Are you looking for a gaming laptop that can stand up to built desktops, but you don’t want to break the bank? There are many gaming laptops on the market that fit the description. Though how do you really know what you are getting. There are many laptops labeled as ‘gaming compatible’ though there are only a handful that can really hold up to that name. Here is a compiled list of ten laptops under $1000 rated the best by users.
5 Best of Top 10 Gaming Laptops
Reasons to Invest in The Best Gaming Laptops
I will be touching on their listed key features, the pros and cons of the laptop itself, and our thoughts on them as a whole. The laptops here are all great quality for their price, and they can offer a great experience for casual to avid gamers. No longer will you have to struggle finding the perfect laptop through hundreds of pages, or reading through reviews seeing if it is worth it. Here are the 10 best gaming laptops under $1000.
List of 10 The Best Gaming Laptops in 2020
1. MSI GL72M – The Best Gaming Laptop Under $2000
The MSI GL72M is a quality laptop made specifically for gaming with its NTSC display and a hearty drive with 1000 GB. At a light 5.95 pounds, this laptop will also be extremely easy to transport anywhere with little hassle. Not only is it is rated Readers Choice at PCMAG.com two years in a row, it comes with a year warranty to cover anything that may happen.
Features
Pros
- With the 1050 card, it handles the latest games with ease and even stands up to desktops build specifically for gaming as well.
- You are able to control the fan settings for optimal cooling when needed.
- There is full control to lots of features such as the onboard camera, microphone, wifi, and bluetooth.
- It even comes with Norton Internet Security upon purchase so you can have protection while browsing.
- It boots up and turns off with impeccable speeds.
- This laptop is very quiet for its size compared to other models.
- A backlit keyboard is great for late night gamers that don’t wish to turn a light on.
- With the 17.2 inch monitor, it is almost like using a desktop on the go.
Cons
- It does not contain a disc drive, so game discs are out of the question.
- The SSD is smaller which makes it harder for those with heavy gaming libraries.
- The brightness can be a bit dim even at the brightest settings.
- With heavy use, the battery only lasts a small two to three hours.
- It can be a bit cumbersome to carry around with the larger screen.
- The space bar has been said to be a bit unresponsive at times.
- The sound comes from underneath the laptop, which makes it muffled and useless.
- Since the keys are a transparent red, it is hard to see them without the backlight on.
Our Thoughts
The MSI GL72M is a decent laptop for its price. It has amazing speeds, though can not hold a charge for long. It does have amazing graphics though, and it has the ability to play the latest games on the market. Though it does have some problems that are hard to overlook, such as that it seems to often become unresponsive in areas.
Overall, it is a quality laptop for its price. If you are looking for a first time gaming laptop or a laptop to switch to from your desktop at times, this would be a good choice with little regret. We do suggest getting the warranty on it when you purchase it however.
2. Acer Predator Helios 300 – Best Gaming Laptop Under $1500
Acer has been known to produce quality gaming laptops at decent prices. The Predator Helios is no different with its mighty 3.8 GHz Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce graphics coprocessor. It also comes at a light 5.95 pounds with a lovely 15.6 inch screen. The specs and features on this laptop are also great quality.
Features
Pros
- The battery life lasts 7 hours from fully charged for light or medium use.
- The driver software updates quickly upon first start up.
- It is able to run even the harder games extremely well.
- The dual fans work extremely well and are very quiet.
- The ISP screen has great viewing angles and has a very miniscule loss of brightness when it exceeds 50+ degrees.
- The keyboard is sturdy and have very little travel distance.
- The 256 GB hard drive is extremely fast for its size.
- Putting in an extra hard drive is extremely easy since it even has an extra spot for one.
- For the price, it does come with great performance.
Cons
- For games that are harder on the system, you have to be hooked up to the cord to keep from dropping in performance.
- You only get the red color backlighting for the keys.
- It is recommended to get another hard drive for extra memory.
- You have to update your firmware or you will run into problems with stuttering and freezing.
