Best Gaming Laptop Under $1500

Last Updated on March 3, 2020 by Jake

It’s no secret that all of the equipment you need for video games on PC or laptop can cost you an arm and a leg.  Part of the reason is that lots of high tech equipment goes into a computer machine to make it perform to the levels that you want as a gamer.  But that doesn’t mean you want to spend a crazy amount of money if you don’t have to!

 

We did some research and found that the $1,500 range is often a nice meeting point for price and quality.  That is, you can find a high functioning gaming laptop for around that price.  A grand and a half is obviously a lot of money, but it’s definitely cheaper than a lot of options you can find out there.

 

So with that in mind, we put together a list for the best gaming laptop under $1500.  We also have a small buyer’s guide if you stick around to the end of the post!

 

In a Hurry?  Here’s Our Top Picks

Best Gaming Laptop Under $1500 – Reviews

 

Asus ROG Strix G Gaming Laptop

Best Gaming Laptop Under $1500 Overall

 

 

With a thoughtful and performance focused design, the Asus ROG Strix gets our vote for the best gaming laptop under $1500 for a range of reasons.  Asus focused on a build that provides the core necessities of gaming and content creation, and ended up with a product that performs super well at a reasonable price.

 

The ROG Strix has more than enough horsepower to provide smooth frame rates and crisp graphics.  As we all know in today’s competitive gaming landscape, something as simple as having a better frame rate than your opponent can be that small difference between winning and losing an encounter.

 

Underneath the hood, quite a few measures were taken by ASUS to ensure long term durability.  Namely, an enhanced fan and built in anti-dust tunnels prevent buildup on important components which obviously helps long term performance.

 

As far as bells and whistles go, the ROG Strix is kitted with LED lighting under and around the keyboard that can be synced with other peripherals to create ambiance and vibe in your game room!

 

Specs

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-9750h Hexa-Core

GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650

RAM: 16GB DDR4 2666MHz

Screen: 15.6″

Storage: 1 TB Flash Memory Solid State

Battery: 3-cell Li-ion battery, 48WHrs

Weight: 5.07 Lbs

 

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Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop

 

 

The Acer Predator Helios 300 is a great gaming laptop for gamers on a budget, and provides a nice tradeoff of performance vs price.  One of the best features for the price is the 144Hz refresh rate and 3Ms overdrive response time, which displays frames incredibly smooth and crisp.

 

Other than backlit WASD and arrow keys, the aesthetic of the Predator Helios is pretty basic.  That may or may not be a good thing depending on your style.

 

One very cool feature of Predator gaming laptops is their built in PredatorSense key and dashboard.  At the press of a button, you can immediately control and customize your experience.  Everything from lighting, overclocking, fan speed, and gaming profiles can be managed from the PredatorSense dashboard.

 

A couple of potential downsides: a few users have complained that the fan is a little bit too loud for their liking.  That can obviously have a negative impact on your gaming experience.  Some users have also noted black light bleed after a few days of use as a defect.  Light bleed is something that should be easily exchanged/handled by Acer, but it’s just something to keep in mind here.

 

Specs

 

CPU: Intel Core i7 9750H 6 Core Processor

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660

RAM: 16GB DDR4 2666MHz

Screen: 15.6″

Storage: 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD (1 open slot for upgrades)

Battery: Lithium Ion Battery, Up to 6-hours Battery Life

Weight: 5.07 Lbs

 

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Dell G7 17 Gaming Laptop

 

 

Dell’s G7 17 Gaming Laptop packs quite the punch considering how thin and sleek the profile of the laptop is.  Despite the slim size, the G7 17 is equipped with all of the components you need to play games the way you want to.

 

All Dell G Series gaming laptops come pre equipped with the Alienware Command Center, which is a proprietary dashboard allowing gamers to customize and fine tune their gaming experience.  The Command Center is intuitive and easy to use, and links all chosen settings with your gaming library.

