You may be looking for one, but the truth is that the best cheap gaming laptop under $500 doesn't exist except on eBay, which is the only place $500 can get you a real laptop with a proper warranty from a year..
This article explains why used gaming laptops cost so little, and we'll walk you through the process of buying a gaming laptop that isn't complete junk.
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Like CPUs, graphics processors (or GPUs), the heart and soul of a gaming rig, aren't much faster either.
Game developers know better than anyone that computers aren't getting much faster. Check out free games, like Fortnite. The hardware required isn't just old, it's midrange 2012 graphics processor. Even AAA titles like Assassin's Creed Odyssey only need an old GTX 660 GPU.
But how do you know which laptop GPU can run a game?
Every two years, Nvidia releases a new graphics processor architecture and they give it a name. The last three big releases were as follows:
Maxwell (2014) :Maxwell represented a significant improvement in performance over the previous generation, Kepler. Maxwell saw around 20% better gaming performance, even though he used the same technology node. Maxwell processors have a seven, eight, or nine in front of their name.
Pascal (2016) :Pascal represented an unusually large leap in performance over Maxwell due to its denser 14nm technology node. Pascal processors have a 10 on the front of their name, like the Nvidia GTX 10 50.
Turing (2018) :For gaming purposes, Turing offers a small performance advantage. Turing processors have a 20 in front of their name, like the GTX. 20 60.
Of the three architectures, the best investment for eBay is Maxwell. Pascal and Turing are too new and expensive on the used markets. And Kepler, as of 2012, is starting to get less attention from developers.
Maxwell was specifically designed around performance per watt, an advantage for laptops. Its long-standing popularity also makes it less expensive on used markets like eBay.
In a mobile gaming computer, the most important part is the GPU. But sellers rarely list the graphics processor in the auction title, leading to used gaming laptops being sold for less than they're worth.
As mentioned above, eBay sellers rarely list the graphics processor. That means you'll have to look up that information yourself.
Maxwell GPUs are identified by an eight or nine at the front of their model number. For example, look at an earlier mid-range GPU, the GTX 950M:
The second number in a GPU model number indicates its power . For example, the GTX 950M is the same as the modern Nvidia MX150, which is today's entry-level gaming GPU. And that means the GTX 950M, or better, is what you need in a used laptop.
In case you want a beefier GPU, a mobile GTX 870M/970M is equivalent to a desktop-class Nvidia 1050Ti. And a GTX 880M / 980M falls between a 1050Ti and a GTX 1060.
Going back to the Maxwell GTX 950M, it plays modern games well enough. In benchmarks, it's equal to the MX150, which is today's entry-level gaming GPU for laptops. More or less, when you shop at used markets, the GTX 850M or 950M are good starting points for a cheap gaming laptop. Benchmarks show it performs well enough in most free-to-play games, without breaking the bank.
Fornite runs at over 30 frames per second (FPS) on an Nvidia GTX 850M with medium settings at 1080P. That's the minimum acceptable speed for most games:
For reference, the 950M is slightly better than the 850M. But they are almost comparable to each other. What you really need to pay attention to is anything with a higher level.
So even though the older cards aren't modern, they work like $600-800 laptops (for example, the Acer E15, one of our favorite laptops All Best Laptops Under $400 for Students All Best Laptops Under $400 for Students A budget laptop is more than enough for most people these days. But which one should you buy? Read More.
There are some downsides to buying a used laptop:First, older technology uses more power, requiring a heavier cooling solution and a larger (and heavier) battery.
Second, and this is a big one, Hardware is three or four years old. . Most components have a relatively long life, with two exceptions:the lithium-ion battery and the hard drive (Ways to use old hard drives 3 ways to breathe new life into an old hard drive 3 ways to breathe new life to an old hard drive In the human nature to collect things and in the digital age, we mainly collect data.For a long time, the storage capacities of hard drives seemed to increase too slowly to match the user... Read more) .
