Looking for a slim and lightweight laptop capable of taking down the toughest villains in your favorite game? There are numerous models with good specifications under $500 available to meet this need.
Opt for an IPS or TN display for optimal color accuracy and response times, while OLED panels may also be available; however, their low refresh rates make them unsuitable for gaming.
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is its budget-friendly gaming laptop, featuring a large display, RGB keyboard and rugged chassis. It is powered by Intel’s Core i9 14900HX processor which performs admirably for everyday tasks; however, AMD systems in Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and Schenker XMG Apex 15 outshone it by comparison.
Display quality on this device is impressively good, reaching over 490 nits on our HDR test and boasting a deep contrast ratio of 1,380:1.
Acer has included its Acer PredatorSense software with their Predator Helios Neo 16 to help manage power profiles and set RGB lighting settings on the keyboard, monitor system performance, CPU/GPU temperature and RAM usage, as well as manage power profiles and adjust settings for RGB lighting on it. You can also monitor system performance such as CPU/GPU temperature and RAM usage. With plenty of ports such as two USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A ports as well as 3.5mm headphone jack, making for convenient plug-in when connecting it directly into wall outlets – keeping power cables out of sight when plugging them in.
Acer Nitro 5
Acer’s Nitro 5 gaming laptop offers excellent value for less than $500. While its chunky body may not look as premium as those of MSI Katana GF66, Dell Inspiron 16 or HP Victus 16, it still serves casual gamers well who prioritize performance over aesthetics.
This large profile allows it to accommodate a range of ports: on its left side there is an RJ45 Ethernet port, Kensington lock slot and headphone jack; while its right hosts two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports. On its rearside there is also a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port supporting Power Delivery up to 65 Watts as well as HDMI support.
Storage on this console is limited to a 512GB SSD, which will quickly fill up as you add games. Luckily, you can unscrew the bottom panel to reveal another M.2 slot for another SSD or 2.5-inch drive.
Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16
The Asus Zephyrus Duo 16 stands out as one of the few laptops to shirk from traditional clamshell design and offer two displays simultaneously. Packed with cutting-edge AMD processor, Nvidia graphics and ultrafast RAM – it’s no small powerhouse!
ROG Nebula HDR Mini LED screen is one of our lab’s brightest and most vibrant gaming laptop displays, rivaling even our top picks for brightness and colors. Support for Adaptive Sync is included, along with its wide DCI-P3 color gamut support.
Its MUX switch optimizes framerates by routing frames directly from the dGPU to the screen without going through an intermediate GPU, making this laptop ideal for gamers who enjoy playing at high resolutions and frame rates. Furthermore, its keyboard is comfortable while its webcam provides Windows Hello support for easier login; additionally, its speakers sound crisp with Dolby Atmos support.
MSI Katana 15
At $1,599 MSI Katana 15, gaming at high settings without sacrificing frame rates or visual quality is possible without compromising either. Equipped with 13th generation Intel Core i7 processors and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPUs powered by 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD storage drives games with responsiveness rivaling desktop computers – its 15.6″ 1920×1080-pixel IPS display with 144Hz refresh rate provides smooth gaming experiences while eliminating motion blur for an effortless experience.
While its components offer impressive performance, its sub-3 hour battery life prevents us from giving it higher marks. Furthermore, its build quality is functional rather than premium with mostly matte plastic finish and minimal chassis and display lid flex; there are an impressive variety of ports including Gigabit Ethernet for lag-free LANning, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports (both 3.2 Gen 1) as well as one USB-C port that supports power delivery and audio combo jack.
Lenovo Legion 5i Pro
The Legion 5i Pro is a versatile gaming laptop at an extremely reasonable price, competing head-on against some of the leading laptops for all gaming disciplines. While some bloatware may need to be eliminated from Windows 11 installation and its downward-firing speakers might not meet expectations, this still proves itself an impressive gaming laptop.
Lenovo was able to achieve outstanding performance from their Intel Core i7 CPU and Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU combination in this laptop, surpassing Gigabyte Aero 16 in 3DMark Time Spy while coming close to both the Asus ROG Strix G16 and MSI GE76 Raider in terms of 3DMark Time Spy performance.
The Legion 5i Pro comes equipped with a 16-inch matte IPS display sporting QHD+ resolution and 165Hz refresh rate that support Nvidia variable refresh rates. On its rear face are three USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports as well as one that covers DisplayPort/Power delivery duties – plus an HDMI port!