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The casual gamer of today no longer has to relyies on a desktop computer for the best specs fitting a great game. Gaming laptops now let casual gamers enjoy both mobility and great features, allowing them to enjoy the perfect game.
In the past, choices in great gaming laptops weren’t as full-featured and plentiful as they are today. However, at the least, they came with Intel Core i7 processors and 8GB of RAM. Nowadays, options and features have expanded to backlit keyboards, ultra-light and ultra-thin models (thanks to NVidia Max-Q, and those i7 chips).
Moreover, you get more than just great processing specs. There are stylish designs, LED lit screens and other connectivity options. So, to help you find the best gaming laptop for your fragging needs, here’re our top picks from the bunch.
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![]() Acer Predator 17 |
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![]() Asus FX502VM-AS73 |
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Buy on Amazon |
![]() Razer Blade Ultra-Thin |
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Buy on Amazon |
![]() ASUS GX501VS-XS71 |
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Buy on Amazon |
![]() Acer Aspire VX 15 |
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Buy on Amazon |
![]() MSI GT72VR Dominator-033 |
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![]() HP Omen 17 - Best 17-Inch Laptop |
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Offering at least an Intel Core i7 or i6, these well-built machines provide a great gaming experience. Our picks mostly include wide screen displays and NVIDIA GeForce GTX GPU for high performance and HD graphics. Some included in our list are also VR ready for an immersive VR gaming.
Designed with a 17” IPS display and 6th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, the Acer Predator is a powerful laptop. It makes our best overall pick gaming laptop for many other features apart from this power. For one, it comes with pre-installed Window 10, with graphics powered by the latest NVIDIA GeForce GTX1060 GPU.
However, this 9.3lb big beast stands out from the rest not just for great graphics and processor. The Acer Predator also features 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD hard drive, and a 1TB HDD hard drive. With these specs, it renders an immersive and complete gaming experience through a 1080p wide screen LED-backlit IPS display.
With this model, you also get 4 built-in speakers to really get into the game. If that isn’t enough, you have enough ports to plug-in any accessory you need for your gaming or computing needs. This includes a Display Port, HDMI, a Thunderbolt 3 port, and four USB ports.
The Predator also has available merchandise to go along with its brand including a utility backpack, gaming kit, headset, and extra power supply.
The battery life on this model gives you up to 3 hours of continued use. Though that’s fairly good, the size of this laptop isn’t conducive to mobility. It’s more likely to be the centerpiece of your fixed gaming setup at home. However, if you don’t mind the weight, you can carry it around with the Predator gaming utility backpack.
Meanwhile, taking a step back and looking at the Predator 17’s design, you’ll love how fierce and premium it looks. With most visible surfaces touched by silicon and a sleek color combination, it sports a very gamy look.
Overall, it’s a total package for a good price. Hence, our top pick.
While many users love this model despite its size, there have been concerns about quality consistency. This includes track pads breaking down, audio card issues, and speaker problems.
- Excellent gaming-performance design and specs
- Multiple connectivity options (including Thunderbolt 3 port)
- Gigabit Ethernet
- Reasonable price for its specs
- Good cooling system
- Bulky but good enough to replace a desktop
The Acer Predator is a bulky gaming laptop packed with full features for a great gaming experience. See, despite that size, you get great specs coupled with good connectivity options. So, if you don’t mind its size and battery, you’ll be happy to have it for your gaming needs.
If you’re more into gaming on-the-go, then you need something more mobile and lightweight. And when it comes to lightweight gaming laptops, the best of this class is the ASUS FX502VM-AS73.
Weighing only 4.9lbs, packed with the latest 7th Gen 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7 7700HQ processor this laptop has a lot to offer. That processor can be overclocked to get up to 3.GHz of power for more speed. That, plus a powerful NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with 3GB for graphics lets you run any PC game on this laptop.
Light as it may be, it isn’t lacking in other important specs. With a 1TB SATA hard drive storage featuring a 128 SATA3 solid state you have enough room for large-sized games. Moreover, its dual-fan cooling system provides enough cooling for both CPU and GPU independently as you play.
You also need not worry about using it for more performance-demanding PC video games. With a 16GB DCDR4 RAM you can play any demanding game without sacrificing speed or performance.
Connectivity wise, this gaming laptop features a good number of ports. This includes an HDMI port, a mini Display port, USB 3.0, an SD card reader and Wi-Fi dual band connectivity. In addition to multiple ports, the unit relies on a big 64Wh battery for power.
