Finest gaming laptops in 2023

One of the best gaming laptop computer is a factor of uncommon magnificence. A chunk of PC gaming {hardware} that is as glossy and transportable as it’s highly effective. We’re at a degree in PC tech the place you may genuinely have desktop gaming efficiency in a pocket book lower than an inch thick and as small as 14-inches.
We’re at a cross-roads, nonetheless, with new machines hitting the cabinets within the subsequent month or so, providing thirteenth Gen Intel cellular processors and RTX 40-series graphics playing cards. AMD can be going to have pores and skin within the recreation with its personal cellular CPUs quickly. However we all know these will principally be wrapped into the identical chassis we have grown to like over the previous yr. And the value on last-gen choices ought to come back down within the quick time period, too, which makes this inflection level between two {hardware} generations a great time to begin searching for a brand new gaming laptop computer.
AMD’s Ryzen 6000-series processors and Intel’s Twelfth-Gen Alder Lake chips appear evenly matched on efficiency. On the GPU entrance, the Intel Arc cellular GPUs are beginning to present some wholesome competitors to Nvidia and AMD, not less than for entry-level gaming laptops. Should you’re searching for a gaming laptop computer with a bit extra horsepower, Nvidia’s RTX 30-series cellular GPUs have been powerful to beat regardless of AMD’s finest efforts.
Contemplate selecting up a gaming laptop computer with a speedy NVMe SSD (not less than 512GB) in case your price range permits it. Even in the event you’re choosing an entry-level GPU/CPU spec, SSDs present a quick and dependable storage answer that additionally cuts down on recreation loading instances. Some laptops even have excessive refreshment shows, which might pique your curiosity in the event you’re a aggressive gamer seeking to hone your expertise from virtually anyplace.
We take a look at dozens of gaming laptops yearly. Those that make it to the checklist present one of the best bang to your buck. They provide your price range one of the best stability of efficiency, worth, and portability. We checklist our favourite gaming laptop computer collection in addition to one of the best configs for every of our entries.
The place are one of the best gaming laptop computer offers?
Within the US:
- Amazon – RTX 3050 laptops from Acer and Dell beginning at $650 (opens in new tab)
- Walmart – low-cost Gateway laptops. Keep in mind them?! (opens in new tab)
- B&H Photograph – as much as $500 off Lenovo, Asus, & MSI gaming laptops (opens in new tab)
- Goal – sub-$1,000 gaming laptops (opens in new tab)
- Staples – as much as $300 off MSI gaming notebooks (opens in new tab)
- Lenovo – $1,000+ reductions on Legion laptops (opens in new tab)
- Newegg – $500+ off RTX 30 collection gaming laptops (opens in new tab)
- Finest Purchase – save as much as $500 on gaming laptops (opens in new tab)
- Microsoft – as much as half worth on last-gen laptops (opens in new tab)
- Dell – save over $300 on Dell and Alienware gaming laptops (opens in new tab)
Within the UK:
- Amazon – save on Asus, Razer, and Acer gaming laptops (opens in new tab)
- Dell – Alienware and Dell Gaming laptops with as much as £500 off (opens in new tab)
- HP – Save £450 on HP Omen laptop computer powered by an RTX 3070 Ti (opens in new tab)
- Overclockers – gaming laptop computer offers and elements (opens in new tab)
- Ebuyer – RTX 3060-powered gaming laptop computer for simply £799.98 (opens in new tab)
- Very – save as much as £450 on RTX 3070 MSI gaming laptops (opens in new tab)
- Field – Simply £1,916.99 for a Razer Blade 15 Base gaming laptop computer (opens in new tab)
- Scan – as much as £400 off gaming laptops from completely different manufactures (opens in new tab)
Finest gaming laptops
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One of the best gaming laptop computer
Specs
CPU: As much as Core i9 12900H
GPU: As much as Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti
RAM: As much as 32GB DDR5
Display screen: 1080p @ 360Hz, 1440p @ 240Hz, or 4K @ 144Hz
Storage: As much as 1TB SSD
Battery: 80Wh
Dimensions: 9.25 x 13.98 x 0.78 inches
Weight: 4.63lbs
Causes to purchase
+
Unparalleled construct high quality
+
Big selection of CPU/GPU choices
+
Appears pretty much as good because it performs
+
Nice battery life
Causes to keep away from
–
Trackpad might be awkward
–
Razer premium worth
Our favourite config:
The most recent spin of the Razer Blade 15 as soon as once more improves on probably the greatest gaming laptops ever made. It has the identical attractive CNC-milled aluminum chassis as its predecessor, solely this time it might probably home one in every of Nvidia’s newest RTX 30-series GPUs and an Intel Twelfth Gen Core i9 CPU.
