Rodrigo Andresen
The best gaming laptops under $1,500 don’t have to lack graphical fidelity or processing power. In fact, a gaming laptop for around this price is more than capable of running the latest AAA games at medium to high settings in 1080p without too many hitches. Of course, if you want to prioritize a faster and more stable frame rate, then a compromise on visuals will have to be made somewhere. However, even entry-level GPUs like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti have the potential to strike a reasonable balance between both options.
Not a fan of compromise? If you’re willing to pay extra, why not check out our list of the best gaming laptops to see which of our picks can deliver the best gaming experience for you. On the flip side, if $1,500 is just too far for your budget to stretch, check out our list of the best cheap gaming laptops for something a little more affordable.
Buying a new laptop is never as straightforward as it seems, especially when there are so many brands, models and configurations to consider. To help get on your way, we’ve scoured through the most highly-rated and fairly-priced gaming laptops on the market to bring you our selection of the best gaming laptops under $1,500.
What are the best gaming laptops under $1,500?
The best gaming laptop for under $1,500 is hands-down the Asus ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition. This all-AMD gaming laptop has everything from a slick, RGB-laden design to incredibly powerful overall and graphics performance. Not content with being one of the most powerful processors around, the G15’s Ryzen 9 CPU is also overclockable — allowing you to squeeze every drop of power from this already stacked laptop.
If you’re looking to game on a bigger screen, then you’ll find that the HP Omen 17 offers a brilliant 17-inch screen with a speedy 144Hz refresh rate. You’ll be able to experience impressive 1080p gaming on this display thanks to an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU — a tried and tested combination that never fails to impress. There’s also some impressive thermal management on hand thanks to HP’s Omen Tempest cooling system and incredible audio quality from its built-in Bang and Olufsen speakers.
Want to get the most bang for your buck without stretching your budget too far? Acer’s Nitro 5 is a gaming laptop that offers all the power and performance you’ll need for tackling AAA games in 1080p at an attractive sub-$1,500 price. While its plastic chassis and dim display might turn some away, fantastic color reproduction and a speedy 165Hz refresh rate do wonders to make up for these drawbacks.
When it comes to mid-range gaming laptops, you’re likely to see AMD processors and Nvidia GPUs come together to create a fair balance of power, efficiency, and price. However, all-AMD laptops are a little harder to come across, but after seeing what the Asus ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition has managed to do at this price point, it’s hard to see why that’s the case.
For starters, Asus’ gaming laptop is powered by a Ryzen 9 5900HX processor, one of the fastest CPUs around. Better still, it’s the first mobile AMD processor that you can overclock to really max-out performance, too. Secondly, AMD’s Radeon RX 6800 GPU offers some incredible visuals and in-game performance roughly on par (if not a little better under certain circumstances) with Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3070.
In our benchmark testing the G15 Advantage Edition’s 12GB of VRAM allowed it to showcase an impressive frame rate across a range of intensive PC titles at maximum settings. The only issue with the model we’ve highlighted is its 8GB of RAM, but as with most ROG laptops, this is easily upgradable — allowing up to 32GB.
See our full Asus ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition review
The Asus TUF Dash F15 is as solid in performance and graphics as it is in build. This is saying something considering its build is backed by a MIL-STD-810H certification that can handle drops, vibrations, and extreme temperatures. The military-tested chassis isn’t just “TUF,” it’s also pretty dazzling with its all-white color scheme and FHD 1080p display. While the panel could be brighter, it does feature impressive color reproduction, a 3-millisecond response time, and a lightning-fast refresh rate of 240Hz — offering smooth visuals for competitive gaming and esports.
All that means very little unless you’ve got the power to make the most of it. Thankfully, the Asus TUF Dash F15 has enough power to make hoverboards work on water, and is outfitted with an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and an awesome Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU.
