Buying the best gaming laptop under $600 might seem like a far-fetched idea, but it's the most feasible. In this price range, you'll see some seriously high-end low-end laptops that nestle in the "budget laptops" category.
So you shouldn't expect the performance of a $1,000 laptop or gaming station from these laptops. But yes, for light gaming, heavy office work, and studies, you can definitely bet on them.
Now, the task of finding the best laptop is more than just reviewing products. I've done that part for you and put together the list below. Read and choose your laptop. Everything below has been carefully checked, so you won't be disappointed.
List - Best Gaming Laptops Under $600
- Dell Inspiron 15 3505
- ASUS VivoBook 17
- HP 15
- Acer Nitro 5 - Best of the best
- Acer Aspire 5 - Always runner-up
- Asus X512DA
- Lenovo IdeaPad 3 - Best for value
#1. Dell Inspiron 15
- 2.1 GHz AMD Ryzen 5 3450U
- AMD Radeon Vega 8
- 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display; 1920 x 1080 resolution
- 12GB DDR4 memory
- 512GB Flash SSD
- USB 2.0 and 3.0, HDMI, HDMI, Ethernet
- Wireless 802.11ac
- Battery life (advertised) 5 hours
- Weight: 4.04 lbs
The Dell Inspiron 15 offers decent power with its integrated AMD Ryzen 5 architecture and Radeon Vega 8 graphics. The gaming performance of the Radeon Vega 8 is (again) suitable for low-to-midrange gaming. Basically, this laptop is made for those and the price tag.
So expecting it to run a game like GTA V or Battlefield V would be too much to expect. AMD says the card can handle CS: GO, Overwatch, and League of Legends at low to medium settings.
However, this is thanks to its very simple upgrade options. All you have to do is open the hood, plug in an extra RAM or hard drive, and enjoy the boosted performance. For me, its 12GB DDR4 RAM is enough. This RAM and 512 GB of NVMe make up for the excellent multitasking capabilities.
As a graphic designer or someone who has used a lot of different software, these two should be enough to run and accommodate them. Speaking of other things, you'll love its 15.6 anti-glare screens. The bezels are small, and thankfully the colors are a little darker tone.
This actually helps keep the eyes safe after hours of use. The keyboard is large and positioned correctly. There's no backlight, so you'll struggle at night. However, the key distance is small—a mushy but faster typing situation.
If you're going to use it for media, forget about its audio and connect external speakers. simple. As a bonus, you get nearly every connectivity option along with HDMI, Ethernet, and USB ports.
Best
- Doubles as a gaming laptop and workstation
- 7 hours battery time
- very easy to upgrade
- The screen does not hurt the eyes
Bad
- Battery drains quickly when gaming, but this is normal
- The keyboard is not backlit
#2. Asus VivoBook 17
- 3.5 GHz AMD Ryzen 3
- AMD Radeon Graphics
- 17.6-inch Full HD IPS display; 1920 x 1080 resolution
- 8GB DDR4 memory
- 256GB Flash SSD
- no backlit keyboard
- USB 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, HDMI
- Wireless 802.11ac
- Battery life (advertised) 5 hours
- Weight: 5.07 lbs
The 4th gaming laptop under 600 on my list is the Asus ViviBook. For its 17-inch screen size, it's a behemoth. Graphic designers need to pay attention here, as this saves you from working on a large desktop. Let me talk about the screen first.
Honestly, this was the first thing I noticed. The FHD IPS display performed well. Put it on a raised platform and you don't need a monitor at all. But when you do, remember to plug and unplug the charger according to the battery percentage.
A full charge takes about 4 to 5 hours, which is reasonable keeping the screen ratio in mind. The laptop is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 3 processor. A decent guy with meticulous multitasking abilities. This combined with AMD Radeon graphics packs some punch for office and study work. These two allow for low-to-midrange gaming.
I should classify them as casual games. Games like Batman: Arkham Knight, Assassin's Creed Origins, and Titanfall 2 did well. To keep high-end games like GTA V running, you may need to adjust your cards. Since the laptop only works within its limits, it doesn't heat up much.
This bodes well for graphic designers and casual gamers. The more I like it and its sleek design, the more I hate its keyboard. I don't understand why ASUS uses gray to print the keys on a gray background.
This makes it nearly impossible to see the key in broad daylight. And there's no backlight, so you either have to use an external keyboard or shine the flashlight from an angle. Audio is also mediocre, but better for a budget laptop under $600. Like I said before, this laptop is an efficient workstation that can run light casual games.
