Best Gaming Laptop Under $1,500

Budget Gaming Laptops under $1500 for beginners to enthusiastic gamers

Best Gaming Laptop Under $1,500

The gaming industry is ever-evolving; the rig you’ve been using for the past couple of years is most likely insufficiently strong at this very moment, so if you’re looking for an upgrade, we welcome you to our review of the Best Gaming Laptops under $1500.

Best Gaming Laptops under 1500 Reviews

Best Overall – Lenovo Legion 5 Gaming Laptop

15 inch Lenovo Legion 5
SpecificationComponent
Screen Size15-inch
Display15.6-inch 144Hz Refresh Rate Full HD display
ProcessorRyzen 7 4800H mobile
Graphics CardNVIDIA GTX 1660Ti
Storage512GB SSD
RAM16GB 3200 MHz DDR4
Release2020

Let’s start off with a heavy-hitter called the Legion 5 from Lenovo. Essentially, this laptop features ultra-strong specs geared towards heavy-duty gaming, but it’s just as great for professional, business, and casual use.

It packs a beautiful 15.6-inch Full HD display, the currently leading Ryzen 7 processor, Nvidia’s GeForce 1660Ti graphics card, 16 gigabytes of DDR4 RAM, as well as a 512 GB SSD storage. In a nutshell, it’s ridiculously strong considering that it’s not even the most expensive item on the list.

One of the features that sets the Legion 5 apart from other sub-$1,500 gaming laptops is Lenovo’s True Strike keyboard; it’s the exact opposite of mechanical keyboards, offering softer, more comfortable switches while still packing an amazing level of responsiveness.

Additionally, it’s equipped with custom hair-trigger inputs for macro controls, although it doesn’t sport RGB-lit keys.

Processor

Back to the main specs and into the realms of CPU, the highlight feature of this powerhouse is AMD’s Ryzen7 4800H. This is a remarkably strong Octa-core CPU with a base clock value of 2.9 GHz and 16 threads. Suffice it to say, it’s the latest addition to the AMD family, so you’ll be able to run anything you want with it.

Graphics Card

GPU-wise, the Legion 5 is outfitted with Nvidia’s Ge Force GTX 1660 Ti, which is roughly 25% stronger than its predecessor GTX 1660; more specifically speaking, this is a turing-architecture graphics card with a memory speed of 12 Gbps, and 6 gigabytes of GDDR6 in terms of frame buffering.

RAM

You’ll have 16GB of DDR4 RAM at your disposal; even though this is twice as much RAM as you would normally get in an average gaming laptop, this feature seems a bit pale in comparison to the aforementioned two.

Another awesome feature that Legion 5 sports is the Coldfront 2.0 integrated cooling system. In essence, it will make sure that the core specs are always adequately cooled; this is a passive feature that doesn’t require much interaction.

Pros
  • One of the strongest processors on the market
  • Superb graphics card
  • Full HD IPS display
  • Coldfront 2.0 cooling system
  • Lenovo’s True Strike keyboard
  • Dual-Burn over-clocking support
Cons
  • Slightly more expensive than average
  • Only 512 GB of total storage space


Best High-end – Acer Predator Triton 300 Gaming Laptop

15.6 inch Acer Predator Triton 300
SpecificationComponent
Screen Size15.6-inch
DisplayFull HD Widescreen LED-backlit IPS display with 144Hz refresh rate, 3ms response time
ProcessorIntel’s 10th Gen i7 10750H
Graphics CardNvidia GeForce RTX 2060
Storage512GB SSD
RAM16GB DDR4
Release2020

While Legion 5 is a versatile gaming laptop, it may struggle to launch some of the latest games at full specs. If you don’t mind investing a couple of extra bucks, we recommend checking out the newest addition to the Acer’s Predator series – the Triton 300 gaming laptop.

In essence, this is a heavy-duty gaming lap that packs outstandingly strong features, including Intel’s 10th Gen i7 10750H, fully overclockable GeForce RTX 2060, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and a gamer-dedicated RGB-lit keyboard.

Display

Let’s start from the top; it sports a 15.6-inch display, which is the only feature that we thought could be a bit improved. Namely, one would expect a bigger screen for the buck, but it does boast a variety of benefits, such as the IPS design and excellent refresh rate of 144 Hz, rapid 3-millisecond response time, and terrific brightness-related settings.

