We're bringing you the best cheap gaming laptop deals this week in one convenient bite-sized article, full of all-killer no-filler machines ready to take on the fast encroaching next gen of games. We've scanned all the top retailers to come up with a list of our favorite gaming laptop deals this week, plus a well-considered number one pick, just in case you had any trouble deciding. That said, we've got plenty of options from leading retailers like Amazon, Best Buy and particularly Newegg - who are on an absolute roll this week. We're also factoring multiple budgets, aiming to serve up the best gaming laptop deals for all levels of user. So, whether you're a first-time buyer or veteran upgrader, you'll find good options here.



Speaking of budgets, you'll find all our cheap gaming laptops neatly organized into pricing brackets, which you can navigate either by scrolling down or by using the provided jumper links. This week, prices start at just $669 but we've got options ranging all the way up to (and over) $1,000. So, whether you're just taking your first tentative steps into the world of gaming, or looking for an absolute beast capable of taking on the most demanding of releases, you'll find great gaming laptop deals here.

Just below the list of our top picks, you'll also find some recently updating buying advice. This leverages our expertise here at TechRadar and aims to give you a little more guidance if you're unsure about what laptop to buy or how much to spend. It'll also give you a quick overview of which retailers offer the best deals, and which times of the year are especially good for sales.

So sit back and let us find the one that gives you the biggest bang for your buck - unless you're in the UK in which case you'll just need one more click to find the best UK deals under £1,000 across the pond.

Read about the upcoming Black Friday 2020 and Amazon Prime Day events

This week's best gaming laptop deals

Cheap gaming laptop deal of the week

HP Pavilion 16.1-inch gaming laptop: $899.99 $749.99 at Newegg

Save $150 on an awesome HP Pavilion at Newegg this week. With a 10th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, 12GB of RAM, 256GB SSD and GTX 1650 Ti graphics card, you're getting tons of power and up to date components for the money here. Probably best to act quickly though, as we're sure this sale will expire pretty soon.

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Gaming laptop deals under $700

Acer Nitro 5 15.6-inch gaming laptop: $669 at Best Buy

Acer really dominates our lower-priced cheap gaming laptop deals this week with some quite frankly fantastic value offerings. First up is this 15.6-inch AMD Ryzen 4600H equipped Nitro 5 for well under $700. It's also packing a GTX 1650, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD, which you'll struggle to beat at this price.

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Acer Nitro 5 15.6-inch gaming laptop: $699.99 at B&H Photo

You'll be waiting a while for this pre-order as it ships at the end of August, but the specs inside this machine may well make that wait worth it. There's a massive 512GB SSD inside this machine, with a quad-core 9th generation i5 processor, 8GB RAM and GTX 1650 graphics on offer as well. That's a configuration we rarely see at this price point.

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Gaming laptop deals under $800

Asus TUF FX505GT 15.6-inch gaming laptop: $749 $719 at Newegg

A cheeky little $30 saving brings this Asus TUF down to a really eye-catching price point this week at Newegg. For that price you're getting a 512GB SSD - something not normally seen at this budget although it comes with a slight trade-off in the form of a 9th Gen Intel Core i5 processor. That's slightly older, but 8GB of RAM and a GTX 1650 make up for it in our books.

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HP Pavilion 16.1-inch gaming laptop: $899.99 $749.99 at Newegg

This HP Pavilion brings the value this week, thanks to a whole $150 saving from Newegg. For that price, there's a lot to like here, not least the 10th gen Intel Core i5, 12GB of RAM, 256GB SSD and GTX 1650 Ti. While we're not sure how much longer this will be on sale for, it's a top pick nonetheless so act quickly if you want to secure one at this price.

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Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15.6-inch gaming laptop: $749 at B&H Photo

This Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is a top choice for those who want a sensible 15-inch budget machine this week. With a combination of a 256GB SSD and 1TB hard drive, you'll have the best of both worlds when it comes to storing your favorite games or shows. You're also getting the latest 10th gen Intel Core processor, 8GB of RAM, and a GTX 1650 graphics card, really good for the price.

