Expert Consulted: Adrian Gardiner. Years of experience buying both computers and computer parts for my own new customer builds has given me a keen eye for spotting great deals when shopping. In this article, I’ll be sharing my knowledge and tips with you to find the best gaming laptops under 500 USD.
Welcome to my comprehensive guide for budget-conscious laptop gamers seeking high performance without breaking the bank!
This article explores the best gaming laptops under 500 USD, proving that a great gaming experience doesn’t always require a hefty price tag.
I’ve scrutinized hardware specifications, gaming capabilities, and user reviews to bring you the top 5 contenders in this budget-friendly category.
At this price point, you’d really struggle to find a laptop actually designed just for gaming; however, I found plenty of laptops with a specification good enough to play most games, maybe not at the top performance settings, but good enough to have some fun.
To be certain that a particular game will run with your chosen laptop, go to the following website and you can check:
Read on to discover which laptops will deliver the most bang for your buck and provide you with a great introduction to the world of gaming.
At the time of putting together this review, all of these laptops were available for around the $500.00 mark. However, prices and specifications are changing all the time, so I can’t guarantee prices will be the same when you read my article.
The ‘Check Latest Price‘ link underneath each option will allow you to check the current price.
Related Article: How long do gaming laptops last?
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5 Best Gaming Laptops Under 500 USD (Reviewed for 2023)
In the sections to follow, I’ll be showcasing my top five gaming laptop discoveries under $500, each delivering good performance and value.
I’ve ranked each recommendation with marks out of 10 to show how well each meets the main requirements of budget, gaming performance potential, and general specification.
The devices I’ll be recommending are all 15.6″ laptops from well-known, reliable brands in the industry, kitted out with decent processors, at least 16 GB of RAM, fast NVMe M.2 SSD storage plus reasonable graphics capability (considering we’re using laptops) required to enjoy gaming on the move.
No. 1 – HP Pavilion 15 Laptop – (8.5 / 10)
The HP Pavilion 15 Laptop is the most suitable choice here for gaming, mainly due to its powerful AMD Ryzen 5 5500U 6 Core CPU.
Combine this fast CPU with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of NVMe storage, and you have the most important components to get gaming.
With a decent keyboard, including a number pad and plenty of connectivity options, the HP Pavilion 15 is perfect for work, entertainment, and everyday use.
The main specification is as follows:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5500U 6 Core
- RAM: 16 GB DDR4
- Storage: 512 GB NVMe M.2 SSD
- Graphics: AMD Radeon
- USB Ports: 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C
- Webcam: HP TrueVision 720p
- OS: Windows 11 Home.
PROs
Excellent Ryzen 5 5500U 6-core processor.
USB Type-C port.
CONs
1 TB of storage would have been ideal.
No. 2 – Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop – (7.5 / 10)
Introducing the Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop, a sleek-looking device featuring a 15.6″ FHD display driven by an AMD Ryzen 7 3700U processor.
Equipped with 24GB RAM, a 1TB NVMe SSD, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5, and a backlit keyboard, this laptop delivers great performance and connectivity for both work and play.
The main specification is as follows:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
- RAM: 24 GB DDR4
- Storage: 1 TB NVMe M.2 SSD
- Graphics: AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
- USB Ports: 1 x USB 2.0, 2 x USB 3.2, 1 x USB 3.2 Type-C
- Webcam: 720p
- OS: Windows 11 Home.
PROs
Excellent AMD Radeon RX Vega 10 graphics.
4 x USB ports, including 1 x Type C port.
Fingerprint reader for added security.
Backlit keyboard – great for low-light situations.
CONs
None.
No. 3 – Dell Inspiron 15 3511 Laptop – (6 / 10)
This Dell 15 laptop, powered by an Intel Core i5 CPU, provides smooth multitasking, and with 16GB RAM and rapid 512GB NVMe storage, you can rely on efficient performance in a sleek design for work or play.
The main specification is as follows:
- CPU: Intel Core i5-1035G1
- RAM: 16 GB DDR4
- Storage: 512 GB NVMe M.2 SSD
- Graphics: AMD Radeon
- USB Ports: 1 x USB 2.0, 2 x USB 3.2
- Webcam: 720p
- OS: Windows 11 Home.
Pros
Touch Screen.
Fast i5-1035G1 processor.
Cons
1 TB of storage would have been ideal.
No. 4 – Dell Inspiron Laptop – (6 / 10)
The Dell Inspiron Laptop combines style and functionality in a sleek, portable design.
Its powerful AMD Ryzen 5 processor ensures smooth performance, with an ample 16 GB of RAM enabling efficient multitasking.
AMD Vega 8 graphics bring visuals to life, and the generous 512 GB of NVMe SSD storage capacity provides enough space for essential files and media.
With a comfortable keyboard, reliable battery life, and various connectivity options, this Dell Inspiron is perfect for both work and leisure activities on the go.
The main specification is as follows:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3450U
- RAM: 16 GB DDR4
- Storage: 512 GB NVMe M.2 SSD
- Graphics: AMD Radeon Vega 8
- USB Ports: 3 x USB 2.0
- Webcam: 720p
- OS: Windows 11 Home.
PROs
HD IPS Micro Edge LED Display.
