7 Best Gaming Laptops Under $2000 in 2023

Are you looking for the best gaming laptops under $2000 that offer powerful performance and great specs as gaming desktops?

There are many crucial factors to keep in mind, such as the processor, GPU, cooling system, display, keyboard travel distance, and price, of course.

$2000 is a decent budget for a gaming laptop, but the selection is still vast. That’s why we put together this super-comprehensive guide. Here, we will help you pick the top gaming laptop that will fulfill all your gaming requirements.

Additionally, before the top options, we’ll also discuss the main things you need to know before buying a gaming laptop.

So, let’s begin.

Minimum & Recommended System Requirements

While $2000 won’t get you the best possible gaming laptop, it sure is enough to get you a machine with sweet specs. However, at this price range, you may need to make some compromises. That’s why it is crucial to understand the minimum and recommended system requirements a gaming laptop in the price range should have in order to run the latest AAA games properly. 

Let’s take a look.

Watch our Video Review of the Top Selections Under $2,000 on YouTube

Top 7 Gaming Laptops Under $2000

1. Best Overall: ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14

• CPU: 3.3 GHz AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS
• RAM: ‎24 GB DDR5
• Storage: 2TB SSD
• Display: 14-inch QHD (2560 x 1600)
• GPU: 8GB ‎AMD Radeon RX 6800S
• Battery: 10-11 hours

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You probably guessed this one — ROG Zephyrus has been among the best gaming laptops under $2000 for years now. The latest Zephyrus G14 shows a huge overhaul and is now faster, looks better, and lasts longer.

One of the latest Ryzen 9 processors and a top-notch Radeon RX GPU have launched Zephyrus into the very top of the gaming stratosphere. The laptop is consistently taken as a measure against which other gaming laptops rank for their AAA performance — which says a lot.

What does that mean for you? Well, a breezy, lag-free performance with the latest titles, for one thing.

But no gaming is complete without the visuals, right? 14” WQXGA display looks more like it’s made for serious video editors. It’s pretty bright, crisp, vivid, and color-accurate, which most gaming laptops notoriously lack.

Fast DDR5 RAM and a whopping 2TB of SSD mean you can neatly save ALL those precious titles on your laptop — and run them in a blink of an eye.

The laptop does feel hot, especially in Performance mode. To avoid this, I’d switch to silent or eco mode. Plus, it’s great for your battery, as you can draw good 10-11 hours of juice.

Zephyrus definitely deserves its name since it weighs only 3.64 lbs.  Easily among the lightest of gaming beasts.

If you don’t mind the 14” screen, ROG Zephyrus is the way to go, as far as gaming laptops under $2000 are concerned.

2. Best Value for Money: Sager NP8875D

Sager NP8875D

• CPU: 2.2 GHz Intel i9-13900HX
• RAM: ‎64 GB DDR5
• Storage: 2TB SSD
• Display: 17.3-inch QHD (2560 x 1440)
• GPU: 8GB ‎NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060
• Battery: Up to 2-3 hours

$1,799.00

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I have a soft spot for Clevo laptops, I admit it. Sager is a relatively unknown laptop, but it brings a ton of value — and power — to all gaming enthusiasts.

This sub-$2000 gaming laptop is a fierce one, with a 13th Gen. i9 and an RTX 4060. These are the latest of the latest specs, so calling them powerful is an understatement. Sager can easily fulfill any AAA title requirements.

Don’t believe it? Check out the ridiculously high 64GB RAM, typically reserved for much more expensive gaming combos and tasks like 3D modeling and video editing. 

And if that weren’t enough, the machine sports a 17.3” display with a 240Hz refresh rate. Crazy.

In real-life terms, this translates into a serious gaming machine for Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077, eSports, and other titles. Not only will it run them flawlessly, but you also get a crisp and bright viewing experience.

Of course, no laptop is perfect. Sager, like most gaming laptops, is on the heavier side, but 6.13 lbs might feel a little too heavy for some.

Moreover, similarly to ROG Zephyrus, Sager occasionally gets too hot, so a cooling pad is a must.

However, if you appreciate the clean design, large display and mostly play games in your dorm room or at home, then Sager might be worth considering. It brings tons of value for a gaming laptop in this price range.

