While some PC enthusiasts are loyal to their bulky desktops, the truth is that for many shoppers, a gaming laptop is a more practical option. But with so many screen sizes (ranging from 14 to 18 inches) and a variety of components (Core, Ryzen, Radeon, GeForce), how do you navigate the choices? Our experts are here to help. Gaming laptops are all about CPU and GPU performance, and our analysts excel at benchmarking these devices to uncover the best values. They also assess design, usability, connectivity, and display quality in each model. We’ve categorized our top picks into budget (under $1,200), midrange ($1,200 to $2,000), and high-end ($2,000 and up) groups. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 is our top pick for most shoppers, but we also feature additional expert-tested recommendations, along with key specs and shopping tips to help you find the perfect gaming laptop.
Our Must Have Gaming Laptops
The Best Laptop Deals This Month
- Lenovo Legion Pro 5i 16″ — $1,599.99 (List Price $1,899.99)
- GIGABYTE G6 KF 16″ — $1,099.99 (List Price $1,299.99)
- MSI Stealth 14″ — $1,249.99 (List Price $1,499.99)
- HP Omen Transcend 14″ — $1,199.99 (List Price $1,699.99)
*Deals are selected by our sales team
Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 9
Best Gaming Laptop for Most People
While the price is slightly above the true budget range, most users will find the performance of this laptop more than acceptable at a reasonable cost. If portability is your priority, there are plenty of lighter options, though 16 inches is quickly becoming a standard size for gaming laptops. If you’re looking to spend but want to stay within a more moderate budget, the Legion Pro 5i Gen 9 is a solid choice.
Featuring an Nvidia RTX 4050, 4060, or 4070 GPU and a large 16-inch, 165Hz display, the Legion 5i is designed to elevate your gaming experience. It’s also well-suited for everyday productivity, blending in seamlessly at work or school once you turn off the flashy RGB lighting. With dimensions of 32 x 26 x 2.5 cm (0.99 x 14.16 x 10.33 inches) and weighing 2.3kg (5.1lbs), it falls within the realm of what I consider realistically portable, making it easy to slip into a larger backpack or laptop bag.
At the time of writing, the three Legion 5i GPU variants (RTX 4050, 4060, and 4070) are paired with either the Core i7-14650HX or i9-14900HX processors, offering up to 32GB of RAM and 512GB or 1TB SSD storage. All three GPUs use the full 140W power profile. The DDR5 RAM (5600MHz) is upgradable to 64GB, and typically comes in dual-channel configurations for better performance. The 16-inch display boasts a 165Hz refresh rate, G-Sync support, 2560 x 1600 resolution, 350 nits brightness, and covers 100% of the sRGB color gamut. There’s also a more elusive 500 nits, 240Hz display variant available in some regions.
Ports include an HDMI 2.1 connection, one 10Gbps USB-C port with 140W power delivery and DisplayPort 1.4, a second 10Gbps USB-C with DisplayPort, 3x USB-A 5Gbps ports (one with always-on power), Gigabit Ethernet, an SD card reader, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Lenovo has put significant effort into the cooling system across its Legion laptops, applying lessons from its high-end models to even the more affordable ones. The result? The Legion 5i is one of the best-performing RTX 4070 gaming laptops I’ve tested, beating last year’s RTX 4070 Legion 5 Pro by up to 7% in gaming performance, all while staying quieter. It comfortably runs most games over 100fps at the screen’s native resolution and can push towards the full 165Hz refresh rate at 1080p without compromising too much on quality.
It’s not just a gaming powerhouse—the Legion 5i handles productivity tasks well too, thanks to the 140W USB-C port that allows near full performance without the need to carry Lenovo’s bulky power brick. However, the 80Wh battery doesn’t provide much unplugged time, struggling to deliver four hours of work or five hours of video playback, even in efficiency mode.
The Legion 5i offers intuitive controls for fan speeds, performance modes, and overclocking, and the keyboard and trackpad are both excellent. The RGB lighting is customizable, and while the 1080p webcam is decent, it lacks facial recognition. There’s no fingerprint reader either, so login options feel outdated. The speakers are good but could be louder, and the build quality is solid despite the partial use of plastic in the chassis.
