While the best gaming laptops under £1,000 won’t run triple-A (AAA) titles on Ultra, they pack enough punch to keep casual players pleased. Budget-friendly gaming laptops like the HP Victus churn out a surprising amount of power. Whether you’re an RPG fan or a first-person shooter fiend, these wallet-friendly devices will satiate your gaming cravings without breaking the bank.
In this post, we’ll discuss what specs you’ll get with a low-cost gaming laptop and what titles you can expect to play. We’ll also cover critical gaming laptop considerations and highlight three popular sub-£1,000 models in the HP UK Store.
What to look for in a budget gaming laptop
New to laptop gaming? There’s a host of factors to mull over when shopping for a portable gaming machine. Here’s a short list of crucial considerations:
GPU
The most important - and expensive - gaming laptop component is the graphics processing unit (GPU). While home-use and business laptops make do with basic integrated cards, serious gamers need dedicated GPUs. These parts simultaneously process large chunks of data to accelerate rendering and output crisp, fast-flowing images.
The most common budget gaming laptop GPU is NVIDIA®’s GeForce RTX™, which comes in numerous iterations; higher numbers indicate better performance. Another consideration is video random access memory (VRAM), which temporarily stores graphical data as a frame buffer to bolster performance. Most budget laptop GPUs have about 4GB of VRAM.
CPU
A solid central processing unit (CPU) works with your GPU to achieve peak in-game performance. While a GPU focuses on fast-paced rendering, a CPU handles calculations, artificial intelligence, input/output controls, sound effects, and other computational chores. A good CPU also improves frame rates and reduces issues like stuttering or slow input response times.
Some games are more CPU-intensive than others, so check the manufacturer’s recommendations. On a strict £1,000 budget, you can afford a mid-range GPU such as the Intel Core i5 or Ryzen 5/7.
RAM
Random access memory (RAM) stores memory temporarily for rapid retrieval, which helps improve in-game frame rates. This standby memory also facilitates faster multitasking, perfect for gamers who run apps in the background, such as browser tabs with online tutorials.
Budget gaming laptops typically ship with 8GB of DDR4 RAM, enough to run modern titles on medium settings and older (or less resource-intensive) games on high. Most laptops let you upgrade RAM further down the track. If you plan on streaming, 16GB is a safe bet.
Storage
Storage dictates how many games you can retain on your drive at any given time. Budget gaming laptops usually come with a 512GB drive. As most modern AAA games occupy 40GB to 100GB, a 512GB drive gives you enough space to store around five titles simultaneously. Remember, you’ll need plenty of extra room for your operating system and other apps and files.
Insist on a solid-state drive (SSD), which offers speedier game loading times than hard disk drives (HDD).
Display
High-resolution screens display sharper, more detailed in-game images. However, as budget gaming laptops have limited CPU/GPU capabilities, they lack the power to achieve decent frame rates on a top-end display. Almost all sub-£1,000 gaming laptops ship with a 1080p, Full High-Definition (FHD) screen. You’ll simply need to spend more on QHD (1440p) or 4K gaming.
A faster refresh rate and response time improve the experience in fast-paced, competitive games. Players interested in less frantic or single-player titles needn’t prioritise these factors.
Portability
Gamers on the go need a slim, lightweight device they can whisk around town or take travelling for a week or two. However, gaming laptops are invariably heavier than their non-gaming counterparts, as they must include a beefy CPU and its requisite cooling system.
Most 15-inch models weigh somewhere between 2 kg and 2.5 kg. It’s inadvisable to go lower than 15 inches, as smaller screens wreak havoc on immersion. Larger displays improve the in-game experience but detract from portability. A decent battery is also vital, as gaming requires a lot of power.
What specs to expect from a budget gaming laptop
It’s essential to be realistic when shopping for a budget gaming laptop. With limited cash to splash, you won’t get an industry-leading processor or the latest and greatest GPU.
But what you will get is an affordable yet powerful gaming machine capable of running virtually all modern titles. The catch is you’ll probably have to crank down the graphics settings a smidgen on the most demanding games.
Here’s a brief rundown of what specs to expect for a gaming laptop under £1,000.
