Having a dedicated or discreet GPU in your laptop is quite the privileged option for gaming, but the cost and other considerations can easily dissuade potential buyers. Luckily, for those of you who want to play video games but are budget-conscious, there are laptops with integrated graphics; they’re more than viable for gaming.
You can thank AMD and its impressive developments on the AMD Radeon Graphics front. Their APUs (accelerated processing unit) actually have decent performance in gaming, especially when compared to what Intel has to offer.
This allows some light video games to run smoothly and rest assured, lets you play on laptops with integrated graphics. So if you don’t plan on heavy gaming, consider the following AMD laptops with integrated graphics.
RELATED: Integrated GPU: Is it Good Enough for Gaming?
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 G3
PROS
- Comes with a Ryzen 7 CPU
- Keyboard has a Numpad
- Slim form factor
- Decent RAM for the price
- Affordable
- Has a fingerprint lock and scanner
- Light
CONS
- Cheap plastic chassis
- Battery life could be better
- Storage could be better
Specs:
- CPU / Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5700U
- GPU / Graphics Card: Integrated
- RAM / Memory: 16GB DDR4
- Storage: 512GB PCIE SSD
- Display: 15.6″ Full HD
If you want a good balance of everything while still having a reasonable price, then Lenovo’s recent ThinkBook 15 G3 is a certified crowd-pleaser. It’s a slim laptop thanks to the integrated GPU but the CPU packs quite a punch due to the 8-core and 16-thread architecture.
It likely won’t turn heads, but it also won’t break the bank while still allowing you to play your favorite video games. It’s also one of the few laptops here that comes with a complete keyboard while retaining its minimalist form factor.
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 G3
Asus ZenBook 14 Ultra-Slim Laptop
PROS
- Comes with a Ryzen 9 CPU
- Its CPU usually comes paired with high-end discrete laptop GPUs
- Slim and minimalist design
- Comes with a Numpad somehow
- Light
- Elegant build quality
- Hinger serves as additional cooling
CONS
- For this price, you could get a cheap mid-range gaming laptop with a discrete GPU
Specs:
- CPU / Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX
- GPU / Graphics Card: Radeon Vega 7 Graphics/Integrated
- RAM / Memory: 16GB
- Storage: 1TB PCIe SSD
- Display: 14” FHD
If you’re going to leave out the discrete GPU, you might as well compensate for it with the CPU and that’s what the Asus Zenbook 14 Ultra-Slim is all about. It features the top-of-the-line AMD laptop CPU of the previous generation, which has some impressive specs and capabilities for productivity tasks.
This does contribute much to its integrated GPUs performance overhead. The caveat is the price. For a $1,000 price point, you could get some cheaper brands that actually have their own discrete GPU though they will have a cheaper build quality compared to this one.
Still, this is a great option if you’re more concerned about CPU prowess.
Asus ZenBook 14 Ultra-Slim Laptop
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED Ultra-Slim
PROS
- Comes with a Numpad somehow
- OLED screen
- Elegant build quality
- Light
- Slim and compact design
- Comes with a Ryzen 7 CPU
- Hinger serves as additional cooling
CONS
- Storage could be better
- RAM amount is a bit low
Specs:
- CPU / Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5700U
- GPU / Graphics Card: Integrated
- RAM / Memory: 8GB LPDDR4X
- Storage: 512GB PCIe SSD
- Display: 13.3” FHD NanoEdge Bezel OLED
Another entry from Asus, this one focuses on the screen or display quality. Because it features an OLED screen, which is the fresh new thing these days in laptops and monitors. Laptops with this kind of screen tech typically cost more, but this particular Asus ZenBook 13 OLED is on sale (at the time of writing).
The price is certainly manageable though there were some notable cost-cutting involved that can limit the games you play especially if you don’t have money for immediate upgrades. Apart from that, you get to enjoy the OLED screen and a decent integrated GPU and CPU.
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED Ultra-Slim
HP Envy X360 2-in-1
PROS
- Generous RAM
- Touchscreen
- 360-degree hinge
- Slim and minimalist
- Elegant design
- Comes in other RAM and storage configurations
CONS
- Ryzen 5 only
- A bit overpriced for its CPU specs
Specs:
- CPU / Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 5625U
- GPU / Graphics Card: Integrated
- RAM / Memory: 32GB
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Display: 15.6″ FHD Touchscreen
If you do find yourself yearning for the comforts and convenience of a touchscreen or 2-in-1 laptop, then the HP Envy X360 (2022) is one of the strongest contenders. This particular model comes with a whopping 32GB of RAM for all your multitasking needs.
The CPU could be better but you still can’t go wrong with a laptop Ryzen 5. If you need less or more RAM, then you could select a different option and increase or decrease the price depending on your needs.
HP Envy X360 2-in-1
HP 14 Laptop
PROS
- Cheap price
- Slim and light
- Long battery life
- Elegant HP design
CONS
- RAM amount is a bit low
- Storage is low
Specs:
- CPU / Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 5500U
- GPU / Graphics Card: Integrated
- RAM / Memory: 8 GB
- Storage: 256 GB SSD
- Display: 14″ FHD
There might be cheaper budget options out there but you’d be compromising performance by going with lower-end or older CPUs since those also come with old AMD Radeon Graphics models. So this HP 14 model provides a good balance.
It’s also small and slim, letting you slide it into a bag easily while still enjoying the benefits of a decent integrated GPU. Do keep in mind that at this price point, sacrifices had to be made and you might find specs like the RAM a bit low if you plan on multitasking a lot.
HP 14 Laptop
There’s a Heavy Limit To Integrated GPU Performance
If you weren’t aware already, integrated GPUs are not the ideal option for gaming if you care about visuals or graphical fidelity. While AMD’s integrated GPUs are better compared to Intel’s, they still struggle with the latest video games. You can get away with some of them by lowering the visual settings to the lowest preset or slider while some games outright won’t launch.
As always, check the spec requirements for a particular game to see if your laptop’s integrated GPU can handle it. With the current lineup we recommended, however, expect to be able to play masterpieces like The Witcher 3 (2015 version) a bit smoothly on the lowest settings. Any game released before that should run acceptably.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Are Intel Integrated GPUs bad?
Yes. They have poor gaming performance compared to their AMD counterparts. -
What are the benefits of laptops with integrated GPU?
There are a few advantages such as the laptop not needing a heavier chassis or cooling system due to the conservative energy draw of the integrated GPU. This allows the laptop to be lighter and smaller. Consequently, the laptop is also cheaper to make.