Best Gaming Laptops Under $800 – Budget Friendly Gaming Laptops

I know that the sky-high prices of gaming laptops are the biggest deal-breakers for many of you out there. But do not worry, if you do your research right then you can have a reasonable laptop under the price point of $800. Having said that, I have done all the research and tested some of the best laptops that fall in your range. So without any ado, let’s start exploring the best gaming laptop under $800.

When looking for a laptop in this range, you are certainly looking for a device that does not have features that best gaming laptops under 1500 come with but they should still be able to help you enjoy a whole lot of gaming titles.

Before I list out the top 10 models in this list, here’s a small guideline of features that you should be seeking:

• RAM: 8 GB
• Storage: 256 GB – 512 GB
• CPU: Intel Core i5 processor or AMD Ryzen Alternative
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
• FPS: 45-60
• Display: 15.6 inches with FHD (1920×1080) resolution

These system requirements can easily run games like SIMS 4, Fortnite, Cyberpunk and more famous titles.

List of 10 Best Gaming Laptops Under $800

Here are the best gaming laptops under 800 that can run most of the famous gaming titles smoothly.

1. Acer Nitro 5 AN515-55-53E5 Gaming Laptop – Best Laptop Under $800 with RTX
2. Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming Laptop – Ideal Battery Time
3. Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop – Best Runner Up
4. Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 15 15.6” Laptop – Best AMD Ryzen Laptop Under 800
5. Dell G3 Gaming Laptop – Best Dell Model
6. MSI GF75 Thin Gaming Laptop – Thin and Sleek Model
7. HP Pavilion Gaming 15-Inch Laptop – High-Performance Laptop in Budget
8. ASUS TUF Gaming F17 – Best 17″ Display Laptop
9. Lenovo Legion 5 Gaming Laptop – Best Storage Option
10. MSI GF63 Thin Gaming Laptop – Best Budget Gaming Laptop

Best Gaming Laptops Under 800 USD Reviews, Pros & Cons

Now that you are aware of the topmost models under this price category, let’s check out each of the above models in a bit more detail along with their pros and cons…

1. Acer Nitro 5 AN515-55-53E5 Gaming Laptop

Based on my firsthand experience, the new Acer Nitro 5 15 gaming laptop is the beast you all wanted, this machine comes with Intel Core i5-10300H paired up with the brand new NVIDIA RTX 3050 graphics card with 4GB of dedicated VRAM. This itself makes it the best model on this list. Getting this GPU at this price range is nothing short of a steal!

It can ensure an ultra-good display of visuals, images, and graphics along with ray tracing so as to elevate your gaming experience to the next level.

The internals of this laptop are great for 1080p 100fps+ gaming as it can run every title on medium-to-high settings in 2022 with great performance.

If you talk about the storage and memory the new Acer Nitro 5 comes with, it features 8 GB DDR4 memory along with a super-fast 256GB NVMe SSD.

When I trialed this laptop, one of the features that I really loved about it is its memory and storage. As mentioned above, this machine comes with 8 GB RAM but it is also equipped with 2 DDR4 slots with the total RAM being upgradeable to up to 32 GB.

Over and above, it comes with 256 GB NVMe SSD with 2 PCIe M.2 Slots and an additional 1 X 2.5″ Hard Drive Bay. What it means is that if you face any storage issue you can add 1 TB Hard Drive to this laptop and upgrade its storage. You would agree with me when I say that this model simply knocks out other competing brands in terms of memory, storage and upgradability.

The display of the laptop is another main highlight of the product, it features an FHD 15.6 inches IPS-display with a 144Hz refresh rate.

After putting it to test, here is what the results look like in terms of FPS for some of the popular titles:

Cyberpunk 2077	50 FPS on High Settings
Red Dead Redemption 2	67 FPS on High Settings
Control	55+ FPS on High Settings
Metro Exodus	60+ FPS on Ultra Settings
Call of Duty WarZone	60+ FPS on Maximum Settings

According to a stress test, this laptop can reach an average CPU temperature of 88 degrees C and GPU a temperature of 67 degrees C, which is under the permissible limit and the device does not overheat in spite of persistent use in an intense gaming session.

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2. Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming Laptop

Lenovo is a brand that is well-known for its high-quality computers and laptops. Ideapad L340 is one of the finest laptops that you can lay your hands on when looking for a decent laptop within the range of 800 bucks. It is one of the most popular gaming laptops for Minecraft and other similar titles.

