Best Gaming Laptop under $650 in 2024

A gaming laptop under $650 – are you out of your mind? Don’t worry, I’m not in over my head and I know what I’m talking about.

I can offer you really inexpensive laptops on which you can play most games. You’ll be surprised and… you’ll be delighted!

I’m not a gamer, but a good game, like Football Manager or NBA 2K22 do not miss. And, of course, you can’t do without a good gaming laptop. The situation is quite popular – you have about 650 dollars and choose a gaming laptop, and that it could do your homework (Photoshop, programming, simple video editing, etc.) You know.

This guide will lay out all you need to know if you’re searching for the best video gaming laptop under $650. I have noted five of the best gaming laptops in this price range, which each offer something different for the customer. Each evaluation goes through the core specifications of GPU, CPU, memory, display quality, etc to assist you choose the right one in this price bracket. If your budget can stretch to whatever it requires to be to get the perfect mobile gaming machine, then rather read our best video gaming laptop page.

I set myself the task to make it easier for you to choose a laptop for $ 650 (well, maybe 640 or 660, not crucial). Let’s get started.

Top 8 Gaming Laptops under $650

The best gaming laptops under $650 to buy in 2024. Yes, we’ve collected them here!

(The links from the products discussed lead to the Amazon, of which WhatTDW.com is a partner).

If you’re not a fan of going into technical details and are willing to trust my rating of budget gaming laptops, here’s a list of the best you can buy for under $650:

  1. Lenovo IdeaPad 3
  2. MSI GF63 THIN 9SC-068
  3. Gateway
  4. Dell Inspiron 14 7000
  5. HP Pavilion
  6. TECLAST F15 Pro
  7. HP 15
  8. ASUS ROG G75VW

Lenovo IdeaPad 3: the best gaming laptop under $650

Lenovo IdeaPad 3: the best gaming laptop under $650

Really the best laptop under $650 for gamers that we recommend to date. And it’s good enough for both gaming and work.

Its technical characteristics:

Standing screen display size‎15.6 Inches
Max Screen Resolution‎1920 x 1080 MP
Processor‎4 GHz amd_r_series
RAM‎12 GB DDR4
Memory Speed‎2666 MHz
Hard Drive‎512 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor‎Integrated AMD Radeon™ 7 Graphics
Chipset Brand‎AMD
Lenovo IdeaPad 3
Brand‎Lenovo
Series‎Lenovo Ideapad
Item model number‎82KU00C1US
Hardware Platform‎PC
Item Weight‎5.29 pounds
Package Dimensions‎21 x 13 x 2.75 inches
Processor Brand‎AMD
Processor Count‎4
Computer Memory Type‎DDR DRAM
Flash Memory Size‎512 GB
Hard Drive Interface‎Solid State

Lenovo IdeaPad 3

While it might still have a few of the typical budget-laptop shortcomings like uninspiring speakers and a dull display, the IdeaPad 3 14 is still worth the price of admission and is among the best low-cost laptops you can purchase.


MSI GF63 THIN 9SC-068

MSI GF63 THIN 9SC-068 - gaming laptop

A gaming laptop under $650, but not Lenovo? Get this one! To be honest, I wanted to swap MSI GF63 with Lenovo IdeaPad 3 several times because I think that MSI GF63 is not inferior in gaming performance to its competitor. And only my confidence in Lenovo’s reliability justifies my choice. But if there was a second time opportunity to choose a gaming laptop on my $550 to $650 budget, I would choose the MSI GF63. Take a look at its specs and see that for a budget gaming laptop, it’s very good!

Standing screen display size‎15.6 Inches
Max Screen Resolution‎1920 x 1080
Processor‎2.4 core_i5
RAM‎8 SO-DIMM
Memory Speed‎2666 MHz
Hard Drive‎256 GB flash_memory_solid_state
Graphics Coprocessor‎NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
Chipset Brand‎NVIDIA
Card Description‎Dedicated
Graphics Card Ram Size‎4 GB
Wireless Type‎2.4 GHz Radio Frequency
Number of USB 3.0 Ports‎4
MSI GF63 THIN 9SC-068
Brand‎MSI
Series‎GF63 THIN 9SC-068
Item model number‎GF63 THIN 9SC-068
Item Weight‎7.63 pounds
Product Dimensions‎14.13 x 9.99 x 0.85 inches
Item Dimensions LxWxH‎14.13 x 9.99 x 0.85 inches
Processor Brand‎Intel
Processor Count‎4
Computer Memory Type‎DDR4 SDRAM
Flash Memory Size‎256
Optical Drive Type‎No Optical Drive
Batteries‎1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. (included)

