Buying guide for best gaming laptop
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Price shouldn't be the sole factor when choosing a gaming laptop for on-the-go play. While high-end models often carry hefty price tags because of their powerful specs and thin builds, many affordable options can still deliver a great gaming experience.
Though software compatibility is important, three key internal components should be considered when choosing a gaming laptop: the graphics card, central processor (CPU) and RAM. Working together, they determine your gaming experience. Opting for a high refresh rate display alongside these powerful components will immerse you in visually stunning, near-lifelike games.
Also consider your gaming habits, preferred genres and budget when selecting a laptop. Prioritizing specific features can help you streamline your options and find the one that best complements your gaming style. Remember, upgrading laptops is notoriously difficult, so choose wisely before investing a significant sum of money.
To help you find the right one for your needs, the BestReviews Testing Lab researched numerous options and put some gaming laptops to the test. One computer you can’t go wrong with is our top choice, the Asus ROG Strix G16 Gaming Laptop, a powerhouse that can tackle all your gaming and multitasking needs with ease.
Expert Tip
If you’ll be playing your gaming laptop on a couch or in an armchair, consider getting a desk tray so you don’t have to rest it on your legs. Gaming laptops get warm, and some trays even include built-in vents and fans to keep everything running cool.
BestReviews Electronics Expert
Our top picks
Premium Performance
Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS | Graphics Card: Nvidia RTX 4060 8G GDDR6 | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 512GB | Display: 14-inch QHD
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Gaming Laptop is an excellent machine that features a stunning 14-inch QHD display. With a 165-hertz refresh rate and 500 nits of brightness, it offers a great visual experience, especially when playing top-quality video games.
A multitasking master, this laptop boasts a powerful AMD Ryzen 9 processor with 8 cores and 16 gigabytes of RAM. Combined with an Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card, it tackles demanding tasks like content creation and video editing and runs the latest games smoothly.
Its minimalistic-looking “Moonlight White” body houses a single-zone RGB keyboard with backlighting that allows you to game or work in low-light conditions and also lets you personalize your setup to match your unique style.
The G14's audio system, supported by Smart Amplifier Technology and Dolby Atmos, offers crystal-clear sound, and it has a built-in 720p webcam with infrared capabilities and a 512GB solid-state drive.
Best for College Students
Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS | Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 1TB | Display: 14-inch OLED
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gaming Laptop features a sleek 14-inch OLED display with SuperBright technology and a matte finish that maintains vivid colors while minimizing glare. With a maximum resolution of 2,880 pixels by 1,800 pixels, every detail is sharp and clear.
It's powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS processor with 8 cores and 16 threads and features an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card with 8GB of GDDR6 dedicated video memory. To keep things running smoothly, especially when creating digital content, it comes with 16GB of LPDDR5x RAM and a 1TB solid-state drive.
Translation? This gaming laptop packs better-than-average specs for its price so you can play the latest games without hiccups.
Rounding out its features, it has a built-in webcam, a backlit keyboard and a media reader that supports most popular card formats. It’s awesome for students who need to crank out papers and collaborate with others away from their desks.
Best Display
Processor: Intel Core i9 | Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 1TB | Display: 16-inch QHD+
The Razer Blade 16 is an excellent gaming laptop for those who value aesthetics, portability and power. During testing, we were particularly impressed by the visuals on the laptop's 16:10 Mini LED display. Games came alive with incredibly rich and vivid colors, while crisp details delivered a truly immersive viewing experience unlike any other gaming laptop we've used.
This laptop boasts a zippy Intel Core i9 processor capable of clocking speeds of up to 5.5 gigahertz, ensuring smooth performance for both work and play.
Its 16-inch display is further enhanced by a 240-hertz refresh rate for exceptionally smooth motion, which will definitely come in handy for fast-paced games. Additionally, the laptop is equipped with a powerful Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card, and it comes with 16GB of RAM for efficient multitasking.
During testing, we found the Blade 16 to have great lighting and graphics and fluid gameplay in all different resolutions and refresh rates. It also comes with 1TB of storage, which is more than enough space for AAA games. There is a good selection of ports on both sides of the laptop, which lets you plug in accessories or external monitors.
We found the Blade 16 offers a sufficient supply of battery life for everyday tasks like web browsing and light work. However, if you're engaging in graphically demanding activities like gaming at full brightness, we recommend being near a power outlet, as the battery life dips to around three hours in such scenarios.
Overall, the Blade 16 offers an undeniably impressive gaming experience, but its premium price may keep it out of reach for some. Although we wish it delivered a slightly longer battery life, it's somewhat expected from high-performance gaming laptops.
Battery life aside, this machine serves as a testament to Razer's focus on outstanding design, and we can't recommend it enough for those who want a gaming laptop with an excellent display.
