Gaming laptops are not the same as normal laptops and need some additional features. Gaming laptops generally come with high-end graphics whereas it is not much called for in a normal laptop. Moreover, gaming laptops also have additional features like backlit keyboards but they still can be used without them. All of these features, also consume a lot of power.
The audio output also plays a good part in an immersive gaming experience. Widely known fact that gaming laptops are priced at higher rates than normal laptops. So this makes looking for gaming laptops under $500 a little difficult but not impossible. These laptops can only offer an average gaming experience but they are undoubtedly the best gaming laptops under $500. They might support older games better than they do the newer ones (like The Witcher 3). Here are a few choices to look up to for those who need a pocket-friendly option when exploring gaming laptops.
1. ASUS VivoBook F510UA Gaming Laptop
ASUS VivoBook F510UA can be a good choice for gamers who are tight on budget. ASUS has offered a good performance under just $500. As far as Gaming laptops under $ 500 are concerned, ASUS VivoBook F510UA Gaming Laptop not just offers a satisfactory performance but also comes in with a stylized gray color, which enhances its looks. Moreover, it weighs 3.7 pounds and can be comfortably held. The laptop gets thicker toward the hinge side, making it easy to carry. And not just that, this 8 GB RAM laptop comes with a fingerprint reader too. The location of ports can say to be similar to that of the earlier generations of Asus VivoBooks.
Asus VivoBook F510UA has a 15.6-inch IPS LED display. The Wide View adds to the display characteristics. The display consists of an intelligent sensor set. It also has display modes such as Normal, Vivid, Eye-Care, and Manual. The keyboard offers an average performance but is not backlit.
Asus VivoBook F510UA also has a VGA front-facing camera, like most of the other gaming laptops under $500. It is an average web camera with nothing extraordinary but it works just fine, clicking better images in daylight.
Specifications:
| Processor | Intel Core i5-8250U |
| RAM | 8 GB DDR4 |
| HDD/SSD | 1 TB HDD |
| RAM | 8GB DDR4 |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Battery | 42Wh, 3-cell |
| Body material | Plastic / Polycarbonate |
| Dimensions | 361 x 243 x 19.4 mm (14.21″ x 9.57″ x 0.76″) |
ASUS VivoBook F510UA Gaming Laptop comes with the latest 8th generation processor. The screen offers a good display for gamers. It also has a good design that makes it possible to be of use at any place and along with that it also has a great and appealing design. The battery life might be an issue for some users, but it may vary. It also lacks a good audio output. Not having an SSD can be a con. Looking at the bigger picture, it offers a good overall value and can be worth it.
2. v Dell Inspiron 5575
Dell’s Inspiron series is a promising series from dell. Dell offers an interesting laptop, Inspiron 5575, which is good for gamers having a budget under $500. It provides good performance for the price it is quoted at. It also offers a basic metallic silver look and with that, it is sturdy enough. It weighs around 4.8 pounds, which is fine for the kind of performance that it offers. This laptop has a good performance for day-to-day use and thus it can be called to have a fair performance for gaming. It has a spacious palm rest and offers four rubber feet at its base. This comes with a touchpad also. However, this laptop lacks a fingerprint reader.
Specifications
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 |
| RAM | 8GB |
| SSD | 256 GB |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon Vega 8 |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Dimensions | 258.00 x 38.00 x 20.00 (mm) |
3. Lenovo Ideapad 330
Lenovo IdeaPad can be a good buy for people who are looking for an all-purpose laptop under $500. It has excellent ergonomics and can be used comfortably by average gamers. It has powerful visuals and is combined with Dolby Audio for a better experience of sound when compared to others.
Its 15.6-inch display offers decent viewing angles. It’s AMD Ryzen 5 quad-core processor and AMD Radeon Vega 8 graphics makes it suitable for average gaming. The Operating System is Windows 10 which makes it compatible with all PC games. In addition to this, it does not heat up very easily, allowing the users to maintain long gaming hours which is a preferable attribute. Moreover, it also provides you with an option of rapid charge. Lenovo IdeaPad 330 has a decent keyboard for easy key controls.
