Home > Best Gaming Laptops > Best Gaming Laptops under $1500
If you’re a gamer and are looking for a real gaming machine that doesn’t cost a fortune, you’ll want to look at the best gaming laptops under 1500 dollars.
As a gamer, you cannot live with an outdated setup and low-end CPUs & GPUs. That’s why manufacturers produce a good number of laptops for high-end use like gaming, video editing, etc.
Our Top 3
#1 – Asus Zenbook UX534FTC |
#2 – MSI GL75 |
#3 – Lenovo Legion Y7000 |
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Compact, powerful, and high-quality |
17-inch Gaming Station |
Great gaming 15-inch |
| 15.6″ HD | 17.3″ HD | 15.6″ HD |
| Intel i7 with 16 GB of RAM | Intel i7 with 16 GB of RAM | Intel i7 with 16 GB of RAM |
| 1000 GB SSD | 512 GB SSD | 1000 GB HDD ( rpm) |
| Up to 6 hours | Up to 6 hours | Up to 8 hours |
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Buy on |
Buy on |
Buy on |
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This type of heavy pc setup used to cost a fortune.
Not anymore!
With the rapidly decreasing price of technology, laptop brands have been successful in producing high-performance gaming laptops at an affordable price. Where powerful gaming laptops used to be $2000-$2500, now you can get a good gaming laptop under $1500. This drastic price change has made people looking for gaming and engineering laptops happy.
But their dilemma didn’t end right there.
Before you had to decide if you’d give up the SSD for the sake of affordability. Now you face the dilemma to choose the perfect gaming laptop in a sea of great products.
Some of them have higher CPU speed and some have better battery life. Between all of this, it’s hard to pick a laptop for gaming under 1500 dollars. So, we stepped in for you. Today, we are going to put together a list of gaming laptops under 1500 dollars.
Are the best gaming laptops under $1500 for you?
Not everyone needs a powerhouse laptop for their day to day computer use. Most people will have plenty of power with a mid-range notebook. But if you are one of them below, a gaming laptop under 1500 dollars is for you.
- For Game Enthusiasts: If you are someone who never misses an opportunity to play games on the go, these gaming laptops under 1500 dollars are for you. You’ll find many powerful laptops with all the best features, at an affordable price
- For CAD works: If you need a laptop for CAD works, a regular low-spec pc is not the best option. Not all CAD laptops need that much power, but if you do, a gaming laptop might come in handy in that case.
- For Video/Audio editing: Video/Audio editing and processing requires some heavy software. They can not run properly on an outdated low-powered machine. For high-end video editing, a gaming laptop is a wise choice.
Looking for a different price range?
Also have a look at our Top Gaming Laptops under $2000, … under $1000, … under $800, … under $500
What to expect from the best gaming laptops under $1500?
Producing a gaming laptop is not an easy task. Manufacturers need to put a lot of thought to ensure the best gaming experience for their consumers. Here are some of the things that you should expect from a renowned gaming laptop manufacturer.
Powerful CPU (Processor)
For the CPU, there not much competition for Intel. The i7 is the latest flagship processor from Intel. For a real gaming experience, get that one. Most – if not all – laptops on this list will be a laptop equipped with an i7 processor. It’s much more powerful than its little brother, the i5 and i3.
Graphics Card
This is where you want to invest the most. For a gamer, this is where you get the most for your money.
With a gaming laptop under $1500, you can expect to have a high-end GPU. You won’t have the latest ones because these are way too expensive to fit in that price range, but you still get a very powerful GPU that will run the latest games.
RAM get 16 GB RAM
With that kind of system, get 16 GB RAM. It’s the best to run heavy games. Still, a 12 GB and even an 8 GB RAM can easily run games like Call of duty, DiRT, The Witcher, etc.
Cooling
There’s a reason gaming laptops are generally bulkier. Asking non-stop performance from a small device produces a lot of heat. Without proper cooling, performance will rapidly decrease, or worse, parts might burn.
Get an SSD Drive
Everyone knows that an SSD drive is better. There should be no hesitation if you get the choice to have SSD over HDD. But SSD is more expensive than HDD. That’s why most of the laptops come with a big mechanical hard drive and a small SSD drive to run Windows and system files.
Remember, SSD is faster than HDD. So for a better gaming experience, you should have 256-500 GB of SSD to install your games.
