10+ Best Gaming Laptops Under $1500 | Ultimate Guide 2021

Want to play the latest and greatest AAA games the way they’re meant to be experienced, but worried that you might have to dip into your savings? We’re here to tell you about some of the best gaming laptops under $ 1,500. All of these gaming laptops will provide you with the performance you need to get serious about competing and immerse yourself in the virtual worlds of your favorite games.

Best Gaming Laptops Under $1500

We’ll start our list with reviews of 10 of our favorite gaming laptops. Next, we’ll take a closer look at key gaming laptop features and specs and directly answer some of the questions we hear most often for models in this price range.

Best Gaming Laptops Under $1500 | Comparison Table 2021

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Best Gaming Laptops Under $1500 | 2021 Reviews

Buyer’s Guide for the Best Gaming Laptop Under $ 1,500

Best laptops for gaming (as well as gaming mice, gaming keyboards, and pretty much anything gaming) are one of the most popular categories here at HotRate, and we’ve actually put together a number of guides to finding the best laptops for gaming at certain prices. In closing, we’ll cover the essentials to check out in terms of features and specs when buying a laptop in this price range, but we’ll pay special attention to what kind of features and specs you’ll find in the best laptop. of play of less than 1500 $.

Comparison of price ranges

When we talk about gaming laptops under $ 1,500, we’re actually looking at two categories of laptops: those around $ 1,000 (what we’ll call the entry-level midrange) and those that are priced just above or below 1,500 dollars (what we will call the mid range). If you’ve been paying attention to our review list, you may have noticed that there is a lot of overlap between different specs and features at different price points.

With that in mind, we’ll be looking at the most typical spec values ​​at entry-level and mid-range levels. So you can better assess the qualities for which laptops are above and below average for their price and more easily determine which price point is right for you.

Graphics processing unit

Entry-level: Nvidia GTX

Mid-range: Nvidia RTX

As it controls graphics processing, the GPU is obviously going to be one of the most important hardware specs to look out for when looking for a gaming laptop, especially below $ 1,500. And while different models are used in comparable gaming laptops, the big difference here is between the GTX and the RTX. And that’s what makes up a big chunk of the price difference between entry-level and mid-range models (many recommend spending around a third of the hardware budget on the GPU when building a gaming machine from zero, and this also applies quite well to a pre-made laptop).

So what’s the big difference here? More than performance, it’s the latest and greatest technology that comes from the great brains of Nvidia. The exclusive star feature of the RTX is ray tracing, a way to dramatically increase the lighting in a scene that is still in its infancy. He is also able to use artificial intelligence and procedural design to truly extend immersion in the world of games. These technologies are still in their infancy, but they could easily color the next generation in a pretty big way.

With VR becoming more and more popular, it’s also worth considering whether your gaming laptop should be VR-ready and if it can support the latest VR headsets.

Central processing unit

Entry-level: 9th Generation Intel Core i7-9750H

Mid-range: 9th generation Intel i7-9750H cores

You don’t see double. The Intel Core line of processors will almost always be present in a gaming laptop, and the Intel Core i7 is essentially the best model until you meet the i9, which is more than most gamers will ever have. need (and too expensive to be reasonably installed in a laptop, regardless of the price). The Intel i7 is widely regarded as the standard for quality gaming, and it should be able to deliver fast performance while your graphics card keeps pace with image quality.

You may occasionally see gaming laptop models that use an Intel Core i7-8750H processor instead. It shouldn’t be too worrying. Although they represent the eighth rather than the ninth generation of the processor (the first number after the hyphen always means generation), there has been no major improvement after the 8th generation of Intel cores. Stay away from the seventh generation if you want to get the performance you deserve from your games.

You might also see AMD processors in use. While they’re not as common as Intel at this under $ 1,500 price point, they’re still decent processors for a gaming machine, and if they’re on our list here, you can rest easy knowing. knowing that the specs are solid.

Memory

Entry-level: 16 GB of RAM

Mid-range: 32 or 16 GB of RAM

In our guide to the best laptops under $ 2,000, we listed 8GB of RAM as the bare minimum of what you should be looking for when looking for a solid gaming laptop, but we consider 16GB of RAM to be the bare minimum. the benchmark, at least for the gaming experience. Random access memory (RAM) serves as your computer’s memory, storing information that should be easily accessible. This is great when you are trying to shorten your load times, but there is a point where the memorization your computer needs to do is outclassed by the level of RAM.

32GB of RAM is a nice icing on the cake if you’re looking to multitask or work in a creative field besides gaming, but 16GB of RAM should be enough for most gaming experiences, and it should stay that way. even if technology evolves. And if you ever get to a point where your memory isn’t up to par, upgrading most laptops under $ 1,500 is a pretty straightforward task and rather inexpensive.

Pin up

Entry-level: 15.6-inch FHD

Mid-range: 17 or 15.6 inches FHD

When looking at the best gaming laptops under 1500, there aren’t many options in terms of display. Most laptops at this price point are standardized to 15.6 inches, although you’ll find some larger (and some smaller, as soon as you start fetching less than $ 1,000). Also, you cannot expect any discrepancy in the resolution. FHD is standard for laptops under $ 2,000, and it’s only above that price that we start to see models capable of delivering a true 4K gaming experience.

