gaming laptop

If you need a laptop powerful enough to run your video games but don’t have an unlimited budget, you need to check out the best gaming laptops under $800. Video games are requiring more and more from the machines that run them, but we can’t all shell out a grand or more to buy a computer. Fortunately, there are several laptops available that balance power and cost.

Each of the top five laptops that we’ve recommended here was chosen by our expert advisor. Their top pick was the Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop. This laptop falls a good bit under the $800 mark, but has an Intel Core i5 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB SSD, plus a full HD display.

Best Overall

Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop

For the best gaming laptop under $800, look no further than the Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop.

If you’re gaming on a WiFi network, be sure to use a reliable router that can handle faster speeds.

Our Expert’s Top 5 Gaming Laptops Under $800

Here are the top picks from our expert. Compare the ratings and features of different models.

Editor’s PicksBrandRatingProcessorGraphics CardMemoryStorage
Best OverallAcer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop4.79th Gen Intel Core i5-9300HNVIDIA GeForce GTX 16508GB DDR4 SDRAM256GB NVMe SSD
Best Budget BuyHP Pavilion FHD 1080p Core i5 Gaming Laptop4.99th Gen Intel Core i5-9300HNVIDIA GeForce GTX 10508 GB DDR SDRAM256 GB SSD
Best Gaming Laptop Under $800 with a Large Hard DriveLenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming Laptop4.69th Gen Intel Core i5-9300H ProcessorNVIDIA GeForce GTX 16508GB DDR4 RAM512GB Nvme SSD
Best Gaming Laptop Under $800 with an RGB KeyboardAsus TUF FX505DT 15.6-inch FHD Gaming Laptop4.7AMD Quad Core Ryzen 5 3550HNvidia Geforce GTX 16508GB DDR4 SDRAM256GB Solid State Drive
Best Lightweight Gaming Laptop Under $800HP Pavilion AMD Ryzen 5 Gaming Laptop4.6AMD Ryzen 5 4600HNVIDIA GeForce GTX 16508GB DDR4 SDRAM256GB SSD

*Ratings are on a scale of 1 to 5 and based on reviews, feedback, and opinions of actual customers

Who Should Buy a Gaming Laptop

  • Gamers – Obviously, gaming laptops are designed with gamers in mind and have the power needed for heavy-duty gaming.
  • Graphic designers and animators – Graphic design and animation need many of the same capabilities from a PC as gaming.
  • Video editors – Video editing can require a lot of memory and storage, which are two features that gaming laptops have plenty of.1

Who Should Not Buy a Gaming Laptop

  • People who only do light computing – If you only use your computer for web browsing or using a word processor, you don’t need to shell out for a gaming laptop.
  • People who play less resource-intensive games – Some games, like Among Us, run just fine on a regular laptop, so you don’t need a gaming laptop if those are the only games you play.

Research Tips

I’m frequently asked about how to choose a good gaming PC without having to shell out for something super expensive. The single most important piece of advice I can offer is to research any computer thoroughly before buying it. While researching, pay attention to the laptop’s specs, but you may also want to ask your friends, family, and other people you game with for recommendations.

  1. The right processor is the most important thing – The processor is the most important part of a gaming laptop in terms of performance. For most games, you’ll want at least an Intel Core i5 processor or an AMD Ryzen 5 processor.2
  2. Get enough RAM to keep your games running smoothly – RAM determines how much a PC can do at once. The more RAM the computer has, the more efficient and better at multitasking it is.3 For this price point, you can expect 8GB of RAM, which is adequate for most games.
  3. Keep storage in mind – You also want a good bit of hard drive space for storing your games and files. You’ll want at least 256GB of storage space, but 512GB is better and not unheard of in this price range. You’ll also want to look for SSD (Solid State Drive) storage, which allows for faster file transfer and shorter load times than traditional HDD (Hard Disc Drive) storage.4
  4. Consider your connectivity options – WiFi is basically a necessity at this point, but plugging your laptop directly into the modem gives you better speeds while you’re playing online. You’ll also want enough USB ports for all your wired accessories, while Bluetooth connectivity gives you more options for wireless accessories.
  5. Good battery life is a huge advantage – Gaming PCs are powerful, so they won’t have the super long battery lives of Chromebooks and other light PCs, especially while you’re actually gaming. Still, you don’t want to be stuck to an outlet all the time. Look for a laptop that will give you four to six hours of gaming on a full battery.

How Much Do They Cost?

