The best cheap gaming laptop deals in March 2023

Cheap gaming laptop deals
(Image credit: Future)

Searching for a new laptop in March? Well, by finding one of the best cheap gaming laptop deals on the web, you can get into PC gaming without having to take out a second mortgage.  With 2023 now well underway, it's a great time to grab a discount too. 

You'll find offers across all ends of the spectrum: whether you're looking for one of the best gaming laptops with some of the MSRP shaved off, or have your heart set on a budget machine for casual experiences, there's likely always a discount that'll be appropriate for what you need.

We've capped our search for cheap gaming laptop deals at a budget of $2,000 / £2,000, and split our findings for those true bargain hunters (under $1,000) and those looking to add a little extra value to their price tag. If you're on the hunt for gaming laptop deals under $1,000, you'll be browsing GTX and budget RTX cards like the 3050, 3050Ti, and the odd 3060, with 8-16GB RAM and 256GB-512GB SSD storage. 

Moving further into the $1,000 / £1,000 price category, though, and the lucky among us will find more budget gaming laptops with RTX 3070 cards - while we've even seen cheap RTX 3080 machines hitting under $2,000 / £2,000 as well. We'd aim for no less than 16GB RAM when browsing gaming laptop deals in this bracket, and you'll be able to grab between 512GB and 1TB of storage as well. 

You'll find all our top picks for this week's best cheap gaming laptop deals just below, but if you're after something more permanent we'd also recommend checking out all the latest cheap gaming PC deals.

This week's best cheap gaming laptop deals

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Immediately below, we're rounding up the best cheap gaming laptop deals under $1,000, but you'll find machines running up to $2,000 a little further down. This week we're seeing some particularly strong offers on some of the best Alienware laptops around. We're also compiling all the best budget gaming laptops of the week in the UK as well.

Cheap gaming laptop deals under $1,000

MSI Sword | $949.99 (opens in new tab)

MSI Sword | $949.99 $679.99 at Best Buy (opens in new tab)
Save $270 -
You can get a powerful new MSI Sword for $270 off at Best Buy now. Enjoy an RTX 3050 GPU, an Intel Core i5-12450H CPU, 8GB RAM, and 512GB SSD at a cheap, cheap price. Throw in a full HD, 144Hz refresh display and enjoy fantastic gaming on the go.

HP Victus 15 | $979.99 (opens in new tab)

HP Victus 15 | $979.99 $715.00 at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Save $276 - The HP Victus 15 is one of our favorite gaming laptops thanks to its slimmer profile and powerful hardware – like a 12th-gen Intel Core i5-12500H, RTX 3050 GPU, and 512GB PCIe SSD – and right now you can find it for 31% off at Amazon right now. 

Lenovo IdeaPad | $799.00 at Amazon (opens in new tab)

Lenovo IdeaPad | $799.00 at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Now $20 away from its cheapest price at the retailer, this Lenovo gaming laptop is a great cheap entry point with some basic specs that will run most standard games. It includes a Ryzen 5 5600H processor, RTX 3060, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD, and Windows 11 Home. 

Acer Swift X | $1,069.99 (opens in new tab)

Acer Swift X | $1,069.99 $800.03 at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Save $269 - This Acer Swift X gaming laptop is getting closer to its lowest-ever price, but this $250-plus discount in the meantime is still pretty sweet. It comes with an RTX 3050 Ti, 512GB SSD, 16GB LPDDR4X memory, and Windows 10. 

Hasee Z8 | $839.99 at Newegg (opens in new tab)

Hasee Z8 | $839.99 at Newegg
(opens in new tab)A limited-time deal at Newegg makes this Hasee Z8 build another great entry point into the gaming laptop market. Alongside the RTX 3060, you get an i7-11800H processor, 8GB RAM, 512GBSSD and Windows 11.

$1,049.00 (opens in new tab)

MSI Katana GF66 | $1,049.00 $892.00 at Newegg (opens in new tab)
Save $157 - This MSI Katana gaming laptop doesn't have the most impressive specs (i5-11400H processor, Nvidia RTX 3050, 8GB RAM, and 512GB SSD), but it's more than enough to get some decent gaming performance on the go for 14% off retail.

Dell 15.6-inch | $1,199.00 (opens in new tab)

Dell 15.6-inch | $1,199.00 $898.00 at Walmart (opens in new tab)
Save $299 - This Dell Laptop just dropped below $1,000 at Walmart, with some decent specs backing it up. Within it, you will find an AMD Ryzen 5 6600H, RTX 3050 4 GB RAM, 512GB SSD, and Windows 11. 

