If you’re serious about gaming then you’ll be wanting to invest in a gaming laptop.
Gaming laptops have faster speed, greater memory, better graphics, and faster processing power than your standard laptop.
But don’t think that a gaming laptop will break the bank!
You can get a very impressive gaming laptop for less than $1500 to allow you to play the newest games with no hassles.
In this article, we zoom in on the 5 best gaming laptops under $1500 that are on the current market.
We also provide you with answers to your most pressing gaming laptop questions in our FAQ section.
Best Gaming Laptops Under $1500 Reviews & Recommendations For 2019
Best Gaming Laptop Under $1500 Overall: Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop
Benefits
This Acer Predator notebook features an 8th Gen-Intel Core i7-8750H processor to deliver an impressive array of smart features.
You get a 144 Hz refresh rate to deliver amazingly smooth 2-D motion viewing. Input lags and frame rendering are minimized.
The Predator sense gaming control panel provides customization so you can control such things as system temperature, CPU fan speed, and system fan speed.
Drawbacks
Some reviewers have mentioned that this laptop has issues with overheating.
The keyboard and touch board quality is also lacking.
Extra Features
The Predator gaming laptop hs a 15.6” full HD panel with IPS technology and an sRGB color gamut.
The result is a brilliant color from any viewing angle.
Acer TrueHarmony and Dolby Audio Premium deliver an excellent sound experience.
The keyboard is backlit in red. The compartment door on this impressive gaming laptop allows you to update storage and memory as needed.
Buying Advice
The predator gaming laptop is an exceptional product that delivers an outstanding gaming experience at an unbeatable price.
Its high-level specs will meet the requirements of the latest games for years to come.
Overall, this is a great buy!
Technical specifications
- Dimensions: 10.5 x 15.3 x 1.1 inches
- Weight: 5.51 lbs
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX1060
- CPU: 4.1 GHz Intel Core i7
- RAM: 16 GB DDR4
Runner Up - Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop PC, 15.6" 9th Gen
Benefits
This Acer Predator gaming laptop features 9th Gen procesor. Many of the features are the same as our top-rated model but there are some key differences.
It features NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti graphics, the latest 9th Gen Intel Core i7 Processor and Acer’s custom-engineered 4th Gen AeroBlade 3D Fan Technology.
The 144Hz IPS panel and 3ms Overdrive ensure that you get a consistent, clear and crisp player experience.
Drawbacks
This Acer predator is more expensive than the 8th Gen model. The fan on this laptop is also too loud for comfort.
Extra Features
The Gen 9 Acer Predator incorporates Predator Sense to allow you to customize and control your gaming experience.
A simple tap of the Predator Sense control keys gives you control of the lighting, fan speed, overclocking and game profiles.
Killer Doubleshot Pro is a cool feature that allows you to decide which applications will take up your bandwidth.
This platform is VR headset enabled. It also incorporates Waves MAXXAudio technology to deliver a very impressive quality of sound.
The keyboard also impresses with see-through backlighting and concave keycaps.
Buying Advice
The Gen 9 Acer Predator costs a bit more than our top-rated gaming laptop but delivers a bit more in terms of functionality and performance.
However, it is also noisier than the 8th Gen model. We prefer the 8th Gen, but this is a close second!
Technical specifications
- Dimensions: 14.2 x 10 x 0.9 inches
- Weight: 5.07 lbs
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX1660Ti
- CPU: 4.5 GHz Intel Core i7
- RAM: 6 GB DDR4
Honorable Mention: ASUS ROG Zephyrus S Ultra Slim Gaming Laptop
Benefits
The ROG Zephyrus S is an ultra-slim gaming laptop with 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q design.
You also get a 144Hz/3ms display.
This version is 12 percent thinner than the original Zephyrus.
The display on this gaming laptop is especially impressive, with a high refresh rate that makes the game flow much more smoothly.
The 3ms gray-to-gray response time delivers ultra-clear visuals with absolutely zero blurring.
Drawbacks
The ROG Zephyrus S is a very power-hungry laptop, which means that it does not have very good battery life.
The screen has been seen to bleed after some time.
Extra Features
The ROG Zephyrus S allows for lots of connectivity thanks to its Type-C (USB-C) ports at USB 3.1 Gen 2 and Gen 1 speeds, Type-A USB 3.1 Gen 2 and USB 2.0 ports.
The Zephyrus S automatically adjusts fan speeds based on CPU and GPU temperatures. It also has upgraded 12V fans and anti-dust panels.
