9 Best laptops for casual gaming in 2023 [Expert picks]

Looking for the best laptop for casual gaming? Say no more, in this article we’re going to be talking about the nine best gaming laptops on the market. Whether your criteria include affordability, a sleek look, or heavy gaming, you’ll find at least one laptop on our list that’s bound to fulfill all your requirements!

To help you further, there will also be the ultimate buyer’s guide to gaming laptops along with a FAQ section to clear up any confusion you may have had.

Excited? Let’s get right down to it.

Minimum & Recommended System Requirements for a casual gaming laptop

	Minimum System Requirements	Recommended System Requirements
Operating System	Windows 10	Windows 11
CPU	Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 3	Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7
GPU	AMD Radeon or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
RAM	4GB	16GB
Storage	128GB SSD	512GBSSD
Display	15.6 inches full HD (1920 x 1080)	17 inches full HD (1920 x 1080)
Battery	Up to 3 hours	Up to 6 hours

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites:

9 Best laptops for casual gaming  in 2023 

1. Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop – Best budget gaming laptop

If you’re looking for a laptop that you not only plan to do casual gaming on but also use for other purposes – then the Acer Aspire 5 will meet your criteria the best. The sleek-looking laptop also happens to be Amazon’s choice, and we think the title only does justice to it.

To start with, the laptop boasts a dual-core AMD Ryzen 3 processor along with 4 GB of RAM. It might not sound like much, but the specifications are more than enough for CPU-intensive tasks like multitasking or light gaming. It also packs an AMD Radeon Vega 3 GPU which will run most games with low to medium settings at 30 FPS just fine.

The other nice parts of the laptop include an SSD storage and a full HD screen, both contributing to the amazing user experience Acer Aspire 5 offers. Last but not least, the battery backup is satisfactory and the weight won’t make your back hurt either.

All in all, the Acer Aspire 5 maintains the perfect balance between a reliable workstation and a casual gaming machine. If you don’t picture yourself doing heavy gaming on the laptop, feel free to go with this one – it won’t disappoint you.

Why you should buy it: The Acer Aspire 5 may have the price tag of a typical budget laptop, but the performance is totally unlike the other laptops in the segment. With the solid performance of the AMD CPU-GPU combination and the SSD storage the laptop offers, it’s a solid 10 out of 10 for occasional gaming and work.

2. Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop – Best gaming laptop

As the red theme and the rugged black chassis hint, the Acer Nitro 5 looks like a beast and is a beast. When you open the cover, the 144Hz screen will be the first thing to greet you which is totally a delight for gaming.

Once you pop the hood, you’ll find the performance to soar thanks to the quad-core Intel Core i5 processor which can clock up to 4.5 GHz! That, combined with the powerful RTX 3050 GPU will run most AAA games without breaking a sweat.

What’s more, the mid-range gaming laptop is also perfect for graphic design and video editing jobs, although in which case you might want to swap the storage with a bigger one.

To top it all off, the battery life of the laptop is great as long as you keep in mind that it is a gaming laptop. Understandably, the laptop lasts around 1-2 hours while gaming but if you’re just browsing the internet or doing something casual, the battery will easily last you around 7 hours.

To conclude, the Acer Nitro 5 is a steal for its price considering the magnificent performance it offers. Not only the laptop is snappy, but it also boasts some other decent features like a full-sized gamers-optimized backlit keyboard, a wide range of ports, and lastly, the 6th generation of WIFI for maximum wireless connectivity.

Why you should buy it: If you’re looking for an inexpensive RTX-powered gaming laptop for yourself or your kids, this laptop is worth checking out. Acer Nitro 5 won’t break the bank, but it is sure to wow you with its amazing performance and high durability.

3. Acer Predator Helios 300 – Best Laptop for Heavy Gaming

Acer is very popular for making sleek-looking family and business laptops, there’s no doubt about that. But can they also live up to the expectation for something like Predator Helios 300, which is a full-fledged gaming machine? Let’s check that out.