MSI GF63 THIN 9SC-068

One of the most successful solutions in this price niche is the MSI GF63 THIN 9SC-068, which gets along surprisingly well with modern PC gaming, making it a great solution for gamers who can afford to spend no more than $630-$650 on a laptop.


Gateway – gaming laptop

Also as a laptop for computer games, I am glad to offer this Gateway model. The Gateway 15 surprised me with its power with 16GB RAM. Third place for the Gateway for slightly more modest other specs, which prevents this laptop from being named #1 for gamers in the price range discussed.

Standing screen display size‎15.6 Inches
Max Screen Resolution‎1920 x 1080 Pixels
Processor‎1 GHz core_i5
RAM‎16 GB DDR4
Memory Speed‎3.6 GHz
Hard Drive‎1 TB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor‎Intel® UHD Graphics
Chipset Brand‎Intel
Card Description‎Integrated
Wireless Type‎Bluetooth
Average Battery Life (in hours)‎10 Hours
Gateway gaming laptop
Brand‎Gateway
Item model number‎15
Hardware Platform‎PC
Operating System‎Windows 10
Item Weight‎4.1 pounds
Product Dimensions‎14.8 x 9.6 x 0.8 inches
Item Dimensions LxWxH‎14.8 x 9.6 x 0.8 inches
Color‎Black
Processor Brand‎Intel
Processor Count‎4
Computer Memory Type‎DDR SDRAM
Hard Drive Interface‎Solid State
Power Source‎Battery Powered

Gateway

The fact that the gaming computer has 16 GB of RAM – already says that it can handle the heaviest loads that modern games offer. And that for less than 650 bucks! Cool!


Dell Inspiron 14 7000

Dell Inspiron 14 7000 - gaming laptop

Although Dell Inspiron 14 7000 is not positioned as a gaming laptop, but its technical characteristics allow you to play many modern games. From this we can benefit – a great stylish work laptop, which can safely be used as a gaming. In this price niche it won’t get lost at all.

Standing screen display size‎14 Inches
Max Screen Resolution‎1920 x 1080 Pixels
Processor‎9 GHz amd_r_series
RAM‎8 GB SDRAM
Memory Speed‎2.3 GHz
Hard Drive‎256 GB ssd
Graphics Coprocessor‎AMD Radeon
Chipset Brand‎AMD
Card Description‎Integrated
Wireless Type‎Bluetooth
Dell Inspiron 14 7000
Brand‎Dell
Series‎I7405-A388TUP-PUS
Item model number‎Inspiron 14-7405
Hardware Platform‎PC
Operating System‎Windows 10
Item Weight‎3.61 pounds
Product Dimensions‎8.74 x 12.7 x 0.71 inches
Item Dimensions LxWxH‎8.74 x 12.7 x 0.71 inches
Color‎Sandstorm
Processor Brand‎AMD
Processor Count‎6
Computer Memory Type‎DDR4 SDRAM
Hard Drive Interface‎Solid State
Power Source‎Battery Powered
Batteries‎1 Lithium Metal batteries required. (included)

Another option of a strong laptop for the gamer for a low price. The Dell Inspiron 14 7000’s stylish look and solid hardware make it a gaming laptop as well.


HP Pavilion 15.6″ FHD

HP Pavilion 15.6 FHD

Still undecided on which gaming laptop to spend your $600 or $650? I’m not giving up. The HP Pavilion 15.6″ FHD gaming laptop also deserves a place in my top, although there have been some complaints about HP laptops lately. However, that does not mean that they have become bad. It’s just that the level of competition is quite high and user requirements have become strict. The HP Pavilion FHD is a great solution for those who want a laptop from a reliable manufacturer for most modern games. I recommend it.

