Best Gaming Laptop Under $1500: The Definitive Guide

Best Gaming Laptop Under $1500: The Definitive Guide

If you want to have the best gaming laptop there is, you no longer have to imagine buying an extraordinarily expensive machine that is powered by more electricity than a car. Gaming laptops have become smooth and powerful, and they are continually getting closer to the best gaming PCs.

There are multiple vital things that you have to consider when choosing your laptop. The budget is a big concern for most people, but you also might want it to be able to run a particular game that is brand new on the market. If you like having game sessions with your friends, then you should think about the portability of your machine.

Of course, $1500 is a big budget when you're buying a laptop, so all of the options we will present you with are going to be satisfying the categories we talked about. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't look at all of the alternatives and pick whatever is the ideal option for you.

In this article, we are going to go talk about the best gaming laptop under 1500 dollars for different gamers. Whether you like playing indie games, high-quality shooters, or multiplayer RPGs, there is a gaming laptop on this list that you would absolutely love to have.

Comparison Chart

Best Gaming Laptop Under 1500 Dollars Reviews

Nowadays, getting a good gaming laptop will cost you a lot less than it did a few years ago. The reason for this is the open market being extremely friendly to customers and unforgiving to greedy companies. Many "young" manufacturers and businesses are giving their best to make their tech the best on the market, and they are reducing the prices so that they would make more sales than their competitors.

Finding a remarkably good gaming laptop under $1500 that you will be able to use for playing games like The Witcher 3, GTA 5, FIFA 19, or Assassins Creed Odyssey is going to be an easy task. Most configurations in this budget are perfectly capable of running the newest games and will be able to do so for the foreseeable period. However, you might not be able to run all of them on the highest settings; this goes especially for games coming out in 2019 or 2020.

1. Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop

The Acer Predator Helios 300 is a great gaming laptop, considering the budget, but it has a couple of things that aren't perfect, and we will mention them alongside the many positive features it has. The performance of the Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop is one of the best in its price range, as it can handle the highest-quality games that are currently on the market.

You can definitely do better than this if you have the money since there are some great alternatives and improved versions of this model that are a bit more expensive, but if you are not ready to pay more, this model will satisfy all of your needs.

Features

  • Performance

The 16 GB DDR4 RAM of the Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop is enough for all games that are coming out in the foreseeable future. For a small price, you can upgrade it to 32 GB if you want to run multiple games at the same time, but it's not needed.

The 17.3-inch screen of this laptop is a standard among all laptops that are more expensive than $1000. You will also be provided with a 256 GB SSD, and a 1TB regular hard drive. We are particularly fond of this feature because most laptops offer only one of these memory types.

The processor is a 7th generation Intel i7-7700 HQ that you can clock up to 3.8 GHz. Coupled with the powerful NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with 6 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM, this will make new video games look smooth and run perfectly on high settings.

  • External Design

Some of the hardcore gamers will appreciate the external looks of this laptop. Its aesthetics are looking very futuristic, which is a popular trend in the gaming community. It has a metal casing that features strong black and red colors while the top cover has a famous Predator logo painted on it. The bottom cover features a plastic case that you can remove if you want to tamper with RAM or the hard drive.

  • Ports

There are many different ports available on this laptop, which is a nice feature to have. It has two USB 2.0 ports and two more USB 3.0 and 3.1 ports. There is also a headphone jack and HDMI port. If you are planning to use this laptop for work, not just for gaming, the SD card reader and Ethernet ports are a huge bonus.

  • Weight, Size, and Speakers

This laptop is lighter than you would think when taking a look at it. It's also neither small nor too big, which means that you will be able to take it everywhere with you easily.

Unfortunately, the sound system is not great at all, especially since there are many alternatives in the same price range that have way better speakers. This problem won't bother you that much though if you're planning on using it only for gaming, but if you watch movies often or work with music, this isn't the best option for you.

  • Display

The display on Acer Predator Helios 300 is impressive. The colors are very lifelike, and the 144 Hz refresh rate is an exceptional feature that many laptops at the same price don't have.

PROS

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    Powerful graphics card
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    Lots of memory
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    Impressive refresh rate
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    Long-lasting battery

CONS

  • Bad sound quality
  • Fans are too loud
  • The cooling system is not good enough.

Summary

This laptop has some imperfections like the sound system and the fans but it offers great performance, so you will be able to enjoy different kinds of games for a reasonable price. If you want to play video games that are very demanding, this is the best option for you under $1500.

2. ASUS ROG Strix Scar Edition

This gaming laptop falls under the budget category, but it's stronger than many of the higher-priced options. It has everything you need, from an impressive sound system to the mighty 8th generation processor.

The only things we don't like about ASUS ROG Strix Scar Edition are the touchpad and the buttons. However, this isn't so important since most gamers use wireless keyboards and mice for gaming.

