The Best $400 Gaming Laptop For 2024

Piers Anthony By, Piers Anthony
Updated
Best $400 Gaming Laptop
Best $400 Gaming Laptop

The Rundown

1. Best Of The Best: Lenovo HD Laptop

Lenovo’s new 14-inch HD laptop delivers gaming performance and an incredible viewing experience, with an upgraded processor and a sleek design. The latest Core i3-1215U processor is paired with a full HD display, giving you the power to play your favorite games. Read Review

2. Best For The Price: Samsung Full HD Laptop

This Samsung laptop features a 15.6-inch display and touchscreen technology. It is the perfect tool for browsing the web, watching movies or playing games. It has an advanced security with multiple layers of built-in virus protection and up to 10 hours of battery life. Read Review

3. Best Technology: Apple Retina Display Laptop

This Apple Laptop is a beautiful and powerful computer. The Intel Core i5 processor offers a fast and responsive experience, while the 128GB Solid State Drive offers room for your documents, photos, videos and more. Its 13" display, features a wide color gamut for rich visuals. Read Review

4. Best Display: Acer FHD IPS Slim Laptop

The Acer Aspire laptop is lightweight, thin, and perfect for everyday computing. Equipped with an FHD display, you can enjoy excellent picture quality and color accuracy from this portable PC. The Acer offers up to 8 hours of battery life that allows you to work throughout the day Read Review

5. Best Quality: Dell Pro Laptop

The Dell Pro Laptop is a powerful and versatile laptop designed for your needs. With its FHD (1920 x 1080) display you can run programs at an optimum speed for playing games, editing photos or watching movies. It has a sleek and modern design that is perfect for any environment. Read Review

Gaming has become a popular hobby in recent years, and with good reason. Games offer immersive virtual experiences that can rival real-world scenarios. With that in mind, gaming laptops have become essential for consumers who want to experience games at their peak without spending an arm and a leg. There are so many fantastic gaming laptops available today.  They are designed with high performance in mind, often with more powerful hardware than smaller desktop replacement laptops. 

If you’re looking for the best gaming laptop under 400 that can run everything and anything, then look no further. You can now get a good gaming laptop at an even better price.  We researchd a lot but there is no $400 gaming laptop present thats why we put together this buyer’s guide on the best gaming laptops between $350-$450. These laptops are powerful enough to run modern games smoothly, while also being compact and lightweight enough to take anywhere with you.

Following extensive study and analysis, We think the best $400 gaming laptop of 2024 is Lenovo HD Laptop.  This HD laptop delivers gaming performance and an incredible viewing experience, with an upgraded processor and a sleek design. The latest Core i3-1215U processor is paired with a full HD display, giving you the power to play your favorite games. However, it is not the only thing on our list. We also show a full buyer's guide and a number of different options are available to help you find the most suitable.

Our Top Picks

TOP Choice #1 Lenovo HD Laptop
Our Score:
9.7
Lenovo

【14 Inch HD Display】 1366x768 resolution for clear visuals. 14 inch HD screen with a thin frame for a generous Active Area Ratio. Integrated graphics chipset with shared video memory provides solid image quality for Internet use.

【Processor】Equipped with Intel Core i3-1215U, 1.2GHz (Up to Turbo Boost 4.4GHz, 6 cores, 8 threads). Say goodbye to PC freezes. This is an ideal laptop to complete basic internet tasks.

【Upgraded】 Up to 12GB RAM is designed for basic tasks, the high-bandwith DDR4 RAM run your applications smoothly, as well as multiple programs and files all at once. Up to 512GB storage capacity is suitable for saving all your files and provides enough space to save more data.

【Operating System】Windows 11 Home in S Mode has all the power and security of Windows 10 with a redesigned and refreshed look. It also comes with new tools, sounds, and apps. Every detail has been considered. All of it comes together to bring you a refreshing experience on your PC

【Connectivity 】 Wireless/Wired connectivity (WiFi 6 - 802.11 ax). Flexible, dual-band connectivity w/ greater reliability thanks to two data streams and antennas. Connect to a Wi-Fi router to experience GB Wi-Fi speeds faster standard Wi-Fi 5 with improved responsiveness for even more devices. HDMI output expands your view, connect to an HDTV to set up two screens side by side and get bigger picture.

TOP Choice #2 Samsung Full HD Laptop
Our Score:
9.5
SAMSUNG

Touch Screen Type :Adaptive.Aspect Ratio:16:9

Advanced security with multiple layers of built-in virus protection. Microphone-Yes

Compact design - military-grade durability - Slim, under 3 pounds, and with military-grade durability, 1 it's made to handle Bumps and drops. Plus, it comes with a full-sized keyboard and trackpad.

