Ranking: The best affordable (sub-$1,500) gaming laptops

The first RTX 5000 gaming laptop immediately conquers the top spot on our list of the best budget gamers. With the Legion 5 15, Lenovo offers a very good mid-range gamer with no serious weaknesses in the test. The case is functional and offers sufficient connections and a very comfortable keyboard as well as very good maintenance options. The performance of the Legion 5 15 does not disappoint either. The new OLED panel also offers very good picture quality and is very bright in HDR mode. Together with the extremely fast response times and the 165 Hz frequency, games look simply stunning.

All in all, Lenovo offers a very convincing overall package with an excellent OLED panel and the new GeForce RTX 5060 laptop in the fastest version.

The Legion 5 15 with an AMD Zen 5 processor is available from Lenovo from 1,689 euros. Our special model for students, for example, is available at Campuspoint for 1,449 euros (without operating system).

With this system, the buyer is getting a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, a GeForce RTX 4060 and a 144 Hz 1,200p display wrapped up in a recently-redesigned casing that exudes some slight Alienware flair. Thanks to the updated chassis, the A16 remains quite cool and comparatively quiet unless the Turbo performance mode is enabled. Overall, the inexpensive gaming laptop does a lot of things right. It is only when it comes to the display that you should be careful; please do not opt for the least expensive SKUs with their inaccurate colors, but rather choose the slightly more expensive 1,600p panel.

The TUF Gaming A16 FA608WV is a capable and comparatively inexpensive gaming laptop with long battery life, especially thanks to the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370.

In Germany, our partner store Alternate sells the TUF Gaming A16 for 1,399 euros.

With the introduction of the Omen Max HP is now aligning the Omen 16 (2025) is now more budget-oriented. However, the Omen's coherent design, the good input devices and, above all, the very good processor and gaming performance make this hardly noticeable at first. It looks like a budget gamer without some of the usual compromises.

The HP Omen 16 is moving into the budget class this year. However, the case, input devices and performance are better than the price suggests.

The HP Omen 16 is currently on offer at Notebooksbilliger for just 999 euros.

The LOQ 17IRX10 is one of the cheaper laptops based on the RTX 5070, but Lenovo still does a decent job. The good performance development of the graphics card is a particular plus. Thanks to the built-in GPU overclocking, the RTX 5070 delivers an above-average performance.

The LOQ 17IRX10 is an inexpensive RTX 5070 gamer with particularly strong 3D performance thanks to built-in GPU overclocking.

The Lenovo LOQ 17IRX10 with Core i7-14700HX and GeForce RTX 5070 is available for around 1,500 euros (e.g. at Galaxus).

As one of the more affordable gaming notebooks from MSI, the Katana A17 AI dispenses with fancy LEDs and metal materials and instead relies on a simple plastic design. High native refresh rates and GPU options such as the GeForce RTX 4070 are retained. For core gamers on a tighter budget, the GPU is likely to take precedence over other aspects, and the Katana A17 performs well in this regard. At the same time, it delivers decent fan noise and a comfortable keyboard for non-gaming tasks.
 

The Katana A17 is a cheaper alternative to the GE, GS or GT series and still offers excellent graphics performance with its 105W GeForce RTX 4070 GPU.
 

Amazon.de is currently offering our Ryzen 7 FHD test configuration for €1,499. The Ryzen 9 QHD configuration is available from 1,989 euros at one.de.
 

If you're looking for a not-too-expensive notebook with a modern graphics card, the Nitro V 16 AI from Acer. For around €1,100, buyers not only get 16 GB DDR5 RAM (2x 8 GB) and a 1 TB SSD, but also a Ryzen 5 240 and a GeForce RTX 5050 with 8 GB GDDR7 VRAM. Although the case has to do without metal, it impresses with a stylish design and quite good connectivity, including USB 4. The input devices are also fine. Plus points are awarded for the very good battery life.

The Acer Nitro V 16 AI is inexpensive, has a stylish design, good connectivity and good battery life.

The Acer Nitro V 16 AI ANV16-42-R860 is available online from around 1,100 euros (e.g. at Galaxus).

The Medion Erazer Scout 17 E1 is the first notebook based on the GeForce RTX 5050 to land in our editorial office. This means that the Medion offers adequate performance for Full HD displays in most cases, although many gamers would have liked to see a bigger leap to its predecessor, the RTX 4050.

The Medion Erazer Scout 17 E1 is an affordable entry-level gamer with light and shade. The price is currently still a little too high.

The Medion Erazer Scout 17 E1 MD62758 was available for around €1,250 at the time of testing (e.g. from the Medion Shop).
 

The 15-inch model offers a speedy Ryzen chip and a GeForce RTX 4060 (or RTX 4070). There are two RAM and M.2 slots under the hood for easy upgrades down the line.

The MSI Katana A15 is an averagely fast gamer with two M.2 slots that could do with improvements in a couple of respects.

The Katana A15 AI B8VG-459 is available starting from around 1,500 euros.

With the Nitro V16 is a gaming notebook in the 1,000 euro range that offers more than decent performance for the price (Ryzen 8000 & RTX 4060).

With a more powerful display and better fan control, the Acer Nitro V 16 would be a thoroughly convincing gaming notebook for the price.

The Acer Nitro V 16 ANV16-41-R5AT was available from various online stores from around €1,100 at the time of testing.

For $1,100, you get a great 120Hz IPS display with full sRGB colors and a respectable GeForce-RTX-5060 GPU. Because it comes with less demanding hardware than the 16X Aurora, the 16 Aurora is thinner and has both longer battery life and a smaller power supply for easier transportation.

The Alienware 16 Aurora combines the requirements for everyday school or college use, such as battery life and slim design, with the performance needed to play the latest titles smoothly in 1,080p.

Dell is now shipping the Alienware 16 Aurora for €1,199, as tested. Smaller configurations with the RTX 4050 or RTX 5050 are also available. The tested model and other configurations are also available on Amazon.