Gaming laptops we recommend
Don’t even bother asking your friends advice on buying a gaming laptop. They’ll tell you to just build a desktop, but we both know that’s not going to happen. Investing endless hours into finding all the right components and putting them together sounds like a chore. You’d rather get to the fun part: actually playing games. Warranty coverage on the entire system rather than a subset of parts is simply an added bonus.
Being able to take your rig on the go, complete with a built-in monitor and keyboard, however, isn’t cheap. A decent gaming laptop starts at about $1,400 (about £900). That’s on the low end.
If you want to play 4K games at a consistent frame rate, you can expect to pay over $3,000 (around £1,900, AU$4,000) for qualifying hardware. Fortunately, this could soon change thanks to AMD’s low-cost Polaris GPUs and Nvidia’s insanely powerful-for-the-price Pascal cards being integrated in laptops like these.
Gaming laptops are sleeker and more powerful than ever, with many of them featuring top-end desktop GPUs. In some cases, as with the Acer Predator 21 X, even a full-size mechanical keyboard is present. Here you’ll find the gaming laptop that’s best for you, from the ever-evolving Razer Blade to the ostensibly immortal Alienware 17.
1. Origin EON15-X
A desktop-grade CPU in an unbeatable gaming laptop
CPU: Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 – 1070 | RAM: 8GB – 64GB | Screen: 15.6-inch, FHD (1,920 x 1,080) – UHD (3840 x 2160) LED Backlit Matte Display | Storage: 120GB – 1TB SSD; 500GB – 2TB HDD; 1TB SSHD
Great value Desktop-grade performance Razor thin viewing angles
The Origin EON15-X is a real head turner. Packing a desktop Skylake processor into a fairly compact 15.6-inch notebook that, Origin’s greatest offers even more performance than some full-size gaming rigs.
This extra CPU power is handy for users who need to edit video and other processor intensive tasks that a mobile chip can’t handle. You’ll also get an extra kick of performance no matter what game you’re running. Combined with a powerful GPU and a not-so-shabby battery life, the Origin EON15-X is definitely worth consideration over all others.
2. Gigabyte P35X v5
Underneath the plain exterior lies a 4K gaming beast
CPU: Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 980M 8GB GDDR5 | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch, FHD (1,920 x 1,080) – UHD (3840 x 2160), IPS LCD | Storage: 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD
See more Gigabyte P35X v5 deals
Splendid performance at 4K Surprisingly decent battery life Poor ergonomics Pointless optical drive
The Gigabyte P35X v5 is a monumentally capable, 4K gaming laptop equipped with specs nearly high enough to support it. While even most desktops lack the strength to pull off 4K gaming, this 15-inch rig is as close as you’ll get with a laptop. Upgradeable to an Intel i7 processor and 8GB Nvidia GTX 980M, the P35X v5 may sound like a workout technique, but it can actually handle 4K gaming if you’re willing to tone down the graphics settings. Plus, it even packs a battery life longer than the considerably less powerful Ghost Pro and Acer Predator 17. If Ultra HD gaming without being tied to a desk is your goal, look no further.
3. Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15-inch
An attractive and long lasting 15-inch gaming laptop
CPU: Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M 2GB – 4GB DDR5 VRAM | RAM: 8GB – 16GB DDR4 (2,133MHz) | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD LED AntiGlare Backlit Multitouch (1,920 x 1,080) | Storage: 128GB – 512GB SSD, 1TB HDD (5,400 RPM)
See more Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15-inch deals
Stylish look Ample battery life Gets hot Terrible trackpad buttons
Entry-level gaming laptops are a great introduction into the glorious world of PC gaming, and from performance to looks, it’s hard to beat the Lenovo Ideapad Y700. It’s an inexpensive machine that stands out amongst other budget gaming machines with its all metal chassis and included SSD. It also comes packed with enough power to run modern games at decent settings.
4. Asus ROG Strix GL502
It’s hard not to love a gaming laptop this good
CPU: Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 970M – 980M | RAM: 16GB DDR4 | Screen: 15.6-inch full HD 1,920 x 1,080 IPS | Storage: 128GB – 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD
See more Asus ROG Strix GL502 deals
Rocks Full HD gaming Deliciously vibrant screen Middling battery life
The Asus Strix GL502 may not boast the most innovative design, swapping out the usual black and red color scheme for a Halloween-ish black and orange. But, it’s undoubtedly one of the best when it comes to gaming in 1080p. In fact, we were able to crank the settings all the way up in Overwatch without taking a hit below 60fps.
A game like Overwatch, however, is nothing without its bright, flashy color scheme and we have to say, the ROG Strix GL502 bolsters this well thanks to an impressively vibrant screen saturated with color and complete with deep blacks. And that goes without mentioning its onboard sound system, which makes demonstrates gaming at its most immersive. Sure, the battery life pales in comparison to the Razer Blade, but with performance like this it might not matter.
