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The 6 best gaming laptop deals: Get a new rig for as low as $599

Gaming laptops are a guaranteed way to get your hands on the best graphics cards out there, and now, you can take advantage of some truly awesome deals from Best Buy and others to get a new gaming laptop without breaking the bank.
charlie-osborne
taylor-clemons
Reviewed by Elyse Betters Picaro

Between chip shortages and the crypto mining craze, buying a pre-built gaming laptop is about the only way you're going to get your hands on a new GPU, especially if you want the latest options from vendors including Nvidia. 

Gaming laptops tend to be on the pricey side as they demand top graphics cards -- often containing one or two -- processors, strong connectivity features, and high-quality displays. Together, the cost of these components packaged up in a laptop's chassis means that consumers often feel the sting. 

However, you don't always need to pay the typical retail price for a portable gaming rig. If you know where to look, you can uncover hidden gems worth purchasing. 

Fortunately, we've combed the internet to find some of the best bundles and deepest discounts on top brands like Alienware, MSI, and ASUS. We not only tell you how much you can save, but what you can expect from each model so you can find the right gaming laptop for your play style.

Alienware x15 gaming laptop
Dell
  • Current Price: $1,529
  • Original Price: $2,749

Saving over a thousand on the Alienware x15 gaming laptop at Dell is an unreal deal. It's equipped with an Intel Core i7-11800H processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU. The 15.6-inch screen produces 1440p resolution as well as a 240Hz refresh rate and 2ms response time; it also works with G-Sync to prevent screen tearing. Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C ports let you quickly transfer files, charge devices, and even connect external displays for when you need to multitask. It has a commendable 6-hour battery life, so you may want to keep your charging cable handy if you plan on any marathon sessions.

We saw this drop by $800 and have been keeping our eyes on this model for a while because it's such a great option, so we're excited to see it drop even further to the lowest price we've seen. If you're on the fence, Dell offers no interest financing.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus 15.6-inch laptop
Best Buy
  • Current Price: $1479
  • Original Price: $1,849

This high-powered gaming laptop is built with an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS processor, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU. The 15.6-inch screen gives you 1440p resolution and is capable of producing up to 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut for ultra lifelike images. 

The six integrated speakers work with Dolby Atmos for 3D surround sound without a headset, and the fingerprint reader protects your games and laptop from unauthorized access and logins. On a full charge, you'll be able to get around eight hours of use out of your laptop, which is perfect for those intense raids that take all night.

Lenovo Legion 5
Walmart
  • Current Price: $599
  • Original Price: $799

Together with its discount, this Lenovo Legion 5 gaming laptop is an affordable device able to handle the demands of modern games. The laptop is equipped with a large 17.3" Full HD display (60Hz refresh rate), an AMD Ryzen 5 processor, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Graphics, 8GB RAM, and 256GB SSD storage. Granted, the RAM isn't necessarily as high as you may like, but this could always be upgraded over time. 

18
MSI
  • Current Price: $1199.99
  • Original Price: $1599.99

Another sale of note involves the MSI Delta gaming laptop. This product, available with a $400 discount, sports a 15.6" Full HD 1920 x 1080 display (240Hz refresh rate), an AMD Ryzen 7 5000 processor, and AMD Radeon RX 6700M Graphics, 16GB RAM, and 1TB SSD storage.

10
Razer
  • Current Price: $2299.99
  • Original Price: $2799.99

Razer is well-known as a manufacturer of gaming-ready hardware, and the Razer Blade 14 is no exception. Currently on sale with a $500 discount -- although, admittedly, still one of the most expensive options on the market -- the Blade 14 is an option for ardent or professional gamers. 

The Razer Blade 14 comes with a 14" QHD 2560 x 1440 display (65Hz refresh rate), an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Graphics, 8GB RAM, 1TB SSD storage, FreeSync Premium, GPU Boost and Boost Clock, as well as VR-ready features. 

19
HP
  • Current Price: $1049
  • Original Price: $1,249

The HP gaming laptop is already a fairly budget-friendly option, but right now, you can pick one up for under $1,000. It features an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU, 16GB of RAM, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, and a 512GB SSD. The 15.6-inch screen packs 250 nits brightness built-in, an anti-glare coating for better visibility, and FHD resolution.

This is the lowest price we've seen on this gaming laptop.

How did we choose these products?

When deciding on the best gaming laptop deals, we considered a range of specifications and budget levels. While every gamer would, no doubt, love to have the newest and most powerful machines on offer, chip shortages can impact stock -- and affordability can be a deciding factor. 

What defines a gaming laptop?

Gaming laptops are designed to run power-hungry applications. These include gaming streaming services, dedicated platforms including Steam, and individual games loaded onto a PC. 

A gaming laptop's specifications focus on several things: a high-power display, dedicated graphics cards, quality processors, and they may also have keyboards and other peripherals included that are designed with gaming functionality in mind. 

What specifications are the most important in a gaming laptop?

The first consideration is whether or not a laptop has the right specs to run your software. Many games will come with a recommended specifications list on PCs, and out of these, the processor, RAM (memory), and graphics cards are the most important.  

What else do I need when I buy a gaming laptop?

You might want to consider purchasing a gaming mouse, as they can be programmed to perform specific actions based on your clicks and can make gaming a more enjoyable experience -- or, as is the case for speedruns, make those important actions as fast as possible. 

You may also want to investigate comfortable gaming headsets for a more immersive experience. 

Are there any alternatives worth considering?

Laptops suitable for gaming come out every year, ranging from those geared toward professional gamers to safe options for children. Deals on gaming laptops are constantly changing, and so aside from our top picks above, you should consider checking out our other finds below:

Interested in more tech deals and reviews? Subscribe to the ZDNet Recommends newsletter and let our expert reviewers scour the internet for only the top products, services, and deals for you.

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