Best Cheap Gamer PCs: What first choice PC configuration with a small budget? | Techradar, best gaming laptop pc: what model of laptop gaming to choose 2023?
What is the best gaming laptop to choose in 2023
The price of laptops dedicated to video games has dropped in recent years. During the balance period, it is thus possible to find the first prices around 900 or 1,000 euros. There are no limits for the most expensive. That said, here are the current price ranges:
Best Cheap Gamer PCs: What first choice PC configuration with a small budget ?
Because buying a gaming PC without emptying your bank account, it is possible in 2023.
It is quite possible to find a cheap gaming pc that is still powerful. Today there are many graphics cards and many processors capable of supporting heavy video games, without having to spend a fortune.
Of course, entry -level gaming PCs will never reach the advanced performance of the best PC games. However, they fully perform your most recent games, sometimes in 4K definition, and often silently thanks to efficient fans.
We have selected for you the 3 gaming pc with the best value for money.
Emmanuelle joined the Techradar France team in 2022, she worked on the purchasing guides part. If you no longer know where to turn, she will be able to direct you to the best smartphone or the best television according to your needs.
Brief products
Choosing a powerful PC while respecting a tight budget is not always easy. This is why we have selected for you the 3 best gaming pcs at low prices. To read more on each model, click on learn more.
1. Acer Predator Orion 3000 (2022)
The best
The Predator Orion 3000 is a powerful PC, capable of performing heavy games. It has superb RGB lighting and an excellent cooling system.
2. MSI Trident 3 10th
The best for e-sport
The Trident 3 has an excellent value for money. It is compact, offers good connectivity and is particularly recommended if you are a fan of e-sport games.
Most compact
3. Intel Ghost Canyon Nuc
Most compact
The Intel Ghost Canyon Nuc is a particularly customizable mini PC, with a large choice of modular configurations.
Which PC gaming at low prices choose in 2023 ?
Why can you trust Techradar ?
Our expert examiners spend hours testing and comparing products and services so that you can choose the best for you. Learn more about how we test.
The best cheap gaming pc
1. Acer Predator Orion 3000 (2022)
The best cheap gaming pc to play in 4k.
OUR EXPERT REVIEW:
Technical characteristics
Processor: Intel Core i7-10700 of 10th generation
Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
Storage: SSD Western Digital 500 GB, Western Digital 1 to hard drive
The best offers of the day
Why buy it
Well thought out conception
Superb RGB lighting
Impressive 4K performance
Fantastic cooling system
Why wait
Less accessible frontal ports
Norton Antivirus is intrusive
Powered by a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card and an Intel Core i7-11700F processor, the Acer Predator Orion 3000 from 2022 allows you to perform heavy games, in 4K resolution, with a fluid frequency of 60 frames per second.
It has an exceptional cooling system, thanks to the Frostblade fans and the clear location of the components. Fan speed can even be increased if necessary, via the pre -installed preinstalled control panel.
If it is pleasant to have a wide selection of ports on the facade, the fact of counting only one USB 3 port.0 obliges you to connect and disconnect your game peripherals regularly, which can quickly become annoying, especially if you have a wired controller.
Other than that, the Acer Predator Orion 3000 of 2022 is a powerful machine, with superb RGB lighting and offered at an increasingly attractive price.
The best cheap gaming pc for e-sport
2. MSI Trident 3 10th
A half-pc machine, half-consoling.
OUR EXPERT REVIEW:
Technical characteristics
Processor: Intel Core i5-10400F
Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Super
The best offers of the day
Why buy it
Performances adapted to e-sport
Many front ports
Why wait
The entry -level model works with a hard drive
Difficult to be repairable by the user
The MSI Trident 3 10th has an excellent value for money. It is ideal if you are looking for a cheap and compact gaming pc. It is indeed one of the smallest PC gaming that we have tested so far. When you put the computer on the side, like a console, it is as fine as the PS4 Pro.
The MSI Trident 3 10TH has a pleasant design, entirely black and angular, which does not really look like an entry -level gaming PC. It has a single lighting, a red LED located near the power button, which indicates that the computer is on.
At the front of the device, there are a large number of ports, with two USB-A, a USB-C and separate 3.5 mm audio sockets for input and audio output.
The MSI Trident 3 10th is particularly recommended if you are a fan of e-sport. You can now register for your favorite competitions without breaking the bank.
The most compact cheap gaming pc
3. Intel Ghost Canyon Nuc
OUR EXPERT REVIEW:
Technical characteristics
Processor: Intel Core i5 – 9th generation i9
Graphics card: Intel UHD Graphics 630
RAM: 8 GB – 64 GB DDR4
Storage: SSD 128 GB SSD – 2 to
The best offers of the day
Why buy it
Extremely modular
Difficult to find more compact
Why wait
