10 Best Gaming Laptops Under 500 Dollars (3 Around $700)

A high-end gaming laptop is quite expensive, especially if you want to buy the latest and greatest.

However, most people think more practically, and this is where the best gaming laptops come in at under $500. The majority of people cannot afford to buy a new laptop for gaming purposes at exorbitant prices, as it’s an unnecessary expenditure. You only have a brief window of time to play AAA games at high settings on a gaming laptop system before you have to upgrade again. This is why budgeting is important.

But if you do not mind about fidelity concerns, then you can get a pretty decent gaming laptop for $500 that can handle several PC games perfectly well. 

Will all of them look great and perform well? Most probably not but they are still fun to play with. As a matter of fact, the best gaming laptops under $500 will give you maximum bang for your buck when playing games online or offline.

Finding the best gaming laptops under $500 was not an easy task. I had to look for the kind of hardware you can get with that kind of budget. Having that in mind, I chose the individual picks based on third-party reviews and customer feedback.

The following are some gaming laptops under $500 that you can go for and still have enjoyable gaming. If you are looking for high-end gaming laptops, we have added 3 incredible laptops by the end of this list.

Acer Aspire Vero AV15-51-5155

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Review:

An excellent option for gamers seeking a laptop under $500 is the Acer Aspire Vero AV15-51-5155. Your gaming experience will be outstanding because of the great specifications it possesses.

 Eco-friendly laptop:

This laptop is made with some recycled materials, which demonstrates that Acer really wanted to make an effort. For example, this is one of Acer’s greenest laptops, as they have already shown their commitment to sustainability. This way, they recycle and thus prevent solid waste from polluting the environment.

Compared to other 15-inch laptops on the market, it appears more realistic. Its case has 30% PCR, while its keys are produced from 50% PCR.

In addition to being very appealing on sight, it is eco-friendly, and feels nice and firm upon touch, so people would wonder at its beauty and toughness even from afar.

Let us now talk about the processor. This laptop is a beast, no doubt; it is in the form of an 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1155G7. It runs heavily loaded games without any stuttering or lag, hence providing an amazing performance. Additionally, there are intelligent Iris Xe Graphics, which ensure that you have clear images and more beautiful colors to make your gaming experience more life-like.

This laptop also contains a 15.6″ FHD IPS display. You can achieve accurate and realistic colors by having 100% sRGB coverage. Whether you are playing intense multiplayer matches or exploring huge open worlds, this enhances the visual quality and overall gaming experience.

Similarly, it has 8 GB of RAM. E.g., larger capacity multitasking can take place where you can easily play games without interruptions even when running multiple applications at the same time.

In addition, it boots quickly and loads games faster due to its 256GB SSD storage; hence, one can enjoy uninterrupted playing with their favorite titles.

Thus, this gaming laptop seems like a heavyweight by virtue of its powerful processor, crisp display, and spacious storage. For any serious gamer who requires high performance and affordability, this laptop is the best option.

It also comes with such features as a fingerprint reader for added security and convenience, a battery life of 7.5 hours and it weighs only 3.97 pounds, making it light to carry around.

Nevertheless, among higher-end gaming laptops such as the Acer Predator Helios 300, this is not the most powerful spec-wise; however, the Acer Aspire Vero offers acceptable gaming within budgetary constraints. Note that you probably need to play around with game settings to maximize performance, depending on the limitations of your hardware resources.

To sum up, if you are on the hunt for gaming laptops under $500, then you should consider getting yourself an Acer Aspire Vero for sure.

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Acer Aspire 3

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Review:

This Acer Aspire 3 laptop has remained almost the same over generations but it is not all bad. It is a good, low-cost entry-level machine.

This laptop is not for gaming like many other Acer laptops, but having a few games on this machine and playing them occasionally won’t hurt.

Firstly, it comes with a 15.6“ FHD IPS touch screen display that has a clear and immersive display. Because of its low refresh rate, the graphics are not very good for gaming.

The AMD Ryzen 5 7520U processor will be an excellent choice for someone on a tight budget for gaming. It outperforms the i7-1165G7 which is quite impressive. With this processor, you can easily run any game without any delays and play most modern games on medium to low settings.

