This is most likely the most comprehensive list of best gaming laptops you can find online, so please share this with your friends who is looking to buy a new laptops.

If you are looking for Canada’s recommendations scroll down.

#affiliate notice I get commissions for purchases made through most of the links in this post to support the expenses of this website.

Gaming laptops

300~400 range Acer Aspire E 15

* Intel HD Graphics 620 is the best iGPU you can find for this budget which makes the laptop the best option for light gaming on a very tight budget.

* Full HD 15.6 screen, which is very rare for this budget range and great for watching movies/videos.

* Good upgrades available, can go to 16 GB of ram, and with a little more work than usual you can even fit a SSD on it.

* USB type C which is another rare thing to find on this budget.

***

500~550 The Acer Aspire E5-573G

* Double of the ram, 940M GPU which is slightly better than Intel HD Graphics 620

***

500~550 The Acer Aspire E 15 Not the same model.

* NVIDIA 940MX which is one of the best for this range but still not great for newer games Benchmark(use the same website to check the benchmarks of the other GPU from the right hand list).

* 8GB DDR4, 256GB SSD both are somewhat standards in 600 range so finding them on 500~ range is somewhat a catch.

* Advertised battery life of up to 12-hours, Backlit Keyboard.

***

600~650 The Asus X756

* Bigger screen (17.3 Full HD), more ram (12 GB), Dedicated GPU (950M), USB Type C.

***

550+~650 The Lenovo Ideapad 700

* Quad core i5-6300HQ which is a great plus over the previous 2 acers, specially if you are going to play a CPU intensive game, or you are going to do other CPU intensive tasks like MatLab, AutoCAD, audio/video editing.

* 950M which is more powerful then the 940MX on the other acer and worth the extra 50 if you can afford it.

* 15.6 full HD IPS screen which is great screen for this price point (usually found on mid 700 laptops) and great if more than one person is going to watch a movie on the same screen as it has very good viewing angles.

***

700~750 The ASUS FZ50VW NewEgg With the current sale

* 960M GPU which is more powerful than the 950M, a small SSD, and it is only available on NewEgg.

***

750~800 **The MSI GL62 6QF-627 NewEgg With the current sale

* Because it comes with same GPU, quad core i7, 15.6 Full HD screen, 8 GB ram, 1 TB hdd, and USB type C.

***

700~800 Dell Inspiron

* 960M which is more powerful than the 950M on the lenovo+ SSD is the main advantage this has over the lenovo laptop.

* Very good battery life, backlit keyboard( same applies with the other configuration).

* You can get it for 100$ less if you are ok with getting the wharehouse deal from Amazon.

***

700~800 Dell Inspiron i7559

* Quad core i7 which is its main advantage over the other model you get a better CPU which is only recommended if you are also going to use it for CPU intensive tasks previously mentioned.

* Upgrade options are very good (add more ram or add a SSD same applies with the other configuration).

***

750~800 The Prostar Clevo N855HJ NewEgg With the current sale

* The new and powerful i7-7700HQ, GTX 1050 with 2GB GDDR5.

* Very good build quality, Backlit keyboard, USB Type C.

* This one has double the ram for 100 more.

***

700~ 800 The Acer Aspire VX 15

* GTX 1050, 15.6 Full HD IPS, 8GB DDR4, 256GB SSD.

* HDD upgrade kit available (2.5” bracket with SATA and power cable).

* Great value for money and above average build quality.

800~900 MSI GL62M 7RD-256

* 1050 GPU Which is much more powerful than the 960M on both dells and that along woth the extra 100 if your usage mainly gaming.

* New i5-7300HQ CPU which supposedly should help with battery life, but not much professional reviews available yet.

* Good warranty and good upgrade options (SSD+RAM) which applies to the other configuration too.

* Same one from NewEgg with small SSD for the same price

***

850~900 The MSI GL62M 7RE NewEgg

* 1050Ti which is about 30% better than 1050 according to [this](http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-1050-Ti-Notebook.168400.0.html) so I consider it worth the extra 100 if you can afford it.

***

900~1000 Eluktronics N850HK1

* One of the best under 1000 laptops available, with high build quality and very good heating management as well as value for money.

