A gaming laptop is a good investment if you're headed off to college but still want to play your library of games. For one, a gaming laptop is easily powerful enough to tackle any study duties on the side.
Annoyingly, finding a super-cheap gaming laptop is difficult these days due to RAM and other components being so expensive. Decent deals do exist, however, if you're willing to cast the net out further.
Just below, you can see the five best gaming laptop deals I've spotted this week, which mostly include options from Best Buy's excellent 'back to school sale' that's running right now.
By far and away, the best deal right now (in my opinion) is this Gigabyte Aero X16 for $1,329 (was $1,499) at Best Buy. This is a deal that harkens back to a time when you didn't have to pay extortionate amounts for a laptop with 32GB of RAM - and it's also got a really decent RTX 5070 graphics card to boot.
Another great choice for students is the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 for $1,599 (was $2,299) at Best Buy. This is a machine that features a really lovely high-end design that's easily portable, as well as a 3K OLED display - which is perfect for both games and content. While pricey, this is a good option if you want a stylish MacBook-style laptop that can still handle all the latest games. You can read more about this deal, and others, just down below.
This week's best gaming laptops
Graphics card: RTX 5060Processor: Intel Core i7-13620HRAM: 16GBStorage: 1TB
Getting a reasonably priced RTX 5060 gaming laptop is increasingly tricky these days, but there are still options out there for prospective students. This Gigabyte A16, for example, gets you everything you need for decent performance without completely breaking the bank. On board is an RTX 5060, Intel Core i7 chipset, and a spacious 1TB SSD. Annoyingly, you do only get 16GB of RAM, but that's almost to be expected these days... unfortunately.
Read moreRead less▼
Graphics card: RTX 5060Processor: Intel Core i7-14650HXRAM: 32GBStorage: 1TB
Here's a really nice deal on an Asus F16 at Best Buy. The F16 is one of the brand's more affordable options, but it's a great buy for the money considering you get 32GB of RAM, an RTX 5060 graphics card, and a really decent 14th-gen Intel Core i7 chipset. Put these together, and you should get really respectable 1080p gaming performance here.
Read moreRead less▼
Graphics card: RTX 5070Processor: AMD Ryzen Al 7 350RAM: 32GBStorage: 1TB
This Gigabyte Aero X16 is a rare deal. Yes, it's a little pricey, but I can't recall seeing an RTX 5070 gaming laptop with 32GB of RAM for under $1,500 in the past few months. With a Ryzen 7 chipset and 1600p display, this Gigabyte is definitely one of the best value options if you're willing to spend a little more. You'll get great performance right out of the box here - and it should last a few years down the line, too.
Read moreRead less▼
Graphics card: RTX 5060Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 270RAM: 16GBStorage: 1TB
Looking for a lightweight laptop that can still provide excellent gaming performance? The Asus Zephyrus G14 is an outstanding candidate. At 14-inches, it's a little smaller than most gaming laptops, but it features a stunning high-end design and 120Hz OLED display. Even though this configuration only features an RTX 5060 graphics card and 16GB of RAM, it's a very versatile machine that's worth checking out if you want a do-it-all laptop for college.
Read moreRead less▼
Graphics card: RTX 5060Processor: Intel Core 7-240HRAM: 32GBStorage: 1TB
It's always worth keeping an eye on the official Dell Store for deals on Alienware gaming laptops. Right now, my favorite listing is on this Alienware 15, which is the brand's new entry-level model. It's still a premium laptop, however, and this spec features an RTX 5060 graphics card, 32GB of RAM, and a decent Core 7 chipset, so it's certainly not lacking in terms of performance.
Read moreRead less▼
Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
Alex is TechRadar's retail editor, specializing in buying advice and general tips on how to save our readers as much cash as possible. He's covered major retail events in some capacity for over seven years now; both in editorial and other ecommerce adjacent roles on TechRadar, T3, GamesRadar, and other Future PLC sites. Alex's expertise touches on most areas, but he has a particular love for phones, laptops, and cameras, being an avid photographer.