Gaming on the computer has really improved over the years. More laptops are now tailored to gaming needs. They come with powerful processors, graphics cards, large storage capacities, and high-speed cooling pads.
All built to ensure that you get a superior gaming experience. Most of them also have a longer battery life which makes them ideal for gaming on the go. Those laptop qualities are further explained below. Also, you get to read a review of the best gaming laptop under $600.
Our Top Picks for a Budget Gaming Laptops
1. Acer Nitro AN515 Gaming Laptop
- 9th Generation Intel Core i5-9300H Processor (Up to 4.1 GHz)
- 15.6 inches Full HD Widescreen IPS LED-backlit display; NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Graphics with 4 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM
- 8GB DDR4 2666MHz Memory; 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD (2 x PCIe M.2 slots - 1 slot open for easy upgrades) and 1 - Available hard drive bay
- LAN: 10, 100, 1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 port); Wireless: Intel Wireless Wi-Fi 6 AX200 802.11ax
- Backlit keyboard; Acer Cool Boost technology with twin fans and dual exhaust ports
Acer Nitro series has been a household name in the gaming industry for a long time now. The brand has always delivered when it came to quality specs at a very competitive price. Following the suit of its previous models, this time around, it has been successful in providing another monster of a machine.
The design has worked very well for Acer, and it has again made the laptop ‘Red’ themed. The red color on the periphery of the mouse is a nice touch. Looks-wise the laptop is good, and the color scheme makes it look like a premium gaming machine.
Under the hood, you’ll find a 9th generation quad-core Intel i5 processor paired with an Nvidia GTX 1650 graphics card. This CPU and GPU combo ensure that the gameplay quality and the experience are never compromised regardless of the game. GTX 1650 graphics card also ensures that you’ll be able to play games at high frame rates for years to come. The laptop has 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD. If you wish to upgrade storage, Acer has provided a slot to put another SSD.
The laptop comes with a 15.6″ full HD IPS display, which reproduces color accurately, meaning deeper blacks and brighter whites. Acer has gone to great lengths to make the laptop future-proof by providing Wi-Fi 6 and Alexa built-in.
But what gaming machine is complete without some lights? Well, the Acer Nitro also comes with a red-backlit keyboard that contributes to the overall aesthetic of the laptop. And to make sure your gaming session goes uninterrupted, It is packed with a battery life that can deliver 8-hours of screen time. Overall the machine is a great choice for those seeking to have maximum gaming performance without breaking the bank.
Pros
- Powerful CPU and GPU
- Built-in Alexa
- Excellent Cooling system
- Great battery life
Cons
2. HP Pavilion Laptop
- Brand New in box. The product ships with all relevant accessories
The HP Pavilion laptop is one of the best gaming laptops available for under 600 USD. The build quality is great, and the laptop looks and feels very premium. But what really got our attention was the sleek design and the Grey color scheme. HP has always been good in the looks department, and this time around, they have again delivered.
Armed with a quad-core AMD Ryzen 5 processor and AMD Vega 8 graphics, this laptop will fly through every task that is thrown at it. You can run most mid-tier games and get a decent performance of around 60-70 FPS.
HP has provided a 1TB hard drive and a 128GB SSD (this combination is rarely seen in laptops nowadays) that will store all of your favorite games without running out of storage. The 15.6″ IPS screen with BrightView technology makes watching movies or videos an absolute joy while also enhancing your gaming experience.
The dual B&O Play speakers on this laptop deliver crisp and clear sound, the bass quality is top-notch. And to top all that, it has an 8-hour battery life which is a cherry on top for this machine. The Wide Vision HD webcam will really enhance your video calls. At last, a trial for MS Office 365 that comes with this laptop makes it a complete package.
Pros
- Huge processing power
- The speakers sound great
- 128GB SSD is a nice addition
- Sleek and minimalistic design
- Beautiful Screen
Cons
3. ASUS VivoBook F512
- 15.6 inch FHD 4 way NanoEdge bezel display with a stunning 88% screen-to-body ratio
- Powerful AMD Quad Core Ryzen 5 3500U Processor (2M Cache, up to 3.6 GHz)
- AMD Radeon Vega 8 discrete graphics with Windows 10 Home
- 8GB DDR4 RAM and 256GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
- Ergonomic backlit keyboard with fingerprint sensor activated via Windows Hello
Along with Acer, Asus is the only company that has more than one entry on this list. ASUS has constantly innovated in the past years and has produced some of the best laptops in the market today, with the Vivobook F512 being one of the many. This laptop is a dream machine in this segment of laptops.
Asus has fitted a quad-core Ryzen 5 processor and Vega 8 graphics under the hood. This combo works in harmony to produce enough horsepower to take over most hardware-intensive tasks without breaking a sweat. It comes with 8 gigabytes of RAM and 256 gigabytes of internal storage, which ensures that all of your games run at the highest frame rates possible.