Best
- multitasking beast
- Sleek modernist design; absolutely eye-catching
- Immersive screen and colors
- Born for solid work
Bad
- The keyboard is not backlit
- light keyboard
#3. HP 15
- 4.2 Intel Core i5 1135G7
- Intel Iris Xe
- 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display; 1920 x 1080 resolution
- 8GB DDR4 memory
- 256GB Flash SSD
- USB 2 Type-A and 2 Type-C, HDMI, SD card reader
- Wireless 802.11ac
- Battery life (advertised) 8 hours
- Weight: 3.7 lbs
The new HP 15 features an 11th Gen Intel Core i5. With this new core, Intel ditched its Iris Xe integrated graphics. The card swap is on par with Nvidia's on AAA gaming titles, but of course, it's not something to ignore at all.
Like all other laptops, a laptop's gaming performance depends on what specs you're playing on. If you're going to play GTA V, PUBG or Overreach, you'll get sub-60 fps at 1080p. For casual gamers, that's just average. But again, as HP and Intel have discovered, most gamers these days are playing with middling graphics cards.
The paradigm has shifted to getting more fps online than stunning graphics. In this case, you should breathe a sigh of relief because the moment you go into 720p, your fps jump. Still, if you enjoy playing less graphics-intensive but popular games like CS:GO, DOTA 2, Valorant, and League of Legends, you'll get 100+ fps at 1080p.
That's huge for this laptop. But, know that when you've been hyping the show, you'll hear the fans talking. The rest of this laptop is fine. For example, the screen is excellent—better than almost most gaming monitors.
You can easily integrate multiple monitors for a combined setup. If you're going to buy it for study or work, you'll love Numpad. Did I tell you how portable this is? You won't have any issues when it comes to battery life, either. 7 hours of juice should be more than enough.
For something you might not like, the keyboard is shifted too far to the left, there is no backlighting, and the audio quality is poor. But these are things you can easily swap with the outside world.
Best
- 7 hours battery time
- Best AAA games for medium settings
- Easily connect multiple monitors
- Thin and light; therefore, portable
Bad
- Battery life is 5.5 hours, which is less than stated
- The keyboard is not backlit
#4. Acer Nitro 5 - Best of the best
- 9th Gen Intel Core i5-9300H
- Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650
- 15.6-inch full HD IPS display
- 8GB DDR4
- 256GB NVMe SSD
- Wi-Fi 6
- Backlit keyboard
- Alexa built-in
The Acer Nitro 5 is a little over $600, but it's worth it for everything you need in a budget gaming laptop for 2022. The GTX 1650 combined with the processing speed of the Core i5 9th Gen 9300H and NVMe SSD and DDR4 RAM is a beast for this price.
I'm talking about playing Red Dead Redemption 2, GTA V, CS: GO and other big games with ease. In the game world, the main race is fps. This laptop gives you 100+ fps a day without hiccups. This fps online game is a dream come true for gamers on a budget.
Laptops get hot when the graphics card's clock is maxed out. However, you should expect a relatively cool unit thanks to its efficient thermal management system and chassis that can dissipate heat without waiting for it to build up.
The fan is on the right, which is where the heat is dissipated. The Nitrosense app preinstalled on the laptop helps control the fans. You don't have to use both all the time, so you can pretty much get one fan working.
This power supply requires space, which is why laptops are bulky. But all that weight doesn't hinder your ability to move it. You will find it a little heavy. Its backlit keyboard is well-spaced between keys. My only complaint is that the light goes out after 30 seconds or so.
It becomes more difficult to find the correct key to bring it back. But you can turn off this feature from Nitrosense. The Acer Nitro 5 is a powerhouse for its price, which is why I added it to the list. The only caveat is its poor webcam.
- 9th Gen Intel Core i5-9300H
- Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650
- 15.6-inch full HD IPS display
- 8GB DDR4
- 256GB NVMe SSD
- Wi-Fi 6
- Backlit keyboard
- Alexa built-in
The Acer Nitro 5 is a little over $600, but it's worth it for everything you need in a budget gaming laptop for 2022. The GTX 1650 combined with the processing speed of the Core i5 9th Gen 9300H and NVMe SSD and DDR4 RAM is a beast for this price.
I'm talking about playing Red Dead Redemption 2, GTA V, CS: GO and other big games with ease. In the game world, the main race is fps. This laptop gives you 100+ fps a day without hiccups. This fps online game is a dream come true for gamers on a budget.
Laptops get hot when the graphics card's clock is maxed out. However, you should expect a relatively cool unit thanks to its efficient thermal management system and chassis that can dissipate heat without waiting for it to build up.
