9 Best Gaming Laptops Under 1200 Dollars
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Best for hardcore gaming, get better FPS & no overheating issues. Legion 5 15 is a bang for the buck.
Top-notch display, with powerful GPU, & CPU. Acer Predator Helios 300 is a terrific gaming beast
Powerful CPU & GPU with an appealing design. Asus TUF dash is a modern-day gamer's choice.
Gaming is one of the hottest industries at this time, and we can see how hard developers are trying to offer a realistic, VR Ready gaming experience to players. This requires a powerful gaming machine that can handle high-end games easily.
The best laptop under 1200 dollars is capable of handling heavy games easily, but since there are tons of choices out there in the market, our experts came together to pick the best 1200 dollar gaming laptops, and review them for you.
We have considered various parameters to rank these laptops, such as CPU, GPU, display, and cooling technology, which is important for gamers.
So without waiting further, let’s roll in.
Best Gaming Laptops Under 1200 Dollars
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Virtual Reality Ready  | ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 14"
| 9.7 | Check Price on Amazon |
144Hz Full HD IPS  | ROG Zephyrus M Thin
| 9.5 | Check Price on Amazon |
Easy to upgrade  | Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop
| 9.1 | Check Price on Amazon |
Best for Multitasking | Lenovo Legion 5 15 Gaming Laptop
| 8.8 | Check Price on Amazon |
Best design  | Omen by HP 15-Inch Gaming Laptop
| 8.6 | Check Price on Amazon |
Featured Packed | ASUS TUF Dash 15 Ultra Slim Gaming Laptop
| 8.2 | Check Price on Amazon |
For Hardcore Gamers | Acer Predator Helios 300
| 8 | Check Price on Amazon |
Best Display  | MSI GS75 Stealth Gaming Laptop
| 7.7 | Check Price on Amazon |
Powerful CPU  | Razer Blade 15 Base Gaming Laptop
| 7.4 | Check Price on Amazon |
1. ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14
- AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS 8 Core processor
- 14″ Full HD display
- 16GB dual-channel high-bandwidth DDR4 RAM
- 1TB PCIe SSD High Read-write speed
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics
Asus stands tall when it comes to gaming laptops. The company so far has released various gaming laptops that are quite successful commercially.
The reason why Asus laptops have high demand is less price and better configuration. ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is one of its own kind, let’s have a look at this $1200 gaming laptop.
Performance
Starting with performance, which is the primary focus of gaming laptops, Zephyrus G14 has an 8 Core AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS which gives tough competition to the i7-10750H processor. You’ll be able to play all the latest games such as Cyberpunk and more.
It comes with 16 GB DDR4 RAM and NVIDIA GeForce GTX1650 that enhance the overall performance of the laptop. If you are already a gamer, you must know how important graphic card is for gaming. But this one is ideal for graphic designing, music production, and gamers of course.
Design
Asus ROG has seriously nailed it!!! The design is simple yet attractive, all credits to the sturdy design which gives it a look of a gaming laptop.
The back panel of the laptop is actually an AniMe Matrix LED display which takes customization of the laptop to a whole new level.
The chassis of Zephyrus 14 is made up of magnesium alloy while the bezels around the screens are of plastic, which is quite usual.
Display
The display is 14 inches, which makes the laptop a bit smaller than the usual laptops, thus promoting portability.
The resolution is 1920 x 1080 and the refresh rate is 120hz, which is best for gaming laptops, making them faster.
Zephyrus 14’s panel exhibits 117% of the sRGB color gamut with 323 nits brightness superior to that of Dell G17 and Razorblade 15.
Storage & Battery backup
The laptop comes with a storage of 1TB SSD, which is comparatively better than a traditional HDD storage type. Moving forward to the battery life, the laptop can run for more than 10 hours, for web surfing, watching movies, and normal office work at a lower brightness.
Usually, gaming laptops do not tend to have such a vast battery life even for normal usage, but Zephyrus stunned us here.
