As prices for desktop components and handheld PCs spiral out of control, a hands-on review of an entry-level gaming laptop has forced this writer to reconsider one of their longest-held prejudices. With inflated costs for RAM, SSDs, and graphics cards making DIY builds increasingly unaffordable—and formerly budget-friendly handhelds either suffering dramatic price hikes or launching above £1,000 from the outset—there is now a genuine exception to the rule that cheap gaming PCs have been driven into a coma: an RTX 5050-equipped laptop priced at just £850.
The Medion Erazer Scout 15, reviewed as potentially “the most gaming PC you can get for under £999,” represents a shifting landscape in the budget market. For newcomers entirely new to PC ownership who must factor in a monitor and peripherals, the entry point into decent current-spec 1080p play has remained stubbornly stuck in the low quadruple figures across recent rounds of price checking—and this laptop offers one of the few viable paths through.
A Reluctant Conversion
Laptops have never adequately balanced their compromises for critics. Less powerful and modular than desktops, less quiet and portable than handhelds, they have historically been an uncomfortable middle ground. They suit cramped desks and travelling, but value-minded homebound players have almost always found it more comfortable—and cheaper—to build a budget desktop rig instead.
That dynamic is changing. Although gaming laptops are not exempt from the pricing pressures exerted by RAM shortages, entry-level models appear to be weathering them more hardily than their desktop counterparts. A latest-gen GPU on the cheap typically means Nvidia’s RTX 5050, and a DIY build inclusive of a monitor, Windows license, and even a relatively basic CPU, memory, and storage configuration will set you back about £1,100.
The laptop-grade RTX 5050 appears to occupy the same “High, maybe not Ultra” performance space as the Steam Machine. Which is fine, and perhaps something to count in laptoppery’s favour: a base 512GB Steam Machine costs about the same as this Erazer, but add the cost of a screen and a keyboard, and the laptop comfortably delivers more frames per pound.
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Performance and Compromises
The Scout 15 is not without deficiencies. Its CPU, an Intel Core i5-13420H, is a three-year-old chip that wasn’t cutting-edge when it launched. Battery life is poor—modern games will consume a full charge in an hour or less—and even plugged in, the fan noise can overpower its tinny speakers, suggesting buyers set some cash aside for a decent headset.
Otherwise, the laptop looks and feels respectable for a budget notebook. It offers a tasteful, slim shell with a decent smattering of ports, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD that avoids cut-price sluggishness, and a 144Hz IPS screen. While it covers only 62.7% of the sRGB colour gamut and peaks at a mediocre 330cd/m2 brightness in testing, its measured contrast ratio of 1,574:1 is strong for an IPS panel.
The RTX 5050 carries all the same features as the full-size original, including the latest DLSS 4.5 upscaling and Multi-Frame Generation support. Ray tracing performs better on this discrete GeForce GPU than on the Steam Machine’s combined CPU/GPU, with the Scout 15 averaging 50fps in Cyberpunk 2077 at ray-traced reflections, sub shadows, local shadows, Medium-quality RT lighting, and Quality DLSS—compared to 37fps on the Machine.
Looking Ahead
The Scout 15 remains loud, not particularly portable in realistic use terms, and arguably still not cheap enough. But it only needs to be more affordable than its alternatives—a massive improvement given the current environment of relentless price increases—and that elevates its desirability as a PC gaming entry point, along with similar low-end machines like the Acer Nitro V15.
While the Steam Machine still makes sense specifically as a living room PC, until desktop hardware prices in general improve, gaming laptops stand as a serious alternative. Even without true “good deals” in full PCs right now, newcomers will find that entry-level laptops are currently the closest thing available to an affordable way into the hobby.
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