Buying a gaming laptop can be overwhelming. This is not your typical “Top 5 laptops under $1000” article.
What we’re aiming for is to provide people who know next to nothing about laptops with a general guide they can use to pick a really good machine that delivers bang per buck. We’re keeping this simple to understand and as clear as possible, since we realize it can get confusing to sort through laptop specs when you’re unfamiliar with this industry.
We’re going to finish the article with our 5 top recommendations available right now at Amazon. Any of the laptops in that list will handle any game or app you throw its way reasonably well.
But the goal here is to provide readers who know next to nothing about computer parts with a notion of where their money will be best spent – and we don’t believe it’s in a brand name. We believe it’s all about the specs and the actual horsepower.
So, while it’s not impossible that we’ll include an Apple on this list (that will depend on what is on the market at the time of writing), chances are we’ll choose other top tier brands that tend to offer more competitive deals, while still providing state of the art machines – minus the hype and fanfare.
Worthwhile to keep in mind that, for the most part, all brands put together their machines using third party components (even Apple) – so you want to keep an eye on the former (since that’s where the real value is), rather than let the latter seduce you into making vain choices that are not necessarily aligned with your best interests. Here, we’re looking past the brand name and focusing on the actual parts in each laptop.
The aim is providing a general idea of what the key components do, as well as a clear notion of what is the sweet spot, in terms of power/price; you don’t need to know that much from a technical standpoint to have a general idea of which specs offer the most favorable price/performance ratio.
That is exactly what you’ll get once you go through the following sections:
Table of Contents
What is RAM and how much do you really need?
Laptop storage: M2 NVME PCIe storage is the current state of the art.
GPU: Why integrated graphics always beats dedicated graphics.
More than just CPU’s: understanding, cores, threads and generations.
Balancing laptop screen size, battery life, and your lifestyle.
Brand matters, but not as much as the actual parts in a laptop
Conclusion: Our top 5 laptop picks under $1000, now available on Amazon
- After reading this article, you’ll understand what is the minimum amount of RAM a laptop must have these days, to deliver convincing gaming performance.
- You’ll be aware there are different types of hard drives, and know why it’s worth getting the fastest kind.
- You’ll realize why a gaming laptop can be your best bet even if you don’t plan to play video games, since a graphics card provides additional horsepower.
- You’ll know which specs absolutely matter, and why the price of a laptop is a surprisingly good indication of the parts it includes.
- We’re going to explain the gist of the matter without getting bogged down in technical complexities.
Instead, we’ll overview what each component actually does in terms of real world use, and make you aware of the usual ways that some brands will trick you into making the choice that best suits them.
At the time of writing, in early 2023, a good gaming laptop just under $1,000 should come with an octa-core (sixteen thread) CPU, 16GB RAM, 1TB M.2 NVMe, a dedicated GPU with 4GB VRAM, and a 16” screen. Those are the general guidelines to keep in mind.
The prices of gaming laptop components are incredibly standardized; this means that for the same price point, you’re unlikely to get wildly different specs. Occasionally, you may get what seems like a good deal, but is either a machine from two generations ago or one that cuts corners somewhere.
We advise against taking such deals, since most computer parts get significant performance revisions with each generation – so the discounted price in older laptops will always come with a caveat of some kind. What we recommend is to set your maximum budget, and directly compare the listings in that higher range looking for the best out of the pack.
It might also be wise not to hyper-fixate on the brand, since all brands come out with better and worse models – and unless you spend some time trudging through in-depth reviews, it’s not easy to tell whether a specific model might be a good choice for your particular use case; a quick rule of thumb is simply to favor well reviewed listings (both in terms of quality and quantity).
What is RAM and how much do you really need?
The short answer: think of RAM as the equivalent to your office desk surface area. The bigger it is, the more papers you can move around without getting things mixed up and disrupting your workflow.
At the time of writing, anything less than 8GB RAM won’t provide adequate performance; getting 16GB (or more, if possible) is ideal if you tend to keep lots of browser tabs and apps running all at the same time.
Though you may be able to save $50 or so by hunting for laptops with 8GB, 16GB really is the gold standard. This is the amount of RAM you need to never have to worry about how many tabs you can keep open in your browser before it begins to stutter, or whether you will need to close some apps before launching a game.