We have performed with the Razer Blade 15 Superior with a tenth Gen Intel chip and RTX 3080 (95W) GPU inside it. And we fell in love once more. We have additionally since then tried out the bigger Razer Blade 17 with an RTX 3080 Ti (opens in new tab) buzzing away inside it, alongside a type of tasty Twelfth Gen chips and nonetheless stand bewildered by what’s going to match inside such a compact and neat chassis.
The Razer Blade 15 is the general finest gaming laptop computer in the marketplace proper now.
That mentioned, you’re going to get some throttling due to that slimline design, and even on the bigger Blade 17 the battery life could be a little slim, however you are still getting excellent efficiency from a lovely machine.
The Blade 15 is not the lightest gaming laptop computer you should buy, however 5 kilos continues to be manner higher than loads of conventional gaming laptops, whereas additionally providing comparable efficiency and specs. That heft helps make it really feel stable too. It additionally means the Blade 15 travels nicely in your backpack. A wonderful alternative for the gamer on the go… or if you do not have the actual property for a full-blown gaming desktop and monitor.
Keyboard snobs might be blissful to see a bigger shift and half-height arrow keys. The Blade 15 Superior affords per-key RGB lighting over the Base Mannequin’s zonal lighting. Typing feels nice, and I’ve at all times appreciated the texture of the Blade’s keycaps. The trackpad might be irritating at instances, however you are going to need to use a mouse with this attractive machine anyway, so it is not the top of the world.
Among the finest issues concerning the Blade 15 is the variety of configurations (opens in new tab) Razer affords. From the RTX 3060 Base Version to the RTX 3080 Ti Superior with a 144Hz 4K panel, there’s one thing for nearly everybody. It is probably the most lovely gaming laptops round and nonetheless probably the most highly effective.
No matter config you choose, we expect the Razer Blade 15 is the general finest gaming laptop computer in the marketplace proper now, although you may be paying a premium for the now-classic design. It might even be the final of its breed, because the Blade 16 is barely barely bigger as a result of it has a much smaller bezel across the show; I’d count on Razer to discontinue the 15-inch model sooner somewhat than later.
Learn our full Razer Blade 15 Superior Version (2020) evaluation (opens in new tab).
One of the best 14-inch gaming laptop computer
Specs
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS
GPU: As much as AMD Radeon RX 6800S
RAM: As much as 32GB DDR5-4800
Display screen: 14-inch IPS 1600p @ 120Hz
Storage: 1TB SSD NVMe PCIe 4.0
Battery: 76Wh
Dimensions: 12.28 x 8.94 x 0.73 inches
Weight: 3.79lbs
Causes to purchase
+
AMD’s newest CPU and GPU
+
Incredible gaming efficiency
+
Sturdy and trendy chassis
+
16:10, 2560 x 1440, 120Hz IPS panel
Causes to keep away from
–
Not as inexpensive as I might count on from G14
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Disappointing gaming battery life
Our favourite config:
The brand new model of the Zephyrus G14 for 2022 impresses us as soon as once more with its well-balanced spec and glorious gaming efficiency. Significantly, this factor shreds by frames as much as its 120Hz refresh price, and it is nice for far more than gaming, too.
We checked out the model with AMD’s RX 6800S below the hood, although there may be an possibility for an RX 6700S, for a bit much less money. Arguably, that cheaper possibility sounds a bit higher to us, because the high-end one can get somewhat dear and shut in on the costly however glorious Razer Blade 14. It isn’t helped a lot by its 32GB of DDR5-4800 RAM in that regard, although we do love having all that speedy reminiscence raring to go for no matter you may throw at it.