Screen size, resolution & quality
Gaming laptops are bigger. Another reason is that they usually come with a 15 or 17-inch screen. It’s more fun to play on a bigger screen!
But don’t forget that the quality of graphics and resolution is important for gaming. You want a screen that has accurate colors, great contrast & brightness.
An HD screen (1920 x 1080 resolution) has become the standard nowadays. But if you want, you can have a QHD compatible screen for even better resolution. But also know that running games in 4k asks a lot from your laptop… you might not be able to run 4k games at maximum settings with a gaming laptop under $1500.
Battery Life
You will find more and more gaming laptops under 1500 dollars with a quite long battery life. Is it important for a gamer?
Not that much… the estimated battery life is under normal circumstances: web surfing, HD movie watching, etc. When playing your games, those numbers will drop drastically. Basically, don’t base your choice on the battery life.
But if you travel with your laptop, a laptop with a good battery life is definitely something to consider.
Aggressive looks
Obviously, it’s not as important as having a powerful CPU and GPU, but your laptop’s look says a lot about its spec. When you look at a powerful gaming machine Acer Predator or ASUS ROG series, you instantly know it’s for gaming.
Recommended for you:
Specs for the Top 11 Best Gaming Laptops under $1500
Graphics 13 to 17-inch, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 to GTX 1060 Processor Intel i7 RAM 8 to 16 GB Storage 256 to 1000+ GB Battery life 3 to 11 hours OS Windows 10, Windows 8.1 Thickness / Weight 0.66 to 1.2″ / 3.75 to 8,4 lbs Price Range $$$$ to $$$$$
Top 11 Best Gaming Laptops under $1500
1 – Asus Zenbook UX534FTC – 15″ HD
“Compact, powerful, and high-quality”
There is very little that the Asus Zenbook UX534FTC can’t do. It’s seriously a major contender as the best gaming laptop under 1500 dollars.
Performance-wise, it will put to shame so many others with its i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM, and NVIDIA GTX1650. That is a lot of power! Add that to a 1000 GB SSD drive, and you’ve got more than enough power and space for your gaming needs.
But it’s not only that… As most of the Zenbook series, its build-quality is irreproachable and it’s equipped with a top-of-the-line 15-inch display that is good enough for high-end graphism.
So add all that to the fact that it’s compact and lightweight and that you get the proprietary ScreenPad, and you’ve got an awesome laptop.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on NewEgg
| Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GTX 1650 |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 16 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 1000 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 6 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 Pro |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.7″ / 3.64 lbs |
2 – MSI GL75 – 17″ HD
“17-inch Gaming Station”
Now this is a laptop made for real gamers. MSI is known for gaming and this one does not disappoint!
The MSI GL75 is built for the hardcore gamer. It has a 17-inch display that is perfect for shooters, and runs on an NVIDIA GTX 1660Ti. That’s a gaming setup!
With those specs you of course get an i7 processor with 16 GB of RAM and an SSD drive big enough to hold many games.
But if you are looking for a laptop you can carry, you might want to choose another one. This one is not made for travel. It’s thick and heavy. But when you ask a lot, it’s won’t heat up like some of the competition could.
All-in-all, a very nice laptop made specifically for a gamer that is looking for a 17-inch gaming laptop under $1500.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on NewEgg
| Graphics | 17.3″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GTX 1660Ti |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 16 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 512 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 6 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 1.1″ / 8.41 lbs |
3 – Lenovo Legion Y7000 – 15″ HD
“Great gaming 15-inch”
This is another gaming brand that doesn’t need to prove itself. The Legion series from Lenovo is known for quality gaming laptops at a reasonable price.
The Legion Y7000 is no different… You get very good performance thanks to its i7 and 16 GB of RAM and a pretty decent NVIDIA GTX 1060. This will run most games at higher settings, although it’s not the most powerful graphics card on the market.
Also, for a 15-inch laptop, it’s not the most portable… but again that’s what you get if you want a laptop that doesn’t overheat.
All-in-all, a pretty good choice and one of the best 15-inch laptops under $1500.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on NewEgg
| Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GTX 1060 |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 16 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 1000 GB HDD ( rpm) |
| Battery life | Up to 8 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 1.06″ / 5.17 lbs |
Recommended for you:
4 – Dell XPS 15 – 15″ HD
“Less RAM but portable & long battery life”
The XPS 15 has one of the narrowest bezels a laptop can have. It may have a bit less RAM and lacks a bit in terms of storage, but it is still extremely lightweight and is one of the best choices when it comes to gaming with portability.