When it comes to casual gaming or multitasking, the 8GB RAM size is relatively okay.

 Nevertheless, if you are going to play demanding games or open multiple programs at once, then it may be better to increase your RAM so that you can have a smoother experience.

This gaming laptop falls under the $500 price range. That will, of course, limit the number of games you can play.

The 512GB SSD enables fast storage and quick loading times, which are really important in gaming. You will not experience any slowdown issues when installing your games the way you choose. 

Additionally, the AMD Radeon Graphics are not as powerful as dedicated gaming graphics cards but they can handle less complex games and old titles quite well too. These lower-specification games shall provide smooth game play with reasonable frame rates.

In general, it’s a very affordable laptop with great battery life for task handling and even light gaming, but if you are a heavy gamer, you need to upgrade your choice in that case.

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MSI Modern laptop (highly suitable for gaming)

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Review:

MSI is mostly known for its gaming laptops and this new brand is a suitable choice for both gaming and small businesses. For instance, the MSI Cyborg 15 Gaming Laptop and the MSI Thin GF63 are two of the latest models we have reviewed, ideal for both gaming and work.

Nevertheless, here we are mainly concerned with gaming laptops under $500 and my research indicates that they are much better in terms of gaming speed than the above-mentioned laptops.

MSI Modern 14 is an excellent choice for people who want a powerful laptop that is still affordable. It has a thin 14-inch display; hence, it strikes the best balance between being portable and productive at the same time.

One of its standout features is the enormous 16GB RAM capacity, which ensures quick operation and seamless multitasking performance. Be it using multiple applications concurrently or gaming during your leisure time, this laptop will handle it all.

It works on Windows 11; therefore, you get to enjoy various new features and a friendly interface. It’s perfect for both work and play.

With an Intel Core i5 processor powering the MSI Modern 14, the computer can process commands quickly and effectively. It is ideal for light office work or gaming because of its responsiveness and smooth operation. 

You will have more than enough space on a 512GB SSD to store all of your documents, files, and games. You don’t have to worry about running out of space any time soon!

In terms of dimensions, the MSI Modern 14 measures 14.13 x 9.49 x 0.78 inches, which makes it small enough to carry around easily with one hand. Not only that, but its weight is only roughly 3.75 pounds, so you will not feel heavy carrying it around with you everywhere you go.

MSI Modern 14 is also very good in terms of its battery life. In light usage such as web browsing and productivity using Chrome or watching videos via the Netflix app. This is quite impressive for a laptop with this size and weight.

The MSI Modern 14 is by no means a gaming-focused machine, though its Intel Iris Xe graphics do offer decent visuals for less graphics-intensive games like Asphalt 9: Legends. 

For those who want a device that can also be used for casual gaming, this is the most suitable option.

Broadly speaking, this is an excellent selection of an inexpensive and dependable laptop. The producer has added all the essential features to make it ideal for both official duties and entertainment. Actually, if you are searching for gaming laptops below $500 in price, this should be among them.

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Dell Inspiron ‎3515

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Review:

The Dell Inspiron 3515 is a highly elegant and powerful laptop. This laptop has a 15.6-inch screen, providing a good display size that makes gaming more immersive.

It runs on the AMD Ryzen 5 3450U 3rd Gen quad-core processor, making it faster and easier for you to concentrate on what you are doing. It is a heavyweight performance with light portability.

Windows 11 comes with a user-friendly interface that gives users the opportunity to use it whenever they wish to play games. It is good, whether for office work or playing games.

One of the other things that can be noted is the fact that it has AMD Radeon Vega graphics for a normal gaming experience.

Some of its features that make it great, among others, include its impressive RAM memory of 32GB, which ensures heavy multitasking and running the most demanding games today.

This laptop can run Fortnite, Apex Legends, Minecraft, PUBG, and GTA V – some of the biggest PC games at recommended level

Also, Dell Inspiron always comes to the minds of many gamers who have been searching for such laptops

This laptop is capable of playing most games because it has high specifications and decent graphics but it does not have a high-resolution screen; hence, consider other options if you like HD visual effects.

However, if your main focus is on buying a gaming laptop under $500, then this one can be a suitable option.

