Want the absolute best gaming hardware but prefer the portability of a laptop over a bulky desktop tower setup? Let’s take a look at the best gaming laptops under $2000 below.
With the best gaming laptops currently available, you should expect top-tier specs on everything from RAM to the graphics card and even the display screen.
While all of these models can tear through any RTS, FPS, or RPG you care to install without skipping a beat, they can vary considerably in other areas.
Do you want the full 17” display to get an experience on par with the traditional desktop gaming setup? Are you more interested in something sleek and lightweight that isn’t a burden to carry long distances?
Do you want something that runs cooler when sitting on your lap, or do you need ports on specific sides of the machine for using an external mouse? All these features and more can make a big impact on your decision between the eight machines listed below.
Keep in mind that top-of-the-line gaming laptops also have the chops to be used in many other settings. Programs that absolutely devour processor and memory usage, like high end video and audio editing tools, will be no problem with these eight picks.
Quick recommendations for March 2023
- MSI GP73 Leopard-209 – Top 17” Choice
- Omen By HP – Top 15” Choice
- Acer Predator Helios 500 – Desktop Replacement
- CUK ROG Strix Scar II GL504GS – VR Ready
- MSI GS65 Stealth Thin-051 – Best Thin And Light
- Acer Predator Triton 500 – Ultraportable With RTX
- ASUS ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
- Eluktronics MECH-15 G2R
- ASUS ROG Zephyrus S – Ultra Slim
- Razer Blade 15 – Most Compact
Best Gaming Laptops Under $2000 In 2023
MSI GP73 Leopard-209 – Top 17” Gaming Pick
Want a VR-ready, top-shelf laptop with a full 17” screen but don’t want to break your bank account? For well under $2000 you should make the MSI Leopard your top choice.
- Light for a 17” model
- Low price for high specs
- Motherboard maxes out at 32GB of RAM if you upgrade
- Smaller SSD
Key features & details
Power At A Reasonable Price
You can frequently find this model on sale in the $1550 – $1700 range, and it’s worth every penny.
With this combination of blazing fast CPU, high end graphics card, and mid-range RAM, you won’t come across any games you can’t play on max settings.
If you’re interested in giving VR a go, you’re covered there as well!
The best part?
This is a full size 17” laptop that’s under 6 pounds. It may not quite be an ultrathin, but it still offers a ton of crisp display space without getting overly heavy.
Hardware specifications for MSI GP73 Leopard-209 Processor: Intel Core i7-8750H (2.2 – 4.1GHz) RAM 16GB DDR4 Storage 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD Graphics GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB) Display 17.3″ Full HD eDP Non Reflection Display, 1920×1080 pixels resolution Operating System Windows 10 Home Battery Life 4 hours Weight 5.95 lbs Other Features RGB keyboard
Omen By HP – Top 15” Choice
Looking for a standard sized laptop but still want all the extra gamer bells and whistles? The HP Omen is easily the best 15” gaming laptop out there right now.
- More RAM than other models
- Loads of storage space for your full gaming library
- Max-Q video card has slightly reduced performance
- Limited RGB keyboard options
Key features & details
High Performance Gaming
When you prefer a 15” sized laptop, look no further than HP’s flagship gaming model: the Omen!
With a sleek robotic design, a top-tier CPU, and an absolute ton of RAM, you get a great combination of form and function.
The only potential downside here is that Max-Q design means the GTX 1070 video card behaves move like a 1060. In exchange you save on size and weight though, which offers more portability.
Prefer a bigger screen for your gaming laptop? The Omen is available in a 17” version as well.
Hardware specifications for Omen by HP Processor Intel Core i7-8750H Processor (2.2 – 4.1GHz) RAM 32GB DDR4 Storage 512GB SSD + 1TB HDD Graphics GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB) Max Q Display 15.6-inch FHD IPS Display, 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution Operating System Windows 10 Home Battery Life 3 hours Weight 5 lbs Other Features HP CoolSense technology.
Acer Predator Helios 500 – Desktop Replacement
Need an absolute beast of a machine to fully replace your normal PC? The Predator Helios is easily the best desktop replacement gaming laptop at this price range.
- Very high end specs
- Excellent display quality
- Meant for overclocking
- Much heavier than other models
- SSD is slightly smaller than other models
Key features & details
Monstrous Graphical Power
When all you care about is power and options, then the Predator Helios should be your pick.
This is big, bulky, heavy machine, but it doesn’t make any compromises on graphical capabilities or overall hardware specs for a very smooth gaming experience.
You get plenty of extra bells and whistles with this huge 17” model as well. Most notably, there’s a four zone RGB keyboard, and three different types of ports of connecting to external monitors.
For the real videophiles out there who need the best possible graphics, this model is actively meant for overclocking so you can wring every last drop of power out of the hardware.
