The Best Gaming Laptops in 2024: Powerhouse Portables for Every Gamer

In 2024, the gaming laptop landscape is fiercer than ever. With the latest generation of Nvidia RTX 40-series and AMD Radeon RX 7000-series graphics cards, coupled with powerful Intel Core and AMD Ryzen processors, these portable powerhouses are blurring the lines between desktop and laptop performance. Whether you're a hardcore enthusiast seeking the ultimate frame rates, a casual gamer prioritizing portability, or a budget-conscious warrior, there's a perfect gaming laptop waiting to be unleashed.

Are you looking for a good gaming laptop for gaming, without having to worry about a desktop computer? From 1,000 to more than 3,500 euros, here are the best gaming laptops of the moment, for playing everywhere, all the time, in the best conditions.

The 3 Best Gaming Laptops in 2024

Gone are the days when playing on a PC required having a dedicated room in your home, in which you had to store a one-meter-high tower and a desk to accommodate the screen, the gaming mouse and the controller, the audio headset, or the gaming keyboard. Now, all this paraphernalia can be replaced by a single laptop designed for gaming.

Thanks to the superb progress made in recent years in the field of graphics cards, portable PCs dedicated to video games (or gaming laptops ) are now much more powerful, reliable, and lightweight. Of course, heat dissipation remains the eternal battle waged by manufacturers, but it has largely been improved.

Are you thinking of investing in a 14, 15, or 16-inch gaming laptop? You are in the right place to find out and take the plunge. We have selected the best gaming laptops on the market, for all budgets. However, remember that a gaming laptop costs a certain price, given the necessary components.

The most powerful gaming laptop: Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18 (G834J)

In 2023, Asus has decided to highlight 18-inch formats for its range of gaming laptops. The Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18 presents itself as a performance monster, even if it is not easily transportable daily because of its massive appearance.

It's simple, its technical sheet is monstrous, and ensures you can run absolutely what you want. It features what is currently best: an Intel Core i9-13980HX chip, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card, and 16 GB of DDR5 RAM. It is therefore just as big as it is powerful. With the Razer Blade 16, it is one of the most powerful laptops of 2023. Whether you are gaming, 3D, or video editing, it will not weaken. The heat dissipation system is also very well thought out, no worries on that front.

The fact remains that even if it carries the qualities of a laptop, its dimensions reach almost 40 x 30 cm, and its weight is 3.1 kg: as a result, the ROG Strix Scar 18 hardly fits in a backpack. The chassis, if of good quality, catches fingerprints well. The glass touchpad is very nice. We will also welcome the audio score with the 4 speakers which offer a good result for a laptop PC. The 18-inch IPS panel, for its part, helps to increase productivity, among other things thanks to its 16:10 format. This is an ideal screen for gaming, with a very high refresh rate of 240 Hz, a low response time (3 ms), and G-Sync support.

Between the Strix Scar 15 and the Strix Scar 18, the Strix Scar 17 is inserted (logical). A new ultra-powerful version is now available, this is the “X3D” version. Its AMD SoC indeed has 3D V-Cache memory from its new AMD processor. The PC is a monster of power, in particular thanks to this Ryzen 9 7945HX3D processor which benefits from a 128 MB L3 cache, but also to the GeForce RTX 4090 with a base TGP of 150 W to which is added 25 W thanks to Dynamic Boost.

The right performance/price ratio: Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition (FA617)

With the TUF A16, Asus introduces a new diagonal for its range of affordable gaming laptops. It's a success: this model is balanced and offers a good performance/price ratio.

Asus has also reworked the design of the machine, and the finishes are much better, particularly in terms of the touchpad. The FHD+ screen with a refresh rate of 165 Hz is well made, offering nice contrasts. The version that we were able to test is based on an entirely AMD configuration, with a Radeon RX 7700S and a Ryzen 9 7940HS.