Gaming laptop deals under $2,000

Lenovo Legion 5 | $1,199.99 (opens in new tab)

Lenovo Legion 5 | $1,199.99 $1,139.99 at Best Buy (opens in new tab)
Save $60 -
Packing an RTX 3050 Ti, Ryzen 7 5800H processor, and a 512GB SSD, this Lenovo Legion 5 is looking particularly good value at just $1,139. It's a bit light on RAM at only 8GB, but that's an easy upgrade if you need more, especially when you save $60 at Best Buy.

Gigabyte Aorus 15| $1,499.99 (opens in new tab)

Gigabyte Aorus 15| $1,499.99 $1,149.99 at Best Buy (opens in new tab)
Save $350 - Loaded with an Intel i7-12700H processor, this Gigabyte Aorus 15 is offering particularly strong value at just $1,149.99. Best Buy's latest RTX 3070 laptop deals can save you $350 on this configuration, stacking up 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD as well.

Lenovo Legion 5 Pro 16-inch RTX 3070 gaming laptop | $1,699.99 (opens in new tab)

Lenovo Legion 5 Pro 16-inch RTX 3070 gaming laptop | $1,699.99 $1,337.99 at Walmart (opens in new tab)
Save $363 - The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro has dipped and risen in price as part of Walmart's gaming laptop deals these last few weeks, now offering a $363 discount. It's great value considering the 165Hz refresh rate on this QHD display and Ryzen 7 5800H processor under the hood but we know it can go lower, so potentially worth holding on. 

Gigabyte Aorus gaming laptop | $1,999 (opens in new tab)

Gigabyte Aorus gaming laptop | $1,999 $1,449.99 at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Save $550 - Amazon's latest gaming laptop deals are offering a record-low price on this RTX 3070 Gigabyte Aorus machine. That $550 saving is working particularly hard for you here, offering up a 240Hz refresh rate machine with an i7-11800H processor, 16GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD.

$1,799.00 (opens in new tab)

MSI Pulse GL76 | $1,799.00 $1,699.00 at Newegg (opens in new tab)
Save $100 - While the savings on this gaming laptop might not be the largest, given the specs, any amount of savings is a bonus. With an Intel Core i7-12700H, an RTX 3070 GPU, 16GB DDR4 RAM and a 512GB NVMe SSD, the MSI Pulse GL76 is a fantastic 17-inch laptop that is normally a bit on the pricey side, but you can get one right now for $100 off at Newegg. 

$2,699.00 (opens in new tab)

Gigabyte Aero 17 XE5 | $2,699.00 $1,449.00 at Newegg (opens in new tab)
Save $1,200 - What a saving! No seriously, we saw this laptop going for just over $2,000 in late 2022 and now you can get it for under $1,500. The Gigabyte Aero 17 is one of the best creator laptops around with its powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti, Core i7-12700H, 16GB DDR5 RAM, 2TB SSD, and 120Hz mini-LED 4K display. all making this workstation laptop a stealth gaming laptop that looks as impressive at work as it does at home.

$2,599.99 (opens in new tab)

Razer Blade 14 (Quartz) | $2,599.99 $2,099.99 at Razer (opens in new tab)
Save $500 - A little over $2,000, yes, but this Razer Blade 14 is one of the best gaming laptops, thanks to its powerful hardware, but the new Quartz color option makes this deal a steal. Powered by a Ryzen 9 6900HX, Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti, 16GB DDR5 RAM, and 1TB PCIe SSD. the rare deal has already sold out on Amazon but is still available from Razer itself.

Cheap gaming laptop deals in the UK

Medion Crawler E30 | £779.97 (opens in new tab)

Medion Crawler E30 | £779.97 £679.97 at Laptops Direct (opens in new tab)
Save £120 - One of the cheapest ways to get a gaming laptop just got even cheaper. With over a £100 discount, you get this Medion Crawler E30 gaming laptop with an i5-12450H 8GB processor, 512GB SSD, RTX 3050 and Windows 11. 

£849.99 (opens in new tab)

MSI GF63 Thin | £849.99 £699.99 at Currys (opens in new tab)
Save £150 - The MSI GF63 Thin packs in somewhat older hardware, like the 11th-gen i5-11400H, but it also comes with an RTX 3050 GPU, 8GB RAM, and 512GB storage for excellent 1080p gaming performance for a great price thanks to this deal at Currys.

MSI Prestige | £949.97 (opens in new tab)

MSI Prestige | £949.97 £749.97 at Laptops Direct (opens in new tab)
Save £250 - A 20% discount brings this MSI build to a very affordable price. You're taking home an Intel Core i7-1280p processor, RTX 3050, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD and Windows 11. It's dropped by another $100 recently. 

£999.97 (opens in new tab)

Asus Tuf Dash F15 | £999.97 £799.99 at Laptop Outlet (opens in new tab)
Save £200 - When money's tight but you want to get a great gaming laptop, the Asus Tuf Dash F15 is always a good bet. With an Intel Core i5-11300H processor, the CPU isn't the fastest, but the RTX 3050 graphics will definitely help keep your games running smoothly (within reason, of course). You also only get 8GB RAM, but you do get a 512GB SSD, which is more than enough to keep a few games in rotation on the road.