The fan is on the right, which is where the heat is dissipated. The Nitrosense app preinstalled on the laptop helps control the fans. You don't have to use both all the time, so you can pretty much get one fan working.
This power supply requires space, which is why laptops are bulky. But all that weight doesn't hinder your ability to move it. You will find it a little heavy. Its backlit keyboard is well-spaced between keys. My only complaint is that the light goes out after 30 seconds or so.
It becomes more difficult to find the correct key to bring it back. But you can turn off this feature from Nitrosense. The Acer Nitro 5 is a powerhouse for its price, which is why I added it to the list. The only caveat is its poor webcam.
Best
- sturdy built-in
- Nitrosense app helps tune your laptop for optimal performance
- upgradeable
- 100+ fps on AAA titles
- sturdy built-in
- Nitrosense app helps tune your laptop for optimal performance
- upgradeable
- 100+ fps on AAA titles
Bad
- Battery life is not as good as advertised
- a bit heavy and bulky
- Battery life is not as good as advertised
- a bit heavy and bulky
#5. Acer Aspire 5 - Always runner
- 2.1 GHz AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
- AMD Radeon Vega 10 Graphics
- 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display; 1920 x 1080 resolution
- 8GB DDR4 memory
- Backlit keyboard
- 512GB Flash SSD
- USB 2.0, 3.1, HDMI, Ethernet
- Wireless 802.11ac
- Battery life (advertised) 7.5 hours
- Weight: 3.9 lbs
The Acer Aspire 5 is a slim laptop that offers more in terms of screen than gaming performance. Honestly, in this price range, your priority shouldn't be seeking maximum gaming performance at all. That's because most laptops come with architectures built for casual gaming.
Casual gaming is what this laptop does. While it has an AMD Radeon Vega 10, games will still run on low to medium settings with the help of an AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and dual-channel DDR4 RAM so they run smoothly.
undeniable. Dual channel is actually a good thing because it helps the GPU work at its best. When it does, you can play games like Dota 2 on low settings, League of Legends on medium settings, CS:GO on medium settings, and Quake Champions on high settings. Games like Overwatch run on the lowest settings, sorry.
Performance-wise, you'll love how easy it is to upgrade it. You can easily insert a 4GB memory stick next to the DDR4 to take full advantage of its capabilities. You can even move in a 2.5" SSD if you like. When finished, the laptop will cost more than many products in the $700 range.
I like its aluminum casing and sturdy build. Compared to plastic, the case has no fingerprints, and it's very pretty. However, I don't really like its keyboard or touchpad. Why a touchpad? Because it feels like cheap plastic. Why a keyboard? Because its backlight is annoying. Typing is fun though.
The last thing is its battery. The advertised lifespan is 7.5 hours, but it will rise to at least 5.5 hours. Lower the brightness and set it to a low setting and you'll get +2 or +3 hours. It's hard to get all these features in a $600 budget laptop, but Acer makes it possible.
Best
- Latest AMD graphics cards for better visuals
- amazing screen
- easy to upgrade
- sturdy aluminum
Bad
- Battery life is 5.5 hours, which is less than stated
- Mediocre touchpad and keyboard
#6. ASUS X512DA
- 2.1 GHz AMD Ryzen 5
- AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics
- 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display; 1920 x 1080 resolution
- 8GB DDR4 memory
- 512GB Flash SSD
- USB 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, HDMI
- Wireless 802.11ac
- Battery life (advertised) 5 hours
- Weight: 3.7 lbs
The Asus X512DA is an ultra-thin laptop with small bezels that makes you feel like you have a premium product even for under $600.
There's a Radeon Vega 8 under the hood, backed by an AMD Ryzen 5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB PCIe SSD, and the performance is pretty above-average (again, based on the price range).
You obviously can't expect it to run AAA titles at max settings. You should be grateful if you get around 25 fps in these games on low settings. For example, the laptop runs Battlefield V at about 38.3 fps at 1280×720. When you upscale it to 4K, it only outputs 5.6 fps, which means games take a long time to play.
That's not the case for low-to-mid-range games like FIFA 21, where you can get up to 35.7 fps on Ultra Graphics and 94.9 fps on the lowest settings.
It doesn't get any hotter than other gaming laptops. Since it's a new version, the heat management is quite impressive and the fans can effectively dissipate the heat. But don't block the vents if you don't want the heat to be unbearable.
To inspire this performance, its battery can last up to 5 hours. I know, I know, it's not great, but it's not bad, for the price range.
