Like many in the PC gaming community, I’ve frequently entertained the idea of getting a gaming laptop. I can bring all my games with me; I don’t have to stress myself out with “PC building” intricacies; I can connect it to a monitor or a TV whenever I want to enjoy gaming on a bigger screen… the list goes on. But there’s just one problem—my wallet will give me the finger. So, instead of throwing my idea into the bin for the umpteenth time, I have compiled a list of the best cheap or budget gaming laptops in Malaysia, so you, my fellow PC gamer brethren, can have some hope. All is not lost yet.
9 Best Budget Gaming Laptops Under RM5,000 To Buy In Malaysia
Considering a gaming laptop can go as high as over RM10,000, these sub-RM5,000 gaming laptops offer the best budget values in the market. Just don’t expect bleeding-edge specs.
Also, take note that the specs of each laptop featured here are just one of the various configurations you will find available for sale.
1. Acer Nitro 5
The Acer Nitro series are popular cheap gaming laptops catered for casual gamers. As one of the best-valued budget gaming laptops in Malaysia, the Nitro 5 should be among your top considerations. On top of the standard specs, it delivers a great gaming audio experience with DTS X: Ultra Audio. It provides 3D spatial soundscape that gives you a competitive advantage through sounds coming from every direction with pinpoint precision.
Specs:
- 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) 144Hz display
- AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR6
- Up to 32GB DDR4 RAM
- Up to 1TB SSD
- 4-zone RGB keyboard
- 720p HD webcam
- Windows 11 Home
2. Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
The Legion series is Lenovo’s flagship gaming laptops. But for its more budget offering, there’s the IdeaPad Gaming 3. It packs a large 15.6-inch 165Hz display, 100% N-key rollover, Nahimic surround sound audio, and faster thermals that dissipate 40% more heat. The latest IdeaPad Gaming 3 series comes with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphic card.
Specs:
- 15.6-inch FHD (1920×1080) anti-glare 165Hz display
- Intel Core i5-11320H processor
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6
- Up to 32GB DDR4 RAM
- Up to 1TB SSD
- White backlit keyboard
- 720p HD webcam with camera shutter
- Windows 11 Home
3. Asus TUF Gaming F15
Can’t afford the top-of-the-line ROG gaming laptops from Asus? You can always fall back on the TUF Gaming budget gaming laptop series, best known for its military-grade chassis that can withstand shock, vibration, and other environmental extremes. The TUF Gaming F15 features a 26% larger touchpad with “anime-inspired accents”, transparent WASD keys, and 84-blade Arc Flow Fans for maximum cooling.
Specs:
- 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) anti-glare 144Hz display
- Intel Core i5-10300H processor
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR6
- 8GB DDR4 RAM
- 512GB SSD
- All zone RGB lighting keyboard
- 720p HD webcam
- Windows 11 Home
4. HP Victus
As gamers, we all desire the biggest screen we can game on. While a 15.6-inch laptop is considerably huge, that’s not the limit. Enter the HP Victus, which is one of the best budget gaming laptops in the market that offers gamers a more immersive visual experience with its giant 16.1-inch display! On top of that, it is equipped with an array of gaming-enhancing features, which include an all-purpose, full-size gaming keyboard with 26-key rollover anti-ghosting technology and gaming software that offers high degree performance.
Specs:
- 16.1-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) anti-glare 144Hz display
- AMD Ryzen 5 5600H processor
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6
- 8GB DDR4 RAM
- 512GB SSD
- Full-size backlit keyboard with numeric keypad
- 720p HD webcam
- Windows 11 Home
5. Colorful X15-AT
We don’t blame you if you have not heard of the brand Colorful. The China-based tech company is known for selling graphic cards, motherboards, and other PC components. You can now add laptops to the list. The Colorful X15-AT is a 15.6-inch laptop powered by an NVIDIA RTX 3050 graphics card and has a configurable RGB backlit keyboard.
Specs:
- 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) 144Hz display
- Intel Core i7 11800H processor
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6
- 16GB DDR4 RAM
- 512GB SSD
- Antiskid RGB backlit keyboard
- 720p HD webcam
- Windows 10 Home
6. Dell G15
Besides producing the popular Alienware machines, Dell also makes cheap gaming laptops with its G Series. Check out the G15, with an Alienware-inspired thermal design that maximises airflow to keep components cool and clock speeds high. Aside from that, it also features Dell’s exclusive Game Shift technology for the processor to easily access Dynamic Performance Mode to boost gaming performance.
