You can spend a lot of time delving into specs, but here are the key components to think about. See our full HP Omen 17 review.

Image credit: Future. Some budget gaming laptops will come with only a hard drive usually 1TB , but the majority of gaming notebooks also include a small SSD to serve as a boot drive. If you can, you should go for 16GB on a gaming PC. Similar components will perform better on desktops. Bright idea As well as taxing your components, games can also sap your battery, and when you run out of juice, it is, of course, game over. See our full Alienware m17 R3 review. When buying a gaming notebook, get one that will last you for a few years. However, the G3's affordable price does come at the cost of a relatively dull It's crazy bright and colorful and really lives up to that "HDR" label. You can also fold the Mothership in a variety of configurations to better suit your lap or desk.

Prebuilt desktops get a little trickier. The 4. These are the cards that will let you start pumping up effects like Nvidia Gameworks. USAFRet said:. Anti-ghosting and n-key rollover: These are two features that will keep you performing at your best in games. You can also find laptops with desktop CPUs. But the desktop does have some additional costs when you first start out. Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync: Some gaming notebooks, particularly on the high-end, support technologies that sync the display with the graphics cards, which eliminates screen tearing and ghosting. No longer do you have to make the ultimate sacrifice of gaming performance for the convenience of having a gaming PC you can shift around your home or into the outside world.

It's our top gaming laptop for DIYers and those in search of performance-focused system. See our picks for best gaming laptops of below. The Alienware Area 51m's stunning, one-of-a-kind design houses a desktop-grade Intel Core i9 CPU and a full Nvidia RTX GPU, allowing it to tear through demanding games without breaking a sweat while supporting every possible high-powered feature -- including ray tracing -- a technology designed to bring gamers ever closer to photorealism. Despite it being loud, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is a reliable inch system with high-end graphics that rivals even some gaming desktops. Image 2 of 4 Image credit: Newegg. It's ideal for work or play. If you can, you should go for 16GB on a gaming PC. That means games with undemanding graphics, or perhaps older titles. These are the cards that will let you start pumping up effects like Nvidia Gameworks.

What better way to join the party than by offering a powerful gaming rig at a reasonable price? Image 1 of 4 Image credit: Dell. Gurg said:. On top of that, you may need speakers or headphones. But the desktop does have some additional costs when you first start out. Overall, the Aero 17 HDR makes for a great gaming laptop, impressing with its display and battery life. Dell G3 15 An inexpensive gaming laptop with excellent performance and battery life. It had been a few years since I tore down a notebook PC. The Alienware Area 51m's stunning, one-of-a-kind design houses a desktop-grade Intel Core i9 CPU and a full Nvidia RTX GPU, allowing it to tear through demanding games without breaking a sweat while supporting every possible high-powered feature -- including ray tracing -- a technology designed to bring gamers ever closer to photorealism.

Budget-conscious gamers will want to take a closer look at the new Dell G5 15 SE. What do specific brands offer? The desktop has twice the space of the laptop, albeit with a slower, clunkier spinning hard drive instead of a fast NVMe SSD. That means games with undemanding graphics, or perhaps older titles. The only possible issue I can think of is the issue with very-thin notebook PCs that Apple started - but, that is outside of what I am writing about here. Winner: Tie. There really should be a standard 9 inch by 12 inch by 1 inch notebook PC frame, and a standard notebook PC system-board form factor that would allow anyone to put together their own BYO notebook PC. And while you may not get the same raw power, there are laptops at every price point, and at the top-end they can still run games at their highest settings. In general, we prefer keys with over 1.

Each gaming laptop brand has a bit of special sauce. These are the cards that will let you start pumping up effects like Nvidia Gameworks. However, gaming laptop battery life has gotten increasing longer over the years. See all comments But even that requires plenty of peripherals and a monitor to use. So much so, that anything under 4. Bottom Line When buying a gaming notebook, get one that will last you for a few years. Budget-conscious gamers will want to take a closer look at the new Dell G5 15 SE. Acer Predator Triton Copious amounts of power in a slim, slick chassis. See our full Razer Blade Pro 17 review.