3. Best Performance: ASUS ROG Strix

ASUS ROG Strix

• CPU: 2.2 GHz Intel Core i9-13980HX
• RAM: ‎16 GB DDR5
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Display: 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)
• GPU: 8GB ‎NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070
• Battery: Up to 4-5 hours

$1,699.99

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ASUS is in no way sponsoring this blog — but not mentioning the ROG Strix in gaming laptops under $2000 would just be inexcusable. This ASUS’ brainchild is a remarkable, innovative, and reliable machine that gamers adore.

Powered by a 13th Gen. i9 — similar to Sager — and a more advanced RTX 4070, it’s a dream come true for gamers loyal to Intel and NVIDIA. In terms of performance, this is as good as it gets, and the beast will fly through fps and demanding rendering.

Plus, the whole machine just looks fun, and what I’d imagine a typical gaming laptop would look like. You’ve got RGB-lit keyboard, RGB strip at the bottom, sleek black chassis, and a prominent ASUS logo on the lid. Gamer.

The laptop strikes a pretty good balance between the display and portability. Games look amazing on the 16” panel with a 165Hz refresh rate, but the ASUS kept the weight at 5.5 lbs, which is actually very reasonable for a laptop of this size.

As for the battery, it’s a standard one, at 4-5 hours. If you’d need more juice, however, and still want a relatively large display, check out Zephyrus G15.

Fans can get a little annoying during intense gaming sessions. They won’t overpower the sound, but I’d get good headphones, to be sure.

If you value performance and great visuals over everything else, Strix G16 might just be the answer. It’s a gaming laptop that will do great in most arenas.

4. Best Display: MSI Raider GE77

MSI Raider GE77

• CPU: 2 GHz Intel Core i7-12800HX
• RAM: ‎16 GB DDR5
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Display: 17.3-inch QHD (2560×1440)
• GPU: 8GB ‎NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070TI
• Battery: Up to 8 hours

$1,919.94

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Of course, the display is one of the most important things when gaming. That’s where MSI Raider GE77 steps in — with a high-quality panel, but also sturdy build and solid performance.

The star of the show is a QHD 17.3” display with a 240Hz refresh rate. That’s plenty of space to enjoy the titles — along with a high color accuracy since the panel is DCI-P3 approved. The display works great with competitive gaming, first-person shooting games, and eSports.

Under the hood, there’s a 12th Gen. i7 and an RTX 3070 Ti. They may not be the very latest gen. specs, but they are still very much relevant and reliable, and will surely last a couple of years.

MSI’s Raider is a pretty sturdy laptop. It’s on the bulky side, so the weight can be an issue if you’re taking the laptop to classes or an office. 6.6 lbs is no joke, and at times seems like too much to carry around all day.

The battery is surprising — or not, if you know MSI. Raider GE77 outperforms the likes of Razer Blade and Alienware, and can last up to 8 hours for general tasks.

Another thing I like is the cooling system. When gaming, the laptop feels very cool and comfy, besides somewhat louder fans.

Overall, if you want a gorgeous display and pretty good battery life, I’d consider MSI. It’s a sturdy machine under $2000 that has a lot to offer.

5. Best for Gaming and Office: Lenovo Legion Pro 5i

Lenovo Legion Pro 5i

• CPU: 2.2 GHz Intel Core i9-13900HX
• RAM: ‎16 GB DDR5
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Display: 16-inch QHD (‎2560 x 1600)
• GPU: 8GB ‎NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070
• Battery: Up to 2-3 hours

$1,417.89

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The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i is an absolute beast in terms of performance, and comes with a sophisticated design, for all the people that don’t want crazy gamer vibes all the time.

Legion’s signature understated design looks great in an office or a classroom, and won’t draw too much attention.

However, underneath the classy chassis lies the beast. The super-fast 13th Gen. i9 processor is supported by the amazing RTX 4070. Together they make the Legion 5 capable of running most AAA games without breaking a sweat. 

The machine also sports a hefty 1TB SSD, excellent for speedy data processing and storing games.

The Legion 5 boasts a gorgeous WQXGA 15.6” IPS display. Expect to enjoy deep colors and a high refresh rate (240Hz). I personally love playing fast-motion games on a laptop with smooth and clear images, and the Legion 5 lives up to the task. 

This model does compromise on battery life. It will run out of power within a couple of hours of gaming. So to avoid any interruptions when in the middle of a battle royale, it’s best to have the charger plugged in.

Unlike some previous Legion models, ports are now on the sides. You still get a great I/O selection for all the peripherals.

The Legion 5 is one of the best gaming laptops under $2000. For the price, you get a ridiculously good laptop that will look great anywhere.