While the hardware of the Legion 5i is top-tier, the value is harder to gauge due to Lenovo’s constantly fluctuating prices and rolling discounts across configurations. Additionally, not all variants are available directly from Lenovo, with some only being stocked by third-party sellers. I wouldn’t recommend paying full price for the Legion 5i, but waiting for one of the frequent sales can make it a great deal.
Pros
- Excellent sustained performance
- Classic quality keyboard
- Lengthy battery life for a gaming laptop
Cons
- Limited color gamut and contrast
- Mostly plastic build
- Hefty and chunky
MSI Titan 18 HX
Most Powerful Gaming Laptop
Gamers with a generous budget who prioritize speed and cutting-edge performance should definitely consider this powerhouse. The Titan 18 HX stands as one of the best-performing gaming laptops available, especially for those focused on maximizing frame rates and excelling in the latest titles. It’s not designed for portability, so keep in mind that it functions more as a desktop replacement, only meant to be moved when necessary—along with its hefty AC adapter. However, in exchange for that trade-off, you’ll get desktop-level performance in a laptop form.
The MSI Titan 18 HX returns in 2024, reclaiming its crown as the ultimate gaming laptop for those ready to splurge on the most extravagant desktop replacement money can buy.
Just like its 2023 predecessor, the MSI GT77 Titan HX, the Titan 18 HX is essentially a $5,000 desktop PC in the guise of a gaming laptop. Weighing nearly 8 lbs (4kg), this beast isn’t built for portability—most backpacks won’t even fit it. It’s more of a desk-bound machine that you’ll only move from room to room occasionally.
While it sacrifices portability, it packs some seriously impressive hardware: a 175W RTX 4090 mobile GPU, a 95W Intel Core i9-14900HX processor, up to 128GB DDR5 RAM, and up to 4TB SSD storage. It even includes a PCIe 5.0 slot for top-tier SSD speeds (though you’ll have to supply the PCIe 5.0 drive yourself). And then there’s the world’s first 18-inch 120Hz 4K+ mini LED display, boasting HDR1000 certification and a refresh rate that promises unparalleled visual experiences.
True, mini LED isn’t OLED, but I actually prefer mini LED on gaming laptops, and this display covers 112% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, making it a solid option for video editors and creative professionals.
The design of the Titan 18 HX has also improved, featuring subtle grey accents that break up the aggressive black styling of the GT77, along with light blue highlights on the rear and refined curves on the keydeck. The mechanical keyboard is fitted with Cherry MX ultra low-profile switches, which are a joy to type on, and the seamless trackpad is fine for basic tasks—though for gaming, you’ll definitely want your best mouse at hand.
Given its size, MSI managed to fit some powerful speakers that deliver a more immersive audio experience than many other gaming laptops. However, you’ll need to turn the volume up to drown out the fan noise, which can get loud when the system is under heavy load. You can adjust the fan speeds in the MSI Center, but that will cost you in performance.
Speaking of performance, gaming on the Titan 18 HX is a dream. It handles even the most demanding PC games at max settings with ease. While enabling ray tracing at the native 3840x2400p resolution in certain games will require DLSS upscaling to maintain playable frame rates, that’s true even for top desktop GPUs.
But is it worth the price? If you’re questioning the value, this laptop probably isn’t for you. However, if you’re after the best gaming performance available in a “portable” form factor and budget isn’t a concern, the MSI Titan 18 HX is exactly what you’re looking for. Few, if any, gaming laptops come close to offering what the Titan 18 HX delivers.
The MSI Titan 18 HX is available now in the US, UK, and Australia, starting at $4,999.99 / £4,379.98 / AU$6,999. All models feature an Intel Core i9-14900HX processor and 4K+ mini LED display. In the US, both configurations include an Nvidia RTX 4090 and 4TB of storage, with a choice between 64GB or 128GB of RAM. In the UK, the Titan 18 HX starts with an RTX 4080 GPU, 64GB of RAM, and 2TB PCIe 4.0 storage, and goes up to an RTX 4090 with 128GB RAM and 4TB storage. In Australia, the Titan 18 HX starts with an RTX 4080, 32GB RAM, and 2TB storage, and maxes out at an RTX 4090, 128GB RAM, and 4TB storage.
