The best budget for a gaming laptop will depend on your gaming requirements and what other equipment you want to include in your gaming laptop setup. Plus, knowing, how much to spend on gaming laptops will require clarity about your gaming expectations.
It is true that the search for building a perfect budget for your gaming laptop is a constant struggle. There are so many options to choose from with endless features and specifications.
Many people spend heavily on the wrong products, only to compromise on the overall gaming experience.
You do not have to be one of them.
Through this guide, you will learn all the details about the best budget for gaming laptops and describe all the key components you should look for while buying a gaming laptop as per your budget.
In addition, I will walk you through all the additional expenses that you should keep in mind so that you can formulate the best budget for gaming laptops.
And if you are a newbie to the gaming world, I recommend these Gaming laptops under 800 for a pro gaming experience within budget.
So let us get started.
Gaming Laptops Must Haves
Your Gaming laptop will be the most significant purchase that will affect your gaming experience. Hence it is vital that you know all the minimum requirements for a gaming laptop.
At the most elementary level, a gaming laptop must have the followings:
- GPU of GeForce GTX 1060,
- A processor of Intel-Core i7 10th generation,
- At least 8 GB to 16 GB of RAM,
- 128 GB of SSD (storage),
- An HDMI 1.3 or 1.4 port, and
- An HDD of around 500 GB.
NVIDIA GPU is the most celebrated GPU in the gaming community, with excellent support and market shares. A 1060 GPU will cost around $299 only and will support a few games smoothly.
But if you want to go for high-quality games, you should keep your target at 1650 Ti GPU for a max of $900. An RTX 2060 will put you in the $1000-$1300 club.
The storage of 128 SSD is decent and good for low-end budgets, while a 1TB SSD will kill your budget for gaming laptops. It is best to have a configuration of 128GB SSD along with a 1TB HDD.
Never settle for a gaming laptop with RAM lower than 8GB, and if you can afford a 16GB of RAM, nothing will be better.
In a nutshell, your suitable gaming laptop budget must begin with devices that fulfill the above-mentioned criteria.
How Much Should I Spend On A Gaming Laptop?
On average, a decent gaming laptop would cost you somewhere between $700 and $1000 easily. This range will cover most of your gaming requirements like display, graphics card quality, processor, and screen size.
It is important to note that this price range is not exclusive. You can budget a gaming laptop at the cost of $3000 to have a futuristic gaming experience, and even go for an under 700 USD budget for gaming laptops as per your needs.
Now, for all those who are looking for good and cheap laptops for gaming, it is best to budget a gaming laptop somewhere between $600 and $800.
Any gaming laptop within this range will run low and medium graphic games well with low specs. They will have poor sound quality as well as mediocre graphics cards.
A gaming laptop at such an affordable price will run on almost everything but is best for low-resolution and older games. However, you can go for an RX5500 M or even a GTX 3050 that will allow you to play more games.
The biggest pros about entry-level gaming laptops are that their price keeps dropping and becoming more accessible to people with a tight budget.
It is best for all the Intermediate Players or those who play games like Cyberpunk 2077 to get a gaming laptop that starts from $800 to a couple of thousand USD.
Also, remember that having a laptop with NVIDIA GeForce 3060 has more benefits than other GPU systems. But will bring you closer to the budget range of 1200 USD.
You will experience a better, more vibrant, and clearer quality of game graphics and can enjoy many modern games. It comes with an improved sound experience, a faster and more responsive heat management system, and a longer battery life.
In short, having a budget that goes up to $1200 will give you an overall rich gaming experience.
If you are in the niche of Pro players or those who enjoy having high-budget gaming laptops, I will suggest you try out gaming laptops with a VR setup. Armed with an RTX3070, it will allow you to play anything at the best resolution setting.
Such gaming laptops’ budget starts from the ground-breaking price of $1500 and can extend to $3000 with ease. They come with the best cooling system and a large RAM of 16GB. Such gaming laptops give a future-like gaming experience.
Additional Costs to include in Budget for Gaming Laptops
Most people restrict their budget for gaming laptops to the price of the laptop and forget about all the extra expenditures that might come their way. Though the decision to buy these elements is at your will, in most cases, they will turn out to be essential gaming laptop accessories.
The section below lists all the secondary products that can affect the budget for gaming laptops:
- External hard drive
- Wireless gaming mouse for gaming
- Portable USB hub
- Additional Cooling pad
- Extra Graphics Cards
- Keyboard cover
- Additional wireless keyboard
- Xbox controller
- Wireless Headphones
- Gaming Speakers
- Additional Hard drive
Key components to look for while budgeting for gaming laptops
A budget for gaming laptops not only helps you to make the best out of your gaming experience but also allows you to consider various elements that add to the gaming laptops’ cost. This, in turn, helps you make a more informed decision about buying a laptop for gaming.
Given below are a few pointers you should consider while making a budget for gaming laptops:
- Display and screen
- RAM and Processor
- Graphics Card
- Keyboard & Mouse
- Performance
FAQs
Is a $1000 gaming laptop worth it?
The budget for gaming laptops depends on our requirements for the gaming experience and the setup. A $1000 gaming laptop is a good deal if you frequently play games with higher graphic quality.
How much RAM is good for gaming?
Your gaming laptops/PC should at least have 8GB of RAM and a max of 16 GB.
Is it better to get a gaming laptop or PC?
Most gamers suggest getting a gaming laptop over buying a gaming laptop. A PC provides a much better experience with the game, however, is way too costlier to set up. It is also more expensive to update a PC than a gaming laptop.
Wrap Up
This was all about how the best budget for gaming laptops. Once you know what you expect from your gaming laptop, you can easily decide how much to spend on gaming laptops.
