Question about laptop gaming for those with limited means.
Question about laptop gaming for those with limited means.
Hi,
My handheld Windows console stopped working and I’m considering swapping it for a budget gaming laptop. Right now, cost is important. I came across this laptop and want to know:
A) If it has any obvious issues?
B) If anyone knows of a better option at the same price or cheaper?
It will be used for light gaming (Fornite, Rocket League, older CoD versions). MSI Cyborg Laptop.
Welcome to the forums, newcomer!
A| The system comes with an RTX3050, suitable for entry-level gaming. If you're okay with lower detail at 1080p, it's acceptable. I also suggest steering clear of 13th and 14th generation processors (desktop or mobile) because of their performance issues, though that's my opinion. The setup includes a 512GB SSD and 16GB RAM. By 2025, you should be using at least 1TB of storage from an SSD with room to expand and 32GB of RAM.
B| It's recommended to format your threads with the information provided here; this helps us suggest the right laptop and reduces the need for further questions. Please paste these queries into the thread you post, and we’ll assist in finding a suitable device.
1. What is your budget?
2. What is the size of the notebook...
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU:
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X 4.7 GHz 6-Core Processor
(£165.97 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler:
Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler
(£29.00 @ Computer Orbit)
Motherboard:
ASRock B650 PRO RS ATX AM5 Motherboard
(£142.99 @ Box Limited)
Memory:
Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory
(£161.69 @ Amazon UK)
Storage:
Samsung 990 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive
(£76.98 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card:
Asus TUF GAMING V2 GeForce RTX 3060 12GB 12 GB Video Card
(£271.00 @ Amazon UK)
Case:
Montech AIR 903 MAX ATX Mid Tower Case
(£59.99 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
Power Supply:
be quiet! Pure Power 13 M 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
(£115.47 @ Scan)
Total:
£1023.09
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by
PCPartPicker
2025-11-08 14:23 GMT+0000
Just threw together a desktop list for comparison to chart a course through the minefield and still there isn't nothing wrong wiv it .
Reasons for choices -
Standard atx mobo - always preferred it 'cos I just do.
7600x cpu - equals 5800x3d, better value.
Ram cas 30 - low latency - close enough with cas 36 (higher latency) in price, might as well go the extra mile.
Nvme: decent1tb w/dram cache plenty endurance.
Gpu - the misfit in the build.. min spec for 1440p gaming. It's underpowered for what the rig could run but good value price it simply doesn't get a lot lower unless you get a b grade Sparkle / Intel arc b580 for sound as a pound £180 if available on sale if it's not selling well some reason.
Case - Any old don't preference, one is necessary basically, stylize if prefer differently.
Power supply - uk prices - quality 650 tier A unit is simply close enough price wise, might as well get a quality 850w for extra flex/upg room. If a betta gpu is desired in future. Don't have to buy psu twice.
Now the 'budget' build that makes a huge amount of swingeing compromises:
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU:
AMD Ryzen 5 5500 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor
(£68.95 @ AWD-IT)
CPU Cooler:
Thermalright Burst Assassin 120 SE ARGB 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler
(£21.00 @ Computer Orbit)
Motherboard:
Asus TUF GAMING B550-PLUS WIFI II ATX AM4 Motherboard
(£119.99 @ Currys PC World)
Memory:
Corsair Vengeance RGB RT 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory
(£86.98 @ Amazon UK)
Storage:
Samsung 990 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive
(£76.98 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card:
Asus DUAL OC GeForce RTX 3050 6GB 6 GB Video Card
(£158.95 @ AWD-IT)
Case:
Montech AIR 903 MAX ATX Mid Tower Case
(£59.99 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
Power Supply:
Corsair RM650e (2025) 650 W Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
(£75.13 @ NeoComputers)
Total:
£667.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by
PCPartPicker
2025-11-08 14:53 GMT+0000
Reason for 'Frankenbuild': Budget constraint.
Cpu - cezanne, 16gb l3 cache, cheapest chip on pcpp. works.
Mobo is OK -ish. 2nd thoughts about it. Thinking slowly.
Memory - cheapest on the list today's prices
GPu - 6gb 3050 same as laptop enough for 1080p gaming - ludicrously minimal vram for many games though. could stutter'n'choke on headline titles. 3060 12gb is way better - but closes the delta with zen 4/am5 build. If you could settle on a 6gb 3050 at that price.. why wouldn't you get a Sparkle Inte Arc B grade B580 for £180 (12gb vram)if you saw one?
Psu - Tier B but no stressy cpu or gpu - limited scope for upgrades.
More swingeing cuts possible: 16gb ram, 500gb non- samsung nvme (don't go dramless though), micro atx board.. standard cooler that ships with cpu instead of burst assasin- I can't bear it though. Wouldn't stoop to it if desperate.
Within a tight budget? There is not one. That doesn't seriously compromise on reliability, features or gaming spec compliance . Prices have climbed north lately, and dram scarcity is increasing.
Further nails in coffin: No os/monitor specced in desktop build(s)
Curry's Laptop: You aren't in 2025. You're in 2021.
Sparkle Arc on overclockers - the b grades are gone nice to see savvy customers grab 'em qwik fit like a quik fit fitta . now
£199
The choice seems proportionate imo - pay a bit more than the laptop to get a workable rig with 12gb of vram for 1440p gaming.
Or make swinging compromises for a rather limited and more than likely highly frustrating xperience if you want to game with a 3050.