Best Gaming Laptops 2024: Tested, benchmarked and reviewed

Best Gaming Laptops 2024

Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 GX550

Whether you want to take your rig on the road, carry it to the couch, or just save space on your desk, a gaming laptop packs PC performance into a compact, portable form factor. Because people have different needs and budgets, the market is loaded with choices that come with screens ranging from 14 to 18 inches (with great options like the Asus ROG G16 landing confortably in the middle), graphics cards that can handle a variety of resolutions and prices that start at less than $999 but creep over the $5,000 mark. The best gaming laptops often come with fancy RGB lights, high refresh rate panels and, sometimes, even mechanical keyboards.

To help you choose the right gaming laptop for you, we test many models each year, benchmarking them in popular games such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Borderlands 3, measuring the color gamut and brightness of their screens, determining battery life and, of course, playing with them. Below, we’ve listed the best gaming laptops for different sizes, price points and use cases. For those on a tight gaming budget, we also have dedicated pages for the best gaming laptops under $1,500 and the best gaming laptops under $1,000.

While Intel just announced its Core Ultra 2 "Lunar Lake" chips, those aren't found in gaming laptops. We're awaiting the "Arrow Lake" chips in new refreshes.

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Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 Ultra Slim: now $1,489 at Amazon

Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 Ultra Slim: now $1,489 at Amazon (was $2,099)
With a 15.6-inch 165Hz QHD display, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card, AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS processor, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD, this laptop packs a lot of power into its ultra-slim frame.
(model -GA503QS-BS96Q)

Cyber Monday is here, so if you're after a deal on a gaming laptop and don't like the one above, be sure to keep an eye on your hardware deals live blog, where we'll regularly be posting new laptop deals.

*Cyber Monday Computer Hardware Deals Live*

Some of our picks below are also on sale for Cyber Monday:

The 14-inch Asus Tuf A14 is $100 off, or $1,299 at Best Buy.

A newer version of the Asus Strix G16 (still with an RTX 4070) is on sale at Amazon for 15% off or$1,614.

And the beastly top-end Alienware m18 R2 is on sale at Dell for $1,000 off.

The quick list

Best Gaming Laptops 2024

The Best Gaming Laptop

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The Best Gaming Laptop

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i9-14900HX
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090
Display: 18-inch, 3840 x 2400, Mini-LED, 120 Hz
Weight: 7.93 pounds (3.6 kg)

Reasons to buy

+
Clicky mechanical keys
+
Bright, beautiful mini-LED screen
+
Strong gaming performance
+
Opulent amounts of RAM and storage
+
Three-year warranty

Reasons to avoid

-
The fans are very loud
-
Audio is disappointing for music
-
Price puts it out of reach for most people

The MSI Titan GT77 HX has everything, and, we'll be honest, it should. We tested it at $5,399.99, which is way out of reach for most people (don't worry, there are cheaper options further down the list). Between powerful performance, an excellent 18-inch mini-LED screen, and a clicky, mechanical keyboard, there's a lot to enjoy here.

The Intel Core i9-14900HX and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU are powerful, though they admittedly don't offer a huge bump over previous generations. But with 128GB of RAM and 4TB of SSD storage there's plenty of room for games and more memory than you'll ever need for gaming. This would be a great machine for video editors.

Admittedly, the 14th Gen Intel Core processor doesn't have any huge performance gains over 13th Gen Core gaming laptops, but the Titan 18 HX did great in some of our most difficult tests, like running Cyberpunk 2077 on the Ray Tracing Ultra preset. 

MSI is using a Cherry MX mechanical keyboard, which is clicky and comfortable. It's a luxury for typing and gaming, though it's unfortunate that MSI doesn't also use these switches for the number and arrow keys.

But the highlight is the 18-inch, mini-LED display, which covered 112.4% of the DCI-P3 color gamut in our testing and measured an incredibly bright 559 nits with our light meter. Games and movies look excellent on this HDR display.

With the Titan, MSI has come as close to cramming a desktop into a laptop chassis as possible. It's for people who don't have room for — or don't want — a desktop. It's the best in many ways, assuming you can afford it.

Read: MSI Titan 18 HX review 

The Best Budget Gaming Laptop

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The Best Budget Gaming Laptop

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i7-13650HX
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060
Display: 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 165 Hz, 240 Hz
Weight: 6.3 pounds (2.87 kg)

Reasons to buy

+
Strong gaming performance across the board
+
16-inch QHD+ display with 240 Hz refresh rate
+
Excellent Cherry MX mechanical keyboard

Reasons to avoid

-
Subpar 720p webcam
-
A bit heavier than I’d like
-
Chassis gets warm while gaming

With few laptops starting under $1,000 these days, the best gear for a budget is often a little older. But the Dell G16 (7630), now regularly in that budget price rice range, provides some niceties that other companies don't.

