Whatever you work and how busy your schedule is, you always manage time to enjoy the video games. Whether you want to play sports, action-adventure, horror or action games, gaming laptop gives you a great experience.
You can also take it with you on the tours and travels so that while enjoying the trip, you can also play the games. Granted, how long that lasts depends on the battery, but you can always squeeze some more time if you tweak around. Gaming laptops are made to be powerful, so they can also be used for activities other than gaming.
With so many laptops in the market, it isn’t very easy to select the one that is perfect for your needs. It’s why we compiled a list of the best gaming laptops out there.
This lightweight 17.3-inch laptop offers great performance without skimping out on design.
Things to Consider
1. Specifications
Checking the specifications is a no-brainer really, but still, you can’t mention the most important things and leave the general specifications out of it. Since you’re looking for a gaming laptop, you’ll want to take a special look at the graphics card, as that is what makes or breaks your gaming experience. Preferably choose the laptop with newer graphics cards as they generally have faster and more efficient memory.
That being said, you shouldn’t skimp out on the CPU either as if there is too much of a power difference (so to speak), the CPU can throttle your GPU. Other things like RAM and SDD/HDD can be upgraded later with relative ease (most of the time), so you don’t have to overthink those (still high storage at the start means more games).
As for the power supply (PSU), while important, you are not building a custom PC, so you don’t need to spend too much time figuring out if your PSU is good enough. The manufacturers already put the suitable power supply based on the laptop’s specification so you shouldn’t worry about that much as there are other more important things to check.
2. Heat and overheating
Every laptop heats up, so there is no avoiding that. However, the thing is that not every laptop heats the same, and some might overheat. There is no way to know until you buy it, so it’s essential to check the reviews and see what other users say. Overheating is bad for your laptop’s life expectancy, and heating, in general, can make gaming unplayable if the keyboard heats too much.
3. Battery life
This one is pretty straightforward. The longer the battery life, the longer you can play. If you have the power adapter, you can play indefinitely as long as you have a power socket close by. That might not always be the case, though, so pay attention to what other users say about battery life (the manufacturers estimate isn’t that accurate).
4. Weight and design
Weight might not be that important, but some users don’t like cumbersome laptops. Generally, this generation laptops are pretty light, but there are some exceptions. If you don’t want your laptop to weigh very much, you should look at the specifications. If you don’t care about weight however, you can ignore this completely.
On the other hand, for the design, while everyone likes their laptop to look cool, the more important thing is to look at how well the laptop is made. Is it using cheap plastic, the placement of ports or camera, and just general quality build.
QUICK OVERVIEW
The Best Gaming Laptops
| Products | Features |
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EDITOR’S PICK
4.2 20+ 20+
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MOST REVIEWED
4.2 60+ 60+
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TOP PICK
4.1 480+ 480+
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BUDGET PICK
4.4 320+ 320+
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BUDGET PICK
4.6 10+ 10+
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This lightweight 17.3-inch laptop offers great performance without skimping out on design.
Under $800
Lenovo Ideapad L340
Features
- GPU: GeForce GTX 1650 4GB
- Battery Life: ~4 hours
- PRICE RANGE: Under $800
Lenovo Ideapad L340 is a nicely designed gaming laptop perfect for those on a budget. Equipped with the 9th-generation Intel Core i5-9300H Processor and the GeForce GTX 1650, this laptop will ensure you have a smooth gaming experience without spending too much money.
It also comes with 512GB Nvme SSD and 8GB DDR4 RAM. With these specifications, you’ll be able to play most current games on higher settings, although some more demanding games will require lower optimized settings.
Battery life is decent, and the laptop stays relatively cool when playing. Unfortunately, there is only one RAM slot, so if you’re planning to upgrade, the 8GB RAM that comes with the laptop will practically go to waste. Still, for the money involved, it’s a great laptop, especially if you’re not a hardcore gamer.
Dell G3 15
Features
- GPU: GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB
- Battery Life: ~6 hours
- PRICE RANGE: Under $800
Another good budget option, the Dell G3 15-inch laptop, can easily satisfy your average gaming needs without costing much. It comes with the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, and while it is arguably obsolete considering the relatively new release of GeForce GTX 1650, it still packs a punch and can easily offer an excellent 1080p performance. The 8th Generation Intel Core i5-8300H processor is also there, and the laptop has 8GB DDR4 RAM.
With 1TB HDD and a 256GB SSD, this model comes with plenty of storage, and as a bonus, you also get the EST 320GB external HDD. The battery life is pretty good for a gaming laptop and there are no overheating problems, although it can get a bit hotter than usual it’s not problematic.
