10 Best Gaming Laptops Under $1200 (Jan 2023)

When you looking for the best gaming laptops under 1200 dollars, you want all the latest and most powerful hardware on that laptop. Generally, the best gaming laptop for under $1000 is capable to play all high-end games with moderate resolution. So should you really want to spend 1200 dollars on a gaming laptop? But as you know, you can expect beast performance from a laptop by spending more on a gaming laptop.

There is so many best gaming laptop under 2000 are available, but it may be out of budget for many game lovers. There are many things to consider before buying a gaming laptop. The latest gaming laptops offer high performance. You’ll find a better display with the refresh rate you need, plenty of RAM to handle huge projects, and heavy-duty processors and graphics cards that provide a lag-free experience. Add to that backlit keyboards and comfortable seats, and you’ll be set for any game session.

When it comes to laptops, people usually have a variety of choices in mind. But picking the best laptop is difficult with so many options available. We decided to go through and make this list of the best laptops for your budget.  In this article, we will look at the top 10 best gaming laptops under $1200 you can buy in 2022. We’ll see in-depth reviews of all the laptops mentioned below.

Image	Product	Rating	Price
Best Choice	Acer Predator Helios 300 Intel Core i7-11800H NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (6GB) 15.6" FHD 144Hz IPS Display 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD 8hr Battery, RGB Backlit Keyboard	9.7	Check on Amazon
Gaming Beast	MSI GL66 Gaming Laptop Intel Core i7 11800H NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 (8GB) 15.6" FHD 144Hz IPS Display 16GB ‎RAM, 512GB SSD RGB Backlit Keyboard, 3D Surround Sound	9.4	Check on Amazon
Large Display	Acer Nitro 5 Intel Core i7-11800H NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti (4GB) 17.3" FHD 144Hz IPS Display 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD 8hr Battery, Backlit Keyboard	9.4	Check on Amazon
Thin Laptop	MSI Stealth 15M Intel Core i7-11375H NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (6GB) 15.6" FHD 144Hz IPS Display 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD USB 4.0 Port, RGB Lighting	9.4	Check on Amazon
Value for Money	ASUS TUF Dash F15 Intel Core i7-11370H NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti (4GB) 15.6" FHD 144Hz IPS Display 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD 12.3hr Battery, Highly Durable	9.7	Check on Amazon
AMD Chipset	Lenovo Legion 5 AMD Ryzen 7 5800H NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti (4GB) 15.6" FHD 165Hz IPS display  16GB RAM, 512GB SSD 4-Zone RGB Backlight, 3D Audio	9.6	Check on Amazon
	ASUS ROG Strix G15 AMD Ryzen 7 5800H NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti (4GB) 15.6” FHD 144Hz IPS Display 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD Intelligent Thermal Cooling	9.4	Check on Amazon
	Dell Gaming G15 5511 Intel Core i7-11800H NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 4GB 15.6" FHD 120Hz Anti- Glare Display 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD 3D Audio, Alienware Command Center	8.9	Check on Amazon
	Razer Blade Stealth 13 Intel Core i7-1165G7 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti (4GB) 13.3" FHD120hz IPS Display 16 GB RAM, 512GB SSD RGB Backlit Keyboard, CNC Aluminum Frame	9.4	Check on Amazon
	HP Pavilion 16 Intel Core i7-10750H  NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (6GB) 16.1" FHD 60Hz IPS Display 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD 10.5hr Battery, Backlit Keyboard	9.7	Check on Amazon

Top 10 Best Gaming Laptops Under $1200

1. Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop Our Top Pick

This monster laptop by Acer is one of the most powerful gaming laptops and is one of the best 10th Gen i7 Gaming Laptop. This Predator Helios 300 drops you in the game with everything you need. This laptop has the latest 11th gen intel core i7 processor which can turbo boost up to 4.66GHz. The best part is that there are lots of new smart features added to this machine, you can fully customize this laptop at your will. With the Killer Double Shot Pro smart feature, you can choose which app takes more bandwidth and which takes less. The killer combination of some of these smart features and the Intel i7 processor makes this laptop more powerful.

This Predator Helios is armed with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 with 6GB of dedicated memory, which provides you lag-free gaming experience. A 15.6 inches Full HD IPS panel display with a 144Hz refresh rate and 3ms overdrive response time provides you blur-free, crisp, and clear frames for high-octane gameplay. It is paired with 16GB of RAM with 512GB SSD storage. The 4th Gen AeroBlade 3D Fan Technology provides instant cooling and keeps the performance up.

