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Best Gaming Laptops Reviewed & Rated for Quality
Standout Picks
Criteria Used for Evaluation
Effectiveness
The technology that is going into computers and laptops has been getting smaller and smaller. This means that when you get a gaming laptop, you are going to want a computer that is reasonably similar to the experience you would get from a top of the line gaming PC desktop. Gaming laptops are not quite there yet, but they are close enough that you will barely even notice the power difference between the two. This is where you should be looking at the specs of the laptops that you are interested in. The most important specs to be looking at are the processing power, which is represented by the processor of the laptop, and the graphics card, which will tell you how visually impressive of a game that the laptop can run. Processors for laptops are almost all made by Intel at this point. For any modern games you should be looking for a processor that is at least an i5, but an i7 is preferable. The processor is what determines how quickly your computer can make the calculations necessary to run your programs. An i7 of any kind should do a good job for any of your modern gaming needs. For graphics cards, it is important to look for graphics cards that are around a 1060 or a 1070. NVIDIA makes most of the graphics cards for many popular laptops. Both of these graphics cards should run anything that you need it to. If you play older games, and many people do. Don't worry about getting a cheaper laptop with a smaller number to go with its graphics card.
Visibility
It doesn't matter how powerful your laptop is, the display for the monitor isn't good enough to keep up. The visual fidelity of monitor is in the middle of a bit of a renaissance. The visual fidelity of computer monitors has gone up considerably. There are 4K monitors, and 8K monitors are close behind. You won't find monitors like that among the laptops, but it is also completely unnecessary to look for that. For the smaller monitors that come along with owning a laptop, the smaller resolution won't even be noticeable. When looking for a monitor for your laptop, there are two thing to look at. You have to make a choice between what size of monitor you would like, and also the resolution you are looking for. There are fifteen and seventeen inch monitors on this list. They will both do a great job, and both have great visual fidelity. This is more of a personal preference. Obviously, there will be more to say if you have a seventeen-inch monitor, but you will also have to carry around a larger monitor if you take the laptop out of the house. The other thing you have to decide on is what resolution you want for your monitor. A 1920x1080 is the standard for many monitors, and it should be what you look for. This is the highest fidelity available among modern laptops and it looks great. You won't be wanting if you buy yourself a laptop with this resolution.
Battery Life
If you plan on taking your laptop out into the world sometimes, and honestly, you may as well if you have something so portable, then you should think about the battery life of the laptop that you are going to buy. Laptop batteries have become quite powerful these days, and the maximum charge you can get out of them has gone up and up until it is starting to reach a full day of charge, as long as the battery is fully charged. The highest battery life you'll find on this list is around ten hours, but anything over three to five hours is probably more reasonable, and will also be more than enough time. On the other hand, having a high amount of battery life is always a great feeling. The feeling of freedom is on that remains unmatched. Nothing is worse than watching your battery life slowly dwindle while you are trying to get something done. Something important to remember is that the amount of power that you'll get out of a battery is very dependent on what you are doing with your laptop. The amount of power you get out of your laptop is much higher when you are using a word document when compared to when you are playing a game. Playing a game will greatly reduce the amount of battery time you will get out of your laptop.
Portability
The amount of portability that you want to get out of your laptop will be a very personal preference. Although the stated purpose for owning a laptop is the added portability and the ability to take it anywhere, many people just leave their laptop around the house for the most part. If you travel for work, or if you just like being able to leave the house with your computer, then portability will be extra important to you. You will easily be able to take any of these laptops anywhere, but some will be easier to carry around than others. There are two sets of laptops on this list that you have to decide between when thinking about the portability of your soon to be laptop. There is the size of the laptop monitor, and there is the width of the laptop. There are two screen sizes on this list. There are the fifteen-inch screens, and there are also the seventeen-inch screens. The fifteen-inch screens are obviously more portable, but it is more of a matter of how much more space you can reasonably carry around. Seventeen inches is a little bit larger than it sounds, but both laptops can be taken out of the house easily. More important to the portability of your laptop is the thickness of the entire thing. Some laptops are intentionally thinner than others. A thin laptop is a godsend when you have to leave the house with your laptop. It takes up less space, but it is also so much lighter. It just feels like you can leave the house with it. The bulkier laptops are still capable of being taken out of the house, but they are often better for being taken around the house instead.
Durability
Even more so than with desktop PCs, the durability of laptops is very important. Laptops can only work because of how tightly all of the individual pieces have been put together. A Desktop PC can have a lot of space between their individual components. Because the pieces are closer together, they must also work in much finer harmony. Dropping a laptop is always a sensitive subject. Importantly, the thicker laptops will almost always do a better job of any tumbles or spills you may have. There is another issue of durability that you should think of when looking at these laptops. You should try to buy one with a good cooling system. Laptops can get much hotter than gaming PCs because of the tight fit. Parts warm up, and then the parts they are touching become hot as well. A good cooling system, whether it be fans or cooling vapors, are very important to the health of your laptop. A very hot laptop can get so hot it could burn your lap, or melt certain components.