The keyboard on this laptop ensures 20 million keypress durability. Backlight colors can even be customized to suit your style.
Buying Advice
The ROG Zephyrus S is another impressive gaming computer that you can pick up for well under $1500.
Its visuals are extremely impressive and its slimline design makes for great portability.
However, it is poor on battery life, which kind of defeats the purpose of portability!
Technical specifications
- Dimensions: 14.17 x 10.55 x 0.162 inches
- Weight: 4.63 lbs
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
- CPU: 8th Gen Intel Core i7
- RAM: 16 GB DDR4
Honorable Mention: ROG Strix SCAR II Gaming Laptop
Benefits
The ROG Strix SCAR II stands out with its unique Kevlar weave and camouflage-inspired markings around the keyboard that channels the battle environment.
Its unique weave and color overlay is achieved thanks to a unique 3D-weave and color overlay.
The Strix SCAR II features an ultra-smooth 144Hz narrow-bezel display with a 3ms gray-to-gray (GTG) response time.
Drawbacks
The ROG Strix SCAR II has a not overly functional keyboard.
Extra Features
The ROG Strix SCAR II integrated 802.11ac wireless card is hooked up to four antennas, whch is simply amazing for a laptop (especilly in this process range).
It also provides an impressive number of ports, including SB Type-A, USB Type-C, HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, RJ45 Ethernet, and an SD card reader.
This laptop also delivers auto fan adjustment on GPU and CPU temperatures. It also features upgraded 12v fans and anti-dust tunnels.
Buying Advice
The ROG Strix SCAR II is an extremely cool looking gaming laptop that also performs very well. It looks great, has impressive visuals and delivers a smooth stream with minimum lag time.
Technical specifications
- Dimensions: 5.74 x 10.76 x 1.03 inches
- Weight: 6.5 lbs
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060
- CPU: 3.9 GHz Intel Core i7
- RAM: 16 GB DDR4
Lenovo Legion Y7000 Gaming Laptop
Benefits
The Lenovo Legion Y7000 matches up to the firepower of its competitors with an Intel Core i7-8750H Processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Discrete Graphics, 16 GB DDR4 RAM, 1 TB HDD, and 128GB PCIe SSD.
At just 5.2 pounds and a thinness of 1.1 inches, it provides ideal portability.
This laptop provides you with a 17.3-inch screen, which is very impressive.
Drawbacks
The Lenovo Legion Y7000 gives poor battery performance, with most users only able to get two hours out of a full charge.
The mount between the screen and the keyboard doesn’t feel very secure. The key placement is also a bit awkward, especially when the computer is sitting on your lap.
Extra Features
The Lenovo Legion Y7000 FHD Display features bezels that are only 0.3 inches thin.
You get an impressive 15.6-inch FHD display with 300 nits of brightness.
The high response keyboard is backlit in white. 1.7mm of key travel provides superior ergonomics.
The Lenovo Legion Y7000 is thermally optimized to provide cooler and quieter operation.
Buying Advice
The Lenovo Legion 7000 provides a pleasing balance between style and performance.
It looks great with its sleek aluminum design and latest generation specs that allow you to get a great gaming experience every time.
The 17.3-inch screen is truly impressive at this price point.
Technical specifications
- Dimensions: 14.22 x 1.06 x 10.51 inches
- Weight: 5.2 lbs
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Discrete Graphics
- CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H
- RAM: 16 GB DDR4
Gaming Laptop under $1500 FAQ
What can you expect from a gaming laptop under $1500?
The weight of an 11-inch laptop will vary from 2.0 pounds to 4.0 pounds.
The lightest 11-inch laptop on the market is the Macbook Air 11, which comes in at just under two pounds.
Toshiba notebooks in this size range weigh between 3.0-3.5 pounds.
How can you upgrade a gaming laptop under $1500?
No, you probably will not be able to play newer games on an 11-ich laptop.
What the laptop makes up for in portability and convenience, it lacks in terms of firepower.
The majority of 11-inch laptops are powered by Intel Celeron or Intel Pentium processors.
These processors are extremely low powered, lacking the energy needed to power the demands of today’s high-end games.
What should I look for in a gaming laptop monitor?
Yes, you can watch movies on an 11-inch laptop.
However, the lack of power of the CPU may cause lagging which will impact on your viewing experience.
Because of the lack of storage on an 11-inch laptop, you shouldn’t store movies on your ultra-portable laptop.
