Today, you can go on Amazon and find plenty of laptops for less than £1,000 that would have been at least £2,000 a few years ago.

This has opened the door to people who want to try out PC gaming, which is great news. Sorting through all of the options and deciding which model is best for you presents its own unique challenge, though.

A few features and design choices are going to be similar across the board. Most gaming laptops under £1,000 come with around a 15-inch screen, feature a 1TB HDD for storage, and have a battery life of six to 10 hours, on ideal settings.

Depending on the games you're playing, you will need to keep an eye on the graphics card. At first glance, there may not be much difference between a GeForce GTX 1050 and 1060, but that one slight upgrade can really change your gaming experience. Same goes for the RAM and processor: You need fast and snappy speeds to properly enjoy gaming.

If making the decision fills you with dread, fear not, because we've found six of the best gaming laptops for £1,000 or less.

Our top pick Image: Amazon The Good Reliable speeds • Slim, sleek design • Plenty of storage space • Well-rounded graphical performance Reliable speeds • Slim, sleek design • Plenty of storage space • Well-rounded graphical performance The Bad Poor battery life • Some screen-tearing on high-demand games Poor battery life • Some screen-tearing on high-demand games The Bottom Line Lenovo balances price and power to deliver a well-rounded gaming laptop that can handle most of what the average gamer can throw at it. Lenovo balances price and power to deliver a well-rounded gaming laptop that can handle most of what the average gamer can throw at it. Processor: Intel Core i5-7300HQ

Intel Core i5-7300HQ RAM: 8GB

8GB Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB Storage: 1TB HDD and 128GB SSD

1TB HDD and 128GB SSD Screen: 15.6-inch Full HD £899.99 from Amazon Lenovo Legion Y520 Lenovo balances price and power to deliver a well-rounded gaming laptop that can handle most of what the average gamer can throw at it.

The performance starts with the seventh gen Intel Core i5-7300, offering up to 3.50 GHz. With 8GB of RAM and 128GB SSD to supplement the processor, overall speeds will be more than enough to handle the demanding games you might be looking to play. Aside from improving speeds, the 128GB SSD acts as a good starting point for storage, boosted by a 1TB HDD that functions as the main storage device.

When it comes to graphics, a big consideration for gamers, the GeForce GTX 1050Ti will deliver reliable performance for most. That's not to say it will run every game smoothly on ultra, but that's to be expected since it is a slightly older graphics card. For example, benchmark tests show that 2018's Shadow of the Tomb Raider runs at 25 frames per second at ultra, probably not the result you'd hope for. However, 2017's Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, will still run at around 48 frames per second, which is impressive when you consider the demands of that game.

Lenovo also does an excellent job when it comes to the overall design of the laptop. It only weighs 2.5 kilograms, and is just about an inch thick, on par with the average mid-scale laptop. This means the Y520 won't be a burden to transport, something that sets it apart from other gaming laptops.

If there's any other downside to the

If any company is able to walk the tightrope between power and price the best, it's Lenovo. The Legion Y520 is the result of that balance, offering reliable gaming performance for a more affordable price.The performance starts with the seventh gen Intel Core i5-7300, offering up to 3.50 GHz. With 8GB of RAM and 128GB SSD to supplement the processor, overall speeds will be more than enough to handle the demanding games you might be looking to play. Aside from improving speeds, the 128GB SSD acts as a good starting point for storage, boosted by a 1TB HDD that functions as the main storage device.When it comes to graphics, a big consideration for gamers, the GeForce GTX 1050Ti will deliver reliable performance for most. That's not to say it will run every game smoothly on ultra, but that's to be expected since it is a slightly older graphics card. For example, benchmark tests show that 2018's Shadow of the Tomb Raider runs at 25 frames per second at ultra, probably not the result you'd hope for. However, 2017's Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, will still run at around 48 frames per second, which is impressive when you consider the demands of that game.Lenovo also does an excellent job when it comes to the overall design of the laptop. It only weighs 2.5 kilograms, and is just about an inch thick, on par with the average mid-scale laptop. This means the Y520 won't be a burden to transport, something that sets it apart from other gaming laptops.If there's any other downside to the Legion Y520 it's the battery life. As it stands, gaming laptops don't have the best battery life to begin with because of the power they need to run. And while the Legion doesn't have as high demands as other laptops, it's pretty short at three to four hours of run time.

Best for a cool experience Image: AMazon The Good Surprisingly durable and sleek body design • Reliable performance across the board • Doesn't overheat quickly Surprisingly durable and sleek body design • Reliable performance across the board • Doesn't overheat quickly The Bad Won't support newer games on high • Lack of ports, all on one side • Battery life isn't impressive Won't support newer games on high • Lack of ports, all on one side • Battery life isn't impressive The Bottom Line The ASUS TUF Gaming FX505 will deliver reliable performance for anyone who wants to game. The ASUS TUF Gaming FX505 will deliver reliable performance for anyone who wants to game. Processor: Intel Core i7-8750H

Intel Core i7-8750H RAM: 8GB

8GB Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti Storage: 1TB HDD and 128GB SSD

1TB HDD and 128GB SSD Screen: 15.6-inch Full HD £749.99 from Amazon ASUS TUF Gaming FX505 The ASUS TUF Gaming FX504 offers reliable performance without overheating every time you turn it on.

