Best gaming laptops under 1 lakh: Max Performance

Best gaming laptop under 1 lakh, it was a myth a few years back but not in 2020. After Nvidia’s launch of 10 series graphics card in 2016, gaming laptops now perform neck to neck with their desktop counterparts. Although the flagship gaming notebooks of brands like MSI, HP, Dell, Asus, and Acer still costs a lot, you can comfortably get a powerhouse performance laptop under 1 lakh in India. This post is a bit longer than usual, but you should read it completely if you want the best out of your money.

How to choose a gaming laptop?

Here are some parameters I have taken into account to pick the best gaming notebooks under 1lakh available in India in 2020, the recipe of a eat gaming laptop, I would say!

Portability: It is the prime factor of picking a gaming laptop over a desktop. You can find some laptops which weigh over 4 Kg; they are actually desktop replacements, not something you can carry to you work. So my criterion is it should be under 3Kg.

Build quality: A few years back, this criteria was only applicable to the flagship gaming laptops, not now. If you are spending 1 lakh (Which much above the average of 35K laptop price range in India), it should be durable and last you at least 3-4 years. But keep in mind, in this price range you can’t expect the build quality of a premium ultrabook like Macbook or Dell XPS. 

GPU: I know, it’s the first thing we should look in specs of a gaming PC or laptop. So here my baseline is at least a GTX 1650Ti or equivalent. If you are building PC, here is an article for you on Graphics card.

CPU: To avoid any type of bottleneck, your CPU should be strong enough to support the Graphics card inside. Also for many games like Assasins Creed Odyssey as well as productivity work like video editing, requires a strong CPU. So at least a Hexa Core CPU is a must.

RAM: 8GB DDR4 Ram is the basic necessity, and I would suggest you get a 16GB variant of the laptop or upgrade it as soon as possible.

Screen: Here is a Tradeoff, in this price range generally you have to choose between a colour-accurate screen or a high refresh rate screen (above 120Hz). But keep in mind that tasks like scrolling a web page might seem smoother on a high refresh rate screen but not in games (You need an RTX 2070 to get that type of framerate in AAA games). I have tried my best to select the best combination possible, but you know you can always get a decent gaming monitor like LG 22inch MP68 VQ.

Storage: Almost all good gaming laptops now come with SSDs, so no need to worry about it.

Keep in mind that unlike desktops, you can’t upgrade the internals later on (barring RAM and Storage, and except the legendary Area 51m), so you have to pick the best laptop in your budget.

To help you in your purchase I have compiled a list of best gaming laptops under 1 lakh in India. I will keep the list updated throughout the year in case of a new notebook launch, so keep an eye on it or press CTRL+D. If you purchase through any of the links, I might earn some commission.

1. Acer Predator Helios 300

This gaming beast is value for your every money. Acer Predator Helios 300 is the only laptop that comes with an RTX 2060 GPU (it’s overclockable!), no doubt it would give you the maximum frame rate possible in this price range. The CPU is a 9th gen Core i5 and RAM is at 16GB. The vivid bright 144Hz panel is a delight to game-on. The metallic chassis is arguably one of the sturdiest in this lot. To be honest there is too less to dislike about this one. I feel there is some backlight bleeding in the screen and battery life could have improved too. Although there is minimal thermal throttling, the palm rest area heats up quite a bit in long gaming sessions. But hey, I am just nitpicking, just grab it when you can.

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2. HP Omen Ryzen 5

HP Omen is the one which I want to buy, reason being, It’s the sleekest and looks the most premium in this comparison. It doesn’t scream Gaming in your face, so you can easily carry it to your work and nobody would pass comment on this sleeping gaming monster. the chassis is a uni-body metal one and feels very sturdy. The GTX 1660Ti gives topnotch 1080P gaming performance and Ryzen 4600H is a very fast performer too. Although the 1080P IPS screen is a 60Hz one it’s crisp and vibrant. Sound quality and battery life are decent enough. The only downside is the 8GB Ram, I recommend you to upgrade it to 16GB at the earliest. At only 86K, it’s a steal.

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3. MSI GF65 Thin

This MSI gaming laptop is an absolute monster. It has got 6GB GTX 1660Ti graphics card, 9th gen i7 processor, 16GB DDR4 Ram and a fast 512GB SSD, and a 144Hz screen, what on earth the MSI team is able to pack search spec in a budget price tag! As you can expect, gaming is an absolute pleasure and the MSI’s proprietary Dragon Center helps in getting the extra performance. It’s very light at approx. 1.8Kg but I feel the build could have been a bit better. Make sure you are getting the 144Hz screen variant, as some users have complained about the bad display quality of 120Hz variant.

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4. Asus ROG Strix G

Want a gaming laptop with a playboy look? This laptop from Asus will fit the bill (Mainly due to the wraparound LED Strip). The Chassis is plastic but feels solid and really resembles the more premium ROG Strix Scar 3 and in a good way (It is designed by BMW design studios). It has 9th gen Intel Core i5 processor and GTX 1660ti. Asus has built a name for its gaming laptops and that’s why they command a price premium over the competitors (this is the most expensive one in the list). The thermals are great and sustained performance is excellent for gaming. The 144Hz IPS panel is decent but I was expecting more vibrancy from it. This gaming laptop also misses out on a webcam, so keep in mind. But this is an overall jazzy gaming notebook from a reputed gaming brand.

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5. Dell G5 15 SE

This is Dell non Alienware gaming laptop which looks like an last gen HP Omen but in better way. The design is a good blend of simplicity and aggressiveness. The chassis is all plastic but well built. The keyboard and track pad is mediocre though. The screen is bit dull to my liking (fine enough for most of the tasks though) and the speaker is OK. So what’s so special about the SE moniker (SE stands for special edition). It has blistering fast performance! The Ryzen R7 4800H (Only 8 core CPU in the list) absolutely crushes the CPU game here. Though the RX 5600M GPU is slighly slower (approx 15-20%) than GTX 1660Ti, it is more than adequate for 1080P gaming. If you do more productivity tasks like video editing, animation and some gaming with it, just buy it.

If you are still confused between any of the above laptop, just toss a coin and pick one, you would be happy. I would be happy you can share your thoughts in the comment. If you are a lone gamer like me, check this list of best single player games.

If you are a student or working professional and want a budget notebook under Rs. 50000 in India, don’t buy before reading this post.