The Acer Predator Helios 300 series has been on the worldwide best-selling charts for the last few years, which proves its demand among consumers. The reason behind that is its specifications, which begin with the octa-core Intel i7 11th generation processor. And when we take the RTX 3060 into account along with the 16 GB RAM – it’s simply a beast for gaming.

The aggressive-looking laptop also offers a 144Hz display with a 3 milliseconds refreshes rate that results in a surreal experience in gaming. Last but not least, it also has the typical bells and whistles of a gaming rig like an RGB keyboard, a sturdy design, and a high-speed WiFi 6 connectivity.

Overall, the Acer Predator Helios 300 is an allrounder that can wear multiple hats – whether that be heavy gaming or video editing, or graphic designing. And the best part is, all those advantages come at a price that is very hard to beat.

Why you should buy it: If you’re looking for a laptop to play heavy games or do other GPU-intensive stuff and having good battery backup is also a criterion for you, we would strongly recommend Acer Predator Helios 300 for your purpose. Given the credibility of Acer and its killer price for the specifications – you can’t really go wrong with it.

4. Lenovo Legion 5 Gaming Laptop – Our Pick

The Lenovo Legion 5 is a great AMD-powered affordable gaming laptop where the manufacturer left out all the gimmicks and only focused on one thing: whether it can game or not. And the answer is yes, it very well can.

As a matter of fact, the AMD Ryzen 7 processor and the RTX 3050 Ti will run most of the AAA titles smoothly. And since it is also packed with a whopping 16 GB of RAM and SSD storage, the performance is absolutely on point. It also has a full HD IPS display with crisp colors.

Frankly speaking, the laptop is incredibly powerful for its price and the cherry on top is, that it has enough room for upgrades as well! The design may not scream “gaming laptop” but don’t let that fool you, the aluminum body feels very rigid and packs a solid build quality. According to users, the laptop can run Hitman 2 at 61 FPS and Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 68 FPS, so it’s pretty good for mid to high-level gaming.

In a nutshell, the Legion 5 is a terrific gaming laptop from Lenovo. If you want the gaming capability of a TUF series product but the longevity and reliability of Lenovo, this will be the right fit for you.

Why you should buy it: Lenovo Legion 5 may not look like a gaming laptop, but it packs a decent amount of gaming power under the hood. We highly suggest this for gamers looking for a value-for-money laptop to do casual or even heavy gaming on. The CPU, GPU, and rest of the hardware are what make it the best laptop for casual gaming in our opinion.

5. ASUS TUF F15 Gaming Laptop – best affordable gaming laptop

The ASUS TUF product line is well known to consist of economical gaming laptops that don’t compromise on performance, and the TUF Gaming F15 is no different either. It may not have the bells and whistles of a regular gaming laptop like fancy RGB lights or a mechanical keyboard – but if performance is your only concern, this laptop will surely wow you. The gaming laptop comes with a quad-core Intel Core i5 heart and a GeForce GTX 1650 GPU which were a pleasant surprise to us.

Why? Well, given the price, we didn’t really expect it to have such powerful hardware. On top of that, it also packs 8 GB of RAM and SSD storage, both of which are upgradeable.

Although ASUS TUF Gaming F15 can look somewhat humble with its specifications, it can easily rival the pricier ROG series with just a few upgrades. According to users, the laptop can run games like Call of Duty: Cold War and Fortnite without breaking a sweat. And if you’re into more GPU-hungry games like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla or Forza Horizon 4, the laptop can run them smoothly as well.

In a nutshell, this is a great budget gaming laptop for those who are looking for an entry-level gaming laptop.

Why you should buy it: ASUS TUF Gaming F15 is undoubtedly the best budget gaming laptop of 2022 that will run modern games smoothly with ease. If you don’t want to spend a fortune on gaming, this would be the right fit for you.