A four-zone custom RGB backlit keyboard with a concave-shaped cap is coupled with this laptop, A turbo key is also provided on the keyboard for instant overclocking. This laptop has a range of high-speed connectivity ports including Wifi 6, HDMI 2.1, MiniDP, USB 3.2, Type C Gen 2 port. Overall with all premium features and robust design, this is the best gaming laptop under 1200 dollars budget.

2. MSI GL66 Gaming Laptop Best Selling

MSI is a well-established brand in the gaming laptop industry. They made laptops for gaming purposes only, that’s why their R&D unit is able to make some marvelous laptops. This particular laptop is well-built with the latest 11th gen Intel core i7 processor. It sports NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, which delivers the ultimate performance and a lag-free gaming experience. With the latest Cool Boost 5 technology, the cooling unit has a combination of 6 cooling pipes and 2 fans that ensure better heat transferring and improve gaming performance.

This MSI GP65 Leopard has 15.6 inches Full HD LED Backlit Display. With a 144Hz refresh rate, this laptop provides you a smoother and blur-free game playing experience. This laptop has 16GB of RAM with 3200Mhz clocked frequency and 512GB of SSD storage. The SSD storage provides faster application loading and data transfer.

A backlit RGB Anti-ghosting keyboard with different color patterns is coupled with this laptop. This laptop has all essential ports such as USB 3.2 Gen 2, Type C, USB 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.0 which gives a tier-up gaming experience. This powerful laptop is the best MSI gaming laptop under 1200.

3. Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop Value For Money

Acer Nitro Gaming laptop is a powerful tool that any gamer would be excited to have. This is a great deal by Acer under a $1200 gaming laptop budget. The pro gaming laptop has an eye-catching design and a widescreen, Nitro 5 looks sturdy and more attractive because of edge cutting body design. This laptop has 17.3 inches Full HD display with thin nano bezels on either side of the screen. The display has a 144Hz refresh rate, which gives you a blur-free game-playing experience and a seamless viewing experience.

Acer Nitro 5 is powered by the 11th generation Intel Core i7-11800H processor with a clock frequency of up to 4.66GHz. The main unique selling proposition of this laptop is its graphic card, it is housing powerful GeForce RTX 3050Ti Graphics with 4GB GDDR6 dedicated memory. With these graphics card, you can do wonders while playing games or doing some heavy software work, this graphics card never let you down. This notebook has 16 GB of RAM with 3200MHz clock frequency and 1 TB of SSD storage with 2* PCIe NVME SSD slot and 1* 2.5″ slot for hard disk.

The cooling department is handled by Acer CoolBoost Technology having twin fans with dual exhaust ports which keeps the system running smoothly while gamers are in action. You will enjoy game playing under low light with the tactile feels of keys of a backlit keyboard having a dedicated NitroSense key. With Waves MaxxAudio, the sound of in-built speakers is crystal clear, rich with deep bass. Overall it is a good choice for all gaming enthusiasts who are looking for a good gaming laptop.

4. MSI Stealth 15M Gaming Laptop

The “MSI-THE GAME JUST GOT REAL” tagline is perfect for this brand. Another MSI laptop with powerful specifications and robust design. The matt finish top cover with the RGB backlit logo further enhances the look of this masterpiece. This laptop is powered by the 9th generation Intel Core i7-9750H processor which can be turbo boost up to 4.5GHz. The powerful and lag-free performance comes from NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Graphics which has 6 GB DDR6 dedicated memory.

The heat generated from the powerful laptop is cooled by MSI Cool Boost 5 technology, consisting of six heat pipes and two fans. The laptop is coupled with 15.6 inches Full HD IPS display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The display looks bigger with thin bezels and a higher screen-to-body ratio. It sports 16GB of RAM and 512 SSD storage.

The laptop comes with all high-speed connectivity ports like Thunderbolt 4, USB 3.2 type-C, USB 3.2 type-A, WiFi 6. Also, it can last long up to 8-9hours on a single charge. Overall it is one of the stronger contenders in the list of best gaming laptops under 1200 USD.

5. ASUS TUF Dash F15 Gaming Laptop

Some of the Asus gaming laptops (ROG series laptops) are already performing well in the gaming segment. This Asus TUF laptop is another good gaming laptop launched by ASUS recently. This laptop is highly durable with the MIL-STD-810H military standard. As the name suggests, it is built to work even at a very low temp(-32°C) and very high(49°C). Also, it can withstand humidity of up to 95%. This device can withstand the rigors of travel.

This slim & lightweight Gaming Laptop comes with an AMD chipset configuration that means you can expect a more powerful performance from this laptop. It is armed with the latest 11th Gen. Intel Core i7-11370H Processor and combined with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050Ti with ROG Boost. Asus TUF 15 comes with a dual-fan with operating modes that optimize cooling and give a sustainable performance.