Most gaming laptops at this price have an RTX 4050, but the RTX 4060 in the G16 makes for far stronger gaming performance. And the fact that Dell included a Cherry MX mechanical keyboard, often found in more premium Alienware-branded laptops, is icing on the cake. There's also a 16-inch screen that goes up to a 240 Hz refresh rate for quick-twitch esports.

Like most budget machines, it's a little bulky and doesn't have all of the most modern features (this, for instance, has a 720p webcam). But the power you get for the performance is hard to ignore.

Read: Dell G16 (7630) review

Best Budget Alternative

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Best Budget Alternative

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i7-13620H
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050
Display: 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080, 144 Hz
Weight: 5.51 pounds / 2.5 kg

Reasons to buy

+
Strong 1080p gaming performance
+
Good speakers
+
Excellent value

Reasons to avoid

-
Short battery life
-
Washed-out display

The MSI Katana 15 is among our favorite gaming laptops for those with just $1,000 to spend. We tested a $999 model with a Core i7-13620H and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 offering strong 1080p performance, though you may have to turn down some settings in some games.

 In our testing, the Katana passed 60 fps in most benchmarks at some pretty high settings, though some, like Red Dead Redemption 2, were run lower. As games get more challenging, budget laptops won't run at the highest settings for long. 

Even under $1,000, you get 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, which is nice to see, as those are often some of the first specs to get cut for a budget PC. Instead, the chassis is made of cheap plastic, but the internals should get the job done.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The display could be a bit more vivid, but its 144 Hz refresh rate will be a boon for esports players. And for its price, it delivers solid audio.

Read: MSI Katana 15 Review 

Mid-range value

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Mid-range value

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i7-14650HX
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU
Display: 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 16:10, IPS, 165 Hz, Advanced Optimus
Weight: 5.07 pounds (2.3 kg)

Reasons to buy

+
Well-priced
+
Vibrant screen
+
Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi 7. IR webcam
+
Supports two storage drives

Reasons to avoid

-
-Mediocre battery life
-
Unintuitive software

At $1,599.99 as tested, the Gigabyte Aorus 16X packs a lot of features into its 16-inch frame.

The laptop has a vibrant, 2560 x 1600 display that runs at 165 Hz for smooth first person shooters and esports.  Its Core i7-14650HX CPU and GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card effortlessly handle games on the great display, and its built-in speakers are good enough that in a pinch, you won't have to worry about headphones.

On the practical side, it has productive input devices, excellent connectivity (including Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi 7), and biometric security from its IR webcam. A surprising number of midrange gaming notebooks forego biometrics, so it's nice to have these security features.

You'll still want to carry a charger around, and Gigabyte's software isn't exactly the most intuitive. But if you want powerful gaming on a nice screen for a decent price, it's hard to argue with what's being offered here.

Read: Gigabyte Aorus 16X review

Best 14-inch Laptop

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Best 14-inch Laptop

Specifications

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060
Display: 14-inch, 2560 x 1600, 165Hz, IPS-level
Weight: 3.22 pounds (1.35 kg)

Reasons to buy

+
Barely bigger or heavier than an ultrabook
+
Great battery life
+
Understated design

Reasons to avoid

-
Disappointing speakers

While Asus has often treated its TUF Gaming brand as a budget lineup, the A14 sure feels premium. In fact, it's our favorite 14-inch laptop we've recently tested, standing out in a suddenly crowded category.

It's understated design seems to borrow from the more upscale Zephyrus lineup. Despite packing an RTX 4060 in our review configuration, the TUF is just 3.22 pounds and 0.78 inches thick, putting it in line with some ultrabooks.

When we weren't using it for gaming, the A14 used Nvidia's Advanced Optimus and switched to the integrated graphics, managing to squeeze out 10 hours and 4 minutes of life on our battery test, which involves web browsing, streaming, and browser-based graphics tests.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The speakers are a bit quiet, but we appreciated the travel-friendly design. The 100W RTX 4060 can only play games at moderate settings, but if you're on the go, the A14 is a great option.

Read: Asus TUF Gaming A14 review: Understated endurance 

Best Thin and Light Gaming Laptop

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Best Thin and Light Gaming Laptop

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i9-13980HX
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 (8GB GDDR6, 2,225 MHz Boost Clock, 140 W Max Graphics Power)
Display: 16 inches, 1920x1200, 165 Hz, 16:10
Weight: 5.51 pounds (2.5 kg)

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent gaming performance
+
Great battery life
+
Excellent keyboard
+
Good build quality

Reasons to avoid

-
720p webcam
-
Competing laptops start often have 1440p resolution standard

The Asus ROG Strix G16 is catching up to Razer in powerful, portable gaming laptops well. The Strix G16's Core i9-13980HX and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 provided great performance in a  0.89-inch thick chassis. Is the design as sleek as Razer's Blades? No, but at $1,999.99 when we tested it, Asus is also competing on price.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

We also appreciated the Strix's battery life — it lasted for 8 hours and 49 minutes on our battery test, as well as the RGB keys with 2 millimeters of travel.

