By Robin Owens 14 days ago, Hardware
The best laptops under 1000 dollars for professional gamers.
Contrary to the popular belief that you can’t get a decent gaming laptop for less than $1,000, it is, in fact, quite possible. Even though it’s recommended to invest in a PC or laptop that is supplied with the latest hardware, it’s not feasible to expect everyone to spend $2,000 and more on a gaming rig.
Thankfully, as long as you make your choice wisely, you can still get an enjoyable gaming experience even on a budget Ryzen laptop.
With a budget of about $1000, you can afford to get a model with a powerful CPU and solid GPU, which is exactly what you need to play both newer and older games on high settings.
Ready to dive into this overview and find the ideal option for you? Continue reading and get the best gaming laptop under 1000 for your needs.
CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H| GPU: GTX1660Ti | RAM: 8 GB | Storage: 512 GB | Display: 15.6-inch | Weight: 4.1 pounds
⊕ Impressive HD gaming performance
⊕ Beautiful screen
⊕ Amazing sound quality
⊕ Thin bezels
⊖ The chassis flexes too much given the price
⊖ Can occasionally overheat
⊖ Expected biometric login
If you look at everything this gaming notebook under $1000 brings to the table, you can see how far MSI has come since it first entered the budget gaming laptop market. It offers improved design, a compact footprint, and enhanced GPU and CPU performance that far outshines its predecessor.
The GF65 is equipped with quality hardware, offers terrific audio, and smooth gaming experience on an HD screen, all while being packed in a thin body with slim bezels around the display.
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 4600H| GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 512GB | Display: 15,6-inch | Weight: 4.37 pounds
⊕ 1080p gaming at high settings
⊕ Solid battery
⊕ Wi-Fi 6
⊖ Subpar 60Hz replaced the 144Hz screen of the test model
⊖ Max-Q graphics card instead of the superior GTX 1660 TI
It’s hard to find a laptop market segment that is more packed with potential options than the $800-$1200 price range. HP’s Pavilion Gaming stands out from most of them, as this 17 inch gaming laptop under $1000 offers the majority of features you need to enjoy games with great performance. While it isn’t powerful enough to edge out some of the other laptops on this list, the Max-Q is still a solid GPU that is worth the price.
You can run games in crisp 1080p resolution with a steady framerate, without having to worry about stuttering or overheating the system. If you’re interested exclusively in HP laptops, this is the option for you.
CPU: Intel Core i5-9300H | GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 | RAM: 8 GB | Storage: 512 GB | Display: 15.6-inch | Weight: 4.84 pounds
⊕ Stunning 1080p performance
⊕ Attractive price
⊕ Long-lasting battery
⊕ Convenient keyboard layout
⊖ ClickPad makes too much noise
⊖ 512 GB SSD isn’t ideal for gamers
Lenovo’s IdeaPad meets most expectations you may have from the best gaming laptop under 1000. It’s equipped with a Core i5-9300H quad-core CPU and the NVidia GeForce GTX 1650 GPU that packs 4GB of VRAM.
Such specs allow you to enjoy stable 60fps in most modern games, which is all you can ask for in this price range.
CPU: Intel Core i5-9300H | GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 256GB | Display: 15,6-inch | Weight: 5.07 pounds
⊕ Type-C USB input
⊕ Quick and reliable NVMe SSD
⊕ Full-HD IPS screen
⊕ Convenient input devices
⊖ Computing performance
It’s hard not to be impressed by the technical specifications offered by this gaming laptop under 1000 dollars. If you take video games casually but still want to enjoy all the recent titles in decent quality, this model is a terrific compromise that won’t ruin your budget.
Acer Nitro is packed with a solid GPU, a nice selection of inputs, and a reliable 256GB SSD, which can fit multiple AAA games, while still leaving space for other software. Sadly, you can’t pick the color of the laptop itself, so you’ll be stuck with the default option if you choose to buy this product.
This is a terrific offer if you’re looking for a great bang for your buck, but you should be warned that the specs of the laptop can vary depending on what region you’re getting it in. Other downsides that you have to be aware of include subpar keyboard quality, inferior portability, above-average weight, and the tendency to get hot when running demanding games.
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7-4800H | GPU: GTX 1650 | RAM: 8 GB | Storage: 512 GB | Display: 15.6-inch | Weight: 9.36 pounds
⊕ No excessive gaming flair
⊕ Super-thin bezels
⊕ Suitable for HD gaming
⊕ Quality keyboard
⊖ GTX 1050's performance issues
⊖ 256GB SSD is not enough
Lenovo Legion has earned the title of the best gaming laptop under 1000 in many reviews and for good reason. It provides fluid HD performance, is powered by the solid GTX 1050 graphics card, and offers an impressive build quality, which sets it high above most of the competition. Legion doesn’t offer any groundbreaking specs, but it would be unfair to expect them at such a low price point.
