
Selecting the perfect gaming laptop computer, particularly within the $1,500 worth level, isn’t straightforward. It’s fairly the feat to kind by way of all the choices within the mid-range market and discover a laptop computer with the options you want. Are you trying to conquer the most recent AAA recreation releases with excessive body charges and ray tracing? Or possibly you want an ultraportable that allows you to work and play?
If you happen to’re uncertain the place to begin, we’re right here to assist. We’ve curated a listing of fantastic gaming machines that each one are available below $1,500 to assist take the stress out of buying your subsequent laptop computer. We now have in depth expertise and hands-on testing with all of our suggestions. So with out additional ado, allow us to present you the perfect picks beneath.
To study extra about how we choose our greatest gaming laptops, scroll beneath our picks to learn all about our analysis course of. And for a good better array of choices try our roundup of the perfect gaming laptops at any worth level; or if you wish to save much more, try our greatest gaming laptops below $1,000.
Up to date 05/12/2023: To incorporate the Asus TUF Gaming A16 Benefit Version as our alternative for greatest battery life. Learn our abstract beneath to study extra about this ultra-efficient choose.
Lenovo Legion 5i – Finest general

Execs
- Good processor efficiency
- RTX 3060 delivers in gaming
- Wonderful connectivity
- Sturdy bang-for-the-buck
Cons
- Uninspired design, mediocre construct high quality
- RGB keyboard backlight appears boring
- Mediocre show decision and picture high quality
- Quick battery life
Worth When Reviewed:
$1,549.99
With its comfy keyboard, numerous connectivity choices, and powerful graphics efficiency, the Lenovo Legion 5i is the entire package deal so far as price range gaming laptops go. This rig comes outfitted with an Intel Core i7-12700H CPU, an Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of PCIe SSD storage. In our testing, the Legion 5i churned out a screaming quick 110 frames-per-second when working the Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark, which is a unbelievable end result for an RTX 3060 laptop computer. The keyboard, which manages to squeeze in a quantity pad on the precise hand aspect of the tray, is spectacular as nicely. Our tester discovered the spacious structure each “comfy and simple to make use of.”
Connectivity is essential for gaming laptops as a result of many of us like hooking as much as an exterior monitor, mouse, and so forth. Fortunately, the Legion 5i “presents a wholesome dose of future-proof connectivity.” It’s rocking three USB-A 3.2, two USB-C 3.2, one HDMI, Ethernet, and a 3.5mm audio combo. It additionally has Thunderbolt 4 and DisplayPort 1.4 assist. The ports are largely rear-facing, which is ideal for cable administration when the laptop computer is sitting on a piece desk. You actually can’t get significantly better than that.
If you happen to’re on the hunt for a price range gaming laptop computer that may actually ship, the Legion 5i could be the one to select.
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Lenovo Legion 5i overview
HP Victus 15 – Finest price range

Execs
- Wonderful worth
- Good keyboard and touchpad
- Respectable processor efficiency
- Can deal with most video games at 30 FPS
Cons
- Generic design
- Disappointing construct high quality
- Unattractive 144Hz show
- 60 FPS is commonly out of attain
Worth When Reviewed:
$549.99
The HP Victus 15 is an exceptional worth for informal avid gamers. The value is greater than affordable and it’s able to working most video games at 30 frames-per-second. The keyboard options an “edge-to-edge design,” which actually “makes most use of the laptop computer’s inside.” As for really feel, key journey is lengthy due to the deep chassis. Longer journey means much less unintentional keystrokes, which is what you need in a gaming laptop computer. A fast peek inside reveals an Intel Core i5-12450H CPU, an Nvidia GTX 1650 GPU, 8GB of RAM, and 512 of SSD storage. That’s sufficient oomph for light-weight gaming. That stated, given the specs, the Victus isn’t going to hit 60 FPS in most video games. If you happen to can reside with this limitation and are strapped for money, then the HP VIctus 15 is a unbelievable choose.
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HP Victus 15 overview
Asus Vivobook Professional 15 OLED – Finest show

Execs
- Good productiveness efficiency
- Very good show
- Rugged design
- Nice battery life
Cons
- Boring aesthetics
- Unimpressive 720p webcam
- Unreliable fingerprint scanner
- Poor port choice
Worth When Reviewed:
$1099.99
For many who would favor to purchase a laptop computer and have cash left over for superior peripherals, the Asus VivoBook Professional 15 OLED is a good possibility. It is available in at a couple of hundred {dollars} cheaper than different picks on this checklist and it nonetheless has good general efficiency. It has a Ryzen 7 5800H CPU and a GeForce RTX 3050, which is sufficient to obtain respectable body charges in your favourite video games whereas conducting your entire productiveness duties. However the true spotlight of this laptop computer is the beautiful 1080p OLED show with distinctive shade efficiency and accuracy. It may not be probably the most thrilling laptop computer to take a look at, however to get this type of efficiency and an OLED display screen besides makes the VivoBook Professional 15 an excellent worth.
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ASUS VivoBook Professional 15 OLED Extremely Slim Laptop computer overview
Dell G16 – Finest for work and play

