The best gaming laptops of 2024

PC gaming can be an expensive hobby if you’re desperate to have the latest hardware that will allow you to run any game at full speed. It can also be difficult to get started because it’s hard to find the right components that meet your specific needs. For those new to PC gaming (or perhaps those who don’t trust themselves to build a desktop PC), buying a gaming laptop might be the best decision.

Sure, gaming on a laptop is more cumbersome than using handhelds like the Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or a smartphone. However, gaming laptops are far superior in terms of performance and usability for non-gaming tasks. And unlike a desktop, their portability makes it easier to connect them to your TV if you want to game on a big screen in your living room.

When buying a gaming laptop Is While it’s more beginner-friendly than building a desktop PC, there are still many factors to consider, from desired portability, screen size, ports, to whether you really need the very latest Nvidia GeForce RTX GPU when the previous generation still delivers great results. If you need recommendations, our guide has some great gaming laptops to buy right now that will fit both your budget and your PC gaming needs.

Best gaming laptop overall

Razer Blade 16

Image: Razer

The Razer Blade 16 is the best overall gaming laptop if you want to cr ank up virtually any game with the latest RTX 40 graphics chip and make it look great on its crisp 16-inch QHD display with a 240Hz refresh rate. It’s far from the cheapest option, starting at $3,299.99, but it’s a reasonable price for those who want to play the most demanding games at the highest settings and customize Razer’s fancy Chroma RGB lighting for the keyboard as they see fit.

The price goes up significantly (over $4,000) if you’re looking for an even higher-end RTX 40-series graphics chip, as well as Razer’s interesting dual-mode display model, which lets you switch the screen’s resolution and refresh rate between native 4K at 120Hz and 1080p at 240Hz at the touch of a button. While impressive, this model is more likely to appeal to creators and gamers who want the best of both worlds, regardless of price. And since the expensive RTX 4090 GPU option arguably has more power than most users can fully utilize, you probably don’t need to shell out for the highest GPU tier when the RTX 4060 and 4070 can run most games just fine, even at QHD resolution.

With gaming installs getting bigger, it’s nice that the Blade 16 offers an additional M.2 SSD slot so you can expand storage if you need it (a 1TB SSD is included as standard). Thankfully, the cost of high-speed SSDs has dropped, so you can easily add an additional 1TB for well under $100.

It has a sleek design but isn’t the lightest laptop—at 5.40 pounds, it’s a pound heavier than the Razer Blade 15—but the extra weight seems justified, as it brings faster hardware and five ports (three USB-A, one USB-C, and one Thunderbolt) to expand your experience with other accessories.

Best portable gaming laptop

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14

Image: Asus

In theory, all gaming laptops are portable, but how about those that are small and light enough to take anywhere without sacrificing too much performance? Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 manages to find that fine balance. Weighing just 3.64 pounds, it’s amazingly lightweight, yet can withstand the most demanding gaming.

Looking at the specs, the AMD Ryzen 9 CPU and Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU should satisfy gamers looking for solid mid-range performance. You get lush graphics that look beautiful on the 2560 x 1600 display – and thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate, it runs smoothly too. There are plenty of other niceties that aren’t skimped on, including a 720p webcam (Full HD would have been nice, a minor complaint), a customizable RGB keyboard, four USB ports (two USB-A, two USB-C), and a large trackpad.

Its smaller dimensions, at just 0.73 inches thick, make it the perfect laptop for gaming on the commute and while traveling. And even better, it has fantastic battery life. If you’re not just using it for gaming, you can expect the battery to last up to 10 hours, which is far better than most gaming laptops. However, if you’re running the latest blockbuster titles on ultra settings, things are likely to be a different story.

Best high-end gaming laptop

Asus Strix Scar 18

Image: Asus

The Asus Strix Scar 18 is quite a tongue twister, its name aptly reflecting its maximalist design and specs. But if money is no object and you’re looking for the ultimate high-performance gaming laptop, this $2,599.99 laptop is our pick.

