The “best” doesn’t always have to mean the most expensive that money can buy, or the ones with the highest specs. Because a mid-range gaming laptop is adequate for today’s gaming needs. They also don’t cost as much.
For better clarification, a mid-range price or specs category for laptops doesn’t mean you can play your video games only at Medium graphical settings. Mid-range is usually enough for High or even Ultra settings for the latest video games.
Mid-range Definition
Just so we’re all clear on the terms, a mid-range gaming laptop in terms of price usually sits in the price category of $1,000 to $1,500 (before shipping and hidden taxes).
Typically, anything below that is entry-level (with a bit of wiggle room for $800 or $900 depending on the specs), and anything above that is high-end or enthusiast.
In terms of specs, mid-range usually has an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 or AMD Radeon RX 6600 for its graphics card or GPU; because those are the best component options for the mid-range price.
This doesn’t take sales and discounts into account. Hence, some rare mid-range configurations might be able to squeeze in high-end graphics cards like the RTX 3070 or RX 6700. Again, that depends on sales or discounts.
Anyway, as it stands, mid-range PCs are usually the most popular options since they offer the best specs for the best price. And as for the best mid-range gaming laptop computers floating around on the net, these are the most competitive offerings.
MSI Pulse GL66 - 12UGKV-464
PROS
- RTX 3070 for a mid-range price point, this is a rare deal
- Nice cover design
- Has a 12th Gen i7 Intel CPU
CONS
- Storage could be better
- You'll have to go a bit over the average mid-range budget
- Screen is only FHD, not much of a challenge for the RTX 3070
- CPU/Processor: Intel Core i7-12700H
- GPU/ Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070
- RAM/Memory: 16GB
- Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
- Display: 15.6″ FHD 144Hz
This is as high-end as it gets without going above the mid-range price category. If you want the best that you can squeeze into a mid-range price, then this MSI Pulse GL66 from Amazon is by far the most competitive option.
It boasts an RTX 3070 which is the “lowest level” for high-end, by the way, and that holds a significant performance improvement over the typical RTX 3060 for mid-range. Of course, it’s on sale at the moment so you might want to hurry. It might not always stay in the mid-range price category.
Design-wise, the laptop is quite good. It’s stylish enough for gaming without being too aggressive and it has a complete keyboard. Besides, MSI is a pretty reputable brand with a good focus on budget options.
MSI Pulse GL66 - 12UGKV-464
Asus TUF Gaming F17 Mecha Gray
PROS
- 17-inch screen
- Good storage space
- Nice cover design
- Easy to upgrade
CONS
- CPU is starting to become outdated
- CPU/Processor: Intel Core i7-11800H
- GPU/ Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060
- RAM/Memory: 16GB DDR4
- Storage: 1TB PCIe SSD
- Display: 17.3” 144Hz FHD
You wouldn’t expect a budget option from a brand like Asus, but here we are. It comes complete with the standard mid-range category bells and whistles, including an RTX 3060 that’s great for graphical eye-candy on most games.
One significant consideration here would be the last-gen Intel CPU. The i7-11800H is a bit outdated now but seeing as it’s a high-end CPU, it’s in the same category as mid-range CPUs in the 12th Gen lineup. So it’s an overall good mid-range machine. Plus you can rest assured of the laptop’s longevity if Asus’ quality control is anything to go by.
Asus TUF Gaming F17 Mecha Gray
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-58-725A
PROS
- i7 on a mid-range gaming device
- You can pick different configurations to lower or increase the price
- Low-latency screen at 3ms
CONS
- Storage could be better
- CPU/Processor: Intel Core i7-12700H
- GPU/ Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
- RAM/Memory: 16GB DDR4
- Storage: 512GB Gen 4 SSD
- Display: 15.6″ FHD 144Hz 3ms
Since it’s the mid-range category, Acer isn’t backing down from the fight. They specialize in plenty of budget options and their Nitro lineup is a good example of their business philosophy. This particular Acer Nitro 5 for 2022 is packed with some lovely current-gen goodies.
