I got excited for the idea of sub-$1,000 gaming laptops with integrated graphics — but there are more than a few reasons why that’s probably not happening

There’s been a trend the last two or three years in gaming laptops (and elsewhere) that no one likes: Prices are going up. It hasn’t been surprising to see systems with the most powerful graphics, along with high-refresh displays, mechanical keyboards, or tons of RAM, to cost anywhere between $3,000 and $5,000, and more. See some of our most powerful picks like the MSI Titan 18 HX AI and the Razer Blade 18.

But that same thing has been happening on the low end. Systems that used to be $999 or less are…