Our experts used the PerfectRec decision engine to comb through our laptop database and find the best gaming laptops under 1500 available in 2024. Here are our top picks.
Our criteria for the best gaming laptops under 1500:
Operating System: We limited the search to Windows laptops since there are more games available than on Mac.
Usage: We focused on gaming laptops.
Budget: We chose a higher budget of $1,000-1,500, which should cover a mid-range gaming laptop.
To consider others factors, try the PerfectRec decision engine to get your personalized laptop recommendation
The Lenovo Legion 7i Pro comes at a premium price with high-end specifications like an Intel i9 processor and Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics. It has ample storage and robust memory, supporting demanding tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering applications. The laptop features a 16-inch display with a high refresh rate, making it suitable for fast-paced games and detailed work. Despite its strengths, it's heavy and has a moderate battery life, making it less portable. It's beneficial for intensive uses but not the best option if you frequently work on the go.
The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is an upper midrange laptop with an AMD Ryzen 7 processor and Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics, ideal for gaming and demanding graphical tasks like 3D rendering and machine learning. It features 16GB of RAM, a 1024GB storage drive, a 16-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600, and a refresh rate of 165Hz ensuring smooth visuals during fast-paced games or videos. It isn't touchscreen but has a high brightness level and robust color coverage. With a 3.5-hour battery life, it's less suited for extended work on-the-go, but it makes up for this with a backlit keyboard that includes a number pad, and hardware features like ray tracing and DLSS support for enhanced gaming graphics. Weighing 5.6 pounds and nearly an inch thick, portability is fair, yet it remains a strong performer for both general use and engineering applications. It was released in March 2023 and runs on Windows 11 Home.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16, with a midrange price point, offers a balance of performance and features suited for versatile users, especially those interested in gaming and demanding tasks. It comes equipped with a large storage capacity, adequate RAM, a high-end Intel i7 processor, and an Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card, supporting hardware ray tracing and DLSS for enhanced visual fidelity. The device boasts a significant battery capacity, a 16-inch IPS display with a 16:10 aspect ratio and a high refresh rate, ensuring smooth motion and a sizable workspace. However, with a weight over 5 pounds and a battery life offering modest hours of typical usage, its portability is compromised. Windows 11 Home comes pre-installed, and the laptop features multiple USB-C and Thunderbolt ports, ensuring extensive connectivity options. The laptop also includes a quality keyboard with a number pad and backlit keys, alongside good speakers and heat management systems. Despite its suitability for intensive gaming and high-performance tasks, its bulk should be considered if frequent mobility is necessary.
The HP Omen 17 is a premium gaming laptop that boasts a large 17.3-inch display with a high refresh rate, ideal for gamers and professionals who work with fast-moving visuals. It's equipped with a high-end Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics card and an Intel i7 processor, which make it powerful enough for 3D rendering, machine learning tasks, and engineering software. It offers excellent heat management but is weightier than average, making it less portable. The keyboard is backlit with a number pad, contributing to a very good overall build quality. Its screen offers vibrant colors and brightness, though it lacks a touchscreen. You'll find a variety of ports, including Thunderbolt, Ethernet, and USB-C charging, which enhances its connectivity. Expect a solid battery life for typical usage, but keep in mind that intensive tasks will likely drain the battery faster. The Omen 17 is particularly suited for intensive gaming and demanding computational tasks, but it's less ideal for those who require a lightweight and highly portable laptop.
The Lenovo Legion 5i Pro is a midrange-priced laptop with a large storage capacity and ample 32GB of RAM, suited for both demanding engineering tasks and gaming with its Intel i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU. Its screen is a 16-inch IPS panel with a high refresh rate, ideal for smooth visuals, and it has a resolution that strikes a balance between clarity and performance. It doesn't support touchscreen but has a comfortable keyboard with a numpad and is backlit. However, at 5.6 pounds, it leans towards the heavier side, which might affect portability, and its battery life is modest, which could limit mobility for extended use away from power sources. It supports a wide range of ports, including USB-C and HDMI, and has features like Ethernet and USB-C charging, but it's not the quietest under load. Overall, it's built for gaming and heavy workloads but not the best for on-the-go usage.
The Razer Blade 14 is a high-end laptop with a premium price, designed for gaming and performance-intensive tasks. It features a robust AMD Ryzen 9 processor alongside an Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card, which makes it suitable for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering software. With 16GB of RAM and 1024GB of storage, it's well-equipped for multitasking and large projects. The 14-inch display has a high resolution, very good color coverage, and a fast refresh rate, which is beneficial for both gaming and professional creative work. However, its compact size and relatively low weight also make it quite portable for a performance-oriented laptop. The battery life is solid for its class, contributing to its portability. It excels in build quality, heat management, and has a backlit keyboard but lacks an Ethernet port and a number pad. It runs Windows 11 Home and was released in February 2022.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X laptop is an upper midrange choice that delivers excellent performance for gaming, engineering, and 3D or machine learning tasks, thanks to its Intel i9 processor and Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU. It offers a large storage capacity and a good amount of RAM, which is expandable. With a high refresh rate IPS display and high resolution, it provides a very good visual experience, suitable for fast motion and color-sensitive work; however, this may contribute to the moderate battery life of around 8 hours. It's not the lightest, so while it's portable, it might be heavier than other options. It also features a wealth of connectivity, including Thunderbolt and HDMI ports, with an overall build that's well-suited for both general use and demanding applications.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is a midrange gaming laptop that offers a blend of performance and features suitable for both gaming and general use. It comes with ample storage and a good amount of RAM, powered by a robust Intel i7 processor and a high-end Nvidia RTX graphics card, which makes it great for 3D applications and machine learning tasks. The laptop's 16-inch display boasts a high resolution that's larger than standard Full HD, and the screen's high refresh rate ensures smooth visuals, important for fast-paced games. Battery life is moderate, so it may not be ideal for extended use away from a power source. The build is solid, with a weight that leans towards the heavier side, affecting its portability. It includes features like a backlit keyboard with a number pad, hardware ray tracing, and DLSS for improved gaming graphics. Ports are generous, with multiple USB-C and Thunderbolt connections, though its midrange price reflects a balance between the high-end features and compromises in areas like the battery. The laptop was released quite recently and it's optimized for Windows 11 Home. It's well-suited for gaming and work tasks involving complex graphics and engineering software.
The Lenovo Legion 5i Pro is a midrange-priced laptop with a strong Intel i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics, which makes it well-suited for gaming and engineering tasks that require powerful performance. It comes with a sizable amount of storage and memory, an 80 WHr battery that provides moderate battery life, and has a 16-inch IPS display with high resolution and refresh rate that is great for both work and play, but it is not touchscreen. Weighing over 5 pounds, it is less portable than lighter laptops. It features a full array of ports including USB-C and Ethernet, a backlit keyboard with a number pad, and hardware ray tracing and DLSS for enhanced gaming and content creation, but it lacks premium features like facial recognition. Released in March 2023, it's a suitable choice if you need robust performance for intensive tasks and can manage with its moderate portability and battery life.