It is quite difficult to get a good gaming laptop under $900. I am sure you have heard that statement again and again, but what if I told you it isn’t half the truth.
When I first started out I was always tricked into thinking good budget gaming laptops don’t exist. However, there are many great options out there begging to be explored.
To free you from the worry, all laptops that I have picked from this roundup can play the latest games quite easily.
To ensure this, our team does thorough testing on each and every laptop. The laptops are then assigned scores, and the ones with the highest scores get featured on our top laptop roundups.
Excited! So, without further ado let’s begin.
In a Hurry? These are the Best Gaming Laptops Under $900
Best Overall
Best Ryzen gaming laptop under 900
Best 17” Gaming Laptop
RTX 3050 TI Gaming Laptop under 900
Best Looking Laptop under $900
Reviewing the Best Gaming laptop under $900
Before proceeding to the reviews, I want to tell you that the laptops listed are in no particular order. They all have their own selling point and to make it easy for you I have categorized them accordingly.
Best Overall
1. Gigabyte G5 KD – RTX 3060 Gaming laptop under $900
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Pros
Cons
Bottom Line:
Gigabyte is a solid gaming brand that often gets overlooked because of its lack of presence in the mainstream laptop market. However, that cannot take away the fact that Gigabyte has some amazing laptops and one such example is the G5 KD.
The Gigabyte G5 KD is the most premium laptop you can get for your money in this price range. On paper, it has certain features and you typically find on more expensive gaming laptops.
That being said, let’s see if this unique laptop can hold up to real world use.
Gaming Experience
The Gigabyte G5 KD is the most powerful laptop you can get by a mile. Therefore, if you are chasing the highest possible FPS, the Gigabyte G5 KD might be the laptop you might want to consider.
For testing, I played all sorts of different games on this laptop – the result of which is as follows:
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: 92 frames per second
- Rainbow Six Siege: 250 frames per second.
- Fortnite: 144 frames per second
- Valorant: 210 frames per second
Specifications
The Gigabyte G5 KD has the best specs of any laptop on this list. Truth be told, I didn’t expect such good specs from a laptop in this price range. The specs of this laptop are as follows:
- Intel Core i5-11400H
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
- 15.6″ FHD 144Hz IPS Display
- 16GB DDR4
- 512GB NVMe SSD
Design and Connectivity
Gigabyte G5 KD has not tried to reinvent the wheel when it comes to design. The design profile of this laptop is simple and elegant. It doesn’t contain any flashy branding nor other tacky elements.
I am also not keen on the large screen bezels, which detract from immersion when gaming. However, besides that I don’t have anything to complain about. One particular nice feature about the laptop is the 15-color lighting for the keyboard.
Coming to the connectivity, I find this laptop to be excellent in that regard. It comes with all the ports you would need, and these ports are conveniently positioned.
My biggest pet peeve is when the charging cable gets in the way of the mouse movements but luckily, that won’t happen here when gaming because the ports positioning is well-thought out.
Battery Life
The Gigabyte G5 KD has a decent battery life. Although not a chart leading number, you can expect to get around 6 hours of battery from this laptop. It is enough to get you through your full day of use but you will need to charge before going to bed.
Excellent all-day battery life
2. Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 – Ryzen 5 Gaming Laptop
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Pros
Cons
Bottom Line:
The Lenovo Ideapad gaming 3 shows the true capability of the latest Ryzen 5 processor. I wanted to include this laptop on the list because just having a Ryzen 5 processor changes the whole dynamic of the laptop.
As far the laptop is concerned, the Lenovo Ideapad gaming 3 is a no stranger at this point. It has consistently been one of the most recommended budget gaming laptops and for good reason.
It is simple, purposeful, powerful and gets the job done. So, let’s see how this Ryzen variant stacks up against the Intel options.
Gaming Experience
I must admit that the Lenovo Ideapad gaming 3 surprised me by providing a better gaming experience than I had anticipated. Just by replacing the Intel processor or a Ryzen 5, the performance of this laptop has increased by a significant margin.
It handled all of the games I threw at it admirably, with the majority of them running at high graphic settings. The laptop never struggled, which is apparent from the FPS benchmarks down below.
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: 88 frames per second
- Rainbow Six Siege: 253 frames per second.
