What's better than spending time off during the holiday playing new video games? Two things. Not having to wait until and not having to pay top prices for the best hardware out there!

It's a great time to buy pricey items like laptops and PCs because retailers around the country roll out big discounts to entice shopppers. For example, the beefy Acer Predator Helios 18 gaming laptop is $1,999 at Best Buy . That knocks $500 off the usual $2,499 asking price, which makes this well-specced machine an even more enticing purchase.

It's hard to get a budget gaming laptop right, but the Asus TUF A15 manages to square away some top-tier components without sacrificing build quality and design. It's already a particularly well-priced machine,