5 Best Budget Gaming Laptops under $1000 in 2024

The cost of a gaming laptop that can run games on High settings with respectable FPS has dropped dramatically in recent times. Gone are the days where you needed a $3k gaming PC just to have a chance at playing the latest games.

Gaming laptops are more affordable than ever and have become viable desktop replacements for those who also require some portability. We’ve done the hard yards and put together a top 5 list for you to help decide the best gaming laptop for your needs.

Top 5 Best Budget Gaming Laptops under $1000

1. HP Pavilion 15 Gaming Notebook

HP aren’t known for their gaming laptops, but they’ve come firing out of the gates with the HP Pavilion 15 Gaming Notebook and there’s a reason why it’s been given the #1 spot on our top 5 list and why it’s considered to be one of the top gaming laptops under $1000.

The bottom line is that the Pavilion 15 is the best-specced gaming laptop in this price range that also comes with an SSD hard drive. There are plenty of great options that include great specs, SSD hard drives, great displays etc. but none of them have all of the above.

Equipped with the new Intel Skylake Core i7-6700HQ Quad Core processor and 16GB of DDR4 2133MHz RAM, the Pavilion is very fast and can run games with ease.

Providing the manpower in the graphics department is the Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M with 4GB GDDR5 memory. The GTX 960M is a very respectable graphics card and benchmarks suggest it can play recent games on High, if not Ultra settings with good FPS. The games will look great on the 15.6” Full HD 1920 x 1080 display, and the IPS panel provides increased color representation and reproduction than traditional panels.

The included 128GB SSD drive ensures you will have speedy boot times and load screens within your games. The advantage of this laptop is the inclusion of the SSD drive to go with the impressive specs, meaning you can have the best of both worlds. For your storage needs, a 1TB 7200RPM hard drive is also included.

The Pavilion 15 is shipped with Windows 10 Home x64 and comes with a 1-year warranty. At just 4.8 lbs, it’s portable enough to take around with you all day if necessary, whilst the 5-hour battery life is better than average in the gaming laptop category.

From a design standpoint, the HP Pavilion 15 is relatively thin and contrasts an external silver look with the black inside and gray keyboard.

Ports include, 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0, 1 x HDMI, 1 x RJ-45 Ethernet, 1 x Headphone/Microphone Combo, 1 x SD card reader, Webcam, Bluetooth 4.2 and 802.11ac Wifi Adapter.

Specifications

• Intel Core i7-6700HQ 2.6GHz Processor
• Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M 4GB GDDR5
• 16GB DDR4 2133MHz
• 128GB Solid State Drive + 1TB 7200rpm Hard Disk Drive
• 15.6″ Full HD IPS Display 1920 x 1080
• Windows 10
• 5-hours battery life
• 4.8 lbs

[table width=”500″ align=”center” class=”table-bordered” colalign=”center |center”]
Pros,Cons
Best all round laptop, Other models have faster Graphics Card
128GB SSD hard drive,
Better than average battery life,
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2. Dell Inspiron 7559

Second on our list is the Dell Inspiron 7559 15 7000 Series. Like the Pavilion 15, it’s also an impressive all-rounder but just lacks the same specs that make the Pavilion 15 so good. However, it does make up for it with a bigger SSD drive.

The Inspiron 7559 has the Intel i5 6300HQ 2.3GHz processor, which is marginally slower than the i7 seen in our number one pick. Despite this, it’s a neck and neck battle and it’s doubtful whether you’d actually be able to notice the difference between the two.

Again the GTX 960M makes an appearance and you’ll find that it is the go-to card in this price range due to its performance/price ratio. The 960M is a solid card with good performance and should not be underestimated.

One key difference is that the Inspiron 7559 has 8GB of RAM, as opposed to the 16GB other good gaming laptops under $1000 have. I don’t see this as a big drawback for the Inspiron though as I’m a big believer that 16GB of RAM is overkill. In fact, unless you regularly play new games with 65 chrome tabs open in the background, you won’t be able to tell the difference between 8GB and 16GB of RAM.

