Taking your games on the go doesn't have to mean bankrupting yourself, especially if you opt for one of the cheap gaming laptop deals retailers are constantly posting and changing. We've crawled a bunch of retailers and deals sites and found the best machines at the best prices. For a broader look at some great options, check out our best gaming laptop roundup.
So where do you start if you're shopping for a cheap gaming laptop? The most important thing to bear in mind is that just because you're shaving some money off the price doesn't mean you need to sacrifice quality. A lot of the best machines go on sale frequently, especially if the manufacturer is replacing last year's model with a newer iteration. And those refreshes often only change superficial elements of a machine, so paying significantly less to get your hands on the older version is often worthwhile.
Cheap gaming laptop deals
$500-$1000
Dell G3 | 15.6" 60Hz | Core i5-8300H | GTX 1050 Ti 4GB | $599.99 ($100 off)
Dell's entry-level G3 15 is equipped with a 4-core/8-thread CPU, a 1080p screen, 8GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB graphics card. The only internal storage is a slow 1TB hard drive, but all it takes to replace the drive is a screwdriver, so you have the option of installing a cheap SSD down the road. (Posted: 8/12)
Acer Predator Helios 300 | 15.6" 144Hz | Core i7-8750H | GTX 1060 6GB | $899 ($100 off)
This Acer laptop has a last-generation GTX 1060 graphics card, but the 144Hz screen and 8th-generation Core i7 are still excellent at the sub-$1,000 price bracket. (Posted: 8/4)View Deal
$1000-$1500
HP Omen | 15.6" 144Hz IPS | Core i7-9750H | GTX 1660 Ti 6GB | $1,099.99 ($300 off)
This laptop from HP will handle any modern game just fine, and the 144Hz screen means that lighter titles like Overwatch and Fortnite will run buttery-smooth. (Posted: 8/19)View Deal
$1500+
Razer Blade 15 (2018) | 15.6" 60Hz | Core i7-8750H | GTX 1060 Max-Q | $1,500 ($100 off)
Now that the new Razer Blade 15 is available, Razer has dropped the price of last year's model by another $100. This isn't an amazing deal, considering other laptops in this price range have better RTX 2060 graphics cards, but we know some people prefer Razer laptops. (Posted: 8/7)View Deal
Alienware M17 | 17.3" 60Hz | Core i7-8750H | RTX 2070 Max Q | $1,799.99 ($200 off)
This high-end Alienware laptop has a 17-inch screen, an Intel Core i7-8750H processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 graphics card. The 60Hz screen is the main drawback—most other laptops in this range have 144Hz screens. (Posted: 8/12)View Deal
Razer Blade 15 (2019) | 15.6" 144Hz | Core i7-8750H | RTX 2070 Max-Q | $2,300 ($300 off)
If you want a thin 15-inch laptop that has plenty of power for both workstation productivity and games, the latest 2019 Razer Blade 15 isn't a bad choice—though it's still pricey. The RTX 2070 graphics card is enough for even the most demanding games. (Posted: 8/7)View Deal
Our favorite cheap gaming laptops
MSI GS65 Stealth deal
1. MSI GS65 Stealth
Powerful and elegantly designed
CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H | GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti | RAM: 16GB DDR4-2666MHz | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) wide-view 144Hz | Storage: 512GB M.2 SSD | Battery: 82 Whr | Dimensions: 15.08 x 10.24 x 0.69 inches | Weight: 4.19 lbs
If you're looking for a gaming laptop that combines elegant design, power, and portability, then the newly redesigned MSI GS65 Stealth is an absolute winner. It's thin and light enough to be used as both a working notebook and a relatively powerful gaming PC, and thanks to some smart design, it's actually slightly smaller than most 15" laptops, while offering the same amount of screen real-estate. The redesign improves upon an excellent foundation with a hardware refresh (including a 9th Gen processor and Nvidia's Pascal-architecture-in-a-GTX 1660 Ti) and an improved touchpad.
That performance isn't wasted. The Stealth packs a 144Hz display, a great panel to pair with the new CPU and GPU. It's also got a speedy and relatively capacious (by solid state standards) SSD drive, which helps speed up boot times and shave a few seconds off in-game loads. There's also the now industry standard 16GB helping of DDR4 at 2666Mhz, plenty of RAM for the current bumper crop of triple-A extravaganzas.
The battery life is very impressive too at 87Whr, and there are some lovely flourishes, like an RGB-capable Steelseries keyboard, a powerful webcam, and the aforementioned silky smooth glass touchpad. It's a perfect hybrid machine for gaming or work, and one of the most elegant looking laptops we've gotten our hands on.
2. Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model
A new look for a powerful gaming laptop
CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H | GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q | RAM: 16GB DDR4-2666MHz | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) IPS 144Hz | Storage: 512GB SSD | Battery: 80 Whr | Dimensions: 9.25 x 13.98 x 0.68 inches | Weight: 4.63 lbs
With Razer you know what you're getting: a quality product, made with gamers in mind above all else. The new refresh of the Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model is the epitome of this thinking, with everything tailored specifically for gaming use. At the top of the heap of impressive stats is the 2080 Max-Q GPU, the slim version of Nvidia's ray tracing powerhouse. In terms of raw power, this iteration of the Blade 15 is extremely well specced, though the price you pay for that performance nudges it just slightly out of the final tier of our roundup above.
That said, this machine justifies its price tag. It's a lovely, finely-crafted laptop, built around a CNC-milled aluminum chassis and available in either the standard matte black or Razer's lovely new Mercury White, a silvery, almost fae finish. Don't let its looks deceive you, though - if you're looking to actually take your gaming on the road, and you expect a little roughness along the way, the Razer 15 remains one of the most durable options in an increasingly crowded market. People often bandy around the phrase 'Razer tax' when they want to knock the company's output, but in this case at least what you're actually paying for is attention to detail, and fit and finish.
3. Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic
Best in class battery life and great specs
CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H | GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti | RAM: 16GB DDR4-2666MHz | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) IPS 144Hz | Storage: 512GB SSD | Battery: 94.24 Whr | Dimensions: 14 x 9.8 x 0.74 inches | Weight: 8.18 lbs
If you're looking for a gaming laptop that will last the journey on longer trips, and give you more performance per charge, then the Gigabyte Aero 15 leads the pack here. With a whopping 94.24Whr battery, you can get upwards of six hours of heavy use from it, before needing to plug in. Given that the Aero's base specs are comparable to the other laptops in this list, that extra juice suddenly becomes very important.
What you get here is a 1660 Ti GPU, the same i7-9750H processor as the MSI, alongside 16GB of DDR4 RAM and a 512GB Intel 760P SSD. In terms of performance, then, it's very much on a par with the best. It's also one of the first laptops to utilize Microsoft's Azure cloud AI platform to optimize in-game performance, which ultimately means a handful more frames per second to kick out to the 144Hz panel.
Gaming laptop retailers
If you can't find exactly what you're looking for here, we won't be offended, promise. A good tip is to check out some of the big retailers' landing pages, where they're constantly updating prices and deals. Some common options are below, leading straight to their latest selection of gaming laptops.
Some online stores give us a small cut if you buy something through one of our links. Read our affiliate policy for more info.