Best Gaming Laptop Under 500 in 2022 | Top 9 Budget Flagships

Back in the days, even the most basic gaming laptops were the most expensive ones. Whereas they were not capable of giving us the desired gaming experience. Now that the technology is evolving rapidly, there are hundreds of best gaming laptops on the market. In fact, there are different varieties of them available to us with the most powerful hardware. We are getting introduced to the newest gaming laptop models from the most popular companies like Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Asus each year from expensive to budget flagships. Choosing the best gaming laptop under 500 among them is an easy job if you have the appropriate knowledge before getting your hands on the laptop.

As we’re dealing with the $500 gaming laptops here, so you have to compromise a little on the hardware. However, it doesn’t really mean that you’ll be treated with the laptop from the early ’20s. The acceptable fast gaming performance is what the good gaming laptops under 500 can do for you. Of course, they can’t stand out then the most high-end flagships but are still much better than the cheaper gaming laptops.

Best Gaming Laptops Under 500 List 2022

1. HP 15-dy2024nr
2. Lenovo IdeaPad 3
3. Acer Aspire 5 Slim
4. Asus VivoBook F512
5. HP Laptop 14
6. Acer Aspire 1
7. Asus Chromebook Flip C302
8. Dell Inspiron 15 5000
9. HP 15t Laptop

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Truth About The Best Gaming Laptops Under 500 Dollars

If you’re an entry-level gamer, a 500 dollar gaming laptop is a perfect asset to kick in your gaming career. Why? Because these flagships packs in the latest Gen processor, an ideal RAM memory that can perform better at multi-tasking, more HDD storage, and some of them also feature SSD(solid-state drive), which is a faster hardware component. On top of that, getting all of these hardware components in a $500 budget is a big achievement in this high-tech world.

However, expecting a powerful graphics card from these affordable gaming laptops is much of a disappointment for those looking for a laptop under 500 dollars budget. Because all of these machines are packed in basic graphics cards. However, housing it with a powerful GPU like Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti is the only way, but that will cost you some extra bucks. It means you have to change the CPU as well if you want to upgrade the GPU, which is not recommended. Because these days, on most laptops, the graphics card is housed on the CPU. On the other hand, the ergonomics on these laptops are simple, giving them a decent look.

Moreover, these inexpensive gaming laptops are packed with an awesome cooling system that prevents them from heating up during gameplay. Similarly, the most efficient touchpad and keyboard is another benefit you’re getting to leverage on these $500 laptops. That said, let’s hop over to the list of best gaming laptops under 500 reviews 2022.

How to Choose a Best Gaming laptop Under 500

There isn’t any rocket science in choosing the best gaming laptop under 500. However, you have to keep a few simple things in mind to avoid making a choice blindly and regretting it afterward. As we mentioned earlier on our 500 dollars gaming laptops list, the entry-level graphics card is what all of these laptops can offer, and it’s completely acceptable on such a low budget. However, the other hardware components on these laptops can take off the spikes and give you a lag-free entry-level gaming experience. So without further ado, let’s shortly hop over to that part.

Processor

No matter how far a laptop gets, if it isn’t housed with the processor having enough cores to achieve the ideal processing speed, you are getting nowhere with that laptop. Until a processor is lightning fast, achieving a maximum of 3.1GHz or 3.4GHz processing speed. Usually, we recommend getting your hands on a laptop which packs in an Intel Core i5-8250U processor to have a smooth performance on your machine. You’ll find it on the flagships like Acer Aspire E 15, ASUS Vivobook S15, Dell Inspiron 15, and HP 15 DA0002DX in our good gaming laptops under 500 list.

Memory

A RAM with a large memory is a great relief from headaches during multitasking. Whereas budget gaming laptops come with different memory sizes. Some offer 4GB RAM, while others offer 8GB. However, our team isn’t in favor of recommending a 4GB RAM to you. In the case of gaming, a good gaming laptop under $500 should have at least 8GB RAM so that your laptop can perform better at multitasking and make you free from a laggy screen.

Storage

We are not concerned much about the enormous storage here as we’re dealing with the budget gaming laptops. No doubt, there are some gaming laptops under 500 dollars that come with the enormous HDD storage capacity, which is a good thing. But what about the speed?

Which Hard drive is Better, 5,400 RPM or 7,200 RPM?
It’s obvious that the more RPMs the hard drive has, the faster it is. In this case, the gaming laptop has a hard drive with 7,200 RPM is recommended as it delivers the data faster as compared to a hard drive with 5400 RPM. In fact, it’s 33% faster than the 5400 RPM HDD.