Hardware specifications for Acer Predator Helios 500
Processor Intel Core i7-8750H 6-Core Processor (Up to 4.1GHz) RAM 16GB DDR4 Storage 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD Graphics GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB) Display 17.3″ Full HD IPS Display, 1920 x 1080 Pixels Resolution Operating System Windows 10 Home Battery Life 3.5 hours Weight 8.82 lbs Other Features NVIDIA G-Sync
CUK ROG Strix Scar II – VR Ready
Looking for a VR-ready machine with tons of gamer perks like flashy lighting options? This should be your top pick if you’ve got the money to spend!
- Slim bezel
- Extra RGB light bars
- Highest price
- Less RAM than some models at this price
Key features & details
Flashy Style
Anytime the words “ROG Strix” appear, you know you are getting some top-quality gaming equipment. You may not be familiar with the brand CUK, though.
Computer Upgrade King takes models from brands like Asus and pre-upgrades them for you, adding in extra features like additional lighting and more SSD space.
What you get here is a top-quality, VR-ready gaming machine loaded with killer lights and excellent specs.
You’ll have to spend your full $2000 budget on this model, but the results are worth the investment!
Hardware specifications for CUK ROG Strix Scar II GL504GS
Processor Intel Core i7-8750H 6 Core Processor (9MB Cache, 2.2 – 4.1GHz) RAM 16GB DDR4 Storage 500GB SSD + 1TB HDD Graphics GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB) Display 15.6″ 144Hz Full HD IPS Slim Bezel Display, 1920 x 1080 Pixels Resolution Operating System Windows 10 Home Battery Life 4 hours Weight 5.29 lbs Other Features Extra lighting bars
MSI GS65 Stealth – Thin And Light
Want an ultrabook sized laptop that still packs extreme gaming power in a very lightweight frame? The MSI Stealth should be your top pick!
- Ultra thin
- Lightweight
- Not much storage space
- Less powerful graphics card than other units at this price
Key features & details
Power & Portability
The GS65 Stealth was one of the best gaming laptops of the last few years, and it continues to be among the top tier in this year as well.
That 8th gen processor and 16GB RAM combo have you covered for work and gaming applications, while you are VR ready for the 1060 graphics card.
There are unquestionably laptops out there with better specs in the graphics department though, so what makes this one worth buying? That would be the extreme portability.
The GS65 Stealth actually weighs less than some of the 14 inch laptops out there. When the lid is closed, this model is seriously shorter than a dime standing on its edge.
What you get here is something that’s closer to a tablet in weight, but packs the specs of a high end gaming computer.
The incredibly compact design means taking a hit on the storage space, however. You only get a single 256GB SSD here, and since quite a bit of that is taken up by Windows, you will need external storage.
Note that if you don’t mind bumping up the price, you can get this model in a 512GB SSD version.
Hardware specifications for MSI GS65 Stealth Thin-051 Processor Intel Core i7-8750H (2.2 – 4.1GHz) RAM 16GB DDR4 Storage 256GB SSD Graphics GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB) Display 15.6-Inch FHD Display, 1920 x 1080 Pixels Resolution Operating System Windows 10 Home Battery Life 3.5 hours Weight 4.14 lbs
Acer Predator Triton 500 – With RTX
Like the notion of a full gaming laptop, but don’t want all that extra bulk? This is one of our top picks for a thin and light gaming laptop that also utilizes an RTX graphics card this year!
- High-end graphics card
- Light for a gaming laptop
- Compact keyboard
- Requires BIOS update out of the box
Key features & details
Lightweight Graphics Powerhouse
So why pick this Acer model over our other options?
At 0.7 inches thick and under 5 pounds, this is a killer option if you want portability without sacrificing specs.
The Triton 500 also has surprisingly high battery life for a gaming laptop, although obviously, you’ll want to leave it plugged in while gaming to avoid CPU throttling.
The big deal here though is the brand new RTX 2060 GPU, coupled with a very large solid state drive.
While they don’t quite live up to the hype and extra cost yet, RTX cards are currently the best mobile graphics chips on the market.
Although there aren’t many games that take full advantage of the RTX technology, going this route does future proof your purchase.
There’s another option to consider here that may make this your top pick — you get a get an open secondary M.2 slot.
That means you can easily bump up the storage capacity with an additional solid state drive for double (or more) the space for installing games.
Note there is one downside here frequently mentioned by buyers — you need to immediately update the BIOS to get full speed from the RAM. It’s really only a minor inconvenience though, as the process doesn’t take long.