What makes this laptop different from the other models mentioned in this list is the addition of a fingerprint reader. This nifty little feature really adds to the accessibility, and it unlocks your laptop as soon as you put your finger on it.
What makes this laptop different from its counterparts is the addition of a Fingerprint reader that is great value addition, it saves time (it unlocks as soon as you put your finger on it) and ensures maximum security for your PC.
The screen is equipped with a Nano edge display with an 88% screen-to-body ratio, and attributed to its thin bezels, the screen blends perfectly with the frame and gives the whole device a very premium feel. To make your viewing experience even better, this laptop is based on the ErgoLift design, which lifts the laptop to a perfect viewing angle while also increasing the airflow below the laptop. Not to mention, it really makes typing much easier and comfortable.
The laptop is available in four color options, and honestly, they all look amazing. Even though which color you pick comes down to your personal choice, you cannot go wrong with any of them.
We all gamers know the importance of the Numpad, right? Well, luckily for you, the ASUS VivoBook F512 has a dedicated num pad which is a rare find in compact notebooks these days. And what makes this deal even sweeter is the backlit keyboard with multiple brightness options. And last but not least, it has Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4 for connectivity, so you will never experience those low pin drops ever again.
Pros
- Awesome Screen-to-body ratio
- Ergolift mechanism is great
- Slim Design
- Fingerprint Reader
- Lightweight
Cons
4. Evoo Gaming
- Gaming Laptop
- 15.6” FHD 60Hz Display
- Tuned by THX Audio
- THX Spatial Audio
- Windows 10 Home
Walmart-owned Evoo Gaming EG-LP10-BK has some serious power that will take your gaming experience to the next level. The laptop has an Intel i5-10300H paired with an Nvidia GTX 1650 graphics card. This powerful hardware mix enables you to run most mid-tier games like Valorant and COD at steady frame rates. Specs-wise, this laptop provides the most bang for your buck.
If that is not enough to impress you, let us talk about the features because this machine is loaded with plenty of them.
This is the only laptop on this list with dual-channel memory, which is a huge plus point when it comes to gaming. The 256 GB of storage it comes with might be low for some, but the laptop comes with slots to expand, so you always add an SSD. Additionally, there are a plethora of I/O ports, so you will never face any issue connecting your laptop with your external peripheral devices.
But what we liked most about this laptop is that it has the largest battery pack in its class. This means you can play your favorite games for over 12 hours without being bothered about the battery running out. And to top that all out, it features a 60Hz refresh rate screen which further enhances your gaming experience.
Now, you will probably be using your headphones while gaming, it’s no longer a necessity. This is because this laptop comes with THX Spatial Audio which immerses you into the game’s environment. All in all, at this price point, this laptop is an absolute steal!
Pros
- Top-notch hardware
- THX Spatial Audio
- Future proof connectivity
Cons
5. Acer Swift 3
- Aspect Ratio:16:9
- AMD Ryzen 7 4700U Octa-Core Mobile Processor (Up to 4.1 GHz) with Radeon Graphics; 8GB LPDDR4 Memory; 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD
- 14" Full HD Widescreen IPS LED-backlit display (1920 x 1080 resolution; 16:9 aspect ratio)
- Intel wireless Wi-Fi 6 AX200 802.11ax; HD webcam (1280 x 720); Backlit keyboard; Fingerprint reader
- 1 - USB Type-C port USB 3. 2 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps) DisplayPort over USB Type-C and USB Charging, 1- USB 3. 2 Gen 1 port (featuring power-off charging), 1 - USB 2. 0 port and 1 - HDMI port
Acer has been at the forefront of development, and that is one of the reasons it has two laptops on this list, and just like its previously mentioned sibling, the Acer Swift 3 leaves never fails to amaze.
It has a minimalistic yet aesthetic design, and the two-tone finish adds to the beauty of the laptop. Overall, its build quality is a solid ten.
The Swift 3 is the only laptop that has an Octa-core Ryzen 7 4700U processor that will blow most other processors out of the water. Paired with Radeon graphics, the laptop guarantees robust gaming performance at all times. And with 8 gigabytes of RAM and a 512 GB SSD, you’ll have to keep up with the speed of the laptop!
The 14″ Full-HD IPS LED screen is a thing of beauty and puts out avant-garde pictures and videos. It will be tough to take your eyes off this machine.
Acer has very carefully provided all the necessary features that are helpful in the day-to-day usages, like a fingerprint reader that makes logging into the PC very fast, easy, and provides a high level of security.
The backlit keyboard is also a sweet addition, and typing on this laptop is very comfortable and satisfying. Additionally, it comes with DTS audio speakers that deliver superior audio quality. It has a decent battery life of about six to seven hours on medium usage, and connectivity will never be an issue because of the latest Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.
