Buying Guides

Today I’m bringing a different type of content based on some recommendations that I was giving some time ago to some friends, although the price points are different which for one of my friends was 2000€, for this particular guide I will be doing a 1000€ price point and discussing some of the options, pros and cons, and why go to one option over another in specific use cases, because gaming doesn’t have to break the bank. All prices are based on Portugal stores, which may differ slightly from and other shops outside the country. Why Go for a Budget Gaming Laptop The sub 1000€ market here in Portugal has some decent choices with occasional big promotions like one of the choices that I will be mentioning here. But first, when choosing a gaming laptop you will need to ask yourself some questions before making a choice, for example: What type of games am I going to play?How much time am I planning to have the PC?Am I going to play games only using a secondary monitor or with the PC Screen? Am I going to only play games on the machine or do I also need a lightweight PC with enough battery for an office day? These are some of the many common questions that I ask my friends when recommending a laptop. What I consider a minimum Before showing my choices I need to get clear about what I consider a minimum for a gaming laptop at this price point. CPU: Any Intel I5 or above CPU from the 12th series or newer, e.g.: I5-12500H, or AMD Ryzen equivalent, e.g.: Ryzen 7 7435HS (More on this processor later). GPU: Nvidia RTX 3060/4060 or above for AMD I would go for at least an RX 7600S, anything below this and you will have problems playing the latest titles and it’s not good for the longevity of the machine. RAM: At least 16GB DDR4-3200Mhz, this is the bare minimum as I am writing this in February of 2025, I would go for a machine that lets me upgrade the RAM, AKA is not soldered. Display: For this price point a 1080p 144Hz display is standard and you will have no problem finding one even better. Storage: 512GB SSD or 256GB with expansion slots, always try to go for an M.2 NVME. Best Overall ASUS TUF A16 FA617 Link Link The best choice overall that I found with a good promotion is the ASUS TUF A16 FA617. Priced at 1000€, this model is available with an AMD Ryzen 7 7435HS and a Radeon RX 7600S 8GB, has 32GB of LPDDR5 4800Mhz, a 1TB NVMe Gen4 DRAMLESS with one extra slot, it includes a 165Hz FHD+ IPS Panel and a 90WHrs battery. At this price, this is borderline perfect not only does it already include a good CPU and GPU combo, and a good amount of memory RAM and fast storage, but it also has a huge battery and, on top of that is lightweight at 2.2 kg. My only complaint is that because this CPU has no iGPU, it consumes more power making the huge battery seem much smaller, and you lose on DLSS. Best Overall Runner-up ASUS TUF A15 FA507 Link Link Link Definitely below the previous PC but still really decent the ASUS TUF A15 FA507. Priced at 950€, this model is available with an AMD Ryzen 7 7435HS and a Nvidia RTX 4060 8GB, has 16GB (2x8GB) of LPDDR5 4800Mhz, a 512GB NVMe Gen4 with one extra slot, includes a 144Hz FHD IPS Panel and a 90WHrs battery. At this price, this is a good machine, it already includes a good CPU and GPU combo (slightly better than the RX 7600S), and it has enough memory RAM and fast storage, but it also has a huge battery and, on top of that is lightweight at 2.2 kg. My first complaint is that because this CPU has no iGPU, it consumes more power making the huge battery seem much smaller, another important point is the 16GB of RAM which if you want to upgrade you will need to replace the 2 sticks of 8GB (unless you want 24GB but you will need to buy a very close match to the 8GB Model). Other Good Alternative Gigabyte G5 KF5-53PT353SD Link Link The most powerful CPU PC on this list with a good GPU, is the Gigabyte G5 KF5-53PT353SD. Priced at 960€, this model is available with an Intel I5-13500H and a Nvidia RTX 4060 8GB 75W (which downgrades this card by a lot), has 16GB of DDR5-SDRAM 4800Mhz, a 512GB NVMe Gen4 with one extra slot, includes a 144Hz FHD Panel and a 54WHrs battery. At this price, this is a good machine, with a great CPU and a decent GPU (it’s unfortunately limited at 75W), and it has enough memory RAM and fast storage, the battery is below average and, on top of that is lightweight at 2.08 kg. My first complaint is that the GPU is limited at 75W which ends up losing some of the performance, another complaint I have is the small battery but because this CPU has an iGPU it makes up for this and makes the PC more lightweight, another important point is the 16GB of RAM which if you want to upgrade you will need to replace the 2 sticks of 8GB (unless you want 24GB but you will need to buy a very close match to the 8GB Model). Conclusion Of course, at the end of the day this is based on my opinion and on my requirements for a gaming laptop which may change for everybody’s needs, if you have any recommendations make sure to comment below your opinions or other machines that you may find interesting.