At its coronary heart is the AMD Ryzen 6900HS. That is one of many high chips from AMD’s Ryzen 6000-series, however not its finest and brightest—although you are actually preventing over enhance clocks and never a lot else relating to the tippy high of the pink workforce’s cellular processors anyhow. It delivers eight cores and 16 threads of the Zen 3+ structure, able to boosting to 4.9GHz (which it really does occasionally), in order that’s greater than acceptable by me.
I am heartily impressed with the G14’s gaming efficiency total.
That GPU and CPU combo makes fast work of our benchmarking suite, nonetheless, and I’ve to say I am heartily impressed with the G14’s gaming efficiency total. That is even with out turning to the extra aggressive Turbo preset—I examined every part with the usual Efficiency mode. It is capable of high the framerate of RTX 3080 and RTX 3070 cellular chips just about throughout the board, and whereas it does slip beneath the RTX 3080 Ti within the Razer Blade 17, that is a a lot bigger laptop computer with a a lot bigger price ticket.
Considered one of my favourite issues concerning the G14 is within the identify—it is a 14-inch laptop computer. The mix of display actual property and compact measurement is a superb in-between of bulkier 15- and 17-inch designs, and never fairly as compromised as a 13-inch mannequin can really feel. However the huge factor with the 2022 mannequin is that the 14-inch measurement has been fitted out with a bigger 16:10 side ratio than earlier fashions’ 16:9 panels.
When it is working easily, the G14’s excessive refresh and high-resolution panel additionally appears to be like improbable. Being such a vibrant and colourful IPS show on this mannequin, you actually get to soak in each element.
One of many downsides with this machine is the battery life, which actually is not one of the best whereas gaming—lower than an hour whereas really enjoying. You will get extra when enjoying movies or doing one thing boring like working, however we do count on a bit extra from a contemporary laptop computer. It isn’t a deal-breaker, however undoubtedly one thing you may need to remember.
The G14 has misplaced that high quality of being surprisingly low-cost for what you get, too, even in the event you do get stellar efficiency out of it.
Maybe one cause for that’s the inclusion of 32GB of DDR5 RAM—16GB of that’s soldered to the board, and the opposite 16GB hooked up through detachable SO-DIMM from the underside of the laptop computer. That is not low-cost reminiscence. DDR5 costs have hardly settled down because the reminiscence commonplace was launched final yr, and 32GB is a bounty of high-performance reminiscence by comparability to most gaming PCs immediately.
General, although, the G14 expertise is a fairly straightforward and easy one. I did not run into any main points with it over the couple of weeks I’ve had it, and for the few negatives I’ve with the design, Asus has offset them with heaps of positives. The cheaper fashions could also be a greater guess than the one we reviewed, nonetheless. The identical chassis and nice design however with a barely extra amicable price ticket.
Learn our full Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2022 (GA402RK) evaluation (opens in new tab).
Probably the most fascinating compact gaming laptop computer
Specs
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX
GPU: As much as Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti
RAM: 16GB DDR5-4800
Display screen: 14-inch 1080p @ 144Hz or 1440p @ 165Hz
Storage: 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
Battery: 61.6Wh
Dimensions: 0.66 x 8.66 x 12.59 inches
Weight: 3.92lb
Causes to purchase
+
Appears nice
+
Excellent construct high quality
+
Glorious all-round efficiency
+
Extremely-portable ultrabook model
Causes to keep away from
–
Solely solution to bag a Razer Ryzen
–
Expensive for 1080p gaming
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Greater-spec GPUs will sacrifice efficiency
Our favourite config:
I’m mighty tempted to push the Razer Blade 14 additional up the checklist, just because the 14-inch kind issue has completely received me over. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 within the No. 2 slot reintroduced the criminally under-used laptop computer design, however Razer has perfected it. But additionally charged a heavy premium for the privilege… which is why it is down right here in our checklist of one of the best gaming laptops.
Feeling noticeably smaller than the 15-inch Blade and nearer to the ultrabook Stealth 13, the Blade 14 mixes a matte black MacBook Professional-style with real PC gaming pedigree.
The Razer model is basic, and it feels nice to carry, too. And with the excellent AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX lastly discovering its manner right into a Blade pocket book, you are getting real processing energy you may sling right into a messenger bag. And also you’re now capable of get your arms on the Blade 14 with the model new Ryzen 9 6900HX chip at its coronary heart, although in observe that has modified little or no aside from providing some first rate built-in graphics.
