Believe it or not, you can easily get a powerful, fast gaming laptop for less than $2000. And so you do not have to spend the whole day comparing and researching laptops, we did the digging for you.
After comparing 50 models, we picked out 7 of the best gaming laptops under $2000 based on RAM, Processor, refresh rate, etc. so you get the back bang for your buck.
Top Gaming Laptops Under $2000 Reviewed
1. ASUS ROG Strix G15 (Best Refresh Rate)
- RAM: 16GB
- Weight: 8 lbs
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX
- CPU Speed: Up to 4.6GHz
- Graphics: GeForce RTX 3060 (8GB)
- Storage: 1 TB SSD
- Display: 15.6″ (1920×1080)
- OS: Windows 10
- Refresh Rate: 144Hz
If you are tired of the tearing and lagging that affects your overall gaming experience, this is the laptop for you. The RTX 3060 graphics card with ray tracing will give you the highest quality visuals, making your games hyper-realistic.
And supplementing it is the 240Hz refresh rate, which is much higher than the 144Hz that most of the other laptops in the same price range offer.
The 3ms response time is as fast as it gets, ensuring reaction time between your movements and the game is minimal giving you a big edge over the other players (you’ll never miss those headshots again due to lag).
Its 10th Gen i7-10750H processor, along with the 16GB DDR4 RAM is ideal for intense gaming (FIFA 21 or Witcher 3, this bad boy can handle them all). And it supports seamless streaming on Twitch or YouTube as well.
The 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD is the fastest SSD on the block and will result in quicker load times for games and boot your laptop in seconds (takes less than a minute). And if you need more storage, there are additional slots.
Even with a 15.6” screen, the laptop is relatively light. The sleek design makes it extremely portable, allowing you to game from anywhere. The OG Intelligent Cooling thermal system with Thermal Grizzly Liquid Metal Thermal Compound keeps the laptop cool even after hours of gaming.
An innovative feature of the ASUS ROG Strix G15 is, without doubt, its RGB lighting at the bottom.
The lighting is very unique and covers the entire bottom half of the laptop, which is not something usually available in this price range. What’s more, it is fully customizable so you can play around with the lights as much as you want.
And to sweeten the deal, you also get a free 30-day subscription to Xbox Game Pass for PC with the purchase of ASUS ROG Strix G15.
Pros
- Highest refresh rate in this price range (240 Hz)
- Comes with an RGB Keyboard, Logo, and Light Bar
- Get 30 days of Xbox Game Pass for PC Free
- Powerful dedicated GPU
- Thermal cooling for seamless gaming
- Excellent display
- Comes with a fast 1TB SSD
Cons
- Low battery life
- Weighs around 5.28lbs
2. MSI GL65 Leopard
- RAM: 16GB
- Weight: 5.07lbs
- Processor: Intel 10th Gen, i7-10750H
- CPU Speed: Up to 4.5GHz
- Graphics: GeForce RTX 3070 (8GB)
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Display: 15.6″ (1920×1080)
- OS: Windows 10 Home
- Refresh Rate: 144Hz, 3ms
- Battery Life: 2-3 hrs
Much like the ASUS ROG Strix G15, the MSI GL65 Leopard is another top-notch laptop for hassle-free gaming.
However, you can be sure to get your money’s worth from this laptop as it comes with a powerful RTX 2070 graphics card.
What gives it an edge over the ROG Strix is that it has an additional 2GB dedicated VRAM (so those programs running in the background never become a hindrance to the game or stream).
The refresh rate is lower but a good 144Hz. This means you still have the edge over people playing with 60Hz or 120Hz laptops.
The rest of the laptop is pretty much similar to the ASUS ROG Strix G15. With an Intel Core i7-10750H processor and 16GB RAM, you are in good hands if you wish to indulge in an intense gaming session.
The 512GB NVMe SSD ensures that you get the perfect gaming experience without having to worry about hitching or wasting precious time waiting for your game to load. Additionally, your desktop will load a lot faster.
Coming to the audio performance, the MSI’s built-in speakers have a decent sound output, but they are nothing beyond satisfactory. Simply put, you’d want to invest in a good pair of earphones, especially for your gaming sessions.
