Best Budget Laptops for Gaming

It’s not easy to find a decent gaming machine with a tight budget.  You can do it, but usually it’s not pretty and you’ll constantly find yourself flipping through magazines and drooling over the systems that cost 3-4 grand.  However, if you’re trying to find a decent gaming laptop on a budget the task becomes near impossible.  While laptops are great for portability, profile, and just plain style, they’ll never be able to truly compete with a desktop as far as power, expandability, and sheer gaming bliss.  It’s difficult for tech developers to cram all that circuitry in such a tiny frame without causing overheating and a host of other problems but mobile technology is progressing by leaps and bounds.

So, if you’re looking for a laptop that can handle some games I’ve made your search a little easier.  In fact, I’ve scoured the internet for the best of the best (on a budget) and the list below contains some of the baddest machines for your buck.  

(Keep in mind they’re listed by price and that may or may not affect the performance of the machine and the pain it inflicts on your wallet.)



Toshiba Satellite A305-S6916


Coming in at around $750, this Toshiba is definitely not up to par as a serious gaming machine, however the 512 MB ATI Radeon HD 3605 sure beat on board graphics any day of the week.  Other than that, the machine is pretty much standard for this price range and I’ve always been a fan of Toshibas.

Specs:  

2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
512 MB ATI Radeon HD 3650
4 GB DDR2 RAM
320 GB HD



MSI GX630-028US


Coming in slightly above the A305, this MSI machine offers a better graphics processor for the same price, roughly $800.  This is still going to get you laughed at by true hardcore chipheads but it will perform the way it’s supposed to.

Specs:

2.0 GHz AMD Athlon X2 QL-62
15.4” Wide XGA Screen
250 GB HD
512 MB Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT



Toshiba Satellite P305D-S8900


Another Toshiba in the $800 range, this machine features a cheaper AMD processor and few of the bells and whistles that you might expect, thought the 720p resolution screen is a step above some of it’s higher priced competitors.

Specs:

2.0 GHz AMD Turion X2 Dual-Core
4 GB DDR2 RAM
17” Screen 720p
320 GB HD




Toshiba Satellite P205-S8909


Now before you begin to think Toshiba’s paying me off, let me just say that they produce some seriously reliable machines around $800.  This P205-S8909 is no exception.  In fact, the excellent budget graphics card is definitely going to give you more bang for your buck.

Specs:

2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
17” Screen
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 with 1 GB DDR2
4 GB DDR2 RAM
320 GB HD



MSI GT627-216US


The first of our laptops over the $1,000 mark, this MSI may not fall into your definition of a budget machine, however, when you consider you can easily spend over 3 grand on a decent piece of equipment, this little performer qualifies in the grand scheme of things.  And besides, at $1,100 it’s just over the line.

Specs:

2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Nvidia GeForce 9800M GS 1 GB  DDR3
4 GB DDR2 Ram
320 GB HD



Gateway P-7811 FX


I’m not personally a fan of Gateway computers (mostly because of the company’s tech support – it’s a long story and involves my uncle and his kin so I’ll skip it.)  However, at $1,200 this machine really is pretty solid.  I don’t like it as much as the MSI above but that’s really just my personal preference.

Specs:

2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Nvidia GeForce 9800M GTS
17” Screen
4 GB Ram
320 GB HD



Alienware Area-51 m17x


Alienware produces some of the sleekest machines out there and really can give gamers some excitement.  This little machine is no exception and though the starting price is $2,000, you won’t regret dropping the dough once it gets its claws into you.  The big news about this puppy is the 1TB hard drive. . . and the processor . . . and the dual graphics cards . .  .and the Blu-Ray drive.  This is the machine I would have if I had $2,000 to spend.

Specs:

2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Extreme X9000
Dual NVidia GeForce 9800
4 GB RAM
1TB HD
Blu-Ray Drive




ASUS W90 Series W90Vp-X2


This machine is even pricier than the Alienware above.  At $2,300, this is not something a casual gamer is even going to think about buying.  However, if you’re serious about performance I would give this piece of equipment a good looking over.  While the hard drive is quite bit smaller than the Alienware above . . .aw who am I kidding.  If you have the money to spend, go with the Alienware.  It’s shiny.

Specs:

2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
18.4” Screen
Dual ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4870 1 GB DDR3
320 GB HD



So there you have it, this installment of Best Budget Laptops for Gaming!  Unfortunately, if you have less than 800 bones jingling around in your pocket, you’re better off sticking with a desktop.  I purchased mine for $800 (I only paid that much because it came with a 22” flat screen monitor and I was still using my old CRT at the time), dropped in a $100 video card and doubled the RAM for under $40.  It’ll outperform everything below the Alienware machine but it looks awful stuffed into a messenger bag.