The device comes with a 9th generation Intel Core i5-9300H (which ensures smooth gameplay) along with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 that comes with 4GB of VRAM. After putting this device to test, I can safely say that this laptop is perfectly equipped to help you play most gaming titles without any issues. Even though the graphics card that it comes with is not the most advanced one available, it is perhaps one of the best that you can get within this price bracket. I must mention here that it can help you get a decent FPS rate between 45-60 in the case of most gaming titles.

Furthermore, this device comes with 8 GB DDR4 RAM and 512 NVMe SSD giving you ample storage to run most games and other important applications that you might be having on your device.

The build of this laptop is sturdy and decent for a mid-tier machine. The edges of the laptop feel smooth to your hands and the laptop is also not heavy. It’s really easy to carry it around when you want to.

Moving on, the keyboard of the IdeaPad features a short travel keyboard that has clear pressure points. If you’re someone who likes to use your laptop on the keyboard for gaming then this laptop will be your best bet. As the keys are smooth and pressure-sensitive with a monochrome backlight.

If you talk about the display of the Ideapad L340, it ships with a 15.6 inch IPS panel that provides an FHD (1920×1080) resolution.

Over and above, this device impresses me with its advanced Dopoundsy audio technology that can take your gaming experience to an entirely new level.

Another interesting feature is that this model boasts of battery life of nearly 9 hours. What it means is that it can last for as many hours while on productivity work. However, it’s going to last much less while gaming but it should not be much of a concern since most gamers love to play with their devices plugged into a socket so that they don’t run out of battery at crucial moments in the game.

In a nutshell, the laptop offers great value in this medium-range price bracket, I recommend this product if performance is your main focus.

MostValuedNoob team took the liberty of testing this laptop for a couple of games and the results are as follows:

Call Of Duty Warzone	60+ FPS on 720p & 50 FPS on Full HD Maximum Settings
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020	30 FPS on High-End Settings
Red Dead Redemption 2	50+ FPS on Medium Settings

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3. Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop

Acer is an unbeatable name in the laptop industry. Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop is on this list as it is at par with most of its competitors in the market with a pocket-friendly (talking about gaming laptop prices) price tag. Before listing its specifications, I would like to mention that it is one of the finest gaming laptops for Sims 4 and many other titles.

The device features a 9th gen Intel core i5-9300H, which is a quad-core processor that operates on the base frequency of 2.3GHz and can go up to 4.0GHz. Similarly, like its other contenders, it also features Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 and intel-HD graphics 630 cards which help the laptop process your favorite games smoothly.

As far as the memory (RAM) is concerned, at this price range, you get 8 gigs of RAM. As far as storage is concerned, it comes with 256 GB of NVMe SSD giving it enough memory and storage to help you run most gaming titles without any issues. The only reason for ranking this laptop below the Lenovo Ideapad L340 mentioned above is that it comes with a 256 GB SSD (less than the 512 GB SSD that Lenovo Ideapad L340 comes with). However, I must mention here that it is quite common for you to find laptops with a storage capacity of 256-512 GB in this price range.

Moving on to the design of the Acer Nitro 5. Judging from the first look, it seems a bit blonde unlike most of the laptops that you see on YouTube all the time. However, when you take a closer look, certain things are unique about its design.

The keyboard is small to touch and if you like the clicking sound of the keyboard, then this laptop is going to be your best bet. Similarly, the laptop also features red trimmings on the keyboard and trackpad which adds a noticeable touch to it.

As a gamer, you would be interested in finding out how this laptop performs on various titles. When the MostValueNoob team trialed this laptop here’s what the results looked like:

Call Of Duty Warzone	50+ FPS on Maximum Settings
Valorant	100+ FPS
Red Dead Redemption 2	50+ FPS on Medium Settings and 30+ FPS on High Settings
Metro Exodus	60 FPS
Mafia III	40 FPS

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4. Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 15 15.6” Laptop

Our team at MostValuedNoob.com discovered through testing this laptop that it is one of the best gaming laptops within this price range. This beast of a machine features a 6C/12T AMD Ryzen 5600H processor.

If we talk about the graphics card of the laptop, it ships with the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphic card which is pretty impressive in this price range.

The combination of these internals can run any title you throw at it on 1080p resolution with ease.

The build of the laptop feels more premier than some other options on the market. The trackpad is smooth with a sleek-looking design. You also get to enjoy multi-color backlighting for enhanced aesthetics.

The display of the device is where it creates a big benchmark for its competitors. The display of this laptop features an FHD 1080p IPS panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. All these specifications make it suitable for the list of the finest gaming laptops under 700 too.