The laptop's lid is aluminum, but the rest is plastic. In our time with the laptop, not once did we think the ROG Strix G16 felt cheap.

In fact, in each of the benchmarks we ran, the ROG Strix G16 surpassed 60 fps (often handily!), showing solid performance at both 1080p and its native 1920 x 200. Perhaps the biggest issue we had is that our unit had a 1920 x 1200 touch screen. The RTX 4070 should power that no problem based on our benchmarks, and in this price range you often see 1440p (or, in 16:10 screens like this one, 1600p) display panels.

Read: Asus ROG Strix G16 Review

Best 16-inch Esports Machine

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A 16-inch Esports Machine

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i7-13700H
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060
Display: 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 165 Hz
Weight: 5.6 pounds / 2.55 kg

Reasons to buy

+
Competitive gaming performance and speedy SSD
+
Improved 1080p webcam
+
Attractive pricing

Reasons to avoid

-
Fan noise is an annoyance
-
Audio quality could be better
-
Mediocre battery life

For under $1,500, you can get a 16-inch esports machine with a screen that also allows for high-resolution, intensive titles. The 2560 x 1600 display goes up to 165 Hz, which is fast enough for esports at 1080p, while the high resolution will make action games look great. Sure, some gaming laptops have faster displays, but they're often more expensive.

The "i" in 5i Pro stands for Intel. We tested with an Intel Core i7-13700HX along with Nvidia's GeForce RTX 4060. Our system also had 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 512GB SSD.

This model has an improved 1080p webcam over previous generations, which is good for working as well as gaming. We found that its SSD was fast in our testing, and it offered competing gaming performance. That being said, you may want to consider one of the best gaming headsets because there's plenty of fan noise and the audio quality isn't the best.

Read: Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (Gen 8) Review 

The Best Desktop Replacement

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The Best Desktop Replacement

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i9-14900HX
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090
Display: 18-inch, 2560 x 1600, 165 Hz
Weight: 8.63 pounds (3.91 kg)

Reasons to buy

+
Solid build quality
+
Lots of upgrade and repairability options
+
Strong gaming performance
+
Cherry keyboard option feels great

Reasons to avoid

-
Display is dimmer than the competition
-
Heavy, even for its size
-
Touchpad feels cheap

If you get an 18-inch laptop, it's likely a semi-permanent fixture on your desk. The Alienware m18 R2 is good for that, as it's pretty heavy at 8.63 pounds, but it also delivers strong gaming performance on a large, high-resolution display.

While a gaming laptop won't compete with a desktop for upgradeability, the Alienware m18 R2 is still impressive. When we opened it up, we found a slew of extra slots for M.2 SSDs, as well as slotted RAM, a replaceable Wi-Fi card, and, of course, the battery.

The laptop is built solid, with plenty of aluminum along the frame (though that may be part of what makes it a bit heavy). Perhaps our favorite part is the Cherry MX low-profile mechanical keyboard, which is excellent for both typing and gaming. It's worth the $50 upcharge, and I wish all sorts of laptops had mechanical keyboard options. Unlike the MSI Titan, Alienware's mechanical keyboard covers every key.

That's not to say we have no qualms. The display, while usable, isn't as bright as some of the OLED options out there. And while you're likely using a gaming mouse, the touchpad could use some love. But the build quality, performance, and upgradeability still make this one a winner in our book.

Read: Alienware m18 R2 Review

Best Crossover Productivity/Gaming Laptop

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Best Crossover Productivity/Gaming Laptop

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 laptop GPU
Display: 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 16:10, IPS, 240 Hz
Weight: 5.75 pounds (2.61 kg)

Reasons to buy

+
Everyday-friendly looks
+
Excellent build quality
+
Comfortable keyboard and touchpad
+
Solid gaming performance

Reasons to avoid

-
Display should be brighter
-
Budget models aren’t cheap enough

Many laptop companies have aimed to make gaming machines that look more like traditional PCs while still maintaining a bit of personality. These crossover laptops have often been lower on power, but we found that the Alienware m16 R2 offered strong gaming performance alongside its relatively muted design.

We were impressed with the build quality, including the frame but also the keyboard and touchpad, which we found comfortable to use in our testing.

Additionally, the m16 R2 has plenty of aftermarket upgradeability. When we opened the machine up, we were happy to see that the RAM, SSD, Wi-Fi card, and battery are user-serviceable.

We do wish the display were a bit brighter and that Alienware would bring the price down on the most entry-level models, but in general, this is a well-built machine for work and play. It looks good just about anywhere.

If you want something smaller, we also tested the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 and the HP Omen Transcend 14, but we preferred the is larger PC because it delivers more graphics power.   

Read: Alienware m16 R2 review 

How We Test Gaming Laptops

How we test gaming laptops

Every gaming laptop that we review goes through a rigorous series of tests and benchmarks to decide whether it's worth your consideration. 

Currently, games that we run and may include in our reviews are:

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