Standing screen display size‎15.6 Inches
Max Screen Resolution‎1920 x 1080 Pixels
Processor‎4 GHz amd_r_series
RAM‎16 GB DDR4
Hard Drive‎512 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor‎AMD Radeon Graphics
Chipset Brand‎AMD
Wireless Type‎Bluetooth, 802.11a
HP Pavilion 15.6 FHD
Brand‎HP
Series‎Pavilion
Item model number‎Pavilion
Hardware Platform‎PC
Operating System‎Windows 11
Item Weight‎3.75 pounds
Product Dimensions‎14.11 x 9.53 x 0.78 inches
Item Dimensions LxWxH‎14.11 x 9.53 x 0.78 inches
Color‎SPRUCE BLUE
Processor Brand‎AMD
Processor Count‎6
Computer Memory Type‎DDR4 SDRAM
Hard Drive Interface‎PCIE x 4
Power Source‎Corded Electric, Battery Powered

HP Pavilion 15.6″ FHD

Here I would also like to note the powerful RAM laptop, which is a serious argument for gamers. All in all it is an excellent universal model, which will come in handy for both work tasks and satisfying gaming preferences for a very adequate price.


TECLAST F15 Pro

TECLAST F15 Pro

I have to admit that I didn’t expect to see such a gaming laptop for such a price, and it’s great that I can offer it to you as a worthy alternative to those models I described above. A newcomer broke into the market of budget gaming laptops – TECLAST F15 Pro. It is a Chinese brand, which is assembled in South Korea. In terms of its technical indicators, it is very good for this price niche. I give it 6th place because I prefer to be careful with previously unknown brands. Although, maybe in a year or two it will be recommended everywhere, and those who bought it now will be satisfied with their choice.

Standing screen display size‎15.6 Inches
Screen Resolution‎1920×1080
Max Screen Resolution‎1920 x 1080 Pixels
Processor‎1.2 GHz core_i3_1005g1
RAM‎12 GB LPDDR4
Memory Speed‎3.4 GHz
Hard Drive‎256 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor‎Intel UHD Graphics 600
Chipset Brand‎Intel
Card Description‎Integrated
Wireless Type‎5.8 GHz Radio Frequency, 2.4 GHz Radio Frequency
Number of USB 3.0 Ports‎2
TECLAST F15 Pro
Brand‎TECLAST
Series‎F15 Pro Gaming Laptop
Item model number‎TECLAST 15.6 inch laptop computer
Hardware Platform‎PC
Operating System‎Windows 10
Item Weight‎6.84 pounds
Product Dimensions‎14.72 x 9.57 x 0.81 inches
Item Dimensions LxWxH‎14.72 x 9.57 x 0.81 inches
Color‎Dark Grey
Rear Webcam Resolution‎2 MP
Processor Brand‎Intel
Processor Count‎2
Computer Memory Type‎DDR4 SDRAM
Flash Memory Size‎256 GB
Hard Drive Interface‎Serial ATA-600
Power Source‎Battery Powered

TECLAST F15 Pro

The manufacturer managed to release a laptop priced up to $650, which will appeal to gamers. TECLAST F15 Pro is a great solution for those who want to get a gaming laptop for less money.


HP 15

HP 15

You have to admit that choosing a gaming laptop these days for $650, $640, $630, or $610 is not easy. But the advantage of many laptops is that the manufacturers try to find the best option for their customer, to meet his needs. The HP 15 is one of those laptop options that can please you with the ability to play modern games, both shooters and strategies, p2p, etc. It is a decent option for the money.

Standing screen display size‎15.6 Inches
Screen Resolution‎1920 x 1080
Max Screen Resolution‎1920 x 1080 Pixels
Processor‎4.2 GHz intel_core_i5_1135g7
RAM‎8 GB DDR4
Hard Drive‎SSD
Graphics Coprocessor‎Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Chipset Brand‎Intel
Card Description‎Integrated
Graphics Card Ram Size‎8 GB
Wireless Type‎Bluetooth, 802.11ax
Number of USB 3.0 Ports‎3
Average Battery Life (in hours)‎8.15 Hours
HP 15
Brand‎HP
Series‎HP 15 Laptop
Item model number‎15-dy2024nr
Operating System‎Windows 11 Home
Item Weight‎3.75 pounds
Product Dimensions‎14.11 x 9.53 x 0.71 inches
Item Dimensions LxWxH‎14.11 x 9.53 x 0.71 inches
Color‎Natural silver
Processor Brand‎Intel
Processor Count‎4
Computer Memory Type‎DDR4 SDRAM
Flash Memory Size‎8
Hard Drive Interface‎Gigabit Ethernet
Hard Drive Rotational Speed‎5400 RPM
Optical Drive Type‎No optical Storage Device
Power Source‎Battery Powered
Batteries‎1 Lithium ion batteries required. (included)

