Esports are becoming popular daily, but PC gaming is still considered an expensive affair. Another topic of debate is whether gaming laptops can be a worthy companion for esports aspirants on their journey. If you search online in most discussions and blogs, you will find people talking about the desktop as a better solution for gaming than a laptop. This is partially right. While desktops are great for scalability as it increases their longevity, laptops have their own place for gaming & computation on the go.

Your perfect gaming device has to be your true companion. Not everyone’s lifestyle suits desktop usage. If you are a frequent traveler, student, or simply do not have enough space to set up a desktop, then a laptop is a better option. Most esports enthusiasts are young, probably high-school or grad students, and a gaming laptop will better suit their lifestyle.

So, the big question is, as there are so many gaming laptops in the market, which ones should you consider for esports gaming? Moreover, as most aspirants are young and probably not earning, then they would also have a tight budget while starting their journey. Let’s understand what are the best options and how to choose the right one.

Top Five Affordable Gaming Laptops

An esports enthusiast in 2022 would want lag-less performance, superior graphics, the highest display frequency, and zero input lag. All affordable gaming laptops might not be able to achieve such flawless, smooth performance in upcoming AAA titles. But, multiplayer esports games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Valorant, Apex Legends, DOTA, League of Legends, Overwatch, etc., can perform up to the mark of competitive standards.

While it’s generally accepted that higher FPS is always better, you can still get a decent experience with laptops that don’t make you shell out your life’s savings. If you’re looking for a budget laptop for eSports, here are a few for you to consider.

OMEN by HP Laptop 16-c0138AX

One of the most popular gaming laptops within our community of readers, no gaming list can be complete without the mention of Omen Gaming laptops. This specific model is one of the best due to a balance between hardware and price. This variant is powered by a 5th gen Ryzen 7 5800H, paired with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 with 4GB VRAM. It comes with a 512 GB SSD and is upgradeable with the combination of 2×1 TB M.2 SSD. In addition, there’s 16 GB of DDR4 memory, which is upgradeable up to 64 GB.

The display is a 40.9 cm (16.1″) diagonal, FHD (1920 x 1080), 144 Hz, 7 ms, IPS, micro-edge, anti-glare, Low Blue Light, 300 nits, 100% sRGB unit. It comes at a price tag of INR 105,000, and if you put everything together, it is a great combination for running your favorite eSports titles at 120+ FPS in high settings.

Best gaming laptops call for the best cooling system so that the components can perform at their peak for hours. Most gaming laptops do lack in this category, and mostly the budget gaming laptops are known for overheating and noise issues. But the OMEN by HP Laptop 16-c0138AX is a different story. It comes with the best Tempest cooling system, which combines a proper ventilation system, a thermopile sensor, six heat pipes, two noise-free fans with 2x blades, and pre-applied metallic grizzly thermal paste on the CPU & GPU. This system is proven for superior cooling while gaming and most reviewers worldwide propose the Tempest cooling system as the leading tech of its kind.

Moreover, you can get instant cashback of 10% up to 10,000 INR if you buy it from HP Online Store or HP World Store using American Express Cards. You can also get cashback of 5% on the current limited-time offer using any Cards like SBI or ICICI on the HP store. If you like the device, but it is yet to fit in your budget, opt for the 12/0 LC EMI option using any credit card.

Victus by HP Gaming Laptop 15t-fa000

Victus has always been a well-known brand among gamers. If you love the above-discussed laptop but do not want to settle with a Ryzen CPU, then the Victus by HP Gaming Laptop 15t-fa000 covers it. This device is powered by a 12th-gen Intel i7 CPU and accompanied by an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 (4GB dedicated). It comes in a (2×8) 16 GB RAM variant, which is upgradable up to 64 GB.

This device comes with a 1 TB M.2 SSD (4×4) out of the box, which is upgradeable up to 2 TB. The 15.6″ diagonal FHD (1920 x 1080), 144 Hz, 9 ms response time, IPS, micro-edge, anti-glare, 250 nits display will grant you an extra advantage of frequency over other players in 60Hz monitors.

You can order this device online using your American Express card or SBI credit card on the HP Online Store. It comes with a $1300 (97,500 INR) price tag, but you can secure the 10% cashback if you act quickly and buy before the offer ends. Check out the 12/0 NC EMI and 18/0 NC EMI options if you are looking for some financial aid.