What else could you ask for in a laptop in this price range?

However, one downside to this laptop as indicated by our tests is that it does not have a lot of storage capacity which is a bummer especially when you have to store a lot of heavy-duty games. So you will have to work out a solution for that.

This machine is worth its price, it is a must-buy for your endeavor into the gaming world. If you are concerned about its low storage, then you can always look for upgrades later on.

As far as its performance with respect to some of the popular gaming titles is concerned, here are some findings of the MostValuedNoob team:

Battlefield V	30 FPS at Ultra Settings
Far Cry 5	50 FPS at Ultra Settings
Shadow of the Tomb Raider	50+ FPS at Ultra Settings

As per the stress test conducted on this laptop, the average GPU temperature was 69 degrees C, and CPU temperature was 88 degrees C, which ensures that it is quite capable of handling long gaming sessions without getting overheated. Furthermore, you can always have the option of using cooling pads to ensure the temperature stays within the limit no matter how long you continue with your gaming session.

Since I conducted a stress test on this laptop, you can actually make out the difference in the fan sound as the load increases on both the CPU and the GPU. This test was run in 3 different modes:

• Quite mode (when the load is low) – 1-2 seconds
• Balanced mode (when the load is normal) – 3-6 seconds
• Performance mode (when the load is heavy) – 7 seconds onwards

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5. Dell G3 Gaming Laptop

Dell G3 is another great model from Dell in this price range. The company has done a solid job when you compare it to other brands and their performances.

The laptop features a 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-10300H CPU processor which is what you will get in all laptops that are available in this range.

Similarly, the storage capacity of this device is 256GB SSD which is at par with most of the models on this list. However, amping it up to 512 would be your ideal bet.

Talking about other internals, I cannot forget the graphical unit of the card. The laptop comes with an Nvidia GTX 1650 4GB graphics card which is brilliant considering the price bracket.

The look and feel of the Dell G3 is minimalistic with a sturdy design that has a backlit keyboard that has trimmed keys with a blue color on the edges.

As far as the ports of the device are concerned there are plenty of them available so you will not have to buy any external port for your gaming setup.

Based on our team’s findings, the performance of this device is not the best in the market but as far as the price range is concerned – this is top-notch that you can get and it can run almost every title in 2023 or 2024 on 1080p resolution.

Lastly, the battery of the device runs up to six hours if you game continuously which is a good average considering how fast laptops lose battery while they process heavy games and their respective graphics.

As per tests, here are findings: related to this laptop in terms of FPS for a couple of games:

Forza Horizon 5	60+ FPS on High Settings
Call Of Duty Warzone	60+ FPS
Fortnite	100+ FPS
Apex Legends	60+ FPS

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6. MSI GF75 Thin Gaming Laptop

MSI has an impeccable range of laptops and MSI GF75 thin gaming laptop is their entry-to-mid-range budget gaming laptop. If you are planning to purchase on a budget then this is where you can get the most for your money.

This machine is lightweight and fairly thin than the other machines out there. So relatively, it is a portable budget machine.

The MSI GF75 ships with an Intel Core i5-10300H processor that runs on the base frequency of 2.5GHz, the processing power of this processor is quite enough to support the new titles on 60+ frames in 2024.

When out team trialed this device, here’s how this laptop performs when it comes to some popular titles:

Talking about the processor, it is important to talk about the graphics card as well. It features a GeForce GTX 1650 4GB graphics card. You get this card in many laptops in this price range and I think this GPU is worth the attention it gets as it’s capable of supporting 1080p 60fps gaming with ease.

Furthermore, the laptop has a huge display of 17.3 inches with a refresh rate of 144Hz which makes it stand out in the market.

Yet another important feature of this laptop is when it comes to memory and storage, it happens to be on the higher end of the spectrum (in this price bracket) since it comes with 8 GB DDR4 RAM and 512 NVMe SSD, which is more than enough to help you run most gaming titles and other apps that you might be having on your device. Furthermore, it comes with an extra slot so that you can have its RAM upgraded without any issues.

As indicated by our tests, the most disappointing or rather less flashy feature of MSI GF75 is its battery. When you are gaming on a bright screen – it only lasts for about 2-3 hours – this is why you need to keep it plugged in while gaming, which is a bummer if you like to move around the house and don’t have a dedicated gaming setup.

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7. HP Pavilion Gaming 15-Inch Laptop

This HP Pavilion 15 is the 2019 variant of the HP gaming 15 laptop series. The laptop ships in a black plastic chassis with a reflective HP logo at the back of the lid.

