We tested the latest gaming laptops to see which ones are really worth it

What makes a great gaming laptop?

Choosing the right gaming laptop can be a delicate balance. The raw power you typically find in gaming desktops uses up a lot of power, and when you put it into a laptop, it can drain the battery quickly. Likewise, the ultra-fast refresh rates of gaming monitors can lead to even greater power consumption. If you plan to leave your laptop plugged in most of the time, you might want to look into more powerful hardware, but if you want to use more of the battery, balancing power and efficiency should be a priority.

Size is also a factor to consider. When you’re gaming at home, you might want the biggest, brightest screen you can find, but when you have to carry that screen around, the bulk and weight can be a (pretty literal) drag. If you plan to travel with your laptop, you may want to think about how much weight you are willing to carry.

Either way, you should expect to make sacrifices that aren’t as common with more conventional laptops. It’s not uncommon for a gaming laptop to last less than two hours when you start playing on it. And unless you have a lot of (usually expensive) power under the hood, you may not be able to play some modern AAA games at their highest levels like you would on a desktop without spending a little time fiddling with the game’s graphics settings.

Specs to look for in a gaming laptop

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by specs and numbers when shopping for a gaming laptop, but there are a few key specs you can focus on to get the best value for your money. For further help with all the different specifications on offer, check out our Guide How to Buy a Laptop.

• RAM: Aim for a machine with at least 16 GB of RAM. While 8GB of RAM is still usable for those who play less demanding games or have little desire for fancy graphics, you’ll be hard-pressed to find one these days. 16GB of RAM has become the new minimum, and if you intend to play new AAA games, upgrading to 32GB of RAM is a very good idea. The speed of your RAM may also be a factor. Currently, DDR5 is the best you can find, but you will start to see DDR6 replace it over the next few years.
• Processor: When you want the fastest processor, a newer processor is usually better. Intel is currently on its 14th generation of gaming processors and AMD Ryzen on the 8000 series. If you want to get to the heart of the matter, CPU Benchmarks can help you get an idea of ​​how powerful a processor is, but the best indicator is real-world testing (which we run on every laptop we offer).
• Discrete GPU: As with the processor, there are many models that can be difficult to keep track of. Make sure the gaming laptop you buy has a discrete GPU, meaning the graphics card is separate from the processor. These days, Nvidia is the main option, whether it’s the previous generation RTX 40 series GPUs or the all-new 50 series. You’ll be able to find a few gaming laptops with AMD GPUs, competing with its Radeon 7000 generation. These often share similar names to their desktop counterparts, but most technically run the “laptop” version of the GPU, like the RTX5090 Or 5080. Again, real-world testing is the best indicator of performance.
• Storage: Most laptops these days come with SSDs, which are blazing fast and significantly reduce loading times compared to the days of hard drives. Games can get massive, so we recommend at least a 1TB internal drive, but if you can use 2TB you’ll have a lot more room for multiple AAA games. Fortunately, many gaming laptops still allow you to install more internal storage, so you may be able to expand it later for less money.
• Display: Most gaming laptop displays are 16:10 aspect ratio and start with a resolution of at least 1920 x 1200 with at least one 120Hz refresh rate. You want something that matches the performance of the laptop’s GPU and the types of games you play. Competitive multiplayer players will want a higher refresh rate, while single player players will benefit more from higher resolutions. There is even new generation display technology, such as mini-LED or OLED (even in 3D!) displays that enable impressive HDR visuals and improved response times.

Which laptop brand is best for gaming laptops?

Nowadays, all major laptop manufacturers have gaming sub-brands. To name a few, Lenovo has Legion, HP has Omen and Victus, Asus has ROG, Acer has Predator and Nitro and Dell has Alienware. This is a good place to start, especially if you’re looking for something more budget-friendly.

Asus has the most comprehensive lineup, though, from high-powered heavyweights to beautiful, slim models. Asus also offers some of the cheapest models with its TUF brand and a few hyper-portable options in the ROG Flow line. MSI is another notable brand, and it offers dozens of models under different names indicating price and power: Titan, Raider, Stealth, and Crosshair.

Beyond these sub-brands, let’s not forget Razer. The company has earned its reputation by producing the most premium and well-built gaming laptops, often called the MacBook of gaming laptops.

You’ll find plenty of unknown brands if you’re shopping for gaming laptops on Amazon, though. Most are easy to write off based on specs alone, since they rarely have a discrete GPU. Avoid them at all costs, no matter how attractive the price.

How much should I spend on a gaming laptop?

I generally don’t recommend spending less than $1,000 on a gaming laptop. While it’s possible to find some outdated models at third-party retailers, most won’t be worth the sacrifice in terms of performance and longevity. Nvidia has said that the latest RTX 5060 GPU will start at $1,099, so that’s a good number to keep in mind on the low end of the price range. On the other hand, you can spend almost $5,000 for a high-end model, boasting the latest RTX 5090 and plenty of premium features and specs. It’s also a good idea to buy a previous generation gaming laptop with an integrated RTX 40 series GPU if you’re strapped for cash.

What size gaming laptop should you buy?

Gaming laptops mainly come in three screen sizes: 14-inch, 16-inch, and 18-inch. The difference between these three sizes is quite dramatic, both in terms of overall footprint and portability. Most people should buy a 16-inch gaming laptop, which tends to be the sweet spot. Many 16-inch gaming laptops still give you the full range of performance, right up to the latest CPUs and GPUs (including the RTX 5090), and even come with a wider range of display options, including OLED. 18-inch gaming laptops tend to be gargantuan, not the kind of device you want to move around a lot. The larger screen is ideal if you never plan to connect it to an external display or leave your house with it.

Meanwhile, 14-inch gaming laptops have become popular in recent years and work best as a hybrid device. They tend to be sleek and minimalist, downplaying the gamer aesthetic for something more professional and buttoned-down. GPU options tend to be more limited at this size, but you can still get amazing performance namably solid of these laptops, depending on the configuration. They also tend to have better battery life.

Is OLED on gaming laptops worth it?

In a word, yes. OLED has many advantages for PC gaming. The extreme contrast of OLED allows the screen to excel in HDR performance. HDR really brings games to life, brightening highlights and deepening shadows. Now it’s worth mentioning that the OLED panels currently used in gaming laptops are not as bright as the best OLED gaming monitorswhich can achieve over 1,000 nits of peak HDR brightness. But you still get the HDR effect with the brightness offered on these OLED gaming laptops.

We see OLED available for 14- and 16-inch gaming laptops, but not yet on 18-inch laptops. OLED offers help for more competitive gamers, offering less input lag than on IPS or Mini-LED. It’s definitely worth it. Increasingly, it’s becoming more standard on high-end gaming laptops, meaning you won’t always need to make the difficult choice between a faster GPU and a better screen.