Best Budget Gaming Laptop
Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Graphics Card: AMD Radeon RX7600S V8G | RAM: 16GB DDR5 | Storage: 512GB | Display: Full HD
The Asus TUF Gaming A16 is a powerful gaming laptop with a 16-inch Full HD display with a maximum 165-hertz refresh rate. It’s powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS processor and features an ultrafast AMD Radeon RX7600S V8G graphics card for crystal-clear visuals when playing video games or doing creative work.
It comes with 16GB DDR5 system memory and a 512GB solid-state drive, which is more than enough space to keep your work safe and all your games installed. While it has a wireless or wired headphones connection, the built-in dual speakers support Dolby Atmos for excellent clarity.
The laptop is great for gaming on the go — it only weighs 4.8 pounds and is 0.87 inches thick. It offers a variety of ports for connecting devices. The USB ports allow you to connect external hard drives, flash drives, mice, keyboards, controllers and other devices.
Plus, there's a RJ45 LAN port for more reliable wired internet connections for online gaming. There is also a built-in webcam with a resolution of 720p, which will come in handy for conference calls.
Expert Tip
Make a plan for all of the accessories you’ll need to buy along with your gaming laptop. I recommend getting at least a gaming mouse and a laptop case
BestReviews Electronics Expert
What to know before you buy a gaming laptop
Video card
Video games, especially first-person-perspective games, depend on the computer’s GPU, which stands for graphics processing unit, to render the images you see while playing. Naturally, the GPU is the biggest factor when it comes to your ability to play a game on a laptop. If you think of a GPU as a computer’s video muscles, it’s easy to see why gaming laptops need a particularly strong one.
Video cards are often measured by the chipset they use and the amount of built-in memory (VRAM) they have. For example, you may see a video card described as a “GeForce” series with 8GB of VRAM. We recommend a minimum of 8GB of VRAM.
As you shop for a gaming laptop, pay attention to both the chipset series and the VRAM, and make sure both are adequate for the games you intend to play most often. When comparing specs, be careful not to confuse the video card’s memory with the computer’s RAM or hard-drive space. All are measured in gigabytes, but each serves a unique purpose.
CPU
A gaming laptop’s second-most important component is its central processing unit (CPU), which is responsible for keeping your computer running. It’s the chip that processes all the data and executes all the commands.
While a gaming laptop’s GPU is dedicated to rendering video, the CPU is responsible for everything else, from the operating system to every last game of solitaire. It can be difficult to keep up with CPU technologies because they evolve rapidly, but in general, consider the following when deciding what type of processor you’ll need.
- Brand: Most laptop CPUs are made by Intel, although AMD’s newest processors (Ryzen) are a popular favorite among gamers. Think twice about buying a gaming laptop with a CPU that isn’t made by Intel or AMD (all of our top picks are made by one or the other). Off-brand CPUs rarely perform as well.
- Generation: Most CPU manufacturers regularly release new iterations of their best chips, and each generation is given a code name. When shopping for a gaming laptop, buy one with the most current CPU you can afford.
Screen size
As with all laptops, deciding on what size screen is right for you also means deciding what size laptop is right for you because the screen determines the machine’s footprint. Since gaming laptops are all about displaying eye-popping visuals, picking a screen that you like and one that adequately renders the games you want to play is important. Gaming laptops typically come in these screen sizes:
- 14-inch gaming laptops often feature lower resolutions, which can mean a lot of extra scrolling and zooming in or out while playing. Pick this size if you’re looking for an entry-level gaming laptop or if you mostly play less graphic-intensive games. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Gaming Laptop is a great 14-inch option.
- 15- or 16-inch gaming laptops are by far the most common because they have screens that are big enough to show off action-packed video games but not so large as to be unwieldy. If you’re looking for a good balance between size, power and weight, this size is your best bet. Asus ROG Strix G16, ASUS TUF Gaming A15, Acer Nitro V and Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 are all solid choices in this range.
- 17-inch gaming laptops are as enormous and awkward as you might expect. While this size delivers an incredible gaming experience, it also uses up much more of the battery than a smaller screen. Buy this size if you absolutely must see every pixel of your games and don’t expect to have to carry your machine around very often. A standout 17-inch option is the MSI Katana 17.
Resolution
As you’re deciding which screen size is right for you, pay attention to the maximum supported resolution. For best results when gaming, we recommend a minimum resolution of 1440p. The most popular screen resolutions are often referred to by their abbreviated names.
For example, 1920 x 1080 is referred to as FHD (full-high definition), which the Acer Nitro V, ASUS TUF Gaming A15 and MSI Katana 17 all offer; 2560 x 1440 is known as QHD (quad-high definition), which the Asus ROG Strix G16, Razer Blade 16 and Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Gaming Laptop have; and 3840 x 2160 goes by UHD (ultra-high definition).
RAM
Random access memory (RAM) is the memory a computer uses to store data related to active tasks. While adding more RAM won’t make your computer faster, it will enable it to handle more tasks simultaneously, making your experience smoother and more responsive.