More space for what matters. Get Google One with 200GB of cloud storage for 12 months when you purchase a new Samsung Chromebook. Enjoy plenty of space for all your files, photos, and more. Redeem offer until 1/31/22

Ultra-fast connectivity with Gigabit Wi-Fi -with a Lightning fast Gigabit Wi-Fi connection, stream or download massive files rapidly.

System Ram Type: Ddr4 Sdram

Modem Description: Cable

10.5 hours of battery life - delivers up to 12 hours) of battery on a full charge that quickly recharges on a USB-C charger.

Google Assistant enabled - use your voice to make a request and Google Assistant will get it done— whether you want to update your calendar or reply to a message, make a note or check the news.

Large and immersive 15.6” display in a compact frame

TOP Choice #3 Apple Retina Display Laptop
Our Score:
9.4
Apple

2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, 13" Silver

8GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 Memory, 128GB Solid State Drive

Connectivity includes 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, two "Thunderbolt 3" ports (USB-C connector), and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640

Fresh installation of macOS 10.14 Mojave, includes new MagSafe adapter

4 Acer FHD IPS Slim Laptop
Our Score:
9.2
Acer

【15.6 Inch FHD Display】Experience sharp details and crisp colors on the 15.6" Full HD display with 82.58% screen-to-body, 16:9 aspect ratio and narrow bezels. Energy-efficient LED backlight. HD 720p front facing camera.

【Connectivity】USB 3.2 Type-C, 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 (1 Power-off Charging), USB 2.0, HDMI 2.0 with HDCP support, headphone, speaker, line-out jack, Ethernet (RJ-45), DC-in for AC adapter.

【Windows 11 S Mode】You may switch win 11 S mode to the regular win 11: Update Microsoft App Store to the latest version. Press "Start button" bottom left of the screen; Select "Settings" icon above "power" icon; Select Update & Security and Activation, then Go to Store; Select "Get" option under "Switch out of S mode"; Hit Install.

【Upgraded to 20GB RAM & 512GB PCIe SSD】Original Seal is opened for upgrade ONLY. Substantial high-bandwidth RAM to smoothly run multiple applications and browser tabs all at once. Boot up in seconds, get to files faster, and have room for loads of files with the lightning-quick solid state drive.

【11th Gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 】3 GHz base frequency, up to 4.1 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology, The 11th gen dual-core laptop brings the perfect combination of features to make you unstoppable. This is an ideal home office laptop to get things done fast with high performance, instant responsiveness and best-in-class connectivity.

5 Dell Pro Laptop
Our Score:
9.1
Dell

Anti-Glare, HD CAM/Mic, WWAN/WLAN, Mag Alloy back, Non Touch Intel Dual-Band Wireless-AC 8265 Wi-Fi + BT 4.2 Wireless Card (2x2)

Intel Core i7-8650U Processor (Quad Core, 8M Cache, 1.9GHz,15W, vPro)

14.1" FHD (1920 x 1080) Internal English Keyboard, Backlit, 60 Whr Express Charge Capable (4-cell)

16GB DDR4 Memory

512GB SATA Class 20 Solid State Drive

6 HP Pavilion Laptop
Our Score:
9.0
HP

【Display】15.6" diagonal, HD (1366 x 768), micro-edge, BrightView, 220 nits, 45% NTSC

【Connectivity】Realtek RTL8821CE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (1x1) Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 combo Miracast compatible; MU-MIMO supported

【Upgraded】RAM is upgraded to HP 8 GB high-bandwidth RAM to smoothly run multiple applications and browser tabs all at once; Hard Drive is upgraded to 128 GB Solid State Drive to allow faster bootup and data transfer. Original Seal is opened for upgrade ONLY. If the computer has modifications (listed above), then the manufacturer box is opened for it to be tested and inspected and to install the upgrades to achieve the specifications as advertised.

【Operating System】Windows 11 Home, 64-bit, English

【Processor】Intel Pentium Silver N5000 1.1GHz Quad-Core Processor (4MB Intel Smart Cache, up to 2.70GHz)

7 ASUS FHD Laptop
Our Score:
8.8
ASUS

【11th Gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 】3 GHz base frequency, up to 4.1 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology, The 11th gen dual-core laptop brings the perfect combination of features to make you unstoppable. This is an ideal home office laptop to get things done fast with high performance, instant responsiveness and best-in-class connectivity.

【Windows11 S mode】You may switch win 11 S mode to the regular win 11: Update Microsoft App Store to the latest version. Press "Start button" bottom left of the screen; Select "Settings" icon above "power" icon; Select Update & Security and Activation, then Go to Store; Select "Get" option under "Switch out of S mode"; Hit Install.