HP 15

Despite the 8gb RAM, this laptop has a separate graphics card for an extra 8gb, which makes the HP 15 a really cool gaming laptop option for not much money. Admittedly, its design is adorable, too!


ASUS ROG G75VW

ASUS ROG G75VW

Yes, yes, yes, I haven’t forgotten about ASUS ROG even in 2024. You can say it’s an older version of the ASUS and I’ll agree. But it is a worthy representative of exactly gaming laptops, which sold for more than 1000 bucks before, and now you can buy it for less than $650. Cool? Pretty cool! If it’s a gaming laptop you’re looking for, and you weren’t satisfied with the previous options, get the ASUS ROG. It’s a budget-friendly choice for the budding gamer.

Standing screen display size‎17.3 Inches
Screen Resolution‎1920 x 1080
Max Screen Resolution‎1920×1080 Pixels
Processor‎2.3 GHz Core_i7_3610QM
RAM‎16 GB SO-DIMM
Hard Drive‎750 GB flash_memory_solid_state
Graphics Coprocessor‎Nvidia GTX 670M
Chipset Brand‎NVIDIA
Card Description‎Dedicated
Graphics Card Ram Size‎3000 MB
Wireless Type‎802.11bgn
Number of USB 3.0 Ports‎4
ASUS ROG G75VW
Brand‎ASUS
Series‎G75VW
Item model number‎G75VW-DS72
Hardware Platform‎PC
Operating System‎Windows 7 Home Premium
Item Weight‎8.7 pounds
Product Dimensions‎16.3 x 0.9 x 12.6 inches
Item Dimensions LxWxH‎16.3 x 0.9 x 12.6 inches
Color‎Black
Processor Brand‎Intel
Processor Count‎4
Computer Memory Type‎SODIMM
Flash Memory Size‎256 GB
Hard Drive Interface‎Serial ATA
Hard Drive Rotational Speed‎7200 RPM
Optical Drive Type‎Blu-ray-enabled DVD±RW/CD-RW
Audio-out Ports (#)‎1
Power Source‎Battery Powered
Voltage‎19 Volts
Batteries‎1 Lithium ion batteries required. (included)

If you set a strict condition that the laptop was just a gaming laptop, the ASUS ROG G75VW is my answer to such statements. And the price corresponds to the condition “not more than $650” and the hardware of the laptop is for games.


How to choose a gaming laptop in 2024

Gaming laptop under $650 – a somewhat blurred concept, because everyone imagines this device differently. Someone sees a powerful and productive device, with the ability to run the latest gaming industry, someone thinks that it is a waste of money, because you can play and the usual laptop on medium settings. So which laptop is better to buy for gaming? How to choose a good gaming laptop, without overpaying for it too high price? Let’s try to deal with these and other questions below.

What do I need a gaming laptop?

As a rule, gaming laptop buy those users who want to get the most out of passing the latest hits, literally immersed in the virtual world of computer games. But it also happens that this device will not always be used clearly for its intended purpose. After all, sometimes you may need to perform on it various kinds of tasks that require high performance, or a large amount of storage space. In any case, before choosing a gaming notebook would be a good idea to study its characteristics and choose the device that will suit you in all respects. And in order to make it easier to determine their necessary set, we propose to get acquainted with the most important points you should pay attention to when buying a gaming laptop.

Main parameters

Choosing a gaming laptop, even for $650, you need to be sensitive to some critical parameters. The main criterion when choosing a gaming laptop is the power of the device, which depends on its main components: processor, graphics card, RAM and others. Therefore, we propose to dwell on each of them in more detail to understand exactly what you should expect from such a laptop.

