NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics card
- Comes with 8th Generation Intel Core i5
- High processor speed
- Extremely long battery life
- Acer TrueHarmony for better sound quality
Cons
- Extremely heavy
- Disappointing storage memory size
Acer nitro 5 refurbished – Best refurbished under 500
One of the smart ways of getting the most of a gaming laptop at a lower price is to invest in refurbished. The Acer Nitro 5 refurbished is one of the best we saw for a budget close to $500. It is equipped with the Intel Core i5 with a speed of 2.3GHz. In addition to that, you will be getting the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti which has become the minimum standard for high-end gaming laptops. This pairs with an 8GB RAM for speed and seamless gaming experience. The screen resolution of the Acer Nitro 5 is Full HD and the thin bezel gives you a wider viewing angle.
The Acer Nitro 5 has its own flaws and the first you will likely notice is that the storage space is low. Also, the battery does not last up to 5 hours which can limit outdoor gaming. The weight of this gaming laptop is 5.95 pounds which makes handling a little difficult. The good thing we found about this refurbished Acer Nitro 5 is that it is backed by Amazon Renewed Guarantee which offers a 90 days replacement or refund if it doesn’t work as you expected.
Pros
- Backed by Amazon Renewed Guarantee
- Comes with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
- Full HD screen resolution
- Runs on 4 processors
Cons
- Average battery life
- Disappointing storage space
- Extremely heavy
Buying Guide For The Best Gaming Laptop Under 500
The secret to having an amazing gaming experience when you have a slim budget lies on your ability to make the right sacrifices. If you want a laptop that can handle fairly new game titles, you can sacrifice Full HD for a higher processor speed. While we do not set a strict minimum hardware requirement for these range of gaming laptops, we recommend you accord more priority to some features.
Processor
When you come to the under $500 gaming laptops, it becomes a choice between Intel and AMD. If you are going for Intel, keep your eyes peeled for those with Core i5. If you prefer AMD, on the other hand, go for the AMD Quad Core. If there is one place we can’t help but set a limit, it should be that of the processor speed. Anything less than 2.0GHz should be a NO.
Display Resolution
Only a few laptops under 500 will come with Full HD resolution. If you are able to get a higher disk space and processor with only HD resolution, it is still a win.
RAM Size
For a seamless gaming experience with minimal lags on a budget laptop you need a RAM size of at least 6GB. Luckily, all our best gaming laptops under 500 cross this mark.
Hard Disk Space
Like the screen resolution, if you get a low hard disk space with higher processor speed you should still go for it. Cheap gaming laptops give room for you to upgrade your hard disk space. You can always do that as your game collection increases.
Weight
One thing we noticed is that most of the budget gaming laptops of 2021 with great battery life are heavy. If you love long outdoor gaming, you can ignore the weight.
Price
While looking at the best gaming laptops under $500, it is important to also consider the alternatives which come with better hardware capabilities at a slightly higher price. If you can save $100 extra, these alternatives will be a great choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can gaming laptops under 500 play AAA titles?
You may be able to play a few AAA titles but not without lags and glares
- What are the most important features when you want to buy a gaming laptop under 500?
The type and speed of the processor and the RAM size are two areas you have to pay close attention because they ultimately determine what you can play and what you can’t.
- Can I use my gaming laptop for work?
Yes, these categories of laptops are mostly used by workers and students.
- How long will my gaming laptop last outdoor?
This varies from one manufacturer to another. But the range of battery life will usually lie with a broad range of 2 to 6 hours.
- Should I buy a refurbished gaming laptop?
Investing in refurbished laptops usually allows you to get higher hardware features for a lower price. However, when buying a refurbished product, ensure they are protected by some sort of warranty.
Conclusion
The verdict is simple, gaming is not only for the super-rich. It is possible to get a decent gaming experience using a cheap gaming laptop. However, to maximize your experience and reduce lags and glares, you have to be wise about your choice. Whenever you can, look for refurbished products because they will allow you to have higher hardware features at a lower price. This is our opinion but the choice falls back to you.
Further reading:
Best gaming laptop under 800
Best gaming laptop under 1500