Home » Laptops » Top 10 Best Gaming Laptops Under 800 [Reviews] Buying Guide 2021

Top 10 Best Gaming Laptops Under 800 [Reviews] Buying Guide 2021

Purchasing the best gaming laptops under 800 price is not easy because it requires you to make a few compromises. However, there are many laptops in this category that are well balanced and could satisfy all your gaming needs.

See Our other reviews of gaming laptops for fallout 4, Grand Theft Auto V (GTA 5) and minecraft, or budget gaming laptops under 400, 500, 1200, 1500, 2000, 2500 and more.

Keep in mind that an 800 dollar gaming laptop might not be able to run all AAA games and also they might not fulfill all your demands. The below $800 laptops are mostly preferred by college students who are not pro gamers. So, do not expect that your gaming laptop at a sub-$800 price will be of the highest quality.

Keeping all that in mind, we have done the research for you so that you do not have to waste your precious time searching for these laptops. Go through our top 10 best gaming laptops under $800 category reviews and choose the one that suits your cause the most.

Our Picks of Top 10 Best Gaming Laptops Under 800 Product Reviews 2021

1.Pavilion 15

Pavilion 15

Review

There aren’t many laptops under the $800 category that are excellent in terms of gaming performance. This Pavilion 15 from HP is one of the few reliable gaming laptops that is excellent in terms of gaming performance. It can easily handle modern games into its 15.6-inch screen. In a nutshell, it has everything which you look for in a modern-day laptop.

In terms of design, Pavilion 15 has reshaped its case when compared to the other HP laptops. Nevertheless, it still looks pretty much similar to its predecessors with a matte, black plastic chassis. The machine also does not contain a maintenance cover and the battery is also not removable which might be a problem for a few. However, it is a well-built laptop with a smooth lid and strong overall construction

At the core is the Intel Core i5-9300H processor. It is a mid-range quad-core processor that is decent enough to let you do many things at a time. you can play games that are GPU-intensive like PUBG and Fortnite with ease(mid settings). You can also do daily accounting, graphic designing, and professional video editing without any issues. In short, the processor will offer you a seamless process for daily computational chores.

The processor is backed by the GeForce GTX 1650 GPU which is pretty awesome considering the price tag. The GPU performs really well when you put the pressure. It is one of the few Graphics cards that is excellent in terms of gaming performance. It will let you play a few AAA titles. However, you cannot play the AAA tiles at full settings. There is also 4GB VRAM to handle complex gaming textures.

For the memory, you will be empowered with  12GB of DDR4 RAM which is quite a lot considering the fact that it is a below $800 laptop. It will let you save heavy files with ease. If you are a pro gamer then you really need to upgrade the RAM. There is also a 256GB SSD unit with NVMe support. The storage capacity is decent enough to reduce the booting time. It will capable of storing, saving, and retrieving powerful files, apps, and programs in a flash

As a gamer, you would know 15.6-inch is wide enough to let you enjoy your favorite games. The display has a wide viewing angle LED-backlit panel that will completely immerse you into its lovely color display. The refresh rate is also decent with 60Hz. However, with this refresh rate, you might encounter a few frame drops. 

To further amplify the gaming experience there is a backlit keyboard, a responsive touchpad, a well-placed webcam, a lovely thermal system, and powerful speakers. The speaker produces quality audio so that you can listen to lectures, favorite songs, and movies. What we like most about this machine is that it is not heavy even though it has a world-class thermal system; It only weighs 4.90 pounds which makes it a portable laptop. As for the ports, you get the Type-A, Type-C, HDMI, and other functional slots with 8 battery life.

Pros
  • Decent memory
  • World-class thermal system
  • 9th gen processor
  • Anti galere feature
Cons
  • Mediocre memory and storage

2) MSI GF63

MSI GF63

Review

MSI is renowned for making some of the best laptops that are reliable and durable. This MSI GF63 Thin is also reliable and durable due to its amazing internal and external components. Everything on this device looks high class. In short, it is a top-notch machine under the $800 category.

