Gaming laptops used to be a rarity – something that only the most hardcore gamers would invest in. But now, with powerful hardware and more affordable prices, gaming laptops are becoming more popular than ever.
If you’re in the market for a new laptop and want one that can handle your favorite games, then you should consider investing in the best gaming laptop under $2000.
In this buyer’s guide, we will outline 10 of the best gaming laptops available for under 2000 dollars. We’ll also give you an overview of what to look for when buying a gaming laptop so that you can make an informed decision before purchasing one.
Table of contents
What’s the best gaming laptop under 2000?
When it comes to gaming laptops, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
Firstly, gaming laptops tend to be more expensive than traditional laptops because they have powerful hardware that can handle demanding games.
Secondly, gaming laptops often have higher-quality screens and speakers than traditional laptops, which enhances your gaming experience.
And finally, gaming laptops usually have shorter battery lives than traditional laptops because they use more power.
Now that you know what to look for in a gaming laptop, let’s take a look at some of the best options available on the market.
ASUS ROG Strix G17 Gaming Laptop
Our Take
Are you looking for the best gaming laptop under $2000? For just $1889 the 2021 ASUS ROG Strix G17 should be at the top of your list.
This powerful laptop comes with a 17.3″ FHD 144Hz display, AMD Ryzen 7-4800H 8-core processor, 64GB of DDR4 RAM, and an RTX 3060 graphics card – which makes this one a solid gaming laptop.
It also features a backlit keyboard and a range of ports, including USB Type-C and HDMI, so you can easily connect to your favorite devices.
And thanks to its high-quality speakers and immersive surround sound technology, you’ll feel like you’re right in the middle of the action when gaming on this laptop. It’s actually better than many gaming laptops on the market.
So if you’re looking for an impressive gaming machine that won’t break the bank, the 2021 ASUS ROG Strix G17 is definitely worth considering.
Pros
- The 2021 ASUS ROG Strix G17 comes with a range of powerful features in terms of CPU and RAM
- It has a 17.3″ FHD 144Hz display that provides stunning visuals and smooth gameplay.
- The backlit keyboard and range of ports make it easy to connect to your favorite devices.
- The high-quality speakers and immersive surround sound technology provide an immersive gaming experience.
Cons
- The battery life is shorter than average due to the powerful hardware.
- Some users have complained about the keyboard quality.
- It only has an RTX 3060. For the price tag, you can get a 3070 in other brands and models.
Performance Review
The 2021 ASUS ROG Strix G17 is a high performance gaming laptop that comes with a range of features that make it perfect for gaming.
During our tests with current games, the 2021 ASUS ROG Strix G17 performed very well in terms of graphics, both quality, and framerate. In Benchmarks, it scored really high which means that it can easily handle high-end graphics and provide beautiful visuals during gameplay.
Screen review
The screen quality of the 2021 ASUS ROG Strix G17 Gaming Laptop is excellent. It comes with a 17.3″ FHD 144Hz display, which provides stunning visuals and smooth gameplay. The high refresh rate ensures that you won’t miss a single detail during your favorite games, and the 1080p resolution ensures that everything will be crystal clear.
Overall, the screen quality of the 2021 ASUS ROG Strix G17 is one of its best features. If you’re looking for a gaming laptop with an excellent screen, the 2021 ASUS ROG Strix G17 is definitely worth considering.
AlienWare M15 R5 15.6″ Gaming Laptop
This is the Best Gaming Laptop Under 2000
Our Take
The AlienWare M15 R5 Gaming Laptop is a truly high end gaming laptop, a top-of-the-line device that is perfect for gamers who are looking for the ultimate gaming performance. You get so much from just $1999 that it almost seems like we’re looking at an OEM product instead of an Alienware.
It comes with a powerful GeForce RTX 3070 8GB Graphics card and an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX (Up to 4.6GHz) processor that aims at beating Intel i9. This elite gaming laptop will let you play the most demanding games at high settings.
The laptop also has a nice 15.6″ screen at 360Hz! That means a 1ms refresh rate for your screen, really impressive for this price tag.
It also has 32GB of DDR4 RAM and a fast 1TB PCI-E SSD, which will let you load your games quickly. Finally, it features a battery life of up to 5 hours so you can game for some time without plugging it again.
This laptop is so good it’s the only one on this list capable of offering you a hardcore gaming performance, a smooth gaming experience, and some of the best laptop features.
Pros
- Powerful GeForce RTX 3070 8GB Graphics card.
- AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX (up to 4.6GHz).
- 360Hz refresh rate and 1ms latency.
Cons
- Battery life could be better.
- The screen is not amazing.
Performance Review
I think it’s pretty clear that with this laptop you’ll have an amazing gaming experience. It features a very powerful dedicated graphics card, the NVidia GeForce RTX 3070 coupled with the superb AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, a very powerful processor.
Ideal for fast paced competitive gaming, few gaming laptops can deliver so much power even at the $2500 level. You can play exciting games from this year in High and Ultra settings and no matter the conditions this equipment will give you an excellent gaming performance.
However, one area where this laptop falls short is in terms of its battery life. This will not affect you so much if you plan on replacing your desktop computer with this but be warned in case you’re planning a long trip.
Screen Review
The Alienware M15 R5 15.6″ Gaming Laptop comes with a large 15.6″ screen that has a resolution of 1920×1080. This is a great resolution for gaming or watching movies, and the screen itself is quite good. It has good color accuracy and viewing angles, and it is also bright and clear.
The biggest selling point of this screen is its amazing refresh rate of 360Hz and latency of only 1ms! That’s fast!
However, it is not quite as good as some of the other best gaming laptops on the market in terms of image quality.
Alienware M15 R6 VR Ready Gaming Laptop
Our Take
As any gamer knows, a laptop needs to have certain key features in order to provide a great gaming experience. The Alienware M15 R6 VR Ready Gaming Laptop has all of the features that gamers need, and more.
For starters, it has a 15.6-inch FHD display with a fast 360Hz refresh rate, which ensures smooth and responsive gameplay. It also has an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card for stunning visuals, packs the processing power of the 11th Gen Intel Core i7 11800H and the 32GB of RAM ensures that games will run smoothly even at high settings.
In addition, the 1TB SSD provides plenty of storage space for games and other files, and the backlit keyboard ensures that gamers can play even in low-light conditions.
Best of all, the laptop is VR-ready, so gamers can enjoy the latest virtual reality games. With so much to offer, it’s no wonder that the Alienware M15 R6 VR Ready Gaming Laptop is one of the best gaming laptops under 2000.
Pros
- Fast 360Hz refresh rate
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card
- VR-ready
- 11th Gen Intel Core i7 11800H
Cons
- None
Performance Review
When it comes to gaming performance, the Alienware M15 R6 VR Ready Gaming Laptop does not disappoint.
The laptop was able to run most games at high or ultra settings with no problems. The graphics looked great, and the gameplay was smooth and responsive.
The laptop’s fast 240Hz refresh rate was definitely noticeable and provided a much smoother gaming experience than laptops with a lower refresh rate.
Overall, the Alienware M15 R6 VR Ready Gaming Laptop is an excellent choice for gamers who want a powerful and reliable laptop that can deliver a great gaming experience.
Screen Review
The Alienware M15 R6 VR Ready Gaming Laptop has a great screen that delivers excellent picture quality. The laptop’s 15.6-inch FHD display has a fast 360Hz refresh rate, which ensures smooth and responsive gameplay. It also has an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card for stunning visuals.
The laptop’s screen is bright and clear, and the colors look great. The image is sharp, and the text is easy to read. The laptop’s fast 360Hz refresh rate ensures that the image is always smooth and responsive, which is great for gaming and watching movies.
Overall, the Alienware M15 R6 VR Ready Gaming Laptop has a great screen that delivers excellent picture quality.
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro
Our Take
The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is a powerful gaming laptop that offers great performance and features.
It comes packed with a Ryzen 7 5800H processor and the amazing NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card for stunning visuals. It also features 16GB of RAM and a 1TB solid state drive which is not so impressive but does the job very well.
Where this laptop truly shines against all other gaming laptops on this list is its screen. At 16″, the WQXGA 2K IPS screen is the most wonderful screen you’ll see here in terms of image quality. The 165Hz refresh rate and 500nits also complement a good package overall making this gaming device pretty good even for design tasks and watching movies.
With so much to offer, it’s no wonder that the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro 165Hz RTX 3070 is one of the best gaming laptops on the market.
Pros
- Beautiful 2K screen with a fast 165Hz refresh rate
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card
- The Ryzen 7 5800H outperforms several of its more expensive competitors.
Cons
None
Performance Review
So how does this laptop perform? In terms of gaming, the Legion 5 Pro is one of the best laptops on the market under 2000. The GeForce RTX 3070 is also capable of handling 4K gaming with ease, making this laptop perfect for high-end gamers.