Under the hood, the ASUS comes packed with the Intel Core i7-8750H processor with 8GB of RAM for reliable speeds on most activities. With a 1TB solid state hybrid drive, that speed gets a nice little bump along with plenty of memory for all those Steam games. Then there's the NVIDIA GTX 1050Ti graphics card to offer reliable visuals for most of your games. You won't get mind-blowing performance, but this device will still deliver strong graphical performance for plenty of the biggest titles out there.

The body sports a sleek, compact design that's surprisingly comfortable for long use. In all fairness, it's a little thicker than some other gaming laptops close in price, but not by much. The keyboard is also extremely well designed, as it's both durable and comfortable for long play and work sessions. The unit also packs HyperCool technology, with an the anti-dust system and fan overboost technology to ensure exceptional cooling during gaming marathons

That doesn't mean

But even with that, you're still getting a reliable gaming laptop at a good price. It's slim, reliable, durable, and offers reasonable performance for games.

Finding a well rounded gaming laptop can cause you some hassle, but this is where ASUS comes in with the TUF Gaming FX505 laptop Under the hood, the ASUS comes packed with the Intel Core i7-8750H processor with 8GB of RAM for reliable speeds on most activities. With a 1TB solid state hybrid drive, that speed gets a nice little bump along with plenty of memory for all those Steam games. Then there's the NVIDIA GTX 1050Ti graphics card to offer reliable visuals for most of your games. You won't get mind-blowing performance, but this device will still deliver strong graphical performance for plenty of the biggest titles out there.The body sports a sleek, compact design that's surprisingly comfortable for long use. In all fairness, it's a little thicker than some other gaming laptops close in price, but not by much. The keyboard is also extremely well designed, as it's both durable and comfortable for long play and work sessions. The unit also packs HyperCool technology, with an the anti-dust system and fan overboost technology to ensure exceptional cooling during gaming marathonsThat doesn't mean ASUS wasn't forced to make some sacrifices to save on the price. The most obvious is the lack of ports on the laptop. All seven connections are located on the left side of the laptop and include the power port, three USB ports, headphone jack, one HDMI port, and one ethernet port. Even by most laptop standards, that's not a lot of ports, so you'll have to manage them accordingly.But even with that, you're still getting a reliable gaming laptop at a good price. It's slim, reliable, durable, and offers reasonable performance for games.

Best Power for Price Image: Amazon The Good Strong performance • Sleek, durable design Strong performance • Sleek, durable design The Bad Poor battery life • Can get very hot fast Poor battery life • Can get very hot fast The Bottom Line Even with a shorter battery life, Dell delivers power at an affordable price with the G5 gaming laptop. Even with a shorter battery life, Dell delivers power at an affordable price with the G5 gaming laptop. Processor: Intel Core i7-8750H

Intel Core i7-8750H RAM: 8GB

8GB Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti Storage: 1TB HDD and 128GB SSD

1TB HDD and 128GB SSD Screen: 15.6-inch Full HD £999.99 from Amazon Dell G5 Gaming Laptop With plenty of graphical power for an affordable price, the Dell G5 gaming laptop is proof that price doesn't have to lock out performance.

At first glance, the

Dell makes the

The biggest downside is the battery life. Gaming laptops, in general, chew through power because of the demands needed on the whole computer. Even with a laptop that fits more into a budget design, the battery is still disappointing. So remember to keep that charger handy at all times.

Even so, Dell's G5 laptop proves that power doesn't have to be locked behind a £2000 price tag. Sometimes you might have to dig a little harder to find the right laptop for you, especially if you're a gamer. But we did the digging and, hopefully, this will satisfy those needs.

Shopping on a budget doesn't mean having to lose out on power. It just means you have to look a little bit harder to find a gaming laptop that's right for you. Well, look no more, because the Dell G5 is here to fill those needs.At first glance, the Dell G5 looks like any run-of-the-mill gaming laptop. The processor is an Intel Core i7-8750H with 8GB of RAM for speeds on par with other gaming laptops at this price. Thankfully, the 128GB SSD offers that little extra boost that you may want or expect out of a gaming laptop. And you'll get plenty of storage with a 1TB HDD, so you won't lose any games.Dell makes the G5 a visually appealing and sturdy laptop, too. It has a slim, sleek body that come with the durability you'd expect out of a laptop with this price tag.The biggest downside is the battery life. Gaming laptops, in general, chew through power because of the demands needed on the whole computer. Even with a laptop that fits more into a budget design, the battery is still disappointing. So remember to keep that charger handy at all times.Even so, Dell's G5 laptop proves that power doesn't have to be locked behind a £2000 price tag. Sometimes you might have to dig a little harder to find the right laptop for you, especially if you're a gamer. But we did the digging and, hopefully, this will satisfy those needs.

