Best Gaming Laptop Under $1500 in 2022

Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop

Our choice for the best gaming laptop under $1500

If you know much about computer hardware (and the costs involved for each component), you may be surprised to see the spec sheet for the Acer Predator Helios 300. This is a gaming laptop through and through with a 10th generation Intel CPU and a 144Hz display. It’s not going to offer you the sort of crisp graphical quality you’d get with a 4K laptop, but it’s a top choice if you play multiplayer games where responsiveness is critical.

Not only is this a powerful laptop, but it’s also the laptop with arguably the best cooling system around, thanks to its 4th generation Aeroblade 3D fan technology. Since this is an Acer machine, that also means you’ll get access to the unique PredatorSense control panel. Whether you’re looking to monitor your fan speed or create separate game profiles, PredatorSense makes it easy for you to configure the best gaming experience for your needs.

MSI GL75 Leopard Gaming Laptop

Features the best graphics card in our gaming laptops under $1500 list

If you’re shopping for the best gaming laptop, going with a brand that’s synonymous with gaming is usually a great choice. MSI is one such brand, and the GL75 Leopard offers some of the best and most well-balanced performance for just a few hundred dollars more than the Acer Predator Helios 300. While it sports a slightly older version of the Intel i7 CPU, the graphics card is a significant step up.

In terms of refresh rates, these two are pretty comparable. The GL75 Leopard is the most powerful gaming laptop on our list and also sports a 144 Hz display and boasts a refresh rate of over 60 fps when running in Full HD. Both the CPU and the GPU are kept cool by its Cooler Boost technology which can boost airflow and air pressure without having to ramp up the RPM. Its battery life is also some of the best around, at least in the arena of gaming laptops.

ASUS TUF505GT Gaming Laptop

Comes well within the gaming laptops under $1500 budget

The ASUS TUF makes a few interesting compromises to squeeze as much performance out of its budget gaming laptop price, and they succeed for the most part. One such cost-cutting measure is using a more affordable AMD CPU rather than the Intel alternatives, but it’s a change that mostly shouldn’t hurt your performance while gaming. The graphics card itself, meanwhile, is the same as the comparably priced Acer Predator Helios 300.

Although the specs themselves are relatively average for the price range here, ASUS is at its best when you pay attention to the interface. The keyboard is significantly better than the underwhelming alternatives that occupy most other gaming laptops under $1500. Also exceptional is the cooling system, which works remarkably well given how lightweight and ultra-thin this gaming laptop really is.

Alienware M15 Gaming Laptop

Alienware is a name synonymous with high-end and substantial gaming specs, but it’s also synonymous with a characteristically chunky design aesthetic. Chances are that you’ll either absolutely love or absolutely hate the look of the Alienware M15, but it’s hard to argue that it doesn’t deserve a seat as one of the best gaming laptops at this price point. If you’ve been reading our guide up until now, the specs here will be par for the course, but there’s a lot more going on beneath the surface here.

That’s because the design choice here isn’t purely aesthetic. The M15 is one of the sturdiest gaming laptops around, so you can confidently travel with it without having to worry about it getting damaged in the process. This is a model optimized for a competitive gaming experience thanks to the quality of both the front facing webcam and the array of built in microphones.

Razer Blade 15 Gaming Laptop

If there’s one thing that’s true about Razer gaming laptops, it’s that they consistently look good. Everything from the outer chassis to the comprehensive RGB lighting customization on the Razer Blade 15 is top-notch, but that wouldn’t mean much if there wasn’t also the hardware to match. Fortunately, Razer knows what they’re doing when it comes to optimization.

While the Blade 15 may occupy the entry-level category of gaming laptops, it’s pretty solid across the board. Razer has squeezed in both a ninth-generation Intel i7 processor and a hybrid hard drive. While it doesn’t offer the biggest storage capacity available on our list, it should be enough for all but the most obsessive game hoarders.

Asus ROG Strix G Gaming Laptop

ASUS’ ‘Republic of Gamers’ line has emerged as one of the titans of gaming computers and accessories, and the ASUS ROG Strix G is proof that they know how to deliver some of the best performance available while still delivering within the budget of more financially-strapped gamers. The CPU of the ROG Strix is a little above average, and the GPU a little below, but the specs here are generally about par for the course.

