The 6 Best Gaming Laptops in 2020 - Affordable, Trusted & Efficient

The majority of gamers prefer PCs because of their hardware quality, with the ability to render high graphics with high FPS. Compared to consoles, PC is superior in terms of Graphics. But the only downside of gaming PCs is the lack of mobility, at the times you might want to travel, or simply need to just change positioning.

Gaming laptops are much better when it comes to someone who loves traveling, without leaving their gaming gear behind. The thing is that a gaming laptop can be very expensive compared to any gaming PC, which makes the majority of gamers prefer desktop PCs. But if you travel a lot, like to visit friends to play together, or even if you can’t handle all these cables that desktop PC’s need to have, then a high-quality-gaming-laptop, might be a good choice for you.

In this article, I will introduce to you the best low/mid/high-end gaming laptops that were released in 2019. I have gathered solutions for all the budgets and specs preferable. Also, keep in mind that laptops cannot be upgraded, so choose the best for you in the long term.

1 -Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR (High-End)

ASUS ROG Zephyrus S GX701

This is your best choice If you are willing to spend more than the usual, as we are talking for the best gaming laptop in 2019. This laptop is a beast, that will run many demanding games on ultra settings with 60fps or higher. The GTX 2080 might look overkill for 1080p Monitor, but 144Hz can provide you those high FPS caps.

It is also very thin, that makes it easy-to-fit in any backpack. This laptop has a very strong magnesium-alloy body protecting its inside parts from any harm. It comes with RGB lightings that have Aura Syn, and are customizable to fit your taste. The keyboard provides enough comfort for long gaming sessions.

You don’t have to worry about cooling because it has a unique Active Aerodynamic System which increases the airflow by 32%. This masterpiece will blow any upcoming game, so you don’t have to worry about upgrades. You can also expect to hit the 144FPS, especially when it’s running previous-season games.

2 – MSI GS65 Stealth-002 (High-End)

MSI GS65 Stealth-002

CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H (Up to 9th Gen)
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 2070 MAX-Q (8GB GDDR6 VRAM)
RAM: 32GB DDR4 2666MHz
Screen: 15.6-inch 1080p 144Hz (no G-Sync)
Storage: M.2 512GB SSD
Thickness: 17.9MM
Price: $2,299.00

Similar to Asus ROG Zephyrus S, this laptop is a high-end laptop far less expensive. GTX 2070 will run any game on the max settings, with the ability to cap way higher than 60FPS, which makes 144Hz a great benefit. It’s thinner than Asus Zephyrus S, but the monitor is just a bit smaller.

The fact that MSI GS65 is so thin (17.9MM), makes it even easier to carry around, but the huge downside of this laptop is the lack of the G-Sync feature. Of course, the lack of this feature comes with a lower price as well, if you don’t mind missing the G-Sync. This model’s battery will last up to 4 hours without a charger.

The laptop’s body is made of aluminum which is sturdy enough to endure possible impacts. It also has RGB lightings and each key can be customized to your taste. The RGB lights can also be customized to follow the rhythm of any music playing on your laptop. Last but not least, the cooling system is designed to increase the airflow and pressure at the exact same RPM, thanks to the new Whirlwind Blade fans.

3 – Acer Predator Helios 500 PH517-51-72NU (Mid-End)

Acer Predator Helios 500

CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB GDDR5 VRAM)
RAM: 16GB DDR4
Screen: 17.3-inch 1080p 144Hz with G-Sync
Storage: 1TB HDD + 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD
Price: $1,899.99

This laptop is meant for the ones who only care about game performance. It is your best choice if you simply don’t care about the thickness or how the laptop looks like. The kinda low price tag, compared to the other laptops of the same specs, makes this laptop the best Mid-End choice you could have.

The GTX 1070 8GB is easily reaching the performance of 60FPS, and it is not lacking the G-Sync feature as the previous laptop, on even lower price. The major downside of this laptop are the speakers, as they are kinda regular Low-End speakers. The minor downside is the 16GB RAM, that some people might find kinda low. I personally think that this capacity is good enough for any current game in the market (as far as you keep the other programs closed for your gaming sessions – Chrome, I’m looking at you!).

The cooling system is very good and it consists of two ultra-thin-metal AeroBlade fans, which provide a very stable temperature cooling and also, 5 heat pipes to get rid of the excess heat while gaming. In addition, you can activate the CoolBoost feature which increases the fan speed based on the current GPU/CPU temperature.

This laptop comes with cool RGB lightings in many colors. If you are worried about the upcoming games, you can simply tweak the graphics to maintain high FPS, but most likely it won’t be needed.