OMEN by HP Laptop 16t-b100

Here is another variant of OMEN gaming laptops, but this one is meant for esports aspirants on a tight budget. It is powered by the 12th gen Intel Core i5 12500H CPU, 8 GB DDR5 RAM (4800 MHz), and accompanied by Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 (4 GB dedicated) GPU. So, you get to upgrade the RAM and add up to 2 SSDs (4×4) to extend the storage capacity and speed. Though this device saves considerable investment on the CPU, GPU, and RAM combo, it is still a premium segment gaming laptop.

The 16.1″ diagonal FHD (1920 x 1080), IPS, micro-edge, anti-glare, 300 nits display is big and bright enough to get all the angles covered. As a premium segment gaming device, it features a full sRGB anti-ghosting keyboard and a free HP Omen Vector Gaming Mouse out of the box. With HP Audio Boost technology, you will always have the extra crunchy sound awareness on your side for competitive gaming.

To ensure that a proper cooling system and ventilation design is as much needed as the other components. OMEN by HP Laptop 16t-b100 features the Tempest cooling system, which is undoubtedly the leading tech of its kind. No matter what CPU, GPU, and RAM one opt for, it is going to provide smooth and stutter-free performance only when the components don’t overheat while running. The combination of a thermopile sensor, six heat pipes, 2X fans with 2x blades, and a pre-applied metallic thermal compound will keep your components cool even if you are running high-end games with maximum settings for hours.

This device comes with a price tag of $1059 (80,000 INR) but features the latest MediaTek Wi-Fi 6 MT7921 (2×2) and Bluetooth 5.2 combo. Check out the 12/0 NC EMI and 18/0 NC EMI options if you are looking for some financial aid. If you buy directly from the HP Online store using an American Express card, you can get up to 10% instant cashback. For SBI and ICICI card holders, there is a 5% cashback offer going on, so avail of the deal before it runs out.

OMEN by HP Laptop 16t-b100 comes with multiple variants where you can custom choose your CPU, GPU & RAM combos. Check out the device on HP.com; there, you will have options for Intel Core i5 and i7 on CPU; GTX 1650, RTX 3050, RTX 3060 & RTX 3070 on GPU, and 8, 16, or 32 GB on RAM. You can also opt for a 144 Hx variation of the display if you have a higher budget in mind.

Victus by HP Laptop 16-e0097nr

If you combine AMD Ryzen 7 5800H and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti (4 GB GDDR6) with 16 GB RAM, it is already a bang for the buck and perfect for competitive gaming. The Victus by HP Laptop 16-e0097nr has just the same config and comes with a very reasonable price tag. The $950 (72,000 INR) price tag is just perfect for esports aspirants on a budget.

Unlike most other gaming laptops, the Victus by HP Laptop 16-e0097nr features a great battery backup. It can provide you with Up to 11 hours and 30 minutes of video playback battery life, so you can keep playing for hours while on the move. The best part is that in this budget, you are getting a 16.1″ FHD (1920 x 1080), 144 Hz, IPS display, making it a value-for-money deal.

HP Audio Boost, fast charging (50% in 30 mins), Realtek Wi-Fi 6 (2×2), and Bluetooth 5.2 combo are some of the unexpected premium features you get for the price.

HP Pavilion Gaming Laptop 15-ec2097nr

If you fancy the configuration of the specific laptop discussed just above, but it is yet to fit your budget, then the HP Pavilion Gaming Laptop 15-ec2097nr is for you. The price tag is only $900 (68,000 INR) and comes with a LED-backlit keyboard. You get the same Ryzen 7 5800H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, and 16 GB DDR4 RAM combo, but with a few down points here and there at a much lower price.

But the HP Pavilion Gaming Laptop 15-ec2097nr does feature a relatively smaller display size with standard output frequency. It is a 15.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080), IPS, 300 nits display, but it still does the job decently. Both RAM and storage are upgradeable. RAM can be upgraded up to 64 GB, and the storage can be upgraded by adding a 2 TB HDD in the provided extra slot.

You still get the Realtek Wi-Fi 6 (2×2) and Bluetooth 5.2 combo, fast charging support, and 8+ hours of battery backup, which is impressive and worth the deal. You can avail 5% cashback using any credit or debit card, but with an American Express card, you can save up to 10% (10,000 INR).

Ending Note

A gaming laptop is not just a marketing term as many think of it. A gaming laptop is an entire segment of laptops packed with multiple features, keeping the gamers’ requirements in mind. They are more performance-oriented, rigid, and highly optimized. So, at the time of buying a gaming laptop, even on a tight budget, make sure to opt for a superior cooling system like Omen Tempest Cooling. The cooling system can make sure that your beloved CPU+GPU combo works at its peak capability for long hours.

Check out the HP Online store to find suitable OMEN gaming laptops at a fair price.

You can click on the link to check the web for the nearest HP World Store.