The best gaming laptops

PC gaming can be an expensive hobby if you’re set on having the latest hardware that can run every game at full tilt. It can be tough to get into as well, given the complexity of finding the right components to cater to your specific desires. For those new to PC gaming (or perhaps those lacking in confidence to build a desktop), buying a gaming laptop might be the best move.

Sure, gaming on a laptop is more cumbersome compared to using handhelds like the Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or a smartphone. However, gaming laptops beat them handily with power, and by being more useful for non-gaming tasks. And, unlike a desktop, their portable nature makes it easier to connect to your TV when you want big-screen gaming in your living room.

While buying a gaming laptop is more beginner-friendly than building a desktop, there are still many factors to consider, from your preferred portability, screen size, ports, and whether you really need the very latest Nvidia GeForce RTX GPU when the previous generation still yields excellent results. If you need some recommendations, our guide contains some great gaming laptops you can buy now to suit both your budgetary and PC gaming needs.

Best overall gaming laptop

Image: Razer

The Razer Blade 16 is the best overall gaming laptop if you want to make practically any game absolutely sing with the latest RTX 40 graphics chip and look great, too, on its crisp QHD 16-inch display that has a 240 Hz refresh rate. It’s far from the cheapest option, starting at $3,299.99, 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. While impressive, that model is made to appeal more to creators and gamers who want to have the best of both worlds, no matter the 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). Fortunately, the cost of high-speed SSDs has been coming down, so you can easily add an extra 1 TB for well 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, without sacrificing too much power? The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 manages to strike that fine balance. Weighing just 3.64 pounds, it’s astonishingly lightweight while still holding its own against the most demanding games.

Diving into the specs, its AMD Ryzen 9 CPU and Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU should result in satisfying gamers who want solid midrange performance. You’ll get lush graphics that look beautiful on its 2560 x 1600 display — and it’s 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.

Best high-end gaming laptop

Image: Asus

The Asus Strix Scar 18 is a bit of a mouthful, its name aptly mirroring its maximalist design and specs. But if money is no object and you’re after the ultimate powerhouse gaming laptop, this $2,599.99 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, Elden Ring, or The First Descendant.

The Asus Strix Scar 18 itself isn’t much of a looker compared to some of our other picks. It’s also massive, weighing in at 12.5 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. However, some of you may be happy to sacrifice these factors for the power that this model can supply.

Ultimately, it’s what’s inside that counts the most here. In addition to its powerful CPU and GPU, it comes with a 1 TB SSD and 32 GB of RAM, with more slots available if you want to boost either. 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. There are plenty of ports, too, including two USB-A ports, three USB-C ports (one of which is Thunderbolt 4), plus HDMI 2.1, an SD card reader, a headphone jack, and an Ethernet port.

Best cheap gaming laptop

Image: Gigabyte

Gaming laptops are a luxury, but they don’t always have to vault over the $1,000 mark. 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. At $1,199.99, the 16-inch Gigabyte G6X is one of the best value options.

It’s a midrange gaming laptop, containing a 13th-gen Intel i7-13650HX CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU. Bundled with its 16 GB RAM, you’ll be able to run most demanding games, like Cyberpunk 2077, at decent frame rates on its 1920 x 1200 display. 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. The G6X’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). However, when it comes to affordability while still being able to play the latest games PC gaming has to offer, the Gigabyte G6X is a good place to start.

Best affordable 16-inch gaming laptop

Image: Acer

If you have a budget of below $1,000 and really want a solid laptop that doesn’t break the bank, the Acer Nitro V is a fantastic value.

The Nitro V is equipped with a powerful Intel 13th-gen i7 processor and RTX 4060 GPU pairing. You’ll be able to get games looking great and smooth with its FHD 15.6-inch, 144 Hz display.

The Nitro V borrows several design elements from much pricier 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. But if you plan to do more work than play, you may want to consider the more compact Asus ROG Zephyrus G14.

If the Nitro V is looking like the gaming laptop for you, Best Buy offers the best value on this machine. Currently, the $899.99 model at Best Buy includes an Intel 13th-gen i7 series CPU, RTX 4060, 16 GB of fast DDR5 RAM, and a 512 GB SSD. The price on this model has dropped by hundreds of dollars on occasion, so stay tuned for the next deal.

Update (July 29): Added several products. Checked links and prices for accuracy.