It’s not a cheap machine, and even high-end competitors like the Alienware m18 R2 don’t go this far with specs, especially when it comes to the 4K+ display and 128GB RAM.
To be clear: only those with deep pockets should consider this monster of a gaming laptop.
Pros
- Unmatched gaming performance
- Plenty of power (and memory) for professional workloads
- 18-inch 4K 120Hz mini LED display
- Haptic glass touchpad with customizable lighting
- Mechanical Cherry MX keyboard
Cons
- Prohibitively expensive
- Big and heavy
- Short battery life
Best OVERALL
ASUS - ROG Zephyrus G16 16"
$1,999.99 at Best Buy
The 2024 Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 is a sleek gaming laptop with an OLED display, though performance and cooling are inconsistent.
Pros
- Premium thin and light design
- Superb OLED display
- Expansive, ultra-comfortable touchpad
- Great port selection
Cons
- Performance is good but not consistently great
- Runs extremely hot and loud in best performance mode
- Subpar battery life
Best 16-inch laptop
Razer Blade 15
$1,299.99 at Best Buy
With an Nvidia 4070, 1440p 240Hz OLED display, 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, and 16GB DDR5 RAM, performance is impressive.
Pros
- Unparalleled build quality
- Wide range of CPU/GPU options
- Looks as good as it performs
- Great battery life
Cons
- Trackpad can be awkward
- Razer premium price
Best Crossover laptop
HP Omen 16
$1,299.99 at Best Buy
Omen laptops have seen multiple redesigns, with HP adopting a minimal look for 2023—a modern shift from past, busier styles.
Pros
- Slim, relatively portable build for a 16-inch laptop
- Midrange gaming performance at a reasonable price
- Wide selection of ports including Ethernet
Cons
- All-AMD configuration outpaced by Intel- and Nvidia-based competitors
- Unimpressive 144Hz refresh rate and full HD resolution
- Mediocre battery life
Alienware m18 R2
Best Giant-Screen Gaming Laptop
There’s no denying that this is a big and bulky system, but if you’re eyeing an 18-inch laptop, you’re primarily looking for a powerful desktop replacement—not something ultraportable. And it’s not just the size that’s significant; the price tag also sets this machine in the high-end category. While the starting price of $1,899.99 is relatively reasonable for this class of laptop, our review configuration, priced at $3,599.99, definitely caters to those with deep pockets.
The Alienware m18, Dell’s latest refresh in its largest Alienware laptop line, takes a different approach from previous models like the Alienware X14 (2022) and Alienware x15 R2. This new model is unapologetically a desktop replacement, with its thick, bulky chassis, heavy weight, and familiar black color scheme. However, what truly sets it apart is its exceptional performance and, for those who choose the upgrade, a fully mechanical CherryMX RGB keyboard.
The keyboard is easily one of the best I’ve ever tested, rivaling even some of the top gaming keyboards out there. It strikes the perfect balance between being thin enough to allow the laptop to close and delivering 1.8mm of key travel with satisfying feedback. Despite its slim design, there’s no compromise in quality—I’ve spent hours typing without the keyboard losing its appeal. The large, responsive touchpad is also a standout, offering everything touchpad fans could want.
The 18-inch display is another highlight, with options like a QHD+ 165Hz panel, as in my review model, or an even more impressive FHD+ 480Hz panel for serious gamers. The webcam is standard—not exceptional but serviceable for conference calls or livestreams. The audio quality is solid too, with the speakers handling music and sound design well. For gaming or streaming movies, you’ll only need headphones for privacy.
One significant improvement over the Alienware x15 R2 is the ventilation system. The quad-fan design, paired with seven heat pipes and improved thermal paste for the CPU and GPU, does a much better job of circulating air and expelling heat. The downside? The fans can get loud, almost like a jet engine revving up, though most streaming services and software offer noise reduction features to counteract that.
In terms of performance, the Alienware m18 truly shines, emerging as one of the best gaming laptops by outperforming every other desktop replacement PC we’ve tested in GPU benchmarks, even outclassing the pricier MSI GT77 Titan. However, CPU performance is a bit more inconsistent, with other laptops like the Lenovo Legion 7i Pro and the Titan sometimes beating it in specific tests while falling short in others.
