Thanks to their powerful graphics, gorgeous displays and great audio, gaming laptops provide an immersive entertainment experience in a portable package. Many also offer stylish designs, desktop-quality keyboards and the ability to use high-end VR headsets.
To help you pick your perfect gaming laptop, we've compiled a list of the best gaming laptops, including our top picks from Alienware, Acer, Lenovo, MSI, Razer, Dell and more. For instance, check out our recent review of the Razer Blade 15 Base Edition, which offers stunning good looks paired with a surprising amount of power.
Here are the best gaming laptops you can buy now.
Here are the best gaming laptops you can buy now
- Alienware m17 R2
- Dell G3 15
- Lenovo Legion Y545
- Alienware Area 51m
- Asus ROG Mothership
- Asus ROG Strix Scar III
- HP Omen 17 (2019)
- Acer Predator Triton 500
- Razer Blade Pro 17
- MSI GS65 Stealth Thin
- Acer Nitro 5 Spin
- Razer Blade 15
- Alienware m15 OLED
- Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR
- MSI GT76 Titan
1. Alienware m17 R2
The best gaming laptop overall offers big power in slim, redesigned chassis
CPU: Intel Core i5/Core i7/Core i9 | GPU: Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti/2060/2070/2080 Max-Q | RAM: 8GB/16GB/32GB | Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB SSD | Display: 17.3-inch display (1080p) | Weight: 5.7 pounds
The Alienware m17 R2 packs impressive raw gaming performance and a big honkin' 17-inch screen into its new Legend design that's both sexy and intergalactic. Armed with an overclockable Core i9 processor and RTX GPU its perfect for fragging your enemies in virtual reality or watching movies with friends. A revamped cooling system sports quieter fans and a cooler gaming experience. Factor in the integrated eye-tracking technology and stunning display and you've got a certified powerhouse. Which is why it's our best gaming laptop overall.
See our full Alienware m17 R2 review.
2. Dell G3 15
An inexpensive gaming laptop with excellent performance and battery life
CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H | GPU: Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB SSD | Display: 17.3 inches, 1080p | Weight: 5.4 pounds
Dell's cheapest gaming laptop is back and better than ever. The G3 15 offers strong performance with its 9th Gen Core i5 CPU and GTX 1650 GPU backed by the full power of the Alienware Command Center –– all for under $1,000. Combine that with great battery life, with plenty of ports and a relatively comfortable and you have a badass gaming machine. However, the G3's affordable price does come at the cost of a relatively dull 15.6-inch display. Still, the G3 15 is one of the best gaming laptops you can get at its price point.
See our full Dell G3 15 review.
3. Lenovo Legion Y545
A great gaming laptop on a budget
CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H | GPU: Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 128GB SSD | Display: 15.6 inches, 1080p | Weight: 5.3 pounds
The Lenovo Legion Y545 is an entry-level gaming laptop that under promises and over-delivers. The laptop’s discrete Nvidia graphics chip serves up a surprising amount of power, with above-average results. And when you’re not gaming, the laptop’s Core i7 processor is more than capable of allowing you to create spreadsheets, do some light video-editing and, of course, watch some movies on that beautiful 1080p display.
With its industrial design accentuated by clean, attractive lines, the Lenovo Legion Y545 presents a nice contrast to many of its flashier counterparts. If you’re looking to game on a budget without sacrificing too much performance, the Lenovo Legion Y545 is a great choice.
4. Alienware Area 51m
A powerful behemoth that's fully upgradable
CPU: Intel Core i7/Core i9 | GPU: NvidiaRTX2070/2080 | RAM: 8GB/16GB/32GB/64GB | Storage: 256GB/512GB SSD | Display: 17.3-inch display (1080p, G-Sync) | Weight: 8.5 pounds
Meet the most powerful gaming laptop we've ever tested. The Alienware Area 51m's stunning, one-of-a-kind design houses a desktop-grade Intel Core i9 CPU and a full Nvidia RTX 2080 GPU, allowing it to tear through demanding games without breaking a sweat while supporting every possible bell and whistle -- including ray tracing. Better yet, the Area 51m's arresting magnesium alloy chassis is fully future-proof, allowing you to swap out key components such as the GPU and CPU to keep the system fresh over time. Factor in a stunning 1080p G-Sync display, customizable RGB lighting and booming front-firing speakers, and you've got the ultimate battlestation for gamers willing to splurge on sheer power.
See our full Alienware Area 51m review.