And with its fast refresh rate, the Legion 5 Pro is perfect for gamers who want a smooth and responsive experience.
Overall, the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is an excellent gaming laptop that offers great performance and features.
Screen Review
How does this laptop’s screen quality compare to other laptops? Well, in terms of image quality, the Legion 5 Pro is one of the best laptops on the market.
It has a matte finish that prevents glare from affecting your gaming experience, and it also has excellent viewing angles. The colors are also very accurate, making this laptop perfect for watching movies or playing games.
Additionally, the Legion 5 Pro has a fast response time of just 1 ms, so you won’t have to worry about any delays or ghosting effects.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus
Our Take
If you are in the market for a gaming laptop that is both powerful and stylish, then the ASUS ROG Zephyrus should be at the top of your list.
This laptop is packed with features that will make any gamer happy, including a high-end AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card. Plus, its thin and sleek design will turn heads no matter where you go.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus has a lot to offer gamers. It is a powerful machine that will be able to handle any game you throw at it, and its design is sleek and stylish. Plus, its battery life is excellent for a gaming laptop.
The only downside is that some people may find the screen size to be too small, which might be true if you are one of those who can’t play on anything less than 17.3″. However, if you are looking for a powerful and stylish gaming laptop, then the ASUS ROG Zephyrus should be at the top of your list.
Pros
- Powerful
- Great design
- Good battery life
Cons
- Some people may find the screen size too small.
Performance Review
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus 3070 Gaming Laptop is a high-end machine that’s perfect for optimal gaming performance, fulfilling all your gaming needs.
So, how does the ASUS ROG Zephyrus 3070 perform? In terms of gaming performance, the answer is very well. The RTX 3070 graphics card allows for some truly stunning visuals, and the Ryzen 9 5900HS processor ensures that the laptop remains responsive even when you run multiple apps simultaneously plus your games.
Additionally, the battery life is excellent for a gaming laptop, lasting up to 12 hours on a single charge under average use (gaming can be somewhere around 7 to 8 hours).
So, bottom line, its performance is top-notch, as expected for one of the best gaming laptops under 2000 and one of the best laptops overall.
Screen Review
Modern gaming laptops are somewhat behind in terms of screen quality compared to TVs and Monitors. This one’s a bit above the average though, featuring a WQHD (2560 x 1440), 16:9, 300-nits, 1000:1 Contrast, 100% DCI-P3, 165Hz Refresh Rate, IPS-level screen, which is better than the usual 15.6-inch full hd.
The screen quality on the ASUS ROG Zephyrus is not as good as it could be. The image is not very clear and there is some noticeable pixelation. In addition, the color reproduction is not very accurate, which can be a problem for gamers who want to play games that require accurate color reproduction.
Despite these issues, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus is still a great choice for gamers who want a powerful laptop with a large screen. It offers good performance and good value for money.
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 (2022)
Our Take
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 brings everything you expect from a ROG product and positions itself as one of the best gaming laptops and definitely a good candidate for your next purchase from our list of the best gaming laptops under 2000.
It features an amazing Intel Core i9 12900H, packing 24MB Cache, up to 5.0 GHz clock and 14 cores (6 P-cores and 8 E-cores), plus an NVidia GeForce RTX 3070Ti – ROG Boost up to 1460 MHz at 150W (125W plus 25W with Dynamic Boost). All of that and more for just $1999 (right under our budget!)
All of that power is coupled with a very fast 16GB DDR5 4800MHz RAM and 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 Performance SSD, ensuring your games run and load faster than in most gaming laptops.
Per-Key RGB keyboard, ROG intelligent cooling, and nice audio set with a noise canceling microphone built-in make this a perfect package to make you forget about gaming consoles in favor of an amazing gaming pc.
It’s also a very portable gaming laptop, moderate in size and weight.
Pros
- Top-Notch Processing power thanks to its Intel Core i9 CPU.
- 3070 Ti for less than $1999 in 2022 sounds like a bargain.
- Amazing built quality and extra features.
- DDR5 RAM is beautiful and very uncommon at this price range
Cons
- Still, it’s just 16GB RAM.
- The screen quality is just average.
Performance Review
Keeping this short, this Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 will give you an amazing gaming experience, as expected from a new gaming laptop from ROG, it runs everything you throw at it with ease, making even some desktop gaming computers look ashamed.