* Intel Core i7-7700HQ, GTX 1050 Ti, 15.6” Full HD IPS, 8GB DDR4, 1TB HDD, USB type C.

900~1000 Acer Aspire VX 15

* 15.6 Full HD IPS, 7th Gen Intel Core i7, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, 16GB DDR4, 256GB SSD.

* Similar build quality to the Eluktronics N850HK1 and also considered one of the best options under 1K.

950~1000 MSI GL62M

* 1050Ti GPU, SSD instead of the HDD on the other config.

* Intel Core i7-7700HQ which is better than the i5-7300HQ but only for higher end CPU tasks.

***

950~1000 The ASUS FX502VM NewEgg **On Sale**

* Great value for money because it comes with the very powerful 1060 GPU (only 3GB of Vram).

* 16 GB of ram, quad core i5, 1 TB of HDD and Full HD 15.6 screen.

***

1000~1100 The MSI GP62MVR Leopard Pro NewEgg after sale and rebate

* One of the Cheapest Laptops with the very powerful 1060 GPU.

* Quad core i7, 8GB of ram, 1 TB of HDD, under 5 lbs.

***

1050~1100 The PROSTAR Clevo N870HK1 NewEgg

* Full HD IPS 17.3 inch screen, GTX 1050Ti, 128GB SSD, 1TB HDD.

* USB type C, backlit keyboard, 1-Year Warranty.

***

1050~1100 The Refurbished Acer Predator 17 G5-793-72AU NewEgg.

* GTX 1060 with 6 GB Vram, i7 6700HQ, 16 GB Ram, 1 TB HDD, 256 GB SSD.

* 17.3 Full HD screen, but also very heavy at 9.26 lbs.

***

1100~1200 Prostar Clevo P650HP3

* Newer more powerful i7-7700HQ (only care about that if you want to get more juice out of your battery or you are planning on doing CPU intensive tasks).

* Better build quality, better heat management, better upgrade options, backlit keyboard.

***

1150~1250 MSI VR Ready GE62VR

* 1060 GPU which is much more powerful than both 1050 and 1050Ti.

* 12 GB of ram and small 128GB SSD (just enough for the OS).

* Build quality is a little meh.

***

1250~1300 Eluktronics P670RP6

* Very good build quality, very good heat management.

* 17.3 inch Full HD IPS screen which makes it good desktop replacement.

* Small 128GB SSD (just enough for the OS).

***

1200~1350 The[Eluktronics Pro-X NewEgg with the current sale.

* i7-7700HQ Quad Core, GTX 1060, G-SYNC , 128GB PCIe NVMe SSD, 8GB DDR4 RAM.

* 2 USB 3.1 Type-C, Backlit Keyboard, 15.6 Full HD 120Hz 5ms.

***

1200~1300 ASUS ROG STRIX

* Thin and Light for its power (profile is just under 1-inch and weighs less than 4.75lbs).

* Very good build quality, very good heat management even with the thin design.

* 16GB DDR4, USB type C, 1-year Accidental Damage Protection with 30 days Zero Bright Dot Guarantee.

***

1250~1300 MSI GT72VR Dominator

* Very good build quality, very good heat management.

* 17.3 inch screen which makes it good desktop replacement.

* 12 GB of ram and small 128GB SSD (just enough for the OS).

***

1300~1400 ASUS ROG STRIX GL502VM

* Thin and Light for its power (profile is just under 1-inch and weighs less than 4.75lbs).

* Very good build quality, very good heat management even with the thin design.

* 16GB DDR4, USB type C, 1-year Accidental Damage Protection with 30 days Zero Bright Dot Guarantee.

* Updated listing , higher price but with a gaming bundle.

***

1400~1450 The Open box MSI GT62VR Dominator Pro NewEgg.

* Best price for GTX 1070 GPU, i7 6700HQ, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB HDD, 256 GB SSD.

* Great build quality (metal build), very good heat management.

* USB type C, G-Sync Full HD IPS, Full-Color Backlight Keyboard.

***

1450~1500 The Refurbished GT72VR Dominator Pro NewEgg

* Similar to the Open box MSI GT62VR Dominator Pro but with a bigger screen and smaller SSD.