If you’re looking for the ultimate gaming experience and don’t need portability, you might want to consider investing in a top-tier gaming PC, as its specs will always outpace even the best gaming laptops. But if a lower price is more important, budget gaming laptops might be a better fit for your needs.
Pros
- Blistering processing and gaming performance
- Relatively approachable starting price
- QHD+ 165Hz display with FHD+ 480Hz option
- Optional mechanical Cherry MX keyboard
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 16"
Best High-End Gaming Laptop
If you are shopping in this laptop’s price range (the mid $2,000s), you’ll find lots to love here. This Legion Pro’s performance rivals pricier and heavier systems, which is reason enough to check it out; anyone seeking the best deal in the high-end range should look no further.
As next-gen GPUs hit the market, several gaming laptops are already harnessing the power of these mobile graphics cards, and the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is a prime example. Equipped with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 GPU, 13th-gen Intel Core i9-13900KF, 32 GB DDR5-5600MHz RAM, and a 1TB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 TLC, this gaming laptop is an absolute powerhouse, designed to be a true desktop replacement with top-tier specs and outstanding gaming performance.
In terms of design, the Legion Pro 7i is visually understated. Its black color scheme is common, and it’s thick and bulky—typical of most desktop replacements. The large screen size and build needed to house the RTX 4080 make it a bit heavy for portability.
That said, it has a slight sci-fi-inspired aesthetic, which adds a touch of coolness to an otherwise average design. However, the build quality is solid, with the laptop using eco-friendly materials, including 50% recycled aluminum for the bottom cover and 30% post-consumer recycled polymers for the top cover.
Port-wise, this laptop shines. It features four USB-A 3.2 ports, one USB-C port, one Thunderbolt 4 port, an HDMI 2.1, an RJ45 Ethernet, a power input, an electronic e-shutter switch, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The abundance of USB Type-A ports is a rare find these days, offering plenty of connectivity options for all your needs.
The audio quality is strong, thanks to the large side speakers, and the webcam stands out as a 1080p model—uncommon in many laptops. The keyboard features stunning, customizable RGB lighting, with wide, easy-to-type-on keys and a num lock pad for added convenience. The large, responsive trackpad rounds out the excellent input experience.
The 16-inch Quad HD display offers over 90% screen real estate, with an impressive 240Hz refresh rate and a bright 500-nit display, making it perfect for gaming and other media.
In terms of performance, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is a beast, ready to deliver exceptional gaming experiences right out of the box. The included software makes customizing fan speed and overclocking straightforward, though I did notice some issues with GPU throttling and frame rate dips during overclocking.
Pricing for the Legion Pro 7i is on the higher end, as expected for a high-performance gaming machine. It starts at $2,299.99 (around £2,085 / AU$2,800), which is reasonable considering the RTX 4070 GPU and 13th-gen Intel Core i9-13900HX CPU. The review model, priced at $2,749.99 (£3,499.99 with VAT / AU$4,759), includes the upgraded RTX 4080 GPU and Intel Core i9-13900KF CPU.
Availability is excellent, with the laptop readily available in the US, UK, and Australia. However, the lower-end models with the RTX 4070 are only available in the US, while the UK and Australia mostly stock the higher-end configurations.
Pros
- Exceptional performance
- Gorgeous gaming display
- Sturdy build and quality design
- Respectable battery life
Cons
- Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 are MIA
- No biometric login options
- Heavy and bulky
Buying Guide: The Best Gaming Laptops for 2024
How to Choose a Gaming Laptop: Start With Your Budget
No surprise here: your budget will be the most important factor when choosing a gaming laptop. Gaming laptops are equipped with higher-end components than standard consumer laptops, so their prices are generally higher, but the price range is vast, stretching from under $1,000 to nearly $5,000.
Budget Gaming Laptops
Budget gaming laptops start around $800 and can go up to $1,250. In this range, you’ll get a system that can handle games at full HD resolution (1080p) with lower settings in more demanding titles or max settings in less intensive games. Expect modest storage, typically an SSD for faster boot times. Avoid models with hard drives, as they are likely older.
