But with countless models, choosing the best for it’s possible for you to quickly become overwhelming.
To help, here are our top picks to get you started.
The recommended specifications of your favorite games can give a basic idea of what you should be looking for.
you might start with three main elements:CPU,GPU, andRAM.
Choose each depending on how much power you need for gaming and other needs.
Besides the CPU, GPU, and RAM, storage is another crucial part of any gaming laptop.
Alternatively, it’s possible for you to purchase anexternal SSDorHDDto house a growing catalog.
The display quality will also impact how your games look on the laptop.
Remember, the 14 or 15-inch models make the most sense if you travel with your laptop frequently.
Justin Duino / How-To Geek
With all this in mind, let’s look at our top gaming laptop picks.
We only recommend the best products based on our research and expertise.
The display also supportsDolby Visionand completely covers the DCI-P3 color space.
ASUS
While this isn’t the maximum recommended power, it’s on the upper end of the power spectrum.
You also get 1TB of user-upgradeable NVMe SSD storage.
Battery life is decent for a compact gaming laptop.
The 73Wh battery can last up to 8 hours while browsing or playing video.
Gaming battery life will be considerably lower and depend on how much power you’re draining.
It performs exceptionally well as an everyday workhorse and a gaming machine.
Acer
One big reason is the 140W TGP of the included RTX 4060 GPU.
It also gets brighter than many other budget models, with around 500nitsin SDR and HDR.
Unfortunately, the Acer laptop’s battery life is not its strongest point.
Dell
So, you’ll be seeking the charging brick more often.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 PHN16-71-76H5 is a solid gaming laptop for folks on a budget.
EmployingDLSSwill undoubtedly help you get more frames out of the RTX 4050.
Apple
As a budget laptop, the Nitro V 15 has fairly average looks and a plastic build.
While the touchpad is also average, the backlit keyboard offers good performance with decent travel and bounce.
The 15.6-inch IPS display has full-HD+ resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate.
Other notable highlights include good battery life andWi-Fi 6support for high-speed wireless connectivity.
Similarly, you get a wide range of discrete GPU picks, from RTX 4060 to 4090.
So, it’s easy to build a configuration to match your budget and gaming performance needs.
ASUS
That said, higher resolution helps produce crisper and sharper images and text.
Otherwise, both panels have a 3ms response time and complete coverage of the DCI-P3 color space.
The only relative negative aspect of the display is its brightness.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) is a compact gaming powerhouse that packs a beautiful OLED screen, NVIDIA’s RTX 40-series GPUs, and an excellent port selection.
Neither panel is particularly bright, but you will get around 300 nits, which is usable.
This Alienware laptop also shines in terms of connectivity and port options.
It houses everything from an Ethernet and two Thunderbolt 4 ports to full-size HDMI and mini-DisplayPort.
Acer
An Intel chip offers Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.
It’s a seriously powerful Mac, and you’ll find it hard to stress it out.
It also supports VRR up to 120Hz.
Acer
Plus, it produces vibrant visuals and is great to look at.
The built-in keyboard and trackpad are responsive.
The power button also has a built-in fingerprint reader, which makes logging in seamless and secure.
Dell
Apple claims it offers the best battery life of any MacBook.
All three TB4 ports have DisplayPort Alt mode and USB PD.
But it also has impressive gaming chops.
Apple
However,System76’s Oryx Prois one option that you might consider.
Besides the GPU, you get customization options for RAM and storage.
Similarly, the storage options go from 500GB to 4TB, with the flexibility to add another M.2 SSD.
System76
you could also have eitherUbuntuor Pop!_OS pre-installed on your laptop.
The 16-inch full-HD+ display supports a 165Hz refresh rate and features a matte finish to reduce glare.
It’s important to note that some System76 customers havevoiced reliability issueswiththeir purchaseson Reddit.
FAQ
What is different when looking for a gaming laptop over a normal laptop?
You’ll typically want a high-performance CPU and a discrete GPU.
Ahigh refresh rate display with VRR supportis also desirable for smoother, tear-free gaming.
Are gaming laptops good for everyday use?
Gaming laptops are excellent for everyday use as they are typically quite powerful and easily handle day-to-day tasks.
Can I play Steam games on Linux?
you’re free to playSteam games on Linux.
While some Steam games have native Linux support, others rely on theProton compatibility layer.