- Great performance
- Portable and long battery life
- Great display and audio
- No webcam
2. ASUS ROG Zephyrus M Thin
- Display: 15.6″ Fhd 1920×1080 16: 9 144Hz
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti 6GB GDDR6
- Processor: Intel Core i7-9750h 2.6GHz (Turbo up to 4.5GHz)
- Ram: 16GB DDR4 | Hard Drive: 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD
- Warranty: 1-year Asus USA + Global warranty Parts & Labor
Another amazing creation of Asus is the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M Thin which is almost a similar version of the one which we reviewed above, but there are some differences. As the name suggests, this laptop is best for portability.
Performance
Let’s start with performance, as it matters the most when it comes to gaming laptops. The laptop has a dedicated GPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q GPU with 8GB of VRAM which is super amazing for playing games on high settings.
Furthermore, it has an Intel Core i7-9750H, a Hexa core processor which offers an improvised clock speed and better L3 cache rate.
The dual-channel memory stick is 16GB DDR4 RAM and is easily upgradeable, however, the 16GB stick is more than enough if you aren’t a heavy multitasker.
Lastly, the 1TB PCIe SSD will help you to load programs, copy-paste files, and store important data efficiently and quickly.
Design
The laptop is beautifully crafted by the product designers at Asus. Unlike the Zephyrus 14, this one does not come with a LED back panel. The chassis is made up of metal, while the rest of the laptop is made up of good quality plastic that won’t break off easily unless you play WrestleMania with your laptop every Sunday :p.
Display
Moving on to the display, it has 15 6” Full HD (1920×1080) IPS Type Pantone Validated Display which has a refresh rate of 144hz and 3ms response time. The display emits vivid colors, making the laptop ideal for graphic designers as well as gamers.
Battery backup
Expecting a better battery life from a laptop is like waiting for a ship at the bus stop. Gaming laptops are infamous for poor battery life, and we advise you to always play games while charging the laptop.
Playing games directly on the battery will ultimately decrease battery health. The laptop offers a battery life of up to 4 to 5 hours of normal usage.
- Powerful GPU
- Thin and portable
- Dual-Channel RAM
- Heating issues
- A little expensive
3. Acer Nitro 5
- i7-9750H 6-Core Processor (Up to 4.5 GHz)
- 15.6″ Full HD Widescreen IPS LED-backlit display
- 144-hertz refresh rate
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Graphics with 6 GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM
- 16GB DDR4 Memory
- 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD
Acer is one of the best-selling laptop brands that provide excellent specifications in a limited budget. The company is famous for the affordable laptop segment, but that doesn’t mean we will underestimate its gaming laptop segment.
Performance
Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop is a best-selling budget gaming laptop under $1200. Under the hood, it has an Intel Core i7-9750H 9th gen processor with 6 cores with a clock speed of 4.5 GHz, and 12MB of cache.
Moving on to the processor which is essential for gaming, Acer Nitro 5 didn’t disappoint us and has integrated a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GPU with 6 GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM which is solid for gaming on ultra graphics quality.
On the other hand, it has 16GB DDR4 RAM, which allows you to multitask and play games without frame drops.
One major drawback of this laptop is the storage. Nitro 5 comes with only 256GB of SSD storage which is not even enough to install even 2 games properly.
You’ll have to purchase an external HDD drive or SSD storage if you plan to extend your game collection on this laptop.
Design
There’s no wow factor in the Acer Nitro 5’s design. The budget gaming laptop is made of plastic but gives the laptop a gaming laptop feel. Nitro 5’s hinges are strong even though it is made up of plastic, and the backlit keyboard is perfectly sized for a better typing experience.
Display
The laptop is available in two screen sizes, 15.6 inches, and 17.3 inches, most gamers prefer a bigger screen size, but the price difference of the sizes is quite a lot. Here we are talking about the 15.6-inch variant, which is a Full HD Widescreen IPS LED-backlit display with a 144Hz refresh rate.
Battery backup
Once again I would say, expecting a better battery backup from the laptop is not a good idea. However, Nitro 5 doesn’t disappoint here and provides a battery backup of 4 to 5 hours maximum on power-saving mode. I have tested this laptop for 1 month, and couldn’t play games for more than 2 hours on battery, but normal browsing, movies, and office work can be done for more than 4 hours as aforementioned.