A 15.6 inches full HD IPS display with a 144Hz refresh rate coupled with this machine, provides a lag-free gaming experience. The RGB backlit keyboard of this laptop builds for 20-million keystroke durability. DTS:X surround technology provides 7.1 channel theatre surround sound with deep bass. Overall, this is the best Gaming Laptop With Intel Processor.

6. Lenovo Legion 5 Gaming Laptop

Lenovo Legion is Lenovo’s newest addition to the gaming laptop industry. The Lenovo legion 5 gaming laptop is a high-end gaming laptop that was built with uncompromising performance for gaming and its high-end specs will provide the type of gaming experience that gamers are looking for. It features a sleek design, powerful specs, and diverse games to choose from. With creative aurorae lights, this laptop will provide you with an experience unlike any other.

This machine has a large 15.6″ 1080p Full HD display with a refresh rate up to 165Hz and powerful hardware that includes an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, and 16GB of RAM which makes it the perfect choice for any gamer looking for a responsive gaming experience.

The Legion 5 offers a tactile, responsive, and accurate keyboard that includes a number pad, media keys, and larger arrow keys. The Legion 5 is designed and engineered to be cool and quiet. It comes with dual fans and improved thermal fins that prevent the laptop from overheating, even after long use. Lenovo’s Legion gaming laptops are the most powerful line of laptops, targeting gamers who need the performance.

7. ASUS ROG Strix G15 Gaming Laptop

This ASUS gaming laptop is one of the best gaming laptop under $1200. ROG series is a well-known laptop series among all gaming users, ASUS is doing phenomenal upgrades in the ROG series. The design of this laptop is eye-catching, a grey matt finish top cover with the ROG logo makes this laptop more attractive. This notebook is powered by the latest AMD Ryzen 7 5800H with ‎NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, it is capable to give you high performance without any lag.

This gaming laptop has 15.6 inches Full HD WLED-backlit IPS Display with nano-edge bezels around the screen. The 300Hz display makes all gameplay ultra-smooth.  It offers 16GB RAM, this amount of RAM can handle all the heavy multitasking work comfortably. For storage, it offers 1TB of SSD which enhances the data transfer and boot time. An RGB backlit keyboard with different light patterns is provided with this laptop. The Two in-built speakers give the surrounding sound with deep bass.

This machine has two cooling fans with a special design ventilation system, this ventilation system transfer the heat efficiently and also enhances the overall look of the laptop. All the essential ports are provided on this laptop. Overall in all departments like hardware, design, this is one of the best budget gaming laptops available in the 1200 dollars.

8. Dell Gaming G15 Gaming Laptop

This laptop is another good gaming laptop available under 1200 dollars budget. Dell is a well-reputed brand in terms of build quality. The body of the Dell gaming laptop is designed in such a way that all heat generated will be dissipated at a faster rate. Dell G15 is powered by the latest 11th generation Intel Core i7-11800H processor and housing NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card. This laptop has an ultrasmooth touchpad with great accuracy and a backlit keyboard for a better gaming experience.

A 15.6 inches Full HD display with a narrow bezel on either corner is coupled with this machine. The colors are crispy, sharp, and well accurate. This laptop sports 16GB of RAM with an extra RAM slot, you can further upgrade the RAM according to your need. The 512 GB of SSD will increase the performance, gives fast data transfer, and reduce the startup time.

This sub $1200 gaming laptop offers all the necessary ports like USB-C, Headset jack, USB 2.0, SuperSpeed USB 3.2, RJ-45 Ethernet, HDMI 2.0, Wedge lock slot. With WaveMaxx technology two inbuilt speakers give surround sound with deep bass. Overall with all-powerful specifications and lighter weight of 3.79 pounds, this is Dell’s best gaming laptops under 1200 dollars in 2022 and also a better choice for travelers and programmers.

9. Razer Blade Stealth 13 Gaming Laptop

We cannot deny the fact that gaming laptop has become more and more popular in recent years. From a gamer’s point of view, gaming laptops are essential to ensure their games are running smoothly, without lag or glitches. However, it is not easy to find a laptop that satisfies your needs and budget. Especially if you want one that provides excellent performance on any game available out there. For gamers who want a laptop with long battery life, fast processing speed, and high-quality graphics card – Razer Blade Stealth Gaming Laptop is the perfect answer!

The Razer Blade has Anodised aluminum frame which makes the laptop more rigid and durable. The 120Hz Full HD, 1920 x 1080 display makes viewing videos more enjoyable and interactive. It also has a high degree of responsiveness with excellent color reproduction. The 10th Gen Intel Core processor provides up to 5.0 GHz Turbo Boost and a 12 MB cache for the most powerful, responsive computing experience ever. With 10 cores, it delivers amazing performance across a wide range of applications for PC gamers, video editors, designers, and more.

