4 Best Budget Gaming Laptops in the UK

Gaming can be an expensive hobby. That said, you don’t have to splurge thousands if you’re just foraying into the field. In fact, contrary to popular belief, you can get your hands on a competent gaming laptop for under £1,000 in the UK. Of course, it can be challenging to sift through countless listings. Luckily, we’ve aggregated the best budget gaming laptops in the UK under one roof. 

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You should note that some of the options that follow are powered by slightly older specs. Be that as it may, the laptops we’ve shortlisted should be able to run most AAA games at modest settings. 

But first, you might also want to read about the following topics- 

Now, let’s take a closer look at the best budget gaming laptops in the UK. 

1. Acer Nitro 5

  • Processor: Ryzen 5 5600H | Screen Refresh Rate: 144Hz
  • Screen Resolution: FHD | GPU: RTX 3060 with 95W TGP
Acer Nitro 5

Acer’s Nitro 5 is the most affordable laptop on the list. Despite that, the unit is equipped with capable specs that should allow you to play games on it seamlessly. To that end, the laptop is backed by AMD’s Ryzen 5 5600H hexa-core processor. The CPU is based on the company’s Zen3 architecture and offers a maximum boost clock speed of 4.2GHz. 

That’s not all; the laptop can deploy up to 12 threads for strenuous workloads too. So, be it editing photos or videos or sifting through heaps of Excel sheets, the laptop can do it all. Of course, the star of the show is the unit’s RTX 3060 GPU which offers a 95W TGP.

For the uninitiated, TGP or Total Graphics Power pertains to the power warranted by the GPU. The higher the TGP, the more power the GPU can draw for graphically demanding tasks. 

Unsurprisingly, the laptop can run demanding games seamlessly. In fact, per folks over at TechTeamGB, the unit overturned well over 60FPS in Watch Dogs: Legion and Fortnite, and that is with the graphics set to the Ultra preset at FHD resolution. Speaking of which, the laptop sports a 15.6-inch, Full HD display that refreshes at 144Hz. The unit also comes with a bevy of connectors, including a handful of USB 3.0 connectors, an HDMI port, and more. 

What We Like

  • Affordable
  • Performs well
  • Good assortment of ports and connectors

What We Don’t Like

  • Display is quite dull

2. Lenovo Legion 5

  • Processor: Core i5-12500H | Screen Refresh Rate: 165Hz
  • Screen Resolution: WQHD | GPU: RTX 3060 with 140W TGP
Lenovo Legion 5

Lenovo’s Legion lineup comprises high-end gaming notebooks, and the company’s Legion 5 is no different. To that end, the laptop is backed by Nvidia’s Core i5-12500H processor, which has four performance and eight efficiency cores. That’s not all, as the P-cores can turbo up to 4.5GHz, so you should be able to get into your favorite apps in a jiffy. 

Additionally, the laptop comes with Nvidia’s RTX 3060 GPU with a TGP of 140W! Needless to say, the laptop’s GPU will plow through the most demanding games with ease. In fact, per folks over at PCWorld, the laptop could run titles like Shadow of the Tomb Raider at well over 100FPS. Now, do note that the device in question was backed by a beefier Core i7 processor. Regardless, the numbers should give you an idea of the Legion 5’s gaming chops. 

That’s not all, as the laptop comes outfitted with a superbly sharp screen too. In fact, the model we’ve shortlisted features a 15.6-inch WQHD panel that refreshes at 165Hz. Rest assured, you can amp up the resolution and make the most of visually striking games. Or, you can drop the resolution to 1080p and make the most of the panel’s snappy refresh rate. All said and done, the Legion 5 is right up there with the best budget gaming laptops in the UK. 

