The best gaming laptops you can buy for $1,000 or less

The Asus ZenBook 13 may not be the most powerful gaming laptop out there, but if you're looking for a 13-inch laptop that can handle basic gaming, it has a lot to offer.

Perhaps you need something a little more portable, in which case it's worth looking into a 13-inch laptop. There aren't a ton of 13-inch gaming laptops, but there are some — even if they're a little less powerful than their larger siblings. The Asus ZenBook 13 is perhaps the best laptop for those who want a more portable gaming laptop.

The ZenBook 13 is a powerful computer, but not quite as powerful as some of the others on this list. It has an 8th-gen Intel Core i5 processor, along with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage — though that storage can be upgraded to 521GB.

It also has an Nvidia GeForce MX150 graphics card, which should be able to handle most basic gaming. It won't be able to do the heavy lifting for more intense games, but for on-the-go gaming, it's capable enough. Port-wise, the laptop has an HDMI port, USB-C port, MicroSD card reader, two USB ports, and a headphone/microphone combo jack.

The laptop is a nice one, but it's not perfect. The keyboard isn't the best out there, and the USB-C port isn't Thunderbolt 3. As mentioned, it's also not the most powerful. If you're a hardcore gamer you might need to stick with something a little larger.

Still, despite the downsides, the laptop has gotten some pretty great reviews — CNET gave the laptop 8.2/10, while Laptop Mag scored it an impressive 4/5.

Pros: Nice design, powerful specs for its size, plenty of ports

Cons: Could use Thunderbolt 3, the keyboard isn't the best out there.

The Dell G3 17-inch gaming laptop offers powerful specs with an impressive GPU, plus it has a nice, big 17.3-inch screen that should make for an immersive experience.

If you're a hardcore gamer, you might want to enjoy those games with a slightly larger display — and if you want a laptop with a 17-inch display, then the Dell G3 17 is the way to go.

The laptop is actually very powerful considering its price. The G3 17 comes with an 8th-gen Intel Core i5 processor coupled with 8GB of RAM, along with a dual 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD.

It even boasts an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card, which should be more than powerful enough for most gaming on the go. Port-wise, the laptop comes with three USB 3.1 ports, a USB-C port, and an HDMI port.

The main reason to buy a laptop like this would, of course, be its larger 17.3-inch screen. The resolution comes in at 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, which is quite good.

So what are the downsides to the laptop? Well, the main one is that the build of the laptop isn't the most impressive out there, and the battery life, while fine, isn't all that great. Still, despite those issues, the laptop has gotten some great reviews — and it has an average rating of 4.1 stars on Amazon.

Pros: Relatively powerful, nice big screen size, plenty of ports

Cons: Battery life isn't amazing, build could be better

The Dell G3 15-inch has a smaller screen than the previous laptop, but it still boasts reasonably good specs and comes at a pretty affordable price.

The Dell G3 17-inch isn't the only laptop in the G3 range — there's also a 15-inch model of the Dell G3, and it's our top pick for gaming laptops under $800.

The laptop has a lot to offer, and while it's definitely not the most modern laptop, it is functionally designed. It offers a sleek build, with plenty of ports, including a HDMI port, a USB 3.1 port, and two USB 2.0 ports. The laptop measures 0.85 inches thick, which is pretty slim for a gaming laptop in this price range.

Under the hood, the laptop is relatively nice for the price. The base model has a 9th-gen Intel Core i5 processor, along with 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive, plus an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card. However, it can be upgraded to offer solid-state storage and an Intel Core i7 processor instead if you're willing to pay more. The graphics card can be upgraded to a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, too.

The laptop has pretty great reviews. PCWorld gave the laptop 4 stars, while PCMag gave it a slightly more conservative, but still good, 3.5 stars. The main downsides? Well, the design may work fine but it's not all that special, and the display isn't that great either.

Pros: Powerful specs for the price, plenty of ports, very functional

Cons: Design is a little boring, display could be better

The HP Pavilion 15-cx0056wm may not be the most powerful laptop out there, but it's actually not a bad offering in this price range considering its solid graphics card and multitude of ports.

If you're on a serious budget, you may not be able to play games in the same way that you can with some of the higher-powered laptops out there, but you can still find a decent laptop in the sub-$700 price range for some super basic gaming. Like, for example, the HP Pavilion 15-cx0056wm.

The design of this variant of the HP Pavilion is a little bulky, but the laptop has a lot to offer for a gaming laptop in this price range. The device has a 15.6-inch screen, plus it has a USB-C port, plenty of USB 3.1 ports, and an HDMI port. It also has an RGB keyboard, which is a nice touch.

Under the hood, the laptop is pretty nice for the price. It has an 8th-gen Intel Core i5 processor, along with 8GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, plus it has an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics card, which should be able to handle a lot of basic games.

When you're buying a laptop in this price range, there will be some compromises. The laptop has an average rating of 3.7 stars, which isn't terrible, but the main issues seem to be that the display doesn't get all that bright and the battery life isn't great.

Pros: Good specs for the price, nice design, good graphics

Cons: Battery isn't great, display could be better