1. The quick list
2. Best overall
3. Best budget
4. Best battery life
5. Best thin-and-light
6. Best desktop replacement
7. Best MacBook for gaming
7. Also tested
8. Battery life compared
9. How to choose
10. How we test
These days the best gaming laptops are powerful enough to play the latest and greatest games nearly as well as a beefy gaming PC, yet they're portable enough to slip into a backpack.
In fact, there are so many good options out there that finding the best gaming laptop for your needs can feel harder than beating a boss in Elden Ring. The search can be especially stressful because gaming laptops are often the most powerful and most expensive on the market, so finding the right one and getting the best deal is more important than ever.
That's why you'll find a short list of our top recommendations for best gaming laptop below that includes specific picks for the budget-conscious. We also have some that, while not cheap, can give the best gaming PCs a run for their money despite costing less. And while gaming laptops have a reputation for being big, loud and heavy, we've also found some that are thin, light and blend in at the office or coffee shop without raising eyebrows. These are especially great for folks who want a gaming laptop that blends in during a business meeting, yet packs enough power to play through a few levels of Helldivers 2 when you're done with work.
Whatever you're looking for, we've got a great recommendation for you. We've tested and reviewed dozens and dozens of gaming laptops from the top manufacturers, and we use that research and expertise to build this regularly-updated list of the best gaming laptops on the market.
The quick list
Best gaming laptop overall
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is the gaming laptop we recommend for most because it delivers a potent blend of performance, portability and power efficiency in a svelte 14-inch chassis that doesn't scream gamer.
Best budget gaming laptop
You'd be hard-pressed to find a better gaming laptop for under $1k than this cyberpunk-inspired gaming machine, which comes with a capable Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, a fast 13th Gen Intel CPU and a solid 144Hz 15.6-inch display that won't let you down.
Best battery life in a gaming laptop
Samsung's Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is a remarkably long-lasting laptop with a luscious 16-inch OLED display that runs games surprisingly well thanks to its powerful Nvidia GeForce RTX 40-series GPU and speedy Intel CPU.
Best thin-and-light gaming laptop
The Alienware x14 isn't the beefiest or cheapest gaming laptop on this list, but at 0.6 inches thick it is the thinnest. This svelte machine looks good on a desk and has the chops to run most modern games well on its 14-inch 1080p screen, but expect less than 6 hours of battery life.
Best desktop replacement gaming laptop
The Alienware m18 is the biggest, most powerful gaming laptop we've tested to date. It's too heavy, hot and loud to be much fun to use on the go, but at home the great keyboard and large, lovely screen make it a great desktop replacement for gaming or getting work done.
Best MacBook for gaming
Macs don't have a reputation for being great gaming machines, but the latest 16-inch MacBook Pro has more than enough power to play the latest games well. The fact that it looks great, offers great battery life and a gorgeous mini-LED display is just icing on the cake.
Recent updates
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 leads a list of new RTX 40 gaming laptops under $2,000 coming from the laptop maker this summer, and we're hoping to review a few to see if they make this list. Stay tuned!
The best gaming laptops you can buy today
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The best gaming laptop overall
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2023) is a great gaming laptop, delivering a potent blend of performance, portability and power efficiency.
We've long been fans of the Zephyrus G14 because it has the chops to run most games at solid framerates, the efficiency to be used as a work laptop in a pinch, and a slim, compact chassis that's more portable than most gaming laptops.
The 2023 model is the first we've reviewed with a mini-LED display, and it looks great. Factor in the good speakers and an AMD CPU/GPU combo that delivers solid gaming performance (as well as a solid 1080p webcam) and you've got a potent gaming ultraportable.
While it can't match the outlandish 11-hour battery life of its predecessors, the brighter screen is worth it. And while the webcam is nothing to get excited about, at least now the other folks on your Zoom calls will get to see your face.
Read our full Asus ROG Zephryus G14 (2023) review.
The best budget gaming laptop
The MSI Cyborg 15 ($999) is a cyberpunk-inspired gaming laptop that won’t destroy your wallet. Packing a 13th Gen Intel Core CPU and an Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, this laptop delivers solid gaming performance for $1,000. Toss in a 144Hz 15.6-inch display and you have a machine that’s a great entry into the world of PC gaming.