The Lenovo Legion Y is an entry-level gaming laptop that under promises and over-delivers. Even at its current price, it still outperforms pricier mid-range gaming laptops, which is kind of wild. It offers a great mix of graphics and overall power, something you can't get in every gaming laptop. Sometimes just lightweight and powerful are fine. Why has there never been a BYO notebook industry develop? It's a fantastic all-rounder that still packs a punch in terms of specs and design. USAFRet said:. Some have specific hardware designs that stand out while others focus on custom software.

Why not both? Best of all, it comes in Alienware's stunning new Legend design which is sophisticated and svelte. Gurg said:. The gamut ranges from college students hoping to play anywhere on campus to businesspeople who want to play during a train commute. In general, this is an easy win for gaming laptops. Prebuilt desktops get a little trickier. The best gaming laptops need to have the performance, portability, battery life, killer display and, of course, a great price that works best for you. See our full Acer Predator Triton review.

Pre-built desktops come with a bit of a labor cost built in. And even if you want a new CPU that requires a different type of motherboard, you still have a case and power supply you can continue to use and there will surely be a market for your used parts. See how to build a PC. The notebook has a To test endurance, the Laptop Mag Battery test surfs the web at nits of brightness until the system runs out of juice. No longer do you have to make the ultimate sacrifice of gaming performance for the convenience of having a gaming PC you can shift around your home or into the outside world. You have to make compromises in areas like performance, design, and even battery life. It's a bold departure from the tired gamer motif.

Dell's cheapest gaming laptop is back and better than ever. These are the cards that will let you start pumping up effects like Nvidia Gameworks. Not to be outdone, Intel's 10th Gen chips are nothing to sneeze at. It is a complete waste of time and money and creates no value. Surely connectivity matters. See comments. Thanks to the architecture in the new Ryzen chips, they're super power efficient without sacrificing productivity. Anti-ghosting means that when you mash on several keys for combos or perform several actions, they will all register.

Amazon Prime Day deals: the place to find all the best Prime Day bargains around October 13 and What are the best gaming laptops right now? No longer do you have to make the ultimate sacrifice of gaming performance for the convenience of having a gaming PC you can shift around your home or into the outside world. One easy way to help conserve power is to lower the screen brightness, at least as much as you can while still having a palatable gaming experience. If you can afford it, get a mid-range to high-end GPU, though obviously a better card will offer better performance. The new model takes everything that made the Blade 15 our pick as the best gaming laptop over the years and only improves it. Back to School See comments.

We're also checking for design, keyboard, audio and display quality and especially value. One easy way to help conserve power is to lower the screen brightness, at least as much as you can while still having a palatable gaming experience. Here are the best gaming laptops of you can buy now. What GPU do you need? Heck, a good gaming laptop can even pull double-duty as a serious work station. The best gaming laptops are able to offer desktop-level gaming performance in form factors that would have seemed impossible only a few years ago. Razer Blade 15 A prettier, stronger, faster gaming laptop. However, the G3's affordable price does come at the cost of a relatively dull Best of all, it comes in Alienware's stunning new Legend design which is sophisticated and svelte. Dell G3 15 An inexpensive gaming laptop with excellent performance and battery life.

The laptop lasted over 6 hours on our battery test. Hands down, it a great gaming laptop that looks good and plays hard. Image 2 of 4 Image credit: ROG. We use a colorimeter to measure screen brightness and color gamut while other instruments help us determine a laptop's key travel and ambient heat. But there are still the big behemoths that don't skimp on the specs. Jorge Jimenez. Whatever uses you have planned for your machine, there are a lot of intricacies to mobile PC gaming, so it helps to do your research. See our full HP Omen 15 review. And some innovations in the laptop space have definitely closed the gap. Just want a better GPU?

