Selection: 5 Best Gaming Laptops Under $500

When you set yourself the task of finding a gaming laptop for $500, you must understand that you most likely won't get the perfect gaming machine for the money. But nevertheless, you can get a laptop that has good performance and a clear, juicy display. Therefore, I have prepared for you material, which included five of the best laptops for the money, so that it would be easier for you to make a choice.

Selection: 5 Best Gaming Laptops Under $500	Image	Price	Rating	Buy
Acer Aspire 5 is a great option for playing Sims 4		$442.00	4.6	➼ ⊚
AsusVivoBookF510QA is a great budget gaming laptop with an anti-glare display		$393.00	4.2	➼ ⊚
The HP 14 touchscreen is the best budget investment for a gaming laptop		$435.00	4.5	➼ ⊚
Asus VivoBook 15 is a great thin gaming option for beginners in 2022		$457.99	4.6	➼ ⊚
Lenovo 320 - 15 - the perfect laptop with the system installed		$469.00	4	➼ ⊚

Acer Aspire 5 is a great option for playing Sims 4

The Sims 4 is a very popular game at the moment which is a very realistic real life simulation. This game will be interesting for both teenagers and adults - there is an opportunity to build and decorate houses, run a business and do many other things.

Sure, it doesn't have the same powerful specs as our first laptop, but it can still be called a budget gaming laptop. It also benefits from a stylish slim design and light weight, making it highly portable - you can take it with you wherever you go.

What games can you play with it? In fact, many in which. For example: Minecraft, LeagueogLegends, NeedForSpeedMostWanted at normal fps.

Let's take a look at its configuration. The laptop received an AMDRyzen 3 processor. Despite the fact that this is a fairly old processor (since a bunch of new ones came out after it), it still ensures fast and high-quality laptop operation without freezing. Working with such a processor is a pleasure.

As for the RAM, there is 4 GB of it, and in principle this is enough for such a laptop. Of course, you won't be able to play the demanding games that have been released recently, but you can still play at all, even online shooters and things like The Sims 4.

The only thing that can confuse this laptop is the hard drive, which is only rated at 128 GB. But still, it still writes and loads data quickly, although it has a small storage space.

Specifications:

• Display Size: 15.6 inches;
• Maximum screen resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels;
• Processor: AMD Ryzen 3;
• RAM: 4 GB;
• Hard Disk: 128 GB Solid State Flash;
• Graphics coprocessor:AMDRadeonVega 3;
• Average battery life in hours: 7.5 hours;
• Operating system:Windows 10;
• Item Weight: 3.97 lbs.

Pros / Cons of the model:

• Reliable and compact body;
• Compared to the previous model, it has a longer battery life in offline mode;
• It will cope well with new games, while it will give out a normal frame rate per second;
• Good video card;
• Perfect display;
• Very budget.

• Very little hard drive storage space;
• Almost all laptops from Acer suffer from problems with overheating during operation, and this laptop is no exception to the rule.

AsusVivoBookF510QA is a great budget gaming laptop with an anti-glare display

For gamers, not only the configuration of a laptop is very important, but also a high-quality display. This is a very important factor, because when playing games or working with programs, you can spend a lot of time on a laptop, and if it does not have a high-quality display, it can harm your eyes. In addition to a good display, it has a very thin body, and all this - within the budget of $ 500.

As for the configuration itself, the AMDA12 processor is installed here, which, although not as powerful as one might imagine, is quite worthy for the money. Thanks to it, you can easily play games like Sims 4, Minecraft without experiencing lags or freezes. The video card here is also quite decent - AMDRadeonR7, it is able to provide smooth operation and smoothing of the interface.

Specifications:

• Display Size: 15.6 inches;
• Maximum screen resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels;
• Processor:AMD A 12;
• RAM: 4 GB;
• Hard disk: 128 GB;
• Graphics Coprocessor: AMD Radeon R74
• Video card RAM size: 2 MB;
• Operating system:Windows 10;
• Item Weight: 5.5 lbs.

Pros / Cons of the model:

• Robust portable case;
• The price for the device is a little over $300;
• The display comes with a special anti-glare effect.

• Autonomous operation of the battery in the mode without recharging leaves much to be desired;
• Very little hard disk space to store information. There are no other significant cons.

The HP 14 touchscreen is the best budget investment for a gaming laptop

As the name suggests, this laptop has a touchscreen display, and at this price point, that's the highlight. Compared to other models that were presented in this list, it has great performance, as well as a stylish and strict design. With improved performance, it handles multitasking with ease. With it, you can easily play games such as CS:GO, PUBGM, GTAIV with medium or even high settings.

In terms of processor, this laptop has the most powerful processor among all the previously presented models - AMDRyzen 3. Thanks to it, multitasking and smooth use are ensured. RAM is also quite enough - 8 GB, this amount provides sufficient smoothness of the interface.

As for the touch screen, it turned out to be very responsive, and when working with it, you will be sure that this is not a laptop, but some very high-quality tablet that has a high response speed.

Specifications:

• Display Size: 14 inches;
• Maximum screen resolution: 1366 x 768 pixels;
• Processor: AMD Ryzen 3;
• RAM: 8 GB;
• Hard Disk: 128 GB Solid State Drive;
• Graphics coprocessor:AMDRadeonVega 3;
• Operating system:Windows 10;
• Item Weight: 3.25 lbs.