The price climbs quickly depending on the configuration
The PC Gamer Intel Ghost Canyon Nuc has come a long way since its humble beginnings. Indeed, unlike the old models, which disregarded the RAM and storage in order to offer a more attractive price, this version includes 8 GB at least, and up to 64 GB.
This machine is particularly customizable, with a large choice of modular configurations. Be careful however, the most high -end configurations are very expensive.
To take advantage of a powerful gaming PC, the most important thing is to choose a good graphics card, capable of performing AAA games in 1080p, which is quite possible for a reasonable price.
How to choose a cheap gaming pc ?
How to make a choice ?
Finding the best gaming PC at low prices can be difficult, because there is a wide range of manufacturers offering a range of even larger configurations. We examine all the types of PCs and compare them to other PCs in their category, taking into account all the factors, from price to performance through manufacturing quality.
Be sure to take into account your personal game needs on PC. If you plan to play mainly independent 2D games or electronic sports games (such as League of Legends and Valorant), you will probably not need an overpowered machine, because these titles are generally well optimized for operate on entry -level equipment. On the other hand, if you want to play triple games that have graphic plane, you will have to spend a little more to get the best performance.
Resolution is also an important factor: is the screen you use is a Full HD 1080p monitor or a 4K 120Hz screen ? If you play a higher resolution, you will need a more powerful GPU to maintain your cooling rate without compromising in the graphic settings.
Is it more economical to go up or buy a PC ?
It will always be more expensive to set up a low -budget gaming PC than buying one, because manufacturers will get OEM prices on the components, which will really make the difference in the bottom of the scale of the price scale.
But pre-assembled PCs often combine components to maximize performance at this price level. This often means that if you want to upgrade a component, you may have to upgrade other components at the same time, which can make PC upgrade more expensive in the long term.
A gaming PC at less than € 800 in your trouble ?
It depends on what you mean by “is worth it”. What you want to play and what types of quality performance and parameters will make a major difference on the fact that a gaming PC at less than 800 € is up to the task.
If your main objective is to play modern AAA titles in 1080p with reasonable parameters and reasonable seconds per second (on average 30 fps or more), then a game PC for less than € 800 can probably give you this and can -Itre a little more, depending on the game.
If you want to play a title in 4K with 60 FPS, then no, you are probably better to buy a PS5 or an Xbox Series X | S, assuming that you can find one at the recommended sale price.
Is it difficult to find a good gaming pc at a low price ?
Due to a global shortage of electronic chips caused by the covid-19 pandemic and other factors such as droughts and power cuts, it was difficult to find an economic gaming PC for a while. The prices of GPU and CPU remained very high for a good part of the year 2022, due to problems of supply chain and resellers who abused the situation. However, the market seems to have calmed enough for a game PC again “affordable”.
We have observed that the prices of GPUs Amd and Nvidia continue to drop – although those of AMD fall more quickly – which is good news for everyone. AMD graphics cards are constantly getting closer to the recommended sales price, which means it will be easier to get hold of components for a good price pc, and therefore on pre-assembled play PCs. We may not yet be at the end of our sorrows, but the evolution of the market indicates, we hope, that it will be easier and easier to find a good gaming PC with a reasonable price.
How do we test these gaming pcs ?
How do we test these gaming pcs ?
At Techradar, we are convinced of the need to rigorously test each material that passes in our hands. If a product does not impress during the tests, we will always let you know; We will not recommend that you buy a product whose performance is lower than the average price range.
Our test process varies from product to product, but we always make sure to carry out the most appropriate tests given the objective of the product we examine. This means that we are always carrying out many game tests on a game laptop, or editing benchmarks for an office PC. We also examine the quality of manufacturing a product to see if it corresponds to its price.
Newsletter Techradar
Do you receive the latest news, reviews, opinions, analyzes, offers and even more from the world of technology daily.
By submitting your information, you accept the general conditions and the privacy policy, while certifying being 16 years or more.
What is the best gaming laptop to choose in 2023 ?
You are looking for a good gaming laptop to play, without taking the head with a desktop computer ? From 1,000 to more than 3,500 euros, here are the best gaming laptops of the moment, to play everywhere, all the time, in the best conditions.
The 3 best gaming laptops in 2023