But here comes the SSD, a hard drive crushing hardware component which might be low on the storage side but hits over 15,000 RPM.

Which One is Better, SSD or HDD?
For an entry-level gaming laptop, an SSD is a better option because it’s a perfect booster in the laptop’s performance. Whereas you have to compromise a little on the storage. If not, getting a gaming laptop with a 1TB hard drive with a speed of 7,200 RPM would be a much better option.

Display

Most of the 500 dollars gaming laptops don’t go beyond the 1920 x 1080P resolutions. We recommend sticking to a gaming laptop that has a 15.6-inch screen size along with the 1920 x 1080P resolutions.

Battery Life

It’s the most important factor you can not miss to look for before making your choice. Because you can’t bother plugging in the charger all the time during gameplay. So make sure you get a laptop under 500 that has at least 8hrs of battery life. Of course, some laptops go above that. But 8hrs battery life is just the minimum threshold we’re putting forward to you.

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Best Gaming Laptop Under 500 Reviews 2022

1. HP 15-dy2024nr Laptop

Solid performance, Stylish design

HP 15-dy2024nr Laptop REVIEW: HP 15-dy2024nr is an excellent gaming laptop that is loaded with solid hardware components and a great option for beginner level gamers. With the sliver hue on the chassis, lightweight nature, slim bezels and attractive look, it doesn’t look like a budget laptop but more like a premium one. The laptop features a 15.6-inch FHD display that is a bit dim but quite color-rich and when combined with the Iris Xe graphics, the screen deliver an immersive and smooth gameplay. Housed with an 11th gen Intel i5 processor and 8GB RAM, HP 15-dy2024nr offers powerful performance and will take your gaming experience to a next level. In addition to these, its full-size keyboard isn’t backlit but the well-spaced keys provides a tactile and smooth response. As for the battery life of this laptop, it is around 8 hours which is good considering the low price tag.

2. Lenovo IdeaPad 3

Stylish and slim gaming laptop

Lenovo IdeaPad 3 REVIEW: Lenovo just doesn’t disappoint its users with all of its products, such as tablets and gaming laptops in both expensive and budget options. When it comes to the best gaming laptops under 500, IdeaPad 3 is the masterpiece from Lenovo. It projects games and movies for you on 14 inches minimal bezel screen with the support of 1920 x 1080 resolution. Moreover, it weighs only 3.3 pounds so among the other gaming laptops it’s the portable one. On its top bezel, there is a front-facing webcam that makes it possible for you to enjoy video calls with clear image results.

Now it’s time to discuss some cool features of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3. It is addressed with AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, which works efficiently to smooth out all the power-intensive tasks. Furthermore, it is equipped with 8GB DDR4 RAM and 256GB SSD, so the speed and better storage capacity is the specialist of this laptop as per its these features. There is an AMD Radeon Vega 8 graphics card in the packing for gamers that delivers good graphics settings for playing games. In addition, the battery backup is also good here, but according to the rule, if you want to play the games, you have to keep the charger plugged in.

Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is addressed with two speakers for delivering the sweet, loud, and clear sound to you, but when it comes to enjoying the louder sound in a large room, then you have to spend some extra bucks on buying external speakers. Connectivity options here are more than enough for almost all connectivity operations. At last, there is a mindset that all the gaming laptops are expensive and the budget options do compromise on quality, but IdeaPad 3 has proven this myth wrong with its best design, good features, and best affordable price.

3. Acer Aspire 5 Slim

Best valued laptop

Acer Aspire 5 Slim REVIEW: Most of the time it happens that when we hear about a gaming laptop under 500, one thing comes to our mind a “compromised gameplay” and it’s somehow true. But all thanks to the Acer Aspire 5, it can effectively meet almost all of our gaming needs at an affordable price. With 15.6 inches screen and 1920 x 1080 resolution its display is just love for enjoying games, movies, and other graphics-intensive tasks. Also, for the long typing sessions, there is the best suitable keyboard addressed on the deck with well space keys having a better key-travel. Moreover, it’s the portable one with 3.97 pounds so can be carried everywhere easily.

Acer Aspire 5 Slim delivers the best performance as per its powerful features. There comes an AMD Ryzen 3 3200U processor that can tackle almost all the high-level tasks in an effective way. It is housed with 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD for handling intensive multitasking. With the AMD Radeon Vega 3 graphics card, this laptop owns the title of the best gaming laptop.

