Are you looking for the best laptops under 300? And if you’re a gamer who likes to play MMO games and is looking for the best gaming laptops under $300, then you’re in luck as well. We’ve done the research for you so you can choose the right laptop for yourself!
We know that not everyone can afford a high-end gaming laptop that can run games at the highest settings. That’s why we dug into the latest options to see what there was in the budget category for those wanting a laptop for life, college, work or home AND that offered the option of being able to use it for some gaming.
We were surprised at all the options that we found! And if you can find a gaming laptop for under $300 that works well for your needs, why not choose it?
Before we begin, a few quick tips on what we are looking for in a budget gaming laptop:
- The more cores and the newer the processor, the more effectively and quickly it will run your programs.
- SSD, or solid state drive, is also preferable because as opposed to hard drive, the solid state drive contains all of your information in it, so when you start up your computer it won’t have to reopen all of the data that was previously open.
- Finally, the more RAM the better, as this is what is used to power programs and allows for solid performance. It’s like paying for shipping; the more you pay, the faster it gets there.
While these are all positives for a gaming laptop, the best option for you might not have all of these but can still fit and meet most of your needs. We hope this guide helps you find a an affordable laptop or gaming laptop to fit your needs!
Best Laptops Under 300 – 2017 Selections
Asus X553SA – Best Laptops Under 200
Asus is not well known for its entry-level laptops, but the Asus X553SA is a decent exception in this list. The Asus X553SA offers great performance on a tight budget, and you might like this laptop more than others on this list simply due to the value you get for the price you pay.
The Asus X553SA accompanies Intel Celeron dual-core processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD alongside Windows 10 and has an exceptionally decent 15.6″ display. It comes with a USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI port, along with SD card and LAN ports providing you a many features for a reasonable price.
The Asus X553SA has everything you could want for a gaming laptop under $300. It was also listed as one of Amazon’s bestselling gaming laptops under $300.
Based on user reviews and opinions:
PROS:
- Price point for all that you get
- Solid battery life for on the go use
- Has a number keypad
CONS:
- Some users found that the touchpad was not as good as on other computers
Acer Chromebook – Best Laptops Under 200
Since this is a list of the Best Gaming Laptops Under $300, so we had to include the Acer Chromebook CB3-131-C3SZ (which is well below our price point cut off).
This is also on our list of one of the Best Gaming Laptops Under $200 (yes, you read that right) that comes with an amazing lineup of features and is intended for both professional use and gaming. This laptop’s current OS works incredibly well and doesn’t require intense hardware to run productively, making this an outstanding buy amongst other laptops for gamers on a budget.
This is a relatively lightweight laptop and has the longest-lasting battery of all our cheap gaming laptop picks. Mainstream and easygoing games like “Cut the Rope” and “Spelunky” run without an issue, and, additionally, some present-day games on medium to low settings, so hardcore gamers can enjoy this laptop as well.
The Acer Chromebook CB3-131-C3SZ is a great, reasonable, portable gaming laptop at an affordable price.
Based on user reviews and opinions:
PROS:
- Keyboard feels full size
- Lightweight yet solid feel
- Good display
- Plug n Play
- Good battery life
CONS:
- Touchpad can glitch at times
Dell Inspiron i3452 – Best Laptops Under 200
The Dell Inspiron i3452 is a sure thing when it comes to good and affordable gaming laptops. Dell is a dependable producer and offers an exceptionally liberal guarantee on the off chance that your laptop has any issues.
The Dell Inspiron i3452 comes with an expansive SSD, this machine runs fast at cool temperatures, and can run significantly faster with a lightweight OS, the free and open-source Ubuntu OS. Numerous mainstream games have been ported to Ubuntu, including “FTL: Faster Than Light” and “The Binding of Isaac.”
The hardware on this laptop is somewhat obsolete, which is not out of the ordinary, yet its SSD is expandable, and the battery life is genuinely great. What’s more, this model is touchscreen, lightweight, and comes installed with Windows 10 and Office 365.
