Its now easier to pick a gaming laptop than it was five years ago, when the best gaming laptop was 15 pounds of hardware, that was nerve-breaking to lug around. In choosing the best gaming laptop, all you looked out for was an Intel Core i7 processor, a dedicated graphics card and around 8GB of RAM.
With major advances in laptop CPUs and graphics technologies, gaming laptops now come in all shapes and sizes, of course, at varying prices from budget to sky-high. And, that’s where a gaming laptop guide comes handy. In our list of the best 10 gaming laptops, you can be sure to find something great at any budget.
More importantly, you don’t have to drain your pockets to buy one of the finest gaming laptops out there. Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals week are just warming up, and other holiday deals will ensure you get incredible gaming power for much less. All you need to do is keep your eye on major manufacturers and retailers for the best deals.
At ARS Guide, we will keep you ahead of the curve for all your holiday shopping needs. Check back often as we’ll update this list as new products arrive.
1. ASUS ROG Zephyrus S
Ultra slim, under an inch thick, but still badass
CPU: 8th-Generation Intel Core i7-8750H | Graphics: GeForce GTX 1070 with Max Q Design | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) anti-glare, 144Hz 3ms IPS-Type | Storage: 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD
PROS: Lightest, thinnest gaming laptop around. Sturdy overall build quality. Strong thermal cooling.
CONS: Battery size and capacity still middling. No Ethernet and Thunderbolt 3.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus S GX531GS-AH76 sets outs to be a better, futuristic laptop with significant improvements over its predecessor from last year, including a smaller overall profile, a more responsive screen and sturdier build quality.
Read the full review here: ASUS ROG Zephyrus S GX531GS-AH76
2. Acer Predator Helios 300
The things we love, Powerful and VR Ready
CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H 6-Core| Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Overclockable (6GB) | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080), 144Hz, 300nit & 72% NTSC | Storage: 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD
PROS: A performance dynamo for the price. Sturdy construction. Nice touchpad and keyboard.
CONS: Battery life is middling. Color scheme is too obvious.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 (PH315-51-78NP) is a midrange gaming laptop, packing the latest components including a hexa-core 8th Gen processor, GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card, paired to deliver solid AAA playability.
Read the full review here: Acer Predator Helios 300 (PH315-51-78NP)
3.Dell Inspiron G5587-7866BLK-PUS
For work and play, it does it all
CPU: 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8750H 6-Core| Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti (4GB) | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) | Storage: 128 GB (SSD) + 1 TB 5400 HDD
PROS: Very reasonably priced for a gaming laptop. Smooth 1080p gaming. Attractive design.
CONS: Display is a bit subpar. Would do with a USB Type C port.
The Dell Inspiron G5587-7866BLK-PUS can play modern titles in full HD, can suffice for daily productivity, boasts good battery life and is very reasonably priced. If shopping for a budget gaming laptop with the right features, the Inspiron 15 is a deal that is hard to pass.
Read the full review here: Dell Inspiron G5587-7866BLK-PUS
4. MSI GV62 8RD-034
Nice aesthetic. Thin. Powerful.
CPU: 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8750H 6-Core| Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti (4GB) | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) | Storage: 128 GB (SSD) + 1 TB 5400 HDD
PROS: Strong performance. Newer CPU. Thing and lightweight. Customizable SteelSeries keyboard.
CONS: Not VR-ready. Middling gaming performance. Short battery life.
The MSI GV62 8RD-034 affirms the new concept of portable, powerful and reasonably priced laptops that compete well with most midrange gaming desktops.
Read the full review here: MSI GV62 8RD-034
5. ASUS FX504GE-ES72
For gamers on a budget, but packs a punch
CPU: 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8750H 6-Core| Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti (4GB) | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) | Storage: 256GB SSD
PROS: Newer, Powerful CPU. Faster SSD storage. Full HD IPS screen.
CONS: Short battery life. Lacks USB Type-C port.