Likewise, the battery life is also average. You can expect the 6-cell 51 Whr battery to last for a maximum of 5 hours on a single charge.
If you are running an especially heavy application (read gaming), even those 5 hours would be a stretch. However, this could be said of almost all gaming laptops in this price range so don’t let that bother you.
Pros
- Powerful dedicated GPU with 8GB RAM
- Key RGB with Anti-Ghost key
- 7 heat pipes for excellent cooling
- Dragon Center allows you to monitor and adjust system performance
- 144 Hz refresh rate with 3ms response time
Cons
- A tad heavy at 5.07lbs
- Low battery life
3. HP Pavilion 17 (Biggest Display)
- RAM: 8GB
- Weight: 6.07 lbs
- Processor: Intel 10th Gen, i5-10300H
- CPU Speed: Up to 4.5GHz
- Graphics: GeForce GTX 1650 (4GB)
- Storage: 256GB SSD
- Display: 17.3″ (1920×1080)
- OS: Windows 10 Home
- Refresh Rate: 60 Hz
- Battery Life: 4-5hrs
If you are someone who believes that a bigger display results in a more immersive and better gaming experience, you are in for a treat. Unlike most of the other laptops in this list, the HP Pavilion comes with a larger 17” screen.
But be warned, at 6 pounds, it is not the most travel friendly. But then again, most gaming laptops are not known for their portability.
The HP Pavilion redefines affordable gaming. It sports an average Intel Core i5 with 256GB SSD. Not a lot of storage space but at least you get the speed boost SSDs are known for.
The silver lining? The original 8GB RAM can be upgraded to 32GB, which is good enough for uninterrupted game flow.
With the extended RAM, you can say goodbye to choppy frames and poor performances. So if you are a serious gamer, do yourself a favor and get the upgrade.
The HP Pavillion’s battery life will come as a pleasant surprise to you. Unlike most gaming laptops whose battery life does not exceed 3 hours, this laptop lasts 4-5 hours.
Another thing we love about the laptop is that is eco-friendly as most of it is constructed using reusable material. So if you are an environment-conscious gamer, this one is a no-brainer
Furthermore, with low halogen and arsenic-free display, the HP Pavilion is Energy Star certified. This means, now you can game guilt-free with this laptop.
Pros
- Bigger display at 17 inches
- Good battery life
- Extra-wide webcam
- Made with Eco-friendly materials
- RAM is upgradable to 32GB
- Comes with HP Sleep and Charge feature
Cons
- At 60Hz, the refresh rate could be better
- Low storage at 256 GB
4. Acer Nitro 5 (Budget Pick)
- RAM: 8GB
- Weight: 4.85 lbs
- Processor: Intel 9th Gen, i5-9300H
- CPU Speed: Up to 4.1GHz
- Graphics: GeForce GTX 1650 (4GB)
- Storage: 256GB SSD
- Display: 15.6″ (1920×1080)
- OS: Windows 10 Home
- Refresh Rate: 60Hz
- Battery Life: 4-6hrs
The perfect laptop for all your budget gaming needs, the Acer Nitro 5 is a budget-friendly laptop and yet can handle challenging games like Fortnite, Overwatch, etc.
For the price, the Acer Nitro 5 comes packed with an impressive mix of hardware.
It features a 9th Gen, i5-9300H along with a GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card with 4GB dedicated RAM. While you can’t expect the highest quality visuals from this configuration, it allows you to play most of your favorite online multiplayer games.
But of course, some sacrifices have to be made. The 8GB RAM means you cannot run background apps while gaming. The good news is that you can upgrade it to a maximum of 32GB, which is more than what you’ll need for an average gaming session.
The 256GB NVMe SSD is again in tandem with the price range and packs a decent punch. While the 60Hz refresh rate might translate to slightly sluggish movements, we can still call the Acer Nitro 5 one of the best budget laptops in the gaming scene.
Another feature worth mentioning is the dual-fan cooling system which makes use of the Acer CoolBoost technology. At about 6 hours, the battery life is good too.