Windows 11 performs very snappily with 16GB, and it seems to do a really good job in juggling apps without any slowdowns. This is especially true if your laptop also features a M.2 NVMe drive, in which case it might be able to use some of it as a cache (a sort of in-between storage that offers a great compromise between access speed and storage size).
Laptop storage: M2 NVME PCIe storage is the current state of the art.
If you’re into gaming, you need a laptop with at the very least 512GB storage. In any case, storage size – although indeed relevant – is not the most important aspect to keep in mind).
Some developers overemphasize the storage space in their laptops, but the key aspect to keep in mind is the storage type. There are three types of storage space currently being used in laptops, and only one is worth your time since it will future-proof your machine: M.2 NVMe (also known as PCIe, from the type of connector it uses).
Source (https://www.hnmac.vn/media/data/tin-tuc/2018/09/hdd-vs-ssd-sata-vs-nvme.jpg)
Getting a laptop with this type of storage will be slightly costlier, but it will be well worth the price of admission. Having faster storage will make a tremendous positive impact in the performance of your machine across its everyday operations, as you can see in the chart above. A slower storage type will inevitably become a bottleneck.
M.2 NVMe is the newer type of storage that relies on a PCIe connection to provide a notable step up in performance, especially for reading data. Only the latest motherboards support this type of storage, and you should make sure to favor laptops that have this technology (otherwise you won’t be able to just upgrade, later on). In other words, laptops that don’t allow installing this storage type are dangerously close to obsolescence already – even if they’re brand new.
On the other hand, choosing a laptop that includes a M.2 NVMe storage will make a very noticeable contribution to keeping loading times brief, and it will increase the sense of responsiveness while launching apps and moving files around.
The short answer: Games take a lot of storage space, and gamers tend to hoard games into their computer. The recommended storage space these days for a gamer is at least 512GB (preferably M.2 NVMe PCIe, SDD is no longer ideal – HDD is a hard pass!).
GPU: Why integrated graphics always beats dedicated graphics.
If you want a decent gaming laptop, you need to make sure it has a dedicated GPU with at least 4GB VRAM (video RAM). VRAM is comparable to a pinboard on your desk office:
The larger the pinboard… the more stuff the laptop will be able to hold on the screen, so to speak (in simplified technical terms; VRAM is used by a GPU to hold textures, and high quality textures are what makes a game look polished and life-like).
You may notice some gaming laptops seem to have surprisingly competitive prices, and sometimes that’s because they do not feature a dedicated GPU, which typically translates in sub-par performance (even outside of games). This is another component that is not recommended to be frugal about, since even an entry level RTX 3050 with 4GB VRAM will significantly outperform even the most advanced integrated graphics such as Intel Iris Xe or AMD Vega. Integrated graphics really won’t cut handle modern games on a consistent basis, no matter how the manufacturer tries to glorify their latest and greatest chip.
Integrated graphics means that a machine has a sort of “lite” GPU embedded into the CPU and that just won’t deliver robust performance. Moreover, all machines with dedicated graphics also have integrated graphics, and in some cases they will be able to use both chips in tandem to deliver combined power.
That means that, no matter how we spin it, just about all laptops with dedicated graphics will easily run circles around even the most hyped up integrated graphics out there.
These days, you want a dedicated GPU on your laptop with at least 4GB VRAM (video RAM), which is the bare minimum it takes to output video games in full HD. A GPU is not that different from a CPU, except it specializes in performing a much higher volume of operations, which are usually of a more simplified nature. If the CPU delivers the processing finesse, the GPU delivers the brute force. A good gaming laptop must have both a good CPU and GPU, since these parts are able to work together in many situations.
Comparing dedicated GPU models can be confusing for someone who’s unfamiliar with the industry. A simple way to do so is by checking check a website like https://www.gpucheck.com/gpu-benchmark-comparison where you can directly compare any two GPUs against one another, and see their overall performance tier among all options in the market.
But really, without breaking four digits you will be unlikely to find gaming laptops with any other dedicated GPU other than the RTX 3050 4GB (or maybe the GTX 1650), these days. While these are not wildly popular options among hardcore desktop gamers, either of them does deliver a very decent performance. Novice and intermediate users who just want to make sure that modern games will run adequately enough, with smooth frame rates and mid-to-high graphic settings.
More than just CPU’s: understanding, cores, threads and generations.
Having a good dedicated GPU is essential to have a competent gaming laptop. But having a strong CPU matters just as much, otherwise either component will end up bottlenecking the other.