Between $675 and $800

Just the fact that we’re talking about gaming laptops under $800 gives an upper limit for how much you can expect these laptops to cost, and to get the features you need to run your games, you should also expect to shell out more than a couple hundred dollars. Expect to spend around $675 to $800 to get a reliable gaming laptop. The exact price will depend on the exact features. Be prepared to pay extra for more RAM and storage, for a better processor or graphics card, and for extra features like Bluetooth or an RGB keyboard.

The Best Gaming Laptops Under $800: Full Reviews

Best Overall

Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop

For the best gaming laptop under $800, look no further than the Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop.

The Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop has everything you need for a good gaming laptop at this price point. It has 8GB of DDR4 SDRAM to run your games at top form. The 9th generation Intel Core i5-9300H processor has a 2.4GHz processing speed, but Turbo Boost Technology can get it up to 4.1GHz as needed. Acer’s NitroSense software comes included on the computer to help you monitor performance while you game, and the 15.6-inch full HD LED IPS display renders your games beautifully.

For connectivity, the Nitro 5 offers an audio jack, a USB 2.0 port, an RJ45 (ethernet) jack, an HDMI 2.0 port, a USB 3.1 Type C port, and two USB 3.0 ports, one with a charger. It also has Intel Wireless Wi-Fi 6 AX200 802.11ax and Bluetooth. It runs Windows 10 with Amazon Alexa built-in and has two stereo speakers and two microphones for your audio needs.

Pros
  • Alexa built-in
  • Red accents give the laptop a look that matches a lot of gaming peripherals
  • Powerful processor
  • Two stereo speakers, two microphones, and an HD webcam
Cons
  • Comes with a fair bit of bloatware that you’ll want to remove
  • Some users may not like the look of the red accents
Best Budget Buy

HP Pavilion FHD 1080p Core i5 Gaming Laptop

For excellence under $700, the HP Pavilion FHD 1080p Core i5 Gaming Laptop is the way to go.

If the $800 range is a little high, you can still get a quality gaming laptop for under $700 with the HP Pavilion FHD 1080p Core i5 Gaming Laptop. Like our top pick, this laptop has a 9th generation Intel Core i5-9300H processor that’s capable of 2.5GHz (up to 4.5GHz) of speed. This laptop also has 8GB of DDR4-2933 SDRAM and 256 GB SSD storage, and your games will be displayed on the 15.6″ FHD 1080p display.

The HP Pavilion laptop has a keyboard with green accents and backlighting to help you see your controls in the dark. It also has a built-in webcam, dual microphones, dual speakers, and WiFi and Bluetooth for wireless connections. Lastly, this PC comes with Windows 10 Home pre-installed.

Pros
  • Powerful processor
  • Highly effective cooling system with large vents and dual fans
  • Green keyboard accents coordinate with lots of gaming peripherals
  • Memory and storage are both upgradable
Cons
  • On the heavier side at 6.6 pounds
  • Battery life is a little short
  • Body is not super durable, so be careful while traveling
Best Gaming Laptop Under $800 with a Large Hard Drive

Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming Laptop

If you need a larger hard drive, the Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming Laptop is the way to go.

The main advantage of the Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming Laptop is the large hard drive. This laptop has a 512GB NVMe SSD hard drive, which is twice the size of the hard drives in the other laptops on this list. That gives you plenty of space for even large games, like the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare remake (or Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, for that matter) and Ark: Survival Evolved. You also won’t have any problems running those games, thanks to the 9th generation Intel Core i5-9300H processor and 8 GB of DDR4 RAM. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card and 15.6″ FHD IPS display will ensure your games look great, while Dolby Audio will make sure they sound great too.

Another cool feature of this laptop is the “Quick” and “Quiet” modes. The “Quick” mode is perfect for gaming and pushes your laptop to its limits for top performance in-game. “Quiet” mode lets your computer step back while you work to preserve your battery for as long as possible. Speaking of which, if you game and work from your computer, you know how rough all that screen time can be on the eyes. For that reason, we have to mention Lenovo Vantage Eye Care, which allows you to adjust the colors of the laptop’s display to reduce eye fatigue and eye strain.

Pros
  • Massive hard drive
  • Different settings for gaming and working
  • Sleek metal case and cyan accents that don’t look overly “gamer-y”
Cons
  • Only one RAM slot, making it harder to upgrade
  • Screen backlighting isn’t as bright as some other laptops
  • Trackpad isn’t very precise and isn’t customizable
Best Gaming Laptop Under $800 with an RGB Keyboard

Asus TUF FX505DT 15.6-inch FHD Gaming Laptop

The Asus TUF FX505DT 15.6-inch FHD Gaming Laptop allows you to match your keyboard backlighting with the rest of your RGB light setup.