ROG Stix Scar 18 (G834J)
- Unrivaled performances
- Efficient cooling
- Very good screen
- Very bulky and heavy
- No biometrics

Asus ROG Stix Scar 15 2022 (G533z)
- Very powerful
- A good screen and sound system
- Surprisingly independent
- Temperatures a little too high

- Attractive performance
- Really interesting price
- The 15 -inch screen
- The noise of fans
It is far away the time when playing on PC required to have a dedicated room in your accommodation, in which you had to store a tower a meter high and an office to accommodate the screen, the gamer mouse and the controller, headphones, or gaming keyboard. Now all this paraphernalia can be replaced by a single laptop designed for gaming.
Thanks to the superb progress made in recent years in the field of graphics cards, laptops dedicated to video games (or Gamer laptops) are now much more powerful, reliable and light. Of course, thermal dissipation remains the eternal fight waged by the manufacturers, but it has been largely improved.
You have the idea of investing in a gaming laptop 14, 15 or 16 inch ? You are in the right place to find out and take the plunge. We have selected for you The best gaming laptops on the market, For all budgets. However, be well aware that a portable pc for gaming necessarily cost a certain price, given the necessary components.
For those who do not necessarily need the best performance to play, we also have a selection of the best classic laptops. If you are specifically looking for a 17 -inch PC, it’s here. To preserve your budget, you may also be interested in computers at less than 1,000 euros.
Asus ROG Stix Scar 15 2022 (G533z) The Gamer reference

- Very powerful
- A good screen and sound system
- Surprisingly independent
- Temperatures a little too high
The Strix Scar 15 takes up a lot of elements of its predecessor in order to offer you a full version of the PC Gaming. If this new model does not embarrass itself from a design all in finesse, it offers an assumed gamer look with transparent finishes or RGB lighting.

In terms of dimensions, this laptop weighs its 2.3 kg well packed. Regarding the keyboard, the responsiveness of each key is sufficient for use at stake. Above all, Asus offers a multitude of effects thanks to the presence of Armoury Crate software. A vast panel of features is set up to personalize this.
The added value of the PC is under its hood. This revolves around an Intel Core i9-12900h processor and an RTX 3070 Ti graphics card or 3080 Ti depending on the chosen version. The verdict is unanimous: it is one of the most powerful gaming PCs that we have been given to test. The icing on the cake, the Asus Rog Stix Scar benefits from a solid software offer offering relevant features.
As for the Asus Rog Stix Scar 17, this 2022 version is a completely disproportionate offer. So expect an invoice accordingly. Read our full test of this PC gaming to learn more.
Where to buy the
Asus ROG Stix Scar 15 2022 (G533z) at the best price ?
€ 2,699 discover the offer
3,299 € discover the offer
€ 2,699 discover the offer
Asus ROG Stix Scar 18 (G834J) The most powerful gaming portable pc

- Unrivaled performances
- Efficient cooling
- Very good screen
- Very bulky and heavy
- No biometrics
In 2023, Asus decided to highlight 18 inch formats for its range of gaming laptops. L’Asus ROG Stix Scar 18 presents itself as a performance monster, even if the latter is not easily transportable on a daily basis because of its massive aspect.