Execs
- Sturdy efficiency for the worth
- Versatile and vivid 16-inch 16:10 QHD show
- Thunderbolt 4 on board
Cons
- Cumbersome, boring design
- Mushy keyboard, tiny touchpad
- Grainy 720p webcam
- Plenty of fan noise
Worth When Reviewed:
$1,499.99
The Dell G16 is an efficient possibility for each work and play. When it got here to processor efficiency, it smashed the competitors to smithereens. The Dell G16 nabbed the highest spot within the PCMark 10 benchmark, which measures efficiency primarily based on basic use duties like workplace productiveness and video chatting. It additionally turned in 131 FPS when working the Rise of the Tomb Raider benchmark. You possibly can thank the {hardware} for these numbers. It has an Intel Core i7-12700H CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of PCIe NVMe SSD storage. The G16 isn’t the sexiest-looking laptop computer we’ve ever reviewed, but it surely will get the necessities proper and that’s what actually issues. Based on our tester, it’s “probably the most highly effective RTX 3060-based laptops we’ve examined.”
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Dell G16 overview
Asus TUF Gaming A16 Benefit Version – Finest battery life

Execs
- Excellent all day battery life
- Attractive and clean FHD+ 16:10 show
- Sturdy chassis with US navy grade certification
Cons
- Left-side port orientation received’t swimsuit left handers
- Keys really feel a bit mushy and fatiguing
- The 720p HD digital camera isn’t the perfect
Worth When Reviewed:
$1,099
Gaming laptops aren’t recognized for having the perfect battery life on account of their power-sucking elements. Nonetheless, that’s not the case with the Asus TUF Gaming A16 Benefit Version. This factor is packing an enormous 90 watt-hour battery, which lasted an unbelievable 11 hours throughout our testing. After all, intensive gaming will cut back this considerably, however it’s best to nonetheless anticipate to get round seven hours of steady 1080p gaming with out having to plug into an AC outlet. That’s approach higher than a lot of the rivals on this checklist. That’s an incredible end result contemplating most gaming laptops will solely final between three and 6 hours. It additionally has a strong chassis and durable general design, which means you don’t have to fret in regards to the occasional bump or knock whereas out and about.
The Asus TUF Gaming A16 Benefit Version is not any slouch in the case of efficiency both. It comes with respectable {hardware} together with a Ryzen 7 processor, AMD Radeon RX 7600S graphics card, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. It scored very nicely in our Shadow of the Tomb Raider recreation benchmark exams, outpacing many costlier competitor laptops. All of this makes the A16 a wonderful possibility for 1080p avid gamers—particularly those that need to take pleasure in untethered gaming on the go.
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Asus TUF Gaming A16 Benefit Version overview
Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Gaming Chromebook – Finest Chromebook for gaming