You’ll notice though that while it features NVIDIA graphics it doesn’t have G-synch tech. Most users make do with this by utilizing its mini display port for an external monitor.
Overall, the Asus FX502VM-AS73 may be lightweight, but it’s packed with the great specs and useful features.
Some users find its power supply lacking and feel that it doesn’t have absolute mobility. Meanwhile, there are also a few quality control concerns with units having problems booting and heating issues.
- Great display
- Ultra lightweight
- Large storage
- Excellence performance specs
- Multiple connectivity options
- Affordable price
- Plain design
If you want a radar detector that’s going to give you long range detection and ticket protection, the Escort Passport S55 may be worth taking a look at.
While high performing gaming laptops don’t come cheap, you can get fair performance on a budget with the Legion Y520. Gamers on a budget can now get their gaming needs with this gaming laptop from Lenovo.
The Legion Y520, though a budget choice, flies through standard benchmark tests shaming other laptops at this price point. This machine comes with an NVidia GTX 1050 running on 4G of VRAM, performing above average frame rates. That, coupled with a 2.8GHz-Intel Core i7-7700HQ-CPU, a 16GB RAM, and 256GB-PCIe SSD makes it a budget performance powerhouse.
If all that isn’t enough storage for your favorite games, this laptop also has 5,400-rpm HDD. So, with those specs built into this machine, you get 1080p resolution, enough storage, and high performance. Moreover, all that power packed in this simple portable laptop weighs only 5.6 lbs., easily carried around.
Design-wise, you may feel that this unit is underwhelming with a simple plastic build and a short 15.6-inch display. Additionally, its 4-hour battery life leaves room to impress so you’re bound to a charger for portability. However, its chassis is sturdy and the body feels sleek and solid.
The display has a bit of a compromise as well, its 1080p display is low on brightness. Moreover, it covers only 68% of the sRGB color range. But at the least, when it comes to color accuracy it gets a good score of 0.2 Delta- E (0 being perfect).
With some compromises in display though, the Legion Y makes up for in other features. For one, we love the red backlit keyboard featuring 1.8mm vertical trave520l and 77gram force for pressing. These keys support any complex combinations.
Some users often note the noted compromises of this model, including brightness and battery life.
- Above average frame rates with NVidia GTX 1050 Ti (4GB)
- Affordable price
- High-performance processor and RAM
- Lightweight
- Backlit keyboard
- Color compromise on the sRGB color gamut
- Low brightness
- Low battery life
With just a little compromise on graphics, this laptop under $500 provides for the speed, frame rate, storage and performance for good gaming. So, thanks to the Legion Y520, gamers on a tight budget can now enjoy a good game with high-performance specs.
When portability is important to you, you can’t miss this portable workhorse from Razer. The pretty 14” Razer Blade is one of the most comparable gaming laptops to Apple’s MacBook Pro. One difference between the two though, is that the Razer features high-performance specs for high-end gaming.
Customers love how the Razer Blade packs extremely powerful features and graphics in a 7-inch thin, 4.16lb body. You can take that gaming power anywhere with how lightweight it is.
Meanwhile, graphics-wise, it carries an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 CPU providing top notch frame rates. That, coupled with a 1920x1080 screen resolution that lets you view 4K HD content makes for excellent display.
The Razer Blade runs with plenty of speed through its 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD hard drive. Plus, to make it even more enjoyable, it lets you customize key colors on its keyboard! That’s right, you get access to about 16.8 million color options for each key.
Key-gaming wise, its anti-ghosting keyboard records simultaneous key presses with high precision. This means you can create shortcuts and key-in commands at faster speeds. You get to personalize your set-up for keys, macros, lighting effects, and even synch your machine with other Chroma-ready devices.
Some users shared poor reviews about Razer’s customer service, specifically when trying to resolve an adapter recognition problem.
- Appealing slim design
- Lightweight and easily portable
- Sharp display
- VR-Ready
- 7th Generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ
- 16GB RAM
- Expensive
- Limited configuration options (apart from built-in features)
- Noisy cooling fan
- Inconsistent quality control on adapter problem
For a lightweight machine, the Razer Blade packs a lot of power. Although the price tag on this laptop is steep, it delivers well for its price. It’s a true high-end laptop in the league of Apple’s Mac Book Pro and Dell’s Inspiron 15. Moreover, you get a sharp display and extra features that make a great gaming experience.
Overall, this laptop stands out as the best when it comes to the most lightweight and portable gaming laptops.
If you’re planning to splurge on only the best gaming laptop, then the Asus GX501VS-XS71 should be on your list. See, the Asus’ GX501 (AKA ROG Zephyrus) is one of the most awesome, powerful gaming laptops on the market.