Pros
- Beautiful design
- Competent hardware
- Built-in Alexa
- DTS Audio
Cons
6. Acer Aspire E15
- 8th Generation Intel Core i5-8250U Processor (Up to 3.4GHz)
- 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED-lit IPS Display
- 8GB Dual Channel Memory & 256GB SSD
- Up to 15-hours of battery life.Adapter: 65 W
- Windows 10 Home
The 8th generation core i5 processor enables you to enjoy more power, longer battery life, and high-quality entertainment and makes it a great gaming laptop under $600.
Just like the 7th generation Acer Aspire, this laptop also has a compartment door that easily opens and enables you to easily upgrade your hard drive and memory.
It has a full HD screen that delivers superior quality graphics. This screen quality together with the 2GB video memory enables games and movies to jump out of the screen.
It also provides stable and reliable WIFI connectivity which allows you to have high-speed connectivity that is 3 times faster than the former generations.
Its speakers are designed to offer a wide range of bass and better volume that fills the room. It has up to 15 hours of battery life and is thin. This quality also makes it ideal for a gaming laptop on the go.
Pros
- Fast processor
- Large storage capacity
- SSD for faster booting and loading
- Portable
- Long battery life (15 hrs)
- Superior GeForce MX150 2GB dedicated graphics card
Cons
7. Dell Inspiron 15 5000
- 8th Gen. Intel Quad-Core i5-8250U Processor 1.6GHz, up to 3.4GHz, 12GB DDR4 2400MHz RAM, 1TB SATA Hard Drive,
- 15.6" Touchscreen Truelife LED-Backlit Full HD (1920 x 1080) Display, Intel Integrated 620 Graphics
- 802.11AC, DVD-RW, Bluetooth 4.2, HD Webcam, MaxxAudio Pro Audio
- Backlit Keyboard, HDMI, 2x USB 3.1, 1x USB 2.0, combo headphone / microphone jack, Media Card Reader
- 3-cell 42 WHr Battery, 4.80lbs, Windows 10 Home 64-bits
This laptop has an i5-8250U Processor CPU that enables it to have a powerful performance as well as a responsive one and other tasks that intensively use the CPU like editing works.
It has superior video graphic memory that enables you to view details clearly. This means that your gaming is at a higher setting because the on-screen experience is immersive. It comes with a 1TB hard drive, which enables plenty of storage and offers you responsive and stable performance.
You can game with this laptop for many hours because its screen has an anti-glare panel which means that your eyes don’t feel tired after staring for long hours on the screen.
It has 3 exhausts, dual cooling fans, big vents, and thermal fins that work together to ensure that your gaming is interrupted while the laptop stays cool.
It delivers superior audio because its speakers have a built-in subwoofer. It has a 74Whr 6-cell battery and is 1” thick. This quality makes it an ideal laptop to game on.
The laptop also has a backlit keyboard. This makes it easy for the user to locate the keys and thus increases the gaming speed and the overall experience.
The laptop also has a fast, responsive, fast-range, and stable wireless performance. This means that you can enjoy excellent connectivity at a very high speed. In addition to that, it has a USB 3.0 port that enables you to transfer large files faster.
Pros
- The processor is fast
- High-quality graphics
- Large storage capacity
- Display quality is excellent
- Good cooling system
- Superior graphics
Cons
8. Lenovo Ideapad (Budget Laptop)
- 15.6" HD display with 1366 x 768 resolution; AMD Radeon R7 graphics
- AMD A12-9720P Quad core processor with 2.70 GHz in base, and Turbo to 3.6 GHz.
- 8GB DDR4 memory; 1TB 5,400rpm HDD hard drive provides plenty of storage; DVD-RW
- 802.11AC WiFi; Bluetooth 4.1; 10/100/100M gigabit Ethernet; 1 USB Type-C port and 2 USB 3.1 ports; 4-in-1 memory card reader; 2-cell lithium ion battery
- Weighs 4.85 lbs. and measures 0.9" thin, Windows 10
This laptop has an 8GB system memory which makes it ideal for multitasking and gaming. It also has a 1TB hard drive, which means you have ample storage space for your files. It has AMD Radeon R7 which is an integrated rated graphics chipset that has a shared video memory.
This feature enables the laptop to offer solid and quality images for internet use, gaming, or movies. It has Bluetooth that can sync with devices that are compatible with it. So you can use wireless headsets with it.
The laptop has USB-type C and USB 3.0 ports that maximize performance on modern high-speed devices. Its wireless connectivity is three times faster than wireless-N.
The laptop is thin, only 0.9”, and isn’t heavy. This means that it has managed to balance its screen size and portability. And this makes it also an ideal choice for a gaming laptop under $600.