The keyboard is advertised as being backlit, when it really isn't. Just like the Asus Vivobook, the keys here also don't have color contrast. Therefore, you may have problems typing.
The trackpad is fine.
It's all about the Asus X512DA -- a laptop that fits well into this category, not only because of its price range, but also because of its specs. As far as gaming goes, it's unsurprisingly efficient, but otherwise, you can count on it.
Best
- doesn't get very hot
- thin border
- Built for casual gaming
- efficient processor
Bad
- Difficulty identifying keys
- The keyboard is not backlit
#7. Lenovo IdeaPad 3 - Best for value
- 2.1 GHz AMD Ryzen 5 5500U
- AMD Radeon 7 Graphics
- 14.0-inch Full HD IPS display; 1920 x 1080 resolution
- 8GB DDR4 memory
- 256GB Flash SSD
- Backlit keyboard
- USB 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, HDMI
- Wireless 802.11ac
- Battery life (advertised) 8 hours
- Weight: 3.1 lbs
As someone who is very picky and rarely takes the bait, this gorgeous beauty has everything I want, including a lightning-fast processor, a huge display, and a beautifully minimalist keyboard in a clean look.
Jacob, Gamer
Without a doubt, this is one of my favorite laptops on this list. Lenovo IdeaPad 3 provides balanced gaming performance. But beyond that, its ultra-fast CPU AMD Ryzen 5 5500U tops the list.
AMD Radeon 7-equipped CPUs are the latest and best from AMD, making multitasking a breeze. When the laptop is in "balanced" performance, it stays cool, and when you go into performance mode, you'll hear the roar of the fans. But even in the former, you should expect to work on high-end software for your design needs, or open a lot of tabs without performance lag.
AMD Radeon 7 is capable of running modern AAA games at low settings. You'll be able to play Warfare, Forza Horizon, The Crew 2, and Metro Exodus at low frame settings - around 35 to 50 fps. Not bad for a budget laptop, but not great either.
Design is amazing. It's sleek, modern and eye-catching. The plastic doesn't feel cheap -- it almost feels like brushed metal. You will leave some fingerprints on the back. If you don't like it, buy the cover.
I like its backlit keyboard. The keys are well-spaced and move far enough to make you feel like you're using a MacBook Air. On the other hand, the touchpad isn't great but not bad, and it's reliable enough for everyday tasks. Obviously, if I'm going to use this laptop for a long time, I might as well buy an external accessory instead of using my own.
Aside from its keyboard, its battery life is great for the price. You can keep it running for about 8 hours straight.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is a solid machine that performs well within its limits. That's its limitation. Fewer upgrade options. You have to replace the RAM stick and lose its dual-channel performance.
Best
- Doubles as a gaming laptop and workstation
- Integrated graphics system
- Battery level as advertised, 8 hours
- AAA games playable
Bad
- noisy
- Few upgrade options
FAQs on Best Gaming Laptops Under $600
Is the core i5 good for gaming?
Without a doubt, Team Blue has one of the best catalogs of gaming processors, especially the Core i5 series, with chips that support quad-core and are very affordable, making it one of the most versatile chips in the gaming community.
How much memory is best for gaming?
For gaming, 16GB is considered the ideal capacity. However, you may want to check the frequency of the RAM you plan to buy, as lower frequency RAM like 1600Mhz may be slower than 3600MHz RAM, also you should enable the XMP profile to take full advantage of the RAM's clock speed.
Is a $600 Gaming Laptop Worth It?
If you spend $600, you'll find yourself with a decent rig that's efficient enough to run some casual indie games, but don't expect it to run newer AAA games on Ultra or High settings at least 60hz stable frame rates.
What is the lowest price for a gaming laptop?
If you're on a budget, it might be harder to find a decent gaming laptop considering inflation and the pandemic, which is why if you're lucky, you might be able to find a low-end gaming laptop for around $600-$700 laptop.
Is the Ryzen 5 processor good for gaming?
Even in the Asus Zen 2 lineup, you'll find some pretty snappy chips like the six-core Ryzen 5 3600, which are more than enough for your hardcore gaming needs.
My last conclusion
As you probably know, every price range has its limitations. The same goes for a $600 laptop. They are designed to run low to mid-range titles.
If you're going to play AAA games and expect them to run faster than your gaming desktop, that's not going to happen. You always get low frame rates and mediocre graphics.
Not to mention, it takes a toll on your laptop. Don't worry though, as you can still play popular but less graphically demanding games like DOTA 2 and League of Legends with higher fps and good graphics.
So if you meet those requirements, grab any of the best gaming laptops under $600 listed above for 2022.
Tags:
Laptops