If you think it’s difficult to get a gaming laptop when you have a budget of $500 then you are right. But to help you with this we have gathered some of the best gaming laptops within 500 dollars price range.
In this price range, you can expect reasonable hardware and decent battery life.
But it’s not fair to expect high-end performance and most of the AAA titles on these gaming machines they are unplayable.
As we have discussed earlier it’s really a tough job to find the best gaming laptops under $500. But we have assembled some of the best gaming laptops in this price range. So, let’s look at the list.
HP 15 Gaming Laptop
Asus Vivobook 5 Gaming Laptop
Acer Aspire 5 Slim Gaming Laptop
Acer Aspire 3
Lenovo Ideapad 3 Gaming Laptop
Dell Inspiron 15 3593 Gaming Laptop
Acer Swift 3 Gaming Laptop
Buying Guide – Crucial Things To Ponder Before You Buy The Best Gaming Laptops Under 500 Dollars
A Strong Processor:
No matter what price range you are focusing on, you can’t take this element lightly processor is a vital part of any gaming laptop. All the exclusive games need a robust CPU to provide you with an uninterrupted gaming affair.
But as our budget is confined to $500, we don’t have that many options at hand. But still, a reasonable processor is what you can expect.
Lag-free gaming can be enjoyed if you go for at least an i5 10th generation processor. But if you are inclined towards an AMD chip, then you can go for AMD Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 chipsets.
Graphics Card:
A Graphics card has the ability to upgrade the gaming performance, it’s very vital when it comes to a gaming laptop. Particularly if it is a dedicated one then you can definitely see the better performance.
But the problem here is we are focusing on the budget of $500 and they don’t offer a dedicated GPU. All of the banks are on the integrated graphics card, which is fitting for casual gaming.
But you can’t play any of the AAA titles on these laptops. Usually, the laptops in this price range mainly bank on the CPU instead of the graphics card.
RAM & Storage:
With the advancement in technology, memory usage has increased tremendously. All the latest games eat up more memory due to the imposition of heavy graphics.
That’s why the Random Access Memory, also known as RAM, is the most important element as it helps to process data. It becomes necessary to get a laptop with more RAM. 8GB RAM is what you can get in laptops under $500, that’s quite enough to avoid any stoppage.
You can store your data in storage. If you go for at least 256GB and if it’s SSD, then you will get a faster transfer rate.
If you want you can always get an external drive to tackle the issue of storage. Because of the low budget, many laptop makers offer subordinate storage.
The display is also very important when we talk about gaming laptops. it has the ability to make or break the overall system. You can’t have a great time when you game if the display is too dull or too dim.
So display is very important, and don’t spend money on the hardware unless you make sure that the display can make most out of it.
Don’t go for smaller than this as you will struggle to game on it. Anything between 15 and 17 inches will be ideal for gaming. And go for at least a 1080p (FHD) resolution if you want clarity; anything higher will be a stroke of luck, particularly in this price range.
Some of the best gaming laptops do have some battery woes, they last for an hour or two at most when under load. And you can’t just bank on manufacturer claims when it comes to battery life.
Try to ask the people who are already using these machines, as they can tell you exactly how long the system can run without being plugged in. Be prepared to carry around an AC adapter whenever you want to have a long gaming session.
Is it must to get a dedicated GPU for a gaming laptop?
Yes, a dedicated GPU plays a key role when it comes to heavy gaming. But if we talk about casual gaming, integrated GPU is quite sufficient.
As all the high-end gaming laptops are expensive. And we are focusing on the budget of $500, it’s better you bank on the CPU for gaming.
Which one is the best cheap gaming laptop?
You can’t pinpoint one as the best cheap gaming laptop. It all depends on the features that a laptop comprises and the money you want to spend. But when it comes to value for money, Acer Aspire 3 is well-liked by many.
Can you use a gaming laptop for everyday use?
Yes, all the laptops that we have mentioned in the above list are quite proficient in managing your routine work. If you look at these machines they are specially designed for casual multitasking.
Conclusion:
When you have a minimal budget of $500, you don’t get many options at hand that fit in the gaming category. And the options that we get offer conventional hardware, which is not enough when it comes to intense gaming.
But if your pocket is not allowing you to spend more than the suggested price, the Acer Aspire 3 is at hand under this price range.
And when we look at other options that are at hand, are equally good for casual gaming. But the amount that we have focused on is not ideal for a gaming laptop.
So now you have two options either you can stretch your budget, or just enjoy casual gaming as intense gaming is certainly not possible on the gaming laptops that you get in this price range.
And if you are looking to play some casual games and use this laptop for your routine work then this laptop is perfect. So you have the list of the devices which you can get for under $500. Take your time and get the best one.
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