Best Gaming Laptops in 2023

Don’t forget about the ergonomic appearance of gaming laptops. “Cut” corners, bright color accents and backlit keyboards – aggressiveness and steel character that immediately catches the eye.

Let’s look at the main differences between a gaming laptop and a regular PC:

Based on wishes, financial capabilities and gaming level, a gaming laptop can be divided into three categories:

1. Basic option

A laptop with an integrated video card will be a good option for undemanding users. It cannot be called completely gaming, but it does not require large investments. It is advisable to choose models with the following configuration: Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 processor, RAM – at least 8 GB, SSD capacity – from 256 GB. This option is suitable for those who prefer to play old, light games (for example, Warcraft 3 TFT or FIFA 10).

2. Affordable gaming laptop

The main indicators are one level higher: Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 processor, RAM of at least 16 GB, SSD capacity from 512 GB with the ability to install additional storage. LAN port (for direct Internet connection) with high bandwidth.

3. Flagship gaming laptop

This version of the laptop will allow you to play any, even the most demanding game, without worrying about image quality, playback speed, cooler noise and excessive heating of the case. Moreover, it will be able to handle various resource-intensive projects (for example, photo and video processing). The performance of such laptops must be no lower than the following characteristics: an Intel Core i9 processor (or newer), a powerful RTX 3080 Ti video card (or newer), RAM of 32 GB and a 1 TB SSD with expandability.

Editor’s Choice

MSI GS66 Stealth Thin

The GS66 Stealth Thin is a model that attracts attention with its ergonomic design. Compared to its predecessor (MSI GS65 Stealth Thin), the laptop received a reinforced metal case: it became stronger, but a little heavier (2.1 kg), but acquired a more powerful battery (up to 6.5 hours of battery life) and more modern technical components .

This laptop has two configurations: a top-end model equipped with an Intel Core i9 processor, a GeForce RTX 2080 Super video card and 32 GB of RAM, and a more budget model with an Intel Core i7, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 video card and 16 GB of RAM.

As for the internal storage, the laptop is equipped with a 1 TB or 2 TB SSD drive (depending on the configuration). You can also install a second drive: via the high-speed Thunderbolt 3 port or by connecting an external drive. The 15.6-inch display produces images with a frequency of up to 300 Hz, making image transmission smooth and clear.

Main characteristics

Rating of the top 11 best gaming laptops in 2023 according to KP

ASUS ROG ZEPHYRUS G15

ASUS Rog Zephyrus G15 serves as a universal laptop, allowing you to use it for productive games and for various work (for example, graphic design). The PC has high performance thanks to the AMD Ryzen 7 processor, GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card, 32 GB RAM and up to 1 TB SSD storage (512 GB option available).

The model is optimal in weight (1.9 kg) and is charged via Type-C – mobile gamers will always be able to take their laptop with them. It should be noted that there are six built-in speakers with Dolby Atmos technology (surround sound technology).

The ultra-thin laptop is available in two stylish options: Moonlight White and Eclipse Gray. The body is made of aluminum, and the metal top cover has an original iridescent pattern.

According to customer reviews, the disadvantages include loud noise in turbo mode, glare on the screen and an asymmetrical key layout, which makes it difficult to get used to the keyboard.

Main characteristics

Lenovo Think Book

The powerful AMD Ryzen 5600 H-series mobile processor delivers smooth, high-performance PC performance. Good gaming performance and image processing are available thanks to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics. The laptop also has a high-quality display (16 inches) with an aspect ratio of 16:10 and a resolution of 2.5K (2560 x 1600) and natural color reproduction. The ultra-portable, lightweight (1.82 kg) gadget is perfect for people who prefer to take their laptop with them. The advantages include the ability to charge the laptop via the USB Type-C connector.

The body of the ThinkBook device is made of premium material – anodized aluminum. This coating gives the laptop a sophisticated appearance, as well as greater strength and increases the service life of body parts. The PC has one color option – “mineral gray” with a two-tone top cover.

The disadvantages, according to consumer reviews, include a noisy cooling system and short battery life during games (2-3 hours).

