Which gaming laptop should buy on Prime Day 2022?

Prime Day 2022 will be rife with deals on gaming laptops. But tread lightly, because you’ll want to choose one from among the best gaming laptops if you don’t want to regret your purchase in a few months. The best Prime Day gaming laptops deals will be cheap, yes, but they should also provide you with a gaming experience that you’ll actually enjoy.

Which gaming laptop should you buy on Prime Day 2022?

Because it’s Prime Day, you’ll no doubt be on the hunt for something cheap. But as gaming laptops have increased in price over the past couple of years, the standard for what we consider “cheap” has been adjusted.

Buying a gaming laptop for under $1,000, for example, can be tricky, especially when manufacturers are more than happy to sell you laptops that’ll be bottom-of-the-barrel in terms of performance. Many of the gaming laptops you’ll see on sale for Prime Day will be affordable, yes, but will come with a GTX 1650 (or worse) when it comes to graphics. Unless you only plan on playing very light games, such as Counter-Strike or indie titles, you’ll be very disappointed by the performance of these configurations.

Some of the most popular options in this category include the HP Victus 15, HP Victus 16, Acer Nitro 5, and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3. These laptops offer configurations starting with the GTX 1650, but also can be pushed up to the RTX 3050, 3050 Ti, or 3060. Often times, it’ll only cost an extra $100 or $200, despite providing significantly better frame rates.

Also, be on the lookout for refresh rates. A higher refresh rate can increase the cost of a machine, and is completely unnecessary on configurations with lower-end graphics. You likely won’t get frame rates that high — let’s be honest. That’s even less important if you plan to connect your gaming laptop to an external gaming monitor most of the time, which is a common setup. If that’s more your style, be on the lookout for Prime Day gaming monitor deals.

If you are aiming for something a bit more premium, Prime Day can also be a good time to be on the hunt for reduced prices on specific models. The best gaming laptops include options like the Razer Blade 14 (or Blade 15), MSI GS66 Stealth, ROG Zephryus G14 (or G15), and many more. These gaming laptops are thin and modern, while still providing excellent performance. They often come with options for both high-resolution screens and high refresh rates, the sweet spot being a 1440p, 240Hz panel.

Another one of my favorite models is the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro, which is a bit thicker, but punches beyond its class of GPU in terms of performance. If you can find a configuration you’re happy with, the Legion 5 Pro or 5i Pro (the Intel model) offer the balance of performance and size that some of the thinner and lighter laptops lack.