Best Gaming Laptop Under 1000

Choosing the best gaming laptop under $ 1000 means running and comfortably playing all-new AAA gaming titles (at least at low settings). There’s a large selection of gaming laptops under $ 1000. After in-depth research, I have chosen the five best you can take for your money. You can get strong NVIDIA mobile graphics cards in this price range, although I eliminated “older chips” based on the GTX 1650 and GTX 1660/1660 Ti.

Let’s be clear, GTX 166X are great graphics chips, but considering the price, they are almost close to the newer ones based on RTX 3060, 3050, and 3050 Ti, with which you will be more than happy.

The best gaming laptop under $ 1000 must meet the following criteria:

• aesthetically appealing,
• lightweight due to portability,
• processor (CPU) capable of keeping up with the graphics card without bottlenecks,
• minimum 8 GB DDR4 fast memory and 512 GB PCIe M.2 SSD,
• discrete graphics card,
• well-executed cooling,
• quality display with a high refresh rate,
• decent battery life.

Five best gaming laptops under $ 1000

 

 

1. Gigabyte G5 KC – The best performance

First Impression

The design of the laptop is relatively standard, and I would even say repulsive for some gamers who like colorful colors and exciting and attractive aesthetic solutions. Gigabyte opted for conventional design and focused on powerful performance at an affordable price.

The Gigabyte G5 KC case is quality and robust plastic with very little flex. The screen is held by high-quality, solid hinges that allow the screen to move back up to 135 degrees. Overall, the build quality is at a satisfactory level. One detail in particular I liked is the easily detachable battery without removing the laptop’s back cover. Great detail if you aren’t near a power outlet and have two batteries that you can quickly replace and continue working.

Keyboard

The keyboard is done very well in full format with the numeric part. When typing, you have good feedback, and it’s not hard to work longer. The backlight is well done, with a predefined choice of colors. The touchpad is quite correct, with separate mouse buttons. Although every gamer will use a real gaming mouse, the touchpad is only there in rare cases when the mouse is unavailable for some reason.

144 Hz IPS panel

The Gigabyte G5 KC has a 15.6-inch IPS panel, 1080p (1920×1080) resolution, and a 144 Hz refresh rate. The IPS screen has good viewing angles without color distortion from various angles. The contrast is excellent, it’s black with minimal penetration of gray, and the colors are accurately displayed.

The response time of 10ms is quite correct for this screen, but it can be a problem for fast action games and competitive gamers. With a higher response, ghosts may appear behind objects that move quickly (they look blurry). FPS gamers should pay special attention to shorter display response times.

CPU Intel Core i5-10500H

The Intel Core i5-10500H is a fast 10th-generation mobile processor based on the Comet Lake-H series. The processor comes with six cores and can execute up to 12 threads simultaneously ( thanks to Hyper-Threading). The clock speed is 2.5 GHz with a turbo frequency of up to 4.5 GHz. The integrated memory controller supports DDR4-2933 RAM.

The declared TDP of 45W tells us that this model is only suitable for larger laptops with a proper cooling system.

Installed RAM

The Gigabyte G5 KC comes with a generous 16GB of DDR4-3200 RAM (2×8), which will be enough for this laptop’s gaming challenges. Quality DDR4 3200 Mhz memory comes with a Samsung signature, but Gigabyte may put components from different vendors with similar specifications depending on the stock status. Other vendors apply not only to RAM but also to disks (SSDs), displays, etc.

Storage

G5 KC has a built-in M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe SSD capacity of 512 GB. Built-in SSD from the manufacturer Phison EC has sequential read and write speeds of 3400/2400 MB/s. This SSD will quickly load your system, games, and frequently used applications.

There is another empty M.2 slot for installing a second NMVe SSD and a 2.5″ SATA 3 HDD/SSD space. Thus, Gigabyte didn’t skimp on the possibility of expanding storage space.