4 – OMEN By HP 15-dc0045nr (Mid-End)

OMEN 15-dc0045nr

CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB GDDR5 VRAM)
RAM: 32GB DDR4 2666MHz
Screen: 15.6-inch 1080p 144Hz with G-Sync
Storage: 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
Price: $1,500.00

This laptop is similar in specs to Predator Helios 500, but the price is lower. The lower price tag is due to the lower storage capacity and the smaller screen. It’s a good choice if you are willing to comply with these features in return for a low price. This laptop offers a perfect balance between the cool looking and the powerful gaming performance.

Although it offers a good appearance, it is not the optimal choice if you want a very thin device, but it’s still thin enough. The GTX 1070 offers amazing gaming performance that will be run your games at 60FPS or higher. You can also tweak the game settings to even reach more than 100FPS for the current or the upcoming games if it’s needed.

Having G-Sync at this price tag is another reason to buy this laptop. But the major downside of this beast is the battery life, as the maximum non-stop gaming duration is around 2 Hours, so if you can’t use a charger at all times, it is not an optimal choice. The OMEN 15 comes with a very smooth keyboard, that works silent, in case you need to be very quiet while gaming.

It also has amazing RGB lightings that can be repositioned around the keyboard, but keep in mind that you won’t be able to change the individual color. The cooling system is good enough to maintain low temperatures while gaming and keeping it quiet at the same time.

5 – Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-51-78NP (Low-End)

Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-51-78NP

CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB GDDR5 VRAM)
RAM: 16GB DDR4 2133MHz
Screen: 15.6-inch 1080p 144Hz (no G-Sync)
Storage: 256GB NVMe SSD
Price: $999.99

Probably the best low-budget gaming laptop in the market. It offers a 144Hz monitor with a very good GTX 1060 GPU, which is enough to run any game on near-high graphics with 60FPS if you tweak the game settings. It also has a very powerful CPU just like the other High/Mid-End gaming laptops.

There are few downsides to this laptop such as the lack of G-Sync and the need for buying an HDD to contemplent the SSD’s low storage. If you choose to buy a basic 1TB HDD it’s going to cost you around $50. But all of these downsides are justified by the very low price tag this laptop. This is your best choice if you are limited to a certain budget and can’t exceed it.

This laptop has a high battery lifetime, compared to the other Low-End laptops, in terms of gaming hours. You will be able to play games for around 4 hours non-stop. It also has cool AeroBlade 3D fans, offering superior airflow through the whole system. The Metallic Body is strong enough to endure the regular impacts and it has a smooth-touch-skin.

The keyboard comes with a beautiful red backlight, but it’s not customizable. In general, this laptop is enough to enjoy gaming on medium settings without the need of upgrading for at least 2 years. Which means you will need to tweak your settings to enjoy the latest games by then.

6 – MSI GV62 8RD-034 (Low-End)

MSI GV62 8RD-034

CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050TI (4GB GDDR5 VRAM)
RAM: 8GB DDR4 2400MHz
Screen: 15.6-inch 1080p 60MHz (no G-Sync)
Storage: 1TB HDD + 128GB NVMe SSD
Price: $870

This is another choice if you are okay with playing games on mid to near high settings with 60FPS. The GTX 1050Ti is low but still powerful for most of the latest games on medium settings which means you still enjoy games with a budget below $1,000. You may also think 8GB DDR4 RAM won’t be enough, but imho, it will be more than enough for 90% of the games.

This laptop also comes with 1TB HDD in addition to 128GB SSD, which means you won’t need to buy an additional backup at all. The CPU is powerful and actually labeled as a High-end CPU. I mean all of this is impressive compared to the very low price tag.

One of the downsides here is lack of 144MHz refresh rate, but you actually won’t need it anyway since you may not exceed more than 80FPS. Also, keep in mind that this laptop has not VR compatibility.

The body is mostly plastic, but still very sturdy and won’t disappoint you. The keyboard has a silver lining print mode which makes the backlight bring out a more powerful red. The Battery life is not that great and it will last for nearly 3 hours while gaming. It’s border-enough for traveling or charger-inconvenient moments.

This laptop is kinda thin compared to Acer Predator Helios 300, which is a good thing if you fancy thin laptops. Also, it offers Cooler Boost 4 technology, which allows you to boost the fan speed, and effectively push heat out of the system without any efforts. Overall, it’s your best choice if you are limited to a budget of lower than $1,000. But do not expect it to run all the available games on max settings with more than 60FPS.

Conclusion

This article has covered all the possible budgets for the available 2019 gaming laptops in the market. Most of them are of similar gaming performance, but the price depends on the additional features. At the end of the day, you should always choose the best one for your daily life convenience.

Always think long term when buying hardware, especially since laptops are more expensive to repair than desktop PCs, and it’s nearly impossible to upgrade them in anyway. So try to think at least 2 years ahead, and decide what your real needs are. Last but not least, don’t be afraid to pay with installments or a small loan which you can easily pay out in 1 or 2 years.