The Razer Blade 15 Gaming Laptop is a slim-line laptop with a sleek design that’s perfect for those who want to get work done on the go or game all day long.

10. HP Pavilion Gaming Laptop

This laptop is built for all hardcore gamers. This HP Pavilion gaming laptop has a large 16.1 Inch Full HD IPS WLED backlit display. The display is more environment friendly, it carries a low amount of halogen, mercury-free, arsenic-free glass. This laptop is also tuned for VR(virtual reality), VR gives you a next-level gaming experience. This laptop is powered by Intel 10th generation Intel Core i7-10750H with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti graphics card.

This laptop has 16 GB of RAM with 2933 MHz clock speed and 256 GB SSD storage. You will enjoy playing all of your favorite games like Apex Legends, World of Warcraft, The Witcher 3, Fortnite, Pubg, and many more. You feel a rich audio experience with crisp and custom-tuned sound in this sub $1200 gaming laptop, thanks to two front-firing speakers. The cooling department is also enhanced by a specially designed ventilation system that maximizes the airflow.

This laptop has a unique matrix-like full-size backlit keyboard. It has ultra-fast gigabit WIFI-6 and Bluetooth-5 which is 3 times faster than WIFI-5 and also supports MU-MIMO. This laptop is thin, portable, and has a battery life of up to 11 hours, which makes this notebook is the best gaming laptops under the $1200 price range.

Things to consider before buying a $1200 laptop

A gaming laptop is not only powerful but also portable. It needs to have all the necessary specifications in order to run high-end games without any lag on low settings. If you are buying one for gaming purposes, then you should always check the key specifications of the laptop and compare it to other laptops on the market so that you know if you are getting your money’s worth.

Processor:

A gaming laptop will usually have a more powerful processor than a regular laptop since it also has to process data in real-time and not just while the machine is on. In this budget, you can expect Intel core i7 processor with the latest generation or AMD Ryzen 5000 series in this budget. Both are powerful processors in this budget segment.

RAM:

RAM is one of the most important components in a laptop for gamers. They require more RAM to run their games smoothly as they are more resource-hungry. More RAM means better performance and smoother gameplay. Playing games with high RAM requirements can become frustrating if there isn’t enough available to the CPU and GPU, causing lags in processing and input delays for the user. In this budget range, it is recommended to go with a minimum of 12GB RAM with 2666MHz or higher frequency.

Display:

The display size and quality of gaming laptops are some of the most important aspects of a laptop. Large display size is preferred by gamers, but it also requires a higher price. A higher pixel density is better because it means sharper images, which will be more appealing to gamers. You can choose any size of display from 14″ to 17″ with a high refresh rate. The bigger the display better is the viewing experience.

Graphics:

A gaming laptop is a specialized laptop that has a high-end graphics card or GPU. It can play games with high graphics settings and/or at the highest resolutions of 1080p, 1440p, 4K, and the latest 8K. In this budget, you get multiple options from NVIDIA and AMD. A dedicated graphics memory, minimum of 4GB is required for the best gaming laptops under 1200 dollars.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

• Are gaming laptop better than normal laptop?

A gaming laptop has a better graphics card, better processor, and more memory as compared to a normal laptop. Gaming laptops also have a higher screen resolution which makes playing games on them even more enjoyable.

• How does a gaming laptop prevent overheating?

One of the most common preventative measures for overheating laptops is to have a high-quality thermal design that can evenly spread heat and cool the machine more efficiently. This prevents any part from getting too hot and affecting the performance of the gaming laptop.

• Does 32GB RAM overkill the performance of the Laptop?

A PC with 32GB of RAM is not overkilled for gaming because the number is not a be-all or end-all. More importantly, it depends on the type of game you are playing and your system specifications. It is true that more RAM means smoother gameplay with more complex graphics and textures, but it does not guarantee better performance. This is because games have different memory needs.

Conclusion

No doubt about that, these are the top 10 best gaming laptop under $1200 budget range. All laptops mentioned above are newly launched by the top brands. We know the requirements of all users vary, someone wants a light and thin laptop, another one searching for a bigger screen size. We respect every user’s requirements and considerations. Our team picked all kinds of laptops according to different requirements.

Further, if you are still facing any difficulty picking the best laptop, let us know in the comment section below.

Also Check:

• Best Gaming Chairs Under 200
• Best Gaming Laptops Under 150
• Best Xbox One Gaming Chairs