What We Like

  • Superb QHD display
  • Beefy RTX 3060 GPU

What We Don’t Like

  • Not the best for multi-threaded workloads

3. ASUS TUF Gaming F15

  • Processor: Core i7-12700H | Screen Refresh Rate: 144Hz
  • Screen Resolution: FHD | GPU: RTX 4050 with 140W TGP
ASUS TUF Gaming F15

If you have a flexible budget, then you might want to snag ASUS’ TUF Gaming F15 laptop. For starters, the unit is powered by Intel’s Core i7-12700H processor, which gets six P-cores and eight E-cores. Additionally, the P-cores can turbo up to 4.7GHz, which is great. 

Moreover, the CPU is rated to operate at its peak till 100 degrees Celcius, so you can tax it with demanding workloads without worrying about throttling. You can even use the laptop for creative workloads, thanks to its Core i7 processor. What’s more, the added cores should come in handy if you want to stream your gameplay to a wider audience. Speaking of which, ASUS’ contender comes outfitted with Nvidia’s latest RTX 4050 GPU. 

That’s not all; the GPU boasts a TGP of 140W, so you should be able to play most, if not all, demanding games at competent graphics and FPS settings. Moving on, the laptop comes with a 15.6-inch FHD display that refreshes at 144Hz. While the display is inferior to what you’d get with the Legion 5, it should suffice for most gamers’ needs.

We should also add that the unit benefits from a MUX switch. For those unaware, a MUX switch can interface the dGPU directly to the display, thereby bettering the laptop’s gaming performance. So, if you want a high-performance machine for around the 1,000 GBP mark, look no further. 

What We Like

  • RTX 4050 with 140W TGP
  • Competent processor
  • 144Hz Display

What We Don’t Like

  • Display is quite dull

4. Gigabyte G5 KF

  • Processor: Core i5-12500H | Screen Refresh Rate: 144Hz
  • Screen Resolution: FHD | GPU: RTX 4060 with 75W TGP
Gigabyte G5 KF

Gigabyte’s G5 KF brings an interesting mix of specs to the table. We say this, as the laptop is backed by Intel’s Core i5-12500H processor, the likes of which you would’ve seen on Lenovo’s offering. That said, the unit is powered by an RTX 4060 GPU.

It’s important to note that the laptop’s GPU offers much more CUDA cores than the ASUS TUF Gaming F15’s RTX 4050 GPU (3,072 vs. 2,560). However, the G5 KF’s GPU can only draw up to 75W. As such, you might not get the same performance out of the machine compared to say, a comparable laptop with a beefier RTX 4060 graphics card. Regardless, buyers looking to pick up a gaming notebook for casual or eSports gaming will not be disappointed with the unit’s performance. 

And, the proof is in the pudding too. In fact, per folks over at PCGamer, the laptop’s RTX 4060 GPU averaged around 57FPS in Metro Exodus at the Ultra graphics preset. Moreover, the game was tested with Ray Tracing enabled, so you can squeeze more FPS if you choose not to use the feature.

As for the display, the laptop features a 15.6-inch FHD screen that refreshes at 144Hz. If anything, the laptop comes with a 512GB SSD, so you may have to upgrade it down the line if you plan on installing a truckload of games on the machine. 

What We Like

  • Competent specs
  • Good selection of ports

What We Don’t Like

  • Could’ve benefited from a more powerful RTX 4060 GPU

Ready, Set, Game!

If you’re strapped for cash, you should find the aforementioned budget gaming laptops to your liking. Do note that you can get your hands on more affordable gaming notebooks, too, provided you’re willing to contend with laptops with slightly older specs. The HP Victus, for instance, should be able to run eSports titles with ease. Additionally, the laptop comes bundled with HyperX’s gaming mouse and headset too. 

Similarly, you can get your hands on an older Lenovo Legion 5 gaming laptop. While the unit comes with Intel’s Core i7-11800H processor, it makes up for the archaic CPU by bundling an RTX 3070 GPU with a 130W TGP and a QHD display – all for under 1,000 GBP! Rest assured, you can pick up a reliable gaming laptop without burning a hole in your wallet. Do let us know which laptop you opted for in the comments below!

Last updated on 26 July, 2023

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