A big drawcard for the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Series is the inclusion of a 256 GB SSD and the removal of the standard 1TB storage drive. With external/backup drives being so cheap these days, the addition of a larger SSD that will improve boot times and speed up general performance is a step in the right direction.

Dell has opted to choose an IPS panel for the 15.6” Full HD 1920 x 1080 screen which is a nice touch and helps to improve viewing angles and speed up response times.

The Dell Inspiron 7559 looks sleek with its all matte black finish with red accents. Other than that, the design is fairly uneventful and standard looking.

Whilst the laptop is on the heavier side at 7 lbs, it’s 4.5-hour battery life is useful for those who are constantly carting their laptop around. Additionally, the laptop ships with Windows 10.

Ports include 3 x USB 3.0, 1 x HDMI, SD Card Reader, Ethernet Port, Headphone/Microphone Jack, Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11ac Wifi Adapter.

Specifications

• Intel i5-6300HQ 2.3GHz Quad-Core Processor
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M 4GB GDDR5
• 8 GB DDR3L
• 256 GB SSD
• 15.6-Inch Full HD IPS 1920 x 1080 display
• Windows 10
• 4.5-hour battery life
• 7 lbs

[table width=”500″ align=”center” class=”table-bordered” colalign=”center |center”]
Pros,Cons
Big SSD hard drive, If you prefer a larger backup hard drive
Good battery life, Heavy
,Marginally slower CPU than some other gaming laptops
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3. ASUS ROG GL752VW-DH71

Next up is the Asus ROG GL752VW-DH71, which happens to be the only laptop on our list that has a 17.3” screen.

It’s impressive that the DH71 is able to stay under the $1000 mark and boast the specs it does whilst also including a 17” screen. The reason that it’s not higher on our list is due to the lack of SSD drive.

The powerful Intel Core i7-6700HQ is the backbone of the laptop, which is paired with 16GB of DDR4 RAM to form the base of the laptop.

As with the other budget gaming laptops reviewed, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M is the star of the graphics department, a more than capable graphics card representing good value-for-money.

The biggest letdown with the Asus GL752VW-DH71 is the lack of SSD hard drive. Most gaming laptops at least have a small one to help game and OS load speeds, but Asus has opted to not include it with this budget gaming model.

On a better note, by sacrificing the SSD, Asus has been able to instead include a 17.3” Full HD IPS 1920 x 1080 display that gives you the advantage of playing games on a bigger screen. When gaming on a laptop, bigger is better so this is a great addition from Asus.

Like many of the other gaming laptops available on the market, the ROG has a matte black look with red accents that give it a gamers’ feel. The brushed aluminFum lid caps off a sleek looking design and it’s quiet and efficient thermal design means you don’t need to worry about it overheating.

The GL752VW comes shipped with Windows 10 installed on it. Unfortunately, it only manages a 3-hour battery life with non-stop WiFi browsing, a characteristic common amongst laptops with such demanding specs. At 6.6 lbs it’s definitely better to keep the laptop in one place for extended periods of time.

Ports include 1 x USB 3.1, 1 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x HDMI, 1 x Ethernet Port, SD Card Reader, Microphone/Headphone Jack, Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11ac Wifi Adapter.

Specifications

• Intel Core i7-6700HQ 2.6GHz
• Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M
• 16GB DDR4 RAM
• 1TB 7200RPM hard drive
• 17.3” Full HD IPS 1920 x 1080 display
• Windows 10
• 3-hour battery life
• 6.6 lbs

[table width=”500″ align=”center” class=”table-bordered” colalign=”center |center”]
Pros,Cons
17.3” Screen, No SSD
Good looking, Poor battery life
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4. Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro Black Edition

If the Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro Black Edition is as impressive as its name suggests, then we could be in for a real treat.

I hate to bore you, but the V 15 Nitro Black Edition has the same Intel Core i7-6700HQ 2.6GHz processor, the same Nvidia GeForce GTX960M graphics card, the same 16GB DDR4 RAM and the same 15.6” Full HD IPS display that most of the other laptops in this top 5 have.