6. Best for Students Acer Nitro 5

Acer Nitro 5

• CPU: 3.2 GHz AMD Ryzen 7 6800H
• RAM: ‎64 GB DDR5
• Storage: 2TB SSD
• Display: 15.6-inch QHD (2560 x 1440)
• GPU: 8GB ‎NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070TI
• Battery: Up to 5 hours

$1,254.99

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Acer Nitro 5 is not the cheapest laptop on this list —but it’s a very versatile machine under $2000 that will feel at ease in any class and gaming scenario.

Think of this Nitro 5 as a slightly (only slightly) less powerful Sager from the list. A newer Ryzen 7 and an RTX 3070 Ti are a pretty good deal for this price tag, and will rip those fps in Witcher 3, Fortnite, or (why not?) Elden Ring.

Plus, you get a 64GB of DDR5 RAM, so even if you’re a 3D-modeling, video-editing, CAD-tools scholar-in-the-making, you’ll do more than fine.

The design, however, might not be to everyone’s liking. The cut edges on the panel look somewhat odd. I can’t say I mind since I tend to focus on the screen itself.

Speaking of screen, 2K resolution looks very nice in the gaming arena. The panel’s got a high refresh rate and solid DCI-P3 coverage, but could have been a little brighter. It’s not the worst thing, by no means, but just know that a Zephyrus or Alienware would work much better outdoors.

Based on our firsthand experience, a solid battery life of roughly 5 hours rounds up the new iteration of Acer Nitro 5. From a budget gaming laptop, it seems that Acer has developed a strong, mid-range laptop for gaming that’s well under $2000.

Recommended reading: Our Guide to Finding the Perfect Laptop Balancing Performance and Portability for School.

Gaming with style > Watch our Acer Nitro 5 Review

This YouTube review was created by the Not Just Laptops team. The specs may slightly differ from the laptop in the article.

7. Best Budget Option: Alienware M15 R6

Alienware M15 R6

• CPU: 2.3 GHz Intel Core i7-11800H
• RAM: ‎32 GB DDR5
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Display: 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)
• GPU: 8GB ‎NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
• Battery: Up to 4 hours

$1,037.86

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Had someone told me I’d consider an Alienware a budget gaming laptop for under $2000, I’d probably flip. Yet here we are — Alienware M15 is the affordable one, with its unique design and the fastest display on this list. 

Let’s unpack the performance first — an 11th Gen. i7 and an RTX 3070 are probably the main reason why this is the “budget” option. But don’t let that fool you — these bad boys are still very relevant specs and will give some nice fps. However, they work best for casual gamers who enjoy AAA titles.

On the other hand, Alienware doesn’t joke with the display: a whopping 360Hz refresh rate gives that competitive edge in shooting games, eSports, and WoW raids.

Plus, M15 R6 comes with a very useful 32GB for all the people dealing with RAM-intensive tasks, such as compiling data, virtual tasks and 3D modeling.

In the gaming laptops market, Alienware’s got one of the best, albeit unique, designs. Its cooling is spot-on, and the machine feels quite sturdy. The only thing hurting this impression is the plastic touchpad, which could have been firmer.

Overall, however, Alienware M15 R6 is a serious productivity machine, and one of the best choices for a gaming laptop under $2000 if you want to save a few hundred dollars.

Things You Need to KnowBefore Buying a Gaming Laptop

Maybe you’re not 100% sure about what specs to look for in a gaming laptop. The features listed below give a snapshot of what you’ll need before spending $2000 on a gaming laptop in 2023.

1. Look for a High-Performance Processor

A high-performance processor with overclocking features lends you the efficiency and speed that is required to facilitate gaming.

So, if you want to play modern AAA games comfortably under $2000, you should go for the powerful Intel Core i7 (or an AMD Ryzen 7) processor with at least 6 cores. While 4 cores are also acceptable, they aren’t a future-proof solution. 

If the budget restricts you, go with a Core i5.

2. GPU Power is Crucial for Gaming

Your entire gaming experience depends upon your GPU’s capability to meet the game’s requirements. Nowadays, most regular laptops come with integrated Intel graphics cards, which are not ideal for gaming. You need to have a dedicated graphics card that is capable enough to power itself.

NVIDIA makes some of the best GPUs in the world. Currently, the best gaming laptops under $2000 feature the NVIDIA RTX Series GPUs ranging from RTX 3060 to 4070.

The RTX 4090 is currently the most powerful GPU you can find in a laptop, but the price on those machines is way higher, and they are overkill for most users. 

