The best gaming laptop under $1000 in 2024 offers amazing performance from its powerful processor and discrete graphic cards. While none gaming laptops come without caveats, it depends on which type of compromise you can make.
Most gaming laptops now have RTX series graphic cards (we don’t recommend spending $1000 on GTX series) and 12 or 13-generation Intel processors. For AMD side, it’s 5th, 6th or 7th generation. You will find gaming laptops equipped with i5, i7, Ryzen 5, or Ryzen 7 processors which are the sweet spot for a budget of $1000.
These processors can run 1080p games at a minimum of 60 FPS (of course with the support of a high refresh rate panel) for long gaming periods and also allow you to run 1440p games at playable framerates.
Though they have shallow battery life which makes it hard to use on travel, when you need a great performance, you have to live with this tradeoff.
We’ve listed some of the best gaming laptops under $1000 equipped with RTX 40 or RTX 30 series graphic cards that deliver snappy performance on the go.
Best Gaming Laptops Under $1000
Most Powerful Gaming Laptop – Acer Nitro 17
Display – 17.3 FHD Display | Processor – AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | RAM – 16 GB LPDDR5 | Storage – 1 TB SSD | Graphic Card – NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 |
Pros
- Spacious and colorful panel
- Great performance from CPU and GPU
- High-quality audio
- Wi-Fi 6e
Cons
- Terrible cooling
- Dim Display
The Acer Nitro 17 is one of the most powerful gaming laptops in the segment that features a powerful AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS CPU & latest RTX 4050 Graphics card to boost your gaming and streaming performance.
Its large 17-inch display provides plenty of room to see every detail while gaming and the included 165Hz refresh rate let you achieve higher frames. Even though QHD or UHD resolution panels are suitable for this kind of screen, FHD resolution is a sweet destination among gamers who don’t want to break the bank and are okay with 1080p gaming.
The 4-zone RGB keyboard gives serious gaming vibes and it’s utilized through Acer’s Nitro app to adjust fan speeds, lights, and more.
Gamer wants high-quality audio in their laptop and with the Nitro 17, you won’t be disappointed. It has really good 2W speakers that produce loud yet clear sound along with a 3D spatial soundscape allowing you to know enemies’ position from their footstep.
Acer shipped 16 GB DDR5 memory and 1 TB Gen 4 SSD for seamless performance and collecting dozens of big-size games.
It’s notable that the Acer Nitro 17 runs hot under pressure and reaches high temperatures in a short gaming period.
Best 32 GB RAM Laptop – Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
Display – 15.6 FHD Display | Processor – AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | RAM – 32 GB LPDDR5 | Storage – 1 TB SSD | Graphic Card – NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 |
Pros
- 32 GB ram
- Good for gaming and productivity
- Ample ports
Cons
- Boring aesthetics
- Dim display
The Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 ticks all the boxes you want in a gaming laptop, a potent processor, RTX series graphic card, memory that you won’t need to upgrade in the future, and decent storage capacity to store a couple of games. Sure it does have a few downsides, but for the price you pay the bargain isn’t bad either.
For starters, the Ideapad Gaming 3 sports an AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS processor that supports turbo boost up to 4.75 GHz keeping long gaming sessions lag-free. The RTX 4050 graphic card ensures images look sharp, in-depth, and realistic. Best of all, the 40-series graphic card features improved ray tracing and DLSS to boost gaming performance and almost double your framerates in compatible games.
There is no flashy engraving or RGB lights, so its design doesn’t stand out as much as Acer’s Nitro 5 laptop. If you want a gaming laptop for work and play, the Ideapad gaming 3 is a worthy choice.
Finally, you get 32 GB of memory and 1 TB of SSD, there is also an empty slot to attach HDD for extra space. Apart from this, there is Wi-Fi 6, a 720p webcam, and an RJ-45 port.
Best For 1080p Gaming – Asus TUF Gaming A15
Display – 15.6 FHD Display | Processor – AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | RAM – 16 GB LPDDR5 | Storage – 1 TB SSD | Graphic Card – NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 |
Pros
- Toughest build quality
- Amazing performance and great cooling
- Acceptable battery backup
- Stunning display
Cons
- Bad webcam
Asus’s TUF lineup is dedicated to 1080p gaming and every year it delivers unbeatable performance in the segment. Thanks to its terrific cooling system and military-grade build, it strikes a perfect balance between performance and longevity.
The A15 adapts gamer-centric aesthetics and doesn’t look cheap at all. Its build quality is superb and reliable in the harshest conditions. The 90Wh battery promises up to 6 hours of fuel which is pretty good given it’s a gaming machine. Moreover, it can charge up to 50% in just 30 minutes.