- High-quality display
- Powerful CPU and GPU
- Good battery
- Mediocre speakers
- Insufficient storage
4. Lenovo Legion 5 15 Gaming Laptop
- AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor
- 16GB DDR4 RAM, and 512GB NVMe SSD storage
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti
- The 15.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS display
- Legion TrueStrike keyboard with 4-zone RGB backlight
Lenovo is known for its top-notch gaming laptops. The company has gained immense popularity for its gaming laptop, one of them being Lenovo Legion 5 15 which is one of the best gaming laptops under $1200 enhancing portability and providing the best gaming experience to all types of gamers.
Performance
Taking off with its processor, MSI GF75 thin has the AMD Ryzen 7 5800H Processor. The laptop has a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050Ti graphics card, sufficient for enhancing your overall gaming experience.
GF75 has 16GB RAM DDR4 2666MHz, which is upgradeable up to 64 GB, and a storage of 512GB NVMe SSD storage which is also upgradeable. You can do multitask, play games like Forza horizon, Fortnite, PUBG PC, Valorant, without frame drops or any glitches.
Design
The designers have done really impressive work by giving a strong and unbreakable look to this laptop. The hinge looks really strong, and so does the chassis, which is made of aluminum, adding a lot to its build quality.
Display
Thin bezels and a Full HD screen of 1920×1080 produce a vivid picture and make it look amazing from all angles. The display is crisp and clear, making Lenovo Legion 5 an ideal laptop for photoshop as well.
Battery backup
This 1200 dollar gaming laptop offers a battery life of nearly 5 hours and less than that while gaming. However, you can adjust the battery settings for longer battery life, and make sure you are connected to the charger while gaming.
Overall, this budget gaming laptop has everything you will need to play games on high-quality graphics.
- Per key RGB light by SteelSeries
- Accurate color representation
- Super responsive 144Hz display
- Powerful GPU
- The cooling system is not satisfactory
- Mediocre battery life
5. Omen by HP 15-Inch Gaming Laptop
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (6 GB GDDR5 dedicated)
- 15.6-Inch IPS Anti-Glare WLED-backlit Display
- i7-9750h Processor, 6-Core
- 8 GB DDR4-2666 SDRAM
- 256 GB M.2 Solid State Drive
- Battery life: up to 6 hours and 15 minutes
If you want superior gaming performance at a pocket-friendly price, then this laptop is for you. After all, HP is known for making budget gaming laptops without making many compromises.
Performance
The laptop is powered by an Intel i7 9th generation processor paired with 8GB of RAM. You get GTX1660Ti with 6GB VRAM to handle all the graphics demanding games. As for storage, you get 256GB of SSD, which is less in terms of size. You get Windows 10 Home pre-installed.
The Omen command center allows you to boost your CPU performance and boost your gaming experience easily. You can play Fortnight, PUBG, and Overwatch, and more games without any quality issues.
Design
The overall body is made of plastic, and the metal lid has a matte finish. The keyboard is backlit; thus, you can work and play games at night as well. The words “OMEN” are written on the hinge.
The overall 0.8” thick laptop falls on the heavier side with 5.4 pounds. An interesting feature is that you get VR support on this laptop. So, get ready to dive deep into the newest VR games.
Display
The laptop has 15.6-Inch diagonal FHD IPS Anti-Glare micro-edge WLED-backlit Display (1920 x 1080) with amazing viewing angles.
Battery backup
The laptop offers a battery backup of fewer than 5 hours, which is quite normal for gaming laptops. Overall, the laptop is pretty decent with amazing configuration, thus making it an ideal choice in gaming laptops under 2000 dollars.
- Overall gaming performance
- Affordable
- Speedy SSD
- Battery life not satisfactory
- Mushy keyboard
- Issues while connecting to 5Ghz WiFi
6. Dell G5 15 Gaming Laptop
Features
- Intel Core i7-9750H
- 256GB SSD and 1TB SATA
- 16 GB RAM
Dell is a reputed brand when it comes to laptops and accessories. Its subsidiary Alienware is best known for its gaming laptops, but Dell too has some high-end gaming rigs that will blow away your mind.
