Gaming laptops don’t come cheap. In fact, some fancy models may cost you upwards of $4,000. But do you always have to break the bank to get yourself a good machine that can get the job done? As it turns out, you don’t have to. With a growing list of cheap gaming laptops under $300, you can always enjoy computer games even if you’re a budget-conscious gamer. Let’s take a closer look at some worthwhile options available at your disposal.
Contents
| Laptop Model | Weight | Storage | Screen Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fenniu Ultra-Thin | 3.9 lbs | 512 GB | 14 inches | |
| Acer Chromebook R 11 | 2.76 lbs | 32 GB | 11.6 inches | |
| Lenovo Ideapad 130S | 2.98 lbs | 64 GB | 11.6 inches | |
| Asus Chromebook | 2.65 lbs | 16 GB | 11.6 inches | |
| Acer Chromebook 11 | 2.43 lbs | 16 GB | 11.6 inches | |
| Fusion 5 Ultra-Light | 3.7 lbs | 64 GB | 14.1 inches |
1. Fenniu Ultra-Thin Windows 10 Laptop
Powered by a powerful N3450 processor, the Fenniu laptop is designed to cope with complex tasks including gaming. Its body is toughly built to withstand long hours of use and its graphics system is powerful enough to deliver a seamless gaming experience.
Above all, this notebook laptop is pretty light in weight and measures 13.7mm in thickness. This makes it highly portable and convenient to handle for long hours. But perhaps one thing that makes the Fenniu a wonderful choice for gaming is that it has a high-performance display. Indeed, it offers you a spacious 14-inch screen complete with a 1920*1080 Full HD screen which is easy-on-the-eye.
If you’ve been gaming for long enough, chances are that you already know that batteries can be a serious issue. Would you like to get interrupted in the middle of a highly engaging game by that nagging “Low Battery” reminder? Certainly not.
The good thing with this reputed laptop from Fenniu is that it comes with a 5000mAh Li-ion battery. This is a built-in battery that’s so powerful to an extent that you can use it to stream movies for up to 8 hours without the need for a recharge. How cool is that?
Most importantly, this feature-rich laptop comes with an expandable storage. All you would need to do is put an external SSD through the expansion slot. This slot can support up to 512 GB of extra storage space.
Pros
- Light in weight and easily portable
- High-end exterior finish
- Has an expandable storage space
- Relatively powerful processor
- Powerful built-in speaker with awesome sound output
- Long battery life
Cons
- The speakers could have been louder (although they’re still sufficient)
2. Acer Chromebook R 11 CB5-132T-C1LK
Who said you have to settle for a below-par laptop just because you’re on a limited budget? The Acer R11 Chromebook comes with a Chromebook OS which is a product of Google. This is quite an advanced operating system as it comes with a built-in antivirus as well. Needless to say, Google is one of the most respected brands in this field and that’s why we’d confidently throw our weight behind this OS.
Moving on, this 2-in-1 laptop comes with a highly powerful battery which is capable of keeping the machine working for 10 continuous hours. Its processor is optimized for speed as well – Intel Celeron N3150. And to make the deal even sweeter, this Chromebook contains Intel Burst Technology which allows you to experience processors speeds of up to 2.08GHz. To top it all up, you get an 11.6-inch high definition touchscreen display and a built-in memory of 100GB on Google Drive.
A big plus with Chromebooks is that they offer a wide access to a rich library of games, magazines, books, TVs and even movies through Google Play Store. In other words, once you get yourself a piece of the Acer Chromebook R11, you’ll never need to worry about where to find the latest games.
It’s also worth noting that this is a 2-in-1 laptop as well. That essentially means you can conveniently convert it from a laptop to a tablet. Its hinges are capable of turning to offer a 360-degree experience.