Best of all, it has a massive battery that lasts for about 11 hours.
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 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Expect 11 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.66″ / 4 lbs |
5 – Acer Predator Helios 300 – 15″ HD
“Powerful with a lot of value”
This is a laptop that wins in terms of design, looks & value. It has a sleek metallic body and a red backlit keyboard complementing the aggressive exterior.
And Acer provides specs that fit well with the looks of the laptop. Moreover, it has a long battery life, allowing you to work for hours and even watch a couple of movies without running around looking for a charging outlet.
Buy on online
| Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GTX 1060 |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 16 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 7 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 1.1″ / 5.95 lbs |
6 – Lenovo Legion Y720 – 15″ HD
“Powerful Gaming Machine with great audio”
The Lenovo might be a bit heavy and bulky, however, it’s one of the most powerful gaming laptops under $1500 and has some neat features. It’s equipped with JBL Speakers and Dolby Atmos Subwoofers that makes gaming without a headset a viable option.
Superior speakers aside, it also features a programmable keyboard backlight allowing you to customize your look and enough power to compete will all other gaming laptops under $1500.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
| Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GTX 1060 |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 16 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 512 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 4 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 1.14″ / 7.04 lbs |
# 7 to 11 Best Gaming Laptops under $1500
7 – Asus FX502VM-AS73 – 15″ HD
“For Value & Power, but slow hard drive”
The ASUS FX502VM targets the lower end of the 1500$ budget. It makes some sacrifices in terms of hard drive speed but still has an SSD to cover for it.
The laptop compensates for its smaller battery size by sporting a powerful GPU and CPU letting you run almost any game you throw at it. You receive performance well worth your money.
I definitely like this Asus and it’s a sure choice as a $1500 gaming laptop.
Buy on online
| Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GTX 1060 |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 16 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 128 GB SSD + 1000 HDD (5400 rpm) |
| Battery life | Up to 4 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.9″ / 4.9 lbs |
8 – HP OMEN 15t – 15″ QHD
“Great Design”
With the Omen, HP intends to deliver a sturdy and sleek looking high-performance machine. Lots of storage, a powerful CPU coupled with a good high-end GPU, and an amazing display panel are all packed in this sleek modern-looking laptop that does not disappoint.
Gaming is a joy on this machine and its – quite – lightweight construction makes it portable.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
| Graphics | 15.6″ QHD screen (3840 x 2160) with NVIDIA GTX 1050 |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 16 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 128 GB SSD + 1000 HDD (7200 rpm) |
| Battery life | Up to 6 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 1″ / 5.2 lbs |
9 – Asus VivoBook Pro M580VD – 15″ HD
“Powerful at Low Price”
The VivoBook boasts portability, a long battery life, an ultrathin chassis, and light body. All that at a low price.
That makes this a top contender in the line of portable gaming laptops. It is also equipped with a large, bright, and anti-glare display. The laptop is light but it makes no compromise in terms of performance.
The CPU can be turbo boosted to perform at peak performance whenever you desire. Overall a very good system at this price point.
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 | 256 or 512 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Expect 4 to 5 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.76″ / 4.8 lbs |
10 – Alienware 13 AW13R3 – 13″ HD
“13-inch Gaming Laptop”
The Alienware has a smaller screen (13-inch) than most other gaming laptops but it is one of their most powerful laptops in the gaming series.
It looks futuristic and wonderful, equipped with an illuminated touchpad and keyboard. It lacks in terms of battery life but it comes with a larger SSD to make up for it, thus improving the overall performance of the system.
If you have a bit of extra cash lying you can even upgrade the RAM for a better experience. This one is definitely a good gaming laptop under 1500 dollars.
Pros
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Cons
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Buy on online
| Graphics | 13.3″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GTX 1060 |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Expect 3 to 4 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 1.1″ / 5.8 lbs |
11 – Lenovo Yoga 720 – 15″ HD Convertible
“Hybrid Gaming Laptop”
This Lenovo ultrabook packs a lot of features for the price. It comes equipped with a 4K LED display, a huge SSD, an attractive backlit keyboard, and even a fingerprint reader for added security.
To top it all off, it is a convertible notebook, making it a competitive choice for gaming, usability, and portability at the same time.
Buy on NewEgg
| Graphics | 15.6″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GTX 1050 |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 16 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 512 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 8 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.8″ / 4.4 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.
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