【Upgraded to 512GB PCIe SSD】Provides massive storage space for huge files, so that you can store important digital data and work your way through it with ease. It gives you enormous space to save all of your files.

【15.6” FHD Display】15.6 inch Full HD NanoEdge bezel display with stunning 83% screen-to-body ratio, 178°Viewing angle.

【Upgraded to 12GB RAM】Substantial high-bandwidth RAM to smoothly run your games and photo- and video-editing applications, as well as multiple programs and browser tabs all at once.

8 HP Touchscreen Laptop
Our Score:
8.7
HP

BIOS Recovery and Protection: Automatically checks the health of your PC, protects against unauthorized access, secures local storage and recovers itself from bootup issues

Environmentally conscious: Low halogen, mercury-free display backlights, arsenic-free display glass in this ENERGY STAR(R) certified, EPEAT(R) Silver registered laptop

Thin, light and portable (unpackaged): 14.11 inches (W) x 9.53 inches (D) x 0.78 inches (H); 3.75 pounds

Power through your day: Built to keep you productive and entertained through long hours at work, school or home

Processor: AMD Ryzen(TM) 3 3250U, Dual-Core, 2.4 GHz base clock, up to 3.3 GHz max boost clock

Memory & storage: 8 GB DDR4-2400 SDRAM (not upgradable) and 256 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD

Fast boot up with SSD: Boot up in seconds, transfer files without waiting hours, and enjoy a speedy experience with the internal solid-state drive

Battery life: Up to 9 hours and 15 minutes (video playback), up to 8 hours and 15 minutes (wireless streaming); 0 to 50% charge in 45 minutes with HP Fast Charge

Display: 15.6-inch diagonal HD SVA BrightView micro-edge, WLED-backlit touchscreen display (1366 x 768)

Operating system and warranty: Windows 10 Home in S Mode and 1-year limited hardware warranty

9 Lenovo IdeaPad 1 Laptop
Our Score:
8.5
Lenovo

【ELEVATED VIDEO CONFERENCING】Make every video chat feel like a real-life meet-up with a True Vision HD Camera, integrated dual microphones, and custom-tuned dual speakers.

【WORK ON THE GO】Get work done on the go with a long battery life of up to 9 hours and 30 minutes

【EFFORTLESSLY CONNECTED】Enjoy a smoother wireless experience with Wi-Fi 6 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.0 combo, all your connections are solid and up to 3x faster file transfer speeds than Wi-Fi 5

【HD DISPLAY】View all your photos, movies, and games in crisp HD (1366 x 768) resolution on a narrow-edge, 15.6-inch display.

【1TB Storage & 20GB RAM】Enjoy up to 15x faster performance than a traditional hard drive with 1TB SSD (1TB PCIe SSD+ 128GB eMMC SSD startup disk) and experience improved multitasking with higher bandwidth thanks to 20GB of RAM (Model #: 7EH99AA#ABB)

10 HP 14 Laptop
Our Score:
8.3
HP

STAY CONNECTED – Have convenient power all day with up to 9 hours and 45 minutes of battery life (6); your HP laptop also recharges quickly as HP Fast Charge Technology takes your device from 0 to 50% charge in approximately 45 minutes (7).

POWER THROUGH FROM ANYWHERE – Designed to keep you productive and entertained from anywhere, the HP 14-inch Laptop combines long-lasting battery life with a thin and portable design.

WINDOWS 11 AND WARRANTY – Work confidently with both the new and innovative Windows 11 Home operating system and the guaranteed coverage of an HP 1-year limited hardware warranty (8).

INFINITE POSSIBILITIES – Whether you are creating, working, or being entertained, do it all with the supreme performance of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500U Mobile Processor and AMD Radeon Graphics (2) (3).

FULL HD DISPLAY – Enjoy your favorite content in 1080p for crystal-clear visuals and vibrant image quality (1). Beyond pixel count, your display lets you see more from anywhere thanks to the micro-edge bezel and anti-glare screen

CUSTOM-TUNED SPEAKERS – Enjoy exceptional stereo quality with your laptop computer’s custom-tuned, dual speaker setup.

WORK/LEARN REMOTELY – Keep in contact with your colleagues and administrators with the HP True Vision 720p HD camera featuring integrated dual-array digital microphones (11).

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY – Stay energy-efficient and reduce your carbon footprint with a laptop that is ENERGY STAR certified and EPEAT Silver registered (12) (13).