Pros / Cons of the model:

• Has the most affordable price;
• A good option for gamers - has a decent frame per second;
• A good graphics card that ensures overall smoothness and performance when using the device.

• Numerous users who have bought this model note that the keyboard and trackpad do not look like durable elements at all. However, this is not particularly scary for many - you can always buy an external keyboard and mouse. The laptop has no other cons.

Asus VivoBook 15 is a great thin gaming option for beginners in 2022

Asus constantly makes sure that its laptop models are very thin, while at the same time satisfying the needs of customers as much as possible. This model is no exception - a lot of people would like to have a budget laptop suitable for gaming in their arsenal. Moreover, it is so thin that it can compete with the well-known Mac Book in this parameter, and this is only $ 500. You can easily play games such as Project IGI, GTA Vice City, GTA IV and CS:GO on this laptop.

The model has a modern processor of the tenth generation Core i3, which just provides enough performance to play some games. RAM is also in abundance - 8 GB, so with this laptop you can easily master multitasking. The amount of memory for storage is 128 GB, and on the one hand, this is not enough for carefree use, and on the other hand, it is just right for a novice computer gamer.

Specifications:

• Display Size: 15.6 inches;
• Maximum screen resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels;
• Processor: 10th generation Intel Core i3;
• RAM: 8 GB;
• Hard disk: 128 GB;
• Graphics coprocessor: Intel UHD Graphics;
• Video card memory: 8 GB;
• Operating system: Windows 10 S;
• Item Weight: 3.75 lbs.

Pros / Cons of the model:

• The modern tenth generation processor is perfectly combined with the video card, so the laptop works quickly;
• Slim display and chassis, making the laptop lightweight;
• You can play games, and the fps speed will be smooth.

• The battery holds very little charge in the operating mode without recharging;
• If you load your computer very heavily with work programs or games, you may encounter overheating problems;
• It comes with the Windows 10 S operating system, which means that you will have to spend money not only on buying a laptop, but also on purchasing a full licensed version to gain access to all the functions of the laptop and the system.

Lenovo 320 - 15 - the perfect laptop with the system installed

As you can see, not all laptops in this price range come with a fully installed operating system, so this is the first difference between this model and all the others on the list. Lenovo took care of that category of its customers who cannot afford to buy an expensive gaming laptop and are very limited in budget, and this model appeared on the market.

The specifications of the laptop are very good. The AMD A12 processor is installed here, and it is much better and more productive than the A9. The graphics card is integrated, which increases the speed of work and allows you to play, perform everyday tasks and even work. In addition, taking the laptop out of the box, you will see that a full operating system is installed on it, that is, you can immediately use the laptop without thinking about additional spending on a licensed version of the system.

Specifications:

• Display Size: 15.6 inches;
• Maximum screen resolution: 1366 x 768 pixels;
• RAM: 8 GB;
• Hard drive: 1TB hybrid drive;
• Average battery life: 5 hours;
• Operating system: Windows 10 Home;
• Item Weight: 5.51 lbs.

Pros / Cons of the model:

• Sophisticated design in corporate style, ergonomic keyboard and touchpad;
• Great option for multitasking;
• Plenty of hard drive storage space.

• It is very difficult to enter sleep mode (many users have this problem);
• It has a fairly large weight compared to other models from the list;
• The touchpad is not always very responsive.

Quick Guide: How to Make the Right Choice When Buying a $500 Laptop

This article is just an example that shows that a gaming laptop for a beginner or financially insecure gamer can cost no more than $500, and this is a reality. But it is not necessary that you should choose exactly those models that I talked about. You have to understand only those things that I want to say in this instruction.

Graphics. Even in this price segment, it can be different, but when choosing, it’s better to rely on what you plan to do with a laptop, what games you want to play with it. If demanding enough, then the graphics co-processor should be as good as possible from the entire price range. But if you want games like GTA ViceCity, then simpler graphics are the way to go, which can even save you money.

Storage. The amount of memory for storage also plays a role in the choice. If this is 128 GB, then be wary, because there may simply not be enough space for something important or necessary. The more memory there is on the hard drive, the better, and it all depends on the speed of its revolutions per minute, pay attention to this parameter when choosing.

Laptop battery. It seems that for $500 you won't be able to find a model that will have a battery that has decent battery life on a single charge, but it's actually quite realistic. This is an important factor, because in any case, you will not only play on a laptop, but also perform everyday or work tasks. And sooner or later there will be a situation when you need to take a laptop with you on a trip, or just for work, and it will turn off at the most inopportune moment if it does not have a sufficiently capacious battery.

As for the screen resolution, a model that has a resolution of 1080p will be enough for you, because 4K is not realistic to find for such money - there is simply no such thing on the market. You can also pay attention to models that have a backlit keyboard. During the game, and even during simple work, this can be a very useful feature that adds a lot of comfort.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Asus VivoBook 15 good for gaming?

Yes, these are the best gaming laptops under $500 for beginners in 2022. The model has a modern processor of the tenth generation Core i3, which just provides enough performance to play games.

What gaming capabilities can I expect from a laptop priced under $500?

Gaming laptops under $500 are generally entry-level, suitable for older or less graphically demanding games. Expect basic integrated graphics or low-end dedicated GPUs, modest processors (like Intel i3 or Ryzen 3), and around 8GB of RAM. These laptops are more suited for casual gaming rather than high-end gaming experiences.