Besides all other features, Aspire 5 also has some better connectivity options. There are 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 port, 2 USB 2.0 ports, and 1 HDMI port so one can easily connect it with other screens. What’s so good about this best gaming laptop under 500? It has followed the new style of addressing the two stereo speakers on its deck that efficiently provides you with small conference room sound coverage.

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4. Asus VivoBook F512

Work and gaming combo

Asus VivoBook F512 REVIEW: It’s not necessary that all the gaming laptops are expensive ones. There are some affordable gaming laptops available in the market that delivers performance almost equal to the expensive models. Asus F512 is one of them, its slim and beautiful design with awesome features makes it a good gaming laptop. There is a 15.6 inches display having the fantasy of 1920 x 1080 resolution for clear graphics results of AAA games. The slate gray color of ASUS’s this model maintains the decorum of your working table in an effective way.

Asus F512 promises the best performance with the help of its elegant features, including an AMD Quad-Core R5-3500U processor, 8GB RAM, and 256GB SSD. All of these specs guarantee smooth gameplay without any kind of lag. What Asus has done especially for gamers in this model is its AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 graphics card, so the title of best gaming laptop under 500 best fits it. Also, its battery works for a long time, but you have to give it power continuously for long gaming sessions.

Now, it’s time to discuss the sound system of this $500 gaming laptop. There comes a decent speaker inside it for providing the user with clear sound, inclusive of bass. For most gamers, connectivity with other big screens matters a lot, and Asus F512 respects these needs of gamers. There are USB 3.2 Type-C, USB 3.2, USB 2.0, and HDMI ports.

5. HP Laptop 14

Portable yet powerful laptop

HP Laptop 14 REVIEW: HP Laptop 14 holds the title of best 500 dollar gaming laptop as its design crafting and specs addressing is done intelligently. You will find 14 inches screen on this laptop. Moreover, the 1366 x 768 resolution adds some more perfection in the display of this best gaming notebook under 500. Furthermore, the weight is only 3.3 pounds so it can be carried everywhere easily without any kind of hesitation. Also, there is a front-facing webcam for giving the user joy of video calls and images with clear results.

As concerned with the performance-related features, HP has never disappointed its users in this model. It is equipped with AMD Ryzen 3 processor and 8GB RAM, so as per these two powerful features, speedy multitasking is the guarantee here. Moreover, there addresses 256GB SSD for better storage capacity and the laptop’s effective performance. For the gamers, there is AMD Radeon Vega 3 housed inside this gaming laptop under $500 for the purpose of smooth gameplay. In addition, for the less power-hungry tasks, its battery lasts for a long time but when it comes to graphics-intensive tasks such as gaming and video editing keeping the charger plugged is necessary.

HP has followed the best way of port addressing in the best way. You can easily connect it with other screens, and also, there is a charging port for charging the laptop quickly. Also, there are built-in speakers in this gaming notebook for the sake of delivering loud and clear sound in medium-sized conference rooms.

6. Acer Aspire 1 (2021)

Affordable plus good performer

Acer Aspire 1 (2021) REVIEW: If you are looking for a masterpiece in best gaming laptops under 500 category, Acer Aspire 1 is the one that suits you best. Its 15. inches screen offers 1920 x 1080 resolution HD display so it projects a perfect view for enjoying movies and games. More, there is a front facing HD webcam so you can take online classes and attend business meetings with some clear image results. When it comes to keyboard, it is addressed with the best one having well spaced keys with better key travel so it supports the long typing sessions with comfort.

Let’s have a look at what spec Acer has added in this model for effective performance. There comes an Intel Celeron N4020 processor with the support of 4GB RAM, so effective multitasking can be performed on it without any delays. Moreover, its 64GB eMMC storage device stores some of your data, so if you are the one who prefers online files instead of storing all the data on a laptop, it would be the best choice for you then. As concerned with the graphics, it is powered with an Intel UHD Graphics 600 that provides better settings for low-level games.

Acer Aspire 1 has two bottom stereo speakers that deliver good sound, but you have to go for the external ones for the loud and clear music. Also, there are some better connectivity options offered by this best gaming laptop under 500. Its connectivity options include 2 USB 2.0 ports, 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Port, and an HDMI. Finally, if you need a laptop to enjoy games and other tasks, buy this one without any second thought.