No complaints about performance, the PC being capable of running the most recent games. It may be necessary to focus on the other configurations that may be offered, in particular with an Nvidia GPU, to benefit from better management of ray tracing. It should also be noted that the heating is not perfectly controlled, as is the noise level of the fans, points of which you must be aware before purchasing.

Asus stands out in terms of autonomy, the PC being well optimized: you can count on almost 8 hours of battery, which is a good score for a gaming laptop.

The alternative: the Asus TUF Gaming A15

If you want a smaller PC, you can also opt for the latest version of the Asus TUF A15, which is an excellent version. Its 15.3-inch screen in particular is very good, with a refresh rate of 144 Hz. With a solid configuration based on an RTX 4060, 16 GB of RAM, and an AMD Ryzen 7 SoC, you will be able to get by for less than 1,500 euros.

The prettiest gaming laptop: Razer Blade 16 (2024)

The Razer Blade 16 (2024) is a gaming laptop that stands out for its 16-inch OLED screen, with a maximum definition of 2560 x 1600 pixels, or a 16:10 ratio. Above all, this panel now supports a maximum refresh rate of 240 Hz, with Nvidia G-Sync. This screen is beautiful, with ideal color calibration.

In terms of design, the Blade 16 retains Razer's DNA with a sublime black aluminum chassis. A little thick (2.22 cm), it weighs 2.45 kg, which makes it heavier and thicker than an ultrabook but is perfectly acceptable for such a powerful gaming configuration. The keyboard is equipped with Razer's in-house switches, it offers good gaming comfort with Chroma backlighting. The touchpad is gigantic. The connectivity is very complete, including a full-format HDMI 2.1 port and a Thunderbolt 4 port compatible with USB PD.

In terms of performance, the Razer Blade 16 is equipped, in our test configuration, with an Intel Core i9-14900HX chip an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 GPU, and 32 GB of RAM. Unsurprisingly, the performances, particularly in-game, are there. Hats off to the cooling system which keeps the temperature below 50°C, even during intensive use. The noise level of the fans remains moderate.

Regarding battery life, the Blade 16 offers between 6 and 7 hours of office use, which is good for a portable gaming PC.

If it is an excellent gaming laptop, that will delight those looking for a beautiful machine, its price may deter some, even when choosing a configuration with an RTX 4070.

The inexpensive gaming laptop: Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8

It is quite rare in the gaming laptop market to find machines at a reasonable price. The Lenovo LOQ 15 laptop is one of the only ones in this proposal. This is reflected in the design part with an above-all functional construction. The whole thing is solid, without the addition of RGB lights. The connectivity is well organized while the keyboard is useful for typing and gaming.

You are entitled to a beautiful 15.6-inch Full HD LCD screen with a 16:9 ratio. For gaming, it has a refresh rate of 144 Hz. The manufacturer announces 45% coverage on the NTSC standard. Our measurements made it possible to detect a peak brightness at 338 cd/m2, a contrast at 1956:1, and an average color temperature of 6217 K. Not a very exciting performance, but it is in line with the selling price.

In terms of performance, there are several configurations. The PC we had for testing included the following elements: an Intel Core i7-13620H, 16 GB of DDR5 RAM, and above all an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060. All with 512 GB storage. For gaming, this configuration does not disappoint even if the heat management is not perfect. Above all, the fans are running at full speed and making too much noise.

Also Read: Best Acer Laptops in 2024: A Comprehensive Guide

Which gaming laptop to choose?

What are the criteria to take into account when choosing a portable gaming computer?

When you start purchasing a gaming laptop, there are several points to watch out for.

• Datasheet

After decades of unchallenged dominance, Intel finally lost the performance crown. It is now AMD that offers the best CPUs both in terms of power and price. And if the majority of models on the market still offer configurations based on Intel Core, the best machines are to be found among the reds.