Overall, the Acer Nitro 5 is a good value-for-money gaming laptop that comes with a nice set of features and a low price.
Sure, it may not be a state-of-the-art model, but the overall performance is good enough for an average gamer, especially considering its price.
5. Razer Blade 15
- RAM: 16GB
- Weight: 4.63 lbs
- Processor: Intel 9th Gen i7-9750H
- CPU Speed: Up to 4.5GHz
- Graphics: GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (6GB)
- Storage: 256GB SSD
- Display: 15.6″ (1920×1080)
- OS: Windows 10 Home
- Refresh Rate: 144Hz, 3ms
- Battery Life: 4-7hrs
The keyboard has a premium feel to it with no flex whatsoever. The backlight color of the keyboard is fully customizable, so don’t hesitate to experiment.
The Razer Blade 15 is a good laptop with Chroma RGB lighting and a CNC Aluminum finish. It comes with a fully loaded 15.6″ full HD display, and is powered by 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750H.
At 144 Hz, the refresh rate does not compare to that of the ASUS ROG Strix G15, which, for the same price range, comes with a 240 Hz refresh rate.
In this respect, it again falls short of the ASUS ROG Strix G15 which features a powerful RTX 2060 graphics card.
But then again, the Razer Blade 15 has a better battery life and premium feel as compared to many other better-performing laptops.
Talking of battery life, the laptop can run for 7 hours on a single charge. Add to this its ultra-compact feature and you have a very travel-friendly laptop, allowing you to game from anywhere anytime.
Overall, the Razer Blade 15 is the perfect pick for you if you do not wish to compromise on both style and performance.
6. Alienware M15 (Best Keyboard)
- RAM: 16GB
- Weight: 4.64 lbs
- Processor: Intel 10th Gen, i7 9750H
- CPU Speed: Up to 5.10GHz
- Graphics: GeForce RTX 2060 (6GB)
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Display: 15.6″ (1920×1080)
- OS: Windows 10 Home
- Refresh Rate: 144Hz, 7ms
- Battery Life: 3-4hrs
At 4.65 lbs and less than 20.5mm, it is a world away from the bulky gaming laptops that Alienware is known for. This laptop was designed keeping in mind those gamers who want to mix work, play, and a bit of travel.
Even though it is the most expensive laptop on this list at a tad over $2000, you’ll be bringing home a solid gaming laptop that can more than hold its own.
The 15.6″ FHD display comes with an amazing brightness level of 300nits so you get clear pictures in bright sunlight. Though the 144Hz, 7ms response time is disappointing.
At this price point, you’d naturally expect at least a 240 Hz refresh rate, especially considering that many laptops that fall into a lower price range come better equipped.
However, the rest of the laptop more than makes up for it. The NVIDIA RTX 2060 promises an outstanding graphics performance with ray tracing while the 10th Gen, i7-9750H turbo boosts up to 5.1 GHz making it one of the quickest on the list.
512GB is good storage space, plus, you get the speed boost an SSD provides ensuring overall usage is quick. And if you need more space, there are two M.2 slots available.
The 16GB RAM, while it could have been better, allows you to play all your favorite games without compromising performance. However, if you are a professional streamer, you might be unsatisfied with this laptop.
The Alienware M15 comes with an in-built 16GB RAM that can be upgraded. So if you want to run multiple programs while gaming or make the stream smoother, you can always go for an upgrade.
The Alienware M15’s keyboard stands out with greater travel of 1.7mm. It also features per-key RGB LED AlienFX lighting with anti-ghosting technology so you no longer have to worry about your keyboard failing in the middle of a heated gaming session.
The touchpad has a premium feel to it with a gloss finish, which allows for smoother movements and a fluid gaming experience.
7. Acer Predator Triton 500
- RAM: 16GB
- Weight: 4.6 lbs
- Processor: Intel i7-10750H
- CPU Speed: Up to 5GHz
- Graphics: GeForce RTX 2070 Super
- Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
- Display: 15.6″ (1920×1080)
- OS: Windows 10 Home
- Refresh Rate: 300Hz, 3ms
- Battery Life: 6hrs
A performance-packed laptop in a sleek, user-friendly design, the Acer Predator Triton 500 packs a serious punch.