However add in some further Nvidia RTX 30-series graphics energy—now all the best way as much as an RTX 3080 Ti, however put on earplugs—and you have got an excellent mixture of kind and performance that makes it probably the most fascinating laptop computer I’ve perhaps ever examined.
My solely situation is that the RTX 3080 Ti could be too restricted by the diminutive 14-inch chassis and run somewhat loud. So I’d then suggest the lower-spec GPU choices, although in the event you’re spending $1,800 on a pocket book, that looks like too excessive for 1080p gaming. However you are not shopping for the Blade 14 particularly for outright efficiency and anything; that is about having all the facility you want in a kind issue that works for sensible mobility.
The PC is all about alternative, and Razer has lastly given us the selection to make use of an AMD CPU in its machines.
The PC is all about alternative, and Razer has lastly given us the selection to make use of an AMD CPU in its machines, though it might be nice if we had the choice elsewhere in its vary of laptops. It is notable that we have heard nothing a few potential Blade 14 utilizing an AMD discrete Radeon GPU alongside that Ryzen CPU. Ah nicely.
Forgetting the politics a second, the Razer Blade 14 itself is great, and is likely one of the most fascinating gaming laptops I’ve had in my arms this yr. Perhaps ever. The criminally underused 14-inch kind issue additionally deserves to change into one of many largest sellers in Razer’s intensive lineup of laptops. And if this pocket book turns into the success it should be, then the corporate might find yourself having to make some troublesome decisions about what CPUs it affords, and the place.
The selection you should make, although, is which graphics card to go together with. Certain, the RTX 3080 Ti is faster, but it surely leaves much more gaming efficiency on the workshop flooring. That is why the cheaper RTX 3060, with its full-blooded body charges, will get my vote day by day.
Learn our full Razer Blade 14 evaluation (opens in new tab).
Finest Razer laptop computer for gaming (opens in new tab) | Finest Acer laptop computer for gaming (opens in new tab) | Finest MSI laptop computer for gaming (opens in new tab)| Finest gaming keyboard (opens in new tab) | Finest gaming mouse (opens in new tab) | Finest gaming chair (opens in new tab)
One of the best high-refresh QHD gaming laptop computer
Specs
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800H
GPU: As much as Nvidia RTX 3070
RAM: As much as 32GB DDR4
Display screen: 16-inch 165Hz 2560 x 1600
Storage: As much as 2 TB M.2 SSD
Battery: 86Wh
Dimensions: 14.01 x 10.4 x 1.1 inches
Weight: 5.4lbs
Causes to purchase
+
Glorious 165Hz QHD display
+
Nice keyboard
+
First rate worth for cash
Causes to keep away from
–
Poor mic and audio system
–
720p webcam
Our favourite config:
The Legion Professional 5 proves that AMD is totally a severe competitor within the gaming laptop computer house. Pairing the cellular Ryzen 7 5800H with the RTX 3070 leads to a laptop computer that not solely handles fashionable video games with ease, however that may flip its hand at extra severe escapades too.
The QHD 16:10 165Hz display is a real spotlight right here and one which makes gaming and simply utilizing Home windows a pleasure. It is an IPS panel with a peak brightness of 500cd/m2 too, so you are not going to be left wanting whether or not you are gaming or watching films.
The Legion Professional 5 actually is a beast relating to gaming too, with that high-powered RTX 3070 (with a peak supply of 140W it is sooner than some cellular RTX 3080s) being an excellent match for that vibrant display. You are going to have the ability to run the overwhelming majority of video games on the native 2560 x 1600 decision on the max settings and never miss a beat. The truth that you may draw on DLSS and luxuriate in some ray tracing extras for the cash all helps to make this an extremely engaging bundle.
It is a pretty laptop computer to truly kind on too. Of us have at all times gushed about how good Lenovo keyboards are; I at all times ignored them as a result of I do not belief individuals which are too into keyboards. However, I’ll admit, I believe I get it. The rounded backside keycaps have a pleasant really feel to them. Add that with the big 4.7 x 3-inch touchpad, and you have got your self a beautiful work laptop computer that performs video games nicely. I want different laptop computer makers would benefit from the added house of 17-inch gaming laptops and use it to make our lives simpler.
