May 10, 2024 10:30 AM

The Best Gaming Laptops for Any Quest

We tested the latest and greatest gaming laptops—from portable machines to an 18-inch gargantuan—so you can level up your game anywhere.

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Front view of a white laptop open at 90 degrees sitting on a picnic table outdoors with the screen showing a video game

Front view of black laptop opened at 90 degrees with a firstperson perspective video game on the screen

4 / 9

Choosing a gaming laptop is like putting together a well-balanced adventuring party. You need to look at what you plan to use it for and what kinds of quests you'll tackle, then try to match its capabilities to your needs—without emptying your coin purse. To that end, weary travelers, we took it upon ourselves to source the latest and greatest gaming laptops from forges large and small. We gathered them in our keep and ran them through several tests to sort the god-rolls from the vendor trash. Here they are, the best gaming laptops for every kind of player.

Be sure to check out our picks for the Best Laptops, Best Gaming Mice, Best Keyboards, Best Gaming Headsets, and our favorite PC Games (as well as how to build a game library for free).

Updated May 2024: We've added the Razer Blade 18, Alienware m16 R2, and Acer Nitro 17.

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Photograph: Razer
Best Overall
Razer Blade 14
The Razer Blade 14 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) blew me away when I tried it right around when Starfield came out. Razer is known for its high-end gaming laptops, and the slim, aluminum chassis on this laptop has the same luxe build quality we've liked it for in the past. But the 2,560 x 1,600 IPS, G-Sync-compatible display is what caught my attention. Even at 30 to 40 percent brightness, it felt bright and vivid, with blacks so dark it's as if the screen disappears in dark rooms. It's not quite what you'd see in an OLED display, but it was close enough that it fooled me for hours while I flew through space. Best of all, the 240-Hz panel allows for ultrahigh frame rates for the smoothest gameplay.
Inside, the Blade 14 comes equipped with the powerful AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS. There is a slightly newer version with the Ryzen 9 8945HS, but you likely won't see much of a difference in performance. You also get 16 GB of DDR5 RAM, a 1-TB NVMe SSD, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU (upgradeable to an RTX 4070). The RTX 4060 is decently powerful, but the RTX 4070 is a respectably strong GPU that can help power through even demanding games like Starfield. It also has a USB-C and USB-A port on both the left and right of the laptop, making it convenient to plug in peripherals. It comes with a full-size HDMI port too. It includes a large charging block, which you'll need for charging while playing power-hungry games, but you can charge it via USB-C if you need to top it off while working. It's pricey, but the Blade 14 routinely dips to $2,000, which is great value.
Specs to look for: AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060/4070 Laptop GPU, 16 GB DDR5 RAM, 1-TB NVMe PCIe SSD, 14-inch 2,560 X 1,600 IPS display with 240-Hz refresh rate.
$1,800 at Amazon
$1,800 at Razer
$2,400 at Best Buy
Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
Best Gaming Laptop for Portability
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
The 2024 iteration of Asus' ROG Zephyrus G14 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is the closest thing I've found to a Windows laptop that feels like my Macbook Air. It has a slim, silver aluminum chassis, all-day battery life (so long as you stick to regular work), and a slender 14-inch frame. It also stands out, with a gorgeous 3K OLED display and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU (upgradeable to an RTX 4070). It comes with a 1-TB SSD, giving it plenty of room for both games and all the files you need for work.
On paper, it's pretty similar to the Razer Blade 14, though its OLED screen is slightly higher resolution at 2,880 x 1,800, and limited to 120 Hz instead of 240 Hz. However, depending on your needs, this might be a benefit. The RTX 4060 (and even the RTX 4070) can struggle to put out more than 120 frames per second for some heavy games, and there aren't many where it makes that much of a difference. Fewer frames mean less power consumed, and the Zephyrus G14 appropriately gets slightly better battery life than the Blade 14, which makes it great if you intend to take your gaming laptop with you out of the house more often than not.
Specs to look for: AMD Ryzen R9 8945HS, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060/4070 Laptop GPU, 16 GB DDR5 RAM, 1-TB NVMe PCIe SSD, 14-inch 2,880 X 1,800 OLED display with 120-Hz refresh rate.
$1,600 at Best Buy (RTX 4060)
$2,000 at Best Buy (RTX 4070)

Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
Best Upgrade
Razer Blade 18 (2024)
The 2024 iteration of the Razer Blade 18 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of the most powerful gaming laptops I've tested. It has the same stylish design as the Blade 14 but with a GPU upgradeable up to an RTX 4090 and an ultra-fast 14th-generation Intel Core i9 14900HX processor. It's enough raw power to tear through games like Starfield and Cyberpunk 2077 with over 60 fps even in the most crowded, difficult-to-render areas, and well over 100 fps in most normal areas.
The Mini LED display has a uniquely high 300-Hz refresh rate and 2,000 local dimming zones, making it one of the smoothest, most vibrant displays I've ever seen on a laptop. The Blade 18 is also the first laptop with a Thunderbolt 5 port, capable of up to 120 Gbps throughput. There aren't many docks or accessories that support Thunderbolt 5 yet, but it's a future-ready capability that will make this laptop an ideal option for connecting to high-powered desktop docking stations for years to come.
Specs to look for: Intel Core i9 14900HX processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070/4080/4090, 32 GB DDR5 RAM, 1-TB/2-TB SSD, 18-inch 2,560 X 1,600 Mini LED display with 300-Hz refresh rate.
$3,100 at Amazon
$3,100 at Best Buy
$3,100 at Razer
$3,100 at B&H Photo and Video
Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
Another Great 18-Inch Gaming Laptop
Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 (2024)
The 2024 model of the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is a legendary beast of a machine. It has a gargantuan 18-inch 2,560 x 1,600 Mini LED display capable of up to 500 nits of brightness under normal functionality, but it can blast up to 1,100 nits in HDR mode. It's so bright that, while watching HDR videos of sparks and fireworks, it genuinely felt like lights were flashing in front of my face.
This monster packs an Intel Core i9-14000HX processor, 32 GB of DDR5 RAM, and a blisteringly fast Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 laptop GPU. I say “blistering” because this thing does get pretty hot. But it's also designed with extra ridges and ample airflow to help keep it cool, even when running the toughest games while connected to power. It has similar power output to the Razer Blade 18, though it lacks has a slightly lower 240-Hz refresh rate, and lacks the Thunderbolt 5 port.
There still a wealth of connectivity options and you might not need a USB dock at all. In addition to the usual USB-A, USB-C, and 3.5-mm headphone jack, it includes a full-size HDMI out, plus an Ethernet port, so you can take the LAN party anywhere.
Specs to look for: Intel Core i9-14000HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU, 32 GB DDR5 RAM, 2-TB NVMe PCIe SSD, 18-inch 2,560 X 1,600 Mini LED display with 240-Hz refresh rate.
$2,999 at Amazon (4080)
$3,000 at Best Buy (4080)
$3,000 at Walmart (4080)
$3,899 at Amazon (4090)

Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
Best 16-Inch Gaming Laptop
Dell Alienware m16 R2
Dell’s Alienware line has been a staple of the gaming laptop world for years, and the recent Alienware m16 R2 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of the company's better entries of late. It starts at $1,500, making it reasonably affordable, with plenty of upgrade options to get more power out of your device.
Even with the RTX 4070 option in the unit I tested, I routinely hit ninve to 10 hours of battery life with an average workday. While that's not the longest battery life I've seen, it's still great for a gaming laptop. At 16 inches, it's not quite as portable as the Zephyrus G14, but it's still easy to stow in a laptop bag. Between that and the tasteful lighting design, this is a gaming laptop that can go undercover as your work laptop without raising your boss’s eyebrows.
Specs to look for: Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060/4070/4080, 16 GB DDR5 RAM, 1-TB SSD, 16-inch 2,560 X 1,600 IPS display with 240-Hz refresh rate.
$1,850 at Best Buy
$1,500 at Dell
Photograph: Acer
Best Budget Gaming Laptop
Acer Nitro 17 (2024, AMD)
The Acer Nitro 17 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) isn’t the flashiest laptop in the world, but it packs plenty of power at a relatively low price, especially considering you’re getting a spacious 17-inch screen. That does make it one of the bigger, heavier laptops we've tested (it weighs 6.3 pounds), but it has enough power to handle plenty of top games. It starts at $1,250 with a GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, an AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS processor, and 16 GB of RAM.
Specs to look for: AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060, 16 GB DDR5 RAM, 1-TB SSD, 17-inch 1,920 X 1,080 IPS display with 165-Hz refresh rate.
$1,250 at Micro Center
$1,250 at Acer

