Home > Best Gaming Laptops > Best Gaming Laptops under $1000
Long gone are the days where you needed to empty your bank account for a gaming laptop, this guide will help you choose the absolute best gaming laptops under 1000 dollars.
Know that you won’t get the best of the best laptop for this price, but it will be good enough to handle most of the latest games.
The things you need to consider before buying a gaming laptop are the graphics card, RAM, processor, and the hard drive.
For most casual gamers, these $1000 gaming laptops will be more than enough!
With the best gaming laptops under $1000, this is where you start seeing the ‘real’ laptop brands coming into play. Before that, it’s mostly mainstream laptops with good processors and an entry-level discrete video card. After that – let’s say $1500 gaming laptops – and you end up in a category made for hard-core gamers.
Looking for cheaper than $1000 gaming laptop? Check out our guide on gaming laptops under $800!
Our Top 3
#1 – MSI GF63 |
#2 – Lenovo Ideapad L340 |
#3 – HP Envy 13 |
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Portable & great gaming power![]() |
Affordable & good-looking![]() |
Ultraportable & powerful for casual gamers![]() |
15.6″ HD | 15.6″ HD | 13.3″ HD |
Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM | Intel i7 with 16 GB of RAM |
512 GB SSD | 512 GB SSD | 512 GB SSD |
Up to 7 hours | Up to 9.5 hours | Up to 10 hours |
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Jump to our Review | Jump to our Review | Jump to our Review |
Table of Contents
What to expect from the best gaming laptops under $1000
For that price, you get a good quality mid-range gaming laptop. It won’t be the most powerful and don’t expect to be able to play the absolute latest game at the highest video settings, but for most casual gamers, the best laptops under 1000 dollars will be more than enough.
Graphics card
The graphic card is the most important piece of equipment for gaming. And also one of the most expensive. Therefore expect the graphic cards in these laptops to be mid-range.
Higher-end graphic cards come at a hefty price tag, so they are almost impossible to integrate into gaming laptops under $1000. Expect to be able to play most games at high settings, but for the most demanding games, you’ll have to reduce the image quality.
For casual gamers, I suggest you go with an ultraportable laptop with entry-level GPU. Like that you have the advantage of having a decent graphics card in a laptop that’s portable.
Processor
While the video card is more important to power your games, the processor is still a vital part. The $1000 gaming laptops will usually be an i5 or i7 laptop.
An i7 processor is pretty much the best you can get on a laptop. But don’t frown upon one that ‘only’ comes with an i5 processor. If that means that the graphic card is more powerful, go for that one.
RAM
If you can, get 16 GB of RAM. For playing games, it’s better. But the best gaming laptops under $1000 will usually have 8 GB.
Not that you can’t find laptops at that price with 16 GB, but it sometimes means that they sacrificed on something else. All things being equal, I much prefer a quality screen than more RAM. RAM is upgradeable later if you need to, not the screen, the graphics card, nor the quality of the laptop.
Sound system
Playing a shooter game while the building blowing up sounds like a weak firecracker really takes the fun out of the game.
Fortunately, the best gaming laptops under $1000 we chose all have a good sound system that will be loud and clear. It still won’t come close to powerful external speakers, but hey, it’s a laptop!
Recommended for you:
Specs for the Top 12 Best Gaming Laptops under $1000
Graphics 13, 14 or 15-inch Processor Intel i5, Intel i7 RAM 8 to 16 GB Storage 128 to 1000 GB Battery life 5 to 12 hours OS Windows 10 Thickness / Weight 0.62 to 1″ / 2.6 to 5.59 lbs
Top 12 Best Gaming Laptops under $1000
1 – MSI GF63 – 15″ HD
“Portable & great gaming power”
The MSI GF63 is probably the best gaming laptop for 1000 dollars. It boasts a very good graphics card and an elegant & portable design. Its most attractive factor is the price / power ratio. This is where this 15-inch MSI GF63 shines compared to its competitors.
Sporting an elegant aesthetic, an almost frameless screen and impressive specifications, the MSI GF63 is a thin machine designed for gamers and professional that don’t want to spend too much.
It has a good selection of components and is equipped with a powerful GTX 1650 graphics card and a 512 GB SSD. The display is a matte IPS screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080.
It’s a serious contender compared to other top gaming laptops under 1000 dollars.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GTX 1650 |
Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
Storage | 512 GB SSD |
Battery life | Up to 7 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.85″ / 4.1 lbs |
Recommended for you:
2 – Lenovo Ideapad L340 – 15″ HD
“Affordable & good-looking”
The Lenovo Ideapad L340 matches all the essential criteria for a great gaming laptop under $1000. With an NVIDIA 1650 graphics card, it far exceeds the standard mark of 60 frames per second, resulting in a smooth gaming experience.