To begin with, the Asus Zephyrus is one of the first to come equipped with NVIDIA’s Max Q-design. That, along with its other design features, brings with it a new age of gaming for gamers on-the-go. That’s because, while its 0.7” ultra-thin design doesn’t seem like much, it actually runs at ultra-lightning speed.
This sleek ASUS laptop comes with an 8GB GeForce GTX 1070 graphics card and an iCore i7 processor. That’s a lot of power for a portable gaming machine. Moreover, it has a 256GB SSD and 16GB RAM which is more than enough for the best and latest games.
But of course, all that power needs some cooling support, so the Zephyrus has the ROG Active Aerodynamic System. This cooling design improves airflow by almost 40% with a 20% improvement in cooling temperature.
Meanwhile, display-wise, you get outstanding color accuracy over its 120Hz 15.6” full HD display. That, coupled with the ROG Zephyrus Smart Amp tech for excellent sound performance, you get a great overall gaming experience. Plus, the same tech protects the speakers from any heat during marathon gaming sessions.
The feature list on this machine doesn’t end there. It also comes with the newest SSD drives for fast access speed and USB Type-C that supports extra speedy connectivity. And finally, the Asus Zephyrus is VR-Ready for and compatible with Oculus and HTC’s Vive for the next level VR gaming.
Some users aren’t happy with its battery life and audio performance.
- Excellent cooling system
- Lightweight and ultra-thin
- Excellent performance
- Great display with NVIDIA, Max-Q design, and GeForce GTX 1070 8GB
- VR Ready
- Huge memory allocation
- Expensive
- Short battery life
If you don’t mind the spend, the Asus Zephyrus is the perfect gaming laptop for you. With its powerful specs, excellent graphics, and beautiful ultra-slim design, it’s a great laptop for gaming-on-the-go.
When it comes to a more affordable option, Acer’s Aspire VX15 is our runner-up after Lenovo’s Legion Y520. This 15.6-inch gaming laptop with bold red chassis details and 2 large fan vents sports that gaming look. Moreover, if you stay up all night for games, you’ll love its iron-red colored backlit.
Now more than the looks, this computer gets you your gaming power needs with a 7th-generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor. Plus, it comes with GeForce-GTX 1050-Ti graphics with 4GB GDDR5 Video Memory. This means it can run your favorite games at 60 fps (frames per second) in full-HD. That would also be the VX15’s IPS display’s max resolution.
This machine comes pre-installed with Windows 10, supporting all multi-touch gestures. And when it comes to audio, you get surprisingly good quality with this budget laptop. Acer‘s TrueHarmony coupled with Dolby Audio Premium support this, so you get great audio on this laptop.
Meanwhile, the VX15 also comes with a commendable 6-hour battery life. That makes it a great portable gaming machine for gaming-on-the-go.
Some customers feel that the build feels cheap.
- High -powered processor
- Excellent graphics and frame rate for its price
- Dual-Fan cooling system with large vents
- Good audio quality
- Iron-red backlit keyboard
- Long battery life
- Not the best display
- Comes with many pre-installed apps
- Limited storage options
Overall, the Acer Aspire VX15 provides a refreshing take on budget options. With its power-packed features and specs, this laptop shows us that a budget choice doesn’t always mean major sacrifices.
MSI is an excellent name when it comes to gaming laptops. They deliver the same quality with the GT72VR Dominator.
This powerful machine comes with the hottest internal modules and stands-out with exceptional design elements. So, if you’re out for the biggest and the baddest gaming machine on the market, you definitely can’t miss this.
The GT72VR Dominator comes with an IntelCore i7 quad-core processor and 32GB of RAM, giving you powerful speed. Plus, with its 512GB SSD and 1TB HDD. You have large storage for the latest games and apps.
Graphics-wise, it has topnotch specs with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX-1070 8G GDDR5 performing 3x better than former GPUs. Connectivity-wise, it has a complete hub with plenty of ports including:
- Thunderbolt 3
- HDMI
- Mini-display port
- USB 3.1
- Type-C connector
- 6xUSB 3.0 slots
- SD-card reader
- Microphone jack
- Headphone jack
While all that already sounds great, there’s more that makes this laptop exceptional, making it worth the splurge. For one, it features Tobii eye-tracking tech, the tech that detects the object of your focus and adjusts settings real-time. Another great thing is that this machine features VR-gaming compatibility, the “the next big thing” in the gaming world.
