Best New PC Gaming Laptop Under 1,000 2014

If you are a gamer, you know how important it is to have a laptop that can keep up with the latest video games without lagging behind. You want great graphics, speed and fantastic audio.

For 2014 several affordable gaming laptops under $1000 have been released which give you just that. As a gamer and product tester myself I'll review the good, the bad, and the ugly and let you know which one is the best.

Your CPU and GPU Should be a Priority

When choosing a gaming laptop you want to look for the latest technology for both your CPU and GPU. You can have the best laptop in the world but if either the CPU or GPU is lacking, then you'll have an annoying bottleneck that will make it so you're unable to play the latest games.

CPU

If you're price range is right around $1,000 you'll want to try to get an Intel i7 Sandy Bridge processor with 4 cores in order to get the performance you need to play today's latest games. Popular laptop CPU that would be acceptable would be the 2670QM and i7-2630QM - both of which have 4 cores.

GPU

Your GPU should be the focus of your search; however, under $1000 you are sure to be somewhat limited. I recommend this site for a comparison of laptop GPU.

Ram

If you can get a gaming laptop under $1,000 with at least 8GB of ram that will upgrade to 16GB, then that should get you where you need to go for the next couple of years. You may be able to get away with less depending on the games you play, but being able to upgrade is always a nice feature.

My first choice for gaming laptops under $1,000 would have to be the new Asus G53SW-XA1 Republic of Gamers 15.6 Inch Gaming Laptop.

To keep up with all the hardcore new games, this laptop is powered by a second generation Intel Core i7-26300QM quad core processor. This translates into amazing speed and responsiveness for your most challenging tasks. It also comes with the GTX 460M. While this certainly isn't the fastest card you can buy it's more than capable of playing any game you'll throw at it. The G53SW-XA1 comes with 8GB of DDR3 1333MHz ram but has 4 SODIMM Sockets so you can upgrade it to 16GB if you feel the need.

Like most gaming laptops it comes with a backlit keyboard. I don't find it to be quite as nice as the ones you'll see on Alienware models, but it works more than well enough for me. With the 15.6 LED screen, you get 1080p resolution in HD. It comes with 500GB storage, which isn't a huge amount, but should be plenty for all of your favorite games if you limit what you install or put on your HDD.

Additional features include Bluetooth connectivity, 2.0 megapixel camera and speakers with amazing 5.0 HD sound.

Cons: Some gamers find that the two handed volume control from the keyboard is a bit cumbersome in the middle of gaming. The laptop is quite large and on the heavy side, so I recommend you purchase a good sturdy bag to help you haul it to LAN parties.

Below I've listed more great gaming laptops under $1,000, but here's a look at a few of 2011 - 2012's best gaming laptops above the $1,000 threshold.

Another really great laptop in this price range is the Qosmio X505-Q8100X which comes with a massive 18.4 inch screen and 3D capability. The black design with red chrome accents really looks nice and the combination of the i5-2410M and the GTX 460M is still a decent one in this price range.

Additional features include a 1.3 megapixel webcam that comes with Face Recognition capabilities. This means that you can share your laptop with others and can easily switch profiles just by sitting in front of the camera and letting it look at you. Gamers know that they end up using a lot of power when they play, especially for long periods of time. So the Eco utility option will lower the amount of power that you use. Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium is included as well.

Technical Specifications: 1080i high-definition 18.4-inch TruBrite display, 2.30 GHz Intel Core i5-2410M, 500 GB Serial ATA hard drive, 4 GB of DDR3 RAM (up to 8GB), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M with 1.5 GB GDDR5 discrete graphics memory, 8x SuperMulti DVD drive, Harman Kardon stereo speakers, wireless N connectivity, 4 USB 2.0 ports, 1 eSATA/USB combo port, firewire port, 1 HDMI-CEC, 1 VGA, 1 Combo headphone S/PDIF digital audio output plus microphone/line-in jack, and it comes with a 1 year parts and labor warranty.

Cons: Though this is a great little machine, some people find that it is a little cumbersome because the weight is a little more than other laptops in its class. The keyboard is a little smaller, so those with larger hands and fingers, might not find this very convenient. It also comes with only 1680 x 945 native resolution rather than full 1080p and it would have been nice if the processor had been a quad core.

If you really want to find an Alienware laptop under $1,000 you could look at the AM11x-826CSB; however, I highly recommend if you want an Alienware model around $1,000 for you to take the plunge, spend a little bit more, and go with the AM14X-667SBK.

Technical Details for the Alienware AM14X-667SBK Gaming Laptop include: Intel Core i5-2430M Processor, Dual graphics with Intel HD Graphics 3000 and 1.5GB DDR3 NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M using NVIDIA Optimus Technology, 8GB RAM, DDR3, 1333MHz, 2 DIMM, 750GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive 3Gb/s, 8x SuperMulti DVD±R/RW Slot-load Optical Drive, 14" WLED HD (720p) Display (1366X768), 2 USB 3.0 ports, and other great features specific to Alienware.

So, what do you think? Express your opinion below.