Smaller, more affordable, and more powerful than before, the latest generation of the flagship Lenovo IdeaPad L340 is an ideal candidate to play the role of a good gaming laptop.
With massive raw gaming power, it adds better battery life and impressive build quality.
This gaming laptop can run Fortnite, PUBG, and GTA V, some of the larger PC games at the recommended level.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GTX 1650 |
Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
Storage | 512 GB SSD |
Battery life | Up to 9.5 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.94″ / 4.84 lbs |
3 – HP Envy 13 – 13″ HD
“Ultraportable & powerful for casual gamers”
Slightly overshadowed in recent months by very dynamic competitors, HP reminds us that it is still one of the top laptop brands for ultraportable laptops with this version of its flagship model, the Envy 13.
If you are looking for a thin and light machine, to work or distract yourself wherever you go, take a look at this one. It’s a perfect PC for professionals and occasional gamers, due to its portability and power.
It boasts an i7 with 16 GB of RAM, and a decently powerful graphics cards. This is more than enough to run any programs on the market, and for casual gamers to enjoy the occasional entertainment.
This beautiful little 13-inch, just over 2.5 lbs, all-aluminum, is almost as elegant as the Apple MacBook Air or the Dell XPS 13, and just as neat in terms of finish. HP has built a nice product built on a good chassis. It also has a well-calibrated 4k screen, as well as excellent autonomy thanks to a 10 hours battery life.
Really, a great laptop for someone on the road that needs performance.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
Graphics | 13.3″ HD touchscreen (3840 x 2160) with NVIDIA MX250 |
Performance | Intel i7 with 16 GB of RAM |
Storage | 512 GB SSD |
Battery life | Up to 10 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.9″ / 2.6 lbs |
4 – HP Pavilion dk0010nr – 15″ HD
“A versatile laptop for games and work”
This HP is a good gaming laptop under 1000 dollars, designed for productivity and entertainment. Performance is excellent for both recent and old games.
The HP Pavilion dk0010nr is equipped with an Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB of Ram, 1 TB of hard drive, and a quite powerful NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 card.
The basic screen is fine for general use, but its colors are lackluster and not particularly bright, which is common for low-cost laptops. But you can still take advantage of its HDMI or USB-C ports to connect an external monitor if you need to do so graphic design.
In the end, HP delivers us a good, versatile, and relatively slim machine for games and work, not flashy and at a reasonable price.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GTX 1050 |
Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
Storage | 1 To GB HDD ( rpm) |
Battery life | Up to 7 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.92″ / 4.96 lbs |
5 – Dell G3 15 3579 – 15″ HD
“$1000 gaming laptop that doesn’t disappoint”
The Dell G3 is a gaming laptop that delivers a good dose of power in a discreet and neutral chassis. Its equipped with an Intel i7, fast SSD storage, and a high-end graphics card, without forgetting its quality IPS screen.
The Dell G3 15 is intended for an audience in search of performance, perfectly served by the i7 processor when you work on greedy applications such as 3D modeling or video editing. The 8 GB of RAM also allows enough memory space for multitasking big programs.
This ensures a highly responsive operating system, helped by the SSD drive, even if it’s quite small on this model.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GTX 1050 |
Performance | Intel i7 with 16 GB of RAM |
Storage | 128 GB SSD |
Battery life | Expect 6 to 7 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.89″ / 5.59 lbs |
6 – Acer Aspire 7 – 15″ HD
“Performance & Value”
I’m not exactly sure how Acer did to pack that much performance in a gaming laptop at that price, but they surely succeeded! The Acer Aspire 7 has nothing to envy to more expensive laptops.
With a powerful i7 processor, a sufficient 8 GB of RAM and a graphics card that one of the best on the market, it will definitely run the latest games. I would have preferred a brighter screen, but otherwise, you get so much value it has to be on your list of gaming laptops under $1000. Read our full review.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GTX 1050 |
Performance | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM |
Storage | 256 or 1000 GB SSD or HDD |
Battery life | Up to 7 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.94″ / 5.18 lbs |
# 7 to 12 Best Gaming Laptops under $1000
7 – Dell Inspiron i5577 – 15″ HD
“Gaming Performance and Value”
Not only do I like the black & red look of the i5577, but Dell has equipped this laptop with powerful hardware that makes it one of the good gaming laptops under 1000 dollars (and one that delivers the best value).
With an Intel i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM, a hybrid hard drive and one of the good graphics card on this list, its built to power the latest games at good resolutions. On the minus side, it doesn’t have the best speakers and, as it should be expected from a $1000 gaming laptop, the screen is not the best for gaming (but still very acceptable).