While some low-end gaming laptops ship with 4GB or 8GB of RAM, for an optimal gaming experience, we recommend buying one with a minimum of 16GB of RAM, such as the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16, or even better, 32GB of RAM, such as the ASUS ROG Strix G16 and MSI Katana 17.
Expert TIp
If you’re using any wireless peripherals with your gaming laptop, like a wireless gaming
headset or a wireless mouse, be sure to pick up extra batteries so they don’t run out mid-game.
BestReviews Electronics Expert
How to get the most out of your gaming laptop
- Carry your gaming laptop’s AC adapter with you. Video games use a higher-than-average amount of power, and you don’t want to run out of battery life in the middle of a gaming session when you’re playing away from home. Most gaming laptop batteries will run out after two to four hours of playing.
- Investigate the minimum required hardware for each game you want to play. Every video game lists the technical requirements needed to run the game. Before buying a gaming laptop, verify that the model you want meets the requirements.
- Choose a gaming laptop that lets you change the battery. Video games draw a lot of power, so if you expect to keep your laptop for more than a few years, you should plan on replacing the battery at some point. Not all gaming laptops allow users to replace the battery, so rule out any models that prevent you from doing so.
- Close all other applications if you experience odd slowing or random crashes. When a gaming laptop isn’t powerful enough to play a game, it can freeze, stutter or crash. While you’re playing, dedicate all your system’s resources to the game.
- Laptops are notoriously difficult to upgrade. However, there are a few components that can make things a bit faster. For example, you can insert more RAM or exchange the CPU, but it’s often more expensive compared to a desktop computer.
- Some gaming laptops are designed to allow specific user hardware updates. Many manufacturers sell complementary kits so users can swap in a larger hard drive.
How we analyzed
Testing and comparing gaming laptops involves a thorough evaluation of several critical aspects to determine their performance, reliability and overall value. It’s not simply a matter of turning them on and seeing how well they play Minecraft.
We used special techniques to check display brightness, measure the battery life, evaluate graphics cards and processors and do a thorough benchmark check on available components.
Expert Tip
If your gaming laptop doesn’t have a lot of ports, pick up an adapter that adds more. Many laptops include a USB-C port and omit others because they’re built with the assumption that you’ll connect any peripherals with a multi-port adapter.
BestReviews Electronics Expert
FAQ
Q. How much should I spend on a gaming laptop?
A. That depends on what you want it for. In the range of $500 to $1,000, expect to find budget gaming laptops that use last-generation technology or cut corners by having a smaller screen. But if you’re merely looking for a competent gaming laptop that will power your Minecraft addiction, there’s no need to spend more than $1,000. The Asus TUF Gaming A15 and Acer Nitro V are both terrific budget options.
For $1,000 to $1,500, you’ll find great gaming laptops that pull out all the stops. You’ll see current-generation GPUs and CPUs alongside some premium features like bigger batteries, larger screens and gamer-friendly aesthetics. If you play video games for more than an hour each day, a gaming laptop in this price range, such as the MSI Katana 17, Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Gaming Laptop or Acer Predator Helios Neo 16, is your best bet.
But you could spend even more. If you’re dreaming of playing a first-person shooter game at 4K resolution with a chat window open and your favorite tunes playing, models that cost $1,500 and up bring premium features like 4K displays, multiple displays and top-tier internal hardware. If you're a serious gamer who wants the best of the best, such as the Asus ROG Strix G16, Razer Blade 16 and Asus TUF Gaming A16 (2024) Gaming Laptop, expect to pay top dollar.
Q. Do I need a cooling pad for a gaming laptop?
A. It’s rarely a bad idea. The vast majority of gaming laptops get quite warm when running demanding games at their highest settings. Even if your computer isn’t resting on your lap, a cooling pad will keep your laptop running smoothly and quietly.
Q. Can I play virtual reality (VR) games on a gaming laptop?
A. Yes, with additional hardware. Virtual reality games can be installed and run from any Windows-based machine, and they require special equipment like VR headsets and hand controllers (sold separately). Before investing in a VR kit, make sure your gaming laptop meets the technical requirements of the VR games you want to play.
Q. What are the drawbacks of a gaming laptop?
A. In addition to paying more for the same specs as on a comparable desktop computer, a gaming laptop typically has a shorter lifespan. This is due not only to the challenge of upgrading but also the wear and tear that comes with taking a computer on the go. However, some models are designed to be easily upgradable, and if you treat your laptop well, you might get five or more years out of it.
Q. Does Apple make a gaming laptop?
A. While many game developers port their most popular titles to Apple’s macOS operating system, Apple does not have a laptop designed specifically for gaming. However, most Apple laptops have a competent CPU that can deliver an average gaming experience. If you’re more than a casual gamer, stick with Windows, especially since several of the most popular gaming titles are PC exclusives.