EFFORTLESSLY CONNECTED – Get a smoother wireless experience with a Wi-Fi 6 (1x2) and Bluetooth 5 combo (9) (10)

MEMORY AND STORAGE – Boost your performance with higher bandwidth, courtesy of 8 GB of RAM. Plus, with 256 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD storage, save all of your photos, videos, and documents while getting up to 15x faster performance than a traditional hard drive (4) (5).

Product Images, Product Titles, Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API

Several things a reader must do before selecting best $400 gaming laptop

Actually, best $400 gaming laptop can be discovered by following these simple steps. Individuals should first understand their needs and the requirements which will guide their decision-making procedure.

Then they must investigate all options available to decide which product satisfies those needs and meet those criteria. After that, the buyer can narrow down their options based on factors such as cost and dependability. Let’s check the tips for better purchase:

Specs, Innards, And Processing Power

So finally we are down to the internal components of the device. Here are the components that determine the quality of work, entertainment, gaming, and other activities. In this section, we will cover every aspect of the device’s physicality and even the components that are instrumental in driving the laptops. In simpler words, every aspect of the hardware will be taken care of.

Assessing The Battery Life

Selecting a gaming laptop requires careful consideration of your needs. Each one of the processing components and hardware inclusions requires power which is either offered by electricity or the power backup or rather the included battery. Therefore, the ideal scenario is to purchase a device that offers at least 8 hours of backup. Moreover, if you are looking to get a more beefed-up device you must compromise on the battery prowess of the same.

Keyboard, Touchpad, And The Feel

Let us get a bit abstract with laptop purchases and focus on the device’s design. Most brands offer decently structured models which we witnessed in the preceding sections. Gaming laptops, in particular, offer features and designs that are ideal for those who enjoy playing video games.

Accessory Compatibility

Now that you have covered all bases, it is time to see if the device is compatible with accessories or not. In that case, it is important to see if the headphone jack is universally compatible or there are enough slots to fit in external keyboards and mice. Most importantly, if you are looking to make the purchase, you must see if the retailer is offering an additional keyboard, laptop bag, or anything else to sweeten the pot further for the customers.

Structure And Size

Now that we have talked about the possible OS-based shifts, it’s important to select the right gaming laptop size before considering anything else. However, we must note that the physical presence is mostly evaluated based on the display size.

OS

The right gaming laptop starts with understanding the different operating platforms. We will discuss each platform and their respective benefits. We will also consider your individual requirements and preferences to make the best gaming laptop choice for you. Some laptops have multiple operating platforms to choose from, making them the perfect choice for anyone.

Display Quality

It's time to understand a bit more about the laptop selection process based on display quality. If you are into high-end gaming and incessant media consumption, a good quality screen is highly desirable. Budget units still pack the 1366 x 768 screens which don't resonate with better-looking content and sharper graphics.

FAQs

What is the best gaming laptop?

The best gaming laptop will vary depending on your budget and needs. Popular gaming laptops include models from manufacturers such as Razer, MSI, and Alienware. Be sure to research the specs and features of each laptop to find the best fit for your gaming needs.

How much RAM do I need for gaming?

The amount of RAM you need for gaming will depend on the type of games you plan to play. For most modern games, 8GB of RAM is recommended for optimal performance. For more intensive games, 16GB or more is recommended.

What is the best processor for gaming laptops?

The best processor for gaming laptops will depend on your budget and needs. Intel's Core i7 and i9 processors are the most powerful options available. AMD's Ryzen processors are also popular for gaming laptops, and offer great performance for the price.

What is the best cooling system for gaming laptops?

The best cooling system for gaming laptops will depend on the size and type of laptop you have. Many gaming laptops come with dedicated cooling systems, such as fans or heatpipes, to keep the laptop running cool while gaming. Be sure to research the cooling system of the laptop before purchasing to ensure it will meet your needs.

What should I expect from a $400 gaming laptop?

With a budget of $400, you should expect a laptop that can handle basic gaming. It may have older hardware and limited storage, but it should be able to run basic titles such as Minecraft, League of Legends, and other non-demanding games. It may also have a lower resolution display, and less RAM and storage than more expensive models.

Conclusion

Before making a purchase decision, the reader should do the following. It's critical to keep these factors in mind when looking for the best $400 gaming laptop since they can help to ensure that you discover what's worth the investment. If you need another option for best $400 gaming laptop, you should look into CHUWI Laptop. Hope you have a nice shopping day!


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About Piers Anthony

Piers Anthony

Piers Anthony is a freelance writer and computer expert who enjoys helping others get the most out of their technology. He has written extensively about laptops, soundbars, and other computer-related topics, and he currently serves as the editor of The Audio Insights website. When he's not writing or tinkering with his gadgets, Piers can be found spending time with his wife and family.