These sub-$1,000 Prime Day gaming laptops are great back-to-school machines

Prime Day gaming laptop deals
(Image credit: Future)

Amazon Prime Day has rolled around once again and it can be hard to resist the call of PC gaming deals. A portable gaming machine might seem like a luxury, but if you're heading back to school or don't want to be tied to your work desk, now is the time to hone in on some of the better bargains out there. And as it happens, I've rounded up some of the best Prime Day gaming laptop deals right here.

Sure, a gaming laptop might feel a bit overkill if you're planning on using it primarily for school or the occasional bit of work. But that said, you can guarantee it won't buckle under the pressure of multiple browser tabs, image editing software, a music streaming app, or any other combination of software you want to run on it. This also means you can fire up your favorite game in your downtime too. 

Seems like a win-win situation to me.

These laptop deals mean you won't have to break the bank either. Take the MSI GF63 Thin laptop at just $690. Sure it's on the lower end of the gaming spectrum, but it still gets you into the world of current gen GPUs. Another option is the Gigabyte G5 which offers twice as much storage and RAM as well as an RTX 3060.

And if the lack of storage is putting you off, that can be easily remedied with a quick browse of our external SSD deals

Luckily, gaming laptops haven't had the same difficulties we've seen graphics cards dealing with recently. Laptops have stood firm in the face of shortages and delays, while Nvidia, AMD, and Intel have come out with new components to improve portable machines. In fact, we're now looking at a much more competitive laptop scene.

MSI GF63 Thin | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 | Intel Core i5 11400H | 15.6-inch | 1080p | 144Hz | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD | $749.99 $689.99 at Newegg (save $60)
was $749.99 now $689.99 at Newegg

MSI GF63 Thin | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 | Intel Core i5 11400H | 15.6-inch | 1080p | 144Hz | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD | $749.99 $689.99 at Newegg (save $60)
It may come in at the lower end of the gaming spectrum, but this is a dependable machine that's lighter than your average gaming laptop. It falls down a little when it comes to storage space, and the RAM is a little lacking, but if you're alright with a few restrictions, that's a good price for a portable gaming machine with a current gen GPU.

Gigabyte G5 | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 | Intel Core i5 11400H | 15.6-inch 1080p | 144Hz | 16GB RAM | 512 GB SSD | $1,299 $849 at Newegg (save $450)
was $1,299 now $899 at Newegg

Gigabyte G5 | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 | Intel Core i5 11400H | 15.6-inch 1080p | 144Hz | 16GB RAM | 512 GB SSD | $1,299 $849 at Newegg (save $450)
This RTX 3060-powered machine sits neatly below the $1,000 deal bar for Prime Day. That CPU is only last Gen, and it's backed up with 16GB of RAM as well as a nice 144Hz monitor that's great for competitive gaming. The SSD is a little lacking for the size of today's games, but it's still a great price for a smashing lappy.

Asus TUF Dash 15 (2021) | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti | Intel Core i7 11370H | 15.6-inch | 1080p | 144Hz | 8GB RAM | 512GB SSD | $949.99 $799.99 at Amazon (save $150)
was $949.99 now $659.99 at Amazon

Asus TUF Dash 15 (2021) | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti | Intel Core i7 11370H | 15.6-inch | 1080p | 144Hz | 8GB RAM | 512GB SSD | $949.99 $799.99 at Amazon (save $150)
For the 2021 model, this is a really great deal. Not only are you getting a powerful 11th Gen intel CPU and a decent entry-level GPU, you'll even get the benefit of a 144Hz panel packed in there, too. The RAM and storage may be a little lacking, but those are easy enough to upgrade after the fact. Either way, this is a stellar buy at this price.

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Sarah James
Senior Guides Writer

Sarah started as a freelance writer in 2018, writing for PCGamesN, TechRadar, GamingBible, Red Bull Gaming and more. In 2021, she was offered a full-time position on the PC Gamer team where she takes every possible opportunity to talk about World of Warcraft and Elden Ring. When not writing guides, most of her spare time is spent in Azeroth—though she's quite partial to JRPGs too. One of her fondest hopes is to one day play through the ending of Final Fantasy X without breaking down into a sobbing heap. She probably has more wolves in Valheim than you.

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