Gaming laptops run on a different operating system than normal laptops, and often use more powerful hardware. You can find a gaming laptop with modern components capable of playing today’s games for under $1,000, especially when they are on sale.
A good gaming laptop includes gaming-focused necessities and luxury features to improve the overall gaming experience. For example, gaming laptops typically feature displays with variable refresh rate (VRR) technology to minimize stuttering and screen tearing.
1. Acer Nitro V 16 AI
Powered by AMD’s new Ryzen AI processor, the Acer Nitro V 16 AI is a gateway to boundless creativity and gaming precision. Its dual-fan cooling system optimizes power, speed and thermals to provide a consistent experience.
Immerse yourself in a vibrant display with stunning colors and deep contrast. The 165Hz refresh rate delivers ultra-smooth gameplay and tear-free video streaming.
Featuring NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 graphics, this laptop provides the performance you need for demanding games and applications. Experience the game-changing realism of ray tracing and enjoy DLSS 4, which delivers superior frame rates and image quality.
The Nitro V 16 AI is a powerful laptop that offers great performance at an affordable price. Its dual-fan cooling system keeps the temperature low while maintaining stability even in heavy gaming sessions. The system has plenty of RAM and a fast SSD for efficient multitasking.
Acer’s NitroSense software lets you customize your experience and manage system health. You can control fan speeds and optimize the system for different tasks with just one click. It also includes a NitroSense key that gives you instant access to the system dashboard, where you can monitor and adjust performance.
The Nitro V 16 AI comes with a 135-watt power adapter, which is a low wattage by gaming laptop standards. This can cause the battery to drain quickly when playing a CPU-heavy game like Cyberpunk 2077. However, the laptop still performs well in lighter games, such as Rocket League or Fortnite. Moreover, the screen is a nice size for esports viewing. Nevertheless, I’d like to see Acer provide a higher-wattage power adapter and disable Turbo mode to improve overall performance. The laptop is also a bit on the bulky side for its thin-and-light design.
2. Acer Predator Triton 14 AI
If you’re looking for a thin gaming laptop that can handle the latest games, content creation, and AI models, then the Acer Predator Triton 14 AI is worth checking out. This compact rig features a high-performance Intel i5 CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, and a gorgeous OLED screen. It also has plenty of bells and whistles, including a sleek, seamless haptic trackpad, RGB keyboard keys, and a Predator logo on both the cover and deck of the laptop.
But the Triton 14’s best selling point is its battery life. Its slim, compact design and second-gen Lunar Lake processor allow it to get a solid few hours of unplugged gameplay. It can even go a little further with Nvidia’s Battery Boost technology, which helps it stay stable when running on battery power and switch to optimized settings.
The Triton 14’s battery life is also thanks to its dual-fan vapour chamber cooling system, which uses a graphene thermal paste. It’s a small feature, but it makes a difference. It does a great job of keeping the chip cool, although the heat is still felt if you’re typing or playing games for long periods.
The only drawback to this laptop is its price. At more than $800, it’s one of the most expensive options on this list. But it’s worth checking out if you need something that can be used for both gaming and content creation, or if you want to take your PC on the road with you. If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option, consider the HP Omen Transcend 14, which pairs a Core i5 with an RTX 5070, or the Asus Zephyrus G14, which packs an RTX 5070 in a much smaller package.
3. Acer Nitro 5
Acer has cleaned up the Nitro 5 design over the years, updated the thermal module and keyboard, and packed in some surprisingly powerful hardware. This 2021 version can be specced up to an Intel i7-8750H processor, an Nvidia RTX 3080 Laptop dGPU and the AMD Vega iGPU, and offers multiple screen options.
The i7-8750H performs well in gaming, maintaining CPU clock speeds above the specified 3.4GHz limit and staying under 80 degrees Celsius in games like Far Cry and PUBG. The RTX 2060 in the Nitro 5 has also been impressive, keeping frame rates high and staying under 90 degrees Celsius.
