If you are looking forward to purchasing a gaming laptop, but have a low budget, no need for you to feel disappointed. Though it may not be easy to choose a good gaming laptop for a low budget it’s not impossible either. And we’ll be assisting you through this write-up to plump for the best gaming laptop under £500.
The gaming laptops that we have included in our list will give you the most of the bucks you invest in them. They will offer the best processors, a good RAM capacity, and integrated graphics to run most of your regular games. If you are an amateur gamer, these gaming laptops are definitely going to be your top picks.
So let’s move on to the list and details of the best gaming laptops under £500 which will optimally run most of your casual games optimally, if not the high-end games. If you are more serious about gaming, you may like reading about the Best Gaming Laptops under £1000 which come with added gaming features.
Our Top 3 Recommendations
Editor’s Choice – MSI Modern 15
- Intel i5 12th Gen
- 8GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- Intel Iris Xe
2nd Best Choice – Asus Vivobook 15
- AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- AMD Integrated
3rd Best Choice – Dell Inspiron 3525
- AMD Ryzen 5 5500U
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB SSD
- AMD Integrated
How we picked the best gaming laptops under £500
A low-budget gaming laptop will not offer you many features but one may find a gaming laptop which offers certain basic features which are essential for casual gaming, at least. We have mentioned some similar gaming laptops in our list which will let you have an enjoyable gaming experience without taking much toll on your pocket. Let’s learn more about those features.
CPU or Processor:
If you want your gaming laptop to perform smoothly, opt for the latest processor that gaming laptops of a particular price band offer. For an entry-level gaming laptop, you can get a processor as good as the Intel Core i5 12th generation. Later versions of AMD Ryzen 5 and 7 are also good options for processors.
RAM and Storage:
More RAM will offer more speedy performance in a gaming laptop. The minimum RAM recommended for gaming is 8GB. But you can also get a gaming laptop having up to 16GB RAM in this price range, which is a better option. For storage, 512GB is sufficient but 256GB storage is also adequate for basic gaming.
Graphics card:
Budget gaming laptops will usually feature integrated graphics. If you want to play sophisticated games, the integrated graphics may not be helpful. However, they are surely going to enhance the graphics as far as casual gaming is concerned. Yet, Intel’s Iris Xe are a better option for graphics in this category.
Display:
The display of a gaming laptop must offer vivid colours, good contrast and high peak brightness levels. Usually, Full HD displays are offered on gaming laptops of this price range which deliver a good video output. Besides, the refresh rate should be considered so that screen blurring and tearing are avoided.
Other features:
Various other features need to be kept in mind when buying a gaming laptop. Care should be taken of the connectivity options offered for stable connection and to leave scope for degradation. The build quality should be considered. The accessibility of the keyboard keys and the responsiveness of the trackpad should also be checked.
These are the best gaming laptops under £500
| Laptops | RAM | Storage | CPU | GPU | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSI Modern 15 | 8GB | 512GB SSD | Intel i5 12th Gen | Intel Iris Xe | Current Price |
| Asus Vivobook 15 | 16GB | 512GB SSD | AMD Ryzen 7 4800H | AMD Integrated | Current Price |
| Dell Inspiron 3525 | 8GB | 256GB SSD | AMD Ryzen 5 5500U | AMD Integrated | Current Price |
| Lenovo V15 | 8GB | 256GB SSD | AMD Ryzen 5 5500U | AMD Integrated | Current Price |
| Jumper EZbook X7 | 16GB | 1TB SSD | Intel i5 10th Gen | Intel Integrated | Current Price |
1. MSI Modern 15
The MSI Modern 15 is one of the best gaming laptops under £500. This gaming laptop comes with one of the latest processors that is the 12th Gen Intel Core i5 which makes the gaming laptop perform smoothly. 8GB of RAM is the minimum a gaming laptop should be equipped with for a lag-free gaming experience. Luckily, the Modern 15 offers you that. Further, you also get a good storage space of 512GB on this gaming laptop.
This gaming laptop has a 15.6-inch Full HD display which offers clear and colourful picture quality. Besides, the display has a refresh rate of 60Hz so that an adequate frame rate is maintained while you play. This gaming laptop features an Intel Iris Xe graphics card which is one of the best graphics cards that you can get in a budget gaming laptop and you will get to experience quite lively graphics if you get your hands on the Modern 15.
The full-sized keyboard which comes along with a numeric pad is very convenient to use. The keys come with a short travel distance and are backlit. If we talk about the build quality, the MSI Modern 15 has a durable military-grade build. In addition, this gaming laptop is very lightweight which adds to its portability. To improve the performance of this gaming laptop, it also comes equipped with a great cooling system.
A good choice of ports is also offered which includes three USB-A ports, a USB-C port, an audio combo and an HDMI 1.4 port. Besides, Wifi 6E is featured for stable connectivity during your online gaming sessions. It also offers a micro SD card reader. This gaming laptop can be fast-charged through the USB-C port it offers. All these features are offered at not a very high price, making this gaming laptop one of the best and most affordable gaming laptops.
Pros
- Latest processor
- Intel Iris Xe graphics
- Full-sized backlit keyboard
- Lightweight
Cons
- RAM cannot be upgraded
- Only one USB-C port offered
Specifications:
| Display: | 15.6 inches FHD |
| CPU: | Intel Core i5-1235U |
| GPU: | Intel Iris Xe |
| RAM: | 8GB |
| Storage: | 512GB |
| Weight: | 1.7 Kg |
2. Asus Vivobook 15
Another gaming laptop that will fit your budget while offering efficient performance is the Asus Vivobook 15. This gaming laptop features a powerful AMD Ryzen 7-4800H processor to deliver optimal performance. This may not be the best processor but is still good enough to fit your budget as well as to take care of your casual gaming needs.
