9+ Best Gaming Laptop Under $500 | Unrivaled Guide 2022

Choosing the best laptop for gaming: main features

• Screen. Size, resolution, and refresh rate are all things that can impact your gaming experience. Do you want to prioritize a high resolution or high refresh rate screen, or are you planning to use an external monitor?
• CPU and GPU. Compare component specifications such as a number of cores and clock speed, and check out the benchmarks for a quick comparison between the different product lines.
• Memory and storage. Recognize the difference between SSD and HDD and decide how much RAM you need based on how you plan to use your system.
• Design. Lighter laptops allow for better travel, but more powerful hardware may be a priority when playing demanding games at home.
• Doors and entrances. Plan the number of devices you plan to use, including those dedicated to external storage and audio. Do you need more flexibility, more space or extra high-speed ports?

Let’s take a closer look at the features you’ll encounter when choosing a gaming laptop, starting with the first thing you see when you open it: the screen.

Display

CPU

GPU

A laptop PC GPU, or Graphics Processing Unit, generates the pixels that form the images on the screen while gaming. Combined with the CPU, it is the key to enjoying smooth frame rates and a high-resolution gaming experience.

If you’re going to play in 1440p or 4K, you need a CPU and GPU to match. Higher resolutions result in more pixels on the screen – running a game at 4K resolution, for example, consumes four times more pixels than the standard 1080p.

GPU: main features

• Frame rate and resolution. Make sure your gaming laptop’s GPU and CPU can achieve consistent frame rates when rendering the correct screen resolution or external display. To get an idea of ​​the execution performance, compare the CPU and GPU in the laptop you are thinking about with the system requirements of the video games you plan to play.
• Display update rate. If you’ve invested in a 144Hz screen, you’ll need a GPU capable of achieving a consistent 144 FPS (or higher) to make the most of the higher refresh rate.
• Raytracing. If you’re planning on enabling hardware-intensive rendering techniques, such as raytracing, check out the benchmarks to assess how they will affect performance in advance.

Storage

Solid-state drives (SSDs) outperform older mechanical drives (HDDs) in most areas that impact gaming. SSDs use a type of flash memory (NAND) to electronically read and write blocks of data with no moving parts. HDDs, on the other hand, use mechanical platters that rotate by a motor, accessible via a movable disk head.

A key advantage of SSDs over HDDs is their fast random read / write speeds, which means they are able to quickly access data stored in different drive locations. They generally allow for faster loading of programs and files than a similarly sized HDD and can help reduce system startup times.

Since SSDs use no moving parts and have processes to even out wear across memory blocks, they also enjoy a longer life than traditional HDDs.

Generally speaking, SSDs cost more per gigabyte than a similarly sized HDD due to higher manufacturing costs. For this reason, some systems have both SSDs and high-capacity HDDs for storing large files, although, increasingly, modern laptops rely solely on SSDs.

RAM

Random Access Memory, or RAM, is a memory that stores data temporarily for quick retrieval via the CPU. Unlike an SSD or HDD, it does not store data permanently and recovers with every power failure, but it also makes data available faster than a storage drive.

The additional RAM allows a PC to run multiple processes at the same time and allows a system to switch between programs more quickly while managing the execution of services in the background.

The amount of RAM you need in your laptop depends on how you plan to use the system.

• 2 to 4GB of RAM can be enough to browse the Internet, use light business applications, or older games.
• 8GB of RAM may be enough for mid-range gaming and most business applications. Many modern PC games indicate 8GB of RAM or more as the minimum system requirement.
• 16GB of RAM allows a system to run newer and more resource-intensive video games at higher settings, handle various background applications (such as voice chat or recording video highlights), and streaming software.
• 32GB of RAM is the ideal amount for resource-intensive multitasking, including gaming, content creation, and anyone who frequently uses memory-intensive processes, such as video editing or rendering.

While the amount of RAM available in the system is probably the most important metric for the average user, there are other characteristics of RAM that are worth keeping in mind.

RAM: main features :

• Speed. Measured in MHz (or millions of cycles per second), RAM frequency measures the speed at which your RAM can access memory when it receives a request from the CPU.
• Possibility of upgrade. Some gaming laptop models allow access to the internal SO-DIMM slots in which RAM is installed. This is still quite unusual, so consider the amount of RAM you need for your favorite experience. Adding it later can be cumbersome.
• SO-DIMM. Note that laptop and desktop RAM are not interchangeable. Laptop RAM is often smaller, has a different contact configuration, and fits SO-DIMM (Small Outline Dual In-line Memory Module) slots rather than the DIMM slots you’ll find on most desktop motherboards.