At the center of the machine is the Intel Core i5-9300H processor. The processor is a strong one as it has a turbo clock speed of up to 4.1GHz which comes in use when you play demanding games. It can easily manage NPCs and other gaming characters with ease. The processor is also useful for other purposes apart from gaming desires. You can also do professional tasks such as 2D and 3D rendering with ease. You can so use it as a programming laptop.

The processor is further supported by the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GPU. The GPU, as discussed above, is one of the high demanding ones among gamers. It can handle GPU-intensive games with ease. That is why you can play games such as PUBG, The Witcher, GTA V, and Fallout 4 with ease on this machine

As for the memory, you will get standard  8GB RAM for a below $ 800 category laptop. However, it is sufficient for smooth multitasking. You can easily open several tabs and other heavy software without much of an issue. You can also upgrade the memory up to 64GB RAM if you are a hardcore gamer. For the storage, you will be empowered 256GB solid-state drive along with 1TB SSHD support.

As for the display, you get a 15.6-inch screen, with 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution. It has sharp viewing angles and 45 percent NTSC color gamut. Thus, it is a great deal when you consider its price. It also has a decent 60Hz refresh rate. This will help you play the games smoothly without any screen tearing.

As for the portability, you get 4.10 pounds weight.  Thus, this a lightweight machine that you can easily carry around by placing it at the back of the bag.

In order to enhance the productivity of the machine, you will have control of the games through a standard keyboard which is highly responsive and soft. There is an excellent touchpad also and a well-placed webcam that is good for video calling.

Although it has a sleek design, the cooling system works well. Its 3D fans dissipate the heat quickly. Moreover, the battery life is also decent with a 5-hour backup. As for the ports, you get Type-A, HDMI, Type-C, and Wi-Fi A ports.

Pros
  • Decent refresh rate
  • Tremendous processing power
  • Standard RAM
  • Satisfactory display
Cons
  • Limited ports

3) Acer Aspire 7

Acer Aspire 7

Review

If you are looking for AMD-powered laptops that have excellent features and high specs, then this Acer Aspire 7 is the one for you. It is an excellent laptop in terms of gaming purposes. It is in a league of its own when you compare this machine with others in the sub $800 category.

Even though it isn’t powered by an Intel processor, it still manages to perform quite well with its AMD Ryzen 5 3550H CPU. It exhibits strong features that allow you to play your favorite games with ease. Its Zen+ cores will allow you to use them for professional work such as 3D modeling, machine learning, and others. 

As for the design, it looks fantastic. Even though it is not an expensive laptop but design still looks flashy. It has thin bezels so that you can focus on the screen better. Moreover, the plastic chassis with a lovely finishing touch offers a premium feel. In simple terms, the design is excellent when you consider its price.

The graphics responsibility has been handed over to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 which is neither the powerful nor the strongest but still, it has the firepower to let you enjoy AAA titles at mid settings. As for the casual games, this Graphics card will allow you to play them at full settings without much of an issue.

There is 8GB DDR4 RAM which is all you get in terms of memory. This is the expected amount of memory when you buy a laptop below $800 category. However, it is sufficient to play high power games with ease. It will also let you do multitasking. Keep i. mind that 8GB of RAM will always keep you limited in terms of loading heavy apps and retrieving data quickly. There is also a 512GB, dual-lane solid-state drive which is amazing. You do not expect this amount of storage from a below $800 laptop. It will help you save, load, and retrieve heavy files easily

For the display, you will be getting a 15.6-inch screen that exhibits natural color production. However, the brightness is not enough. You might not be able to see the screen in broad daylight. Having said that you will get great joy when you play the games 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. Your joy will be enhanced by high levels of visual clarity and color accuracy provided by this machine. 

You will also be getting a backlit keyboard, 180-degree hinges, HD webcam, and powerful speakers with USB 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI, Type-C, and Gig Ethernet ports and 4.74lb weight of the machine. Battery backup is 7 hours.

Pros
  • Decent processor
  • Excellent design
  • Solid graphics
  • Lovely gaming experience
Cons
  • Poor Thermal system

4) Acer Nitro 5

Acer Nitro 5

Review

Although it has some shortcomings such as limited memory and storage capacity, Acer nitro 5 still manages to be one of the best laptops in terms of gaming under the $800 category. It has a decent processor, a nice display, and a futuristic design.