Hardware specifications for Acer Predator Triton 500
Processor Intel Core i7-8750H 6-Core Processor (Up to 4.1GHz) RAM 16GB DDR4 RAM Storage 512GB SSD Graphics NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (6GB) Display 15.6″ IPS 144Hz Refresh Rate Display, 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution Operating System Windows 10 Home Battery Life 6 hours Weight 4.63 lbs Other Features Three fan cooling system, Thunderbolt port, RGB keyboard
ASUS ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
Want a big display and tons of extra bells and whistles to make everyone jealous of your gaming rig? This is one of our top picks for a 17” gaming laptop with an RTX card currently available.
- Larger viewing area
- Very high-end graphics card
- Heavier unit with low battery life
- High price
Key features & details
Big & Bold
Let’s get this out of the way immediately — there’s nothing subtle about this model!
Asus knows what gamers want, and they are getting it here with a huge, high-end display and tons of lighting options.
With an RTX 2070 and a top of the line CPU, this machine will keep playing new games at ultra settings for years (and years) to come.
Of course, between the huge IPS panel and all the RGB lighting, the battery life is incredibly short, but that’s the case with most gaming machines.
Although it has a huge array of connection options, sadly this model doesn’t feature a Thunderbolt port, so keep that in mind for your peripherals before buying!
Hardware specifications for ASUS ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
Processor Intel Core i7-8750H Six-Core Processor (9MB Cache, 2.2GHz – 3.9GHz) RAM 16GB DDR4 RAM Storage 512GB SSD Graphics NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (8GB) Display 17.3″ IPS 144Hz 3ms display, 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution Operating System Windows 10 Home Battery Life 4 hours Weight 6.5 lbs Other Features RGB keyboard
Eluktronics MECH-15 G2R – High Performance
Looking for the absolute best of the best in a 15” laptop with unparalleled gaming performance? When you need a bleeding edge, experience, we recommend this model as thehighest performance gaming laptop with an RTX card right now.
- Extremely high-end specs
- Lightweight
- Loud fans
- No Thunderbolt port
Key features & details
Top Performance Without Compromises
While still under 5 pounds, this is one of the highest end gaming laptops you can find at the price point.
WIth an RTX card, a full 32GB of RAM, and a top quality CPU, you won’t find yourself needing to upgrade to keep pace with technology as new games are released.
Keep in mind this is the Max-Q version of the RTX 2070 card, however, which is slimmer and lighter with slightly reduced performance. With this level of GPU however, it is highly unlikely you’ll even notice the difference.
There’s one big selling point here that may make this your top pick besides the CPU and GPU.
You get an unbelievable amount of storage capacity right out of the box, with a full 2TB of fast booting solid state drive space!
Hardware specifications for Eluktronics MECH-15 G2R Processor Intel Core i7-8750H 6-Core Processor (Up to 4.1GHz) RAM 32GB DDR4 RAM Storage 2TB SSD Graphics NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (8GB, Max-Q) Display 15.6″ IPS 144Hz Refresh Rate Display, 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution Operating System Windows 10 Home Battery Life 5 hours Weight 4.50 lbs
ASUS ROG Zephyrus S – Best Ultra Slim
ASUS has created an absolutely stunning gaming laptop with the ROG Zephyrus S. With a super fast Nvidia RTX 2070 GPU and an i7 processor, everything about this laptop screams quality.
- Fast Nvidia GPU
- Responsive 144 Hz display
- Excellent cooling
- Bad screen bleeding
- Short battery life
ASUS and their ROG gaming products are all over the PC gaming market, but never have they created a product as compelling as the ROG Zephyrus S. It combines all of the good things about their other gaming laptops, while getting rid of most of the negatives.
Key features & details
Top Notch GPU
This laptop is loaded with a 8GB Nvidia RTX 2070. This is more than enough to run your games at the 1080p resolution, and run them at high frame rates to boot.
High Refresh Rate Display
The 1080p LCD display is a full 144Hz, and that is the sweet spot for most serious gamers. The screen does show significant light bleed around the edges, which is somewhat of a let down.
Terrible Battery Life
When you buy an ultra slim laptop, especially with high end specs, you can expect the battery life to be pretty bad. The ASUS is no exception, barely getting a couple of hours on a full charge from normal use.
“Fan”-tastic Cooling
With adequate ventilation and strong fans, the Zephyrus S keeps things extremely cool even when gaming. The cooling design is extremely intuitive, and though strong, the fans do not get obnoxiously loud.
If you are looking for an ultra slim laptop that can power through even the most demanding game, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus S is the best on the market. Combining portability with power, this laptop is a masterpiece.
Hardware specifications for ASUS ROG Zephyrus S Processor Intel i7-8750H RAM 16GB DDR4 Storage 512GB SSD Graphics Nvidia RTX 2070 (8GB) Display 15.6-inch 144Hz LCD, 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution Operating System Windows 10 Battery Life 2 hours (standard mode) Weight 4.6 lbs
Razer Blade 15 – Most Compact 15”
The Razer Blade 15 takes what all of it’s predecessors did and makes every one of them better. This makes the Blade 15 the greatest Razer laptop to date, with high end specs and a gorgeous 144Hz screen.
