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What are the best gaming laptops around $1500?

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Aug 24, 2019

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MSI VR Ready GT62VR Dominator Pro-240 vs Eluktronics N850HP6 vs HP Omen 17

vs Dell XPS 15

Specs

RAM

32

GPU

NVidia GeForce GTX 1070

CPU

Intel Core i7-7700HQ

Storage

256GB SSD + 1TB HDD

Ports

3x USB 3.0, SD Card Reader, 1x USB 2.0, 1x USB3.1 Type-C, mini DisplayPort, HDMI, Ethernet

Display Size

15.6inch

Screen resolution

1920x1080

3DMark FireStrike Score

11306

Screen size

-

Display Resolution

-

Weight

-

CPU

-

Size

-

Display

-

Battery

-

Wireless

-

Webcam

-

Aspect Ratio

-

Trackpoint

-

Operating System

-

SD reader

-

Release date for the most recent model

-

Touchpad Size

-

RAM

8GB

GPU

Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060

CPU

7th generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ

Storage

-

Ports

-

Display Size

-

Screen resolution

-

3DMark FireStrike Score

-

Screen size

15.6"

Display Resolution

1080p

Weight

-

CPU

-

Size

-

Display

-

Battery

-

Wireless

-

Webcam

-

Aspect Ratio

-

Trackpoint

-

Operating System

-

SD reader

-

Release date for the most recent model

-

Touchpad Size

-

RAM

16GB

GPU

Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050

CPU

-

Storage

512GB SSD + 2TB HDD

Ports

3x USB 3.0 HDMI DisplayPort mini SD card reader 3.5mm combo jack RJ45

Display Size

-

Screen resolution

4K

3DMark FireStrike Score

-

Screen size

17.7inch

Display Resolution

-

Weight

6.3 pounds

CPU

Intel Core i3/i5/i7

Size

-

Display

-

Battery

-

Wireless

-

Webcam

-

Aspect Ratio

-

Trackpoint

-

Operating System

-

SD reader

-

Release date for the most recent model

-

Touchpad Size

-

RAM

8 / 16 / 32GB DDR4 at 2400MHz

GPU

Intel HD Graphics 630 / NVIDIA GTX 1050 with 4GB GDDR5

CPU

Intel Core i3-7100H / Intel Core i5-7300HQ / Intel Core i7-7700HQ

Storage

500GB HDD + 32GB Flash / 1TB HDD + 32GB Flash / 256/512GB/1TB PCIe SSD

Ports

1 HDMI 1.4 2 USB 3.0 with PowerShare 1 Thunderbolt™ 3 (2 lanes of PCI Express Gen 3) Supports: Power In / Charging, PowerShare, Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps Bi-Directional), 3.1 USB Gen 2 (10Gbps), VGA, HDMI, Ethernet and USB-A via Dell Adapter

Display Size

15.6 inches

Screen resolution

-

3DMark FireStrike Score

-

Screen size

-

Display Resolution

-

Weight

2kg (4.44 lbs)

CPU

-

Size

14.06 x 9.27 x 0.45-0.66-inches

Display

15.6-inch FHD (1920x1080) / 15.6-inch UltraSharp™ 4K Ultra HD (3840x2160) Touch display

Battery

56 / 97WHr

Wireless

802.11 AC & Bluetooth 4.0

Webcam

720p

Aspect Ratio

16:9

Trackpoint

No

Operating System

Windows 10

SD reader

Yes

Release date for the most recent model

2017

Touchpad Size

4.1 x 3.1 inches

Pros + Cons

Pro
Excellent gaming performance

It goes without saying but the GTX 1070 handles most AAA games perfectly. Most games consistently hit 120+ FPS on high settings at 1080p. On ultra settings, most games average about 70+ FPS with the Witcher 3 for example reaching 82FPS. Like other GPUs that use the NVidia Pascal architecture, the GTX 1070, and by extension the GT62 Dominator Pro also supports VR gaming.

Pro
Great build quality

Most of the laptop is made of brushed black aluminium with some chrome highlights. Overall, this is a very sturdy and durable laptop.