Processor

Intel’s 10th Gen 6-core i7 10750H is a workhorse that packs six processors, each packing 2.60 GHz of initial power; when over-clocked, each of its cores can reach up to 5.00 GHz. Plainly put, it’s easily one of Intel’s strongest processors within this price range.

Graphics Card

The Ge Force RTX 2060 is a turing-architecture graphics card that sports 14 Gbps of memory speed, 6 GB of dedicated graphics memory, and a boost clock of 1680 MHz Overall, this is a boutique-level GPU that can accommodate pretty much any game on the highest performance settings.

RAM

Memory-wise, you’ll get 16 GB of DDR4 dual-channel random access memory, and a full 1 terabyte of SSD; moreover, the Triton 300 packs another slot for future memory upgrades, should you need them.

Keyboard

Lastly, let’s touch on the topic of hardware paired with Acer’s Predator Triton 300. The 4-Zone RGB keyboard offers tremendous customizability while the Killer DoubleShot Pro mouse promises a lot in terms of responsiveness and variable sensitivity.

In truth, this is a decently expensive gaming laptop that would put most boutique models out of business if it had just a tad larger display. Even so, its main features are more than strong enough to compensate for this little flaw.

Pros
  • Phenomenal CPU and GPU
  • Gamer-dedicated RGB keyboard and wireless mouse
  • Superb connectivity and upgradeability
  • Plenty of SSD space
  • Remarkable audio hardware
Cons
  • Relatively small display
  • Very expensive

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Best Nvidia Gaming Laptop – Gigabyte Aorus 15G Performance Gaming Laptop

15.6 inch Gigabyte Aorus 15G
SpecificationComponent
Screen Size15.6-inch
DisplayFull HD IPS display with 240Hz refresh rate
ProcessorIntel 10th Gen 6-core i7 10750H
Graphics CardNVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070
Storage512GB SSD
RAM16GB 3200 MHz DDR4
Release2020

Gigabyte is among the leading brands in the gaming industry, and we’ve picked Aorus 15G as our best Nvidia-powered gaming laptop pick.

Display

Essentially, this is a compact, lightweight lap equipped with strong specs and exceptional features; the base of its core specs is comprised of the 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display, Nvidia’s Ge Force RTX 2070 graphics card, Intel’s 6-Core i7 10750H, and 16GB of DDR4 RAM memory.

Aorus’s display packs an ultra-thin bezel with 89% screen coverage, but its highlight feature is the 240 Hz refresh rate. It also boasts a remarkably broad color gamut and X-rite color calibration technology.

Processor

We’ve already talked about the 6-core i7 10750H (Acer’s Predator Triton 300 is supplied with it); suffice it to say, one of the finest high-end laptops on our list is equipped with it, so feel free to expect impeccable processor performance.

Graphics

Now, the GPU of this laptop is even better than the one Triton and Legion are packed with; Aorus features Nvidia’s Ge Force RTX 2070, which is among the latest 6GB graphics card units from Nvidia. This is also one of the main reasons why Gigabyte’s Aorus is our top pick for the best Nvidia-powered laptop under $1,500.

Storage and Memory

It packs only 512GB of onboard storage (solid-state drive), but it also packs an upgradeable socket. Obviously, you’ll initially have enough space for several games at most, so you may want to consider bringing a hard disk drive for programs and movies.

Furthermore, it’s one of the lightest Gigabyte-made laptops with only 4.85 pounds of weight. The only lighter model is the Aorus 15P, which we don’t particularly recommend as it’s available at a relatively similar price tag while having substantially weaker specs.

Pros
  • Superior connectivity
  • Astoundingly strong graphics card
  • One of the latest Intel Core processors
  • Perfectly suited for the latest and upcoming games
  • Rapid display response time
Cons
  • Only 512 gigabytes of onboard storage memory


Best AMD Gaming Laptop – Acer Swift 3

14 inch Acer Swift 3
SpecificationComponent
Screen Size14-inch
DisplayFull HD Widescreen IPS display
ProcessorRyzen 7 4800H mobile
Graphics CardIntegrated Radeon Graphics
Storage512GB NVMe SSD
RAM8GB LPDDR4 Memory
Release2020

Even though Acer’s Swift 3 is not a dedicated gaming setup, this gorgeous little laptop is packed with robust specs while being available at a drastically lower price tag in comparison to most of the models we’ve covered so far.