Pros
- Light in weight
- Stylish design
- Fantastic battery life
- Excellent processor speed
- Comes with a built-in antivirus system
- Easy access to Google Play Store games and apps
- 2-in-1 functionality
- Features MIMO 802.11ac for seamless wireless connectivity
Cons
- You need to update its OS immediately you turn it on for the first time
- The click on the touchpad feels kind of cheap
3. Lenovo Ideapad 130S
Although this laptop offers a paltry 6-hours’ worth of battery life, it stands out as a powerful machine that one can use to kick-start their gaming passion. First, it comes with a well-lit, powerful and HD-quality TouchScreen LED display. This is just as large as you’d like in order to explore your favorite games in a high-quality display. On top of that, this flip-and-fold laptop from Lenovo boasts an Intel HD 500 Graphics card.
That’s pretty much all you’ll ever need to download and access games with heavy graphics. Yet although this laptop may not be a match for the high-end, over $3,000 laptops that are specifically designed for gaming, it certainly can see you off the blocks.
Its processor is particularly quite powerful. It’s an Intel Celeron N4000 dual-core processor which is designed to deliver more, all thanks to its Turbo boost – capable of boosting it from 1.1GHz to 2.4GHz.
Just to make sure you don’t end up with the laptop hanging in the middle of a game, this offers an above-average 2GB DDR3L RAM. As for storage, you get a respectable 64GB. That’s just enough to get you an HD game or two safely installed.
Another plus with this machine is that it has a well-thought-out keyboard which is not only good looking but also pretty powerful. Above all, the IdeaPad is generally light in weight and, therefore, easy to handle for long hours as you enjoy your favorite games.
Pros
- Highly clear and powerful screen
- Small, light-in-weight and highly portable
- Has an above-average battery life
- Relatively fast dual-core processor
- Convenient flip and fold design for a better handling experience
- Has a Bluetooth interface capable of syncing with other compatible devices
- High-quality USB 3.0 port for access to the latest devices
- Comes with an HDMI output which enhances your viewing options
Cons
- A 6-hour battery life may prove insufficient for serious gaming
- Its flip-and-fold design makes it delicate to handle
4. Asus Chromebook 11.6 Inch Ruggedized C202SA-YS02
If you’re going to invest in a budget-friendly gaming laptop then it’d make sense to go for one that’s designed for rugged use. Indeed, the ASUS Chromebook C202SA-YS02 stands out with its rugged design. For instance, it comes with a spill-resistant keyboard, easy-to-handle grips, and rubber guards. That’s the kind of protection you want to bank on especially when preparing to put a laptop under many months of torturous use.
Its rugged design might, however, make you mistake it for yet another bulky laptop. That’s, however, not the case as it weighs a paltry 2.65 pounds. Yet as the manufacturer claims, this laptop can survive even if it was to be dropped for 3.9 feet.
From its description, this ASUS Chromebook sounds like something you’d want to buy for your teenage son or daughter. Its design is optimized for taking it and using it anywhere without disruption.
Having a powerful and solid body is one thing – but you’ll ultimately need to invest in the best graphics and processor to enjoy gaming. In that regard, the ASUS Chromebook is powered by an Intel Celeron N3060 processor which is ideal for a snappy performance. Its RAM is quite huge as well – it offers a generous 4GB DDR3 RAM.
On top of that, this machine’s 11.6-inch screen supplies a whopping 1366×768 worth of HD display which is packaged under an anti-glare display. That’s in addition to a 180-degree hinge which is pretty easy-to-handle.
Above all, this under 300 gaming laptop runs on Google’s Chromebook operating system which is optimized for speed and security.
