Gaming laptops: When it’s time to save, create the world (or blow up bad guys), don’t accept any substitutes. With their powerful graphics, gorgeous screens and great sound, gaming laptops deliver an immersive entertainment experience in a portable case. Many also offer stylish designs, quality desktop keyboards, and the ability to use premium VR headsets. Heck, a good gaming laptop can even shoot dual-use like a serious workstation.
But most of all gaming laptops are great for dedicated gamers with a mobile lifestyle or looking to save more space than a desktop computer. The range goes from students hoping to play anywhere on campus to businessmen who want to play during a train ride. Whatever your intended uses for your machine, there are many subtleties in mobile PC gaming, so it helps you do your research. But with so many laptops to choose from, things can get pretty complicated.
To help you choose your perfect gaming laptop, we have compiled a list of the best gaming laptops, including our top picks from popular brands such as Alienware, Acer, Lenovo, MSI, Razer, Dell and more. Over the course of a year, we review over 100 laptops covering all prices and use cases. Whether you’re looking for a badass game system with all the bells and whistles, a good mid-range laptop that can play at solid frame rates, or an inexpensive game system that can play most titles, we can help you find your ideal portable game.
But in order to make our best list of gaming laptops, the system has to score at least 4 out of 5 stars on our reviews and offer the things that interest buyers the most. During our assessments, we focus on overall and gaming performance. We also check the quality of the design, keyboard, audio and display and in particular the value.
Here are the best gaming laptops you can buy now.
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 got a rarefied air as the latest member of the 5-star club. And it more than deserved the honors. Powered by one of the AMD Ryzen processors and an Nvidia RTX GPU, the notebook offers great results on the gaming and multitasking fronts. But the fame of the laptop is its impressive endurance. With 11 hours of battery life, it’s the most durable gaming laptop ever.
Budget-conscious gamers will want to take a closer look at the Dell G3 15. The redesigned gaming laptop offers good performance with its 9th generation Core i5 processor and GTX 1650 GPU supported by the full power of the Alienware command center . It also has great autonomy and a multitude of ports. Even better, its starting price is less than $ 1,000.
See our picks for the best gaming laptops below.
1. Alienware m17 R2
The best gaming laptop delivers great power in a slim, redesigned chassis
–
CPU: Intel Core i9-9980HK | GPU: Nvidia RTX / 2080 Max-Q | RAM: 16 GB | Storage room: 512 GB SSD | Display: 17.3 inch screen (1080p) | Weight: 5.7 pounds
Light and captivating design
Powerful games and overall performance
Above average battery life
Comfortable keyboard
Expensive
Alienware put an entire laptop in a relatively thin and light package. But if you want the best power and performance, the Alienware m17 is the obvious choice. It has everything you need in a high-end gaming laptop with a powerful team of visuals, power and endurance. It’s a bit expensive, but this laptop is worth the investment.
The Alienware m17 R2 offers impressive raw gaming performance and a large 17-inch Honkin display in its new sexy and intergalactic Legend design. Equipped with an overclockable Core i9 processor and an RTX GPU, it is perfect for exploding your enemies in virtual reality or watching movies with friends. A revamped cooling system provides quieter fans and a cooler gaming experience. Integrate integrated eye tracking technology and a breathtaking display and you have a certified power plant. That’s why it’s our best gaming laptop overall.
–
2. Dell G3 15
An inexpensive gaming laptop with excellent performance and battery life
–
CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H | GPU: Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q | RAM: 16 GB | Storage room: 512 GB SSD | Display: 17.3 inch, 1080p | Weight: 5.4 pounds
Overall performance and solid graphics
Good battery life
Excellent game software
Dull display
Dell’s cheapest gaming laptop is back and better than ever. The G3 15 delivers solid performance with its 9th generation Core i5 processor and GTX 1650 GPU supported by the full power of the Alienware Command Center – all for less than $ 1,000. Combine that with a long battery life, with lots of ports and a relatively comfortable one and you have a badass game machine. However, the affordable price of the G3 comes at the price of a relatively drab 15.6-inch screen. Still, the G3 15 is one of the best gaming laptops you can get for its price.
–
3. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
Unrivaled Endurance for a Gaming Laptop
–
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS | GPU: Nvidia RTX 2060 Max-Q | RAM: 16 GB | Storage room: 1 TB SSD | Display: 14 inch, 1080p | Weight: 3.5 pounds
Performances of Killer AMD and Nvidia
Most durable gaming laptop ever
High-speed SSD
No webcam
Poor keyboard lighting
We never thought we would see the day when a gaming laptop would last longer than a traditional laptop. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 ushers in a new era of gaming laptops – one in which AMD is a major player. Powered by an AMD Ryzen 9 processor, the ROG Zephyrus appeared as a force to take into account on many of our performances. And associated with an Nvidia RTX 2060 Max-Q graphics chip, this is not to be outdone in the games department either.
But as good as these specifications are, the main claim of the Zephyrus G14 is its battery life. The gaming laptop lasted more than 11 hours in our longest battery test. A nice screen with a 120 Hz refresh rate, a comfortable keyboard and excellent sound are just the icing on the cake already fully stacked.
4. Lenovo Legion Y545
A great budget gaming laptop
–
CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H | GPU: Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti | RAM: 16 GB | Storage room: 128 GB SSD | Display: 15.6 inch, 1080p | Weight: 5.3 pounds
–