Graphics card

Yes, many gaming laptops in the price range in question have built-in graphics, which is compensated by powerful RAM that “shares” its power with the graphics when you play your favorite game.The graphics card is one of the most important devices for gaming notebook, because it is responsible for the beauty, quality and detail of the picture, which will be displayed on the monitor. Powerful gaming machine must be equipped with a discrete graphics card, and in some cases not one. Thanks to modern CrossFire and SLI technology, it is possible to support the work of two to four graphics cards, which greatly increases the productivity and power of the device.

When choosing a good graphics chipset for gaming notebook should be guided by indicators such as clock speed and video card memory. After all, the higher the frequency of the GPU, the figure in the modern video adapters ranging from five hundred to two thousand megahertz, the higher the speed of processing graphics information. The amount of video card memory in gamer devices should be from two to eight gigabytes.

Modern gaming notebooks are equipped with graphics cards, mainly from NVIDIA, which is the leader in the global market. Until recently, minimally playable were considered lineup GPUs Maxwell – cut-down mobile models GeForce GTX 950M and GeForce GTX 960M. But even now their level of performance is not enough to run gaming innovations in Full HD resolution. The most preferable in this regard are considered video adapters from the GeForce GTX 1050 to GeForce GTX 1080, having the same performance as desktop graphics processors.

The latest hit was a high-performance graphics card with a Max-Q design, which allows you to create a very thin gaming notebook and at the same time is almost as powerful as the usual full-featured version of the GPU.

GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card will allow you to enjoy modern video games at medium graphics settings, while getting a little over 60 FPS. If you take the latest gaming industry, the same result can be achieved only at low settings. The maximum capacity of this graphics card is just not catching up. About 20-30 percent more powerful will be the next model in the line – GeForce GTX 1050 Ti. With its help, you can already try to run some PC games at high and maximum graphics settings.

But the most ideal option at the moment would be the GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card with six gigabytes of memory. Its performance will last for several years. More powerful GTX 1070 or GTX 1080 videoprocessors reasonable to buy if your notebook will be connected to the monitor with a 4K display, or will need to work with videos and graphics, which are pulling a sufficient number of resources.

AMD-based gaming notebooks are usually equipped with AMD FirePro, AMD Radeon R9, Radeon RX series graphics cards, but they are significantly inferior to NVIDIA products, which is accordingly reflected in the price category.

Processor

When choosing a gaming laptop (for $650 or even less) should be based on the speed of the video card installed in it in conjunction with the power of the CPU. Therefore, a powerful processor is another integral part, without which it is impossible to imagine a gaming laptop, because it largely depends on the overall performance of the device.

CPUs for gaming laptops should have four cores or more. The number of cores in the central processor directly affects the amount of information processed, and the clock speed – the speed of data processing. It turns out that the more cores and the higher the frequency of the processor, the more productive it will be. However, only processors of the same type and manufacturer should be compared to each other according to these parameters. The optimal clock speed for gaming laptops is 2.8 to 3.6 GHz.

Choosing a processor for a gaming laptop is not difficult, because on the world market such devices are presented in the most current models: Intel Core i5-7300HQ, Intel Core i7-7700HQ and Intel Core i7-7820HQ. Almost all of them have four cores, and the last one differs from all of them with an unlocked multiplier, which allows you to serve two video cards simultaneously.

So what does the processor labeling mean? Let’s take the Intel Core i7-7700HQ as an example, where:

  • i7 – processor series;
  • 7 – CPU generation;
  • 700 – CPU model, the higher it is, the more technical capabilities the processor has;
  • HQ – means that it is a mobile processor, equipped with high-performance graphics.

If you buy a laptop with a GeForce GTX 1050, GTX 1050 Ti or GTX 1060 graphics cards, the Intel Core i5-7300HQ CPU will be sufficient for such devices. For high-performance video adapters, you should take the more powerful Intel Core i7-7700HQ. This variant differs from the previous one in its support for Hyper-Threading (hyperthreading) and higher clock speed of 3.4 GHz. While the Intel Core i5 has a frequency of 3.1 GHz. Expensive models of gaming notebooks are almost always equipped with super-powerful Intel Core i7-7700HQ, allowing you to run multiple high-demanding applications simultaneously and perform more tasks per unit time than previous models.

