Gaming laptops deliver high-end graphics, killer sound, and speedy processors in one portable unit, but their prices can often be a little excessive. That’s why we search for bargains and price drops to pass down to you, and Cyber Monday is when they drop to record lows. We’ve got some unbeatable deals on gaming laptops from Alienware, ASUS, MSI and other top manufacturers at discounts of up to $1,500.
ASUS TUF F17 17.3″ Gaming Laptop for $699.00 (list price $899.00)
MSI Thin GF63 15″ Gaming Laptop for $569.95 (list price $699.00)
HP Omen 16.1″ Gaming Laptop for $934.99 (list price $1,699.99)
ASUS ROG Zephyrus 14″ Gaming Laptop for $1,199.99 (list price $1,599.99)
MSI Stealth 14″ Gaming Laptop for $1,099.99 (list price $1,499.99)
Acer Predator Helios 16 Gaming Laptop for $1,299.99 (list price $1,649.99)
Gigabyte Aorus Gaming Laptop for $1,899.99 (list price $2,499.99)
Razer Blade 17 Gaming Laptop for $2,299.99 (list price $3,799.99)
Alienware X15 R2 Gaming Laptop for $1,735.99 (list price $2,699.99)
Not rolling in dough but still want to enjoy gaming on the go? Good news. You can take home a solid gaming laptop that can run most of the software on the market (maybe not at the highest settings) for under a grand. We’re breaking our list into three categories, starting with these. Most of these models retail at over a thousand bucks, but these price drops bring them down to a more comfortable level.
This is a great Cyber Monday deal on a starter gaming laptop that is just about ready to burst out into the next tier. The TUF F17 was reviewed by PCMag, which said that it was “a beefy budget gamer with a petite price tag.” That price tag got a little slimmer with $200 off. The Intel Core i5-11400H processor isn’t cutting-edge but chugs along reliably, and the GeForce RTX 3050 delivers solid 1080p visuals. This laptop comes with 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and Windows 11 Home.
ASUS TUF F17 17.3″ Gaming Laptop for $699.00 (list price $899.00)
If you’re in the market for an extremely portable entry-level gaming laptop, this is a great option at almost $130 off. An Intel Core i5-11400H CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 4GB GPU won’t turn any heads, but they’ll handle most popular gaming software without a hiccup. The casing is also sturdy and partially metal, which is a rarity for budget laptops. This model comes with 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and Windows 11 Home.
MSI Thin GF63 15″ Gaming Laptop for $569.95 (list price $699.00)
This high-quality gaming laptop isn’t typically available anywhere near this price point, so enjoy the opportunity and pick it up. Although it’s not a peak performer, it delivers solid and stable midrange performance, way better than most other laptops in this section. Visually, it looks nice, with a sleek and minimalist build despite having a comparatively big screen and tons of ports.
HP Omen 16.1″ Gaming Laptop for $934.99 (list price $1,699.99)
Willing to spend a little more to get a little more? There are a bunch of really solid laptops that hit that sweet spot and won’t empty your bank account. This is also where the discounts start getting steeper, with some of these gaming laptops seeing $200 or more off of the purchase price.
Here’s a killer Black Friday deal that we don’t expect to stay in stock long. PCMag gave the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 an Outstanding rating and an Editors’ Choice award in their review, saying that it “offers blazing performance for gaming and everything else, and pairs it with awesome battery life and great portability.” What can we add to that besides the fact that it’s $400 off right now? An AMD Ryzen 9 processor and a GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card run the show, with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus 14″ Gaming Laptop for $1,199.99 (list price $1,599.99)
MSI’s Stealth Studio 14 is a lightweight but powerful portable that excels in both gaming and content creation. PCMag reviewed it and gave the system an “Excellent” rating, saying it “crams lots of power and a brilliant screen into a light package.” The one caveat they had is that battery life isn’t as long as some competitors, but keep it plugged in, and it will serve you well. An Intel Core i7-13620H processor and GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card put out stunning visuals on that 16:10 display. This offer comes with 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and Windows 11 Home.
MSI Stealth 14″ Gaming Laptop for $1,099.99 (list price $1,499.99)
Boasting a 13th Gen Intel Core i7-13700HX processor, this mid-priced laptop can kick out a surprising amount of juice. With a stylish and edgy case design, there’s no mistaking this for a business mobile. Graphics come courtesy of a GeForce RTX 4060 laptop GPU, which uses Nvidia’s new Ada Lovelace architecture for increased speed and stability. Of special note is the cooling system, which is quiet and efficient. This one got an extra price drop for Black Friday. This configuration comes with 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and Windows 11 Home.
