What are gaming laptops? Gaming laptops are a huge rage these days. Their popularity has risen particularly because a huge percentage of laptop buyers are users who explicitly buy the laptop for gaming purposes. Due to this high demand, special ranges of laptops are being created to cater to the specific needs of passionate gamers.
Gaming laptops focus especially on hardcore gaming needs that entail very serious processor requirements and memory intensive tasks. A gaming laptop is hence much more than a regular laptop and more sophisticated.
Gaming laptops are typically characterized by an additional Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) along with the regular components of the computers such as the Central Processing Unit (CPU) and the memory units.
One of the other differentiating features of the gaming laptop is that, it is costlier than the regular models. A lot of gaming laptops also come with their own set of specialized features or software.
The advantage of having specialized hardware though is that these gaming laptops are very durable and quite long lasting. There are a whole lot of serious gamers who pay a lot of money for expensive specialized machines, but they do expect praiseworthy results at the same time.
For the regular buyer, however, the priority is always to find a laptop which is the perfect tradeoff between cost and benefit.
If you are looking for a machine that has the hardware for gaming and also is under $700 …then here are the 10 most lust-worthy
gaming laptops under $700 to satisfy your gaming needs
14. Acer Aspire i5 – 5200 U , Cost - $619
Main Features
- This laptop coms with an i5 Intel core processor for great performance along with 8GB DDRR3L to support graphics and 1TG hard drive for storage-heavy gaming and memory requirements.
- The display is a 1080 pixels full HD screen and it also comes with a backlight
- This laptop also comes with a 940M 4GB DDR VRAM Nvidia Geforce graphics card for a solid gaming performance and a powerful CPU
- Comes with USB 2 and 3 for connectivity options
- Also comes with an Acer true harmony high performance sound system
Advantages
- A very stylish and aesthetically pleasing machine for gaming
- Very clear display for gaming purposes
- Extremely robust design along with high resistance to scratches and regular abuse, which help in the comfortable long term usage of the laptop.
- Not just apt for gaming but multi-functional as well
Disadvantages
- Faces competition from cheaper machines with the same specs at lower cost
- Performance is not on par with similar machines with similar configurations, and there are some complaints from the user about the performance.
- A little bloated due to overload of apps and features, and may cause some frustration since it eats up gaming memory
Read more :- The ULTIMATE Laptop Buying Guide for 2016 & Beyond
13. Lenovo Y40-80 80FA001EUS , Cost – $700
Main Features
- 14 inches screen with an excellent resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, and anti-glare screen for no reflection during game play make it an excellent options for gamers.
The core processing unit of the laptop is Intel i3, and it comes with 8 GB RAM and 1TG hard drive for storage - AMD Radeon 4GB graphics card provides great GPU strength, that along with the powerful CPU, provides for some real time game play
- Windows 8.1 comes preloaded
Advantages
- Extremely light weight machine for its specifications, and thus offers great portability for gamers
- A very stable and durable design made to avoid dents and scratches. This laptop can provide amazing long term use for specialized as well as regular purposes
- Excellent processing and great response. Absolutely no lags or hang ups or bottlenecks during game playing
- This extremely budget friendly laptop is popular with the gamers due to its commendable features and all necessary configurations
- Great keyboard and track pad response for good game playing
Disadvantages
- Lenovo does not have very good brand recall, particularly in this segment
- There are many user complaints regarding the viewing angles that blur during certain angles. The screen is also known to have some color shifting issues.
Some important features are not present for gaming purposes such as - Keyboard is not backlit and this device comes without an optical drive.
12. Toshiba Satellite Fusion 15 L55W-C5259 , Cost – $652
Toshiba laptops are preferred for their reliability and long term durability. This model is no different. However, along with the Toshiba quality it also has features that aid gaming, and offers a whole lot of portability.