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CHUWI CoreBook XPro

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Review:

Will $500 get you a good budget laptop? Chuwi believes that the CoreBook XPro’s fast-refresh screen and low cost could be appealing to buyers. Additionally, it is well-priced when compared to rival products, except for one major “catch.”

However, the type of processor that cannot handle heavy games makes it not ideal for gaming as such. On the other hand, light gaming might be something that is easy for this machine, given its good performance This includes a powerful Intel Core i3-1215U processor that can go up to 4.4 GHz.

Its 15.6″ Full HD display has a resolution of 1920×1080, which is the most popular resolution among gamers, thereby providing clear visuals and bright colors when playing.

Let’s be clear; this is ideal for watching videos and working. Although it’s not designed for gaming purposes or video editing, the Iris Plus Graphics 655 GPU is not very good in much else as well, but at least it doesn’t contribute to high temperatures inside the laptop as dedicated cards would.

However, Iris Plus Graphics 655 cannot handle such games as Cyberpunk 2077, God of War, or Halo Infinite properly, though it’s a bit difficult to find another game that would have such high graphics requirements today. In fact, you could play games such as Farming Simulator and Forza Horizon 5 on low settings by lowering the graphics options to the lowest possible level.

However, I understand that expensive gaming laptops may not be affordable for everyone and therefore there are many options to choose from when it comes to gaming laptops under $500, which is perfect if you only want to do some light gaming.

Also, note that you can expand the laptop’s storage size up to 1TB, meaning more space can be used for storing extra games, files, and multimedia.

The CHUWI CoreBook XPro has an optimal blend of performance, memory capacity, and display resolution, all at a reasonable price, thus making it ideal for gamers as well as general users.

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Lenovo IdeaPad Laptop 2024

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Review:

Lenovo laptops are workhorses. But did you know they can also be gaming beasts? This laptop, in particular, is built for creative tasks such as video and photo editing; however, that doesn’t imply it’s only for artistic people—no. This computer will serve you well, whether you’re a student taking Zoom classes or someone who enjoys spending their weekends gaming nonstop.

Lenovo offers the IdeaPad series at affordable prices. However, the latest release falls within this line. The new Lenovo IdeaPad features an AMD Ryzen 7 5700U processor, making it one of the few laptops with Octa-Core processing power and a 15-inch FHD IPS touch screen.

Here’s what you need to know about this laptop: It has a clear and sharp 1080p IPS touch display. It comes equipped with 16GB of DDR4 RAM (which is great for multitasking), and it boasts a roomy 512GB SSD. Whether you’re working from home or playing games late into the night, this machine won’t let you down.

But this is not enough!

This laptop is great in terms of performance. It is powered by an octa-core AMD Ryzen 7 5700U processor that ensures seamless gaming and intense application performance characterized by high clock speeds. The chip comes with eight cores, which foster multitasking and efficiency due to the employment of simultaneous multithreading. It can also reach a maximum speed of 4.3 GHz for heavier workloads.

You can run games as well as edit videos or photos without any lag on this machine thanks to its capacious 16GB of RAM and fast processor. It also has a 512GB SSD, which loads apps quickly and speeds up system setup compared to conventional hard drives. Just think of speeding down the digital highway at top speed! This is what this laptop offers.

It has a clear display with crisp visuals and a large 15.6 inches full HD touch screen, which is incredible for watching movies or playing games. IPS technology allows wide viewing angles so you can share what’s happening on your screen easily with anyone. Additionally, the energy saving feature lets gamers continue their activities longer without worrying about battery life.

On the left side of the laptop, you’ll find the place to plug in the power cord, a slot for connecting to a TV or monitor, a special USB port that can charge your devices and connect to a screen, and a place to plug in headphones. On the other side, there are two regular USB ports, a slot for memory cards, and a button to turn the laptop on and off.

Being loaded with Windows 11, this laptop will provide you with all the latest features as well as updates. Windows 11 marks a big move forward for Microsoft. Microsoft is really putting effort into making things better for users. It has a new look that’s easier to use, runs faster, and is even better for playing games.

