Alienware 15 vs. LOQ Essential 15: I compared both budget gaming laptops - it was close

Alienware 15 (left) vs. Lenovo LOQ Essential 15 (right) Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET Alienware 15 (left) vs. Lenovo LOQ Essential 15 (right) Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. In the throes of the RAMpocalypse, checking prices on new gaming laptops is enough to make you ragequit. Luckily, there are some good budget gaming laptops out there, and it's never been a better time to give them serious consideration. I compared two of the best bang-for-buck gaming laptops on the market right now: the Alienware 15 (2026) and the Lenovo LOQ Essential 15. Both of these laptops hover around the $1,200 mark, opt for lower-end (but still competitive) hardware, and forego bells and whistles like RGB…