Are you trying to find the best gaming laptop? You’re in luck since we can help you traverse the greatest gaming laptops of 2024 thanks to our extensive reviews of over 1,800 laptops and more than years of experience.
We rigorously examine all of the newest portable gaming systems in our labs, giving special attention to the three main factors that gamers worry about most: pricing, performance, and essential features.
The greatest gaming laptops of this year range in size from lightweight 14-inch models to powerful 18-inch ones, all with the newest processors and GPUs for the best possible gaming experiences. We offer devices from leading manufacturers, like MSI, Razer, Lenovo, and Acer, with options to fit every budget and screen size, from the most expensive Razer Blade 14 to the more budget-friendly MSI Katana 15, and everything in between.
1.Razer Blade 14
The Razer Blade 14 comes back for 2024 with a revamped CPU and the classic style that has made this laptop so well-liked among gamers. One of the best-built gaming laptops out there, it’s made from a single CNC aluminum block and is so lightweight and portable that it instantly makes me think of a MacBook Pro.
The most current hardware update for the Blade 14 this year beats the previous model somewhat and excels all other 14-inch gaming laptops we’ve tested this year, even though it doesn’t completely surpass it. Given Razer’s past performance, it makes sense to assume that its advantage will hold for a considerable amount of time.
In terms of the actual performance of the laptop, the RTX 4070 GPU in the sample I tested was able to run Assassin’s Creed Mirage at its highest settings and at the native 2560x1600p resolution of the Blade 14. This translated to an average frame rate of 73 FPS. It performed a little worse than its competitors on Cyberpunk 2077 at native resolution, averaging just 23 frames per second. Nevertheless, DLSS 3 will easily provide you with a playable framerate at native resolution.
The one major disappointment in this instance is the battery life, considering that this is a gaming laptop. The Blade 14 (2023) achieved slightly more than eight hours of battery life with low usage, whereas the Blade 14 (2024) only managed roughly six and a half hours. Since this is a gaming laptop, battery life was never going to be its strongest suit, but other than that, it performs exceptionally well, so if you can afford the higher price, this is an extremely simple notebook to suggest.
Since it has long been my top pick for the best gaming laptop on the market, its design hasn’t changed all that much from its predecessor, which isn’t always a bad thing. Plus, its most recent version strongly suggests that it should continue to hold that distinction.
The recognizable all-black CNC-milled aluminum chassis is visually striking and robust, and its weight accentuates its high-end construction without compromising mobility.Thanks to an upgraded AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS processor and the option of an Nvidia RTX 4070 or 4060 GPU, the Blade 14 boasts greater power than before. This arrangement, which is backed by a noisy but efficient cooling system that regulates heat even during prolonged use, easily handles anything from demanding creative demands to intense gaming sessions.
Pros
Leading gaming performance for the form factor
Gorgeous 14-inch QHD+ 240Hz display
Cons
Incredibly expensive compared to other options here
2.Gigabyte Aorus 16X
For gamers who choose performance over portability, the Aorus 16X is a powerful midrange gaming laptop. It weighs somewhat more than five pounds (2.3 kg), which makes it bulky but yet doable to fit in a bag.
Up to an Intel Core i9-14900HX (5.8GHz, 24-core) CPU and a GeForce RTX 4070 8GB GPU can be configured with the Aorus 16X. The 16-inch display has a 100% sRGB coverage, a refresh rate of 165 Hz, a resolution of 2560 x 1600, and thin bezels.
It also has two M.2 PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe SSDs (2x 1TB), up to 32GB DDR5 RAM, and a 99Wh battery that charged to 50% in 30 minutes while we were using the gadget. There are numerous connectivity choices, such as USB-C Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1, Bluetooth 5.4, Intel Wi-Fi 7, and more.
Particularly noteworthy is the performance in games, which in Cyberpunk 2077 on Ultra Settings at QHD resolution achieves frame rates of above 50. However, playing games at high frame rates might make you sweaty and noisy.
The laptop manages productivity well; but, USB-C charging causes speed to drop dramatically, so you’ll need to utilize the power charger that comes with it if you need to do any hard work. Although this laptop’s battery life for regular use was impressive at slightly over 8 hours, gaming should not be expected to take advantage of that type of longevity.
The laptop is productive, but if you need to do any heavy lifting, you’ll need to use the included power charger because USB-C charging drastically reduces speed. While the laptop’s battery life was remarkable for everyday use—it lasted slightly over 8 hours—gamers shouldn’t expect to benefit from that kind of longevity.
High-end gamers that don’t mind sacrificing performance and are willing to put up with a larger, heavier laptop should give the Aorus 16X some thought. To put the size into perspective, the 16X is 35.6 x 25.4 x 2.7 cm (14.01 x 10 x 1.06 inch) in size and weighs 2.3 kg (5.07 lb). Put another way, substantial but discrete enough to fit into a bag.– quite similar to comparable laptops from other brands. It also comes in a range of different configurations that pair up powerful Intel i7 and i9 HX series CPUs with Nvidia RTX 4000 series GPUs. There is also a larger Aorus 17X for those who prefer a bigger screen or even more powerful hardware.