This laptop, equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 5700U processor, can handle a variety of games at impressive frame rates:

1. Grand Theft Auto V: It can run at very high settings with an average of 130 FPS.
2. Counter-Strike 2: This game runs smoothly at very high settings with around 365 FPS.
3. League of Legends: Enjoy epic battles with an average of 164 FPS.
4. Fortnite: Play with high settings and experience around 226 FPS.
5. Valorant: This laptop can handle Valorant at its best looking settings with an average of 776 FPS.

All things considered, if you are someone who is looking for a strong yet adaptable device, this laptop has got you covered!

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HP Victus 15 Gaming Laptop

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Review:

You no longer have to break the bank just to get a good gaming laptop. The HP victus 15 comes equipped with some serious power under its hood: the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS processor, 16GB of DDR4 RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050 graphics card. Not only that, but you also get an ultrafast storage option in the form of a 1TB solid-state drive, along with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3.

Coming in at an impressive size of around 15.6 inches, this device can handle any application that comes its way, be it gaming, work, or even just surfing the internet.

This gaming laptop’s design makes it outstanding among other budget models. The exterior of the laptop itself is made out of plastic, which feels strong, although that wouldn’t be my preference. There are also all the ports that you would want on both sides, such as USB-A, USB-C, HDMI, as well as a full size SD card reader. Also, there’s an audio jack for all your gaming sessions.

The color, called Mika Silver, is more like a darker version of space grey, which actually looks pretty cool. It’s not super light, weighing in at about 5.05 pounds, but that’s pretty normal for a gaming laptop.

At its top, there is a smooth plastic surface that has a huge reflective “V” logo that looks very nice. On the other side of it are some large heat exhaust fans to keep things cool during intense gaming sessions.

With a high quality 15.6-inch display with 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution and an extremely fast refresh rate of up to 144 Hz, the laptop is ideal for gaming as it delivers smooth videos. It has a good set of IPS panel’s viewing angles but it could have been better in terms of brightness measured at 250 nits only.

As far as performance goes, this laptop rocks because its Ryzen 5 processor and RTX 2050 graphics card are specifically designed for multitasking in addition to gaming. Even at higher settings, you can achieve stable frame rates on AAA titles like Doom Eternal and Fortnite.

One of the great things about the HP Victus is that it is upgradeable. Through the PCIe Gen4 NVMe slot, you may increase RAM by up to 64GB and expand storage. For non-intensive use, the battery life from charging once will get you through the day but won’t give you more than two hours of gaming.

Unfortunately, the dual speakers on the HP Victus leave a lot to be desired. The bass is practically non-existent, and there’s noticeable distortion at higher volumes. 

However, considering its performance and upgradability, it’s still a solid choice for gamers on a budget.

On the whole, at a reasonable price, the HP Victus 15 offers an almost no-compromise gaming experience. However, there are some faults with it, but it has a very balanced blend of functionality and affordability. If you want a gaming laptop that can hold its own but won’t burn a hole in your pocket, then this is definitely one to keep in mind.

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Lenovo V15 Laptop

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Review:

The Lenovo V15 is one of the most stylish 15.6 inches laptops by Lenovo. They also have a 14-inch alternative in the Ideapad View series. What has been causing so much talk about this laptop is its Ryzen 5 processor, which works together with a speedy 16GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD drive. This combo makes it more than just your average laptop; it can handle some heavy-duty tasks like creative work and gaming.

But, you know, with laptops in this price range, there’s always a little surprise waiting for you, isn’t there?

It’s a mix of good and average build quality. It’s sleek in black with a textured finish but not too fancy. Still, they have an iron gray option if you don’t want black.

When you open it up, typing feels pretty smooth thanks to the sturdy keyboard. It’s not backlit, though, except for the Caps Lock and number pad buttons. But fear not; there’s a fancier backlit version available in the pricier IdeaPad 5 series.

The touchpad’s spacious and responsive, with a solid clicking mechanism. Lenovo’s thrown in all the usual ports – USBs, HDMI, headphone jack – on the left side. Security-minded folks will appreciate the webcam with its privacy shutter up top. It’s got decent picture quality, good enough for casual use or maybe even serious gaming if you tweak the settings.