GPU NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop (GA106M)

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (for laptops) is based on the GA106 Ampere chip and comes with 6GB of GDDR6 video memory. RTX 3060 Mobile is a graphics card with a 192-bit memory bus and is closest in performance to the older RTX 2070 Super Mobile, which means comfortable gaming in 1440p challenging games.

Since the screen on the G5 KC has a resolution of “only” 1080p, the RTX 3060 will easily cope with most AAA titles with high FPS. Core Speed is 900 MHz to 1283 MHz (boost at 1700 MHz), and GDDR6 VRAM run at 14000 MHz (8 x 1750 Mhz). In addition, the graphics card supports DirectX 12_2 and Shader 7.0. From all the above, it is clear that such a graphics card must have good cooling.

Gaming performance

Although its price is not tiny, Gigabyte sells the G5 KC as an entry-level gaming laptop. However, the G6 KC, thanks to its good specification, can handle great new AAA games. In this regard, let’s look at how this laptop behaves in some popular gaming titles.

As you can see from the attached 1080p test results, the Gigabyte G5 KC delivers excellent performance in modern games with a high level of detail. Most games have a frame rate above 60 fps, which is a good result for this gaming laptop.

Temperature

Under high load, the temperature of the graphics card, depending on the game, was between 65°C and 79°C. Meanwhile, the processor went over 70°C degrees. These are pretty significant values, but there was no drop in performance even after a long game.

However, the noise due to the high fan speeds on the Gigabyte G5 KC is very high when running under a heavy load, which is logical because you need to remove all the heat from the powerful components. In all other cases that exclude demanding games, the noise from the fans is almost inaudible.

Connectors and more

The Gigabyte G5 KC has sufficient ports for more demanding users. On the back of the laptop are:

• USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C,
• HDMI 2.0 (with HDCP),
• RJ-45 1GbE LAN,
• power supply.

On the left side, we have the following ports:

• Kensington lock,
• USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A,
• USB 2.0 Type-A,
• microphone and headset

On the right side, we have the following ports:

• USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A,
• mini DisplayPort 1.4,
• SD card reader

Gigabyte G5 KC, besides the RJ-45 1GbE LAN port, also comes with WiFi 6 standard (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.2.

As for the battery, the situation isn’t great for endurance under full load. The battery will barely last one hour before charging in such a situation. If you do not play but use WiFi intensively in your work on the laptop, the operating time before charging will be 3.5 hours.

So, the Gigabyte G5 KC is the gaming laptop with the best performance for around $ 1000. Get it if you can overcome shortcomings, such as noticeable noise at high loads and short battery life. Everything else will bring a smile to your face because a laptop is excellent for every task you do for it.

 

2. MSI GF65 Thin 10UE – Runner Up performance

 

 

First Impression

The MSI G65 is a budget gaming laptop that doesn’t have a solid and quality build as its higher-end GE or GT models. The case is black plastic made and has some flex. A screen cover is coated with brushed aluminum. Although it looks pretty elegant, the metal surface of the lid is also a lure for fingerprints.

The laptop is relatively thin, only 0.85 inches, and weighs 1.9 kg, so it’s in the range of ASUS TUF Dash 15. The screen is on solid hinges that allow the screen to open up to 150 °. The MSI G65 is a compact, lightweight gaming laptop that won’t take much space in your backpack.

Keyboard

The keyboard on the MSI GF65 comes without a numeric part. The stroke of the keys is relatively shallow as on any ultrabook. The lighting is the same as the Acer Nitro 5 in one color, red, without RGB, which comes with more expensive models.

The typing experience on this keyboard is quite pleasant, but rarely a gamer type. The touchpad is quite comfortable to work with, so there is nothing to complain about its size or functionality.

144 Hz IPS panel

The 15.6-inch IPS screen comes with a refresh rate of 144 Hz. The contrast is excellent (1000: 1), and the viewing angles are generally good for the IPS panel, but the color display isn’t the most accurate. However, the screen is more than good in real work for everyday use. Due to the higher response time (~ 30ms), it’s possible that ghosting will occur in some exceptional action scenes.

