Ranking: The best affordable (sub-$1,500) gaming laptops

The IdeaPad Pro 5 16 G9 is an all-rounder. Equipped with high-end components, including the Meteor Lake Core Ultra 9 185H, it is available in stores for around 1,400 euros. Particularly noteworthy is the powerful 90-watt GeForce RTX 4050, which almost rivals an RTX 4060.

The IdeaPad Pro 5 16 G9 is faster than it looks at first glance, especially when equipped with the powerful 90 W GeForce RTX 4050 GPU.

Only Costco is now offering the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 16 with the Core Ultra 9 185H configuration and the RTX 4050 for 1,500 US dollars (1,400 euros).

The newer model supports up to two SSDs, offers faster black/white and gray/gray response times, longer battery life and AI acceleration. These under-the-hood changes are important for enthusiasts who value memory expansion, fast gaming, travel and AI-powered programs like Co-Pilot.

The Inspiron 16 Plus 7640 addresses some of the drawbacks of its predecessor, making it an even better multimedia machine than before. However, the single-thread CPU performance and gaming performance take a small step backwards.

Our test configuration of Core Ultra 7, RTX 4060 and 1,600p can currently be had directly from Dell for $1,300. The cheaper SKU with Core i7 with UHD Graphics starts at just 900 US dollars.

The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 draws attention in the test primarily due to its strong CPU and gaming performance. Both the already powerful i7-14700HX and the RTX 4060 calculate faster than average and even come close to the configuration with i9-14900HX and RTX 4070 in terms of performance. The Legion Pro is also interesting for content creators thanks to the potentially very true-color display.

If you are looking for a very powerful gaming laptop, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i is the right choice. Content creators could also be happy, but there is still potential for optimization in some details.

At our partner Campuspoint, the special model currently costs 1,549 euros. In other stores, prices start at around 1,600 euros, for example at Jacob or mediarado. Directly from Lenovo, a model with RTX 4060 but with an i9-14900HX and our display variant costs €2,249, which is quite a high price for an RTX 4060 laptop. However, the Pro 5i was at one point available with RTX 4070 and a 500-nit display for just €1,455 (Mydealz)! Comparing prices and waiting for possible offers can therefore be worthwhile.

Ryzen 5 8645HS, GeForce RTX 4060, 16 GB RAM provide mid-range gaming power and long battery life. A 14.5-inch panel (2.5k, sRGB, 120 Hz, G-Sync) in 16:10 format and a USB 4 port complete the well-rounded hardware base. The complete package is available for 1,449 euros.

With the Nitro 14, Acer delivers a coherent mid-range gaming notebook in a compact format.

The Acer Nitro 14 AN14-41-R3MX is available from Notebooksbilliger.de at a price of 1,449 euros.

In addition to the currently attractive price, we particularly like the Tulpar T7's keyboard, the fast WLAN and, of course, the lifelong, annual and free maintenance. The T7 also stays cool even under stress.

The Tulpar T7 is an inexpensive gaming laptop with the generous promise of a lifetime of free annual maintenance. However, you should make sure to get a configuration with dual-channel RAM, otherwise the performance will fall behind the competition.

Those interested are in luck, as the Tulpar T7 is already available starting from 996 euros on Amazon.de without Windows. The normal price would be 1,299 euros, the manufacturer's RRP is 1,699 euros.

The TUF series from Asus is growing. Its smallest member is powered by the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 and is one of the fastest 14-inch gaming notebooks on the market. It comes with a 2,560 x 1,600 165 Hz IPS display and the package costs around 1,500 euros.

The TUF Gaming A14 has almost identical features to the ROG Zephyrus G14, but it is significantly cheaper. It offers a good balance between productivity and gaming for its size, but you should expect loud fans and high temperatures during intensive use.

The Asus TUF Gaming A14 FA401WV is currently sold by Asus Germany for 1,500 euros.

The A15 FA507UV has a few delicacies to offer that you wouldn't necessarily expect from a gaming laptop in the lower price range: Ryzen 9 (Zen 4), GeForce RTX 4060, USB 4 and excellent battery life. The computer would be available from around 1,100 euros - without Windows.

With the TUF Gaming A15 FA507UV, Asus delivers a well-rounded FHD gaming notebook with impressive battery life.

The Asus TUF Gaming A15 FA507UV is currently (as of 17.07.24) available at a reduced price of €1,169 from our partner playox.de.

The design may look unassuming, unlike the more vibrant ROG series, but the focus on speed and simplicity is exactly what gamers on a tighter budget are looking for. The TUF Gaming A17 FA707 is one of the most affordable 17.3-inch gaming laptops with GeForce RTX 4070. What's particularly impressive is that it's powered by the Zen 4 Ryzen 9 CPU, so users don't have to compromise on processing power despite the low price. The powerful combination of CPU and GPU make this model an easy recommendation for all gamers who want to maximize their performance-per-euro ratio.

The Asus TUF Gaming A17 is able to balance price, performance and from factor well, as long as you find the right configuration. SKUs with a 1,080p panel have significantly weaker colors than the 1,440p options.

In Germany, the Asus TUF Gaming A17 FA707XI is available in our configuration starting from 1,429 euros, for example at Notebooksbilliger.

Lenovo's 15.6-inch model is designed for FHD gaming at high to maximum settings. The coherent hardware basis consists of a Core i5-13450HX, GeForce RTX 4060, 16 GB RAM and a 1 TB SSD. The price is appealing: the computer is available from just 899 euros - without Windows.

With the LOQ 15IRX9, Lenovo delivers an affordable FHD gaming notebook that has one or two weaknesses.

The Lenovo LOQ 15IRX9 is currently available from Amazon.de at a price of 1,025 euros. If you can do without a Windows operating system, you would have to pay 899 euros at Computeruniverse.net.

The Dell G16 7630 looks somewhat simpler and is cheaper than Dell's Alienware series. The performance is still good, and it is also really good that the gamer remains quieter than many of its competitors when gaming.

The Dell G16 7630 is a fairly large and heavy mid-range gamer with good performance and a quiet appearance. However, Dell could still improve in terms of features and workmanship.

In the Dell Germany store, our configuration variant, but with 32 GB instead of 16 GB RAM, costs 1,399 euros. Caution: On Amazon.de you would have to pay crazy prices of 2,800 to over 5,000 euros.