Con
Rather heavy

At around 6.4 pounds, it falls on the heavy camp for laptops. Even for gaming ones.

Con
Comes with some bloatware

[add description]

Pro
Excellent design

The GT62 Dominator manages to straddle the line between elegance and the bulkiness gaming laptops are known for perfectly. On the back it has a pair of glossy red strips embedded into the black, aluminium-brushed case. The red accents on the all-black body are found throughout the laptop but without overdoing it, which helps giving this laptop a sleek look.

Pro
Perfect cooling

Even under heavy use, the GT62 Dominator is cool enough to be kept safely and comfortably on your lap.

Pro
Excellent display

This laptop's display is beautiful. It reproduces 105.8% of the sRGB color gamut, beating the average of 91% for laptops at this price. The display is also extremely bright, averaging 301 nits, which means that you can easily take it and play outside during the day and the sun will not give you any trouble. The laptop also comes with a special software from MSI which lets users adjust their screen colour temperature.

Pro
Excellent keyboard

This laptop's keyboard is the closest thing to a mechanical without it actually being a mechanical keyboard. Keys have a travel distance of 1.9mm and 66 grams of actuation force. It also goes without saying that the keyboard has a backlight that can be turned on and off.

Pro
Lots of storage space

Comes with 1 TB HDD and 256GB SSD.

Con
The audio is not very loud

The speakers found in the GT62 Dominator Pro produce clear sound that's lacking in volume.

Pro
Great performance for the price

Not many laptops come with a GTX 1060 and a 7th gen i7 CPU for this price. The GPU and CPU, coupled with the 8GB of RAM make for some great gaming performance. It's able to play most games (even resource-hungry ones) on high/ultra at 1080p and almost never go below 30FPS.

Pro
Has a simple design, making it possible to use on various environments without standing out

Most gaming laptops have over-the-top designs with bright colours and LED lights. The N850HP6 however, has a brushed plastic chassis, coloured grey all over. It's simple and can be used in work environments too without standing out as a gaming laptop.

Pro
The screen is good enough for gaming

While nothing extraordinary, the 15" display offers good enough performance for most gaming needs. It's got a FullHD resolution and decent colour coverage, covering 65% of the sRGB colour gamut.

Pro
The display is very suitable for outdoors use

The 1080p display has an anti-glare coating and is bright enough to be used outside during the day without having any issues with glare.

Con
Rather low build quality

This laptop uses a pre-made Clevo chassis, which unfortunately does not have a very high build quality. The chassis is made entirely of plastic, which feels a bit cheap and there's a little flex on the screen frame; nothing to worry about but it's something you wouldn't find in most laptops this price range.

Pro
Higher-end configurations can play 4K games at decent framerates

Even when purchased with minimal specs, you should be able to play comfortably in full HD resolution. Higher-end configurations with the nVidia GTX 1070 graphics card will allow you to enjoy 4K gaming in medium to high settings at playable framerates. The screen implements G-Sync technology that further smoothens action and prevents tearing.

Con
The speakers lack bass

The speakers are loud, but they lack bass.

Pro
Relatively portable for a gaming laptop

Compared to other gaming laptops, it is very slim--only 32mm thick and weighing 3.35 kg.

Con
Has issues with cooling

Due to its narrow ventilation holes, the cooling fans need to spin faster in order to cool the laptop down. It can become so hot that it may become uncomfortable to touch the laptop, though the performance doesn’t suffer and doesn’t cause noticeable thermal throttling.

Pro
Standard, non-flashy look

This laptop is great for those who dislike the overly-gimmicky look that other gaming laptops go for. It doesn’t have big, stylized ventilation holes or dedicated gaming buttons or switches. The keyboard only has a plain red LED backlight, with no customization. The only outward indication that it’s a gaming laptop is the Omen logo at the back.

Pro
Great display

The display is capable of producing 173% of the sRGB color space and has very good viewing angles. If calibrated, the laptop can be used for color sensitive work.