Main Features
- 2 in 1 convertible model that provides great amount of flexibility and portability
- 15.6 inches HD display for great visual quality along with HD mobile Intel graphics for rendering great images during gaming mode
- Additionally, the touchscreen helps with an alternate user interface to allow playing games even during Tablet mode, when the keyboard has been disconnected
- Intel i3 core processor along with the super-fast 6GB SDRAM, 128 GB Hard drive and 128 Solid State Drive, help provide great speeds and storage requirements
- Windows OS comes preloaded
Advantages
- An extremely functional laptop with great specs, and one of the most appropriate as well as popular laptops for avid gamers
- Comes with the Toshiba promise of durability and robust design along with great portability and convenience
- Provides great processing capabilities. Extremely fast booting and response time for all processor demanding tasks like gaming or photo editing
- Comes with an additional option of being used as a gaming tablet instead of a laptop
- Best in its range and features, and most appropriate for long terms usage as a personal/desktop/gaming machine
Disadvantages
- The hard disk drive is quite small whereas other models have hard drives of up to 1TB capacity
- The cooling fan is noisy
- Battery life maybe an issue for some
- There is also a debate between the two closely priced models of this laptop owing to performance and RAM usage
Read more :- 15 Best Laptops under $700 to Own One in 2016
11. ASUS F554LA , Cost - $568
Main Features
- Intel i5 core processor CPU along with the Intel HD graphic card GPU give it sufficient processing power for gaming
- The memory requirements are met by 8 GB RAM and 500 GB hard drive
- The display is a 15.6 inches screen with a 1366x768 pixels resolution and full LED- lit screen, which provides for great visual effects
- Additionally, for gaming purposes, the screen is anti-glare and non–reflective
- Windows 8.1 comes preloaded
Advantages
- A professional grade laptop that is highly acclaimed due to specs and performance. This laptop is well known for its durable design and assured performance
- The display works well in low and high light environments for uninterrupted gaming
- It is a great lightweight laptop that provides portability and stability during use
- It is a good desktop replacement or a decent personal laptop which guarantees excellent performance for gaming, as well as normal computer tasks.
Disadvantages
- A relatively weaker graphics card that would not allow games to be played beyond a certain resolution. Great specs and performance are let down by a basic graphics card
10. HP Pavilion 15t, Cost – $585
Main Features
- Intel i7 core processor for extra speed and performance, along with Intel HD graphics 520 for life-like interactive gaming make this laptop a beast for gamers
- 15.6 inches display is full HD and backlit for a great gaming experience. The display resolution if 1920x1080 pixels. Additionally, the screen is also a touchscreen for additional computer interaction
- 1TB Hard drive and 6GB LPDDRM4 RAM take care of memory requirements
- Windows 10 OS comes preloaded
Advantages
- This laptop is like an extremely cost-effective PC with excellent configuration
- A great all round machine that is lightweight, portable and has a good battery life
- Gives great performance during gaming and additionally, the matte display screen is a treat
- No heating problems during long term play for any games
Disadvantages
Upgrade, especially for the hardware is relatively difficult to implement
Made of plastic, the case may look a bit discouraging for some discerning buyers
The touchpad can be problematic for a number of users
9. Lenovo Yoga 211, Cost - $616
Main Features
- This compact laptop is most famous for the multiple modes it provides during usage – the laptop, the fold, the tent and the tablet mode
- This laptop comes with Intel i3 core processor , 4 GB RAM and 500 GB hard drive
- Portable 11.6 inches screen size offers a resolution of 1366x768. Intel HD graphics 4200 adapter provides for a good GPU unit
- Additionally, extra GUI is available through touchscreen
- Windows 8.1 OS comes preloaded
Advantages
- Allows gaming in various modes and can turn into a tablet for more portability and reduced weight. Allows great game playing abilities in all modes.
- Gives the power of a laptop along with benefits of a tablet in a single machine
- A quite light PC with great portability during regular use
- Quite a decent performance for high multimedia usage including games, with great battery life and response time
- A very affordable laptop at a budget price, given all the features and spec
- A great basic laptop with good processing, good battery life and no heating problem
- Lenovo Yoga is one of the most popular laptop lines introduced by Lenovo, and has a lot of branding advantage going for it
Disadvantages
- Unfortunately, the webcam is of low quality.