Features

  • Performance and Display

You will absolutely love the 8th-Gen Intel Core i7-8750H processor. It has six cores, and they can clock up to 3.9GHz when boosted. The GTX 1050 Ti 4GB graphics isn't the best on the market, but it's similar to what other laptops in the same price range have to offer.

The full-HD display has a refresh rate of 120HZ, and the 17.3-inch screen will provide a pleasant experience for all customers. This laptop contains 128 SSD and 1TB FireCuda Hybrid HDD. This hard drive is five times faster than regular hard drives, so installation and loading screens will be faster.

  • Design

The design of this gaming laptop is inspired by first-person shooters, mainly the Call of Duty series. There are a Kevlar color scheme and gunmetal finish that only reinforce this particular type of look. It looks less edgy than other gaming laptops, and its slim design will make it easy to carry around with you.

  • Cooling System

We just loved the cooling system this laptop has to offer; in fact, most other customers are also pleasantly surprised by this feature. Your machine won't ever get too hot, and that only improves its durability. There are three fans, and they automatically adjust their speed and power depending on the current temperature of your graphics card, processor, or hard drives.

  • Keypad and Trackpad

What we didn't like about ASUS ROG Strix Scar Edition are the keyboard and the trackpad. They both feel very lackluster and have a troublesome response time. If you prefer playing video games that require fast responses and reflexes, you will be required to buy a separate keyboard and a mouse.

PROS

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    Impressive sound quality
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    A hybrid HDD, instead of a regular one
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    Many customizations related to video games
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    Powerful processor

CONS

  • The trackpad is not responsive enough.
  • Limited battery life

Summary

If you don't mind the short battery life, this laptop will provide you with everything you need. You will be able to enjoy the newest video games that come out for a long time, using the highest quality settings.

3. MSI Premium Gaming GE63VR Raider

The MSI Premium Gaming GE63VR Raider is perfect for those who are primarily looking to play indie games. The display is very high quality, but the screen size is smaller than that of similarly priced gaming laptops.

MSI Premium Gaming GE63VR Raider looks quite flashy, thanks to many different colors and lights on the casing. Some people might prefer this kind of look, as opposed to the traditional futuristic gaming design.

Features:

  • Display

A 15.6-inch display is antiglare and features a resolution of 1920x1080. We noticed that it's too dark at times, and the customization options won't allow you to increase the brightness even more.

  • Performance

An Intel Core i5-7300 HQ processor with four cores is included. Its regular power is 2.5 GHz, but you can boost it up to 3.1 GHz if you want to. The GPU is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 with an outstanding 8GB GDDR5 of its own memory. This particular feature is what impresses us the most about this laptop.

  • Sound System

You will also be happy about the sound system of the MSI Premium Gaming GE63VR Raider since it is specifically designed for gamers who find audio an essential feature. This is done by integrating GIANT speakers, which have a stellar reputation.

  • Keyboard and Camera

Another thing that we enjoyed about the MSI Premium Gaming GE63VR Raider is the keyboard. The RGB Steel Series design is one of the best there is for gaming laptops. This might be important to you if you enjoy ergonomics while playing various video games.

We have to say that we hated the video camera, even though they aren't so important to gamers. The picture quality is regularly bad, and it doesn't look like 720p that it claims to have. The contrast on the images also looks very out of place, and it makes them not look lifelike at all.

  • Cooling System

Unless you have your own cooling system for laptops, this machine will give you some trouble. Although it is quite fast and doesn't stutter at all while gaming with 30+ open Chrome tabs, it does get very hot even when you're not doing anything.

The fans were over-clocked, and they were working really hard at all times. Unfortunately, this didn't stop the laptop from getting unbearably hot before we even started testing games on it.

We have no idea why this happens since the cooling system looks good in theory, but we don't recommend using this laptop for gaming if you're not an owner of a separate system that will help you manage the increased heat production.

PROS

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    Powerful graphics card
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    A good amount of memory
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    Attractive design

CONS

  • Small display size
  • Low battery life
  • Terrible heat management
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    Weak camera

Summary

This laptop is a high-end machine that has many different features that some might deem unnecessary. The RGB lights on the casing are a perfect example of this issue, as they continuously drain the battery. This further diminishes the duration of the battery life, which was already not exceedingly long.

Its processor is a bit weaker than other products on our list, but the graphics card is way better than anything you will be able to purchase for 1500 dollars. We recommend this laptop if you're not planning on multitasking, and your main concern is the video quality of the video games you are playing.

4. Razer Blade Stealth Gaming Laptop

The Razer Blade Stealth Gaming Laptop made its first appearance almost three years ago. Since then, it has received numerous upgrades, and it has become a model that Razer loves investing in. The cover is all metal, and it's as good as the cases of Apples' best MacBooks.

