Key Points
- Our top choice for the Best Overall laptops under $2,000 is the Asus ROG Strix G16. This laptop performs well and features the latest core i9 processor and GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card(GPU).
- With the best laptops under $2,000, you’ll enjoy excellent gaming capabilities thanks to the high screen refresh rate. Most laptops are also lightweight, so it’s convenient to carry them around whenever you go.
- When choosing the best laptop under $2,000, pay attention to the screen display quality, RAM, processor, weight, and type of storage.
If you wish to purchase a laptop under $2,000, many options make a good upgrade, and finding the right one can be challenging. You have to consider a few things when shopping for the best laptop. But first, decide what you’ll do with the laptop. Is it for school, work, or pure gaming? Think about the memory, storage capacity, and battery life. Your ideal computer should have the best display and render graphics correctly. As a video editor, you should pay more attention to devices with higher RAM and internal storage. Let’s take a look at them!
- Best Overall: ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2023) Gaming Laptop
- Best Ultrabook: Acer Swift 3 OLED Intel Evo Laptop
- Best 2-in-1: Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 Laptop
- Best Lightweight Laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2
- Best Budget Gaming Laptop: Dell 2022 G15 Gaming Laptop
Best Overall: ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2023) Gaming Laptop
- 16inch FHD screen with 165Hz
- GeForce RTX 4080 graphics card
- Intel Core i9-13980HX processor
- 16GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB PCIe SSD
- Wi-Fi 6E connectivity option
- Windows 11 comes installed
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2023) Gaming Laptop is the best overall laptop under $2,000 because of its superior performance. This laptop has the latest 13 Generation Intel Core i9-13980HX processor with 16 GB RAM and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card. All these features make this laptop powerful enough to tackle the most demanding games and applications. This laptop comes with ultra-fast 1TB PCIe SSD storage, more than enough to hold your software and games.
A significant highlight is the 16-inch FHD IPS screen with a 1920 by 1200 screen resolution and 165Hz refresh rate. This alluring screen can improve your gaming experience by enhancing motion resolution and increasing responsiveness. The IPS screen covers 100% of SRGB colors, which gives accurate colors for an even better viewing experience.
The Asus ROG Strix G16 features ROG intelligent cooling for improved gaming performance, which is made possible by including innovative features. You can game for hours without worrying about heating issues. The liquid metal compound from Thermal Grizzly significantly reduces CPU temperatures when gaming. Pair this with the super thin fans made from special liquid-crystal polymer, and you have a laptop that performs exceptionally well even in the most intense games.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Higher refresh rate (165Hz) for an immersive gaming experience | Small, cramped touchpad that’s difficult to use |
| Exceptional gaming performance | |
| Stays cool after extended use |
Check out the ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2023) Gaming Laptop on Amazon.
Best Ultrabook: Acer Swift 3 OLED Intel Evo Laptop
- Thin, light, and portable laptop
- 14-inch OLED (2880x1800) screen
- Intel Core i7-12700H processor
- 16GB LPDDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 6 support
- Windows 11 Home
The Acer Swift 3 OLED Intel Evo Laptop with 16GB RAM ranks as the best ultrabook laptop under $2,000 because it perfectly balances portability and power. This laptop weighs 3.09 pounds (1.4 kgs) and lasts up to 8 hours. This Ultrabook is the perfect companion, helping you stay productive while on work trips. Switch on the HDR (High Dynamic Range) feature while charging to prevent the laptop battery from draining faster.
Swift 3 by Acer can also be a great buy if you frequently hold virtual meetings in your business. This gadget has a high-definition front-facing camera with TNR (Temporal Noise Reduction) technology to improve image quality in low-light settings. Also included in this computer is the Acer AI PurifiedVoice technology that cancels out background noise and allows clear communication. The DTS Audio feature optimizes the bass and prevents distortion. Intel Iris Xe graphics and Intel core i7 processor ensure an impressive performance.