5. MSI GS60 Ghost Pro
The best thin-and-light gaming laptop
CPU: Intel Core i7 | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M 3GB – 6GB GDDR5 VRAM, Intel HD Graphics 530 | RAM: 16GB DDR4 | Screen: 15.6-inch, FHD (1,920 x 1,080) – UHD (3840 x 2160) eDP Wide View Angle | Storage: 128GB – 256GB SSD; 1TB HDD
See more MSI GS60 Ghost Pro deals
Performance pusher Stupendous keyboard Fleeting battery life A bit expensive
With a knack for style and a featherlight exterior, the MSI GS60 Ghost Pro is among the slimmest gaming laptops you can find. That said, don’t confuse thinness with compromised performance, as the Skylake CPU perfectly marries the still-impressive GTX 970M so long as you’re playing at 1080p on medium to high graphics settings. Sure, it’s not a top-end pick, but your wallet will thank you for that.
6. Asus ROG G752
This mobile PC gaming powerhouse throws a hefty punch
CPU: Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 970M – 980M | RAM: 16GB – 64GB DDR4 | Screen: 17.3-inch, full HD 1,920 x 1,080, IPS LCD | Storage: 128GB – 512GB SSD; 1TB HDD (7,200rpm)
Distinguished design Top-end specs and performance No 4K screen Poor battery life
The Asus ROG G752 has an aggressive design that sets it apart from many of the world’s sedate gaming laptops. Instead of donning the typical appearance of black plastic, the ROG G752 sports a shell with brushed aluminium panels, angular lines and the glowing red segments. On top of its in-your-face styling this 17-inch gaming laptop delivers a hefty performance and it can play modern games at a smooth clip even if you put the graphical setting to max. The only thing the Asus ROG G752 is missing is the option of a high-res 4K display.
7. Razer Blade
A gaming-ready MacBook Pro rival
CPU: 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-6700HQ | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 970M (6GB GDDR5 VRAM) | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 14-inch QHD+ (3,200 x 1,800) IGZO (LED backlit, multi-touch) | Storage: 256GB – 512GB PCIe SSD
Hugely improved battery life Thunderbolt 3 a smart add Minor graphical upgrades Limited part options
For many gamers, Ultrabook is a four-letter word. But, it doesn’t have to be, and this is evident the first time you get your hands on a Razer Blade. Equipped with high-end, albeit Maxwell, graphics, you might expect the battery to die out in under two hours. Luckily, this isn’t the case, as the Razer Blade managed nearly 6 hours in our video test, or an estimated 3 hours and 35 minutes while gaming.
Moreover, if the onboard graphics aren’t enough, the Blade is compatible with virtually any desktop-class graphics card by way of the optional Razer Core attachment. So strap a GTX 1070 on there and watch it fly!
8. Origin EON17-SLX
The ultimate gaming laptop built with desktop-grade power
CPU: Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 – 1080 | RAM: 8GB – 64GB | Screen: 17.3-inch, FHD (1,920 x 1,080) – UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS Matte Display with G-SYNC | Storage: 120GB – 4TB SSD, 500GB – 1TB HDD, 1TB SSHD
See more Origin EON17-SLX deals
Nearly unrivaled performance Sharp, aggressive styling Awful battery life Astonishingly heavy
The Origin EON17-SLX takes gaming laptops to their ultimate conclusion of being portable desktops. This 17-inch notebook comes packed with a desktop-grade Intel processor and Nvidia GPU chip, making it one of history’s most powerful mobile machines. Of course, it comes with the sacrifice of portability in both weight and battery life. If these are worthy trade-offs for greater performance, you won’t find a better machine whether you’re a hardcore gamer to in the media creation business.
9. MSI GT80 Titan
An outrageously sized and powerful gaming laptop
CPU: 5th gen Intel Core i7 | Graphics: 2 x Nvidia GTX 980M SLI (16 GB GDDR5); Intel HD Graphics 4600 | RAM: 16GB – 24GB | Screen: 18.4-inch WLED FHD (1920 x 1080) Anti-Glare Display | Storage: 256GB SSD; 1TB HDD (7,200 RPM)
Authentic mechanical keyboard Easily upgraded H-E-A-V-Y Impossible to use on your lap
The MSI GT80 Titan goes above and beyond to give gamers a desktop experience in a notebook with a complement of high-performance parts to a built-in mechanical keyboard. However, weighing in at nearly 10 pounds and measuring roughly two-inches thick, this laptop is seriously pushing the limits of what you can call portable. For all the strain it’ll put on your back and wallet, though, this 18.4-inch gaming laptop absolutely plow through almost any graphically intense game you try to run. This gaming behemoth proved to be a monster with the best in class mobile GPUs so we can’t even fathom what it could do with a Nvidia GTX 980.
10. Alienware 17 (2015)
The Alienware 17 is an impressive refinement for this series of gaming laptops
CPU: Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 – 980M | RAM: 8GB – 32GB | Screen: 17.3 inch, FHD (1,920 x 1,080) – UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS anti-glare display | Storage: 128GB – 512GB PCIe SSD + 1TB HDD (7,200 rpm)
See more Alienware 17 (2015) deals
Flexible desktop mode Excellent large screen Still quite expensive Slightly bottlenecked Amplifier performance
The Alienware 17 is one of those few outrageously priced gaming laptops that’s actually worth it. The notebook is a fully capable gaming machine on its own, but with the added power of desktop graphics through the GPU Amplifier it can play almost any game on Ultra settings.If you’re looking for something smaller, the Alienware 13 also works with the optional GPU box.