Performance
With its powerful hardware and amazing screen, Dell G5 overshadows its competitors easily. The robust plastic chassis contains an Intel Core i7 9th generation paired with 16GB of RAM. As for GPU, you get NVIDIA GTX 1650 with 4GB VRAM.
This product gives you lots of space to store your games and other files. This variant comes with 256GB of SSD and 1 TB of HDD. You will get Windows 10 pre-installed when you buy this product.
Display & Design
Even though the laptop comes at a pocket-friendly price, no compromise has been made on the screen. The 15.6” 1080p screen is colorful and bright and prevents any screen tearing while playing games.
Weighing 5.5 pounds, the overall body is 0.9 inches thick. This falls on the heavier side, but it is justified because of the hardware it packs.
Battery
The laptop does not have promising battery life. We recorded a battery backup of just 3.5 hours after a full charge.
- Great CPU performance
- Great battery life
- Chunky design
- Sharp speakers
7. Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop
Features
- RTX 2060 6GB
- 16GB Dual-Channel DDR4
- 512GB NVMe SSD
This is one of the top metal-clad gaming laptops without any serious limitations. This is one of the best gaming frame rates and has improved battery backup than its predecessors. This is one of the most outstanding choices for a portable gaming PC.
Performance
With its GEFORCE RTX 2060 6GB VRAM and i7 9th generation with 16GB RAM, there is no game till now that cannot be played on this laptop in High-Ultra graphics. The 144Hz display allows the GPU to deliver to you the best performance it can give. As for storage, this device comes with 512GB SSD; thus, you will face zero stutters while loading textures.
Design
All of its features are packed in an aluminum chassis. The overall design is sturdy, but the front and rear corners are sharp. The logo on the lid is backlit, giving amazing gaming vibes. The overall design is clean and has all the necessary I/O ports.
The laptop has a well-placed RGB backlit keyboard, which is very comfortable during fast-paced gaming. The lighting on the keyboard can be customized using PredatorSense.
Display
The 1080p 15.6-inch screen has a refresh rate of 144Hz and with an input lag of only 3ms. It is a great combo to get the edge in competitive gaming. The screen delivers smooth visuals even outside gaming.
Battery
The battery backup while gaming is approximately 2.5 hrs, but normal usage can extend the battery life to up to 5 hours. Overall, Acer has done a really good job on this gaming laptop.
- Excellent gaming performance
- 144Hz screen
- Huge storage expansion opportunities
- Clean design compared to its predecessors.
- Chassis can get hot under load
- Sharp corners
8. MSI GL65 Leopard 10SFK-062
Features
- Intel Core i7-10750H
- RTX2070 Graphics
- 512GB NVMe SSD
Another worthy laptop from MSI on our list of best gaming laptops under $1200, a company that is highly reputed for making dedicated gaming laptops.
Performance
Equipped with Intel Core i7 10th generation processor and 16GB RAM backed by NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2070 GPU with 8 GB VRAM, this is the ultimate gaming beast that you can carry anywhere.
It comes with 16GB DDR4 RAM which enhances the overall multitasking experience.
Design and Build
All the features are packed inside a plastic yet robust and premium-looking chassis. The lid is made of aluminum.
This variant is inclined towards the thicker laptops with a weight of 2.30 kg and 27.5 mm thick. The keyboard has two different lighting modes.
One is constantly red, and the other is RGB. The touchpad is big and smooth and has dedicated left and right-click buttons.
Display
MSI Leopard has a 15.6-inch 144Hz Full HD panel, providing the best gaming experience that its equipped GPU can provide. The screen has a resolution of 1920x1080p with an aspect ratio of 16:9. The bezels are very thin, providing a sleek modern look.
Battery
The battery life of the laptop is not as good as the specifications. However, while using the laptop for lighter tasks, you can dim the screen and disable the CPU boost. Most probably you will only get a battery backup of 4 hours.
