The best gaming laptops: Asus, Razer, Dell, and more

PC gaming can be an expensive hobby if you’re set on having the latest hardware that can run every game at full tilt. Finding the best components for your needs can also be a challenge. A gaming laptop is a good option for those who are new to PC gaming or lack the confidence to build their own desktop.

Gaming on a computer is certainly more difficult than using a handheld device like a Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck. Gaming laptops are more powerful and useful in non-gaming situations. Their portable nature, in contrast to desktops, makes it easy to connect them to a TV for big-screen gaming.

Consider these factors when buying a gaming PC You can learn more about it here. Although building a laptop is easier for beginners, you still need to take into consideration many things, including your preferences in terms of portability, the screen size and ports. You also have to decide whether or not the latest Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics card will be worth it if the older generation delivers excellent performance. You can find some good gaming laptops in our buying guide that will suit your budget as well as PC gaming requirements.

Gaming laptops: the best overall choice

Image: Razer

It is important to note that the word “you” means “you”. Razer Blade 16This is the top gaming laptop if your goal is to play any game at its highest settings and enjoy a crisp QHD 16.2-inch screen with a 240 Hz display. It’s far from the cheapest option, starting at $2,699.99, but it’s a reasonable price for those who want to play the most demanding games at their highest settings, and who want to go wild customizing Razer’s fancy Chroma RGB lighting for the keyboard.

The price goes up much higher (exceeding $4,000) if you’re after an even higher tier of the RTX 40-series graphics chips, as well as Razer’s interesting dual-mode display model where, at the click of a button, you can toggle the screen’s resolution and refresh rate between native 4K at 120 Hz and 1080p at 240 Hz display modes. The dual-mode display model may be impressive but it is designed to attract creators as well as gamers that want the best of everything, regardless of cost. And, as the pricey RTX 4090 GPU option has arguably more power than most users can fully take advantage of, you likely don’t need to shell out for the highest tier of GPU when the RTX 4060 and 4070 can run most games well, even at QHD resolution.

As game installs are getting increasingly larger, it’s nice that the Blade 16 offers an additional M.2 SSD slot, meaning you’ll be able to expand the storage if needed (it comes with a 1 TB SSD by default). As the price of SSDs have been dropping, you could easily buy an additional 1TB SSD for under $100.

It has a slim design, though it’s not the most lightweight laptop — at 5.40 pounds, it’s a pound heavier than the Razer Blade 15 — but that added weight feels justified since it brings faster hardware, plus five ports (three USB-A, one USB-C, and one Thunderbolt) to take your experience further with other accessories.

Best portable gaming laptop

Image: Asus

All gaming laptops are theoretically portable, but what about ones that are small and light enough to bring anywhere, and that don’t sacrifice too much power? All gaming laptops are theoretically portable, but what about ones that don’t sacrifice too much power and are small enough to bring anywhere? Asus ROG Zephyrus Z14The balance is just right. Weighing just 3.64 pounds, it’s astonishingly lightweight while still holding its own against the most demanding games.

When you dig into its specs, the AMD Ryzen CPU and Radeon graphics card perform in a similar way to Intel i9 and RTX3060 processors. This should be enough for gamers looking for solid performance at midrange prices. You’ll get lush graphics that look beautiful on its 2560×1600 display, and smooth, too, thanks to its 120 Hz refresh rate. It doesn’t skimp on a host of other niceties, including a 720p webcam (full HD would have been nice, a minor complaint), a customizable RGB keyboard, four USB ports (two USB-A, two USB-C), and a large trackpad.

Given its smaller dimensions, with a thickness of just 0.73 inches, it’s the perfect laptop for gaming when commuting and traveling. Better yet, it’s got terrific battery life. If you’re not just using it for gaming, you can expect the battery to last up to 10 hours, which is far better than most gaming laptops, though that’s probably a different story if you’re running the latest blockbuster titles at ultra settings.

The design is also low-key enough that you won’t immediately single yourself out as being a gamer, if that matters to you. There is a more expensive model that comes with Asus’ Anime Matrix feature that allows you to customize a grid of mini-LED lights on the surface of the lid (it looks like this), but if keeping costs down is important, you can do without it.

The best gaming laptops

Image: MSI

It is important to note that the word “you” means “you”. MSI Raider HX GE78Its name is quite a mouthful and reflects its design and specifications. But if money is no object and you’re after the ultimate powerhouse gaming laptop, this $3,599.99 laptop is our pick.

