As the gaming industry continues to grow, so too does the demand for laptops that can handle the most demanding games. With a variety of prices and features available, it can be hard to know which laptop is right for you. To help you make a decision, we’ve compiled a list of the best laptops under $1200 that will help you get the most out of your gaming experience. We’ve included models from both budget and high-end brands, so you can find the perfect laptop for your needs. If you’re looking for an affordable option that still offers great performance, we recommend checking out the Acer Predator Helios 300. This laptop is perfect for budget-minded gamers who want an affordable gaming experience without sacrificing quality. If you’re looking for a powerful and expensive option, we recommend checking out some of the top gaming laptops on the market. Some of our favorites include the Dell Inspirion 15 7000 Gaming Laptop and Microsoft Surface Book 2 with Touch Bar. If you’re looking to spend more money but still want great performance, we recommend checking out some of our top picks in this category such as MSI’s G65VR Titan or Alienware’s M65 Stealth Pro.
Although we now see a lot of exciting features in gaming laptops, the prices for these devices have shot up. Someone looking to build an exciting set up inside their home would want the perfect gaming laptop at an affordable and convenient rate. Finding the best machine with an affordable price tag can be quite troublesome, which is why we help you by reviewing some of the best gaming laptops under $1200.
All of these laptops have received positive feedback from users and offer convenience and amazing features within their price tag. The laptops we review in this article have sufficient RAM, dedicated graphic cards, a powerful processor and appropriate storage.
The Best Gaming Laptops Under $1200
1. MSI GF63 Thin 9SC-066 Gaming Laptop – Best Overall
Why We Like It
9th Generation Intel Core i7-9750 processor16 GB RAM512 GB SSDComes with an ideal 15. 6 inch full HD IPS display
Our Verdict
Almost everything about this gaming laptop is perfect in its price range. The MSI GF63 9SC-066 packs an amazing processor with picture clarity and graphic quality to rank as our best overall pick.
The MSI GF63 9SC-066 sports a 15.6 inch full HD IPS display, which delivers amazing visuals with brilliant clarity and perfect contrast. This gaming beast comes equipped with an Intel Core i7-9750h Six-Core processor and has a turbo technology boost of up to 4.5 GHz. The laptop helps you multitask with ease; as it also comes with a 16GB DDR4 RAM along with a 4GB GDDRS NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphic card. The GTX 1650 is the perfect graphic card and makes this laptop worth every cent you spend on it. The laptop also provides 512 GB of a solid storage drive to give you the storage you require. The chassis is made up of hair-brushed aluminum and the exterior is solid.
2. ASUS ROG Strix G Gaming Laptop – Premium Choice
ASUS has manufactured the ROG series laptops specifically for gaming purposes. Keeping this in mind, the ASUS ROG Strix G Gaming Laptop is no different than some of the other machines produced in this series by the manufacturer. The design of this laptop is top-notch, as the machine comes with a full metal finish, along with solid RGB lighting at the bottom to give an aesthetic feel of gaming. This gaming machine comes with the latest 9th Generation Intel Core i7-9750H Hexa Core processor under the hood. The processor is also equipped with a turbo boost function that takes speeds up to 4.5 GHz.
The ASUS ROG Strix G Gaming Laptop also comes with a 4GB of GeForce GTX 1650 graphic card, dedicated to the purpose of sending excellent graphics and output. The 16GB of RAM complements the speed of the processor to provide a silky smooth experience. The huge 1TB of SSD drive storage space can come in handy for gamers who want enough space to store their games. The SSD drive is faster than normal HDD drives. Finally, the ASUS ROG Strix G Gaming Laptop comes with a 15.6 inch full HD IPS display with 1920 x 1080 pixels of clear resolution.
Why We Like It
Intel Core i7-9750H Processor16 GB of RAM for smooth operations1 TB SSD drive stands out for storageHas a screen size of 15. 6 inches with full HD IPS display
Our Verdict
The ASUS ROG Strix G Gaming Laptop is our best premium pick for its outstanding features and amazing storage space.
3. Acer Nitro 7 Gaming Laptop – Great Value
Just like the ASUS ROG series, the Acer Nitro series is specifically meant for gaming. The Acer Nitro 7 Gaming Laptop comes from that same series and carries amazing features for a gaming laptop priced under $1200. If you want a laptop with ideal gaming looks, then this is the right choice for you. The laptop has a thin 0.8 profile and isn’t that heavy for a gaming laptop.
The laptop sports a 15.6 inch full HD IPS Widescreen LED-backlit display and delivers accurate color from a wider angle. In its internals, the laptop carries a 9th Generation Intel Hexa Core i7-9750H processor with 2.6GHz of the basic frequency. The processor speed can also be set at 4.5 GHz in turbo mode. This laptop also comes equipped with 4GB of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 and 4 GB of RAM for additional speed and smoothness.
Why We Like It
Powerful Intel i7 processor16 GB of RAM512 GB SSD space for storage15. 6 inches screen7 hours of battery life
Our Verdict
The Acer Nitro 7 Gaming Laptop offers amazing value in its price tag and is ranked as our best value pick. The laptop provides excellent speed with the smoothness of the highest order for a decent gaming experience.