It’s simple, his technical sheet is monstrous, and assures you to run absolutely what you want. It has indeed embarked on the best: an Intel Core chip i9-13980hx, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card and 16 GB of DDR5 memory DDR5. It is therefore just as big as it is powerful. With the Razer Blade 16, he is one of the most powerful laptops of 2023. Whether you do gaming, 3D or video editing, it will not weaken. The thermal dissipation system is also very well thought out, no concern on this side.
The fact remains that even if it has the qualifier of a laptop, its dimensions reach almost 40 x 30 cm and its weight of 3.1 kg: Result, the ROG Strix Scar 18 is difficult in a backpack. The chassis, if it is of good quality, grabs the fingerprints well. The glass touchpad is very pleasant. We will also salute the audio partition with the 4 speakers that offer a good result for a laptop. The 18 -inch IPS slab, on the other hand, helps to gain productivity, among others thanks to its format 16:10. It is an ideal screen for gaming, with a very high 240 Hz refresh rate, a low response time (3 ms), and the g-sync support.
If you are looking for a power monster that you do not plan to transport everywhere with you, read our test of the Asus Rog Stix Scar 18.
Asus Rog Zephyrus G15 2021 (GA503) The prettiest gaming portable pc

- Very powerful and good autonomy
- Compact
- Excellent screen
- No webcam
Let’s say it right away, the Zephyrus range of Asus had been one of our favorites of 2020 with a compromise between design and absolutely remarkable power. This 2021 version takes up all the fundamentals, with in particular a particularly light and very pretty 15 -inch chassis. The construction in magnesium and aluminum alloy ensures lightness, even if we notice here and there that the parts are not always very well adjusted.

The 15 -inch screen adopts a 1440p resolution and a 165 Hz refresh rate, an excellent compromise between the full HD and the 4K. As a bonus, the screen is very well calibrated, which will delight graphic designers. But where the Zephyrus G15 really shines, it is through its performance.
The adoption of a Ryzen 9,5900 -hour processor coupled with an RTX 3080 allows you to achieve simply new performance on such a fine portable machine. The AMD chip pushes its intel competitors both at play and for productivity. The heat is well managed, but a helmet will be essential to cover the noise of the fans during long sessions of play. To spoil nothing, the autonomy reaches 7 hours in office use. You are also entitled to 1 TB of SSD and 32 GB of RAM.
Asus delivers here an exceptional laptop whose greatest weakness is perhaps the absence of webcam. You will find all the details in our full test.
Where to buy the
Asus Rog Zephyrus G15 2021 (GA503) at the best price ?
€ 1,613 discover the offer
1,702 € discover the offer
€ 1,848 discover the offer
3,407 € discover the offer
Asus Tuf Gaming A16 Advantage Edition (FA617) The right performance/price ratio

- New successful design
- Good autonomy
- A quality screen
- Slightly high temperatures
With the A16 tuf, Asus inaugurates a new diagonal for its range of Affordable Gaming Portable PC. It is a success: this model is balanced and offers a good performance/price relationship.

Asus has also reworked the design of the machine, and the finishes are much better, especially at the touchpad level. The FHD+ screen with a 165 Hz refreshment rate is of good quality, offering pretty contrasts. The version that we were able to test is based on an entirely AMD configuration, with a Radeon RX 7700S and a Ryzen 9 7940HS. No complaints on performance, the PC being able to run most recent games. It may be necessary to dwell on the other configurations that can be proposed, in particular with an NVIDIA GPU, just to be able to benefit from better management of the Ray Tracing. It should also be noted that the heating is not perfectly mastered, as well as the sound level of fans, points which must be aware before purchasing.
Asus nevertheless stands out on autonomy, the PC being well optimized: you can count on almost 8 hours on battery, which is a good score for a gaming portable pc.
Where to buy the
Asus Tuf Gaming A16 Advantage Edition (FA617) at the best price ?
€ 1,599 discover the offer
The alternative: the Asus Tuf Gaming A15
If you want a smaller PC, you can also opt for the latest version of the Asus Tuf A15, which is an excellent version. Its 15.3 inch screen is very good, with a refresh rate at 144 Hz. With a solid configuration based on a RTX 4060, 16 GB of RAM and an AMD Ryzen 7 SOC, you can get out of it at less than 1,500 euros. Consult our ASUS Tuf Gaming A15 test for more details.
Where to buy the
Asus Tuf Gaming A15 (tuf507n) at the best price ?
€ 1,139 discover the offer
€ 1,299 discover the offer
€ 1,599 discover the offer
€ 1,599 discover the offer
€ 1,240 discover the offer
€ 1,261 discover the offer
€ 1,284 discover the offer
1,499 € discover the offer
Razer Blade 15 (2021) The gaming laptop with a RTX 3060

- Top design and finish
- End and powerful
- The very good screen
- Too high heating
- No g-sync
When you pass the 2,000 euros mark, power gains are more and more expensive. Manufacturers are also starting to pay growing attention to design and general finish. In this little game, it is undoubtedly the Razer Blade 15 2021 that stands out. Razer’s machine is indeed one of the very few to be able to boast of coming to compete with Apple on this point.