The Asus FX504GE-ES72 is a midrange gaming laptop that doesn’t cut corners in delivering strong performance and a decent styling, thanks to an eighth-generation processor and other forward-looking components.
Read the full review here: Asus FX504GE-ES72
6. Eluktronics N850HP6 Pro-X
It’s hard not to love a system this good
CPU: 7th Generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ Quad-Core| Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB) | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 15.6-inch IPS FHD (1,920 x 1,080) | Storage: 128GB SSD
PROS: Decent gaming performance for price. Rocks Full HD gaming.
CONS: Middling keyboard. Too much travel on trackpad
The Eluktronics N850HP6 Pro-X does have enough firepower to handle most demanding AAA games in the market, and because it is a desktop replacement laptop, it has the expansion ability as you’d want, and cost less than competitors.
Read the full review here: Eluktronics N850HP6 Pro-X
7. MSI GS65 Stealth Thin-051
Ultra-thin. Beautiful. Sleek.
CPU: 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8750H hexa-Core| Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB) | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch IPS FHD (1,920 x 1,080), 144Hz 7ms 72% NTSC | Storage: 256GB SSD
PROS: Slim, attractive design. High-end overall and gaming performance. Long battery life.
CONS: No Windows Hello. Nvidia G-sync would be better.
The MSI GS65 Stealth Thin-051 looks sleek, performs well, and has a long-lasting battery. It is easily the most impressive Nvidia Max-Q gaming laptop that we’ve tested to date.
Read the full review here: MSI GS65 Stealth Thin-051
8. ASUS VivoBook Pro 15
A MacBook Pro rival with Optane Memory
CPU: 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8750H hexa-Core| Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (4GB) | RAM: 8GB + 16GB Optane Memory | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) | Storage: 1TB HDD Optane enhanced Storage
PROS: Sleek design. Strong feature set. Optane memory enhanced storage. USB-C port.
CONS: Middling battery life. Only 1080p resolution.
The ASUS VivoBook Pro 15 N580GD-DB74 is an excellent laptop, that scores well in gaming, work, media creation and even college. Its portfolio is underlain by a solid feature, including a powerful Intel core i7 CPU and Optane Memory boost.
Read the full review here: ASUS VivoBook Pro 15 N580GD-DB74
9. Acer Aspire VX 15
The Behemoth with all the muscle
CPU: 7th Generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ Quad-Core| Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti (4GB) | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch IPS FHD (1,920 x 1,080) | Storage: 256GB SSD
PROS: Excellent performance. Great graphics. Very good battery life.
CONS: Does not support Nvidia G-Sync. Port selection is rather minimal, but OK.
The Acer Aspire VX 15 (VX5-591G-75RM) brings into the competition almost everything you want in a budget midrange gaming laptop. It boasts top speeds, solid graphics performance, and decent battery life; all of which wrap-in for a win in both price and performance.
Read the full review here: Acer Aspire VX 15
10. ASUS ROG Strix GL702VS
Gawk at the 17-inch FHD screen and power
CPU: 7th Generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ Quad-Core| Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB) | RAM: 12GB | Screen: 17.3-inch Matte G-SYNC | Storage: 128GB SSD + 1TB 7200RPM HDD
PROS: Superb 1080p gaming performance. Thin, light-weight construction. Strong build quality.
CONS: Middling trackpad. Passable speakers.
The ASUS ROG Strix GL702VS-AH73 is a signature statement of what a big-screen laptop should be, when outfitted with a Pascal GPU and Kaby lake processor. For gamers hunting for power and portability, it’s a perfect starting point.
Read the full review here: ASUS ROG Strix GL702VS-AH73
Recommended Configuration
In choosing our top ten choices of gaming laptops, we took deep insight into every major manufacturer to find the best combination of value, reliability, customer feedback, design and performance for various budgets. Still, we value thrill of a gaming laptop being able to deliver desktop-level performance, but you might spend more on such a system. However, if you’re on a tight budget, you’re more than likely to find an excellent system in this list too.
