Gamer Gift Guide: PC Gaming Laptops That Won’t Break the Bank

As 2016 comes to end, make sure to find the best laptop to present your gamer friend, so he may play the games of 2017.
As 2016 comes to end, make sure to find the best laptop to present your gamer friend, so he may play the games of 2017.

We gamers have lived countless hours of fantastic adventures in 2016, but as the year ends, it is time to look forward to the new releases of 2017.

You want to make sure your gamer friend can play the best games of next year, so if he needs an upgrade in his hardware, this is an opportunity to present him with the gift of his life.

We are aware, however, that some systems can be expensive and with all of the gifts you will need to buy this Christmas, finding money to purchase a new computer for your friend or loved one may be a difficult task.

With that in mind, we have compiled five great laptops that won't break the bank to ensure the gamer in your life will be able to continue exploring virtual worlds in 2017.

Here is a list of 5 gaming laptops you can buy for under $1,000.

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MSI GP72 Leopard Pro-495 Gaming Laptop

Price: $999.00

Rating: 4.3/5

Buy it on: Amazon

While laptops within this price range offer up tough competition, it is hard for users to have a clear decision on what hardware to opt for; therefore, it is fundamental that a system offers features that clearly differentiates it from the rest.

With this laptop, users can easily adjust settings, pushing the hardware to its limits and gaining more performance.

Another feature worth noting in this laptop is the audio hardware, which uses Nahimic Virtual Surround Sound, a technology developed for military purposes, which can now be used for a more immersive gaming experience.

Specs:
  • Screen Size: 17.3 inches
  • Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
  • Max Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
  • Processor: 2.6 GHz Core i7 6700HQ
  • RAM: 16 GB SO-DIMM
  • Memory Speed: 2133 MHz
  • Hard Drive: 256 GB m.2 SATA
  • Graphics Coprocessor: GDDR5
  • Chipset Brand: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M 
  • Card Description: Dedicated
  • Graphics Card Ram Size: 2 MB
  • Wireless Type: 802.11 A/C
  • Number of USB 2.0 Ports: 1
  • Number of USB 3.0 Ports: 2
  • Average Battery Life (in hours): 3 hours

ASUS ROG 15.6-inch FHD Gaming Laptop

Price: $929.00

Rating: 5/5

Buy it on: Amazon

Are you tired of having to find a plug to recharge your laptop battery when it starts to run out? This inconvenience will be buried in the past with this laptop, which features a battery that can run up to ten hours at time.

Built out of aluminum for maximum resistance, this laptop features a 6th generation Intel Quad-Core i5 processor, illuminated keyboard and an anti-glare full HD display.

Specs:
  • Screen Size: 15.6 inches
  • Max Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (FHD)
  • Processor: 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5
  • RAM: 8 GB
  • Hard Drive: 1 TB HDD 7200 rpm
  • Graphics Coprocessor: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M 2GB
  • Chipset Brand: nvidia
  • Wireless Type: 802.11A, Bluetooth, 802.11bgn
  • Operating System: Windows 10
  • Color: Black
  • Processor Brand: Intel Core i5 6300HQ
  • Processor Count: 4
  • Computer Memory Type: DDR3 SDRAM
  • Hard Drive Interface: Serial ATA
  • Hard Drive Rotational Speed: 7200 RPM
  • Power: Source AC & Battery

Razer Blade Stealth 12.5" QHD Ultrabook

Price: $899.99

Rating: 3.8/5

Buy it on: Amazon

Video games are constantly delivering better graphics and when you have enough of full HD (to the point it ceases to amaze you), it is time to get an upgrade and experience an QHD display, with a resolution of 2560x1440.

With this laptop, Razer attempted to set a new standard in regards to the ideal balance between performance and mobility as its 0.52-inch thick aluminum chassis protects the Intel Core i5 processor inside.

This is perfect for the gamer who's a bit of a graphics snob ... 

Specs:
  • Screen Size 12.5 inches
  • Max Screen Resolution: 2560x1440 pixels
  • Processor: 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5
  • RAM: 8 GB
  • Hard Drive: Flash Memory Solid State
  • Card Description: Integrated
  • Number of USB 3.0 Ports: 2
  • Operating System: Windows 10
  • Processor Brand: Intel
  • Processor Count: 2
  • Flash Memory Size: 128.0
  • Batteries: 1 Lithium ion batteries required. (included)

Lenovo Ideapad Y700 Touch

Price: $877.96

Rating: 4.1/5

Buy it on: Amazon

Costumers mostly know Lenovo for the quality of its business PCs, but it took gamers by surprise once it delivered a worthy gaming laptop and showed it can thrive in this segment.

Despite featuring a display card that is not the latest the market has to offer, this laptop delivers a good cost/benefit to consumers who want to have good performance, but are not willing to spend much for it.

Specs
  • Screen Size: 15.6 inches
  • Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
  • Max Screen Resolution: 1920x1080 pixels
  • Processor: 2.6 GHz Intel Core i7
  • RAM: 8 GB DDR4 SDRAM
  • Hard Drive: 1 TB mechanical_hard_drive
  • Graphics Coprocessor: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M
  • Chipset Brand: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M
  • Card Description: dedicated
  • Graphics Card Ram Size: 4000 MB
  • Wireless Type: 802.11 A/C
  • Number of USB 2.0 Ports: 1
  • Number of USB 3.0 Ports: 2
  • Average Battery Life (in hours): 4 hours
  • Processor Brand: Intel
  • Processor Count: 4
  • Flash Memory Size: 8 GB
  • Hard Drive Rotational Speed: 5400 RPM

 


HP Pavilion 17t Gaming Laptop

Cost: $970.00

Rating: 5/5

Buy it on Amazon

Sharing parts with the latest products of the premium OMEN series, this computer brings you a balanced cost/benefit ratio.

Featuring a GeForce GTX 960M card to power your games, you can game with easy and keep your mind in peace, as this product holds a one year warranty from HP.

Specs:
  • Operating System: Windows 10 Home 64-Bit
  • Processor:Intel Core i7-6700HQ Quad Core (2.6-3.5GHz TurboBoost, 6MB L3 Cache)
  • RAM:16GB DDR4 2133MHz RAM (2 Dimm)
  • Display:3" diagonal FHD IPS UWVA anti-glare WLED-backlit (1920 x 1080) NON-Touch
  • Graphics:4GB GDDR5 VRAM NVIDIA® GeForce GTX 960M
  • Primary & Secondary:512GB M.2 SSD + 1TB 7200RPM Hard Drive
    Pure performance solid state plus large hard drive for storage!
  • Optical Drive:SuperMulti DVD burner
  • Wireless:Intel® 802.11ac (2x2) Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® 4.2 Combo
  • Keyboard: Full-size island-style Backlit keyboard, 10-key numeric
  • Webcam:HP TrueVision HD Webcam with Dual-Array Microphone
  • Ports:2 x USB 3.0; 1 x USB 2.0; 1 x HDMI; 1 x 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN; 1 x headphone/microphone combo
  • Card Reader:1 x multi-format SD media card reader
  • Energy Efficiency:ENERGY STAR® certified; EPEAT® Silver registered 
  • Audio:Bang & Olufsen with 2 speakers
  • Power:120 Watt AC Adapter
  • Battery:6-Cell 62WHr Lithium Ion Battery

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