10 Best Gaming Laptops
1. MSI GS65 Stealth
The MSI is an ultra-thin, ultra-powerful gaming laptop that is considered by many to be the top option if you are in the market to buy yourself a new gaming laptop.
Specs
The MSI runs a lot of the best technology currently on the scene when it comes to the power of your computer. It has an i7 processor, which is qualified to run any modern game, and a GTX 1060 from NVIDIA. These things put together mean that your laptop will be able to run any modern game on at least high settings, and you should be well set up for the future.
Other Features
The MSI's other claim to fame is that it is very thin, which is remarkable for how good it is operation-wise. The MSI's monitor is a fifteen-inch screen, which is actually a bit smaller than some of the other laptops on this list. It is more than enough space to clearly see the action of your favorite games. The monitor also has a 1440 Hz refresh rate, which make sit competitive with the best monitors you can buy.
Cost and Value
The MSI is quite expensive, but you are getting the best of the best in many different areas. You won't have any complaints when you buy this laptop. The graphics are the best you can find among gaming laptops. It will run anything you need as smooth as you can find. It also has a monitor that can compete with any of the best UHD monitors you can find these days.
2. Alienware ALW17
Alienware is well known for their stylish and powerful computer equipment. This laptop is no different, bringing style and power to the game.
Stylish Setup
The Alienware laptop is a seventeen-inch laptop that is built to look good, as well as perform well. This laptop rocks the distinctive Alienware style. It has an oblong case shape, and some stylish red highlights. This laptop is also built a little thicker than the MSI. This makes it less portable, but it is also more durable, so you won't have to worry as much about dropping it.
Specifications
The ALienware is no slouch when it comes to the power department. It has this in common with all of the other products that Alienware produce. It runs on an i7 processor so you don't have to worry about the speed of this laptop. It also has sixteen gigabytes of RAM, and almost a terabyte of space for your games, and other programs.
Cost and Value
The Alienware is a little bit cheaper than the MSI. It has comparable power, and a very definite style. The biggest advantage of this laptop is the larger screen. A seventeen-inch screen is lots of space to see what is going on. It does make this laptop less portable, however. These top two are more a matter of preference, rather than power.
3. ASUS ROG Zephyrus
The ASUS ROG is a powerhouse as far as gaming laptops go. This laptop is a top of the line unit, and has the specs to prove it.
Specifications
This laptop rocks a GTX 1070 graphics card, which makes it one of the most powerful laptops you can currently find. This unit also is in possession of an i7 processor, so you don't have to worry about the speed of your games. It has both a solid state drive and a traditional terabyte of memory so you can put your longer loading games on the solid state drive and speed them up.
Other Features
The ASUS ROG has many other great features that prove that it is at the top of its class. It has a specially made fan that makes sure the laptop stays cool even after long gaming sessions. The monitor is a fifteen-inch screen with a refresh rate of 144 Hz so the action will keep up with your quick motions. On top of all that, the ASUS ROG is designed to be ultra-thin so that it can be taken anywhere.
Cost and Value
The ASUS ROG costs quite a bit of money. It has some of the best features thhat you can find among modern gaming laptops, but it has the price tag to match. If you have the money, then this is a good choice for you.
4. Razer Blade 15
The Razer Blade 15 is a very high performing gaming laptop that has some of the best technology keeping it powered.
Specifications
The Razer Blade 15 uses an i7 core so that it can keep up to all of the modern games. This laptop should be able to run the newest games on the market today. It has a GTX 1070 for a graphics card, which will leave you safely on this side of modern graphics technology. It also keeps itself very quiet by foregoing fans, and instead using vapor cooling technology to keep this laptop at a cool and friendly temperature.
Other Features
This laptop is a fifteen inch laptop. It is very small and portable because the rim of the monitor is very thin. The screen of this laptop reaches all the out to the edges of the laptops frame. The laptop is also very thing. Coupled with its cooling systems, this laptop is very easily mobile, and you can take it anywhere.
Cost and Value
This laptop costs quite a bit more than other models on this list. It has the best of almost every feature you can find among laptops. It is very light, but also very powerful. It is useful if you want to use it for gaming, but it is also useful for people who use their laptop for work.
5. Omen X by HP
HP's Omen X is a seventeen-inch gaming laptop that has a sleek look that looks really cool when you take it out to wherever you are going.
Specifications
The Omen is another really powerful gaming laptop. It has an i7, seventh gen processor, which is more than powerful enough to run any of the games you might want it to. It also has 16 gigabytes of DDR4 memory. This laptop is also equipped with an SSD so it can load up your games more quickly than other laptops.
Other Features
The Omen has many other features that make it worth buying. It has a seventeen-inch screen, which gives the full viewing experience so you can experience your games in a fuller amount of glory. Another greet thing about the Omen is that it has an extra long battery life. The battery on this laptop should last you around five hours before you have to charge it again.
Cost and Value
The Omen costs a bit more than the cheaper laptops on this list. This is a great laptop to get the full experience out of your games. It loads quickly, has powerful technology packed into it, and a large screen to show it all off. The long battery life also makes this a great choice for a flight or other long trip somewhere.