Processor

The highlight feature of Swift 3 is the AMD 8-core Ryzen A7 – AMD's octa-core pride and joy. Each core can reach up to roughly 4.1 gigahertz with the over-clocking feature; it goes without saying that Ryzen 7 will allow you to run any recent, current, and upcoming game at the highest performance settings.

Utility-wise, Swift 3 is more of a student laptop; it weighs merely 2.65 pounds and its battery can survive almost 12 hours per charge. Additionally, its connectivity is remarkable – it packs a single USB C port, a single USB 3.2 2nd gen port, a Display Port, and a single USB 2.0 port.

Display

The only thing that we weren’t overly enthusiastic about was the 14-inch FHD display. Namely, most gaming laptops on our list are superior in this field. On a bit brighter note, the Swift 3 is more secure, featuring a beautifully backlit keyboard with a fingerprint reader and a built-in High Display web camera.

At the end of the day, even though Acer’s Swift is slightly weaker than Legion, Triton, and Aorus, it’s substantially more affordable while offering a relatively similar level of performance. That being said, it can easily be considered as one of the finest budget gaming laptops, as well as counted among the best AMD-powered setups.

Pros
  • Exceptionally affordable
  • Great connectivity
  • Supplied with the heavily acclaimed Ryzen 7 CPU
  • Portable and lightweight
  • Excellent battery lifespan
Cons
  • Small display
  • Only 8 GB of RAM


Best RGB Gaming Laptop – MSI GL65 Leopard 10SFK-062

15.6-inch MSI GL65 Leopard
SpecificationComponent
Screen Size15-inch
Display144Hz refresh rate, 3ms response time, Full HD IPS display
ProcessorIntel 10th Gen 6-core i7 10750H
Graphics CardNVIDIA Ge Force RTX 2070
Storage512GB SSD
RAM16GB DDR4
Release2020

MSI is widely renowned as one of the leading titans in the gaming industry, and here we are looking at their GL65 Leopard 10SFK-062. Essentially, this is a laptop that comes supplied with tremendously powerful specs, but we’ve mainly picked it because it packs a remarkably colorful RGB-backlit keyboard.

Further at that note, you’ll be able to customize the lighting on each key, choosing from a massive spectrum of RGB colors. Some of the prominent keyboard-related features include anti-ghosting technology and rugged construction.

Spec

The Leopard boasts a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display with a 144 Hz refresh rate and a marvelously thin bezel, Intel’s 6-core i7 10750H, and Nvidia’s Ge Force RTX 2070 graphics card with 8GB of dedicated GDDR6 graphics memory.

RAM and Storage

Additionally, it packs 512 GB of SSD and 16 GB of DDR4 RAM. Another thing you will probably love about MSI’s GL65 Leopard is the fact that it packs two built-in 3W speakers. Its sonic performance is outstanding, although most gamers will probably rather rely on professional headsets; still, it adds quite a bit of value for the buck.

As far as connectivity is of concern, the Leopard packs a single USB 3.1 port (Type C), a single USB 3.2 port, and an HDMI slot. Even though it isn’t the most versatile gaming laptop in this field, its connectivity is above decent, to say the very least.

All things considered, Leopard may not be the best gaming laptop under $1,500 due to its hefty price tag, but it’s certainly among the finest and most versatile models in this price range.

Pros
  • One of the strongest processors on the market
  • Superb graphics card
  • Full HD IPS display
  • Coldfront 2.0 cooling system
  • Lenovo’s True Strike keyboard
  • Dual-Burn over-clocking support
Cons
  • Slightly more expensive than average
  • Only 512 GB of total storage space


Best Specs Gaming Laptop – ROG Zephyrus G15 Gaming Laptop

15.6 inch ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15
SpecificationComponent
Screen Size15-inch
DisplayFull HD IPS display
ProcessorAMD Ryzen 9 4900HS 8-core
Graphics CardNVIDIA RTX 2060 Max Q GPU
Storage1TB HDD
RAM16GB 3200 MHz DDR4
Release2020

So far, we’ve seen a variety of remarkable gaming laptops, but the title of the best gaming laptop under $1,500 bucks belongs to ROG’s Zephyrus G15. In all fairness, it’s in a league of its own mainly due to the fact that it packs AMD’s ultimate CPU – Ryzen 9 4900HS.