MSI Katana GF66 | £1,099.00 (opens in new tab)

MSI Katana GF66 | £1,099.00 £999.00 at Currys (opens in new tab)
Save £100 - Dropping down to under £1,000 for the first time, this MSI Katana gaming laptop is of amazing value. It has an i7 processor, 16GB memory, 512GB SSD, six-hour battery life, and is capable of 124 FPS when playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 at 1080p. 

£1,298.00 (opens in new tab)

Alienware x14 | £1,298.00 £1,098.00 at Dell (opens in new tab)
Save £200 - The Alienware x14 is a great laptop for gaming on the go thanks to its smaller and thinner form factor while still being powered by an Intel Core i7-12700H, Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti, 16GB RAM, and 512GB storage.

£1,299.99 (opens in new tab)

Acer Predator Helios 300 | £1,299.99 £1,099.99 at Currys (opens in new tab)
Save £200 - This Helios 300 is a little bit older than the latest models (it is powered by an Intel i7-11800H), but it also comes with an RTX 3060, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, and a full HD display at 144Hz, so this laptop is a real bargain.

£1,199.00 (opens in new tab)

Asus Tuf Dash F15 | £1,199.00 £1099.00 at Currys (opens in new tab)
Save £100 - The Tuf Dash F15 already started out affordable, so this £100 discount is a nice added bonus. Powered by an Intel Core i7-12650H, an RTX 3060 GPU, and packing 16GB RAM and a 1TB SDD, you'll have plenty of power for gaming wherever you go.

What is considered cheap for a gaming laptop?

Defining a cheap gaming laptop usually comes down to setting a value to the individual parts inside each rig. For example, an RTX 3070 machine with a current-gen i7 processor, 16GB RAM, and a 512GB SSD is going to be cheap if it's priced around $1,000-$1,500, depending on the chassis itself. However, an RTX 3050 with an i5 processor, 8GB RAM, and 256GB SSD may be considered overpriced in this range. 

However, a lot of this determination comes from the brand and model. The best Razer laptops, for example, are particularly well-engineered machines with a whole suite of premium features and display technology. That means a 'cheap gaming laptop deal' on one of these rigs will still be a lot more expensive than the average going rate for the specs inside. The same goes for cheap Alienware laptops as well.

However, if you're simply after the cheapest starter laptop you can find, it's worth aiming at a GTX 1650 or GTX 1650Ti rig with an i5 processor, 8GB RAM, and 256GB SSD for between $500 and $600 (£500-£600). 

Can you buy a gaming laptop for under $500 / £500?

It's becoming increasingly rare to find budget gaming laptops at under $500 / £500, though you may still find some offers in this price range hitting the shelves during larger sales events. The rigs behind these price tags will always be incredibly entry level, though - so it might be worth setting your budget a little higher to truly maximise your value. $500 might get you a lot further when put towards an RTX-enabled configuration than it would in a budget buy.

Which are the best budget gaming laptops?

The best budget gaming laptops right now are the Acer Nitro 5, HP Pavilion Gaming, MSI GF63, and Asus TUF Dash F15. These are all rigs that sacrifice some of the fancier features of more premium chassis' to ensure you're getting great components at an affordable rate. 

Where to find more cheap gaming laptop deals

Cheap gaming laptop retailers:
US:
Best Buy (opens in new tab) | Dell (opens in new tab) | Amazon (opens in new tab) | Walmart (opens in new tab) | Newegg (opens in new tab)| Adorama (opens in new tab)
UK:
Amazon (opens in new tab) | Currys (opens in new tab) | Argos (opens in new tab)  | Very (opens in new tab) | Overclockers UK (opens in new tab) | Laptopsdirect (opens in new tab) | Box (opens in new tab)


If you already know which GPU you're after, it's worth checking out our weekly roundups of RTX 3050 laptop deals, RTX 3060 laptops, and RTX 3070 laptop deals. We're also showing you where to find all the latest RTX 3080 laptop deals as well. Once you've snapped up a bargain, it's worth checking our guide to the best laptop backpacks for more accessories.

Tabitha Baker
Managing Editor - Hardware

Managing Editor of Hardware at GamesRadar+, I originally landed in hardware at our sister site TechRadar before moving over to GamesRadar. In between, I've written for Tom’s Guide, Wireframe, The Indie Game Website and That Video Game Blog, covering everything from the PS5 launch to the Apple Pencil. Now, i'm focused on Nintendo Switch, gaming laptops (and the keyboards and mice that come with them), and tracking everything that suggests VR is about to take over our lives.

With contributions from