CPU Intel Core i5-10500H

The Intel Core i5-10500H is a fast 10th-generation mobile processor based on the Comet Lake-H series. It comes with six physical cores and can execute up to 12 threads simultaneously, thanks to HyperThreading. The operating clock is 2.5 GHz with a boost of up to 4.5 GHz.

The integrated memory controller supports DDR4-2933 RAM. The processor has 12 MB of L3 cache and integrated Intel UDH 630 graphics. Integrated graphics aren’t in the domain of AMD APU solutions but will serve in some simpler older games.

Installed RAM

Behind the bottom cover of the MSI GF65 are two RAM slots, one of which is free for future RAM upgrades. One slot takes up 8 GB of DDR4-3200 RAM. 8 GB of RAM is the minimum for decent gaming for today’s conditions. I highly recommend upgrading to another 8 GB of RAM, which will give you 16 GB of RAM that will work in dual-channel mode.

Storage

The MSI GF65 comes with an M.2 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD in 2280 format and sequential read and write of 3500/2900 MB/s. If you want to expand your storage space, another M.2 slot is available. So there’s no room to set up a 2.5″ SATA 3 HDD or SSD.

GPU NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop (GA106M)

MSI has opted for the same RTX 3060 graphics card as the Gigabyte G5 KC model, only in the case of MSI; its version is 10-15% slower. MSI has limited the max TDP to 75W to prevent overheating in a compact laptop, which means that performance will be slightly lower than the Gigabyte model (TDP 105W).

Gaming performance

As can be seen from the test results, the MSI GF65 is slightly slower than the Gigabyte G5 KC but within tolerance limits for the RTX 3060. A smaller TDP of 75W also gives less FPS. On the other hand, the graphics card heats up less in a compact laptop.

Temperature

The regular operation’s temperatures are in the green zone, and the fan is barely audible. The GPU temperature is around 35°C while the CPU is about 34°C, so pretty even. Under high load, the CPU temperature is 66°C while the GPU is 75°C, with the fan noisier but within tolerance limits.

Connectors and more

The MSI GF65 comes with a modest number of ports. There are no connections behind the laptop. The following ports come from the left:

• power supply,
• HDMI 2.0

On the right are:

• Kensington lock,
• RJ-45 1GbE LAN port,
• 2x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C,
• 2x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A,
• 3.5mm combo audio jack.

As for network communication, GF65  supports WiFi 6 (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.1 via the built-in Intel communication module (AX201). You can also make a wired connection via RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet.

Expect about 4 to 4.5 hours of battery life with moderate laptop use and WiFi turned on. If we step into the gaming world, count on barely an hour without charge. Although it has two USB-C ports, you cannot charge the battery via them.

Although the GF65 features a relatively fast RTX 3060 in the mobile version, performance varies considerably from laptop manufacturer and model. Of course, graphics cards with higher TGP (total graphics power) will have higher performance, but they will also heat more.

MSI made a compact, lightweight, and aesthetically pleasing gaming laptop but had to limit the power of the GPU due to possible overheating. Therefore its model is 10%-15% slower compared to other RTX 3060s. In addition, you get a good screen with a high refresh rate and lower temperatures under heavy loads.

However, if you want higher performance, look at the Gigabyte G5 CK model, which offers more.

 

3. ASUS TUF Dash 15

 

First Impression

At first glance, the Asus TUF Dash 15 is a lovely laptop. Thanks to a thickness of only 0.8 inches (4.5 lbs), the laptop is very convenient to carry.

The top cover is aluminum made, like the top panel around the keyboard, while the bottom is still plastic. It’s very similar to Asus’ ROG Zephyrus model, but unlike the ROG, the TUF series is intended for gamers who want to get as much as possible for their money.