Namely, this processor packs 8-cores, each sporting a base clock frequency of 3 GHz, each being able to reach up to approximately 4.3 GHz with the max-boost feature. It rocks 16 threads and can withstand up to 105 degrees easily.

Speaking of which, you can rest assured that Zephyrus will never even come close to such extreme temperatures. It packs a set of 83-blade self-cleaning anti-dust fans and dedicated heat pipes, so you won’t need to invest in a new cooling system anytime soon.

Display

Furthermore, this laptop sports a 15.6-inch FHD display with 81% STB ratio and a 6.2-millimeter bezel. That being said, it’s easily one of the most compact and portable gaming laptops that the current market has to offer.

Graphics, Memory, Storage

Some of its other features include 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, a 1 terabyte of HDD, and Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 2060 Max Q GPU; the latter sports 6 GB of dedicated GDDR6 and fully supports ROG’s Boost feature.

Now, you will have enough space for quite a few games, but you will also have to settle for long start-up and loading times due to the lack of SSD. Zephyrus offers a free socket for the solid-state drive upgrade, so it needs minimal tweaking and upgrades before we can call it ‘perfect’ true to form.

Obviously enough, it costs a small fortune, but it’s still not the most expensive model in our review. We would warmly recommend it to any die-hard gamer, but know that it performs flawlessly in every other scenario; it goes without saying, buying it solely for binge-watching shows on Netflix would be massive overkill.

Pros
  • Equipped with the ultimate Ryzen 9 CPU
  • Full HD IPS display with an outstanding refresh rate
  • Strong, reliable, and dependable GPU
  • 16 GBs of DDR4 RAM
  • Plenty of storage space
Cons
  • Pricey
  • No SSD


Best Large Display Gaming Monitor – HP Pavilion Gaming Laptop (VR Ready)

17 inch HP Pavilion Gaming Laptop

SpecificationComponent
Screen Size17-inch
DisplayFull HD IPS anti-glare display
ProcessorIntel 10th Gen 6-core i7 10750H
Graphics CardNVIDIA Ge Force GTX 1660-Ti
Storage256GB SSD
RAM16GB DDR4
Release2020

The size of the display matters – if attention to detail is mandatory (especially if you’re into competitive gaming and e-sports), we strongly recommend HP’s Pavilion Gaming Laptop. It packs a 17-3-inch display, which opens up several doors of opportunity regarding different in-game resolutions and visual quality in general.

Specs

Some of its most important features include the Nvidia’s Ge Force GTX 1660-Ti graphics card, Intel’s 6-core i7 10750H, 16GB of DDR4 RAM with two extra upgrade slots, and 256 GBs of internal storage through SSD.

Even though some of its components are outmatched by Legion, Triton, and of course, Zephyrus, it still offers a remarkably well-balanced performance.

As far as connectivity goes, the HP Pavilion is superior to most similarly priced gaming laptops. Namely, it sports a Super Speed USB Type C port, three Super Speed Type A USB slots, RJ 45 Ethernet support, a classic combo headphone & microphone jack, and a HDMI 2.0 port.

We would also recommend upgrading one of the internal storage slots with an additional SSD or HDD, as 256 gigabytes simply won’t suffice for most up-to-date games (given that a standard FPS shooter ‘weighs’ at least 60 gigabytes before all the updates and patches).

Generally speaking, Pavilion’s biggest strength lies in its super-sized display, but it doesn’t lag too far behind in terms of raw performance either. It’s a bit pricier than Swift 3, Asus’s TUF gaming laptop, and Lenovo’s Idea Pad, but it’s still a bit cheaper than some of our top picks.

Pros
  • Massive FHD display with a phenomenal refresh rate
  • Strong CPU and GPU
  • Excellent RAM memory
  • Backlit keyboard
  • OMEN-Command center support
Cons
  • Pricey
  • Low internal storage


Best Mid-range – ASUS TUF Gaming Laptop

15.6 inch ASUS TUF Gaming Laptop
SpecificationComponent
Screen Size15-inch
Display144Hz Full HD display
ProcessorIntel 9th Gen Core i7 9750H
Graphics CardNVIDIA Ge Force GTX 1650
Storage512GB SSD
RAM8GB MHz DDR4
Release2020

If you’re on the market looking for a gaming laptop that performs well but doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, look no further than Asus TUF.

