Best Gaming Laptops Under 2000
The market for gaming laptops has become ever more crowded over the last several years due to increased demand and massive improvements in hardware capabilities. In this article, we’ll look at some of the best gaming laptops under 2000. That’s a lot of money by any measure, but for the ability to play today’s most demanding games anywhere, I think its worth the cost of entry.
The days of needing a full tower desktop PC for hard core gaming are gone. Better processors, better graphics cards, faster memory, and more storage all make gaming laptops a viable solution for the gamer on the go. Let’s take a look at some of my favorites and try to determine the best gaming laptop under 2000.
Feel free to check out my larger group of selections of the Best Laptop For Mom.
Sager 2023 NP7881E Gaming Laptop
Sager has been one of my favorite gaming laptop brands for years. Quality construction, sleek design, and powerful hardware combine to create one of the best packages around. This particular model includes a large 17.3 Inch screen, powerful Intel processor and the latest in nVidia graphics technology.
- Processor – 13th Gen Intel i9-13900HX 24 core processor, 36MB Cache, up to 5.4GHz Turbo Boost
- Memory – 64GB DDR5 4800MHz
- Storage – 2TB PCIe NVMe SSD
- Graphics – GeForce RTX 4070 8GB GDDR6
- Display – 17.3 Inch 144Hz Thin Bezel Full DH (1920×1080)
The Sager is the most plain looking of the options in this list, a feature I actually like. The backlit keyboard is single zone, but there are 15 colors to choose from, so those that prefer a multicolor keyboard want to look elsewhere, but if all you need is some backlighting in a dim room, this is an excellent choice.
The overall firepower of this laptop, in my opinion, outclasses the competition, carrying the latest processor and graphics cards onboard. The 2TB storage is just an added bonus.
While there are higher refresh rate displays available for laptops, 144Hz is plent for me, and I definitely prefer the larger 17.3″ display to some of the smaller models.
Asus 2023 ROG Strix Scar 15 Gaming Laptop
Asus is one of those brands that has been around a longtime, but have really come on in the last several years, largely driven by quality components and an eye for style with multiple RGB options available for most of their components, both for desktops and laptops.
- Processor – AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX
- Memory – 16GB DDR4
- Storage – 1TB PCIe SSD
- Graphics – GeForce RTX 3080
- Display – 15.6″ 300Hz Full HD (1920×1080)
I’ve been an Intel guy most of my life, but the AMD Ryzen 9 in this gaming laptop is a solid contender in this segment. Its definitely on my list of top options.
Where this particular laptop falls short for me is the amount of RAM and the storage capacity. 16GB DDR4 is probably fine for a lot of users, but at this price point, 32GB seems more appropriate. The same goes for storage. Not so long ago 1TB was a good number, but with the ever increasing size of games, it would be nice to have 2TB availble.
The Asus really shines, however, with its display and customization options. At 300Hz, the 15/6″ display is one of the fastest available on the market and the RBG backlit keyboard and chassis allow infinite personalization.
I prefer a larger 17 in class laptop, but if portability is important to you, the Asus is an excellent choice.
2022 MSI GE76 Raider 17.3" Thin Bezel Gaming Laptop
MSI is another perennial competitor in the gaming laptop and desktop markets. Like ASUS, they bring their own flare to each of their components, setting themselves apart with quality components and excellent personalization options.
- Processor – 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700H
- Memory – 32GB DDR4
- Storage – 2TB PCIe SSD
- Graphics – GeForce RTX 3060
- Display – 17.3 inch144Hz Full HD (1920×1080)
This is a leftover model from last year, so it doesn’t necessarily have all of the latest components, but what it does have is performance. The 12th generation processor is still a strong competitor, as is the RTX3060 graphics card.
This laptop also features more RAM (32GB) than the Asus and matches the Sager on storage (2TB). For the money, I would probably go with one of the 2023 models, but in the 17″ class laptops, this MSI will not disappoint.
Final Thoughts
Most of my gaming is done on a desktop PC these days, but gaming laptops keep a special place in my heart. My first one was bought nearly 15 years ago and still functions perfectly. I upgraded to an SSD for storage a few years ago and it boots up just as well as a new machine. It certainly won’t play today’s newest and most demanding titles, and I don’t ask it to, but the fact that it has lasted so long and has so many great memories for me only proves that a quality gaming laptop can be a great investment, especially if you have space constraints or need portability.
All that being said, there are tons of brands and configurations to choose from at a multitude of price points. You can spend more than $2000 on a gaming laptop, but I don’t see a need to. You can also spend much less, but you will compromise performance. I think I’ve hit the sweet spot for price and performance here, and I don’t think you would be calling any of the models in this article one of the best gaming laptops under $2000.
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