This model has a huge 17-inch IPS display that’s perfect for viewing sharp QHD graphics on, which its Intel Core i9 processor and RTX 4080 GPU are more than capable of delivering. Its 240 Hz refresh rate is just as speedy as our top all-around pick, the Razer Blade 16, ensuring you’re getting ultra-smooth performance in big and beautiful open-world games, whether you dig Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin’s Creed ValhallaYou can also max it out if you want. Starfield Launched in September.

The MSI Raider GE78 HX itself isn’t much of a looker compared to some of our other picks. It’s also humongous, weighing 6.83 pounds. You’ll likely struggle to fit it in most laptop bags. But if you insist on taking it with you, don’t forget its huge 330 W power supply, which is all but necessary to lug around if you want to do anything on this laptop for a few hours. You’re looking at a couple of hours of gaming time at most, so this is definitely not the most practical or portable option available. Others may choose to ignore these issues in favor of the high-powered performance this model provides.

Ultimately, it’s what’s inside that counts the most here. The powerful GPU and CPU are complemented by a 64 GB SSD. There is also a slot for an additional 1 TB SSD. SteelSeries also provides a mechanical SteelSeries keyboard, which proves that it is a true desktop alternative. Going over a final few spec details, it has a 1080p webcam and mic built in, a higher resolution than what’s included with most gaming laptops. It has a lot of ports too. There are two USB A ports, three USB C ports (one Thunderbolt 4), HDMI 2.0, an SD reader, a Headphone Jack, and Ethernet.

Best cheap gaming laptop

Acer

Gaming laptops are a luxury, but they don’t always have to cost you well over $1,000. So long as you aren’t obsessed with having the latest hardware, there are some options that do a good job at keeping up with the latest game releases. The 15.6-inch MacBook Pro costs $999.99. Acer Nitro 5This is an excellent value option.

It’s on the high end of midrange gaming laptops, containing an AMD Ryzen 7 6800H CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti GPU. Bundled with its 16 GB RAM, you’ll be able to run demanding games, like Cyberpunk – 2077Its QHD screen allows for great frame rates. If you’re looking to prioritize a faster frame rate over a gorgeous-looking picture, you can turn graphical settings down a bit to take advantage of the display’s fast 165 Hz refresh rate.

It also has everything else you’d expect from a modern gaming laptop, including a good number of ports, a webcam and a mic, and a high-speed SSD — speaking of, it comes with 1 TB by default, which for most gamers will quickly fill up. Thankfully, with SSD prices coming down, it’s inexpensive to manually insert another SSD into its extra M.2 slot. You can also purchase a spinning HDD with a large capacity to use the 2.5-inch bay. This will allow you to have an SSD/HDD combination. The Nitro 5’s RAM can be upgraded after purchase, too, which is a nice touch.

It may be rather plain in design, and it has some minor compromises (the screen isn’t as bright as more high-end laptops). The Acer Nitro 5 offers affordability and the ability to enjoy the latest PC games.

The best 16-inch gaming laptop for the money

Dell

The QHD-screen is a great option for those with a low budget. Dell G16It is fantastic value.

You’re getting substantially more than what the Acer Nitro 5 provides, yet sometimes it doesn’t cost substantially more. This model has a powerful Intel Core i7 CPU and RTX 3260 GPU. You’ll be able to get games looking great and smooth with its QHD 16-inch display that has a 165 Hz refresh rate. There are also five macro keys that can be customized on the keyboard. Its F9 key doubles as a “Game Shift” key, which ramps up the power (and the fan speed) to improve your game performance by a few frames per second.

The G16 is a laptop that borrows many design features from the much more expensive Alienware laptops. It also inherits some of their not-so-great qualities, like a middling webcam and short battery life when you’re not plugged in. If you’re planning on using this laptop for non-gaming tasks, it should serve you well for a few hours. You may prefer the smaller Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 if your primary purpose is to work.

Best Buy and Dell offer the most affordable price for the G16. Dell’s $1,499.99 version includes the Core i7 processor, an RTX3060 graphics card, 16GB DDR5 RAM and a 1-TB SSD. This model’s price has fluctuated by several hundred dollars (sometimes selling for just $1099.99), so keep an eye out for the latest deal.

Dell G16

The prices are taken at the time of publication.