The Lenovo Legion Professional 5 made me notice that Legion laptops deserve a spot on the high.
If something knocks the Legion 5 Professional, it must be its somewhat underwhelming audio system and microphone combo. Something with a touch of bass tends to undergo, which is a disgrace. The microphone was one other stunning disappointment. My voice, I used to be informed, sounded distant and quiet throughout work calls, which paired with a mediocre 720p webcam would not make for one of the best expertise. I’ll commend the Legion for becoming a webcam on a display with such a small high bezel although—A for effort.
The Lenovo Legion Professional 5 made me notice that Legion laptops deserve a spot on the high, being one of many extra spectacular AMD-powered laptops we have gotten our arms on not too long ago. From the intense, colourful display to the nice feeling full-sized keyboard, The Legion Professional 5 has every part you need in a gaming laptop computer for lots lower than the competitors manages.
Learn our full Lenovo Legion 5 Professional evaluation (opens in new tab).
A top quality, inexpensive 240Hz gaming laptop computer
Specs
CPU: As much as Intel Core i7 Twelfth Gen
GPU: As much as Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080
RAM: As much as 32GB DDR5-4800
Display screen: 15.6-inch IPS 1080p @ 240Hz
Storage: 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
Battery: 58Wh
Dimensions: 10.01 x 14.23 x 0.9 inches
Weight: 5.51lbs
Causes to purchase
+
Nice efficiency for the value
+
First rate battery life
+
Room for 2x SSDs, 1x HDD
Causes to keep away from
–
Common CPU efficiency
Our favourite config:
We beloved Acer’s Predator Helios 300 throughout the GTX 10-series period, and the present technology Helios nonetheless manages to punch above its weight class in comparison with different $1,500 laptops. It might not be one of the best gaming laptop computer, but it surely’s probably the greatest worth machines round.
The most recent model of the Helios packs an RTX 3060 GPU and a sleeker kind issue with out elevating the value considerably. It additionally has a 144Hz display and smaller bezels, placing it extra according to glossy thin-and-lights than its extra cumbersome brethren of the earlier technology.
The one actual downside is the diminutive SSD, though the laptop computer has slots for 2 SSDs and an HDD, which makes upgrading your storage as straightforward as getting a screwdriver. You typically must get useful with the upgrades at this finish of the value spectrum, and the Helios 300 is not any completely different in that respect.
Should you’re determined for simply that little bit of additional gaming efficiency and grasp the sense of it—or the sound and fury of it—the Turbo button is Acer’s one-touch GPU overclocking characteristic. The Predator laptops have this easy characteristic designed to eke out as a lot further gaming efficiency as doable.
In concept, it is a neat characteristic however a lot as we noticed with the Predator Triton earlier this yr, you actually solely get a few 1-3% enhance in efficiency. It additionally makes your system run highly regarded and distractingly loud. Actually, I actually do not assume it is price it until you are actually militant about maximizing your frames per second. Or have a very good noise-canceling gaming headset.
However for its $1,500 sticker worth, the 15-inch Predator Helios 300 supplies high-end 1080p gaming efficiency at a mid-range worth. Even with out the doubtful utility of the Turbo button. The design adjustments are small however good—like the facility wire within the again as a substitute of the facet, having room for 3 storage drives, and the value/efficiency ratio is nice. And that each one makes the Acer Predator Helios 300 a powerful contender for probably the greatest gaming laptops round.
Learn our full Acer Predator Helios 300 evaluation (opens in new tab).
One of the best big-screen gaming laptop computer
Specs
CPU: As much as Intel Core i9 12900H
GPU: As much as Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti
RAM: As much as 32GB DDR5-4800
Display screen: 17.3-inch 1080p @ 360Hz or 1440p @ 240Hz
Storage: As much as 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD
Battery: 90Wh
Dimensions: 11.1 x 15.55 x 0.92 inches
Weight: 6.39lbs
Causes to purchase
+
Flashy however not obnoxious
+
Optomechanical keyboard
+
Quiet cooling
+
Unbelievable display refresh price
+
Incredible battery
Causes to keep away from
–
17-inch display makes it massive
Our favourite config:
There’s completely no query you should buy a way more smart gaming laptop computer than this, however there’s something concerning the excesses of the ROG Strix Scar 17 that make it extremely interesting. It looks like every part about it has been turned as much as 11, from the overclocked CPU—which is as beastly because it will get—to the gorgeously speedy 360Hz display on the highest mannequin. Asus has pushed that little bit tougher than most to high our gaming laptop computer benchmarks.