Midrange Gaming Laptops
If you want better performance, midrange gaming laptops, priced between $1,250 and $2,000, offer smoother gameplay at high or max settings with better-quality 1080p screens that support high refresh rates (more on that later). These models should also be able to support VR headsets for a more immersive gaming experience.
High-End Gaming Laptops
High-end gaming systems, priced above $2,000 and often approaching $3,000, offer top-tier performance. These laptops guarantee smooth gameplay at 1080p with maxed-out graphics settings, typically on a high-refresh-rate screen. Some models may even allow you to game at 4K resolution if the display supports it. In addition to powering a VR headset, these high-end models can handle multiple external monitors for a more immersive setup. Expect them to come with large PCI Express SSDs for faster storage and load times, further enhancing your gaming experience.
It’s not hard to spend more than $3,000 on a gaming laptop, with some fully equipped models, especially the 18-inch ones, nearing $5,000. A large, stunning display often comes with a hefty price tag, and these screens are typically paired with the highest-end components available. Many laptops in this price range support QHD (2,560-by-1,440) or 4K displays, and may include a secondary hard drive to complement the SSD, as well as ultra-efficient cooling systems. Thanks to modern advancements, more systems in this class are surprisingly thin and portable. However, you’ll typically face a choice: either pay a premium for high-end performance in a slim chassis, or opt for maximum power in a chunkier, more robust build.
Which Component Matters Most for Gaming Laptops?
While your budget will ultimately dictate your options, knowing which components to prioritize can be tricky. Whether it’s the GPU, CPU, memory, storage, or display, you’ll need to decide where to spend more and where to compromise. Here’s a breakdown of the components, starting with the most important for gaming:
1. GPU
When shopping for a gaming laptop, many people ask, “What’s the best GPU?” But the right question is, “What’s the best GPU for my gaming needs?” The “best” GPU will always be the most expensive and fastest available from AMD or Nvidia, but it may not align with your gaming goals or budget. We only consider a laptop a true gaming machine if it includes a discrete graphics chip from Nvidia or AMD (or in rarer cases, Intel Arc GPUs). Your GPU choice will have the greatest impact on gaming performance, so prioritize it accordingly.
Here’s a quick crash course for beginners: In a GPU series, the higher the suffix number, the more powerful the graphics card. For example, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 will generally deliver faster frame rates and higher-quality graphics than an RTX 4070, and so on. The “40” refers to the generation, so the latest GeForce 40 series is more advanced than the previous 30 series (with the RTX 4080 being the successor to the RTX 3080). Currently, Nvidia leads the market with its “Ada Lovelace” architecture-based mobile GPUs, though some older “Ampere” (2021) GPUs are still in circulation.
Ampere GPUs are sold under the GeForce RTX 30 series name (e.g., RTX 3070), but they’ve largely been replaced by the newer 40 series. The RTX 40 series launched for desktops in 2022, with laptops featuring RTX 40 series GPUs arriving early last year. While you may still come across an RTX 3050 or 3060 in entry-level or non-gaming laptops, most current models now feature Ada Lovelace architecture, making it the dominant option today.
Unlike their predecessors, Nvidia’s GeForce 30 and 40 series GPUs bear the RTX designation instead of GTX, emphasizing their ray-tracing capabilities, which provide enhanced visuals in compatible games. Ray tracing delivers impressive real-time lighting effects but is demanding to run. Paired with DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), especially in its latest iteration, DLSS 3, higher-end GPUs can achieve smoother ray-tracing performance at higher resolutions. DLSS 3 and the “frame generation” feature are key reasons why Nvidia’s 40 series GPUs excel in pushing both high frame rates and resolutions, even with ray tracing enabled.
That said, laptops with Ampere and Ada Lovelace GPUs don’t offer the same performance as their desktop counterparts, but they still deliver excellent results. There’s often variation in performance between laptops with the same GPU, largely due to differences in power allocation by manufacturers. This makes it more complicated to shop by just looking at the GPU model on the spec sheet, making hands-on testing, like ours, more important than ever.