This laptop has a 14-inch 2.8K OLED display with a 2880 x1800 resolution with a peak brightness of 400 nits, allowing you to watch high-quality videos or edit videos and images. Unlike most screens with a 16:9 aspect ratio, this laptop’s 16:10 aspect ratio is perfect for those looking for a taller screen.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Excellent battery life of up to 8 hours | RAM isn’t upgradeable |
| A highly precise touchpad allows you to work longer without experiencing discomfort. | |
| Increibly system performance |
Take a look at the Acer Swift 3 OLED Intel Evo Laptop on Amazon today.
Best 2-in-1: Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 Laptop
- Stunning 15.6" display
- 16 GB RAM, 512 GB storage
- Windows 11 Pro installed
- Suitable for business use
- Evo Certified, 2022 Model
The Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 makes the best pick in the 2 in 1 laptop under $2,000. Simply, it has the functionality of a traditional tablet and laptop. Its 1080p super AMOLED touchscreen achieves a peak brightness of 500 nits and can reproduce vivid colors. You’ll enjoy a great experience, particularly when streaming content. If you regularly work on the go, this laptop is a great buy, as its battery can last up to 21 hours when performing simple tasks like web browsing or playing videos. Additionally, at just 2.43 pounds(1.1 kg), it doesn’t feel bulk to carry around.
The laptop also features a full-sized keyboard with spacious keys for great travel. Combine this with a highly responsive touchpad, and you’re guaranteed improved productivity. Also included in this laptop is the S Pen, which makes it convenient to sketch concepts, sign documents or even scroll through presentation slides. At 512 GB SSD internal storage space and 16 GB RAM, you have male storage and RAM.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Slim and lightweight design | Low-quality webcam |
| Impressive performance | |
| Vibrant AMOLED screen for a crisp picture quality |
Check out the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 Laptop on Amazon.
Best Lightweight Laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2
- 13-inch 2K (2160 x 1350) IPS, Anti-glare
- 32 GB DDR5 RAM, 1 TB SSD
- 12th Gen Intel i7-1280P processor
- Win 11 Pro installed
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2 ranks as the best lightweight laptop under $2,000, weighing only 2.13 pounds (966.5 grams). It includes a 12th Generation Intel core i7-1280P processor with 32 GB RAM and 1TB SSD storage.
A notable feature of this laptop is the FHD 1080p webcam with facial recognition. The camera’s user-sensing feature detects when you’re away from the computer and automatically locks it, saving your battery. Working or watching videos on this Lenovo laptop should be fun, thanks to its 2K display with a 2160 x 1350 resolution that achieves 450 nits brightness. Additionally, the Lenovo IPS panel provides high contrast and wide viewing angles.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Long-lasting battery life (up to 8 hours) | Has limited ports |
| Superb overall performance | |
| Sharp, bright 2K anti-glare IPS display |
Take a look at the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2 on Amazon. (As of July 14, 2023, this product is currently unavailable on Amazon. Please check back later.)
Best Budget Gaming Laptop: Dell 2022 G15 Gaming Laptop
- 15.6" Full HD display at120 Hz
- Powerful 12th Intel Core i7-12700H processor
- NVIDIA RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6
- 32GB DDR5 RAM, 2TB NVMe SSD
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 6, Thunderbolt 3
- Windows 11 pre-installed
Easily the best gaming laptop under $2,000, the Dell 2022 G15 has a fantastic display, processing speed, and battery life. A 12th-generation Intel core-i7 processor powers this machine. This laptop has enormous 2 TB SSD storage and 32 GB GDDR6 RAM and features an NVIDIA RTX 3060.
A 15.6-inch screen with a 1920 x 1080 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate ensures seamless gameplay. Thanks to these specs, you won’t experience lags while playing mid to high-spec games. The screen has a peak brightness of 250 nits, which is bright enough to game outdoors without squinting your eyes. This laptop includes a fantastic selection of ports, including 3 USB 3.2 Gen 1 port, 1 USB-C Thunderbolt 4 port, 1 HDMI port, and one headphone jack.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Excellent gaming performance | Quite heavy at 2.4 kg |
| Relatively bright screen | |
| The sleek, 15.6-inch display |
Check out the Dell 2022 G15 Gaming Laptop on Amazon today.
