After almost 48 hours of research, we’ve come up with a list of the best gaming laptops under $2,000 that we think deserve your consideration.
We’ve also included a little Buyer’s Guide for you at the end of this article to help educate you on how you can look for your own gaming laptop under $2,000 if, for some reason, you can’t find the laptops on our list.
It took a lot of time to find the laptops and organize them according to their gaming performance, so we’d really appreciate it if you shared our guides with your friends, family, and anyone else you know who is also looking for gaming laptops.
With that said, let’s get to our list of Best Gaming Laptops under $2,000!
Table of Contents
Best Gaming Laptops Under $2000
1. ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15
- Display: 15.6” QHD 165Hz
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Max-Q
- RAM: 16 GB
- Storage: 1TB SSD
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 remains a powerful gaming laptop packed with superb features that enable all gaming activities to go smoothly. Packed with a 15.6 inch display, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Max-Q GPU and 8GB of VRAM, a sound audio system, 8-hour battery life, and a unique performance from the AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS CPU, it remains one of the top gaming laptops you can buy under $2000. Let’s take a look at other segments to find out what makes up the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15.
Design
The Zephyrus G15 laptop has a sleek and bold case design, making it different from other models. Since white is rarely used in the laptop segment, the Zephyrus G15 is primarily covered in a magnesium-alloy lid finely coated in a milky-white color and accompanied by microdots packed in a prismatic film. On the bottom left of the laptop is a purple metallic republic of Gamers stamp. Meanwhile, the hinge is featured with a Zephyrus logo.
Performance
The G15 laptop utilizes the AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS processor, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Max-Q, 16 GB, RAM, and 1 TB SSD, thereby making it a rival when compared to other gaming laptops.
Ports
The connectivity of the laptop is pretty good for its design. The 15.6 gaming laptop has an RJ45 Ethernet port, a Kensington lock slot, an audio jack, a card reader that accepts microSD models, a USB Type-A port, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and an HDMI 2.0 output.
Weight
The Zephyrus G15 weighs 4.18 pounds. It is slim and light for a 15.6-inch laptop.
Accessories
The 15-inch comes with a 200-watt power adapter that weighs less than 0.5kg.
Input Devices
The laptop comes with a generously sized touchpad and a keyboard.
Battery Life
The 15 inches battery is impressive and can last for 8 hours and 48 minutes, which doubles the average gaming laptop.
Warranty
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 has a warranty that lasts up to 24 months.
2. Alienware x15 R1
- Display: 15.6” 1080p 360Hz
- CPU: Intel Core i7-11800H
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
- RAM: 16 GB
- Storage: 1TB SSD
When it comes to sleek design and performance, the Alienware x15 R1 is quite different from other gaming laptops. Although it runs hot and does take to display its graphic content, it is suitable for all gaming activities. Renowned for its thin size, the laptop’s designed layout accommodates various functional ports that can make the gaming process smoother. To know more about this laptop, let’s check out other segments that describe its key features.
Design
The casing of the Alienware x15 R1 looks unique when compared to others. Unlike other gaming laptops with an aluminum alloy casing, the Alienware x15 R1 is made of a heavy-duty casing that makes it visually appealing. Rather than having generic colors that are mostly black or gray, the Alienware x15 R1 comes in a two-color scheme, off-white and black, thereby giving it an attractive look. When combined with RGB lighting, the result is lovely.
Display
The Alienware x15 R1 comes with a 15.6-inch 1080p QHD LCD and a 240Hz 2ms refresh rate or a 15.6-inch FHD LCD and 360 Hz 1ms for a pleasant visual experience.
Performance
The Alienware x15 R1 is packed with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card that has a mid-range peak power of 100W. Alongside this is an Intel Core i7-11800H processor with Hyper-Threaded cores and a turbo speed of 4.9GHz. The laptop has a 16GB memory with a 1TB SSD, dual-band WiFi 6 connectivity, Bluetooth 5.2, and a 2.5Gbps Ethernet dongle.
Battery
When gaming, the laptop can only last for about an hour. You can expect up to five hours of battery life when used with other tasks.
Keyboard
The inbuilt Alienware x15 R1 keyboard is a signature AlienFX thin RGB keyboard with per-key AlienFX lighting. The keys have 1mm travel. Also integrated with the design is a multi-touch precision glass touchpad and sleek scrolling.
Ports
The laptop has a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Port, a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 Port, a headset port, a Thunderbolt 4 port, a power adapter port, a micro sd card slot, and an HDMI 2.1 port. Aside from the power port and the headphones, the rest is located at the back of the laptop with some touch of RGB lighting.
3. ASUS ROG Strix G15
- Display: 15.6” 1080p 144 Hz
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
- RAM: 16 GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
The ASUS ROG Strix G15 is one of the latest offers of AMD and Nvidia hardware platforms. Its performance in gaming is fantastic and accompanied by some features that make it worth its price. It is a full-size format with unique hardware inside and has great aesthetic and configuration options. Check out the next segments to learn more about the laptop.