- Like most laptops, this also contains a Li-ion battery. This has a classic design but comes in various colors like Platinum Grey, Blizzard White, Midnight Blue, Chocolate, and Onyx Black
Specifications:
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 2500U 2.0GHz Processor (Turbo up to 3.6GHz) |
| RAM | 8 GB DDR4 RAM |
| SSD | 256 GB SSD |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics |
| Display | 15.6 Inch Full HD LED Display with 1920 x 1080 Resolution |
| Operating System | Windows 10 64-bit OS |
| Battery Life | 5 hours |
| Weight | 4.8 lbs |
4. v Acer Aspire E 15
Acer Aspire E 15 is shaded in black with silver brushed over it. The design remains plaintive and it comes at an affordable price. Almost weighing 4.7 lbs., the laptop is on the heavier side which might bring difficulties in carrying it around with ease and this becomes a con. The display is mediocre as the color visibility that it offers is not very good. At a viewing angle of 35, the colors seem to become duller and faded. The brightness levels are also not up to the mark. Hence, the viewing experience becomes average. The audio is satisfactorily good for this laptop, compensating for the shortcomings of the display.
The Intel Core i5 processor allows multitasking with only short negligible pauses. Although, the NVIDIA graphic card can permit a good gaming experience for a few selective games. The laptop also may get warm but not necessarily hot during the gaming session. During a workday, the battery can last long (approximately up to 8 to 9 hours) but this may vary during a game. Acer Aspire E 15 also sports a 0.9-megapixel webcam which can take pictures during the day and can manage to take blurry pictures when the light is dim or dull.
Specifications:
| CPU | Intel Core i5-8250U CPU |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Ram | 8 GB |
| Hard Drive Size | 256GB |
| Hard Drive type | M.2 SATA SSD |
| Display Size | 15.6 |
| Highest available resolution | 1920×1080 |
| Native resolution | 1920×1080 |
| Optical drive | DVD Double-Layer Drive RW |
| Optical drive speed | 8X |
| Graphics Card | Nvidia GeForce MX150 with 2GB of dedicated memory |
The features that come along with are good enough for its price. The keyboard, audio output, and battery life add to their qualities. Though the display of the same is a major drawback, the laptop still manages to crack a good position on the list.
5. Asus VivoBook F402BA – 14″ HD
Asus provides decent performance with its VivoBook F402BA for gamers looking for a pocket-friendly experience. Asus VivoBook F402BA sports a sleek and compact design making it easy to use for longer durations. The screen brightness may be an issue for some users (it may vary). It does not have very good wide viewing angles as it lacks an IPS panel but it is still a win for gaming laptops under $500.
The keyboard is not backlit but performs just fine with a compact design and a trackpad with a smooth performance. The battery life is good enough but may go up or down depending on gaming use. This also uses a 2-cell Li-ion battery.
Specifications:
| Processor | AMD A9-9400 dual-core processor |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| SSD | 226 SSD |
| Display | 1366×768 |
| Operation System | Windows 10 |
| Battery Life | 7 hours. |
| Weight | 3.4 lbs |
| Dimensions | 0.9 x13.3 x 9.3 inches |
The Asus VivoBook F402BA is stylish enough and has a lightweight design. It performs well enough considering its cost. It also offers a USB-C port. This can be considered a top pick as it is a pocket-friendly choice with features good enough. It may slow down sometimes and the narrow viewing angles do not add on to its qualities.
6. HP 15-DA0002DX
HP 15-DA0002DX can be said to be one of the best gaming laptops under $500. To begin with, the performance of the laptop is comparatively good. However, the display of HP 15-DA0002DX, which is 1366 by 768 touchscreen is not its best feature. The size of the screen is 15.6 inches. The display is not a plus point for this laptop as it is not very good with sharpness, color accuracy, and contrast, making it difficult to be used in broad daylight. This laptop offers 128 GB of storage which is quite low but being an SDD it has a good performance. As far as gaming is concerned, HP 15-DA0002DX provides some really good specifications.
Intel core i5 processor allows multitasking with good speed, which most definitely is a plus point here. The integrated UHD 620 graphics let this laptop run some of the newest games at low to medium graphics settings making it worthwhile. Moreover, the audio quality is too good at such a price which only makes the gaming experience (or even a movie-watching experience) wholesome and fruitful.
Specifications:
| Processor | Intel Core i5-8250U Quad-Core Processor (Turbo up to 3.4 GHz) |
| RAM | 8Â GB DDR4 RAM |
| Graphics | Intel UHD 620 Graphics |
| Display | 15.6-inch WLED-backlit Touchscreen display with 1366 x 768 Resolution |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home 64-bit OS |
| Battery life | Up to 6 hours |
| Weight | 3.9 lbs. |
| Storage | 128GB SSD |
The touch might be way too sensitive for some users but it can be adjusted to lower sensitivity levels. HP 15-DA0002DX offers a really good speed for an Intel Core i5. However, the storage is a drawback for the same. The battery life is acceptable and is fairly good when compared to others making it crack the list.
Also Read: Best Gaming Laptops Under $300