Multitasking while playing some heavy games is a bit tougher than expected because of the somewhat-limited RAM capacity, but it compensates with speed and, to be honest, we can’t complain too much because it’s a relatively affordable gaming laptop for its specs – remember we’re talking about a gaming laptop under 2000!
Screen Review
The screen itself is correct, nothing fancy but also nothing to feel bad about. It’s a 15,6″, Full HD screen with 300Hz refresh rate and 3ms delay so it can still give you a nice visual experience… while you save up and get a very nice monitor array to make the most out of your 3070 Ti!
MSI GP76 Leopard Gaming Laptop
The MSI GP76 Leopard is a great gaming laptop with impressive features. For just $1899 you get a solid gaming laptop with a 17,3″ screen, 11th generation Intel Core i7 11800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 and 16GB DDR4 RAM, plus 1TB NVMe SSD.
Following the latest MSI trends, this one is not as flashy as other laptops in the gaming world, but if you choose this one you can be sure you’re getting a top quality product, successor or big brother of the MSI GP66 Leopard.
In my opinion, this is a very strong competitor in this category, not only because of its components but also because of how careful MSI usually is when building its products.
It’s also the most professional-looking laptop on this list, making it a great choice for those gamers that need to put on a suit from time to time.
Pros
- Solid build, great features, and gaming performance.
- Nice 17.3″ screen size, great quality.
- Professional look.
- Great temperature balance, lower than most gaming laptops!
Cons
- Sound could be better, especially on speakers.
- For the price, it could still pack 32GB of RAM.
Performance REVIEW
The performance of this laptop is really good, despite just having 16GB of RAM and a processor that’s not at all the fastest on this list. That speaks of how well MSI builds its products beyond the theoretical specs.
You won’t have any issues playing most games on high settings albeit in some of the newest ones you might not have access to the Ultra configuration if you want to keep the frame rates high.
Screen Review
This laptop comes with a beautiful 17,3″ screen that looks crisp and nice, vibrant colors and a very wide viewing angle. Nothing bad to say about it save it could still have a bit better resolution.
Razer Blade 15 Gaming Laptop
Our Take
The Razer Blade 15 is everything you expect from a Razer Blade laptop, which is in fact pretty awesome!
So, with this one, you get a very strong 11th Gen Intel Core i7 11800H and NVidia geforce rtx 3070 to complete a nice performance build for intense gaming sessions. Everything is packed in a super thin laptop, as per the Blade’s cooking recipe
Everything in the Razer Blade 15 feels premium, including Razer’s Chroma RGB keyboard and THX Spatial Audio.
We’re still wondering how Razer managed to put everything in such a thin format.
If you’re looking for a very portable laptop, lightweight but very powerful at the same time, this should be your choice.
Pros
- Very portable and lightweight.
- But still powerful for its size.
- Nice accessory components (RBG Keyboard, sound card, etc.).
- Blazing fast 360Hz screen.
Cons
- It gets really hot.
- RAM and SSD are nothing special.
Performance Review
Let’s be clear, we’re talking about a very compact laptop here for less than 2000 so, compared to other laptops on this list, it might fall slightly behind in terms of performance.
That being said, this is a very nice laptop that can run all your games in very high settings without issues, even on battery power. That’s why this is a candidate for the best gaming laptop under 2000.
Being very portable makes it great for playing while traveling but make sure you have something between the laptop and your legs because things can get very hot very soon.
Screen Review
The screen quality is amazing in every aspect save for resolution. Yeah, full hd is not bad but there are options for this laptop that give you a QHD screen, but they are so overpriced that it feels like a waste of money to invest in those.
As for the rest, amazing colors and awesome response time, never feels laggy, never feels clipped, it’s simply wonderful and should not prevent you from getting this laptop.
2022 Sager NP8872P – Max Settings
Sager has been in the market for a while and is one of the most solid OEM laptop manufacturers to date and it proves it with every new release.
The Sager NP8872P is an awesome gaming laptop that made it as one of the best gaming laptops under 1500, but you can upgrade it a lot and get a successful gaming laptop that can compete in the under 2000 category as well.
If you set it up with 64GB of RAM and 2TB Gen4 NVMe SSD, you get one of the best gaming laptops that can run so many things at the same time that it makes it perfect for a multi-tasking environment, such as when you’re streaming on Twitch while recording clips of your gameplay for YouTube and looking at your audience ratings and comments. It can really handle a lot.