Design

Gaming laptops come in many different shapes and sizes. Entry-level options can help balance portability and performance, while more powerful gaming laptops generally take up more space. In recent years, however, this compromise has become less rigid. Premium laptops with advanced thermal models can remain relatively thin and light and use high-performance components.

When thinking about a laptop model, consider a trade-off between power, price, portability, available ports, and extra features that can optimize performance.

Design: main features

• Build quality. An aluminum case can allow for thinner and stronger models than traditional plastic ones.
• Frames. Opt for a thin display bezel to reduce the overall size of the device. By reducing the size of the screen edges, manufacturers are able to reduce the size of a laptop PC while preserving the screen size.
• Weight. A thinner and lighter design results in greater portability. However, thicker and heavier gaming laptop PCs, also known as “muscle books,” often include features that are advantageous for a fixed home setup, such as more input and output (I / O) options. or particularly powerful cooling solutions.
• Aesthetics. Premium laptops may have a satin metal finish, user-controlled RGB lighting, and other eye-catching design features that are worth considering.
• Extra luxury factors. While less popular, high-end gaming laptops can include smaller screens, ultrawide aspect ratios, overclockable designs, upgradeable hardware, or even keyboards with mechanical switches.
• Wireless connectivity. Most portable PCs incorporate wireless cards that allow connection to hotspots and home routers in the 2 GHz or 5 GHz band. To access super-fast internet speeds, look for WiFi 6 ready components. Common wireless to consider is Bluetooth, which uses the 2 GHz band to connect with peripherals such as headphones or control units to a system.

Doors

More ports mean more options for expanding the functionality of a laptop. Some gaming laptops may reduce the number of available ports in order to achieve a smaller form factor, so consider this tradeoff when making a comparison.

Also Read: Best Gaming Laptops Under 900 Dollars

Ports for laptop: main features

• Screen. Connect external monitors or HDTVs via these ports, including HDMI and DisplayPort.
• Thunderbolt ™ 3 technology. This versatile connection technology can transmit video and audio information to monitors using the DisplayPort standard. It can also transfer data at four times the speed of a USB 3.1 port and even the power supply. This connection can be particularly useful for multiple monitor configurations or for transferring large amounts of data to external drives. Not all laptops support Thunderbolt ™ 3 technology, so check back if you want to take advantage of it.
• USB. The USB ports can be used to connect mice, headphones, external physical drives, and many other peripherals. Revision numbers such as 2.0, 3.0, or 3.1 reflect the data transfer rate of the port, while ratings such as “Type-A” and “Type-C” refer to the shape of the connector.
• Audio. Most laptops have a 3.5mm headphone jack, as well as USB ports for compatible headphones and speakers.
• Ethernet. An RJ-45 Ethernet jack can provide a fast and stable connection for your system and can be a great alternative to Wi-Fi when at home. If your laptop does not have an Ethernet port, you can use a USB to Ethernet adapter.
• SD. An SD card slot allows you to conveniently expand your SDXC card storage and offers fast data transfer between devices that support this form factor. It can be particularly useful in areas that require the frequent transfer of multimedia files, such as photography and videography.

If the laptop you want has a limited number of ports, consider using a multiport USB hub or docking station. If you’re having trouble connecting a mouse, headphones, webcam, external hard drive, or other peripheral to a slim laptop that only has two USB ports, these options can provide new connectivity possibilities.

For more ideas on how to build a laptop-centric gaming station, check out our Guide to Setting Up a State-of-the-Art Laptop.

Cooling for laptops

Entrances

By taking full advantage of the input and output options of a laptop PC, you can achieve a gaming experience similar to that of a home desktop PC. Connect a gaming mouse, more responsive keyboard, or premium audio to create a fully functional gaming station with a laptop in the center.

Inputs for laptop: main features

• Mechanical keyboard.  While most gaming laptops don’t use mechanical switches, you can conveniently connect an external keyboard via USB to enjoy a full-sized keyboard setup with the switches and aesthetics of your choice.
• Gaming mouse. Touchpads for laptops have made a lot of progress and are specifically designed for comfortable everyday use. However, when gaming it may be preferable to connect a mouse with additional input options for more precise and customizable movement.
• Headphones and audio. By providing a built-in microphone and adjustable balance between game audio and voice chat, a gaming headset can be very useful for modern multiplayer games. Many headphones are equipped with audio in both stereo and digital surround configurations. They usually connect via a USB, Bluetooth, or 3.5mm audio jack.
• Loudspeakers. Upgrade from your laptop’s built-in speakers and create a full-bodied sound scene with desktop speakers or a SoundBar. Connect traditional speakers via USB or audio cable, or use a lightweight Bluetooth speaker or SoundBar for a more immersive audio experience.