Design
The ASUS ROG Strix G15 is a full-size format that is a 15.6 inches laptop and fairly thick. It weighs 5.07 pounds and has a thick chin under its display and an extra hump behind the screen. This extra hump houses the cooling, speakers, and most of the IO. Its design is sleek and comes in a dark-gray color. The outer covering is made of smooth plastic, coated with an aluminum lid, and rough finishing.
Screen
The ASUS ROG Strix G15 offers two screen options to its users. First is the 144Hz 3ms with 300+ nits of brightness and 100% sRBG colors. Meanwhile, the other is a QHD 240HD 3ms with 300+ nits of brightness and 100% DCI-P3 colors. The display is a 15.6-inch non-touch LCD.
Performance
The ASUS ROG Strix G15 is built on AMD Rembrandt Ryzen 9 5900HX processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU, and 16 GB of DDR4 memory, and 512 GB SSD. The connectivity features include a WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, and 2.5GB LAN.
Ports
The laptop has two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a USB-C port with data, a USB-C Gen 2 port with video, an HDMI 2.0 port, and a port for headphones.
Battery
When gaming, the laptop can only last for about an hour. However, it can last for about five to six hours when used with other tasks.
4. MSI GP66
- Display: 15.6” 1080p 144 Hz
- CPU: Intel Core i7-11800H
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
- RAM: 16 GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
If you want a gaming laptop that is fairly priced with superb performance, then the MSI GP66 is a great option for you. Thanks to a fast CPU and GPU, the device makes its users enthusiastic about all gaming activities. The MSI Leopard line can bring you a high gaming performance while offering you several other benefits. To learn more about this model, let’s check out the key features of this gaming laptop and what makes it unique from others.
Design
MSI redesigned the GP66 and made some unique changes that set it aside from other models. Although the chassis still has a plastic feel and the touchpad may be a bit rough, the new design gives the laptop a sleek look. The redesign allowed changes such as the rearrangement of some ports to the rear of the chassis. Also is the creation of sharp edges and corners with new “jet-engine rear” when compared with the older version. Furthermore, the GP66 has a larger footprint that is powerful CPUs and GPUs in the system. There is room for ventilation to help heat dissipation and give an exciting gaming experience. It weighs 5.25 pounds.
Display
The laptop comes with a 15.6-inch FHD 1920 × 1080 display with a 144 Hz refresh rate and a 3.5ms response rate.
Performance
The MSI GP66 is built on a 2.4 GHz Intel Core i7-11800H processor that can be up to 5.0GHz and has eight cores, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU with 8GB GDDR6 VRAM. Also with this is a 512 GB SSD, 16GB RAM, an Intel WiFi 6, and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity.
Ports
The gaming laptop has a Three Type-A USB 3.2, a Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 2, an audio combo jack, an RJ45, an HDMI 2.0 port, and an AC-in.
Battery
The MSI GP66 is accompanied by a four-cell 65Wh battery that lasts for about an hour.
Input Devices
The gaming laptop also comes with a per-key SteelSeries RGB keyboard and two 2-watt speakers.
5. Razer Blade 15
- Display: 15.6” 1080p 144Hz
- CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
- RAM: 16 GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
Just like the past Razer models, the Razer Blade 15 is of little difference. With a streamlined, sturdy, and sleek body, the gaming laptop proves to be efficient for many game lovers. It has several ports and comes with a Razer Chroma RGB keyboard. Due to some changes, the Razer Blade 15 has the latest CPU and GPU from Intel and Nvidia, thereby offering high gaming performance to its users. However, just like the last models, it should note that it can become very toasty during gaming sessions.
Design
Although slight changes were made, The Razer Blade 15 still maintains its thin and sleek form. Its clean lines remain apparent while having a sturdy aluminum chassis. The 2022 edition still weighs 4.6 pounds while having a measurement of 0.67 by 14 by 9.3 inches.
Display
The Razer gaming laptop offers a 15.6-inch 240Hz QHD display that pumps out 300 nits of brightness. There is also a 1080p webcam which can be efficient for its users.
Performance
The Razer Blade 15 consists of a 2.6 GHz corei7_10750h processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card, a 512 GB SSD, and 16 GB of memory. The configuration options range from an RTX 3060 to 3070 Ti. Its connectivity comprises a killer wireless WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. Its operating system is Microsoft Windows 10.
Ports
The gaming laptop has several ports, including a Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, three USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, a USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, an SD card reader, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a 3.5mm combo jack.
Battery life
The Razer Blade 15 lasts for about 6 hours on average use.