The GeForce RTX 2070 ensures that you get crystal clear visuals, improving your overall gaming performance. Even the most graphically demanding games like the Metro Exodus and Hitman 2 become a breeze with this laptop.
The 16GB RAM adds to your overall gaming experience, allowing you to multitask without compromising on performance.
Along with the 16GB upgradable RAM, the laptop features a 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD so you get great speed with a decent amount of storage to kick things off.
Other features include an Intel Core i7-10750H processor, 300Hz refresh rate, and an RGB keyboard – everything an average gamer would require.
For a gaming laptop, the battery life is impressive. It runs for almost 11 hours while idle and for almost 6 hours during intense gaming. Razer Blade 15 is the only other laptop that boasts a better battery life.
So if you prefer gaming on the move, this laptop will fare better than most of its counterparts.
Overall a high-performance laptop, the only concern is the system sound that sometimes becomes a tad distracting. The fan tends to go up unnecessarily, especially while running a computation heavy application like gaming.
Therefore, if you are a sensitive gamer, we would recommend that you invest in a pair of noise-canceling headsets.
Things To Consider When Buying A Gaming Laptop Under $2,000
The current market is flooded with options as far as gaming laptops are concerned. It is not easy making the right call when buying one.
Considering that a laptop is one of the most valuable possessions of every gamer. It is important that you carefully pick out your gaming laptop based on facts if you want to enjoy life with it. Here we have the right features that you should look out for in the new gaming laptop of your choice.
Screen Size and Resolution
A good gaming laptop should deliver quality video and photos at high settings. The devices featured here have high resolution with some at 4K, Full HD, and Ultra HD resolutions.
There is nothing as important as a quality display in gaming. Thanks to modern technologies like touchscreens, gaming has become even better. When making your choice, do not rush into buying any machine that cannot deliver quality resolutions.
Read: Best Gaming Laptops Under $600
Processor
Also known as the CPU (Central Processing Unit), the processor is the most important part of the computer. Making the right choice for your gaming machine could be daunting. Processors with high specifications could be very expensive.
We advise you to benchmark your choices on the type of games you intend to play. Some games, especially the latest ones, may require a quad-core processor for effective performance. Some i5 models or previous i7 versions can be used here. However, this could come with unwanted lags.
There is no cause for alarm. We will decipher it all for you. The performance of your gaming laptop is based on several other factors including the GPU.
Expected GPU Cards
This is a very integral chip in your laptop. Most games are graphics intensive. To handle such requirements, the GPU is highly necessary. Gaming is about graphics.
It always boils down to the type of game you intend to play. For those that are rich in graphics, you should invest in a machine that has a high GPU.
VRAM is another aspect you need to consider when choosing the right GPU. This is a critical feature that holds the picture data produced by the GPU on its way to the screen. We found laptops for gaming and audio production with insufficient VRAM experience unwanted lags.
A good GPU might come with around 4GB of VRAM. This is again dictated by the kind of titles you intend to play. For a reliable budget gaming laptop, you can opt for a 2GB VRAM. This can work well with 1080 or less. Avoid playing high settings.
RAM Requirements In This Budget Range
All the non-graphic system files while gaming is stored in the Random Access Memory. This makes the component very important to your new gaming laptop. While the RAM is user-replaceable, the performance is better with higher RAM capacity. You can always add more if needed in the future. For most games, we recommend a laptop with not less than 8GB RAM.
When looking for the best mid-range gaming laptop, you should factor in the screen resolution and size, accessories, and storage among other factors. These components are highly dependent on your budget, need for a bigger screen or higher resolution as well as more storage.
The above factors are a true reflection of a good gaming pc. You can be sure to get quality gaming laptops under 2000 dollars without having to struggle a lot.
Final Thoughts
Now you have a better understanding when choosing a gaming laptop under $2000, you can’t go wrong with any of the above laptops! You can also look at our list of budget gaming laptops. The whole team here at Laptop Verge wishes you the best!