- Important features that can help gaming, such an optical drive or backlight for keyboard are not present
Read more :- 6 Best Hard to Refuse Gaming Laptops Under 1200 Dollars
8. HP ENVY 15T i7-4710HQ , Cost – $578 to $650
Main Feature
- 15.6 inches screen size comes with 1920x1080 pixels along with LED backlit display
Great processing power with Intel i7 core processor, 8GB RAM and 1TB hard drive - Intel HD 4600 graphics card provides for GPU capabilities
- USB 3 for faster connectivity
Advantages
- One of the best gaming laptops in its category, this laptop come with the HP quality assurance. It has been known to handle almost all games with its configurations, without any issues
- Solid reliable build, fast processing and good display make it a great laptop to own
- The keyboard and touchpad are extremely responsive during gaming
- Very good specs for a reasonably priced gaming laptop
Disadvantages
- The laptop comes without an optical drive which is a great drawback for gaming laptops
- Some other basic drawbacks are that the webcam is of low quality, the GPU performance is not at par with other models in the same range, and the machine can be heavy for some.
- There are also complains about the battery life being shorter than what is offered by other models of the same brand
7. Dell Inspiron M731R-A881MER , Cost – $599 to $699
Main features
- 17.3 inches display – the biggest screen size for a great gaming experience along with AMD Quad-Core Processor and AMD Radeon HD 8510
- GPU for great graphics
- Non-reflective screen for enhanced playing experience
- The memory requirements are met by 8 GB RAM and 1 TB hard disk
- Windows 8.1 comes preloaded
Advantages
- A budget computer that is a great basic machine and also dependable for high-performance gaming
- Extremely attractive as well as durable design. Comes in an alluring blue color
- Matte screen along with commendable configuration provides a wonderful gaming experience
- Processor performance is really great. That, along with ample memory, makes the laptop value for money
- Disadvantages
- The shallow keyboard may be problematic for some
- No backlight for the keyboard which is a problem for gamers
6. ASUS ROG G73JH , Cost – $625 - $650
Main Features
- 500 GB hard drive, 8 GB RAM, and Quad Core i7 Intel core processor make this a strong performer
- Gives excellent graphics at 17.3 inches full display and 1080 pixels, and has excellent graphics capabilities due to HD – 5800-series ATI Radeon GPU
- Huge 4.5 inches touchpad for greater movement and flexibility
- A smart cooling system to avoid heating
- 8 format memory card reader
Advantages
- It is hands down one of the best gaming laptops on the market. It offers an excellent display for graphics, backlit keyboard, super-fast processing and cool silent operation, and is naturally considered a dream machine for gamers
- A value proposition from ASUS, with an aggressive design packed with great features that are difficult to find anywhere else
- Has a smart cooling system that optimizes long-term performance
Disadvantages
- Short battery life due to a huge power brick
- Speaker quality is subpar
5. MSI CX61 2PC-499 US, Cost – $650
Main Features
- Intel i5 Core processor, 8GB RAM, 750 GB hard drive
- Scratch resistant 15.6 inches screen along with an anti-glare screen for gaming
- Comes with a Nvidia Geforce GT 635M GPU for a faster gaming display
Advantages
- This one is a high-performance laptop that is perfect for casual and heavy duty gamers
- Comes in a casing that is attractive and of durable design. This makes the laptop quite travel worthy and very portable
- Lightning fast data processing power along with great graphics make have made this laptop very popular
- Can work as a replacement for a desktop machine
Disadvantages
- There are a number of competitors out there with the same configuration and specifications
- There are some reservations regarding the quality of the product due to some vibrations experienced during gameplay, and sensitivity issues with a touchpad.
4. Asus X401U, Cost – $400 to $628
The gaming laptop range from ASUS is a new entrant in the market but has been extremely well received by the gaming crowd because of its exceptional performance and fantastic quality. This particular model of Acer is popular mainly because of being a budget laptop with all provisions for gaming.