Gabe Carey has also contributed to this article
Source: techradar.com
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Number 3 the MSI GT80 Titan is by far the most powerful, dual 980m's hit similar framerates as a Single Titan X gpu. Also has a mechanical k/b which seals the deal gaming wise.
Easily the most powerful gaming laptop in the world.
The fact that whoever wrote this, says "I'd love to see what it could do with a desktop GTX980" is clueless. 2x 980m destroy a single desktop 980 by a long way. The writer is just lazy a quick google search would have shown he is wrong.
guyz why u pick Lenovo Y700? They have new model Y900 which is made for gaming and it is much better
Real helpful article, I recently bought one for my son from http://bestreviewz.org/best-gaming-laptop/ , where I found best quality gaming laptops.
Seriously Kevin? Where is the Razer Blade 2016? If it wasn't #1 in this list, then it should've been #0.
obliviously, not teaching them how to read…
love the profile pic….
Yes indeed but, if you still want an Alienware ,a cheaper one is 13.Despite its svelte figure, the Alienware 13 can still power through some of the most graphically taxing games on the market, thanks to its Nvidia GeForce GTX 860M GPU. But if you want even better performance, hook the laptop up to its optional Graphics Amplifier. Harnessing the power of a desktop GPU, even the monstrous Nvidia GeForce GTX 980M card, the Alienware 13 transforms from formidable to beastly.The basic price is $900 .
I really don't get why the companies that manufacturer gaming laptops seem to have completely given up actually designing them.
If I'm going to spend that kind of money, I want it to look as good as it performs, yet all of the above are cheap looking plasticy things.
Even Alienware have ditched their older metal designs in favour for cheap plastic casings, and it's not even as if their's a weight improvement with that choice. My old metal Alienware M17r3 is only marginally heavier, and marginally thicker, than the current crop.
Why is Asus not on this list but HP is, and at that qualified as a gaming laptop to be at #4????? lmfao!!! Well whoever wrote this you can take your HP gaming laptop lmfao!!! I'll be on my Asus G752 thank you very much!! Obviously this article is just based on a persons choice of laptops in order of what they'd use and not so much in knowledge.
This did not answer the question: If you could chose one laptop without thinking on the pricetag, just thinking on performance, what would you chose? What is the best laptop for gaming!?
Great reviews and guide guys, really helpful, I bought MSI GT72 Dominator Pro G-1438, Awesome Experience, I also found some great reviews on "bestreviewz Gaming laptops" Thanks.
So does Acer finally make great laptops? The Acer Predator looks tempting.
Alienware 18 , MSI CUK MSI GT80 and ASUS G751JY are the best!
Just Google "OfmeNet gaming laptops" You will find great list.
It probably was a defective product and you should have made an RMA since the day you've noticed an issue. If that's not the case for you, I've heard that Razer Blades 14" are more reliable than Pro ones. My friend has a Razer Blade which is 4 yrs old and it still works perfectly for him.
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I did 4 RMA already. But the computer stopped to work few weeks just after receiving it repaired.
The only one that doesn't look like a concrete slab, even if it weighs more like one (irrelevant to me). I wish Asus didn't do away with the G750 design, it's the best looking laptop I've ever seen. As a matter of fact, it's the only one that is flawless, while there is a very few others that look even decent.
It's a gaming laptop, not a notebook.
Msi GT80 has become a useful tool. I use it to compute variables in the advancement of science. Also it for gaming. When I can.
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I bought a Razer Blade Pro last year and I had 4 issues with it since then. Once the mouse pad wasn't responsive anymore, once the keyworkd, once the powerbutton and now the screen is red high saturated. I did 3 repairs with them but now I want to change the computer. Don't buy a razer!
Confused AF lol. Can never build a PC so I just need a laptop where it can run games smoothly and not heat up. DO I need to buy a cooler as well? Or just put the laptop on top of two books?
pc gaming is for effing casuals its all about consoles
No ASUS ROG GL552VW – Instant dislike
the *POINT* of the article is the best and fastest gaming laptops available. Not geared towards someone hefting a binder full of paper and docs, and 3-4+ textbooks. Need something light? Get a Surface.
Ummmm….. This article *says* it was posted 1/24/2016, but it has comments from *a year ago*!!?? AND the specs are 4th Gen i7 CPUs ?! (except the recently added HP).
I'm not against re-using articles but at least update the specs?
My specs for gaming/intensive 3D/GIS work are:
– i7 6th gen (don't need OC-able)
– 17" screen
– GTX 970M/980M
– 16GB RAM
I'm looking at these:
Sager/Clevo: http://www.sagernotebook.com/c…
ASUS ROG G752: http://www.ibuypower.com/Store…
MSI Apache: http://www.newegg.com/Product/…