6. 2022 NEW ASUS TUF – High-Performance Gaming laptop

The Asus TUF F17 gaming laptop offers an attractive performance along with an impressive set of specifications at an inexpensive price. Although it’s a laptop at its core, the snappiness of the performance makes it more like a gaming desktop computer, thanks to the quad-core Intel Core i5 processor and the RTX 3050 Ti GPU.

The CPU-GPU combo makes gaming absolutely astounding for users with the help of the 8 GB RAM and SSD storage. Although it’s a mid-range gaming laptop, it can easily compete with the higher-end ones in terms of user experience and gaming capability especially when you upgrade it a bit.

To talk about other aspects of the laptop, there is a huge 17-inch screen with a high refresh rate so even if you play FPS games where responsiveness is everything, Asus TUF F17 has got your back.

According to users, the laptop runs games like Metro Exodus and Elder Scrolls online smoothly. However, you might need o use a lower setting with AAA titles.

Why you should buy it: Asus TUF F17 is a good gaming laptop whose highlight is the huge screen with fantastic colors. If you’re searching for a laptop that’ll truly replace your desktop PC for casual gaming, this one is a worthy contender.

7. MSI Stealth 15M Gaming Laptop – Best laptop for work and gaming

Although we’re discussing laptop models for casual gaming in this article, don’t let that make you think MSI Stealth 15M is only good for that. Frankly speaking, the laptop is capable of much more. First off, it comes with an Intel Core i7 processor which is top of the line with its 12 MB cache and a base clock speed of 3.3 GHz.

After that, you’ll notice the NVidia RTX 3000 series beast serving the role of the GPU that will allow you to do any heavy-duty GPU-intensive stuff, be that gaming or video editing. It’s safe to say that you can play the latest games in a 1080p setting, where you should expect to get a framerate of 30 FPS at least.

The display might be only 15.6 inches in size, but the ultrahigh refresh rate will truly make your gaming experience surreal.

To wrap things up, the MSI Stealth 15M may not share the aesthetics of a gaming laptop but make no mistake, it’s a pure beast inside. If you’re looking for a gaming laptop with a snappy performance but a low-profile look, this will be a terrific choice. 

Why you should buy it: This model from the globally renowned brand MSI is a very appealing option for those who are looking for a light, portable gaming machine with a splendid performance. The Intel Core i7 can handle CPU-intensive software with ease, while the GeForce RTX 3060 GPU ensures that the laptop won’t lag even under heavy pressure.

8. Lenovo IdeaPad 3 Laptop – Best laptop for light gaming

Shopping for a gaming laptop with a tight budget almost always means you have to cut corners. However, what you don’t want to sacrifice is, of course, the processor and the GPU. Luckily, The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 has both a decent CPU and GPU, and surprisingly, guess what, you don’t even have to cut any corners with it!

Allow us to explain. The laptop is the perfect tool for casual gaming due to its CPU-GPU combo, but that’s not where the good part ends. It also has a full HD display, a rigid body, and lastly, a comfortable keyboard which is a must for gamers.

Back to the performance, the AMD Ryzen 5 processor has a base clock speed of 2.1 GHz which is sufficient for light gaming. Since it also packs an SSD storage and 8 gigs of RAM, chances are pretty low the laptop will be lagging either. The best part is, that you can even upgrade the RAM to make it more powerful.

Overall, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is a knockout for its price that offers excellent performance as long as you’re not doing any heavy-duty work or gaming on it.

Why you should buy it: Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is highly sought-after by users which is evident by the “Amazon’s Choice” label it carries, which entirely has to do with its unmatched performance. If you want to get a reliable laptop from a trusted brand, this would be your best bet.

9. Acer Swift X – Best Laptop for Casual Gaming

The Acer Swift X might look like a regular laptop, but don’t let the design fool you. If you want a laptop that has the right balance between performance and portability, this sneaky gaming laptop will be a strong contender.