Main characteristics

Acer Nitro 5

Play to your heart’s content with an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, GeForce RTX 30-series GPU, and a high-speed FHD/QHD display. With a processor clock speed of up to 5.0 GHz in Turbo mode with 4 cores and 8 threads, the laptop can handle even heavy games. The device has internal SSD storage of 512 GB and additional space for a second drive. According to user reviews, in gaming mode the battery life will be only 2 hours.

The computer allows you to monitor and control its cooling system in real time using NitroSense (this program allows you to change fan speed, adjust the laptop’s power consumption, or select one of six audio modes).

MSI Alpha 15

A laptop with Radeon RX graphics and a Ryzen 7 processor evenly distributes power and cooling between the processor and graphics card, resulting in fast, uninterrupted PC operation and increased battery life. Plus, the 144Hz gaming display delivers smooth, crisp images that gamers will appreciate.

The metal body of the device is easily soiled, but shock-resistant. The disadvantages include a small number of USB ports – there are only two of them, so in addition to the laptop it is better to immediately purchase a USB hub.

The strict metal body, laconic design, and bright, customizable keyboard backlight will appeal to those who value discreet, stylish and reliable devices.

Main characteristics

Predator Triton 300 SE

The laptop combines compactness (14-inch screen), mobility (weight 1.8 kg) and excellent gaming performance. The last point is answered by the 11th generation Intel Core i7 processor and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 video card, which provide a clear and smooth picture. The RAM is provided by a 1 TB NVMe drive.

Using the PredatorSense program, you can customize your RGB-backlit keyboard (choose from 16 million colors and any backlight brightness). To increase the laptop’s performance (from 2.7 GHz to 5 GHz), just press the TURBO hotkey. Almost along the entire lower case there are connectors for air intake, which guarantees a good cooling system.

The laptop is equipped with many ports: two USB 3.2, Type-A, Type-C connector (Thunderbolt 4), HDMI 2.1 and a headphone jack with microphone. The manufacturer guarantees high-quality sound and realistic surround sounds both when watching movies and while playing games. But, according to user reviews, with normal Internet surfing and in bright lighting, the laptop will work for only 4.5 hours.

Main characteristics

ASUS TUF F17

The AMD Ryzen 7 processor and 8 GB of RAM ensure smooth operation even under heavy loads. Thanks to a comprehensive cooling system, power is maintained at 45 W, allowing you to use your computer in multitasking mode. The GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card produces high frame rates in many modern games, and the large (17.3-inch) bright screen allows you to fully immerse yourself in the gaming world.

The laptop is available in two color options: stylish gray and aggressive black. The device body is shockproof and can withstand a fall from a short distance. 

Lenovo Legion 5 Pro

The laptop is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 processor, which boasts high frequencies up to 4.5 GHz, ensuring smooth operation and fast launch of games. This model has a 16-inch QHD+ display and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card, which allows you to enjoy high-quality color reproduction and bright pictures while gaming.

To reduce heating of the laptop, the case is made of aluminum, and the keyboard and touchpad are made of plastic. One of the obvious advantages is durability. The keyboard can withstand even very strong pressure, as does the laptop lid. The design of the PC is attractive and purely gaming, without frills.

Customer reviews note mediocre battery life during gaming (2-3 hours) and strong heating.

Main characteristics

MSI Pulse GL66

Laptop manufacturer MSI Pulse claims that the built-in Intel CoreTM i7 processor delivers up to 40% higher performance than the previous generation with Intel i5 processor. The PC achieves great power using an 8-core processor that supports dual-core frequencies up to 4.6 GHz.

A powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 video card and a high-frequency display (144 Hz) are responsible for the bright picture. The RAM of this laptop is 16 GB and the SSD hard drive is 512 GB with two additional slots for increasing the storage capacity (up to 2 TB). Thanks to these characteristics, any user will play and work in heavy applications (Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro) with great pleasure. Like many gaming laptops, this model can withstand about 3 hours of battery life. Some inconveniences include the power button built into the keyboard and the lack of a card reader.

With titanium gray metallic armor and contoured lines, the PC will appeal to those who love a futuristic aesthetic.

