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The best gaming laptops for students should strike the right balance between performance, affordability, and portability. Fortunately, gaming laptops are no longer super pricey, and you can find several affordable options that offer decent performance.
Apart from gaming, most students juggle tasks, like projects, presentations, and even coding. That’s why having a laptop capable of handling a wide range of activities is essential.
However, there are a ton of options to choose from, which can make the selection process confusing, especially for those who aren’t particularly tech-savvy. This article lists the best gaming laptops for students to help you make a well-informed decision.
Disclaimer: Some parts of this article are subjective and reflect the writer's views.
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The best gaming laptops for students
1) Alienware 16 Aurora
Price: $1,099.99
The Alienware 16 Aurora is among the best gaming laptops for students, thanks to its high performance and competitive pricing. It features the Intel Core Ultra 7 240H processor and the Nvidia RTX 5050 graphics card, making it a beast for high-end gaming, multitasking, and productivity workloads. It also comes with 16GB DDR5 RAM and 1TB SSD storage.
The featured specs make the device great for running most AAA titles, with many new games showing over 60 FPS. Its GPU can also handle ray tracing, delivering stunning visuals, especially in graphically rich games like Cyberpunk 2077, Black Myth Wukong, and Spider-Man 2.
The Alienware 16 Aurora has a stunning 16-inch WQXGA display, with a decent refresh rate of 120 Hz. The WQXGA resolution is slightly higher than the standard 1440p display, making gameplay more immersive and offering more room for details. The 96 Wh battery lasts eight to nine hours with moderate use. However, you can expect only two to three hours of gaming.
If the price feels steep, consider the more affordable model with 512GB of storage, which costs $899.99
Here's the buying link for the Alienware 16 Aurora.
2) Lenovo LOQ 17
Price: $879.99
The Lenovo LOQ 17 is another solid option, offering strong performance on a larger screen. What makes it one of the best gaming laptops for students is that it comes with the Intel Core i5-13450HX processor and the powerful Nvidia RTX 5050 GPU. This gives it enough power to handle AAA games on par with the Alienware model.
The device comes with 12GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD storage, which is quite generous for the price. These specs support smooth gameplay at 60+ FPS and can handle ray tracing in supported titles.
The Lenovo LOQ 17 has a 17.3-inch FHD display with a 165Hz refresh rate, which ensures games run smoothly without input lag or screen tearing. Gameplay looks stunning on this screen, with details being crisp at high graphics settings.
Due to its larger size, this laptop is not the most portable. However, at 6.39 lbs (or 2.9 kgs), it’s still manageable if you have a backpack that accommodates its dimensions.
Here's the buying link for the Lenovo LOQ 17.
3) HP OMEN 16 (16z-ap000)
Price: $1,299.99
For students willing to pay a little extra, the HP OMEN 16 is one of the best premium gaming laptops. It features the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX processor and the Nvidia RTX 5060 GPU, making it a versatile machine for serious gamers, developers, and creative professionals. It comes with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD storage, which should meet the needs of most users.
The device's featured specs make it ideal for AAA gaming, delivering over 60 FPS even in demanding titles like God of War Ragnarok, Black Myth Wukong, and Ghost of Tsushima. Ray tracing adds a touch of realism and performs well when combined with upscaling and frame generation.
As with most OMEN models, this one comes with a stunning 16-inch 2K display. The higher resolution brings out details in games, and the anti-glare panel is ideal for long hours of usage. With a 144Hz refresh rate, the screen eliminates tearing and stuttering. The 83Wh battery offers five to six hours of moderate use, based on user feedback.
The laptop's current configuration features 16GB DDR5 RAM and 512GB SSD storage, but both can be configured to your liking (with added cost). You can also customize the display, processor, and keyboard to suit your preferences.
Here's the buying link for the HP OMEN 16.
Also read: 10 things to do after buying a gaming laptop
4) Asus TUF A15 (FA507NV-EH53)
Price: $899.99
Next on our list is the affordable Asus TUF A15, which offers decent specs for mid-range gaming, programming, and designing. It is powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS CPU and the Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, allowing it to run most modern AAA titles smoothly. The device has the lowest RAM out of all the options on this list: 8GB DDR5 RAM paired with 512GB SSD storage.
The device should easily get you over 60 FPS on most games. While it can handle ray tracing, you will face performance limitations due to the lower RAM and older-generation GPU.
The Asus TUF A15 comes with a standard 15.6-inch FHD display with a 144Hz refresh rate, which is ideal for 1080p gaming without lag or stutter.
The laptop has a 90 Wh battery that should last over seven hours of moderate use. However, with gaming, the battery life comes down to a little over three hours.
Here's the buying link for the Asus TUF A15.
5) Acer Nitro V 16 (ANV16-41-R5J0)
Price: $1,099.99
Last on our list of the best gaming laptops for students is the Acer Nitro V 16, which offers excellent performance and specs for its price. It features the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS processor and the Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, giving it enough power to handle most AAA games with ease. With 16GB DDR5 RAM and 1TB SSD storage, its price is quite competitive.
The device should easily give you over 60 FPS on demanding games, even handling ray tracing in a few. However, ray tracing performance may vary depending on how demanding a title is.
The Acer Nitro V 16 features a 16-inch WUXGA display with a 165Hz refresh rate, perfect for gaming at 1080p or higher resolutions without screen stuttering or tearing. According to user reviews, the 59Wh battery lasts around five to eight hours, depending on usage. However, gaming will reduce that time.
Here's the buying link for the Acer Nitro V 16.
This concludes our roundup of the best gaming laptops for students. We've included a diverse selection across budget ranges, performance levels, and display sizes. While the buying links point to official sites, we recommend keeping an eye out for deals on platforms like Amazon, Newegg, and others.
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