And high the benchmarks of one of the best gaming laptops it does, thanks in the primary to the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti that may be discovered beating away at its coronary heart. That is the 150W model of Nvidia’s new Ampere GPU, which suggests it is able to hitting the type of figures thinner machines can solely dream of. You possibly can draw on Nvidia’s glorious DLSS, the place applied, to assist hit ridiculous body charges, too. And if that is not sufficient, you can too seize this machine kitted out with an RTX 3080 Ti too.
The 17-inch chassis means the elements have a bit extra room to breathe in comparison with the competitors too, and matched with the superb cooling system, you are taking a look at a cool and quiet slice of gaming perfection. This further house has allowed Asus to squeeze an optomechanical keyboard onto the Scar 17, which is a delight for gaming and extra severe pursuits.
Importantly, all this energy comes at a price not solely to the temperatures but in addition to the battery life. Certain, you are not as prone to play video games with the factor unplugged, however in the event you ever should, an hour is all you get.
I am not enamored with the touchpad both, whereas we’re nit-picking. I hold attempting to click on the house beneath it, and my poor, callous fingers hold forgetting the place the perimeters are. This specific mannequin would not include a digicam both, which is a obvious omission for the value, and there is a distinct lack of USB Kind-A ports for the pointless arsenal of peripherals I am packing. There are a few USB Kind-C ports across the again to make up for it, although, and I am blissful there is a full-sized keyboard.
For a machine with a 17-inch chassis, it would not weigh the world and would not want two energy adapters to work to its full potential both.
Such gripes are straightforward to miss when Asus has managed to pack such an immense config in right here. The frankly pointless 32GB of DDR5-4800 RAM and that 2TB SSD are superior, however a bit excessive for many mortals.
For a machine with a 17-inch chassis, it would not weigh the world and would not want two energy adapters to work to its full potential both. For that, it would not really feel as very similar to a hulking desktop alternative as we have seen. And that is okay. Notably whenever you crown a transportable machine like this off with a 1440p, 240Hz IPS panel with 3ms response time, which additionally does a smashing job of decreasing glare.
When you might get a Lenovo Legion 5 Professional with its RTX 3070 for half the value, spending $2,999 on this Strix Scar config will put you forward of the competitors with little or no effort. And positive, it is not as trendy or as apt with ray tracing because the Blade 17, however there is a good $1,000 worth distinction there. And for one thing that may outpace the laptops of yesteryear in nearly each working, I might pay that worth for positive.
Learn our full Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 G733 evaluation (opens in new tab).
Probably the most trendy gaming laptop computer
Specs
CPU: As much as Core i9 12900H
GPU: As much as Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti
RAM: As much as 32GB DDR5-4800
Display screen: 15.6-inch 1080p 240Hz or 300Hz
Storage: As much as 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD
Battery: 99.9Wh
Dimensions: 9.76 x 14.1 x 0.77 inches
Weight: 4.63lbs
Causes to purchase
+
Modern and highly effective
+
Lengthy battery life
+
1440p choices on the best way
Causes to keep away from
–
Will get loud
–
Slim chassis compromises fps
Our favourite config:
The MSI GS66 is one hell of a machine: It is glossy, slick, and highly effective. Nevertheless it’s not Nvidia Ampere’s energy with out compromise, nonetheless. MSI has needed to be somewhat parsimonious about its energy calls for to pack one thing as performant as an RTX 3080 into an 18mm skinny chassis.
The highest GPU is the 95W model, which suggests it solely simply outperforms a completely unleashed RTX 3070, the type you may discover within the Gigabyte Aorus 15G XC. However it’s nonetheless an astonishingly highly effective slice of cellular graphics silicon.
It could get somewhat loud, however fortunately, you’ve the advantages of all of the Nvidia Max-Q 3.0 options at your disposal. This contains Whisper Mode 2.0, which can carry gaming all the way down to barely audible ranges, for whenever you need to be stealthy.