This model offers an excellent compromise between robust performance, versatility, practicality, and price, and it wouldn’t be wrong to label it as one of the most valuable mid-range gaming rigs.

In terms of specs, it’s supplied with Nvidia’s Ge Force GTX 1650 GPU that sports 4GB of GDDR5 dedicated graphics memory storage; Intel’s i7 9750H CPU; 512 GB of SSD, and 8GB of DDR4 RAM. Overall, we’ve covered slightly stronger laptops, but this particular setup is much stronger than most of its similarly-priced counterparts.

One of the highlight features of the Asus TUF gaming laptop is its MIL-STD 810G military-grade construction; namely, it is built to withstand decades of use and abuse, given proper maintenance, of course. It also packs two built-in fans equipped with anti-dust technology, so you’ll have minimal work on your hands as far as maintenance is of concern.

Its connectivity is fairly great; it supports Gigabit Ethernet and standard (802.11 AC) Wi-Fi connection, as well as Bluetooth 5.0 support. It also packs three USB slots and a 3.5-millimeter combo headphone and microphone jack.

At the end of the day, this is a phenomenal choice for both gaming and business purposes; it offers strong, dependable performance and a massive level of sturdiness to ensure its longevity, all at a highly approachable price tag.

Pros
  • Among the sturdiest gaming laptops on the market
  • The high refresh rate on its IPS Display
  • Decent memory and storage
  • Dependable performance
  • Built-in fans and anti-dust technology
Cons
  • Just a tad weaker specs in comparison to some models on the list


Best Value – Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Laptop

15.6 inch Lenovo IdeaPad
SpecificationComponent
Screen Size15-inch
Display15.6-inch 144Hz Refresh Rate Full HD display
ProcessorRyzen 5 4600H
Graphics CardNVIDIA Ge Force 1650 GTX GPU
Storage256GB SSD
RAM8GB DDR4
Release2020

As we’re nearing the end of our review, we wanted to showcase a gaming laptop that is slightly more suited for casual gamers and people who are on a cash-strapped budget. Lenovo’s IdeaPad packs excellent specs and features considering that it’s an entry-level laptop, although it pales in comparison to Legion, Triton, and Zephyrus.

Some of its most notable features include Nvidia’s Ge Force 1650 GTX GPU, 8GB of DDR4 RAM, the Ryzen 5-4600H CPU, and 256 GB of SSD.

Its strongest point is connectivity; it supports 802.11 AC Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, and rocks a convenient privacy shutter feature, as well as three USB ports, a combo headphone/microphone jack, and an HDMI 2.0 slot.

Basically, this setup is the downscaled version of some of the finest gaming rigs that the current market has to offer; even though it may not be the perfect choice for competitive gaming and professionals, it’s remarkably strong and capable for the price.

Pros
  • Superb connectivity
  • Excellent specs for an entry-level gaming laptop
  • Portable and durable
  • Comes with pre-installed Windows 10 OS
Cons
  • Considerably weaker than most boutique gaming setups


Best Cheap Gaming Laptop – Asus VivoBook 15

15.6 inch ASUS VivoBook

SpecificationComponent
Screen Size15-inch
DisplayFull HD IPS display
ProcessorRyzen 4-core 7-3700U
Graphics CardRadeon-Vega 10 GPU
Storage512GB SSD
RAM16GB 3200 MHz DDR4
Release2020

The last model on our list is Asus VivoBook 15 – a portable gaming rig that is supplied with surprisingly strong specs and features.

The highlight features of VivoBook 15 include a 15.6-inch FHD display with the Nano Edge bezel, the AMD Ryzen 4-core 7-3700U CPU, AMD’s Radeon-Vega 10 GPU, 8 GB of DDR4 RAM, and 512 GB of SSD.

Another remarkable feature that you’re bound to love is the Ergo-lift design, which promotes more natural typing positions. Its connectivity is fairly great, although its forte is, first and foremost, affordability.

Pros
  • Exceptionally cheap
  • Well-balanced components
  • Ergonomic design
  • Great connectivity
Cons
  • Low internal storage


Conclusion

As you can see, the price range below $1,500 is fairly vast – it encompasses several price point categories, so it’s obvious that the cheapest entry-level models aren’t as strong (or dependable) as boutique rigs.

At the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide what model is the best gaming laptop for under $1,500, and we hope that we’ve helped you find it.