The Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 increased the number of gamers all across the world. Many people turned to gaming as a part-time activity when stranded at home owing to travel restrictions and lockdowns.
When choosing to get into gaming, there are two gaming options that one can choose. The two options are console gaming or pc gaming. There are numerous types of gaming consoles. A few examples are:
- Sony PlayStation 5
- Nintendo Switch
- Xbox
There are numerous other gaming consoles available in the market.
When going into console gaming, choosing the console to use can be an easy task. This is because you decide based on the games you want to play and the output device you intend to use.
In PC gaming, however, the case is different. In PC gaming, all available games are the same. The difference comes in when selecting gameplay settings. As a result, the decision to use a laptop or computer is purely based on the device specs. You can easily get a prebuilt gaming pc in the market or you can customize one as per your requirements.
For a first-time gamer, going for a high-end gaming PC or laptop is not easy due to the high price tags on the devices. The best option for a new gamer is getting a hold of the available budget laptops or PCs.
In this article, we shall discuss the best budget gaming PCs and laptops.
1. Dell G5 15 SE
The Dell G5 15 was released in the year 2020. Dell allows you to choose from a variety of available specifications for the laptop. The high-end laptops in the line-up come equipped with the AMD Ryzen R7 4800H processor and AMD Radeon RX 5600M graphics card.
For the base model, it comes equipped with an AMD Ryzen 5 4600H processor. The base model comes equipped with the same graphics card as the high-end models in the line-up. This high-performance graphics card also makes the Dell G5 15 a contender for the best laptop for graphic design.
However, when buying the Dell G5 15 for graphic design purposes, you should go for the 16GB RAM option. This is because the software used for graphics design is RAM intensive.
The Dell G5 15 offers two RAM options, that is, 8GB and 16GB. For storage, the laptop base model comes with 256GB, and the highest storage option is a 1TB SSD.
An advantage of the Dell G5 15 is the onboard ports that the laptop offers. The laptop has two USB 2.0 ports, an SD card slot, and a headphone jack on the right side.
On the left side, the laptop has a full-size HDMI 2.0 port, mini-DisplayPort, one USB 3.1 port, one Type-C port, and an ethernet connection port.
The base model of the laptop starts at $879.99, and the full-spec laptop costs $1,199.99. For the prices, the Dell G5 15 is an excellent option for gaming laptops that cost less than $1,000.
2. HP Pavilion
The HP pavilion gaming desktop has stood the test of time since the products’ first launch a couple of years ago. The line-up features a gaming rig that allows customization as per the user’s requirements.
An advantage of gaming PCs over gaming laptops is that PCs allow more customization for choosing the specifications required. The HP Pavilion offers just that. Customization from a low-end PC to a gaming beast that is future-proof.
The HP Pavilion comes preloaded with an AMD Ryzen 3 but also offers an AMD Ryzen 5 or an AMD Ryzen 7. For the graphics card, the PC offers a preloaded AMD RX 5500. However, the line-up also offers three other graphics card options. These options are:
- NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 Super
- NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 Super
- NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060
For primary storage, the line-up offers three storage choices, that is 256GB, 512GB, and a 1TB option.
The base model PC in the line-up costs $649.99, while the top-spec costs $1718.99.
3. MSI GF63
MSI laptops are well-known as good gaming laptops in terms of design and specifications. A common drawback of MSI laptops is the plastic chassis. That drawback applies to this model too.
However, looking beyond the plastic chassis, the top-end laptop in the line-up features an 8th Generation Intel i7 processor. For graphics, the laptop comes fitted with the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti.
The laptop uses two storage types to increase speed: a 256GB PCIe SSD and a 1TB hard drive for the top-end machine.
The laptop also offers low specifications that are a go-to option when working with a low budget. The lower-end specifications for the laptops are listed here.
The base model of the MSI GF63 line-up costs $699, while the top-spec version costs $1,250.
4. CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme
The CyberPowerPC has a 1080p gaming resolution, which is excellent to start with for a new PC player. In the 1080p category, the CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme is a contender for the Best PC for 1080p gaming.
The computer delivers a pristine 1080p gaming experience to the user through an 11th Generation Intel Core i5 processor. The processor is not a gaming powerhouse, but it is a good choice if you are on a budget.
For delivering crystal clear graphics in quick frame speed, the pc uses the AMD Radeon RX 6700XT graphics card.
The graphics card used in the pc is specialized for 1080p gaming. This means that it cannot offer 4k capabilities or be good at ray-tracing when gaming.
However, CyberPower PC also offers pc customizations that you can opt for to boost the computer to achieve high performance. The customizations available are detailed here.
Conclusion
While shopping for a gaming laptop, you will find some very cheap options. The reason why they are cheap is that they lack a dedicated graphics processing unit. While integrated graphics are a smooth option for performing day-to-day tasks, they are not recommended for gaming.
Therefore, when shopping for a gaming laptop or pc, be keen on the graphics card that comes with the device.
Another option that people go for when choosing gaming using PCs is building a gaming rig. This requires knowledge to ensure that you buy computer components that work together and are optimized for gaming.
If you lack the knowledge required for building a pc, you can refer to this guideline.
