RAM prices are up, but you can still get a decent gaming laptop for cheap here are two budget picks from Lenovo and Asus

Date:
Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:36:16 +0000

Description:
The RAM shortage continues to affect gaming laptop deals, but there are still a few bargains here and there.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter As someone who regularly rounds up the best gaming laptop deals , I've often found myself exasperated by the lack of decent listings. Ever since RAM prices spiralled, it's been increasingly hard to find good offers that I'd actually buy.

There are still a few good deals here and there, including listings that I'd recommend to those who are on a budget. The best option I've found this week is this Asus TUF F16 with an RTX 5050 for $899 (was $1,299) at Amazon . For the price, this is actually a fair deal right now, considering the
combination of an RTX 5050 and Intel Core i5 chipset should allow you to play a wide range of titles smoothly. With $400 off, you're also not overpaying
for what is essentially a budget machine here. Even cheaper still is the Lenovo LOQ for $789 (was $1,049) at Best Buy . This particular configuration features an RTX 4050 graphics card and Ryzen 5 chipset, so it's roughly equivilent with the Asus, albeit a little older. I'd recommend coughing up
the extra for a machine with a newer RTX 5050, but this Lenovo will
definitely get you started on the cheap if you're willing to tweak a few graphical settings here and there. Cheap gaming laptop deals this week Asus TUF Gaming F16 (2025): was $1,299.99 now $899.99 at Amazon Graphics card : GeForce RTX 5050 Processor : Intel Core i5-13450HX RAM : 16GB Storage : 512GB

With a compelling 30% discount, this Asus TUF is a rare gaming laptop deal at Amazon this week. With a combination of an RTX 5050 graphics card and Intel Core i5 chipset, you'll be able to play a surprisingly large range of titles with this machine, even if it is a budget option overall. View Deal Lenovo
LOQ Gaming Laptop: was $1,049 now $789.99 at Best Buy Graphics card : GeForce RTX 4050 Processor : AMD Ryzen 5-7235HS RAM : 16GB Storage : 512GB SSD

Even cheaper still is this Lenovo LOQ at Best Buy. With an RTX 4050 graphics card, this one is a little older than the Asus above, but it's still pretty capable thanks to a decent Ryzen 5 chipset. If you're willing to tweak a few settings here and there, then this is a good budget option. View Deal Also available this week Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S gaming laptop: was $1,599.99 now $1,299.99 at Best Buy Graphics card : RTX 5060 Processor : Intel Core Ultra 9-275HX RAM : 16GB Storage : 1TB

You're jumping up significantly in price with this Acer Predator Helios at Best Buy this week, but it's a premium machine that's worth every penny. For one, you get a high-end 240Hz OLED display here, which really sets it apart from cheaper models. On top of that, the combination of an RTX 5060 and Ultra 9 chipset definitely gives this one plenty of performance for playing all the latest titles and making the most of the OLED display. View Deal Acer Nitro V gaming laptop: $1,299 at Best Buy Graphics card: RTX 5070 Processor : Intel Ultra 7 RAM: 16GB Storage : 512GB

Getting an RTX 5070 gaming laptop for just $1,300 is still pretty rare these days, so this Acer Nitro V at Best Buy is definitely worth checking out.
While it's not the cheapest machine on the market by any stretch, you should be able to get great performance right out of the box with this Acer, thanks to not only the RTX 5070 graphics card, but also a powerful Ultra processor, too. View Deal



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/gaming-laptops/ram-prices-are-up-but-you-c an-still-get-a-decent-gaming-laptop-for-cheap-here-are-two-budget-picks-from-l enovo-and-asus


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