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Acer Nitro 5 17.3-inch gaming laptop: $799.99 at Best Buy

Another Acer Nitro? What can we say, Acer really know how to make a great value cheap gaming laptop. This one's a little larger than it's siblings with a 17-inch screen but it's got a number of excellent components for the price - including a GTX 1650 Ti graphics card and 512GB SDD.

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New Dell G3 15 gaming laptop: $814.99 $793.79 at Dell

While the Dell Labor Day sale may be a thing of the past now, you can still pick up a fairly cheap deal on a brand new Dell G3 15 - a basic, but capable machine indeed. With an Intel Core i5-10300H, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and GTX 1650 graphics card you're getting some great starter specs here for the price.

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Gaming laptop deals under $900

HP Omen Laptop 15z gaming laptop: $999.99 $849.99 at HP

The Omen line are HP's longstanding premium gaming laptops and subsequently feature things like a fancier chassis, better screens, and a generally sleeker aesthetic. This entry-level model, now on sale over at the HP store, features a Ryzen 5 processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and a GTX 1650 Ti graphics card - good specs for the money, considering the higher-end design appointments on this model.

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New Dell G5 15.6-inch gaming laptop: $914.99 $891.79 at Dell

This Dell G5 is $23 off right now at the official Dell store, making this easily one of the best value gaming laptops in our list this week. Featuring an Intel Core i5-10300H processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD and a GTX 1650 Ti graphics card - this is an extremely solid machine and will give great results at 1080p.

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MSI GF65 Thin 15.6-inch gaming laptop: $999 $899 at Newegg

This MSI GF65 packs in an RTX 2060 for an almost unbelievable price, thanks to a brand new $100 discount from Newegg. The trade-off? You're getting an older Intel Core i5-9300H processor here, which is a little slower than the brand new Ryzen 5's and 10th Gen Intel Core i5 you normally find at this price point. That said, you are getting 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and a 120Hz screen here, so it's still a stellar value deal.

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Asus TUF Gaming A15 gaming laptop: $899 at Newegg

While you've just missed a $50 saving on this brand new Asus TUF, it's still a fantastic gaming laptop deal. With an AMD Ryzen 5 4600H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, this one is definitely worth the investment if you can afford it and it'll comfortably give good performance on the latest games.

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HP Pavilion gaming laptop: $899.99 at Best Buy

This HP Pavilion is another top choice in the sub-$1,000 range, with plenty of fast components. Inside you're getting a 512GB SSD here, alongside an Intel Core i5-10300H, 8GB of RAM and a GTX 1660Ti graphics card - really well-rounded specs for 1080p gaming at this price point.

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Gaming laptop deals under $1000

Lenovo Legion 5 15.6-inch gaming laptop: $1,099 $949.99 at Best Buy

This Lenovo Legion 5 is pricey, but a $150 discount this week from Best Buy means it's actually top value. An Intel 10th Gen Core i7-10750H processor makes this one speedy contender indeed, and a GTX 1660Ti, 8GB of RAM and 512GB SSD round off the components for a great package overall.

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Acer Nitro 5 15.6-inch gaming laptop: $999.99 $949.99 at Newegg

This Acer Nitro 5 is another top deal that comes with a trade-off. An RTX 2060, 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD are absolutely amazing at this price, but it's also featuring an i5-9300H processor - one that's definitely slower than the competition. Still, if you find yourself playing GPU intensive applications, then this is a great buy for the money.

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Asus TUF A15 15.6-inch gaming laptop: $999.99 at Best Buy

There's a GeForce RTX 2060 GPU hiding inside this unassuming Asus TUF, making this one badass gaming laptop deal. A Ryzen 7, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD round out the specs and firmly place this Asus as the best gaming laptop you can buy for under $1000 right now.