- Fortnite: 138 frames per second
- Valorant: 202 frames per second
Specifications
While the Ryzen 5 is the highlight of this laptop, however, it is not just about the CPU. The rest of the specs of the Lenovo Ideapad gaming 3 are also great. It comes with the following specs:
- Ryzen 5600H
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti
- 15.6″ FHD 120Hz IPS Display
- 16GB DDR4
- 512GB NVMe SSD
The only small nitpick I have concerns the 120Hz refresh rate. 120Hz is lower compared to the competition, however, that is a compromise you need to make to get the best Ryzen laptop in this price range.
Design and Connectivity
Lenovo rarely overhauls its design, and the Lenovo Ideapad gaming 3 is no exception. The Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 shares the same aesthetic as its Lenovo Ideapad 3 Ultrabook counterpart. What I mean is that this laptop has a simple, clean look to it; it is only somewhat bulky, which is typical for a gaming laptop.
I also like the fact that Lenovo has kept the screen bezels to a minimum. Having bezel-less displays on gaming laptops is very important because it increases immersion.
The Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 has all the connectors you could possibly need for connectivity. This laptop has HDMI, USB-A, USB-C, Ethernet LAN, and a 3.5mm headphone jack for those looking for the right setup. The only port I find lacking here is the SD-card slot.
Battery Life
The battery life of the Lenovo ideapad gaming 3 is exceptional. This laptop can comfortably provide more than 8 hour battery life, which will last you throughout the whole day.
Best 17” Gaming Laptop
3. Asus TUF 17 – Large 17-inch screen size Gaming Laptop under 900
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Pros
Cons
Bottom Line:
The Asus TUF 17 is a sleek and modern laptop that is dressed up in a slim body. However, despite that it provides quite decent gaming performance and can play all latest games without breaking a switch.
It is an ideal everyday laptop because unlike other bulky gaming laptops, the Asus TUF 17 is not cumbersome to handle. Asus has really struck a home run with this laptop, but what’s left to see is if this laptop can handle the daily beating gamers are typically going to throw at it.
Gaming Experience
When using the Asus TUF 17 daily, I felt satisfied and content. At no point did the laptop feel underpowered for gaming or any other tasks, nor did I find it to be lacking in any aspect.
This laptop was able to handle the games I threw at it without breaking a sweat. For testing purposes, I ran different sort of games, the result of which is as follows:
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: 85 frames per second
- Rainbow Six Siege: 240 frames per second.
- Fortnite: 130 frames per second
- Valorant: 190 frames per second
The FPS benchmarks show that this laptop outputs great performance. In some eSports titles like Fortnite you can get past 100 FPS which is great if you are after smooth and fast gaming.
Specifications
Specs are a very strong suit of this laptop. Comparing it with other sub $900 laptops, the Asus TUF 17 aces the specs department by a longshot. Powered by the latest Nvidia graphics card and Intel processor, this laptop has the following specs.
- Intel Core i5-11400H
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti
- 15.6″ FHD 144Hz IPS Display
- 16GB DDR4
- 512GB NVMe SSD
I have no complaints in the specs department. Yes, the laptop could benefit from a higher capacity SSD, but we are nitpicking at this point.
Design and Connectivity
The design of the Asus TUF 17 is quite simple, a little industrial if I may add. It doesn’t look like a gaming laptop, if you don’t know what the TUF branding on the lid stands for. The simple design is not a bad thing after all, this laptop can easily blend in any situation. Therefore, due to its flexibility you can use it on school campuses, work desks, libraries, etc.
If you plan on using this laptop as your daily machine, then you won’t be disappointed because this laptop comes with amazing connectivity. During my time using the laptop, I didn’t find it to be lacking any port.
The only minor gripe I have is that this laptop lacks a thunderbolt. Having it would have sealed the deal, however, I cannot fault the laptop because most others in this price point also lack the feature.
Battery Life
The battery life is the only aspect I would be cautious about before buying this laptop. As it turns out, this laptop can only deliver a reasonable battery time of 4-5 hours, which is quite less compared to other laptops on this list.
Best Overall under 900
4. MSI GF63 – 144Hz refresh rate Best Gaming Laptop
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Pros
Cons
Bottom Line:
If you are looking for a functional gaming laptop that ticks all boxes then the MSI GF63 is a great choice. It has the reliability gamers have come to expect from MSI while also providing excellent performance.
The MSI GF63 can play all latest games quite comfortably, suggested by its on paper specs. However, the performance stated in specs doesn’t always translate to real-world usage. Let’s find out if that is the case with MSI GF63.
Gaming Experience
The MSI GF63 performed exactly as I was expecting. Its performance is comparable to the other gaming laptops in this price range. However, one thing I wasn’t expecting was how loud the laptop got when gaming. So, if you typically play in sound sensitive environments it is something you should look out for.