In addition to its exceptional finesse and quality of manufacture, the machine can also boast of offering one of the best keyboards on the market. The connection is well supplied with three USB-C and a Thunderbolt 3 port. If the RTX 3070 is not enough for you, you can even use the latter to add an external GPU via the Razer Core X box.
His technical sheet, to start, is impeccable. The version we recommend includes an Intel Core i7 processor from tenth generation associated with a GeForce RTX 3070 Max-Q with 8 GB of RAM, 16 GB of RAM, an SSD of 512 GB and a Full HD 144 Hz screen. If that does not suit you, Razer offers variants ranging from the GeForce RTX 3060 to the RTX 3080. Same observation for the very good Full HD 144 Hz GSYNC screen, which can be replaced by, excuse a little, a 4K slab … If the performance is there, the heat too and the fan struggles to keep all fresh. The impact is similar on autonomy, which is very much exceeding at 3:30 am.
No need to go through four paths: Razer offers here what is most luxurious in terms of portable PC for players to date, while competing with MacBook Pro on finish and equipment. We tell you more in our Razer Blade 15 2021 test. Note that we do not recommend the configuration tested at 3,400 euros, but rather that at 2,300 euros, which in our opinion offers a much better compromise between the price and the services.
Where to buy the
Razer Blade 15 (2021) at the best price ?
2,399 € discover the offer
Razer has now been released A 2022 version of his famous Razer Blade 15. The new configurations therefore incorporate ever more powerful components, with for example GeForce 3080 Ti and Intel i9 processors.
The prices are however prohibitive (from 3,100 to 4,900 euros !), this is why we recommend for the moment to prefer the 2021 model … unless the price is really not a criterion for you.
Where to buy the
Razer Blade 15 (2022) at the best price ?
€ 1,758 discover the offer
€ 2,248 discover the offer
3,099 € discover the offer
3,598 € discover the offer
LENOVO LOQ 15 HURH8 The cheap gaming laptop pc

- Attractive performance
- Really interesting price
- The 15 -inch screen
- The noise of fans
It is quite rare on the gaming laptop market market to find reasonable prices machines. The laptop Lenovo Loq 15 is one of the only ones in this proposal. This transpires in the design part with a mainly functional construction. The whole is solid, without the supply of RGB lights. The connection is well organized while the keyboard is useful for strikes like gaming.