The GS66 additionally comes with an excellent 240Hz 1440p panel, which completely matches the highly effective GPU relating to video games. Certain, you may should make some compromises in comparison with an RTX 3080 you may discover in a hulking workstation, however the MSI GS66 Stealth is a genuinely slimline gaming laptop computer.
It is significantly skinny.
It is a disgrace laptop computer producers are seemingly simply content material to make use of outdated chassis and cooling designs for his or her new Nvidia-based gaming laptops. Issues are getting ever extra thermally constrained relating to efficiency as a result of new {hardware} is being dropped into outdated designs. That is the compromise with the GS66, and it’s a must to be completely invested in having a low-profile gaming laptop computer to make it price paying the value. And bear in mind, that worth is paid each in body charges and in greenback payments.
Nvidia’s new suite of Max Q goodies assist, though it is a disgrace they’re prone to be neglected as producers fail to supply constant messaging about them and customers aren’t essentially going to go digging into precisely how all of them work. However they do work, and this newest tranche of gaming laptops will completely be one of the best we have ever seen. Sadly, it would simply be more durable than ever to determine precisely which machine is best for you.
There’s loads to like concerning the newest MSI GS66. This implicitly means there may be additionally loads that may frustrate. The general machine is somewhat pretty—it is significantly skinny, particularly for a gaming laptop computer, and comes with some significantly tasty inner specs too, however there are locations the place it feels prefer it may need benefitted from somewhat further design time.
Learn our full MSI GS66 Stealth evaluation (opens in new tab).
One of the best big-screen gaming laptop computer
Specs
CPU: As much as AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX
GPU: As much as AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT
RAM: As much as 64GB DDR5-4800
Display screen: 17.3-inch 1080p @ 240Hz, 360Hz, 480Hz or 4K @ 120Hz
Storage: As much as 4TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD
Battery: 97Wh
Dimensions: 11.7 x 15.64 x 0.89 inches
Weight: 7.3lbs
Causes to purchase
+
Nice 4K show
+
Glorious 1080p gaming efficiency
+
Neat AMD unique options
+
Numerous spec choices
Causes to keep away from
–
Underwhelming CPU efficiency
–
Actually unhealthy battery life. Like, actually unhealthy
–
AMD actually struggles with ray tracing in video games
Our favourite config:
One factor I like about Alienware is the corporate’s unrelenting confidence in its new merchandise. Whether or not that is boasting a few desktop being a “Benchmark Bruiser (opens in new tab)” or releasing one of many slickest OLED gaming displays (opens in new tab) thus far. So, once I get supplied the prospect to take a look at the brand new Alienware m17 R5 it has dubbed “probably the most highly effective 17-inch AMD Benefit gaming laptop computer,” how can I move that up?
Powering the Alienware m17 R5 is an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX and Radeon RX 6850M XT combo that, on paper, looks like a slam dunk for Crew Crimson. It is also the primary gaming laptop computer we have examined with an RX 6850M XT, and so I used to be stoked to see the way it stacked up in opposition to laptops with an RTX 3070 Ti and even RTX 3080 Ti cellular GPUs.
The surprisingly vibrant 500cd/m² 4K show received a whole lot of use for streaming video. I admire seeing the detailed stress traces on Guenther Steiner’s face within the final season of F1: Drive to Survive in 4K on Netflix. Video games look fairly good, although this show is healthier served for professionals and creatives. So in the event you do not fall into that class, chances are you’ll be higher off sticking with the 1080p show at 240Hz to economize and add time to your much-needed battery life.
This laptop computer additionally takes benefit of AMD’s suite of game-boosting applied sciences (opens in new tab), reminiscent of SmartAccess Graphics, which robotically switches your output from the Ryzen APU and Radeon GPU, together with Smartshift Max, which robotically shifts round your energy relying on what app or recreation you are utilizing. The advantage of these options is that they only work with out you messing with them. All good options, particularly if you’re bouncing between gaming and, as an instance, video enhancing and attempting to eke out further horsepower.
On the GPU facet, the Alienware m17 R5 AMD Benefit mannequin excelled at almost all our gaming benchmarks at 1080p on principally maxed-out settings.
On the GPU facet, the Alienware m17 R5 AMD Benefit mannequin excelled at almost all our gaming benchmarks at 1080p on principally maxed-out settings. It hit triple-digit framerates in almost all of the video games I performed, with a Hitman 3 common of simply over 200 fps.