5. Asus ROG Mothership
Not a laptop, not a desktop, something entirely new
CPU: Intel Core i9-9980HK | GPU: Nvidia RTX 2080 | RAM: 64 GB | Storage: Dual 512GB SSD | Display: 17.3 inches, 1080p/4K | Weight: 10.5 pounds
You've never seen a gaming laptop like this. Part laptop, part all-in-one PC, the Asus ROG Mothership features a convertible design that allows you to detach the magnetic keyboard for a more comfortable desktop experience. You can also fold the Mothership in a variety of configurations to better suit your lap or desk. Add that versatility to a truly out-of-this-world design with customizable RGB lighting and up to an Intel Core i9 CPU and RTX 2080 graphics, and you have one of the most intriguing (albeit expensive) gaming laptops yet.
See our full Asus ROG Mothership review.
6. Asus ROG Strix Scar III
A damn near-perfect gaming laptop
CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H | GPU: Nvidia RTX 2060 | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 1TB SSD | Display: 15.6 inches, 1080p | Size: 14.2 x 10.8 x 1 inches | Weight: 4.3 pounds
The Asus ROG Strix Scar III is quite the impressive gaming laptop, offering strong performance, a 240Hz panel, long battery life, a clicky keyboard and decent speakers. The laptop easily barreled through our battery of tests and even managed to last over 5 hours on our battery test. Overall, the Asus ROG Strix Scar III is one of the best gaming laptops you can buy right now.
Read our Asus ROG Strix Scar III review.
7. HP Omen 17 (2019)
Powerhouse performance at entry-level prices
CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H | GPU: Nvidia RTX 2070 | RAM: 16 GB | Storage: 256GB NVMe SSD | Display: 17.3 inches, 1080p | Weight: 7.1 pounds
The new Omen 17 is an improvement over its predecessor in many ways: The laptop was redesigned with a slimmer, more sophisticated chassis; its RTX graphics offer a serious performance boost; and its 1080p, 144-Hz display gets quite bright. So despite the Omen 17's short battery life and mostly plastic chassis, it's one of the best gaming laptops at this price.
See our full HP Omen 17 (2019) review.
8. Acer Predator Triton 500
Copious amounts of power in a slim, slick chassis
CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H | GPU: Nvidia RTX 2060/2080 | RAM: 16/ 32GB | Storage: 512GB/dual 512GB NVMe PCIe SSD | Display: 15.6-inch 1080p display | Weight: 4.8 pounds
The Acer Predator Triton 500 impresses with its slim and light chassis and packs a serious punch with a slew of powerful components, including an 8th Gen Intel processor and one of Nvidia's new RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics. It offers a great mix of graphics and overall power, something you can't get in every gaming laptop. And thanks to the Turbo option, you can squeeze even more power out of the GPU. If you t serious power in a nice portable design, the Acer Predator Triton should be at the top of your list.
See our full Acer Predator Triton 500 review.
9. Razer Blade Pro 17
Great for gaming and content creation
CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H | GPU: Nvidia RTX 2060/2070 Max-Q/2080 Max-Q | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB SSD | Display: 17.3-inch, 1080p display | Weight: 6.1 pounds
The Razer Blade Pro 17 is an absolute stunner and the epitome of sleek with its 0.8-inch thick black aluminum chassis. But the Blade Pro is more than just a pretty face. It boasts an Intel 9th Gen processor and an RTX 2080 Max-Q GPU, making for a formidable gaming laptop and content creation system. A pair of lightning-fast SSDs and a surprisingly effective cooling system only sweeten the proposition. The laptop deftly straddles the line between gaming and creative professionals, delivering strong overall and gaming performance, a swift pair of SSDs and a nice display to get it done.
See our full Razer Blade Pro 17 review.
10. MSI GS65 Stealth Thin
Say hello to our skinny friend
CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H | GPU: Nvidia GTX 1060 Max-Q/1070 Max-Q | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB SSD | Display: 15.6-inch 1080p display | Weight: 4.1 pounds
Say hello to my skinny friend. At a mere 4.1 pounds and 0.7 inches thick, MSI's GS65 Stealth Thin is one of the company's slimmest gaming laptops to date. The laptop features Intel's new 8th gen, six-core Coffee Lake processor, which promises 20 percent more performance than its predecessor. But since this is a gaming laptop at its core, MSI squeezed an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q GPU into that slim frame. It's a true jack-of-all-trades system that should be at the top of your list. There is, however, a newer version of the system that features Intel 9th Gen processors and Nvidia RTX graphics.
