When you look for gaming laptops below $600, expect that there will be performance trade-offs in getting it to that price point.
Whether you do not get a decent GPU, a relatively older CPU, or there’s not enough storage or upgradability for the device.
Although there will be compromises, being an informed consumer will help you get the best bang for your buck. We aim to educate people who can allot a maximum of $600, which is the best value for your gaming rig.
Key features for gaming laptops below $600
CPU
Your Central Processing Unit will describe how fast your laptop can accomplish tasks based on its base and turbo clock speed. The higher, the better.
The number of cores and threads will also come into play to describe the multitasking capabilities of your device. More of these means better functionality. Gaming Laptops below 600 will typically offer 4 cores and 4/8 threads depending on the brand.
GPU
The Graphics Processing Unit is the main reason you are buying a gaming rig. Dedicated video cards are the main selling points of these laptops.
You will be lucky to have a GTX 1650 for a laptop under 600.
Display
FHD resolution (1920 x 1080) is the golden standard for budget gaming rigs. Anything lower is utterly unacceptable, especially for gaming aspects. At this price point, the buttery smooth 144 Hz display is more likely a sacrifice.
Best value for money gaming laptops below $600
Acer Nitro 5
If you know the right kind of people, you may get this budget beast for less than 600 USD.
This 15.6” laptop runs either on an Intel Core i5-9300H or an AMD Ryzen 5 3550H process.
It boasts a GTX 1650 bad boy who is still a capable GPU and can run even the latest Resident Evil Village provided in low to medium graphical settings.
The display is average, having a 1080p resolution and no 144 Hz refresh rate. Another awesome feature is its all red backlit keys.
Lenovo Ideapad L340
Another gaming laptop below $600 is Lenovo’s lineup of budget gaming rigs, the Lenovo Ideapad L340. This has been discontinued in the US, but there are still sellers of this model. If you don’t mind adding around $100, you can go for the Ideapad Gaming 3i.
This device also runs in a Core i5-9300H processor and features the same GDDR5 GTX 1650 GPU, which is great value for money.
The resolution is 1080p with a regular 60 Hz display. Like the former, it has backlit keys, but this time in plain blue.
Asus TUF Gaming FX505
This device is one of Asus’ budget gaming line-ups, a bit behind the others for a relatively lesser price.
It runs on a Ryzen 5-3550H and only has a GTX 1050 GPU underneath. Like the others, it has backlit rainbow glowing keys, which is unfortunately not 4 zones but better than the first two on this list.
Resolution is 1080p, and as expected, there is no high refresh rate under this hood.
Asus Vivobook K570ZD
This laptop runs on a lower Ryzen 5-2500U CPU which is not typical for budget gaming laptops occupying the “H” classification. It has a GTX 1050 GPU and backlit keys as well.
It features a standard 1080p resolution. Still no high refresh rate in this model but one of its selling points is the fingerprint scanner.
If you can’t get your hands on this laptop, consider checking out the ASUS Vivobook S15 series for some great laptops you can get for $600-$700.
Dell Inspiron 15 5593
Classifiable as a gaming laptop below 600 because it packs a relatively strong chip underneath the Intel Core i5-1035G1. Although using this device to play AAA games is moot with its integrated UHD Graphics G1.
Nevertheless, it can be considered a well-rounded performer in that regard. The display is not winning any awards with standard FHD resolution and a native 60Hz display.
If you can splurge an additional $200 to your budget, then you can check out Dell’s G15 series for some great gaming laptops.
Takeaway
Finding a decent-budget gaming laptop below $600 is not an easy task. Sacrifices, especially in real-life usage, will be evident.
However, the list above may be the best from the pool of laptops you can get for under $600, offering an equal arsenal of features for a relatively low price.
If you are looking for some great gaming PCs, then check out this list.