Finally, when it comes to its keyboard, you can expect a gaming-friendly design. Moreover, it has full-color backlighting with customizable colors and 100% anti-ghosting. This means you’re sure of the execution of each entered key and command.
Some customers aren’t a fan of the plastic material and finish.
- Excellent performance
- Top of the line graphics performance
- Large yet expandable storage
- Beautiful keyboard design
- Excellent resolution
- Great audio quality
- Tobii eye-tracking tech
- VR-ready
- Anti-ghosting keyboard
- Multiple connectivity options
- Not the best battery life to support its power
Overall, while this machine comes at a hefty price, it’s definitely worth the spend. This is also considering that it’s one equipped for the latest and future gaming tech. You’re sure to get your money’s worth and enjoy your favorite games with the MSI GT72VR Dominator.
This latest 17” member of the HP Omen series comes with a beautiful radical redesign. This futuristic look, though would shock some, actually sports a very attractive mean look, well reflective of its power.
More than a daring design, the HP Omen 17 comes with the powerful NVidia GeForce GTX 1070 with 8GB VRAM. That, together with the robust Intel Core i7 processor, 32GB RAM, and super-fast SSD makes for an excellent gaming experience. Plus, if you’re keen on storage this laptop comes with 512GB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD and a 1TB 7,200-rpm HDD.
When it comes to display, the Omen 17 also renders an enticing 4K 3840 x 2160 display. Moreover, it’s VR-ready. This is then paired with a goo d pair of speakers rendering a show-stopping performance.
Some users aren’t too excited about its battery life.
- Powerful processor and RAM
- Large storage
- Excellent display
- VR-ready
- Radical solid design
- Plastic material
- Average battery life
Whether you’re crunching numbers or getting into a great game, the HP Omen 17 provides speed, power, and great graphics. Moreover, you have the option to upgrade specs to your preference. Overall, it’s a 17” laptop that has outstanding performance and is definitely a good buying choice.
Not exactly a laptop per se, but the lean-yet-mean Alienware Aurora R7 comes as a pre-built gaming PC. This computer, along with a recent line of Alienware, has been the comeback of the brand from the menu of computers made for gaming.
The Alienware Aurora R7 is more than just an attractive piece, it has immense power for playing the most demanding games. Its specs definitely weigh well on its high price tag. And nope, this isn’t one of those machines with the simple IntelCore i5-i7, this machine features a 6-core /12-thread IntelCore i7 8700.
But what’s power without awesome graphics? So the Aurora R7 gives you excellent graphics with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 with 8GB GDDR5X and AMD Radeon-RX580. These, coupled with an 8GB RAM and storage of 1TB HDD – 1TB NVMe SSD makes a powerful machine.
But these specs aren’t limited you have the ability to expand its RAM up to 64GB, its AMD to Vega 64, and storage up to 2TB HDD.
Some feel it’s bulkier than other options.
- Easily upgradable and customizable
- High-power processor specs
- Large storage
- Excellent graphics
- Nothing outstanding to note
Overall, if you’re gaming demands more power, speed, and flexibility, you’ll definitely love the Alienware Aurora R7. Moreover, you have the option to upgrade its specs to double its capabilities to fit your needs and preference. Even its design is customizable.
Most reviews give it a near-perfect score and it’s easy to see why. High-speed and hardcore, this computer is worth they spend.
Though not exactly a laptop, this mini gaming PC is quite compact (close to a PS4 Pro or Xbox). The so-called console killer MSI Trident 3 may be small but it packs a lot of power. That size works well, allowing you a sleek looking PC that you can keep in the living room.
At first look, you’ll already like the attractive console designs but more than that, it’s a powerful machine. Powered by an Intel Core i7 processor and an H110 Motherboard chipset, you’ll be sure to enjoy excellent speed.
The MSI Trident 3 also comes with NVIDIA's latest GeForce GTX 1070 8GB GDDR5 rendering excellent graphics. However, despite its powerful specs and compact size, the machine is silent and cool-running.
This compact PC also comes with an 8GB RAM, upgradable to 32GBDDR4 (2400MHz), and provides large storage. The storage comes with 2TB HDD and 120GB SSD upgradable to 1TB SSD. And lastly, this is also VR-ready, making a complete package.
Some users aren’t a fan of its external 330W battery brick.
- Compact and attractive design
- Cool and silent running
- Affordable price and great value
- Excellent gaming and VR performance
- External 330W power brick
The MSI Trident 3 may be a little gaming PC but it runs solid frame rates and fast speeds. It gives you more than larger desktop models but gives it at a more affordable price.