The laptop has a cool design, great performance and costs less than $1,000. The display could be brighter and a bit more colorful, but the 144Hz refresh rate is welcome. And while its battery life isn’t great, the Cyborg 15 also doubles as a good productivity device, so long as you keep it plugged in.
Read our full MSI Cyborg 15 review.
The best battery life
The Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is a powerful, long-lived machine that outlasts every other laptop on this list in our battery tests. While it lacks RBG lighting and some of the other over-the-top accoutrements that typically adorn gaming laptops, make no mistake, the Book Ultra can game thanks to its discrete Nvidia GPU and speedy Intel CPU.
In addition to its impressive performance, this laptop packs a gorgeous OLED display that makes viewing content and playing games a pure joy. On its own, it’s a fantastic Windows 11 laptop.
But like other Samsung laptops, it comes with a lot of bloatware from Samsung that's pretty useless if you don't own other Galaxy devices. But if you are already embedded in Samsung's Galaxy ecosystem, this is a great gaming laptop that plays well with your other devices.
Overall, the Book 3 Ultra is a great laptop that may not run games as well as every other machine on this list, but will outlast them in a pinch.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra review.
The best thin-and-light gaming laptop
The Alienware x14 is a gaming laptop we’ve looked forward to reviewing ever since our brief hands-on time with it back in January 2022. At just 0.6 inches thin it's the thinnest laptop on this list, and thanks to its 12th gen Intel Alder Lake processor and Nvidia RTX 30 series GPU the Alienware x14 is a proper gaming laptop capable of running modern titles. Thanks to a few innovations like vapor chamber cooling and Smart Fan control technology, this laptop is capable of achieving high performance while remaining relatively cool.
While the x14 isn’t as impressive as a big, beefy gaming laptop like the Alienware m18 in terms of screen size and performance, its comparatively lower price will make it accessible to more folks. If you're all about gaming on the go and prize portability over power, the Alienware x14 is a great choice.
Read our full Alienware x14 review.
The best desktop replacement
The Alienware m18 is the biggest, most powerful gaming laptop we've tested to date. It's too heavy, hot and loud to be of much use on the go, but when plugged in it runs the latest games as well as some of the best gaming PCs, truly earning the term desktop replacement.
It's the heaviest 18-inch gaming laptop we've yet tested, but our review unit outperformed just about every laptop on this list, including the 18-inch Blade 18 a few spots down. The low-profile CherryMX mechanical keys are also a delight to type on, and the speakers and screen are good enough for gaming.
The port placement is a little odd (why put a single USB-C port on the right-hand side, right up near the front?) and the heat this thing kicks off is truly scorching when it gets going, but if power is all you care about (and price is no object) this is the biggest, best gaming laptop to buy.
Read our full Alienware m18 review.
Best MacBook for gaming
If you want a MacBook for gaming, you want the latest 16-inch MacBook Pro with the most powerful chip you can afford. If possible, you want the 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Max, because Apple's top-tier M3 chip has enough power to make games like Death Stranding and Resident Evil Village look great while running at silky-smooth framerates.
MacBooks typically aren't a popular choice for gaming laptops because many great PC games either don't run at all on macOS or tend to run better on Windows, but that doesn't mean Macs can't game. To the contrary, Apple has been trying to showcase games running on its most powerful MacBooks for years, and the advent of Apple silicon has made them surprisingly good at it.
On top of all the great performance you'll wring out of the 16-inch MacBook Pros M3 Pro or M3 Max chip, you get a beautiful mini-LED display (don't worry about the notch, you'll stop noticing it after awhile) and plenty of ports. Plus, you get the added comfort of a MagSafe 3 charging port, support for up to an 8K external display and some amazing battery life, as well as a great six-speaker sound system.
Read our full MacBook Pro (16-inch) 2023 review.
Also tested
We test and review dozens and dozens of gaming laptops every year, and even though they can't all make this list that doesn't mean they aren't good machines.