These days, the power of a CPU isn’t measured only in raw speed/performance, but also in numbers of featured cores and supported threads. Multiple cores effectively means that a CPU physically has more than one central processor, each clocked at a certain speed. Multiple threads means that additionally, each core may be able to virtually split and take on two workloads in parallel.
Additionally, your multi-core GPU can also split workloads with a dedicated GPU – which is why you need to make sure both these components are of good quality if you want your laptop to be able to run anything you throw at it. A good GPU needs to be matched with a good CPU to deliver its full potential, and vice-versa.
These days, if you care about gaming, you want to get a laptop that is at least quad-core (preferably octa-core or higher) – and you want to make sure the processing speed of each individual core is as high as possible; the higher that number, the higher the boost speed when all cores work together. This is why you’ll sometimes see CPU speeds listed as a range rather than a fixed number.
Aside from the number of cores, the CPU generation is also a key aspect to keep in mind.
The thing about CPU’s is they tend to get about 10-15% faster with each generation, which usually takes about 1-2 years to roll by. This means that – for example – a mid-level CPU from this year can very well outperform a high level CPU from six years ago.
This is one of the reasons why just about any laptop from the last couple of years will put any old machine to shame. Computers just keep getting faster each year, even faster than the components wear down in old machines. No machine will be in top shape after a few years, simply because the technology keeps evolving and introducing higher demands to match the computing baseline.
Keeping this in mind, looking at the number of processor cores and their speed is important, but insufficient – you need to also keep in mind the CPU generation. It’s best to focus on laptops that were manufactured in the current year, or last year at most, since any machines older than than will inevitably come packed with components already turning outdated.
Short answer: make sure to get a laptop from the present year, so its parts are from the latest generation. Preferences aside, it doesn’t matter too much if you choose AMD or Intel (the two leading CPU manufacturers). What matters is that you choose a laptop that includes a multi-core CPU with at least four cores and the highest individual core speed possible.
Balancing laptop screen size, battery autonomy, and your lifestyle.
A 16” footprint is the standard laptop screen size, which delivers the right mix of portability and cost. Smaller 14” machines tend to be comparatively more pricey, and their smaller footprint typically means that corners need to be cut in the components department. Conversely, 17” laptops can occasionally make for a really good deal, and their larger footprint often allows for extra components (as well as larger screen real estate), but at this size they can get heavy and not super practical to lug around on a daily basis.
Regarding refresh rates, 60Hz used to be the everyday standard – but when it comes to gaming, 120Hz or higher screens are now preferable, since they deliver increased fluidity and responsiveness. While inexperienced users are not too likely to pinpoint the difference between frame rates, it does make for a more comfortable experience even outside of gaming. Also worth keeping in mind that all gaming laptops can handle 1 additional screen (sometimes 2) through a standard HDMI cable, and doing so can be a great way to improve your productivity and get the most comfort out of your laptop.
Battery life is misleading, since it varies wildly depending on what you’re doing, and is not necessarily a key factor in real world terms. The same laptop can run for anything between 2-8 hours depending on whether you’re gaming, watching videos, surfing the web, or just typing away in a Word doc while offline, along with the level of screen brightness you personally prefer.
You should keep in mind that all battery life estimates of all laptops across all brands tend to be quite overblown. If you’re interested in gaming, have no illusions: no laptop will last more than a few hours on a single charge… and the more powerful the components, the higher the strain on battery life.
For most laptop gamers, battery autonomy won’t be terribly important anyway, since they’ll usually have electrical sockets at hand whenever they’re up for extended gaming sessions.
Brand matters, but not as much as the actual parts in a laptop.
Here’s why laptop brand names don’t matter as much as brands want you to believe: owning a laptop from a prestigious brand is more about bragging rights than it is about actual performance gains. (we’re looking at you, Apple!).
The reason why is that no brands actually build the components they use to assemble laptops. They all reach out to the same third party manufacturers, which means that no matter which brand you choose, the actual parts in your laptop will be about the same for any given price range.
The one thing where a brand does make a difference is in terms of build quality and overall durability. But even that can be deceiving, as all brands have stronger and weaker models whose price don’t always reflect build quality. A laptop with an aluminum body is not necessarily sturdier than one that is made out of plastic; it depends on the quality of those individual materials, as well as the quality of the design.