Acer Predator Helios 16 Gaming Laptop for $1,299.99 (list price $1,649.99)
Now we’re playing with the big boys. If you’ve got a little extra cash on hand and are comfortable dropping coin, you can get a gaming laptop that competes with any high-end desktop out there. Models from Alienware and Lenovo will blow your mind, and bigger prices equal bigger discounts—over $500 off the list price in some cases.
This is a very capable high-end laptop for a midrange price, so check the specs and see if it’ll fit your needs. Gigabyte released the Aorus 17 last summer, positioning it as a big-screened portable that was good for gaming as well as video editing and other creative pursuits. Under the hood, you’ll find solid but not bleeding-edge components like a 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700H processor and an RTX 3080 Ti laptop GPU. A responsive keyboard with per-key RGB and a durable build with serious cooling round out the package. This configuration has 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and Windows 11 Home.
Gigabyte Aorus 17 Gaming Laptop for $1,899.99 (list price $2,499.99)
At a retail price nearing four grand, the Razer Blade 17 had better be an absolute beast, and it is. A massive 17.3″ screen is the most obvious draw, with 3,840-by-2,560 UHD resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. Inside the machine, you’ll find an Intel 12th Generation Core i9 processor, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD, which is massive for a laptop. The only drawback is battery life, but you shouldn’t be surprised that a system this potent draws a lot of juice. A new $1500 price drop is killer.
Razer Blade 17 Gaming Laptop for $2,299.99 (list price $3,799.99)
Sticking with the same streamlined form factor as the 2021 release of the X15 R1, this is a gaming laptop that doesn’t announce itself to the room but still packs a serious punch. With a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor running the show, it’s peppy enough to compete favorably with a desktop gaming machine, and a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti delivers stunning graphics to the full HD screen. Plenty of ports, although in less than convenient locations, let you expand it to your liking. This configuration has 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and Windows 11 Home.
Alienware X15 R2 Gaming Laptop for $1,735.99 (list price $2,699.99)
When you’re in the market for a gaming laptop, there are a few important features to keep in mind:
Modern computer games are typically processor-intensive, so a fast multi-core CPU is key. All of the laptops we’ve selected for this list feature processors several steps above what you’d find in a standard business laptop, typically Intel’s Core model.
The GPU is also important, as games need that extra oomph to render cutting-edge graphics. Thankfully, the crypto run on GPUs has mostly ceased, and these are available for fair prices once more.
The final factor that you need to consider is size and weight. Depending on how you want to use your gaming laptop, you may opt for a heavier, less portable system to increase performance or something lighter for more mobility.
If you’re on the go a lot or don’t want to invest in a dedicated gaming desktop, then yes. Modern technology enables gaming laptops to run just about anything a desktop can, and with adjustable performance settings, most games will work just fine on your portable. Your standard business-grade laptop computer just can’t push the processing power to make that happen. The good news is that you don’t have to use your gaming laptop for gaming exclusively; that extra speed and hardware can be used for content creation, media streaming, and other high-CPU-demand tasks just as well.
Battery life for a gaming laptop is usually a little bit shorter than a business or school laptop, simply because the power demands for the hardware are larger. That said, a solid gaming laptop battery should last three to five years of regular usage. Taking good care of your device, protecting it from power surges, and charging it fully will help extend that timeframe. As to whether your gaming laptop will always be able to play the latest and greatest games, that’s a hard question to answer. Many of these devices have room to add more RAM and storage space, so that can keep them viable for a longer period.
There are a lot of competitors in the gaming laptop space. Some top names to look for include Alienware, which Dell owns; it has a reputation for extremely powerful devices targeted at hardcore gamers. Razer laptops are visually slick, usually incorporating customizable LED lighting. Asus’s Republic of Gamers line comes in a variety of form factors with gamer-friendly features like hardware monitoring. Lenovo’s Legion line and HP’s Omen gaming laptops are also quite solid.
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gaming Laptop for $699.99 (list price $949.99)
MSI Thin GF63 15″ Gaming Laptop for $569.99 (list price $699.00)
HP Omen 16.1″ Gaming Laptop for $934.99 (list price $1,699.99)
ASUS ROG Zephyrus 14″ Gaming Laptop for $1,199.99 (list price $1,599.99)
MSI Stealth 14″ Gaming Laptop for $1,099.99 (list price $1,499.99)
Acer Predator Helios 16 Gaming Laptop for $1,299.99 (list price $1,649.99)
Gigabyte Aorus Gaming Laptop for $1,899.99 (list price $2,499.99)
Razer Blade 17 Gaming Laptop for $2,299.99 (list price $3,799.99)
Alienware X15 R2 Gaming Laptop for $1,735.99 (list price $2,699.99)
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