A dedicated graphics chip or card makes the difference between a gaming and a non-gaming laptop. Gaming laptops feature powerful internal hardware, have an enhanced cooling feature, and usually sport a bulkier design.
However, if you want to game on a standard laptop all you have to do is tweak its settings and downgrade the titles that you play. Notable is that getting a laptop that has been equipped with decent hardware is not entirely easy, so basically you will have to evaluate the midrange laptops in terms of specifications and only settle with those that will enable a seamless gaming experience.
Specs such as an expansive storage space, or a huge memory capacity are not primary at least when you are working with a tight budget. A 4K screen will definitely offer enhanced graphics but it is not entirely necessary, at this point, you can also forego the backlit keyboard and instead get a midrange unit that you can easily upgrade. Some of the upgradable features are your laptop’s software, and you can also update your drivers among other things.
However, if you are not up for the above complexities and can afford a gaming laptop at the price range of $800 and below, we have a reliable collection below, read on.
Best Gaming Laptop under $800- Comparison Table
Best Gaming Laptop under $800 | Graphics coprocessor | Graphics Card Ram Size | Price |
---|---|---|---|
2019 Acer Nitro 5 15.6" FHD Gaming Laptop | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti | N/A | Check Price Here |
Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming Laptop | NVIDIA GeForce | 4GB | Check Price Here |
Acer Aspire E 15 Laptop | NVIDIA GeForce MX150 | 2GB | Check Price Here |
ASUS TUF FX505DT Gaming Laptop- 15.6" | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 | 4GB | Check Price Here |
MSI GL63 8SC-059 15.6" Gaming Laptop | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 | 8 GB SO-DIMM | Check Price Here |
ASUS VivoBook 17 F712DA Thin and Light Laptop | Intel UHD Graphics 620 | 8GB RAM | Check Price Here |
Dell G5 15 5590 15.6 inch FHD Gaming Laptops | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti | 128 GB DDR4 | Check Price Here |
Best Gaming Laptop under $800-Reviews
2019 Acer Nitro 5 15.6″ FHD Gaming Laptop
Sporting an Intel CPU the 2019 Acer Nitro allows you to game from anywhere, Intel’s current processors, have been configured to push frames, and can now clock up to 5.0GHz turbo with up to 4 cores and 8 threads offering enhanced performance and the ability to game from anywhere. The incorporated GPUs are powered by Ampere—NVIDIA’s 2nd gen RTX architecture and which comes with the new Ray tracing and tensor cores, complete with the streaming multiprocessors that offer enhanced performance.
Players also get to choose the visual intensity that best suits their gaming, and can either settle with the FHD that offers up to 144Hz or the Pristine QHD that offers up to 165Hz. What’s more, is that the 3ms overdrive response allows players to take the laptop to higher gears thus enables a seamless experience with minimized ghosting. Heavy users have been provided with a dual cooling fan also known as the Acer cool boost technology that increases fan speed by up to 10%. While GPU and CPU cooling has been enhanced by up to 9% at least when compared to auto mode.
The 2019 Acer Nitro also features a 4 Zone RGB keyboard that allows the player to take full control of the inner functionalities of the system using the dedicated Nitro sense key. And for a more immersive experience, this gaming laptop is equipped with dual 2W speakers, and when combined with the DTS:X, the ultrasounds are exceptionally clear and will be delivered in a 3D spatial soundscape. The above allows one to hear when their opponents are approaching with pinpoint precision.
Pros
- Has plenty of ports for external connectivity
- weighs only 5.595 pounds
- Can be configured for enhanced speeds and storage
- Can be utilized by both gamers and creators
Cons
- Has a slow battery
- The laptop is not durably built
Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming Laptop
Lenovo Ideapad is equipped with all the gaming power that you will ever need, thanks to the incorporation of the 9th Gen Intel core i7 processor. The unit also boasts of breakthrough graphics performance derived from the popular Nvidia Turing architecture, and which is known to supercharge a player’s favorite games. The also laptop features Dolby Audio, a sound technology that takes the mobile gaming experience to the next level.
Players are granted the freedom to customize the laptop with regards to their current activity, they can, therefore, switch to Quick mode for gaming or to quiet mode when working. Each of these modes works distinctly. And given that players can live stream the Lenovo Ideal pad allows them to keep their things away from public scrutiny. The above can be achieved using the physical shutter on the webcam.
Lenovo Idea pad has been equipped with a powerful battery that offers up to 9.5 hours. And will recharge to 80% in as little as 60 minutes, and in 120 minutes, you will get a full 100% charge.
Pros
- Features a powerful battery that offers up to 9 hours
- The fans are not loud
- Sports a durable and sturdy build
- The laptop is extremely fast
Cons
- Cannot be upgraded
- Image quality is not entirely impressive
Acer Aspire E 15 Laptop
The Acer Aspire E 15 laptop features the 8th gen Intel core i5 processor that conveniently furnishes a player with more power, and battery life, not to forget high-quality entertainment. The gaming laptop also features the best aesthetics, displaying a clean and smooth outlook without the visible screws. Players are allowed to upgrade the laptop through a convenient compartment door at the back. And they can also upgrade both the memory and hard drive.
Players who love to stream games will have a ball with this unit because it features the latest 802.11ac WiFi standard that enables a reliable internet experience with connection speeds that are up to three times faster. And to ensure that your games, movies, and songs come to life the Acer Aspire E 15 features a one-of-a-kind speaker design configured to eliminate distortion and deliver a wide range of bass while boosting volume so that it fills the room.
The incorporated Nvidia Geforce Mx150 graphics ensure that you are provided with the most intense colors and which results in a life-like experience.
Pros
- The gaming laptop offers up to 15 hours of battery life
- The graphics are intense but not overbearing
- A backlit keyboard is perfect for low lighting conditions
- The speakers are loud
Cons
- The monitor is surrounded by a large bezel
- Not a good unit for long term use
ASUS TUF FX505DT Gaming Laptop- 15.6″
The Asus Tuf FZ505DT is an all-around windows 10 gaming laptop that can play the latest games in the industry and perform other computational duties without losing its functional integrity. The unit is characteristic of the new nano edge design that features a thin bezel for expansive viewing, notable is that the wide viewing angles enable vivid and consistent colors.
Asus Tuf features the Nvidia Geforce that optimizes the hardware conveniently offering the best settings for both content and games. Players, therefore, have the option of choosing between creator and gaming drivers. And for a more intelligent interaction, the incorporated AMD Ryzen offers optimal performance utilizing the SenseMI to provide players with the needed level of power vs battery life.
And for enhanced functionality, the unit has been conveniently equipped with all the ports that will cater to your gaming peripherals. Players will also be accompanied by immersive audio all thanks to the X technology that delivers high fidelity 7.1 channel virtual surround sound audio. And with the latest, Intel Wi-Fi 5(80211ac) players can be sure of data transfer rates of up to an incredible 1.7Gbps.
Pros
- Comes equipped with all the necessary ports
- Offers an immersive audio experience
- Enables a clear and fast display
- The SSD boots up pretty fast
Cons
- The speaker sound is not powerful
- Drops the Wi-Fi connection
MSI GL63 8SC-059 15.6″ Gaming Laptop
The MSI GL63 8sc-059 is a difficult laptop to find in the market. The unit features the latest technology equipped in gaming units and comes equipped with the 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor known to deliver more than 20% better performance when compared to the initial units. The unit also boasts of breakthrough graphics performance of the Nvidia Turing architecture which when combined with the Geforce RTX combines real-time ray tracing, artificial intelligence, and programmable shedding that offers a new way of experiencing games.
And to enhance the feel of the game, the 5X giant speakers ensure that players can feel every engine sound, guns shots, and opponent’s approaching. The 15.6” FHD wide-view display has also been equipped with an anti-glare display that is comfortable for the eyes and offers an immersive experience. The MSI gaming laptop also features a dedicated thermal solution for the CPU and the GPU and comes complete with up to 7 heat pipes for improved performance under extreme gaming.
Players have also been furnished with the MSI player app configured to enable a seamless gaming experience from both the mobile games and the PC platforms. Players also get to experience high speeds with the SSD technology and which has been enhanced by the NVMe read receipts.
Pros
- Effectively handles intense games
- The battery offers a longer uptime
- The gaming laptop does not lag
- Retails at a pocket-friendly price
Cons
- The display is not crystal clear
- The trackpad is not reliable
ASUS VivoBook 17 F712DA Thin and Light Laptop
Asus Vivobook comes equipped with a new thin-bezel display that enables comfortable viewership from all angles. The 17.3-inch display also features a reliable camera with a reversible USB Type C, an HDMI micro SD card reader, and 2.0 ports designed to allow easy connectivity to other external peripherals, displays, and projects.
The unit has also been equipped with an Ergo lift hinge and which is designed with a silky smooth dual action that holds the display securely at any angle and even tilts the keyboard slightly to enable an optimized typing position. Vivobook’s dual-storage design provides players with superfast data performance and a large storage capacity. The incorporated lithium-polymer battery keeps the battery powered up and offers up to 60% charging in just 49 minutes.
And with the incorporated ASUS sonic master, Vivobook ensures that players get a powerful audio delivery complete with deeper bass.
Pros
- Compact and lightweight computer
- The gaming laptop is durably built
- Offers up to 9 hours of battery life
- The laptop is upgradable
Cons
- Does not have an Ethernet port
- Offers a wide viewing angle
Dell G5 15 5590 15.6 inch FHD Gaming Laptops
Sporting the 8th generation Intel Core i5-8300H processor the Dell G5 gaming laptop offers powerful performance and uninterrupted gameplay. The 8 GB RAM helps increase your game’s FPS, keeping in mind that games require a certain amount of memory to run. 8GB is, therefore, a good baseline for the AAA title but if you will want to play other RAM intensive titles the likes of Red Dead Redemption 2 then you will need up to 12GB of RAM.
Dell G5 boasts of multiple storages in the form of dual drives with 128GB M, a feature that helps increase load times, and ensures that the system remains quiet during gameplay. Other storage options include a 2PCLe NVMe Solid State Drive and a 1TB 5400 rpm SATA hard drive. The Dell G5 is additionally equipped with an innovative dual-fan cooling system coupled with an advanced thermal design, which ensures that your laptop remains cool when in use.
The gaming laptop’s 4 Zone RGB backlit keyboard allows players to continue gaming even in low light conditions. While the Nahimic sound center that comes equipped with dual speakers enables an immersive experience.
Pros
- The Dell gaming laptop boots up fast
- Retains battery power for long
- It is responsive and fast during use
- Easily handles the CPU intensive games
Cons
- It is an entry gaming laptop
- The laptop heats up
FAQ’s
Which is the most important feature for a gaming laptop?
The graphics processing unit is the most important feature of a gaming laptop because it does all the work and easily runs the most demanding games.
What is the shelf life of gaming laptops?
A good gaming laptop should give you a maximum of 4 years.