In the R8,000 to R12,000 band a gaming laptop is entry-tier: expect a recent quad or six-core processor, 8 to 16GB of memory, an SSD and a 15 to 16-inch 1080p screen, with either integrated graphics or an entry dedicated GPU depending on the exact model.

This budget targets esports and lighter or older titles at 1080p rather than maxed-out new AAA games, so the sensible move is to read each listing's graphics and memory rather than assume a fixed spec across the whole range.