Third-party warranties cover HDDs, but do not cover laptop batteries . Still, if you buy a laptop with a hard drive, I recommend replacing it with a solid-state drive How to move Windows from hard drive to solid-state drive to improve performance How to move Windows from hard drive to solid-state drive hard drive to solid-state drive to improve performance An upgrade to the solid-state drive Really improves performance. But how can you pack a large Windows installation onto a small SSD? Windows users can comfortably migrate from HDD to SSD in no time. Read more (SSD). And while laptops don't need a working battery, most laptop replacement batteries cost very little.
While a warranty is not required, especially if you know how to work on a computer, it can give you peace of mind.
Third-party warranty companies used to not cover used electronics purchased on eBay. However, eBay and SquareTrade have teamed up and now offer special warranties on used electronics.
There are three basic steps to buying used on eBay.
Search the internet for phrases like “best gaming laptops of 2014” (2013 and 2015 work too). One of the best cheap laptops for the money is the Asus G750. But really, any good gaming laptop from this era works just fine.
If you don't like the G750, there are other examples of once-popular gaming laptops:
Because it was released between 2013 and 2014, the laptop comes with a Haswell quad-core CPU and anywhere from an Nvidia Maxwell GTX 860M to a 970M GPU (avoid 700-series GPUs). The average price used on eBay is around $400. But if you buy an $80 one-year warranty from SquareTrade, that translates to less than $500 for a gaming laptop that's significantly better than anything you can buy. buy new in that price range.
Now look for that model on eBay. For example, a search for the Asus G750 returns dozens of results.
Unfortunately, when people sell their laptops, they often don't describe the graphics processor in the laptop. And why don't they list the most important part of a cheap game of chance laptop, that means lower prices for you.
But don't buy it yet. You'll want to find what the G750 sold in the past, which will give you a good idea of what the Asus G750 sells for today.
After navigating to eBay.com and searching for “Asus G750”, in the left column, under Show Only , check the box for Completed Articles . These indicate what prices they are buying similar laptops at.
Once you have a rough price, choose any auction offered by a reputable seller (Our Top eBay Buying Tips 5 Critical eBay Online Shopping Tips You Need To Know) 5 Critical eBay Online Shopping Tips You Need To Know eBay is different from Amazon and other shopping sites. Here are the critical eBay buying tips you need to know to be successful. Read more) and buy it.
If you buy using Buy it now , You can also purchase a guarantee from SquareTrade. The guarantee has three important requirements. Pay close attention.
First, the laptop must be working at the time of purchase. Second, you have to use the Buy it now Option in the box. Which means you can't buy a laptop through a traditional high-bid auction. Third, The warranty does not cover the lithium-ion battery. . Fortunately, laptop batteries are usually very easy and inexpensive to replace. For example, a replacement G750 battery (with a substantial markup) costs very little.
If the laptop meets these requirements, you will see the following message after clicking the Buy Now button:
SquareTrade's warranty is way too expensive, especially for a $400 laptop. But if you're not comfortable doing your own laptop repairs How to Troubleshoot and Repair a Broken Laptop How to Troubleshoot and Repair a Broken Laptop Computers laptops tend to have a fairly short lifespan. They're out of date within weeks of release, notoriously difficult to update or repair, and by nature subject to gradual or fatal deterioration... Read More
Some people (not me) say that a “cheap gaming laptop” is an oxymoron or self-contradictory term. That's because new gaming laptops cost at least $600, and usually more. What those people forgot is the used market..
The best cheap gaming laptop is always used. .
The main disadvantages of buying old and used laptops are not serious. Buying used equipment means heavier laptops with increased wear and tear on components, and increased battery wear, but you solve these problems by buying a warranty.
For many light sports titles, like Fortnite, DOTA 2, or even games like Grand Theft Auto V, the hardware requirements are pretty minimal. Even an Nvidia GTX 750M plays these games believably, but go up a notch and you can even play AAA games.
Also, keep in mind that you can squeeze even more performance out of any laptop by using these tips to improve gaming performance on any laptop 10 ways to improve gaming performance on your laptop 10 ways to improve gaming performance gaming on your laptop Looking to improve gaming performance on your laptop? Here are 10 easy tips you can try right now to make sure your laptop has no trouble running the games you want to play. Read more !