It also features a very beautiful 17,3″ QHD, Wide View Angle, 100% DCI-P3 Color Gamut, and Matte Type Display. Easily the best screen on this list.
So if you’re looking for an awesome gaming laptop that is also an amazing multi-media device, this is your choice.
Pros
- Beautiful screen, the best on this list.
- You’ve got some RAM covered.
- Nice CPU for the price.
Cons
- It features an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060.
- It’s a bit bulky.
- The keyboard could be better, especially the backlighting.
Performance Review
This laptop has an RTX 3060 instead of the most common RTX 3070, which is a bit of a bummer for a product that’s in the under-2000 category. If we were talking about a cheaper product, say, less than 1600, it’d be great.
All in all, the 3060 still performs pretty well under most circumstances and can run almost all games in very high or even ultra settings as long as you sacrifice a bit of resolution (i.e. you need to game in Full HD maximum).
Screen Review
Probably one of the strongest points of this laptop, the screen is beautiful. The colors look amazing, the image is superb and the refresh rate is pretty neat for both gaming and watching movies or series.
The screen makes this one a great option for designers that need the extra quality when bringing their imagination to life.
What to look for in a Gaming Laptop?
The 2000 limit is very good to get a nice combination of performance and features. We can definitely get to the upper end of the mid range gaming laptops.
Choosing the right PC hardware is as important for a laptop as for a desktop. You want to focus on squeezing as much power as you can from your investment leaving behind some nice, flashy stuff so that you can play all your games, even those graphics intensive games.
The 3 things we want to maximize
- The GPU – You can’t really replace the GPU in a gaming laptop so we want to get the best graphics card as possible within our budget and this should be the Main factor to consider.
- The CPU – Second is the CPU power. Again, you can’t really replace the CPU of your laptop in the long run so you want to get a powerful Intel Core I7 or more, or an amazing AMD Ryzen.
- RAM and Hard Drive – Third is the storage units, temporary (RAM) and permanent (Hard Drive). For both of them, we want to make sure they are as big AND fast as possible from the start. That means you don’t want to get a 1 TB Magnetic Hard Drive because it has a decent capacity but its speed is horrible. The same goes for the RAM.
The 3 Things you can leave behind
- The Screen – As weird as it sounds, the screen is not the most important part of gaming laptops. You can always hook it to a wonderful monitor in the future so, right now, you can leave behind hiper-fast refresh rates and 8K displays.
- The Long Battery life – Sorry to break it to you but this is actually something that is very likely to be a weak point in any laptop for gaming under 2000. Especially for gaming, you are usually bound to poor battery life.
- The Brand – Some laptops are just more expensive because of the brand behind them. An Alienware laptop with certain specs is usually way more expensive than, say, an Acer Predator Helios laptop. You might even want to consider some OEM options and that’s totally fine.
Which laptop brand is best for gaming?
Truth is, in 2022, laptop brands are not as important as they once were. I know this might sound like a bold statement but it’s my most honest thought after reviewing laptops for over 10 years.
Laptop makers and brands are pretty much struggling to differentiate between one another and such differences usually come a bit more around the marketing side, build quality, and how soon they can launch a product to market with the latest hardware available.
About marketing, well, bigger companies usually have more money to invest in big marketing campaigns to promote their products. Plus, the brand itself is sometimes strong enough to generate user-produced content at no cost.
Bigger brands can invest sooner in cutting-edge features or technology, including better sound cards, better microphones, better cameras, and all of those little details that are not as important for gaming performance (at least, not on average) but end up making a better product offering overall.
So, if the most important hardware parts are the same (CPU, GPU, RAM, Hard Drive, and Screen), then the laptops are going to behave pretty similarly to each other during a gaming session regardless of what’s the brand behind them
What is the best gaming laptop for 1500?
If you’re a gaming enthusiast and are looking for a more affordable laptop that can also run most of your games, we also have a list of the best gaming laptops under 1500. I’m sure you can find very interesting equipment over there.
Conclusion
We went over the list and we think you already found the one that for you is the best gaming laptop under 2000.
All the laptops we presented in this post are very good options for you and I believe the decision comes down to some factors like the screen quality, how much processing power you need, how much RAM you think is fine, the size factor and a little bit of brand-based bias.
Overall there are plenty of gaming laptops under 2000 that can offer you excellent gaming performance to make playing games a wonderful experience, full of fun and enjoyable moments.
Please let us know in the comments what you think of this list, which ones we forgot or what should we write about next. We’ll see you all next time!