Back to School Higher resolution displays x , x are pretty, but top out at 60Hz. Hands down, it a great gaming laptop that looks good and plays hard. But as its svelte, stylish frame reveals, this is still very much a laptop for content creators and productivity users. Image 4 of 4. Of course not, which is why the best builders cram in as much processing muscle as possible, even when money is tight. Winner: Tie. Here is the thing in regard to this article. Like memory, storage is often upgradeable in gaming notebooks. Factor in a stunning p G-Sync display, customizable RGB lighting, a seriously comfortable and booming front-firing speakers, and you've got the ultimate battlestation for gamers willing to splurge in pursuit of sheer power.

Image 3 of 4 Image credit: Asus. Jorge Jimenez. The Strix Scar III is quite the impressive gaming laptop, offering strong performance, a Hz panel, long battery life, a clicky keyboard and decent speakers. This panel, without a doubt is kick-ass. Desktops also allow for liquid cooling, if you prefer. Image 4 of 4. To help you choose a system, here are five key points to keep in mind when choosing a system. The new is the lovely new silver design that's Camelot-meets-the-racetrack.

What GPU do you need? Razer still believes in going big or going home. If you build it yourself, you can save some money and get better components. A gaming laptop is a rig on the go, with the power to play games in a size you can take with you. Hands down, it a great gaming laptop that looks good and plays hard. The display itself seems the only downside, not having as rich a color range as the other gaming laptops on this list. Amazon Prime Day deals: the place to find all the best Prime Day bargains around October 13 and If you can, you should go for 16GB on a gaming PC. Whether you prefer upgradeability, portability or affordability, both laptops and desktops have options. This panel, without a doubt is kick-ass.

Winner: Tie. One easy way to help conserve power is to lower the screen brightness, at least as much as you can while still having a palatable gaming experience. Sometimes just lightweight and powerful are fine. The only possible issue I can think of is the issue with very-thin notebook PCs that Apple started - but, that is outside of what I am writing about here. It's crazy bright and colorful and really lives up to that "HDR" label. The laptop lasted over 6 hours on our battery test. Enter the Omen 17 a great upper-tier gaming laptop that play nice with your budget. After all, even the mammoth inch systems ultimately fold up and can fit in a bag.

Some machines, with desktop-class components, require two massive bricks. Image 3 of 4 Image credit: Dell. If you want serious power in a nice portable design, the Acer Predator Triton is a good gaming laptop that should be at the top of your list. Image 1 of 4. HP Omen 15 Affordable gaming with great performance. A couple of years ago, the answer to this question would have been undoubtedly Intel. And while you may not get the same raw power, there are laptops at every price point, and at the top-end they can still run games at their highest settings. What better way to join the party than by offering a powerful gaming rig at a reasonable price? As well as taxing your components, games can also sap your battery, and when you run out of juice, it is, of course, game over. These are the cards that will let you start pumping up effects like Nvidia Gameworks.

How about high-end hardware to facilitate the fastest frame rates? Image 2 of 4 Image credit: Dell. Drop the display resolution down as much as you can go without getting silly, accounting for your own personal tolerance for lower quality graphics. The gamut ranges from college students hoping to play anywhere on campus to businesspeople who want to play during a train commute. Read the full Razer Blade 15 Advanced Edition review. Heck, a good gaming laptop can even pull double-duty as a serious work station. Razer Blade 15 The best gaming laptop. And best of all, Alienware offers reasonable prices for those of us trying to adhere to strict budgets. But even that requires plenty of peripherals and a monitor to use. The desktop has twice the space of the laptop, albeit with a slower, clunkier spinning hard drive instead of a fast NVMe SSD.