So while these laptops didn't quite achieve the level of excellence needed to be leaders of the pack, they're good alternatives well worth considering if they meet your unique needs, or if you can't find your first choice on sale.
The Alienware x16 didn't make our short list of the best of the best, but it remains a both stylish and powerful gaming laptop. Thanks to the company’s Legend 3.0 design language, this is one of the thinnest gaming laptops you’ll find — it's not quite as thin as its smaller sibling the x14, but it's still quite svelte. While the Alienware x16 is recognizably a gaming laptop, it also wouldn’t look out of place at your office or favorite cafe due to its subdued design.
It's not all looks either, as this laptop can be configured with the latest Intel CPU and Nvidia RTX 40 series laptop GPU — giving it plenty of power to run graphically-demanding games. On top of that, the crisp 16-inch 2K display and smooth 240Hz refresh rate ensure your games look as good as they play. Although the price is high — and so are the temperatures when gaming — the Alienware x16 has earned a place on this list
Read our full Alienware x16 (2023) review.
The Framework Laptop 16 is the most repairable and upgradable 16-inch laptop we've seen yet. It can be a little much to worry about if you don't like the idea of opening your laptop up and fiddling with it, but if you like the idea and you love the ability to DIY and repair your own belongings, this is the gaming laptop for you.
A bigger, more powerful version of the ultraportable Framework 13, the Framework 16 offers the same remarkably easy-to-open-and-repair chassis replete with online guides and a marketplace full of replacement parts. Plus, it offers an expanded 6-slot Expansion Card system (which lets you mix and match Cards to change your laptop's ports on the fly), a configurable keyboard deck on which you can hot-swap different keyboards, trackpads and number pads, and a detachable external GPU module which lets you bolt a GPU to the back when it's time to game.
For all these reasons and more this is the best gaming laptop for folks who care about their right to tinker, customize and repair their technology. While it doesn't feel as sturdy or delivers as much power as many of the other laptops on this list, the Framework Laptop 16 is one of the best laptops you can buy if you care about your right to repair.
Read our full Framework Laptop 16 review.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i offers a triple-play combination of impressive mid-range performance, a vivid display and a premium, durable frame, delivering a solid gaming laptop for not too much money.
That's not to say it's perfect — it didn't make our short list of the best gaming laptops because the battery life is underwhelming, the webcam isn't great and the fans can whir up a storm. But with a keyboard that is a joy to type on (unsurprisingly, given it's Lenovo), the combination of Intel Core i9 CPU and RTX 4070, and a ton of I/O, this is a performant laptop for work by day, and a beasty gaming system by night.
Read our full Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2023) review.
The Razer Blade 15 is consistently a solid gaming laptop that's expensive, runs hot, and doesn't last long on battery power. However, if you care about having an OLED display, the Blade 15 is one of the few good gaming laptops that's consistently available with an OLED display option.
It has other strengths, of course. Like its predecessors, the Razer Blade 15 (2022) is a thin, lightweight gaming laptop with a stylish design and powerful components. The keyboard and touchpad leave a lot to be desired, and it can get quite toasty when gaming. Don't expect more than an hour of game time on battery power, either.
Read our full Razer Blade 15 (2022) review.
Battery benchmarks: comparison
Battery life is a key concern for folks using laptops on the go, and gaming laptops are notoriously weak in this area because of their high-powered components.
That's why we run every laptop we review through battery tests which measure how long it can last on a full charge, both while gaming and while doing less demanding work like browsing the web. Below you'll find a chart of how long these laptops last while browsing the web, so you can buy one that's going to last as long as you plan to use it on the go.
One key thing to remember about these battery test results is that they're a measuring stick for comparing laptops, rather than a guarantee. What you do on your laptop, how bright you set the screen, and what power settings you use will all affect how long your laptop lasts before running out of juice—but this chart will help you compare to find the best gaming laptop for your needs.
| Laptop | Battery life (tested) |
| Alienware m18 | 4:33 |
| Alienware x14 | 5:32 |
| Framework Laptop 16 | 8:49 |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2023) | 9:51 |
| MSI Cyborg 15 | 5:05 |
| Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra | 10:01 |
| MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max) | 17:11 |
| Razer Blade 15 | 4:47 |
| MSI Bravo 15 | 6:20 |
| Asus ROG Strix Scar Edition | 6:20 |
Frequently asked questions
How do I find the best gaming laptop deals?