Main characteristics

HP Pavilion Gaming 17

The gaming laptop has a large screen (17.3 inches), an Intel Core i5 3.1 GHz processor, a professional NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 video card and an effective cooling system (the intake occurs from the bottom of the laptop, and hot air is blown out from the back). This model does not provide an additional hard drive slot, but despite this, the internal storage of the laptop is 1 TB, which is acceptable for gaming laptops. Battery life is 6 hours when surfing the Internet.

The HP Pavilion Gaming model is suitable for users who often play games on a laptop or work with heavy applications (for example, programs for video editing, vector graphics, photo processing).

Main characteristics

Acer Predator Helios 300

The Acer Predator Helios 300 is an incredible value proposition. For the money, it offers a GTX 1060 6GB graphics card that can run at 60fps at near maximum settings in most games over the past few years. The system lacks any fancy screen features such as G-Sync, although you can get a model with a 144Hz refresh rate.

Overall, the Acer Predator Helios 300 is the best budget gaming laptop you can buy without compromising on the features you want in a portable gaming device.

Main characteristics

MSI Katana GF76

The laptop combines high performance, stylish design and high energy efficiency. It is equipped with an Intel Core i7-11800H processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card, 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD. There is a free slot for additional storage of 1 TB and a connector for a 2.5-inch SATA drive. These characteristics ensure smooth operation of the PC in multitasking mode. 

Leaders of past years

Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model

Since the original Razer Blade 15 launched in spring 2018, nothing has changed. The updated, so-called “Advanced Model” features the same aluminum chassis, only this time with the latest graphics chips from NVIDIA.

Overall, the Razer Blade 15 is designed to replace not only a PC, but also any laptop that competes with it. After all, its touchpad is very similar to a MacBook, but on Windows. Moreover, the device is available in a plethora of different configurations. For example, if you need a 4K OLED screen, please configure. RTX 2080 at your service.

Main characteristics

MSI GS65 Stealth Thin

The GS65 Stealth Thin is a fantastic all-rounder that still delivers unrivaled performance and design. It has a sleek black aluminum body with gold accents, but best of all, in addition to its slim 18mm thickness, the 4.9mm slim screen bezels contribute to the overall body size.

While it won’t do ray tracing, this specification is sufficient to run most modern games in 2023. The GS65 has other nice touches that make it a great laptop: a SteelSeries keyboard, and a reliable and responsive touchpad.

The only gaming feature missing here is G-Sync, but it keeps the price down and has a battery life that rightfully lasts almost an entire day.

Main characteristics

Gigabyte Aero 15X v8

Compared to the GSI GS65 and Razer Blade 15, the Aero 15X has a less attractive, sharp-edged body, but wins in the performance category thanks to its larger battery. With nearly identical internals, gaming performance is also comparable to the GS65. The biggest difference, besides the body and battery design, is that the Aero 15X can be equipped with a 4K screen.

Main characteristics

Asus ROG Strix GL503VS-DH74 Scar Edition

The GL503VS comes with a regular (non-Max-Q) GTX 1070 GPU. This results in about 15 percent better performance at a slightly lower price. It uses a previous generation quad-core processor, but that doesn’t matter in most games. The GL503VS also offers G-Sync on a 144Hz panel without the option of using Nvidia Optimus batteries. So you shouldn’t expect more than two hours of battery life. So, don’t forget your charger!

Main characteristics

Lenovo Legion Y740

Despite only being around for a couple of years, Lenovo’s Legion laptops have made a name for themselves in the gaming industry, if only because they offer unprecedented value for top-notch specs.

The Chinese tech company, best known for its smart tablets, strives to squeeze maximum performance out of the cheapest materials without sacrificing quality or design. Nowhere is this principle more evident than in the Lenovo Legion Y740, a 17.3-inch gaming laptop whose graphics chip ranges from Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 to 2080.

For example, the screen uses technologies rarely seen elsewhere. For example, Dolby Vision HDR in full color on a 144Hz IPS display. And G-Sync eliminates the need for software adaptive synchronization protocols.

On the audio front, the Y740 features another amazing Dolby technology: Atmos. Its Windows 10 Home installation also includes Dolby Atmos software, paving the way for custom EQ profiles and almost compensating for downward speaker orientation.