At the core is the Intel Core i5-9300H CPU. The processor is not the latest but it is exciting enough to support the Hyper-Threading function. You won’t face any sort of interruption while you play mid-range games. But, for the GPU-intensive games, there might be slight interruptions when you play them at full speed.

As for the graphics, there is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GPU to handle the responsibility. It will help you get a decent refresh rate. Plus, it won’t allow any frame drop or pixel busting when you play high-paced games. However, keep that in mind that you cannot play demanding at high graphics because of the limited power of GPU.

As expected, you will get standard 8GB memory. The RAM is enough if you are not a professional gamer. The RAM will also help you to open multiple tabs and also let you run high range software. There is also a 256GB solid-state drive to reduce the booting time. However, it is a bit limited. Having said that, you can always upgrade it.

The display has a 15.6-inch LCD panel screen that produces lovely colors. The images produced are vivid and sharp. However, the display is not as bright as we would have expected. Having said that, it has a 60Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time which lets you experience a real-world feel.

As for the design, it has quite a few surprises up his sleeves. The design looks aesthetically pleasing.  When you unbox it, it looks quite similar to the previous model. However, there are subtle changes which you will find when closely analyze it. Overall, it has a strong chassis and great built quality.

You will also be in charge of a backlit keyboard with red accents, a well-placed webcam, and serviceable microphones. The thermal system is also of the highest quality with fans working fast to dissipate the heat quickly. As for the ports, you will get Type-A, HDMI, Wi-Fi, and other slots. It has a 7-hour life.

Pros
  • Decent price
  • Easy setup
  • Amazing display
  • Has a powerful GPU
Cons
  • Low battery
  • Heavy

5) Dell Inspiron 15 7000 

Dell Inspiron 15 7000

Review

The Dell Inspiron 15 7000 isn’t particularly considered a gaming laptop. It is usually deemed more of an office work laptop. However, it has the capacity and firepower to run most of the demanding games.

At the center is the 7th gen Intel Core i5-7300HQ processor. It might not be one of the best in terms of gaming but still gets its job done. You can play your favorite games due to its turbo clock speed of up to 3.5GHz. 

The 8 GB RAM would be enough to make your machine fast and furious. You can store hundreds of movies, heavy files, software, applications, and plus, you can play demanding games. 

However, for those who are into the professional field and if they’re into the world of graphic designing then this 8GB of RAM  will not be enough for them. Therefore upgrade it, if you are a professional. For storage, 1 TB hard disk which is quite low.

As for the display, you will be equipped with a 15.6-inch screen that has bright and vivid visuals. The images are clear and crisp. The resolution is 1920 x 1080 pixels. You will also be empowered with an anti-glare feature to protect your eyesight. As for the colors, they look quite natural.

As for the keyboard, you will get a comfortable backlit keyboard with  WASD compatibility. As for the other features, you will get a great thermal system, essential ports in the form of Type-C, USB 3.0, USB 3 ports, and 4-hour battery backup.

Pros
  • Great CPU performance
  • High-performance features
  • Excellent design
  • Durable
Cons
  • Average battery life

6) Asus TUF FX505DD 

Asus TUF FX505DD

Review

If you are interested in something strong but cheap then this Asus TUF FX505DD leads the charts. It has a powerful processor, a lovely display, and decent graphics to satisfy your gaming needs. It is also good for doing other professional office tasks as well.

The laptop is powered by an AMD processor call Ryzen 5 3550H. The CPU is a brilliant one from AMD. Although it might not be a powerhouse in terms of gaming, it is still powerful enough to let you run AAA titles. It has the highest clock speed of up to 3.7GHz which can be handy when you push the demanding at the full setting

It also has the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 GPU with 3GB VRAM. GPU does not belong to the top tier but still, it offers satisfactory results. You will enjoy good color combinations due to this GPU when you play leading games 

ASUS offers 8GB DDR4 RAM which is actually quite a lot when you see its price. In actuality it is below a $700 machine, thus whatever RAM it offers should be a blessing. For the storage, you will have a 256GB SSD which is the standard when you purchase the laptop below the $800 category. This amount is enough to save important data, files, and professional documents.