Pros
Class-leading performance
Great display
Cons
Unpolished software
3.MSI Katana 15
If you’re not willing to shell out extra cash for a gaming laptop, the MSI Katana 15 (2023) provides easily accessible 1080p gaming. Its robust designs, which prioritize crucial gaming performance, are reminiscent of gaming laptops from before the pandemic. It runs better than similarly priced laptops with antiquated specifications because of its 1TB SSD, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, 16GB of RAM, and 13th-generation Intel Core i7. It’s a fantastic choice for gamers on a tight budget, despite certain design flaws and battery issues.
Alternatives such as the Acer Nitro 5 offer less powerful but more reasonably priced options, while having somewhat antiquated components. The MSI Katana 15 is available in even more costly versions, the most costly of which has an Intel Core i9, 32GB of RAM,and an Nvidia RTX 4070, albeit still restricted to a 1080p display. Configurations vary by region, with different processor generations and price points.
Despite its size and antiquated look, the Katana 15 prioritizes gaming performance. Its thermal layout effectively cools the CPU and GPU. Its performance is astounding, since it can run hard games like Far Cry 6 and Control with ease. For games like Cyberpunk 2077, though, a few minor adjustments are needed. The Katana 15 offers a good gaming experience despite its shortcomings, proving how effectively it balances price and power.
The MSI Katana 15 (2023) somewhat boosts the accessibility of good 1080p laptop gaming. It’s not exactly the most striking or physically appealing product on the market. It actually has a somewhat similar appearance to those haughty, conceited gaming computers from before the pandemic. Still, it satisfies those who aren’t quite ready.
So, for those with a limited budget, the MSI Katana 15 (2023) is among the best gaming laptops to pick from. There are some compromises, such as the styling and battery life, as well as a flaw or two, but the overall package provides a good quality gaming experience where you won’t feel the portable’s limitations.
Over the years, gaming laptops have had to make several sacrifices in order to run powerful specifications and perform admirably as a gaming battlestation. Many of those problems, such mobility and battery life, have been resolved by a number of newer solutions. With the more affordable portables, it isn’t nearly the case. And this is very definitely not the case.
The MSI Katana 15 (2023) bears a resemblance to gaming laptops from the past due to its robust plastic casing, making it thick and weighty. Indeed, the styling of this portable is a little bit older. This is a budget option for gamers, of course, and as such, it gives priority to gaming above other, less important appointments. That’s possibly why the one prominent forward-thinking design choice here is the shared pipe design where the heat pipes, visible through the venting underneath cross over both the CPU and GPU to keep things cool.
Pros
Aggressive asking price with mainstream configuration
Strong 144Hz 1080p screen for the money
Cons
Plastic chassis feels cheap in some places
4.Origin EON 16SL
The Origin EON 16SL is without a doubt the best gaming laptop that can be built to order. It offers a nice balance of form factor, affordability, and performance that is either better than or on par with similar products. Its totally changeable front plate sets it apart visually from other gaming laptops.
Our evaluation machine played Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p at high settings and managed over 90 frames per second at 60 frames per second when utilizing “Ray Tracing Overdrive” because of its robust features. The incredible 240Hz refresh rate of the 16-inch QHD+ display makes for a seamless and stutter-free gaming experience.
Despite its great qualities, the Origin EON 16SL has two problems. First, it’s a really mediocre webcam that needs excellent lighting for decent image quality, and the ventilation, while solid for normal gaming sessions, isn’t perfect and can rapidly heat up on the underside during intense and long sessions.
One of the few new gaming laptops that can compete with some of the greatest thin and light gaming laptops on the market is the Origin EON 16SL. It does this by striking a balance between powerful gaming performance and a tiny chassis. The latest trend in gaming laptops seems to be the pursuit of maximum bulk and weight. Moreover, you can customize the chassis with a wide range of incredible artwork and colors, which addresses my aesthetic issue with most gaming PCs and accessories.
The chassis looks light, but it looks like it might take at least one fall before splitting. However, the 16-inch display is no joke; its sheer size makes it difficult to fit the somewhat light weight and thickness. The display itself is a lovely QHD+ IPS (2560 x 1600) screen with a staggeringly high refresh rate of 240Hz, meaning that you should never see a single instance of lag or stuttering.
It also boasts a strong connector variety, with two USB Type-A ports, two USB Type-C connections (one of which is Thunderbolt 4), one HDMI 2.1 port, one 2-in-1 audio input, one SD Card Reader, and one Kensington lock. Unfortunately, the loss of an Ethernet port—which used to be a deal-breaker for gaming laptops—is now compensated for by Wi-Fi technology. The abundance of USB ports, especially the Type-A ones, is something I like because it appears that older laptops are becoming less and less likely to have them.