The Nitro 5 has a relatively small 58 Wh battery, but it keeps the CPU and GPU cool and quiet with its default Power Saver profile. If you want to crank up the performance, there’s a high-performance setting in the BIOS that limits both cores to around 4GHz and boosts the GPU to about 1650 MHz.
There’s a fair selection of ports on the sides and back, including two USB-C, a power port, an HDMI and an SD card reader. There aren’t any card readers or USB-C data support on the right side, though, and the laptop is heavy at 5.7 pounds, bringing the total weight up to 9.4 pounds with the power brick.
Its plastic build isn’t the sturdiest or lightest, but it feels solid and has minimal flex and creaks when you pick it up. The display is a bit dim and not colour accurate, but it’s a better choice than the dull 250-nit panels on most budget gaming laptops. You’ll also get a good amount of bloatware, but the Nitro Sense utility makes it easy to remove these programs.
4. Lenovo LOQ
Lenovo’s LOQ line of laptops is designed to bring gamers top-tier specifications at a price that fits their budget. They include a full suite of gaming software to ensure players get the most out of their PCs. This includes Lenovo’s Legion Arena app, which allows users to organize their gaming library in a single place and access all of their games quickly. It also features an AI performance tuning tool and a real-time GPU performance dashboard. Other features of the Lenovo LOQ include Nahimic by SteelSeries, which provides crystal-clear audio for multiplayer gameplay.
The LOQ series comes with an Intel Core processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics cards. These are ideal for gamers who want to play the latest titles at a high framerate. The LOQ 16 series includes a high-quality display with a refresh rate of up to 165Hz and up to 32GB of memory. This is enough to handle even the most demanding games.
For added convenience, a 3.5″ HDD is included with the LOQ 15IRH8 and a 2.5Ghz ethernet port for easy connectivity to your gaming network. There’s also plenty of room for expansion, with up to 32GB of DDR5 RAM and 1TB of M.2 SSD storage for all of your game files.
Lenovo’s LA AI Chip powers the LOQ’s gaming-optimized BIOS, which automatically tunes wattage and thermal performance for smoother gameplay. Scenario detection and automatic settings adjustment keep your gaming experience optimized at all times, so you can focus on playing and learning. This system is the perfect choice for casual or professional gamers looking for a reliable, affordable, and portable gaming solution. All LOQ laptops come with Windows 11 and 3 months of PC Game Pass Ultimate, including EA Play, to give you the best value in PC gaming.
5. Asus Zenbook UX331UA
The Zenbook UX331UA is an ultrathin Windows 10 Pro laptop with serious processing power and class-leading graphics performance. Its 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processor can be boosted to 4.6GHz with 16GB RAM and a high-performance NVIDIA GeForce MX150 discrete graphics chip. It can also pack in up to a 1TB PCIe SSD for blazingly fast storage. This is enough to handle the demands of creating mega-sized office documents, editing HD video and photos, or playing the latest high-definition games. And it can do all of this without making your lap too hot, which is a big deal because these thin machines are designed to be used on the go.
Its screen is a highlight, with an IPS panel that provides a crisp and colorful image even when viewed from extreme angles. And it has an anti-glare coating to keep your eyes from getting fatigued while working from the couch or on an airplane seat. The price usually comes in at around $650 or less, which is a good bargain for this kind of high-performance hardware. And it has enough horsepower for cloud gaming with Xbox Game Pass or Nvidia’s GeForce Now.
Its 50Wh lithium-polymer battery lasts about 14 hours on average when using light tasks, and it recharges in just 49 minutes. It’s a great option for productivity mavens who want to leave their AC adapters at home. But it won’t win any speed records when doing CPU-intensive work, like video encoding or photo manipulation. Its integrated graphics will not be able to keep up with laptops with discrete cards, either. But that shouldn’t be a problem for most users. Asus’s elegant and stylish Zenbook is a legit contender in the Ultrabook space, and it’s priced well below both the XPS 13 and MacBook Air.
