Desire a laptop that can seamlessly run the latest AAA games without any problem at all? Sorting through the several options available online can be quite stressful, so I have made a comprehensive list of the best gaming laptops under $1200 budget range. These laptops will come in handy for most of your high-end games, as they have been carefully selected from the best brands in the business.
Contents
Best Gaming Laptops Under 1200 in 2021
1. ALIENWARE AW15R3-5246SLV-PUS
Most pro gamers are well aware of the Alienware gaming laptops because the laptops are basically engineered for gamers.
Equipped with the powerful Intel Core i5-7300HQ processor and paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060, this laptop offers gamers all the important features that they need to enjoy their favorite games.
The laptop can handle any of the latest AAA games without any issue, and you will be able to play 4K resolution games and run the latest VR series.
It also sports a Killer Wireless technology that uses the Double Shot Pro standard that ensures that your network connection works with the traffic that is essential for your gaming experience.
The laptop comes with an inbuilt Thunderbolt Type-C port (with a connection speed of 10GBps) that provides you with two options; you can make use of the Thunderbolt or the standard USB 3.1 for your external devices.
The Alienware laptop sports a 15.6-inch full HD display screen that is supported with NVIDIA G-sync technology to deliver the most accurate and fastest graphics. You will be able to enjoy your games without any color shifts or any other potential disruption. This is another amazing laptop from Alienware, and it comes in the unique Alienware body coupled with the standard AlienFX lighting to complement the awesomeness of this laptop.
2. MSI GV62 8RD-034
MSI is arguably one of the world’s leading producers of gaming laptops, and this particular model is another excellent gaming machine. The MSI GV62 8RD-034 is one of the few laptops that sports the new 6 Core technology of the 8th generation Intel Core processor.
This technology will enhance the overall performance of your laptop better than the 7th Generation i7 processor. The laptop features an 8GB DDR4 RAM, 128GB SSD and 1TB HDD of storage and runs on Windows 10 64 bit. It also sports the latest NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti to make it even faster.
This impressive collection of features allows you to run multiple programs at the same time and play any high-end game in any setting you want.
The MSI GV62 8RD-034 comes with the 15.6-inch display IPS level NTSC display technology, which delivers an amazing gamut of colors that brings games and movies to life. Another exciting feature that is worth mentioning is the inclusion of Nahmic audio technology, which you will find in every MSI laptop.
The MSI GV62 8RD-034 comes with version 3 of their 7.1 Enhanced audio technology, which delivers 3D surround sound for users to experience the ultimate gaming bliss.
3. Asus FX502VM
The Asus FX502VM is a lightweight machine that does not have the look of a laptop that can handle the high-end games. But when you check out the hardware specifications, you will be easily impressed. The laptop is equipped with the heavyweight Intel Core i7-7700HQ Processor and supported with 128SSD that works together to ensure that you can multi-task and run graphically-intensive games without any hitch.
To make it more appealing, the laptop comes with the powerful NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 and sports a 15.6-inch full HD screen that works with IPS technology to deliver accurate and vibrant colors from any siting angle.
And if you are curious about how the laptop handles overheating issues, Asus has installed a brilliant cooling system that comes with dual fans and heat pipes to ensure that the system does not overheat.
In terms of storage, the Asus FX502VM comes with a 1TB of hard disk space, which is big enough to handle all your storage needs, whether you want to download a new game or you want to save an old one. To make it super fast, the Asus FX502VM comes with 16GB of DDR4 RAM.
This machine is definitely packed with impressive hardware specifications that any gamer would love.
4. ACER PREDATOR HELIOS 300
Acer’s Predator products are known to be quite powerful and expensive, which makes the Predator Helios 300 to be worth mentioning on this list because it represents value for the price range. The laptop sports a full HD display IPS panel technology that ensures that you have a better range of viewing angles. It also delivers a fantastic image quality that you can compare with most laptops under the same price range. The Predator Helios 300 is equipped with a Kaby Lake Intel Core i7 processor and supported with 16GB of system RAM.
The latest version of the laptop now comes with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060, which enhances the overall performance level of the laptop and makes it more capable of handling the triple-A type of games and VR gaming.
You will see that this machine is very good when you compare the specs of the Predator Helios 300 to the other ones at the same price. The only drawback that is worth mentioning is that the laptop sports a 256GB SSD, which will not be enough to handle some high-end games like GTA V.
5. ASUS N580VD-DB74T VivoBook Pro
The ASUS N580VD-DB74T VivoBook Pro is another fantastic machine that you can get for a $1200 price range. As a heavyweight gaming laptop, it looks like a business laptop on the surface, but the hardware specifications will attract any gamer.
ASUS Vivobook is equipped with an Intel Core i7 quad-core processor and supported with an impressive 16GB of DDR4 RAM and a dedicated NVIDIA GPU. It also sports an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 150, which makes it more than capable of running any high-end game without any issue.
The laptop comes with a matte1080p full HD screen and runs 100 percent sRGB color gamut, but the only flaw is that it is TN-based and not IPS (which is currently the best). This means that you might find it difficult to view the screen from some angles correctly.
ASUS boasts that the backup battery can work for up 5 hours with an impressive cooling system that ensures that the laptop does not overheat. However, some users have complained that the laptop overheats in long gaming or major computing sessions.
If you are looking for a laptop for your games and your business, the elegant ASUS VivoBook is definitely one of the best you can get.