RGB lighting is kind of a silly customization thing, but it’s also a lot of fun, so it’s understandable that there are gamers who want matching light setups across their PCs and peripherals. The Asus TUF FX505DT 15.6-inch FHD Gaming Laptop lets you do just that. This clicky keyboard features RGB backlighting across all zones and allows for Static, Breathing, Color Cycle, and Strobing lighting patterns. That’s not the keyboard’s only great feature, though: it also has highlighted WASD keys and a desktop-style keyboard layout. 1.8mm key travel and Overstroke technology allow for faster keystrokes and keystroke recognition.

Aside from the keyboard, the ASUS TUF FX505DT Gaming Laptop also checks all the other essential boxes for a gaming laptop. You can choose either an AMD Quad Core Ryzen 5 3550H processor or, for about $40 more, the even more powerful AMD Quad Core Ryzen 7 3750H processor. With either processor, you get 8GB DDR4 RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card, and 256GB SSD storage.

Pros
  • Customizable RGB keyboard to match the rest of your setup
  • Rugged metal case
  • Option to choose between a Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 processor
Cons
  • Processors slower than those of other recommended laptops
  • Fans can be a little loud, especially with intensive use
Best Lightweight Gaming Laptop Under $800

HP Pavilion AMD Ryzen 5 Gaming Laptop

For a gaming laptop that you can take on the go, it’s hard to top the HP Pavilion AMD Ryzen 5 Gaming Laptop.

This last laptop, the HP Pavilion AMD Ryzen 5 Gaming Laptop, is similar to the other HP Pavilion gaming laptop recommended above. The main difference is that this one has an AMD Ryzen 5 4600H processor. To go with that processor, it has an NVIDIA GeFOrce GTX 1650 graphics card, 8GB of DDR4 SDRAM, and 256GB of SSD storage. You can also upgrade the RAM with an additional 16GB memory card, and for more storage, you can upgrade the existing SSD card and add a second one.

Weighing just 4.41 pounds, the HP Pavilion AMD Ryzen 5 Gaming Laptop is also the lightest laptop recommended in this post. That makes it a great option for those who want a gaming laptop that can also be toted to work, class, competitions, or just to a friend’s place. It also has a USB Type-C port, a SuperSpeed USB Type-A port, a USB 2.0 Type-A port, an HDMI 2.0 port, an RJ45 jack, and a headphone/microphone combo jack, plus Bluetooth, for connecting all of your favorite peripherals.

Pros
  • Lightweight
  • Highly effective cooling system with large vents and dual fans
  • Green keyboard accents coordinate with gaming peripherals
  • Memory and storage are both upgradable
Cons
  • The case isn’t very durable, so be sure to use a sleeve
  • Cooling system can be a little loud
  • Lacks the capability to run more resource-intensive games

Frequently Asked Questions

Are gaming laptops also good for school?

They are! A gaming laptop will do everything you need for school except for maybe some very intense rendering of video or animation that you make yourself. If you aren’t taking a design or animation class, you’ll be fine.

Should I buy a gaming laptop or a PS5?

It really all depends on whether or not you think the exclusive titles are worth it, but in general, a gaming laptop is much more versatile, and the ones on this list have better performance.

Should I get a gaming laptop if I don’t game?

In many cases, a gaming laptop is going to be more powerful than your average laptop, so if you need that extra power for something like Photoshop, video editing, or even just keeping multiple tabs running at once, a gaming laptop isn’t a bad choice.

How much RAM do I need for gaming?

For most modern games, 8GB is a good minimum and 16GB will keep your performance high during even the most intense action. More RAM also means better performance, especially while running multiple programs at once, but it will cost you more.5

Article Sources

Tech Pro Daily uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Mister M. How much RAM do I need for Video Editing? Promax.com. Published August 6, 2019. Accessed August 9, 2021.
  2. Intel. How to Choose a Gaming CPU. Intel.com. Accessed August 9, 2021.
  3. Intel. How to Choose RAM for a Gaming PC. Intel.com. Accessed August 9, 2021.
  4. Crucial. SSD vs HDD for Gaming. Crucial.com. Accessed August 9, 2021.
  5. Lenovo. How much RAM do I need for gaming? Lenovo.com. Accessed August 9, 2021.