Apart from being a hardcore PC gamer, I have done a number of reviews on gaming laptops in general and what I have come to understand is that at almost every price range, you can get yourself a good gaming laptop. But then, it is better at some prices and easier to get. Today, the focus is on the best gaming laptop under 1000 dollars.
Before settling to get a good gaming laptop under 1000 dollars or at any price range, there are some very important things you need to consider. These mostly have to do with the build and the performance of the laptops.
One of the first things you will want to look at is the processor. I am not a fan of anything below the Intel core i5. The higher you go, the better. You will also want to have a RAM that at worst doesn’t go below 8 GB, an SSD instead of an HDD for speed and better performance, and good battery life.
Many people may not see the screen size as something of importance, but a gamer knows 15 inches is better than smaller sized screens. More so, you will want a very good screen resolution. If you can afford 4K, why not?
There are other things that you will want to consider seriously such as the GPU, for which it will only be good to go with a Nvidia Pascal-based GPU. The ability and ease of having the laptop upgraded along with the accessories are other things you want to seriously consider.
It will be very hard for you to get a laptop that will give you all those in the exact manner that you want, most especially if you are on below $1000. On this review, however, I have collected those that will give you most of that.
Best Gaming Laptop Under 1000 Dollars
Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop
Before anything, almost every gamer knows the Predator line of Acer because of the build and performance it offers to gamers. It also has beauty to it while promising to last a good time.
A VR ready beast, it has a 15.6″ Full HD with a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.
With the performance, this laptop stands somewhere with those that are way more expensive as it has an Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor and a 16GB DDR4 RAM which combine to give a good performance and ensure that you do not have any trouble running heavy games and multitasking.
What is more is that it has a 256GB SSD for added performance, although the space may not be much if you intend to do a lot of storage. But you will not find it hard to upgrade both the storage and the RAM if you need more.
Inasmuch as the display is good, it is generally tonned down, a step you would appreciate if you engage in marathon gaming. The keyboard is lighted and responsive while the battery performance is able to deliver as much as 7 hours.
Features
- Processor: Intel Core i7-7700HQ Quad Core
- Display: 15.6″ Full HD (1920 x 1080 resolution)
- Graphics: GeForce GTX 1060
- Storage: 256GB SSD
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- Battery: 7 hours
Pros
- Easy to upgrade.
- Smoot and fast performance.
- Good battery life.
- The components it comes with are good.
Cons
- Not the brightest screens if you love playing with very bright screens but this is still good enough and saves the eyes from getting easily tired
Verdict
Something else in the predator line of Acer, the Helios is a laptop that has performed better than many others. If you don’t mind spending just a little above your budget for a high-performance gaming laptop, this is a good choice.
Lenovo Legion Y520 Gaming Laptop
There was never a time that I envisioned Lenovo as a company that would be able to pull it off with gaming laptops. Miracles do happen, don’t they? The company has come up with many that have come as the best most especially in this price range.
With the Legion Y520, Lenovo has given one that meets the needs for performance and being rugged. That said, it doesn’t have that aluminum feel that you get with some others, even as the plastic used is very good and the laptop is sleek and not heavy.
A 15.6″ laptop, it has a screen with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. For the performance, the Legion has an Intel Core i5 processor with NVidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics card.
It is further enhanced by the 256 GB SSD that is featured. With the RAM, I would have loved to see more than 8 GB, but when you consider that it is an SSD storage that it comes with, you immediately realize the speed is guaranteed.
For the battery life, 4 hours isn’t what I would have wanted to see. But then looking at the price and other features, the laptop has compensated.
Features
- Processor: Intel Core i5-7300HQ
- Display:6 inches 1920 by1080 pixels
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050ti
- Storage: 256GB PCIe SSD
- RAM: 8 GB DDR4
- Battery: 4 hours
Pros
- Good general features.
- It has good performance.
- Easy to upgrade.
- Sleek and aesthetically on point.
Cons
- I would have loved to see higher RAM
- Not the best battery life.
Verdict
If you need a strong laptop that is sleek and can check the main needs of a gamer including speed, performance, and the ability to run many applications, all for less than $1000, you may as well settle for this piece.
See Also: Gaming Laptop Under 1500 Dollars: Top Gamer’s Pick
Dell Inspiron i5577-7342BLK-PUS Gaming Laptop Under 1000
For many laptops under $100, there is always a lot of compromises that manufacturers always make to be able to deliver. This laptop also makes a few, but it has given more than it takes.
It is wisely designed in the same manner with most other Dell gaming laptops. It doesn’t make too much noise in the design. The screen it has is a 15.6 inch Full HD display just like others on the list, with 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution.