Pros
- Highly-advanced and reliable operating system
- Designed to withstand rugged use
- Spill-resistant keyboard
- Battery with 10-hour non-stop life
- Designed for optimal usage
- Light in weight and easy-to-handle for long hours
- Great readability under the glare of sunlight
Cons
- May not handle highly sophisticated games
- Slightly heavier than other Chromebooks of its price-range
5. Acer Chromebook 11-inch With Celeron N3060
As one of the lowest priced Chromebook’s on the market today, the Acer Chromebook 11 brings with it pretty much everything you may need to survive and thrive. First off, it boasts a powerful battery which can provide you with at least 10 hours of battery life. Of course, that’s a big plus for anyone looking for an optimal gaming experience. Moreover, the fact that this unit runs on Google’s Chrome OS means that it demands less power to operate. Why so? Because Google has devised well-thought-out strategies to unclog their OS so it delivers an incredible gaming experience without draining the battery.
As you know, the quality of sound is one of the important requirements of a good gaming experience. In that regard, the Chrome 11 from Acer comes with two built-in speakers which deliver high-quality sound.
Besides the sound, the machine presents you with an 11.6-inch widescreen ComfyView screen which is also LED lit for an excellent view even under the direct glare of the sunlight. And for an uninterrupted gaming experience, this machine packs a 4GB DDR3L RAM. On the flipside, though, it only offers 16GB worth of internal storage which may be quite limited for average computer users.
Yet another interesting feature of this machine is that it comes with 2 USB ports namely USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports. These two ports ensure that you can always access any content stored in the latest USB devices.
So, with a fantastic battery life, reliable screen, built-in speakers and multiple USB ports, the Chromebook 11 stands out as a leader in the world of cheap and affordable gaming.
Pros
- Fast processing speeds
- Excellent screen with an anti-glare display
- Superb performance and ideal for multitasking
- A powerful battery which runs for literally all day long
- This machine is generally light-in-weight
- Ideal for high dynamic range (HDR) imaging for clearer shots
Cons
- Some users have raised concerns that it’s not as user-friendly as other laptops of its caliber
6. Fusion 5 Ultra-Light Windows 10 with Intel Quad-Core
Summing up our list of budget-friendly laptops that go for $300 or less is this one from Fusion 5. To begin with, it comes a fantastic 13.3 inch full HD display screen which is pretty much all you need to run most games. On top of that, it presents you with an Intel quad-core processor which does a stunning job of handling high-resolution files.
In a nutshell, the Fusion 5’s screen provides high definition display which is capable of handling 1080p videos. The only video quality that can beat 1080p is 4K and you don’t really need that for most games. That’s to say, that this is probably one of the best laptop computers you can find for a price-tag that’s well under $200.
The machine comes with a built-in memory of 32GB but this, unlike other units reviewed so far, can be expanded to 256GBs. What’s more? You can always slot in an HDD with up to 1 Terabyte’s worth of storage capacity. So, first off, we can all agree that as far as internal storage is concerned, this laptop has a pretty decent package for you.
Shifting our focus to connectivity, the T95 offers two ports, namely USB3.0 and USB2.0. These two ports come in handy when you need to connect an external DVD drive. And for an uninterrupted gaming experience, this machine comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack which allows you to play with your headphones on. The reason we think this is such a huge deal is that the Fusion 5’s built-in speakers are not as powerful. So, the reliable headphone jack helps make up for that.
To crown it all up, this laptop is quite light in weight and flexible. In fact, you can stretch it for up to 170 degrees to an extent that it becomes flat – if need be.
Pros
- Highly user-friendly laptop
- Incredible connectivity
- Expandable internal storage
- Highly portable and flexible to handle
- Above-average RAM of 2GB capacity
- Full HD display for a high-resolution viewing experience
Cons
- Its built-in speakers are pretty weak
- Delicate body, design, and hinges
Final Words
Overall, the Fenniu Ultra-Thin Windows 10 Laptop stands out as an ideal value-pack for anyone on a tight budget. It offers an incredible blend of features and an above-average battery. The second runner’s up position goes to Acer Chromebook R 11 CB5-132T-C1LK which is equally powerful although its housing is quite delicate.
So, there you have it – a detailed review of cheap laptops under 300. All you need to do is weigh your options, take a close look at the pros and cons and then make a final, and informed decision. All the best and happy gaming!
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