In terms of hierarchy, laptops with RTX 4080 or RTX 4090 GPUs offer exceptional performance across all resolutions, and the RTX 4070 is also highly capable. For running ray tracing at higher resolutions, DLSS is essential, and the 40 series outperforms the 30 series in these scenarios. The RTX 4060 is a solid choice for 1080p gaming at a lower price point, and it’s commonly found in machines that sit at the high end of budget pricing or the low end of midrange.
While Nvidia leads the market, AMD is gaining ground. More gaming laptops now feature Radeon RX GPUs, with AMD introducing its next-gen mobile GPUs (Radeon RX 7000) last year, though availability has been limited. AMD GPUs are sometimes paired with Intel processors, but we’re seeing more AMD-on-AMD setups (CPU and GPU) from brands like Dell and MSI.
Despite the complexities, there are clear takeaways: a midrange or high-end discrete GPU is more than enough to handle modern AAA games at 1080p with high settings, and it’s capable of powering VR play. The RTX 3070 and 3080 made 1440p gaming the norm, and the 40 series GPUs are making high-resolution 4K gaming on laptops more viable than ever.
2. CPU
Just like with GPUs, there’s no single answer to the question, “What CPU do I need for a gaming laptop?” However, there are clearer baselines to consider. Intel’s 13th Gen (“Raptor Lake”) and AMD’s Ryzen 7000 processors took center stage in 2023 and continue to dominate in 2024. Both Intel’s Core i9 Raptor Lake chips and AMD’s Ryzen 7000 “Dragon Range” CPUs delivered impressive results in our performance tests.
Intel also introduced its Core Ultra “Meteor Lake” chips with onboard AI processing, but they’re less likely to appear in gaming systems. The more relevant CPUs for gaming in 2024 will be Intel’s 14th Gen “Raptor Lake Refresh” H, HK, and HX processors, which power many of the latest high-performance gaming laptops. These processors first appeared at CES 2024, and our early reviews, including the 2024 Razer Blade 16, show promising results. While there’s plenty of buzz around AI-powered Copilot+ PCs and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips, these AI processors aren’t yet a factor in gaming.
In general, having more cores and higher clock speeds improves overall efficiency and boosts performance on multithreaded tasks, like media editing. However, gaming doesn’t benefit as much from multiple threads compared to tasks like rendering or video editing, though it’s still a plus.
If you need to decide between spending on a deluxe CPU or a high-end GPU, prioritize the GPU. For instance, opting for a Core i5 processor instead of a Core i7 and using the savings to upgrade to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU (from an RTX 4050) will likely yield better gaming performance. The GPU is where you’ll get the most value for gaming.
Here’s a rough guide for CPUs in gaming laptops:
– Intel Core i5 processors are common in budget gaming systems.
– Intel Core i7 H, HQ, and HK processors are found in midrange gaming laptops. H-series chips are higher-powered and usually in pricier models, while U-series chips are designed for lighter, more portable machines, generally not for gaming.
– Intel Core i9 H-series processors appear in top-end gaming laptops and are also great for media tasks. The new Core Ultra Meteor Lake processors drop the “i” naming convention but retain the tier structure, with Ultra 5, 7, and 9 variants and the familiar H and U series.
On the AMD side, competition with Intel is tighter than ever. AMD’s Ryzen 7000 chips now go toe-to-toe with Intel’s 13th and 14th Gen processors. Any Ryzen 7000 or 13th/14th Gen Intel H-class chip should deliver capable gaming performance under most conditions.
3. RAM
How much memory do you need? For gaming on Windows, you’ll want at least 8GB of RAM. In practice, most gaming laptops won’t come with less. This should be sufficient for switching between your game and basic tasks like messaging apps, though opening too many browser tabs during gameplay can eat into your available memory.
6GB of RAM is quickly becoming the standard for all but the least expensive laptops. With this amount, you can comfortably run your game alongside a messaging app, several browser tabs, a webcam, and even streaming video. While 8GB will suffice for a midrange gaming laptop, keep in mind that some new models aren’t upgradable, so you might be stuck with the memory you choose at purchase.
For higher-end gaming laptops, 16GB should be the minimum target, especially if you’re looking for a machine that will hold up over time. For most users, 16GB is plenty, but more than that—say, 32GB—is mainly useful for extreme multitasking, high-end streaming, or running games at the highest settings. Anything beyond that is generally overkill for most gamers.