4. CUK MSI GF65 Thin Gaming Laptop
The CUK MSI GF65 is another gaming laptop by MSI on our list of machines under $1200. This laptop packs almost the same features as the MSI machine we discussed above, only that it maybe goes ahead of it in power and performance. The CUK MSI GF65 has a display of 15.6 inches. The display is full HD and provides decent color reproduction. The laptop is powered by a 9th Gen 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-9750H processor. The processor can clock 4.5 GHz of max frequency.
The processer is further complemented by 16 GB of DDR4 RAM. The laptop also offers NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card with additional dedicated memory for the perfect output. This laptop is also well guarded on the storage front, as it has 512 GB of NVMe SSD storage. This is enough to store some of your favorite games. The fully customized RGB gaming keyboard is aesthetic and does its job well. The Cooler Boost 5 technology keeps heating at bay with 2 fans, 4 exhausts and over 7 copper heat maintenance pipes.
Why We Like It
Comes with a (9th Gen) Intel Core i7-9750H Processor16 GB of RAM512 GB SSD drive storageNVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB graphic card15. 6 inches full HD display
Our Verdict
The CUK MSI GF65 is in line with the standards that MSI has set. The speed and performance of this device are exemplary and will definitely leave you impressed.
5. ASUS TUF506IV-AS76 TUF Gaming A15 Gaming Laptop
The ASUS TUF A15 Gaming Laptop is the second one by ASUS on this list. But, this gaming laptop comes from the TUF series by ASUS, while the one we previous discussed came from the ROG series. This laptop has a standard gaming laptop look and comes with a 15.6 inch full HD IPS display. The visual aspects are smooth and will give you the results you require. The device also comes with 6GB of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphic card for an ROG boost.
This gaming machine is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 4800H 8-core processor. The processor is complemented by 16 GB of DDR4 RAM for the kind of smoothness you require. The ASUS TUF A15 Gaming Laptop also comes with 1TB of SSD storage to help you store your games in the system. The machine has 8.7 hours of battery backup – ideal for all sorts of gaming.
Why We Like It
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H Processor for speed16 GB RAM to provide adequate smoothness8. 7 hours plus of storage time15. 6 inches full HD IPS display
Our Verdict
The ASUS TUF A15 Gaming Laptop is packed with multiple features. You would be lucky to get all of these features in one place in a laptop priced under $1200.
6. Dell G5 15 Gaming Laptop
The Dell G5590-7679BLK-PUS Gaming Laptop is the first laptop by Dell to feature on our list. The G Series by Dell was launched for gaming laptops and this device comes from that series. This laptop has a sleek look and carries the sleek finishing that Dell is so famous for. The 15.6 inches of full HD IPS display come with anti-glare technology and deliver superior color richness and perfect vision from a wide angle.
The laptop is equipped with the power of the latest 9th Generation Intel Core i7-9750 6 core processor and is further complemented through the presence of a 16 GB RAM. The gaming essentials of this laptop are expertly handled by the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphic card with over 4GB of dedicated memory.
Why We Like It
16 GB RAM1 TB of external storage. 256 GB SSD and 1 TB HDDNVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB15. 6 inches full-HD screen with anti glare
Our Verdict
The Dell G5590-7679BLK-PUS Gaming Laptop sweeps us off our feet as far as features and performance are concerned. This laptop is a powerhouse and has the features to win you over.
7. Sager NP6858EQ Thin Bezel FHD Gaming Laptop
Last, but not the least, this Sager NP6858EQ is the ideal gaming laptop in the market today. This laptop is manufactured to provide a dedicated gaming experience with 15.6 inches of full HD display and a shining Matte panel. The gaming machine has Intel’s 10th Gen Hexa Core i7-10750H processor. The frequency of the processor can go up to 5.0 GHz.
This device comes with an amazing 32 GB of DDR4 RAM and is powerful enough to provide you the steep and smoothness you require. On the storage front, this laptop is well prepared with 1 TB of SSD drive. The multi-color illuminated keyboard adds aesthetics to the pictures and gives gamers the kind of device they require.
Why We Like It
10th Generation Intel Core i7 processor1 TB SSD drive for storage32 GB of RAMWorks perfectly in high visual games
Our Verdict
The Sager NP6858EQ carries all the features you require in the best gaming laptop under $1200. The low battery life of 3 hours can, however, prove to be a problem for some.
What are the things to consider when buying a gaming laptop?
There are numerous things you should consider before buying a gaming laptop. These include the size of the screen, the processor under the hood, the storage size, the graphic card, the RAM size and battery life to name a few.
Do gaming laptops last long?
Gaming laptops do last long. If you buy a gaming laptop and take good care of it, you can expect your device to perform upwards of 5 years.
Are gaming laptops as good as desktop PCs?
Gaming laptops are just as good as desktop PCs. They actually go one up to provide an on-the-go gaming experience.
The Final Word
Gaming laptops really have developed over the ages, and after reading our article you can get one for less than 1200 dollars. The MSI GF63 9SC-066 packs an amazing processor with picture clarity and graphic quality to rank as our best overall pick. The ASUS ROG Strix G Gaming Laptop is our best premium pick for its outstanding features and amazing storage space. The Acer Nitro 7 Gaming Laptop offers amazing value in its price tag and is ranked as our best value pick.
