Are you planning to buy a gaming laptop, but your budget is tight? This article will tell you how to choose the best one depending on your needs.
With the state of the world today, many people are choosing to stay at home to be safe. But aside from working or studying, we all need to come up with things to keep us sane while at home.
Consequently, more and more individuals are getting into playing video games. There are tons of different kinds of games to choose from – anything under the sun, really. There are virtual realities, simulations, role-playing, arcade, etc. Indeed, gaming has become more popular than ever.
When playing games, your device is very important. You have to choose a piece of equipment that suits your style, is durable, and of course, one that can keep up with long hours of gaming.
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Things to Consider When Buying a Gaming Laptop
So, what are the things to consider when buying a gaming laptop? We’ve listed them right here to guide you.
1. GPU and CPU
The Graphics Processing Unit and the CPU Processing Unit, GPU and CPU for short, are the performance drivers of your gaming laptop. They should be the first things to check when you’re planning on buying a laptop.
GPU and CPU play a crucial role in the overall performance of your laptop besides how well it performs when you’re playing your video games.
It’s the GPU that separates gaming laptops from non-gaming ones. If you’re the kind of person who’s into action-packed and intense games that depend on graphics heavily, then you can’t compromise on the GPU.
The CPU, on the other hand, is the brain of your gaming laptop. Find one that has at least a 10th or 11th Gen Intel Core-i7 processor. An i9 processor would be good, too.
For the GPU, the RTX or Nvidia GeForce GTX are high-quality and can definitely support your gaming.
2. RAM
Many games at present require large-capacity RAM or Random Access Memory to run. If your gaming laptop doesn’t have enough RAM, then your game will often lag and buffer.
For usual everyday tasks, you can get by with 8 GB of RAM. But for gaming, the minimum requirement for efficient and smooth gameplay is 16 GB. Most laptops have a default RAM capacity, but you can upgrade it at any time.
3. Storage
For most gaming laptops, 1 TB HDD of storage can be expected. But SSD and NVMe drives are recommended since they can significantly improve the performance of your computer.
For storage space, at least 256 GB is suggested, but opting for one that has 512 GB is even better.
4. Display Screen
Visuals and graphics are crucial when gaming. Many games have high-end graphics, and you’ll need a good screen on your gaming laptop to support them.
Higher resolution will also add to the visual experience gamers look for. The minimum requirement for resolution is a 1920 x 1080 display. In addition, the ideal refresh rate for gaming would be 1080 p at 60 Hz.
For your screen display size, it will entirely depend on you, if you prefer 15 or 16-inch screens or even bigger, or if you like the smaller, more compact ones.
5. Keyboard
The keyboard is your primary input method when gaming. It includes your controls and many other things. Take note that keyboards are not easy to replace, so be sure you get a good one right off the bat.
The key travel distance should be between 1.5 mm and 2 mm. This will allow you to move between the keys efficiently. What’s better is having a mechanical keyboard, but this will be more costly. It’s up to you if you want a backlight or different-colored keys on your keyboard.
6. Audio
To complete your gaming experience, realistic sound effects would do the trick. From the realistic sound of guns to car engines, the sound and the music will surely give you an immersive experience.
Best Affordable Gaming Laptops Under $300
If you want to buy a new laptop, but you’re worried about the cost, then this list is for you. Let’s get to know more about the best affordable gaming laptops under $300.
ASUS Laptop L406MA-WH02
This laptop is undoubtedly top of the line. It has an Intel Celeron N4000 Processor, 4 GB RAM, and 65 GB storage space. It uses Windows 10 and has Intel UHD Graphics 600, which will give you the best visual experience. Lastly, depending on usage, its battery can last up to 12 hours.
ASUS Laptop L406MA-WH02 is a lightweight gaming laptop with a decent 14-inch screen size. It’s recommended to set the graphics at low or medium for smooth gameplay.
Its budget CPU can support classic and old games, so if that’s what you’re going for, that wouldn’t be a problem. Another issue with this product is its limited storage capacity. But luckily enough, you can use a micro SD card to increase it.
The exterior is made of magnesium alloy, which provides more grip. It also comes up with a built-in fingerprint sensor for faster login.
Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-30BQ
This lightweight and portable laptop has been trending since its introduction to the market in 2019. It has one of the best price-to-performance ratios among its class. Acer will really give you value for your money when you get this gaming laptop.
It has a CPU that is 3.5 GHz ryzen_3, 4 GB RAM, and 128 GB SSD. The 15.6-inch screen will give you a vibrant color display and high IPS. Set the graphics at medium to guarantee a gaming experience without lags.
It comes in a silver color with an aluminum lid that will ensure durability and quality. In addition, it also has a commendable backlit keyboard which is mostly found in high-end gaming laptops. After one charge, you can use it for 10 hours.
Lenovo IdeaPad 110
This gaming laptop is powered by Intel Pentium 4405U processor. It has 4GB SDRAM, but you can add 4 GB for extra space. Aside from that, you’ll get a 500 HDD storage space and an optical disk drive.
Plus, it comes with the typical ports for USB 3.0, USB 2.0, HDMI, VGA Out, and 3.5 mm Combo Audio Jack.
The laptop is very lightweight and portable. It comes with a webcam mounted on it, with dual 1.5 W Dolby Audio speakers. It can offer up to 2 – 3 hours of battery life, depending on how you use it.
Dell Inspiron i3541-2001BLK
This is one of the best laptops both for work and play, as it’s ideal for multitasking. It has an AMD A6-6310 Quad-Core Processor and an AMD Radeon R4 graphics card with 4GB DDR3L-1600 RAM. It runs on Windows 8.
It’s very thin and overall delivers a decent performance and gaming experience without overheating. This gaming laptop has a mounted webcam and microphone, a 500 GB 5,400 RPM HDD, and a 3-in-1 card reader.
The screen is 15.6-inches and has 1366 x 768 HD resolution with Truelife LED Backlit technology. It offers a battery life of up to 5 – 6 hours with moderate usage.
Acer Aspire 5 A515-46-R14K
With 4GB RAM and 64GB eMMC flash storage, this laptop is surely of high quality. It has a 14-inch screen display that has vibrant and crisp graphics and colors. It will deliver excellent performance with a 3.5 GHz ryzen_3 processor.
On this laptop, you can play League of Legends and DOTA 2 in low graphic settings. For other games, medium settings can support them.
Another amazing feature of this gaming laptop is its backlit keyboard. You can also connect it with Smart Home Systems such as Alexa. It has a long battery life that can last up to 10 hours.
HP 7MP80UA
This is one of the best-selling budget gaming laptops in the market. It’s portable, affordable, and perfect for everyday use and playing.
It includes 4GB of RAM but only a 128GB hard drive, limiting performance when multitasking. Also, it won’t provide much storage capacity for large games, media, and files.
It operates on Windows 10, has a 14-inch screen, and integrated graphics with 1920 x 1080 display resolution. Generally, it’s a good laptop for casual gamers.
Final Say
When you’re on a budget while looking to buy a gaming laptop, you should understand that some features won’t be the best and will be compromised. But, we’ve enumerated the best ones that will give you the best value for your money with top-notch specifications.
You should also do some of your own research on what these laptops have to offer. Check for the processors, storage, battery life, keyboard, display and resolution, and audio or sound quality.