While most gaming laptops offer some pretty strong cooling systems (a necessity given how much power the latest AAA games demand), the ASUS ROG Strix offers some of the best customization options around. Different fan settings let you shift seamlessly between high-end gaming, work productivity, and less resource-heavy activities like streaming movies or listening to music. Adding a little visual flair to the proceedings in the ASUS ROG Strix is the ASUS AURA lighting system, which provides multiple preset lighting effects and a ton of different colors.

Lenovo Legion Y545 15.6″ FHD Gaming Laptop

The Lenovo Legion Y545 offers what comes close to the best value for a gaming laptop under $1500. In fact, the core specs (or at least the ones you should pay most attention to when shopping for a gaming laptop) are identical to the Acer Predator Helios 300. The RAM and storage are a little more generous, however. This gaming laptop makes the most of the price limitations by using a hybrid drive and offering double the RAM of the Helios.

While this gaming laptop can run a little hot for a sub-$1500 model, it’s one of the quietest around, not to mention its slick design. It’s stylish without being too ostentatious and sports chunky corners while still maintaining a very small profile overall. The keyboard isn’t as good at that on the ASUS TUF, but it’s still one of the best around for under $1500.

Sager NP8957 0.78 Inches Thin and Light Gaming Laptop

Sager isn’t exactly a household name for the average laptop buyer. Those more in the know, however, will recognize them as a company that produces some of the best gaming laptops around – for a price. Getting the NP8957 for under $1500 will require a little smart shopping, but the high-quality central processor, beefy graphics card, and 144 Hz 1080p display tell the story of a confident gaming laptop that exceeds its price in terms of value.

Its f illuminated keyboard can help you customize your experience or simply game better in the dark, and the wide viewing angles of this IPS display ensures that everything will look great even when you aren’t looking at things head-on. This is also a very compact gaming laptop, weighing less than five pounds and sporting a thickness of under an inch.

HP Omen 2019 15″ Gaming Laptop

If you’ve been following our review list for the best gaming laptops under $1500, you’re probably already very well acquainted with some the specs offered by the HP Omen 15. It sports a 15 inch FHD screen along with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti processor that includes a full 6 GB of VRAM for optimal performance while playing your favorite games. The inclusion of a ninth generation central processor is a nice surprise, but not outside the ordinary for a gaming laptop at this price point.

The display here is great. It offers a high level of brightness, so it can perform well even if you decide you want to game outdoors. When buying a budget laptop, a lot of value comes down to how much it can be upgraded. There’s easy access to the RAM as well as the HDD and SSD, giving it a lot of growth potential.

Dell G5 15 Gaming Laptop

The Dell G5 15 is one of the bulkier gaming laptops on our list, but it’s paradoxically one of the better choices for use on the road. While it may take up a little more space in your bag, you can count on this laptop to provide you with a full eight hours of battery life on a single charge, and its bright screen will look great even if you take it to the park in the middle of the day.

Its ninth-generation Intel Core i7 processor means it won’t be outdated any time soon, and it makes use of a dual cooling system so it won’t overheat even if you’re gaming with this laptop on your lap. It also makes use of a hybrid hard drive that can provide you with the best of both worlds: high storage capacity and fast speeds.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus S Ultra Slim Gaming Laptop

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus S currently retails for close to $2000, but if your budget is just $1500 or less, we think it’s well worth waiting for a special. The NVIDIA GTX 1070 graphics card and the Intel Core i7 processor aren’t exactly breaking new ground, but they’re definitely a great core around which the rest of this laptop can build. With a response time of only 3 milliseconds and a refresh rate of 144 Hz, you can count on this model to suit even the most competitive of gamers.

ASUS hasn’t sacrificed graphical fidelity for the sake of performance here, either. The Zephyrus offers a maximum resolution of 1080p, but the color reproduction here is very strong. ASUS boasts incredibly strong color reproduction. The cooling system is pretty efficient as well – not just siphoning off heat but also keeping passages clear of dust.

MSI GF65 9SEXR-250 Gaming Laptop

As is often the case with MSI computers, the GF65 9SEXR-250 is a beast. That’s not to say it blows the other models on our list out of the water, but the specs here are certainly impressive. The Intel Core i7 processor draws from the ninth generation, but the star of the show here is the built-in NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card. The fact that this model retails for less than $1500 without even having to wait on a deal is impressive.

There’s more at work here than just a recent Intel Core i7 processor and an impressive NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card. The cooling system here is top notch and manages to run quietly despite the extra power devoted to the RTX 2060 GPU. Its GIANT speakers also mean you won’t have to hook up headphones to get a decent listening experience.