6. HP OMEN 15
HP has been known for years for its business laptops and desktops. However, the company has released a range of powerful gaming machines, and one of them is the Omen 15.
Equipped with the powerful 8th Generation Intel Core i5 processor and supported by the latest NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU, HP OEN 15 has a 4GB of dedicated RAM to produce a top-level gaming laptop that every gamer would love.
The HP Omen 15 sports a 15-inch full HD IPS screen and comes with a WLED backlit and an anti-glare technology feature that prevents eyestrain. For a laptop that is under 1200 dollars, you will be getting a lot of screen space.
The inclusion of the latest graphics card will make sure that you always get the most vibrant and accurate picture quality that you can look for in a high-end laptop. And the 12GB of ultra-fast RAM means that the laptop will be able to handle anything you run on it, whether you are into 4K video editing, programming, music production, and other major computing tasks.
In terms of storage, the Omen 15 comes with a 128GB SSD and 7200RPM 1TB HDD for you to save your files, movies, and games. HP is definitely telling the gaming laptop market that they will be around for a very long time.
7. ALIENWARE AW15R3-0012SLV
Like I mentioned earlier, you can always trust Alienware when it comes to gaming laptops, and the AW15R3-0012SLV model is another solid option for a $1200 budget range.
It is equipped with a 6th generation Intel Core i5-6400 processor, which is quite low considering that most pro gamers will prefer to go for a laptop with an i7 processor.
However, considering the price and other impressive hardware specs like the presence of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 GPU and a massive 1 TB HDD coupled with 8 GB DDR4 memory, the Alienware is definitely worth mentioning.
The laptop sports a full HD IPS display with a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, which is quite decent although there are better Alienware gaming machines.
Other exciting features of the AW15R3-0012SLV include a responsive trackpad, a fantastic cooling technology that ensures that the laptop does not overheat during long gaming sessions, a decent keyboard, and an impressive backup battery.
In conclusion, Alienware AW15R3-0012SLV is an affordable and reliable laptop that is suitable for gaming and general computing tasks.
8. MSI GL62M
You can always trust MSI when it comes to high-end performance gaming laptops, and the MSI GL62M, with the latest NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU, offers an amazing level of performance.
The laptop is powered by an Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor with 128GB SSD and a hybrid storage drive of 1TB.
The laptop sports a 15.6-inch full HD IPS-level display and uses NTSC technology to deliver a wide range of colors to bring your movies and games to life and has a faster refresh rate than some other laptops in the same category.
The MSI GL62M also runs an impressive cooling technology by using a six-heat pipe thermal solution that ensures that the laptop does not overheat during long gaming sessions. This cooling technology protects both the GPU and the CPU from crashing due to overheating.
In terms of sound quality, the MSI GL62M uses the Nahamic surround technology for its inbuilt speakers, which provide a better and more realistic gaming experience.
Other exciting features include an Intel Optane technology that enhances the performance of the laptop, an ergonomic keyboard with WASD backlighting that adds to its elegance.
9. HP PAVILION 15 GAMING
HP Pavilion laptops are not really popular with pro gamers because a lot of gamers believe that the series is basically designed for general computing tasks. However, the HP Pavilion 15t is different, and it’s a fantastic gaming laptop for high-end games.
HP Pavilion 15t is equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4 GB GPU and powered by the heavyweight 8th generation Intel Core i5-8300H processor with four cores.
It also features a massive 16 GB DDR4 SDRAM, a storage space of 1 TB 7200rpm HDD, and a full-size backlit keyboard that complements the performance level of the machine. I can assure you that it covers everything that you can look for in a top-level gaming laptop.
If you are looking for a world-class gaming laptop with top-notch graphics and excellent audio, the HP Pavilion 15t wouldn’t be a bad option at all.
The laptop comes with powerful front-firing speakers with HP Audio Boost and powered by the popular audio giants, Bang and Olufsen PLAY. The backup battery is also very impressive at 9 hours.
10. LENOVO Y720
The LENOVO Y720 belongs to the gaming-centric series of laptops from Lenovo. The laptop is stylishly designed in all black color with a swish red logo. The casing of the laptop is heat resistant and fitted with vents and dual fans to ensure that it does not overheat.
The LENOVO Y720 runs some powerful specs, including a 7th Generation Intel Core i7 processor and the popular NVIDIA GPUs in the GeForce GTX 1060 that offers a level of performance that is three times faster and better than its predecessors.
The laptop sports a cool 15.6-inch full HD IPS display that delivers the type of picture quality that you can only find in a Lenovo high-end laptop.
One of the major points of the LENOVO Y720 is the audio quality. The laptop runs a Dolby Atmos sound processing technology, which Lenovo claims to be the first laptop to have this feature.
When you plug in your headphones, the sound processing technology gives you a breathtakingly immersive experience similar to the one you may find in your local theatre.
The only notable drawback with the LENOVO Y720 is that it comes with a 256GB SSD, which is quite small. However, you are allowed to add an extra HDD if necessary.
Overall, the LENOVO Y720 offers you excellent graphics, top-notch performance, ultra-fast processing power, and a unique audio output that all comes together to give you the ultimate gaming experience.
Conclusion
So this is the list of the best gaming laptops under $1200 that I can recommend, you just need to select the one that suits you. They all have the necessary specifications and features to handle your favorite games.