Dell makes use of the NVIDIA GTX 1050 Graphics card for this laptop to ensure that it performs as it should when it comes to graphics. More so, it is very responsive and fast considering that it has an Intel Core i7 that delivers up to 3.8 GHz.
Another thing that adds good legs to the performance is the 16GB RAM while the storage is 512GB SSD. This doesn’t give you better space than some on the list, but it also gives you more speed as is typical of SSDs.
The keyboard is good, and the battery which strives to give up to 5 hours is decent.
Features
- Processor: Intel Core i7 up to 3.8 GHz
- Display: 15.6 inches 1920 by1080 pixels
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050
- Storage: 512 SSD
- RAM: 16 GB DDR4
- Battery: 7 hours
Pros
- Performs very good.
- It comes with an SSD that is decently spacious.
- Decent battery life.
- The specifications are better than many in the same price range.
Cons
- Comes with some bloatware.
Verdict
If you are looking for one that has good specifications even for its price, this Dell laptop may just be the best choice for you. The laptop has many things to offer a gamer when you put it against many in the price range and even on the list.
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ASUS ROG GL552VW-DH71 Laptop for Gaming
Republic of Gamers is arguably one of the most successful gaming brand for hardcore gamers. It is naturally not very easy to find them in the affordable price range which is very understandable.
With this laptop, the ROG has provided an affordable one without necessarily throwing performance through the windows. It is well designed with an aluminum brush as it is sleek and simple.
The laptop features a 15-Inch screen with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 at maximum setting. The display comes with Full HD IPS Panel without glare which helps you to get a great display quality as you game.
For the performance, the laptop makes use of 16GB DDR4 RAM and has an Intel Core i7-6700HQ processor. With these, the laptop will definitely handle any game you through at it and it will be hard to have a software that will drag it down.
More so, it has a discrete GeForce GTX 960M graphics card and a 1TB HDD. With the storage, that will be good for all the world that you want to have running on the laptop, but most people would prefer to have an SSD storage instead though you can easily upgrade the laptop if you wish.
Features
- Processor: Intel Core i7-6700HQ 2.6GHz
- Display: 15 inches 1920 by1080 pixels
- Graphics: NVIDIA GTX960M 2GB GDDR5
- Storage: 1 TB HDD
- RAM: 16 GB DDR4
- Battery: 7 hours
Pros
- Excellent display
- Good performance.
- Good battery life
- Very large storage memory.
Cons
- It comes with HDD even as some may prefer an SSD.
Verdict
This laptop is the pick for someone that plays every game that passes by. This is because it comes with endurance on one hand, and it gives you a large space to have all the games stored. More so, it has good performance and features.
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MSI GL62M 7RE-407 Gaming Laptop Under 1000
The MSI GL62M 7RE-407 is a lightweight and quite a beautiful laptop that should also be on your best gaming laptop under 1000 bucks shortlist.
It is one that has more beauty than strength, even though it is still sturdy. It has a 15.6-inch display that has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The keyboard is good and responsive and it features an LED lighting.
Looking at the performance of this laptop with a GTX 1050T1 graphics card, it features an Intel Core i5-7300HQ processor. With a RAM that is only 8GB, I would have loved to see that MSI was a bit more generous to have this with a card that is higher. It will ride a gamer that doesn’t have any serious gaming needs, but then I would still have loved some more.
For storage, you get a 256GB SSD. Obviously, that is not the largest there is, but because it is a Solid State Drive, you are compensated with speed and a more secure performance when compared to the HDD.
With many laptops at this level, there is one thing that keeps returning; poor battery performance. This is not any different as it can only get one a little more than 3 hours.
Features
- Processor: Intel Core i5-7300HQ 2.50GHz
- Display: 15.6 inches 1920 by1080 pixels
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
- Storage: 256 SSD
- RAM: 8 GB DDR4
- Battery: 3 hours
Pros
- It is very fast.
- Has a good cooling system.
- Good hardware.
- Very affordable.
Cons
- Not the best RAM
- So-so battery life
Verdict
On the list, this may end up as the choice for someone that even at the under $100 is still on a budget. It has good performance and with a dedicated GPU, a good processor, and an SSD, the laptop comes with good components.
Don’t Miss: Best Gaming PCs Under 1000 Dollars
Conclusion
The best gaming laptop under 1000 dollars will be able to ride you through any kind of gaming you need. That is what you get to have with those on the list. They may not compete with many others that are more expensive, such as the best gaming laptops under $1500 or those above, but they would serve in their own rights.
Sources:
- Learning Science Through Computer Games and Simulations – by National Research Council
- A Majority of American Teens Report Access to a Computer, Game Console, Smartphone and a Tablet – Pew Research Centre
- The Impact of Home Computer Use on Children’s Activities and Development – Princeton.edu