Our team’s findings show that this machine features Intel’s Core i5 9300H processor along with the Nvidia GTX 1650 4GB graphics card that makes this laptop handle games like Apex Legends on 60+ frames on high settings.

If we talk about the display of the laptop, it has a 1080p 60hz display with thin bezels at the side that gives the laptop a premium feel along with the webcam (720p) on top of the display.

Another worth mentioning highlight of the keyboard is its green backlit keyboard. The edges of the keyboard give the laptop a green-ish theme that looks nice.

Talking about the storage and memory of the laptop, it comes with 256GB M2 NVMe and 12GB DDR4 RAM respectively. This makes it a great choice. Even though storage is more towards the lower end of the spectrum (in this price range) RAM is more than the standard 8 GB in this price range. Moreover, you can have SSD upgraded if the need be.

Overall, the HP Pavilion 15 (2019) is a very compact and powerful entry-to-medium-range gaming laptop that you can consider in 2024.

Here’s what you can expect in terms of FPS for various games:

Apex Legends	70+ FPS on High Settings
Fortnite	100+ FPS
Sims 4	100+ FPS
CS: GO	100+ FPS
GTA V	60+ FPS

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8. ASUS TUF Gaming F17

Asus TUF F17 does not come with the best hardware available out there but as for the money, it has a great price-to-performance ratio as it ships with Intel Core i5 10th generation processor (i5-10300H) along with the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650Ti. I must mention here that this GPU is more advanced than NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 which most of the models mentioned above come with.

After testing different games (GTA V, Fortnite, Hitman 3 etc) on high settings at 1080p resolution, I got 75+ frames with ease. If you are willing to compete on higher frames, you can always tweak in-game visuals to get better frames. VALORANT 100 + FPS.

Furthermore, the highlight of this laptop is its bigger screen. It comes with a 17.3 inches FHD (1920×1080) IPS with a refresh rate of 144Hz. What else could you ask for in this price range!

If you talk about the design and built quality of the ASUS TUF F17, it is a very heavyweight machine so I do not recommend this laptop if you travel a lot. However, the color scheme it comes with is super eye-catching.

Discussing the storage and memory, it comes with a 512GB M2 SSD along with 8 gigabytes of the single-channel memory stick. I do recommend you to look for another 8GB memory stick, this upgrade is going to be worth the extra bucks you spend on it.

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9. Lenovo Legion 5 Gaming Laptop

For all the AMD fans out there, this medium-range gaming laptop is for you. The Lenovo Legion 5 has a plain and minimalistic chassis. It has a rainbow-style Legion logo at the right side of the lid that looks nice.

Talking about the internals of the machine, this Lenovo Legion 5 variant comes with AMD’s 6 cores Ryzen 5 4600H processor that operates on the base frequency of 3.0GHz and goes up to 4.0GHz. This is a powerful processor that can easily handle most gaming titles.

If you jump onto the graphics unit of the card, it ships with a GTX 1650Ti card that has 4GB of GDDR6 memory. As mentioned above, 1650 Ti is an updated version of the GTX 1650 card and is likely to perform better.

Like other laptops in this price bracket, this one also comes with 8 gigs of DDR4 RAM along with a 1TB hard drive and 256GB SSD. This makes it one of the few laptops that come with excellent storage and memory in this price bracket.

One worth mentioning highlight of the laptop that our team discovered during trials is its upgradeable memory; If you find 8GB RAM low according to your gaming needs then you can get it upgraded.

The laptop also features rapid charge pro-technology, which charges the laptop up to 50 percent in around 25-30 minutes.

Here’s how it is likely to perform in terms of FPS for a couple of games:

Cyber PUNK 2077	55 FPS on High Settings
Control	70+ FPS
Red Dead Redemption	60+ FPS

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10. MSI GF63 Thin Gaming Laptop

This is a highly popular model and it also features on the list of the most preferred gaming laptops for Fortnite.

Let’s check out its specifications in detail…

Configurations of the MSI GF63 include an Intel Core i5-8300H processor with the Nvidia GTX 1650 4GB graphics card. Like other competitors, this machine can also support 1080p gaming in 2024.

The laptop features a high-quality FHD 15.6 inches IPS panel with thin bezels that enhance the overall design of the laptop. Talking about the design, the laptop has a sturdy sleek design made up of high-quality plastic and gives the feel of brushed aluminum.

The keyboard of the laptop has red backlit keys, which gives the whole laptop a red gaming theme.