CONs
No USB 3.0 or USB Type-C ports.
Comes with Windows 11 ‘S’ mode (easy to disable, though).
1 TB of storage would be ideal.
How to Remove ‘S’ Mode
Windows 10, configured with ‘S’ Mode, was designed by Microsoft supposedly to improve security by forcing you only to use the Microsoft Store to install any program on your computer.
This becomes an issue if what you want is not on the Microsoft Store – it happens a lot!
NOTE: Once you’ve turned off ‘S’ mode, it’s permanent and cannot be re-enabled.
To remove ‘S’ mode, go to Settings – Update & Security – Activation. Under “Switch to Windows 10 or 11 Home / Pro”, select Go to the Store and click ‘Get’. Follow the prompts from there.
No. 5 – HP Pavilion Laptop – (7 / 10)
This HP Pavilion Laptop offers a great blend of power and portability.
Its efficient Intel N5000 processor, coupled with a huge 32 GB of RAM, ensures smooth multitasking and great performance.
The brilliant Full HD display delivers stunning visuals, while the capacious 1 TB of NVMe provides plenty of storage for your data and media (including your games, of course).
Featuring a comfortable keyboard, good battery life, and a range of connectivity options, the HP Pavilion Laptop is an ideal choice for work, entertainment, and everyday computing needs.
The main specification is as follows:
- CPU: Intel Pentium Silver N5000 1.1 GHz
- RAM: 32 GB DDR4
- Storage: 1 TB NVMe M.2 SSD
- Graphics: Intel UHD 605
- USB Ports: 2 x USB 3.1, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C
- Webcam: HP TrueVision 720p
- OS: Windows 11 Home.
Pros
More than ample 32 GB RAM.
Spacious 1 TB of fast NVMe storage.
USB Type-C port.
Cons
None.
Before You Buy
Before going ahead and making a purchase, I’ve first gone into a few things you need to consider prior to making a decision on what to buy.
Budget
Always know your budget limitations before starting on your hunt for a new computer. In this case, our budget is fixed at $500, and on that basis, I found 5 excellent laptop options.
Specification
Listed below are the 4 most important components you need to be aware of when choosing your new laptop.
As with any new computer, to get the best performance from your system and the longest working life, always go for the very best specification you can afford within your budget whenever possible.
For a suitable laptop within a budget of $500, I would aim for the following specifications:
- Processor (CPU) – I recommend, at a minimum, that you select either an Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 processor. Either of these will give you great gaming performance.
- Memory (RAM) – 8 GB (absolute minimum), but ideally 16 GB is what you really need
- Storage – I recommend you go for at least 1 TB of M.2 NVMe SSD storage if you can – again, the more, the better, as computer games are taking up more and more space as they continually grow in install size. 512 GB is also fine, but just bear in mind that you won’t have the space to store too many large games at once
- Graphics Card (GPU) – with a $500 budget, graphics capability will be limited when compared to a desktop PC but should be fine for most casual gaming needs. You won’t be able to run the latest games at max. Settings, but there should be enough performance to enjoy the experience.
A system including the above parts will give you the best possible start to your laptop gaming enjoyment and will form the basis for the laptops reviewed.
Options
Getting hold of your new laptop is one thing, but you may need other bits and bobs, too.
Hardware
- Wireless Mouse – you’ll definitely need a decent wireless mouse for gaming instead of struggling with a laptop touchpad!
- Headphones – essential kit these days for keen gamers
- Laptop Cooling Pad – use one of these to keep your laptop cool during extended gaming sessions.
Software
In addition to your computer games, which I’m sure will be top of your list, you may also need productivity software like Microsoft Office or maybe Security software for a bit of extra online protection.
Check to see if your chosen laptop supplier is offering you any special deals on software.
Consider a Refurbished Gaming Laptop
There are many excellent refurbished/renewed gaming laptops on sale under $500 that would make a good buy, often with better gaming-related specifications than new laptops costing a fair bit more, including some of the models covered in this article.
Refurbishing/renewing a laptop means that the device has been inspected, tested, and cleaned as necessary to prepare it for sale. Often, these laptops get upgraded with better hardware, like more RAM or a larger hard drive.
Warranty for Refurbished Laptops
You wouldn’t expect a refurbished/renewed laptop to come with a full 1-year manufacturer warranty, with a 90-day warranty being the norm for these devices.
For example, Amazon offers the ‘Amazon Renewed Guarantee’ for added peace of mind. You can read more here: Amazon Renewed.
Conclusion
When making my selections, the most important consideration in choosing a laptop was to ensure that the non-upgradeable parts are the most powerful you can get for your budget – i.e., CPU and Graphics.
RAM and storage can usually be upgraded at a later date if required. However, current laptops available aren’t always as easy to work on as they were in the past.
I would recommend a qualified technician tackle such upgrade work on your behalf unless you have prior experience.
All of the laptops offered will give you a great introduction to the world of gaming, with the added advantage of portability built in!
For me, the best laptop I could find is the Pavilion 15 with its much faster AMD Ryzen 5 5500U CPU.
With 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB of NVMe SSD storage, and AMD Radeon graphics, the Pavilion 15 is a great all-rounder and should give the best overall performance for gaming at a budget of only $500.