Con
Comes in only one color option

The laptop comes in only one color option without the possibility to order a different one.

Pro
Can run most modern games

Being an excellent all-rounder, it can be used as a gaming laptop for games that are not exceptionally demanding, like Overwatch or Dota 2. Unless you’re using the cheapest model, you can expect a reasonable 60 frames per second for almost all modern games, provided that you’re willing to lower the game’s settings.

Pro
Amazing display

Two display choices are available for the XPS 15, an Ultra HD touchscreen or a Full HD non-touch screen. Both screens have a very wide array of colors as they cover approximately 100% of sRGB color space. The viewing angle is around 170 degrees. However, at 45 degrees, slight color change can be noticed. With around 350 nit output for brightness, it’s a viable choice for outdoor usage. All of this makes it an amazing display.

Pro
Slick design

The whole design is quite stylish. The aluminium chassis provides a very clean look while the black carbon fiber palm rest with an almost borderless display cements it as a visually modern laptop. All of this is made with a premium build quality.

Pro
Optional password-free-sign-in via a fingerprint reader

For an additional $25 it’s possible to enjoy a password-free-sign-in by having a fingerprint reader. It will keep your laptop safe while still providing convenient access to it.

Pro
Operates well on a Linux system

All essential things, like network connectivity, ports and sound, work right “out-of-the-box” with a Linux operating system. There is a compatibility issue on the new 9560 model with its graphics card but the laptop is still very usable with its integrated Intel graphics card.

Pro
Solid keyboard and trackpad

The keyboard and trackpad are reliable and solid all-around. The keyboard is responsive but is not super “clicky”, rather a bit soft. It has a white backlight on black keys that illuminates them at night. The touchpad is rather large while having no buttons. Despite this, the XPS 15 can reliably distinguish between the left and right clicks which are done on the trackpad itself.

Pro
Very well-rounded laptop

The cheapest configuration is a great choice for general non-intensive use - things like internet browsing, watching movies and similar tasks. Whereas the more expensive configurations are gradually more capable of intensive tasks, like video editing or gaming. It’s not as good as a specialized computer built for a specific purpose, like a video editing laptop with an enormous RAM size or a gaming laptop with a superior graphics card, but it’s a very well-rounded, reliable laptop.

Pro
Good battery life if you pick the 1080p display

Models with the 1080p screen last about 10 hours with general usage. Naturally, if more intensive tasks are involved, the battery will be drained faster.

Con
Audible coil whine

Coil whine can be heard when it’s generally quiet and the fans are not running. Audible when the laptop is connected to the power supply. The manufacturers have acknowledged it as a problem and, if possible, will push out an update which should eliminate it. Until then, it’s still a gripe.

Con
9560 model's GPU has compatibility issues on Linux

The new 9560 model has some trouble accepting its GTX 1050 Ti video card while running a Linux operating system. Fortunately, the integrated Intel graphics card is capable enough to substitute it. The manufacturers are probably aware of the issue and will, most likely, release an update for it.

Con
Noisy fans

The laptop is very quiet during idle and light usage but when there is some workload, the fans get quite loud and distracting.

Con
Battery doesn’t hold long with the Ultra HD screen

If you’re choosing the configuration with an Ultra HD screen, expect a very short battery life of around 6 hours for general usage. With more intensive tasks it's even less than that.

Con
Palmrest collects sweat

The palm rest is made from carbon fiber which attracts fingerprints and sweat. After some time it gets kind of unpleasant to touch and needs to be cleaned.

Con
Awkward webcam location

The webcam is located under the screen instead of on top. It means that your face will be shown from a lower angle which can seem a bit weird. It also means that your fingers can partially obstruct the webcam while you’re typing.

Con
Some ghosting in games

The display is not intended for gaming purposes so it can produce an effect called “ghosting”. Ghosting is when the pixels are not able to change their colors fast enough, so the color of the preceding frame can still be slightly seen on the next frame. This causes a blurring effect. Note that it only happens on high framerates coupled with fast objects.