How to Pick the Best Laptops Under $2,000 You Can Purchase Today: Step by Step
Finding a reliable laptop is essential regardless of how you intend to use it. Laptops under $2,000 typically have plenty of features. To help you in your decision, here are a few things to consider.
- Processor(CPU)
- Graphics and RAM
- Screen Size and Display Quality
- Storage
- The TouchPad and Keyboard
Let’s discuss each of these in detail below.
Processor(CPU)
The processor is essentially the computer’s brain. If your laptop has a better processor, it will perform faster. Qualcomm, Intel, Apple, and AMD are all leading brands with processors that power different laptops.
Consider those with more cores if you decide to go with Intel processors. For instance, a laptop with a Core i7 CPU will perform faster than a Core i5. As for AMD processors, the Ryzen 7 offers better functionality than Ryzen 5.
Graphics and RAM
A laptop’s graphics card determines how good its visuals are. With better-performing graphics, you’ll experience improved performance when watching videos. Powerful graphics can also effectively handle demanding games. The best laptops within this price point feature AMD Radeon and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3000 series.
As for RAM, 8 to 32 GB is okay for a laptop. More RAM is always good, especially when running memory-intensive applications and high-spec games. It can handle any task without experiencing lags.
Screen Size and
Laptops come in different screen sizes, and many things will impact the one that best suits your needs. For example, if you’re a gamer or love to stream videos on your device, consider laptops with large screen sizes. The most suitable is 17 inches. The smaller screens will serve you well if you primarily use your laptop for office work.
Display Quality
What resolution do you want? It’s always a good idea to buy a laptop with a higher resolution regardless of your preferred screen size. A high-definition screen resolution (1920 by 1080) can handle simple tasks. If you plan to run graphics-demanding applications or play medium to high-spec games on your laptop, get a laptop with 2560 by 1600 resolution. Remember that high-resolution screens make your display appear sharper and crisper.
Another thing, decide whether you want a glossy or matt screen. While both screens offer outstanding performance, matt screens are an excellent choice for the outdoors and brightly lit rooms.
Storage
Laptops have two storage options HDD (hard disk drive) and SSD (solid state drive). Hard disks store information on a spinning platter, the same way as DVDs and CDs. On the other hand, SSDs store data on a memory chip using an On and Off technology, making them much faster. To this end, you’ll always experience faster loading speeds when you go for laptops with SSD drives.
In addition to the type of storage, think about the storage space you need. If you regularly use your laptop for emailing or web browsing, a storage space of less than 500 GB should be enough. However, if you regularly listen to music, watch movies, or play games on the laptop, a large drive of up to 2 TB should be enough.
The TouchPad and Keyboard
Think about the touchpad surfaces of your ideal laptop. We don’t recommend laptops with a touchpad less than four inches, Remember that the touchpad improves the precision of the cursor movement. A large-spaced touchpad can easily register finger movement, so you won’t experience issues while moving your finger around.
As for the keyboard, backlit options are way better than non-backlit ones. They allow you to work comfortably in a dimly lit room. In addition to the backlight, a good laptop should have a keyboard with soft and easy-to-press keys. Avoid laptops with hard-to-press keypads, as your fingers will become uncomfortable over long typing sessions.
What to Know Before Buying Best Laptops Under $2,000 You Can Purchase Today
Top of the things to consider when picking a laptop is the battery life. If you’re a freelancer and need your laptop on the go, one with a good battery life should work perfectly fine. The port selection is also an essential consideration in any modern laptop. Two important ports to look out for are the USB-A and USB-C ports. Laptops with USB-C ports are a must-have because you can use these ports to charge your laptop or connect it to external devices.
Using Best Laptops Under $2,000 You Can Purchase Today: What it’s Like
You should have a great experience using laptops at this price point. Most laptops under $2,000 feature intelligent cooling systems and powerful processors. So you can enjoy your favorite games for hours without worrying about your laptop heating up.
If you’re a business owner or regularly work from home, a 2 in 1 laptop can be a great buy as it’s highly portable. This type also includes high-definition web cameras and inbuilt noise-cancellation technology to ensure seamless virtual meetings.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Jacob Lund/Shutterstock.com.