The main gripe with this model is the lackluster display since it lacks sharpness and colorfulness. It’s still a very good gaming laptop in this price range, and depending on your needs, you might not need anything else.
Under $1000
ASUS ROG 15.6″
Features
- GPU: GeForce GTX 1650 Ti 4GB
- Battery Life: ~3 hours
- PRICE RANGE: Under $1000
There are several great laptops in the ASUS ROG series, and this is one of them. The ASUS ROG 15-inch laptop is a relatively cost-friendly option, and it’s a good choice for anyone who wants something more powerful than the basic budget picks.
Backed by GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card and 9th Generation Intel Core i7-9750H mobile processor, this laptop can play most games with ease on higher settings. It also comes equipped with 16GB DDR4 RAM and 1TB HDD, as well as one 512GB SSD.
The battery life is average at best, so for serious gaming, you’ll need a power outlet. As for the heat, the laptop runs relatively cool, no more or no less than other similar laptops. Also, the laptop is well made with the RGB keyboard (backlit keys can change colors), which is pretty cool.
Best Gaming Laptops Under $1500
HP OMEN 15 (2019)
Features
- GPU: GeForce RTX 2060 (6GB GDDR6)
- Battery Life: ~4 hours
- PRICE RANGE: Under $1200
HP OMEN the 15 inches 2019 version still has its place on the gaming laptop market. This powerful laptop is equipped with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (6GB GDDR6), which makes it the first laptop in our review that is capable of real-time ray-tracing technology. It’s also VR ready.
The design is simple and effective, and the display itself is pretty good. The CPU is no slouch either, as the 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8750H does its job well, even if it’s from 2018.
This laptop has 16GB DDR4 RAM with the ability to upgrade with two accessible memory slots. As for the storage, it comes equipped with 128 GB SSD and 1 TB HDD. It also comes with preinstalled Omen Command Center, which is a software that helps you tweak your gaming performance.
Battery life is pretty average and the laptop tends to get hot when gaming, so buying a cooling pad is a good idea.
Acer Predator Helios 300
Features
- GPU: GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB GDDR6
- Battery Life: ~4 hours
- PRICE RANGE: Under $1500
This is the first ACER in our review, and it is a beast. Acer Predator Helios 300 packs quite a lot and can easily play even the most demanding games on 1080p resolution with ease. The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti helps with that, as this is one of the best GPUs for 1080p gaming. Last year’s 9th Generation Intel Core i7-9750H processor complements the GPU well and should help you get the maximum out of your gaming experience.
The laptop itself has a cool design with a backlit keyboard. The display has a 144Hz refresh rate with 3ms overdrive response time. It’s also equipped with 4th Gen All-Metal AeroBlade 3D Fan to keep the laptop cool.
This laptop also has 16 GB DDR4 RAM which is usual for laptops in this price range. The storage is a bit lacking with only one 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD. Fortunately, there is one available hard drive bay so you can upgrade later on. The battery life is average and the laptop doesn’t heat up much with mostly standard gaming laptop temperatures.
MSI GS65 Stealth
Features
- GPU: GeForce RTX 2060 6GB GDDR6
- Battery Life: ~4 hours
- PRICE RANGE: Under $1500
A well-known name in the gaming world, MSI’s GS65 Stealth gaming laptop, is a truly well-made machine. What really stands out is the design, since it’s a beautifully-made and very light laptop. But that’s not the only good thing about this machine.
It’s equipped with a powerful GeForce RTX 2060 6GB GDDR6 graphics card. This card is capable of ray-tracing, so for those who like their games to look as realistic as possible, this is a nice bonus.
For CPU and memory, you have the Intel Core i7-8750H and 16GB DDR4 RAM. There are two extra slots available for upgrade, up to 32GB. Worth mentioning is that the display has a refresh rate of 144Hz and a response time of 3ms.
The storage is pretty small with only one 512GB NVMe SSD. Battery life is average like with most gaming laptops, and it doesn’t’ heat up any more than other laptops. Although, the cooler can be a bit louder than usual, so that might annoy some users.
Under $2000
MSI GS75 Stealth
Features
- GPU: GeForce GTX1660Ti 6GB GDDR6
- Battery Life: ~4 hours
- PRICE RANGE: Under $1600
Another MSI, GS75, is an improvement over GS65 (obviously) and it isn’t much pricier. Probably the main difference is the 17.3-inch display as opposed to 15.6 inches.
