Affordable gaming laptops have become better and more popular than ever. A host of sub-$1,000 rigs offer a blend of elegant design and top-notch specs that was previously unheard of in this price point. These days, one can buy a decently equipped gaming laptop for as low as $500!
Today's latest affordable gaming laptops, in addition to the mandatory increases in graphics and processing power over their predecessors, pack superior display panels with higher maximum refresh rate, better keyboards with customizable features, more entertaining speakers, and battery performance you can rely on beyond gaming, among many other things.
As always, the most important hardware bits to consider when shopping for a new gaming laptop are the processor and the graphics card. The latter is particularly crucial, because it's the component that sets a gaming rig apart from a regular laptop. A good graphics card, in addition to delivering a rich gameplay experience, will ensure that you won’t have to worry about upgrading your PC for a while.
The above-mentioned components are not only instrumental for delivering a robust gaming experience, but also upgradeable. You can opt to beef up the memory and the storage of all products I picked without breaking the bank down the line.
Most products on this list are powered by NVIDIA’s excellent GTX 16 series chips. The entry-level GPU sports a 1650 model number, while the range-topping variant carries a 1660ti moniker. In addition to being capable of delivering a solid gaming experience in Full HD resolution, they are also capable of powering a virtual reality headset.
Believe it or not, the best gaming laptops under $1,000 also feature a display panel with high refresh rate. The feature was previously unavailable in this price point — it brings smoother and overall more entertaining gameplay.
CPU: Ninth-generation Intel Core i5-9300H (quad-core) Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GPU Display: 15.6-inch Full HD (1,920 by 1,080 pixels) IPS display with 144 Hz maximum refresh rate Memory: 12 GB of RAM, 512 GB SSD
The 15-inch HP Pavilion is the best gaming laptop for less than $1,000. Priced below $900, the gaming rig has a cool design, headlined by a sleek metal chassis that’s surprisingly thin and elegant. I really like the notebook’s contrasting green accents, the matching keyboard backlighting, as well as the cool geometric patterns of the speaker grille. Its ultra-thin top and side bezels are also quite impressive.
The Pavilion is also worth your attention for offering solid hardware specs, robust gaming performance, and top-notch battery life (more than 8 hours of mixed use). A Laptop Mag editor rightfully praised the notebook for offering “stellar performance and battery life at an affordable price.”
The 144 Hz maximum refresh rate of the HP Pavilion’s screen is the highest on this list. Its B&O-tuned speakers on the other hand, are crisp, loud, and among the best in class, too. The same goes for its fantastic set of wired and wireless connectivity features.
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 (quad-core) Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPU Display: 15.6-inch Full HD (1,920 by 1,080 pixels) IPS display with 120 Hz maximum refresh rate Memory: 16 GB of RAM, 256 GB SSD, 1 TB HDD
While the ASUS TUF505 gaming laptop has a more capable NVIDIA graphics card and more RAM out of the box than the HP listed above, it's lacking in a few key areas.
The HP Pavilion has a display with higher maximum refresh rate, better speakers, longer battery life, bigger SSD storage capacity, and more connectivity features (the TUF505 is bizarrely lacking a USB-C port). Its design is also more characterful and you can order a version with bigger display panel.
But, adding to the exceptional graphics card and more RAM, the ASUS TUF505 notebook is also crafted to meet military standards for durability.
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 (quad-core) Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 560x GPU Display: 15.6-inch Full HD (1,920 by 1,080 pixels) IPS display Memory: 8 GB of RAM, 1 TB HDD
If you're shopping for a portable gaming rig on a really tight budget, this sub-$500 Acer Nitro 5 variant is your best bet. Equipped with AMD Ryzen processor and Radeon graphics card, the gaming laptop will deliver a respectable gaming experience in Full HD, so long as you manage your expectations accordingly.
In order to make the device so affordable, Acer opted to equip it with a hard drive instead of a faster solid-state drive. We highly recommend that you consider upgrading the component when your budget permits. It will result in a noticeable performance increase.
The notebook has an excellent set of connectivity features and a spacious keyboard with red backlighting. Its chassis has an edgy design and cool red accents as well. But we really wish that the display bezels of the gaming rig were not so gigantic.
The Acer Nitro 5 has a high-quality cooling system with a dedicated software suite. Its retail package includes a handy carrying sleeve.
CPU: Ninth-generation Intel Core i7-9750 (six-core) Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GPU Display: 17.3-inch Full HD (1,920 by 1,080 pixels) IPS display Memory: 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB SSD
The MSI GF75 Thin is incredibly sleek for a big-screen gaming rig. The notebook’s 17.3-inch screen has insanely thin bezels, which result in a screen-to-body ratio of 88% — an amazing number for a gaming laptop. We only wish that it had a higher maximum refresh rate.
The big notebook’s brushed aluminum finish is also impressive. Overall, you will be hard-pressed to find a more elegant big-screen gaming laptop in this price range.
MSI has equipped the GF75 Thin well for a sub-$1,000 product offering. The notebook’s CPU is the most powerful on this list. There’s plenty of RAM and fast SSD storage out of the box, too. You can easily upgrade both if you wish.
In case you like the design of the GF75, but don't need a screen this big, consider the MSI GF63 Thin instead. It has the same design and similar specs, but a more compact 15.6-inch screen.
CPU: Ninth-generation Intel Core i5-9300H (quad-core) Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GPU Display: 15.6-inch Full HD (1,920 by 1,080 pixels) IPS display Memory: 8 GB of RAM, 512 GB SSD
The Lenovo Ideapad L340 is well-equipped laptop that, unlike many competitors, is also great for daily use beyond gaming. It has a beautifully understated design with cool blue accents and solid hardware specs for its price tag.
We really like that the notebook has a built-in physical shutter for its webcam. The device’s Full HD display panels is also impressive for a sub-$700 gaming rig. It has a versatile 180-degree hinge and dedicated eye care mode. The latter will help you avoid eye strain by reducing the panel’s blue light emission.
The Ideapad L340 has a duo of usage modes. Users can choose between a quick mode that optimizes the device’s hardware for a robust gaming experience, or a quiet mode that’s better suited for work and casual use.
Stefan VazharovSenior Technology EditorStefan is the senior technology editor for BestProducts.com, where he’s been covering the tech industry and testing the latest gadgets since 2015; He previously covered tech products for GSMArena.com and his work can also be found on Popular Mechanics.
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