You are entitled to a beautiful 15.6 -inch Full HD LCD screen in the 16: 9 ratio. For gaming, it has a refreshment at 144 Hz. The manufacturer announces 45 % coverage on the NTSC standard. Our measurements made it possible to detect a brightness peak at 338 cd/m2, a contrast at 1956: 1 and an average color temperature at 6217 k. Unwilling performance, but which are in line with the sale price.
In terms of performance, there are several configurations. The PC that we had in test included the following elements: an Intel Core i7-13620h, 16 GB of RAM DDR5 and especially an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060. All with storage at 512 GB. For gaming, this configuration does not disappoint even if heat management is not perfect. Above all, fans are running at full speed and make too much noise.
A final word on autonomy with a 60 Wh battery delivered with a power supply in proprietary format at 170 W. This allows to have 4 to 5 hours of use. Our configuration is encrypted at 1199 euros, but its basic configuration is 899 euros. To learn more, read our Lenovo Loq 15 test.
Where to buy the
Lenovo Loq 15uch8 at the best price ?
999 € discover the offer
999 € discover the offer
€ 1,349 discover the offer
999 € discover the offer
How to choose the best gaming laptop pc ?
What are the criteria to be taken into account in the choice of a portable gaming computer ?
When you start the purchase of a gaming laptop PC, several points are to be monitored.
After decades of undivided domination, Intel finally lost the performance crown. It is now AMD who offers the best CPUs both in terms of power and price. And if the majority of models on the market still offer configurations based on Intel Core, the best machines are to be found in reds.
On the graphics card side, however, it is always Nvidia who dominates, with its very convincing RTX 3000. Be careful all the same, for mobile versions, the brand offers under the same name GPU with very varied performance … Do not hesitate to consult precise benchmarks of the GPU which interests you.
As for these components, aim at a minimum of 512 GB of SSD and 16 GB of RAM. Below this, you will be very quickly cramped, especially with games that take more and more their ease. The most recent big games can take up to 100 GB of disk space, or more. Fortunately, most of the machines selected here allow you toupgrade These two components quite easily and at a lower cost.
Choose a 4K screen at 60 Hz, if you want to play … this is not what it takes. Especially if the PC has an entry -level graphics card. For the moment, if you have to choose, promote a Full HD or QHD screen to at least 120 Hz of refreshing rate. If you want a versatile machine, the 4K screen is very comfortable, but it requires important resources to play. Now the 1440p is a good compromise.
If gaming laptops are “all-in-one” devices on which you can launch video games in a few seconds, the best is still to be able to connect an external screen as well as its own keyboard/mouse set. And to do this, it is necessary to well monitor the connection. At a minimum, therefore, check that an HDMI socket and USB type-A or Type-C ports in sufficient numbers are present.
In general, promote Laptops Gamers from major brands during your purchases. Asus ROG, MSI, Razer, Lenovo, are marks that you are highly advised. Unknown brands are often much cheaper … but also much less reliable and have a much less effective after -sales service than the big actors.
What price should you put for a good portable gaming pc ?
The price of laptops dedicated to video games has dropped in recent years. During the balance period, it is thus possible to find the first prices around 900 or 1,000 euros. There are no limits for the most expensive. That said, here are the current price ranges:
- The first prices are around 1200 – 1300 euros. For this price, you often have decent technical sheets with large processors and effective graphics cards. But beware of finishes and especially to screens, which are the first to suffer from the compromises that manufacturers make. The quality of the keyboard can also be a little behind.
- The mid -range is generally between 1,500 and 1900 euros. For this price, you have PCs with better quality screens and always so solid configurations. But, most of the time it is a latest generation entry -level GPU.
- The high -end is around 2000, 2,500 euros, or more. We generally have the choice between very thin machines and much thicker models which offer the best performance in the mobile universe. Pay attention to the very design of the chassis which can have an enormous impact on performance, depending on the effectiveness of heat dissipation.
That Windows 11 brings to a gaming laptop ?
As you can see in our Windows 11 test, Microsoft has brought very few changes. It is the Xbox Game Pass subscription service that is at the center of the American giant strategy. With the new version of Windows, the dedicated application is integrated on your PC to download the games of your choice, but also access the cloud gaming service. Otherwise nothing new under the sun. The Xbox Game Bar function, already present on Windows 10 is again present to manage the performances at stake.
What are the main weaknesses of gaming laptops ?
Laptops and gamers have certainly become more accessible and more reliable over time, but they suffer from recurring problems that must be known before purchasing.
- Noise, but above all heat, are the most common enemies of portable pc games. Due to the narrowness of their chassis and the power of on -board graphics cards, fans must blow often and strong to evacuate heat. Which makes noise, a lot of noise. None completely escapes this curse, not even those of our selection. Mandatory helmet to cut noise pollution. The heat can also pose concern, already for the components, but also … for your fingers, the keyboard can quickly heat up.
- The keyboard can be disappointing on certain entry -level models, manufacturers do not aim at office use.
- Autonomy is really not their strong, do not plan to make it an enduring machine to work outside without having a heavy charger with you.
- Finally, be warned, these laptops are often thicker and heavy than conventional laptops, even if big progress has been made on this point. These are not ultraportable. Do not count more than two hours to play far from a catch, in the best of cases !
Certain links of this article are affiliated. we’ll explaine everything here.
Do you use Google News (News in France) ? You can follow your favorite media. Follow Frandroid on Google News (and numerama).