See our full MSI GS65 Stealth Thin review.
11. Acer Nitro 5 Spin
A gaming laptop that's versatile and affordable
CPU: Intel Core i5/i7 | GPU: Nvidia GTX 1050 GPU | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 256GB SSD 1TB hard drive | Display: 15.6-inch 1080p | Weight: 4.9 pounds
Twist it, turn it, any way you want it. The Acer Nitro 5 Spin is a cornucopia of versatility, able to transform at the drop of a hat. In addition to its bendy antics, the notebook offers solid multitasking power, good battery life, a comfortable keyboard and easily convertible design. An Nvidia GTX 1050 GPU means that you'll get good frame rates while gaming — just not at the highest game settings.
See our full Acer Nitro 5 Spin review.
12. Razer Blade 15
A prettier, stronger, faster gaming laptop
CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H | GPU: Nvidia GTX 1060/RTX 2070 GPU | RAM: 16GB/32GB | Storage: 128GB SSD 1TB hard drive/512GB NVMe PCIe SSD | Display: 15.6-inch 1080p/4K display | Weight: 4.7 pounds
Starting at $1,599, the Blade is one of the lightest gaming laptops around, delivering strong performance and over 6 hours of battery life. This is also the first system in the Blade line to offer dual storage. And if that's not enough for you, Razer's also offering the notebook in a stunning Mercury White aluminum chassis that's sure to have all eyes on you when you make the winning play.
Read our full Razer Blade 15 review.
13. Alienware m15 OLED
Everything's better with OLED
CPU: Intel Core i5/i7 | GPU: Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti/RTX 2070 Max-Q | RAM: 8GB/16GB/32GB/64GB | Storage: 256GB SSD/1TB SSD 1TB SSD | Display: 15.6-inch 1080p/4K display/4K OLED | Weight: 4.8 pounds
The Alienware m15 proves that everything is better than OLED. The 15.6-inch 4K panel is simply gorgeous. It's extremely vivid without relying on oversaturation and offers rich blacks and true contrasts. And whenever you manage to pull your gaze away from that lovely panel, don’t forget to appreciate the high-powered components underneath the hood including an 8th Gen Intel Core i7 and an Nvidia RTX Graphics. It's a serious contender in the gaming laptop space.
See our full Alienware m15 OLED review.
14. Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR
Gaming never looked better on this OLED display
CPU: Intel Core i9-9980HK | GPU: Nvidia RTX 2070 Max-Q | RAM: 16 GB | Storage: 512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD | Display: 15.6-inch 1080p/4K | Weight: 5.8 pounds
Gigabyte's Aero 17 HDR is a beast of a gaming laptop. This baby has all the bells and whistles, including a gorgeous 17.3-inch, 4K HDR display, a super-comfortable keyboard, solid battery life and strong overall performance, all packed into a sleek design. It also features software called Gaming+ and Professional+ that optimizes your performance with help from Microsoft's Azure AI. Overall, the Aero 17 HDR makes for a great gaming laptop, impressing with its display and battery life.
See our full Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR review.
15. MSI GT76 Titan
Stunning good looks, kitchen-sink specs, budget-busting price
CPU: Intel Core i9-9900K | GPU: Nvidia RTX 2080 | RAM: 64 GB | Storage: dual 512GB NVMe PCIe SSDs/ a 1TB HDD | Display: 17.3-inch, 4K | Weight: 9.9 pounds
Ditching the tired black-and-red gamer aesthetic, the MSI GT76 Titan is stepping out in all its silver, foxy glory. The new look is nothing short of stunning, and when paired with MSI's custom of employing the most powerful components available, the Titan is a force to be reckoned with, performance-wise and financially. This laptop has just about everything, including an Intel desktop processor and a full Nvidia RTX 2080 GPU, which means it's plenty powerful for gaming and productivity.
See our full MSI GT76 Titan review.
15. HP Omen 15
Affordable gaming with great performance
CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H | GPU: Nvidia RTX 2080 | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD | Display: 15.6-inch, 1080p | Weight: 5.4 pounds
The HP Omen 15 is a great mid-tier gaming laptop. You get a system that packs a punch on both the gaming and overall performance. Not only can the Nvidia GTX 1650 GPU play AAA titles, but it can also play them well, and the display and audio ain't too shabby, either. If you're looking for an affordable gaming laptop that doesn't cut too many corners, the HP Omen is for you.
See our full HP Omen 15 (2019) review.