In our benchmark testing, the Dash F15 beat the average frame-per-second output for mainstream gaming laptops across a number of taxing titles — all of which were running at their highest settings. For presentation, protection, performance, and price, the Asus TUF Dash F15 deserves a place on anyone’s shortlist as an excellent budget-friendly purchase.
See our full Asus TUF Dash F15 (RTX 3070) review
HP’s Omen laptop range is one of three product lines the manufacturer has dedicated to producing gaming machines. There’s the Pavillion which is best suited to low-end, casual gaming, the Victus, which is more focused on entry-to-mid-level gaming, and the Omen, where HP delivers on the levels of performance and graphics most serious or hardcore gamers are looking for. The HP Omen 17 just squeezes into this list with a price tag of $1,499, but it’s a brilliant laptop for those looking for larger-screen gaming with punchy performance, high refresh rates, and sublime Bang & Olufsen speakers.
The Omen 17’s potent performance derives from the combination of an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU, and 16GB of RAM. When it comes to gaming, there are few hurdles in your way to achieving both superb visuals and decent FPS counts, with each frame caught by the 17.3-inch panel’s speedy 144Hz refresh rate.
The Omen 17’s potential is undeniable, and it serves as a great desktop replacement. However, if you’re willing to trade that larger screen for more graphical power, for $50 more the Omen 16 (2021 Intel) offers up even more graphical prowess with an RTX 3070 GPU.
Acer has built its reputation on an ability to deliver quality devices at affordable prices and, for just $1,399, the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE is another job well done for the Taiwanese manufacturer. Without breaking the bank, the Triton 300 SE offers everything you’d need from a gaming laptop: brilliant 11th Gen Intel Core i7 performance; gorgeous Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 powered visuals; a crisp, bright and vibrant 1080p display; and silky smooth refresh rates of 144Hz. Better still, it’s all housed within a slim and stylish silver chassis.
The Triton 300 SE has a number of other neat features, including a comfortable keyboard with three-zone RGB and a solid battery life that lasted over six and a half hours during our testing. However, what makes or breaks a gaming laptop is performance, and across a range of demanding AAA titles, the Triton showcased some impressive frame counts — even at max settings. If you’re buying on a budget, the most important thing is value for performance, and the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE’s price-to-performance ratio is second to none.
See our full Acer Predator Triton 300 SE review
Even at lower configurations, Alienware’s m15 Ryzen Edition gaming laptop retains the super-sleek design, comfortable keyboard, and powerful AMD-based performance found in some of the more expensive models available. The entry-level Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics is where a lot of the differences will be found. While it’s at the lower end of the RTX 30-series of GPUs, the 3050 Ti can still perform admirably, delivering 60 fps gameplay in modern titles at higher settings. Better still, the RTX GPU can make use of DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) in certain games to boost that performance further — sometimes increasing frame rates by up to 70{18875d16fb0f706a77d6d07e16021550e0abfa6771e72d372d5d32476b7d07ec}.
Also carrying over from some of the more expensive models is a gorgeous, 15.6-inch, 1080p display with a rapid refresh rate of 165Hz and a snappy 3 millisecond response time.
The m15 is a budget-friendly dynamo that makes the most of Alienware’s design and build quality, AMD’s superb performance, and Nvidia’s awesome RTX GPUs to deliver not just one of the best Alienware laptops available but one of the most well-balanced gaming laptops in this price bracket.
See our full Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition review
When you think “Lenovo,” it’s unlikely that your first thought is that of gaming laptops, let alone one of the beefiest gaming laptops you can find online for less than $1,500. However, Lenovo’s range of Legion laptops includes some terrific machines that offer tremendous overall performance. One such machine is the Legion 5 Pro, a fantastic gaming laptop that combines the best of AMD and Nvidia to great effect. Armed with a Ryzen 7 5800H CPU and 16GB of RAM, Lenovo’s gaming laptop is a performance powerhouse that effortlessly showcases the awesome potential of the AMD 5000-series processors.