Now, onto the screen. It’s nearly 16 inches of LED goodness, with full HD resolution. Perfect for everyday stuff, but if you’re all about those vibrant colors, spring for the IPS version.

Performance-wise, it’s no slouch. Booting up Windows takes just 9 seconds, thanks to the SSD drive. Plus, there’s room for upgrades if you’re into that sort of thing.

The Ryzen 5 processor handles multitasking like a champ, with no annoying fan noise to ruin your concentration. Games run smoothly too, though you might want the GeForce MX version for the more demanding titles.

Although the Lenovo V15 laptop is not designed for gamers, it handles casual gaming well. With its AMD Ryzen 5 5500U processor and huge RAM, it has enough power to support the smooth running of most popular games. The FHD display and powerful graphics options make the game interesting.

It can handle playing GTA V, but here’s the deal: you’ll want to set all the graphics settings to low for the best performance.

After testing out some games on this laptop, I came to the following verdict:

Fortnite:

• Starting off strong, but encountering some lag issues.
• Despite the lag, visuals are decent, and most things load in nicely.
• Getting around 6 frames per second initially, but improving to 20-30 frames per second.
• Playable, but with noticeable jittering.

Grand Theft Auto:

• It runs smoothly enough, but the window size is oddly small.
• Definitely not the ideal gaming experience, but still playable.

Friendly reminder: Playing games at higher graphics settings can sometimes lead to problems such as game crashes, your computer being overloaded or even melting your graphics chip. You should be careful on this point.

Lastly, battery life’s not too shabby either, lasting over 4 hours even under heavy use. And those stereo speakers? They deliver clear sound with decent bass, though audiophiles might want to invest in headphones.

So, is the Lenovo V15 as good as Lenovo laptops are? Will its Ryzen 5 processor survive your work-related and game-related activities without any drag? Yes and yes! If you want to have a laptop that will get things done quickly, then the Lenovo V15 is the best choice.

It has remarkable performance and features to cater to diverse applications. This laptop guarantees outstanding results, whether it is used for business and productivity, entertainment and multimedia, or even occasional gaming.

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ASUS ROG Strix G16

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Review:

The ASUS ROG Strix G16 gaming laptop is a beast, showcasing how the Republic of Gamers excels in producing elite gaming gear. It’s not surprising that ASUS dominates this category, but the performance and design of the G16 take it to another level.

It isn’t too large for a 16-inch laptop in terms of size and weight. Nevertheless, it is a bit thicker at the back than other laptops. If you add in the weight of the power brick as well, then you will notice an increase in weight, which is typical for gaming laptops.

It has a QHD+ display that measures 16 inches with a refresh rate of 240 Hz, which makes the gameplay more fluid while having vibrant visuals as well as clear audio. The 720p webcam is perfect for video calling and content viewing purposes.

However, its under-the-hood specs are pretty impressive. It has an Intel Core i7 processor along with Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics, a screen size of 16 inches with full HD resolution at 240Hz refresh rate, plus 16GB of RAM and one terabyte of storage space. These specs make it good for gaming and other resource-intensive tasks that may require high quality graphics.

The ASUS ROG Strix G16, with its RTX 4060 graphics, can run games like Cyberpunk 2077, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Control quite well. These are demanding games, and the performance of the Strix G16 is impressive as it can provide a seamless gaming experience even at higher resolutions such as 1440p.

The keyboard comes with RGB backlighting, which makes it look great but some keys can be difficult to see depending on how well lit the room is. Its key travel distance is reasonable at 1.9 mm, making typing very satisfying in general.

It is good in terms of gaming but may not be the best keyboard for extensive typing as it lacks a full sized numpad and has awkward spaces between keys. However, its programmable hotkeys and crisp webcam and mic make it excellent for everyday things such as video calls and browsing.

There are enough ports, mostly on the left side. This includes power input, gigabit ethernet, HDMI output version 2.1, etc among others Plus, you can also charge through one of the Type-C ports.

One thing that’s cool about this laptop is that storage, memory, or Wi-Fi can be upgraded, allowing it to be more future-proof and customized according to your needs.

While its battery lasts long enough for casual use, it doesn’t do so well during gaming sessions because that’s just within the average gaming laptop in this price bracket.

