The Best Gaming Laptops for 2023

The best gaming laptops for 2023 are going to be powerful enough to play the latest and most demanding games nearly as well as the best gaming desktop PCs, yet portable enough to carry along wherever you go.

We can confidently say that gaming laptops have come a long way, and they happened to be some of the most intriguing PCs around. Over the year, they’ve gotten thinner and lighter – and in the same spirit, they’ve also become vastly more powerful and efficient, making them perfect for both work and play. We’ve seen them adopt bold innovations, sleek designs, and desktop-like customizations.

Choosing the best gaming laptop used to be a tricky affair. The search used to be an undertaking fraught with compromises – you could get a lightweight laptop with pedestal performance, or a big, powerful machine that can’t be carried on daily commute.

But gaming laptops have improved greatly over the past years, most notably to more powerful and efficient GPUs from Nvidia and AMD. And, now Intel Arc GPUs are just getting into the market, bringing some much-needed performance, and of course, the competition gets even better.

First things first, if you’re a professional in the market looking for a beefy new computer, and like to play a few rounds of Cyberpunk 2077 when not working, it makes a lot of sense to invest in a gaming notebook instead of a MacBook Pro-like workstation. If you take that route, you’re getting plenty of power for video encoding and 3D rendering, and if you’re lucky, you may end up spending much less.

We’ve reviewed dozens of gaming laptops from powerful machines like the Razor Blade 15 to the budget notebooks like the Dell G15 and everything in between, and we use that research to compile this regularly updated list of the best gaming laptops in the market. With that industry experience, we’ll help you figure out which is the best laptop for you, within your budget.

The best gaming laptops you can buy today

1. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2022)

The best gaming laptop overall

Not so new, and no longer shiny, but the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is still the best of the best. The Asus “Republic of Gamers” line has produced some of our favorite gaming laptops (for sure you’ll see a few more as you scroll down) but this is the ultimate winner.

The Zephyrus G14 packs some high-end AMD Ryzen processors, a choice of beefy Nvidia RTX 3000 GPUs, a spectacular screen, and a definitive stellar design alongside massive power to power through all the latest games. In addition to solid gaming performance, it also packs some truly impressive battery life, lasting just over eight hours during our tests, which puts it in the same ballpark as the long-lasting Asus TUF Dash F15.

All this superb performance is enclosed in a stylish chassis with a sleek design, an aesthetic that manages to look great and doesn’t scream ‘gamer’ at all. Just keep in mind this isn’t a budget machine, however, but it offers a perfect price-to-performance balance. So, if you have a budget that can accommodate the absolute high-performing gaming laptop, this is one to buy right now.

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2. Razer Blade 14 (2022)

A compact and powerful premium gaming laptop

Without a doubt, one of the most expensive gaming laptops around, but the Razer blade 14 is just a thing of beauty; a compact, quiet, durable, and incredibly powerful gaming laptop for all your gaming and work needs. Top-tier internal components are matched with a superbly bright and vivid screen into a classic machined metal chassis that’s the signature aesthetic of the Blade laptop line.

Across the board, gaming performance is excellent, with the RTX 3080 model we reviewed capable of hitting 60+ fps in majority of games at 1440p and some more even in 4K. If you’re looking for a gaming laptop with a premium design and solid performance, the Razer Blade 14 will certainly serve you well – just make sure you carry the power adapter with you, as you’ll be lucky to get 2 hours of battery power when playing the latest games.

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3. Asus TUF Dash F15

Best Value Gaming Laptop

The Asus TUF line offers some of the best gaming laptops, at affordable prices to boot. Take, for instance, last year’s Asus TUF A15, a spectacular machine with solid performance but still very accessible to the budget-conscious gamers. In our opinion, it remains one of the best gaming laptops to buy if you’re on a tight budget, and while it’s more expensive than the MSI GF63, it’s still more powerful, has more recent components, and it manages to keep the price impressivel3y low.

Now, the Asus TUF Dash F15 brings in Intel Tiger Lake processors, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3000 mobile GPUs, and up to a 240Hz 1080p display without costing an arm and a leg. We’re glad that the legendary chassis is back, things are now light, thin, and military-grade durable. At under an inch thick and less than 5lb, this is a laptop you’ll want to take wherever you need to go. And with its long battery life, nearing 10 hours, you have enough juice to last you an entire workday if you also want to use it for work.

Read the full Asus TUF Dash F15 Review

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4. Alienware x15 R2

The slickest gaming laptop

The Alienware x15 R2 is a sleek and attractive gaming laptop, powered by a capable Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti GPU. While this machine can easily run you over two grand, you’ll get a streamlined and fairly lightweight device with a slick white chassis and an RGB keyboard. It also gets a fast 12^th Gen CPU, lots of hard drive space, and an incredibly good touchpad, making it a suitable piece of kit for both work and play.