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Asus TUF 15.6-inch gaming laptop: $999.99 at Amazon

Another super-speedy Asus TUF, this time from Amazon and featuring an upgraded 16GB of RAM over the Best Buy option above. It's also packing that RTX 2060, plus a 144Hz screen to boot, although it comes with the downside of having a slightly older Ryzen 7 processor.

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Gaming laptop deals over $1000

MSI GF65 Thin 15.6-inch gaming laptop: $1,099 at Amazon

This fantastic MSI features some top-end specs that you normally wouldn't see until you hit the $1500 barrier at the very least. With an Intel Core i7-9750H, RTX 2060, 8GB of RAM and 512GB SSD, this is a really powerful machine that's only lacking some RAM, which is the easiest and cheapest component to upgrade.

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Frequently asked questions

Where should I look for cheap gaming laptops?

Generally speaking, the most reliable retailers that have plenty of options and the best prices are Best Buy and Amazon, although Dell and HP often have great sales on Holiday events like Black Friday. You might get lucky on Ebay or another auction site, but we definitely recommend picking up your cheap gaming laptop from one of the big official retailers, as you're sure to be getting a decent warranty, as well as the latest components more or less.

Newegg, B&H Photo, and Adorama are also worthy mentions, and definitely worth a quick comparative glance. They don't tend to price match quite as well as Amazon and Best Buy however, unless they're doing a closeout deal.

Here are some quick links to the best gaming laptop deals retailers, in case you want to head over to their sites and check them out yourself.



What should I look for in a cheap gaming laptop?

This is completely subjective, depending on what type of games you want to play and what kind of level of performance you want. Specs-wise, we'd recommend determining the level of specs you need by checking out the recommended and minimum system requirements of your favorite or upcoming games. This can give you a general idea of what you need, as well as stop you from buying that new gaming laptop that's not going to be able to play new releases.

Just for good measure however, we'd recommend the following as a minimum if you're strictly on a budget:

Minimum - Intel Core i5 (9th gen) / AMD Ryzen 5 (3rd gen) processor or later

- Intel Core i5 (9th gen) / AMD Ryzen 5 (3rd gen) processor or later Minimum - Nvidia GTX 1050 / AMD RX 560x graphics card or later

- Nvidia GTX 1050 / AMD RX 560x graphics card or later Minimum - 8GB of RAM

- 8GB of RAM Optional - 512GB solid-state drive

- 512GB solid-state drive Optional - 120Hz refresh rate display monitor

Anything lower than the above and you'll tend to struggle with modern games at 1080p settings. You can, of course, get away with lower-level or older components if you're just planning on playing older games, but for new releases, definitely consider the above as a bare minimum.

How much should I spend on a cheap gaming laptop?

Again this is completely subjective based on your requirements, but in our opinion the best bang for the buck machines tend to sit around the $700 to $900 price range.

You can of course go lower but you'll often encounter machines that simply aren't designed for gaming or quite frankly up to the task. It can be tempting to pick up a cheaper ultrabook with a Core i7 or Ryzen 7 processor and tons of RAM but remember these don't come with the dedicated graphics card or cooling requirements you'll need for proper gaming.

When's the best time to pick up a gaming laptop deal?

Luckily for gamers on a budget, gaming laptop deals tend to be a weekly feature over at most of the big retailers so there's always plenty to chose from. That said, there are definitely high points throughout the year, namely big sales events such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Amazon Prime day which can yield great results for those willing to wait.

Our top tip - do your research. Narrow down which model and specs you want and check-in at your favorite retailers each week. Alternatively, let TechRadar simply do all the work for you and become a regular visitor to this page or our dedicated deals feed.