The GPU is mid-range but they managed to squeeze in a 12th Gen i7 from Intel. Most laptops with this monitor are usually in the high-end or productivity category. So consider this a steal at its current price which is on sale at the time of writing, by the way.
If your budget is also a little more or a little less, you’ll be pleased to know that Acer and Amazon included a configuration picker in case you want an RTX 3070 Ti instead or an i5 instead of an i7 CPU depending on your extra budget.
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-58-725A
Gigabyte G5 KD
PROS
- Most affordable of the bunch
- Adequate for 1080p gaming
CONS
- CPU is starting to become outdated
- Storage could be better
- GPU only runs at 75W, meaning it's weaker compared to other RTX 3060 cards
- CPU/Processor: Intel Core i5-11400H
- GPU/ Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
- RAM/Memory: 16GB Memory
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Display: 15.6″ FHD 144Hz
Usually, anything that’s just $900 or below is considered entry-level or low-end when it comes to gaming PCs and gaming laptops, but this is a special deal right here. At the time of writing, it’s on sale and only costs $899 due to a hefty discount. Though even if the sale disappears, it’s still mid-range.
Why the big discount? Well, look at the processor, it’s an i5 from the previous generation of Intel CPUs (11th Gen). That means you can’t expect it to handle productivity tasks the same way a 12th Gen i7 from Intel (or the AMD equivalent) does. However, for gaming, it’s mostly good.
The difference between the 12th Gen and 11th Gen i5 processor is only marginal when it comes to video game framerates; the GPU will still handle most of the workload so that’s the more important component.
When it comes to that, the RTX 3060 will perform well. Besides, at this price, it’s quite a steal. You have to remember that a lot of entry-level gaming laptops are being sold for the same price as this one.
Gigabyte G5 KD
Lenovo Legion 5i
PROS
- Stylish minimialistic keyboard
- 165Hz refresh rate
- Its RTX 3060 runs at 140W maximum
- 12th Gen i7 on a mid-range gaming device
- Stylish chassis
- Good storage space
- Comes with an RTX 3070 Ti option
CONS
- More powerful components mean shorter battery life and higher power consumption
- CPU/Processor: Intel Core i7-12700H
- GPU/ Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (140 W TGP)
- RAM/Memory: 16 GB 4800 MHz DDR5
- Storage: 1 TB M.2 NVMe PCIe
- Display: 15.6″ FHD 165 Hz
It might be last on the list but it’s definitely far from the least because this Lenovo machine hits plenty of sweet spots when it comes to specs and price. It comes from the Legion 5i or 5 lineup which always delivers some of the best and most competitive options when it comes to gaming laptops.
It also comes with an RTX 3060 but the big difference here is that the Legion 5i uses the most powerful laptop variant of the RTX 3060 which consumes the full-rated 140 watts. From that alone, it’s already a cut above the rest of the usual RTX 3060 GPUs for laptops.
Meanwhile, the screen is also impressive because despite the FHD limitation, it has a refresh rate of 165Hz whereas most mid-range laptops only come with 144Hz panels. Of course, it’s a bit more expensive than the average mid-range gaming laptop, but it’s worth it.
Lenovo Legion 5i
Can’t Go Wrong With Mid-Range
If you’re just starting out with gaming laptops, it’s better to go for mid-range options instead of splurging on high-end or disappointing yourself with entry-level. They offer the best balance among all gaming laptops out there and most importantly, they won’t break the bank.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What are some compromises with mid-range laptops?
Compared to higher-end laptops, they have more cheap plastic parts, less vivid screens, and less features. That's aside from worse gaming performance. -
How long do mid-range gaming laptops last?
If you're talking about hardware relevance, usually three to four years depending on the games you play. Beyond that, you might need to consider upgrading for better graphics.