You will also get a 15.6-inch 1080p screen. The screen is wide enough to let you do professional video editing with ease. You can also open multiple tabs on a single screen, running simultaneously. The display has sharp viewing angles, accurate colors, and clean visuals for amplifying on your gaming joy.

You will also be getting a soft keyboard with backlit technology, stereo speakers, a resourceful webcam, and a world-class thermal design. As for the weight, it is near 6 pounds weight.

Pros
  • Powerful speakers.
  • Excellent thermal system
  • Comfortable keyboard
  • Fast RAM
Cons
  • Poor battery

7) Asus VivoBook K570UD

Asus VivoBook K570UD

Review

There are only a few laptops that strike a perfect balance between the price and overall performance. The Asus VivoBook K570UD is one of those laptops. It has nearly a perfect laptop for gamers who do not want to spend a lot of bucks on expensive laptops.

Inside is the Intel Core i7-8550U processor which is a really powerful CPU. It has a lot of firepower in it. It can do almost everything. From playing demanding games to running heavy software like AutoCAD, it is really a strong processor.

The processor is backed by NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 GPU that can handle the majority of leading games with ease. You can play PUBG, The Witcher, and Fallout 4 without any hiccups.

As for the RAM, you get a 16GB RAM unit, which is amazing. You will hardly get 16 GB in a sub $800 laptop. You can easily do multitasking. You will also be equipped with a 256GB SSD unit to save heavy files

As for the display, there is a standard 15.6-inch screen that is a show stopper in terms of its performance. It produces sharp and crisp images with sharper viewing angles and an overall display resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. 

For the connectivity options, you will get USB 3.1 Type-C, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, HDMI. There is also a backlit keyboard that features excellent key travel, and a class-leading thermal system. Moreover, it only weighs 4.30 pounds. 

Pros
  • Powerful GPU
  • Quick charging
  • Durable and long-lasting
  • Decent
Cons
  • Limited ports

8) Lenovo IdeaPad L340

Lenovo IdeaPad L340

Review

Hardly you will get to witness a machine that is excellent on all fronts. This Lenovo IdeaPad L340 is one of those rare laptops that is exceptional on every front. No one can march its reliability and efficiency.  In short, it is worth every penny.

The laptop offers an all-black exterior with sharp curves. It looks like a top-notch laptop from the design point of view. The outside part has diamond-cut edges that make it look robust. It also has a finger reader to add an extra layer of security. There is a company’s logo located at the top extreme left on the lid.  

At the core is the 9th gen Intel Core i5-9300H chipset which has above average score in terms of gaming performance. It supports the Hyper Threading function. It also has a 4.1GHz turbos speed to let you do your computational chores under extreme pressure. 

You will also get NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 that is more capable of handling action packed games like Fallout 4 at mid settings. The GPU will hit over 50 FPS in most of th demanding games. You will also get 4GB of video RAM to overcome complex gaming texture.

The laptop offers 8GB DDR4 RAM which will let you do office and college chores with ease. The 8GB is enough to run software like QuickBooks and Autocad for study purposes. 

What we most like about this machine is that it has 512GB of solid-state storage which a lot. It will surely reduce a lot of booting time. It will also save multiple heavy files. The storage features NVMe which makes this computer really fast.

You will also be empowered with a color-accurate 15.6-inch screen that has an overall resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The screen is bright and vivid. The color produced is true and actual.  

As for the portability option, you will 4.84 pounds weight. Thus, it can easily be carried around. Other productivity features include HDMI 2.0, USB 3.2 Gen 1, Type-A, Wi-Fi, and AC ports with 6.5 hours of battery life.

Pros
  • 9th gen CPU
  • GPU has Turing Shaders to rely on
  • RAM can be upgraded
  • High storage capacity
Cons
  • Average battery

9) Dell G3 gaming

Dell G3 gaming

Review

This low priced laptop is really fast and it can compete with the best laptops in the market due to its extraordinary gaming performance. This Dell G3 gaming laptop is tailor-made for gaming purposes. It has all the modern-day features that you love. In short, it should always be on your top 10 list when you go out to buy a high-performance laptop.

