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8 Best Gaming Laptop Under $500 2022

8 Best Gaming Laptop Under $500 2022

Gamers no longer need to sit in front of a desktop or gaming console to play games. You can now purchase gaming laptops that can handle even the heaviest of titles. Gaming laptops, however, aren’t cheap.

The best gaming laptop must have good RAM, storage, memory, graphics card, and sound. If you ever search for the best gaming laptop, you will be surprised at how expensive they can be.

We have selected the best gaming laptops under $500 and reviewed each one.

They have amazing specs and support most, if not all titles.

Let’s dig in!

We thought a comparison table might help you make a quick decision before we give you details.

Now that we have summarized each one in the comparison table, let’s dig a little deeper into each.

We’ll compare these eight best gaming laptops based on their performance and specifications in the review section. We have outlined all the features to help you make an informed decision.

Best Overall
HP15.6’ Touchscreen Laptop
HP15.6’ Touchscreen Laptop
  • Plenty of connection options
  • The speakers are loud
  • Has a separate numeric keypad.
Editor`s Choice
Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop
Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop
  • Is lightweight at just 1.8 KGS i.e. 3.97 pounds
  • Looks very good
Best Budget
Dell Inspiron 15 5000
Dell Inspiron 15 5000
  • Easy to handle at under 5 pounds
  • Features good stereo speaker quality

Top 8 Best Gaming Laptop Under $500 You Should Buy

1) HP15.6’ Touchscreen Laptop

HP15.6’ Touchscreen Laptop

This beauty is known to be one of the most reliable brands out there.

Looking at the HP i5-8250U, what springs to mind is decent, reliable, and fairly equipped. Its 15.6-inch, 1366 x 768 HD touchscreen makes it quite attractive. When gaming, you may not need to use the touchscreen, but it can make a big difference to your overall experience. In addition, it has a WLED backlight.

But that’s not all. The processor is a quad-core i5 with 1.6 Gigahertz of power that will support a range of titles. It comes with a UHD 620 graphics processor.

This model has a 128 GB SSD drive with an SD card reader so you can expand the storage.

A DVD RW drive is located on the side. Although very few laptops today have these drives, they might be useful if you need to write CDs. Remember, though, that this device looks a bit bulky

Stereo speakers are also available, and you can plug in external ones. If you ask us, the built-in speakers are pretty good.

It comes with Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows 10 Home, but you can also run multiple operating systems with its memory capacity.

Bluetooth worked well for us. The connection is smooth. Gamers who stream to Twitch will enjoy the high quality webcam and HDMI port even more. Additionally, the battery offers up to 10 hours of run time. When you play games, the battery drains quickly.

Silver is the only color available, but there are a ton of third-party skins if you want to get creative.

Pros
  • Plenty of connection options
  • The speakers are loud
  • Has a separate numeric keypad.
  • Screen size offers color and clarity
Cons
  • The battery is not very reliable
  • May not support the latest titles

Read: Best Gaming Laptop Under $1000 To Buy 2022


2) Dell Inspiron 15 5000

Dell Inspiron 15 5000

We are in for a surprise if you are one of those people who examine every inch of a laptop and consider even the smallest details before deciding to purchase it. You will be blown away by the Dell 15 5000!

This laptop has a 15.6 inch HD backlit touchscreen with true life colors. When it comes to gaming, most people don’t pay attention to the screen, but it can be the difference maker.

The Intel 620 graphics card ensures that you can play most games on the device.

Its 8th Gen i5 quad core processor offers 1.6 GHz of power and 6MB of cache, which makes it 26% better than an i7-7500U.

That’s not all …

You get an 8GB DDR4 SD RAM and a whopping 1TB SATA hard drive, instead of a DDR2. We have a feeling you’re already planning what you’re going to do with all that space when you’re done gaming.

The laptop has dual band wireless and Bluetooth 4.2 as well as a backlit keyboard.

Integrated into the top of the screen is a widescreen HD webcam. It has an HDMI output, a 2.0 USB port, two 3.1 USB ports, and stereo speakers with MaxxAudio Pro.

Windows 10 Home 64 bit is the operating system. When playing games, the battery lasts only up to four hours.