- Thin and light
- Sturdy metal chassis
- Nvidia RTX graphics
- Newest Intel processor
- Runs hot
- Short battery life
Razer has now been making computer system for a long time. Their name is known all around as a PC gaming powerhouse, and they have now created their most powerful Blade laptop ever. That is no easy feat, but this laptop deserves the title.
Key features & details
Newest Intel i7 Processor
While most laptops are still a generation behind in the processor department, the Blade 15 packs a powerful i7-9750H. This 6-core CPU is great for both multi-tasking and crushing the latest video games.
Extremely Compact Design
The Blade 15 is the most compact 15-inch laptop on the market, coming in at only 0.78” thick. The fact that they can fit such a high powered computer in such a slim body is a miracle.
Stunning Display
The display on the Razer Blade 15 is a beautiful 1080p 144Hz work of art. The colors pop off the screen, and the high refresh rate makes everything as smooth as butter.
So Hot
One thing you sacrifice when you get a smaller thickness is the increase in temperatures. There just isn’t enough room to expel all the hot air coming off of the powerful internals.
Below Average Battery Life
The battery life on the Razer Blade 15, while not the worst we have seen, is still not very good. You will want to make sure to keep your AC adapter handy if you are gaming.
The Razer Blade 15 is the best laptop in this size without question. The screen, specs, and portability all receive top marks.
Hardware specifications for Razer Blade 15
Processor Intel i7-9750H (4.6 GHz) RAM 16GB DDR4 Storage 512GB SSD Graphics Nvidia RTX 2060 (8GB) Display 15.6-inch 144Hz LCD, 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution Operating System Windows 10 Battery Life 6 hours Weight 4.63 lbs
Picking The Best Gaming Laptops Under $2000 In 2023
As A Gamer, What Am I Looking For In The Best Laptop?
All other specs being equal, the graphics card should probably be your primary concern when picking up a new gaming rig.
That’s where you get the most bang for your buck, as other components can often be upgraded or swapped out down the line.
For the best gaming experience, the GTX 1070 should be your bottom line in most cases. That will get you VR ready and capable of playing anything at max settings without losing frame rates.
The upgraded GTX 1080 is worth it as a future-proofing measure however, with a new batch of GeForce cards expected to come out by the end of the year.
Expect a give and take between the RAM and graphics card options. If you find a model with a top tier graphics card, typically it won’t have the full 32GB of RAM straight out of the box.
What Sets Each Of These Laptops Apart?
Most laptops at this highest tier will default to the 17” screen, which is quite a bit larger than the standard business laptop you’ve probably used exclusively in the past.
While these are gaming behemoths that will effectively replace your need for a desktop rig, they also consume a lot of power and tend to be bulkier.
If you want to go smaller for more portability, typically you have to trade off on the specs and get less graphical power.
Ultra thin versions of high end machines are usually available, but they may have less hard drive space or odd keyboard configurations in order to make room for the other components.
Each brand and model will fluctuate on the size and length of their power cords. Be sure to take a look beyond just the normal specs to make sure each gaming laptop will work in your place space!
Unless you are willing to jump up another grand, most high end gaming laptops at this level won’t feature 4k touch screens. Those that do have touch screens or go the 4K route typically won’t have the graphics card necessary to be VR ready.
What Are Some Potential Downsides To High End Gaming Laptops?
Finding a gaming laptop with the best battery life is sort of like searching for the fountain of youth or holy grail.
You can get awesome specs, or a super thin system, or a great battery life, but you really can’t get all three quite yet.
Low battery life and high heat will be hallmarks of any serious gaming laptop, despite some major breakthroughs in technology to mitigate those problems.
Playing plugged in should just be expected most of the time, and don’t be surprised if you need to pick up an aftermarket cooling pad to keep the machine from overheating.
With all that heat and extended playing times, gaming laptops can burn out faster than the typical work machine. Make sure to check the warranty to protect your investment.
Many only offer 90 day or 1 year warranties, so be on the lookout for 2 – 3 year options that cover shipping and parts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are gaming laptops good for school?
Yes! Gaming branded laptops are nothing more than high spec laptops with a gaming theme. They will perform better than most school or business laptops, but will cost you a bit more.
Why are gaming laptops so expensive ?
Gaming laptops tend to be more expensive due to a few different factors:
– They have high end CPU’s and GPU’s
– They generally have a better build quality
– RGB lighting
Conclusion
After browsing through these eight options, what do you think is the best gaming laptop under $2000 current available?
Are you going to bite the bullet and pick up one of these expensive top-shelf systems? Let us know in the comments below!