The gaming laptop also sports a SSD with "blink-and-you'll-miss-it? Of course not, which is why the best builders cram in as much processing muscle as possible, even when money is tight. Prime Day deals are coming Not to be outdone, Intel's 10th Gen chips are nothing to sneeze at. Prebuilt desktops get a little trickier. All in all, is a great gaming laptop for gamers that want a lot of power, in a lightweight, elegant package. No longer do you have to make the ultimate sacrifice of gaming performance for the convenience of having a gaming PC you can shift around your home or into the outside world. Those powerful specs allow the laptop to go toe-to-toe with its main competitors on both the gaming and multitasking fronts. And it also has a great webcam, which is somewhat of an anomaly in laptops in general. It's a fantastic all-rounder that still packs a punch in terms of specs and design.

Hands down, it a great gaming laptop that looks good and plays hard. If you're looking for an affordable gaming laptop that doesn't cut too many corners, the HP Omen is for you. Image 4 of 4 Image credit: Dell. And if you're need them, the Y has enough ports to support a nice fleet of peripherals. Whether you prefer upgradeability, portability or affordability, both laptops and desktops have options. See our full Alienware Area 51m review. Here is the thing in regard to this article. Some machines, with desktop-class components, require two massive bricks. Topics Gaming.

And its still got plenty of bells and whistles including the AAS cooling system which has been modified to allow the secondary screen to raise, making it easier for gamers to quickly glance down and keep track of the action. Topics Gaming. It is a complete waste of time and money and creates no value. For lot of folks these days, the system of their dreams need to check a lot of boxes. Many also offer stylish designs, desktop-quality keyboards and the ability to use high-end VR headsets. Razer Blade 15 The best gaming laptop. Whatever uses you have planned for your machine, there are a lot of intricacies to mobile PC gaming, so it helps to do your research. Gaming laptops: When its time to save, create the world or just blast some baddies , accept no substitutes. Read the full Razer Blade 15 Advanced Edition review. Surely connectivity matters.

Image 3 of 4 Image credit: ROG. The desktop has twice the space of the laptop, albeit with a slower, clunkier spinning hard drive instead of a fast NVMe SSD. Portability of Gaming Desktops vs. No longer do you have to make the ultimate sacrifice of gaming performance for the convenience of having a gaming PC you can shift around your home or into the outside world. The company's ultraportable has been upgraded with discrete Nvidia graphics which means you can game on the road —— once work is done of course. It's one of the best gaming laptops at this price. Which is a better rig? And even if you want a new CPU that requires a different type of motherboard, you still have a case and power supply you can continue to use and there will surely be a market for your used parts. The Aero 17 HDR leaves little doubt that it's a top gaming laptop. We're also checking for design, keyboard, audio and display quality and especially value.

What kind of comparison is this? Back to School Meanwhile, if you want to handle real-time ray tracing on the go, then there's nothing to stop you. Resolution: Never get anything less than a x display. USAFRet said:. My son dropped his notebook PC a few weeks ago and we got into repairing it. What size you like is matter of personal preference, but remember that the larger the screen, the bigger and heavier the laptop. Gaming laptops are in a weird transitional period since their desktop counterparts are now just adopting Nvidia's latest RTX series graphics cards which are cranking ridiculously high frame rates.

But even that requires plenty of peripherals and a monitor to use. Anti-ghosting and n-key rollover: These are two features that will keep you performing at your best in games. Surely connectivity matters. The G14 is a great laptop, especially seeing as it can push Metro Exodus at the highest settings, with ray tracing on, at an average pace of 40fps. Avoid touch screens: While not inherently bad, touch screens are unnecessary on gaming notebooks some 2-in-1 models notwithstanding. Resolution: Never get anything less than a x display. Laptops In general, this is an easy win for gaming laptops. But gaming laptops are less upgradeable and ultimately need to be replaced entirely when they are out of date in a few years. And while you may not get the same raw power, there are laptops at every price point, and at the top-end they can still run games at their highest settings. What better way to join the party than by offering a powerful gaming rig at a reasonable price?