Should you worth body price over decision, the m17 R5 simply delivers over 100 fps frames on most video games at 1080p. Even Cyberpunk was hitting round 128 fps (with FSR turned on). The excessive 120Hz refresh price on the show means you may run into little to no display tearing. Due to the drastically greater body charges, I performed extra video games at 1080p than 4K. Should you’re enjoying a shooter like Apex Legends or Fortnite, that is the best way to go, which makes the 4K show a bit redundant a lot of the time.
The Alienware m17 R5 won’t be probably the most highly effective gaming laptop computer ever, but it surely is not by lack of attempting. Even with the CPU efficiency lagging behind a few of its rivals, the m17 R5 makes up the deficit with spectacular gaming outcomes. The 4K show is nice for anybody watching films or working, however you would save a couple of hundred {dollars} by cutting down a number of the dearer elements and rating your self a very stable 1080p gaming laptop computer.
Learn our full Alienware m17 R5 AMD evaluation (opens in new tab).
Finest gaming laptop computer FAQ
How does PC Gamer take a look at gaming laptops?
Each gaming laptop computer right here is one which now we have personally examined. Meaning writing on them, searching on them, watching video, and most significantly gaming on them. That experiential tackle how good a machine is to truly use is important relating to making suggestions on one of the best gaming laptop computer.
However we additionally run a full suite of benchmarks, starting from artificial CPU exams, rendering exams, reminiscence bandwidth exams, thermal testing, and naturally gaming benchmarks.
To get a holistic view of how good an precise gaming laptop computer is, it is this mixture of the subjective experiential view and the target benchmarks that give us our remaining checklist of the highest notebooks for gaming.
What’s an important gaming laptop computer part?
In relation to gaming, the apparent reply is the graphics card, however that is the place issues have gotten somewhat extra difficult not too long ago. With GPU efficiency now so depending on cooling, it’s a must to take note of what wattage a graphics card is restricted to and what chassis it is squeezed into.
As we mentioned on the high, an RTX 3080 confined in an 18mm chassis will carry out markedly slower than one in a far chunkier case with room for greater efficiency cooling.
Ought to I fear about what the CPU in a gaming laptop computer is?
That actually is dependent upon what you need to do along with your laptop computer. An 8-core, 16-thread AMD Ryzen chip will permit you to do an entire load of productiveness on the street, however actually, it’s going to have little profit in gaming. That is one of many causes Intel has launched its Tiger Lake H35 chips; they’re quad-core, 8-thread CPUs, however they’re clocked excessive to ship high-end gaming efficiency when paired with one thing just like the RTX 3070.
What display measurement is finest for a gaming laptop computer?
It will arguably have probably the most instant impression in your alternative of the construct. Selecting the dimensions of your display mainly dictates the dimensions of your laptop computer. A 13-inch machine might be a thin-and-light ultrabook, whereas a 17-inch panel nearly ensures workstation stuff. At 15-inches, you are taking a look at the commonest measurement of the gaming laptop computer display.
Are excessive refresh price panels price it for laptops?
We love excessive refresh price screens right here, and when you can not assure your RTX 3060 will ship 300 fps within the newest video games, you may nonetheless see a profit usually feel and look working a 300Hz show.
Ought to I get a 4K display in my laptop computer?
Nah. 4K gaming laptops are overkill; they’re nice for video enhancing in the event you’re coping with 4K content material, but it surely’s not the optimum alternative for video games. The usual 1080p decision implies that the commonly slower cellular GPUs are all however assured excessive body charges, whereas firms are slowly drip-feeding 1440p panels into their laptop computer ranges.
A 1440p display affords the proper compromise between excessive decision and first rate gaming efficiency. On the similar time, a 4K pocket book will overstress your GPU and tax your eyeballs as you squint at your 15-inch show.
The place are the laptops with AMD graphics playing cards?
Your guess is pretty much as good as ours. A couple of gaming laptop computer SKUs supplied the RX 5000-series playing cards, however they had been skinny on the bottom. However AMD has promised RX 6000, Large Navi cellular GPUs might be on their solution to gaming laptops within the first half of this yr, however to this point we’ve not seen them within the labs.