A great feature of this gaming laptop is that it offers 16GB RAM which is exceptional. More RAM will make your gaming laptop run without showing any latency. This gaming laptop also offers a huge storage of 512GB which will let you store many games as well as other data on it. Besides, it will help load your games quickly.
This gaming laptop comes with a 15.6-inch Full HD display which delivers vivid colours and good contrast. This gaming laptop comes with AMD Integrated Graphics which will take care of the graphic quality of the games you play quite well, though it won’t support hardcore gaming. The keyboard has tactile keys but is not backlit.
The Asus Vivobook 15 is well-designed, equipped with an efficient cooling system and is not noisy. Also, good connectivity options are offered. A USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 port, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, a USB 2.0 port, an HDMI port and an audio combo jack are offered. For wireless connectivity, Wifi 6 is offered on it.
Pros
- Good display quality
- Decent performance
- Offers 16GB RAM
Cons
- Poor battery life
- Keyboard is not backlit
Specifications:
| Display: | 15.6 inches FHD |
| CPU: | AMD Ryzen 7 4800H |
| GPU: | AMD Integrated Graphics |
| RAM: | 16GB |
| Storage: | 512GB |
| Weight: | 2.74 Kg |
3. Dell Inspiron 3525
The next gaming laptop on our list of the best gaming laptops under 500 is the Dell Inspiron 3525. This gaming laptop is equipped with the AMD Ryzen 5 5500U processor coupled with 8GB RAM. Both of these work together to offer the user smooth and speedy gaming performance. Besides, 256GB SSD storage is offered which may not be large enough but is much to expect from a budget gaming laptop.
This gaming laptop comes with a Full HD display which offers decent picture quality. The display has thin bezels which enhances the look while adding to the viewing area. Plus, it comes with an exceptional refresh rate of 120 Hz which helps prevent screen blurring. With AMD Integrated Graphics, you’ll be able to play casual games very well.
The keyboard offered on this gaming laptop is large with all keys being easily accessible, however, it is not backlit. The ports include a USB 3.2, a USB 2.0, a headset jack, an HDMI 1.4 port and a power jack. An SD card reader is also featured. This gaming laptop may not come with the best features but has enough of them to be considered one of the best gaming laptops under £500 while being budget-friendly.
Pros
- Offers a good refresh rate
- Decent ports offered
- Well-built
Cons
- The keyboard is not backlit
- Offers only 256GB storage
Specifications:
| Display: | 15.6 inches FHD |
| CPU: | AMD Ryzen 5 5500U |
| GPU: | AMD Integrated Graphics |
| RAM: | 8GB |
| Storage: | 256GB |
| Weight: | 2.6 Kg |
4. Lenovo V15
The Lenovo V15 also makes it to our list of the best gaming laptops under £500. The processor offered on this gaming laptop is the AMD Ryzen 5 5500U which offers great performance. To enhance performance, this gaming laptop comes with a good cooling system which does not let the heat build up very easily.
For the memory, up to 8GB of RAM is offered which is optimal for gaming. And the AMD-integrated graphics will enhance the quality of the video of the regular games you play on this gaming laptop. Further, it offers you the option of upgrading the RAM and storage to make it perform even better.
This gaming laptop is well-designed and lightweight which makes it easy to carry. Though the features offered on this gaming laptop are limited but are worth the price and enough for casual gaming, making it one of the best gaming laptops under £500.
Pros
- Decent performance
- Has an efficient cooling system
- Can be upgraded
Cons
- Comes with low storage
- Keyboard has no backlight
Specifications:
| Display: | 15.6 inches FHD |
| CPU: | AMD Ryzen 5 5500U |
| GPU: | AMD Integrated Graphics |
| RAM: | 8GB |
| Storage: | 256GB |
| Weight: | 1.7 Kg |
5. Jumper EZbook X7
The Jumper EZbook X7 is also one of the best gaming laptops under £500. Though this laptop is not specifically made for gaming, the specs It offers surely make it a good option for entry-level gaming. The laptop is not made for graphic-intensive workloads since it does not come with a dedicated graphics card but because it is loaded with a decent processor, large RAM and a huge SSD storage, you can play basic games smoothly on it.
The display of this gaming laptop is lined by thin bezels and you get a 720p webcam on top of the display. The display offers decent picture quality, thanks to the Full HD IPS technology. You get a decent battery life which can last around 7 to 8 hours. Dual speakers are offered which sound average and they lack bass. I also do not like the cooling system of this gaming laptop as it is noisy and heating issues are encountered at times.
The build quality and look of this gaming laptop are pretty impressive and stylish. It is lightweight, compact and very convenient to carry. The gaming laptop comes with a well-spaced keyboard but lacks a separate number pad. Versatile ports are offered which include a Type-C port, a micro HDMI port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, USB 3.0 ports, and a Micro TF slot. For a low budget, you can consider purchasing this gaming laptop.
Pros
- Large RAM and storage.
- Versatile pots.
- Great build.
Cons
- Inefficient cooling system.
- No dedicated graphics.
Specifications:
| Display: | 14 inches FHD |
| CPU: | Intel i5 10th Gen |
| GPU: | Intel Integrated Graphics |
| RAM: | 16GB |
| Storage: | 1TB |
| Weight: | 1.35 Kg |
FAQs about the best gaming laptops under £500
Which are the best gaming laptops under £500?
The best gaming laptops under £500 include the MSI Modern 15, the Asus Vivobook 15 and the Dell Inspiron 3525.
Are integrated graphics good for gaming?
Integrated graphics will not support high-end gaming. However, for casual gaming integrated graphics will do the job.
How much RAM will a budget gaming laptop offer?
Budget gaming laptops usually offer 8GB of RAM. In case you want more RAM, some gaming laptops do offer room for upgradation.