Execs
- Giant, vivid 2560×1600 show
- Ultimate wi-fi and wired connectivity
- Good show, robust audio system
Cons
- Unimpressive design
- Mediocre keyboard and touchpad
- Lackluster webcam and microphone
Worth When Reviewed:
$569.99
While you consider gaming laptops, Chromebooks may not be the very first thing that involves thoughts. However Lenovo has performed an excellent job at making gaming accessible to Chromebook customers with its IdeaPad 5 Gaming. It comes loaded with a Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a vivid 16-inch 2560×1600 show. Additionally, in a rarity for any sort of laptop computer, the audio system are surprisingly robust.
If you wish to recreation on a Chromebook, although, you’ll must do most, if not all, of your it by way of a cloud gaming service. It is because ChromeOS doesn’t assist most fashionable video games. However for the month-to-month charge of a cloud gaming service, you’re capable of stream the easiest fashionable video games straight from the cloud to your Chromebook. In our exams we even discovered that we may stream AAA video games at good resolutions and as much as 120Hz on the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Gaming Chromebook—that’s not unhealthy for a laptop computer that prices much less then a 3rd of what you’d pay for a stronger Home windows gaming rig. See our roundup of the perfect cloud gaming providers to study choices.
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Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Gaming Chromebook overview
How we examined
The PCWorld crew places each Home windows laptop computer by way of a sequence of benchmarks that take a look at GPU and CPU efficiency, battery life, and so forth. The concept is to push the laptop computer to its limits after which examine it towards others we’ve examined. Beneath, you’ll discover a breakdown of every take a look at and the the explanation why we run them.
Home windows laptops
- PCMark 10: PCMark 10 is how we decide how nicely the laptop computer handles lighter duties like net shopping, phrase processing, spreadsheets, and so forth.
- HandBrake: HandBrake is extra intensive than PCMark 10. It principally measures how lengthy a laptop computer’s CPU takes to encode a beefy 30GB file.
- Cinebench: Cinebench is a quick stress take a look at of the CPU cores. It does this by rendering a 2D scene over a brief time period.
- 3DMark: 3DMark checks if 3D efficiency stays constant over time by working graphic-intensive clips.
- Video rundown take a look at: To gauge battery life, we loop a 4K video utilizing Home windows 10’s Films & TV app till the laptop computer dies.
What it’s best to search for in a price range gaming laptop computer
In terms of choosing the right gaming laptop computer, it actually relies on what you need to do with it. Do you intend on enjoying light-weight indie titles like Stardew Valley (no shade, I really like this recreation) or one thing extra visually demanding like Cyberpunk 2077? Are you going to make use of the machine for work in addition to play? It’s potential to get dependable efficiency out of a gaming laptop computer that prices below a grand, however you’ll must take a tough take a look at the person elements. You don’t want a strong GPU for one thing like Fortnite. The heart, my mates. That’s what issues.
- GPU: The factor in regards to the GPU is that it may well’t be swapped out and upgraded later, so you might want to be actual picky about which one you choose, as this part will decide how nicely your machine runs video games. Fortunately, you don’t want the perfect of the perfect to get dependable gaming efficiency. The GTX 1650 is an entry-level GPU that’s reasonably priced and adequate for 1080p gaming with mid-to-high graphics settings. That stated, anticipate decrease body charges on newer titles. If you happen to’re searching for a bit extra energy, we advocate choosing a GTX 1660 Ti or larger, or a extra present RTX 30-series GPU.
- CPU: Just like the GPU, the processor can’t be upgraded both, so that you’ll need to be selective. For Intel, we advocate an Eleventh-gen Intel Core i5 or i7 or newer (Thirteenth-gen is now accessible). For AMD, you’ll need to spring for a Ryzen 4000 or 5000. A processor with at the very least 4 cores is sweet, however six cores or extra is healthier.
- RAM: You’ll need at the very least 8GB of RAM. If you happen to can afford 16GB of RAM, go for it. Reminiscence is generally upgradable, so you’ll be able to at all times swap it out and add extra afterward.
- Storage: Storage impacts what number of video games and functions you’ll be able to set up in your laptop computer. Like RAM, storage is upgradable and could be swapped out later. Nonetheless, it’s best to intention for at the very least 512GB of SSD storage plus a tough drive, as AAA titles are likely to eat up a number of house. SSDs load video games sooner, as knowledge is saved on chips fairly than spinning disks.
- Show: 1080p is what you’ll be able to anticipate at this worth vary. Price range gaming laptops don’t at all times have the perfect shows, as that’s the place producers have a tendency to chop corners to maintain the fee low. If you happen to’ve obtained a dim show, you’ll be able to at all times choose up an exterior monitor to plug into.
- Battery life: Usually talking, gaming laptops are recognized for having poor battery life. That’s as a result of they use a ton of energy. In addition they are usually heavier than different laptops as a result of they want extra space for heatsinks and different cooling elements. Relying on the use, most will final anyplace from 4 to 6 hours on a single cost. That stated, there are a couple of exceptions. The HP Envy 14 (featured above), for instance, hit the 15-hour mark throughout our battery take a look at.
FAQ
Are Chromebooks good gaming laptops?
It actually relies on the kind of gaming you propose to do, however almost certainly no. Chromebooks can deal with net video games and Android video games simply superb. However should you’re trying to play the most recent high-powered AAA video games, a Chromebook received’t minimize it, as a result of a) it doesn’t run Home windows, and b) it in all probability doesn’t have adequate graphics energy.
With that stated, Google is attempting to deliver cloud gaming to Chromebooks and it’ll probably be accessible sooner or later. Cloud gaming providers use a distant PC or console to play video games streamed by way of the cloud onto the Chromebook. Till that service is up and working although, Chromebooks will be unable to compete within the gaming enviornment.
Are you able to recreation with built-in graphics?
These days, the most recent processors with built-in graphics can run fairly a couple of fashionable PC video games at affordable settings. Intel’s new Iris Xe line of processors with built-in graphics, for instance, have been proven to run a number of the newest video games at 1080p and 30fps. Take be aware although, as not all built-in graphics are able to the identical issues.
Intel and AMD’s built-in graphics have made big leaps lately with regard to gaming efficiency. If you happen to’re on a price range or searching for an extremely skinny laptop computer with built-in graphics you’ll be able to nonetheless take pleasure in some gaming as nicely. Take a look at our article about Intel’s Core Twelfth-gen Iris Xe and AMD’s model new Ryzen 6000 RDNA 2 for extra.
What dimension laptop computer is greatest?
This actually comes down to private desire and supposed use. If you happen to plan to journey loads along with your laptop computer, then a small ultraportable dimension within the neighborhood of 13 to 14 inches is greatest. Nonetheless, if gaming is all you need to do, then one thing within the 15- to 17-inch vary can be preferrred. Additionally, don’t neglect to examine the burden of the laptop computer before you purchase it. Extremely skinny laptops can weigh a featherlight 2 kilos whereas beefy gaming computer systems high the scales at three or 4 occasions that.