6. Acer Predator Helios 300
- Display: 15.6” 1080p 144Hz
- CPU: Intel Core i7-11800H
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
- RAM: 32 GB
- Storage: 1TB SSD
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is a unique and powerful laptop that is efficient for gaming, videos, and even graphics. Dive into the other segments to learn more about the laptop.
Design
The gaming laptop remains an elegant model. Its color is black and has a turquoise accent, a backlit logo, and a backlit keyboard that radiates a rainbow. Its vents are intricately designed to aid heat dissipation in the metallic body.
Display
The gaming laptop comes in a 15.6-inch or 17.3-inch display. It offers 1920×1080 or 2560×1440 resolution pixels and a refresh rate of 144Hz. The matrix offers an excellent view that includes a sufficient viewing angle, high brightness, and good contrast, making it valuable for many gaming users.
Performance
The Acer gaming laptop consists of an 11th Gen Intel Octa-Core i7-11800H processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card, a 32 GB DDR5-4800 RAM, and 1 TB SSD. Its connectivity comprises a WiFi 6E with Bluetooth 5.2 and a Killer E2600 Gigabit Ethernet LAN.
Ports
The Acer Predator Helios 300 consists of two USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 2 port, a USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 port with Thunderbolt 4, an HDMI 2.1 port, a mini display port, a Kensington Lock, a 3.5 mm combined audio jack and an RJ45.
Battery Life
The laptop can last for about 5-6 hours for normal tasks. However, it can only last for about an hour and thirty minutes when you are in game mode.
Sound and Camera
The gaming laptop comes with stereo speakers located at the edge of the bottom of the device. Meanwhile, the webcam is a 1MP HD module that offers an average image quality.
7. Razer Blade Stealth 13
- Display: 13.3″ 1080p 120Hz
- CPU: Intel Core i7-1165G7
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q
- RAM: 16 GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
The Razer Blade Stealth 13 is a compact gaming notebook that provides gamers with a smooth experience. Packed with an Intel processor and Nvidia GPU, one can get the most from the laptop. Check out the other segments to get vital details.
Design
The Razer Blade Stealth 13 comes in a matte black shell that makes it look sleek and professional. The green USB ports and glossy Razer logo on the lid make it a bit unique. Below the lid is a chiclet-style keyboard, touchpad, and two upward speakers. It weighs 3.11 pounds.
Display
The gaming laptop comes in a 13.3 Full HD Matte Screen with a 120 Hz refresh rate.
Performance
The Razer Blade Stealth 13 is built on an 11th-Gen 2.80 GHz Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q graphics card, 16GB dual channel, and 512 GB SSD. Its connectivity consists of an Intel Wireless-AX 201 and Bluetooth 5.1.
Ports
The gaming laptop comes with two USB 3.1 Type-A ports, two Thunderbolt USB-C ports, and a 3.5 mm audio jack.
Battery Life
The Razer Blade Stealth 13 lasts for about 10 hours on average. However, running a game on the laptop will only make it last for about an hour and a half.
Sound and Camera
The gaming laptop comes with a 720p webcam which is suitable for use in an adequately lit room. Users who want to stream games with it wouldn’t have a problem using it. It also comes with two upward speakers that are loud and clear for any user.
8. HP Omen 16
- Display: 16.1” 1080p 144Hz
- CPU: Intel Core i7-11800H
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
- RAM: 32 GB
- Storage: 2TB SSD
The HP Omen 16 remains a top choice when choosing gaming laptops. Packed in different models, you can select the one that suits your needs. Read on to learn exciting details about the gaming laptop.
Design
Made of Aluminum, the design of the laptop captures one’s attention at a glance. Its models have different colors. While the Intel model is available in a shadow black and ceramic white color, the AMD model is available in Mica Silver. The 16-inch isn’t small and weighs about 5.1 pounds. It measures 14.53 inches by 9.76 inches by 0.89 inches.
Display
The gaming laptop is a 16.1-inch FHD display with a 1920×1080 resolution pixel and produces between 250 to 300 nits of brightness. Its refresh rate is 144Hz.
Performance
The HP Omen 16 is built on an 11th Gen Intel Core i7-11800H processor, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card, and 32GB DDR4 RAM. It works well with the WiFi 6e.
Ports
The HP Omen 16 consists of two USB Type-C ports, a DC-in port, and an HDMI 2.1 port on the rear part. On the left of the laptop are a USB Type-A port, an SD media card reader, an RJ45 Ethernet port, and a 3.5 mm audio jack.
Battery Life
The gaming laptop consists of a four-cell 70 WH battery which seems low for its model. It lasts for about 11 hours on average.
Buyers’ Guide: How to Select the Best Gaming Laptop Under $2,000?
Here are a few things that we’ve put together for you to consider when buying a gaming laptop under $2,000.
These are the minimum required specifications that you should have in mind. Anything below them won’t be worth your time and money.