***

1500~1600 The Acer Predator 15

* Same specs as the MSI GT62VR Dominator Pro but with lower build quality, but the price is pretty good.

***

1500~1600 The Prostar Clevo P650HS-G NewEgg

* Lower specs than the Acer Predator 15 but with better build quality and better heat mangement.

***

1500~1700 The MSI GT62VR Dominator Pro

* Same as this Open box MSI GT62VR Dominator Pro but new.

***

1500~1700 The Sager NP8157

* Similar specs and build quality to the MSI GT62VR Dominator Pro but with a 1 year warranty and similar price.

***

1700~1800 This config of the MSI GT72VR DOMINATOR PRO

* Newer more powerful CPU, Bigger screen, 120Hz which means much better FPs.

***

1700~1800 This config of The Eluktronics Pro-X NewEgg

* 15.6 Full HD, G-SYNC, 120Hz 5ms screen.

* GTX 1070, 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD, 16 GB RAM, 2 USB 3.1 Type-C, RGB Backlit keyboard.

***

1800~2250 in this price range you are getting more RAM and more storage, but the build quality and the GPU is somewhat the same.

2200~2300 **The Open Box MSI GT73VR TITAN PRO NewEgg, With the current sale.

* One of more “affordable” laptops with GTX 1080 GPU which is much more powerful than the 1070.

* 120 Hz 5 ms 17.3 Full HD screen, 16GB of ram, 1 TB of HDD, 128GB of SSD, and Intel Core i7 6820HK.

***

2300~2400 The MSI GT73VR TITAN PRO NewEgg, With the current sale.

* Same as the Open Box MSI GT73VR TITAN PRO but new.

***

2400~2500 The Clevo Prostar P775DM3-G NewEgg

* Similar to the MSI GT73VR TITAN PRO but with half the ram and no SSD, which is why the Titan is a freat option.

***

**Honorable mentions**

The MSI GE62 Apache Pro

Because sometime it goes on sale and under 1k, the 970M is close in performance to the 1050Ti (not much weaker), and has USB type C.

The ROG Strix GL753VD

Because it comes with a bigger screen and 1050 GPU

The P55Wv6-PC3D

Because of the global warranty if you are buying from outside USA and for the specs.

The MSI GE72 Apache

For the bigger screen and 120Hz features which leads to higher FPS.

The GS43VR Phantomh

Because of the smaller screen size and light weight at 3.75 lbs.

The ASUS K501UW

Because of the lighter weight and big SSD storage.

The Toshiba Satellite S55T

Because very good specs and build quality, with 950M GPU and touchscreen if touchscreen is a big plus and you also game a lot this would be a great option).

Each of those has its own benefit aside from the raw power, so if you are interested in one of them let me know and I will explain why they are on the Honorable mentions.

Ohh and if one of you own one of the laptops mentioned, let us know what do you like the most about it.

College laptops

FYI: the Upcoming laptops are refurbished laptops, which allows for better value for money, and better specs which equals better performance, they are a little heavier, but the smaller screen makes them good college laptops.

200~250 The Dell Latitude E6410

* Dual core i5, 8GB of ram, 128 GB of SSD which is **great** specs for the money.

* 14.1 inch screen but only HD

* 90 day warranty and DVDRW which is not usually available in this size.

***

250~300 The Lenovo ThinkPad T420

* Almost the same specs but with better build quality but also heavier by 0.3 lb.

***

300~350 Dell Latitude E6420

* Bigger SSD but slightly lower build quality than the previous ThinkPad.

***

350~400 Elitebook 8470P

* Better CPU/igpu, USB 3.0 and same specs as the previous dell.

***

FYI 2: most of the upcoming laptops have very similar specs so I won’t mention them, they are dual core i5(or i7 at the more expensive side), 8GB of ram, 256GB of SSD, and the corresponding iGPU (either 520 or 620) which is much more powerful than the previous options and the upcoming list is way lighter with better display and build quality which is why they cost a lot more although they seem to have similar specs.

***

500 ~550 The ASUS ZenBook Flip UX360CA

* Comes with Fanless CPU which means it will be super quiet.