7. Asus Chromebook Flip C302

2 in 1 laptop

Asus Chromebook Flip C302 REVIEW: After the ASUS Vivibook at #1, we have the ASUS Chromebook Flip on the list making its place on the best gaming laptops under 500 list. This ASUS is famous for its flipping feature which goes beyond our expectations by offering the flexibility of 360 degrees. Whereas, featured with the long-lasting 10 hours battery life. On the other hand, the laptop is lighter than the other gaming flagships making more portable. Speaking of the hardware, the Asus Chromebook Flip is one hell of a beast on that part.

Packs in an Intel Core M 6Y54 processor and delivers the 1.1GHz of speed, the Asus Chromebook Flip is one of the few budget laptops that can offer you such processing speed. Yes, it’s a bit low on speed, but the laptop isn’t designed explicitly for gaming. Still, playing games can be experienced with its Intel HD Graphics GPU. In addition, the 4GB of RAM is a fine hardware component for dealing with more programs at a time. Whereas 64 GB of SSD is a perfect boost in the performance yet provides low storage.

The 12.5-inch screen is more than enough if you’re just thinking of starting a gaming career. Beyond that, the 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution and a touchscreen feature are the two more benefits that the Chromebook Flip C302 is giving you. Plus, this best touchscreen Chromebook supports 802.11ac wireless connectivity. On Chromebooks, most of the time, you’ll find a Chrome operating system, and the same is the case with the Asus Chromebook Flip C302.

8. Dell Inspiron 15 5000

Provides more than it costs

Dell Inspiron 15 5000 REVIEW: Dell Inspiron 15 5000 is a real deal for gaming enthusiasts. In fact, for entry-level, it’s a perfect beast offering a built-in graphics card, a fine processor, RAM with large memory, more storage and on top of that, it’s the best touchscreen laptop. Just to make it clear, if you’re not into touchscreens, you can disable that feature in the settings. Anyhow, let hop over to the main part to find out why the Dell Inspiron 15 5000 took place in our 500 dollars gaming laptops list.

Not long ago, the Dell Inspiron 15 5000 took place on the market, revealing its inner and outer self. Whereas beating the cheapest gaming laptops with its 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8250U Quad-core processor. Moreover, with 8GB RAM, the laptop efficiently handles all kinds of multitasking.

The gaming laptop is more on the slim side, having the 14.96 x 10.15 x 0.89 in dimensions and 15.6-inch large screen size. Whereas features a Full HD backlit display with 1920 x 1080P. Moreover, a Bluetooth 4.2 is a blessing for us on the Dell Inspiron 15, which is rare to find on the cheap gaming laptops that aren’t even close to 500 dollars budget. The built-in speakers are good but don’t deliver the sound quality you might wish for. But under 500 budget, it’s an exceptional case.

9. HP 15t Laptop

Touchscreen laptop

HP 15t Laptop REVIEW: HP 15t is no different than our previous laptop at #8 with a few differences, categorizing itself in the best touchscreen laptop under 500 providing a lightning fast entry-level fast hardware. Whereas, adorning itself with the decent looks and large display, making itself a unique piece. There’s a variety of different ports on the flagship, enabling the HDMI, USB, and Bluetooth connectivity. HP 15t is one of the few laptops that still offers DVD RW drive which is eliminated in the newest models.

HP 15t follows the combination of black and silver color. The back and chassis are all silver, and the front is all black, making the laptop look appealing to the eyes. The fully organized buttons on the keyboard are easy to press with a slight push of a finger, and a sensitive touchpad with multi-touch support is on the convenient side.

Moreover, the HP 15t gaming laptop is packed with the Intel HD Graphics 620 that achieves satisfactory frame rates for fewer graphics complex games. In addition, the processing speed goes up to 3.1GHz with the Intel Core i5-7200U processor. On top of that, the 8GB DDR4 RAM has always been a great companion of best gaming laptops under 500 for multitasking, and yes, the HP 15t packs it all in. However, the 1366 x 768P might not be satisfying to hear from the HP 15t. Because most of the gaming laptops feature 1920 x 1080P resolutions.

Conclusion
The list of best gaming laptops under 500 is a great solution for entry-level gamers looking forward to buying a gaming laptop. Whereas the buying guide can be your savior in choosing the appropriate machine. All the laptops on the list are on top of the line under this low budget. That’s it from the Laptoproute team. Now it’s your turn to write some kind words in our comment box, or if you have any suggestions, you can contact us through our contact form. We’ll really appreciate your feedback. Peace.