On the graphics card side, however, it is still Nvidia which dominates, with its very convincing RTX 3000s. Be careful though, for mobile versions, the brand offers GPUs with very varied performances under the same name... Do not hesitate to consult specific benchmarks for the GPU that interests you.

• RAM and storage

As for these components, aim for at least 512 GB of SSD and 16 GB of RAM. Below that, you will very quickly become cramped, especially with games that become more and more comfortable. The latest large games can take up to 100 GB of disk space or more. Fortunately, most of the machines selected here allow you to upgrade these two components quite easily and inexpensively.

• The screen

Choosing a 4K screen at 60 Hz, if you want to game… that's not what you need. Especially if the PC has an entry-level graphics card. For the moment, if you have to choose, favor a Full HD or QHD screen with at least 120 Hz refresh rate. If you want a versatile machine, the 4K screen is very comfortable, but it requires significant resources to play. Now 1440p is a good compromise.

• Connection
  

If gaming laptops are “all-in-one” devices on which you can launch video games in a few seconds, the best thing is to be able to connect an external screen as well as your own keyboard/mouse set. To do this, it is necessary to carefully monitor the connections. At a minimum, check that a sufficient number of HDMI sockets and USB type-A or type-C ports are present.

• The brand

Generally speaking, favor gaming laptops from major brands when making your purchases. Asus ROG, MSI, Razer, and Lenovo, are brands that we strongly recommend. Unknown brands are often much cheaper… but also much less reliable and have much less effective after-sales service than the big players.

What is the budget for a gaming laptop?

The price of laptops dedicated to video games has fallen in recent years. During sales periods, it is possible to find the best prices around 900 or 1,000 euros. There are no limits for the most expensive ones. That being said, here are the current price ranges:

• The first prices are around 1200 – 1300 euros. For this price, you often have decent technical sheets with large processors and efficient graphics cards. But be careful with the finishes and especially the screens, which are the first to suffer from the compromises that manufacturers make. The quality of the keyboard can also be a little lacking.

• The mid-range is generally between 1500 and 1900 euros. For this price, you have PCs with better quality screens and still solid configurations. But most of the time it is a latest generation entry-level GPU.

• The high end is around 2000, 2500 euros, or even more. We generally have the choice between very thin machines and much thicker models which offer the best performance in the mobile world. Pay attention to the chassis design itself which can have a huge impact on performance, depending on the efficiency of heat dissipation.

What does Windows 11 bring to a gaming laptop?

As you can see in our Windows 11 review, Microsoft has made very few changes. It is the Xbox Game Pass subscription service that is at the center of the American giant's strategy. With the new version of Windows, the dedicated application is integrated into your PC to download the games of your choice, but also access the cloud gaming service. Otherwise nothing new under the sun. The Xbox Game Bar function, already present on Windows 10, is present again to manage in-game performance.

What are the main weaknesses of gaming laptops?

Laptops and gaming computers have certainly become more accessible and more reliable over time, but they suffer from recurring problems that you should be aware of before purchasing.

• Noise, but especially heat, are the most common enemies of portable gaming PCs. Due to the narrowness of their chassis and the power of the onboard graphics cards, the fans must blow often and loudly to dissipate heat. Which makes noise, a lot of noise. No one completely escapes this curse, not even those in our selection. Headphones are required to cut off noise pollution. Heat can also be a problem, already for the components, but also... for your fingers, the keyboard can heat up quickly.

• The keyboard can be disappointing on certain entry-level models, as manufacturers do not aim for office use.

• Autonomy is not their strong suit, don't plan on making it a durable machine for working outside without having a heavy charger with you.

• Finally, be warned, that these laptops are often thicker and heavier than traditional laptops, even if great progress has been made on this point. These are not ultraportables. Don't count on more than two hours of playing away from an outlet, in the best case!

A final word on autonomy with a 60 Wh battery delivered with a proprietary 170 W power supply. This allows for 4 to 5 hours of use. Our configuration is priced at 1199 euros, but its basic configuration is 899 euros.