Best for New Gamers Image: amazon The Good Reliable performance across the board • User-friendly design Reliable performance across the board • User-friendly design The Bad Mixed bag body design • May not handle recent, demanding games on high settings Mixed bag body design • May not handle recent, demanding games on high settings The Bottom Line For anyone dipping their toe in the gaming pool, the Dell Inspiron Gaming Notebook is a good place to start. For anyone dipping their toe in the gaming pool, the Dell Inspiron Gaming Notebook is a good place to start. Processor: Intel Core i5-7300HQ

Intel Core i5-7300HQ RAM: 8GB

8GB Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 4GB

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 4GB Storage: 256GB SSD

256GB SSD Screen: 15.6-inch Full HD £1,000 from Amazon Dell Inspiron Gaming Notebook If you're new to the gaming scene and looking for a good place to start, the Dell Gaming Notebook is a great pick.

At its core, you get an Intel Core i5-7300HQ processor with 8GB of RAM for reliable performance. It may not be powerhouse levels, but this isn't the sort of laptop you look at for high-end performance. The Notebook will still deliver above-price performance, boosted a bit thanks to a 256GB SSD.

The graphics are the same story as the processing speeds. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card will deliver reliable graphical output, just be aware of the limitations. You'll get solid performance out of games like Call of Duty, but more demanding games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider won't play on ultra or even high smoothly.

The body design is also a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, Dell has designed a sleek, attractive laptop that's easy to transport and is fairly subtle in its appearance. Unfortunately, the keyboard is somewhat disappointing due to shallow, stiff keys, which can get annoying to deal with.

Even with that, this all adds up to a laptop that is very user-friendly for anyone just getting into gaming. It won't overwhelm you with an in-depth control centre for overclocking and graphics management. What you get is a straightforward, affordable gaming laptop that will give you a taste of what's to come.



Newer gamers sometimes have a daunting task of figuring out what's best to start on. Sure, you can go to the deep end with a high-end rig that offers controls over every little setting available, but that can be extremely overwhelming if you don't know what you're doing. It might be better to keep it simple and approachable to start, and the Dell Inspiron is a good starting point.At its core, you get an Intel Core i5-7300HQ processor with 8GB of RAM for reliable performance. It may not be powerhouse levels, but this isn't the sort of laptop you look at for high-end performance. The Notebook will still deliver above-price performance, boosted a bit thanks to a 256GB SSD.The graphics are the same story as the processing speeds. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card will deliver reliable graphical output, just be aware of the limitations. You'll get solid performance out of games like Call of Duty, but more demanding games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider won't play on ultra or even high smoothly.The body design is also a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, Dell has designed a sleek, attractive laptop that's easy to transport and is fairly subtle in its appearance. Unfortunately, the keyboard is somewhat disappointing due to shallow, stiff keys, which can get annoying to deal with.Even with that, this all adds up to a laptop that is very user-friendly for anyone just getting into gaming. It won't overwhelm you with an in-depth control centre for overclocking and graphics management. What you get is a straightforward, affordable gaming laptop that will give you a taste of what's to come.

Best multi-purpose laptop Image: amazon The Good Solid performance speeds • Slim body design • Swappable storage Solid performance speeds • Slim body design • Swappable storage The Bad Can run hot quick • Shorter battery life • WiFi can drop Can run hot quick • Shorter battery life • WiFi can drop The Bottom Line If you need a laptop to balance life and work, the Acer Aspire 7 is the laptop to get. If you need a laptop to balance life and work, the Acer Aspire 7 is the laptop to get. Processor: Intel Core i5-7300HQ

Intel Core i5-7300HQ RAM: 8GB

8GB Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 2G

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 2G Storage: 1TB HDD

1TB HDD Screen: 15.6-inch Full HD £749.99 from Amazon Acer Aspire 7 With the Acer Aspire 7, you'll be ready for anything life or gaming has to throw at you.

Under the hood, the

Thanks to some smart design from Acer, you won't have to stick with the 1TB HDD. Unlike most laptops, the

Graphically, you'll get solid performance as well thanks to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050. The 1050, while not the most powerful card out there, can handle most games you could want. Just don't expect to run some newer games on ultra settings.

Between the specs and designs, the

Many PC gamers need a laptop that's just as good for work as it is for gaming. If that's the case, then the Acer Aspire 7 is the laptop for you.Under the hood, the Aspire 7 is an ideal build for most situations. It uses the Intel Core i7-8750 processor with 8GB of RAM, delivering great performance. You'll get an extra speed boost thanks to a 128GB SSD, streamlining plenty of the laptops storage and transfer needs. But don't worry, you still have a 1TB HDD for your general storage needs.Thanks to some smart design from Acer, you won't have to stick with the 1TB HDD. Unlike most laptops, the Aspire 7 features a compartment door for easy access to the storage unit and allows you to swap out for a HDD with more space. And if you're splitting time on the laptop between gaming and work, this can go a long way.Graphically, you'll get solid performance as well thanks to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050. The 1050, while not the most powerful card out there, can handle most games you could want. Just don't expect to run some newer games on ultra settings.Between the specs and designs, the Acer Aspire 7 is a perfect choice, and a cheap one as well.