Inside the machine things run by a potent AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS processor along with 16 gigs of memory. On the Graphic side, it sports NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 graphics to handle almost all gaming titles with 90+ FPS. Yes, even AAA titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 run lag-free.
On the keyboard, you’ll find 4 highlighted keys that there have been for years and one-zone RGB support. It’s a good keyboard for typing and gaming. The trackpad is reliable too. It has good space and clicky buttons to provide instant response.
The 15.6-inch display gives truly accurate colors and features 100% sRGB support. Dark scenes look clear even when brightness is set to 30%.
Best i7 Laptop – MSI Katana 15
Display – 15.6 FHD Display | Processor – Intel Core i7-13620H | RAM – 16 GB LPDDR5 | Storage – 1 TB SSD | Graphic Card – NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 |
Pros
- i7 processor
- Great for 1440p gaming
- Plenty of ports
Cons
- Display could be better
MSI’s Katana 15 Gaming laptop is configured with a 13th generation i7-13620H processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 to provide unmatched gaming performance for both 1080p and 2K gaming. Meanwhile, 4K gaming will be playable with lower framerates and tweaking some graphic settings.
Its gaming performance is astonishing and delivers high FPS on most gaming titles. I have played Borderland 3 (99 FPS, 1920 X 1080 Pixels), Assasin’s Creed Calhalla (106 FPS, 1920 X 1080 Pixels), Dirt 5 (103 FPS, 1920 X 1080 Pixels), and GTA V (96 FPS, 1920 X 1080 Pixels). All of the titles have performed far better than I expected, and are easily recommended for anyone who likes higher FPS on games and can adjust for some graphic settings.
The Katana 15 impresses us with its keyboard too. Its keyboard features four zones of RGB lighting and has four different light options to choose from Steady, Breath, Color Cycle, and Wave. The keys are reliable and snappy. Gaming for long hours through a keyboard would be a comfortable feel too.
The display is subpar. It’s good for normal gaming, but content creators and hardcore players will immediately find over-saturated colors, grayish-dark colors, and mediocre sharpness. The brightness level is just fine too, it’s not as good as other gaming laptops on our list, but it’s not as bad as some budget laptops offer.
Best Premium Gaming Laptop – Asus ROG Strix G15
Display – 15.6 FHD Display | Processor – AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | RAM – 16 GB LPDDR5 | Storage – 1 TB SSD | Graphic Card – NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 |
Pros
- Premium performance
- Great for hardcore gamers
- Nice keyboard
Cons
- Weak battery
If you’re after a premium gaming laptop that includes a unique design, uninterrupted gaming performance, RGB keyboard, and strong thermals, the Asus ROG Strix G15 is one of the best choice when it comes to the best Gaming Laptops Under $1000.
The G15 has a solid build and chunkier design which might not impress all audiences. But it allows plenty of room for colling which turns out to be good for maintaining gaming performance for long hours. Its innards components feature AMD Ryzen 7 6800H CPU and RTX 3060 graphic card. When working together, they can handle all the tasks without losing details.
The ROG G15 keyboard is reliable and has a decent amount of travel. However, the keys don’t have per-key RGB instead it has zone-lit. It works wonderfully while gaming and typing documents., It also has a number pad, but engraved in the touchpad, so you can either use the touchpad or number pad, but not both.
The Strix G15 battery suffers too. Even though it has 90whr capacity, it barely lasts about 4 hours. Keep your power outlet with you when playing games for more than an hour. It takes around 2 hours to fully charge.
Best All-Rounder – MSI Cyborg Gaming Laptop
Display – 15.6 FHD Display | Processor – Intel Core i5-12450H | RAM – 32 GB LPDDR5 | Storage – 1 TB SSD | Graphic Card – NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 |
Pros
- Great memory and storage
- Stunning display
- Windows11 Pro
Cons
- Dull Speakers
MSI’s Cyborg gaming laptop excels in performance and is a good choice for gamers who want portable options to replace a PC setup. Generally, MSI laptops are designed for gamers and content creators, so expect good performance and colorful display. For sure, the Cyborg doesn’t disappoint you in this area.
It touts a 12th generation i5-12450H CPU with a turbo boost of 4.40 GHz which ensures you can play games for long hours. It can handle most AAA titles and creators-related tasks such as editing, 3D modeling and more smoothly. Out of the box, it has 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB of SSD. Best of all, it comes with Windows 1 Pro.
The Cyborg 15.6 inch display features 1080p resolution and 144Hz refresh rate that makes gaming responsive and smooth. It has 250 nits of peak brightness and a good contrast ratio that helps the panel to produce deep dark in black pixels. Overall, the display is good for gaming, everyday usage, and graphic design.
Its speakers deliver mediocre sound and miss bass and details in the treble. Battery life isn’t praiseworthy, either. It barely lasts up to 2 hours while gaming and up to 4 hours during normal activities.