It isn’t easy finding a gaming laptop for under $500, but it isn’t impossible either. We have scoured the market and came up with six models that fit that parameter. None of these is a high-end gaming rig, and let’s be honest, for that price you can’t really expect one, but they will allow you to play most modern games. Granted, it won’t be in 4K 160 FPS, but some sacrifices have to be made if you want to keep your gaming laptop under $500.
ASUS VivoBook F510UA Gaming Laptop
Processor: 8th Generation Intel Core i5-8250U 1.6 GHz Quad Core Processor (Turbo up to 3.4 GHz); RAM: 8GB DDR4 RAM; Storage: 1TB Hard Drive; Graphics: Intel UHD 620 Graphics; Display: 15.6-inch Full HD Anti-Glare display with 1920 x 1080 Resolution; Operating System: Windows 10 Home 64-bit OS; Battery Life: Up to 6 hours; Weight: 3.7 lbs
Img source: newegg.com
ASUS VivoBook F510UA is a beautifully designed laptop, with its gray casing. Not only that, it has a powerful 8th generation Intel Core i5-8250U that can run at 3.4 GHz. Coupled with 8 GB of RAM, it should be enough for gaming. And you get a Full HD display, with Asus’s proprietary NanoEdge technology, which will allow you to spend hours looking at it without adverse effects.
HP 15-DA0002DX Laptop
Processor: Intel Core i5-8250U Quad-Core Processor (Turbo up to 3.4 GHz); RAM: 8 GB DDR4 RAM; Storage: 128GB SSD; Graphics: Intel UHD 620 Graphics; Display: 15.6-inch WLED-backlit Touchscreen display with 1366 x 768 Resolution; Operating System: Windows 10 Home 64-bit OS; Battery Life: Up to 6 hours; Weight 3.9 lbs
Img source: bestbuy.com
We are used to HP making quality laptops and this one is not an exception. HP 15-DA0002DX comes with a 128 GB solid-state drive for that fast boot times, so you won’t have to wait for ages once you press the power button. It will also help with gaming performance.
HP 15z Laptop
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 2500U 2GHz Quad-Core 8th Gen Processor (Turbo up to 3.6GHz); RAM: 8GB DDR4 RAM; Storage: 256GB SSD; Graphics: AMD Radeon Vega 8; Display 15.6 Inch HD WLED-backlit touchscreen display with 1366 x 768 Resolution; Operating System: Windows 10 Home 64-bit OS; Battery Life: Up to 5 hours; Weight: 4.6 lbs
Img source: notebookcheck.net
The first AMD model on our list, HP 15z has AMD Ryzen 5 2500U 2GHz Quad-Core 8th Gen Processor, which comes with built-in Vega 8 graphics. Despite being integrated, Vega 8 provides better gaming than many stand-alone graphics processors. If 8 GB of RAM isn’t enough, you can easily upgrade it.
Dell Inspiron 5575
Processor: Intel Core i5-8250U Quad-Core 1.6 GHz Processor (Turbo up to 3.4 GHz); RAM: 8GB DDR4 RAM; Storage: 1TB of HDD; Graphics: Intel UHD 620 Graphics; Display: 15.6 Inch Full HD Anti-Glare Touchscreen Display with 1920 x 1080 Resolution; Operating System: Windows 10 Home 64-bit OS; Battery Life: Up to 5 hours; Weight: 4.85 lbs
Img source: techspot.com
Integrated UHD 620 graphics may not be on par with Vega 8, but it isn’t bad either. It will allow you to play some of the most popular games on the market today. A powerful Intel Core I % processor and 8 GB of RAM will also help.
Lenovo Ideapad 330
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 2500U 2.0GHz Processor (Turbo up to 3.6GHz); RAM: 8GB RAM; Storage: 256GB SSD; Graphics: AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics; Display; 15.6 Inch Full HD LED Display with 1920 x 1080 Resolution; Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit OS; Battery Life: 5 hours; Weight: 4.8 lbs
Img source: lenovo.com
This is probably your best choice for a gaming laptop under $500. With AMD Ryzen 5 2500U 2.0GHz Processor and Vega 8 graphics, Lenovo Ideapad 330 has enough power to run even more demanding games. It also comes with a Full HD display for your viewing pleasure and a 256 SSD, adding even more speed on the table.
HP 17-inch Gaming Laptop
Processor: 7th Gen Intel Core i5-7200U Dual-Core Processor (Turbo up to 3.1 GHz); RAM: 8GB DDR4 RAM; Storage: 1TB HDD; Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 620; Display: 17.3-Inch WLED-backlit Display with 1600 x 900 Resolution; Operating System: Windows 10 Home 64-bit OS; Battery Life: Up to 7 hours; Weight: 5.8 lbs
Img source: amazon.com
It is rare to find a 17.3-inch laptop under $500, especially a gaming one, but we did it. This HP has a bit older7th generation Intel Core i5 processor, but that is only a minor issue. It can run GTA 5 at 25 to 30 FPS, with graphics scaled down, which is still a decent result and the one you can enjoy.
