World of Warcraft is not the most demanding PC game, but still, if you want to compete at a high level, you need a decent machine. On that note, we’re going to talk to you about some of the best budget laptops for playing WoW.
Keep in mind, even though we’re talking about budget devices, you’re still going to need to spend quite a bit of money if you want your game to run smoothly. A budget laptop in 2024 is not the same as a budget laptop in 2019 since the prices have skyrocketed due to worldwide silicon shortage.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way – let’s check out the laptops.
1. Dell G15
Source: cengnews.com
Del G15 is one of the best Intel-based budget laptops that you can get nowadays. At the moment, the G15 is on sale, coming in just under $900, which is a discount of around $150 compared to the regular MSRP.
This laptop is powered by Intel’s 11th Gen Core i5 chip. The Core i5-11400H is a processor with 6 cores, capable of developing speeds of up to 4.5 GHz. As a 6-core chip, this processor should easily run WoW without any hiccups.
On top of an 11th Gen CPU, the G15 comes equipped with Nvidia’s 3000 series GPU. More precisely, the G15 comes with a mobile GeForce RTX 3050, which is more than powerful enough to run your game at a steady framerate. With 4 GB of GDDR6 VRAM, the 3050 should be able to run WoW at High graphic settings.
On top of that, you also get 8 gigs of DDR4 RAM at 2933 MHz, which is not a lot, but for a game like this – it should suffice.
Finally, the screen on G15 is a 15.6 inch 1920×1080 LED-backlit panel with a 120 Hz refresh rate with a maximum brightness of 250 nits.
All in all, you should be able to run WoW at Full HD, High settings, and get a steady 60 FPS.
2. Lenovo IdeaPad 3
Source: laptopmedia.com
Lenovo IdeaPad should be another great choice for WoW on the go.
It comes equipped with an AMD chip, which should be your go-to in today’s day and age. In particular, the IdeaPad 3 comes with a Ryzen 5 5600H, a great 6-core CPU that should be able to run even more demanding titles than WoW. The Ryzen 5 5600H has a base frequency of 3.33 GHz, but it can Turbo up to 4.2 GHz under a heavy load, but that should never happen while playing WoW.
The GPU inside of this AMD machine is once again Nvidia’s 3000 series mobile GPU – GeForce RTX 3050. As we have already said, 4 GB of VRAM on this GPU should be more than powerful enough to run this game on High settings without any drops in FPS, even when you’re raiding a Mythic +.
The one area where this one lacks a bit behind G15 is RAM. Once again, you’re getting 8 gigs of DDR4, only this time, the speed isn’t as great. These RAM sticks are only 2400 MHz, which shouldn’t be a major issue for WoW, but if you plan on playing something a bit more demanding – you might need something quicker.
The screen on the IdeaPad 3 is a 15.6-inch FHD IPS panel with a 120 Hz refresh rate, which is more than enough for a game like World of Warcraft.
Naturally, IdeaPad 3 comes with an Ethernet port, so you shouldn’t have to worry about lag due to WiFi inconsistency.
Finally, as of this moment, Lenovo IdeaPad 3 goes for around $750, making it a lot more affordable than the G15, leaving you with some extra cash for some in-game purchases at https://buy-boost.com/wow.
3. MSI Sword
Source: laptopmedia.com
MSI is known for its gaming laptops, and its MSI Sword is a great choice for everyone trying to get their WoW gameplay to another level for under $1000.
MSI Sword comes with an 11th gen Intel processor, only this time, we’re looking at an i7 chip. More precisely, we’re looking at a Core i7-11800H, an 8-core processor with 16 MB SmartCache. This CPU can boost up to 4.6 GHz under a heavy load, but even at 2.3 GHz base frequency, this best of a processor should eat up pretty much any game you throw at it.
As expected, this budget-gaming laptop also comes with Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3050, which, as we have already mentioned, is more than enough for a game like WoW.
Another beastly thing about this laptop is the screen. With MSI Sword, we’re looking at a 15.6 inch FullHD IPS panel, only this time – it’s 144Hz.
As for the RAM, this one, just like the IdeaPad 3, comes with 4 GB of DDR4 memory at 2400 MHz. Luckily, the RAM is upgradeable. The machine supports up to 64 gigs, so if you’re ever in the mood of adding some additional sticks or upgrading to faster ones – you’ll be able to do it.
4. Lenovo Legion 5
Source: fuentitech.com
Lenovo Legion 5 is arguably the best budget gaming laptop you can buy.
The base model goes for $1099, making it our most expensive budget model. However, this is also the best one on our list.
Legion 5 comes with an AMD chip – Ryzen 5 5600H, to be precise. This is a 6-core, 12-thread CPU with a base clock frequency of 3.3 GHz, but it can boost up to 4.2 GHz when needed. A CPU like this one will drive WoW without breaking a sweat.
As for the GPU, once again, we have an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050. You already know all about it – so let’s move on.
As for RAM, we finally have some really fast sticks. Legion 5 comes with 8 gigs of 3200 MHz DDR4 RAM, more than capable enough to run a title such as WoW.
But, the best thing about Legion 5 is the display. It’s a 15.6-inch FHD IPS panel with a 165 Hz refresh rate. You absolutely need a display such as this one if you want to make the most out of your CPU and GPU, and you’ll surely see some high FPS in Wow with this machine.
Conclusion:
Other than Legion 5, every laptop here can be bought for under $1000 as of right now. And, even though that might not be “budget-friendly” for a lot of people – it’s just the way it is nowadays. Computers are very expensive, and it doesn’t look like they’ll get any cheaper any time soon.