Main characteristics

MSI GS75 Stealth

Inside the aluminum alloy chassis, the GS75 Stealth houses a durable GeForce RTX graphics card, spanning nearly the entire Nvidia lineup with ray tracing support, paired with an Intel Core i7-8750H processor no matter which configuration you buy. Performance is also impressive, with the latest games running at 87 frames per second at 1080p resolution. Quite incredible for a laptop that weighs less than three kilograms.

Main characteristics

Acer Predator Triton 500

Not everyone needs the thinnest or most powerful gaming laptop. The Acer Predator Triton 500 is a Max-Q laptop that strikes a smart balance between portability, performance and price.

The model is ideal for gaming – the new products fly at the highest settings with ray tracing enabled at an average speed of 56 frames per second. And at the same time, you get to enjoy the luxury of a 1.7mm keyboard and Microsoft’s precision touchpad.

Main characteristics

Dell Inspiron 15 7567

If you’re looking for a cheap laptop for playing indie or other less demanding games, the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 series is a blessing. The 7567 features the GTX 1050 Ti, a slight upgrade over the lower-end GTX 1050 model, which can be had for slightly less. Neither can handle the latest games at high or max settings, but if all you’re interested in is light indie gaming, the 7567 is a great ultra-budget option.

As a bonus, the 7567 features a durable battery that should last more than four hours, depending on workload. This makes it a great school laptop for young gamers.

Main characteristics

MSI GL63 8RC

The MSI GL63 8RC should be the best choice for ultra-budget gaming laptops. It features an Intel i5-8300H processor, 8GB of DDR4 RAM, Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1050, and one of the thinnest bezels on the market. The only obvious downside is the lack of an included SSD. The laptop comes with a 1TB hard drive, which means you’ll probably want to upgrade the storage pretty quickly.

Main characteristics

How to choose a gaming laptop

The most important things to consider when choosing a gaming laptop are the processor, graphics card, and amount of RAM. Let’s take a closer look at the optimal characteristics by which you need to choose a gaming PC:

Processor

One of the most important components of a gaming laptop is the processor. It is he who is responsible for the performance and speed of uninterrupted operation under heavy loads (using graphics programs, heavy games Hitman 3 or Far Cry 6). It is advisable to choose devices with a CPU (digital processor) of at least Intel Core i5, AMD Ryzen 5 or Apple M1. It is also worth paying attention to the number of cores. If you plan to use the laptop for modern games, then you will need at least six.

Video card

The video card cannot be replaced or modified, so if you plan to use the laptop for several years or more, then you should pay attention to high-performance graphics processors. For example, on video cards from the manufacturer NVIDIA.

If you are considering the budget segment, then you should choose the mobile NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti and GTX 1650, as well as the 1650 Ti. These options will allow you to comfortably play older or less demanding games. In the mid-range, graphics cards like the RTX 3050 and RTX 3050 Ti are good options, especially if you’re into esports gaming.

The next video card is the RTX 3060. It will allow you to play modern games at high settings in Full HD. And when it comes to the flagship segment, the RTX 3070, RTX 3070 Ti, RTX 3080 and RTX 3080 Ti are truly powerful graphics cards with accelerators. In addition to games, it will be comfortable to work with various projects that require maximum detail (for example, Photoshop).

RAM

An equally important component will be the amount of RAM. We recommend choosing the 8GB or 16GB configuration to ensure proper laptop performance. You should also pay attention to memory performance, for example, a DDR4 module with a minimum frequency of 2666 MHz is required in dual-channel mode (2×4 GB or 2×8 GB).

Storage device

For modern games, a large amount of memory is important. A high-performance gaming laptop usually comes with a 512GB SSD. If desired, you can always replace it with a larger one. Typically, gaming laptops have space for a second drive, and also have a slot for installing a 2.5-inch hard drive, which will allow you to increase the amount of total memory, for example, up to 1 TB.

Popular questions and answers

Our expert Vitaly Peleshenko, Candidate of Technical Sciences, answers frequent questions from KP readers about gaming laptops .