Lenovo Prices LOQ 15 Gaming Laptop From $999 as Rivals Climb

Lenovo's LOQ 15 is the only gaming laptop under $1,500 that Wired reviewer Luke Larsen says he is comfortable recommending, as a memory shortage pushes prices higher across the budget gaming-laptop category, according to Wired's Nov. 1 review.

The outlet reports the LOQ 15 is currently available with an RTX 5060 graphics card for $1,300 through Amazon, and with an RTX 5050 for $999 directly from Lenovo. Both configurations otherwise carry identical specs, including 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage, Wired reports.

What does the Lenovo LOQ 15 cost right now?

Amazon lists the RTX 5060 configuration at $1,300 with 512 GB of storage, and a 1 TB version at $1,160, according to Wired's reporting. Lenovo's own site sells the RTX 5050 configuration — otherwise matching specs — for $999. Wired notes the laptop sold for less than $1,000 in early 2026 "the good old days," before memory-driven price increases hit the category broadly.

How does the RTX 5060 configuration perform in games?

Larsen writes that the RTX 5060 draws up to 100 watts of power in the LOQ 15, which he calls "a big upgrade" over the RTX 5050. Every game he tested ran above 60 frames per second at the medium preset, he reports, including demanding titles such as Black Myth: Wukong and Monster Hunter Wilds. Frame rates can go higher with further setting adjustments or upscaling, according to the review.

Why are gaming laptop prices rising in 2026?

Wired attributes the broader price increase to an ongoing memory shortage that has raised costs across laptops generally, with gaming models hit particularly hard. The outlet reports that some manufacturers have responded by launching 2026 gaming laptops with the RTX 4050 — a graphics card more than three years old — as the base configuration.

How does the LOQ 15 compare with rival budget models?

Larsen says he has tested several laptops in a similar price range, including the MSI Cyborg A16, the Acer Nitro V 16, the Alienware 15 and the Lenovo LOQ Essential 15, and that "none can compete with the LOQ 15." According to the review, the Alienware 15 and LOQ Essential 15 share a common shortcoming he does not specify beyond noting it affects both models. Wired credits the LOQ 15's IPS display as a key differentiator, arguing that many budget gaming laptops ship with "pitifully desaturated screens" that undercut the gaming experience even when raw performance is competitive.

LOQ 15 Pricing and Performance at a Glance

• RTX 5060, 512 GB, 16 GB RAM: $1,300 (Amazon), per Wired
• RTX 5060, 1 TB, 16 GB RAM: $1,160 (Amazon), per Wired
• RTX 5050, 512 GB, 16 GB RAM: $999 (Lenovo.com), per Wired
• GPU power draw on RTX 5060 configuration: 100 watts, per Wired
• Tested frame rates: 60+ fps at medium preset in titles including Black Myth: Wukong and Monster Hunter Wilds, per Wired

Should buyers wait for Black Friday pricing?

Wired advises against banking on steeper discounts. Larsen writes that he has "not seen much fluctuation" in LOQ 15 pricing over the past several months, noting the laptop was not discounted further during October's Amazon Prime Day event — and was still the strongest gaming-laptop deal available at the time, in his assessment.

What to watch

• Whether Lenovo adjusts LOQ 15 pricing during Black Friday promotions, given the flat pricing pattern Wired documented through October.
• Whether the ongoing memory shortage pushes additional manufacturers toward older graphics cards, such as the RTX 4050, in new 2026 laptop launches.
• Whether rival budget models — including the MSI Cyborg A16, Acer Nitro V 16, Alienware 15 and Lenovo LOQ Essential 15 — close the display-quality gap Wired identifies in the LOQ 15's favor.

HTT News has separately tracked gaming-hardware activity abroad, including DAREU's unveiling of adaptive gaming peripherals at a Saudi exhibition, part of a wider push by hardware makers into new regional markets as component costs shift globally.