The professional and gaming abilities of the Dell Inspiron i3452, alongside its dependable development, make it one of the best gaming laptops under $300.
Based on user reviews and opinions:
PROS:
- Keyboard feels full size
- Lightweight yet solid feel
- Good display
- Plug n Play
- Good battery life
CONS:
- Touchpad can be tricky at times
Acer Aspire E 15 – Best Laptops Under 400
The Aspire E 15 Notebook provides some amazing performance that lets you watch movies, browse the Internet, view photographs and even play games.
Its smooth operation is ensured by an Intel Dual-Core Processor and 4GB of Memory. It must be noted that the I/O ports are placed on both sides. While the USB 3.0 port gives up to 10x quicker transfer speed than the USB 2.0, which is typically included in laptops of this price range. This laptop is surprisingly stylish and provides strong performance, which is a win for everyone.
With this Acer Aspire E 15 laptop’s configuration – Intel – 4 GB RAM – 1TB HDD, spending around $300 on a decent laptop has never been more worth it than with the Aspire E 15.
At our most recent price check, this machine wasn’t under $300 but was within the 300 dollar budget laptops pricing so we still feel it fits but did want to be clear on that point!
Based on user reviews and opinions:
PROS:
- Amazon #1 Best Seller
- Up to 12 hour battery life
- Able to upgrade components
- 1TB hard drive
CONS:
Dell Inspiron i5555 – Best Laptops Under 400
This laptop is priced somewhat higher than $300, but it’s worth it.
It has a Quad-Core AMD A8-7410 Processor and 6GB DDR3L RAM, which is more than enough to support a large variety of games.
For the display performance, you will get Radeon R5 graphics running on a 15.6-inch screen at a 1366 x 768 resolution. For ports, you have 2 USB 2.0 Ports and 1 USB 3.0, so you can transfer your documents at high speed. Additionally, you will get Windows 10 out of the box, making it ideal for all kinds of work environments and light MMO gaming.
Dell Inspiron I5555 Gaming – AMD – 6gb Ram – 500GB HDD as well as weighing only 5.4 pounds—ideal for when you want to play many MMO games.
Based on user reviews and opinions:
PROS:
- Startup and loading quickly
- Backlit screen
- 15.6 inch screen
CONS:
ASUS VivoBook X540SA – Best Laptops Under 300
The ASUS Vivobook X540SA is outstanding amongst the best gaming laptop contenders. This Windows OS laptop for home and office use comes with features that you generally wouldn’t find in such a cheap laptop.
It has a 15.6-Inch HD display powered by an Intel Quad Core Pentium N3700 Processor with up to 2.4 GHz speed. It has a 4 GB Internal RAM, which is not expandable, and 500GB HDD. On the off chance that you are interested in playing games over LAN, then you will likewise get a lot of use out the built-in high-speed wireless LAN. Other features include Integrated webcam, SD card reader, and built-in stereo speakers with SonicMaster tech that ensures the best sound quality at a low price.
It is lightweight and simple to carry wherever you need, making it the perfect choice for anyone who wants to do some light gaming while on the go. It has three USB ports, HDMI port, Headphone Jack input combo VGA Output, Intel HDS graphics with shared graphics memory, SuperMulti DVD/CD drive with Windows 10 pre-installed.
Based on user reviews and opinions:
PROS:
- SuperMulti DVD
- Backlit screen
- 15.6 inch screen
- Solid HD graphics
CONS:
- Does not have a backlit keyboard
- Need to install app to play dvds
HP 15-BA009DX 15.6-inch
While HP’s well-known Omen gaming laptop range starts at a price point of a thousand dollars, and goes up from there, the HP 15-BA009DX is a budget-friendly option for those easygoing gamers who like to enjoy the classics.