Pros
  • Easy to handle at under 5 pounds
  • Features good stereo speaker quality
  • Simple, user friendly ergonomic design
Cons
  • Does not offer high FPS
  • Does not have a USB C-Port

Read: Best Cheap Refurbished Laptops Under $100 in 2022


3) Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop

Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop

This Acer laptop lets you unleash your creative side. It supports an i3 8145u 8th generation processor with a maximum speed of 4 GHz.

It delivers on every aspect of daily computing and gaming.

Instead of DDR2, it has 4GB DDR4 memory and a 128 GB PCIe NVMe SSD.

It has a 15.6 inch full HD 1920 x 1080 widescreen with LED backlight and an IPS display, which supports UHD 620 graphics.

The visuals are crisp and sharp, and the bezels are thin, so you get more screen real estate.

This thin and compact design does not include a regular DVD RW, but Acer has provided multiple ports including an HDMI port with HDCP support and multiple types of USB ports, including one C Gen.

As standard, the Acer Aspire 5 Slim comes with Windows 10 in S Mode. The device also comes with two built-in stereo speakers and a microphone for easy streaming.

Pros
  • Is lightweight at just 1.8 KGS i.e. 3.97 pounds
  • Looks very good
  • Has a lithium ion battery which gives you a straight run of 9.5 hours
Cons
  • The WiFi card is of poor quality
  • The screen is not very good especially from wide angels

Read: Best Laptops For Kids To Ace Their Assignments (Or Hone Their Gaming Skills) 2022


4) ASUS VivoBook F510UA

ASUS VivoBook F510UA

This laptop will be the talk of the town if you like aesthetics.

With a 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5 7200U processor that goes up to 3.1 GHz, this is an excellent budget machine.

Despite being only 14.2 inches wide and 0.8 inches thin, it’s quite portable. Plus, 0.3 inches of NanoEdge give it a stunning 80% screen-to-body ratio!

A full HD 1920 x 1080 15.6 inch anti-glare screen is built into the ASUS laptop. No matter how you use the screen, you’ll enjoy a great view.

Moving onto the hardware, you’ll find an 8GB DDR4 RAM and a 1 TB HDD. The keyboard has a Chiclet keyboard and a fingerprint sensor. Once you get comfortable using this laptop, you will enjoy gaming.

The device has all the ports you need, including a traditional USB port. In addition to an HDMI cable, a Type C port is also present.

Furthermore, it runs for about 5 hours when gaming, but it won’t be able to run many titles since it lacks a dedicated graphics card. It is marketed as a gaming laptop, but it is only suitable for light gaming.

Also, we didn’t like the sound quality much.

Pros
  • Excellent Bluetooth and WiFi connections
  • The keyboard is spacious and nearly soundless
  • Has immersive screen display
Cons
  • You may require PSU extension cables.

Read: Best Touchscreen Laptop For Drawing in 2022


5) HP Flagship 17.3 inches Laptop

HP Flagship 17.3 inches Laptop

A 17.3-inch HD and WLED backlit display is included. So, if you are looking for a laptop with a large screen, grab this beauty. While it has a large screen, it offers up to 7.5 hours of battery life and weighs under 6 pounds, so you won’t have much trouble transporting it.

Its glossy screen comes with BrightView technology, which together with its 1600 x 900 resolution ensures you will love what you see. You will be able to see every detail in the game. Some users, however, complain that the screen is too bright.

The processor is an Intel Core i5 7200 U, which has a processing speed of up to 3.1 GHz.

The computer comes with a 6GB DDR4 RAM, a 1 TB HDD hard drive, and a DVD and CD burner.

The other side includes both an HDMI port and a USB 3.0 output port, as well as LAN expansion slots and an Intel HD 620 graphics card.

It comes with Windows 10 OS that runs smoothly. Thanks to its incredibly loud dual speakers, you can also enjoy movies and songs on this device.

Pros
  • The keyboard is full size and has a numeric pad
  • Quite good at multitasking
  • The huge screen looks great
Cons
  • The keyboard is not backlit
  • The front facing webcam is VGA

Read: Best Laptops with Numeric Keypad in 2022 [Expert Picks]


6) Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB

Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB

This model from Lenovo has a premium finish that makes it a good choice for users who want an attractive laptop. As a result of its 2.5 GHz 7th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, it is able to run a wide range of games.