- Per key RGB light by SteelSeries
- Accurate color representation
- Super responsive 144Hz display
- Powerful GPU Under Budget
- The cooling system is not satisfactory
- Mediocre battery life
9. Razer Blade 15 Base Gaming Laptop
Features
- RTX 2060
- 144Hz refresh rate
- 16GB RAM
- Chroma RGB Lighting
Razer has always been famous for producing top-notch gaming equipment. This laptop, being on the expensive side, can dominate any PC game released to date. The overall build is highly stylish. So, if you want a luxurious gaming laptop, then this is the right product for you.
Razer has lived up to its reputation by packing some of the most powerful mobile hardware in an extremely elegant design. It contains the best Intel Comet Lake H processors and RTX GPUs.
The model we are talking about is equipped with a Hexa-core i7 10th generation CPU backed by RTX 2060. This can handle all sorts of gaming and graphical tasks with zero difficulties. As for storage, this variant comes with a 512GB SSD. With this hardware, it can dominate any AAA titled game.
All of this is packed in an aluminum chassis with excellent heat dispersion and a premium finish. Even with all of the heavy hardware, the device is only 0.78” thin, and there is no compromise in the ports.
- Superior performance
- Great design
- Top-mounted speakers
- Expensive
- Battery life not satisfactory
What Should You Consider Before Buying Gaming Laptop Under $1200?
RAM
A greater amount of RAM will mean better performance and faster loading of software. Greater RAM storage is a good friend of every genre of gaming. The best gaming laptops under 1200 dollars mostly come with 16GB of RAM installed in them. Most laptops have a maximum upgrade capacity of 32GB.
Storage
Storage is an important factor in tasks like gaming and editing purposes due to its large size. Modern-day laptops offer larger size hard disks (HDD) or a relatively smaller but extremely high transfer speed compared to HDDs, namely, solid-state drives (SSD) or a combination of both.
If you want greater storage but do not want to put pressure on your wallet, go for the HDD-only variants. If you want high transfer speed and faster loading of software and have no need for large storage capacity, you can go for SSD-only variants.
If you have money to spare, you can go for the HDD+SSD variants, which will give you both storage capacity and speed.
CPU
CPU is what makes the computer run. You can get Intel i7 9th or 10th generation or AMD Ryzen variants in laptops under 1200 dollars in the new generation of laptops.
GPU
GPUs are required for graphics-related purposes like gaming and graphical rendering. Modern-day laptops under 1200 dollars are equipped with powerful GPUs like NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 or GEFORCE GTX1660Ti, RTX 20-series, and other variants.
Display
A good display is required even on laptops. It will help if you look for screens that you can use for prolonged hours without straining your eyes or give you FPS that you desire. Modern-day laptops come with good quality anti-glare screens.
In general, laptop screens have a refresh rate of 60 Hz. But if you have some money to spare, you can go for 120Hz variants, which can be beneficial for gaming purposes.
Battery life
The primary advantage of a laptop is its portability. You cannot find an electrical socket everywhere to plug in your PC; thus, you will need to rely on battery backup.
New generation laptops are designed to deliver both performance and battery life. There are efficient power-saving modes that can increase your battery life, but it also gives you the option to prioritize performance over battery life.
Verdict
One thing you need to keep in mind is that if you compare your laptop to a desktop with similar specs, you will see that the desktop performs a bit better.
Don’t think that your laptop is faulty. To make these laptops more portable, manufacturers have to reduce the size of the components like CPUs and GPUs to make them fit in the chassis. Also, the cooling fans are relatively smaller and less powerful than those of a desktop.
For this, the performance between a desktop and a laptop with the exact same specs differs by about 5 to 15%. You will always have the option to overclock your laptop to reduce the difference. But this is not recommended as over-exerting an overclocked laptop will definitely damage it.
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By Sam Rhodes
Hi, I’m Sam Rhodes, a passionate tech reviewer, and gamer. I started Geekyslug with the motive of sharing my knowledge about tech gadgets like gaming laptops, tablets, graphic cards, keyboards, and whatnot.
I also share troubleshooting guides, helping people resolve issues with their gadgets. When I’m not writing, I prefer playing Valorant, Call of duty, GTA5 or outdoor activities like skateboarding and off-roading on my bike.
