{"id":1443,"date":"2023-09-22T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-23T02:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.virlan.co\/tech\/?p=1443"},"modified":"2023-10-17T10:15:47","modified_gmt":"2023-10-17T14:15:47","slug":"best-gaming-laptop-under-500-hp-14-lenovo-ideapad-3-acer-aspire-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.virlan.co\/tech\/technology\/best-gaming-laptop-under-500-hp-14-lenovo-ideapad-3-acer-aspire-5\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Gaming Laptop Under $500: HP 14, Lenovo IdeaPad 3, Acer Aspire 5, HP Pavilion"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article will help you find the best gaming laptop under 500 USD<\/strong> to meet your needs. Each of the five budget gaming laptops listed has different strengths and weaknesses, as well as different retail prices. Our reviews focus on specifications such as GPU, CPU, memory, and display to help you decide between them. The Best Gaming Laptop Under $500<\/p>\n

The Best Gaming Laptop Under $500<\/h2>\n

HP 14<\/h3>\n

This HP 14<\/strong> is our pick for the best gaming laptop under $500<\/strong> currently available. The laptop<\/strong> comes with an AMD Ryzen 5 5500U processor with Vega 7 integrated graphics, 8GB of DDR4 memory, and a 256GB SSD. It also comes with a 14-inch 1080P display and Windows 11. And, it weighs in at just under 3.5 pounds.<\/p>\n

A case could be made for our Runner-Up pick listed below, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3<\/strong>, as it essentially offers the same specs as this HP laptop<\/strong>, with the only difference being that the IdeaPad 3<\/strong> has an Intel Core i3-1115G4 processor and a 15.6-inch screen.<\/p>\n

So, if you prefer a bigger screen and\/or an Intel processor, the IdeaPad<\/strong> listed below might be the better option for you. However, the better GPU on the Ryzen 5 5500U and the lower pricetag help make the HP 14<\/strong> the best option under $500 as of right now.<\/p>\n

Lenovo IdeaPad 3 Laptop<\/h3>\n

Our Runner-Up pick is as about as good of a sub-$500 gaming laptop<\/strong> as you\u2019ll find. As we pointed out above, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3<\/strong> has essentially the same specs as the HP 14<\/strong>. It comes with an Intel Core i3-1115G4 CPU that has Intel UHD integrated graphics on it. It also has a 15.6\u2033 1080P display, too. Like the HP 14<\/strong>, it also comes with a 256GB SSD and 8GB of RAM.<\/p>\n

However, if gaming is your primary concern, the integrated graphics that the Ryzen 5 5500U in the HP 14 will be more powerful than the integrated graphics found on the Intel processor in this Lenovo laptop<\/strong>. And, since the HP 14 comes in at ~$50 cheaper, we felt it was the better option right now for gamers.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, this Lenovo IdeaPad 3<\/strong> is a solid sub-$500 laptop that will work well for playing non-demanding games. However, if you\u2019re looking for a better overall option for gaming, the HP 14<\/strong> is probably your best bet.<\/p>\n

Acer Aspire 5 A515-46-R3UB<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re looking for an even more affordable laptop<\/strong>, the Acer Aspire 5 is an option worth considering. The Aspire 5<\/strong> comes with an AMD Ryzen 3 3350U processor that has Vega 6 integrated graphics on it. It also comes with a 128GB SSD and 4GB of DDR4 RAM.<\/p>\n

While the performance on this Acer laptop<\/strong> will lag behind the options listed above, it does come with a significantly lower price tag. In fact, you can grab this laptop for a little over ~$350.<\/p>\n

Of course, the downside of this option is the fact that it only has 4GB of RAM. This will hurt it quite a bit, even in non-demanding titles. However, with settings turned down, this laptop should still be able to handle games like League of Legends. And, if you are willing to install an additional 4GB of RAM (~$20), you can help mitigate that performance loss.<\/p>\n

Dell Inspiron 3000<\/h3>\n

Dell\u2019s Inspiron 3000<\/strong> is probably the best option on this list if you require a lot of storage. The Inspiron comes with 8GB of DDR4 memory, a 2TB hard drive, and Windows 10 Home.<\/p>\n

And, its Intel Core i5-7200U and integrated Intel HD 620 graphics are good enough to push most games on at least lower-to-medium settings on its 1366\u00d7768 screen.<\/p>\n

However, in terms of in-game performance, the Vega 8 integrated graphics on the Ryzen 5 2500U that is found on our top two picks on this list will offer similar-or-better performance on a 1080P display. So, whereas this Dell Inspiron 3000<\/strong> might serve well for running non-demanding games on a 1366 x 768 laptop, the Lenovo Ideapad<\/strong> and Dell Inspiron 15 will be able to run most games on a higher resolution display.<\/p>\n

Intel i3-7100U<\/h3>\n

Another ultra-cheap sub-$400 laptop that could work for light gaming is the HP 14-CF0014DX. Like the Acer Aspire 3,<\/strong> the HP 14-CF0014DX comes in at ~$460. However, unlike the Acer Aspire 3, this HP laptop<\/strong> opts for an Intel Core processor (an i3-7100U) instead of an AMD processor.<\/p>\n

The i3-7100U comes with Intel HD 620<\/strong> integrated graphics which are on par with the Vega 3 integrated graphics that come on the Ryzen 3 2200U processor found in the Acer Aspire 3<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

And, since this HP laptop<\/strong> also comes with a 1366 x 768 display, both this laptop and the Acer Aspire 3 should perform fairly similarly in games. This laptop does come with a 128GB SSD, though, whereas the Aspire 3<\/strong> comes with a 1TB hard drive. So, if you need more storage, this HP laptop<\/strong> might be the better option.<\/p>\n