6. GIGABYTE Aero
The Aero is a fifteen-inch laptop that has great graphical prowess, as well as features that make this laptop highly mobile.
Specifications
This laptop has an eighth generation i7 processor, which is almost up to the most modern standards for processors in computers. It also has sixteen gigabytes of RAM so it can run really demanding programs and games. It has 512 gigabytes of SSD memory, which is a lot of fast loading memory to have. The graphics card in this one is a GTX 1060, which is more than enough for most games.
Other Features
The Aero is a great laptop because it has many features that make it a great choice for mobility. The Aero does a good job maximizing its space. The monitor is fifteen inches, but its a fifteen inches that goes all the way out to the edge of the screen to maximize your possible space. It is also an anti-glare LCD display so it can be taken out and use din the sunshine.
Cost and Value
The Aero is a decently priced monitor that is up to date in all the important ways. This is a good choice for people who do a lot of traveling. It is very thin, and also has a very long battery life. It also is competitively priced to the higher placed laptops on this list.
7. Predator G3
The Predator is another great gaming laptop that has a fifteen inch screen. This is the product from Acer, who are known for their reliable computer products.
Specifications
This laptop runs a seventh-generation i7 processor, which makes it more than capable of running everything you need. The graphics card is an NVIDIA GTX 1060, which is a reliable graphics card that can run every modern game you can think of at high settings. It comes with a terabyte of traditional memory, and 256 gigabytes of SSD memory so you can load whatever games you are playing at the time much more quickly than the ones you have on the back-burner.
Other Features
The Predator has a fifteen inch screen. The screen runs at 1920x1080, which is a great resolution to see everything really clearly. The refresh rate is 60 Hz, which is a totally reliable refresh rate for when you are playing competitive games, or anything reflex-based.
Cost and Value
The Predator is a totally reliable gaming laptop. It has higher end features in every way you can imagine. It doesn't excel at too many things, but is high-end in all of them. This is a great laptop to get if you can't decide what the most important thing is in the laptop you are looking for.
8. Dell
Dell's gaming laptop is a simple choice if you are looking for a hard-working laptop. It works really well with what it has, and it does it at a reasonable price.
Specifications
The Dell has great technology put into it. It runs on an eighth generation i7 processor, which is quick enough to run any game that you want. It has 128 gigabytes of SSD memory, but one terabyte of traditional date. It has lots of memory so you can carry anything you need, but also some quick loading memory for your ease of use. On top of this, this laptop has eight gigabytes of RAM.
Other Features
This laptop has other great features that make it worth a buy. The fifteen-inch screen is equipped with anti-glare, which makes it easy to take with you wherever you go. It also rocks dual fans so it can reliably keep your laptop cool through a long gaming session.
Cost and Value
This is the real star of the show. Dell's gaming laptop does a great job at a great price. This is the lowest priced laptop on this list. There are sacrifices to get this price down. Specifically, the RAM and the amount of SSD memory, but this laptop is more than capable of playing anything you might need.
9. Acer Nitro 5
This is another well-priced laptop that trades some features for other features, but it still will do a good job overall giving you a solid gaming experience.
Specifications
The Acer Nitro runs on a seventh generation i5. It is more than powerful enough to give you a solid gaming experience for most games. The graphics card is a GTX 1050, which does a good job of keeping your games running.
Other Features
The Nitro has a fifteen-inch screen that does a good job presenting the action. It runs at 1920x1080 resolution, which will look really good on the smaller screen. It also has a very long battery life. The Nitro 5 should last for around seven hours of battery, which is long enough for any trips you may take, or a full day at the office.
Cost and Value
The Nitro 5 can be bought at a very good price. It is much cheaper than the other laptops on this list. This is a truer budget option, though. This is closer to a mid-range gaming laptop. It should run most games, but some newer games will probably only run at lower settings. They'll still look great at those settings though. This is a great choice if you want a budget computer and maybe usually run some older games.
10. Lenovo Y700
The Y700 is a powerful laptop from Lenovo that has a fifteen inch screen. It is a great laptop for all of your gaming needs.
Specifications
The Lenovo runs a sixth generation i7 processor. This is still fast enough to keep up with most modern games. The graphics card is a GTX 960, which is quite powerful for a mid-range set up. It has lots of memory. There is a terabyte of traditional memory, and 256 gigabytes of SSD space. This is lots of space for all of your storage needs.
Other Features
The Lenovo has a lot of convenient features that are great for smoothing out your using experience. It has a high quality webcam for if you need to talk to people far away, or use skype often. It also has a back lit keyboard which makes it easier to use in the dark. The speakers that come with this laptop are also quite high quality.
Cost and Value
The Lenovo costs a bit more than the other mid-range options on this list, but not by enough more that you'll notice the difference on your bank account. This computer runs quickly, but is better suited for slightly older games. It should still run modern ones, but the setting will have to be a little lower. The bonus features are very convenient though, and make the price more worthwhile.
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