This model that we are going to review is a bit older, but it's the best one under the $1500 price mark.

Features

  • External Design

You might love the simplistic Razer design that the company is well-known for. The casing is made of conventional metal, and you can pick between black or dark gunmetal color patterns. The edges of this laptop are smooth, and the icing on the cake is the famous Razer logo on the top side of it.

  • Display

The 13.3-inch display is clearly smaller than most laptops these days have to offer, but it is touch-enabled, and the video quality is very nice. If you don't mind your gaming screen being a bit smaller, you are going to love this laptop, as all of its other features are perfect.

  • Performance

The laptop's 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8550U processor has four cores, and the starting processing power is 1.8GHz. This might seem not good enough for those who don't know enough about the eight generation of Intel processors, but the cores can be boosted up to 4.0GHz. Additionally, the processor will readily be able to support all of the games you might come across.

The GPU this laptop has is the internal Intel UHD 620 model. This is not as powerful or famous as the Nvidia and Radeon alternatives, but it's good enough for you to play modern games on high video settings.

  • Memory

You will be getting 16 GB of RAM that has a dual channel. There isn't a 1TB HDD included, as most of the similar laptops have, but the SSD is 256 GB, which will make everything you do with your data happen faster.

  • Weight and Design

This laptop is remarkably lightweight and slim. It's the best option on the list if ease of transport is your central concern. If you aren't quite satisfied with the internal graphics card that you are provided with, you can add an external GPU that will make this machine an even better gaming option for you.

PROS

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    Beautiful design
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    Quality SSD memory
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    Powerful new generation processor

CONS

  • Internal graphics card
  • Smaller screen size

Summary

The Razer Blade Stealth is almost a perfect machine for gaming since everything except the graphics card has top-grade quality, from the processor up to the sound system and the cooling system. Also, there is support for an external graphics card that will make this the best choice if you want to invest more money in it. It's also easy to transport and use in different situations you might find yourself in.

5. HP OMEN 15 Gaming Laptop

The HP OMEN 15 Gaming Laptop came out in late 2017, and since then, it has received one major upgrade. Its successor is called HP Omen 17, but it is more expensive than this model, so we won't talk about it in this article.

Features

  • Performance

The Intel Core i7-8750H processor has six cores, and they can work from 2.2 GHz up to 4.1 GHz. This is more than enough for all video games currently out there. Combined with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 that has 6GB of its own GDDR5 dedicated memory, your gaming experience will be satisfying, to say the least.

You will receive 16GB of RAM, and there are enough slots that you can upgrade it up to 32 GB. There is both a 128 GB NVMe SSD and a 1TB SATA HDD, working at 7200 rotations per minute.

  • Battery

The battery life is nothing impressive, as it can hold out for six hours during gaming, which is close to the industry standard. If you are both gaming and watching videos or browsing the internet, your battery will survive up to four hours.

  • Ports

The regular number of ports and jacks is present, and you won't have to worry about not being able to connect various external devices.

  • Display

The 15.3-inch screen has a high-quality display that is anti-glare and comes with a 144 Hz refresh rate. If this is too low for you, you can choose a better model that has a 17-inch screen, but it's more expensive.

PROS

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    Affordable
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    Decent balance between the processor and the graphics card quality
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    Quality display

CONS

  • Too heavy
  • Outdated design
  • List Element

Summary

We liked using HP OMEN 15 since it is quite pleasant to play games on, and it has many attractive features. However, performance-wise, it is a bit more limited than the other laptops on this list.

It is a great budget option, as you will be able to enjoy all of the current games using the highest possible settings. We aren't able to guarantee that same thing when you consider the upcoming games in the next few years. If you really want this laptop, don't worry, as you will be able to run all of the new games on medium settings for many years to come.

The Final Verdict

The all-around best gaming laptop under 1500 dollars on our list is the ASUS ROG Strix Scar Edition because its screen is large enough to make you feel like you're using a desktop. The display settings also have a plethora of customization options, and many of them are gaming related. This means you will be able to tailor a personal experience to your gaming session, which you couldn't when you use any other machine on the market.

The processor on this laptop is incredibly good as well, and it's quite uncommon to see such a great processor in what many consider to be a budget laptop. The graphics card isn't as good, but it's strong enough to support any games that appear in the foreseeable future.

The single thing we didn't like about it is the unresponsiveness of the touchpad but this problem is easily fixable by purchasing a wireless mouse and a keyboard. Most gamers do that regardless of how good the touchpad is since it's more convenient to play games that way.

If you're looking for a different option or one that has a better graphics card, you should look at the Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop. It has many great features, but its fans are lackluster, and you would have to invest in an external cooling system to have a great gaming experience using it.

Lastly, the best budget option on the list is the OMEN by HP. Do note though that although it's a bit cheaper than the other laptops we talked about, its overall performance is weaker.

 

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