The TUF series of laptops are advertised as military-tough on unpredictable and difficult operating conditions such as vibration, temperature shocks, corrosion, falls from heights, etc. I didn’t have time to check all this in detail. Still, we believe that Asus did its best to ensure the laptop has excellent durability and reliability during operation.

Keyboard

The keyboard is comfortable to type, but the keys have a short stroke because the laptop is thin. Some may miss the numeric part, but gamers don’t need Numpad. The keyboard doesn’t have RGB lighting, but unobtrusive grayish lighting is best seen around the transparent WASD keys.

There are dedicated keys above the keyboard to control the volume, mute the microphone and open the Asus Armory Crate software. The touchpad is big enough to use gestures, and the click mechanism is strong. But as I mentioned before, gamers will not use a touchpad but a quality gaming mouse.

144 Hz IPS panel

The IPS screen has a 1080p resolution and a refresh rate of 144 Hz. Response time is relatively good at 10ms, but it would have been better if it was even lower for competitive games. The screen is bright enough, and the colors are relatively faithfully displayed.

Viewing angles are suitable for the IPS panel by default so that the average gamer will have no complaints about the quality and performance of the display. The frames around the screen are thin on three sides, except the bottom. You will notice that Asus has left out the webcam, probably due to cost reductions. So, if you want a webcam, consider additional costs or look for another laptop model.

CPU Intel Core i7-11370H

The Intel Core i7-11370H is a top-of-the-line 11th-generation quad-core processor based on the Tiger Lake H35 generation. The operating frequency is from 3.3 to 4.8 GHz (turbo mode of one or two cores). All four cores can run at a maximum of 4.3 GHz.

The processor has a 12 MB L3 cache and a TDP of only 35W. Its low heat dissipation makes it suitable for installation in light and thin laptops, such as the Asus TUF 15 itself. I should note that the Core i7-11370H integrates the latest series of Intel’s Iris Xe graphics processors with 96 active EUs running at up to 1350 MHz.

Installed RAM

Behind the bottom cover, there’s only one free RAM upgrade slot. This Asus TUF 15 Dash comes with 8GB of DDR4-3200 soldered RAM so that you can expand the aforementioned free slot with an 8GB or 16GB module. For gaming, 8GB of RAM is a minimum, so I highly recommend you upgrade to another 8GB of RAM.

Storage

Asus TUF 15 Dash comes with an M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe 3.0 SSD with a capacity of 512 GB. The specific SSD is Hynix HFM512GD3JX013N and has a sequential read and write speed of 3500/3000 MB/s. So, this is a speedy NVMe SSD. If that’s not enough for you, there is another empty M.2 slot for installing another NMVe SSD. Apart from NVMe drives, there is no space to install an additional SATA HDD or SSD.

GPU NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop 128-bit graphics card is a faster variant of the RTX 3050 and is based on the GA107 Ampere chip. It has 2560 CUDA, 20 Ray Tracing, and 80 Tensor cores. Core speed is 1222 MHz to 1485 MHz (with boost), while 4 GB of GDDR6 runs at 12000 MHz (8 x 1500 Mhz).

Regarding speed, the RTX 3050 Ti is the closest to the old RTX 2060, which means you can play everything in 1080p resolution with high graphics detail. Still, performance isn’t enough to turn on Raytracing in all games, but you can use the Tensor core to turn on DLSS.

Gaming performance

Let’s look at how Asus TUF dash 15 behaves in popular games.

You will not achieve over 60 FPS in newer games at the ultra settings. Extremely demanding Cyberpunk 2077 barely exceeded 30 FPS in 1080p ultra with RTX off. If we turn on RTX, the number of frames drops sharply to 24, which you could hardly consider enjoyable gaming.

So for comfortable gaming, you have to go to high graphics detail in the settings and turn off RTX. Still, this is all bearable because you have this kind of power in a compact laptop that you can easily carry.