If you invest in this laptop, be aware that the fan can get very loud, and that the battery isn’t really long enough for prolonged productivity or gaming. Those are about the only drawbacks, though. This Alienware can run the latest AAA titles at demanding settings, and thanks to its cutting-edge hardware, it’s sure to last you for some years to come.

Read the full Alienware x15 R2 Review

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5. Razer Blade 15 (2022)

The best Nvidia RTX 30-series gaming laptop

The Razer Blade 15 (2022) demonstrates that, beyond offering solid gaming laptops, Razer is consistent. The few times we’ve reviewed the Razer Blade 15, we’ve applauded this 15-inch gaming laptop for its great aesthetics and solid performance, albeit at a price that’s a little too steep relative to what it offers. That’s the case with the latest Blade, too.

Just like its predecessors, the Razor Blade 15 (2022) is a thin, lightweight laptop with a killer design and powerful components. You’re paying extra dollars to avoid the bulk and weight associated with cheaper gaming laptops. From every angle, the Blade 15 succeeds on its premise, delivering a satisfying gaming experience in a chassis that won’t weigh you down, or take up your entire desk space. However, the keyboard and touchpad leave a lot to be desired, and it can get quite toasty when gaming.  

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6. MSI GE76 Raider

The best gaming desktop replacement

Sometimes, you just need a powerful gaming laptop to replace an aging desktop PC. And the MSI GE76 Raider is exactly that, eschewing portability and battery life, to deliver unbridled gaming power for a very particular niche. You’d be hard-pressed to find more performance in a package that you can technically take along with you, and when paired with a monitor this machine is a desktop replacement that truly lives up to its name.

The MSI GE76 Raider doesn’t come cheap, however. For the hefty price tag, you get the latest Intel Core i9 CPU, a GeForce RTX 3080 GPU, 32GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD for storage. The Raider comes with a 1080p display that looks nice and can run games fine thanks to its 360Hz refresh rate, but it’s best used plugged into a nicer TV or monitor. Weighing around 7 pounds, this 17-inch gaming behemoth isn’t exactly one you’d happily tote around.

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7. Acer Predator Triton 500 SE

Another excellent contender with great refresh rates

If you ever dreamt of a premium gaming laptop with great performance – and an especially killer display – the Acer Predator Triton 500 SE is an excellent choice. The latest Acer Predator Triton 500 SE stands out with its 15.6-inch 1080p screen, which not only looks great but boasts a blistering 240Hz refresh rate for playing the top PC games at the fastest framerates possible.

The laptop’s Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GPU can handle the latest AAA titles at high graphical settings, and its 12^th Gen Core i9 CPU is as powerful as they come, able to blow through everyday productivity tasks with ease. Its elegant black design also packs in plenty of ports for connecting peripherals and external monitors. While its performance comes at a cost, the Triton 500 is a great premium buy for folks looking for great performance and an even greater display.

Read the full Acer Predator Triton 500 SE Review

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8. Dell G5 SE

Best budget gaming laptop

On a tight budget but need something solid for gaming? Rest easy, the Dell G5 SE is a well-specced gaming laptop that fits pretty much every budget. Its distinctly un-flashy name conceals a very capable machine clad in a fairly neat if unassuming chassis, for a very reasonable price. And despite its affordable price, it can keep up with some of the more expensive gaming laptops, especially at 1080p.

Dell has opted to go all AMD with this model, with a Ryzen 5 4600H or 4800H taking centerstage, and the Radeon RX 5600M handling the graphics. With up to 16GB RAM and 1 TB SSD storage, the Dell G5 15 SE is a very capable gaming laptop, with a great 144Hz refresh-rate display. The plastic build might not scream ‘premium’ but it looks rather sharp and could even double up as a powerful work machine if needed.

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9. MSI Creator Z16

Best Laptop for Gamers and Pro-creatives

The MSI Creator Z16 is a professional laptop that combines the benefits of a mobile AAA gaming laptop with that of a mobile workstation, designed for creatives as an Nvidia Studio laptop. MSI already offers some of the best gaming and hybrid-style professional ultrabooks, but it seems MSI Creator Z16 is created to take on the Apple MacBook laptops with powerful hardware optimized for pro-creatives.

Professional video and photography editors will love the display’s 100% DCI-P3 color coverage and touch screen, while anyone looking to run modern AAA games on the side will appreciate the 120Hz refresh rate backed by an Intel Core i9-11900H CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU.

Read the full MSI Creator Z16 Review

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10. Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16

The best dual-screen gaming laptop

If you’re looking forward to investing in something a bit different – or you’re a professional content creator who wants a laptop for gaming too – then the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16

 Is an incredible (if expensive) choice. It boasts a 16:10 main display that’s merged with a delightful ScreenPad Plus, a secondary touchscreen that elevates out of the chassis when you open the lid, delivering a laptop that’s reminiscent of a beloved handheld console.

In every angle, the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 is a kickass system thanks to its Ryzen 9 6900HX processor and RTX 3080 Ti graphics card, backed by a whopping 64GB of DDR5 RAM. It’s great for gaming as it is for watching movies, largely due to a set of powerhouse speakers that provide surprisingly sweet room-filling audio.