Overall, the ASUS ROG Strix G16 is a stylish and powerful gaming machine that prioritizes performance. On the other hand, even though it might not be ideal for extensive typing, its superb gaming capacity makes it stand out among the top choices for gamers.

Games have never felt so alive with their fast processors, powerful graphics cards, and vibrant displays. This is another victory for ROG; we cannot wait to see what they bring next.

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NUC Intel X15 Gaming Laptop

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Review:

Gaming laptops used to be heavy and big but presently they are becoming thinner and lighter, which is very preferable to all. However, what has not changed much is their ability to be customized.

Intel’s NUC X15 gaming laptops are changing that. Their latest release lets you have a say in what goes on your laptop before its even delivered to you.

For instance, if you require a better display or a faster graphics card, you could choose these options. Additionally, you get to choose how much RAM and storage space you need in a sleek design.

First things first, let us delve into the essentials of gaming laptops: what’s inside. This particular model I am reviewing here features an Intel Core i7-12700H and the latest Intel Arc A550M Graphics, 32GB of memory RAM, 1TB of storage plus Wi-Fi 6, and a 2.5 gigabit Ethernet port.

On the other hand, it comes with a display panel of 15.6 inches that employs IPS technology while supporting resolutions up to 1080p with 144Hz refresh rates. It doesn’t have much to offer in terms of thickness, as it only measures about 24mm thick and weighs roughly 1.65 kilograms. 

The laptop feels solid and stable, which should be expected from an Intel NUC. But you will see hardly any branding on it: only a metallic logo sticker and an RGB light bar on the front, which looks super cool.

This laptop comes with several ports that include two USB3 ports, a full-sized SD card reader, another USB3 port, a combo jack (3.5mm), a Thunderbolt 4 port, a 2.5GbE jack, an HDMI2.1 port, etc.

Intel has included a huge amount of powerful hardware in the Intel NUC X15 laptop, as it possesses the reliable Intel Core i7-12700H processor and the Intel Arc A550M graphics card.

In terms of performance, the Arc A550M sits between the Radeon RX 6500M and 6600M, making it suitable for demanding games at medium to high detail settings and 1080p resolution. Compared to the slower Arc A370M, which uses the smaller ACM-G11 chip, the A550M offers significantly better performance.

This means that top gaming performance should therefore be expected, whether you are playing Fortnite, Apex Legends, and other competitive titles, or even recent AAA blockbusters like Halo Infinite or Final Fantasy VII: Intergrade can run with ease.

With a 94W/hr battery, the NUC X15 offers impressive battery life for a gaming laptop. While you won’t get hours of gaming on intensive titles, you can still enjoy some gameplay on the go without being plugged in. However, I would advise that you connect it to power if you are planning for a long day ahead.

However, this machine goes beyond just being a gaming device. Due to its performance and high refresh rates, it is perfect for work purposes, making reading through documents and spreadsheets quite easy.

It comes with a backlit keyboard, which is a favorite among gamers because it makes the keys easier to see, especially in low light or at night. Surprisingly, the speakers are pretty good, providing clear sound and even a bit of bass.

Intel’s NUC X15 series focuses on lightweight and easy-to-carry gaming. With customizable options, users can make their laptop just the way they like it, which used to be only possible with big PC towers. Whether you like ready-made setups or want to personalize every little thing, Intel’s NUC X15 laptops have something for every gamer.

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Conclusion

Great gaming experiences often come with dedicated graphics cards, but obtaining a laptop with dedicated graphics can be challenging due to their typically higher prices.

If you are a passionate gamer seeking a device to play professional-level games, it is advisable to exercise patience, gather additional funds, and invest in a reasonably priced gaming laptop equipped with dedicated graphics and other essential gaming specifications.

However, for individuals who find enjoyment in casual gaming or have a preference for medium-level gaming, the list mentioned above provides some of the best gaming laptops under $500.

It’s important to note that while we intentionally selected laptops under $500, prices may vary due to fluctuations in the market. For instance, the price of the HP 15 Laptop unexpectedly increased by $100 in a single day, which was quite surprising. Nevertheless, we hope that you find the best gaming laptop for your needs in our list of the best gaming laptops under $500.