 

Also equipped is the Killer E2500 Gigabit Ethernet Controller which is designed to deliver throughput and lower latency gameplay.  This will of course heavily reduce your exposure to lag and jitter while gaming.  The Dell G7 17 is just all around solid – which is why it makes our list of the best gaming laptop under $1500.

 

Specs

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-9750h

GPU: Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti 6G

RAM: 6GB DDR4 2666MHz RAM

Screen: 17.3″

Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD

Battery: 60 WHr, 4-Cell Battery

Weight: 10.1 Lbs

 

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ASUS ROG Strix SCAR II Gaming Laptop

Best Gaming Laptop Under $1500 for FPS

 

 

The ASUS ROG Strix SCAR II is one of the best gaming laptops under $1500 for FPS gaming.  Performance wise, it holds its own against any other gaming laptop.  And aesthetically, it has a battle ready look with kevlar weave and camouflage-inspired designs around the keyboard.

 

Gameplay is ultra smooth with a 144Hz narrow-bezel display and a 3ms GTG response time.  An array of input ports are included in intuitive spots to allow for peripheral connection.  The WiFi card is hooked up to 4 antennae which constantly assess and connect to the best connection available.

 

The laptop automatically adjusts fan speeds based on internal CPU and GPU temperatures.  If you prefer to adjust manually, you can quickly toggle between three modes with a function shortcut.

 

Similar to other laptops on this list, ASUS also provides a dashboard for you to tweak system settings, monitor performance, and customize RGB lighting.

 

Specs

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H

GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060

RAM:16GB DDR4 2666MHz

Screen: 17.3″

Storage:256GB PCIe NVMe SSD + 1TB HDD

Battery: 60 WHr, 4-Cell Battery

 

Best Gaming Laptop Under $1500 – Buying Tips

 

Here’s the thing – when you’re buying a gaming laptop under $1500, you’re going to have to make some compromises.  A fully kitted out gaming laptop or PC setup will run you thousands of dollars more.  Don’t get me wrong, I know $1500 is a lot of money, but in the world of gaming computers it’s enough to get you a mid level machine.

 

With that in mind, here are a few tips for when you research the best gaming laptop under $1500.

 

Performance vs Durability vs Portability

 

With a $1500 budget, you get to pick two out of those 3.  Which are most important to you?  Obviously all 3 are ideal, but you will likely have to compromise in one of those areas.  Something that performs at a high level and is durable is likely going to weigh a lot for a laptop (see the ASUS Scar II).  That might not be ideal if you travel a lot to LAN parties.

 

On the flip side, anything that is light and thin profiled and performs at a high level is prone to breaking down by design.  Smaller machines generally have a harder time self regulating heat and lasting.

 

Generally speaking though, anything that is high performance and could replace a PC will be bulkier and harder to travel with.  Just make sure you think about which two of these three factors are most important to you!

 

Frame Rates

 

In today’s world of gaming, frame rates are everything.  The difference between coming out on top in an encounter vs going back to the lobby can be as little as who has the better frame rate.

 

Frame rate in general is one of the main reasons PC gamers have an advantage over console players in cross platform games.  With that in mind, make sure the gaming laptop under $1500 you are looking to buy has at least a 144Hz refresh rate.

 

Peripherals and Direct Attach Storage

 

You want a gaming laptop that can easily support various peripherals such as a gaming mouse, headsets, and all of the other staples.  Ideally you should be able to attach additional storage and have slots to upgrade memory and WiFi connectivity too.

 

Heat Regulation

 

Make sure your gaming laptop has a sophisticated built in cooling system.  Read reviews from other users that specifically talk about how well that cooling system runs.  This is a component that can be easily overlooked, but is of the utmost importance in terms of how long your laptop will run.

 

Wrap Up

 

We hope this post on the best gaming laptop under $1500 has been helpful in your search!  If there are any laptops you feel like we missed here, let us know in the comments section below.

 

Looking for more ideas for gamers?  Check out our post on the best gift ideas for gamers next!

 

 

Last update on 2022-06-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API