- The exterior is like an oil magnet and seems to catch every single fingerprint.
- The plastic snaps underneath take effort to pull out and are extremely easy to break if you are not careful.
Our Thoughts
The Acer Predator Helios is a good choice to go to if you are a more avid gamer. The battery life is impeccable to most, though it does have its hardships with heavy games. The display is absolutely stunning though for the smaller screen, and the backlighting for the keyboard is quite great as well.
You really have to reach for cons with this laptop though. It is a really quality laptop for its price. Especially with the ability to add another hard drive or even see your temperatures with use. This laptop does everything you want a gaming laptop and then some.
3. HP Pavilion – Best Streaming Laptop Under 1000
The HP Pavilion is a great gaming laptop for its price. It may have older specs such as a 2.3 GHz core i5-760 processor, though it is still a quality machine. It comes with plenty of cool features that are hard to ignore. I mean who doesn’t want a gaming laptop that offers a few of the latest titles of games for free?
Features
The top feature the HP Pavilion comes with has to be the bonus intel software starter pack. It comes with Cuphead, Dungeons 2, Gas Guzzlers Extreme, Last Tide, Total War: Warhammer II, World of Tanks, and World of Warships. It is not often that you get free quality games with the purchase of the laptop itself.
The display has to be the next best thing on this laptop. It is built with gaming and full entertainment in mind. It comes with NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics and a micro-edge display and IPS. This really brings a lifelike experience to gaming unlike many current laptops. This added with the front-firing speakers, HP audio boost, and being able to tune by B&O PLAY, your gaming experience has really been upgraded.
Not only is the display amazing, The Pavilion also comes with amazing memory and RAM. The memory for this laptop nearly trumps all others that cost far more. It comes in hard with a 1TB mechanical hard drive, making it impossible to run out of rooms for your games. It also comes with an 8 GB SDRAM.
Pros
- The top pro is the bonus intel software starter pack with the handful of games offered to you.
- The RAM is expandable with another slot available.
- It comes with an amazingly large 1TB hard drive.
- Streaming on this laptop is a breeze with little to no wait for buffering videos.
- The battery has a decent life of 5-6 hours.
Cons
- The CPU can run very hot with many different games, making it almost necessary to have a cooling pad to keep it from overheating.
- Due to a single hinge, the screen is a bit flimsy and must be opened from the top middle.
- The fans can be extremely loud during intensive gaming sessions.
Our Thoughts
This Laptop is great for those on a budget, and adds more value when you notice it comes with quality game titles already. It is definitely for a beginner or moderate gamer since anything heavy spikes its temperature. This alone makes it overheat where you need outside products just to cool it down.
The specs it comes with though seem to make it worth it with mainly positive reviews. I know I could stand a little heat with that much hard drive space. Plus it is great for streaming if you aren’t in the mood for gaming.
4. ASUS FX504 – Best Gaming Laptop Under 1200
ASUS is another known company to make very quality laptops for gaming. It features for intense gaming, it is definitely one of the better options. Not to mention the ASUS TUF is super light at only 5.1 pounds and barely an inch in width. If you are looking for a portable laptop for gaming, this may just be the one for you.
Features
Just like the HP Pavilion, the ASUS TUF comes a few games that adds to its original value. Gears of War and Age of Empires Definitive Edition are preloaded onto the laptop. Again, who doesn’t enjoy free games?
This laptop isn’t playing around though. Its durability is a crucial part to it. It comes with dual fans that even have anti-dust cooling technology. It even comes with a shocking 20 million keystroke durable backlit keyboard. If that doesn’t show the extensive quality of this laptop, its specs will.
It comes with a great processor; Intel Core i7-8750H processor. The Asus also has an 8 GB DDR4 with 2666MHz Memory and a hard drive of 256 GB. With the GeForce GTX, it gives you all the power of a desktop with the portability of a laptop.