But just because you can’t have an FHD experience doesn’t mean there aren’t qualities to pay attention to here. There are differences between displays that cannot be translated into raw and defined specs. An anti-reflective surface can help you enjoy a high-end gaming experience clearly on your panel even if you are outside in the middle of the day, and this is further improved by checking the maximum brightness rating measured in nits. . If you want more serious features, look for a gaming laptop with blue light shielding for the sake of your tired eyes.

You can also connect to a 4k gaming television for a more immersive experience.

Storage

Entry-level: 256 GB SSD

Mid-range: 512 GB SSD

Storage is one of those key specs where you start to see a lot more flexibility in what you find. If the average gaming laptop under or around $ 1,000 doesn’t just rely on a traditional hard drive, you’ll find a sizable amount of hybrid models here. They will include both a solid-state hard drive and a traditional hard drive to combine the speed and reliability of a PCIe NvME SSD with the capacity of a more traditional hard drive. That said, you’ll also find entry-level models that only offer a PCIe NvME SSD.

Once you hit the top price for gaming laptops under $ 1,500, you’ll start to see more SSDs with a capacity of 512GB or a seagull terabyte. This is something you won’t find in gaming laptops under or around $ 1,000 at all. But just like memory, storage is something you shouldn’t worry about too much. If you need enough space to easily store your favorite games, replacing a hard drive (or adding a new one to create a hybrid system) is pretty easy and won’t cost you a lot.

Keyboard

Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to tell if a keyboard is good or not just by glancing at it, and what you prefer may not be reflected in the reviews you read. If you have the opportunity, we recommend that you check the operation of a keyboard. A powerful gaming laptop doesn’t mean much if the keys make gaming frustrating. Take the time to stop by a store and try out the style firsthand.

That said, even though most of the best video games rely heavily on keyboards to handle gaming, you don’t need to make them one of your top priorities when buying a gaming laptop. You can still invest in one. wireless Bluetooth keyboard. You can find out more about them in our guide to the best wireless gaming keyboards of 2021.

Peripheral devices

At first glance, it might seem that stacking on a load of peripherals goes against the practical portability that a laptop offers, but some peripherals will be necessary for some gamers. Every gamer is going to want to get the best gaming mouse. While the trackpads that come with these laptops are generally very functional, they are not suited to the needs of serious gaming. Check out our guide to the best gaming mice to help guide your research.

Headsets and headphones are a bit more situational. If you’re a pro gamer or looking to coordinate a serious multiplayer game, you’ll definitely want to get a gaming headset. If you’re an alone gamer who regularly finds yourself in crowded situations (or just looking for a more experience. immersive), you may seriously consider investing in a solid pair of headphones. There are many inexpensive and compact models available to suit the needs of gamers. Check out our list of the best gaming headsets for more information.

Investing in an external keyboard will be a matter of personal preference. While keyboard construction is one of the first things to consider when a manufacturer is cutting back on budget, these mid-range models offer some pretty solid options overall. But you won’t find them satisfying cadence of a dedicated mechanical keyboard right out of the box, and many keyboards specifically designed for gamers offer quality-of-life features like dedicated macro buttons.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most powerful laptop of 2021?

It’s hard to say which laptop is the most powerful, as there are so many brands to follow and so many hidden components of a computer to consider when trying to assess the best. That’s why we encourage you to browse our review guide above and follow us regularly to stay on top of the latest gadgets and goods.

What’s the best gaming laptop of 2021?

Before even taking into consideration the fact that we’re only looking at gaming laptops under $ 1,500, it’s hard to turn our backs on the HP Omen. This is a very cool laptop that is prepared for the latest graphics advancements and has been meticulously tested to be compatible with the latest VR headsets. Add to that a cool-looking backlit keyboard and you’ve got a gaming laptop that would be awesome at pretty much any price.

What are the best laptops for gaming?

If you want a laptop that you can use primarily for gaming, there are a lot of options available to you. If you’re a little strapped for cash, our list includes 10 of the best models under $ 1,500. But if you’re willing to pay a little more, we’ve also got a guide to the best gaming laptop models under $ 2,000 for you.

What are the most affordable gaming laptops?

If your budget is less than $ 1,500, the Acer Predator Helios 300 gaming laptop will be our choice. If you’re a gamer and want a balanced performance on everything from the latest games to multitasking at work and school, this laptop is the perfect fit for you. Not only is this a roughly $ 1,000 gaming laptop, it offers a balanced profile when it comes to everything from storage and memory to picture quality.

Final thoughts

$ 1,500 isn’t exactly cheap for most people, but once you find a laptop that can play your favorite games, it should be able to easily stay with you for years to come. We hope you find the best laptop for your budget here. If you decide to make accessory purchases for your new gaming platform, we encourage you to follow our buying guides in more detail.