Main Features
- 500 GB hard drive, AMD E2-1800 Dual Core Processor, 4GB DDR3 RAM
- 14 inches attractive display with 13661x768 pixels and AMD Radeon Graphics HD for great picture quality. Also comes with full HD and a backlit screen.
- Preloaded Windows 8
Advantages
- Great gaming performance by a relatively compact machine. The graphics are top rate, without any glitches for such an affordable laptop
- No heating problems whatsoever and serves as a great multipurpose laptop
- A lightweight laptop with great processing power that offers great value for money
Disadvantages
- The touchpad is a little difficult to use with the same tab used for left and right click
- Has some issues with extremely high-end games lagging
Read more:- Top 10 Laptops For Avid Gaming Aficionados Under 2000 Dollars
3. Lenovo Idea pad G510 , Cost - $450 to $680
The Idea pad range of Lenovo is one of the most loved and admired ranges of multipurpose laptops to be launch by the company. Lenovo has some of the best configurations in the idea pad series that make them appropriate for personal as well as gaming use.
Main Features
- 15.6 inches display that renders life-like picture quality along with AMD Radeon HD 8750 Graphics adaptor, forms an excellent GPU
- Comes preloaded with DOS
- Has an option for biometric verification
- Intel i5 processor is equipped with providing great processing power for a wonderful gaming experience along with 500 GB Hard drive and 6 GB DDRAM
Advantages
- Excellent battery life that easily lasts about 5 hours
- An excellent multipurpose laptop that can double up as a personal home or office laptop along with providing great specs for gaming.
- Furthermore, the RAM and other specs can be easily expanded
Disadvantages
- Due to the big size of the screen, this laptop might be cumbersome to carry around for some
- Manual installation of windows and other drivers maybe be needed
2. ASUS Zenbook UX305FA , Cost - $649
Asus is one the most popular brands of gaming laptops, and have created quite a market with their various gaming ready configurations. One of the most popular models is the Zen book, which is a budget ultrabook that can double up as a multimedia laptop along with gaming needs.
Main Features
- This compact laptop comes with 13-inch screen along with Intel HD graphics card and full HD display for a great gaming experience.
- Additionally provides an antiglare screen for better visual experience
- Intel Core Broadwell M-5Y10 0.8 GHz, 8GB RAM, and 256 GB solid state drive
- Preloaded with Windows 10
Advantages
- A great product within budget, so casual gamers can go for this ultra-book and use it as a gaming laptop
- Attractive streamlined design that makes it very light and portable
- Has long battery life, great processing and an incredible display for all gaming purposes
Disadvantages
- No backlit keyboard, which is normally an essential part of a gaming laptop
- No internal fan to deal with overheating
Must Look: Best Laptop Accessories to buy in 2016
1. Lenovo Z50-70, Cost – $662 to $750
Lenovo has just recently dipped its toes into the gaming world of laptops. Its Thinkpad series of laptops are very popular around the world, both as personal computers as well as gaming laptops.
Main Features
- Intel i7 core processor for faster performance, 8 GB RAM, 500 GB hard drive
- 15.6-inch display for real-time gaming along with Nvidia Ge Force graphics adapter for excellent GPU processing
- Full HD display
Advantages
- Gives a great performance for a budget laptop. Offers quiet and clean operation along with great battery life and no heating issues
- A very portable laptop that doubles up for regular multimedia uses, along with gaming requirements
Disadvantages
- Faces stiff competition from other brands in the same range
- Disappointing audio quality
- Has a plastic chassis, which might not seem very appealing
- A number of preloaded software is present that take up memory, and need regular cleaning
Finally
If you are a hardcore gamer who wants to invest about $700 for a dependable gaming laptop, there are many choices out there in the market these days.
Each of the laptops comes with their own pros and cons, but one thing is for sure…gaming laptops are in high demand and they are here to stay.
So tell us which model caught your fancy the most from the above list. Also, let us know if we missed out on a laptop that deserves mention.