If you want to take the performance offered by this laptop up a notch, then get the edition packed with the GTX 1650 GPU. However, be warned that the difference in quality provided by both cards won’t be really noticeable in most games. Overall, if you’re after a budget laptop that can efficiently run the latest games, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything better than the Legion Y550.
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 4800H | GPU: GeForce GTX 1660 Ti | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512 GB | Display: 15.6-inch | Weight: 5.07 pounds
⊕ Amazing value for money
⊕ Impressive Full HD performance
⊕ Silent and convenient keyboard
⊖ Clunky and heavy build
⊖ Loud cooling system
This model is probably the best gaming laptop under 1000 if all you care about is performance. It allows you to enjoy games in Full HD quality on a beautiful screen, while also providing quite a lot of storage space compared to rival laptops.
TUF Gaming isn't perfect though, as you have to deal with an unappealing design and fans that make a lot of noise, but the overall value offered by this product more than makes up for it.
CPU: Intel Core i5-9300H | GPU: NVIDIA GTX1650 | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 256GB | Display: 15,6-inch | Weight: 7.58 pounds
⊕ Thin, lightweight design
⊕ Great performance
⊕ Reasonable price
⊖ Dim, rather bland image
⊖ Subpar battery
The GF63 is a thin gaming laptop under $1000 that provides fantastic performance given how affordable it is. That said, the screen quality is quite disappointing, especially if you’re expecting to enjoy AAA games in their full graphic glory. The battery life also leaves much to be desired, particularly when compared to laptops like the Legion Y730.
Overall, this is a solid option for gamers who can be satisfied with the consistently powerful performance provided by a reliable GPU.
| Image | Name | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
MSI GF65 Thin
Our choice |
CHECK PRICE → | |
 |
HP Pavilion Gaming
Affordable |
CHECK PRICE → | |
 |
Lenovo Ideapad
Best Lenovo |
CHECK PRICE → |
Even though it’s realistic to get a reasonable gaming laptop without going broke, you always have to sacrifice some of the components to ensure the hardware that is responsible for proper gaming performance is of high enough quality. To ensure you won’t regret your purchase, you have to determine what characteristics you value the most. Some of the most important aspects include:
Screen Size & Battery Life
Display size is an essential aspect to consider when picking the best laptop under 1000 dollars.
Choosing the optimal screen size can be quite tricky since you want to play games in HD, but it’s also expected for a laptop to be compact and lightweight.
The most common choice among gamers is a 15” laptop. While 13” models are smaller, you won’t be able to enjoy AAA games in their full glory, which somewhat defeats the purpose of getting a gaming laptop.
While most users keep the laptop plugged in at all times to ensure it doesn’t suddenly die on them mid-game, it’s not an ideal solution. Instead, it’s recommended to purchase a model with a powerful battery that will allow you to play games even without a charger.
When looking at different laptops, pay close attention to how long a single battery charge will last you. Don’t fully rely on the manufacturer’s description though, as they tend to oversell the battery life of their products. User reviews offer a much more reliable picture.
GPU & RAM
The graphics card is the keystone of any product that wants to be considered the best gaming laptop under 1000, while also being the primary reason why it costs more than a regular model. The GPU is in charge of transferring the rendered images to the screen by processing the necessary data and transmitting the signal.
Such a process is quite taxing on the system when playing video games, meaning you need a laptop with a discrete GPU to handle it efficiently. When it comes to gaming, the more VRAM you have, the better performance and settings you’ll enjoy, but it’s recommended to get a laptop with at least 4GB.
Meanwhile, RAM determines the quickness with which the laptop accesses and processes data regardless of its destination on your HDD or SDD. The bigger the RAM capacity, the more demanding tasks you’ll be able to handle simultaneously without any drops in performance. For best results, it’s recommended to get a laptop with 16GB of RAM or higher, since it’s a relatively cheap component that will barely impact the final price tag.
The answer depends entirely on your needs and budget size. If you can wait a little bit more to collect a larger sum of money, then it might be better to invest in the best gaming laptop under 1500 dollars that will stay relevant for longer than 3 years. However, if you can’t afford to spend more than $1000 and are willing to make peace with the fact that you won’t be able to run the most demanding games on ultra-high settings, then a budget laptop is a completely reasonable option.
If you go by customer reviews, you’ll find Apple on top of the list, while Microsoft products trail behind such reputable brands as Lenovo, Acer, or MSI.
While technically you can use both for gaming, the difference is that gaming laptops were specifically designed with video games in mind, packed with appropriate hardware, and are offer superior performance and image quality when it comes to graphics. The layout of a gaming laptop’s keyboard can also be more optimized to provide convenient controls. Besides, such laptops can be easily mounted on special laptop stands for more convenient gaming sessions.
If you’re tight on funds, then you should aim for the $800-$1,000 price range. While such laptops won’t offer everything you need, they cover all the basics and can run most games on high settings. However, if you want to buy a legitimate gaming model, then you should expect to spend at least $1,500.