The 1080p resolution webcam on a gaming laptop is of medium quality, and it needs good lighting to display a clear image of the user during a conference call still has a bit of fuzziness in the image quality. The sound quality is pretty decent as well, though its volume suffers somewhat from having the speakers at the bottom of the laptop.
This little and light laptop has pretty good performance. For the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i and Asus ROG Zephyrus M16, the RTX 4070 GPU scores textbook benchmark results with 4060 and 4090, respectively. Night Raid was the only one with a score that wasn’t entirely correct—it was lower than the Legion Pro 5i. Even without benchmarks, it can run some of the best PC games at maximum settings and still provide outstanding performance.
Its good scores in other benchmarks translate nicely to some of the greatest PC games, including more demanding AAA titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Dirt 5, despite that little blip. Being able to spin webs as Spider-Man without any noticeable lag is made possible in large part by that absurdly high refresh rate. Ventilation isn’t bad either, but on rare occasions the laptop can go past pretty warm to hot during more intensive gaming sessions. Overall, this is easily one of the best laptops I’ve reviewed in quite some time.
Pros
Competitively priced for the hardware inside
Superfast 240Hz QHD+ display
Cons
Thermals get hot due to lack of ventilation
5.Acer Nitro 16
The Acer Nitro 16 is one of the best gaming laptops for people who can afford a midrange machine because of its amazing feature set, quick display, and affordable pricing for its intermediate configuration—but only just.
The Nitro 16 offers exceptional 1080p gaming performance, particularly with its quick 165Hz display—perfect for fast-paced competitive games like esports.
There are tradeoffs, too, and rather than following the past several years’ trend of gaming laptops, the Nitro 16’s more aggressive “gamer” look would have benefitted from further innovation. If it had been designed with higher specs, its heavy weight and poor webcam would have made it a desktop replacement. However, if you’re searching just past the ‘budget’ horizon for your next gaming laptop, this is an excellent choice.
Writing reviews of gaming laptops with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, like the AMD Acer Nitro 16, is a difficult line to walk. Some things cost a little bit more than others. Every laptop has its own distinct features, such as differences in webcam resolution or refresh rate. However, the interiors are essentially unchanged.
As a result, even though the Acer Nitro 16 AMD is at the lower end of the gaming laptop spectrum, its performance is comparable to that of many of the best affordable gaming laptops. In this case, it does come with a great keyboard that has bright RGB lighting and a faster refresh rate. However, in contrast to other top gaming laptops, its appearance is a little more overtly focused on gamers.
Nevertheless, it offers a lot, particularly for budget-conscious competitive gamers. While models with older GPUs are undoubtedly less expensive, they will exhibit their limitations considerably sooner. For the proper budget-conscious gamer, the Acer Nitro 16 AMD is therefore a very easy laptop to suggest.
When it comes to appearance, the Acer Nitro 16 AMD is an eye-catching gaming laptop that doesn’t hold back. The slanted blue and reddish lines decorating the lid and the aggressive-looking N (for “Nitro”) on the lid and under the screen indicate that this laptop is not going to pass for a non-gaming laptop in the same way that a Razer laptop can.
It obviously doesn’t help that it is somewhat large and heavy, especially when you consider that it weighs 5.95 pounds (2.70 kg). It also appears to be hefty. Its thickness is more than an inch, which is equivalent to the stacking of two MacBook Airs.
This gaming laptop’s form factor is somewhat expected given its inexpensive price. If nothing else, Acer made sure to include lots of venting on the sides and beneath. However, not all of the ports fit on the sides due to the side vents; the power, HDMI, and USB-C ports, for example, fit on the back. For a neater appearance, some people prefer ports on the back. I don’t because I think they’re more difficult to get to.
Pros
Fast 165Hz refresh rate for entry-level price
Large screen considering the price tag
Cons
Far from the prettiest gaming laptop
How to choose the best gaming laptop for you
Selecting the best gaming laptop is straightforward if you have a substantial budget, but finding a high-quality gaming laptop becomes more challenging with limited funds. Fortunately, the market now offers more budget-friendly CPUs and GPUs that don’t skimp on power.
It is advised to have at least 1TB of PCIe NVMe SSD storage and 16GB of RAM. 8GB RAM won’t be sufficient for gaming, and since many contemporary PC games can consume 100GB of storage, 512GB might not be large enough to accommodate your library of games. Additionally, a minimum of an AMD Ryzen 5 or an Intel Core i5 or Core 5 processor is required; however, an AMD Ryzen 7 equivalent or an Intel Core i7/Core 7/Core 7 Ultra processor is advised.
Which component matters most for gaming laptops?
Even while every component affects how you play games, the GPU is the one that has the biggest direct impact on how many frames per second you can achieve at a given resolution. RAM and CPU come next, then storage. Most of the time, you won’t need a display larger than 1440p, and a laptop with a 1080p display will still provide excellent gaming results.