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 graphics performance into a compact, portable form factor. The market is loaded with choices that come with screens ranging from 14 to 18 inches graphics cards that can handle a variety of resolutions and options for any budget, from entry-level up to maxed out, multi-thousand dollar rigs 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, we test many models each year, benchmarking them in popular games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2.
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.
We've started testing the latest components for 2025, including Intel's latest Core Ultra CPUs and Nvidia's "Blackwell" mobile GPUs. While we're always excited for the next generation of gaming notebooks, those RTX 50-series GPUs haven't made our list yet. Our review of the Razer Blade 16 revealed some driver issues that we're waiting for Nvidia to fix. We're testing more and hope to see those updated soon so that we can add more new picks to this page.
We're also seeing a renaissance in integrated graphics in gaming handhelds, which might lead some companies to see how far they can push systems without discrete GPUs altogether. That means over the next few months, we should see a bunch of refreshed gaming laptops for playing on the go.
Andrew is a Senior Editor on Tom's Hardware covering systems, including gaming laptops, gaming PCs, consoles, and handhelds. He has been reviewing hardware and laptops for 10 years.
The quick list
The Best Gaming Laptop
The MSI Titan 18 HX AI better be the best gaming laptop. At $6,379 as tested, it pulls out all of the stops, including the most powerful Intel and Nvidia chips on offer, a mechanical keyboard, and a ton of storage space.
Best Budget Gaming Laptop
The Dell G16 (7630) stands out for strong configuration options below $1,000. The combination of an Intel Core i7 and Nvidia RTX 4060, as well as a mechanical keyboard, is a surprise at this price point, even though the machine is still clunky and made of plastic.
Best RTX 4050 Laptop
The $999 model features a Core i7-13620H and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 and offers strong 1080p performance. It includes 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. Its 144 Hz refresh rate will be a boon for esports players. We also appreciate the quality of the speakers for the price.
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Mid-range value
If you find this model on sale as we did at $1,599, you get great specs for the price, including an Intel Core i7-14650HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. It's enough to power the laptop's very pretty 2560 x 1600 display.
Best 14-inch Laptop
Asus' TUF Gaming A14 feels premium, looks grown-up, and delivers great battery life for non-gaming tasks. For truly portable gaming, this AMD and Nvidia-based pick is a strong choice.
With strong build quality and powerful performance, the Alienware m18 R2 makes a strong case if you're using it to replace a desktop. We appreciate its plethora of upgradeable parts, including room for a ton of M.2 SSDs. The Cherry keyboard option is excellent and well worth the extra cost.
Best Gaming Laptops 2025
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The Best Gaming Laptop
✅You want a very high-res display: Very few gaming laptops offer screens higher than 2560 x 1440. The Mini-LED screen on the Titan goes up to 3840 x 2400 at 120 Hz.
✅You love clicky keys: The Cherry MX keyboard on the Titan is luxurious, though the number pad and arrow keys still use membranes.
❌You can't afford it: The Titan is prohibitively expensive. We tested it at $6,379, which is a lot to spend on a gaming laptop.
❌You want to take it on the go: This desktop replacement is large, heavy, and doesn't have long battery life. It's really designed to be plugged in.
The MSI Titan 18 HX AI better be the best gaming laptop. At $6,379 as tested, it pulls out all of the stops, including the most powerful Intel and Nvidia chips on offer, a mechanical keyboard, and a ton of storage space.
The system offers exceptional gaming performance on a laptop, though even the RTX 5090 may not always be able to pull off playing games at native resolution without the help of DLSS or turning down some settings. When I played games on it, I found you're likely better adjusting the resolution.
The Cherry MX mechanical keyboard is a luxury found on few laptops, though it's about time for MSI to expand it so that it includes the arrow keys and the numberpad. Still, most gaming and typing feel absolutely fantastic.
Connectivity is incredible. The system has three SSDs adding up to 6TB of storage in our review model. If that doesn't hold your game collection, there are also Thunderbolt 5 ports for some of the fastest external storage drives around.
If you value battery life, though, the Raider might not be for you. In our testing, it ran 2 hours and 16 minutes in our rundown. In a coffee shop with the brightness pulled up, it did even worse. This is a system that's mean to be plugged in.
The Mini-LED display is also gorgeous. It goes up to 3840 x 2400, which is rare on gaming laptops these days. While it's not OLED, I think it's an excellent screen that makes games and work alike look great.
But this price is out of reach for many. If that's the case, keep scrolling — we have plenty of picks at more affordable prices.
Read: MSI Titan 18 HX AI Raider review
The Best Budget Gaming Laptop
✅You want a mechanical keyboard option: Some configurations of the Dell G16 include a Cherry MX mechanical profile, which you usually only find in more premium machines.
✅Refresh rate is your priority: Our budget configuration had a 240 Hz option, which is great for esports and games run at low resolution.
❌You want something light: At 6.3 pounds, the Dell G16 is a bit heavier than some of its competitors.
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 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. I loved the way these keys felt while typing and gaming. 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 review
Best RTX 4050 Laptop
✅ You want strong 1080p performance under $1,000: The RTX 4050 isn't the most powerful mobile GPU, but it's hard to argue with value.
❌ You want the best display: In our testing, we found the screen to be a bit washed out. Something usually has to give at this price.
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.
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
✅ The screen is important to you: The 16-inch, 2560 x 1600 proved to be vibrant in our testing, with beautiful colors and deep contrast.
✅ You want to add storage later: This laptop has room for you to add a second SSD down the line.
❌ You want inuitive software: Gigabyte's Control Center isn't the easiest to use when you want to make changes in settings.
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 I didn't have to worry about headphones in a pinch.
On the practical side, it has a comfortable mouse and keyboard, 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 entirely, so I appreciated 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
✅ You want a great gaming device you can take with you: At just 3.22 pounds and 0.78 inches thick, the TUF Gaming A14 competes with ultrabooks on size
❌ You want to play games without headphones: In our testing, the speakers were a weak point on this system, so you'll want some earbuds or a headset.
While Asus has often treated its TUF Gaming brand as a budget lineup, the A14 sure feels premium. In fact, it's my favorite 14-inch laptop that we've recently tested, standing out in a suddenly-crowded category.
Its 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.
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
The Best Desktop Replacement
✅ You want something that feels premium: Alienware mixes aluminum and plastic to great effect, creating an 18-inch system that is built tough.
✅ You want lots of room for upgrades: Our review unit had room for three more SSDs, along with slotted RAM for easy replacements and an removable Wi-Fi card.
❌ You want something to carry around: Even for an 18-inch laptop, the 8.63 pound Alienware m18 R2 is heavy. Add in the power brick, and you may want to get a bigger backpack.
❌ You want a top-class display: The Alienware m18 R2's panel isn't as bright as competitors, though our review unit did offer a 2560 x 1600 resolution and 165 Hz refresh rate.
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
Other Gaming Laptops We Tested
💻 Gigabyte Aorus Master 16
The Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 is a strong gaming laptop with an Nvidia RTX 5080 Laptop GPU and a bright display, but it doesn't feel as premium as its price tag, and its GiMate AI doesn't add much.
Read: Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 review
💻 Razer Blade 16
The Razer Blade 16 is a thin RTX 5090 laptop with a bright screen and tons of ports, but it's extremely pricey and the drivers felt unfinished on our test unit.
Read: Razer Blade 16 review
💻 Acer Predator Helios Neo Slim 14
This 14.5-inch Predator gaming laptop delivers good 1600p gaming performance and plentiful features, including Thunderbolt 4 and RGB backlighting.
Read: Acer Predator Helios Neo Slim 14 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:
Game | Preset |
|---|---|
Shadow of the Tomb Raider | Highest |
Grand Theft Auto V | Very High |
Cyberpunk 2077 | Ray Tracing Ultra |
Far Cry 6 | Ultra |
Red Dead Redemption 2 | Medium |
Borderlands 3 | Badass |
We also run a stress test, which currently consists of the Metro Exodus benchmark on the RTX preset, run 15 times in a loop while recording system statistics with HWInfo. (This is also when we take our heat tests).
Additionally, we run a series of productivity benchmarks, including Geekbench, Handbrake, and our in-house file transfer test. These test both single-core and multi-core performance on the processor, as well as all-around performance.
We measure gaming laptop displays with our colorimeter and light meter, and report brightness in nits, as well as the volume of the DCI-P3 and sRGB color gamut that the screen covers.
Our battery test connects to a local web server over Wi-Fi, and continuously browses the web, runs simple OpenGL graphics tests, and streams videos. We report the amount of time the laptop ran the test in hours and minutes.
Benchmarks aren't everything. We also actually use the gaming laptops that we review. Our writers and editors spend time playing games and using gaming laptops for writing, watching videos, listening to music, and browsing the web. This gives us the experience to report our own thoughts and feelings about the keyboard, design, port selection, audio, and other features. It also helps us get some valuable play time in!
Because the ability to upgrade and repair gaming laptops is essential, we open every system to see which parts are user-replaceable and document that experience so you know what you can change down the line and how difficult (or easy!) that is for you to do..
Gaming Laptop FAQs
◼ Are gaming laptops worth it?
If you want to play games on your laptop, then yes! While you can run some games on integrated graphics found in most laptops, a gaming laptop with a discrete graphics card, a high-end CPU, and powerful cooling can help you achieve strong gaming performance on the go. These systems often also include higher refresh rate displays and more ports for your peripherals. There are gaming laptops at a variety of price points, from budget entries up through systems that cost over $5,000.
◼ Can you upgrade gaming laptops?
This varies from system to system, but most gaming laptops offer some degree of aftermarket upgradeability. At the very least, many machines let you put in a bigger (or second) SSD, which is good because games are huge. Thinner laptops might have the RAM soldered down, though many still have replaceable SO-DIMMs. CPUs and GPUs are always soldered down.
◼ Which GPU should I get?
Most games are heavily dependent on the GPU, so you should invest here if you can. While 50-series gaming laptops are rolling out, the 40-series still holds great value. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 and 4090 will give you top-end performance that should leave you gaming comfortably for a few years, while the RTX 4070 is a fine mid-range card. The 4060, when on sale, can be a great deal, including in gaming laptops under $1,500. The 50-class cards might give you some extra oomph, but you're usually better off waiting for a 4060 to go on sale.
AMD's GPUs have significantly less market share in gaming laptops than Nvidia's chips.
◼ What size screen should I get for a gaming laptop? What about refresh rate?
The size screen you chose for a gaming laptop is largely based on personal preference. Smaller, 14-inch laptops are easier to carry around, but larger 17 or-18 inch notebooks are more likely to also feature large cooling systems that can cool more powerful graphics cards.
High refresh rate is nice, but the fastest options, going up to 360 Hz, see the biggest benefits in esports games that require quick-twitch skills and are often played at lower settings.
If you have a more powerful GPU, you may opt for a higher resolution screen to take advantage of it. 2560 x 1600 seems to be a sweet spot these days.
◼ Can gaming laptops be used for work and video editing?
Gaming laptops aren't limited to gaming. Most of what we review uses Windows 11, so you get everything that comes with it. There's no reason you couldn't do anything you do on the best ultrabooks with them. We test all gaming laptops with a suite of productivity tests.
A GPU may be especially helpful for intense tasks like video editing, photo editing, and rendering.
◼ What is battery life like on gaming laptops?
Gaming laptops typically don't offer battery life on par with ultrabooks. We often see less than 8 hours on a charge when you aren't even gaming, though we've seen some strong times from AMD's Ryzen processors, and Nvidia suggests its improved Optimus technology may help turn the tide.
We don't typically recommend gaming on battery, but if you do, that will depend heavily on the game. A 2D side-scroller should chew through less battery life than a massive first-person shooter with all of the effects turned up.
Gaming Laptop Shopping Tips
Quick Gaming Laptop Shopping Tips
- Focus on the GPU: Most games are heavily dependent on the GPU, and those aren’t upgradeable. If you splurge on a powerful GPU now, you’ll be gaming comfortably for a few years.
- You can upgrade some parts later: While the best CPUs for gaming and GPUs are almost always soldered down, most gaming laptops let you replace the RAM and storage, so you can buy cheaper now and add more memory and a bigger best hard drive or SSD down the road. Thicker, more powerful laptops are often easier to upgrade than thinner ones, so be sure to do some research before buying. (We include this information in our reviews).
- Battery life will probably be bad: Very few gaming notebooks get 8 hours or more on a charge, and you need the power supply to get the best gaming performance anyway. However, we've seen some strong times from AMD's Ryzen processors, and Nvidia suggests its improved Optimus technology may help turn the tide. For peak gaming performance, however, you'll want to be sure to be plugged in while playing.
- Get enough storage for your games: Video games take up more storage than ever, and premium gaming laptops are expensive. Shy away from anything less than 512GB. 1TB is the sweet spot and 2TB is ideal for a gaming laptop. Luckily, most machines let you add more storage down the line if you need it.
Discounts on the Best Gaming Laptops
Whether you're shopping for one of the best gaming laptops or another model that didn't quite make our list, you may find some savings by checking out our list of the best gaming laptop deals. You can also browse our lists of Dell coupon codes, HP coupon codes, Lenovo coupon codes, Razer promo codes, or Newegg promo codes.
MORE: How to Buy a Gaming Laptop
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