Fortunately, there is a good reason for that. These components are the best value-for-money offerings at this price range and you should take comfort in knowing that these companies are using quality parts when making their laptops.

So what separates this laptop from the others if they have largely the same components?

In the case of the Acer Aspire V 15 it’s the portability factor. The Nitro Black Edition has a whopping 6-hour battery life and weighs in at 5.1 lbs. This makes it much more portable and easier to lug around than the other laptops in our list. If portability is an important factor for you, then you can’t look past the Nitro Black for gaming.

Unfortunately it isn’t all good news though. The V 15 has the most underwhelming hard drive of the bunch, with an SSD being a noticeable omission. Not only that but the 1TB hard drive that’s included is only 5400RPM instead of the 7200RPM we’ve become accustomed to seeing.

Despite the shortcomings of the hard drive, the added portability factor means this laptop is more than worthy of a spot on our top 5 best budget gaming laptops list. It’s same, yet powerful CPU and GPU as the others make the laptop a very worthy contender in itself.

Ports include, 1 x USB 3.1, 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0, 1 x HDMI, 1 x Ethernet Port, SD Card Reader, Microphone/Headphone Jack, Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11ac Wifi Adapter.

Specifications

• Intel Core i7-6700HQ 2.6GHz Processor
• Nvidia GeForce GTX960M w/ 4GB DDR5 Memory
• 16GB DDR4 RAM
• 1TB 5400RPM Hard Drive
• 15.6” Full HD IPS 1920×1080 Display
• Windows 10 Home
• 6-hour battery life
• 5.1 lbs

[table width=”500″ align=”center” class=”table-bordered” colalign=”center |center”]
Pros,Cons
Amazing battery life, Slow hard drive
Quality specs, No SSD hard drive
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5. Lenovo Y700 80Q0001GUS

The Lenovo Y700 80Q0001GUS is an intriguing laptop. It comes in at number 5 because it has very marginally less powerful specs than the others chosen. However, in its own right, the Y700 is a very powerful gaming laptop and has its own unique quirks and benefits.

The Y700 in essence is another example of a good all rounder. It boasts the Intel Core i7-6700HQ processor, the same as other laptops in this price range. 12GB of RAM is the middle of the park with other laptops we’ve seen having 8 and 16GB.

Interestingly, the GTX960M in the Y700 has 2GB of DDR5 memory instead of the 4GB seen in other gaming laptops. The good news is that there is a very marginal difference between the 2GB and 4GB variants and in some cases the 4GB variant even performs worse than its 2GB counterpart.

Lenovo has opted to cut the 1TB hard drive commonly seen in laptops in this price range and instead doubled the SSD size, opting to include a 256GB SSD. As mentioned earlier, external backup hard drives are so inexpensive nowadays that the addition of a larger SSD is a nice coup.

Another standout feature of the Lenovo is it’s Full HD IPS 17.3” screen, making it only the second laptop in our top 5 that boasts the bigger screen size.

Design wise we have.. You guessed it.. Matte black with red! Looks like these companies need new creative teams. In saying that, I like the look of the matte black. Unfortunately, if you don’t then you don’t have too many options.

Tipping in on the scales at 7.7 lbs, the Y700 is a bulky laptop. Surprisingly, it still manages a 5-hour battery life, giving it some portability factor if you don’t mind carrying around a heavier laptop.

Ports include, 1 x USB 3.1, 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0, 1 x HDMI, SD card reader, Ethernet port, Bluetooth, Wifi adapter.

Specifications

• Intel Core i7-6700HQ 2.6GHz Processor
• Nvidia GeForce GTX960M w/ 2GB DDR5 RAM
• 12GB DDR3 RAM
• 256GB SSD
• 17.3” Full HD IPS Display
• Windows 10
• 5-hour battery life
• 7.7 lbs

[table width=”500″ align=”center” class=”table-bordered” colalign=”center |center”]
Pros,Cons
256GB SSD, Bulky
Good battery life, Lack of storage
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If you enjoyed this post, why not check out our post about the new laptops with GTX 1000 series graphics cards?

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