This model features a massive 17-inch IPS display, perfect for displaying sharp QHD graphics, which its Intel Core i9 processor and RTX 4080 GPU can more than deliver. Its 240Hz refresh rate is just as fast as our top all-rounder, the Razer Blade 16, and ensures you get ultra-smooth performance in big and beautiful open-world games, whether you’re Cyberpunk2077, fire ring, or The first descendant.

The Asus Strix Scar 18 itself isn’t much of a looker compared to some of our other recommendations. It’s also massive, weighing 12.5 pounds. You’ll probably have trouble getting it into most laptop bags. But if you insist on taking it with you, don’t forget the huge 330W power adapter you’ll have to lug around if you want to do anything on this laptop for a few hours. You’ll only be able to game for a few hours at most, so this is definitely not the most practical or portable option out there. However, some of you may be happy to sacrifice those factors for the performance this model can deliver.

Ultimately, it’s what’s on the inside that counts here. In addition to its powerful CPU and GPU, it has a 1TB SSD and 32GB of RAM, with more slots available should you want to upgrade either. To go over a few final technical details, it has a built-in 1080p webcam and microphone, a higher resolution than most gaming laptops. There are also plenty of ports, including two USB-A ports, three USB-C ports (one of which is Thunderbolt 4), as well as HDMI 2.1, an SD card reader, a headphone jack, and an Ethernet port.

Best cheap gaming laptop

Gigabyte G6X

Image: Gigabyte

Gaming laptops are a luxury, but they don’t always have to break the $1,000 mark. As long as you’re not obsessed with having the latest hardware, there are some options that do a good job of keeping up with the latest gaming releases. For $1,199.99, the 16-inch Gigabyte G6X

It is a mid-range gaming laptop with a 13th generation Intel i7-13650HX CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU. Together with its 16GB RAM, you can run the most demanding games, such as Cyberpunk2077at decent frame rates on its 1920 x 1200 display. If you prefer a faster frame rate over a stunning visual, you can turn the graphics settings down a bit to take advantage of the display’s fast 165 Hz refresh rate.

It also has everything you’d expect from a modern gaming laptop, including a good number of ports, a webcam and microphone, and a high-speed SSD – speaking of which, it comes with 1TB as standard, which will fill up quickly for most gamers. Thankfully, with SSD prices coming down, it’s inexpensive to manually insert another SSD into the extra M.2 slot. The G6X’s RAM can also be upgraded after purchase, which is a nice touch.

The design may be rather plain and there are a few minor compromises to be made (the screen isn’t as bright as high-end laptops), but if you’re looking for affordability while still being able to play the latest games PC gaming has to offer, the Gigabyte G6X is a good place to start.

Best affordable 16-inch gaming laptop

Acer Nitro V

Image: Acer

If you have a budget of under $1,000 and really want a solid laptop that won’t break the bank, then the Acer Nitro V is a fantastic value.

The Nitro V is equipped with a powerful 13th Gen Intel i7 processor and RTX 4060 GPU combination. The 15.6-inch FHD 144 Hz display lets you enjoy gaming with great and smooth visuals.

The Nitro V takes several design elements from significantly more expensive laptops. But it also inherits some of their not-so-great features, like a mediocre webcam and short battery life when you’re not plugged in. If you plan on using this laptop for tasks other than gaming, it should serve you well for a few hours. However, if you plan on doing more work than gaming, consider the more compact Asus ROG Zephyrus G14.

If the Nitro V looks like the right gaming laptop for you, Best Buy offers the best value for this machine. Currently, the $899.99 model at Best Buy includes a 13th Gen Intel i7-series CPU, RTX 4060, 16GB of fast DDR5 RAM, and a 512GB SSD. The price of this model has occasionally dropped by hundreds of dollars, so stay tuned for the next deal.

Update (29 July): Added several products. Checked links and prices for accuracy.