CPU
The most powerful CPU or processor in our price range is the Intel Core i7-10875H. However, soon there are going to be Ryzen 5,000 series CPUs available in gaming laptops. In fact, they’re out right now, but they’re not very accessible, so we didn’t include them in this list.
In any case, we suggest that you keep an eye out for those Ryzen 5,000 CPUs, especially at this budget, because the Intel CPUs aren’t really worth it at this price range: they put out mediocre gaming performance.
GPU
In terms of Graphics Cards, we suggest you keep an eye on the RTX 3000 series of GPUs, which will be widespread a few months from now. (They’re going to be the best bang-for-your-buck performance GPUs, especially at this price range.)
However, the RTX 2070 Super GPUs are okay, so you can go with them for now.
RAM
The max amount of RAM we saw on our list is 64GB which was found in our sixth pick.
Generally, we don’t think you need more than 32GB or 16GB right now, but yes, to future-proof yourself, opt for 32GB of RAM. If you find a laptop with less RAM that has great specs, we say get it because you can upgrade the RAM later. However, do not compromise on the CPU and the GPU! Unlike RAM, these cannot be upgraded, so what you see is what you get until you buy another laptop.
Storage
You can also upgrade the storage later down the road, so there’s no need to stress about storage when buying a gaming laptop.
I’d mainly look at the CPU, the GPU, the RAM, and perhaps a few ports that I like to use from time to time.
As a general recommendation, we think that a minimum of 1TB of SSD storage is pretty decent for this price range. If you can get more while still ensuring that the other specs are top quality, that’d be a bonus.
Display
We’ve seen laptops with 300Hz refresh rate displays, but we think that 144Hz is more than enough, as the human eye cannot see more than 60 fps anyway.
But as a general rule of thumb, higher refresh rates make for better gaming. Also, ensure that your Graphics Card can display pertinent frames per second. Otherwise, it’s going to be pointless to have a 300Hz display. For example, if a laptop had the aforementioned display paired with a GTX 1050 Graphics Card, you wouldn’t be able to make the most of the high refresh rates. (It’s almost impossible that you’d find this pair of specs, but you get the point.)
Misc.
As always, make sure that the laptop you want has, at the very least, an RJ-45 port. Otherwise, your powerful hardware won’t mean a thing if you experience lag which results in being unable to play your games.
You can also look for a couple of USB 3 ports and a couple of USB Type-C ports. (I usually look for these in gaming laptops.)
If you don’t find an RJ-45 port, a Wi-Fi 6 feature is probably a good replacement, as it is said to be over 250% faster than current Wi-Fi 5 devices.
Best Gaming Laptops Under $2000: Quick Answers
Are gaming laptops loud?
Most of the time, yes, gaming laptops are loud. If you’re asking this question, you’re probably new to gaming laptops, we’ll explain the loudness! You see, when you run a game, it starts utilizing the powerful components inside your gaming laptop that enable it to run at respectable frame rates. Once power starts flowing through a laptop’s components and things start to heat up, the fans start and get the faster they spin.
Which gaming laptop brand is the best?
I personally do not look at the brand; I look at specs, especially when buying a gaming laptop on a budget. However, you’re not buying a gaming laptop on a budget here, so we recommend looking for premium brands that manufacture top-quality gaming laptops. One of these brands is MSI.
Is i5 good for gaming?
Not really. The i5 would’ve been a great choice a few years ago, but not anymore because the Ryzen processors are killing it out there in the gaming and content creation laptops market.
Are gaming laptops good for school?
Gaming laptops are not good for the school. They’re bulky and heavy, especially when you compare them to normal notebooks specifically made for small business owners, students, and anyone needing a portable laptop. Apple’s new M1 Macs are your best bet if you want to take your laptop to school with you.
Should I buy a gaming laptop or PC?
It depends on portability and if it’s a factor for you. A gaming laptop would be the smart choice if you want a portable yet powerful device that can run games as well as serve other functions. Again, the M1 MacBook Air is the best portable laptop that comes to mind. If portability is not an issue, then, for sure, go with a gaming PC.
Final Words
We did the research and tried our best to bring you the best gaming laptops under $2,000.
We’ll try to update this list from time to time, adding new laptops and removing old ones, so it remains a good resource on current gaming laptops.
As of right now, these are the best laptops under $2,000 you can get your hands on.
More Gaming laptop reviews:
- Best Gaming Laptops Under $600
- Best Gaming Laptops Under $700
- Best Gaming Laptops Under $800
- Best Gaming Laptops Under $1000
- Best Gaming Laptops Under $1500
- Best Gaming Laptops Under $2000
- Best Gaming Laptops Under $2500
- Best Laptops for League of Legends
- Best Laptops for Minecraft
- Best Laptops for Overwatch
- Best Laptops for Sims 4
- Best Laptops for World of Warcraft
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