As for the testing, I played the same games on this laptop as the others on this list. The average FPS I got are as follows:
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: 85 frames per second
- Rainbow Six Siege: 240 frames per second.
- Fortnite: 130 frames per second
- Valorant: 190 frames per second
Specifications
The MSI GF63 comes with solid specifications for the price. I wouldn’t say they are class-leading, but they are certainly better than what most laptops offer in this price range. The specs of this laptop are as follows:
- Intel Core i5-11400H
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti
- 15.6″ FHD 144Hz IPS Display
- 16GB DDR4
- 512GB NVMe SSD
I am especially pleased with seeing 16GB RAM installed on this laptop, because 8GB RAM is just not enough these days. Despite that, many laptops skimp on higher RAM capacity.
Design and Connectivity
MSI GF63 is one of the cleanest, most minimalist MSI gaming laptops that you can buy. This laptop comes with a stealth matte black finish, which to me looks very appealing but others may find it a little boring.
One thing I am not keen on though is the build quality of this laptop. It has a subpar plastic feel and the different panels are not well-put together.
In terms of connectivity, I am pleased to inform you that this laptop does very well. I have no complaints because this laptop comes with all the ports that are needed for a solid and reliable connection.
Battery Life
The MSI GF63 has a mediocre battery life and that is something you will have to live with. Even on light tasks, this laptop managed only 5-6 hours of battery backup which is not ideal for an everyday gaming laptop.
Best Looking Laptop under $900
5. Dell G15 5511 – Good battery life Gaming laptop
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Pros
Cons
Bottom Line:
The Dell G15 is the latest budget gaming laptop which borrows some of its DNA from the coveted Dell Alienware lineup. There is a lot riding on this laptop and gamers have huge expectations from it.
On paper, the Dell G15 5511 has great specs, but you do pay a premium to get the Dell badge on your desk. Can that high price tag equate to a better, more premium gaming experience is what I want to find out. So, shall we.
Gaming Experience
The Dell G15 is the least powerful of the laptops on this list. However, the performance it provides is not far off from the other gaming laptops. It was able to handle all the games I threw at it on medium-high graphic settings with the following FPS:
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: 82 frames per second
- Rainbow Six Siege: 236 frames per second.
- Fortnite: 122 frames per second
- Valorant: 178 frames per second
The frame rate provided by this laptop is lower than the competition. However, the difference is not all that staggering. One thing I would like to add is that this laptop stays relatively quiet when gaming, which is a redeeming factor for the subpar performance.
Specifications
If Dell has to compete with other gaming laptops, they have to step up in the specs department. The specs are the low point of this laptop, because it comes with the following:
- Intel Core i5-11400H
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
- 15.6″ FHD 120Hz IPS Display
- 8GB DDR4
- 512GB NVMe SSD
For starters, the 8GB RAM is unacceptable at this price range. Not only is 8GB insufficient for gaming but if competitors can provide 16GB why not Dell. You can step up to the 16GB variant but that costs $50 extra.
This laptop has the Nvidia RTX 3050 non Ti version. The performance of this graphics card is less than the Ti version offered in other gaming laptops on this list.
Design and Connectivity
The design is where the Dell G15 5511 blows every other gaming laptop under $900 out of the water.
The design of this laptop is inspired from the Dell Alienware lineup with its tall hinge and screen separated from the keyboard deck. It gives the appearance that the screen is floating rather than being attached to a fixed point.
I am also quite pleased by the connectivity of this laptop. This laptop comes with all the ports that you will need. It even includes thunderbolt connectivity which is a first in this price range.
Battery Life
The battery life of the Dell G15 5511 is amazing. I managed to squeeze a full day backup out of this laptop, but in a more typical use case you can expect the Dell G15 5511 to last around 7-8 hours.
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Conclusion
With the reviews of the top laptops done, it is time to wrap up the article. The laptops I have mentioned are in no particular order and all the laptops on the list are equally good in their own right.
Let’s take the Dell G15 5511 for example. It does not have the best performance but it is the best looking and feeling laptop on the list. So, if you are after a premium experience and can sacrifice a bit of performance then it is a great choice.
On the other end of the spectrum, if getting the highest FPS is all that matters to you – then take a look at the Gigabyte G5 KD.
Every gamer has different preferences so before I conclude, I again want to reiterate the importance of getting the laptop that is suited for your needs.
This brings our article to a close. I hope you found the information helpful and before signing off, let me know which laptop you think is the best.