For gaming laptops, there is an ocean of deals. We've already scoured the internet for the best savings on all our top recommendations up above, but if you want to shop for yourself, here are our top tips.
Set a budget — figure out what you're looking for: "What are you looking to do?" This is always the vague question customer service reps ask when you walk in the store. But let's get to the bottom of it. Are you a newcomer to PC gaming on the go? Then something cheap and cheerful is for you. If you have more enthusiast-pro level goals, then it's worth investing more into the configuration of your system.
Double check if that deal is actually a good deal: Download the Camelizer and thank us later. This is a Chrome extension that runs an extensive historical price check on any Amazon product, which stops any sneaky retailer tricks to raise prices just before big sales events to make that smaller discount sound better on paper.
What are your most important key features? Is it a good keyboard for working by day and playing by night? Maybe it's a super crisp display or a sleek design to throw in your backpack? Make a note of what the key priorities are for you in a gaming laptop outside of how much horsepower is under the hood.
How do I choose the best gaming laptop for me?
Power or portability? You’ll need to consider what type of gaming and where you’ll be doing it before you decide what’s the best gaming laptop for you. Do you plan to mostly play triple-A demanding games at home and on a desk, but have the scope to occasionally move your machine, then a chunkier and more powerful gaming laptop, like the Alienware m18 might be best. But if you plan to carry your gaming laptop around a fair bit, say for LAN parties, then a thinner and lighter laptop like the Alienware x14 could be for you.
Display: These days there’s a wide range of display choice for gaming laptops. You can get a standard 60Hz 1080p panel that might come with built-in anti-screen-tearing features like Nvidia’s G-Sync. But if you’re willing to pay more, you can get gaming laptops with high refresh-rate displays, often sitting at 144Hz. But the latest machines can hit 240Hz, with those on the cutting-edge sporting 300Hz displays. HIgh refresh-rate displays are great for people who play fast-paced games such as Overwatch or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. But if you mostly plan to plug in an external monitor, then you might be better off saving money by going for a 60Hz Full HD screen.
Budget or high-end? If you don’t want to break the bank by paying for a gaming laptop, then a budget machine like the MSI Bravo 15 could be for you. It won’t run the very latest games at the best frame rates, but will be more than capable for decent 1080p gaming. For example, if you're pondering which is the best Age of Empires III civilization to start with, you won't need a massively powerful machine for the game. But if you want a real monster of a gaming laptop that’ll easily chew through the most demanding games, then a laptop like the MSI GT75VR Titan is worth checking out, but do be prepared to pay quite a bit for a high-end laptop.
Gaming only, or work as well? The good thing about gaming laptops is they have plenty of power for professional tasks as well, such as video rendering or CAD work. As they can be an expensive purchase, it might be worth looking at getting a machine that can pull double duty as a gaming and work laptop. Machines like the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 or the Alienware x14 are good examples of this, offering a design that’s slim enough to easily take them to work, yet also have a powerful enough specification for triple-A gaming.
Alex Wawro is a lifelong journalist who's spent over a decade covering tech, games and entertainment. He oversees the computing department at Tom's Guide, which includes managing laptop coverage and reviewing many himself every year.
How we test gaming laptops
To find the best gaming laptop, we run every machine through a rigorous suite of benchmarks and real-world tests to gauge how it will perform during everyday use.
We measure the average brightness and color quality of each laptop's display using our in-house light meter and colorimeter. For general performance, we run our machines through tests that include Geekbench 5 (CPU performance), as well as various 3DMark tests to measure graphics capabilities. We also run a file transfer test to measure how fast a machine's hard drive is, and a custom battery test that has the machine browse the internet over Wi-Fi until it runs out of juice.
We also run benchmarks for popular games such as Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Far Cry 6 and Red Dead Redemption 2 on every gaming laptop we test. For more information on our testing process, check out our guide to how we test.