Photograph: Acer
Honorable Mentions
Other Good Gaming Laptops
New gaming laptops are coming out all the time. Likewise, just because something is a generation or two behind doesn't mean it isn't worth picking up. Sometimes you can score a great deal by opting for last year's model.
ROG Zephyrus M16 (2022) for $1,399: This laptop is one of our previous top picks, and it's seen a small spec bump since we had it in that position. It's a little outdated by modern standards, but it can still pull off all-day work and the RTX 3060 can hold its own with most games.
Acer Nitro 5 for $875: This is an older machine, but if you want a gaming laptop for under $1,000 and don't have exceptionally high demands, it's still great. It has an RTX 3060 Laptop GPU, 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 512 GB SSD. It's a serviceable machine at a reasonable price.
Photograph: Hyunha Kim/Getty Images
What Makes a Great Gaming Laptop?
It's More Than Just Dancing Lights
Picking the right gaming laptop can be a delicate balance. The raw power you typically find in gaming desktops takes a lot of power, and when you put that in a laptop, it can drain the battery fast. Similarly, the super-fast refresh rates in gaming monitors can lead to even more power drain. If you plan to keep your laptop plugged in most of the time, you can lean towards more powerful hardware, but if you want to play on the battery more, then balancing power with efficiency should be a priority for you.
Size is also a factor to consider. When you're gaming at home, you might want the largest, brightest screen you can find, but when you have to carry that screen around, the bulk and weight can be a (quite literal) drag. If you plan to travel with your laptop, you might want to think about how much heft you're willing to lug around.
No matter what, you should expect to make some sacrifices that aren't as common with more typical laptops. It's not unusual for a gaming laptop to last less than two hours when you start playing games on it. And unless you have a lot of (usually expensive) power under the hood, you might not be able to play some modern, AAA games at their highest level in the same way you would on a desktop without spending a little time fiddling with the game's graphics settings.

Photograph: staticnak1983/Getty Images
Know Your Specs
What specs are right for me?
It's easy to get overwhelmed with specs and numbers when you're shopping for a gaming laptop, but there are a few key specs you can focus on to get the best bang for your buck:
RAM: Aim for a machine with at least 16 GB of RAM. While 8 GB of RAM is still workable for those who play less demanding games or have little desire for fancy graphics, 16 GB of RAM is a safe bet for most. If you want the power to play new AAA games, consider stepping up to 32 GB of RAM. The speed of your RAM can also be a factor. Currently, DDR5 is the best you'll find, but you'll start to see DDR6 replacing it over the next few years.
CPU: When you want the fastest processor, newer is usually better. Intel is currently on its 14th generation of gaming CPUs and AMD Ryzen is on the 8000 series. If you want to get into the nitty-gritty, CPU benchmarks can help you get a sense of how powerful a processor is, but the best indicator is real-world testing (which we do on every laptop we feature).
GPU: Similar to CPU, there are a lot of models out there that can get overwhelming to keep track of. Nvidia has a wide range of 40-series GPUs, while AMD competes with its Radeon 7000 generation. These will often share similar names to their desktop counterparts, but most are technically running the “Laptop” version of the GPU. Again, real-world testing is the best indicator of performance.
Storage: Most laptops have SSDs nowadays, which are super fast and reduce load times considerably. Games can get massive, so we'd recommend at least a 1-TB internal drive, though if you can swing 2 TB, you'll have a lot more room for multiple AAA games at once.
Display refresh rate: Gaming is one of the few areas where getting more than 60 frames per second can have a tangible benefit. Gaming laptops can range from a moderately fast 120 Hz, all the way up to 300 Hz. All those extra frames will also increase processing and battery power though, so you'll need to consider how much power you need, and how often you plan to play while away from a charger.
For additional help with all the different specifications on offer, check out our How to Buy a Laptop guide.

Eric Ravenscraft is a product writer and reviewer at WIRED, based in Austin, Texas. He's guided readers on how to use technology for nearly a decade for publications including Lifehacker, OneZero, and The New York Times. He also streams on Twitch for WIRED occasionally and can be found on YouTube... Read more

Product Writer and Reviewer

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