What should I look for in a gaming keyboard?
No, you do not need a touch screen on your laptop.
This functionality comes with both advantages and disadvantages.
On the plus side, a touch screen adds a whole new level of scrolling convenience.
This can be especially beneficial for children, who find it more natural to reach out and touch than to operate through a keyboard.
On the negative side, a touchscreen will add a huge demand to your battery power. This is the case even if you don’t actually use the feature very often.
That’s because it takes a lot of extra energy simply to support the capacitive screen.
As a guide, you will lose about 25 percent of your battery power by adding a touchscreen to your laptop.
While it’s true that a touchscreen can be a handy addition to an app, there are very few, if any, apps out there where touchscreen functionality also enhances performance.
On top of that, you’ve got the finger smears on the screen to contend with.
What should I know about battery life on a gaming laptop?
A laptop is a condensed version of a PC, with less powerful componentry and all of the inner workings compressed into a small space.
The ultra-portable laptop is a condensed version of a standard laptop.
So, when you buy an 11-inch laptop you are, in effect, getting a condensed version of a condensed version.
That means that there are going to be some major compromises in comparison to either a PC or a standard laptop.
The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is going to be a lot smaller and a lot less powerful.
Many 11-inch laptops use either an Intel Celeron or an Intel Pentium processor.
You also get a lot less storage capacity than you would on either a PC or a standard laptop. The third big compromise is with regard to battery life.
What is the best GPU for a gaming laptop?
The most important feature when it comes to performance on an ultra-portable laptop is the CPU. If you are after speed of processing, you will want a device that has an Intel Core i5 or Core l7 processor.
In terms of memory, try to find a model that provides you with 8 GB, though the majority will limit you to 4.
You should also look for the best graphics processor you can get. Most of them use integrated graphics, such as the HD Graphics 620 from Intel.
This will allow you to stream media and do most other things, but if you are wanting to do some serious gaming, it won’t meet your demands.
If you want to do some gaming, looking for a discrete graphics chip, such as the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070.
Your ultra-portable laptop should have a Solid State Drive (SSD). A storage capacity of 256 SSD GB is standard on 11-inch laptops.
This should be sufficient for most users.
When it comes to screen resolution, the standard resolution on mid-level 11-inch laptops is 1366 x 768.
Many people find the dual functionality of an ultra-portable laptop that flips into a tablet to be very useful, so this is a feature to look out for. The clever use of hinges and a swivel design permit you to fold the screen so that it can be used without the keyboard.
What are some extra features of a laptop in this price range?
For a gaming laptop under $1500, you can expect to get a 13.5-inch touch display.
You can also get an 8th Gen Intel Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB PCIe SSD.
You can also expect 5-8 hours of battery life from a single charge.
What are some tips when buying a gaming laptop?
- Spend a little more to get as good a GPU as you can afford. You can’t upgrade the GPU, so getting the best you can now allow you to play high setting games for a long time to come.
- Decide what is more important – resolution or speed; quality in one will compromise the other!
- Check that the keyboard is user-friendly and, ideally, backlit.
- Check battery life – 4 hours is the sweet spot that you should be looking for. Gaming takes up a lot of energy, so high battery life will cost you in terms of GPU performance.
- For gaming, the GPU is actually more important than the CPU. If you’ve got a good GPU, you can get away with a Core i5 processor.
- In terms of RAM, you really don’t want anything less than 8 GB. If you can, look for a gaming laptop that provides you with 16. Keep in mind that you can always upgrade the memory later, so don’t make a lack of RAM a game-breaker.
- In terms of storage, ideally you will want a gaming laptop that provides you with both Hard Drive and SSD. You shouldn’t have to look too hard to find a laptop under $1500 that provides you with both 128GB SSD and 1TB HDD.
Conclusion
There are some extremely impressive gaming laptops on the current market that you can pick up for less than $1500.
Our overall favorite is the Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop with Intel i7-8750H, GTX 1060 6GB, 16GB DDR4, 256GB NVMe SSD.
Our silver medal goes to the Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop PC, with15.6″ Full HD 144Hz 3ms IPS Display, Intel i7-9750H, GTX 1660 Ti 6GB, 16GB DDR4, 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD, Backlit Keyboard.
Coming in as our 3rd favorite gaming laptop under $1500 is the Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop PC, with 15.6″ Full HD 144Hz 3ms IPS Display, Intel i7-9750H, GTX 1660 Ti 6GB, 16GB DDR4, 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD, and Backlit Keyboard.
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