Pros
- The processor is fast
- High-quality graphics
- Large storage capacity
- Portable
- Long Battery Life
- Superior graphics
Cons
9. ASUS VivoBook F510UA
- Powerful 8th Generation Intel Core i5 8250U 1.6GHz (Turbo up to 3.4GHz) processor
- 14.2 Inches Wide, 0.8 Inches Thin and portable footprint with 0.3 Inches Nano edge bezel for a stunning 80% screen to body ratio
- 15.6 inches Anti glare full HD display with ASUS splendid software enhancement
- 8GB DDR4 RAM and 1TB HDD
- Ergonomic chiclet keyboard with fingerprint sensor, Windows 10 Home
The laptop has a large memory of 8GB so you can multitask without the laptop hanging or slowing down. It also has a hard drive storage capacity of 1TB.
This means that you can store large files and will be great for multitasking. It has an integrated graphics card that enables you to experience high-quality gaming graphics.
It delivers high-quality sounds from its inbuilt speakers while the 15.6-inch is primed for an excellent visual experience as it is equipped with the Tru2Life Video technology that uses algorithms to give a crisper and sharper image. Plus, it is anti-glare so you can play for hours without any strain.
It has powerful and stable wireless connectivity and has one USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports that enable you to transfer files faster. It’s also 1” in thickness which also makes it ideal for gaming on the go.
The only downside to it is that it doesn’t have long battery life. Other than that, the gaming experience from this laptop is good.
Pros
- The processor is fast
- High-quality graphics
- Excellent 15.6″ Full-HD Anti-glare display
- 8GB Memory facilitates smooth multi-tasking
- Portable
- Ample storage for all your games and movies
Cons
10. Acer Aspire E5-575-33BM
- 7th Generation Intel Core i3-7100U Processor (2.4GHz, 3MB L3 cache)
- 15.6" Full HD Widescreen ComfyView LED-backlit Display supporting Acer ColorBlast technology
- 4GB DDR4 Memory, 1TB 5400RPM HDD
- Windows 10 Home
- Up to 12-hours Battery Life
The Aspire E 15 has a beautiful form on the outside that first pulls you to it. This outside form doesn’t have unnecessary lines and is smooth.
The laptop features the 7th generation i3 processor which means that it has more power, longer battery life, and offers high-quality entertainment.
It has a 12-hour battery life which means that you can use it the whole day on the move. With such qualities, you are assured of having a superior and uninterrupted gaming experience.
You can upgrade its memory easily if the need arises because the compartment door is easy to remove and put back. Its equipped with the latest wireless technology which offers a three times faster connection than the previous generations.
The screen is wide enough and has a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio which offers an optimal viewing experience.
Images from this laptop are clearer because it uses a color blast technology that makes images look very similar to the source image. Its audio performance is also good because its speakers have been designed to reproduce sound accurately and audio that is full-bodied.
Pros
- The processor is fast
- High-quality graphics
- Large storage capacity
- Portable
- Long Battery Life- 12 Hrs
- High-quality graphics
Cons
What to Look For in A Gaming Laptop
Below are a few things that you can look for in a gaming laptop before you make a decision to buy one.
Powerful processor
This enables you to have a high-quality gaming experience. All games are fast-paced so if your processor is slow you might not be able to execute moves as quickly or as smoothly as you would like.
Also if the processor is slow, it means that your gaming sessions might be interrupted when the laptop hangs after being unable to process at the required high speed.
Graphics card
This card enables you to experience high-quality graphics in your gaming. It also makes your on-screen experience immersive.
Cooling Pad
Gaming for many hours makes your laptop heat up. And when it heats up your gaming sessions might be interrupted. This is why you must look for laptops that have powerful cooling pads which means that they cool down faster. If you are interested in learning more about these types of products you can have a look here.
Battery life
A good gaming laptop under $600 has to have long battery life because the processing power required for the game drains the battery very fast. This is especially necessary if you plan to use the laptop for gaming on the go.
Anti-glare screen
Staring for long hours on your laptop screen can give you headaches or hurt your eyes. That is why you need a laptop that protects you from these effects with an anti-glare.
Conclusion
If you are looking for something more advanced, you can also check out reviews of the best laptops under $700.
Also, irrespective of the type of games that you like to play on your laptop, having the right gaming accessories will help you enjoy the game even more. So you should also consider looking into accessories such as a gaming headset that has an integrated microphone that enables you to speak easily.
When it comes to headsets, some people prefer wireless headsets. The reason for this choice is that they feel that wireless headsets deliver better quality sound and you don’t have to be tethered to your laptop while playing.
The other accessory that you can look into is the gaming mouse. They come with different grip designs, sensitivity, response times, and customizable buttons.