Specs:
- 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) 165Hz display
- Up to Intel Core i7 11800H/AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor
- Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 4GB GDDR6
- 16GB DDR4 RAM
- 512GB SSD
- Orange backlit keyboard with numeric keypad
- 720p HD webcam
- Windows 11 Home
7. MSI Thin GF63
A common theme among gaming laptops is they are heavy and bulky, which may not be ideal for travelling and going places. If you take yours out frequently, you may want to have a look at the MSI Thin GF63. It has a slim and light aluminium chassis that measures 21.7mm thin and 1.86kg respectively. Despite the lightweight form factor, it is fine-tuned to be noticeably quieter and cooler under load.
Specs:
- 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) 144Hz display
- Intel Core i5-10500H processor
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX3050 4GB GDDR6
- Up to 16GB DDR4 RAM
- 512GB SSD
- Red backlit keyboard
- 720p HD webcam
- Windows 10 Home
8. Illegear Rogue TGL
Malaysia’s very first custom gaming laptop brand offers a selection of budget machines and one of the most popular is the Rogue series. Delivering a 17.3-inch display, you won’t find a bigger-screen gaming laptop in the market at this price point. And despite its massive screen, the Illegear Rogue TGL weighs 2.45kg which is still fairly portable.
Specs:
- 17.3-inch FHD/WQHD display (with up to 165Hz)
- 11th Gen Intel Core processor
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX1650 4GB GDDR6 (upgradable to RTX3060)
- 8GB DDR4 RAM
- 500GB NVMe SSD
- Tactile keyboard with single-zone programmable RGB
- HD webcam
- Windows 11 Home
9. Gigabyte G5 GE
This Gigabyte gaming laptop is quite a looker with Mecha patterns adorning its lid and trackpad. Underneath, it boasts features such as MUX switch technology which allows players to choose discrete GPU-only mode to improve extra performance and WiFi 6 for reduced latency while gaming online.
Specs:
- 15.6-inch FHD 144Hz display (1920 x 1080 resolution)
- Intel Core i5-12500H processor
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX3050 4GB GDDR6
- 8GB DDR4 RAM
- 512GB NVMe SSD
- 15-colour illuminated keyboard
- HD webcam
- Windows 11 Home
Specs Comparison
Here’s an overview of all the featured laptops’ specs for you to do a side-by-side comparison:
| Acer Nitro 5 | Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 | Asus TUF Gaming F15 | HP Victus | Colorful X15-AT | Dell G15 | MSI Thin GF63 | Illegear Rogue TGL | Gigabyte G5 GE |
| 15.6-inch FHD 144Hz display | 15.6-inch FHD 165Hz display | 15.6-inch FHD 144Hz display | 16.1-inch FHD 144Hz display | 15.6-inch FHD 144Hz display | 15.6-inch FHD 165Hz display | 15.6-inch FHD 144Hz display | 17.3-inch FHD/WQHD display | 15.6-inch FHD 144Hz display |
| AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel Core i5-11320H | Intel Core i5-10300H | AMD Ryzen 5 5600H | Intel Core i7-11800H | Up to Intel Core i7-11800H/AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel Core i5-10500H | Intel Core i5/i7 | Intel Core i5-12500H |
| NVIDIA GTX 1650 4GB GDDR6 | NVIDIA RTX 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6 | NVIDIA GTX 1650 4GB GDDR6 | NVIDIA RTX 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6 | NVIDIA RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6 | Up to NVIDIA RTX 3060 4GB GDDR6 | NVIDIA RTX 3050 4GB GDDR6 | NVIDIA GTX1650 4GB GDDR6 (upgradeable to RTX2060) | NVIDIA RTX 3050 4GB GDDR6 |
| Up to 32GB DDR4 RAM | Up to 32GB DDR4 RAM | 8GB DDR4 RAM | 8GB DDR4 RAM | 16GB DDR4 RAM | 16GB DDR4 RAM | Up to 16GB DDR4 RAM | 8GB DDR4 RAM | 8GB DDR4 RAM |
| Up to 1TB SSD | Up to 1TB SSD | 512GB SSD | 512GB SSD | 512GB SSD | 512GB SSD | 512GB SSD | 500GB SSD | 512GB SSD |
| Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home | Windows 10 Home | Windows 11 Home | Windows 10 Home | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home |
Game Efficiently Without Emptying Your Savings With These Best Budget Gaming Laptops
No matter how powerful a gaming PC is, you can’t bring it out of the house. With cheap or budget gaming laptops, you have the best-valued gaming machine that goes with you wherever you go. They are the only machines that let you play graphic-intensive AAA games in a coffee shop, on a flight, or on your bed!
Related: Forget Building A PC, Get One Of These Best Gaming Laptops Instead
Check out Electronics Zone for unbeatable deals on the best smartphones, gadgets, peripherals, and more every Thursday!