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How to choose the best gaming laptop for you

How much are you willing to spend?

The laptop of choice is often dictated by the amount of money you’re willing to spend. No two ways about it. As competition gets heated among PC manufacturers, we’re glad that we finally have lots of options for gamers of every budget. To be specific we’re seeing some decent gaming laptops under $1,000 like Asus’ TUF 15 lineup. Most laptops at this price point will not be as polished as their pricier counterparts, they may have previous-gen components, and they’ll skimp on RAM, storage, and overall power. But they should be able to handle most AAA games in 1080p at 60fps, which is the bare minimum we all demand from any system.

If your budget is flexible enough, as you get into the mid-range space, you get better machines with prices of $1,000 and higher. In this category, you can easily get machines like the Asus Zephyrus ROG G15, one of our favorite gaming laptops. In general, you expect much better build quality than what you’d find on budget machines (maybe metal cases), better graphics, latest-gen hardware, and enough RAM and storage space to run the most demanding games. These are the gaming laptops we’d often recommend for most folks; they’ll keep you gaming and gaming for years before you can consider an upgrade.

If you have around $1,800 or more in your bank to spend on a gaming laptop, you can as well start considering more premium options like Razer’s Blade 15. Here, you’re not compromising on anything – design, performance, or anything else. You can look forward to impeccably polished cases, the fastest hardware in the market, and incredibly thin designs. Simply put, you can get everything you’ve ever dreamt of in a gaming machine. You can get your hands on marvelous machines like Alienware Area M51, which can cost anything around $4,000 and beyond. But very few people need a machine that costs that much, but for the pro gamers with extra cash to burn, the sky is just the limit, so you’re equally up to the task to sample some of these pricier systems.

Which kind of display do you need?

Choosing the right screen size depends on many factors, but it goes beyond just gaming as the main consideration. Mostly, 15-inch laptops tend to strike the best balance between immersion and portability, while 17-inch models are heftier, but give you more screen real estate for work and play. Then there are 13-inch gaming laptops, like the Razer Blade Stealth, but paradoxically you’ll most likely pay more for those than slightly larger 15-inch gaming options. Lately, 14-inch options are getting popular among gamers, like the Zephyrus G14 and Blade 14, and they happen to be more powerful than 13-inch laptops while still being relatively portable.

However, as gaming laptops become more powerful and portable, there’s plenty to consider beyond just screen size. These days there’s a wide range of display choices for gaming laptops. You can opt for a standard 60Hz 1080p panel that might come with built-in anti-screen-tearing features like Nvidia’s G-Sync. If you have a flexible budget, you can get laptops with high refresh-rate displays, often sitting at 144Hz.

But some of these midrange gaming laptops can hit 240Hz, and some high-end models sporting 300Hz displays. If you’re into fast-paced games such as Overwatch or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, a high-refresh-rate display will be great for you. But if you mostly plan to plug in an external monitor, then consider a 60Hz Full HD screen that will save you some money.

What kind of CPU and GPU do you need?

Are you considering something for gaming only, or work as well? A few years ago, choosing a gaming laptop was all about getting an Intel chip with an Nvidia GPU. However, over the last year, AMD came along with its Ryzen notebook processors, which are better suited for multitasking (they can run productivity tasks in the background while blasting enemies in Fortnite). Intel now has 12^th-hen chips, but we’re glad there are decent AMD alternatives, which brings the prices down significantly.

On the other hand, when it comes to graphics cards, AMD is still catching up. Its Radeon RX 6000M GPU has been an incredible performer in notebooks like the Asus ROG Strix G15, but it still lags behind Nvidia when it comes down to features like ray tracing. But we’re glad to see a Radeon-powered notebook approach the gaming fidelity of Nvidia’s RTX 3070, 3080, and even 3090 GPU.

If you need something future-proof, or just want to feel how much better ray tracing can make your games look, you’re probably better off with an Nvidia video card. There are far more systems with Nvidia GPUs, and we can say Nvidia has better-optimized ray tracing technology, and RTX GPUs feature the company’s DLSS technology, which uses AI to upscale games to higher resolutions.  

While at it, remember Nvidia’s mobile GPUs aren’t directly comparable to its more powerful desktop hardware. PC makers tend to also tweak voltages to make it perform better in a thinner case. Just don’t expect notebooks to perform at par with gaming desktop PCs, even if they’re all equipped with the same GPU.

A few other considerations:

• Get a laptop with at least 16GB of RAM. However, if you’re planning to do a lot of multitasking, 32GB is ideal.
• Storage is equally important. These days, I’d recommend at least a 1TB M.2 SSD, which should be enough space to store large titles like Destiny 2. Some laptops have room for standard SATA drives, which are far cheaper than M.2 and can hold more data.
• Finally, don’t forget about extra accessories: Get yourself a good mouse, keyboard, and headphones.

Last update on 2024-11-21 at 07:36 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API