Best Gaming Laptops

Gaming can be an steep hobby if you want the latest hardware that can run every game at full speed. It can also be challenging to get into, given the complexity of finding the right components to meet your specific desires. For those recent to PC gaming (or perhaps those who lack the confidence to build a desktop computer), buying a gaming laptop may be the best option.

Sure, gaming on a laptop is more of a chore compared to using a portable device like a Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or smartphone. However, gaming laptops easily beat them in terms of power and are more useful for non-gaming tasks. And unlike desktops, their portable nature makes it straightforward to connect to a TV when you want to play on the huge screen in the living room.

When buying a gaming laptop Is more beginner-friendly than building a desktop, there are still a lot of factors to consider, from preferred portability, screen size, ports, and whether you really need the latest Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics card when the previous generation still produces excellent results. If you need recommendations, our guide has some great gaming laptops you can buy now to meet both your budget and PC gaming needs.

Best gaming laptop

Razer Blade 16

This Razer Blade 16 It’s the best overall gaming laptop if you want almost every game to absolutely sing thanks to its latest RTX 40 graphics chip and look great on its piercing 16-inch QHD display with a 240Hz 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 the highest settings and who want to go wild by customizing Razer’s fancy Chroma RGB lighting on the keyboard.

The price tag goes up significantly (topping $4,000) if you’re looking for even higher-end RTX 40-series graphics cards, as well as Razer’s intriguing dual-mode display model, which lets you switch between native 4K at 120Hz and 1080p at 240Hz with a single click. While impressive, this model is more appealing to creators and gamers who want the best of both worlds, regardless of price. And since the pricey RTX 4090 GPU option probably has more power than most users can fully utilize, you probably don’t need to spend the money on a top-of-the-line GPU when the RTX 4060 and 4070 can handle most games just fine, even at QHD resolution.

As gaming installs get bigger and bigger, it’s nice that the Blade 16 offers an additional M.2 SSD slot, meaning you can expand your storage if you need it (it comes with a 1TB SSD by default). Fortunately, the cost of rapid SSDs is dropping, so you can easily add an extra 1TB for well under $100.

It has a slim design, though it’s not the lightest laptop out there — it weighs 5.40 pounds, which is a pound more than the Razer Blade 15 — but that extra weight seems justified, as it has faster hardware and five ports (three USB-A, one USB-C, and one Thunderbolt) to let you connect other accessories.

Best portable gaming laptop

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14

Image: Asus

All gaming laptops are theoretically portable, but what about those that are diminutive and airy enough to take anywhere without sacrificing too much power? Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 manages to achieve this exquisite balance. Weighing just 3.64 pounds, it is surprisingly airy, yet still able to handle the most demanding games.

Diving into the specs, the AMD Ryzen 9 processor and Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card should satisfy gamers looking for solid mid-range performance. You’ll get lush visuals that look attractive on the 2560 x 1600 display — and they’re also silky thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate. It doesn’t skimp on a bunch of other goodies, including a 720p webcam (full HD would be nice, minor gripe), a customizable RGB keyboard, four USB ports (two USB-A, two USB-C), and a vast touchpad.

Considering its smaller dimensions, at just 0.73 inches hefty, it’s the perfect gaming laptop for commuting and traveling. What’s more, it has an incredible battery life. If you’re not just using it for gaming, you can expect the battery to last up to 10 hours, which is significantly better than most gaming laptops, although it’s probably a different story if you’re running the latest blockbusters at ultra settings.

The best high-end gaming laptop

Asus Strix Scar 18

Image: Asus

This Asus Strix Scar 18 is a bit too long, its name aptly reflects its maximalist design and specs. But if money is no object and you’re looking for the most powerful gaming laptop, this $2,599.99 laptop is our pick.

This model has a massive 17-inch IPS display that’s perfect for viewing the piercing QHD graphics that the Intel Core i9 processor and RTX 4080 GPU are more than capable of delivering. The 240Hz refresh rate is just as rapid as our top all-round pick, the Razer Blade 16, ensuring ultra-smooth performance in huge, attractive open-world games, whether you’re into Cyberpunk 2077, Ring of Fire, Or First offspring.

The Asus Strix Scar 18 itself isn’t exactly eye-catching compared to some of our other picks. It’s also huge, weighing in at 12.5 pounds. You’ll probably have trouble fitting it into most laptop bags. But if you insist on taking it with you, don’t forget its massive 330W power supply, which is almost imperative if you want to do anything on this laptop for a few hours at a time. You’re looking at a maximum of a few hours of gaming, so it’s definitely not the most practical or portable option. However, some of you might be joyful to sacrifice those factors for the power this model can deliver.

Ultimately, it’s what’s inside that matters most here. In addition to the powerful CPU and GPU, it comes with a 1TB SSD and 32GB of RAM, with more slots available if you want to raise either. To get to the last few spec details, it has a built-in 1080p webcam and microphone, higher resolution than most gaming laptops. There are also a ton of ports, including two USB-A ports, three USB-C ports (one of which is Thunderbolt 4), as well as HDMI 2.1, an SD card reader, a headphone jack, and an Ethernet port.

Best Cheap Gaming Laptop

Gigabyte G6X

Image: Gigabyte

Gaming laptops are a luxury, but they don’t always have to cost over $1,000. If you’re not addicted to the latest hardware, there are options that do a good job of keeping up with the latest game releases. For $1,199.99, the 16-inch Gigabyte G6X is one of the options with the best value for money.

This is a mid-range gaming laptop that packs a 13th generation Intel i7-13650HX processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics processor. Paired with 16GB of RAM, you’ll be able to run the most demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077at a decent frame rate on a 1920 x 1200 display. If you want to prioritize faster frame rates over attractive visuals, you can lower the graphics settings a bit to take advantage of the display’s rapid 165Hz refresh rate.

It also has everything you’d expect from a contemporary gaming laptop, including a good number of ports, a webcam and microphone, and a speedy SSD — by the way, it comes with 1TB of storage by default, which will fill up quickly for most gamers. Fortunately, with SSD prices falling, manually inserting another SSD into the extra M.2 slot is inexpensive. The G6X’s RAM is also upgradable after purchase, which is a nice touch.

It may have a fairly plain design and has a few minor compromises (the screen isn’t as radiant as more advanced laptops). However, when it comes to affordability while still being able to play the latest games that PC gaming has to offer, the Gigabyte G6X is a good starting point.

Best budget 16 inch gaming laptop

Acer Nitro V

Image: Acer

If you have a budget under $1000 and really want a solid laptop that won’t break the bank, Acer Nitro V is a fantastic value.

The Nitro V is equipped with a powerful 13th Gen Intel i7 processor and a pair of RTX 4060 GPUs. Games will look great and silky thanks to the 15.6-inch, 144Hz FHD display.

The Nitro V borrows a few design elements from much more steep laptops. It also inherits some of their less-than-perfect features, like a mediocre webcam and tiny battery life when you’re not plugged in. If you plan on using this laptop for non-gaming tasks, it should serve you well for a few hours. But if you plan on working more than playing, you might want to consider the more compact Asus ROG Zephyrus G14.

If the Nitro V sounds like a gaming laptop to you, Best Buy has the best value on this machine. Right now, the $899.99 model at Best Buy includes a 13th-generation Intel i7 processor, an RTX 4060, 16GB of rapid DDR5 RAM, and a 512GB SSD. The price of this model has dropped by hundreds of dollars, so stay tuned for the next deal.

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