While gaming laptops used to be niche enough that it was a little easily to search for the one that happened to be packing the best processor, GPU and RAM assortment, the field has exploded since then and it can be a little harder to determine the best gaming laptop.
The gaming laptop we’re used to seeing – thick chassis with RGB and tapered flares – isn’t the only option any more, with a variety of advancements (such as Nvidia’s Max-Q technology) allowing the sleeker ultrabook form factor to harbour some incredible grunt as well.
Regardless of if you’re in it for the stealthy, sleek numbers to slip in your satchel on the go, or an all-in-one replacement for a desktop rig, we’ve sifted through what’s on offer to bring you the best gaming laptops available in Australia.
Best gaming laptops in Australia 2019 at a glance
- Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED
- MSI GS75 Stealth
- Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701
- MSI GS65 Stealth
- Razer Blade 15 (2019)
- Alienware Area-51m
- Lenovo Legion Y740 (15-inch)
- Dell XPS 15 2-in-1
- Alienware m17 (2019)
- Dell G3 15
- HP Omen 15 (2018)
While the Aero 15 range from Gigabyte is aimed at designers, it makes for the best value gaming laptop on the Australian market right now due to its powerful internals, brilliant display, and sleek, stylish chassis. This year’s model comes packing a new 15-inch 4K HDR screen ideal as a high-resolution on-the-go gaming monitor, media machine, or its intended design-centric use. Considering it’s also packing the latest Nvidia RTX series GPUs and 9th-gen Intel Core CPUs.
Considering the huge 17.3-inch display, it’s amazing that this laptop manages to be at once compact and sleek while still packing the latest GPU and plenty of gaming power to boot. It’s an improvement on the GS65 in most ways (but it’s certainly still great – see below), although the most significant bump is the inclusion of Nvidia’s RTX 2080 GPU and a stupendous 32GB of RAM. The Samsung SSDs come in a RAID configuration for ultra-fast speeds, and the screen has tiny thin bezels on all four sides. There is no doubt that this is a premium beast.
Read the review: MSI GS75 Stealth
These days, the best gaming laptop manufacturers are scrambling to craft the thinnest gaming laptop packing raw power. Right now, the one that might be leading the charge is the Asus ROG Zephyrus GX701. At just 0.7 inches thick, this beast of a laptop boasts an Intel Coffee Lake Core i7 chip, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics and 16GB of RAM. That means you can play any PC game under the sun on Ultra, and also take it with you wherever you go – ideal for travelers with a penchant for gaming. Plus, it’s packed with RGB lighting that’ll dazzle just about anyone.
If you want to play some of the best PC games on the move, but you don’t want everyone to know you’re playing games, the MSI GS65 Stealth is the best gaming laptop for you. Coming in at just 17.5mm thick and featuring impressive hardware like Intel Coffee Lake processors and Nvidia GeForce GTX 10-series – refreshed with RTX 20-series graphics at CES – the MSI GS65 Stealth packs a ton of power into a very svelte package. There’s nothing you won’t be able to throw at this thing that’ll slow it down. And, thanks to the subdued design, you’ll be able to bring this beefy rig everywhere you go, making it on of the best gaming laptops on the market right now.
The 15.6-inch Razer Blade might look a lot like its 2018 predecessor, but the RTX upgrade marks a significant improvement to this gaming powerhouse. Beyond its insanely high-end specs and beautiful (and slightly tweaked) chassis, it can fit up to a 4K Ultra-HD display, with the specs to actually back it up. It might be expensive, but if you’re a Razer fan looking for the best gaming laptop, or simply want a portable way to experience the cutting edge of Nvidia’s latest RTX cards, it might just be for you.
The Alienware Area-51m is a strong contender for the best gaming laptop of 2019, and earns that place in other markets (such as the UK and US) due to its relative affordability. Down under, it’s a little more expensive and doesn’t quite earn that spot, but it’s still absolutely worth considering (especially if it’s on sale). With an eye catching design and brilliant build quality, which we’ve come to expect from Dell’s Alienware brand, this is an incredible performer, offering a choice of some of the very best gaming components on the market right now, including 9th generation Intel Core processors and Nvidia’s latest RTX range of GPUs. Sure, it’s pretty expensive, but if you’re serious about getting the best gaming laptop money can buy in 2019, then you’ll need to expect to splash out a little bit, and the Alienware Area-51m really is worth every penny.
The Lenovo Legion Y740 packs a lot of muscles inside its stylish yet accessible chassis, combining a very high refresh rate, Nvidia Turing graphics and a powerful processor with a gloriously effective thermal cooling, a nifty cable management system and a number of applications to make it truly yours. It’s as close to a complete package as you can get, wrapped in a beautiful chassis that you’d be proud to show off to friends and strangers. It still has the remnants of that gaming aesthetic, but it’s made classy so that you could be gaming in public without anyone knowing. Despite its shortcomings – unfortunate keyboard and webcam placement, as well as its subpar battery life – it’s still one of the best gaming laptops to date.
If you want one of the best gaming laptops, but don’t want to miss out on the ultra-portable craze, you need to consider the Dell XPS 15 2-in-1. Packed with an Intel Kaby Lake G-series processor, this gaming laptop can keep up with its competitors rocking a GTX 1050 without featuring truly discrete graphics. And, when you combine that gaming horsepower with a chassis that looks this good, it’s a total win – even if you have to endure some fan noise to get there.
Dell has reinvented its flagship gaming brand. The Alienware m17 (2019) touts more powerful internals and a bold new design you won’t see on any other gaming laptop of its caliber. This Alienware gaming laptop looks good inside and out, so you can have the most immersive gaming experience of your life and look good while gaming, whether you’re at home on your couch or at a cafe. That’s not all; it’s impressively portable as well, with a thin and light chassis that’s ideal for gaming on the go. This is a well-rounded gaming laptop that is worth every penny you spend on it, though you will be spending a hefty amount.
When you’re setting out to buy one of the best gaming laptops, one of the first things you’ll likely notice is how expensive they can get. Luckily, the Dell G3 15 is not just extremely affordable, but it punches above its weight class with great 1080p gaming performance. With up to an Nvidia GTX 1060 GPU, you’ll be able to play all the latest games at 1080p without breaking a sweat, even if it’s not at max settings all the time. And, that blue on black color combo is quite a looker, if that’s your aesthetic.
While this is certainly not the most recent gaming laptop on our list, the HP Omen 15 can be found for a good price now and still offers up some solid performance. Sporting a solid, sturdy chassis and some seriously solid performance to back it up. In fact, for the price, the Omen 15 performs remarkably well with either its GTX 1060 or 1070, and all of its configurations will offer up something of value to those who buy it.
Source: techradar.com
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