Another great feature is the aggressive cooling system it comes with. I mentioned the dual fans and anti-dust tunnels, but I didn’t mention its capabilities. It not only prolongs the TUF’s lifestyle, it also improves airflow and comes with a 3 speed fan overboost. If you are worried of overheating your laptop with heavy games, you can really put your mind at ease here.
If sound is what you are worried about too, don’t stress any more. The ASUS TUF comes with 7.1 channel surround sound which offers a great theatre quality sound. It also has DTS Headphone: X support built in with audiophile-grade equalizers.
Pros
- It comes with preloaded known games.
- The durability and quality of the laptop is great for the price.
- The ASUS has the ability to run AAA games on ultra with little to no problems.
- It comes with an amazing sound system compared to older models.
- Once it gets running, it processes things at near lightning speed with little to no hiccups.
- The keyboard is really responsive and can really take abuse.
- Audio is clear and loud with amazing speaker to boot.
Cons
- It can come very slow out of the box, and it may require a complete reinstall of windows 10 to speed it up.
- Battery life is dismal, making you hooked to the wall often for more intensive games.
- One of the games offered for free takes up a good half chunk of your memory
- It comes with aggressive McAfee software.
- With the harddrive being only 256 GB, this is not the computer for those with extensive game libraries.
Our Thoughts
For the price, this is definitely one of the most quality gaming laptops. It will be hard to find anything remotely close to this at such a reasonable price. It is great for any and all gamers, though it does come with its hang ups. For instance, the small hard drive that is easily filled up with the free games, makes it hard for those with larger game libraries.
Though if you are just a casual gamer, and don’t need hundreds and hundreds of gigabytes to store your library, this is the laptop for you. It has amazing display and even sound to go with it for all your gaming and entertainment needs. This is by far the best gaming laptop on a budget though. Just going by the quality of product you get for the price.
5. Acer Nitro 5 – Best Bang For Your Buck Gaming Laptop
Acer Nitro 5 is a quality gaming laptop with cool specs and an amazing appearance. It comes in a futuristic design with a 15.6 inch IPS display. That paired with its amazing processing powers, it makes for a great quality laptop for any gamer.
Features
The specs alone speak volumes about its quality. It comes with a 7th gen Intel Core i5-7300HQ Processor as well as a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti that has 4 GB dedicated GDDR5 VRAM. Now the memory is a bit less impressive with only 8 GB DDR4 and 256 GB SDD. So it may not have enough room for a whole gaming library, but it is great for casual gaming.
The Acer Nitro also comes with amazing dual fans with Acer Coolboost technology. When you are gaming heavily on the laptop, it allows you to control the process to ensure it cools down to your liking. It does seem to kick in automatically as well when it starts heating up from intensive tasks.
With the GeForce GTX, the graphics are insanely fast and crisp, making it one beast of a machine. That paired with the incredible audio make for a great experience. The speakers are loud and allows you to hear almost every sound from any movie or game.
Pros
- Comes with a muted branding, making it less obnoxious out and about with it.
- The system runs very fast, allowing programs to load instantly.
- The keyboard is well lit and quiet when typing.
- It comes with a larger touchpad which makes it easier to use.
- Wifi performance is amazing compared to other laptops.
- The performance of the laptop is solid and impressive for its price.
- Comes with space for an extra hard drive as well as everything needed to install it.
- The sound quality is quite great for the size and price.
- With the plastic design,the weight of the laptop is near nothing which makes it easily portable.
Cons
- The battery does not last long unless plugged in for more extensive gaming.
- There is very little hard drive space to do much with after it is all set up.
- There is no disk drive in the laptop at all.
- Most of the vent on the laptop are fake and just ‘for show’ which leaves it as a single path vent that heats up far faster than a dual path.
- To keep from damaging it, it’s best to keep it clean and use a cooling pad.
- The backlighting has no customizability and stays on when plugged in.
Our Thoughts
As I have mentioned before, Acer is known to produce quality gaming laptops. The Nitro 5 is no different. It may have its downfalls, but the laptop itself is a great deal for its price. It comes with quality hardware and can be used for almost any game.