Pros
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Buy on online
Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GTX 1050 |
Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
Storage | 256+ GB SSD |
Battery life | Expect 5 to 7 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 1″ / 5.45 lbs |
8 – Asus VivoBook S15 S512FL – 15″ HD
“Great value, light & thin 15-inch gaming laptop”
Visually, the Asus Vivobook S15 looks a lot like a high-end PC, with its brushed aluminum chassis for the most beautiful effect. Aluminum is present on the cover behind the screen but replaced by plastic on the keyboard part.
It’s a quite balanced laptop, even if the Vivobook S15 suffers from the compromise Asus made to offer a lower-cost laptop. It doesn’t have a high-end display like some have, but it is still pleasant enough to deliver a satisfying experience.
With more than acceptable performance, it will satisfy most users because it has an Intel i5 processor and 8 GB RAM, very useful in multitasking.
Since this 15-inch laptop has an NVIDIA MX250 graphics card, it is capable of running some games quite decently.
It’s a wise choice for casual gamers that wants a more affordable gaming laptop that looks great.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on NewEgg
Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA MX250 |
Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
Storage | 256 GB SSD |
Battery life | Up to 9 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.71″ / 3.97 lbs |
9 – Microsoft Surface Book – 13″ QHD Detachable
“Versatile Gaming laptop under $1000”
While it’s not actually built to be a gaming laptop, the high-quality Microsoft Surface Book is a detachable 2-in-1 laptop that will compete with other gaming laptops under $1000.
Not only its design is innovative, but it’s a powerful and versatile. A great purchase at that price. Read our full review.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on NewEgg
Graphics | 13.5″ QHD touchscreen (3000 x 2000) with NVIDIA GTX 965M |
Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
Storage | 256 GB SSD |
Battery life | Up to 12 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.9″ / 3.34 lbs |
10 – Acer Aspire 5 – 15″ HD
“Nice all-around laptop”
Simple with its black design, the Acer Aspire 5 has a decent anti-reflective 15-inch HD screen. The heart of this computer is up to the task. Its i5 processor and 8 GB of RAM are enough for multitasking, helped by the fast SSD drive. It will satisfy most users.
It also allows you to view photos and videos thanks to the graphical power of the NVIDIA MX250 card. With this dedicated graphics card, this ultrabook can smoothly run graphics tasks as well as video games.
It also has the advantage of being fairly thin and of adopting a contained weight facilitating its transport. On the autonomy side, bet on around 7 to 8 hours of battery operation.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA MX250 |
Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
Storage | 256 GB SSD |
Battery life | Expect 7 to 8 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.71″ / 3.97 lbs |
11 – Lenovo IdeaPad 720s – 14″ HD
“Great laptop with weaker GPU”
The Lenovo Ideapad 720 is what you can call a discreet but committed student. Without making waves, it stands out as one of the best built and best finished 15-inch laptops on the market.
Its entirely gray aluminum chassis benefits from a mat treatment for the best effect, which has the advantage of not retaining fingerprints. The very wide hinge is both solidly integrated and flexible. The whole is very well assembled and seems particularly solid. A design effort that we find on more and more mid-range laptops and that we appreciate.
The Lenovo Ideapad 720 is a very good versatile laptop and has a really interesting price / quality ratio. Sober and well built, it delivers good performance, lasts almost a full day without being plugged and even allows you to play games in 3D, provided you are not too demanding on the level of graphic details. A model that quietly imposes itself as one of the references on this price range.
Unfortunately, as a gaming laptop it has a weaker GPU. So don’t expect to play demanding games, but for casual strategy gamers, this might be the best choice. Read our full review.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
Graphics | 14″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA MX150 |
Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
Storage | 512 GB SSD |
Battery life | Expect 6 to 10 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.62″ / 3.4 lbs |
12 – Asus VivoBook S410UQ – 14″ HD
“An elegant PC with significant power”
Asus offers a versatile Ultrabook with its VivoBook S410UQ, with a 14-inch anti-reflective full HD screen. It has a latest-generation Intel i7 processor, a 256 GB SSD storage solution, a biometric reader, and a backlit chiclet keyboard.
Graphic processing is entrusted to the GeForce 940MX. As expected, the game possibilities are quite limited and just sufficient for older games, or possibly newer games with a lower definition and reduced details. The gain between the GeForce 940MX is between 15 and 30% and is certainly not as high as one would hope when switching to a dedicated GPU.
This ultrabook is discreet with a fan that reacts slightly during video streaming or simple navigation. On the other hand, the noise increases more than the average when the execution becomes more demanding. All-in-all, it’s a pretty good entry-level gaming laptop.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
Graphics | 14″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GT 940MX |
Performance | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM |
Storage | 256 GB SSD |
Battery life | Expect 8 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.74″ / 3.2 lbs |
Erik is the owner and main editor of lptps.com. He has been working in computers and information technology for more than 20 years. He’s a business analyst, developer, and avid traveler.