* USB type C, 1-year Accidental Damage Protection, 2 in 1 features and very light at 2.9 lbs.

***

550~600 The Acer Aspire S 13 with the current sale

* Better battery life, USB C, backlit keyboard, lighter than the other acers.

* Similar build quality to the R14 but with no 2 in 1 feature.

* Similar screen but smaller than the R14 (13.3 vs 14).

***

550~600 The Acer Spin 5 with the current sale still ongoing.

* Same specs as the Swift but smaller screen with better brightness with 2 in 1 features.

* Better battery life, still has backlit keyboard but no USB type C.

***

550~650 The Acer Aspire R 14

* Bigger screen than the spin 5, while still having the 2 in 1 feature.

* USB type C, has Backlit keyboard but it is off by default but it also heavier at 4.2 lbs.

* Lower build quality than the Spin 5 and Swift 3 but still very good and above average.

***

550~700 The ASUS K401

* NVIDIA GeForce 940M which is great if you want to do gaming on the side, while it is still somewhat light at 3.6 lbs.

* Con is that it has 750GB of HDD instead of 256GB SSD like most light weight laptops on this list.

***

550~700 The Acer Swift 3

* 14 inch Full HD IPS which is a great screen for the price (some complained that it is a little dim in direct sunshine though).

* USB type C, backlit keyboard, very good battery life at 6-8 hours with light to medium usage.

***

550~700 The Lenovo Flex 4

* Has the new CPU/iGPU which makes it great if you are planning to do some light gaming on the side.

* 2 in 1 features, Full HD IPS touchscreen, but also a little heavier than the rest at 3.8 lbs.

***

650~700 The ASUS ZenBook UX330UA with the current sale

* Better CPU and better iGPU so this is the way to go if you are going to do some light gaming on the side.

* Lightest and thinest on this list, higher build quality, cool extra features.

* USB type C, no Backlit keyboard (only con in my opinion).

***

700~750 The Acer Swift 5

* Very similar to the ASUS ZenBook UX330UA but with bigger screen and the backlit keyboard that the ZenBook is missing.

***

700~756 The Lenovo Flex 4

* Intel dual core i7 and 16 GB of ram (double most on this list).

***

756~ 850 The Lenovo FLEX 4

* This config comes with 512GB SSD.

After This point you start to pay premium for premium build quality, like

The Lenovo ThinkPad T460s

With all of its configurations because ThinkPads are known for their great battery life, amazing build quality and very good keyboards.

***

700~900 The Thinkpad 13

* Great battery life, amazing build quality and very good keyboard.

* Lightweight at 3.17 lbs, USB type C, and great support for linux.

***

800~900 The Acer Swift 5

* Mainly for newer more powerful CPU, and newer iGPU, usually you wouldn’t need such power and it is not worth the increase in price, so let us consider this as an honorable mention.

***

800~900 The Acer Spin 7

* One of the few that has the powerful fanless Intel Core i7-7Y75, the rest of the specs and build quality is almost identical to th Acer Spin 5 mentioned on this list, except for the more powerful iGPU.

***

900~1000 The Dell XPS 13

* Amazing battery life, very light weight at 2.61 lbs, very good build quality.

* Very thin, almost no bezels, backlit keyboard.

If for some reason none of the above meet your criteria, budget or usage and want to look elsewhere, here are a few things that you need to be on the look out for:

* Check the screen resolution, anything above 400~500 USD should at least have Full HD (1920*1080).

* If you are interested in 4K make sure you check the PSA on the right hand side, most 4K is false panel and FHD would look better.

* If you are looking for a gaming laptop check the GPU benchmarks on [this list](http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-940MX.156033.0.html) and click on the name of the GPU on the right hand side.

* If you are checking the GPU benchmarks please note that the laptops GPU have a (M) attached to it, so a 960 GPU is not the same as a 960M GPU (on 10XX GPUs you will see a desktop and laptop note between brackets to differentiate between them).

* If you are looking for a GPU that is powerful enough to run a certain game you have in mind, then search on Google or YouTube with (the name of the game + name of the GPU+ the settings you are interested to play on), and most of the time you will see someone testing the exact laptop you are looking for against the game you want to play.

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