Laptops are similar to assembling a competent exploration team. Consider your intended use and the kind of missions you intend to undertake, and try to choose a device whose features and price point are a good fit for you. So, tired explorers, they went out of their way to track down the most cutting-edge portable gaming rigs from manufacturers big and small. To separate the god-rolls from the merchant rubbish, they gathered them all in their fortress and put them through a battery of tests. The top laptops for gamers of all skill levels are listed here.
Their favourite PC games (and instructions on how to amass a library of free games) are featured, as are their top recommendations for laptops, gaming mice, keyboards, headsets, wireless headsets, and more.
As of March 2023, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 is a new addition to their list of recommended large-screen devices.
Best Overall
The ROG Zephyrus M16 blends cutting-edge conveniences with powerful gaming performance. The Asus G15 was a capable machine, but the M16 improved upon it by including a webcam, a wider 16:10 display, and Thunderbolt compatibility. The matte black finish helps it look as good as high-end competitors like Razer.
The first version’s reliance on an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card is no longer a problem with the second. The M16 now supports a faster GPU choice, up to and including the RTX 2080 Ti. One of the greatest laptop keyboards and a wide range of screen resolutions are the cherry on top of the laptop’s top-tier gaming performance.
A Cheaper Option
The Acer Nitro 5 has been a great low-cost alternative for a while, and that won’t change in 2022. The style is unremarkable without being offensive. Full HD at 144 hertz is a great combination for shooter lovers and AAA players, even if the display isn’t the brightest. Given its modest price, the keyboard’s ample travel and excellent feel are particularly impressive.
This laptop’s inexpensive starting price and customizable upper end (up to 16 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, Core i7 processor, and RTX 3070 Ti graphics) make it appealing. If you’re on a tighter budget but still want to take your PC gaming on the go, this is the laptop for you.
Key features include a 144 Hz refresh rate, 16 GB of RAM, a 512 GB solid-state drive, a 15.6-inch 1080p display, and an Intel Core i5 12500H processor.
Best 14-inch Portable
Asus’s little gaming laptop made a splash a few years ago because of its incredible price-to-performance ratio. Although the ROG Zephyrus G14 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is now less affordable overall, it still has a lot going for it. A webcam is a nice bonus, and the keyboard and screen are both excellent.
The flagship model stands out among gaming laptops because of its striking white colour. This year’s model is the result of a shift to an all-AMD design philosophy, which has allowed Asus to improve upon the gaming capabilities of this laptop, which were previously limited to an RTX 3060. The new Radeon RX 6800S is competitive with the RTX 3070 and 3080, while the RX 6700S is in the same performance ballpark as the RTX 3060 and 3070. There has been a decrease in battery life, but otherwise, this is a fantastic handheld gaming device.
Features to seek out include a 14-inch QHD+ display with a 120-Hz refresh rate, 16 GB of RAM, a 1 TB solid-state drive, and an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS processor.
For Work and Play
The Dell XPS 15 is an excellent portable computer for multitaskers. If you’re looking at this computer, gaming is probably not your top concern, but you still want it to be powerful, which it is. The XPS 15 is a powerful laptop that can do it all, but that versatility does not come cheap.
At modest settings, this sleek and sophisticated gadget can achieve 30 frames per second on its ultra-high-definition display when playing visually-focused games like Borderlands 3 and Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. You’ll need to drop down to QHD if you want to get the most out of this 60 Hz display. Players who are concerned with frame rate will be pleased to know that Apex Legends can reach 60 fps while using the highest graphics settings. Their evaluation unit is outfitted with a Core i7-12700H, an RTX 3050Ti, and 16 GB of RAM for this purpose.
There is also a sizable trackpad and a high-quality keyboard with enough travel. The huge 16:10 3.5K OLED screen looks amazing, with rich blacks and vibrant colours. There are a few useful ports, including three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an audio jack, and a microSD card slot. The speakers are an intriguing option due to the excellent level of detail they produce even when played loudly and the spacious soundstage they provide. The bass, while decent, is not as powerful or booming as that of competing MacBook Pro devices.
Look for a 15.6-inch 3.5K OLED display with a 60-Hz refresh rate and an Intel Core i7-12700H processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card, 16 GB of RAM, and a 1 terabyte solid-state drive.
The Large Screen Pick
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 review unit provided to WIRED was equipped with the latest and greatest hardware (i9-13980HX, RTX 4090), and it did not let them down. The amazing 16-inch M2 Max MacBook Pro (9.5/10, WIRED’s Editors’ Choice) is no match for this massive display. Unsurprisingly, the Asus is the clear winner in the gaming department, and it also provides more stable performance for those engaged in intensive editing and production. If you need more power, the Strix Scar 18 is the way to go, albeit at the expense of portability and aesthetics.
Apex Legends can be played at near-maximum settings on this screen at 225 frames per second (fps) when using the QHD Ultra preset. Quality-focused games like Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla achieve 122 frames per second in QHD Ultra, which is impressive.
As is to be expected, the keyboard is superb, as Asus has been producing the finest gaming laptop keyboards for some time. The 18.4-inch QHD 240-Hz panel’s smooth matte finish makes it ideal for competitive gaming. The catch is the exorbitant price, which begins at $2,499.
The following are desirable features: an 18-inch QHD display, a 240-Hz refresh rate, and an Intel Core i9-13980HX processor.
Best Luxe Option
For a long time, the Razer Blade 15 was the go-to laptop for serious gamers who also cared about aesthetics. Although there is now greater competition in the field, this choice remains viable. It’s as close as you’re going to get to a Mac-like experience on a Windows gaming rig. Their RTX 3070 Ti test unit achieved 60 frames per second on ultra settings in Borderlands 3 at 240 hertz on the display.
Unfortunately, the higher-end models are the only ones that can take advantage of Razer’s new OLED displays, like the one we used. Therefore, we would advise going with the cheaper RTX 3060 model, which still provides the same resolution and refresh rate but at a more reasonable (although still very expensive) price.
The keyboard isn’t as enjoyable as the ones on Asus ROG Zephyrus computers, but it still has enough extra travel and some mildly pleasant feedback to make it suitable for use as a small productivity device. This high-quality notebook is rounded out by a large, responsive trackpad and a plethora of input options.
A 15.6-inch QHD display with a 240-hertz refresh rate and an Intel Core i7-12800H processor are desirable components.
What Makes a Great Gaming Laptop?
A gaming laptop is the equivalent of a magical weapon. It can chop, slice, and cleave like any other blade, but an enchanted weapon can also talk, glow, and cause far more damage against orcs. A gaming laptop will typically outperform a standard laptop in terms of processing speed and other raw performance metrics. The distinguishing feature is obvious: dedicated graphics cards are standard on gaming laptops. This is the component that really kicks your gaming laptop into high gear.
Every laptop has a graphics chipset, even if it’s merely integrated into the CPU for casual games like Hearthstone or Gwent. A discrete graphics card, also referred to as a graphics processing unit (GPU), will instead render the visuals in your games. It’s a must-have for any gaming laptop, which is why they can be a bit pricy. In the end, enchantments cost money.