In addition, if you take a laptop not only for games, but also to work with graphics, video, that is to create different content, then you should buy a device with Intel Core i7-7700HQ, which supports multithreading.

However, and competitors are trying to keep up. AMD has recently released gaming notebooks equipped with ultra-modern Ryzen 5 1600 and Ryzen 7 1700 processors, which perfectly copes with crypto, data encoding and graphics processing. The Ryzen 5 1600 with six cores times the performance of the Core i7-7820HK, and the Ryzen 7 1700 with eight cores is currently the most powerful CPU.

RAM

RAM is another important characteristic when choosing a gaming laptop, because its volume also largely affects the performance of the system as a whole. Simply put, the more applications the user runs, the more RAM is needed. Today’s hits game industry is very demanding and in most cases eight gigabytes of RAM may not be enough to run some games. And today’s gamers are important not just to play, as well as streaming, communicate with other players and perform many different actions. Therefore, in gaming laptops, the amount of RAM should be from eight to sixty-four gigabytes, preferably the fourth generation of DDR4, characterized by lower power consumption and higher frequency characteristics.

However, such powerful solutions will entail high material costs. Therefore, it is most preferable to choose gaming laptops with 16 GB of RAM. Buy the same laptop with 32 GB of memory and above should only be those who are professionally engaged in video processing and graphics. Moreover, many modern laptops have slots for installing additional memory modules, which will increase its volume at any time. This process will take a small amount of time and will only require the skills to select the necessary memory slots and knowledge of how to properly remove the back cover of the laptop.

Cooling

Another important parameter when choosing a gaming laptop is the cooling system. The efficiency of this feature directly affects the frequency of the CPU and graphics card. Trolling for gaming laptops is quite common, but at the same time, everyone wants to maximize the performance of the processor and video adapter. That is why it is so important to use functional and efficient cooling in laptops, which includes additional coolers, ventilation grilles and heat pipes. However, for some devices even this is not enough, so it is recommended to use a cooling pad with active cooling on powerful gaming laptops.

When buying a gaming device you should pay attention to the fact that the cooling system does not exceed the noise limit, as well as in which direction the blowout is directed. For the fact that it is located on the right side it can heat the mouse and the user’s hand, creating additional discomfort.

Data storage and loading

Imagine a gaming notebook without a solid state drive SSD is almost impossible. Such drives operate at high speeds that are orders of magnitude faster than conventional hard drives. This means that booting processes from the SSD drive will be much faster, so at least they need to put the operating system and various programs.

But buying a large-capacity SSD usually costs a pretty penny, and not everyone can afford a laptop with a high-capacity SSD. Often the way out of this situation is to buy a laptop with a SSD capacity of 128 or 256 GB and an additional HDD drive, which will be installed games. However, you should understand that modern computer games take up a lot of space, so the volume of hard drive in gaming laptops should be at least one terabyte. That will store there not only games, but also other programs and various media files. In addition, and solid state and hard drives can be easily replaced, thus increasing their volume.

If the budget does not provide for the purchase of a gaming device with an SSD drive, you should pay attention to those models where there is a slot for such a drive. And later it can be separately purchased and installed on your laptop.

Display

One of the important parameters when choosing a gaming laptop is the display, because it will be pointed at your eyes for a long period of time. Therefore, the size of the diagonal gaming laptops ranges from seventeen to twenty-one inches.

Very common in a series of gaming laptops displays with Full HD resolution – 1920×1080 pixels, less often used the newer and more powerful technologies that support a Quad HD – 2560×1440 pixels and 4K – 3840×2160 pixels.

Laptop displays use two types of matrices: IPS and TN. Theoretically, it is best to use IPS matrix for gaming laptops because it has better viewing angles and color rendering. But in gaming devices more often TN matrix is used, because this technology differs from the other with a high speed of response, which significantly affects the dynamic scenes. And the appearance of blurs and artifacts is practically reduced to zero. The more so that modern TN matrices in high-power gaming devices are also of sufficient quality and are inferior to the IPS technology.