Also relevant that laptops are just not meant to provide longer than 6 years of quality service, and when you’ve had any laptop for that long you’ll likely want to think about upgrading again – not because its parts no longer work, but simply because its performance no longer provides the minimum requirements in face of ever evolving specs. It’s really not worth it investing into a brand or even a model; your money is best spent to get the best quality internals possible.
Rather than letting a brand name seduce you, look at the actual user reviews for any given laptop model and draw conclusions from there. Whenever considering a laptop, make sure to keep in mind the number or reviews as well as the combined score, along with the actual comments – since that’s where you will notice any glaring real world issues that don’t always crop up in full fledged reviews.
Remember, it’s much wiser to actually stay focused on the internals and just make sure they are good enough for gaming.
At the time of writing, in early 2023, that means if you want a decent gaming laptop and you want to keep your budget in the three digits, these are the specs you should prioritize above all when searching through listings:
- At least 16GB RAM
- At least 512GM NMVe M.2 storage
- Dedicated graphics card with at least 4 GB VRAM
- At least a quad-core CPU from the latest generation
- Dozens of reviews, 4.5+review score and realistic user feedback
On the other hand, here’s the stuff that boils down to frills rather than real benefits:
- Battery autonomy (advertised estimates are highly misleading, and all gaming laptops are electricity hogs, anyway; none will deliver more than 2-3 hours of actual gaming away from a power outlet.)
- brand bragging rights; often come with the tradeoff of worse performing parts, for any given price point.
Conclusion: Our top 5 laptop picks under $1000, now available on Amazon
2022 ASUS TUF Gaming A15 Gaming Laptop, 15.6″ FHD 144Hz, AMD 8-Core Ryzen 7 6800H (Beat i9-11900H), GeForce RTX 3050Ti, 16GB DDR5, 1TB PCIe SSD, HDMI, RJ45, WiFi 6, RGB, SPS HDMI 2.1 Cable, Win 11
This is probably the most well-rounded choice in this list. It matches all the criteria we laid out in this review, and even includes a slightly better GPU (the RTX 3050 Ti) compared to other alternatives. The Ryzen 7 6800H is the latest iteration of the cutting edge CPU from AMD, it has boost speed up to 4.7 Ghz, which is a nice improvement from its predecessor – and very impressive for laptop standards..
HP Victus Gaming Laptop, 15.6 inch FHD Display, 12th Gen Intel Core i5-12500H 12Core Processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Bluetooth, Windows 11 Home, Bundle with JAWFOAL
For those who happen to have a soft spot for Intel CPUs, this could be one of the most interesting options out there. This Victus build even takes the edge over its direct competitors by including 32GB RAM, which makes it the perfect option for users who like the idea having a computer that can keep all productivity tools and browser tabs open as needed without any slowdowns.
MSI Pulse GL66 15.6″ 144Hz 3ms FHD Gaming Laptop Intel Core i7-11800H RTX3050 16GB 1TBNVMe SSD Win11 – Gray
The lead attraction of this model is the 144Hz 3ms FHD screen; it delivers incredibly smooth picture quality that can make a noticeable difference, for users who want to play fast-paced games that require top precision and blazing fast reflexes. If you plan to spend a lot of time gaming on the actual laptop screen (rather than connected on TV out), this could be the right choice for you.
Acer 2022 Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop, 17.3″ FHD IPS 144Hz, 12th Gen 12-Core i5-12500H, GeForce RTX 3050, 32GB RAM, 1TB PCIe SSD, Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, RJ45, WiFi 6, Backlit, SPS HDMI 2.1 Cable, Win 11
17.3” laptops can be a little bulky and heavy, especially if you will be lugging around in a laptop bag all the time. But if you don’t plan to carry your laptop on your back over long distances, the increased screen real estate on this machine could be well worth the tradeoff, and it could make for more comfortable gaming on the go – just remember the bigger screen also makes it a bit of an energy hog.
HP 2022 Victus 15.6″ 144Hz Gaming Laptop, Intel 12th Core i5-12450H, 32GB RAM, 1TB PCIe SSD, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Graphics 4GB, Backlit Keyboard, Windows 11 Pro, Mica Silver, 32GB USB Card
The GPU on this laptop is not ideal, but it should be adequate enough for playing most games on medium or high settings, especially since it’s backed with a latest generation GPU and a really sharp 144Hz screen. 32GB RAM is also a nice perk to have; generally speaking, this could be the right pick for gamers who also take their productivity very seriously.
Know of another great gaming laptop that is under $1000? Let me know if the comments!