Temperature

Temperatures were very high during operation because there was no room to install more efficient cooling thanks to the thin housing. The processor reached 80° C at maximum load, and the graphics card was 70° C. Although this didn’t affect the performance drop, I still advise you to get a cooling pad if you have longer gaming sessions.

Connectors and more

The TUF Dash 15 has plenty of ports, even the most modern ones you can find on a laptop, like the Thunderbolt 4.
The following connectors come from the left side:

• power supply,
• RJ-45 1GbE LAN,
• HDMI 2.0b,
• USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A,
• Thunderbolt 4,
• 3.5mm combo audio jack.

On the right comes:

• 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A,
• Kensington lock.

Although the laptop has a dedicated charging port, you can also charge it via USB-C, but it won’t be as fast as the original charger. For network connection and the RJ-45 LAN port, ASUS TUF Dash 15 supports WiFi 6 standard (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.2.

In terms of battery life, you can expect up to 10 hours of moderate gaming-free operation, 4 hours of WiFi and intensive use, and about an hour and a half of gaming.

Asus TUF 15 is a lovely gaming laptop with performance that will not leave you indifferent. The lack of a webcam can deter someone from shopping, but everything else will not disappoint you.

4. Dell G15

 

First Impression

The Dell G15 looks aesthetically pleasing at first glance, but the expert eye will not miss the detail that the case is standard plastic made in a combination of gray and light gray, without any metallic materials. Phantom Gray Sprinkled is the name of an aesthetic detail on the gray color of the case – dark spots and dots that look interesting.

The case is built well with little flex around the monitor or keyboard. Dell G15 is a likable laptop that will appeal to any gamer who doesn’t want too many colors on the case.

Keyboard

The G15 comes with a chiclet keyboard that also has a numeric part. Dell did the keyboard lighting in two steps that you can control via the fn key. You can also use the fn key to access secondary functions. At work, the keyboard behaves quite correctly. The keys have a medium stroke and good feedback. The touchpad also works perfectly and can serve when you don’t have a real mouse nearby.

 

120 Hz IPS panel

The Dell G15 comes with a 15.6″ IPS screen in 1080p resolution. Unfortunately, the screen is also the worst side of this laptop. Low brightness and contrast are not something that will delight you, and a refresh rate of 120 Hz.

The viewing angles are correct, and the screen shows decent color reproduction. An average response time of 17ms will not delight you if you play competitive games. This screen isn’t so bad, but the competition has a better offer in the same price range.

CPU AMD Ryzen 7 5800H

The bright spot of the Dell G15 is undoubtedly the powerful AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, an octa-core AMD (Cezanne) CPU with eight Zen 3 cores (16 threads) running at 3.2 GHz (boosting to 4.4 GHz). AMD CPU has 16MB of L3 cache, integrated Radeon RX Vega 8 graphics, and supports dual-channel DDR4-3200.

Unlike the Ryzen 5 and 7 CPU desktop variants, the mobile variant doesn’t support PCIe 4.0, which means you will be limited to a PCIe 3.0 interface with reading/writing up to 3.9 GB/s.
The AMD Ryzen 7 5800H comes soldered to the motherboard, and you won’t be able to replace it (Socket FP6).

Installed RAM

There are two RAM slots behind the laptop’s bottom cover for future memory upgrades. One RAM slot comes with 8 GB of DDR4-3200 RAM. So RAM isn’t soldered to the motherboard, which is a good move because you have complete freedom to combine memory modules. For gaming, 8 GB of RAM is the minimum, so I highly recommend upgrading to another 8 GB of RAM.

Storage

The Dell G15 comes with a 512 GB PCIe NVMe SSD (M.2 2230, although you can set up M.2 2280 format). The concrete model PM991a is signed by Samsung with a sequential read and write of 3100/1800 MB/s. Also, there’s another M.2 slot to expand storage space. So there’s no room to set up a 2.5″ SATA 3 HDD or SSD.