The main issues are the overheating issues. Since it is only has a single path vent, it is best to try and keep it cool with a cooling pad. Though other than this flaw, it is great for casual gamers who don’t have an intense gaming library.
6. Omen by HP – Best Gaming Laptop on the Market
The Omen is almost like carrying around your desktop wherever you go without the weight and extensive set-up. It has amazing graphics and sound that rival most of the competition. That added to the hard drive size and the weight of it, it is really a quality laptop that is hard to pass up.
Features
The Omen also has a NVIDIA GeForce GTX that allows for stunning graphics that are hard to compete with. That paired with the 2.3 GHz Core i5 8300H processor, you are able to play any game on high or ultra settings. It’s like it barely blinks an eye at it.
What makes the Omen what it is though is the adaptability. It is easy to disassemble to put in newer and better tech as it comes out. You can upgrade the HDD, SSD, and RAM easily from the single panel access point on the back. This gives the Omen a longer lifespan than most similar laptops.
Another great feature the Omen has are the larger blade fans. They come with a 3-phase motor and greatly improve heat dissipation. While the fan cat get loud at times during heavy gaming, it rarely exceeds a warm temperature.
They keyboard is very impressive as well. Not only is it fully backlit, it also has a cool anti-ghosting feature. This ensures that every stroke is recorded and you can do multiple commands at once without missing a beat. With this super responsive keyboard, you never have to go back and retype something it didn’t pick up.
Pros
- The screen is an IPS screen, making it visible at any angle.
- It is easy to disassemble for future upgrades.
- Comes with a 1 TB hard drive that is fast and gives room for many games.
- The touchpad comes with physical buttons and is really responsive.
- Start-up is simple with no hiccups.
- It has amazing heat dissipation and barely gets warm with heavy games.
- With the specs you are able to play any games on high or ultra settings.
- It comes with a numpad for those who love using it while gaming.
- The display is really high quality and comes with full backlighting.
Cons
- The laptop can get warm with rather loud fans at times.
- The battery doesn’t last that long for even minor things such as streaming or web browsing.
- The charger itself can get really hot.
- The vents are on the bottom of the laptop which leaves you with the only option of having it elevated.
- The keyboard only has two led settings; everything being lit red or just WASD.
- There are no custom fan controls.
Our Thoughts
The Omen really is one of the best of the best. It may have some equipment that isn’t satisfactory, but there is always room for improvement. For this price, it is definitely a steal considering one of the main problems has to be the vent being on the bottom. Even then, it is great at dissipating heat in the first place.
This heavy duty laptop is great for heavy gamers. It has tons of storage for any size library as well as the processing power to play anything you want on higher settings. The cons are really reaching though except for the battery and vents. So there isn’t much risk buying this great laptop.
7. Dell Inspiron 15 7000 – Best Gaming Laptop Around 1000
The Dell Inspiron may not be the best in its class, but for its price it really is a great deal for a gamer looking for a starter laptop. It still has some quality features that make it stand out amongst lesser rated gaming laptops. Though it is small and easy to carry around, its specs make it worth it in the end.
Features
With the Intel Core i5 quad-core setup, you can play even the more intensive games without missing a frame. The NVIDIA GeForce graphics paired with that make the game amazingly immersive and able to see every aspect of the game. The GTX also has its own video memory that isn’t connected to the CPU so all your games can be easily played on high. All of this added to the 15.6 inch anti-glare screen and you have a comfortable setup for gaming.
Having rear-exiting cooling vents as well as large cooling fans really reduces the heat in the computer. You never have to worry about the loud fan when it is overheating because not only are the fans quiet, it is hard to overheat when the air is being pushed away from the laptop.
The front-firing speakers also immerse you into the gaming world. With the subwoofer and Waves MaxxAudio Pro, you will be able to hear every voice line or music from the game. It will be like you have your own surround sound setup with your laptop wherever you are. And you never have to worry about battery power with the 74 WHr battery, able to keep a charge for multiple hours.