Processor: Intel® Core™ i5/Ryzen™ 5 to Ryzen 7
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 512GB SSD
Display: 39.6 cm (15.6”), FHD (1920 x 1080), 144 Hz, 9 ms response time
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050 (4GB) to 3050 Ti (4GB)
As you’d expect, the closer you get to our £1,000 limit, the better hardware you’ll find under the hood. The top HP Victus model boasts a potent late-generation processor and superior GPU, making it worth the extra quid for passionate players seeking silky-smooth frame rates.
Nonetheless, gamers craving to crank up the graphics on brand-new games should invest in a more premium machine, such as the HP OMEN. These top-end devices come chock full of state-of-the-art hardware - some are comparable to a gaming desktop.
What can a budget gaming laptop run?
Before you buy a budget gaming laptop, it’s worth confirming it’ll run your favourite games. A modern HP Victus can run almost every PC game on the market today, though you’ll need to adjust the graphics settings on some titles to achieve an acceptable frame rate.
Here’s a short list of popular titles HP Victus owners are playing today:
Red Dead Redemption 2
Apex Legends
COD Warzone 2
Grand Theft Auto 5
Overwatch 2
Valorant
Cyberpunk 2077
Fortnite
Marvel Spiderman Remastered
This is by no means an exhaustive list. Most of these games will run on high or ultra-high settings using 1080p between 40 FPS and 60 FPS. You may have to tune the settings to medium for more demanding or newer AAA games.
Curious whether your new budget gaming laptop will play a specific game? Use a third-party tool to check whether you can run a specific title or compare the developer’s requirements against your laptop hardware. Always aim for the recommended requirements (rather than the minimum) to ensure smooth gameplay.
The HP Victus: Best laptops under £1,000 for gaming
You now understand the ins and outs of a budget gaming laptop. So, let’s take a moment to compare the three best HP Victus laptops in the HP UK Store. With models to suit varying budgets, you’re bound to find a suitable gaming rig for your needs.
Victus Gaming Laptop (15-fa1004na): Best budget
At the lower end of the price spectrum, theVictus Gaming Laptop (15-fa1004na) offers a high-quality experience for a rock-bottom price. Its 4GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050 will run all your favourite eSports titles - think Valorant, CSGO, and Fortnite - at a silky-smooth 144 Hz. You’ll need to crank new resource-intensive titles, such as Starfield, down to low settings.
Display: 39.6 cm (15.6”), FHD (1920 x 1080), 9 ms response time
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050 (4GB)
HP Victus Gaming Laptop (15-fb0002na): Best midrange
A few quid extra gets you theVictus Gaming Laptop (15-fb0002na), which sports a superior NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050. Combined with its Ryzen 5 processor and 8GB RAM, this card runs fast enough to play most modern titles on 1080p with medium or high settings and a 60 to 90 FPS frame rate. That’s money well spent.
Display: 39.6 cm (15.6”), FHD (1920 x 1080), 144 Hz, 9 ms response time
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 (4GB)
Victus Gaming Laptop (15-fb0003na): Best premium
Towards the upper end of our £1,000 limit, theHP Victus Gaming Laptop (15-fb0003na) is among the best budget gaming laptops available today. A faster Ryzen 7 processor speeds up in-game calculations, while its NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti does speedier real-time rendering.
Feel free to crank up the settings to ultra on newer titles like Elden Ring. At worst, you’ll be playing resource-hungry games on 1080p in medium or high settings.
Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5800H
RAM: 8GB RAM
Storage: 512GB SSD
Display: 39.6 cm (15.6”), FHD (1920 x 1080), 144 Hz, 9 ms response time
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti (4GB)
Summary
You don’t have to spend big to play hard.
With a speedy processor, ample RAM, and a high-octane GeForce RTX CPU, the HP Victus offers an excellent entry-level gaming experience for an affordable rate. A trio of tempting models come in under £1,000, meaning there’s something to suit your specific budget and needs.
Ready to elevate your gaming experience? Revisit our top recommended HP Victus options or see if anything else is available in theHP UK Store.
About the Author
Harry Stewart is a Tech Takes contributor covering everything from how-to guides to laptop reviews.
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