GPU NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop

The Dell G15 has a built-in RTX 3050 Ti Mobile graphics card identical to the Asus TUF Dash 15 (2021).

Gaming performance

Gaming performance is in the range of direct competitor Asus TUF Dash 15 (2021)

Temperature

In everyday work that includes all non-gaming activities, temperatures are within the green zone when you can barely hear the fan. However, under heavy load (including demanding games), the processor temperature reaches 81°C and graphics cards 78°C.

Connectors and more

Dell has distributed the external connectors on three sides of the laptop, similar to the Gigabyte G5 KC model. Unfortunately, the Dell G15 doesn’t have a memory card reader.
At the back are:

• USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C (supports DisplayPort output),
• HDMI,
• USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A,
• power supply.

On the left, we have:

• RJ-45 1GbE LAN,
• 3.5mm combo audio jack.

On the right, we have:

• 2x USB 2.0 Type-A.

Interestingly, the Dell G15 supports DisplayPort output via a USB-C port, so you have a total of two video outputs. Instead of USB 2.0, it would be better to see more USB 3.2 ports, Thunderbolt, and card reader, but what is there is.

Fortunately, network communication is good. WiFi 6 (802.11ax) provides a built-in Intel Killer WLAN module (AX200), and wired communication goes via RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet. As for the battery, with moderate WiFi connectivity, you can expect about 8 hours of battery life. Of course, if it’s intensive gaming, you can expect 1.50 hours of battery life until charging.

The excellent Ryzen 7 5800H processor and the RTX 3050 Ti graphics card proved a winning combination for comfortable gaming in 1080p resolution. Not only will you run games in FHD, but in newer games, you will also be able to adjust very high graphics details without a significant drop in performance.

If your budget allows, I recommend inserting another 8GB RAM module and a larger SSD for better performance. Unfortunately, the screen isn’t bright. The contrast and brightness could be higher, and the refresh rate. Another minus for Dell is the one-year warranty.

5. Acer Nitro 5

 

First Impression

The Acer Nitro 5 looks quite simple, without some overemphasized details. You will appreciate the overall design if you prefer a minimalist look. The material is simple black plastic, with quite a flex on the screen cover and around the keyboard. Unfortunately, black is the lure for fingerprints.

The frame of the screen is unusually thick, almost one inch. The screen hinges are solid and secure, so you will hardly be able to open the screen cover with one hand. Overall, decent design and build without significant flaws.

Keyboard

The keyboard on the Acer Nitro 5 comes with a numeric part, is quite comfortable to work with, and is relatively fast. The backlight is red, as are the symbols on the keys, while the WASD keys are particularly prominent. There’s nothing to talk about the touchpad, it performs its function perfectly, and gamers don’t need it unless their mouse is broken or inaccessible.

 

144 Hz IPS panel

The Acer Nitro has a 15.6-inch IPS screen with 1080p resolution and a reasonable refresh rate of 144 Hz. The display quality is solid, and the colors work correctly, but the brightness could have been better because the screen looks dim. Viewing angles are good, and the minus goes to the thick frames around the display that are rarely seen today on modern laptops.

The display response time is relatively fast, especially suitable for competitive players. The screen also features ComfyView technology for reduced eye strain through less light reflection for more comfortable screen viewing.

CPU Intel Core i5-10300H

The Intel Core i5-10300H is a fast 10th-generation mobile processor based on the Comet Lake-H series. It comes with four physical cores and can execute up to 8 threads simultaneously, thanks to HyperThreading. The operating clock is 2.5 GHz with a boost of up to 4.5 GHz. All four cores can operate up to a maximum of 4.2 GHz.

The integrated memory controller supports DDR4-2933 RAM. The processor has 8 MB of L3 cache and integrated Intel UDH 630 graphics. Integrated graphics are not in the domain of AMD APU solutions but will serve in some simpler older games.

