Best cheap gaming laptop deals

This is a pretty appealing price for a capable 16-inch gaming laptop with a modern GPU. Sure, it's an RTX 5050, which needs to be affordable to be worthwhile, but this Acer Nitro V 16 AI is certainly that. It has a good screen for the money, too: a 180 Hz, 1200p IPS. Oh, and while the storage capacity isn't great, there's space for another drive under the hood.

Key specs: RTX 5050 | Ryzen 5 240 | 16-inch | 1200p | 180 Hz | 16 GB DDR5 | 512 GB SSD

Price check: Newegg $795.99

The first thing to say is that this is the Nitro V 16S, and that S is important because it means it's a slimline device. Well, designed to be thinner than the standard Nitro chassis, anyway. But that does mean your RTX 5060 is held back to 85 W as it's got more limited cooling than the LOQ device below with its 115 W GPU. But you are still getting a 10-core, 16-thread CPU, a decent chunk of RAM, and a full 1 TB SSD, too. All for under $800.

Key specs: Core 7 240H | RTX 5060 @ 85 W | 16 GB DDR5 | 1 TB SSD | 16-inch | 1200p | 180 Hz

Price check: Amazon $1,279 | Newegg $989.99

The LOQ might have something of a budget chassis, but it regularly crops up with a substantial discount, making it a great pick for those looking to save some cash. This one's got a 100 W variant of the RTX 5060, which is a decent dose of power for this price range, and while the 1080p 144 Hz display isn't wonderful, it should help to keep frame rates high. I'd like to see a bigger SSD, as 512 GB is very tight—but sticking an extra drive in the second M.2 slot later on is an easy upgrade.

Key specs: RTX 5060 | Core i7 13650HX | 15.6-inch | 1080p | 144 Hz | 16 GB DDR5 | 512 GB SSD

Price check: Best Buy $1,299.99

This lappy has a truly lovely OLED display, which is very rare to see on a laptop at this price. And while the 115 W RTX 5060 will need some DLSS help to make the most of its 1600p panel, this is still a great selection of components for the cash—although I'd like to see a bigger SSD. Still, at least it's an easy upgrade. Lenovo makes some excellent gaming laptops, and this one delivers serious bang for your buck.

Key specs: RTX 5060 | Ryzen 7 260 | 15.1-inch | 1600p | 165 Hz | 16 GB DDR5 | 512 GB SSD

Price check: Lenovo $1,099.99 (1 TB variant, OOS)

We've been very impressed by the design of this laptop, and while the RTX 5060 variant is a touch underpowered (although a good machine if you can find it for the right price), this 85 W RTX 5070-equipped machine is much more like it, even with the juice turned down a little. Like the RTX 5060 version above, you get an Intel chip with six P-cores and four E-cores, 32 GB of DDR5, and a decent-sized SSD thrown into the bargain. Pretty good going for the cash, I reckon.

Key specs: RTX 5070 | Core i7 13620H | 16-inch | 1200p | 165 Hz | 32 GB DDR5 | 1 TB SSD

Price check: Amazon $1,349.99

The Vector 16 HX AI is usually the cheapest RTX 5070 Ti laptop out there, but this non-AI-branded version with a seriously powerful CPU is now outrageously good value for the components you receive. Sitting somewhere under the RTX 5080 and well above the RTX 5070 in terms of gaming performance, the RTX 5070 Ti is a great upper mid-range laptop GPU. Plus, the CPU, while being one of AMD's last-gen models, is a 16-core 32-thread monster. In short, it's an absolute beast for the cash.

Key specs: RTX 5070 Ti | Ryzen 9 8940HX | 16-inch | 1600p | 240 Hz | 16 GB DDR5 | 1 TB SSD

Price check: Best Buy $1,575.99 (Core Ultra 255HX, 1 TB)

This is a seriously powerful gaming laptop for the money. First, you get that RTX 5070 mobile GPU, which is a very capable chip for a 1920 x 1200 resolution, which is running at its 115 W peak. And then second, you get a 16-core, 32-thread AMD processor which is a mobile beast. Throw in 16 GB DDR5-5600 and a 1 TB SSD and you've got a lot of hardware for a very decent price. The only issue is that the MSI Vector 16 can be picked up with an RTX 5070 Ti GPU inside it for the same price above; if that remains available it would be a better bet.

Key specs: Ryzen 9 8940HX | RTX 5070 @ 115 W | 16 GB DDR5-5600 | 1 TB SSD | 16-inch | 1200p | 165 Hz

This Acer machine has a 240 Hz OLED panel, which is about as high-spec a display as you'll find on gaming laptops right now for this sort of cash. Speaking of which, it's also a fantastic price for an RTX 5070 Ti machine, even if this GPU has had its power reigned in to a 115 W limit. It should still deliver great gaming performance with a bit of DLSS shove behind its already sizable grunt, and it's got 32 GB of RAM crammed into its slim and svelte frame. Quite the deal, this one.

Key specs: RTX 5070 Ti | Core Ultra 9 275HX | 16-inch | 1600p | 240 Hz OLED | 32 GB DDR5 | 1 TB SSD

Price check: Newegg $2,179.99

This is a super-slim and portable 14-inch gaming laptop, and while the hardware inside isn't the most powerful you can get for the money, the fact that you can easily slip it into a shoulder bag is pretty impressive. Dollars to donuts, it's a low-wattage RTX 5060 variant, and the 1800p panel means you'll absolutely need to make use of DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation to make the most of its 120 Hz refresh rate, but still—hyper portable laptops come with caveats, and this is still a very good machine for the price. Plus, an OLED display and 32 GB of RAM? Yes please.

Key specs: RTX 5060 | Core Ultra 7 255H | 14-inch | 1800p | 120 Hz OLED | 16 GB DDR5 | 1 TB SSD

Price check: Best Buy $1,829.99 (32 GB RAM)

An OLED display, a full-fat RTX 5070, and a 20-core Intel CPU? Don't mind if I do. This Lenovo lappy has a serious amount of firepower for the cash, but the real star feature is that 16-inch 1600p panel. You'll still need a dash of DLSS and perhaps the odd sprinkle of Multi Frame Generation to really make the most of it, but this is a laptop with a handsome set of features (and a lovely chassis) for very sensible money, and quite the desirable thing. Plus, 32 GB of RAM amid a supply shortage? Luxury, if you ask me.

Key specs: RTX 5070 | Core Ultra 7 255HX | 16-inch | 1600p | 165 Hz OLED | 32 GB DDR5-5600 | 1 TB SSD

Price check: Best Buy $2,188.91

This Vector is still one of the cheapest RTX 5080 gaming laptops you can find right now, even if it has jumped in price significantly since the Black Friday sales. Our Dave reviewed the Vector 16 HX AI earlier this year and likes the value proposition you get when you take into account that mega GPU, although it is a bit of a hairdryer on full whack. Still, stick it in Balanced mode and the noise is much more reasonable, and it still performs about as well as the other RTX 5080 machines we've tested. Which is to say, very well indeed.

Key specs: RTX 5080 | Core Ultra 9 275 HX | 16-inch | 1600p | 240 Hz | 16 GB DDR5 | 1 TB SSD

Price check: Newegg $1,999.99

Our best high-performance gaming laptop pick features a monstrous collection of components, and this is the cheapest I can find it for in full game-crunching trim. The RTX 5080 is a full-strength 175 W variant, the panel is a 240 Hz OLED stunner, the Intel CPU is mega, and as our Dave found in his review, the gaming performance is simply excellent. It's one of the fastest laptops we've tested to date, yet comes wrapped in a chassis you'd actually want to show off—although it must be said, it's a pretty sizeable machine to lug around if you plan on taking it on your travels. It's jumped in price recently, too—like almost everything else with a memory chip in it, it seems.

Key specs: RTX 5080 | Core Ultra 9 275HX | 16-inch | 240 Hz OLED | 1600p | 32 GB DDR5 | 2 TB SSD

Price check: Lenovo $2,906.26

Okay, the Steam Deck may have had an OLED refresh, and there are heaps of more powerful handhelds around, but the original version is still the archetype of what a mobile PC gaming device should be. It's just as powerful as the OLED model, so all those Steam Deck-compatible games should run well. It's the OG PC gaming handheld, and it still demands respect, although this particular version does have quite a small SSD. Replacing it later with a larger unit is no great hassle, however. Valve says these are the last LCD units left in stock, and after this, no more. Boo.

Key specs: 256 GB SSD | SteamOS

Our best gaming handheld pick still has a discount, although it's not as big as the one it had over the recent sales. Still, it's an excellent machine. The lightweight Steam OS integration in combination with its Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU means it's surprisingly powerful, all while being extremely comfortable to use and remarkably well-equipped. While you can find the Z2 Go version for cheaper, this is the one you want.

Key specs: Ryzen Z1 Extreme | 8-inch screen | 32 GB RAM | 1 TB SSD

Price check: Best Buy $749.99

This little Acer machine packs a decent whack of gaming punch for the price, particularly as good sub-£1,000 RTX 5060 gaming laptops are hard to find right now. The Nvidia GPU has a 95 W power limit, which is pretty good going given than most of the machines I'm finding for the same money are 80 W or less, and it's got an eight-core AMD chip with plenty of go in it. It's a shame about the very small SSD, though.

Key specs: RTX 5060 | AMD Ryzen 7 260 | 15.6-inch | 1200p | 180 Hz | 16 GB DDR5 | 512 GB SSD

The Lenovo Legion 5i is often on discount, but even at full price it's a fantastic deal. This model is one of the cheapest RTX 5070 gaming laptops you'll find in the UK right now from a major manufacturer, and one that's worth some serious consideration. It's got a speedy Intel chip, a 115 W variant of Nvidia's mid-tier mobile GPU, and a proper 1 TB SSD, making it quite the catch. We love a Lenovo lappy, and this one makes a whole lot of sense.

Key specs: RTX 5070 | Core i7 13650HX | 15.3-inch | 1200p | 165 Hz | 16 GB DDR5 | 1 TB SSD

This Asus TUF A16 is a particular favourite of mine, as it's a powerful machine that usually turns up with a discount during the sales period. This one's got an older—yet still very beefy—16-core, 32-thread AMD CPU, a 115 W RTX 5070, and 32 GB of DDR5. Sure, it's only got a 1200p display, but that's the sweet spot for keeping your frame rates high without too much DLSS help, and your digital adventures should look lovely regardless.

Key specs: RTX 5070 | Ryzen 9 7940HX | 16-inch | 1200p | 165 Hz | 16 GB DDR5 | 1 TB SSD

We've been very impressed by the RTX 5080 version of this particular laptop for the value proposition it provides, and the RTX 5070 Ti variant is no slouch, either. While many RTX 50-series lappys are still priced into the stratosphere, this 16-inch machine is a fantastic price for the components you end up receiving. That's apart from the SSD, unfortunately, which is far too small. Still, sticking a 1 TB drive in a laptop is one of the easier hardware tasks you can perform, and the rest of the components are pretty stellar for the cash.

Key specs: RTX 5070 Ti | Core Ultra 7 255HX | 16-inch | 1600p | 240 Hz | 16 GB DDR5 | 512 GB SSD

Price check: Amazon £2,799

RTX 5080 machines are still eye-wateringly expensive for the most part, but we're big fans of this Vector lappy, especially because of the price. It might not have the prettiest chassis, but it's as fast as a very, very fast thing for a fair bit cheaper than most of the competition—with a speedy 240 Hz IPS panel thrown into the bargain, too. That makes it a genuine value proposition in a laptop market filled with extremely pricey equivalents. It's a smart buy, no doubt, although I'd stick a touch more RAM in it—if you can find some for anything less than silly money.

Key specs: RTX 5080 | Core Ultra 9 275HX | 16-inch | 1600p | 240 Hz | 16 GB DDR5 | 1 TB SSD

Price check: Overclockers UK $2,699.99