3. Get Enough RAM and Internal Storage

In addition to a powerful CPU/GPU combo, you should also ensure that the gaming laptop is equipped with at least 16GB of RAM. Anything less than 16GB might affect the gameplay.

Coming to storage, the gaming laptops in this price range should at least have 1TB SSD storage. That’s because it will help you access the game files on your computer faster.

4. A High-Quality Display Makes All the Difference

You could have all the high-powered processing components in the world but won’t be able to enjoy them if you don’t have a proper display panel. 

At this price, the very minimum you should get is an FHD display with a 1920×1080 resolution. Apart from this, IPS is the standard display, and anything less than that is not recommended. 

Nowadays, competitive gaming is about being the quickest to notice minute yet essential details on the screen. For this reason, the importance of the refresh rate is shooting up rapidly.

You should at least get a 120Hz refresh rate for this budget which will be sufficient for a smooth gaming experience. However, the refresh rate of around 165Hz is the sweet spot for competitive gaming.

Besides resolution and refresh rate, another important thing to consider is color accuracy, especially if you also want to edit photos or videos. Just beware that some high-refresh-rate screens have low color accuracy. 

5. Get a Laptop With a Proper Cooling System

Powerful hardware generates significant heat during gameplay. So, a reliable cooling system is critical to get sustainable performance from a gaming laptop.

While most gaming manufacturers advertise their laptops to have the next Gen cooling system, it is a good idea to check the user reviews before trusting them.

6. Consider Battery Life and Portability

Even though the batteries of gaming laptops are usually large, don’t get your hopes up when it comes to battery life. As a result of the robust hardware these beasts feature, it becomes challenging for the battery to last more than 4 to 6 hours (even less for gaming). There are, though, some properly optimized laptops that deliver exceptional battery life (up to 10 hours) with basic day-to-day activities — for example, ASUS ROG Zephyrus.

As for portability, gaming laptops are known to be large and heavy (5-8 lbs). So they may not be the best travel companions, but if you cherish a smooth gaming experience above all else, compromising on portability is to be expected. However, some of the best gaming laptops are both light and portable, and don’t fall behind with performance.

7. Don’t Forget About the Keyboard

In the range of $2000, you can find some outstanding RGB keyboards made for intensive gaming with backlighting on all keys. 

Moreover, you should also check whether the key-travel distance is comfortable for you or not, as some gamers prefer a shorter distance – it takes less work to actuate the keys. On the flip side, some prefer a considerable distance because it makes the keystrokes more precise.

Gauge what’s best for you and then make your selection – we’ve got all varieties on our list.

8. Connectivity Options

Last but not least, a good gaming laptop in the price range should also have a wide selection of connectivity ports. Here is an example of what to look for:

• HDMI port – if you want to plug your laptop into a larger 4K/8K monitor and reap the benefits of the powerful hardware, it should have an HDMI 2.1. 
• Wi-Fi and Ethernet support – sure, any laptop these days supports Wi-Fi, but for faster and more stable wireless connectivity, look for something with Wi-Fi 6. However, nothing beats the good old wired connection, especially for multiplayer online gaming. 
• USB and Thunderbolt ports – having USB ports is also super important since they can be used for lots of things, like gaming controllers, keyboards, and even data transfers. However, try to get your hands on a laptop that supports Thunderbolt connectivity since they can do the same things, only much faster. 

FAQs about Gaming Laptops Under $2000

Before we conclude, let’s check out some frequently asked questions about gaming laptops.

Verdict

So what’s the best gaming laptop for under $2000? It is totally up to you to decide since there is no one-size-fits-all. All gaming laptops from our list offer specifications and functions of their own, and obviously, you’ll have to make compromises here and there.

But if you’re asking for our unbiased and honest opinion, here is what we think:

• Out of all the options, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is our overall champion due to its amazing specs, exceptional battery life, and build quality. 
• If you are looking for something budget-friendly, we suggest the Alienware M15 R6.
• Finally, if you’re shooting for the best possible performance for the price range, we recommend the ASUS ROG Strix.

Of course, everything depends a lot on the games you’re playing. Titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Red Dead Redemption and Hogwarts’ Legacy, for example, require a much more high-powered setup than laptops for League of Legends.

Consider checking out our top picks of Gaming Laptops under $1500 if you have a budget of $1500 or less.

Still need to ask something about a particular gaming laptop? Leave a comment below, and someone from our team will respond promptly.