9 Best Cheap Gaming Laptops Under $200 | Family Vacation Critic

Every kid loves a fun computer game, but parents often don’t want to buy, or can’t afford to spend the money on, a fancy new laptop. That’s why we’ve rounded up the best cheap gaming laptops under $200, allowing your kiddo to have their own device to download and play games on, as well as watch YouTube and maybe do a bit of homework, too. You won’t dent your family budget with these gaming laptops under $200 and better yet, the kids won’t ask to borrow your own laptop.

1. Samsung Chromebook 3 11.6 Inch

This sharp Chromebook from Samsung running on a 1.6 GHz Intel Celeron processor is water-resistant, has Bluetooth capabilities, and gives young gamers a solid 11 hours of battery life on a full charge. With an Intel HD Graphics 400 coprocessor, a 16 GB Flash Memory Solid State hard drive, and easy access to the full suite of Google apps and products, users of this gaming laptop under $200 simply need to hit up the Play Store and download their favorite games and search thousands of Chromebook compatible games to find their next favorite online game.

2. HP Stream 11 11.6 Inch

Combining a long battery life with a handsome baby blue design, this HP Stream laptop gives kids a cool high performance cheap gaming laptop under $200. Using Intel Graphics and loaded with 32GB of hard disk space, this HP provides access to web-based and social media games through the Windows 10 Home operated system. The cheap laptop is priced as a great entry level device for anyone looking to do school assignments, surf the web, and play games.

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3. Acer 15.6-Inch Intel Atom x5 Chromebook

Under $200 when on sale, this cheap gaming laptop is a stunning, light-as-a-feather Acer Chromebook that offers a big 15.6-inch HD ComfyView screen with technology that reduces reflection. There’s also a built-in HD webcam and mic, and a powerful battery delivering a maximum of 12 hours of gaming time. While you’re playing games from the Google Play Store, you’ll notice the sheen thanks to Intel HD Graphics.

4. Lenovo 14 Inch

This Lenovo gives young children a 14-inch, energy-efficient LED backlight screen, Intel HD Graphics 500 on-processor, and shared video memory in a cheap laptop under $200 that is best used for general internet fun and casual gaming. Running Windows10 and including a yearlong subscription to Office 365, this laptop doesn’t have the capacity of a $1,000 system, but here’s a way to gain access to light games, email and YouTube without blowing your budget.

5. Acer 11.6 Inch

This high-performing Acer gaming laptop has 64GB of storage and Intel Graphics to go along with easy Wi-Fi connectivity and Bluetooth pairing, making it a terrific cheap gaming laptop under $200 to play light, web-based games that don’t require a $2,000 device. If your young kid wants a touchscreen laptop to play games, watch videos, and use Windows10 to do some homework, this Acer will do the job, provide hours of gaming fun, and won’t add much weight to your credit card balance!

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6. Lenovo 100e 11.6 Inch

It’s smaller than others on this list, but the Lenovo’s 11.6-inch HD anti-glare display will provide clean sightlines even in bright light. Plus, this gaming laptop under $200 has a MediaTek multi-processor and 4GB of RAM which will allow both web-based games and other applications to run simultaneously without any stress on the laptop… or the user! Weighing under 3 pounds, with built-in stereo speakers, HD webcam, and Integrated PowerVR GX6250 graphics, this Lenovo 100e is a perfect choice for a first laptop for a child to play games, do schoolwork, and watch YouTube.

7. Acer Flagship Intel Dual-Core Celeron N3060 15.6 Inch

With a touchscreen, sleek design, and access to the suite of Google products, including the Play Store for all your gaming needs, this Acer is one of the best cheap gaming laptops under $200—well under! The 16GB Flash Storage can’t hold massive games, but the Intel HD Graphics, built-in front webcam, top-facing speakers, and a gorgeous 15.6-inch display will make playing your favorite Chromebook compatible games extremely enjoyable without breaking a parent’s bank.

8. Lenovo IdeaPad 14 Inch

This cheap gaming laptop under $200 is ideal for casual, web-based gaming thanks to a 14-inch backlit HD display, 64GB eMMC flash memory, and AMD Radeon R4 Graphics processor. Additionally, this Lenovo IdeaPad has a 3MP webcam with a dual array microphone, and Dolby Audio speakers so your kid’s first laptop for fun gaming is going to look and sound great.

9. Dell Inspiron High Performance 11.6 Inch

While you won’t be able to load and play massive games like World of Warcraft on this cheap gaming laptop under $200, you’ll breeze around the internet to play games on Facebook without missing a beat. This little Dell 11.6-inch laptop is ideal for young kids playing simple games and puzzles online.

Jeff Bogle lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia with his two teen daughters, two cats, one dog and six (yes, six) guinea pigs. He is an award-winning photographer and respected travel journalist with bylines on Reader’s Digest, Good Housekeeping, PBS, Esquire and more. Jeff (probably) spends too much time in England watching football and far too many hours plotting his family’s future travel adventures. Find Jeff on his own site, Out With the Kids. 

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