The best cheap gaming laptops of 2020

The Acer Nitro 5 is squarely aimed at the portable PC gamer who doesn’t need every bell and whistle on their machine and might not be able to afford them even if they did. Still, it packs some quality hardware under the hood with specs ranging from the Core i5-10300H GTX 1650 variant, all the way to machines with a Core i7-9750H and RTX 2060 inside. The design has a rather generic gaming laptop aesthetic, however, and the bezel on the display is definitely on the thicker side. Cheap gaming laptops don't generally tend to feature bezel-less designs though, unlike similarly priced ultrabooks.

Read our full review: Acer Nitro 5

If you’re looking to save some cash on your next gaming laptop, the Dell G3 15 will provide a competent gaming experience while costing much less than the competition. The laptop comes equipped with more than serviceable Nvidia graphics behind a fine, 1080p display, almost betraying its awfully affordable price point. Just don't expect an overly fancy design or aesthetic - these come with a plastic chassis. For cheap gaming laptops, the G3 range offers a variety of different builds and specs, so it's worth checking out different configurations before you settle.

Read the full review: Dell G3 15

(Image credit: MSI)

The MSI G563 Thin is one of the cheap gaming laptops to beat, alongside the Nitro 5 and Legion 5. It generally sits comfortably in the lower price brackets alongside its aft mentioned competitors but somehow manages to pack everything into an attractive, part metal chassis - a rarity at this price point. Specs are around the ballpark you'd expect with an entry-level machine - starting at a 9th Gen Intel Core i5 CPU and an Nvidia Geforce GTX 1650, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. MSI state this design has thin bezels, although don't expect too much with the display on the baseline model - it's still got a chunky bottom bezel and runs at a fairly pedestrian 60Hz.



(Image credit: Dell)

The Dell G5 15 is Dell's shot at providing a slightly more up-market gaming laptop versus the entry-level G3 15. That said, the baseline models barely retail for more than the G3 so it really comes down to personal taste which one you go for if you're on a budget. The G5 15's do have a higher potential spec, however, and you'll also be getting a 120Hz to 144Hz display on the more expensive configurations, albeit in a slightly bulkier and still fully plastic chassis. Note - The listed specs here are for the standard Intel equipped machine, although there is also a special edition featuring exclusively AMD components.

Read the full review: Dell G5 15

(Image credit: Asus)

One of the shining lights in the mid-range cheap gaming laptop market is the ASUS TUF A15, which debuted earlier this year complete with the latest 4000 series AMD Ryzen processors. It's pretty chunky and features a fairly no-nonsense aesthetic that's decidedly budget in outlook in our opinion but we can't argue with the level of specs on offer for the money here. It's currently one of the cheapest ways to pick up an RTX 2060 equipped laptop, which retails for around $999, although you can opt for a baseline version that packs a GTX 1660Ti and goes for around $850. Overall you should expect excellent performance for the money here, although the cooling could be a little better as this laptop runs fairly hot and the fans are quite loud.

Read our full review: Asus TUF A15

(Image credit: HP)

The HP Pavilion 15 is the slightly more budget-focused gaming laptop range from HP (the other being the long-serving OMEN laptops). As is the standard fare with cheap gaming laptops, the HP Pavilion is a decidedly no thrills, fairly stripped back affair that focused on packing in as many up-to-date components as possible for the money. This year's iteration comes with the latest processors from both Intel and AMD, although you tend to be able to find last year's components still available at many retailers for a cut down price. Probably the main selling point for the HP Pavilion 15 is its design, which will appeal to those who want a slicker, thinner chassis over the normally bulky laptops at this price point.



See our main article: the best gaming laptops of 2020

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Not quite what you're looking for? Maybe our other laptop articles will have what you need.

If you're buying a gaming laptop, you don't want to clutter it with all your everyday computing needs. For something cheap and portable, check out our favorite cheap laptop deals from this week. If you want to even cheaper, check out the best laptops under $500. You can also add extra port functionality to your gaming laptop with these awesome USB-C hubs and docks, or take control of your gaming experience for less with our top picks of the cheapest Xbox One controller deals.