Also, when choosing a gaming laptop it is important to pay attention to the coating of the screen. Glossy has better color reproduction and more vibrant and saturated colors, and matte has anti-reflective coating, with which you can not be afraid of the reflection and sunlight reflected in the laptop display.

Typically, the frequency of laptop screens ranges from 60 to 100 Hz. But modern displays of high-performance gaming devices can support screen refresh rates of 120 Hz, and are equipped with FreeSync technologies from AMD or G-SYNC from NVIDIA, which will make the frame change much smoother and more pleasant to the eye.

Additional recommendations: The main and most important criteria for choosing a gaming notebook were discussed above. Now let’s dwell in more detail on their additional characteristics that will help you to get the most pleasure from playing and working.

Keyboard

Gamer keyboard in the first place should be quite comfortable and ergonomic, given the fact that the user will spend quite a long time at it. In order to make life as easy as possible for gamers for such input devices developed an original and comfortable design, high-tech materials are used, some additional keys are added, most often used in games.

The keyboard of gaming notebooks in most cases is equipped with backlighting, which can illuminate all the keys at once, and to activate only a certain combination of keys. There are also one-color and multi-colored options for lighting, as well as spot illumination, which is characterized only by highlighting the main keys: Enter and the space bar. The presence of backlighting in the keyboard a lot easier to play at night. Moreover, manufacturers develop designs so that backlighting does not strike the eyes brightly, but only helps to achieve greater comfort and convenience in the game.

Ports

The presence of different ports to connect to other devices – this is one of the positive points, which should also be paid attention to when choosing gaming devices. The gamer laptop equipped with HDMI and DisplayPort ports will allow you to display the picture on a large monitor. For a comfortable entertainment you will need several USB-ports and Ethernet-connector, as well as 3.5 mm mini-jacks for the possibility to connect a headset.

A nice addition will be the presence in the laptop super modern Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.1 Type-C. The latter, if needed in the future, will allow you to connect an external graphics card to the device.

Battery

Some models of gaming devices can work without connecting to the network for about four hours, and in movie mode or surfing the Internet even more. However, great performance from the battery in these laptops should not be expected.

If it is still one of the main conditions when choosing a laptop for a gamer for you is the ability to work long without connecting to the mains, you should opt for a model with a powerful and high-capacity battery, about 60Wh and from 5800 mAh. However, you should be aware that the performance of the graphics graphics graphics card in standalone mode is dynamically reduced, being about 30 FPS. Playing in this mode, especially in top computer games is not comfortable, and not always possible. Moreover, the maximum playing time when connected wirelessly is about an hour and a half.

Weight and compactness

Asus ROG gaming laptopPurchasing any laptop, including for games, everyone wants to have a lighter, smaller and thinner device. However, today’s gaming laptops are far from such ideals. Usually their weight ranges from four to six pounds, and their dimensions will be larger than those of conventional universal devices. Hard drive and SSD, one or two powerful graphics processors, a reinforced cooling system and a large laptop monitor, together make up the bulk of the dimensions and heavy weight of the laptop.

But now there are newfangled ultrathin gaming laptops in the design of Max-Q. However, you should pay attention to the fact that graphics cards in such devices are much slower than their counterparts, namely in the configuration of “thick” laptops. In addition, they need to be much more careful to monitor the state of the cooling system. And the price of such laptops is very biting.

Gaming Laptop under $650: Q&A

I only have $620. Recommend a laptop that I can play shooters on.

With this money you can buy a laptop and play many games, including shooters. WhatTDW suggests you choose the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 (product link on Amazon, current price about $560 or less). It’s a practical laptop with advanced specs, including an AMD Radeon 7 graphics card.

How much does a decent gaming laptop cost?

Gaming laptops are quite expensive. The coolest ones can cost anywhere from $1,800 and up. But that doesn’t mean you can’t play games if you only have $1,000, $800, or $600 to spend. True, you’ll have to set more modest game settings so the laptop doesn’t slow down or freeze up.

How important is a separate graphics card for a gaming laptop? After all, the $650, $590, or $560 options you offer often use video memory at the expense of RAM.

The importance of a graphics card for gaming laptops is very high. In fact, it is a special memory for visualization of the process. The video card takes the load off the computer’s RAM, than allows it to work without slowdowns.