Thinking outside the box from the typical Intel Celeron or Pentium processors, the HP 15-BA009DX features an AMD Quad-Core A6-7310 processor, which offers marginally higher benchmark scores than the current common level Intel processors. This implies that rather than an Intel HD Graphics based GPU, you will get an AMD Radeon R4 GPU in light of the Beema engineering. While this won’t win any awards, it will enable you to play great titles, such as “Warcraft III,” “Age of Empires II,” and “Command and Conquer Generals.” You can also play more recent MMO games like “Counter Strike” and “World of Warcraft,” which are both still broadly played throughout the world.
While some cheap gaming laptops under $300 use small, 32GB SSD drives, the HP 15-BA009DX comes standard with a 500GB HDD. While this drive offers more storage, it will mean slower Windows boot times, slower file transfer and slower app launch times. There’s always a trade off isn’t there?
Based on user reviews and opinions:
PROS:
- Full chicklet keyboard
- Nice display
- 15.6 inch screen
- Great for students
CONS:
- Seems to need to update often even new
- Has “bloatware” that you’ll want to remove for best performance (easy to do)
Lenovo Ideapad 100 – Best Laptops Under 300
The Lenovo Ideapad 100 is an incredible choice for good laptops under 300, you get a great value for what you pay and get a laptop that’s great for both gaming and work.
With a 15-inch screen, it is very lightweight considering its price range and has the aesthetically appealing Lenovo design; some people like it, some find it excessively basic, but based on the selling price, it’s definitely worth buying. Running on Windows 10, it’s powered by a 2.2 GHz Intel Core i3 and 4GB of RAM, so it’s powerful enough for office work and watching movies.
It also comes with a 500GB hard drive and that’ll be more than sufficient for general use and for a fee, you can upgrade to a 1TB if you feel the need.
Based on user reviews and comments:
PROS:
- 500GB Hard drive, can upgrade to 1TB
- Nice display
- 15.6 inch screen
- Great for students
CONS:
- Speakers
- Power button location difficult
HP 15-AF131DX – Best Laptops Under 300
AMD is known for providing high graphics capabilities at a reasonable price, and the HP 15-AF131DX is no exception. With a higher than average RAM that can be upgraded, an extensive screen, and plentiful storage room, this is one of the best gaming laptops under $300 for games like “League of Legends” and “Minecraft.”
Some other well-designed features that make this one of our favorite picks for the best laptop under $300 are its optical drive—an irregularity among current laptops—and its battery, gloating over others with a near five-hour lifespan amid easygoing use and a few hours of gaming. What’s more, it has a lot of RAM at this price range, and also a numeric keypad.
The HP 15-AF131DX is a solid budget gaming laptop fit for some high-end functions with amazing features to boot!
Based on user reviews and comments:
PROS:
- 500GB Hard drive, can upgrade to 1TB
- Easy to use out of the box
- 15.6 inch screen
- Great for students
CONS:
- Can “run hot” so keep vents clear
- Has “bloatware” that you’ll want to remove for best performance (easy to do)
HP Pavilion 15 – Best Laptops Under 300
Also one of best HP budget gaming laptops under $300 for 2017, this notebook truly has a great design and cool shading with extremely decent performance particularly the CPU processor.
For the performance this laptop has AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 Processor with 2.0GHz, the quad-core processor will give you a chance to play games with higher performance. It runs with 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive with 5400 RPM speed.
You Might Also Like: Dell vs. HP Laptops – Who Has the Best?
It has HD BrightView WLED-backlit display and a 15.6-inch screen with 1366×768 resolution. Additionally, the shading alignment is nice and the general design is fantastic. If you’re looking for gaming laptops under 300 then HP Pavilion 15 is definitely worth checking out!
Based on user reviews and comments:
PROS:
- Stays cool
- Long power cord
- 15.6 inch screen
- Large keyboard
CONS:
- Slow booting up
We know that serious gamers can spend thousands on some laptops or desktop configurations and even build custom computers to use. However, for light gaming, older games and reasonable use, there are laptops that can fit your college laptop or working life needs and that won’t break the bank! Choosing one of these options is definitely worth considering. Our Best Laptops Under 300 for gamers and non-gamers is sure to have something that will meet your needs and your budget. Take a few minutes and find which ones you like best and let us know in the comments!