Pros
- The design is appealing with its simple and thin look to it.
- The front facing speakers are amazing with spacious stereo imaging.
- The backlighting on the keyboard is perfect and consistent.
- The Inspirion comes with an IPS screen that is bright and sharp.
- The laptop itself is not too heavy, though doesn’t feel flimsy.
- With the more rubbery exterior, it is far more scratch resistant compared to aluminum.
Cons
- The mechanical hard drive is slow and brings the whole laptop to a struggling standstill.
- It is not made for heavy gaming since most games will eat through the 8 GB stick.
- The display has really dismal viewing angles which means you have to be nearly center to it.
- The display is way too dim to do much with darker games.
- The touchpad is way to close, making it impossible NOT to accidentally tap it when gaming.
- The webcam has a lower quality video.
Our Thoughts
The Dell Inspiron is best for beginning gamers instead of more intensive gamers. The hard drive may be large, but it can be really slow especially the more you put on it. It’s display isn’t that great unless you are front and center at all times. And the touchpad can surely get in the way.
Though for young children or even just very casual gamers, this laptop will work perfect for you even if it is a heavy game once in a while. It only starts showing its faults with more and more use. I recommend it for the price, but it is also near the bottom of this list in quality.
8. ASUS FX503VD – Best and Cheapest Gaming Laptop
The ASUS FX503VD is similar to the ASUS FX504 we covered above, but it has a few different graphics and abilities. Just like all ASUS gaming laptops, they are all near premium quality with amazing specs and features. From display to storage, it is a affordable laptop for any avid gamer.
Features
Not only is the FX503VD compact, it is built with great specs. It houses a 7th gen standard voltage Intel Core quad-core processor with a GeForce 10-series graphics card. With this kind of tech, you can easily game at the highest settings with easily 60 fps at all times. Added to this amazing speed is a 15.6 inch full HD panel that has up to 178 degree viewing angles. It really allow you to immerse yourself into the content.
The design is sleek and stylish, weighing very little while only being less than an inch in width. The keyboard also brings with it a cool futuristic style with only 1.8mm in travel distance between keys and a backlighting of red. It also features a N-Key Rollover.
Pros
- FX503VD has great performance even if the equipment isn’t top tier.
- It also has upgrade accessibility with an easy access door for the hard drives and memory.
- The laptop can also handle heat well.
- It is able to start and restart really fast.
- The charger is able to completely charge the computer in very little time
- It is able to handle most games with a 60 fps.
Cons
- The quality and feel of it is rather cheap with everything being a plastic bezel.
- Operating noise is a big bust with the fans constantly running.
- It does not feel as solid as most laptops.
- The speakers are not actually as good as advertised.
- There is no disc drive. -Absolutely no type C USB ports.
- Battery life is low and doesn’t last long even if just streaming.
Our Thoughts
This is a great casual gaming laptop. It may not be one to get if you wish to take it places beyond your home, but it is a decent quality computer. It has great specs with room for improvements in the future. The screen is readable and sharp even though the speakers are a bit shoddy.
I would recommend this more as a normal laptop than a gaming computer, but it is able to play game at decent quality. It is when the more intensive games are played that it starts slowing down. However, the large amount of room on the computer does allow for anything to be downloaded with little worry about disk space.
9. HP Onyx Blizzard – Best Low Cost Gaming Laptop
The HP Onyx is a very slick laptop with decent pecs. Out of this list it does seem to come as the lightest as well, making it by far the most portable. For the price you do get a quality machine with an amazing amount of memory to store anything you could ever want. It is a basic machine, with good specs.
Features
The memory is the best quality this laptop comes with. It has a 12 GB DDR4 SDRAM as well as a 1TB hard drive that could store any great gaming library. And with the 7th gen Intel Core i5-7300HQ Processor, you are able to run most games with ease.