Let’s take a look at what’s inside first. The laptop comes with a powerful AMD Ryzen 7 processor that has a base clock speed of 3.7 GHz and a maximum boost speed of 4.3 GHz, and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 TI GPU is simply the cherry on top.

It may also be noted that since all AMD processors are overclock-ready, you can also squeeze more performance out of it if you want to. The laptop can easily handle most, if not all, mid-tier games without making a fuss. Additionally, you can also use this laptop for content creation or basic office chores.

Although the laptop offers a head-turning performance, it is also pretty power-efficient and boasts a decent battery backup. So you can take your gaming or work anywhere with you, as well.

Overall, Acer Swift X would be a great pick if having a strong GPU is a must for you. However, the laptop did have to sacrifice in some areas like the display size and the build quality which you should take into account before making the final decision. That being said, the performance easily outpaces other ultraportables in the segments so if you ask us, the sacrifices might be worth it.

Why you should buy it: If you’re looking for a laptop for both casual gaming and content creation, the Acer Swift X will be a terrific choice. Along with the powerful processor and graphics card, the laptop boasts good portability and battery life too allowing you to use it on the go.

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How to Pick the Best Laptop for Casual Gaming: The Ultimate Buyer’s Guide

Firstly, check the processor

Since the processor plays a major role in the processing power of a computer, it is crucial to go for a powerful one in order to get a smooth gaming experience. We strongly recommend getting at least a quad-core processor for gaming to ensure it won’t bottleneck the other components.

 And if your budget allows, you should also look into octa-core processors to get the most performance out of your system. If you like Intel processors, the Intel Core i7 is a very good CPU for gaming. As for the AMD fans, do check out AMD Ryzen 7 – it’s truly the worthy contender for i7.

Lastly, you might find so-called gaming laptops with older processors (in terms of generations) at a more economical price. Steer clear of them, generations matter a lot for processors. If it’s only one generation old, you can go for it if you have a tight budget. But anything older than that and your laptop will get outdated way faster.

Then comes the GPU

Since games are GPU-intensive by nature, there’s no doubt about the graphics card’s importance in gaming. For starters, check if the laptop has a dedicated GPU. If it only has an integrated graphics card, you might not be able to play the newer games on it.

Both NVIDIA and AMD make solid graphics cards so they’re a reliable choice for GPU. If you’re planning on doing heavy gaming, the GeForce RTX series will suit your purposes quite well. For casual gaming, any lower-end or mid-tier graphics card would suffice – or even integrated graphics in some cases.

Is the RAM enough?

For gaming, we suggest having at least 4-8 GB RAM at your disposal. However, the more RAM your budget allows, the better. That’s because not only do games run better with more RAM, but you can also do more multitasking if you have a higher amount of system memory available.

Most gaming laptops’ RAM can be upgraded, check with the manufacturer to know about that. Speaking of upgrades…

How much can you upgrade it?

While regular laptops seldom come with enough room for upgrades, gaming laptops are generally designed to be easily upgradable by the user. You may not be able to upgrade the major components like the CPU or the GPU, but RAM and storage can be upgraded pretty easily.

To conclude, do check how much upgradability your desired model offers as well. So, even if it doesn’t come with enough RAM or storage from the factory – check if you can upgrade it yourself down the road. Not to mention, this is a great way to turn an inexpensive laptop into a head-turner as well.

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FAQ on Best Laptop for Casual Gaming

Conclusion

Trying to pick the best laptop for casual gaming among the plethora of options in the market may seem like a daunting task. We will be more than happy if this article has made the job a little easier for you.

Whichever laptop you go for, make sure that it packs a good enough CPU and GPU for gaming. User reviews can also be of great help to check people’s experience with the particular model. You should also consider the warranty and guarantee policies along with specifications – in case something goes wrong with the laptop.

And if you’re still confused, go with our pick – Lenovo Legion 5 Gaming Laptop – and you won’t regret it.