You’ll find an 8GD DDR4 memory inside the machine. Most games will run on this. It will be especially useful if you are a heavy user and run multiple programs at the same time, so it is definitely for multitaskers.

Now let’s take a look at the screen and display.

The IdeaPad 320 has a 15-inch anti-glare display with a HD screen resolution. It offers great views from all angles, so you’ll enjoy playing games there.

Combined with its Dolby Audio optimized speakers, this laptop is ideal for gaming. Windows 10 Home’s Cortana personal assistant makes it easy to use.

Pros
  • Comes in a sleek unibody chassis with playful tone-on-tone platinum grey
  • Has been treated with a protective finish
  • Has an optical drive
  • The touchpad has been redesigned to support multi-finger gestures
Cons
  • The battery life is not very good
  • The hard disk can be a bit slow to respond

Read: Best 11 Inch laptops in 2022


7) ASUS Vivobook F705QA

ASUS Vivobook F705QA

With an AMD A12 processor, the ASUS F705 is one of the best gaming laptops under $500 that offers both aesthetics and performance.

The processor on this computer is an AMD quad-core A12 with a speed of up to 3.6 GHz. The screen is one area where it truly excels. With a 17.3-inch large HD+ display and a 1600 x 900 resolution, it has a matte finish.

We played some titles and enjoyed them. We didn’t complain about headaches or other problems due to the speed. The 8GB DDR4 memory makes it ideal for gaming. Furthermore, the 1 TB FireCuda physical hybrid HDD storage is enough.

ASUS offers Windows 10 Home on this device with a backlit Chiclet keyboard as standard. It has all the important ports such as an HDMI port, a UBS port, and a USB C port.

The battery lasts about seven hours even when gaming, so you won’t need to worry about running to a charger every few hours. Although it may be a good idea to give it breaks since it lacks powerful fans and may heat up if you use it continuously for extended periods of time.

Pros
  • The WiFi connection is quite strong
  • Looks pretty good
  • Quite easy to maintain as it is light in weight
Cons
  • Sounds from the speakers come from the bottom so they get muffled.
  • Heats up pretty quickly

Read: Best Laptops For AutoCAD & Revit In 2022 [Expert Recommendations]


8) Panasonic Toughbook CF-53

Panasonic Toughbook CF-53

Panasonic’s top-of-the-line portable carry laptop has an Intel Core i5 – 4310U dual-core processor with a rate of 2.0 GHz capable of running some old and new games.

The company does not make laptops, but this one will surely leave you impressed as it is quite durable and has a unique shape.

It comes with 8 GB of memory to make sure the laptop runs smoothly. Moreover, its 500 GB physical HDD is large enough to install multiple games and apps. The laptop is not designed for gaming, but it can be used to play some light games.

The screen size is apt 14 inches LED backlit with anti-glare technology offering 1366 x 768 resolution.

It has a rugged design and security features such as a password for the HDD and a Kensington cable lock slot among other security features.

Panasonic has included Windows 10 Pro as standard software with this device.

Pros
  • Is meant for tough, rugged use
  • The WiFi range is phenomenal
  • Unique, briefcase-like design makes it easy to handle
Cons
  • Is not easily upgradable
  • Quite heavy at about 19 pounds

Read: Best Gaming laptops with Best Battery life 2022 | long Battery life laptops


Conclusion


Listed below are the eight best laptops under $500; however, some might be slightly more expensive.

Most of them will do just fine, but if it were up to us, we’d go with the 2021 HP 15.6’ Intel Quad Core i5-8250U.

It has a touchscreen, as well as a separate numeric pad. Additionally, the screen size is a comfortable 15.6 inches, which is pretty good. There are also models with larger screens, but they may be more difficult to operate.

It can play most games with 8GB DDR4 RAM. Remember, however, that most gaming laptops under $500 will not support the latest gaming titles since they require a dedicated graphics card.

You can, however, choose an affordable laptop and upgrade it as you wish. Take a look at the options discussed above and choose one that suits your needs.


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Edward Connelly
By Edward Connelly

I’m Edward, and I am a passionate tech writer who loves to try new gadgets. I work as the blog editor at TechHamster where I write about everything from how to use technology in your business, to what apps you should download for your next vacation. I also test out all of the latest and gadgets that come along!

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