The other great feature to the HP Onyx are the looks. It may be made out of plastic, but the quality is great for the price. It even comes with a 15.6 inch screen that comes as full HD IPS with anti-glare LED backlighting. The keyboard is also a full-size island style with backlighting and even a numpad.
Pros
- It is able to play and hold most games for even the most avid gamers.
- For the price, the hardware is amazing.
- You are able to change out the HDD if you wanted to.
- It runs fast and even allows for streaming.
Cons
- It can overheat really fast due to the main air ventilation blowing hot water on the screen. -The battery doesn’t last as long as it advertises. -The fan noise can be very loud and annoying. -May not be able to handle larger games.
- The battery doesn’t last as long as it advertises.
- The fan noise can be very loud and annoying.
- The speakers are not actually as good as advertised.
- May not be able to handle larger games.
Our Thoughts
This laptop seems to a just an HP Pavilion with some extra specs and a different color. It isn’t all that special of a laptop, though for the price, it is a fair trade. From reviews, it may be able to hold all your games, but it doesn’t guarantee to run all of them greatly or even at all.
I suggest this laptop more as a casual laptop with minor gaming. Once you start loading in heavier games, it may just not be able to handle it. Though, for everything else, it handles things just fine and seems to be a sturdy build.
10. Acer Aspire 7 – Best Gaming Laptop for Wow
Acer Aspire 7 in no different in quality compared to the other Acer laptops in this list. They are well made with great features. Though this one is one of the newest out of the list with amazing improved tech all under a thousand. This laptop could power through anything with barely breaking a sweat.
Features
The specs for this machine are amazing and new. There is an 8th gen Intel Core i7 six-core processor in this laptop, making it a beast able to handle anything thrown at it. It also has a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti for the fastest graphics you could ask for. The storage for this beast also comes with a full terabyte of memory, amazing for anything you want to hold. Not to mention, all these are easily upgradable if you want to make sure it stays up to date.
The Aspire also comes with amazing quality and design. It comes with a full 15.6 inch full HD screen with stunning IPS display. The true life colors it brings are truly jaw dropping and immersive. You can’t forget the speakers or microphone in the Acer either. The audio experience is amazing with Acer’s TrueHarmony and Dolby Audio Premium coming to a great blend. The microphone is not only clear and reliable, it comes with background noise reduction.
Another great feature for the Aspire is the new tech advancements it comes with. It comes with a fingerprint biometric authentication system for safe and fast login. It also comes with amazingly fast 808.11 AC wireless as well as 2×2 MIMO wireless technology. This machine can process data far faster than the others on this list.
Pros
- For the price, you get substantial power with this machine.
- The keyboard and touchpad are exceptional.
- It boots up and shuts down within seconds.
- It is easy to upgrade for new advancements.
- The Aspire comes with a must have SSD.
- It also comes with a disc reader unlike many gaming laptops.
- The battery life is definitely better than others, lasting for 5-6 hours instead or 2 or less.
Cons
- Brightness does not exceed 200 nits.
- The backlit keyboard has a timer of 30 seconds before it shuts off and has to be relit by touch.
- It can run hot at times from extensive tasks.
- The speakers are on the bottom which can lead to muffled sound.
Our Thoughts
For the amazing price this laptop comes at and the new equipment used in it, this laptop is by far the best on this list. It can withstand quite a bit of work with both speed and storage. It not only is well built, it is just overall a great laptop. One of the best features on it has to be the disk reader, which most gaming laptops sacrifice for other fancy works.
It may have some problems, but they do not overpower the beast that is this laptop. If you are on a budget and want a really powerful laptop for gaming, this should be your first choice.
Final Verdict on Finding The Best Gaming Laptop
Now that you have seen all ten gaming laptops that are highly rated, you can buy one for yourself without as much hassle over the hundreds of choices. Each machine here comes with great qualities, though they all come with their faults as well. It is up to you to make the right choice for you from this list.
Whether you want a laptop for intensive gaming or just casual, or one for the specs, you can find what you need here. I hope it has helped in your decision for a great gaming laptop.
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