Installed RAM

There are two RAM slots behind the laptop’s bottom cover for future memory upgrades. One slot takes up 8 GB of DDR4-2933 RAM. For today’s conditions, 8 GB of RAM is the minimum, so I highly recommend upgrading to another 8 GB of RAM, giving you 16 GB of system memory that will work in dual-channel mode.

Storage

The Acer Nitro 5 comes with an M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD in 2280 format. The specific Western Digital PC SN530 has a capacity of only 256 GB, with a sequential read and write of 2400/950 MB/s. Acer has left room for a single 2.5″ SATA 3 HDD or SSD to expand storage space. The built-in NVMe SSD is of low capacity, so I recommend that you extend the storage space with one SATA 3 SSD of at least 512 GB.

GPU NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop

The Acer Nitro 5 comes with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card, a mobile version of the GA107 Ampere chip, and the slowest RTX 3000 mobile graphics. The RTX 3050 offers 2048 CUDA, 16 Raytracing, 64 Tensor cores, 4GB of GDDR6 video memory, and a 128-bit memory bus.

The operating clock depends on the projected consumption (TGP) from 35 to 80W, and Acer opted for a 75W TGP model. The faster RTX 3050 Ti offers 25% higher performance at similar core speeds and TGP.

Gaming performance

Let’s look at how the Acer Nitro 5 behaves in newer and more popular games.

The Acer Nitro 5 with RTX 3050 is very lively regarding gaming, but you can see the lag behind Asus TUF Dash 15 or Dell G15 (RTX 3050 Ti). If we put the details on high in 1080p, we will get smooth gameplay in most newer games.

Temperature

Under high load, the processor temperature is 85°C, while the graphics card is 78°C. Of course, there is also increased fan noise during higher loads, but that isn’t so unbearable. The laptop is almost inaudible in any other case, which excludes gaming mode.

Connectors and more

The Acer Nitro 5 isn’t particularly generous regarding the number of connections.
On the left are:

• Kensington lock,
• RJ-45 1GbE LAN port,
• 2x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A,
• 3.5mm combo audio jack.

On the right are:

• USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C (up to 10 Gbps),
• USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A,
• HDMI 2.0

As for network communication, Acer didn’t save. Nitro 5 supports WiFi 6 (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.0 via the built-in Intel communication module (AX201). You can also make a wired connection via RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet.

Gaming laptops are known for their short battery life, so the Acer Nitro 5 is no exception. With moderate operation and WiFi, expect around 4.50 h without charging, while gaming would be around 1.50 h.

The Acer Nitro 5 is a decent gaming laptop for budget gamers who want to enter the RTX world for little money. It has a good keyboard and a solid screen, and you can play comfortably with lower graphics detail settings.

You should upgrade the system memory to 16GB for dual-channel operation and insert another SATA 3 SSD to store your games and other software, as your built-in NVMe will soon be cramped.

Conclusion

If you want the best gaming laptop under $ 1000, let it be the Gigabyte G5 KC that will provide you with an unforgettable gaming experience for the money invested. The only drawback may be the noisier fan and poor battery life. If you’re ready for the slightly lower performance of the same graphics chip, the RTX 3060, consider an MSI GF65 model that is cooler, quieter, and lighter than the G5 KC.

The Asus TUF Dash 15 is a versatile laptop with a great Intel Core i7 processor and an RTX 3050 Ti graphics card. It doesn’t lag far behind the RTX 3060 models and offers the Thunderbolt 4. Despite its attractive design and good performance,  I can’t recommend Dell G15 due to the worse screen and heavier weight compared to other models on the list.

Finally, consider the Acer Nitro 5 if you’re thin on a budget and want to try RTX gaming. If your budget doesn’t allow for more expensive models, check out gaming laptops under $ 500 that can pleasantly surprise you with quality and performance.

Lastly, if you have any questions or suggestions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment.