The Razer Blade 16 has long been leading contender among the best gaming laptops, thanks in part to its careful component selection and strong style. In this case, our review unit comes equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 9 386H processor and a flagship RTX 5090 GPU.

While the chassis remains the same as the Razer Blade 16 that we tested a little over a year ago, the 25W processor in our new review unit enabled some impressive runtimes that eclipse the competition. You’ll have to pay a considerable sum for the luxury, but the Blade 16 makes as strong a case as a compelling premium gaming laptop.

Design of the Razer Blade 16

We were impressed with the design of last year's Blade 16, and luckily, Razer hasn’t altered the formula for this year’s model. You get the same matte-black chassis that measures just 0.69 inches at its thickest point (0.59 inches towards the front). Build quality remains excellent in true Razer fashion.

The overall design is minimalist, with a minimal amount of RGBs and no obvious ventilation slats along the sides for heat management. Instead, the clean design would look at home sitting on your desk while you're gaming with an Xbox controller, or sitting on your desk in a cubicle at work. The only bit of flash that you’ll find is the RGB Razer logo on the lid.

You’ll find thin bezels around the glossy 16-inch OLED display, below which you’ll find the full-size keyboard and a large trackpad. There’s also a small status LED at the front right of the chassis (just below the Intel Core Ultra sticker on the deck). It pulses white when the laptop is in standby mode.

There’s a healthy assortment of ports on the laptop, including three legacy USB 3.3 Gen 2 Type-A ports. There’s also one Thunderbolt 4 port, one Thunderbolt 5, an SD card reader (UHS-II), a full-size HDMI 2.1 port, and a 3.5 mm combo audio jack. There’s also a proprietary power port.

The Blade 16 measures 13.98 x 9.86 x 0.69 inches and weighs 4.71 pounds. For comparison, the MSI Raider 16 HX also packs an RTX 5090, but measures 14.29 x 10.62 x 1.14 inches and weighs over a pound more (5.73 pounds). The Alienware 16 Area-51 is heavier still at 7.49 pounds, with dimensions of 14.37 x 11.41 x 1.12 inches.

Razer Blade 16 Specifications

Gaming and Graphics on the Razer Blade 16

Our Blade 16 review unit is equipped with a Core Ultra 9 386H processor, which has 16 total cores (4 performance, 8 efficient) and a maximum performance turbo frequency of 4.9 GHz for the performance cores. There’s also 32GB of LPDDR5x memory and a GeForce RTX 5090 GPU (1,597 MHz boost clock, 175W max TGP).

This combo generally performed well across our gaming benchmark suite, with a few exceptions. While playing Battlefield 6 at native resolution in Overkill detail mode, with DLSS Quality and Frame Generation enabled, I was comfortably getting between 110 and 120 FPS, even with a lot of action happening on the screen.

For this review, the competitive set consists of last year's Blade 16 (Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 at 28W, RTX 5090 at 160W TGP), MSI Raider 16 Max HX (Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus at 55W, RTX 5090 at 175W TGP), and the Alienware 16 Area-51 (Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus at 55W, RTX 5080 at 175W TGP).

As usual, we start our gaming benchmarks with the Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Highest setting) benchmark, where the Blade 16 delivered 182 FPS at 1080p. Performance at 1600p scaled down to 133 FPS. The 2025 edition of the Blade 16 was 16 FPS behind at 1080, but at the resolution that most would play at, 1600p, the older model was nearly 30 FPS faster (162 FPS versus 133 FPS).

Cyberpunk 2077 (Ray Tracing Ultra settings), the laptops were pretty evenly matched, with most running between 65 and 70 FPS at 1080p and at around 40 FPS at 1600p. For the Razer Blade 16 specifically, it achieved 65 FPS at 1080p and 42 FPS at 1600p.

Far Cry 6 (Ultra settings) saw the Blade 16 running in third place ahead of its predecessor (106 FPS at 1080p, 108 FPS at 1600p). The Alienware 16 Area-51 and Raider 16 Max HX were a few FPS ahead at each resolution, but it was still a relatively close fight among the top three.

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Medium settings) proved challenging for the Blade 16, as it lagged behind with 94 FPS at 1080p and just 71 FPS at 1600p. For comparison, last year's model eclipsed those numbers at 121 FPS and 94 FPS, respectively. The 25W CPU simply couldn’t keep up with the 28W Ryzen and 55W Intel HX chips

However, the Blade 16 was back to its fighting form in the Borderlands 3 (Badass settings) benchmark, easily slipping into second place behind the Raider 16 Max HX with 175 FPS at 1080p and 126 FPS at 1600p.

Metro Exodus is still our preferred benchmark for gaming laptop stress testing. Our review unit averaged 133.39 FPS at 1080p across 15 loops using the RTX benchmark preset. The CPU performance cores averaged 3.96 GHz, and the efficiency cores averaged 3.5 GHz. The RTX 5090 GPU also ran at 1.95 GHz.

One item of note is that the two system fans are incredibly loud while gaming, which may force you to use a pair of the best gaming headsets to block out the added noise.

Productivity Performance on the Razer Blade 16

The Razer Blade 16 uses a 16-core Intel Core Ultra 9 386H processor, 32GB of memory, and a 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD. With some of the competition sporting upwards of 8 additional cores, the Blade 16 didn’t really break through in the multi-threaded benchmarks.

The synthetic CPU benchmark Geekbench saw the Blade 16 lag slightly behind its predecessor in single-core (2,895 versus 2,922), but pull ahead in multi-core performance (16,971 versus 16,025). However, neither Blade system was a match for the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus processors in the Alienware 16 Area-51 and Raider 16 Max HX; the latter of which pulled numbers of 3,231 and 20,656, respectively.

In our 25GB file transfer test, the Blade 16 took second place by the slightest of margins, hitting 1,735.09 MBps. However, this result was still 1,000 MBps behind the first-place Alienware 16 Area-51.

The multi-threaded performance shortfall crept up again in our Handbrake test, where we transcode a 4K video file to 1080p. The Blade 16 pulled up the rear in this group, even falling behind the Blade 16 with the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. It took 3 minutes and 17 seconds to complete the task compared to just 1 minute and 51 seconds for the Raider 16 Max HX.

Display on the Razer Blade 16

As Tom's Hardware's resident monitor editor, I’m absolutely smitten with OLED panels. Thankfully, the OLED display on the Blade 16 doesn’t disappoint: it’s a 16-inch panel with a 2560 x 1600 resolution and a native refresh rate of 240 Hz.

We found that color volume was 90 percent for DCI-P3 and 127 percent for sRGB. Brightness levels were also fairly impressive, earning second place behind the Raider 16 Max HX at 408.2 nits.

Although the instrumented tests show some regression compared to last year’s Blade 16 in the sRGB and DCI-P3 color spaces, the display looks amazing in a vacuum. The gritty visuals while playing Battlefield 6 in Overkill mode were a delight to my eyes, with sunlight glinting through windows and concussive bomb blasts kicking up debris all around me.

Keyboard and Touchpad on the Razer Blade 16

The keyboard on the Blade 16 uses scissor switches with 1.5 mm of travel. The key presses are slightly clicky, and my fingers had no trouble getting used to typing on the keys.

I used my standard keyhero.com typing test and scored 89 words per minute with 97 percent accuracy, which is about par for the course for me.

The touchpad is absolutely massive, measuring 5.9 inches wide and 3.8 inches tall. It’s one of the largest trackpads you’ll find outside of Apple’s 16-inch MacBook Pros. What isn’t Apple-like is the insistence on using a mechanical linkage for trackpad actuation instead of the steadier, more consistent presses made possible by a haptic touchpad. For a laptop with a sticker price of nearly $5,000, I don’t think it’s too much to ask for some haptics here.

However, if you’re using this laptop primarily for gaming, you’ll likely be using one of the best gaming mice for your competitive sessions.

Audio on the Razer Blade 16

The six-speaker audio system on the Blade 16 is THX-optimized, and the audio quality is good, if not quite price-appropriate. While playing Battlefield 6, in-game dialog, explosions, gunfire, and vehicle noise generally sounded good, but the effects were competing with the turbine whine of the dual system fans. Cranking the volume to near-max levels helped drown out the fan noise, but at that point, I was experiencing a bit of aural overload, so I opted to put on a pair of headphones.

When the CPU and GPU weren’t heavily taxed, I was able to better enjoy the speakers, such as by playing Dave Matthews Band’s album Before These Crowded Streets for the 300th time. I cruised through the album with the volume set to a comfortable 50%, savoring the acoustic and bass guitars on “Dreaming Tree,” which always results in a relaxing frisson for me.

Similarly, I watched the Mel Gibson-helmed The Patriot to get into the mood for the Fourth of July, and reveled in the heavy dialogue, flintlock musket blasts, and cannon bursts.

You can make adjustments to the audio using the Razer Synapse software,

Upgradeability of the Razer Blade 16

Accessing the interior of the Blade 16 involves removing 10 Torx screws. Once all screws are removed, the bottom panel lifts off with minimal force. You’ll find the large 90 WHr battery at the bottom front of the chassis, and above are two M.2 slots that accept full-length 2280 SSDs.

The right slot was populated with a 2TB Lexar NM790 PCIe 4.0 SSD, while the left slot was empty, allowing for future upgrades. Also accessible is the PCIe Wi-Fi 7 network adapter (Intel BE213).

Battery Life on the Razer Blade 16

One thing to keep in mind is that the Blade 16 maintained competitive gaming performance among its peers, while its multi-threaded performance took a back seat. However, those compromises were fully redeemed in terms of battery life.

The Blade 16 uses a 90 WHr battery, which delivered shockingly long endurance (for a gaming laptop) in our battery test, consisting of web browsing, video streaming over Wi-Fi, and OpenGL testing with the screen brightness set at 150 nits. The system lasted a staggering 12:46, besting the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370-equipped Blade 16 by over 5 hours and the Alienware 16 Area-51 by over 9 hours. Even the Raider 16 Max HX was no match, falling short by over 4 hours.

That is a fantastic result for such a thin and light 16-inch gaming laptop, and it is a testament to the miserly energy consumption of the Panther Lake processor.

Heat on the Razer Blade 16

While running the Metro Exodus stress test, we measured the temperature of Blade 16's aluminum-alloy chassis in various spots. The keyboard measured 102 degrees Fahrenheit (F) between the G and H keys, while the touchpad was 92 F.

The hottest part of the laptop was near the rear center of the bottom of the chassis, where we measured 130 F. So it’s best to keep the laptop firmly planted on your desk while gaming, lest you roast your legs.

During the Metro Exodus stress test, the CPU measured 75.3 degrees Celsius (C). Meanwhile, the RTX 5090 came in at 87 C.

Webcam on the Razer Blade 16

Razer continues to use a run-of-the-mill 1080p webcam with an IR sensor for Windows Hello support. It’s by no means a class-leading webcam, but it’s perfectly usable for Zoom or Teams meetings.

I found the colors to be mostly adequate, but there was a little lightness in the detail in my facial features.

Software and Warranty on the Razer Blade 16

One of my favorite things about Razer laptops is that they aren’t loaded down with too much added software. On our Blade 16 review unit, Razer Chroma and Synapse were preloaded.

Synapse is an all-in-one utility that lets you adjust performance profiles, keyboard macros, audio presets, and more. Chroma, on the other hand, gives you full control over system RGBs, including the per-key keyboard effects.

Otherwise, you’ll find requisite utilities, like the Nvidia app and the usual Windows app shortcuts (we’re looking at you, LinkedIn) on the Start menu.

The Blade 16 comes backed by a one-year warranty for the system itself and a two-year warranty for the 90 WHr battery.

Razer Blade 16 Configurations

Our Blade 16 review unit came configured with a Core Ultra 9 386H processor, 32GB of LPDDR5X memory, a 2TB SSD, RTX 5090 laptop GPU, and a 16-inch, 240 Hz. 1600p display. The price as-configured is a whopping $4,899.99.

There are cheaper configurations available — if you retain the Core Ultra 9 386H and opt for an RTX 5070 Ti, 1TB SSD, and 32GB of memory, the price drops to $3,499.99. Going with RTX 5080 bumps (all other hardware staying the same) takes the price to $3,999.99.

Bottom Line

Overall, the Razer Blade 16 was a strong performer in our gaming benchmarks, which is the primary reason why most people would be willing to spend nearly $5,000 for this system. More importantly, the Panther Lake-based system delivered nearly 13 hours of non-gaming battery life, outrunning its closest competitor by over 4 hours. Combine those results with the beautiful display, attractive chassis, and under-the-radar design, and you have a winning combination.

However, there are some detractions; the lack of a haptic trackpad at this price point is annoying, and multi-threaded performance significantly lagged the competition. Also, the $4,900 asking price is high, although not completely out of line for a system with these specs. You can save roughly $900 by going with an RTX 5080 instead of the RTX 5090 that was in our system.

But if price isn’t an issue for you, it’s hard to argue with this compelling combination of gaming performance and battery life.

Asus’ ROG Strix Scar 18 (starting at $4,299.99) is an example of abundance in the world of gaming laptops, built around an 18-inch display and the latest flagship silicon: a Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus with Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5090 in our test unit. This machine makes a loud first impression, from its stellar (albeit tricky to configure) mini-LED display to the unique scrolling marquee lighting on its lid. But at this price - $4,999.99 as tested – the Scar 18 must prove it can hold the line against Razer’s Blade 18 before it can claim a spot at the top.

Design of the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 (2026)

At 15.71 x 11.73 x 1.38 inches, the Scar 18 has the footprint of a cafeteria tray – this isn’t a laptop you’ll be getting out on a plane. And at 8.16 pounds, this is also one of the heaviest laptops on the market. But performance is the goal here, not portability. Razer’s Blade 18 (15.74 x 10.84 x 1.1 inches) is thinner and significantly lighter, at 7.06 pounds.

The vibrant Aura Sync lightbar around the base of the laptop also demands attention, as does the RGB-lit Republic of Gamers logo on the lid. Both are configurable with customizable lighting and patterns in the Armoury Crate app.

The lid also has a special feature called AniMe vision, a diagonally scrolling marquee of text via LEDs shining through holes in the lid backing. (This is extremely similar to the AniMe Matrix that debuted on the Zephyrus line years ago.) There are several preconfigured versions of the Republic of Gamers logo, and you can add your own text effects. Layered effects are possible and don’t always produce the desired effect — I had a “raining” effect enabled at the same time as my text, and the text was almost impossible to make out.

The bottom line is that the Scar 18 couldn’t do anything more to look like a gaming laptop – it is designed to be seen. Build-wise, it’s a solid machine, showing minimal flex no matter how I handled it. Only the lid is metal, with the rest of the construction thick plastic.

Connectivity is thoroughly modern: two Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) and three USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, HDMI 2.1, an audio combo jack, and 2.5 Gbps Ethernet. Internally, it offers Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 from an Intel BE200 networking card. The power connector is proprietary for the 450 W power brick.

Specifications

Gaming and Graphics on the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 (2026)

We tested the ROG Strix Scar 18 in flagship form, featuring a Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus processor, RTX 5090 graphics card (175 W maximum graphics power), and 32GB of RAM. This is top-of-the-line gaming technology, though with one misstep: single-channel RAM. This might affect its performance as we’re about to see. The Task Manager confirms that only one SO-DIMM slot was used.

I put the Scar 18 through its paces playing 007: First Light at 3840 x 2400 with all detail settings maxed out. At first, this proved too demanding – I saw 26 to 32 frames per second (FPS) in most scenes. Enabling DLSS more than doubled the frame rate – I saw around 70 FPS or better, and the game was supremely playable.

Our comparison lineup includes Alienware’s 16 Area-51 (RTX 5080), MSI’s Raider 16 Max HX (RTX 5090), and Razer’s Blade 18 (RTX 5090). All laptops use a Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus and have GPUs rated for 175 W like our Asus. Their native screen resolutions, however, are different: Alienware and MSI are 2560 x 1600 while Razer has a unique dual-model display supporting both 1920 x 1200 and 3840 x 2400.

The Scar 18 was competitive across the board at 1200p, typically a few FPS ahead of the Alienware but a few FPS behind the MSI and particularly the Razer.

Bumping the resolution to 4K, the Scar 18 trailed the Razer in most games – the delta was at or almost 10% in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Far Cry 6, Cyberpunk 2077, and F1 23. (Red Dead Redemption 2 was the exception.) While those numbers won't make the difference between playability and unplayability, the price of these laptops makes it difficult to overlook.

Differences versus the Razer aside, the Scar 18 still demonstrates ample performance for gaming at 4K in most of the games we tested, though not all – it averaged only 21 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077 on ray tracing ultra, indicating that it won't be possible to play every game at maximum detail settings.

We stress test gaming laptops running 15 loops of the Metro Exodus stress test at RTX settings. During the test, the Scar 18 averaged 141 FPS with minimal variance between runs, starting at 141.5 FPS and finishing at 141.1 FPS. The Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus CPU averaged 4.59 GHz on its P-cores and 2.58 GHz on its E-cores while the RTX 5090 had an average boost clock of 1.98 GHz.

Productivity Performance on the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 (2026)

We tested the Scar 18 with a Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus CPU, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD. Not including a PCIe 5.0 drive seems like a missed opportunity at this price, though Razer does the same thing.

In Geekbench 6, the single-core numbers between these laptops were almost indistinguishable as we might expect given they all use the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, though the Scar 18’s multi-core score of 17,629 points significantly trailed the others, which all scored over 20,000 points.

The Scar 18 landed middle of the road in our 25GB file transfer test, averaging 2,042.69 MBps, putting it ahead of the MSI (1,357.93 MBps) and Razer (1,670.53 MBps) but behind the Alienware (2,738.9 MBps).

The Scar 18 also proved competitive in our 4K-to-1080p Handbrake transcoding test, completing it in two minutes and 11 seconds to lead the Alienware (2:24) but trail the MSI (1:51) and Razer (2:01).

Display on the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 (2026)

The Scar 18’s “Nebula” HDR display is its crowning feature. With a 3840 x 2400 (4K) resolution, mini-LED backlighting with 2,000 dimming zones, a 240 Hz refresh rate, and Nvidia G-Sync, this is quite advanced.

Tweaking is required to get this display to perform as intended, and it’s not simple. Out of the box, HDR is disabled, the refresh rate is capped at 120 Hz, and G-Sync is unavailable since Nvidia Optimus, which dynamically switches between the CPU’s integrated graphics and the RTX 5090, is enabled. To unlock maximum performance, the GPU must be put in “Ultimate” mode in Armoury Crate, which is effectively a MUX toggle that disables the integrated graphics. A restart is required for this to take effect. G-Sync, the 240 Hz refresh rate, and a special feature called “Extreme Low Motion Blur” (ELMB) then become available. The latter is aimed at esports players– it manipulates the pixels so that they turn off when switching colors, theoretically eliminating blur. (More on this in a moment.)

Those aren’t the only settings you’ll need to know about. You can toggle the mini-LED backlighting control between one zone, multi-zone balanced, or multi-zone strong. These settings produce very different images – one-zone provides the deepest contrast, multi-zone balanced is the dimmest but evens out the contrast to make dark scenes appear brighter, and multi-zone strong is the brightest and most vibrant. I stuck with the latter for nearly everything.

ELMB only works in one-zone mode without HDR. I tested it using the Blur Blusters UFO Test. It clearly made a difference – in the 240 fps scrollbar, the UFO looked crisp moving across the screen. Disabling ELMB caused it to become blurry, making it harder to see details. This feature can really matter for competitive esports.

But wait, there are even more settings! Armoury Crate includes many color modes through a feature called GameVisual — racing, scenery, RTS/RPG, fps, cinema, eyecare, vivid, and e-reading. On top of that, it also provides color temperature and gamut settings.

Then there’s the question of HDR. To get that working, it must first be enabled in the Windows Settings app. Back in Armoury Crate, you’ll find GameVisual, color temperature and gamut settings, Extreme Low Motion Blur, and mini-LED backlighting settings are no longer available. That’s the trade-off.

Complicating all this is that the settings I just mentioned are in different places in Armoury Crate. Some are in the display section, while others require going into the Devices section, selecting the Scar 18, and making changes there. It’s not straightforward, and those that simply use this laptop out of the box without tweaking won’t get the best visual experience.

After much experimentation, I played 007: First Light in GPU Ultimate mode, G-Sync enabled, a 240 Hz refresh rate, and True Color HDR enabled through Windows. The picture left little to the imagination – colors seemed to pop off the screen and the 4K resolution provided exquisite detail right down to the patches on Bond’s uniform. HDR effects from muzzle flashes and explosions were dazzling in dark environments.

When I watched Zootopia 2, I switched off HDR and used SDR multi-zone strong. Colors looked exquisite, and brightness was borderline excessive in a darker room. Bright objects like lamps almost seemed overexposed, but they weren’t – the display was simply that bright, and colors were so saturated that I found it hard to look away.

The Scar 18’s numbers are from its default out-of-the-box display settings. In color coverage, its 77.9% DCI-P3 coverage was last in the group – Alienware's OLED screen achieved 93.7% — but is still high enough to create vibrant-looking colors. Its 428.2-nit peak brightness was mid-pack, brighter than the Alienware's 368.6 nits but well back from Razer's 538 nits.

Also shown in our charts are the multi-zone strong settings, which produced 584.6 nits of brightness, with parts peaking at 625 nits. Enabling HDR, we measured an astounding 1,124 nits at 10%, 1,090 nits at 40%, and 943 nits at 100%. If you're looking for one of the brightest laptop displays around, the Scar 18 ranks high on the list.

Keyboard and Touchpad on the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 (2026)

The Scar 18’s keyboard is great for gaming – the keys require enough actuation force that resting your fingers on WASD or the arrow keys won’t produce accidental presses. Key travel is communicative in the sense your fingers know exactly when a key is at the top or bottom of the stroke. The bright RGB backlight is sharp and easy to see.

The keyboard is less ideal for productivity. The tactile feel is rather lifeless, though I still managed 126 words per minute with 99% accuracy in my usual MonkeyType run. Layout-wise, a two-thirds-size number pad on an 18-inch laptop is a miss – there’s plenty of space to make it full-size. Additionally, the arrow key cluster isn’t separated out, resulting in no right Ctrl key, and there are no dedicated Home, End, Page Up, or Page Down keys. Asus does, however, provide five dedicated macro keys, a rarity on any laptop. These are configurable in the Armoury Crate app.

Asus’ mechanical touchpad is excellent, with an expansive surface and a smooth but fingerprint-resistant surface coating. Its clicking action is quiet.

Audio on the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 (2026)

The Scar 18’s quad-speaker array delivers a decent, if not remarkable, audio experience. In 007: First Light, soft details like the footsteps of approaching enemies were easy to pinpoint, thanks to the expansive soundstage – there’s plenty of room to separate the speaker placement on a laptop this large. Bass is muted, though, resulting in explosions and gunfire that don’t stir up as much excitement as they could.

In Phil Collins’ “Don’t Lose My Number,” high hats on drum hits were sharp but missed low-end bump. Switching to the Chainsmokers’ “Summertime Friends,” I also noted the lack of bass, though the vocals were crisp. The overall sound signature is on the hollow side, but that can be sharpened up using the Atmos Detailed equalizer in the Dolby Access app. None of the equalizers made up for the lack of bass, though. Volume levels are also moderate – I found myself pushing at least 80% volume for most situations.

Upgradeability of the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 (2026)

Getting inside the Scar 18 couldn’t be easier – simply slide the latch below the palm rest, slide the entire bottom panel forward, and lift it away. You don't even need tools.

Upgrade possibilities include two M.2 slots, two SODIMM slots, and the battery.

Battery Life on the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 (2026)

Our battery test consists of web browsing, running OpenGL tests, and streaming videos with the screen at 150 nits while connected to Wi-Fi.

One minute shy of the five-hour mark, the Scar 18 demonstrates respectable battery life for an 18-inch gaming laptop. The Razer lasted half an hour longer (5:31) and the MSI Raider (8:34) clearly does a better job conserving power, but the Scar 18 did outperform the Alienware (3:33) by several hours.

Heat on the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 (2026)

We measure the surface temperatures of gaming laptops while running the Metro Exodus stress test. Peak temperatures were 91 degrees Fahrenheit on the keyboard between the G and H keys, 90 F on the touchpad, and 108 F on the underside near the cooling vents. Internally, the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus averaged 66 Celsius while the RTX 5090 ran at 64 C.

The laptop’s fans are well-behaved for daily use. Though fan noise increases while gaming, I had no trouble hearing footsteps and distant conversations in 007: First Light using the built-in speakers.

Webcam on the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 (2026)

Asus’ FHD webcam has the minimum resolution expected on a modern laptop. The picture looks soft and washed out. Highlights aren’t handled that well – a window in the background appeared blown out – and I had trouble making out details on my face from just a few feet away. Gamers who value visual quality will want to invest in an external webcam.

Software and Warranty on the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 (2026)

Asus includes a useful software bundle, starting with the familiar Armoury Crate. This app provides component monitoring, a macro editor, game library, an exhaustive amount of display settings, and lighting settings via Aura Sync and AniMe Vision. Accessing some settings is unintuitive since you need to go to the Device section and select the laptop. There you can access Windows key and Touchpad toggles and several display settings, including panel overdrive (240 Hz refresh rate). Most settings can be saved in profiles.

The MyAsus app is more generic. In addition to diagnostics and system updates, it provides a battery care mode, microphone noise cancelation, and networking preferences that allow prioritizing traffic to games or other apps.†

The Scar 18 also works with Asus’ GlideX app to share content across devices, including phones and tablets.

Asus includes a standard one-year warranty.

Configurations

Asus offers two Scar 18 configurations with only the GPU different between them – model G835LWG-DB96 uses an RTX 5080 for $4,299.99 while our review model, G835LXG-DB96, steps up to the RTX 5090 for $4,999.99. All other components are the same: a Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus processor, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and the 18-inch mini-LED display.

Pricing is slightly higher than Razer’s Blade 18 with the RTX 5080 – it was $4,099 at this writing. Razer runs $5,399 with the RTX 5090, but that price also includes a 2TB SSD.

Bottom Line

The Scar 18 is an undeniably impressive machine that goes all-in on visuals. Its mini-LED “Nebula” display looks breathtaking when properly configured, producing exceptional brightness. The AniMe scrolling marquee, dedicated macro keys, and easy serviceability also elevate its appeal.

However, when it comes to performance, the Scar 18’s single-channel RAM and lack of a PCIe 4.0 SSD are significant shortcomings on a $4,999.99 machine. Several of our gaming benchmarks and multi-core CPU performance showed meaningful dips against Razer’s Blade 18. Additionally, while its display is brilliant, the maze of settings required to unlock its potential means it doesn’t provide the best experience out of the box.

Overall, the Scar 18 is a formidable and visually stunning laptop with plenty of power and one of the best displays you’ll find in a laptop. It simply doesn’t perform consistently enough to displace the Blade 18 as our top recommendation among elite 18-inch gaming laptops.

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The Cyborg 15 is the definite value play wth its $1,089 asking price (a $510 discount). That price gets you an Intel Core 7-240H processor, 16GB of DDR5 memory, and a 1TB SSD. The Series 2 “Raptor Lake” processor has a maximum turbo frequency of 5.2 GHz and 10 cores in total: 6 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores. You’ll also find an 8GB GeForce RTX 5070 discrete GPU.

Front and center is a 15.6-inch 1080p IPS display with a maximum refresh rate of 144 Hz. Also on deck are a four-zone RGB keyboard, Wi-Fi 6E/Bluetooth 5.3, and a 55.2 WHr battery. Regarding ports, the Cyborg 15 has a healthy balance of USB-A and USB-C ports along with a GbE port (which is becoming rarer these days as manufacturers aim for thinness).

If you need a bit more spring in your gaming step, look no further than the MSI Vector 16, priced at $1,899, or a discount of $800. This system delivers a healthy performance boost over the Cyborg 15, which uses a Core Ultra 9 275HX processor. This “Arrow Lake” chip has 24 cores in total (8 performance, 16 efficiency), a maximum turbo frequency of 5.4 GHz, and 40MB of total L2 cache.

You still get 16GB of DDR5 memory and a 1TB SSD, but you also get a big performance boost with a 16GB GeForce RTX 5080 GPU. Not only do you get a higher-resolution, larger 16-inch panel (2560 x 1600) with a 240 Hz refresh rate, but you also get a much larger 80 Wh battery to power the system. As for the keyboard, you get another upgrade courtesy of a 24-zone RGB setup.

Both of these MSI laptops are compelling options for gamers, no matter your budget. Especially with the Vector 16, which offers a lot of bang for the buck at $1,799. After all, that value proposition is made even more abundantly clear, as who would have thought we’d live in the age of $1,800 handheld gaming PCs?

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Even when you game on a portable device, some people want the biggest screen they can find. The Razer Blade 18 looks at some of the best gaming laptops — largely 16-inchers — and calls them tiny.

This system, at $5,399.99 as tested (and starting at $3,999.99) has a huge price tag, but that comes with strong build quality, top-end specs, and a dual-mode display that lets you switch between higher resolution and higher frame rates depending on what you're doing.

The Blade 18 and its aluminum chassis do have some drawbacks. The machine runs quite warm, with loud fans, and at this price, I wish Razer had taken advantage of the PCIe Gen 5 slot with an appropriate drive.

Design of the Razer Blade 18 (2026)

Razer's industrial design hasn't seen a change in a while, so the Blade 18 appears identical to the way it did last year. It's a CNC aluminum block with a Spartan, rectangular design. There is a bit of flex right behind the green, three-headed snake logo at the center of the lid, which I wish didn't exist in a design this premium.

Otherwise, though, the Blade feels rock solid. It's also tremendous, at 15.74 x 10.84 x 1.1 inches and 7.06 pounds before the 400W power brick. It just fits in my backpack, which definitely isn't designed for a system this large. The all-black affair is interrupted only by the 18-inch screen and the per-key RGB on the keyboard.

There are a ton of ports on this system. The left is lined with a proprietary power port, Ethernet, a pair of USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. On the right, you'll find the Thunderbolt 5 port, HDMI 2.1, another USB-A port, the SD card slot, and a Kensington lock slot.

The two different Thunderbolt ports aren't labeled. I wish Razer had made it clear which is which without looking it up or plugging a device in.

Razer Blade 18 (2026) Specifications

Gaming and Graphics on the Razer Blade 18 (2026)

Between the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus CPU and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090, the Blade 18 can tackle just about anything you throw at it.

In Resident Evil Requiem, with the resolution set to 3840 x 2400 and settings topped out, including path tracing and hair strands, the game typically ran between 30 and 37 frames per second, though it dropped to 28 FPS during a scene in which Leon was chased by a giant spider. Upscaling was forced on, so I opted for quality, but left frame gen off. By dropping to 2560 x 1440, I had a more consistent 49-57 FPS, including during a boss fight with that spider.

Soon after, I realized that the 3840 x 2400 display mode had forced me into a 60 Hz refresh rate while gaming. Switching to 1920 x 1200 mode, the same boss fight at a lower resolution ran around 90 FPS.

On our benchmarks, we found that the Blade 18 didn't deliver a meaningful performance bump over last year's model, which utilized a Core Ultra 9 275HX with the RTX 5090 (our review model from last year also had 64GB of RAM). The Blade 18 beat out the MSI Raider 16 HX and Alienware 16 Area-51 at 1920 x 1200 in our tests, though in some cases the leads were small. In most cases, the Blade 18 at 3840 x 2400 ran very similarly to last year's system at the higher resolution. The Alienware and Raider top out at 2560 x 1600, a much more common resolution on gaming laptops these days.

On our stress test, which consists of running Metro Exodus 15 times in a loop, the Blade 18 averaged 146.03 FPS. The system actually did best after three runs, when it warmed up, and never dipped back down. During this test, the CPU's performance cores averaged 5.14 GHz while the E-cores averaged 2 GHz. The GPU ran at an average of 1,986.32 MHZ.

Productivity Performance on the Razer Blade 18 (2026)

We tested the Blade 18 with a Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD. Unsurprisingly, it's a strong competitor.

On Geekbench 6, the Blade 18's single-core score of 3,170 and multi-core score of 20,166 are admirable, but not terribly different from last year. In fact, the multi-core score was down a few points. Both the Alienware 16 Area-51 and MSI Raider 16 Max HX, each with the same CPU as this Blade 18, were slightly faster on both the single and multi-core tests.

The new Blade copied 25GB of files at a rate of 1,670.53 MBps, beating the MSI Raider 16 Max HX, but falling far behind the Alienware's PCIe Gen 5 SSD, which Razer supports but didn't include, even in a laptop over $5,000.

The Blade 18 transcoded a 4K video to 1080p in 2 minutes and 1 second, effectively the same as last year. That's faster than the Alienware, but the Raider did the job in 1:51.

Display on the Razer Blade 18 (2026)

The big (sorry) selling point on the Blade 18 is its massive, 18-inch display. The dual-mode display can switch between 3840 x 2400 at 240 Hz for productivity work or 1920 x 1200 at 440 Hz for gaming, though this does require a reboot in some instances. While trying to game at 4K, I was limited to just 60 Hz even when plugged in.

The Dual-mode is a unique advantage, though some people might prefer OLED for gaming at this price. That being said, I haven't seen 18-inch OLED panels, so Razer may have opted for dual-mode as advantageous over Mini LED. There aren't too many gaming laptops that offer 4K resolution these days.

In Resident Evil Requiem, I found myself wishing for the black levels on OLED screens in dark environments. Still, when Leon shot a gas can that exploded into an orange fireball during the game's infamous spider boss fight, it was quite vivid.

The biggest change Razer is promising outside of performance over last year's model is a brighter screen. At 538 nits, it was brighter than last year's model (467.6 nits) and both the Alienware and MSI Raider.

The color volume coverage didn't change, however, at 80.8% DCI-P3 and 114.1% sRGB. The Raider was slightly higher, while the Alienware led the pack with its OLED screen.

Keyboard and Touchpad on the Razer Blade 18

Razer outfitted the Blade 18 with a full keyboard, including a number pad. Razer claims 1.5 mm key travel and 63 grams of actuation, along with a 1,000 Hz polling rate and N-Key rollover for gaming.

Using MonkeyType, I hit 115 words per minute with 97% accuracy, which is fairly standard for me. The keys are comfortable enough, though I've seen competitors like MSI and Alienware use mechanical switches in their most expensive halo products. That would be a nice addition here.

The layout is fine, but in its quest for a totally symmetrical layout, Razer used half-size up and down arrow keys and full-size left and right keys. I prefer an "inverted T", no matter which size is used, but this comes down to preference.

The touchpad is massive. At this price, I'd really like to see haptics, but Razer has opted for a standard mechanical touchpad. You can use it relatively high up, but clicks get stuck above the halfway point, leaving some of that space just for moving the cursor. There's plenty of room for gestures, though.

Razer put the touchpad in the center of the palm rest. That looks great aesthetically, but it means that when you're not using the number pad, you're likely to hit it with your hand while typing. Most gamers will use a separate gaming mouse, but if you're the type of AI developer Razer is aiming this machine at, and you're working on the go, you might accidentally move the mouse while using the keyboard. (You can disable the touchpad with a press of the decimal key on the number pad.)

Audio on the Razer Blade 18

The Razer Blade 18 has a six-speaker sound system, with four firing upward and two down-firing speakers. They support THX Spatial Audio (THX is owned by Razer), and can be customized in Razer Synapse.

These speakers are very loud. They could fill my apartment at just above 50% volume. "Raise Him Up," the immensely catchy satirical gospel tune off the soundtrack to Season 5 of The Boys, filled my home with actor Daveed Digg's voice, along with horns, a choir, and drums. I've heard better audio, particularly when it comes to pure clarity and bass, but this is pretty solid, especially if you like your music and games loud. Playing with the well-labeled ranges in Synapse THX did help me draw out the vocals and low-end from the busy track.

In Resident Evil Requiem, the speakers showed off. When Leon stepped on a skull in Racoon City, the crunch was sharp. In a boss battle with a giant spider, the shrieks were terrifying, and the gunshots were booming. Someone from my office politely came over and asked me to turn it down. I couldn't blame them.

Upgradeability on the Razer Blade 18 (2026)

Twelve Torx 4 screws hold the Blade 18's bottom to the chassis. Once I removed them, the base popped off with just my hands, and no worrying plastic clips. That's about as easy as it gets unless you have a dedicated door to components.

There are two SSD slots. On our review unit, the PCIe 4 slot was already filled, but you can add a second SSD to a slot that supports PCIe 5. The Wi-Fi card is removable, as is the slotted RAM, which is under shielding.

The battery is replaceable as well, though there is a fan integrated in the middle of the battery, so you'll need to be sure to disconnect the fan connector from the motherboard before removing the screws. This is a fascinating battery, and it might be harder to get than more standard shapes.

Battery Life on the Razer Blade 18 (2026)

When it comes to 18-inch gaming laptops, portable really is a turn of phrase. You'll largely want this thing plugged in for performance, if for no other reason than that it's huge.

That being said, it can run off the battery for a decent amount of time. On our test, which browses the web, streams videos, and runs light OpenGL tasks with the screen set to 150 nits of brightness, the Blade lasted for 5 hours and 31 minutes. That's slightly longer than last year, and a big improvement over the Alienware (3:33). But the MSI Raider lasted the longest of the bunch at 8:34 — a full workday.

Heat on the Razer Blade 18 (2026)

The Blade's vapor chamber and tri-fan cooling have their work cut out for them. The system still gets hot under use.

After 15 runs of the Metro Exodus benchmark, the keyboard was hot to the touch at 109 degrees Fahrenheit. The touchpad was cooler at 100 F (though that's still toasty for a touchpad), while the bottom of the system was 116 F at the hottest point.

The CPU measured 88.90 degrees Celsius during the test, while the GPU averaged 69.62 C.

Webcam on the Razer Blade 18 (2026)

The Blade 18 comes equipped with a 5-megapixel webcam. Its biggest strength may be in color accuracy. In our well-lit office, it caught the exact shade of red-orange in my shirt, and some tired bags under my eyes after a long weekend. It did, however, have some graininess.

The camera system includes infrared for Windows Hello login duties, as well as a physical privacy shutter.

Software and Warranty on the Razer Blade 18 (2026)

The only software on the Razer Blade 18 is the company's Synapse app. It does a ton, including managing macros, letting you set custom profiles for games, adjusting lighting and audio, and setting performance modes. There's a lot here. Unfortunately, there are a few ads for Razer's hardware, but they're not too intrusive.

Razer sells the Blade 18 with a 1-year warranty on the laptop and a 2-year warranty on the battery.

The company has two RazerCare plans, Essential ($729.99) and Elite ($999.99), which extend your warranty to 3 years and add 24-hour claim support and coverage for mechanical failures and surge protection. Only the Elite plan covers accidental damage.

Razer Blade 18 (2026) Configurations

The Razer Blade 18 is supremely expensive. We tested it with an Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU, 32GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage, which adds up to $5,399.99.

The cheapest version is $3,999.99, with the same processor, an RTX 5070 Ti, 32GB of memory, and 1TB of storage. A maxed-out version is $6,999.99 and is identical to what we reviewed, except with 128GB of RAM, which is pointed more at AI developers.

As of this writing, last year's models with a Core Ultra 9 275HX are still available, and they're all $500 less than this year's version. Given the CPU upgrades aren't huge, that's a discount worth considerling.

Bottom Line

If you want one of the biggest gaming rigs with top-end components, a bright, dual-mode screen, and tons of ports, the Blade 18 will absolutely fit the bill. But that bill will be expensive, with the system starting at $4,000 and getting more expensive from there (our review unit goes for $5,399).

For those who want an 18-inch gaming rig with few compromises, this is the one to get if you can afford it. Last year's model is $500 cheaper with a Core Ultra 9 275HX, but you'll also lose the brighter screen. I'm not sure how many people dropping $4,000-$6,000 care about that extra $500, but it's worth noting.

Here at Computex 2026 in Taipei, Asus held an early press event to showcase its updated Zenbook, Expertbook, and Strix Scar laptops, along with the new TUF T700 gaming desktop. The additions to the Zenbook and Vivo series, the Zenbook 14 (3 different models), and Vivobook Series (S14/S16 and S14/16 Flip) promise to, according to Asus, ‘elevate the everyday computing experience’ with an all-metal construction, updated branding (the shell will only say Asus now), and new colorways including Arctic Blue and Komodo Coral for a more personalized look. Meanwhile, the company’s compact TUF Gaming T700 desktop bumps up its specs and moves to a proprietary motherboard.

The Zenbook 14 laptops use Intel, AMD, or a Snapdragon processor, with up to 24GB of RAM (16GB for Snapdragon-based models) and up to 512GB of PCIe 4.0 NVMe storage (Snapdragon model, the others do not list 512GB as a maximum). The Intel-based SKU (UX3480AA) sports up to a 3K (2880x1800) 14-inch OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, while the AMD and Snapdragon SKUs (UX3480GA and UX3480QA, respectively) use an FHD (1920x1200) screen with a 60Hz refresh rate. They all include Wi-Fi 6E and offer typical connectivity, including audio combo jacks, HDMI, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, and Type-C – the latter supports PD and DP support for charging and display output. Each has at least one 40 Gbps Type-C port, with the Snapdragon-based Zenbook shipping with two. The Vivobook S14/S16 Flip, with its Snapdragon X (orX Plus) and flexible 360-degree design (laptop/tablet/tent), also receives new colorway options.

In addition to the Zenbooks, we also saw the new Expertbook B5 Flip G2, a 360-degree convertible designed for hybrid workflows for business professionals, students, and educators who are looking for flexibility, performance, and security. It even hides the stylus in its thin (0.58-inches) and light (2.9 lbs) chassis. Specs-wise, it’s powered by the Intel Core 7 350 processor, an 18 TOPS NPU, and Intel graphics. You can pack it with up to 32 GB of LPDDRX5 RAM and up to 1TB of PCIe 4.0 SSD storage, and it has plenty of connectivity, including TB4 USB-C ports, HDMI, and two USB 3.2 gen 1 Type-A ports, all in a Gentle Grey finish.

The Expertbooks, P5 (14-inch) and PM5 G2 (16-inch) are enterprise-grade devices and feature Asus ExpertGuardian and a NIST PSP 800--1930 compliant BIOS and other various safeguards, including a fingerprint sensor, physical webcam shield, and more. Performance-wise, both Expertbooks' NPUs exceed 40 TOPS.

Asus also showed off its ROG Strix G16/G18 and Strix Scar gaming laptops for 2026, with minor hardware updates. The Scar 18 now supports up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX processor with 200W sustained power (from the 275HX), along with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 laptop GPU with max power up to 175 TGP – a gaming beast, no doubt. Both the G16 and G18 get a bump in GPU performance, with the G16 offering an RTX 5080 laptop GPU and the G18 an RTX 5070 laptop GPU. The illuminated numeric keypad, which looks cool in person, I must admit, also made its way to the G16 and G18 (from the familiar ROG Zephyrus and Zenbook lines). I'm not sure how useful that will be on a laptop designed more for gaming, but it's a nice aesthetic touch. Pricing wasn’t listed, but you should see these, along with the updated Zenbook/Vivobooks, available early in the second half of 2026.

The TUF T700 Gaming PC is an updated version of the T500, with a different (and better-looking) chassis and access to more powerful CPUs. The new boards sport up to an Intel Core U9-275HX or an AMD Ryzen 7-8700F APU. The inside of the chassis includes a 240mm TUF-branded AIO, a PCIe 4.0 storage interface, up to 64GB of SO-DIMM DDR5-5200 MT/s RAM (we’d like to see faster spec-RAM), an efficient 80 Plus Platinum power supply, and up to an Nvidia RTX 5070 Prime graphics, an increase over the last generation T series that maxed out with an RTX 5060 Ti (16GB). Asus will also use a proprietary motherboard in these systems, with a proprietary form factor that resembles MicroATX, with an extra ‘tab’ protruding along the right edge to support additional USB ports.

The incremental, sometimes mostly aesthetic-only, updates on laptops aren’t exactly exciting, but when you’re in the middle of a CPU lifecycle from both camps and video card upgrades have also stalled (thanks, AI), there isn’t a whole lot laptop makers can do. That said, we’re told Asus’ booth at the convention center has something special they couldn’t share at this pre-briefing, so keep an eye out for additional coverage of Asus at Computex 2026 in the coming days to see what it and dozens of other companies will have to offer as the year progresses.

Acer is bringing two new gaming laptops, along with a handful of interesting companion pieces, to Computex 2026.

Headlining the laptops is the Predator Helios 18 AI, packing up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus and RTX 5090 mobile GPU. The smaller Acer Nitro 16 tops out lower at a mobile RTX 5070 Ti, but comes with a CPU from AMD: either the Ryzen 9 9955HX, or the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D with AMD’s coveted 3D V-Cache. Joining the two flagship devices, which are looking to earn a spot among the best gaming laptops, are a streaming-only handheld called the Nitro Blaze Link, a travel backpack with integrated USB-C laptop charging, and a TKL keyboard boasting an 8,000 Hz polling rate.

The Predator Helios 18 AI is naturally Acer’s flagship device this year, packing top-level specs from Nvidia and Intel. Outside of the main compute, the laptop supports up to 256GB of DDR5 memory (no word on speeds yet), as well as 6 TB of storage, including three PCIe 5.0 NVMe slots. The platform provides Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity, including support for Intel Killer DoubleShot Pro, allowing you to leverage the included RJ-45 plug and your normal Wi-Fi connection simultaneously.

Acer unsurprisingly built out the connectivity of the laptop. In addition to an RJ45 plug (presumably Gigabit, but Acer hasn’t confirmed speed yet), the Predator Helios 18 AI comes with dual Thunderbolt 5 ports (Type-C), two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A ports, a single USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, HDMI 2.1, a full-sized SD card reader, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The laptop is large, coming in at 15.8 inches wide and 12.1 inches tall, with a thickness of 0.68 inches at the thinnest point and 1.2 inches at the thickest. It’s heavy, as well, clocking in at 7.7 pounds, partially due to the 99 Wh battery.

Rounding out the laptop is an 18-inch 4K mini-LED display with a resolution of 3840 x 2400 (16:10). Acer claims the panel can reach 1,000 nits, and it allows you to switch between 4K and 1080p resolutions, either at 120 Hz for 4K or 240 Hz for 1080p. The display supports Nvidia G-Sync and Advanced Optimus to leverage the integrated GPU when you’re away from the charger. Powering audio is an array of six speakers under Acer’s Predator Vox branding, along with support for DTS:X Ultra.

On the key deck, Acer is offering a mechanical keyboard with its Predator MagKey 4.0 switches, allowing you to swap key caps on some switches. You can also deck out the lighting with per-key RGB. Acer hasn’t announced pricing or availability for the laptop yet, but given the current state of DRAM and NAND prices, the Helios 18 AI will likely start at several thousand dollars.

The Acer Nitro 16 is smaller in both size and specs, but it still packs in some powerful hardware. Taking the CPU slot is either the Ryzen 9 9955HX or 9955HX3D, the latter of which we’ve only seen in a handful of devices. The Nitro 16 doesn’t support an RTX 5090, but Acer is still offering the laptop with up to an RTX 5070 Ti mobile GPU with 12GB of GDDR7 VRAM.

Compared to the Helios 18 AI, everything is more sensible. You can pack up to 32GB of DDR5-5600 memory, and up to 2 TB of storage across two PCIe 4.0 slots. Connectivity is still decent with a USB 4 Type-C port, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, a single USB 2.0 port, HDMI 2.1, a microSD card slot, 3.5 mm headphone jack, and an RJ-45 connector. Wireless connectivity is still provided through an Intel chipset, sporting Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

For the display, you get a 16-inch 2560 x 1600 (16:10) panel with a 240 Hz refresh rate, with claimed response times of 3 ms, alongside Nvidia G-Sync and Advanced Optimus. Acer includes two speakers with DTS:X Ultra, alongside a Full HD webcam. Like the Predator Helios 18 AI, we don’t have pricing or availability details for the Nitro 16 yet, but Acer describes it as “a value-driven powerhouse,” so hopefully it won’t be too expensive.

Acer Nitro Blaze Link, Aethon 750 TKL, and Robust Plus

Alongside the two laptops, Acer revealed a handful of new companion devices. Chief among them is the Nitro Blaze Link, which is a streaming-only handheld that’s designed to work on your home network. The handheld uses the streaming clients Sunshine or Moonlight on top of a Debian-based OS to stream games from your main rig. The handheld isn’t capable of running games locally (at least not officially). Acer hasn’t shared what chip is powering the handheld, but with just 1 GB of LPDDR4-2133 and 8 GB of eMMC flash storage, you shouldn’t expect much.

Without any real compute under the hood, the Nitro Blaze Link is light at only 464 grams, or just a smidge over 1 pound. It charges with just 15W over USB-C and includes a single-cell 18 Wh battery, alongside a Wi-Fi 6 antenna. The screen is a 7-inch 1920 x 1200 display with five-point multi-touch, and you get a pair of built-in 2W speakers. Again, Acer hasn’t shared pricing or availability for the Nitro Blaze Link.

Outside of mobile devices, Acer has the Aethon 750 TKL and Robust Plus backpack. The Aethon 750 TKL is described as a “tournament-grade keyboard,” matching the specs we’ve seen from devices from brands like Razer and Logitech, among the best gaming keyboards. The TKL keyboard features three modes of connectivity, including wired, 2.4 GHz, and Bluetooth, and it comes with a speedy 8,000 Hz polling rate.

Finally, there’s the Predator Robust Plus backpack, which is, well, a backpack that can fit up to an 18-inch laptop. It looks robust enough, pun intended, but the unique offering is an integrated passthrough cable for charging your devices from an external power bank. There are plenty of backpacks with a cable passthrough, but if you want to deck out your travel setup with all Acer gear, you can.

Computex 2026 is just getting underway, and Tom’s Hardware is on the ground in Taipei to check out all of the latest announcements. Hopefully, we’ll be able to see Acer’s latest devices in the flesh, alongside reveals from several other brands.

MSI’s Raider 16 Max HX (starting at $2,999) is one of the fastest gaming laptops, featuring an Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus CPU and up to an Nvidia RTX 5090. Besides performance, this laptop delivers a vibrant OLED display and lasts much longer on battery than expected.

While it’s missing a mechanical keyboard and could use a faster storage drive, it remains a viable pick if you’ve got the cash – our RTX 5090 review model is priced at a lofty $4,099.

Design of the MSI Raider 16 Max HX

The Raider’s thick chassis, flashy LED lighting, and lid graphics make no attempt to hide its gaming pedigree. The light bar along the front edge of the chassis and the shield logo on the lid back are customizable for effects and colors in the SteelSeries GG app. The laptop pulls off an aggressive look without overdoing it. Ignoring its size, there’s not a lot to attract the eye with the lighting disabled.

Measuring 14.29 by 10.62 by 1.14 inches (WDH), the Raider occupies a similar footprint compared to the Alienware 16 Area-51 (14.37 by 11.41 by 1.12 inches) and Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (13.94 x 10.55 x 0.90 inches). However, the MSI is easily the lightest of the group, at 5.73 pounds versus Alienware’s 7.49 and Asus’ 6.28 pounds.

The Raider's construction might have something to do with that – while the chassis feels solid enough, it definitely feels plasticky. The lid is aluminum, but it feels thin and flexes more than I expected. At least the lid’s hinges are smooth and sturdy.

MSI’s port selection is practical, with ports on three sides. On the left are two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports and an SD card reader; on the right, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 and an audio jack; and on the back, 2.5 Gbps Ethernet, HDMI 2.1, and another USB-A port. The 400 W power brick attaches to a USB-like proprietary connector on the back. The laptop also features a cable lock slot on the left edge. Inside, the Raider utilizes a Killer BE1750 networking card supporting the latest Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 standards.

MSI Raider 16 Max HX Specifications

Gaming and Graphics on the MSI Raider 16 Max HX

We tested the Raider 16 Max HX in flagship form, featuring a Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus processor, RTX 5090 graphics card, and 32GB of RAM.

Playing F1 24 at 2560 x 1600 with Ultra High settings and DLSS disabled, I saw the game average in the mid to low 90s when monitoring frames per second. The Raider didn’t skip a beat.

The high-end gaming laptops in our comparison lineup include the Alienware 16 Area-51 (Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, RTX 5080 175 W, $4,309), Asus’ ROG Strix Scar 16 (Core Ultra 9 275HX, RTX 5080 175 W, $3,299), and Razer’s last-gen Blade 18 (Core Ultra 9 275HX, RTX 5090 175 W, $5,199). All share the same class of CPU, with our MSI and the Alienware sporting the Arrow Lake Refresh chips, and all use an Nvidia RTX graphics card with a maximum graphics power rating of 175 W.

Our comparisons focus on FPS at 1920 x 1080, but we also included results at each laptop’s native resolution, which was 2560 x 1600 for all except the Razer’s 3840 x 2400.

On Shadow of the Tomb Raider at the Highest detail preset, the Raider’s 197 FPS at 1080p was second only to the Razer (213 FPS) and edged ahead of the Alienware (191 FPS). The Raider produced the best numbers at native resolution, with 134 FPS next to the Alienware’s 116 FPS and the Asus’ 112 FPS. These differences are slight but show that the RTX 5090, which is also present in the Razer, offers a touch more performance than the RTX 5080 found in the Alienware and Asus.

Running Cyberpunk 2077 at the Ray Tracing Ultra preset, the RTX 5090 laptops continued distinguishing themselves, with the Raider again topping the charts. Its 70 FPS was just behind the Razer (74 FPS) but well ahead of the Alienware (63 FPS) and Asus (61 FPS). It maintained that lead at native resolution, producing 42 FPS against Alienware’s 39 FPS and Asus’ 35 FPS.

Moving to Far Cry 6 at the game’s Ultra preset, these laptops produced mostly indistinguishable performance, though the Raider slightly edged ahead of the Alienware and Asus at 1080p.

The Raider continued its strong performance in Red Dead Redemption 2 at Medium settings, where its 130 FPS at 1080p outpaced the Alienware’s 123 FPS but was just shy of Razer’s 132 FPS. Meanwhile, it dominated native resolution, with 90 FPS against the 77 FPS each produced by Alienware and Asus.

Testing Borderlands 3 at the “Badass” preset, the Raider tied with Razer with 189 FPS for the highest 1080p number, clearly surpassing the Alienware (164 FPS) and Asus (156 FPS). This gap is wider than we saw in some of the other games.

MSI’s Raider delivers excellent gaming performance, landing neck-and-neck with the larger Blade 18. Its RTX 5090 delivers marginal but measurable performance advantages over Alienware’s RTX 5080 system, which runs at the same maximum graphics power. That said, the differences might not be noticeable to most gamers; MSI also offers this laptop with RTX 5080 for about $600 less. The RTX 5090’s other differentiator is its larger 24GB frame buffer versus the RTX 5080’s 16GB, though the latter is already more than enough for today’s games.

We stress test gaming laptops running 15 loops of the Metro Exodus stress test at RTX settings. During the test, the Raider averaged 142.3 FPS across all runs with almost no variance, starting the first loop at 143.5 FPS and finishing the final loop at 142.8 FPS. The Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus averaged 4.51 GHz on its P-cores and 2.59 GHz on its E-cores while the RTX 5090’s average boost clock was 1.99 GHz.

Productivity Performance on the MSI Raider 16 Max HX

We evaluated the Raider with a Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus processor, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. It’s notable MSI includes a PCIe 4.0 drive, not a PCIe 5.0 drive as we’d expect in a high-end gaming laptop. (One of its two M.2 slots supports PCIe 5.0 drives, MSI simply doesn’t equip it with a PCIe 5.0 drive.)

In Geekbench 6, these laptops are essentially neck-and-neck, though the refreshed Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus chips in the Raider and Alienware perform marginally better than the Core Ultra 9 275HX in the others. The real-world differences between these chips will likely go unnoticed.

In our 25GB file transfer test, MSI’s Raider performed well below par, with 1,357.93 MBps against the next-fastest Asus, with 1,841.41 MBps, and nowhere near the Alienware’s 2,738.9 MBps.

The Raider bounced back in Handbrake, completing the test in the shortest time at 1 minute and 51 seconds. The Alienware was the next quickest at an even two minutes, with the Razer (2:07) and Asus (2:24) trailing.

Display on the MSI Raider 16 Max HX

The Raider’s 2560 x 1600 OLED display is one of its best features, offering a world-class picture for multimedia and everything else. Watching Blade Runner 2049, I noticed subtle creases on K’s trench coat, mesmerizing colors on Joi’s holograph, and the intricate detail in Wallace’s eyes. I also admired the searing brightness of my lightsaber and the feel of total blackness in caves and unlit rooms in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. The 240 Hz refresh rate translates to smooth scrolling and no frame tearing. For immersion in any kind of media, this screen is sure to please.

These laptops use different screen technologies – OLED for the MSI and Alienware and mini-LED for the Asus and Razer. OLED demonstrates better color coverage, with the Raider’s 86.1% higher than Asus’ 81.2% and Razer’s 80% but not quite matching the Alienware’s 93.7%. However, the Raider’s 456-nit peak brightness was much sunnier than the Alienware’s 369 nits and practically tied the Asus and Razer.

In our HDR testing, not shown in the charts, the Raider’s 40% average was 991 nits and 100% average was 600 nits.

Keyboard and Touchpad on the MSI Raider 16 Max HX

MSI’s keyboard prioritizes gaming and makes some curious layout choices in the process. There’s no left Fn key, which has been moved next to the arrow keys. Oddly, another slash key is there, too. The MSI Center app allows toggling the Windows key and/or swapping it with the Fn key, but those use to left-handed Fn and Windows key shortcuts will need to adjust.

The arrow keys are full-size but the three-column number pad isn’t, which has a strange layout and tiny keys – it probably should have been left out in favor of dedicated macro or media control keys. Macros can still be configured in the SteelSeries GG app, but nothing beats dedicated keys.

Typing feel is quite satisfying, though, with a crisp keypress, just enough travel, and a rigid deck. I managed 119 words per minute with 99% accuracy in my usual MonkeyType run. A mechanical keyboard might further improve the typing experience; alas, MSI doesn’t offert one on this model, though Alienware does on its Aurora..

Keyboard backlighting is also more than bright enough and customizable in per-key RGB fashion, with patterns and layered effects using SteelSeries GG. In another gaming flourish, the WASD and arrow keys are transparent and appear extra bright.

MSI’s touchpad is also superb. Though it’s top-hinged rather than haptic, it clicks predictably and has plenty of surface area relative to the 16-inch display.

Audio on the MSI Raider 16 Max HX

MSI’s built-in speakers satisfy casual listening. User-facing in the screen hinge, they project well even if the laptop isn’t on a solid surface. Bass doesn’t thump but is present, adding a sense of immersion in games and movies. The included Nahimic audio app provides equalizers that make the speakers sound much fuller than they would otherwise be, though beyond enabling the basic preset for Movies, Music, or Gaming, I didn’t hear a benefit to tweaking the other settings, such as bass and treble boost.

In Blade Runner 2049, I could hear the subtle strain in Lieutenant Joshi’s voice as she was being interrogated and the delicate patter of rainfall on the city streets. The Movie equalizer proved useful here, though I disabled the volume leveling feature as it made quiet scenes too loud. I also appreciated the audio in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, from the crunch of my footsteps over rocks to the piercing ignition of my lightsaber.

Upgradeability of the MSI Raider 16 Max HX

MSI simplified the Raider’s upgradeability by housing all common components under a dedicated upgrade panel, secured with two Philips-head screws.

Behind the panel are the two SODIMM slots and two M.2 2280 PCIe slots, making these upgrades simple.

Removing the entire bottom panel is necessary to access the 92 Whr battery and the M.2 2230 wireless card. After removing the Philips-head screws around the edges, all of which are the same length, I found there was one more in the center under the upgrade panel that was hard to spot. Finding a gap between the chassis halves where I could fit my trim removal tool proved challenging, but I was able to make one along the LED lightbar on the front edge. The panel popped free after I freed the clips along the edges.

Battery Life on the MSI Raider 16 Max HX

Our battery test consists of web browsing, running OpenGL tests, and streaming videos with the screen at 150 nits while connected to Wi-Fi. The Raider distinguished itself with a commanding time of 8 hours and 34 minutes, over two hours more than the Asus (6:30) and totally outclassing the Alienware’s 3:33.

Heat on the MSI Raider 16 Max HX

We measure gaming laptop surface temperatures while running the 15 loops of our Metro Exodus stress test. During the test, the Raider peaked at 87 degrees Fahrenheit between the keyboard G and H keys, 74 F on the touchpad, and 109 F on the underside towards the exhaust vents. Internally, the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus ran at 75 degrees Celsius across all cores while the RTX 5090 averaged 72 C.

Fan noise is well-controlled on the Raider – while gaming, the laptop’s built-in speakers are able to overpower the fan noise, and the fans are hardly noticeable for everyday tasks.

Webcam on the MSI Raider 16 Max HX

MSI’s webcam produces satisfactory video quality. Though its 1080p resolution is the minimum accepted these days, it accurately exposed my face despite the window behind me and didn’t show any grain, even in the shadows of my black t-shirt. The webcam also includes an infrared (IR) sensor for facial logins with Windows Hello and a sliding privacy shutter.

Software and Warranty on the MSI Raider 16 Max HX

Minimal software is included on the Raider. MSI Center provides hardware monitoring, support access, and settings: the Windows key can be toggled and/or swapped with the Fn key, and there’s a toggle for USB power share. The app also provides power profiles for Extreme Performance, Balanced, or Eco (Silent), and features a MUX switch for disabling the onboard graphics.

Tinkering with the keyboard and external lighting is done through the familiar SteelSeries GG app, which sees the Raider as a device. Preset lighting patterns and color themes are included, and the app provides in-depth settings for creating your own, including layered effects.

MSI backs the Raider with a one-year warranty.

MSI Raider 16 Max HX Configurations

MSI offers three Raider 16 Max HX configurations through Micro Center, all of which feature a 240 Hz OLED display, Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The only difference between them is the GPU, with the base RTX 5070 Ti model (B2WJ-002US) commanding $2,999, the RTX 5080 $3,499 (B2WI-003US), and our tested RTX 5090 model $4,099 (B2WH-004US). Our model was discounted to $3,499 at review time.

MSI’s pricing is competitive among RTX 5090 laptops. The ROG Strix Scar 16 was $4,499 directly from Asus, though it included a 2TB SSD. Meanwhile, Alienware’s 16 Area-51 listed at $4,699, though a flash sale temporarily brought it down to $3,699.

Bottom Line

MSI’s Raider 16 Max HX delivers an elite gaming experience in a laptop: its Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus and RTX 5090 push high frame rates with ease, the OLED panel looks superb, and the system stays impressively cool and quiet under load. Customizable lighting and practical connectivity round out its appeal.

At this price, though, a PCIe 5.0 SSD and more premium chassis materials would feel more appropriate. Compared with Alienware’s 16-inch Area-51, the Raider lacks a mechanical keyboard and isn’t quite as showy, but it counters with far better battery life and a noticeably brighter display. All in all, the Raider is a compelling option for anyone with the money to spend on it.

Alienware has typically positioned itself as a premium brand of laptops and desktops for PC gamers. With the new Alienware 15 laptop, however, the Dell subsidiary is boiling down to the essentials in the hopes to reach a wider user base and offer a cheaper laptop.

For the lowest-end configurations, Alienware is digging in the parts bin for some older components, including AMD Ryzen 200 ("Hawk Point Refresh") and Intel Core Series 2 ("Raptor Lake") CPU options and GPUs starting with the RTX 4050 Laptop GPU in the United States, though some regions will start with the older RTX 3050 Laptop GPU.

In the U.S., the starting configuration with an AMD Ryzen 5 220, 16GB of RAM (1x16GB DDR5-5600), 512GB of storage, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU will start at $1,299, while the cheapest Intel variant, subbing out the Ryzen chip for an Intel Core 5 210H will run $1,349. A Dell spokesperson suggested that there may be promotions that lower the prices at some point.

Those starting GPUs have just 6GB of VRAM, where as an update to the RTX 50-series options will get you a roomier 8GB.

I had access to a pre-production unit for early hands-on time, but I wasn't able to benchmark it (stay tuned for a full review for that). My initial opinions of it were that it didn't feel like an Alienware laptop. I'm used to Alienware laptops including some aluminum or premium plastics. While this system looks the part, with the Alienware head logo and rounded edges of the company's AW30 design language, the black polycarbonate lid and bottom cover feel a bit cheap. The bezels, in shiny plastic, feel like a relic of the old Dell G-Series, and the whole thing feels halfway between a standard Dell laptop and an Alienware machine.

I'm not surprised to see plain, white keyboard backlighting, similar to the Alienware Aurora line. RGB lighting is about the easiest thing to cut.

Our hands-on unit, with an RTX 4050, had a simple rear foot. If you get an RTX 50-series GPU, the company adds the cryo-chamber found on the Alienware Aurora for some extra cooling.

The keyboard has 1.3mm of key travel, and only comes with white backlight, similar to the Alienware Aurora line. On the bright side, in a short hands-on time with it, I didn't notice much flex in normal typing. You also get a 180-degree hinge.I'm not looking forward to fully testing that display. Dell claims the 15.3-inch, 1920 x 1200 screen covers 62.5% of the sRGB gamut and offers 300 nits of brightness. That sounds about right — games and movie trailers looked dim and often washed out.

On the bright side, Alienware hasn't skimped on ports here, with two USB Type-A ports, an Ethernet jack, HDMI 2.1, and a USB-C port with charging support and DisplayPort on the left side, while the right side has a 3.5 mm headphone jack and another Type-C port. These are slower, 5Gbps ports (USB 3.2 Gen 1 on all but the USB-C port on the left, which is USB 3.2 Gen 2) but if you're only using them for accessories, that shouldn't be a big deal.

Resident Evil Requiem seemed to run fine on the device at native resolution, even during a busy mid-game boss fight with tons of fire effects, but that game is extremely well-optimized. There's no unannounced silicon in this device, so we know what to expect, for the most part. But it didn't look amazing on the screen, which was dim and bland.

There will be more expensive versions, going up to an RTX 5060, 1TB of RAM, and either a Ryzen 7 or Intel Core 7 processor. Here's a table of configurations that Alienware provided:

It is understandable why Alienware is going for a cheaper laptop. Notebooks are very expensive right now, and the budget category has all but evaporated. For real deals, you often have to go several generations back on at least the CPU. This should widen the number of people considering Alienware in this market, and people who buy the entry-level system this time around may consider an Aurora or an Area-51 in a few years, alongside any of the mice, headsets, or keyboards that Alienware also makes.

The price is questionable. It's unclear what promotions may come and drop the price down the line — perhaps holiday or back to school sales. If a less premium brand dropped a laptop like this at this price, it might actually seem downright reasonable, given the current state of components. In fact, if some of Alienware's rivals, or even Dell itself under the G-series brand, had dropped this exact laptop two years ago and this was now the going price, I think some people would think it was more agreeable. But Alienware launching a less premium notebook with old parts now might make it seem expensive for what you get, or at least feel off-brand. And some of those higher tiers are still pricey, with an Intel system with an RTX 5060 passing $2,000.

It does risk making Alienware look a bit less premium. I'm very curious to see the mainstream reception to this notebook. Dell ended its G-Series gaming laptops, which were cheaper and technically not affiliated with Alienware, when the company rebranded its laptops in 2025. But hey, at least something is coming out aimed at the masses.

Gaming laptops can be pricey, and in the past few years, they have only gotten more expensive. The components inside laptops have gotten more expensive, the market below $1,000 has effectively been decimated, and finding a good deal is harder than ever. But we're still testing, and while the goal posts of what defines a budget gaming laptop may be a bit more expensive than they used to be, there are still ways to save.

At Tom's Hardware, we test many gaming laptops every year at a range of prices with different features and parts, so we know what to expect at every price point, no matter what your budget. While even the budget gaming laptops may not be cheap, we can still point out where you get the most for your money. We thoroughly benchmark all of the best budget gaming laptops in numerous games, extensively measuring gaming performance under a wide range of graphical conditions to suss out the best cheap laptops on the market.

Most gaming laptops under $1,500 will use Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5050 and RTX 5060 graphics cards. Many of them will use the latest Intel Core Ultra or AMD Ryzen mobile processors, though sometimes you'll still find last-gen options. Above $1,500 (which, unfortunately, is still on the low end with all-new components these days), you should have the latest. That being said, don't cut corners so far that you settle for 8GB of RAM or just 256GB of storage. Those are outdated specs for gaming laptops.

With a budget gaming laptop, you'll be able to play most games — even graphically intensive ones — on medium or high settings, if not better. If you're playing lighter games, like esports, you should still be able to achieve high frame rates.

Best Budget Gaming Laptops You Can Buy

Best budget gaming laptop overall

The Acer Nitro V 16S AI is, as of this writing, typically selling around $1,500. This laptop is great for those who are willing to trade off some gaming performance for a bright and colorful screen and a ton of ports, including a microSD card slot.

Those ports, paired with a speedy storage drive in our tests, make the Nivro V 16S AI a solid productivity machine alongside one that can play most games. Acer is using an RTX 5060 with an 85W graphics card, so it's not the most performant system out there, but it's well-balanced if you're going to use just one laptop for gaming, work, or school.

The 16-inch, 1920 x 1200 IPS screen goes up to 180 Hz, allowing for smooth gameplay for esports and indie games. Our system came with a 1TB storage drive, which should hold a few games, and there's room to add another inside. It also came with 32GB of RAM, which should be a bit future-proof.

There is a bunch of bloatware that you'll probably want to uninstall, and the webcam is just 720p.

Read: Acer Nitro V 16S AI review

Best budget gaming laptop for work and play

We had previously seen this laptop as high as $1,800, but lately it's been on sale closer to $1,500. The machine is another good mix of productivity and gaming. Like many other budget systems, it's using an 85W GPU (in this case, an RTX 5070), which means you won't get the most powerful gaming performance.What it does allow for, however, is strong battery life, lasting 9 hours and 13 minutes on our test. We also found the keyboard and touchpad to be quite comfortable.

The Ryzen AI 7 350 is a recent chip, and one that offers strong productivity performance, should you be using this system for work other than just gaming.It would have been nice to see Wi-Fi 7 at this system's full price, though on sale, Wi-Fi 6E is more forgivable. That being said, the display and audio are both middling, so this may be best if you use a monitor or speakers to bump up your experience.

Read: Gigabyte Aero X16 review

Best for battery life

If you want something a bit more minimalist, the Alienware 16 Aurora, the gaming brand's stripped-down machine, may work for you. This one has been consistently available.

The Aurora has an attractive chassis that mixes its plastic body with an alumium lid. The indigo color seems almost black, but has a navy shimmer in the right light.

The biggest benefits we saw were in the 16-inch, 2560 x 1600 IPS display, which goes up to 120 Hz. That screen was brighter and far more vivid (112% of sRGB color volume, 312.2 nits) in our measurements compared to other budget machines.

We also appreciated the Aurora's 96 WHr battery, which helped the system last for 9 hours and 41 minutes on our battery test.

The 80W RTX 5060 is fairly low-power, which might help with the longevity, but means you'l have to set your expectations while gaming. Additionally, the storage could be faster, though you could consider swapping that out down the line.

Read: Alienware 16 Aurora review

Quick Shopping Tips

What to Expect From the Best Budget Laptops for Gaming

Last year, Dell's gaming arm substantially updated the Alienware 16 Area-51 with a new design. This year, the laptop has a much more moderate adjustment: the addition of an OLED display, which fans of the pricey brand have been clamoring for for a few years, and that several of the best gaming laptops already have.

Without any major GPU launches, Alienware's other internal update is an upgrade to Intel's latest CPUs, which are a light refresh that didn't provide any massive upgrades to our performance in testing.

You still get plenty of ports, and the $50 mechanical keyboard is worth it – at least to my fingers. And while I can't imagine most people buy new gaming rigs on an annual basis; there's not a ton of change year-over-year.

Design of the Alienware 16 Area-51

The 2026 edition of the Alienware 16 Area-51 looks identical to last year's model, which was a total overhaul, with rounded corners and curved edges, along with a striking "liquid teal" color that stands out from other gaming laptops and looks like different colors under different light.

The lid features Alienware's alien head logo in a mirror finish, but you can't see that once it glows with RGB lighting when you turn the rig on. The lighting can also be found in a diffused ring around the ports on the back "shelf" where the ports live, as well as beneath the keyboard and around the intake fans.

The majority of the ports are at the back of the laptop, including three USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, a pair of Thunderbolt 5 ports, HDMI 2.1, and the connector for the 360-watt power adapter. The left boasts an SD card slot and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

I get why Alienware puts the ports in the back; it lets you plug in major accessories and forget about them, and allows for a clean desk. But if you want to plug in external drives or peripherals that don't always have a home on your desk, you'll have to reach around the back of this big notebook. I would have loved at least one USB port on the side, but Alienware has spent most of the real estate on the side of the laptop for exhaust in its four-fan system.

On the bottom of the laptop, there's a glass window exposing part of the motherboard and the cooler, and you can also catch some RGB lighting here. It's cool on first glance, I guess, but I'd rather have something less breakable than glass on the outside of my laptop. It would probably save some weight to switch the glass, too.

The 16-inch Area-51 measures 14.37 x 11.41 x 1.12 inches and weighs 7.49 pounds (before the 2.2-pound power adapter). I could just barely close my backpack around it, largely because of the thermal shelf at the back. And there are smaller flagship 16-inch gaming notebooks out there. The MSI Raider 16 Max HX is 14.29 x 10.62 x 1.14 inches and 5.73 pounds.

Alienware 16 Area-51 Specifications

Gaming and Graphics on the Alienware 16 Area-51

The Alienware 16 Area-51, with its Intel Core Ultra 290HX Plus and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU (16GB GDDR7, 175 W TGP, 1,500 MHz boost clock), proved to be a powerful performer across our benchmarks and in playtesting.

For instance, Resident Evil Requiem ran between 87 and 113 frames per second, as I explored the care center and engaged in a shootout to take down a blisterhead. That was at the system's native 1440p, with ray tracing on, hair strands improvements on, high graphics quality (with some at max), and without any upscaling or frame generation. It fell to 74 FPS in a darker area where I ultimately snuck behind and killed the villain known as the Chef.

We compared the Area-51 to last year's model, with a Core Ultra 9 275HX and an identical RTX 5080 Laptop GPU, to see how much the year-over-year CPU upgrade matters. We also compared it to a slightly more expensive system, the MSI Raider 16 Max HX, with an RTX 5090 and the same Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus as our review unit.

This year's Area-51 and last year's system were consistently in range. At 1920 x 1200, the newer model typically won out, with the exception of Far Cry 6. In a few games, like Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Red Dead Redmption 2, last year's model did better at 2560 x 1600, even if it lost at lower resolutions. In general, though, the two systems were largely in spitting distance of each other.

Unsurprisingly, the MSI's RTX 5090 won out in most games.

But if you just bought a top-of-the-line gaming laptop last year, slight CPU upgrades aren't going to make or break your experience. You likely won't even be able to tell the difference.

During our Metro Exodus stress test, in which we run the game at RTX settings for 15 runs, approximating half an hour or game play, the performance cores on the CPU averaged 4.11 GHz, while the efficient cores hit 2.75 GHz. The GPU ran at an average of 1,950.46 MHz.

Productivity Performance on the Alienware 16 Area-51

The Alienware 16 Area-51 we tested is using an Intel Core i9-290HX Plus. This new chip is based on a refreshed version of Arrow Lake, and we didn't see any massive changes in our testing. Last year's Area-51 that we tested ran on an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, while the MSI Raider 16 Max HX we're comparing here is using the same 290HX Plus processor.

On Geekbench 6, the Area-51 with 290HX Plus earned a single-core score of 3,216 and a multi-core score of 20,754. Last year's Alienware with Core Ultra 9 delivered scores of 3,126 and 20,498, so nothing eye-bulging here. The Raider achieved similar scores as the current model, at 3,231/20,656.

The SK Hynix drive in this year's system proved speedy, copying 25GB of files at a speed of 2,738.90 MBps, easily beating the MSI Raider (1,357.93 MBps) and last year's Alienware.

On Handbrake, the Alienware 16 transcoded a 4K video to 1080p in 2 minutes, which is 2 seconds behind last year's model, and enough for me to say it could go either way. The Raider was faster, at 1:51.

Display on the Alienware 16 Area-51

The major difference between the 2026 version of the Area-51 and last year's is the display. It's still a 2560 x 1600, 240 Hz screen, but this year there is an option for an anti-glare OLED panel.

In the trailer for The Odyssey, the screen appeared bright, especially in early scenes with Odysseus and his men underneath clear blue skies. There were some very deep blacks, like when Odysseus enters the cyclops' cave, where green foliage and orange flames all popped. It's not the most vivid OLED screen I've ever seen, but it's still nice.

The OLED worked to strong effect in Resident Evil 9, with dark blacks making for increasingly haunting shadows. But it was just as good with buckets of crimson zombie blood.

I like the anti-glare. I assume this took some of the shimmer out of the screen, but considering I work next to a window at home, I was still able to see most of the screen without reflections, even if the colors weren't as good at an angle.

The OLED screen covers 93.7% of DCI-P3 color volume, compared to 132.2% sRGB, surpassing last year's non-OLED model and the screen on the MSI Raider. Those screens, however, were brighter than the Area-51's OLED screen, which measured 368.6 nits on our light meter. Last year's model came in at 515.8 nits.

Keyboard and Touchpad on the Alienware 16 Area-51

Our review unit came with a low-profile Cherry MX mechanical keyboard. We've seen these on a few gaming laptops (mostly from Dell and MSI), and they always seem worth the upgrade. In this case, it's $50. Frankly, I think that on these high-end notebooks, Alienware should just make these mechanical keyboards the default.

It feels great to type on, and I hit 121 words per minute at 98% accuracy on monkeytype.com. That being said, the keys are clicky, loud, and even have a bit of ping to them. But if you wear headphones while you type, your fingers may be happy enough that your ears don't care.

The layout is a bit weird, with a row at the end of the keyboard for the volume and mute keys. It feels out of place, as I'm used to having those on the function keys. Instead, four macro keys take up those spaces. Additionally, there's a massive Copilot key on the right side. It's about a key and a half wide.

The touchpad measures 4.4 inches wide by 2.5 inches tall, bucking the trend of large touchpads finally making their way to gaming laptops. This one feels a bit cramped, but not difficult to use, especially as people playing games typically use a mouse.

Audio on the Alienware 16 Area-51

There are four speakers on the Area-51: two 2W tweeters and a pair of 2W woofers. They're fine, but nothing special.

Listening to Jade Bird's "I Get No Joy," the computer filled my apartment with sound. Bird's vocals were clear, as were the guitars and some synths. When drums played alone, like in the song's intro, they were clear, but they got lost in the mix with the rest of the instruments. Despite the bulky chassis, there's not much bass here, either.

The system came tuned with Dolby Atmos, but in the settings software, changing the equalizers didn't seem to do very much.

In Resident Evil 9, Grace's nervous breathing was loud (and constant — tamp down, Capcom), and infected zombie growls were clear. The sound was acceptable, if not earth-shattering.

Upgradeability of the Alienware 16 Area-51

To open up the Alienware 16 Area-51, you need to loosen the four screws on the bottom of the system closest to the palm rest. These are captive. Another four screws hold the rest of the cover on, and those come out completely.

The bottom cover has glass on it, which provides a window into the system. Dell's maintenance guides stress that you shouldn't scratch it with a sharp tool, like, say, a screwdriver.

Dell's guides suggest that you can use your fingertip to loosen the base cover, but just like last year, I needed a plastic spudging tool to get through the plastic clips holding it on.

Once you're inside, you have access to the battery, as well as the memory slots and three SSD slots. There's a code written in an alien language on the bottom of the case, but it's identical to last year.

Battery Life on the Alienware 16 Area-51

The 96 WHr battery in the Alienware 16 Area-51 can't power the laptop for too long. On our battery test, which includes browsing websites, streaming video, and running light OpenGL tests with the screen set to just 150 nits of brightness, the system ran for 3 hours and 33 minutes.

Last year's non-OLED model lasted for 4:10. The MSI Raider 16 Max HX ran for much longer, at 8:33. Both appear to have Nvidia's Advanced Optimus, so it's unclear why the Alienwares aren't running as long.

Heat on the Alienware 16 Area-51

We measured heat on the Area-51 while running our Metro Exodus gauntlet, running the benchmark for about half an hour.

The chassis gopt a bit toasty. The center of the keyboard climbed to 105.5 degrees Fahrenheit, which you can definitely feel, while the hottest spot on the bottom was 114.5 F. The touchpad stayed cool at 83.5 F. Be sure to use this on a desk.

Inside, the CPU measured an average of 82.8 degrees Celsius, while the GPU reached 62.11 C.

Webcam on the Alienware 16 Area-51

There's a 1080p webcam embedded in the Area-51's top bezel. It's OK, though perhaps not befitting of a laptop that costs over $4,000.

While it caught stitching my shirt and individual hairs in my beard, images taken from the cameras had some pixelation, which also occurred in video calls. On the bright side, the camera was color accurate.

Last year, I tested a version of this system with a 4K webcam that I enjoyed more, but Alienware isn't offering it this time around. A representative for the gaming brand said in an email that this would "help pricing without compromising in other areas that are more essential for premium gaming."

Software and Warranty on the Alienware 16 Area-51

Alienware has preinstalled some software. I've seen worse, but there's more than I like here. Alienware Command Center is the primary application on the machine, with control of AlienFX RGB Lighting, system performance adjustments, and a built-in game library.

Otherwise, the Alienware apps include one dedicated to downloading anything you bought at purchase, as well as Dell Support Assist for customer service.

There is bloat on here, including McAfee with a month-long trial.

Alienware sells the 16-inch Area-51 with a 1-year warranty. You can cover accidental damage and spill for a year for an extra $79, while Elite Care adds extended battery support and "top-tier gaming support experts" for $99.

Alienware 16 Area-51 Configurations

We tested the Alienware 16 Area-51 in a $4,309.99 configuration including a Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus processor, GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU, 32GB of RAM, a 2TB M.2 PCIe Gen 5 SSD, and the new 16-inch OLED screen. It also features a CherryMX low-profile keyboard and Windows 11 Pro.

The base model is $1,949.99 with a Core Ultra 7 255HX, an RTX 5060 Laptop GPU, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD, a non-OLED screen, a membrane keyboard, and Windows 11.

Alienware's configurator has many options in between, including a Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, laptop GPUs up to an RTX 5090, RAM up to 64GB, and storage up to 12TB in RAID 0 (3 x 4TB). The most expensive configuration we could make came out to $8,009.99.

Bottom Line

The Alienware 16 Area-51 is a large, bulky gaming laptop designed to deliver a ton of gaming power on the go.

It's a heavy system, one that barefly fit in my backpack. Ideally, Alienware could find some way to slim this down, or at least drop a few pounds. But a slim, lighter laptop with the same components almost certainly wouldn’t be able to deliver the same level of performance.

On the bright side, Alienware finally brought OLED screen options, which should have always been available given the prices it's asking for its top-tier laptops. But this year's chip upgrades really don't povide better gaming performance year-over-year (not that most people are buying gaming laptops every single year.) It was unfortunate to see that the webcam was downgraded from 4K to 1080p; while that's arguably one of the parts people might care about least on a gaming rig, this system is over $4,000. It should have the best of the best.

If what you're looking for is a desktop replacement that's plenty powerful and portable enough, Alienware's 16-inch system delivers. But you may need a bigger backpack.

A laptop user brought their PC to a repair shop, apparently complaining of overheating issues on their gaming laptop. You can see in the Reddit post embedded below that it took the tech less than ten seconds to fix the issue after the tech peeked underneath the device and saw that it was covered in stickers all over, including the vents for its fans. When the technician took off the covering, the laptop seemed to be able to breathe again, prompting the laptop owner to peel off the remaining design that didn’t cover any vents from the bottom of the gaming laptop.

This lady wondered why her gaming laptop overheats while gaming. from r/pcmasterrace

It’s unclear why the laptop owner thought it was a good idea to cover up the vents of their laptop. It could be that it was their first time owning a gaming laptop and that the previous computer they owned was a MacBook Air, which has no fans and uses passive cooling, or they’ve only used smartphones before and have no experience working with computers. Unfortunately, computers, especially gaming laptops, are a completely different beast, and they require a lot of airflow to achieve the performance demanded by several titles. Keeping vents clear of blockages is a no-brainer for PC enthusiasts and tech-savvy people, but, unfortunately, not everyone has the same level of knowledge.

Despite that, researching on the internet is free, and even the AI Overview on Google search said, “Laptops get hot primarily due to blocked air vents, dust accumulation on fans, and high processor usage from demanding applications or excessive background processes.” The first phrase hit the nail on the head for this particular problem, but it seems that tinkering on their expensive devices might feel a bit too much for some people, even if they decked it out with a lot of aesthetic features.

Hopefully, the user learned something from this incident and that their laptop suffered no serious long-term issues from this incident. We also hope that it starts their journey to becoming more curious about the equipment they use. Everyone starts with zero information on computers, after all, and only the combination of interest and environment makes many tech enthusiasts the people they are today.

We’ve tested AMD’s Strix Halo platform in desktop form, and now it arrives in a 14-inch laptop courtesy of Asus’ TUF Gaming A14. This compact laptop delivers abundant CPU performance from its Ryzen AI Max+ 392 and proves well-rounded in many areas beyond raw speed, from battery life to input devices. However, for $2,199.99 as tested, the question is whether its integrated Radeon 8060S graphics can deliver the gaming performance needed to justify its premium price, let alone make it one of the best gaming laptops.

Design of the Asus TUF Gaming A14

All-black with a gunmetal lid, the TUF Gaming A14 looks understated without being drab. Up close, the TUF logo on the lid and stylized keyboard typeface mark it as a gaming machine. The laptop has no external lighting except for the keyboard.

The laptop feels sturdy, with a mostly plastic build except for the aluminum bottom panel and lid backing. It seemed impervious to flex even when I picked it up by a corner. Measuring 12.24 x 8.94 x 0.67 inches and weighing 3.26 pounds, the TUF Gaming A14 is similarly sized yet slightly lighter than the Acer Predator Triton 14 AI (12.68 x 8.84 x 0.71 inches, 3.5 pounds).

The practical port selection starts on the left with HDMI 2.1, USB4, USB-A (10 Gbps), and 3.5mm audio, plus the proprietary power jack for its rather compact 200 W adapter. The remaining ports on the right include a MicroSD card reader and USB-C and USB-A ports (both 10 Gbps). The only area for improvement is wireless; the Realtek 8852CE card supports Wi-Fi 6E, not 7.

Asus TUF Gaming A14 Specifications

Gaming and Graphics on the Asus TUF Gaming A14

We tested the TUF Gaming A14 with a Ryzen AI Max+ 392 processor with Radeon 8060S graphics and 32GB of LPDDR5X-8000 memory. The Radeon 8060S promises strong performance for an integrated GPU featuring 40 cores, though whether it stacks up to a dedicated card in an entry-level gaming laptop remains to be seen.

Playing Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order at a 2560 x 1600 resolution with Epic settings, I saw between 55 and 75 frames per second (FPS), with smooth performance throughout.

Our comparison lineup starts with Acer’s Predator Triton 14 AI featuring a “Lunar Lake” Core Ultra 9 288V and a GeForce RTX 5070 (110 W), which retails for $2,499. Lenovo’s Legion LOQ 15ARP9 follows, delivering a Ryzen 7 250 and RTX 5060 (115 W) for $1,299. The last spot is filled by the Framework Desktop, which seems like an unequal comparison, but it’s one of the only other Strix Halo systems we’ve tested. Its Ryzen AI Max+ 395 offers 16 cores and a 5.1 GHz boost versus the 12 cores and 5 GHz boost of the Max+ 392 chip in the TUF Gaming A14, though the Radeon 8060S GPUs in both chips feature the same number of cores and run at the same frequency. That said, The Framework Desktop offers a substantially more powerful 400 W power supply and has more thermal cooling capacity, differences we expect to show in the benchmarks.

Our charts focus on the 1080p numbers, but we also test at the system’s native resolution if different, which is 2560 x 1600 for the Asus and a slightly higher 2880 x 1800 for the Acer.

In Shadow of the Tomb Raider at the Highest detail preset, the TUF Gaming A14 averaged 67 FPS at 1080p, well behind the Framework Desktop (87 FPS) and significantly trailing the Acer (102 FPS) and Lenovo (105 FPS). Performance fell to 37 FPS at native resolution, which is only marginally playable.

The results worsened in Cyberpunk 2077 at Ray Tracing Ultra, where the TUF Gaming A14 managed just 16 FPS at 1080p. While the Framework Desktop fared slightly better at 22 FPS, neither system delivered a playable experience. The Acer (30 FPS) and Lenovo (32 FPS) performed much better thanks to their dedicated Nvidia GPUs.

Playability improved somewhat in Far Cry 6 at Ultra settings, where the TUF Gaming A14 reached 66 FPS at 1080p, though it still lagged the other systems: Lenovo (73 FPS), Framework (83 FPS), and Acer (84 FPS) all did better.

In Red Dead Redemption 2 at the Medium preset, the TUF Gaming A14 posted 49 FPS at 1080p, trailing the Acer and Framework (both 57 FPS) and falling well short of the Lenovo’s leading 68 FPS.

The TUF Gaming A14’s standings didn’t improve in Borderlands 3 at the “Badass” preset, where it delivered 54 FPS at 1080p – 34 FPS slower than the Lenovo’s 88 FPS, its closest competitor in this test.

Stepping back, the TUF Gaming A14 is capable of modern gaming in most titles at 1080p, though running games at its native 1600p resolution may require dialing back the detail settings for smooth performance. However, as the Lenovo LOQ 15 demonstrates, even entry-level gaming laptops can deliver substantially better performance.

We stress test gaming laptops running 15 loops of the Metro Exodus stress test at RTX settings. During the test, the TUF Gaming A14 averaged 49.8 FPS across all runs, starting at 54.2 before dropping to around 49 FPS by the fourth loop, where its numbers remained steady for the remaining iterations. The Ryzen AI Max+ 392 averaged 1.92 GHz while the Radeon 8060S averaged 1.84 GHz.

Productivity Performance on the Asus TUF Gaming A14

Our TUF Gaming A14 review sample features an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 processor, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. With 12 cores, the CPU should deliver strong performance for any task.

In Geekbench 6, the TUF Gaming A14 delivered competitive single-core performance, scoring 2,867 points to slot between the Acer (2,806 with a Core Ultra 9 288V) and Framework (2,966 with a Ryzen AI Max+ 395) while the Lenovo trailed at 2,548 (Ryzen 7 250). It stood out in multi-core, posting 17,334 points, effectively matching the Framework (17,574) and decisively outperforming both the Acer (10,974) and Lenovo (9,713).

Storage performance was middle-of-the-road. In our 25GB file transfer test, the TUF Gaming A14 averaged 1,520.83 MBps, edging out the Acer (1,232.68) and Lenovo (1,378.45), though falling well short of the Framework Desktop’s 2,976.46 MBps.

The TUF Gaming A14 also showed strong performance in Handbrake, completing the 4K-to-1080p transcode in 2 minutes and 45 seconds. That result tied the Framework (2:45) and comfortably beat the Lenovo (4:56) and Acer (6:03).

Taken together, these results indicate the TUF Gaming A14’s value proposition is strongly skewed towards CPU performance. From a productivity standpoint, its Ryzen AI Max+ 392 CPU is substantially stronger than a standard Ryzen 7 laptop CPU based on the Lenovo Legion, making it highly capable for content creation and multi-threaded workloads.

Display on the Asus TUF Gaming A14

The TUF Gaming A14’s 14-inch display will satisfy most buyers. Its 2560 x 1600 resolution is well-suited for productivity yet not out of reach for gaming with its Radeon 8060S graphics. Its smooth 165 Hz refresh rate, anti-glare surface, and IPS wide viewing angles also earn it good marks.

The image quality is satisfactory but doesn’t stand out. Watching Blade Runner 2049, the display’s ample contrast allowed for good detail in shadowy scenes and enough brightness to make firefights immersive, though an OLED screen would have punchier contrast and greater color depth.

With a peak brightness of 390 nits, the TUF Gaming A14 easily outshined the Lenovo (315 nits) and the Acer (359 nits), though the latter’s OLED panel doesn’t require the same luminance to appear as bright as the Asus’ IPS. With 82.1% DCI-P3 and 115.3% sRGB coverage, the Asus practically tied the Lenovo in color reproduction. Neither could match the Acer, which covered an astounding 135.7% of DCI-P3.

Keyboard and Touchpad on the Asus TUF Gaming A14

Ample throw, a cushioned rubbery feel, and comfortable key spacing provides a satisfying typing experience on the TUF Gaming A14. The layout offers no surprises and includes convenient dedicated keys above the Function row for volume, microphone, and launching the Armoury Crate app. Its only real miss is lack of backlighting color customization. Though the white lighting is bright, adjustable in four levels, and offers breathing and strobing effects, this price point virtually mandates RGB customization.

Meanwhile, the touchpad is excellent, offering an appropriately sized surface and quiet, responsive physical clicking action.

Audio on the Asus TUF Gaming A14

The Asus’ downward-facing speakers produce a subpar audio experience. They sounded strained with the music I sampled, particularly bass-heavy dubstep, producing almost no bass. Volume is also sufficient only for personal listening. Additionally, there’s no app for tuning equalizers. They can suffice for basic gaming, but the lack of bass means the immersion factor isn’t there. For an entertainment-focused laptop, Asus has a lot to improve here.

Upgradeability of the Asus TUF Gaming A14

The TUF Gaming A14 offers moderate upgradeability: two M.2 2280 drive slots, an M.2 2230 wireless card, and the battery are all serviceable. The RAM is soldered.

The bottom panel is secured by 11 Philips-head screws. Oddly, the one under the corner of the right palmrest is retainer-style while the one on the opposite side isn’t, and both of those screws are shorter than the rest, all of which are uniform length. I didn’t need to use a pry tool to pop the clips securing the bottom panel, using just my fingers to pop the clips along the back edge and working my way around the edges.

Battery Life on the Asus TUF Gaming A14

Our battery test consists of web browsing, running OpenGL tests, and streaming videos with the screen at 150 nits while connected to Wi-Fi. The TUF Gaming A14 lasted 9 hours and 7 minutes for the longest runtime in the group, edging out the Acer (8:16) and leaving the Lenovo LOQ (6:50) far behind. While it lands a few hours shy of a premium ultraportable, the TUF Gaming A14’s impressive CPU performance is a worthy tradeoff.

Heat on the Asus TUF Gaming A14

Asus’ dual-fan cooling system exhausts air out the rear edge, producing steady streams of heat under load while maintaining an acceptable noise level – it didn’t become bothersome or distracting in my testing.

We measure the surface temperatures of gaming laptops during the Metro Exodus stress test. The peak temperatures on the TUF Gaming A14 were more than acceptable, peaking at 99 degrees F between the keyboard’s G and H keys, 77 F on the touchpad, and 108 F on the underside. Internally, the Ryzen AI Max+ 392 CPU averaged 58 degrees Celsius.

Webcam on the Asus TUF Gaming A14

The A14’s webcam offers a disappointing picture. Its 1920 x 1080 sensor produces a soft picture with muddy details and suffers from grain in low-light environments. It also struggled to handle background windows and light, underexposing my face. It offers an IR sensor for biometric facial logins but lacks a privacy shutter.

Software and Warranty on the Asus TUF Gaming A14

Asus includes two main apps on the TUF Gaming A14. The first is Armoury Crate, which provides performance profiles including Performance, Silent, Windows Default, and a manual mode.

By default, the system automatically switches to Performance when plugged in and Silent on battery. Manual mode is a technical deep-dive, with wattage settings for CPU power states and customizable fan profiles. The app also provides control over the amount of system memory dedicated to the GPU, which defaults to 4GB. Even if left at the minimum, the system can still requisition up to 14GB on demand. More memory can be allocated, but it reduces the amount available to Windows. With the default 4GB, Windows can access 28GB of the 32GB total memory.

Armoury Create also includes user preferences: toggles for turning the Windows and Armoury Crate keys and touchpad on or off, keyboard backlighting settings (four brightness levels and static, breathing, or strobing effects), display settings for color temperature and various profiles, such as FPS and RTS/RPG modes for gaming and an eyecare mode to reduce blue light. Most of these settings can be stored in profiles, which can automatically be applied when a specified app is opened.

The other app is MyAsus for diagnostics, support access, and system updates. It also provides a battery care mode to limit the charge to 80%.

There is some bloatware, namely a McAfee Premium + Individual app.

Asus includes a one-year warranty on the TUF Gaming A14.

Asus TUF Gaming A14 Configurations

Our TUF Gaming A14 review sample included a 14-inch 2560 x 1600 display with a 165 Hz refresh rate, an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 processor, Radeon 8060S graphics, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. It was $2,199.99 at Best Buy as of publishing.

This is the only configuration available with the Ryzen AI Max+ CPU. Best Buy also offered a $1,699.99 model featuring a Ryzen AI 7 350, RTX 5060 and 16GB of RAM, which ought to provide superior gaming performance.

Bottom Line

The TUF Gaming A14’s ultimately succeeds or fails on the strength of its Ryzen AI Max+ 392 CPU. On the upside, it delivers exceptional CPU performance for demanding productivity workflows at a level rarely seen in a 14-inch chassis, yet still maintains respectable battery life. Paired with comfortable input devices, a competent if unremarkable display, and a solid selection of ports, it presents itself as a capable productivity machine.

The problem is that its Radeon 8060S, while impressive for an integrated solution, simply doesn’t deliver near the level of gaming performance expected from a laptop positioned and priced as a premium gaming system. Even entry-level models, such as the RTX 5060-equipped Lenovo LOQ we used for comparison, provide substantially greater performance at a significantly lower cost, making the TUF Gaming A14 a tough sell as a gaming-first laptop. While its strong CPU performance may suit niche workflows, gamers will find far better value in a laptop with a true dedicated GPU.

Gigabyte’s Aero X16 aims to be a do-it-all machine for gamers and creators alike, pairing an AMD Ryzen AI CPU and an Nvidia RTX 5070 graphics card inside a clean, professional-looking chassis. There is plenty to appreciate here, particularly its strong productivity performance and excellent battery life, though its average display and some shortcomings make it feel less modern than it should. While capable, it's quite expensive for those looking for one of the best gaming laptops.

Design of the Gigabyte Aero X16

Available in lunar white or space gray on our unit, the Aero X16 looks understated yet modern, with slim display bezels and a thin chassis. Its aluminum exterior exhibits minimal flexibility and feels strong. The quality is excellent, with minimal and consistent gaps between parts and includes luxury touches, like a display that opens one-handed. The only branding is a small highlight on the lid and Aero lettering under the screen.

Measuring 14 x 9.9 x 0.78 inches and 4.2 pounds, the Aero X16 is shallower and significantly lighter than the Framework Laptop 16 (14.03 x 11.43 x 0.82 inches, 5.29 pounds with graphics module). The Acer Predator Trito 14 AI (12.68 x 8.84 x 0.71 inches, 3.5 pounds) is more portable, but it uses a smaller 14.5-inch display.

Gigabyte’s port selection is adequate, starting on the left with Ethernet, HDMI, USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, and USB4. On the right, you’ll find a 3.5 mm audio jack, another USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, and a USB 2.0. The barrel-style power connector and the legacy USB 2.0 port make the laptop feel less modern than it should. Internally, the Realtek 8852CE wireless card doesn’t help by only supporting previous-generation (albeit perfectly adequate for most users) Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. A modern laptop in this price-range should have Wi-Fi 7.

Gigabyte Aero X16 Specifications

Gaming Performance on the Gigabyte Aero X16

Our Gigabyte review unit features a Ryzen AI 7 350 processor, a GeForce RTX 5070 rated for 85 W of total graphics power, and 32GB of RAM.

Playing Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order with Epic settings at 2560 x 1600, I saw upwards of 100 frames per seconds outdoors and sometimes near 140 FPS, with only occasional dips into the mid-80 to 90 FPS range in firefights. Gameplay was fluid and stutter-free.

Our comparison systems include two other creative-centric gaming laptops: the Acer Predator Triton 14 AI (Core Ultra 9 288V, RTX 5070 110 W, $2,499) and the Framework Laptop 16 (Ryzen AI 7 350, RTX 5070 100 W, $2,309 as tested but now $2,609). The MSI Katana 17 HX (Core i7-14650HX, RTX 5070 115 W) fills out the last spot as a budget gaming option. (The MSI was $1,299 when we reviewed it but appears out of stock everywhere, though the 15-inch version is still available for around the same price.) It’s notable that all these laptops have a higher-wattage GPU than the Aero X16, even though they're all RTX 5070's.

We use the 1080p numbers as a baseline, but we also tested at native resolution, which was 2560 x 1600 for the Gigabyte and Framework and 2880 x 1800 for the Acer. Only the MSI has 1920 x 1080 as the native resolution.

In Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Highest detail preset), the Gigabyte’s 109 FPS at 1080p compared favorably to the Acer (102 FPS) but trailed the Framework (132 FPS) and MSI (119 FPS). The 64 FPS it achieved at 1600p naturally outpaced the Acer’s 48 FPS at 1800p, though the Framework remained the 1600p leader with 76 FPS.

Testing Cyberpunk 2077 at its demanding Ray Tracing Ultra preset, the Gigabyte posted a just-playable 34 FPS at 1080p, edging out the Acer (30 FPS) but trailing the Framework and MSI by a few FPS. Native resolution proved too demanding, where the Gigabyte posted just 17 FPS, but it outpaced the Acer (8 FPS) and nearly matched the Framework (18 FPS).

At Far Cry 6’s Ultra preset, Gigabyte’s laptop produced a competitive 85 FPS at 1080p, which was within a few FPS of the Acer and Framework, though it couldn’t catch the MSI (94 FPS). Its 70 FPS at native resolution was playable, much more so than the Acer (53 FPS). The Framework (83 FPS) remained noticeably faster.

In Red Dead Redemption 2 at the game’s Medium settings, the Gigabyte’s 78 FPS at 1080p handily outperformed the Acer’s 57 FPS, though it continued to trail the Framework (91 FPS) and MSI (85 FPS). The gap narrowed at native resolution, with Gigabyte’s 49 FPS proving much better than Acer’s 32 FPS, but it wasn’t quite on the Framework’s level (57 FPS).

Finally, in Borderlands 3 at the game’s “Badass” settings, the Gigabyte’s 96 FPS at 1080p and 61 FPS at native outperformed the Acer (91 FPS and 50 FPS) but trailed the Framework (115 FPS and 76 FPS) and MSI (101 FPS).

This Gigabyte performs within expectations considering its RTX 5070 is tuned for 85 W, whereas the GPUs in the comparison laptops have at least another 15 W on tap. It’s nonetheless proficient for 1080p gaming and can handle 1600p, though some newer games might require reducing the visual quality settings for optimal performance.

We stress test gaming laptops running 15 loops of the Metro Exodus stress test at RTX settings. During the test, the Gigabyte Aero X16 averaged 80.86 FPS across all runs, with an impressively minimal standard deviation of 0.22 FPS between runs, suggesting stable thermal performance. The Ryzen AI 7 350 had an average clocks peed of 2.76 GHz while the RTX 5070 averaged 1,928 MHz.

Productivity Performance on the Gigabyte Aero X16

Our Aero X16 review unit features an AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 processor, 32GB of DDR5-5600 RAM, and a 1TB SSD.

On Geekbench 6, the Gigabyte’s Ryzen chip yielded the highest single-core score (2,916 points), just outpacing the Framework (2,878) powered by the same chip. It also led in multi-core, with 14,074 points to lead the next-best MSI (13,570) powered by a venerable Core i7-14650HX and more surprisingly, the Framework (12,399). The Predator Triton’s Ultrabook-class Core Ultra 9 288V landed it in last place (10,974).

The Gigabyte placed mid-pack in our 25GB file transfer test, with an average of 1,480.57 MBps. The Acer and MSI barely managed over 1,200 MBps while the Framework’s 1,724.69 MBps was clearly the fastest.

Our 4K to 1080p Handbrake video transcoding test was another win for the Gigabyte, which it completed in 3 minutes and 54 seconds, again leading the Framework (4:18). The MSI was just behind (4:30) while the lightweight Acer took 6:03.

Overall, with the Ryzen AI 7 350 on tap, the Aero X16 provides ample performance for most productive and creative tasks.

Display on the Gigabyte Aero X16

Gigabyte’s IPS screen has a 2560 x 1600 resolution, anti-glare surface, and a 165 Hz refresh rate with adaptive sync support. Its picture leans more towards serviceable than eye-popping, with brightness that’s adequate but not noteworthy. Colors have adequate saturation but lack the pop you’d get in an OLED or mini-LED panel.

Watching Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, I noted deep if not inky blacks in space scenes and convincing flashes from blaster bolts and explosions in firefights. Endor’s rugged forests had plenty of color. I was left with the sense that this display is of the minimum quality for a laptop in this class. A better display would significantly improve its appeal.

The Gigabyte unsurprisingly outperformed the budget MSI gamer in all metrics, particularly color, with 78.5% of DCI-P3 to MSI’s 46.6%. Its peak brightness of 369 nits slightly exceeded the Acer (359 nits), though the Acer uses an OLED panel that appears brighter than IPS at similar ratings. Acer’s panel was far more colorful, with 135.7% DCI-P3 coverage. The Framework system also outperformed the Gigabyte, with superior DCI-P3 coverage and an impressive 444-nit brightness. Overall, given Gigabyte’s creative focus, lack of full DCI-P3 coverage hurts it.

Keyboard and Touchpad on the Gigabyte Aero X16

Typing on the Aero X16 is comfortable, with a healthy 1.7 mm of key travel and sufficient cushioning at the bottom of the keystroke. Tactile feel is average, without much feel during the keystroke and not enough spring at the bottom to make it feel exciting. Nonetheless, I nearly matched my peak typing speed in my MonkeyType run, hitting 126 WPM with 99% accuracy.

The single-zone RGB backlight works well in the dark. One zone at this price isn’t impressive, but some leniency can be granted given this isn’t purely a gaming laptop. The backlighting can be changed in the RGB Fusion app, with some patterns available like color cycling and breathing.

The expansive surface and responsive tactile feedback from the touchpad make it a joy to use. It’s slightly indented into the palm rest, giving your fingers a clear barrier. The touchpad can be disabled with Fn + F9.

Audio on the Gigabyte Aero X16

Audio quality is a weak point for the Aero X16. Listening to Lockbox’s “Something Bout You”, I noticed muddy details and a lack of instrument separation, compounded by distant vocals and minimal bass. Though the laptop includes Dolby Atmos, the equalizers didn’t help much, including my go-to Balanced preset. Volume is also barely adequate -- you might be able to watch a movie or show or play a game in a quiet room, but the immersion factor isn’t there.

Upgradeability of the Gigabyte Aero X16

The Aero X16 is about as upgradeable as laptops get, with two SODIMM memory slots, two M.2 2280 drive slots, an M.2 2230 wireless card, and a removable battery. These can all be accessed under the bottom panel once the 10 Philips-head screws are removed, all of which are the same length. I used a plastic trim tool to pop the clips on the bottom panel, starting near the display hinge cutouts and working my way along the back edge and sides.

Battery Life on the Gigabyte Aero X16

In our battery test, which includes web browsing, video streaming over Wi-Fi, and OpenGL workloads at 150 nits, the Aero X16 led the group, lasting 9 hours and 13 minutes. The Acer (8:16) and Framework (8:20) placed about an hour behind, and the MSI landed well back (6:21).

Gaming laptops don't have the best reputation for battery life, so it's nice to see a full workday here.

Heat on the Gigabyte Aero X16

Gigabyte’s cooling system uses two fans that exhaust from the sides and rear. I noticed almost no noise for everyday tasks. Fan noise is audible while gaming, but isn't enough to be a distraction; the built-in speakers easily overpowered the noise.

The cooling system kept the Aero X16’s surface temperatures within acceptable ranges during our Metro Exodus stress test, where we measured peaks of 71 degrees F on the touchpad, 95 F between the keyboard G and H keys, and 114 F on the bottom towards the rear edge. Internally, the Ryzen AI 7 350 averaged 58 degrees Celsius while the RTX 5070 ran at 68 C.

Webcam on the Gigabyte Aero X16

Gigabyte’s center-mounted webcam offers an average picture. It sports the expected 1080p resolution, though details remain soft particularly in lower lighting conditions. Noise reduction appears to be excellent, with minimal graininess until lighting deteriorates, though the aggressive tuning here likely mutes details. There's no privacy shutter, but there is an IR sensor for facial recognition logins with Windows Hello.

Software and Warranty on the Gigabyte Aero X16

The only significant app included on the Aero X16 is GiMATE, which provides basic system settings including battery charge mode (full or options to limit at 80% or 60%) and, interestingly, toggles for the battery status and power indicator LEDs. The app also has a hardware dashboard and provides system updates. Available power profiles include balanced (the default), gaming, creator, power saving, and online meeting. These are all well explained in the Scenario Profile Setting section, and can be customized. For instance, Game Mode prioritizes CPU/GPU power and network traffic for your game; meeting mode enables presence detection (automatically locking your laptop when you walk away) and uses the webcam to detect onlookers; and power saving even disables keyboard backlighting. Its real pitfall is that users must manually switch between these modes, which they will most likely forget to do. Balanced worked well for nearly all my testing.

GiMATE also includes some AI features; you can bring up a prompt using the keyboard shortcut and give it basic commands. As an example, I used “disable keyboard backlight”, and that worked, automatically sending the requisite command to the RGB Fusion app. Using “enable keyboard backlighting” turned it back on. This was surprisingly useful and a good feature for users who don’t want to hunt through menus for basic settings.

GiMATE also includes a Creator app, which connects to Hugging Face and lets you use various image to image and text to image models locally. It’s useful if you have an offline need to use this, though only certain models are available, and it’s not a truly unique feature. That said, it does simplify downloading the models and provides a consistent interface for them, a thoughtful touch if you want to try a bunch without needing to learn a new interface each time.

Gigabyte Aero X16 Configurations

Our Gigabyte review sample features a Ryzen AI 7 350 processor, GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. It retails for $1,899 through B&H Photo and Video, though Newegg had what appeared to be the same model for $1,739, making it worthwhile to shop around.

Other configurations start at $1,499 with a GeForce RTX 5050 and 16GB of RAM, with an RTX 5060 model available on Newegg for $1,549 at review time. Both B&H and Newegg listed an out-of-stock notice for a model with our review specs but an uprated Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 chip; expect to spend a few hundred more for it should it come back in stock.

Bottom Line

Gigabyte’s Aero X16 is a reasonable attempt at straddling creative and gaming duties. It gets the core concepts right, including solid productivity performance, decent battery life, comfortable input devices, and welcome upgradeability.

However, some shortcomings keep the Aero X16 from joining the top ranks. The most limiting is its display, which is serviceable for everyday use but misses the creative mark with incomplete DCI-P3 coverage and modest brightness. Weak speakers don’t help its expressive ambitions, and the reliance on Wi-Fi 6E and USB 2.0 give the machine a slightly dated feel. And while the RTX 5070 is capable, gaming performance trails far cheaper alternatives, making the Aero X16 a tough sell for those prioritizing framerates.

Overall, the Aero X16 feels less like a hybrid and more like a compromise, competent in several areas but not exceptional where it counts. Creators willing to spend more will find a far better display in the Framework Laptop 16, which boasts even more upgradeability, while budget-minded gamers can get stronger performance from systems like MSI’s Katana 17 HX. The Aero 16 X16 has its merits, but at this price, the competition simply plays its cards better.

Dell, which makes some of the best gaming laptops, has unveiled upgraded Alienware 18 Area-51, 16 Area-51, and 16X Aurora gaming laptops powered by Intel's latest Arrow Lake-HX Refresh processors. The 16-inch models add premium anti-glare OLED panels, while the 16X Aurora specifically receives a graphics boost courtesy of the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti.

The Alienware 18 Area-51 was already Dell's mobile gaming juggernaut, and now the device gets even more processing muscle. The new processor options include the Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus and the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus.

The Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus boasts 20 cores with boost speeds up to 5.3 GHz, positioned between the Core Ultra 7 265HX and Core Ultra 7 275HX models. Meanwhile, the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus is the flagship SKU in the Arrow Lake-HX Refresh lineup. It brings 24 cores to the table with a boost clock speed up to 5.5 GHz for unmatched gaming power.

In terms of discrete graphics, you can pick from a GeForce RTX 5060 up to the GeForce RTX 5090 on the Alienware 18 Area-51. The device uses standard SO-DIMM slots and can accept up to 64GB (2x32GB) of DDR5-6400 memory. Storage options include 2TB PCIe 4.0 or PCIe 5.0 SSDs .There is also an option to equip it with up to 12TB (3 x 4TB) in a RAID 0 array.

Alienware 18 And Alienware 16 Specifications

The Alienware 16 Area-51 is a more compact gaming powerhouse for those who prefer portability without sacrificing top-tier performance. It comes with a more manageable screen size than the Alienware 18 Area-51, but doesn't compromise on power. It features the same cutting-edge Arrow Lake-HX Refresh processor upgrades and specifications as the larger Alienware 18 Area-51 model. The greatest upgrade of all in the Alienware 16 Area-51 is the OLED panel with an anti-glare coating.

The resolution and refresh rate haven't changed, as they're still 2560 x 1600 and 240 Hz, respectively. However, the OLED screen ushers in significant upgrades over the previously offered LCD screen. For one, it has improved visual quality while reducing the response time to 0.2 ms, compared to the LCD version's 3 ms. The OLED screen has also increased the peak brightness from 500 nits to 620 nits.

The Core Ultra 2 270HX Plus and Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus upgrade options are also available with the Alienware 16X Aurora. In addition, you can not outfit the gaming laptop with a GeForce RTX 5070 Ti when it previously maxed out at the GeForce RTX 5070. Memory capacity is similar to the Alienware 18 Area-51 and Alienware 15 Area-51, with slightly lower supported data rates limited to DDR5-5600. For storage, consumers can pick between a 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB drive, but are limited to PCIe 4.0 on the non-GeForce RTX 5070 Ti models.

The Alienware 16X Aurora receives the same OLED panel as the Alienware 16 Area-51. Gamers can enjoy vibrant gameplay on the 2560 x 1600 screen with a 240 Hz refresh rate, 0.2 ms response time, and a maximum brightness of 620 nits when needed.

The renovated Alienware 18 Area-51, 16 Area-51, and 16X Aurora gaming laptops will be available on Dell's online store.

There’s a brilliant deal on an Acer Nitro gaming laptop that you won’t want to miss. Amazon has slashed the price of this Acer Nitro V15 gaming laptop, featuring an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD, to just £799.99 right now. That’s a 11% saving that makes it one of the most affordable laptops on sale with the power to hit high frame rates at 1080p.

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While this has a decent spec sheet for the model we tested in our Acer Nitro V15 review, where we scored its performance and build quality pretty highly, it’s an otherwise identical machine. That includes the screen it holds, with the V15 containing a 15.6-inch LCD display with a fast 165Hz refresh rate. That rate is important because it means that, when you’re maxing out the frame rates in-game at 1080p on this rig, you won’t see any ugly screen tears or stuttering.

Ultimately, though, the power in this rig resides in three of its major components. Starting with the CPU, it comes equipped with an Intel Core i7-13620H. It’s a 10-core Raptor Lake processor that, while it is starting to age a little, is still a reasonable option for gaming on a laptop, with six performance cores able to handle gaming tasks, and four efficient cores for multi-threaded work, with a max boost clock speed of 4.9 GHz.

All in all, though, it’s the RTX 5060 that most gamers will focus on. The mobile version of one of Nvidia’s latest Blackwell GPUs has 3,328 CUDA cores, along with 8GB of GDDR7 VRAM. From a gaming perspective, especially with this CPU, expect to manage high to even ultra graphics presets with high frame rates in most modern games. 1440p is possible in some cases, too, especially using this GPU’s DLSS 4 support. Multi-frame generation will be helpful here, using those AI-generated frames to give you a lift in games that are especially demanding.

16GB of RAM is about standard for a modern gaming laptop these days, but it’s nice that it isn’t an area of compromise at this price point. You’ve also got a 1TB NVMe SSD installed in this rig, ensuring fast Gen 4 speeds and enough capacity for a few big game installations, alongside plenty of Steam indie releases, to sink your teeth into.

The £799.99 sale price for this Acer Nitro V15 gaming laptop makes it one of the most affordable options if you’re looking for solid performance at 1080p. It’s a deal that isn’t destined to last, however, with Amazon UK’s Spring Sale Days event set to end on March 16th. If you want it, you’ll need to be quick, as the stock might run dry before then, too.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.

A standout deal spotted in the current Amazon Spring Day Deals sales event is this Acer gaming laptop. The Acer Nitro V 16 AI gaming laptop is just £1,199.99, shaving £300 off the £1499.99 list price. Saving any money is always a good thing, and when you can save a tidy £300, it's even better. Although there's an AI moniker slapped on the product, don't be put off. This is a gaming laptop through and through. From the gamified aesthetics to the choice of hardware, inside the sleek black chassis. Don't be tied to your desktop, and play your games anywhere, thanks to this powerful little gaming machine.

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The Acer Nitro V 16 AI is a powerful gaming laptop equipped with an Nvidia RTX 5070 laptop GPU, accompanied by the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor, able to bring games to life with crisp graphics and fast framerates. If you need a little more juice to hit the 180Hz refresh rates of the WUXGA (1920 x 1200) display, this current-gen Nvidia GPU supports DLSS 4, which enables multi-frame generation. In games that support this feature, you'll be able to boost your frame rates by the GPU inserting AI-generated frames, ensuring smoother gameplay, but there may be some trade-offs in texture and picture definition.

With 32GB of RAM, an RTX 5070, and 1TB SSD, the Acer Nitro V 16 AI is more than equipped to handle most gaming tasks. This is one of the best value-for-money gaming laptops right now, going by pure specifications. Thanks to the AI crunch causing surging memory and storage prices, the cost of gaming laptops is only going to rise in the near future.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.

We're rapidly approaching a point where integrated graphics could potentially dethrone entry-level discrete GPUs. They're good enough for the best handheld gaming PCs, and now Asus is trying it in a laptop.

At CES 2026, the company is putting AMD's Strix Halo into the Asus TUF Gaming A14, a thin gaming laptop. It has tried this once before, putting a version in the Flow Z13 tablet. But with its standard clamshell design, the A14 is a much more appealing machine to more people. We've previously had versions of this laptop earn spots on our best gaming laptops list.

Asus' spec sheet says that the company is using a version of Strix Halo with 12 cores and 40 compute units. That lines up with the Ryzen AI Max+ 392, which AMD announced last night.

As far as gaming PCs go, the A14 is thin at 0.67 inches at its sleekest point, though it maxes out at 0.78 inches thick. The system weighs 3.6 pounds.

The system supports up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, as well as a 2560 x 1600, 165Hz display. All of this suggests that this version of the A14 won't be priced at a budget level and may be sold as a premium option. Asus didn't announce a release date or price as of publishing.

The system goes up to 85W of total thermal capacity with the system in Turbo Mode, which you'll want to be plugged in for. The system supports 100W of charging over USB Type-C.

Asus is selling the A14 in a "jaeger gray" color. The laptop features a keyboard with 1.7 mm of travel, a 16:10 glass touchpad, and two M.2 2280 slots.

We saw Strix Halo chips perform well in the Framework Desktop, albeit with more RAM, so we're excited to get our hands on this more mainstream laptop and test it to see just how well it works in a slightly more mainstream approach.

Asus has announced two next-generation ROG Zephyrus laptops at CES. the new laptops are available in both 14- and 16-inch models. The larger Zephyrus G16 is comes with an Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processor, code-named Panther Lake, and the option of an RTX 5090 laptop GPU, while the more portable G14 can be had with either the latest Intel or AMD Ryzen AI chip, and an RTX 5080 laptop graphics cards. But aside from these hardware specifications, Asus says that most of the new laptops will also feature an upgraded ROG Nebula HDR OLED screen for improved immersion.

The new display we be available in either 3K@120Hz for the G14 and 2.5@240Hz for the G16, offering a 0.2ms response time to ensure crispness and clarity, even in high action games. These new Zephyrus laptops are also great for professionals, as they offer 100% DCI-P3 coverage and a Delta E <1, meaning you can use them for creative work right out of the box. And despite being an OLED monitor, it can still hit 1100 nits of peak brightness with VESA DisplayHDR True Black 1000 support, ensuring that you can consume HDR content on these devices.

You also won’t miss out on connectivity as Asus is including a bevy of ports with the new Zephyrus laptops. Each one gets two USB-C ports that support either USB4 or Thunderbolt 4 and DisplayPort output, plus 100W power delivery. It also has two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports for other peripherals, an HDMI port, an SD card or microSD card reader, and a 3.5mm audio combo jack. Unfortunately, they do not come with an Ethernet port, although Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0 will give you reliable high-speed wireless connection.

These laptops weigh between 1.5 and 2.0 kg (3.31 to 4.4 pounds) with thickness between 1.63 and 1.83 cm (0.64 and 0.72 inches) making them easy to carry around. Gamers can pick between Platinum White or Eclipse Gray, both of which offer sophisticated color and styling. These new Zephyrus laptops are some of the most powerful gaming models Asus has on offer, but their aesthetics ensure that they won’t feel out of place in both the bedroom and the boardroom.

Asus hasn’t released pricing and availability for these devices yet, so we’ll have to wait and see when they’ll hit retail stores. We also can’t wait to get our hands on them and test them out to see how much performance we can get from the powerful hardware crammed inside the compact packaging of these laptops.

Alienware is bringing OLED panels to a significant portion of its gaming laptops for the first time, following in the footsteps of brands like Asus and Lenovo that have introduced OLED displays to gaming laptops over the past 12 months. Alienware was actually a pioneer in this space, offering OLED panels on models here and there, going as far back as 2016. But now the Alienware 16 Area-51 and Alienware 16X Aurora are getting updated with 240Hz anti-glare OLED displays.

For now, Alienware is only updating its 16-inch laptops with an OLED panel. Dell claims the display has a 0.2ms response time, 620-nit peak HDR brightness, and 120% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space. It also comes with certifications from VESA, including DisplayHDR True Black 500 and ClearMR 9000. The displays come with an anti-glare coating, which Alienware claims reduces “gloss by 32%.” That number comes from internal testing from Samsung Display, so add a bit of salt.

The Alienware 18 Area-51 isn’t getting an OLED upgrade, instead sporting the same 18-inch IPS panel, with a 300Hz refresh over the previous generation.

All three laptops remain unchanged aesthetically, still sporting Alienware’s AW30 design language that it rolled out last year; you can read our thoughts on them in our Alienware 16 Area-51 review and Alienware 16 Aurora review. The 18-inch and 16-inch Area-51 models have a slight spec adjustment, however. Alienware says they’ll pack “new” Intel Core Ultra 200HX processors. These laptops already go up to a Core Ultra 9 275HX, which is one step below the highest-end mobile Arrow Lake offering Intel has. Dell wasn’t able to share model names or specs.

Outside of the CPU updates (and the OLED display on the 16-inch model), the two Area-51 designs remain unchanged. You can configure them with an RTX 5070 Ti up to an RTX 5090, as well as up to 64GB of DDR5-6400 memory and a total of 12TB of storage, split across three M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSDs in RAID 0.

The lower-end Alienware 16X Aurora remains unchanged, outside of its OLED update. You can configure it with up to a Core Ultra 9 275HX — it isn’t getting whatever new HX models Intel has, it seems — along with up to an RTX 5070 mobile running at a 115W TGP. You can also configure it with up to 64GB of DDR5-5600 memory, as well as 2TB of PCIe Gen 4 storage.

All three updates will be available in the first quarter of 2026, but Alienware hasn’t shared any pricing details yet. Given the current crisis in RAM availability, there’s a good chance prices will rise compared to last year’s models.

Alienware Ultra-Slim and Entry-Level concepts

Alienware is updating its range of Area-51 and Aurora laptops at the beginning of the year, but it teased two new models that will arrive later in 2026. Currently, they’re just called the Ultra-Slim and Entry-Level laptops. These laptops will round out Alienware’s laptop offerings, as it moved away from designs like the slim Alienware x14 R2 during Dell’s larger rebranding efforts.

First, Dell says the Ultra-Slim design is around 17mm thin, or around 0.66 inches. For context, the MacBook Air M4 is about 0.45 inches thick, while the 2024 and 2025 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is around 0.64 inches. For specs, Alienware says the laptop will come with a discrete Nvidia GPU and “new highly efficient CPUs.” It’ll be available in a 14-inch and 16-inch variant, and Alienware claims the 16-inch model is nearly 50% smaller in volume compared to the Alienware 16 Area-51.

Alienware hasn’t shared any details about the Entry-Level laptop yet, short of the render you can see above. Alienware says those interested should “stay stunned for more this spring,” suggesting the laptop is closer than the lack of details would let on.

Alienware Area-51 Desktop, now with the Ryzen 7 9850X3D

Starting in February, Alienware plans to offer its flagship Area-51 Desktop with AMD’s new Ryzen 7 9850X3D. The souped-up X3D chip comes with an average 7% improvement compared to the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, says AMD, though even Team Red’s official benchmarks show minor improvements in most games, with some games posting identical results.

The Ryzen 7 9850X3D is identical to the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, short of the clock speed. The updated CPU can climb up to 5.6GHz, while the original model topped out at 5.2GHz. Nothing else is different. Both CPUs carry the same 120W TDP, and they both carry 104MB of combined L2 and L3 cache. The 96MB SRAM chunk is placed under the compute die on both models, giving them more thermal headroom for overclocking. AMD supports multiplier-based overclocking (along with PBO) on both chips.

Alienware originally launched the Area-51 Desktop exclusively with Intel’s Core Ultra 200S ‘Arrow Lake’ CPUs before bringing AMD’s Ryzen 7 9700X, Ryzen 7 9800X3D, and Ryzen 9 9950X3D to the desktop in November of 2025. Alienware hasn’t said if the Ryzen 7 9850X3D will replace the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, but AMD claims both CPUs will live in the Zen 5 X3D lineup moving forward.

Outside of the new CPU, the specs of the Area-51 remain unchanged. You can pack in up to an Nvidia RTX 5090, 64GB of DDR5-6400 memory, and 12TB of total SSD storage split across three 4TB PCIe Gen4 drives. Neither Alienware nor AMD has shared pricing details on the Ryzen 7 9850X3D yet, but the configuration will reportedly arrive in February.

MSI is refreshing two of its popular laptops this year: the Raider 16 Max HX and the Stealth 16 AI+. We kick things off with the Raider 16 Max HX, which has been "redrawn with bold lines" and includes a strong emphasis on MSI's dragon motif (just not the same kind of emphasis as last year’s flagship). You'll find the traditional RGB-lit MSI logo on the left side of the lid, and a larger version of the dragon etched on the other side. MSI also says the Raider 16 Max HX is about 10 percent smaller than its predecessor, while being 25 percent more power-efficient.

That said, there isn't much that's new on the hardware front. MSI is still using Intel Core Ultra 200HX "Arrow Lake" processors rather than SKUs from Intel's new Panther Lake family. The system features two SO-DIMM slots that support up to 128GB of DDR5-7200 memory, though you'll likely need to sell a kidney to max this system out with current memory pricing.

Since Nvidia hasn't made any announcements on new GPU hardware, you'll still find the usual RTX 50 Series graphics (RTX 5070 TI, RTX 5080, and RTX 5090) inside. Those GPUs fuel one of two 16-inch display options. The first is a 2560 x 1600 IPS panel with 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage and a 240 Hz refresh rate. The other display option retains the same DCI-P3 coverage and refresh rate, but features a richer OLED panel.

You'll get two PCIe expansion slots onboard: one supporting PCIe Gen5x4 and the other supporting PCIe Gen4x4. Other items of note include a SteelSeries keyboard with per-key RGB lighting, a quad speaker system, a 90 Wh battery, and a 400-watt power adapter.

If you're looking for something with a more next-generation push, there's the new Stealth 16 AI+. It introduces a new design language for the Stealth family, featuring clean lines, rounded edges, and a Charcoal Black finish.

MSI is leaning into the premium feel of the Stealth 16 AI+, featuring an invisible hinge design and a screen-to-body ratio above 90%. The chassis measures just under 17mm at its thinnest point, and the keyboard supports four-zone RGB Mystic Light.

Under the hood, MSI has adopted Intel's Core Ultra 300H family of Panther Lake processors and Nvidia's RTX 50 Series GPUs. MSI provides two 16-inch OLED panels: one FHD+ and one QHD+. Other niceties on the Stealth 16 AI+ include up to a 90 Whr battery, a massive 160 x 100mm touchpad, a fingerprint reader embedded in the power button, and dual internal PCIe Gen4x4 M.2 slots.

MSI hadn’t yet provided pricing and availability at the time of writing for the Raider 16 Max HX or the Stealth 16 AI+.

Acer's gaming lineup is getting a refresh from top to bottom. At CES 2026, the company announced a new range of systems at what should be multiple price points, though the company isn't talking about cost just yet.

The Predator Helios Neo 16S AI, Nitro V 16 AI, and Nitro V 16S AI cover both the top and mid-range. The Helios is an OLED gaming laptop going up to a Core Ultra 9 386H, while the Nitros cover the lower and mid-range, with more basic 1920 x 1200 displays and topping out at a Core Ultra 7 non-H processor.

The Predator goes up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM, while the Nitros top out at 32GB. Notably, the entire lineup is stuck on Wi-Fi 6E rather than the newer Wi-Fi 7 standard. They all come with up to 2TB of storage.

The Acer Nitro V 16 AI will be the first of these systems released, somewhere in Q2 of this year, Acer says. The Nitro V 16S AI and Predator Helios Neo 16S AI will follow in Q3. Like many other laptops at CES, there's no pricing yet, as Acer and other OEMs navigate the ongoing RAM pricing crisis.

The specs between the two Nitros seem largely identical. The 16S AI is slightly thinner at its thinnest point (10.3 mm compared to 11.37 mm on the non-S model)

Beyond its gaming laptop, Acer also has two peripherals. The Galea 570 gaming headset and Cestus 530 gaming mouse. The Galea has noise cancellation, can be connected over Bluetooth, a 2.4 GHz dongle, or a wired connection, and claims up to 30 hours of use. The Cestus mouse uses the same connectivity modes as the headset and offers an 8,000 Hz polling rate. Both use Acer's QuarterMaster app to make performance or setting tweaks. The peripherals will launch in Q1 of this year; the Galea will cost $149 and the Cestus will run you $109.

For those leaving their Christmas shopping really late this year, there's still a decent discount on a brand new gaming laptop that you can take advantage of, and it arrives before Christmas. This Acer Nitro gaming laptop features one of Nvidia's most recent GPUs for gaming, along with a powerful 10-core Intel processor, and still for less than £900.

• Check out this deal on Amazon

Laptop prices have yo-yo'd recently, and the data from Camelcamelcamel confirms that, while this Acer Nitro V15 laptop was a little cheaper over Black Friday, it's still much lower than the £1,050 price it was regularly sold for over the last year. This £899.99 price tag also makes it cheaper than other RTX 5060-powered rivals, plenty of which are still priced over £1,000.

The RTX 5060 is the important spec to point out here, because a gaming laptop is made or broken by how powerful its GPU is. This is the mobile version of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, which features 8GB of VRAM and 3,328 CUDA cores.

With an RTX 5060, you're easily going to manage high and even ultra graphics presets in almost all games, remaining playable with decent enough frame rates. Meanwhile, this current-gen Nvidia GPU has DLSS 4 support, including multi-frame generation in games that support it, so you can boost your frame rate even further with AI-generated frames in a crunch.

Alongside the powerful GPU in this Acer laptop is an Intel Core i7-13620H CPU, which has those 10 cores we mentioned previously. Those cores are split, with six performance cores that work best for gaming, as well as four efficiency cores, which will work best for any multi-threaded task work. This Raptor Lake CPU can boost up to 4.9 GHz when needed, too.

This is a laptop, so the screen is important to consider here, too. With this model, you're gaining a 15.6-inch display with a fast 165Hz refresh rate. It offers a 1,920 x 1,080 screen resolution with a 16:9 aspect ratio.

You're well catered for in terms of storage and memory with this Acer Nitro V15 gaming laptop. It comes equipped with a 1TB SSD, featuring Gen 4 speeds, along with 16GB of DDR4 SODIMM RAM. As RAM prices continue to rise, this might be the most affordable laptop you'll be able to buy with these specs for some time, and it leaves you room to upgrade when the RAM prices do (eventually, hopefully) drop, as it includes support for a maximum 32GB.

This £899 Acer Nitro V15 is as affordable as it gets right now for a gaming laptop with an RTX 5060 GPU for gaming at 1080p. It sits comfortable under that £1,000 price point and, alongside strong performance for gaming, you can still (if you order it quickly) have it delivered before Christmas. Not a bad bargain, and given the instability in the market, one we might not see next year.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, or CPU Deals pages.

If you're looking for a new laptop for Christmas, you're in luck. There's a fantastic deal to be had on an Asus gaming laptop right now that just can't be beaten on price, featuring one of Nvidia's latest GPUs for gaming, as well as a 10-core Intel processor, and all for less than £850.

• Check out this deal on Amazon

That’s because this 16-inch Asus V16 gaming laptop is priced at just £849.99, down from as high as £1,199 just a few months ago, according to Camelcamelcamel’s data. While that isn't quite the record low we saw over Black Friday, it's still ~£150 cheaper than its rivals with matching specs. For your money, you’re getting the mobile version of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, which features 8GB of VRAM and 3,328 CUDA cores. It also includes support for DLSS 4, allowing you to enjoy ray tracing with multi-frame generation in games that support it.

Fitted in this rig is an Intel Core Ultra 240H CPU, which has those 10 cores we mentioned previously. Those cores are split, with six performance cores that allow the best performance for gaming, as well as four efficiency cores, which you'll want for multi-threaded task work. It has a typical 2.5GHz clock speed, but this Raptor Lake CPU can boost up to 5.2GHz when you need it to.

You've also got a 16-inch display with a 144Hz refresh rate, giving this Asus V16 laptop a good amount of screen real estate to have several windows open at once. It runs better than 1080p, too, offering a 1,920 x 1,200 screen resolution with a 16:10 aspect ratio. You might still want to tweak down your graphics presets in-game while you're running at 1200p in the most demanding games to get the best frame rates, but the games themselves should still remain playable.

Cheaper laptops typically see you miss out on having enough RAM or storage, but there are no such compromises here. You've got a 1TB SSD, featuring PCIe 5.0 speeds, as well as 16GB of DDR5 SODIMM RAM. While it probably isn't the best time to think about upgrading your memory with RAM prices skyrocketing, once the prices do stabilise, you can upgrade this model to a maximum 32GB, giving it that extra bit of longevity. Alongside the laptop itself, you're also getting three months of Xbox Game Pass thrown in for free.

This £849 Asus V16 is the cheapest gaming laptop with an RTX 5060 that you can buy right now, and you'll struggle to find an alternative for under £1000. If you're thinking about picking up a new laptop before Christmas that can offer solid performance at or above 1080p, then this Asus model is one of your best options. Expect it to sell out fast.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, or CPU Deals pages.

The Black Friday sale weekend is still in full swing, and although Thanksgiving in the US has passed, along with Black Friday itself, there's no let-up on the deals train as it continues to chug along and spit out last-minute bargains from our favourite tech retailers. If you've been keeping an eye out for a gaming laptop at an affordable price with some decent specs, then we have just the ticket for you today. Lenovo's Legion 5 gaming laptop is priced at just £1249.99, and includes not only an Intel CPU and OLED screen, but also a powerful Nvidia RTX 5070 graphics card. Getting you gaming well ahead of the Christmas holidays.

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Packed inside the Lenovo Legion 5 is a surprising amount of hardware for the asking price. Not only are you getting a luxurious 15-inch WQXGA OLED display, but you're also treated to a powerful Nvidia RTX 5070 graphics card, Intel Core i7-13650HX processor, an ample 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD for storage. Windows 11 Home is pre-installed as your operating system. Both the memory and SSD capacities are upgradeable should you require more in the future.

The original list price for this laptop was priced at £1549.99, so you're saving £300 in this Black Friday deal, which is a pretty penny saved. You would normally expect to pay more for a laptop with similar-ish specs, but this Legion 5 model does use an older Intel CPU. The 13th Gen Core i7-13650HX is an older CPU, but it's not going to bottleneck this system, especially if you are playing games on a 2560 x 1600 pixel resolution on that OLED screen. The speedy 165Hz refresh rate will ensure buttery-smooth gameplay.

The Lenovo Legion 5 comes with 802.11.be WiFI connectivity, Bluetooth, a front-facing 5MP webcam, and plenty of ports for connecting peripherals and extra monitors. These include 5 x USB ports, an RJ45 Ethernet port, and an HDMI port.

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We've been saying it for weeks, but it really is Black Friday, and there's an awesome sale on an Acer gaming laptop that's more powerful than any of its competition at this price point right now, thanks to this huge Amazon discount.

• Check out this deal on Amazon

That's because Amazon has slashed the price of this Acer Nitro V 15 gaming laptop to just £799.99, down from as high as £1,049.99 just a few weeks ago. It's the lowest this particular model has ever been on Amazon, according to Camelcamelcamel data, and it's the cheapest you'll find an RTX 5060 laptop in the UK right now.

This laptop has almost the same specs to the Acer Nitro V 15 we reviewed last year. Crucially, our model featured an RTX 4060 and only 512GB of SSD storage, along with a display that only has a 144Hz refresh rate. That means we can't really share gaming performance stats from our review, but the design and build quality will be the same.

The Nitro V 15 has a pretty understated design, but that doesn't mean it feels cheap. The plastic it uses is sturdy, and you aren't sacrificing ports for price, with plenty of Ethernet, USB-C, and USB-A connections on hand. The specs are pretty handy, with a 10-core Intel Core i7-13620H CPU, 1GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB Gen 4 SSD — no compromises to be found there, which isn't always a given on a budget-conscious laptop.

You've got decent options to upgrade this ANV15-51 model, too, with two DDR5 SODIMM RAM slots that you can upgrade to 32GB from the supplied 16GB. It also has two fully-sized M.2 2280 SSD slots included, so you can easily add extra storage, as well as replace the battery, should you need to.

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 laptop GPU will be a solid upgrade over the RTX 4060 we tested, with 3,840 CUDA cores and 8GB of VRAM, using much faster GDDR7 VRAM memory modules. This latest-gen Nvidia GPU also unlocks DLSS 4, meaning you can use multi-frame gen in games that support it to boost frame rates even further.

8GB of VRAM is fine for 1080p gaming, which matches the resolution of this laptop's 15.6-inch IPS display. A boost to a 165Hz refresh rate, meanwhile, will ensure you have smooth motion in any fast-paced games you play.

Ultimately, a discounted £799.99 Black Friday sale price is an absolute steal for a gaming laptop that can hit high frame rates in modern games at 1080p. If you're a gamer with a strict Black Friday budget to spend, you can't go wrong with a laptop like this one, so grab one before it sells out.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, or CPU Deals pages.

It's almost Black Friday. You haven't started shopping for gifts — or for yourself — yet. Maybe there's a PC builder in your life. Maybe that's you. Either way, one thing is for sure: The price of RAM has skyrocketed, which will make building your own system more expensive than it was a few months ago. But those price hikes haven't yet hit prebuilt systems, including desktops and laptops, in part because the companies that make them have stockpiled memory to keep their supply chains moving.

As of this writing, you can get an entire PlayStation 5 for less than a 64GB RAM kit. So yes: If you're willing to let someone else build your system, it may be a far better deal to buy one of the best gaming PCs, best gaming laptops, or best ultrabooks before AI’s seemingly insatiable demand for RAM and storage causes price hikes on systems, too.

A lot of us prefer to build their own PCs. I get it! But this isn't the first time that financial wisdom has pointed to prebuilts. The same was true when GPU prices went orbital during the perfect storm of the COVID pandemic lockdowns and crypto mining on GPUs.

Let's do some price comparisons and see how this all shakes out. You can also see some of our other tips for navigating the shortages in our RAM pricing survival guide.

For an example, we'll use the CyberPower PC Gamer Xtreme gaming desktop, which we recently reviewed and uses all standardized parts. For some components, we had to make swaps for availability, so we used something comparable in those cases.

The total on our parts list is $1,322.80, or more than $200 over the $1,099.99 CyberPowerPC. And for Black Friday, the CyberPowerPC is down to $849.99, which is a price you couldn't come close to without making compromises when building on your own now. It sure doesn't help that when separated out, the RAM and graphics card are almost the same price.

Also, if you were building this yourself, you'd probably want a nicer PSU, which could add to the cost. You might also be able to bring along an existing Windows license or find a way to pay less, which could drop the price.

If you're looking for laptops, it's a bit harder to price out. After all, you can't usually build your own laptop from parts. Framework, the company that allows more upgrades and customization options than any other laptop manufacturer, shows that now is the time to buy. The company hasn't changed pricing yet, but has removed standalone RAM from its store and wrote on X that "Our memory costs from our suppliers are increasing substantially though, so it is likely we will need to increase memory pricing soon."

Framework is smaller than Dell, HP, Apple, and Lenovo, which almost certainly have larger supplies. But even their stock won't last forever, and depending on what the RAM pricing crisis looks like at that point, it would not be surprising to see prices go up from even the biggest companies. That will be the case for both ultrabooks and gaming laptops (perhaps even more for the latter, given that GPUs have their own RAM).

It's at least somewhat fortuitous that this rise in RAM pricing is occurring during a deals event. If you can find a good deal on a gaming PC or a laptop, it might be the lowest price you can find for a long time.

If all you really care about is gaming, it might also a good time to buy a console or a handheld. Those prices are already higher than they were last year, and it's possible they'll go higher still if the memory squeeze continues. It's the opposite of the way consoles usually work — they typically get cheaper as time goes on — but we live in surprising times.

RAM on its own is expensive now. But systems with memory in them already have it accounted for. There's no telling how long that will last, but until prices increase, you’ll likely save some money by buying a system that's already built. Building your own PC has, yet again, become something you’ll likely have to pay extra for.

Gaming PC Deals

Laptop PC Deals

If you’re tempted to treat yourself to a new gaming laptop for Black Friday, then you’re in luck. This Asus deal is unbeatable for the specs, fitted with one of Nvidia’s latest GPUs, along with a ten-core Intel processor, all for less than £800 and reaching a record low price on Amazon.

• Check out this deal on Amazon

That’s because this 16-inch Acer V16 gaming laptop is priced at just £799, down from as high as £1,199 just a few months ago, according to Camelcamelcamel’s data. For your money, you’re getting the mobile version of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, with 8GB of VRAM and 3,328 CUDA cores. It also supports DLSS 4, including ray tracing with multi-frame generation in games that support it.

You’re also getting the Intel Core Ultra 240H CPU with this rig, which features those 10 cores we mentioned. Those 10 cores are split into six performance cores, which are great for gaming, along with four efficiency cores, which are good for multi-threaded task work. It has a typical 2.5GHz clock speed, but it does boost up to 5.2GHz, where needed.

A 16-inch display, with a 144Hz refresh rate, gives this Acer V16 laptop a decent amount of screen real estate to work with. It’s a boost from 1080p, too, with a max 1,920 x 1,200 screen resolution on a 16:10 aspect ratio. While you might have to lower your graphics presets at 1200p in the most demanding modern games to get the best frame rates, they should remain playable.

With a budget-friendly laptop like this one, you’re usually expecting a compromise – less RAM or storage, for instance. That isn’t the case here, as you’re getting a 1TB SSD with Gen 4 speeds, along with 16GB of DDR5 SODIMM RAM, which you can upgrade at a later date (once RAM prices stabilise) to 32GB.

This £799 Acer V16 is the cheapest gaming laptop with an RTX 5060 that you can buy right now, thanks to Black Friday, with other models costing £150+ more. If you’re looking for solid gaming performance on this screen’s native 1200p display, you won’t find a better option than this one on a budget right now.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, or CPU Deals pages.

Imagine not needing to replace your entire laptop when you want a new GPU. It's been tried before, but never successfully. But with the release of the second-generation Framework Laptop 16, you have a system with a realistic GPU upgrade path.The new Framework Laptop 16 comes with the option of an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 laptop GPU, which can power your new laptop or replace the GPU in the original Framework Laptop 16 from 2024.

While that makes this the most repairable and upgradeable laptop we've ever seen, it still may not be the best gaming laptop. It's more expensive than most other RTX 5070 machines, and Framework still needs to work on making this system feel as premium as its price.

Design of the Framework Laptop 16

Framework's latest 16-incher doesn't appear different from the one we tested in early 2024, but there are a few changes. While the laptop still has a silver lid with its logo on the top, the company says it's using a new structure for the CNC aluminum that should make it stronger. There's still some flex, though, particularly in the center (especially when the lid is open).

Our DIY edition laptop still came in a way that feels initially surprising — without a keyboard installed. That's because you have to choose how to align and install it. If you add the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Graphics module like we did, the laptop expands in the back, taking up more room on your desk. But with the touchpad in place and a bezel preinstalled (with a thick bottom edge), this is definitely a large laptop. How you add the keyboard will depend if you also bought a number pad, RGB macropad, or various spacers.

Building the system includes adding the SSD, RAM, and the optional GPU module. Framework has a comprehensive startup guide for the process.For the most part, you can install the keyboard and touchpad anywhere you want. There are a few combinations that won't work, but they don't look like choices I would make. They mostly have to do with having the keyboard or touchpad on the extreme right side.

The keyboard and other accessories go in easily. You place them at an angle and lower them into magnetic connectors. If you want to move them, there are easy pull tabs to get them out of the casing. The keyboard and macros are controlled by a browser-based version the open-source software VIA (found at keyboard.frame.work), which is often used in custom or enthusiast keyboards. Those unfamiliar with VIA will have a bit of a learning curve here.

The ports work just like every previous Framework system: with a series of modules that plug into recessed USB Type-C connectors. Like last time around, the company included a headphone jack, which is not included as standard on the device. USB Type-C and Type-A ports are $11 each; a headphone jack is $19. The most expensive options include Ethernet ($39), an SD card slot ($25), and storage modules (250GB for $45, 1TB for $125). Thankfully, the ports seem way easier to remove on this system than they were on previous models. No worries about breaking fingernails here.

Here, too, there are some limitations. Specifically, if you place the USB-A ports in the rear two slots, Framework warns that this could lead to increased power draw. (These slots let the USB-C ports use the USB4 standard, rather than USB 3.2 Gen 2 on the rest of the system.) The rear four slots also support fast 240W charging and DisplayPort output, while the front slots don't.

On the back of the Nvidia Geforce RTX 5070 graphics module, there's a USB Type-C port that supports a 240-watt USB Type-C GaN charger. This is the first time we've seen one of these with a system, and it's undeniably cool to not need a barrel connector for this much power. That port also supports video output and USB 2.0 data transfer.

Unfortunately, some of the fit and finish on the Framework Laptop 16 still has room for improvement. I don't have last year's model on me to compare if it's an improvement, but the seams between the spacers and the touchpad and keyboard make the Laptop 16 feel far less of a premium product than it is.

Upgradeability on the Framework Laptop 16

Framework's standout achievement is still the fact that you can replace effectively every part of its laptops. Getting into the Framework Laptop 16 takes a bit of elbow grease, but if you have any experience inside a computer, it shouldn't be too difficult (especially with a litany of step-by-step guides to help).

Getting inside requires removing all of the input modules and then pulling a cable in the metal plate labeled as an obvious step "1." You can use the T5 screwdriver included in the box to loosen the 16 captive Torx screws (also labeled as 2-17) in order. With the mid-plate off, you'll be able to see room for two SSDs: a primary M.2 2280 SSD and a secondary, shorter M.2 2230 slot. You can also add your own RAM, swap out the battery, or even the motherboard (though the AMD Ryzen AI 300 series boards are the latest available).

The other upgrade option is the graphics. If you buy it with this GeForce RTX 5070, you'll have the top-of-the-line option. But if you have an existing AMD Radeon RX 7700S module (or the new one with upgraded cooling) or opt to use the integrated graphics, you always have the option to add the RTX 5070 later.

This is perhaps Framework's standout accomplishment to date. Changing out motherboards in a laptop for multiple generations is impressive, no doubt, but successfully shipping a second-generation GPU (from another vendor than the previous one, to boot!), that users from new and existing Laptop 16s can upgrade to, is a promise fulfilled. It's also one that Alienware famously didn't fulfill with its Area-51m. While it shipped units within generations, when it became time to move to the next generation, you had to buy a whole new gaming laptop, which led to a class action lawsuit against Alienware's parent company, Dell.

In short: wow, they did it. I wish Framework had a larger range of GPUs for its customers to choose from, but the technological achievement is impressive.

The GPU upgrade is a bit more involved than other changes you can make to the Laptop 16, involving sensitive electronics like interposers.

After removing the keyboard and touchpad, there's a door to open to access the electrical interposer. (You don't need to remove the midplate, though. Count your blessings.) There are four captive screws to loosen (or three if you have the empty expansion bay shell installed), and then you can pull it out with a tab.

From there, two more captive screws hold either module in place. Then, you close the interposer door and flip the system over so you can slide the GPU module or expansion shell out.

If you're already getting the GPU, I'd suggest leaving it in there full time, unless the weight and slight thickness difference is going to make a massive difference to you.

Framework Laptop 16 Specifications

Gaming and Graphics on the Framework Laptop 16

The components in the new Framework Laptop 16, including the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 laptop GPU provide a significant boost over the previous generation. If you upgrade your mainboard and GPU, you'll see some pretty big gains in games. The GPU doesn't support some of the Max-Q technologies found on Nvidia-based gaming laptops, like Dynamic Boost and WhisperMode, though.

We compared the system to the 2024 Framework Laptop 16 with Radeon RX 7700S to see the difference you get when you upgrade the CPU and GPU. We also compared an RTX 5070 gaming laptop, the MSI Katana 17 HX.

When I played Alan Wake 2, I set the screen to 1920 x 1200 and the render resolution to 1114 x 696 (balanced). I used DLSS (the game requires upscaling), but not frame gen, and opted for the high settings and ray tracing presets. The game ran between 70 and 82 frames per second as I navigated the New York City subway as Wake.

On the Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark (highest settings), the Framework with RTX 5070 ran the game at 132 FPS at 1080p, beating the MSI's 119 FPS. At native 2560 x 1600, it ran at 76 FPS.

At 1080p, the RTX 5070 was able to run Cyberpunk 2077 at its ray tracing ultra preset at 38 FPS, just one frame behind the Katana.

The Framework outperformed on Borderlands 3 and Red Dead Redemption 2, but the Katana won out on the CPU-focused Far Cry 6.

To stress test the system, we ran the Metro Exodus at RTX settings in a loop 15 times to simulate half an hour of gameplay. The Laptop 16 averaged 91.95 FPS.

During that test, the Zen 5 CPU cores ran at 4.19 GHz, while the Zen 5c cores reached 2.68 GHz. The GPU averaged 1,550 MHz.

Productivity Performance on the Framework Laptop 16

The mainboard in the 2025 Framework Laptop 16 features an AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 CPU. Our unit came paired with 16GB of RAM, as well as a 1TB WD Black SN770.

We compared the system to the previous Framework Laptop 16 (AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) and a 17-inch gaming notebook, the MSI Katana 17 HX (Intel Core i7 14650HX, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD).

The first time we ran our benchmarks, the system rebooted during the tests. Framework replaced the unit with a second one and new, otherwise identical components.

On Geekbench 6, the Framework Laptop 16 won out over both its last-generation counterpart, and the Katana in single-core performance with a score of 2,878. In multi-core, the Framework saw gen-over-gen improvements with a score of 12,399, but the Katana HX scored higher. That processor may have older cores, but it has 16 cores while the Ryzen AI 7 350 has 8 cores.

The speed of your SSD is going to depend heavily on what you choose to put in this laptop. The 1TB WD Black SN770 in our review unit isn't a default pairing with the Laptop 16 (its successor, the SN7100, is), but the part is available on Framework's store as an option. The Framework Laptop 16 copied 25GB of files at a rate of 1,724.69 MBps.

It took the new Framework Laptop 16 a total of four minutes and 18 seconds to transcode a 4K video to 1080p. That beat both the Katana (4:30) and the previous-gen Framework (4:34).

Display on the Framework Laptop 16

While the Framework Laptop 16's screen is still 16-inches with a 2560 x 1600 resolution with a 165 Hz refresh rate, it has some new tricks up its sleeve. Specifically, if you have an Nvidia GPU, the screen now supports G-Sync to prevent screen tearing.

But in our instrumented measuring, we also found improvements in color gamut volume. Framework said that it's an identical screen, but that "NVIDIA graphics drivers may have different color optimization behaviors." It covered 113.1% of the DCI-P3 space by volume and 159.6% sRGB. Those are big jumps over the previous Laptop 16 screen (75.4% DCI-P3 / 106.5% sRGB). Both Frameworks were brighter than our comparison gaming laptop (though that MSI Katana is far cheaper).

When I used the system to play Alan Wake 2, the green and murky browns of a haunted New York subway system created a haunting aura. I appreciated the matte display, which let me play near a window, though that did seem to knock down a bit of the perceived colors.

The new screen measured 444 nits of brightness — 40 nits dimmer than the previous model, which isn't huge but isn't nothing, either.

Keyboard and Touchpad on the Framework Laptop 16

Your keyboard and touchpad modules on the Framework Laptop 16 will depend on your preferences and what you buy. For example, we tested the standard US English keyboard, which doesn't feature a Windows Copilot key as it's set for both Windows and Linux. This computer does meet Microsoft's Copilot+ criteria, however, and there's another keyboard with the Copilot key if that's your thing.

There are also a number of languages available, as well as blacked-out keys and RGB options, for additional costs.

I tended to use the keyboard left-aligned, as I was often trying the RGB macropad or numberpad alongside it. That being said, you may prefer something centered. The touchpad, too, can be aligned in multiple ways.

I found that the keys, which Framework says offer 1.5 mm of travel, are overly mushy for my taste. That didn't stop me from bouncing along at 122 words per minute with a 1% error rate on the monkeytype test. For comfort, though, I'm not sure how much Framework can do. It's pretty limited by the fact that the keys have to fit in between the lid and the midplate.

The touchpad works fine (I didn't have any of the issues I had on the original Framework Laptop 16), with multitouch gestures and simple navigation all operating as expected, though clicks are a bit loud. I still, however, can't stand the seams between the spacers and the touchpad module, which both look and feel cheap on this premium-priced laptop. I suppose I'm the target audience for the 3D printer files Framework released for those who want a full-width palmrest.

I'm still waiting for Framework to release a module with a haptic trackpad.

Audio on the Framework Laptop 16

Framework's stereo speakers on the Laptop 16 do the job, though they're average at best.

When I listened to Kaleo's "Way Down We Go," I appreciated the stereo speakers' balanced mix of drums, synths, guitars, and vocals. The drums, in particular, were impressively snappy. That being said, the bass was negligible when I noticed it at all, and while this computer got loud enough for my needs, there are others that can really fill a room.

In Alan Wake 2, the speakers did enough to keep me in the action, as it pumped out the sounds of bullets, and scared me as a surprise villain taunted the protagonist from behind when I wasn't paying enough attention.

Battery Life on the Framework Laptop 16

Adding a discrete GPU often comes with battery life costs. On our test, which involves streaming video, light OpenGL tests, and web browsing at 150 nits of brightness, the Laptop 16 with RTX 5070 ran for 8 hours and 20 minutes. That's a dip from the original Framework Laptop 16 with AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS and Radeon RX 7700S, which went ran for 8:49.

The MSI Katana 17 HX, a dedicated gaming laptop, ran for 6:21.

One way to get more juice out of this system would be to remove the RTX 5070 and use it with just the CPU and integrated graphics, though that would reduce its usefulness in certain workflows.

Heat on the Framework Laptop 16

We measured skin temperatures on the Framework Laptop 16 while running our Metro Exodus stress test, pushing the RTX 5070. The laptop was a bit hotter on the keyboard than I'd like to see, but it's still fine to use.

During the test, the keyboard measured 100.9 degrees Fahrenheit, the touchpad hit 91.5 F, and the hottest spot on the bottom, unsurprisingly on the GPU, measured 110.6 F.

The CPU averaged 62.13 degrees Celsius, and the GPU measured 637.34 MHz.

Webcam on the Framework Laptop 16

Framework is touting a second-generation webcam with an upgraded image sensor. The 1080p webcam, which records at 30 frames per second, is fine but not mind-blowing, particularly at this price.

While I found it to look good enough for most use cases, I did note some graininess, especially in the background. Colors appeared slightly cool, though the camera did have to contend with a window right next to my desk.

Software and Warranty on the Framework Laptop 16

One of the best parts of using Windows 11 on a Framework Laptop is that the company doesn't fill the OS with extra bloatware. We installed Windows ourselves, and the only extra we got was a link to the Framework Marketplace in the Start Menu. It wasn't even pinned.

Of course, if you buy the DIY edition, you don't need to start with Windows 11. Framework also supports a ton of Linux distributions, if that's your thing.

Framework sells the Laptop 16 with a one-year warranty in the United States and Canada.

Framework Laptop 16 Configurations

Framework sells the Laptop 16 in three different prebuilt configurations that are ready to use with Windows 11, or a DIY model in which you bring your own RAM, storage, and operating system (though Framework will happily sell those to you, if you would like).

The prebuilt options start at $1,499 with an AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. An extra $200 bumps you up to 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, while the top-end $2,549 option has a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, 64GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage. That's all without a discrete GPU; if you want to add the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, you have to add $650 more. On the bright side, these systems include a power adapter.

You'll also have to buy expansion cards for ports. Framework recommends six (one for each port), which is a minimum of $66, assuming you get all USB Type-C and Type-A ports, but prices vary depending on the port.

The DIY Edition, which we tested, is a bit more free-flowing. You start with either a $1,499 model with the Ryzen AI 7 350 or a $1,799 option with a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. From there, you can add the RTX 5070 ($650) or Radeon RX 7700S ($350) if you want discrete graphics. Framework sells memory and storage separately, and also doesn't include a power adapter on DIY models — you have to shell out $109 for the 240W GaN adapter, or bring your own. Framework recommends a minimum of 100W without the graphics module or 180W with it, though it says 240W will "provide the best experience."

Our review laptop, with the Ryzen AI 7 350, 16GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, an RTX 5070, and a number pad is $2,396, though it would be more if we counted the RGB macropad ($79). That doesn't include the money necessary for the expansion cards, which will differ heavily depending on which ones you want.

Black bezels and a basic keyboard come included, though if you want special colors, layouts, or RGB, those cost extra. You also have to pay for spacers or input modules to finish out the laptop. At a minimum, two spacers are a total of $20. The numberpad is $39, while the RGB macropad is $79.

Bottom Line

Framework did it. It made a laptop that supports multiple generations of GPUs. You can remove the module, replace it, and upgrade from a Radeon RX 7700S to an RTX 5070. It's a remarkable technical achievement, though I wish there were more GPU options.

And beyond that, the Framework Laptop 16 remains the most customizable laptop I've ever seen, though that does mean some unsightly seams and gaps that cheapen the experience.

The matte display is vivid and is great at avoiding reflections, and it's cool to see one of the first systems to come with a 240W GaN USB-C charger, assuming you pay for it.

But this system is more expensive than other RTX 5070 gaming laptops, so if you're just using it for gaming, you may want to consider other options. The MSI Katana we compared it to was $1,300 when we tested it.

But if you prioritize repairability above all else, and want the ability to change out GPUs, there's no other way to go. The Framework Laptop 16 is still one of a kind. You just have to be willing to deal with the hitches (and the high price) that can come with that.

Portability and gaming laptop didn’t always belong in the same sentence, but the rise of 14-inch models has changed the rules. The Acer Predator Triton 14 AI ($2,499 as tested) is Acer’s latest take on this scene, packing a GeForce RTX 5070 into a sleek aluminum chassis weighing just 3.5 pounds. It also adds creative flair with an OLED touch display and a touchpad that supports a stylus. While its Core Ultra 9 288V won’t break performance records, power efficiency may help justify the trade-off.

Design of the Acer Predator Triton 14 AI

When powered off, the Predator Triton 14 AI could easily be mistaken for a premium ultraportable. Its all-black aluminum chassis feels reassuringly solid, showing zero flex regardless of how it’s handled. The refinement continues with diamond-cut edges and a seamless glass palm rest with a supple soft-touch finish. The lid opens effortlessly with one hand.

Once the power is on, there’s no mistaking that the Triton is a proper gaming laptop. Per-key RGB backlighting glows vividly through the keycaps, complemented by illuminated Predator logos on the palm rest and lid. Lighting effects are customizable in the PredatorSense app.

At 12.68 x 8.84 x 0.71 inches, the Triton is impressively compact for a 14.5-inch gaming laptop, noticeably more so than its predecessor, the Predator Helios Neo 14 (12.76 x 10.05 x 0.77 inches). Its 3.5-pound carry weight is also commendable, rivalling true ultrabooks like the HP OmniBook Ultra (3.47 pounds). Considering it offers a GeForce RTX 5070, the Triton delivers remarkable performance in a surprisingly portable frame.

The Predator offers a decent port selection: two USB Type-C ports (one Thunderbolt 4, the other version 3.2 Gen 2), two USB Type-A ports (10 Gbps), HDMI 2.1, an audio jack, and a microSD card reader. Inside, Acer outfits this laptop with a Killer BE1750i wireless card supporting Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.

Acer Predator Triton 14 AI Specifications

Gaming and Graphics on the Acer Predator Triton 14 AI

We evaluated the Predator Triton 14 AI equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 9 288V processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 GPU (110W), and 32GB of onboard memory.

The “Lunar Lake” CPU, typically reserved for premium ultraportables, is an unexpected choice for a gaming rig. As a system-on-chip (SoC), it combines four Performance cores, four Efficient cores, 32GB of LPDDR5X-8533 memory, Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics, and a neural processing unit (NPU). However, with a 30W thermal envelope, it’s not likely to be as hard-hitting in performance as the H-class chips commonly found in gaming laptops, which typically run at 45W or 55W and offer more cores.

For gaming, I turned to Shadow of the Tomb Raider, cranking settings to Highest. I saw FPS in the mid-60 to lower-70 range outdoors and in scenes with complex foliage, and up to 90 FPS indoors. G-Sync did its job and kept the action perfectly smooth anytime the FPS changed. As expected, this game wasn’t a challenge for the Predator.

Our comparison group includes two 16-inch contenders: the Alienware 16 Aurora (Core 7 240H, RTX 5060 80W, $1,499 as tested) and the Asus ROG Strix G16 (Ryzen 9 9955HX3D, RTX 5070 Ti 140W, $2,499). We also added the previous-generation Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 (Core Ultra 7 155H, RTX 4070 125W, $1,799) to compare to Acer's previous thin gaming notebook.

This lineup generally outpaces the Triton, especially in CPU performance. The Alienware’s “Raptor Lake” Core 7 240H isn’t part of the new Core Ultra family but still packs a punch with six P-cores and four E-cores. The Asus, with its gaming-optimized Ryzen 9, will likely lead the group. Meanwhile, the Helios Neo employs an older Core Ultra chip but benefits from its H-class designation and 45W power rating.

While our primary benchmarks target 1080p resolution, we’ve also included results at each system’s native resolution: 2880 x 1800 for the Triton and 2560 x 1600 for the others.

Starting with Shadow of the Tomb Raider at the Highest detail preset, the Predator Triton holds its own at 1080p, delivering 102 FPS, slightly ahead of both the Predator Helios (96 FPS) and Alienware (99 FPS). However, it trails far behind the RTX 5070 Ti-equipped Asus, which posted a commanding 151 FPS. At native resolution, the Triton dropped to 48 FPS, roughly 10 frames behind the Helios (57 FPS) and Alienware (58 FPS), and well short of the Asus’ 92 FPS.

In Cyberpunk 2077, using the demanding Ray Tracing Ultra preset, the Triton produced 30 FPS at 1080p to be neck-and-neck with the Helios (31 FPS) and Alienware (30 FPS). But at native resolution, its performance dipped to just 8 FPS, compared to 16 FPS for the Helios and 15 FPS for the Alienware. The Asus again led, posting 54 FPS at 1080p and 29 FPS at native.

The Triton fared well in Far Cry 6 at the Ultra preset, achieving 84 FPS at 1080p, outpacing the Helios (76 FPS) and Alienware (81 FPS), though it was still well behind the Asus’s 143 FPS. At native resolution, its 53 FPS result was commendable, landing just a few frames shy of the Helios (58 FPS) and Alienware (59 FPS).

In Red Dead Redemption 2 at Medium settings, the Triton remained competitive, reaching 57 FPS at 1080p and 32 FPS at native. The Helios did better, with 59 FPS and 37 FPS, while the Alienware pulled further ahead at 70 FPS and 43 FPS. The Asus, unsurprisingly, continued to dominate, posting 52 FPS at native.

Finally, in Borderlands 3 at the “Badass” preset, the Triton delivered a standout 91 FPS at 1080p, outgunning both the Helios and Alienware (83 FPS each). At native resolution, its 50 FPS was solid, just behind their 55 FPS. As in previous tests, the Asus remained in a league of its own, bolstered by its higher-wattage RTX 5070 Ti and more robust CPU.

For a smaller system, the Predator Triton 14 AI delivers is more than usable for gaming performance. While the Core Ultra 9 288V processor doesn’t seem to hold it back a 1080p, its 2880 x 1800 native resolution pushes the GeForce RTX 5070 toward its limits. In more demanding titles, maintaining that resolution may require dialing back visual settings to achieve smooth gameplay.

To stress test gaming laptops, we run 15 loops of the Metro Exodus benchmark at 1080p with RTX settings. The Triton achieved an average of 66.96 FPS across all runs, with a standard deviation of just 0.20 FPS, which suggests highly stable thermal performance.

Productivity Performance on the Acer Predator Triton 14 AI

We tested the Predator Triton 14 AI with a Core Ultra 9 288V CPU, 32GB of onboard memory, and a 1TB SSD (a Micron 3400 in our test unit).

In the Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark, the Predator Triton 14 AI performed well in single-core testing, scoring 2,806 points to outpace the Core Ultra 7 155H-powered Helios (2,425) and Core 7 240H Alienware (2,699), though it fell short of the Asus’s 3,205, a product of its strong Ryzen 9 9955HX3D. Multi-core results, however, underscored the limitations of the Triton’s Core Ultra 9 288V’s 30W power envelope and fewer cores - it only has eight versus the 16 of the Core Ultra 7 155H and Ryzen 9 9955HX3D and 10 in the Core 7 240H. It posted the lowest score at 10,974, while the Helios and Alienware both exceeded 13,000, and the Asus soared past 20,000.

In our 25 GB file transfer test, the Triton averaged 1,232.68 MBps, placing second to last. It edged out the Alienware (1,170.12 MBps) but fell behind the Helios (1,784.7 MBps) and Asus (1,903.64 MBps).

The Handbrake 4K-to-1080p video transcoding test further highlighted the Triton’s limited CPU performance ceiling. It completed the render in 6 minutes and 3 seconds, trailing the Alienware (4:15) and Helios (3:56). The Asus finished in just 2 minutes and 14 seconds.

Display on the Acer Predator Triton 14 AI

The Predator Triton 14 AI features a 14.5-inch OLED display. Unusually for a gaming laptop, it supports only finger touch input, though not stylus input. Creators might also appreciate its Calman verification for color accuracy.

If I owned this laptop, I’d be rewatching my favorite cinematic shows and movies to reexperience them in stunning OLED style. Watching BBC’s Planet Earth, I found myself captivated by the rich hues of tropical sunsets, the vibrancy of lush jungles, and the stark beauty of desert landscapes, all rendered in crisp detail on the Triton’s 2880 x 1800 resolution. OLED’s excellent contrast also brought out the subtleties in cave and night scenes that might be lost on a normal display. Any content is guaranteed to look its best on this display.

Gaming is equally immersive. With Nvidia G-Sync support and a 120 Hz refresh rate, the picture always looks smooth. I experienced no frame tearing while playing the classic Borderlands II, and the OLED screen really brought the cartoon colors to life.

The Predator Triton 14 AI’s OLED display is an outstanding performer, covering 191.6% of the sRGB gamut and 135.7% of DCI-P3. In contrast, the IPS panels on the other systems topped out around 110% of sRGB and didn’t exceed 80% of DCI-P3. Brightness is also impressive for an OLED panel, measuring 359 nits. It was surpassed by the Asus at 449.4 nits, though IPS panels typically require higher brightness levels to match OLED’s perceived vibrancy. Not shown in the charts, the Triton’s panel peaked at an excellent 562 nits across 10% of the screen area and 548 nits across 40% in our HDR testing.

Keyboard, Touchpad, and Stylus on the Acer Predator Triton 14 AI

Input devices are something the Predator Triton 14 AI does exceptionally well. The keyboard offers a delightful typing experience, with a luxurious 1.7 mm of travel and well-cushioned keystrokes. The firm keyboard deck exhibits no flex. Laser-sharp mini-LED RGB backlighting sets it off with bright, vivid color. I managed near my personal best in MonkeyType, hitting 122 words per minute with 99% accuracy.

The touchpad is seamlessly integrated into the one-piece glass palm rest, with subtle lightbars lining its ample surface area. The pad uses haptic feedback, which is adjustable with four intensity levels in the Windows Touchpad app. I found the pad natural to use, with the haptic feedback providing immediate, responsive feedback.

Acer intriguingly includes an active stylus in the box for use with the pad. It supports the MPP 2.0 protocol, 4,096 sensitivity levels, tilt, and has varying tip force.. The pen is about the size of a normal ink pen and feels natural. The weight balances about two-thirds towards the end. The two side buttons are easy to find by feel. The stylus relies on a single AAAA battery.

While the stylus is potentially useful, the touchpad’s small surface area feels constrained compared to even a basic external tablet, such as a Wacom Intuos. The convenience of having the pad built in will likely appeal only in edge cases. At a minimum, it would be useful for signing documents.

Audio on the Acer Predator Triton 14 AI

Despite its six-speaker setup – two side-facing and four under the palm rest – the Predator Triton 14 AI’s audio performance is underwhelming. No matter the settings, the sound always felt recessed and slightly strained. The volume is fine for personal listening, but even a basic Bluetooth speaker would do miles better. At least the side-mounted speakers offer a marginal sense of stereo separation.

I spent a fair amount of time tinkering with the DTS:X Ultra app, which includes several presets and a graphic equalizer. The Music preset sounded off the mark, with muddled midranges. Movie mode was even worse, the most recessed and distorted of the bunch.

Eventually, I resorted to a Custom preset: traditional stereo, volume smoothing enabled, bass boost at 50%, and both treble and dialog clarity enhancements disabled since they made everything sound tinnier. I attempted to dial things in further with the EQ, but it was hard to tell if my tweaks were helping. Adjusting the 32 and 64 Hz bands had almost no effect, underscoring the weak bass response. Pulling back the 8 and 16 kHz ranges by one to two decibels did seem to reduce the tinniness in some tracks I sampled, but not consistently. In the end, I left the EQ flat and accepted the limitations.

For gaming, the audio setup holds its own, offering a decent sense of spatial awareness. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, there was enough detail to catch the footsteps of passing guards and the clink of bullet casings hitting the floor. That said, limited bass and volume cap the excitement. The volume is still more than enough to overpower the laptop’s quiet cooling fans.

Upgradeability of the Acer Predator Triton 14 AI

The Predator Triton 14 allows modest upgradeability via its bottom panel, secured by eleven T6 Torx screws. Notably, the four screws along the palmrest edge are shorter than the rest, which share a uniform length. After removing them, I used a plastic trim tool to release the rear-edge clips near the cooling vents. As I made my way around the sides, the panel popped free.

Upgradeable components include the 76 WHr battery, M.2 2280 SSD, and the M.2 2230 wireless card. The RAM is integrated into the Core Ultra 9 288V processor and therefore cannot be replaced.

Battery Life on the Acer Predator Triton 14 AI

While battery life may be a secondary concern for larger gaming laptops, the Triton’s compact 14.5-inch form factor demands decent unplugged life. Fortunately, it delivers; in our battery test, which simulates real-world usage through web browsing, video streaming over Wi-Fi, and OpenGL workloads at 150 nits brightness, the Triton lasted 8 hours and 16 minutes. That’s well ahead of the Asus (5:21), slightly behind the Helios (8:43), and just shy of the Alienware’s leading 9 hours and 41 minutes.

That said, the Triton’s runtime looks less remarkable when compared to true ultrabooks. The HP OmniBook Ultra, for instance, stretched to 12 hours and 52 minutes in the same test. So, while the Triton delivers gaming performance in an ultrabook form factor, it’s not without compromise.

Heat on the Acer Predator Triton 14 AI

The Predator Triton 14 AI employs two fans, complemented by a vapor chamber and what Acer claims is a first in laptop design: graphene-based thermal interface materials (TIM). During my testing, the fans operated quietly and unobtrusively, with any noise they generated fading easily into the background.

During the Metro Exodus stress test, the Triton maintained a manageable surface temperature, feeling only mildly warm to the touch. We measured a peak of 85 degrees Fahrenheit on the touchpad, 102 F between the G and H keys, and 107 F on the underside near the exhaust vents. The Core Ultra 9 CPU’s P-cores averaged 58 Celsius, with E-cores at 55 C. The RTX 5070 GPU averaged 65 C.

Webcam on the Acer Predator Triton 14 AI

The 1080p webcam atop the Predator Triton 14 AI’s display offers a decent 1920 x 1080 picture. The picture quality maintains accurate color with minimal noise even in less optimal lighting. Acer’s Purified View app launches automatically while the webcam is running, offering automatic framing, background blur, and gaze correction. It has a “super sharp” feature that surprisingly didn’t look artificial, though I left it disabled since the picture looked sharp enough without it. The camera also supports infrared for biometric logins using Windows Hello facial recognition. Unfortunately, it lacks a privacy shutter.

Software and Warranty on the Acer Predator Triton 14 AI

Acer’s PredatorSense app gives users control over the Triton 14 AI’s lighting, battery, and display settings, plus real-time CPU/GPU monitoring. The app’s Scenario section enables RGB customization, with about a dozen keyboard effects and the ability to use Windows Dynamic Lighting. All of the settings can be saved into user-defined scenarios that automatically activate when specific apps launch via the App Center.

Also included is Acer’s User Sensing 2.0 app, which uses presence detection to lock the system when you step away, wake it on approach, and dim the screen if you’re not actively looking. It can even remind you to take breaks and shift the mouse cursor between displays using the webcam. Many of these features require that the webcam be always on.

Additional bundled software includes DTS:X Ultra for audio profiles and PurifiedView for webcam enhancements. Some preinstalled trialware is present, such as Dropbox and ExpressVPN. Acer provides a one-year warranty with the Predator Triton 14 AI.

Acer Predator Triton 14 AI Configurations

Our Predator review unit, model PT14-52T-972D, will be available through Costco starting mid-November 2025, priced at $2,499. It features a Core Ultra 9 288V processor, GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and Windows 11 Home. A stylus is included in the box. At the time of review, no other configurations had been announced.

The 14-inch gaming laptop market has grown increasingly competitive, and Acer’s pricing lands on the higher end for its spec sheet. Best Buy currently lists two similarly equipped contenders, each with a 2880 x 1800 OLED display, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The HP Omen Transcend 14 pairs a Core Ultra 9 285H with a GeForce RTX 5070 for $2,039, while the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 combines a Ryzen AI 9 HX and GeForce RTX 5070 Ti for $2,399.

Bottom Line

Acer’s Predator Triton 14 AI strikes a balance between portability and gaming performance. Its premium aluminum and glass construction, paired with a responsive keyboard and touchpad, make for an excellent user experience. The OLED touchscreen, bundled stylus, and Nvidia Studio Drivers add a creative angle, while the quiet cooling and lengthy battery life complement its mobile aspirations. Its speakers aren’t the best, but that’s not a dealbreaker.

Performance-wise, the Triton 14 AI is well capable of gaming and creative workloads, though its 2880 x 1800 native resolution can stress the RTX 5070 in more demanding titles. It also falls behind in CPU performance, with its Core Ultra 9 288V prioritizing efficiency and AI features over the raw horsepower of the Ryzen and Core H-class chips often used in this category.

Still, for those valuing sleek design, solid GPU performance, and creative flexibility over peak CPU throughput, the Predator Triton 14 AI stands out as a compelling portable platform.

Intel has offered free games in the past with the purchase of different products, and now it's back with an updated Holiday Offer that includes two tiers of free goodies. The company was already giving away Battlefield 6 with a multitude of processors from its current lineups (along with some Arc GPUs) previously, but that bundle is gone, replaced with a new one that lets you get up to three different games and productivity software. The offer runs from today till January 31, 2026, and you have till March 15, 2026, to redeem any supplied codes. Let's break it all down.

• Intel Holiday Bundle on Newegg

The first tier is the Standard Offer, which applies to Core Ultra 200-series products, including desktop and laptop SKUs. You can choose between either Battlefield 6, Assassin's Creed Shadows, Dying Light: The Beast, and Civilization VI — all of which are worth $70, except for Dying Light, which has a $60 value. You also get a bunch of other subscription-based apps for free that we've listed below. All of this comes out to around $185 in real-world value (at full price), making even the Standard bundle a pretty sweet deal.

Free software with Standard Offer:

• Canvid
• VEGAS Pro 23
• XSplit Premium Suite
• Cephable™ Plus
• Marvel Rivals (in-game content)

The second tier is the Platinum Offer, which is only available with select Lunar Lake laptops equipped with H or HX processors from MSI, Lenovo, HP, Asus, and Monster. You get two free games, including Battlefield 6 Phantom Edition and Assassin's Creed Shadows Digital Deluxe Edition — both upgraded from standard. On top of these, you can choose between Civilization VI and Dying Light: The Beast as your third free game. It's unclear whether you get free productivity software with this offer, but the real-world value of these three games is still roughly $270-$280, depending on what you pick.

If you're not in the U.S., other retailers around the world are also running this program, so make sure to tally up from the above list and check your local vendors for discounts. When we searched on Newegg, we found that this Holiday Gaming Bundle is exceedingly rare: only one MSI Vector laptop qualifies for the Platinum Offer, but plenty of products, including desktop CPUs and graphics cards, qualify for the Standard Offer. Even this obscenely expensive $3,800 Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 laptop only gets you one free game.

The link below takes you directly to the Intel Holiday Bundle page on Newegg, which neatly gathers every SKU eligible for this offer.

Keep in mind that Intel hasn't officially announced this offer; it was originally spotted by Videocardz while browsing Newegg, but it's legit nonetheless, and we might see it expand soon. You can still get Arc Raiders for free if the laptop you're interested in has an Nvidia GPU, but that's a different bundle.

There is a lot of activity in the sub-$1,500 gaming laptop market, and that is excellent news for gamers looking to score a performance bargain. Lenovo's Legion LOQ 15 is a spec-bump entry into this segment, featuring a familiar chassis but a newer AMD Ryzen 7 250 processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 GPU (115W TGP), and a $1,299 asking price.

While the fundamentals are sound, Lenovo made some curious choices here, such as 16GB of single-channel DDR5, a modest 512GB SSD, and a limiting 60 Whr battery, putting this system in an odd space between budget and mid-range systems. Read on to see how those decisions affect performance compared to the tough competition in this space.

Design of the Lenovo Legion LOQ 15

I reviewed the previous iteration of the Legion LOQ 15 in December 2024, and this new model doesn’t break new ground in design. In fact, as far as I can tell, the chassis is identical to last year’s model right down to the gray color and port layout. However, that’s not a bad thing, because I find the laptop looks clean and attractive.

To keep costs down, the Legion LOQ 15 is constructed of high-quality plastic all around, including the lid (which is adorned with LOQ branding and a Lenovo placard). The primary chassis/keyboard deck, as well as the lid, has a metallic silver finish, while the display bezels are dark gray. Lenovo doesn’t take any real design risks with the laptop, although I do like that the power button and the surrounding three-segment LED ring are shaped like the “O” in the LOQ logo.

My criticism of Lenovo’s sticker bombardment with the previous LOQ 15 fell on deaf ears, because there are still three stickers (AMD Ryzen, Nvidia GeForce, and Lenovo eSupport) next to the Lenovo placard on the lower right corner of the keyboard deck.

The I/O ports remain unchanged, meaning you’ll find a USB Type-A, USB-C, and a 3.5 mm jack on the right side. A physical switch for turning the webcam on or off sits between the USB-C port and the 3.5 mm jack. The remaining ports are located on the rear I/O panel, where you’ll find a proprietary Lenovo power port, an Ethernet jack, two additional USB-A ports, and HDMI.

I was taken by surprise when I first booted up the Legion LOQ 15. I attempted to connect the 6 GHz band on my Wi-Fi 7 router to download updates and utilities for the laptop, only to find that it couldn’t find any of my 6 GHz SSIDs. I navigated to Device Manager to see that Lenovo is using a MediaTek MT7921 Wi-Fi 6 card. In this day and age, I’d expect at least a Wi-Fi 6E card, and many new laptops have already transitioned to Wi-Fi 7. Luckily, upgrading to a newer wireless adapter is a relatively cheap and easy upgrade for the Legion LOQ 15.

The Legion LOQ 15 measures 14.17 x 10.19 x 0.94 inches and weighs 5.12 pounds. For comparison, the Acer Nitro V 16S AI measures 14.08 x 10.39 x 0.79 inches and weighs 5.5 pounds, while the 16 Aurora is 14.05 x 10.45 x 0.89 inches and weighs 5.64 pounds. Finally, the MSI Katana 17 HX weighs 5.95 pounds with dimensions of 15.66 x 10.85 x 1.09 inches.

Lenovo Legion LOQ 15ARP9 Specifications

Gaming Performance on the Lenovo Legion LOQ 15

Our Legion LOQ 15 review unit features an AMD Ryzen 7 250 “Hawk Point” processor (8 cores, 16 threads) paired with 16GB of DDR5-5600 memory (1 x 16GB SODIMM) in a single-channel configuration. The chip has a base clock of 3.3 GHz and can boost to a maximum of 5.1 GHz. The laptop also uses a GeForce RTX 5060 GPU, which in this configuration has a maximum boost clock of 1,455 MHz and a maximum TGP of 115 watts. The RTX 5060 drives a 15.6-inch 1080p IPS display with a maximum refresh rate of 144 Hz.

My go-to game for testing new gaming laptops is Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and the Legion LOQ 15 was no exception. At the native 1080p resolution with the Ultra preset, I averaged just under 100 frames per second (FPS), depending on the level of on-screen action.

Beginning with the Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark (Highest settings), the Legion LOQ 15 put up a strong showing with 105 frames per second (FPS) at 1080p resolution. That was good enough for second place, putting it slightly ahead of the Nitro V 16S AI (RTX 5060, 85W TGP) and the 16 Aurora (RTX 5060, 80W TGP). Understandably, the Katana 17 HX was the leader of this group (RTX 5070, 115W TGP) at 119 FPS.

It was a similar story with Cyberpunk 2077 (Medium settings), as the Legion LOQ 15 tied the Nitro V 16S AI with 32 FPS at 1080p, just barely edging out the 16 Aurora, which garnered 30 FPS. The Katana 17 HX was ahead of the field with 39 FPS at 1080p.

The tables were turned in the Far Cry 6 benchmark (Ultra settings), which saw the Legion LOQ 15 pull up the rear by a fair margin. It only managed 73 FPS at 1080p resolution, whereas the Nitro V 16S AI and 16 Aurora stretched to 82 FPS and 81 FPS, respectively. The Katana 17 HX again showed its graphics muscle, achieving 94 FPS at 1080p.

The three RTX 5060 laptops were clustered tightly in the Red Dead Redemption 2 benchmark (Medium settings), with the Legion LOQ 15 and Nitro V 16S AI both scoring 68 FPS. The 16 Aurora was just a head with 70 FPS, while the Katana 17 HX left the others in the dust at 85 FPS.

Finally, the Legion LOQ 15 stretched its legs a bit in the Borderlands 3 benchmark (Badass settings), as it achieved 88 FPS compared to 82 FPS for the Nitro V 16S AI and 83 FPS for the 16 Aurora. The Katana 17 HX flexed its RTX 5070 muscle once again, achieving 101 FPS at 1080p.

Metro Exodus is our tried and true benchmark for stress-testing gaming laptops, and we run each through 15 runs to monitor clock speeds and temperatures for the CPU and GPU. Using the RTX preset, the Legion LOQ 15 averaged 71.23 FPS at 1080p resolution. The CPU cores averaged 3.88 GHz, while the RTX 5060 averaged 2.42 GHz.

Productivity Performance on the Lenovo Legion LOQ 15

Our Lenovo Legion LOQ 15 review unit features the Ryzen 7 250 processor, 16GB of DDR5-5600 memory (single-channel), and a 512GB SSD.

The Legion LOQ 15 didn’t quite have what it takes to hang with the rest of the crowd in Geekbench 6. While its single-core score of 2,548 was in the same ballpark as the rest of the laptops, it significantly lagged behind on the multi-core benchmark (9,713). For comparison, the next-closest competitor, the Acer Nitro V 16S AI (Ryzen 7 260), scored 12,837 in multi-core, while the 16 Aurora led the field with 13,815 (Core i7-240H). Both the Ryzen 7 250 and Ryzen 7 260 are 8-core/16-thread CPUs with a 5.1 GHz boost clock, but the latter has a higher maximum configurable TDP (54 watts versus 30 watts).

Our file transfer test, during which we copied 25GB of mixed-media files, saw the Legion LOQ 15 come in second place at 1,378.45 Mbps, behind the Nitro V 16S AI (1,838.88 Mbps).

The Legion performed relatively poorly in our Handbrake test, where we transcode a large 4K video file to 1080p. The Legion LOQ 15 took 4:56 to complete the task, compared to 4:32 for the third-place Nitro V 16S AI (which uses a Ryzen 7 260). The 16 Aurora led all contenders with a time of 4:15.

Display on the Legion LOQ 15

Lenovo has fitted the Legion LOQ 15 with a 15.6-inch 1080p IPS display, which I found to have good overall picture quality. The display features a matte, anti-reflective finish, which is typical in this price range. It helped to reduce reflections without hurting color performance. The panel maxes out at 144 Hz, which is identical to that of the Katana 17 HX.

In addition to a handful of games I played, such as Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Forza Horizon 5, I also watched several movies, including the latest Superman release on HBO Max. I had a close eye on the red and blue hues, as they are the primary colors of Superman's iconic suit and cape. The colors were vibrant and well-saturated, with no distracting color shifts when viewing off-angle.

Black levels were also well-maintained, although they weren't quite as dark as those I've experienced with more expensive OLED panels.

The LOQ performed slightly better than the previous generation that we tested last year on our instrumented tests. It covered 81.1 percent of DCI-P3 and 114.4 percent of sRGB, placing it ahead of all other competitors, albeit by only a few percentage points. Our light meter showed that the IPS display reached an average of 315 nits, putting it just a step ahead of the 16 Aurora (312.2 nits), but well behind the Nitro V 16S AI (391.8 nits).

Keyboard and Touchpad on the Lenovo Legion LOQ 15

As was the case with the preceding Legion LOQ 15 I tested, I love the keyboard on our review unit. Lenovo has always been an excellent purveyor of keyboards, especially on its ThinkPad business laptops. Each key has 1.5 mm of travel, and there's enough space on the relatively large frame to squeeze in a number pad (which I appreciate for data entry). You get full-size directional keys, which is a blessing since some laptop manufacturers attempt to cram in half-size keys to save space. However, if you’re into fancy RGB effects, you won’t find them here. The Legion LOQ 15 has a single-zone white LED backlighting.

I use Keyhero.com to measure my typing speed, and unsurprisingly, my result of 89 words per minute with 96 percent accuracy was nearly identical to last year's result.

Lenovo hasn't improved the touchpad, so my complaints with last year’s models remain the same: the top quarter of the trackpad doesn't register a click due to the top-hinged design, and the surface doesn't lend itself to smooth finger gliding.

Audio on the Lenovo Legion LOQ 15

Our Legion LOQ 15 review features two 2-watt speakers, which sound a bit below average for this class. However, given the price point of our review unit, it's understandable that Lenovo didn't put much thought into the design and performance of the speakers.

Bass is non-existent, gunfire effects in games sounded tinny, and music just wasn't enjoyable. My favorite song of all time is "The Dreaming Tree" by The Dave Matthews Band, but Dave's vocals just didn't resonate with me with the Legion LOQ 15’s speakers. His voice remains calm throughout the song, which should allow the soft bass line to emerge in the background. However, with the Legion LOQ 15's speakers, the bass line is barely audible as Dave sings. The included Nahimic software didn’t make a noticeable improvement in the sound, no matter what profiles I selected.

Upgradeability on the Lenovo Legion LOQ 15

Accessing the inside of the Legion LOQ 15 is accomplished by first removing the ten screws that hold the bottom panel. With the screws removed, I used a small plastic spudger tool to pry the panel away from the main chassis.

With the panel removed, you'll see the M.2 2242 installed on the right (it will accommodate 2280 SSDs as well). There's also a second M.2 slot, which allows you to install longer 2280 SSDs, sitting empty below the left exhaust fan in the picture above.

Below the second M.2 slot is the MediaTek Wi-Fi 6 module, while the two SODIMM slots are situated in the center of the chassis — only one was occupied on our review unit.

Battery Life on the Lenovo Legion LOQ 15

The Legion LOQ 15 is by no means a battery endurance champion, as evidenced by its performance compared to its peers. During our battery test, which consists of web browsing, video streaming over Wi-Fi, and conducting OpenGL tests with the screen brightness set at 150 nits, our review unit lasted just 6 hours and 50 minutes. Only the Katana 17 HX had a shorter runtime (6:21), while the Nitro V 16S AI delivered nearly three and a half more hours of endurance (10:17) compared to the Legion LOQ 15.

You can chalk that performance up to the relatively small 60 Whr battery, compared to the competition, which uses batteries ranging from 75 Whr to 96 Whr.

Heat on the Lenovo Legion LOQ 15

We measure laptop skin temperatures on gaming laptops while running the Metro Exodus benchmark utility over 15 loops. Fan noise was very apparent during stress testing, as is the case with most gaming laptops. However, that's an issue that is easily resolved by wearing a pair of the best gaming headsets.

The center of the touchpad measured 74.1 degrees Fahrenheit, while I measured 95.7 F between the G and H keys. The underside of the chassis registered 97.9 F, while the hottest part of the laptop was near the right exhaust fan (116 F).

During the Metro Exodus stress test, the CPU package measured 57.3 degrees Celsius (C). Meanwhile, the RTX 5060 chimed in at 67.9 C.

Webcam on the Lenovo Legion LOQ 15

Lenovo includes a 1080p webcam on the Legion LOQ 15, and it’s actually quite good. I don’t know if Lenovo was able to secure a different supplier this time around compared to last year’s model, but the problems I previously had with skin tones were nonexistent on this review unit. In addition, images appeared clear and bright without any graininess or aggressive background processing. Overall, I was very impressed, especially at this price point.

Also, there is a physical switch on the right side of the chassis that lets you quickly enable or disable the webcam, which is a nice touch.

Software and Warranty on the Lenovo Legion LOQ 15

The headlining software included with the Legion LOQ 15 is Legion Space, which is an all-in-one utility that allows you to manage power profiles for your CPU and GPU. The main menu also displays your system's vitals, including RAM/CPU/GPU utilization, temperatures, and fan speeds. You also have quick access to your installed games, and can even purchase new games from Lenovo's store, though most gamers will probably continue to use Steam, Epic, and GOG.

Other preinstalled software packages include Lenovo AI Now, Lenovo Now, Lenovo Subscription Marketplace, Lenovo Vantage, Nahimic (sound profiles), and Smart Connect (stream content between other Lenovo and Motorola devices).

The Legion LOQ 15 comes with a one-year manufacturer's warranty from the factory.

Lenovo Legion LOQ 15 Configurations

Our Legion LOQ 15 review unit came equipped with a Ryzen 7 250 CPU, 16GB DDR5-5600 memory, a 512GB SSD, GeForce RTX 5060, and a 144Hz 15.6-inch 1080p IPS display. The configuration is listed on Lenovo’s website as “Coming Soon” with a price tag of $1,299.

With that said, another configuration available on Lenovo’s website includes a Ryzen 7 250, 16GB DDR5-5600, a 1TB SSD, and an RTX 5050 GPU for $1,189.99. There’s yet another configuration available on Amazon that is nearly identical in specifications to our review unit, with the only difference being that it has a 1TB SSD instead of a 512GB SSD – it’s priced at $1,389.

Bottom Line

The Legion LOQ 15 delivers solid gaming numbers, often outpacing other RTX 5060 laptops due to its 115W TGP. However, the laptop also struggled in some productivity tasks, especially where multi-threaded performance was crucial.

Compounding matters is the relatively short battery life, which is over three hours shorter than the Nitro V 16S AI. While I have high praise for the 15.6-inch IPS display, the speakers were mediocre. There’s also the matter that there’s only 16GB of single-channel DDR5 memory and a small 512GB SSD, which will quickly fill up with games.

Recommending the Legion LOQ 15 comes with a huge disclaimer. The laptop is showing up as not yet available on Lenovo’s website with an MSRP of $1,299. That price should be a non-starter for the features that you get. However, if you can find the laptop for closer to $1,000 (once it becomes available), many of its sins could be forgiven.

Shunt mods on mobile devices are always exciting because they seem to push the boundaries of what's possible in a more practical way. Laptops are thermally constrained and, thus, power-limited compared to their desktop counterparts. Even a fully specced-out mobile GPU can't compete against its desktop variant, so when someone tries to break through the manufactured barriers to unlock its full potential, well, we let the results speak for themselves. And the numbers coming out of this Reddit user's laptop are nothing short of impressive.

Zephyrus M16 4090 Shunt Modded - Thin and Light Laptop Matches 5090 Laptops from r/GamingLaptops

On the r/GamingLaptops subreddit, user u/thatavidreadertrue (we'll call him Avid) details their experience shunt-modding an Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 gaming laptop with an RTX 4090, and they come with the benchmarks to back it all up. For those unaware, shunt-modding essentially refers to tricking your GPU into thinking it's consuming way less power than it actually is. This allows the GPU to boost higher and for longer before thermal-throttling, enabling the silicon to be overclocked through clever electronic surgery rather than brute-forcing the cooling.

In Avid's case, they took a 1 mΩ resistor and placed it in parallel with the GPU’s existing 5 mΩ shunt resistor on the motherboard. Through Ohm's law, that comes out to an 83% reduction in resistance, meaning the GPU is now underreporting its wattage by roughly 6x (down to just 0.83mΩ). The 4090 in the Zephyrus M16 has a 150W TGP, meaning the firmware won't allow it to go past that. But with the shunt mod, the GPU's internal logic is altered, so when it says it's consuming 40-45W, it's actually drawing around 240W in reality.

This allows for a pretty incredible bump in performance, so much so that this 4090 starts to match or even outperform the RTX 5090 mobile in a multitude of scenarios. Avid didn't test any games, but the synthetic benchmarks are enough to give us an idea. The most drastic difference comes in Solar Bay Extreme, where the shunt-modded 4090 scored 24,617 points, which was 35% higher than the "next best M16" which could only manage 18,166. Compared to the average 5090 laptop that can achieve 22,877 points, our 4090 with wings was still 7.6% ahead.

There was essentially no difference in Port Royal, though, and the shunt mod was actually a smidge slower in Steel Nomad, but across all tests, the average gain was still 3.5% compared to a regular 5090 mobile, and almost 20% compared to the other 4090 GPUs in the Zephyrus M16. To deal with the extra heat, all Avid had to do was upgrade the liquid metal to PTM7950 phase-change thermal pads, and swap out the stock VRM thermal pads with Upsiren UX Pro Ultra.

While thermal details were scarce, Avid did mention in a comment that the 4090 gets up to 80-84°C but "doesn't thermal throttle" while the CPU can get a bit toasty at around 90°C. We also learned that Avid undervolts the shunt-modded 4090, limiting the voltage to 800mV for gaming, which makes sense since otherwise the GPU would keep boosting to potentially dangerous levels.

Overall, this config can strike a nice balance between power, performance, temps, and noise. That's before we even factor in the price, because Avid actually got this Zephyrus M16 from the secondhand market for only $1600, which is a good deal in and of itself. But, when you consider that it beats an RTX 5090 laptop after modding for almost no additional charge, it transforms into next-level value.

As always, a disclaimer is due: Messing with your hardware on this level can cause irreparable harm to your device, especially if you're not sure what you're doing. The machine is designed with a certain thermal and power envelope in mind, so bypassing that can only lead to so much improvement before you hit the point of diminishing returns. However, if there's room, Avid's shunt mod shows us it doesn't take much to raise the ceiling.

If you’re looking to enjoy some 1080p gaming without shelling out a lot of money, we had the chance to review the new Asus TUF Gaming F16 gaming laptop. It uses Nvidia’s entry-level RTX 5050 GPU with an added twist. While some laptops have opted for a higher-tier RTX 5060 with lower TDPs, the TUF Gaming F16 is packing a potent 115-watt RTX 5050 that helps to level the playing field for gaming.

The TUF Gaming F16 is an imposing laptop thanks to its 16-inch frame, and it manages to incorporate a generous assortment of ports, an RGB keyboard, a numberpad, and a 165 Hz IPS display. Given its as-tested MSRP of $1,199, the TUF Gaming F16 offers strong performance, but that comes with a couple of caveats.

Design of the Asus TUF Gaming F16

One word can be used to describe the TUF Gaming F16's design: understated. While the TUF Gaming F16 is first and foremost a gaming machine, it features a clean exterior, finished in black and light grey. The aluminum lid is minimalistic, with just the letters "TUF" and the accompanying logo embossed in the top corner.

There are some interesting touches, including the rear exhaust panel with triangle- and rhombus-shaped cutouts. There's also a nifty four-leaf status LED at the top of the rear deck (behind the display) – it blinks to signify power status, drive access, etc.

There are two USB Type-A ports on the right side of the chassis. You'll find another USB-A port, two USB Type-C ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, an HDMI port, a GbE port, and a proprietary power receptacle on the left side.

The laptop has a nice, solid feel. The plastic used throughout the chassis is of high quality, and the aluminum lid is a nice touch, especially at this price.

The laptop measures 10.59 x 3.94 x 1.07 inches and weighs 4.95 pounds. For comparison, the Acer Nitro V 16S AI measures 14.08 x 10.39 x 0.79 inches and weighs 5.5 pounds, while the Alienware 16 Aurora is 14.05 x 10.45 x 0.89 inches and weighs 5.64 pounds.

Asus TUF Gaming F16 Specifications

Gaming Performance on the Asus TUF Gaming F16

Our TUF Gaming F16 review unit features an Intel Core i7-14650HX processor, 16GB of DDR5-5600 memory, and a GeForce RTX 5050 GPU with 8GB of GDDR7 memory. The TUF Gaming F16’s RTX 5060 pushes pixels to a 16-inch, 1920 x 1200 display with a 165 Hz refresh rate.

When testing new gaming laptops, I like to break out Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to get a feel for how the system will perform. At the native 1200p resolution with the Ultra preset, I averaged around 90 frames per second (FPS) through most scenes in the game. Heavy action on-screen caused the frame rates to dip to the 70 FPS range, but the play experience was generally excellent.

Before I delve into our usual gaming benchmark suite, it's worth noting that the RTX 5050 in the TUF Gaming F16 has a maximum total graphics power (TGP) of 115 watts. For comparison, the RTX 5060 in the Nitro V 16S AI has a TGP of just 85 watts, while the 16 Aurora’s RTX 5060 has an 80-watt TGP. The advantage in available TGP plays highly in the TUF Gaming F16’s favor in gaming benchmarks, even though the RTX 5060 used in the two competing laptops is technically a more powerful chip.

Taking a look at Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Highest settings), the TUF Gaming F16 delivered 95 FPS at 1080p and 90 FPS at 1200p. Those numbers weren’t too far off the pace of the Nitro V 16S AI, which hit 98 FPS at 1080p and 91 FPS at 1200p. The 16 Aurora was one frame per second faster at 1080p.

When shifting over to Cyberpunk 2077 (Medium settings), our TUF Gaming F16 review unit managed 30 FPS at 1080p, equaling the performance of the 16 Aurora. The Nitro V 16S AI achieved 32 FPS at 1080p and 27 FPS at 1200p, which was actually just behind the TUF Gaming F16.

Far Cry 6 (Ultra settings) saw the TUF Gaming F16 push its way to the front of the pack, with 90 FPS at 1080p and 86 FPS at 1200p — the Nitro V 16S AI well behind, at 82 FPS and 79 FPS, respectively. The 16 Aurora pulled up the rear (not by much), with 81 FPS at 1080p.

It was another three-way race in Red Dead Redemption 2 (Medium settings), with our review unit easily keeping up with the other two competitors. The TUF Gaming F16 and Nitro V 16S AI scored identically, with 68 FPS at 1080p and 64 FPS at 1200p.

Finally, the Borderlands 3 benchmark (Badass settings), saw the TUF Gaming F16 hit 81 FPS at 1080p and 75 FPS at 1200p, compared to 82 FPS and 81 FPS, respectively, for the Nitro V 16S AI. The 16 Aurora was the leader at 1080p with 83 FPS.

The overall sentiment here is that despite being a lower-level SKU in the RTX 50 Series, Asus’ implementation of the RTX 5050 with a 115W TGP and a 2,092 MHz max boost clock allows it to remain competitive with the TGP-capped RTX 5060 competition.

Metro Exodus remains our go-to benchmark for gaming laptop stress testing. Our review unit averaged 65.62 FPS at 1080p across 15 loops using the RTX benchmark preset. The CPU performance cores averaged 3.0 GHz, and the efficiency cores averaged 2.53 GHz. The RTX 5060 GPU also ran at 2.53 GHz.

Productivity Performance on the Asus TUF Gaming F16

Our review unit has a Core i7-14650HX "Raptor Lake" processor, which has 8 performance cores and 8 efficiency cores. That processor is paired with just 16GB of DDR5-5600 memory, instead of the 32GB found on the competing laptops (while the Aurora was far more expensive as tested, the Acer was $100 more). SSD storage is also a bit on the stingy side at 512GB, which doesn’t leave a lot of space for games after you take into account the standard Windows 11 Home install.

The TUF Gaming F16 started strong in the Geekbench 6 synthetic CPU benchmark, achieving a single-core score of 2,710 and a multi-core score of 15,013. That performance put it slightly ahead of the Acer (Ryzen 7 260) and Alienware (Core i7-240H) contenders in single-core, with a healthier margin of victory for multi-core.

Things turned ugly in our file transfer test, which involves copying 25GB of mixed media files. Asus is using a 512GB Micron 2500 Series PCIe 4.0 SSD, rated for 6,600 MBps sequential reads and 3,650 MBps sequential writes. In our test, the SSD only managed 775.5 MBps compared to 1,170.12 MB/s for the 16 Aurora. The Nitro V 16S AI left our review unit in the dust, more than doubling its results (1,838.88 MBps). Going with a 512GB SSD was already painful, but the lagging performance just adds insult to injury. In the real world, I noticed some sluggishness when installing games onto the SSD.

Our Handbrake benchmark involves transcoding a 4K video file to 1080p. The TUF Gaming F16 completed the task in 3 minutes and 33 seconds, easily dispatching the other two systems. The Nitro V 16S AI took nearly a minute longer to complete the transcode (4 minutes and 32 seconds).

Display on the Asus TUF Gaming F16

Like many mainstream gaming laptops, Asus has adopted a 16:10 aspect ratio for the TUF Gaming F16’s display, meaning that you get a 1920 x 1200 resolution. An IPS panel is employed here, accompanied by a relatively brisk 165 Hz refresh rate. An anti-reflective layer is used on the display.

Compared to the Nitro V 16S AI and 16 Aurora, the TUF Gaming F16 comes up short in overall panel brightness — at least on paper. We measured 298.4 nits compared to 312.2 for the 16 Aurora and 391.8 nits for the Nitro V 16S AI. However, in the real world, I never felt wanting for additional brightnessin an indoor setting. The screen did wash out a little when using the laptop outside on a partly cloudy day, but it was still usable without straining with the brightness maxed out.

Testing with our colorimeter showed that the TUF Gaming F16's panel outperformed its peers, capturing 86.8 percent of the DCI-P3 and 122.2 percent of the sRGB color spaces. In practice, there was little to complain about with respect to how colors were represented on the display. The anti-reflective coating might blunt colors just a tad compared to a glossy finish, but everything that I threw at the TUF Gaming F16 looked great. I spent a few hours toiling around in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and came away impressed with how gorgeous the varying environments were.

I also watched a few episodes of my new favorite TV show, The Pitt, on the display. Unlike some previous medical dramas, which lean heavily on unrealistic darkened set design to create a certain mood, The Pitt is bathed in the stark bright lights of a typical hospital. There's nowhere to hide under these illuminating conditions. From the various colors of the scrubs worn by nurses, interns, and doctors, to their lifelike gushes of blood (and other bodily fluids) that shoot across the screen, I felt fully immersed in the frantic emergency room environment.

Keyboard and Touchpad on the Asus TUF Gaming F16

The TUF Gaming F16 uses a full-size keyboard plus a dedicated numberpad. The keys have 1.7 mm of travel and are adequately spaced to occupy as much of the width afforded by the 16-inch frame as possible. While the majority of the keys feature black keycaps, the WASD keys are clear, which allows more of the RGB coloring to shine through when enabled.

Speaking of RGB, the TUF Gaming F16 uses a single-zone RGB setup (compared to four zones for the Acer) that can be configured with the Armory Crate app. You can also quickly change Aura Effects using the Fn + F4 key combination.

In addition to the standard assortment of keyboard keys, there are also four dedicated keys on the top row of the deck. You’ll find volume up/down, microphone, and Armoy Crate keys.

Using the keyhero.com typing test, I averaged 90.87 words per minute with 96.43 percent accuracy using the keyboard, which is slightly above my typical typing performance.

Our review unit features a large 5.1 x 3.3-inch touchpad that allows my fingers to glide over the surface easily. The surface also provides a satisfying click.

Audio on the Asus TUF Gaming F16

The TUF Gaming F16 only comes with two speakers, but they are punching well above their weight when it comes to performance. The speakers are loud, clear, and equally adept at producing remarkable sound in games, movies, TV shows, and music.

Playing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, I could hear the distinct sounds of boots hitting metal ladders as I climbed them, the audible grunts pulling myself up to a platform, the “glug glug” of pouring a bottle of wine, and the crack of Indy’s iconic whip. Of course, this was with the volume raised to about 30% to overpower the laptop’s twin cooling fans.

I also took the time to slink into the melodic tranquility of “Mujahedin and Opium,” a John Barry track from the James Bond film, The Living Daylights. The song is a perfect mix of percussion, strings, and soaring brass that gives it a majestic quality (and is probably one of my favorite pieces in the lengthy catalog of James Bond soundtracks). I felt that the TUF Gaming F16 captured the raw essence of the piece, and I'm not embarrassed to admit that I might have played the song on repeat a dozen times or so.

Upgradeability of the Asus TUF Gaming F16

Eleven Phillips head screws affix the bottom panel to the TUF Gaming F16’s main chassis. Once removed, the panel easily lifts off, revealing the internal comments. Immediately visible at the bottom is the 90 WHr battery, and directly above it sit the two 8GB DDR5-5600 modules.

To the right of the DDR5 modules is the first M.2 bay, which is occupied by the 512GB Micron 2500 Series SSD. If you switch your attention to the left side of the mainboard, you’ll find the Realtek Wi-Fi 6E/Bluetooth combo card and the second M.2 slot, which is unused.The second M.2 slot and the replaceable RAM allow people to fix my qualms with part selection, assuming they're willing to open the system up themselves.

Battery Life on the Asus TUF Gaming F16

Although the TUF Gaming F16 uses a rather large 90 WHr battery, it didn’t fare as well as the assembled competition in endurance testing. Our battery test consists of web browsing, video streaming over Wi-Fi, and conducting OpenGL tests with the screen brightness set at 150 nits. With its Raptor Lake processor built on a legacy Intel 7 (10-nanometer) process node, our review unit lasted just 6 hours and 57 minutes. For comparison, the 16 Aurora lasted 9 hours and 41 minutes, while the Nitro V 16S AI lasted another 30 minutes.

Keep in mind that our battery benchmark does not take into account gaming, so the 115-watt RTX 5050 will likely fare worse than the 80- to 85-watt RTX 5060s used in the other two laptops.

Heat on the Asus TUF Gaming F16

Asus uses a twin-fan cooling system on the TUF Gaming F16, and the setup does help to keep system temperatures in check. You can definitely hear the fans spin up when gaming, although the sound output is about typical for this class. The fan noise can get grating after a while, but cranking up the speakers to a moderate level drowns out the calamity. The best option is to choose from one of the best gaming headsets.

During our stress test, we measured skin temperatures of 88 degrees Fahrenheit on the touchpad and 96 F between the G and H keys. The underside of the chassis came in at 97.5 degrees, while we saw upwards of 112 F above the F7 key.

During the Metro Exodus stress test, the CPU package measured 79 degrees Celsius (C). Meanwhile, the RTX 5060 ran at an average of 2.53 GHz at 80 C.

Webcam on the Asus TUF Gaming F16

Unlike some of the more recent mainstream gaming laptops we’ve reviewed that cram in lower-resolution 720p webcams, the TUF Gaming F16 thankfully opts for a 1080p unit. However, the results weren’t as promising as I would have hoped. While the overall resolution seemed slightly better than the 720p webcams I’ve recently encountered, the colors were somewhat washed out and not as well saturated. My skin typically appears brown in webcams, but it looks a bit greyer on the TUF Gaming F16.

Overall, the webcam was just adequate, and I wouldn’t chalk it up as being anywhere near the top of its class. If you want to use it for videoconferencing for work meetings, where you’ll just appear as a tiny head in a sea of other talking heads, it’s adequate. However, opt for one of the best webcams if you need a higher-quality picture.

Software and Warranty on the Asus TUF Gaming F16

When it comes to preinstalled apps, the TUF Gaming F16 is relatively unencumbered by needless fluff. The most prominent app is Armory Crate, which is Asus’s all-in-one utility that monitors everything from CPU/Memory/GPU/Fan status to performance modes. Armory Crate is also where you’ll find controls for the Aura RGB effects on the keyboard. The Game Library features can also keep track of and allow you to set performance profiles on a per-game basis.

Other installed apps include MyAsus, which has system diagnostics capabilities, can assist with system updates, and allows you to get in contact with Asus customer support. There’s also the CapCut video editor, Dolby Access for switching audio profiles, and GlideX, which allows you to share screen access across multiple devices (i.e., a laptop, smartphone, and tablet).

The TUF Gaming F16 comes with a one-year warranty.

Asus TUF Gaming F16 Configurations

Our review unit is the TUF Gaming F16 (FX608J), which features a Core i7-14650HX processor, 16GB of DDR5-5600 memory, a 512GB SSD, a GeForce RTX 5050 GPU, and a 16-inch 165 Hz 1200p IPS display. The laptop carries an MSRP of $1,199.99, but Newegg currently sells it for $1,109.99.

The FX608JH configuration swaps in a lower-performing Core i5-13450HX processor and only comes with 8GB of DDR5-5600 memory.

The top configuration is the FX608LP, which includes a Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, 32GB of DDR5-5600 memory, a GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, a 165 Hz 1600p display, and a 1TB SSD. It can be had for $1,579.99 at B&H Photo Video.

Bottom Line

The Asus TUF Gaming F16 is an interesting entry into the mainstream gaming laptop sector with solid pricing that appears to make it a true contender at first glance.

After all, its 115-watt RTX 5050 had no trouble keeping up with more miserly RTX 5060 GPUs in the two competing laptops in game tests. The screen is big and colorful, and the speakers are a joy to listen to.

However, things quickly fall apart when you realize that you’re only getting 16GB of DDR5-5600 memory, and your $1,200 outlay is rewarded with a skimpy 512GB SSD. To add insult to injury, storage performance lagged well behind the competition. Most laptops in this price range give you double the RAM and double the storage space. While you could upgrade this system to fix these problems, that would be easier to swallow at a $999 price point.

Battery life was also just average, with the TUF Gaming F16 lasting just under 7 hours compared to over 10 hours for the Acer Nitro V 16S AI.

In my opinion, the Nitro V 16S AI is the better overall laptop, boasting far superior battery life, comparable gaming performance, twice the storage space, and twice the RAM. It’ll cost you $100 more, but it’s well worth the extra coin.

Asus has acknowledged reports about an ongoing stuttering issue with some of its ROG gaming laptops that users claim has been negatively affecting performance and the user experience, according to TechPowerUp. The company stopped short of agreeing that an issue exists, but said that it was "actively investigating these cases," all the same.

"We've seen recent reports about performance interruptions on some ROG laptops, and we want you to know our team is actively investigating these cases," the Asus Statement reads. "We understand that smooth and reliable performance is crucial to high-performance machines like these, and we're dedicated to delivering that. Your feedback and detailed reports are invaluable, and we'll continue to provide updates and support through our official channels." It then thanked users for their patience.

The first reports of this problem started popping up earlier this week when GitHub user, Mohamed "Zephkek" Maatallah created a new repository collecting evidence about the problem. They claim it seems to be affecting a range of users on various Asus ROG gaming laptops, including Strix, Scar, and Zephyrus lines.

The issues include stuttering while watching YouTube videos, audio crackling and pops on Discord, and random mouse cursor freezes. After attempting a range of more generic fixes, Zephkek claims they narrowed the issue down to a problem with Asus' BIOS firmware.

Using the latency monitoring tool LatencyMon, Zephkek discovered that a single CPU core was being bottlenecked by interrupt requests, in some cases for as long as 90 seconds, hamstringing performance and making time-sensitive tasks stutter while core priority is juggled.

Deeper into their investigation, Zephkek also discovered strange power cycling of the dedicated GPU, turning it off and on again repeatedly every 15-30 seconds, even when it's supposed to be consistently active performing specific tasks.

Zephkek concluded that there are actually three problems affecting ROG laptops:

• Misunderstanding of interrupt context introducing unnecessary delays.
• Mishandling of interrupt requests that aren't properly cleared, leading to looping interrupts.
• GPU power cycling that doesn't check which GPU is currently in-use.

There's been a trend the last two or three years in gaming laptops (and elsewhere) that no one likes: Prices are going up. It hasn't been surprising to see systems with the most powerful graphics, along with high-refresh displays, mechanical keyboards, or tons of RAM, to cost anywhere between $3,000 and $5,000, and more. See some of our most powerful picks like the MSI Titan 18 HX AI and the Razer Blade 18.

But that same thing has been happening on the low end. Systems that used to be $999 or less are now often at least $1,100. Those laptops often use older processors and the lowest-end current GPUs.

Up until Lenovo announced that its Legion Go 2 handheld would start at $1,049, I was thinking that handhelds might replace the best gaming laptops under $1,000.

We're in a place where it feels like we need something new to broaden what's available. Could gamers get a cheaper portable rig if they were willing to get handheld-style performance with integrated graphics?

That might not sound so appealing, but the best thing for PC gamers is to have options, including gaming laptops with discrete GPUs at $1,000 or less if that is the best they can afford. But with an increase in integrated GPU power that we've seen in everything from laptop chips to handheld APUs to Strix Halo, along with the economies of scale that already build budget gaming PCs, could we finally see a new low-end gaming laptop with an iGPU?

It’s a nice idea, but the more I thought it through with my colleagues, the more quickly my dreams were dashed.

There's precedent, but it makes more sense now

Back in 2021, Adata released the XPG Xenia Xe. It was a whitebox system from Intel, but more importantly, it used Intel's Core i7-1165G7 CPU with integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics. Still, Adata referred to it as a "gaming lifestyle notebook.” Its predecessor, the Xenia 15, had used a GTX 1660 Ti. We saw a similar idea in Alienware's Concept UFO, which used a 10th Gen Intel CPU with integrated graphics to power the gaming handheld, but that never turned into a real product.

I scoffed at the idea. My colleague at the time, Michelle Ehrhardt, titled her review of the system "expensive and unbalanced." It was $1,600. She was right.

But what if the Xenia Xe hadn't been designed to be premium? I could see a version of that, using today's chips, making a new kind of low-end gaming laptop.

Imagine an ultraportable-sized system, perhaps with a 14-inch, 1080p display up to 120 Hz, using something like the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (or its most equivalent laptop part that exists). Other than some beefed up cooling, designs using largely plastic chassis that could work are probably already sitting on shelves.

What would make that gaming?

On the other hand, there are laptops out there now with chips using AMD's Radeon 890M, though they're generally in premium ultrabooks. People do play games on those, the same way Apple's entire product line doesn't include a dedicated "gaming" laptop. There's no reason you couldn't use one of them, but they're probably priced higher than I'm thinking.

So, now we have a theoretical plastic laptop with an otherwise strong chip that could, generously, play games at 1080p on medium settings. Hopefully, that could make for something affordable, even if it's not powerful.

With handhelds, gamers accept that lack of power because they get portability. Gamers expect portability from laptops already. So what would make something like this a gaming laptop? What could give that value?

For starters, I would want to see an OS focused on gaming. What if it was officially licensed to run SteamOS, and you could use Arch Linux for productivity? Or perhaps it could run Windows 11's upcoming handheld gaming mode that will debut on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally. In exchange for power, get rid of bloatware and give people a gaming-focused experience. Using one of these would also allow for game validation, like what the Steam Deck and upcoming Xbox Ally will offer, so you can get an idea if games will run. But honestly, these should be options on high-end machines, too.

The laptop companies could also team up with Nvidia or Microsoft to get lengthy trial subscriptions to streaming services for games that may have trouble running well on integrated graphics.

Lastly, if you're not paying for a discrete GPU, maybe toss a mechanical keyboard in there. It's not unprecedented. The Dell G16 previously had cheap configurations with a Cherry keyboard, and that was a great value-add (the Dell Gaming lineup has since been discontinued).

There's also the question of which companies might be bold enough to put their gaming brand on a laptop without a discrete GPU.

Counterpoint: The market is complex

But enough brainstorming. When you start to think about how things really work, this idea is harder than it seems.

Take my thought that companies could stick a chip with strong integrated graphics in some existing system's chassis. They probably could, to some degree, but more cooling would still be helpful. And existing gaming laptop designs are built around the idea that a dedicated GPU is there, so tweaking that would require more tooling. Additionally, using an existing gaming chassis defeats the idea that you could get a slimmer laptop if you don't have a GPU to cool.

Next up is that in most systems, the companies that make gaming laptops can pair the CPU and GPU they want together. That's why we're seeing so many RTX 50-series laptops with 13th Gen Intel Core CPUs — those CPUs are fast enough, and they're likely cheaper. Companies can mix and match to hit whatever price point they want. But APUs using graphics like Radeon 890M are the highest-end parts, paired with high-end CPU cores, and they're sold at a premium.

If a laptop company wanted to make something like what I described, they might have to go to Intel or AMD and ask for something custom, and that would require a big order. (This is also what happened with the Steam Deck. Valve got a custom chip.)

Otherwise, we're hoping Intel or AMD come around and make an SoC with a "good enough" CPU but the best GPU cores on the market. That doesn't seem likely, especially with limited fab capacity and a demand for higher-margin parts.

In an ideal world, maybe one day, the companies that make these systems could bring costs back down. But realistically, I don't see that happening. That makes each gaming laptop below $1,000 a rare bird these days. And while an RTX xx50-class mobile GPU might not excite you, it's all some people can afford, especially as prices creep up.

Despite the hardships of doing it cheaply, we are already seeing some steps down this road; they're just not cheap. After all, we saw AMD's Radeon 8060S with the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 in the Framework Desktop, as well as in the Asus ROG Flow Z13. The latter is technically a laptop (well, tablet) and is selling for $2,400 on Best Buy. Admittedly, it would be easy to drop the price by using something without Strix Halo and 64GB of RAM. But even then, it’s probably not getting close to the sub $1,000 mark, at least until it goes on clearance.

And companies that make gaming handhelds have been raising prices. If those devices sell, no company is going to have much incentive to put those in laptops at a lower price.

Almost, but not quite, there

I think we're a lot closer to the idea of laptop gaming on integrated graphics than we've ever been. (You can argue it's been happening for a long time! People who want to game will find the means to play on any system they have.)

On the other hand, people buy gaming laptops because they want to play games – usually modern AAA titles. Some of the initial handheld chips, like the Steam Deck's Aerith, are showing their age. This happens to all systems, eventually.

That might just be the way games are now, with less optimization and more graphical capabilities (Nvidia and AMD are trying to sell their high-end GPUs, after all). But to call a laptop a gaming laptop, it really needs to play all of the games, at least for a while after launch. So maybe a few more iterations will be required before this idea is ready for prime time.

But it also means we need to wait for great integrated graphics to get even cheaper for market forces to get in line. I think it would be great to see a true "gaming lifestyle notebook" that’s slim, powerful enough for most games, and ready with plenty of gaming features at the OS level. But with all of the factors making it tough on the low end, we'll have to settle for pricier Strix Halo experiments, at least for now.

Based on its specs, Acer's new gaming laptop, the Predator Helios 18P, sounds like a business workstation. The system, announced at IFA in Berlin, has options for high-end processors with Intel vPro and ECC RAM to prevent data corruption.

But in person, it sure looks like a gaming laptop, with its Predator branding, liberal use of RGB lighting, and aggressive angles. But with vPro for managing PC fleets and ECC memory to ensure data integrity, there's definitely some incongruity there. The RTX 5090, however, at least makes sense in both gaming and workstation use cases.

The system also boasts up to 6TB of PCIe Gen 5 SSD storage, two Thunderbolt 5 ports over USB Type-C, three USB Type-A ports, and an SD card reader.

The 18-inch, Mini-LED display has a 3840 x 2400 resolution (a 16:10 aspect ratio) and can run up to 120 Hz.

The Acer Predator Helios 18P AI is coming to the United States, Acer claims, but it doesn't have a price or release date. In Europe, the system will start at €4,499 (about $5,265.49 as of this writing).

Acer Nitro gets a refresh

Acer is also using IFA to update its budget and mid-range Acer Nitro line. The Nitro V 16 and Nitro V 16S. These are similar to the systems of the same names launched earlier this year, but Acer is adding Intel processor options up to an Intel Core 9 270H and is boosting GPUs up to an RTX 5070.

Booth have 16-inch displays, with 1920 x 1200 and 2560 x 1600 options at 180 Hz.

The Acer Nitro V 16 will start at $999.99 in October, while the Nitro V 16S will launch in November beginning at $1,099.99.

Even among top-tier gaming laptops, the Razer Blade 18 stands out with a winning combination of luxury design and raw power. Starting at $3,499 and reaching $5,199 in our fully loaded test unit, it’s clearly not for anyone on a budget. But for those willing to spend a lot, it does a lot to earn its premium, with desktop-like performance, superior build quality, and high-end features like Thunderbolt 5. Its dual-mode display (4K at 240 Hz or FHD at 440 Hz) is an especially unique touch. So while you could spend less and still get one of the best gaming laptops, no other portable blends luxury and capability quite like Blade 18.

Design of the Razer Blade 18

Razer’s laptops have stayed true to their signature design over the years, and for good reason. While no longer groundbreaking, the look remains distinctive, striking a confident balance of high-performance aesthetics without being garish. Familiar hallmarks include the illuminated lid logo, sharp keyboard backlighting that glows from the shadows, and an oversized touchpad.

The Blade 18’s chassis is CNC-milled from a solid block of aluminum, resulting in a build that looks and feels exceptional. It exhibits almost no flex, even in the large lid, and the anodized coating helps preserve its color over time.

At 15.74 x 10.84 x 1.1 inches, the Blade 18 is roughly the size of a cafeteria tray. That’s still slimmer and lighter than the MSI Titan 18 HX AI, which measures 15.9 x 12.08 x 1.26 inches and weighs 7.93 pounds, versus the Blade 18’s 7.06 pounds. Still, comparing these two is a bit like debating which elephant is smaller – both are massive machines, clearly built for stationary power rather than true portability.

Razer’s Synapse app allows lighting customization for both the keyboard and lid logo. Flip the laptop over, and you’ll find a first for Razer – a transparent window showcasing the vapor chamber that cools the CPU and GPU, accented by LED lighting. Alienware has done something quite similar with its latest Area 51 laptops. Synapse also allows different lighting settings while on battery. Note that Synapse prevents the lighting from being seen by the Windows Dynamic Lighting app, but this can be overridden.

The Blade 18’s versatile connections start on the left edge, with two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) ports, a Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) port, a 3.5 mm audio jack, a 2.5 Gbps Ethernet jack, and Razer’s proprietary power connector. On the right, you’ll find a Thunderbolt 4 port, an additional USB-A port, an HDMI 2.1 output, and an SD card reader. A Kensington lock slot is tucked into the rear corner for added security. Internally, the laptop offers an Intel BE202 card that supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 wireless.

Razer Blade 18 Specifications

Gaming and Graphics on the Razer Blade 18

We tested the Blade 18 equipped with a Core Ultra 275HX processor, GeForce RTX 5090 GPU, and 64GB of DDR5-5600 RAM. With this loadout, it’s hardly surprising the Blade 18 made short work of our benchmark suite.

To test the Blade 18, I played Crysis Remastered at 3840 x 2400 with all visual quality settings maximized, seeing 95 to over 100 frames per second (FPS) in open areas and low-to-mid-80s in forests and more complex scenes. The game was exceptionally smooth and looked outstanding on the Blade’s display.

Now for our formal testing. The Blade 18’s main competitor is the MSI Titan 18 HX AI ($6,379 as tested), which offers the same GPU but a slightly upclocked Core Ultra 9 285HX. We also included two 16-inch laptops: the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (Core Ultra 9 275HX, RTX 5080 175 W, $3,299 as tested) and Razer’s own Blade 16 (AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, RTX 5090 160 W, $4,499 as tested). Uniquely, the Blade 16 pairs a lower-wattage Ryzen chip with an RTX 5090.

All laptops are tested at 1920 x 1080, but we also included test runs at the native resolution for each laptop: 3840 x 2400 for our Blade 18 and the Titan 18, and 2560 x 1600 for the Asus and Blade 16.

Beginning with Shadow of the Tomb Raider on the Highest detail preset, the Blade 18 led the pack at 1080p with an impressive 213 FPS, while the Titan 18 followed closely with 196 FPS. The Asus (177 FPS) and the Blade 16 (166 FPS) weren’t in contention. At the 4K resolution, performance significantly dropped, with the Blade 18 managing a still-playable 75 FPS and the Titan 18 reaching 68 FPS.

In our most demanding test, Cyberpunk 2077 on the Ray Tracing Ultra preset, the Blade 18 once again secured the pole position at 1080p, delivering 74 FPS, while the Titan 18 followed closely with 71 FPS. The Asus and Blade 16 trailed with respective finishes of 61 FPS and 66 FPS. At 4K, the performance was nearly identical, with the Blade 18 reaching 22 FPS and the Titan 18 hitting 21 FPS.

In Far Cry 6 on the Ultra preset, the Blade 18 continued to top the 1080p charts, delivering 122 FPS, with the MSI close behind at 115 FPS. The Asus followed with 112 FPS, and the Blade 16 trailed at 97 FPS. At 4K, the performance drop was less pronounced in this game, with the Blade 18 at 81 FPS and the MSI at 75 FPS.

In Red Dead Redemption 2 (Medium preset), the Blade 18 produced 132 FPS at 1080p, easily outpacing the only other laptop to complete that resolution, the Blade 16 (94 FPS). It also took top honors at 4K, with 53 FPS versus the MSI’s 50 FPS at 4K.

Last, in Borderlands 3 at the game’s “badass” detail preset, we see the Blade 18 again finished on top at 1080p, producing 189 FPS versus the MSI’s 183 FPS, and outgunning the Asus’ 156 FPS. (Note that we don’t have numbers for the Blade 16 on this test.) It also went on to lead the MSI at 4K, with 76 versus 73 FPS.

We use Metro Exodus as our gaming laptop stress test. We achieved an average of 143.06 frames per second (FPS) at 1080p across 15 loops using the RTX benchmark preset, with almost no variance between runs, suggesting stable thermal performance.

Summing it up, the Blade 18 demonstrated the highest level of gaming performance we’ve yet seen in a gaming laptop, edging out the massive Titan 18 in every test. While the performance difference likely wouldn’t be noticeable in real-world gaming, the Razer is over $1,000 less expensive than the MSI as tested (though it’s still not remotely affordable for most of us).

The Razer’s other hidden card is its dual-mode display. If a game happens to be too demanding at 4K, or you simply want the smoothest possible experience, it natively supports 1920 x 1200 via a toggle in the Razer Synapse app, which unlocks a near-liquid 440 Hz refresh rate. (See the display section for more.)

Productivity Performance on the Razer Blade 18

We tested the Blade 18 with a Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, 64GB of DDR5-5600 RAM (2x 32GB SO-DIMM modules), and two 2TB SSDs. The SSDs are separate drives in Windows (non-RAID) and are identical (Lexar NM790 in our test unit).

The Geekbench 6 synthetic CPU benchmark saw the Blade 18 topping the single-core scores with 3,127 points, leading the Asus’ 3,071 points and the MSI’s 3,046 points. It took second place in multi-core, producing 20,220 versus the MSI’s commanding 22,082 points. The Core Ultra 9 HX chips in those laptops are clearly faster than the Blade 16’s AMD chip, which finished last with 16,025 multi-core points.

The Blade 18 completed our 4K-to-1080p Handbrake video transcoding test in 2 minutes and 7 seconds, slightly behind MSI’s leading time of 1 minute and 55 seconds, but ahead of Asus at 2 minutes and 24 seconds, and notably faster than the Blade 16, which took 3 minutes and 5 seconds.

In our 25GB file transfer test, the Blade 18’s primary storage drive averaged 1,890.68 MBps, comparable to the Asus at 1,841.41 MBps, and clearly ahead of the Blade 16’s 1,729.51 MBps. MSI remained in a league of its own, thanks to its PCIe 5.0 SSD, which delivered an unmatched average of 2,635.57 MBps. Notably, the Blade 18 does not offer a PCIe 5.0 SSD out of the box, though you won’t notice the difference when loading and playing games. (If you want PCIe 5.0, you'll have to bring your own drive. See the upgradeability section, below.)

Display on the Razer Blade 18

The Blade 18’s 16:10 display offers dual native modes: 3840 x 2400 at 240 Hz or 1920 x 1200 at a blistering 440 Hz. You can toggle between them in Razer Synapse, though a restart is required to apply the change. Although it’s possible to switch the display resolution in Windows, that doesn’t change the display’s operating mode, which is done at a deeper hardware or driver level.

Unlike typical LCDs, which tend to blur when running at non-native resolutions, Razer’s panel retains sharpness and clarity regardless of the selected mode. FHD on an 18-inch panel doesn’t look as crisp as 4K since you can almost make out the individual pixels, but that’s expected. The only usability issue I encountered when switching modes was that the Windows zoom level stays the same when between resolutions. For instance, I had it at 175% while in 4K, but it stayed this way when I switched to FHD, where I reduced it to 100%. It’s an extra step in the process.

Picture quality is excellent in either mode. While I found the mini-LED display on the MSI Titan HX AI to be much brighter, the Blade 18’s display isn’t lacking for luminance or visual fidelity. Watching Stranger Things, the strong contrast revealed eerie details in shadowy lab scenes, while vibrant colors popped, especially on Dustin’s hat and the Scoops Ahoy uniforms. In Crysis Remastered, the rich color and contrast heightened immersion in lush jungles and shimmering oceans. Switching to FHD at 440 Hz, I fired up Star Wars: Squadrons to get a taste of what a few hundred FPS feels like. The fluid, stutter-free image felt almost like liquid in motion.

The Blade 18 uses Nvidia Advanced Optimus to shift between the Intel CPU’s integrated graphics and the dedicated RTX GPU to save energy. Gamers seeking minimal input lag can force exclusive use of the Nvidia GPU in the Nvidia Control Panel. On the color front, the Syanpse app offers many profile options, including native, DCI-P3, sRGB, REC.709, Adobe RGB, and custom. Notably, Razer factory calibrates the display and includes the calibration report in Syanpse.

Among these laptops, only the Blade 18 and the Asus feature IPS panels, both delivering similar performance with near-complete DCI-P3 color coverage and brightness levels approaching 500 nits. The Blade 16’s OLED panel stands out for its vibrant color reproduction, though it falls slightly short in brightness. In contrast, the MSI’s mini-LED display operates on a different level, reaching a peak brightness of 729.3 nits while matching the Blade 18’s color fidelity. So while the Blade 18 may not lead in any single metric, it still delivers outstanding overall image quality, and offers the dual mode feature described above.

Keyboard and Touchpad on the Razer Blade 18

Previous Razer laptops I reviewed had modern-looking but stiff, shallow keyboards. The Blade 18 maintains the modern look but significantly improves the feel, thanks to a satisfying 1.5 mm of key travel. Although the switches aren’t mechanical, they provide crisp and accurate action – I could easily tell when the keys registered, and sufficient cushioning at the bottom of the keystroke prevents fatigue during long typing sessions. I nearly matched my personal best in MonkeyType, achieving 118 words per minute.

In terms of layout, I appreciated the full-size top row, although the mismatched arrow key sizes can lead to hitting the wrong key. The three-column number pad isn’t intuitive, but it’s more of a bonus on this laptop, anyway. Disabling number lock provides convenient shortcuts, such as game mode (5) and disabling the touchpad (0), which can also be done with Fn + T. The M1 through M4 keys embedded in the symbols at the top are customizable for macros in the Hypershift section of the Razer Synapse app.

The macro editor allows for repurposing almost any key. It also offers easy customization of game mode, allowing you to toggle the availability of the Windows and CoPilot keys, as well as the Alt + Tab and Alt + F4 shortcuts. Additionally, there's a toggle to automatically enable game mode while gaming.

The keyboard's backlighting and customization options through the Razer Chroma app remain the best in the business. You can adjust layered effects, brightness, and colors, and save them in unlimited profiles. Additionally, you can download user-submitted profiles from Razer. Chroma also supports numerous games for in-game effects.

Razer’s touchpad is massive, as it should be on an 18-inch laptop, covering nearly the entire vertical space between the keyboard and the front edge. Its anti-glare surface provides excellent tracking, even when my fingers are slightly damp, and the tactile feedback from physical clicks is both direct and quiet. Razer centered the pad in the palm rest area rather than below the keyboard, which prevents your left palm from touching it with your fingers on the WASD cluster.

Audio on the Razer Blade 18

The Blade 18 packs a six-speaker array – two tweeters, four woofers, and three amps – which results in robust sound. The laptop’s sheer size helps deliver convincing stereo separation, especially while gaming. Volume level is around what you’d expect from an entry-level Bluetooth speaker. It’s perfectly adequate for a laptop, though I noticed volume levels north of 75% didn’t sound noticeably louder than full volume.

The Blade 18 handled a vinyl rip of Pat Benatar’s “Love is a Battlefield” with finesse, with the airy drum hits and guitar coming through cleanly, with excellent instrument separation and no vocal distortion. For something bass-heavy, I turned to William Black’s “Bleed 4 U”; while the Blade 18 didn’t thump, it delivered a satisfying low-end grunt. The upward-firing speakers helped with clarity across the board.

That said, with this many speakers, this setup is geared for gaming. In Crysis Remastered, I could easily pinpoint bullets whizzing past as I charged enemy emplacements or enemy chatter as I snuck around unsuspecting soldiers. The full sound added enough punch to explosions and gunfire for a decent sense of immersion. Watching The Marvels gave me a similar vibe, with sharp impacts and abrupt sounds adding a cinematic edge.

Razer’s Synapse app includes meaningful equalizer presets. Switching to Movie mode noticeably widened the sound versus music mode, and I liked that each preset displayed its EQ curve. There’s no auto-switching between modes, but you can create custom bands and save them to a profile.

Upgradeability of the Razer Blade 18

All upgradeability is through the Blade 18’s bottom panel, which is secured by 12 identically sized Torx T4 screws. It took me about two minutes to undo them all, at which point the panel can be hinged off from the rear — no prying needed.

The Blade 18 offers two DDR5 SO-DIMM slots under a peel-off heatsink, next to the rightmost fan, supporting 96GB of memory via two 48GB modules. There are also two M.2 2280 slots for solid-state drives and an M.2 2230 wireless card slot. The battery at the bottom of the unit can also be swapped.

Battery Life on the Razer Blade 18

Although battery life isn't the primary reason to purchase an 18-inch gaming laptop, it's convenient to have enough unplugged stamina to watch a movie or two. In our battery test, which includes web browsing, video streaming over Wi-Fi, and OpenGL tests at 150 nits of brightness, the Blade 18 lasted 5 hours and 15 minutes. While it doesn't match the Asus (6:30) or the Blade 16 (7:21), its real achievement is more than doubling the Titan 18's runtime of just 2:16. For such a large gaming laptop, this is a very respectable result.

Heat on the Razer Blade 18

The Blade 18 employs a dual-fan cooling system that vents heat through the rear edge, complemented by an auxiliary fan beneath the touchpad. Razer claims it dissipates up to 280 W of power, 175 W from the GPU and 105 W from the CPU. To maximize heat transfer, it uses a vapor chamber on the CPU and GPU, plus an unspecified thermal interface gel.

While the fans are unobtrusive at idle, they ramp up noticeably during gameplay. The built-in speakers can overpower the fans, but gamers who need subtle audio cues, like footsteps, will want to wear closed-back headphones. Overall, I found the noise level on par with other high-end gaming laptops.

Under the Metro Exodus stress test, the Blade 18 grew noticeably warm but remained comfortable to use. Surface temperatures peaked at 100 Fahrenheit between the G and H keys, 96 F on the touchpad, and 106 F along the underside near the rear edge. Internally, the Core Ultra 9 CPU maintained average temperatures of 84 degrees C on its performance cores and 76 C on its efficiency cores, while the RTX 5090 GPU averaged 67 C.

Webcam on the Razer Blade 18

Razer’s webcam stands out from typical gaming laptop fare, offering a sharp 1440p resolution. In my office, with two windows behind me, the image appeared slightly grainy, likely due to the camera’s aggressive detail enhancement. Nonetheless, it handled highlights well and preserved decent color accuracy. The camera also features an infrared sensor for facial recognition via Windows Hello as well as a sliding privacy shutter.

Software and Warranty on the Razer Blade 18

Razer’s familiar Synapse app serves as a control console for any connected Razer devices and a hub to launch any installed game. The Blade 18 shows as its own tab and offers an impressive number of configuration options. As mentioned earlier, it offers a keyboard macro editor, lighting customization for the lid logo, and per-key keyboard backlighting via Razer Chroma, plus display toggles for the dual-display mode and different color space presets. It also offers a battery health optimizer that limits battery charge.

Synapse also offers various performance profiles, including balanced, silent, performance, turbo, and custom. The default balanced mode automatically distributes power between the CPU and GPU, while performance mode optimizes CPU power and turbo mode prioritizes GPU power. Turbo mode can be conveniently enabled using the Fn+P keyboard shortcut. The custom mode allows you to select low, medium, high, or max power levels for either component and enables CPU and GPU overclocking. Additionally, fan curves can be customized.

You can create multiple overclocking profiles for both the CPU and GPU. CPU overclocking includes short max and long max turbo power levels, as well as the turbo boost power time window. CPU voltage offset is available if you disable voltage protection in the BIOS. Meanwhile, GPU overclocking controls include memory and core offsets.

Besides a smattering of Windows 11 default apps, Razer doesn’t install any other software. The laptop has a one-year warranty, though the battery is warrantied for two years.

Razer Blade 18 Configurations

Razer currently offers three Blade 18 configurations, all equipped with the dual-mode 18-inch display and a Core Ultra 9 275HX processor. The base model, priced at $3,499.99, features a GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. Stepping up to an RTX 5080 raises the price to $4,099.99, keeping the rest of the specifications unchanged.

Models with the RTX 5090 start at $4,899.99, with 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD. Our $5,199.99 review unit upgrades to 64GB of RAM and adds a second 2TB SSD, doubling total storage to 4TB.

While the Blade 18 remains one of the most expensive laptops on the market, it’s within the price bracket for a laptop with its components, particularly with the RTX 5080 or 5090. Best Buy had the MSI Titan 18 HX AI for $5,999 with similar specifications as our Blade 18, though with 96GB of RAM and a 6TB SSD.

Bottom Line

The Razer Blade 18 sets the benchmark for high-end gaming laptops, excelling in more areas than it doesn’t. Its performance headlines the show, delivering the best in-game numbers we’ve seen from any gaming laptop. Its dual-mode display is another standout, letting gamers choose between a cinematic 4K picture or a lightning-fast 440 Hz refresh rate at FHD without any loss of clarity. Razer’s excellent build quality, surprisingly tactile keyboard, and unique see-through bottom window make it feel every bit the premium machine.

Its closest rival is the MSI Titan 18 HX AI, which offers similar performance but demands even more cash. While MSI’s display is more visually impressive, Razer’s dual-mode versatility wins out in real-world use, and it also offers better speakers and far longer battery life. If you can afford it, the Blade 18 is a world-class, chart-topping gaming laptop.

Competition in the sub-$1,500 gaming laptop market is becoming intense, thanks to a steady influx of refreshed systems based on the latest Nvidia GeForce RTX 50-series GPUs. Acer is among the companies taking a swing at laptops in this segment — its entry at $1,299 is the Nitro V 16S AI.

That price gets you a stout system, as you’ll find an AMD Ryzen 7 260 processor, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, an RTX 5060 GPU, and a 180 Hz, 1200p, IPS display. If that wasn’t enough, Acer also throws in some other niceties like a four-zone RGB keyboard, a banging audio system, a plethora of ports, and surprisingly strong storage performance. As a gaming system, the 85-watt RTX 5060can’t hang with the RTX 5070 (or even RTX 4070) competition, but it still offers a lot of bang for the buck at this price.

Design of the Acer Nitro V 16S AI

The Nitro V 16S AI boasts an attractive design, featuring crisp lines and a restrained aesthetic. There's a Nitro logo on the lid, a relatively straightforward keyboard deck, and plenty of ventilation along the sides, rear, and bottom of the chassis. The only true tip-off to the gaming aspirations of the laptop is the four-zone RGB keyboard.

To give the Nitro V 16S AI a more upscale flair, the lid and bottom panel are aluminum. It's a small touch, but it helps differentiate the laptop from competitors in this class that use plastic across the board to meet a lower price target.

On the right side of the chassis, you'll find two USB Type-A ports. The left side brings another USB-A port, a Gigabit Ethernet port, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and a rarity in this class: a microSD card slot. But that's not all, the back panel has even more ports, including a proprietary port for a barrel-style plug (a 135-watt power adapter is supplied), an HDMI 2.1 port, and a single USB-C port. Overall, the system should offer enough connectivity for the average person.

4.555.5 pounds. For comparison, the Alienware 16 Aurora measures 14.05 x 10.45 x 0.89 inches and weighs 5.64 pounds, while the Gigabyte Aorus 16X is 5.07 pounds with measurements of 14.02 x 10 x 1.06 inches. Rounding out the group is the MSI Katana 17 HX at 15.66 x 10.85 x 1.09 inches and weighing 5.95 pounds.

Acer Nitro V 16S AI Specifications

Our Nitro V 16S AI review unit came configured with an AMD Ryzen 7 260 processor paired with 32GB of DDR5-5600 memory (2 x 16GB). The Ryzen 7 260 is a Zen 4-based “Hawk Point” processor with 8 CPU cores capable of executing 16 threads. The chip has a base clock of 3.8 GHz and can boost up to 5.1 GHz. There’s also a GeForce RTX 5060 GPU onboard, which in this configuration has a maximum boost clock of 1,785 MHz and a maximum TGP of 85 watts.

Our system also features a 16-inch display with a 1920 x 1200 resolution that can run at up to 180 Hz.

When testing new gaming laptops, I like to break out Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to get a feel for how the system will perform. At 1200p resolution with the Ultra preset, I averaged around 90 frames per second (FPS), depending on the level of on-screen action. Dropping the resolution to 1080p only saw a slight performance improvement, averaging roughly 95 FPS.

We start our gaming benchmark suite with Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Highest settings), where the Nitro V 16S AI delivered 98 FPS at 1080p and 91 FPS at 1200p. This performance put it in last place, just behind the 16 Aurora (99 FPS at 1080p) with its 80-watt RTX 5060. The MSI Katana 17 HX delivered the highest performance at 1080p (119 FPS).

Moving to the very demanding Cyberpunk 2077 (Medium settings), our review unit hit 32 FPS at 1080p and 27 FPS at 1200p. This was enough for third place, putting behind the 16 Aurora and Katana 17 HX, which each reached 39 FPS at 1080p.

Far Cry 6 (Ultra settings) also saw the Nitro V 16S AI hanging back near the rear of the pack with 82 FPS at 1080p (79 FPS at 1200p). While this performance edged out the 16 Aurora (81 FPS at 1080p), it was well behind the top-performing Aorus 16X (103 FPS).

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Medium settings) is another graphically intense game, and the Nitro V 16S AI came in last place at 69 FPS when running at 1080p resolution. The Aorus 16X managed 73 FPS, while the Katana 17 HX led all contestants with 85 FPS at 1080p.

Finally, Borderlands 3 (Badass settings) also saw the Nitro V 16S AI in last place, hitting 82 FPS. The 16 Aurora was just 1 FPS faster, while the Katana 17 HX and Aorus 16X both broke 100 FPS.

Metro Exodus is our go-to benchmark for gaming laptop stress testing. We averaged 76.01 FPS at 1600p across 15 loops using the RTX benchmark preset. The CPU cores averaged 3.71 GHz.

Productivity Performance on the Acer Nitro V 16S AI

As previously mentioned, our review unit uses an 8-core AMD Ryzen 7 260 "Hawk Point" processor. Our configuration pairs that processor with 32GB of DDR5-5600 and a 1TB SSD (WD SN5000S).

Geekbench 6, the synthetic CPU benchmark, wasn't a strong point for the Nitro V 16S AI. Our review unit brought up the rear of the pack, with a single-core score of 2,659 and a multi-core score of 12,837. While the single-core performance was comparable to the other laptops, its multi-core performance lagged by 700 to nearly 2,000 points. The top performer in the test, the Aorus 16X, features 16 physical cores (8 performance, 8 efficiency).

However, the Nitro V 16S AI turned things around in our storage benchmark, where we copied 25GB of mixed-media files. Here, our review unit torched all the competitors running at 1,838.88 MBps. The next-closest system was the Aorus 16X at 1,500.98 MBps. The Katana 17 HX (1,224.05 MBps) and 16 Aurora (1,179.12 MBps) were well behind.

The Ryzen 7 260 again showed some softness in its number crunching capabilities (at least in this crowd), finishing our 4K to 1080p Handbrake transcoding test in 4 minutes and 32 seconds. This performance put it in last place by 2 seconds behind the Katana 17 HX. The Aorus 16X was well out in front, completing the task in 3 minutes and 40 seconds.

Display on the Acer Nitro V 16S AI

The Nitro V 16S AI uses a 16-inch IPS display with a 1920 x 1200 resolution and a relatively speedy 180 Hz refresh rate. The panel has a matte finish, which helps reduce, but not completely eliminate, glare that can appear on the display.

The 1200p maximum resolution is just a slight step up from the 1080p on the Katana 17 HX, but well behind the 16 Aurora and Aorus 16X, which both feature 1600p displays. However, we have to remember that those two displays feature lower 120 Hz and 144 Hz refresh rates, respectively.

I found the display to be bright in my testing and didn’t notice any backlight bleeding across the entirety of the panel, which is a good thing. In our instrumented tests, the actual maximum brightness was measured at 391.8 nits, putting it in second place behind the Aorus 16X (477 nits). For me, text on the screen (i.e., Word and Excel documents) and games were adequately bright under varied lighting conditions indoors.

If we're going strictly by the numbers, the Nitro V 16S AI came in third place behind the Aorus 16X and 16 Aurora. It registered 77.4 percent coverage of DCI-P3 and 109.3 percent of sRGB. You probably wouldn’t choose this panel for color-critical work, but it’s a fair compromise for its primary mission: gaming.

Every game that I tried on the display looked great, including Cyberpunk 2077, Marvel’s Avengers, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. I spent the majority of my time playing the latter and was enthralled by the visuals in the Shanghai and Vatican missions.

Keyboard and Touchpad on the Acer Nitro V 16S AI

The 16-inch chassis of the Nitro V 16S AI allows for a large keyboard and an accompanying number pad. While you won’t find per-key RGB lighting, the keyboard is split into four user-configurable zones. There’s nothing remarkable about the keyboard, although you’ll notice that the WASD keys have a clear border around the keycaps and there’s a dedicated button on the number pad that opens the NitroSense utility.

Using the online keyhero.com typing speed test, I averaged around 90 words per minute with 95 percent accuracy across three tests. That’s on the higher side for me, and is a testament to how comfortable my fingers felt dancing around the keyboard. As I’ve mentioned, I’m by no means a maniacally-fast typist, but the 90 WPM result surprised even me.

The Windows Precision Touchpad measures roughly 5 x 3.5 inches and offers a smooth gliding surface for navigation in Windows 11. Clicks are satisfying, and I was able to register a click over the majority of the touchpad, save for the top quarter of an inch of its surface (where it’s hinged).

Audio on the Acer Nitro V 16S AI

The Nitro V 16S AI is equipped with two speakers, which are located near the front of the chassis where your palms naturally lie. Given the value-laden roots of the Nitro V 16S AI, I wasn’t expecting much from the small speakers, but I was reasonably impressed with the volume output. With the volume cranked to 45 percent, the speakers were loud enough to fill my home office and were already overwhelming my senses – I had no desire to go any higher.

I played “Today” by Zero 7 and was amazed at how clear and vibrant Jose Gonzalez’s vocals were on the track. Bass was a little lacking, but the instrumentals were on point. For a nostalgia kick, I also played “Off the Wall” from Michael Jackson’s 1970s disco-infused solo album. The album showcased Jackson’s maturity as an adult singer and laid the groundwork for a masterpiece, "Thriller," which would be released three years later. I found myself bouncing around in my gaming chair as I marveled in not only Michael’s vocals, but the haunting background vocals that pop in and out during the track.

Bass was not a high point, and it never usually is with laptops, particularly in the mainstream segment. But the overall audio quality was stellar.

If you want to tweak the audio system further, you can do so with the included DTS:X Ultra app.

Games also sounded great with the onboard speakers, with Cyberpunk 2077 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Everything from gunfire to vehicle sounds, to in-game dialogue was crisp and clear. However, for the best audio experience, I’d suggest checking out the best gaming headsets.

Upgradeability on the Acer Nitro V 16S AI

The bottom aluminum panel is affixed using 10 Phillips head screws. Then a few well-placed fingernails allowed me to pry the panel off and reveal the inside of the chassis. You’ll notice the black monolith that is the 76 WHr battery at the bottom of the chassis, flanked by the stereo speakers.

Directly above are two M.2 slots (each accommodating up to 2280 SSDs). One of the slots is occupied (in our case, with a WD SN5000S SSD), while the other is empty for further expansion. Two SO-DIMM slots are located under a plastic thermal pad, with each occupied by a 16GB DDR5-5600 module. The only other user-replaceable item is the RZ616 Wi-Fi 6E M.2 PCIe module. If you want a performance upgrade, check out our handy guide on upgrading to Wi-Fi 7.

Battery Life on the Acer Nitro V 16S AI

AMD’s Hawk Point processors are built on a TSMC 4nm FinFET process node, and they tend to be quite efficient when it comes to power consumption. That was definitely the case with our Nitro V 16S AI review unit, which is powered by a 76 WHr battery.

The laptop was an excellent performer on our battery test (for a gaming rig, anyway), which consists of web browsing, video streaming over Wi-Fi, and conducting OpenGL tests with the screen brightness set at 150 nits. The Nitro V 16S AI lasted over 10 hours and 17 minutes, which was an impressive showing in this assembly of laptops.

The next closest competitor was the 16 Aurora (9:41), followed by the Katana 17 HX (6:21).

Heat on the Acer Nitro V 16S AI

The Nitro V 16S AI uses a twin-fan cooling system that draws air from the bottom of the laptop and through the keyboard and expels it out the vents on the sides and back. Although the fans ramp up the RPMs relatively quickly under load, the sound output is not objectionable. Even during the 15-run Metro Exodus stress test, the noise levels were low.

With that said, we measured 79 degrees Fahrenheit (F) at the touchpad and 109 F between the G and H keys. The underside of the chassis was much warmer at 110 F. However, the hottest part of the chassis was at the bottom of the case, right of center, which measured 127 F.

During the Metro Exodus stress test, the CPU package measured 60 degrees Celsius (C). Meanwhile, the RTX 5060 ran at an average of 1.92 GHz at 66.5 C.

Webcam on the Acer Nitro V 16S AI

We were on an upward swing regarding moving swiftly from 720p webcams to 1080p, especially during and past lockdowns. However, we’ve seen manufacturers of newer entry-level and mainstream gaming laptops again opting for 720p webcams. Unfortunately, Acer is among them with the Nitro V 16S AI.

Overall image quality is grainy, with poor color reproduction. My facial hair appeared as a blurry mess of black on the screen. Since I’ve been spoiled by the 1080p webcams on most new laptops, taking a serious step backwards to 720p was a stark contrast. Additionally, the Nitro V 16S AI doesn’t include an IR camera, so you can’t take advantage of facial recognition for signing into Windows 11 via Windows Hello. (With no fingerprint reader, that means there are no biometric options at all.)

Software and Warranty on the Acer Nitro V 16S AI

With most laptops available today, you’ll find at least a handful of apps that the manufacturer installs from the factory. In the case of the Nitro V 16S AI, there were over a dozen apps/shortcuts occupying space in the Start Menu. There were four Acer-specific apps, including Acer LiveArt (an AI-powered image editing tool), Acer Purified Voice Console (which uses AI to reduce background noise during calls), Acer QuickPanel (for webcam and mic controls), and NitroSense (an all-in-one utility for managing system performance, keyboard lighting, updates, etc.).

Other preinstalled software/shortcuts include App Explorer, Elvenar (a free city-building game), Express VPN, Forge of Empires, Google Play Games Beta, DTS:X Ultra, Killer Intelligence Center (for the Killer Ethernet E2600 network adapter), and Planet9. If this were my laptop, the majority of these apps would be junked upon the first boot.

The Nitro V 16S AI ships with a one-year limited warranty from Acer.

Acer Nitro V 16S AI Configurations

Currently, Acer is only offering one configuration of the Nitro V 16S AI (ANV16S-41-R2AJ), which is the same as our review unit. The system features an AMD Ryzen 7 260 processor, 32GB DDR5-5600, a 1TB SSD, GeForce RTX 5060 GPU, 16-inch 180Hz 1200p IPS display, Wi-Fi 6E, 1 GbE, and Windows 11 Home. The system carries an MSRP of $1,299, but isn't yet available for purchase either at Acer's online store or from Amazon (although the product page is active).

Bottom Line

The Acer Nitro V 16S AI is a well-made machine with plenty to brag about.. The laptop is well constructed, it's relatively lightweight in this class, the display is vibrant and bright, and you get a large assortment of ports (including a microSD slot). At $1,299, the price is also attractive, undercutting the similarly-performing Alienware 16 Aurora by $200.

If all you care about is outright performance, for the same $1,299, the MSI Katana 17 HX runs the tables against the Nitro V 16S with its more powerful RTX 5070 GPU. However, the Nitro V 16S is by far a more complete package when considering the display, audio system, and overall build quality.

With the launch of Nvidia’s RTX 50 Series GPUs for laptops, we’ve seen a new wave of mainstream- and budget-oriented laptops enter the marketplace. While we would all likely love to play the latest, graphically intense games at the highest frame rate possible, not all of us can afford a high-end gaming laptop sporting an RTX 5090 or 5080.

Laptops like the new Alienware 16 Aurora are here to appeal to a much broader audience. With an as-tested price of $1,499, the 16 Aurora is squarely in the mainstream segment. That price gets you an Intel Core 7 240H processor, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, a 1TB SSD, and an RTX 5060 GPU.

The Aurora comes with a relatively stout assortment of ports (including Gigabit Ethernet), and a sleek chassis that showcases Alienware’s more subdued design language. There are some compromises, like the lack of an RGB keyboard or other colorful light flourishes. However, perhaps the biggest compromise, as you’ll see later, is the 80W TGP limit for the RTX 5060.

Design of the Alienware 16 Aurora

If you’re longing for a more “down-to-earth” design instead of some of Alienware’s more eccentric past exercises, you’ll like the 16 Aurora. The chassis, which utilizes Alienware’s AW30 industrial design language, is primarily constructed of plastic but features an aluminum lid with a chrome Alienware logo in the center. The chassis is finished in “interstellar" indigo, which is a deep shade of blue that has a slight shimmer when light hits it. Since blue is my favorite color, I was immediately drawn to the look.

Instead of the sharp edges that many gaming laptops embrace, the 16 Aurora has rounded corners and radiused edges on the chassis. This is especially beneficial when resting your palm on the keyboard deck – you have a softer landing for your palms instead of a hard edge digging into your skin.

Alienware takes ventilation seriously, as there are exhaust vents on either side of the chassis towards the back, and two additional exhausts located at the back of the chassis. Additional ventilation is found at the top of the deck, just ahead of the display hinge. A pod-shaped appendage on the bottom ensures that the laptop is raised just enough to ingest cool air for the internal fans without interruption.

You’ll find a generous assortment of ports: two USB 3.2 Type-A Gen 1 (5 Gbps), two USB 3.2 Type-C Gen 2 (10 Gbps), one HDMI 2.1, one GbE, and a 3.5 mm audio jack. There’s also a proprietary barrel-style port for power (a 180-watt power adapter is included). The HDMI port, along with the USB-A ports and both USB-C ports, is located on the back of the chassis. The second USB-A, GbE, and 3.5 mm ports are on the left side.

The 16 Aurora measures 14.05 x 10.45 x 0.89 inches and weighs 5.64 pounds. For comparison, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (Gen 9) weighs 5.51 pounds and measures 14.3 x 10.25 x 1.05 inches, while the MSI Katana 15 HX weighs 5.95 pounds and measures 15.67 x 10.85 x 1.09 inches. Finally, the MSI Katana 17 HX is 15.66 x 10.85 x 1.09 inches and weighs 5.95 pounds.

Alienware 16 Aurora Specifications

Gaming Performance on the Alienware 16 Aurora

Nvidia has a fully fleshed-out RTX 50 Series lineup for laptops, including the RTX 5060, which sits near the lower end of the performance spectrum. In this case, our 16 Aurora review sample features an RTX 5060 GPU with 8GB of GDDR7 memory and an 80W TDP. That GPU is paired with a Core 7 240H processor and 32GB of DDR5 memory (two 16GB modules). As for the display, Alienware configured the system with a 16-inch IPS display that features a 2560 x 1600 resolution and a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz.

I gamed for an hour or so with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to get a baseline for performance. At 1080p resolution with the Ultra preset, I averaged around 80 frames per second (FPS), depending on the level of on-screen action. Bumping the resolution to the native 1600p, the system dropped that average to around 60 FPS.

The two Katana systems have 1080p displays, while the 16 Aurora and Legion Pro 5i feature 1600p displays. And although the Katana 17 HX has the lowest resolution panel (17 inches at 1080p), it has the most potent GPU, on paper (RTX 5070).

We kicked things off with Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Highest settings), and here the Katana 17 HX rushed out to an early lead with 119 FPS at 1080p resolution. The Aurora was 20 FPS back at 99 FPS, putting it in third place ahead of the Katana 15 HX. The second-place finisher, the Legion Pro 5i, managed 109 FPS at 1080p. Switching to 1600p, the 16 Aurora was still lagging behind at 58 FPS, compared to 64 FPS for the Legion Pro 5i. As you’ll see in further benchmarks, the 80-watt TDP is a significant limiting factor in the performance of the 16 Aurora’s RTX 5060.

In the Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark (Medium settings), the 16 Aurora found itself at the back of the pack, putting out 30 FPS at 1080p and just 15 FPS at 1600p. The Legion Pro 5i was the overachiever of the bunch, hitting 61 FPS and 45 FPS, respectively, at 1080p and 1600p.

It was more of the same with Far Cry 6 (Ultra settings), with the RTX 5060 in the 16 Aurora pulling 81 FPS at 1080p and 50 FPS at 1600p. For comparison, the Legion Pro 5i, which features a previous-generation RTX 4070, achieved 92 FPS and 64 FPS, respectively.

The grouping of laptops got a bit closer in Red Dead Redemption 2 (Medium settings), and the 16 Aurora delivered 70 FPS at 1080p and 43 FPS at 1600p. However, just 1 frame separated the last-place Legion Pro 5i and the third-place 16 Aurora at 1080p and 1600p.

Borderlands 3 (Badass settings), once again saw the 16 Aurora and its 80W RTX 5060 struggling to keep up with the rest of the laptops. It achieved 83 FPS at 1080p and 55 FPS at 1600p. However, the Aorus 16X was the fastest of all the competitors at 103 FPS and 66 FPS, respectively.

We use Metro Exodus as our gaming laptop stress test. We achieved an average of 64.16 frames per second (FPS) at 1600p across 15 loops using the RTX benchmark preset.

Productivity Performance on the Alienware 16 Aurora

The 16 Aurora gets its brains from a Core 7 240H processor, 32GB of DDR5-5600 memory, and a 1TB SSD (Micron 2650). We should note that this chip lacks “Ultra” branding, which is the first indication that it is a 14th-generation Raptor Lake-based processor and not Arrow Lake. As such, it has fewer cores (6 performance, 4 efficiency) compared to the Core i7-14650HX (8 performance, 8 efficiency) and operates at lower base and maximum boost power.

The Geekbench 6 synthetic CPU benchmark yielded a single-core score of 2,699 and a multi-core score of 13,815 for the 16 Aurora.

We copied 25 GB of mixed media in our file transfer test, and the Aurora didn’t have a great showing here. It managed just 1,170.12 Mbps during the test, putting it far behind the Katana 17 HX (1,224.05 Mbps) and the Legion Pro 5i (1,919.1 Mbps). Only the Katana 15 HX was slower at 1,057.41 Mbps.

The Core 7 240H also faltered slightly in our Handbrake test, where we transcode a 4K video file to 1080p. The 16 Aurora completed the task in four minutes and 15 seconds, putting it in second place ahead of the Katana 15 HX (4:48) and Katana 17 HX (4:30). The Legion Pro 5i was the fastest of the bunch during the transcode, taking just three minutes and 32 seconds.

Display on the Alienware 16 Aurora

The 16 Aurora features a 16-inch IPS display with a 2560 x 1600 resolution, which is quickly becoming the standard resolution for mainstream laptops. Interestingly, Alienware only equipped the 16 Aurora with a 120 Hz panel, whereas its competitors come with at least a 144 Hz refresh rate, with others reaching 165 Hz.

In general, the colors displayed on the panel are vibrant and accurate. Color reproduction wasn’t quite on par with what we get from OLED panels, but it’s quite good for this price class. I watched The Fantastic Four: First Steps | A Special Look on Disney Plus. The roughly six-minute feature highlights some key points from the upcoming Fantastic Four movie without giving away too much in the way of spoilers. Compared to more flashy, modern-day superhero movies, this featurette has a more subtle and restrained 1960s-era color palette, and looked great on the Aurora’s display.

While the Aurora’s panel isn’t overly bright, I had no issue distinguishing details in darkened scenes in games like Cyberpunk 2077. For content that should be true black, the Aurora skewed more to a dark grey, but that’s to be expected with an IPS display – again, you’ll want to look at an OLED panel if you want inky blacks, but you’ll also pay more for that privilege.

Our instrumented tests showed that the Aurora panel's hit 312.2 nits according to our light meter, putting it in third place behind the Legion Pro 5i (354.6 nits) and Aorus 16X (477 nits). However, its color performance was among the best in the group, covering 79.3% DCI-P3 and 112% sRGB.

Keyboard and Touchpad on the Alienware 16 Aurora

The 16 Aurora uses a full QWERTY keyboard complete with a number pad. According to Alienware, there’s 1.4 mm of key travel, and it incorporates anti-ghosting technology. If you’re a diehard RGB fan, you’ll likely be disappointed – the Aurora only features a white LED backlight for the keys. Even the $999.99 MSI Katana 15 HX has four-zone backlighting. But for people who just want a functional keyboard without colorful flourishes, you’ll be more than happy with it.

Using the keyhero.com typing test, I fell significantly short of my usual 80 to 90 words per minute average. Instead, I kept hovering in the 60 to 70 wpm range, mainly due to fumbling with the keys, causing typing errors. I don’t know if it was the spacing of the keys or the placement of the touchpad (which don’t seem out of the ordinary), but I couldn’t get a comfortable feel for the keyboard. Of course, your mileage may vary, as everyone has their preferred tastes when it comes to keyboards.

One thing of note is that there are three configurable keys in the function row: M1, M2, and M3. You can use the Alienware Command Center to remap keys or set up macros.

There’s nothing remarkable about the touchpad, which measures 4.5 x 2.7 inches. My fingers would glide easily over the surface, and it has a satisfying click when pressed.

Audio on the Alienware 16 Aurora

There are a pair of 2-watt speakers on the Aurora, which are mounted near the front of the chassis under the palm rest (flanking the battery) – they fire downward. The speakers don’t sound all that great, so I tried using the included Dolby app to enhance the audio. I enjoy listening to Captain Steeeve on YouTube talk about commercial aviation (and aviation in general), and chose the Voice profile, hoping it would enhance speech (as it claimed). However, it lowered the volume of voices (compared to the Music profile that was on by default). Switching to the Movie profile boosted vocals to where I thought they should be.

Using the Game profile, gunfire in games like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Cyberpunk 2077 sounded fine, but lacked any real substance or depth due to the lack of bass.

Upgradeability on the Alienware 16 Aurora

The bottom panel of the 16 Aurora lifts off after removing 10 screws. After removing the screws, use a pry tool to wedge it between the panel and the chassis. With the panel removed, you have free access to the motherboard, battery, and other internal components.

The 16 Aurora is upgradeable, with easy access to the Wi-Fi module, the two SO-DIMM slots, and the two M.2 slots for storage. Our review sample has a single Micron 2650 (2230) NVMe SSD installed. However, there is an empty M.2 slot on the opposite side of the motherboard that can accommodate a 2280 format SSD.

Battery Life on the Alienware 16 Aurora

One area where the Aurora truly excelled compared to the competition is battery life. The Aurora uses a large 96 WHr battery, which was only surpassed by the 99 WHr battery used on the Aorus 16X.

But the Aurora exhibited significantly longer endurance on our battery test, which consists of web browsing, video streaming over Wi-Fi, and conducting OpenGL tests with the screen brightness set at 150 nits. Here, our review unit lasted 9 hours and 41 minutes compared to 5 hours and 31 minutes for the Aorus 16X.

The closest competitor was the Katana 17 HX (6:21), while the Legion Pro 5i turned in the lowest runtime (5:11).

Heat on the Alienware 16 Aurora

The 1Aurora uses dual internal cooling fans and has an extensive network of exhaust ports and cool air intakes. While the bottom of the system was warm to the touch while running our Metro Exodus stress test, it wasn’t objectionable.

The highest temperature recorded was 114 degrees Fahrenheit near the left-side exhaust vent. A temperature of 101 degrees was measured between the G and H keys, while the touchpad was 78 degrees. The bottom of the chassis measured 95.5 F.

During the stress test, the CPU package reached a temperature of 74 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, the RTX 5060 ran at an average of 1.95 GHz at 68.8 C.

Webcam on the Alienware 16 Aurora

Just when we thought that laptop OEMs had left 720p cameras behind for higher-quality 1080p sensors, we’ve been thrown curveballs in recent months. The Katana 15 and 17 HX, unfortunately, fielded 720p webcams, and Alienware has done the same with the 16 Aurora.

On the plus side, I’ll say that colors, in general, looked accurate. However, fine detail was non-existent, and the overall images looked somewhat blurry compared to what I’m used to with 1080p camera sensors. Using a 720p webcam is an easy way to cut costs for OEMs, but with 1080p becoming the standard, and given the Aurora’s $1,499 price tag, it’s an unfortunate mistake to take this route.

Software and Warranty on the Alienware 16 Aurora

Alienware installs several utilities/apps from the factory on the Aurora. The most prominent feature is the Alienware Command Center, which includes CPU/GPU/Memory/Storage monitoring, allows you to adjust performance modes, and provides control over AlienFX lighting and keyboard macros.

Alienware Digital Delivery allows you to download and install software packages that you might have selected at the time of purchase with your new system. You can also buy software directly from the application.

Dell SupportAssist can automatically download updates for your system, optimize system performance, and allow you to contact support if you encounter any issues. Dolby Access allows you to select different sound profiles for the onboard speakers, while intelliGo Neptune is another audio (microphone) application developed directly by Dell.

Alienware ships the 16 Aurora ships with a one-year limited hardware warranty.

Alienware 16 Aurora Configurations

The 16 Aurora is available in three base configurations directly from Alienware. The cheapest configuration ($1,149.99) features an Intel Core 7 240H processor, 16GB of DDR5-5600 RAM, a 1TB SSD, an RTX 4050 graphics card, and a 16-inch QHD+ display. The next step up swaps out the RTX 4050 for an RTX 5050 and drops the price to $1,099.99 (with special pricing as of this writing). Finally, our review configuration ($1,549.99) features the same processor, but doubles the installed memory to 32GB and includes an RTX 5060. The same configuration is $1,499.99 at Best Buy.

Bottom Line

When I first saw the specs of the Alienware 16 Aurora, I had high hopes for its performance. However, gaming performance was held back primarily due to the 80W RTX 5060. The Aurora found itself near the back of the pack in the gaming benchmarks. Its storage performance also lagged behind that of its less expensive peers, and its transcoding performance was near the back of the pack.

Alienware also cheaped out with a 720p webcam, which is inexcusable on a laptop that currently costs $1,499.99. There are some advantages, including the sleek chassis, long battery life, and colorful display. As a gaming machine, the Aurora prioritizes endurance over performance, and even cheaper systems (with previous generation RTX 40 series GPUs) can offer a far better overall experience. For my money, I’d opt for the MSI Katana 17 HX at $1,299 as I would mostly game at 1080p anyway. However, if the Aurora ever drops back to its super-low $1,099 Amazon Prime Day price, it’d be a much easier recommendation.

The best gaming laptops under $1,000 rarely give you everything. At lower prices, laptop makers usually cut features from their premium options.

That's the case with the MSI Katana 15 HX ($999.00 as tested), which delivers strong 1080p performance with its Nvidia Geforce RTX 5050 and 14th Gen Intel Core processors, but drops the ball with its dim display.

There are some niceties despite the price point, like four-zone RGB lighting on the keyboard and a fine suite of ports, but MSI is also balancing the budget with a 2019-era 720p webcam.

Still, it's been rare to see PC under $1,000 come through our lab lately, and it's good to see something at that price can still pack a bit of a punch.

Design of the MSI Katana 15 HX

As far as gaming laptops go, the Katana 15 HX is quite plain. It's all black and all plastic. Outside of a few lines, some aggressive angles, and tacky fake rivets, this machine is all business. Even the MSI logo, often a hub of RGB lights, is blacked out with a tactile finish. MSI told me that the lid has a matte, fingerprint-resistant finish, but I left fingerprints on it pretty easily.

Inside, there's slightly more flash. Specifically, the four-zone RGB keyboard makes a statement at a price point where you typically get single-zone lighting. Otherwise, other than some unfortunately thick top and bottom bezels (and a few more fake rivets), this system looks fiarly basic.

Cooling exhausts from the rear and sides of the system, but there's still room for ports. On the left side, there are a pair of USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, while the right side houses a third Type-A port as well as a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, HDMI 2.1, Ethernet, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Unlike many gaming laptops, there aren't any ports on the back.

At 5.95 pounds and 1.09 inches thick, this gaming laptop is portable, but you'll feel it in your bag. It's a bit thicker than the previous Katana 15 we reviewed, which was 0.96 inches tall and weighed 4.96 pounds. The Alienware 16 Aurora is 0.89 inches thick and weighs 5.49 pounds.

MSI Katana 15 HX Specifications

Gaming and Graphics on the MSI Katana 15 HX

The MSI Katana HX combines the Intel Core i7-14650HX with Nvidia's latest low-end current-gen mobile graphics card, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050. Here, we're comparing the Katana HX to the previous model, with an RTX 4050, which should show significant gains. We're also comparing it to the Alienware 16 Aurora, using the RTX 5060, to see the difference in performance.

Alan Wake 2 is a challenging game, but it can work on even the RTX 5050. I ran it at the high preset using DLSS but without any ray tracing, and the system ran the game between 45 and 70 frames per second. In easier scenes, that was above the display's 60 Hz capabilities. For those who like frame generation, it pushed the system up to about 85 FPS.

On Shadow of the Tomb Raider (highest settings), the Katana 15 HX achieved 91 FPS, surpassing the previous generation (73 FPS) but falling 8 frames short of the Aurora.

Both the Katana 15 HX and the Aurora played Cyberpunk 2077's benchmark on ray tracing ultra at 30 frames per second. Needless to say, you'll have to turn these settings down, but you'll be able to make the game playable. A 30 FPS average means that some frames were below that, making the game unplayable at its highest settings.

On Far Cry 6 at ultra settings, which is CPU-intensive, the systems were largely in line, with the Katana 15 HX reaching 80 FPS at 1080p.

Red Dead Redemption 2 (medium) showed more of a spread. The Katana 15 HX hit 65 FPS at 1080p, losing to the Aurora at 70 FPS. Last gen's Katana played at 52 FPS.

We saw a similar pattern with Borderlands 3 on its "badass" graphics preset. The Katana 15 HX achieved an average of 76 FPS, while the Aurora won out at 83 FPS. The previous-generation Katana was a lesser performer at 68 FPS.

We also stress-tested the Katana 15 HX, running Metro Exodus on the RTX preset 15 times. The system ran the test at an average of 63.54 FPS. The system was largely consistent run-to-run.

Productivity Performance on the MSI Katana 15 HX

MSI is using a processor that's fairly old at this point, likely to keep costs down. The Katana 15 HX we reviewed used a Core i7-14650HX, along with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.

On Geekbench 6, the Katana 15 HX achieved a single-core score of 2,786 and a multi-core score of 13,048. Those are only slight boosts over the Intel Core i7-13620H in the previous MSI Katana 16. The Alienware 16 Aurora's Intel Core Ultra 7 240Hwas slightly faster in multi-core, but slower in single-core performance.

The Katana copied 25GB of files at a rate of 1,057.41 MBps, but was beaten by the Aurora at 1,170.12 MBps.

Using Handbrake, MSI's latest Katana took 4 minutes and 48 seconds to transcode a 4K video to 1080p. That's longer than the previous model at 4:27. This indicates the newer model would benefit from better cooling on lengthy and taxing CPU-specific workloads, but as we saw in the previous section, this doesn’t seem to affect gaming performance.

Display on the MSI Katana 15 HX

The 15.6-inch, 1080p, 144 Hz screen on the Katana is plain, and dimmer than I would like. Using this system on anything other than max brightness is difficult, as blacks quickly turn to pale grays.

I used the Katana 15 HX to check out the trailer for Mortal Kombat II; it looked lifeless. Other than one scene in which Raiden was surrounded by blue, flowing energy, everything seemed duller than when I looked at it on other screens. The oranges of the NetherRealm were bland, and the scene in the parking garage where Johnny Cage meets Sonya Blade and Raiden was flat and gray.

Alan Wake 2 also looked bleak. To be fair, I was playing as Alan in a dream in a haunted version of New York, but in any area without bright neon signs, the darker features were difficult to make out.

The 15.6-inch display on our review laptop covered 49.1% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 69.3% of the sRGB color gamut by volume. That's almost identical to the RTX 4050 version we tested in 2023, so it seems like MSI hasn't made any improvements here in a while. The Alienware 16 Aurora, which is a bit pricier, has a higher-resolution display with better gamut coverage.

At just 257.2 nits of brightness, the Katana 15 HX has a dim screen. (And at 7.2 nits higher than the last version, they're likely from the same panel supplier). The Alienware measured 312.2 nits.

Keyboard and Touchpad on the MSI Katana 15 HX

MSI includes a full keyboard, with a number pad on the Katana. To fit the numpad, MSI used some squished number keys. If you use the laptop for spreadsheets, you may still appreciate it. As someone who typically uses the standard number row, I can live without it.

MSI claims 1.7 mm of key travel, but the keys still felt a little shallow to me. As I typed along in the monkeytype test, I found the keys to be bouncy rather than deep. I hit 111 words per minute with a 3% error rate. That's a bit worse than I usually do, but not by very much.

The keyboard features four-zone RGB lighting. For those who care about the lightshow, that's impressive. Many laptops in this price range stick with a single zone, if not a single color altogether.

The touchpad is big enough, given that most people will probably use a gaming mouse. The mechanism leads to some squishy clicks that feel cheap, but it works for simple web browsing and other tasks when you're not gaming. Windows 11 gestures worked without issue.

Audio on the MSI Katana 15 HX

The speakers on the Katana are passable. For this price range, my only wish is that they'd get a bit louder.

Bodyjar's "Not the Same" just managed to fill my living room with sound. The vocals were clear, though the guitar was a bit muddied with the drums and the bass was non-existent.

Alan Wake 2 sounded good enough. The titular hero's monologues were nice and clear, though some rain sounds were a bit muddled during combat.

Upgradeability on the MSI Katana 15 HX

There are a lot of screws holding down the Katana's bottom cover. But underneath, there are a number of upgrades and easy repairs you can make down the line.

To get in, you'll have to remove 13 Phillips-head screws. Eleven of these are long, and two of them are tiny, so be sure to keep them organized and remember what goes where. Hint: If you're stuck, the long ones won't go in the tiny holes.

You'll need a good pry tool to get the base off. The clips hold tight. But once you get the bottom off, you'll see the 75 WHr battery, two RAM slots, Wi-Fi card, and NVMe SSD ready to be replaced or upgraded.

There is a bit more mess here than I've seen in recent memory. There are more cables, including the Wi-Fi antennas and the ones attached to the CMOS battery and laptop battery, are longer and less tied down than I would expect. The Wi-Fi antennas are held down with tape in some places. This isn't a huge deal day-to-day, and even novice upgraders shouldn't have too much trouble because of them.

One other thing to note inside: There is a generous amount of copper cooling the GPU. While these internals are almost identical (save for an extra heatsink on some of the motherboard components) to the 2023 models, it's nice to see serious cooling.

Battery Life on the MSI Katana 15 HX

The Katana 15 HX isn't a battery life champion, but it gets the job done. On our battery test, which browses the web, streams videos, and runs OpenGL tests with the display set to 150 nits of brightness. The Katana 15 HX lasted for 6 hours and 1 minute.

That's a significant boost over its predecessor, which had a smaller 53.5 WHr cell compared to the 75 WHr battery in our review unit. The 16-inch Alienware Aurora ran even longer, for 9:41.

Heat on the MSI Katana 15 HX

In our Metro Exodus stress test, we took heat temperatures to see how hot the system gets while gaming. The hottest point was on the underside, where it reached 115.5 degrees Fahrenheit. The center of the keyboard hit 109.5 F, while the touchpad was cool at 82.5 F.

Internally, the CPU reached 75.98 degrees Celsius, while the GPU measured 76.15 C.

While using the system, even just for some web browsing, the keyboard was often hot to the touch. It was possible to use, but it wasn't always comfortable.

Webcam on the MSI Katana 15 HX

MSI still pairs its budget laptops with 720p webcams.

In my testing, I found that colors were accurate,but the big problem is that the image can be blurry and pixelated at times. This may not be an issue if you're in a call with many people and you're in a tiny box, but one-on-one calls might show some jagged edges.

Software and Warranty on the MSI Katana 15 HX

Two MSI-branded apps come pre-loaded on the MSI Katana 15 HX. The first, MSI Center, lets you monitor hardware usage, adjust various power profiles, control the laptop's MUX switch (which is important as Nvidia's Advanced Optimus isn't available on this laptop), and adjust the RGB backlighting on the keyboard.

The other, MSI App player, is effectively the BlueStacks Android emulator with an MSI coat of paint, allowing you to play Android games. Clearly no one has touched this app in a while — when I opened it, it had ads for MSI's RTX 20-series GPUs, which were released in 2018. That might also have been the last time someone wanted to run Android apps on their Windows desktop.

MSI doesn't pre-install its AI Robot app, which the company told me it's not yet ready to put on all of its systems. I found it to be pretty useless, as it told me it could do things like change the keyboard colors and then got confused when I asked it to. I was able to get it to change the performance profile, but it's clearly not confident and asks for confirmation every time. On the bright side, the app works offline and runs locally. Too bad it's not useful. This is only a problem, however, if you download the app.

Otherwise, there's some bloat in the Windows Start menu, like the Google Play Games beta and links to LinkedIn.

MSI sells the Katana 15 HX with a one-year warranty.

MSI Katana 15 HX Configurations

We reviewed an $999 configuration of the Katana with an Intel Core i7-14650HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050 Laptop GPU, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and a 1080p display. As of this writing, it's listed at Walmart, and should be available by the end of the month.

On Amazon, there's a listing for another variant with a Core i9-14900HX, RTX 5070, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage, along with a 165 Hz display. As of this writing, that's $1,679.

Bottom Line

The MSI Katana 15 HX is a hair under $1,000, making it cheaper than many of the laptops we get to test these days. While the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050 packs a decent performance punch for the budget, there are tradeoffs.

The screen MSI is using here seems almost identical to the one it used in 2023, and it wasn't great then. You need to pump up the brightness as far as it goes, and it still looks kind of lifeless. Additionally, you're still getting a 720p webcam in 2025.

If you're looking for a cheaper laptop with a new GPU, the Katana 15 HX will play most games decently with the right performance settings. And down the road, you can add more storage and RAM to extend its usability. But when you're not on the road, you may want to plug it into a monitor.

Since the introduction of gaming laptops featuring Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs earlier this year, most of the review units that we’ve received for testing have skewed towards the high-end. That means laptops with price tags surpassing $2,000, and at times, $3,000 or more. However, not every gamer has a budget that high or wants to spend that much on a laptop.

Thankfully, we’re starting to see less expensive RTX 50 laptops enter the market, including our MSI Katana 17 HX review unit. As its name suggests, the laptop features a large 17-inch display, an Intel Core i7-14650HX processor, an RTX 5070 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and a spacious 1TB SSD. Best of all, the laptop carries a price tag of just $1,300, which is at least in the realm of affordability.

Design of the MSI Katana 17 HX

Given the $1,300 price point, I expected MSI to skimp on the quality of the chassis and use thin, low-quality plastics to save costs. However, I was pleasantly surprised as soon as I lifted the Katana 17 HX out of the box. The plastics feel thick and premium, with minimal flex or deformation when pressed hard. For example, the lids on some entry-level laptops twist with ease due to the thin plastic, or the keyboard deck bows inward with a strong finger push – the Katana 17 HX was minimally impacted. The display hinge is strong and stiff, with minimal wobble.

MSI jazzed up the laptop’s design by molding its logo in the top center of the lid and including an interesting dot matrix motif that wraps around the edge of the lid and chassis (it is also visible at the top of the keyboard deck). The dot matrix pattern is especially noticeable when light hits the thin strips at just the right angle.

The lid and keyboard deck feature a smooth, palm-friendly finish, while the lower chassis has a slightly textured finish. The other noticeable design flourish, which you won’t see very often, are honeycomb-style ventilation slits on the bottom of the chassis.

While I like the overall design of the Katana 17 HX, I’m not a fan of the faux flat-head screws that dot the keyboard deck. There are four below the keyboard and two above the keyboard. I’m sure that MSI included them to give it an industrial feel, but it just comes off as cheap and tacky in person.

There are plenty of ports. On the right side, there’s Gigabit LAN, HDMI 2.1, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The left side is less populated, featuring two additional USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports and a proprietary barrel-style power port.

Given its 17-inch display, the Katana 17 HX is a hulking machine. It measures 15.66 x 10.85 x 1.09 inches and weighs 5.95 pounds. For comparison, the Gigabyte G6X is 14.21 x 10.19 x 1.13 inches and weighs 5.64 pounds. The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (Gen 9) weighs 5.51 pounds and measures 14.3 x 10.25 x 1.05 inches. Finally, the Gigabyte Aorus 16X comes in at 5.07 pounds with dimensions of 14.02 x 10 x 1.06 inches.

MSI Katana 17 HX Specifications

Gaming Performance on the MSI Katana 17 HX

Our Katana 17 HX review unit features an Intel Core i7-14650HX processor, 16GB of DDR5-5600 (2x 8GB), an RTX 5070 (115W TDP), and a 1080p display. As for the competition, we have the Gigabyte G6X (Core i7 13650HX, 32GB DDR5-4800, 105W RTX 4060, 1200p), Gigabyte Aorus 16X (Core i7-14650HX, 32GB DDR5-5600, 140W RTX 4060, 1600p), and the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (Core i7-14650HX, 16GB DDR5-5600, 105W RTX 4060, 1600p).

I played about an hour of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on the Katana 17 HX. I kept the in-game frame counter enabled so that I could monitor performance at a glance while gaming. At 1080p resolution with the Ultra preset, I averaged between 70 and 90 frames per second (fps), depending on the amount of action on-screen.

The Katana 17 HX features a 1080p display, while the G6X has a 1200p display. The Legion Pro 5i and Aorus 16X have 1600p displays. Our benchmark analysis will focus solely on 1080p performance for competitive purposes. Starting with Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Highest settings), the Katana 17 HX shot to the top of the charts with 119 frames per second. The Aorus 16X was the next-closest competitor at 114 fps.

Far Cry 6 (Ultra settings) is a more CPU-limited benchmark, focusing on single-core performance, which resulted in a tighter spread between the laptops. The Katana 17 HX actually gave up quite a bit of ground to the Aorus 16X (94 fps versus 103 fps). The two systems both use the same CPU, so it’s likely that the difference is attributable to the RTX 4060 in the Aorus 16X operating with a 140W TDP versus just 115W for the RTX 5070 in the Katana 17 HX.

We switched to our Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark (Medium settings) and saw the biggest loss so far for the Katana 17 HX. The laptop managed 39 fps at 1080p, putting it on even footing with the Aorus 16X. However, the Legion Pro 5i blazed past all competitors at 61 fps.

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Medium settings) saw the largest generational GPU performance improvement for the RTX 5070 in the Katana 17 HX. The laptop delivered 85 fps, giving it a 17-fps advantage over the second-place G15 (5530) (68 fps).

Our Borderlands 3 benchmark (Badass settings) saw the Katana 17 HX again take a commanding lead, maintaining a 12-fps advantage over the Aorus 16X. The Legion Pro 5i came in third place at 69 fps.

We use Metro Exodus to stress test gaming laptops, running the RTX benchmark through 15 loops at an average of 74.69 fps. The performance cores averaged 2.8 GHz, while the efficiency cores averaged 1.73 GHz.

Productivity Performance on the MSI Katana 17 HX

Our review unit features a Core i7-14650HX processor, 16GB of DDR5-5600 memory, and a Micron 2500 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD. As you’ll see in the following benchmarks, this hardware combination proved to be quite formidable in our productivity suite.

In the Geekbench 6 synthetic CPU benchmark, the Katana 17 HX scored 2,794 on the single test, putting it slightly ahead of the next-fastest Legion Pro 5i (2,723). Those fortunes were flipped, however, in the multi-core test, where the Katana 17 HX scored 13,570 versus 15,708 for the Aorus 16X.

Our file transfer test copies 25 GB of mixed media files, after which we measure the transfer speed based on the time it takes to complete the operation. The Katana 17 HX came in last place, achieving 1,224.05 Mbps, compared to 1500.98 Mbps for the Aorus 16X and 1,919.1 Mbps for the Legion Pro 5i.

Next, our Handbrake test transcodes a 4K video file to 1080p, and the Katana 17 HX came in third place, completing the test in 4 minutes and 30 seconds. The Legion Pro 5i grabbed first place (3:32), while the Aorus 16X finished in second place (3:40).

Display on the MSI Katana 17 HX

The Katana 17 HX features a large 17.3-inch IPS display, but don’t get too excited yet. The resolution is just 1920 x 1080, a result of its budget-oriented roots. While higher-spec versions of the Katana 17 HX are available with a 2560 x 1440 display, you’ll pay a bit more for that luxury.

The refresh rate maxes out at 144 Hz, instead of the 240 Hz found on the QHD versions of the laptop. However, the cost-cutting doesn’t end there. The panel doesn’t display realistic colors; For example, I watched a few videos of nature scenes on YouTube, and flowers that should have looked bright red instead were marred by a brownish-orange tint. Likewise, blue waters skewed more towards gray, which was a bit off-putting. These color variances also extended to games, where car colors in Forza Horizon 5 looked muted. Character costumes in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy didn’t strictly adhere to the color tones seen in pricier laptop panels.

My real-world observations were confirmed by our instrumented tests, which showed 46.6 percent coverage of DCI-P3 and 65.7 percent of sRGB – both were near the back of the pack in this assembly of laptops. Brightness was also a sore point, registering just 230 nits on our light meter, placing it well in last place behind the next closest G6X at 325 nits.

Keyboard and Touchpad on the MSI Katana 17 HX

The Katana 17 HX uses a full-size keyboard with 1.7 mm of key travel and includes a full number pad (which I prefer for quick number entries in Excel and when using the calculator). There is nothing particularly remarkable about the keyboard, although MSI does spruce things up by giving the Power and WASD keys a translucent look. Speaking of the keys, there’s a four-zone “Mystic Light” layout that can be customized using the MSI Center utility.

Using the keyhero.com typing test, I achieved 89 words per minute with 94 percent accuracy, which is about average for me. I’m not the fastest typist on the planet, and I didn’t feel that the keyboard hindered me in any way.

However, I couldn’t say the same for the touchpad, which measures 4.7 x 2.9 inches in size. When I first tried to use the touchpad, I had trouble getting taps and clicks to register. Pressing directly in the center of the touchpad seemed to work, as did the extreme corners. However, pressing anywhere else would result in a delayed response or no response at all.

I went to the Touchpad settings in the Control Panel and saw that the touchpad sensitivity was set to Medium, which is my preferred setting. Adjusting the setting to High sensitivity mostly solved my issues, although I did find myself, on occasion, needing to frustratingly click multiple times to register a button press.

Audio on the MSI Katana 17 HX

MSI outfitted the Katana 17 HX with a pair of 2-watt speakers (mounted in the bottom front corners of the chassis), which are merely adequate. I fired up Toto’s “99”, which is firmly in yacht rock territory – not that there’s anything wrong with that. The electric keyboard and piano sounded lively, but the vocals had a somewhat hollow and echo-infused quality, as if the band was singing in an empty bathroom. I would have also liked a hint more of bass to get the most enjoyment out of the audio system.

Given the chassis's massive size, I would have preferred that MSI had found room to fit two additional speakers at the rear of the system.

Upgradeability on the MSI Katana 17 HX

The bottom panel on the Katana 17 HX is accessible after removing 12 small Phillips screws. After removing the screws, you can use just your fingers to pry the bottom panel from the main chassis.

Once inside, you’ll notice the large 75 Whr battery at the bottom center of the chassis and a large plastic shield between the two internal fans. Two SO-DIMM slots lay under the shield, both of which were filled with 8GB DDR5-5600 modules.

You’ll also find a single M.2 storage slot, which is populated with a 1TB Micron 2500 PCIe 4.0 SSD. There’s another M.2 slot, but it’s reserved for the Wi-Fi card, specifically an Intel AX211 Wi-Fi 6E/Bluetooth 5.3 module.

Battery Life on the MSI Katana 17 HX

MSI infused the Katana 17 HX with a 75 Whr four-cell battery that is recharged using a 240-watt power adapter with a proprietary barrel-style plug. Even with the HX series processor and RTX 4070 under the hood, the laptop still managed to offer healthy endurance.

Our battery life benchmark features web browsing, light graphics work, and video streaming while connected to Wi-Fi with display brightness set to 150 nits. The Katana 17 HX lasted 6 hours and 21 minutes during the test, besting all competitors.

Heat on the MSI Katana 17 HX

We measured heat levels on the Katana 17 HX during the Metro Exodus stress test. The highest temperature recorded was 115 F near the mute button. The next-hottest touchpoint was between the G and H keys, where it registered 103.2 F. The touchpad remained a relatively cool 77.3 F, while the underside was 99.9 F. At no time was the bottom of the chassis too hot to sit on my lap while wearing shorts.

However, the internal fans noticeably increased in speed when playing games. The sound was grating enough that I opted to put on my headphones when gaming, and you'd be well advised to try a pair of the best gaming headsets for the best possible playing experience.

During the stress test, the CPU package measured 70.4 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, the RTX 5070 ran at an average of 1.8 GHz at 72.2 C.

Webcam on the MSI Katana 17 HX

At a time when most laptops have transitioned to at least a 1080p webcam, MSI is sticking with an old-school 720p unit on the Katana 17 HX. To put it bluntly, the image quality for images and video was subpar, with photos appearing somewhat blurry and exhibiting poor color reproduction.

It’s challenging to justify using a 720p webcam in today’s market, as even laptops priced under $999 have transitioned to 1080p units. It’s even more indefensible at the Katana 17 HX’s $1,299 price point.

Software and Warranty on the MSI Katana 17 HX

The Katana 17 HX comes with several apps installed, most of which I could do without. The MSI App Player is an emulator for Android apps. With it, you can install Android games or regular apps on your Windows 11 PC and run them. Although I can’t think of a usage case where using Android apps on Windows would improve my workflow, it might be beneficial for others.

MSI Center is a comprehensive app that allows you to monitor system vitals, manage RGB effects with Mystic Light, perform firmware updates, and update software components within the app.

The Nahimic audio utility offers several audio profiles (Music, Movie, Communication, Gaming, and Smart) to cater to your diverse media needs. I tried playing around with the different modes, but didn’t notice much of an improvement (or any notable differences) between them.

Finally, Norton 360 for Gamers is an antivirus suite that is preinstalled as a 30-day trial on the Katana 17 HX.

MSI Katana 17 HX Configurations

The Katana 17 HX is available in three basic configurations: B14WGK, B14WFK, and B14WEK. The B14WGK, which we tested, is available with up to a Core i9 HX processor, up to 96GB DDR5 memory, up to a 17.3-inch QHD display, and an RTX 5070 GPU. The B14WFK and B14WEK differ by offering the RTX 5060 and RTX 5050, respectively.

Our B14WGK review unit came with a Core i7 14650HX processor, 16GB of DDR5-5600 (2x 8GB SO-DIMMs), a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, and a 144 Hz 17.3-inch 1080p IPS display. The system carries an MSRP of $1,299. Currently, pricing is not yet available for the other configurations.

Bottom Line

MSI has strong basic building blocks with the Katana 17 HX. The Intel Core i7-14650HX remains a strong processor in this market segment, and the RTX 5070 enabled the laptop to excel in gaming benchmarks at its native 1080p resolution. However, it was occasionally topped by systems with a 140W RTX 4060. Additionally, the finishing pieces on the laptop leave much to be desired. The IPS display is dim, the speakers are mediocre, and the 720p webcam is a throwback to 2019. I also had some issues with the touchpad, but that gripe was mostly solved with a settings tweak.

At $1,299, the Katana 17 HX offers a lot of bang for the buck if you’re only looking for affordable performance. However, it may be prudent to take a wait-and-see approach as additional affordable RTX 5070 laptops become available on the market, offering a better overall package. The Legion Pro 5i (Gen 9) is also a solid alternative at the same $1,300 price point, and it features a higher-quality 1600p display.

Mac gamer and YouTube creator Andrew Tsai tested Cyberpunk 2077 on four different Macs, where he found the game was able to perform relatively well on all models that are within spec. He shared the results of the test in a YouTube video, where he compared four MacBooks — an M4 MacBook Pro (16GB / 10-core GPU), an M3 Max MacBook Pro (48GB / 40-core GPU), an M1 Max MacBook Pro (32GB / 32-core GPU), and, lastly, an M1 MacBook Air (8GB / 8-core GPU). Andrew also tried running the game on the M4 MacBook Pro via Crossover.

Mac gamers have been patiently waiting for this AAA title to land on macOS, with many expecting its arrival in early 2025. Although a bit late, the game did eventually land last July 17, with users who’ve previously bought it on Steam able to install it directly on their Apple computers at no additional cost. CD Projekt Red set the game’s recommended specs at M3 Pro and 18GB of unified memory for smooth 1080p 60 FPS gameplay, although you can get away with a base M1 chip paired with 16GB of unified memory.

With this in mind, Andrew tested four MacBooks to see how they’d compare:

According to Tsai's results, the best-performing MacBook was powered by the M3 Max chip, with its 40-core GPU and 48GB of unified memory, with the game achieving more than 78 FPS at 1080p High and upscaling turned off. When he set MetalFX to quality, performance jumped to more than 100 FPS, delivering an absolutely smooth gameplay experience. The next best system tested was the M1 Max MacBook Pro. Despite being a first-generation model, its Max designation allowed it to perform better than the base M4 chip on the MacBook Pro, delivering a consistent 51.87 FPS whether MetalFX is turned on or off.

Those who didn’t get a top-of-the-line MacBook can still enjoy the game with upscaling, as the M4 chip can still deliver more than 30 FPS with upscaling turned on. If you’re not a fan of that tech, you can still get cinematic gameplay with MetalFX: Off, as you still get an average of 26.22 FPS. The worst performer is the first-generation M1 MacBook Air, which the game does not officially support because it only has 8GB of unified memory. As expected, the benchmark only achieved a little over 12 FPS — and that’s with MetalFX set to quality. Andrew didn’t bother testing the M1 MacBook Air with MetalFX: Off, as it might’ve crashed the laptop.

Another interesting test the YouTuber did was to run the Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark on the M4 MacBook Pro through the CrossOver compatibility layer. Interestingly, it only lost about three FPS compared to the game running natively. Still, Andrew expects these FPS numbers to improve over the coming months as the developers optimize the game more for the Apple Silicon.

We've seen a ton of top-of-the-line gaming laptops that break the bank this year. But now we're finally seeing some premium rigs with slightly toned down specs that will give you strong performance and perhaps a bit less sticker shock.

Earlier this year, I reviewed the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16, which was an absolute beast of a gaming laptop featuring an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor and a GeForce RTX 5080 GPU. Now I have the chance to look at the ROG Strix G16, which is slightly lower on the laptop hierarchy than the ROG Strix Scar 16.

The ROG Strix G16 is the first laptop that we’ve reviewed with the AMD Ryzen 9955HX3D processor. The system also features a GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU, 32GB of DDR5-5600 memory, and a 1TB SSD. While the ROG Strix Scar 16 had a bank-breaking $3,299 price tag, the ROG Strix G16 is quite a bit cheaper at just $2,499. With those specs, we expected the system to be a standout performer in 1080p gaming. Instead, it was perfectly fine on the gaming front and instead made more of a statement in the productivity benchmarks.

Design of the Asus ROG Strix G16

At first glance, the ROG Strix G16 looks remarkably similar to the ROG Strix Scar 16, but a closer look reveals a host of differences. For one, the ROG Strix 16 lacks the configurable AniMe Vision system on the lid, composed of 810 LED lights. Instead, you’ll just find the ROG logo printed on the aluminum lid along with the slogan, “For Those Who Dare.”

The other significant change is at the bottom of the chassis, and it's my biggest disappointment with the design, after being spoiled by the ROG Strix Scar 16. The ROG Strix Scar G16 featured a bottom panel that locks in place with a simple sliding switch. You slide the switch to the left, pull the bottom panel towards you, and it lifts off in seconds.

The ROG Strix G16, on the other hand, features a more traditional bottom panel – one that is affixed with 11 Philips screws. Although it’s unlikely that even enthusiasts will frequently access the inside of this laptop, it’s disappointing to see that more members of the ROG laptop family have not adopted the quick-release system.

Another change from the Scar is a decrease in RGB lighting. The ROG Strix Scar 16 features an RGB light strip that runs the entire perimeter of the lower half of the chassis. However, the ROG Strix G16’s light strip only covers the front and a small portion of the left and right sides of the lower chassis. Asus had to trim costs somewhere, and this is an easy area to attack.

With that said, the Strix G16 regularly uses the rest of the Scar's design, including the high-quality plastic used for the rest of the chassis and an aluminum lid. While the keyboard deck is plastic, the finish is satiny-smooth. It just feels nice to run your fingers along the surface, and it’s equally pleasing for your palms as you type.

If you're looking for ports, there are only two USB 3.2 Type-A ports on the right side. The remainder of the ports are on the left side, where you’ll find the proprietary power connector, full-size GbE LAN port, an HDMI 2.1 port, two USB 4 Type-C ports, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The ROG Strix G16 measures 13.94 x 10.39 x 0.89 inches and weighs 5.51 pounds, which is on the lighter side in this class. For comparison, the ROG Strix Scar 16 is 13.94 x 10.55 x 0.90 inches and weighs 6.28 pounds, while the Razer Blade 16 is 13.98 x 9.86 x 0.69 inches and weighs 4.72 pounds. Rounding out the group is the 7.49-pound Alienware 16 Area-51 at 14.37 x 11.41 x 1.12 inches.

Asus ROG Strix G16 Specifications

Gaming and Graphics on the Asus ROG Strix G16

The ROG Strix G16 is the first laptop that we’ve laid hands on that features AMD’s new Ryzen 9955HX3D processor, so we were eager to see how it would perform against similarly stout systems. AMD touts the 9955HX3D as the “world’s fastest mobile gaming processor,” in part due to its generous 128MB of L3 cache, 16 cores, and 5.4 GHz max boost clock, so we were expecting strong 1080p performance. Our review unit paired the processor with 32GB of DDR5-5600 memory (two 16GB modules) and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU with 12GB of GDDR6 memory. Performance was fine, but not class-leading, even at FHD.

For comparison, the ROG Strix Scar 16 and Alienware 16 Area-51 use a Core Ultra 9 275HX and RTX 5080 (175W), while the Blade 16 runs a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 with an RTX 5090 (160W). Those more powerful GPUs should deliver stronger performance at resolutions above 1080p.

I played an hour or so of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on the ROG Strix G16 at the native resolution of 2560 x 1600. I maxed out at around 100 frames per second (fps) in most situations at native resolution with global graphics settings set to Ultra when plugged in. Unplugged, performance was capped at 60 fps.

Moving to our standard gaming benchmark suite, we started with Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Highest settings). The ROG Strix G16 was up against 175W RTX 5080s and an RTX 5090, so its last-place finish was expected. However, it still managed a commendable 151 fps at 1080p and 92 fps at 1600p. If you’re planning to play the game at native resolution, the Blade 16 outpaced all others in the field with 161 fps at 1600p.

Cyberpunk 2077 (Ray Tracing Ultra settings) is a resource-intensive game, and it can humble even the most potent graphics cards. The ROG Strix G16 again pulled up the rear of the field, but the delta was much smaller this time, as it managed 54 fps at 1080p and 29 fps at 1600p. The Blade 16 was again the standout in the group, delivering 66 fps at 1080p and 43 fps at 1600p.

The Ryzen 9955HX3D was able to flex its gaming might in Far Cry 6 (Ultra settings), as the ROG Strix G16 shot to the leaderboard with 143 fps at 1080p, maintaining a 20+ fps advantage over the Alienware 16 Area-51. Its performance at 1600p fell to third place at 102 fps, but it was still within striking distance of the Alienware 16 Area-51’s 106 fps.

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Medium settings) has proven to be a performance challenge for RTX 50 series laptops. From failure to run to other oddities, the situation has only recently become more palatable for gamers playing this highly popular game. The ROG Strix G16 achieved 70 fps at 1080p and 52 fps at 1600p. For comparison, the Alienware 16 Area-51 torched all competitors with 117 fps and 84 fps at 1080p and 1600p, respectively.

Finally, Borderlands 3 (Badass settings) saw the ROG Strix G16 try to hang with the RTX 5080-equipped ROG Strix Scar 16 and Alienware 16 Area-51. Although it put up a good fight, 143 fps at 1080p and 97 fps at 1600p was all that the RTX 5070 Ti could muster.

We use Metro Exodus for our laptop stress testing, and the laptop averaged 101.5 fps over 15 runs. During the test, the Zen 5 cores averaged 3.02 GHz, while the CPU package measured 73.8 degrees Celsius. The GPU ran at an average of 2.19 GHz at a temperature of 78.7 C.

Productivity Performance on the Asus ROG Strix G16

The Ryzen 9955HX3D is no slouch in terms of performance, after all, it’s based on desktop-class Zen 5 silicon (the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, to be exact). Combined with 32GB of DDR5-5600 memory and a fast 1 TB Micron PCIe 4.0 SSD, the ROG Strix G16 is a strong contender when it comes to productivity tasks, perhaps even more so than in gaming

In the Geekbench 6 synthetic CPU benchmark, the ROG Strix G16 shot to the head of the class in both the single-core (3,205) and multi-core (20,113) tests. The next-closest competitor was the Alienware 16 Area-51, which came in at 3,097 and 19,822, respectively.

A similar story unfolded in our storage benchmark, where we copied 25 GB of mixed media. The ROG Strix G16 again took the top spot with a transfer rate of 1,903.64 MBps. This put it slightly ahead of its sibling, the ROG Strix Scar 16, which registered 1,841.40 MBps.

The winning streak came to an end with the Handbrake test, where we transcode a 4K video file to 1080p. Here, the Alienware 16 Area-51 completed the task in 1 minute and 58 seconds. The ROG Strix G16 was 16 seconds behind, finishing in 2 minutes and 14 seconds.

Display Performance on the Asus ROG Strix G16

WQXGA (2560 x 1600) is quickly becoming a popular resolution for gaming laptops, and Asus is happy to oblige with the ROG Strix G16. In addition, Asus takes it one step further, as the 16-inch panel features a 240 Hz refresh rate.

Our instrumented tests showed that the ROG Strix G16 largely mirrored the performance of the ROG Strix Scar 16 (well, within a few percentage points). The laptop’s IPS panel covered 79.7 percent of DCI-P3 and 112.5 percent of sRGB gamuts by volume. It’s likely that most folks won’t be using the ROG Strix G16 for color-critical creative work, but I found color reproduction to be satisfying to my eyes.

I played Forza Horizon 5, Cyberpunk 2077, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle extensively on the ROG Strix G16 and was never wanting for more color. From the metallic undertones and realistic light blooming effects of Cyberpunk 2077, to the lush green environments of Indiana Jones, to the vibrant and highly reflective paint finishes on cars in Forza, I was deeply impressed with the overall color output.

Brightness was also a strong point for the ROG Strix G16, as its panel managed 449.4 nits. Given the anti-glare coating on the screen, I was able to tone down the brightness to about 50 percent and still enjoy reflection-free gaming (I often must bump the brightness up a bit to minimize light reflections on glossy laptop display panels in my home office).

Keyboard and Touchpad on the Asus ROG Strix G16

Asus has equipped the ROG Strix G16 with a full-size keyboard featuring per-key RGB lighting and Aura Sync technology. The keycap dish is 0.15 mm, and each key offers 1.9 mm of travel. In addition to the usual allotment of keys that you’ll find on a laptop keyboard, Asus also provides dedicated hotkeys, labeled M1 through M5. By default, the keys control everything from volume and mic mute to launching the Armoury Crate utility. However, all five keys are programmable within Armoury Crate to launch specific apps or as a macro.

My go-to site for typing tests is keyhero.com, and I managed 92 words per minute with 98 percent accuracy, which was roughly in line with what I achieved on the ROG Strix Scar 16. As for the touchpad, it is large with a smooth surface and a very “clicky” response.

I’m a sucker for number pads on laptops, as I find them useful for quick number entries, especially when working in Microsoft Excel. The ROG Strix G16 doesn’t have a physical number pad, but it has the next best thing: its virtual NumberPad. The NumberPad is invoked by tapping NUMLK on the touchpad, which then illuminates the number pad. I really like Asus’ solution, as it allows for a more comfortable keyboard layout without the keys being cramped (which is often the case with a physical number pad off to the side).

Audio on the Asus ROG Strix G16

Despite the relatively large size of our review unit, Asus only includes two speakers. Both are mounted near the front of the chassis, under the palm rest. (If you look at the interior shots below, you will see that they flank the battery.)

The speakers are sufficient to easily overpower the relatively low sound output coming from the three internal fans. With volume set to 40 percent, I played Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation,” only to be disappointed by the flat audio quality. Don’t get me wrong, even at 40 percent, the audio output was enough to fill my large home office. However, the vocals sounded lifeless, the drums lacked kick, and I felt overall unfulfilled while listening to the early 90s classic.

It was a similar experience for games, as the lifeless audio detracted somewhat from the overall ambiance of playing games. So while the speakers can be used to mask the fans, most true enthusiasts will undoubtedly opt for the best gaming headsets for an optimal gaming experience.

Upgradeability on the Asus ROG Strix G16

After coming from the one-button, slide-and-lift bottom panel removal of the ROG Strix Scar 16, access on the ROG Strix G16 was disappointing. Asus has spoiled me for life with the easy-to-use and intuitive solution. The ROG Strix G16, on the other hand, features a more traditional approach, with a bottom panel affixed with 11 Philips screws. With the screws removed, all it takes is a carefully placed fingernail in the front corner of the panel to begin the process of prying the panel off.

Once inside, you’ll find that the ROG Strix G16 is pretty accommodating to future upgrades. There are two M.2 2280 slots for PCIe 4.0 SSDs, one of which is already populated by a Micron 1TB SSD. The second M.2 slot for storage hides under a shield on the left side of the chassis. Also lurking under that plastic shield is a third M.2 slot for a Mediatek Wi-Fi 6E card. It would be trivial to replace it with a Wi-Fi 7 adapter for a speed boost.

Towards the center of the chassis, you’ll notice another large plastic shield covering the two SO-DIMM slots. 16 GB DDR5-5600 modules occupied both slots on our review unit.

Battery Life on the Asus ROG Strix G16

Our review unit came with a 90 Whr battery installed. To test its endurance, we ran our automated benchmark, which simulates browsing the web, streaming videos, and running OpenGL tests with the display panel brightness locked at 150 nits.

Under these conditions, the ROG Strix G16, which used Nvidia Advanced Optimus, fizzled out after 5 hours and 21 minutes. The Blade 16, which uses a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 without the 3D cache, lasted exactly two hours longer (7:21).

Heat on the Asus ROG Strix G16

The ROG Strix G16 features three internal fans, which do a good job of ridding the system of heat. I say that because even when benchmarking and running games at full tilt, the fan noise remained relatively low. I was always aware that the fans were running, but they didn't ruin my immersion during gaming. If you find the sound to be objectionable, you can always opt for a pair of the best gaming headsets.

When running the Metro Exodus stress test, the touchpad measured 75.4 degrees Fahrenheit, while the keyboard hit 92.8 F between the G and H keys. However, the hottest part of the laptop was near the F4 key, which registered 127 F.

Webcam on the Asus ROG Strix G16

Asus includes a basic 1080p webcam on the ROG Strix G16. 1080p is essentially the baseline for modern laptops, as most have transitioned from lower-resolution 720p units. With that said, image quality was passable, although not particularly good. Like the pricier ROG Strix Scar 16, the ROG Strix G16 exhibited grainy photos and video. My skin looked a little washed out in the video footage, and a slightly aggressive smoothing algorithm was implemented, which made my skin seem unnatural.

Software and Warranty on the Asus ROG Strix G16

The ROG Strix G16 comes preinstalled with a few third-party apps from the factory. One of them is Armoury Crate, which is a utility for monitoring system vitals and adjusting performance profiles. It can also be used to configure RGB effects for the chassis and keyboard (with Aura Sync). There's also MyAsus, a separate app for registering your laptop, performing system upgrades, and running hardware diagnostics. Other utilities include Aura Creator (for creating RGB profiles) and CapCut (a short-form video and graphics editing app).

The last preinstalled app is McAfee antivirus, which I hate with a passion. Luckily, you can easily kick the app to the curb by uninstalling it.

The ROG Strix G16 comes with a one-year warranty from the manufacturer.

Asus ROG Strix G16 Configurations

The AMD processor-equipped ROG Strix G16 (G614) is available in three configurations. Our review unit is equipped with a Ryzen 9955HX3D processor, 32GB of DDR5-5600 memory, a 1TB SSD, a 16-inch 240 Hz WQXGA IPS display, and a GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU. The unit carries an MSRP of $2,499.99.

Asus also offers a configuration with a Ryzen 9 8940HX, 16GB of DDR5-5600 RAM, a 1TB SSD, a 165 Hz FHD+ display, and an RTX 5070 Ti. The last configuration swaps the 16GB of DDR5-5600 for 32GB and the RTX 5070 Ti for a less performant RTX 5070.

Bottom Line

The Asus ROG Strix G16 dials back the GPU performance a notch compared to its more expensive sibling due to the use of an RTX 5070 Ti instead of the RTX 5080, however, the Ryzen 9955HX3D holds its own in productivity tasks. Best of all, the ROG Strix G16 comes in with an $800 lower price tag than the ROG Strix Scar 16 for cost-conscious enthusiasts.

You do give up a bit for that $800, including PCIe 5.0 support, the trick toolless bottom panel, and a reduction in the amount of RGB effects. However, I think that it’s a fair exchange to reach a broader segment of the market.

Gaming laptops can be pricey: even low-end machines now often cross the $1,000 barrier. That's why any deal on a machine is great, leaving more room for peripherals and games. Over at Best Buy, the Alienware 16 Aurora is now available for $1,099.99, a $400 drop as it competes with Amazon Prime Day. That doesn't bring this system budget territory, but it's significant savings from a premium laptop brand that should let you play most games at decent settings.

• Check out gaming laptop deals at Best Buy

We're actively testing the 16 Aurora in our labs now, so we don't have numbers to share at this time. The highlight is that you can get a 5060 for $1,100, as these systems often start at far higher prices. Even some RTX 5050 systems are starting at or above $1,000. So, this Aurora, which also features 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 120 Hz, 2560 x 1600 screen, is worth calling out at this price.

This system is sleek, and it features a "stealth mode" that reduces RGB, silences fans, and acts a whole lot more like a standard productivity laptop. It comes in a navy blue color that stands out, but doesn't scream that it's a gaming machine (well, outside of the alien head logo).

If you don't want to dive in before we go hands-on, I don't blame you; Our review should be live in the coming weeks. But if you're the type of person who is willing to purchase off a spec sheet, the price for these parts is pretty good, especially for a name brand.

For more laptops in this price range, check out our list of the best gaming laptops under $1,500.

We are working hard to find the best computer hardware deals for you this Amazon Prime Day. We cover the hottest deals in real-time at our Best Amazon Prime Day Deals Live page. If you're looking for more savings, check out our Amazon Prime Day deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, or CPU Deals pages.

The Alienware X16 R2 with super-fast gaming display, lots of storage space and memory, and the powerful RTX 4070 GPU, is 15% off this Prime Day. That $282 saving drops the price down to $1,597, the lowest price we've ever seen on this model, and brings high-end mobile gaming into a much more affordable range for anyone looking for a high-power upgrade. It's not the top spec model, but it still comes with all the bells and whistles and should play just about anything at high details and high frame rates.

Check out all the gaming laptop deals in Amazon's Prime Day Sale

This deal model might not be the most high-end, but you can always upgrade the memory with higher capacity or faster modules, as well as expand the storage down the line. You can even replace the wireless card and battery if you need to, potentially offering a big extension on this laptop's long-term lifespan.

The deal for this Alienware laptop is a good one and brings the price down to more competitive levels. It's not the highest-spec configuration. That one includes an RTX 4080 and 185H CPU, but that one hasn't been discounted, so you'd be spending close to double just to get that configuration.

If you're looking for a more modern gaming laptop, consider checking out some of the other gaming laptop deals we've highlighted or our list of the top gaming laptops. Most of those are built around the newer Intel Core 200 or AMD Zen 5 CPUs, with RTX 5000-series graphics, though there are still a few excellent last-generation options.

We are working hard to find the best computer hardware deals for you this Amazon Prime Day. We cover the hottest deals in real-time at our Best Amazon Prime Day Deals Live page. If you're looking for more savings, check out our Amazon Prime Day deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, or CPU Deals pages.

I've been fixating on a puzzle.

When I cracked open the Alienware 16 Area-51, I found a code on the inside of the bottom of the chassis. Only someone who went in to replace some components, clean out dusty fans, or, in my case, explore, would even find it.

But I have no idea what it says. And honestly, it's been really bothering me.

I asked Alienware if I could have a translation — or even a decoder ring, but was told only that the glyphs were part of the new Alienware 30 design language that debuted this year: "it is a mysterious language that requires decoding. And that’s really all I can say about it 😉," a rep told me.

This isn't the first time Alienware has had a secret language, a font called Alienware Caret, which was engraved into some gaming systems with the spaceship themed "Shadowcat" design language.

Look, I like to think I'm a relatively capable person, but I also thought there has to be a better way to solve this new code than sitting down with a pen and paper. So I turned to some AI tools to see what they could do. Surely those things could detect patterns faster than I ever could. I'll have the answer in no time…

Right?

Google Gemini 2.5 Pro - Part I: The Zodiac Killer and Final Fantasy Rick Rolls

My first stop was Google Gemini. I opted for the 2.5 Pro model, which is in preview (isn't all of this?) but recommended for math, code, and reasoning.

I cut down the image of the Alienware D-cover to just the code. I wish I could've taken another photo, but we already sent our loaner review unit back to Alienware at the company's request.