If you talk about the storage, the laptop features a very fast M2 NVMe SSD of 256GB, that might be low in space for some of you out there but you can always upgrade it later on.

Talking about storage, it’s essential to speak of RAM too. The laptop comes with a single stick of 8GB memory. I recommend you purchase another 8GB stick and make it a total of 16GB memory.

However, its RAM can be upgraded up to 64GB.

In a nutshell, this is another premium gaming laptop by MSI in the price range of under $800. I recommend this laptop if you do not want to compromise on the specs while maintaining your budget.

Based on our teams firsthand experience, here’s how this device is likely to perform in terms of FPS for a couple of games:

Fortnite	60+ on High Settings
Battlefield V and Far Cry 5	45+ FPS
Watch Dogs 2	30 FPS on Ultra Settings

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Buying Guide for Gaming Laptops Under $800

Buying a laptop is no doubt a tricky task as there are tons of options available in the market especially if you are planning to purchase a defined price bracket. Below are some pro tips that you should consider before purchasing to get the most out of your money.

Prioritize graphics card and processor

Most people invest in a low-tier laptop while thinking about upgrading it later on. However, processors and graphics cards are those components that cannot be upgraded later on.

Along with that, the performance of your gaming laptop is directly proportional to the processing power of your internals (CPU and GPU). The more powerful your graphics card and processor are, the better results you will get. Even though a laptop under $800 cannot come with a high-end processor, you must still opt for those that are powered with an Intel Core i5 processor or an AMD Ryzen alternative. At this price point, you should not settle for an i3 processor.

Similarly, when it comes to the GPU, you must not settle for anything less than NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650. If you are able to get a GTX 1650 Ti or an advanced version you must grab it with both your hands.

Keyboard

Gaming is all about your inhibitions, we agree – but the keyboard of your laptop also plays an important role in how well you can play. When you look for a good gaming laptop, take time to analyze if you are comfortable with the keys.

The best keyboard will have a sturdy design that can last you for years as gaming can get hectic. When looking for a laptop within 800 bucks make sure that the keys are spacious and not too cramped for better precision.

RAM

Gaming requires a lot of processing power especially if you are playing high-end games like call of duty. A good gaming laptop should at least have 8GB RAM for better performance. Although, 16 GB is the ideal package that will be too expensive for some people – and since we are talking about budget-friendly gaming laptops, 8GB will do a fine job at this price point. Moreover, if you can get a model that is upgradable and bears an extra slot, you must opt for it.

A few years down the line, such a model can be upgraded so that your system has more memory to cope with increasing data or heavier titles.

Storage

The storage of a laptop does not get the attention it deserves. People often purchase a laptop with low or average storage and then regret it later on. Because the new titles take 20-50GBs of storage on average and not only the games, your work files, pictures and other data. It all requires tons of space to get stored on.

So, never compromise on the low storage of a device and opt for a device with high storage. Ideally, at this price point, you must go for a device that comes with at least 256 GB of SSD. There are some models that can be upgraded later on and include a slot for HDD too. Such models are a great option too since they can help you play heavier titles and expansion packs with ease.

Display

When it comes to gaming, a good display not only improves the visuals of your gameplay but also enhances your performance in competitive gaming. A display with higher refresh rate results in great smoothness that helps you perform better.

I recommend you opt for a laptop with at least 1920x1080p resolution at this price point. Anything under that is simply a waste of money in 2024.

Moving on to the refresh rate, while looking for options – make sure that your laptop has a minimum refresh rate of 60Hz if you play story games. However, if you are a competitive gamer then you should not settle for anything less than 144Hz.

Although, many other aspects can be considered while purchasing a laptop. However, these were the top factors that directly affect the performance of your laptop.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the best 800 dollar gaming laptop?

While it is true that at this price point you are not looking for a high-end model, there exist some good laptops that can help you get a decent gaming experience. One of the best laptops that I can recommend at this price point is Acer Nitro 5 AN515-55-53E5 Gaming Laptop. For more options, you may check the list above.

Is $800 good for a laptop?

Gaming laptops come in different specifications and their prices vary accordingly. Even though it is not possible to get a laptop with high-end features for 800 bucks, you can still get one that may manage a decent gaming experience. Some of the models listed above can help you get a decent 45-60 FPS rate too.

Conclusion

Gaming laptops are an expensive buy, therefore doing proper research before you jump the gun is important. Many options in the market will serve you as a good gaming option while being pocket-friendly.

Let us know in the comments below if you like this article and did you end up buying any of these machines?