At the core is the Intel Core i5-8300H processor. The processor, as discussed above, scores very high in terms of its gaming performance. It will not let you down due to its turbo speed of up to 4GHz which will let you play AAA titles at mid settings

The processor is supported by GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics card which is not the best in the business. However, it has the power and will let you play the favorite games at above-average graphics. It has 4GB of VRAM to handle complex gaming features.

When it comes to memory allocation, you will get 8GB RAM which can be upgraded. However, the 8 GB is enough for most casual gamers as it can handle your favorite games. There is also 1TB hard disk storage to store heavy data, file, and programs with ease

There is a 15.6-inch IPS that will completely immerse you into the production of its sharp and vivid image. It has overall 1920 x 1080 pixels. Moreover, it also features -Backlit technology to further enhance your gaming experience.

However, it is a bit chunky with  6 pounds of weight. As for the parts, you get  HDMI 2.0, USB 2.0, SuperSpeed USB 3.1 slots. It also has 5-hour battery life.

Pros
  • Decent processor
  • Excellent design
  • Solid graphics
  • Lovely gaming experience
Cons
  • Poor battery life

10) Acer Aspire 5

 Acer Aspire 5

Review

The Acer Aspire 5 is a simple yet outstanding laptop that is really good in terms of its gaming performance. It offers a 10th processor, decent display, and satisfactory fps count.

At the core is the 10th Gen Intel Core i5 chipset which is capable of outdoing many of the best processors due to its exceptional performance. It can easily run demanding games without any issues.

For the graphics, you will have to rely on NVIDIA GeForce MX350 GPU that can run casual games at full settings.

As far as memory is concerned, you will be empowered with an 8GB DDR4 RAM module. to let you do multitasking. It also has a 512GB NVMe-compatible unit that can easily handle heavy files and data storage.

For the display, you have a 15.6-inch screen with an overall resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The brightness level of this machine is a bit low and that is why you might not be able to focus on the screen in broad daylight.

It comes with a backlit keyboard, HD webcam, and dual mics. It only weighs  3.96 pounds. 

Pros
  • Portable
  • 10Gen Processor
  • Decent FPS count
  • Satisfactory display
Cons
  • Will not run demanding games at full settings

A laptop Buying Guide for Best Gaming Laptops Under 800

There are many laptops under the $800 category but not all will suit your requirements. This is the sole reason that we have made a buying guide for you. This guide will tell you everything about laptops. . Go through and enlighten yourself with some of the best gaming machines.

CPU

Performance is the paramount feature in any gaming laptop. You won’t desire a laptop that is incapable of handling the most basic tasks. That is the reason, your laptop should at least be equipped with an Intel Core i5, which is a standard in a laptop that costs around $800. With this, you will be able to play many games and run the latest programs too. And for GPU, any Nvidia or AMD graphics processor that features over 4GB should be enough.

RAM

You cannot ignore RAM because it also another important feature. It comes into play during the running of demanding games, pdf files, word documents, and even photo editing programs. Therefore, your laptop should have at least 8GB of RAM at this price range. This amount of RAM will make your work very easy.

Size

When it comes to buying a laptop for gaming, the size matters. Size is not something you can change or upgrade like RAM or ROM whenever you want to, you can’t really alter it once you have bought the machine. Therefore, make sure you choose the size on which you enjoy the most when you play your favorite games. The sizes range from 11.6-inches to 17.3 inches. But, we believe anything between 13 to 15 inches would provide a good experience.

Frequently Asked Questions for Best Gaming Laptops Under 800

Final Thoughts

If you are in search of the best gaming laptops under 800 then go through the above list. All the laptops in the above list are powerful and durable. They will part of your life for many seasons to come.  Keep in mind that 800 dollars is a pretty respectable price point to start with but you will have to make quite a few compromises as you might not find the best laptops that could run the most demanding games at full settings.

Key Reference

  1. What to look for in a cheap gaming laptop Link
  2. Gaming System Requirements for 2020’s Hottest Titles Link
  3. Welcome to the Game System Requirements Link

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