This model comes with the GeForce GTX1660Ti (6GB GDDR6) graphics card, which is more than adequate GPU for even the most demanding games on 1080p resolution (there is also a model with GeForce RTX series, but expect to pay several hundred bucks or more for those). The display refresh rate is 144Hz with a 3ms response time.
GS75 uses the Intel Core i7-9750H CPU, which is also an improvement over GS65. As for memory, the usual 16GB DDR4 RAM is there with two upgradeable sockets for a maximum memory of 64GB RAM. You’ll have plenty of storage with 1TB NV Me SSD.
This model also has the Thunderbolt 3 port available. Battery life is decent (especially for a 17.3-inch laptop), and heat-wise, it’s similar to the majority of other gaming laptops. As with GS65, the cooling fans can get a bit noisy when playing games.
Lenovo Legion Y740
Features
- GPU: GeForce GTX1660Ti 6GB GDDR6
- Battery Life: ~2 hours
- PRICE RANGE: Under $1700
Lenovo Legion Y740 is another great gaming laptop in the higher price range. As the majority of gaming laptops, this one also comes with GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB graphics card, which is a good thing. For 1080p resolution, this GPU is powerful enough to play any game in the market today with no issues.
This laptop’s processing power is more than good since it’s equipped with the Intel Core i7-9750H. While there is a model with a 17.3-inch display, this particular one we reviewed has a 15.6-inch display and has a refresh rate of 144Hz.
Like most gaming laptops in this price range, this one also comes with 16GB DDR4 RAM. Storage-wise, you won’t be disappointed as you get 256GB PCIe SSD and 2TB HDD, which ensures you won’t be needing extra storage any time soon.
Unfortunately, battery life isn’t very good, even when doing non-gaming stuff, so you’ll need to use the AC adapter for most of the time. This laptop also runs relatively cool(er) when compared to other gaming laptops.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus
Features
- GPU: GeForce RTX 2070 8GB
- Battery Life: ~4 hours
- PRICE RANGE: Under $1700
ASUS ROG Zephyrus is an ultra-thin powerhouse of a gaming laptop. Equipped with the GeForce RTX 2070 8GB. there is no game currently that this laptop can’t play smoothly on ultra settings on 1080p resolution.
You might say it’s too powerful for this resolution, but it makes a good investment, plus this GPU supports ray-tracing. The display itself is 15.6-inch with a refresh rate of 144Hz and a response time of 3ms.
This model also comes equipped with the Intel Core i7-8750H and 16GB DDR4 RAM. Storage is a bit low with only one 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD. The laptop itself has a sleek design, with the keyboard positioned on the front for easier access and better airflow.
The position of the keyboard also means you’ll feel the heat less likely. The battery life is pretty much standard for gaming laptops, and there are no heating issues.
Under $2500
Razer Blade 15
Features
- GPU: GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q 8GB
- Battery Life: ~6 hours
- PRICE RANGE: Under $2300
Razer Blade 15 is a gaming laptop with a cool design and unmatched performance. Equipped with the GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q 8GB, this laptop will make sure you’ll play all of today’s games and any games that are released in near feature with amazing performance. You can also enable ray-tracing if you like. and the display is 15.6-inch with a refresh rate of 144Hz.
The Intel Core i7-8750H compliments this laptop well, along with the 16GB RAM. Storage is a bit on the low side with only one 512GB SSD, but thankfully it’s upgradeable. Battery life is excellent (as far as gaming laptops go), and the laptop doesn’t heat up too much.
Also, this model has tons of additional features like biometric security or customizable RGB individual key lighting. Moreover, Thunderbolt 3 and DisplayPort connectivity is also available.
What’s truly amazing is that all of that power is put in a laptop that’s very light and very thin.
Conclusion
Well, there you have it, those are our picks for the best gaming laptops out there. In recent years, hardware technology has been steadily advancing, with new and more powerful computer parts released continuously on the market. Because of that, these best gaming laptops might not be the most powerful in the next few years, but there is no denying that at the moment, you won’t find better.
We chose the MSI GS75 Stealth as our editor pick because we liked the 17.3-inch display and just the overall design (not to mention it’s pretty powerful). Still, whatever laptop you choose, you won’t go wrong. From our budget pick to top pick, all of these laptops do their jobs well, and it’s just the matter of your personal preferences.
So to choose what’s best for you always read the product specifications and reviews so you can make the best possible decision for yourself. Also, if you liked this article and found it useful, feel free to share it.
*All prices mentioned above are at the time of publishing.