However, that isn’t even the most impressive aspect of this machine thanks to the inclusion of Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3070 GPU. During our review, we threw a series of demanding AAA titles at the Legion 5 Pro to put the GPU through its paces.
Not only did Lenovo’s gaming laptop allow us to crank the graphics all the way up for each title, but it also consistently delivered over 60 fps across the board. If you need a little extra oomph to your gaming sessions, then the Legion 5 Pro is a shoo-in to win you over.
See our full Lenovo Legion 5 Pro review
Looking for a great laptop on a budget is all about making every cent count, and the Acer Nitro 5’s power and performance offers some very impressive bang for your buck. Merging AMD and Nvidia into one spritely machine, the Acer Nitro 5 is ideal for those with solid 1080p gaming in mind.
Acer’s gaming laptop sports an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor and Nvidia’s awesome GeForce RTX 3060 GPU. When met with 16GB of RAM, you have a machine that can take on the latest AAA games with some impressive results. Making use of Nvidia’s DLSS feature will squeeze even more potential out of the Nitro 5, transforming it from a great budget buy to an absolute steal at just over $1,100.
There are a few things that take the shine off of Nitro’s impressive performance. Its chunky, plastic chassis could be one if you prefer a more premium styling, and there’s an atypical keyboard layout that takes some time to get used to. Also, the Nitro 5’s display is a little on the dim side, but this is redeemed with its fantastic color accuracy and a speedy 165Hz refresh rate.
See our full Acer Nitro 5 review
It’s no secret that MSI makes great gaming laptops, and one of the best MSI laptops under the $1,500 threshold has to be the MSI Stealth 15M. Configurations like the one we’ve listed above can be found online for as little as $1,200 — which is a steal considering the level of gaming and overall performance you can achieve with this model.
The MSI Stealth 15M is pretty well kitted-out, featuring a powerful 11th Gen Intel Core i7 quad-core processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060, and 16GB of RAM. With this amount of power on hand, you’ll have no issues playing AAA titles old and new at 1080p, even at higher settings. The MSI Stealth 15M also has a tidy array of I/O ports, including USB Type-A, Type-C, and Thunderbolt 4 to ensure maximum compatibility with a range of gaming accessories and peripherals. If you’re looking to game on a budget, the Stealth 15M is a great balance of price, portability, and power.
See our full MSI Stealth 15M review
For a long time, the Zephyrus G14 was (when it came to gaming) by far and large the best 14-inch laptop money could buy. Nowadays the Zephyrus G14 faces stiff competition from the likes of the Razer Blade 14 and Dell’s Alienware x14, but in the sub $1,500 price range, Asus’ gaming notebook has plenty of configurations available to help secure a place near the top of anyone’s shortlist.
The Zephyrus G14 is a great blend of AMD and Nvidia components, outfitted with an impressive Ryzen 9 5900HS CPU and a solidly performing Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060. For just shy of $1,500, the Zephyrus G14 is capable of fantastic 1080p gaming performance and ultra-smooth visuals thanks to its speedy 144Hz panel. Add to this a great selection of ports and Dolby Atmos speakers alongside a great battery life, and you have a killer gaming notebook that won’t be murder on your budget.
The Acer Swift X is an ultraportable that proves you don’t have to be the most expensive or high-spec device to be considered one of the best. Some smart decisions to include discrete graphics while promoting function over form has led to Acer’s Swift X becoming one of the best ultra-portable laptops available, and for one of the fairest prices. For a little over $1,000, you get an impressive 14-inch notebook that delivers a remarkable one-two punch of overall performance and graphical ability.
Taking a look inside the Swift X’s aluminum chassis is where we find the source of its success: a healthy dose of AMD Ryzen 7 processing power paired with Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics. You’ll be able to play the latest games at stable frame rates and even experience real-time ray-tracing if you don’t mind the performance hit. You’ll also be able to take advantage of DLSS in supported games and experience noticeable boosts to visual fidelity and performance.
See our full Acer Swift X review
