Best Gaming Laptops: 2024 Picks - IGN (2024)

If you're terrified of a giant gaming PC taking up your entire desk, or you just want a thin and light laptop to carry around while still being able to play games, the best gaming laptops are where you want to look. These days, the performance gap between desktop PCs and gaming laptops has shrunk to the point where you can get an excellent 4K gaming experience on a laptop as thin and light as the Razer Blade 16 – our number one pick.

Jump to detailed looks at our picks for the best gaming laptops, or just see the shopping list below:

TL;DR – These are the Best Gaming Laptops

• Razer Blade 16 - Best Overall Gaming Laptop
• Gigabyte Aorus 15 - Best Budget Gaming Laptop
• Lenovo Legion 9i - Best High-End Gaming Laptop
• Alienware x16 R2 - Best 16-inch Gaming Laptop
• Origin EON17-X - Best 17-inch Gaming Laptop
• Razer Blade 18 - Best 18-inch Gaming Laptop
• Acer Predator Helios 16 - Best Desktop Replacement Gaming Laptop
• Asus ROG Flow Z13 - Best Gaming Tablet
• Acer Chromebook 516 GE - Best Gaming Chromebook

When you're out shopping for a gaming laptop, thinking about the PC games you actually play is critically important. Now more than ever, gaming laptops come in every shape in size, from thin and light devices like our number one pick to bulky desktop replacements like the Origin EON17-X. This kind of gaming laptop edges out on performance by pumping as much electricity into the CPU and GPU as possible, in order to maximise performance. But that comes at the cost of battery life, of course.

There are dozens of them out there, from a ton of different gaming laptop brands, but don't worry. We've used dozens of gaming laptops in our time, and have collected our favorites into this handy little buying guide. And go here to find the best gaming laptops in the UK.

Looking for discounts on laptops like these? Check out our guide to the best gaming laptop deals.

The Best Gaming Laptops Right Now

1. Razer Blade 16

Best Gaming Laptop

Razer has been crafting the best gaming laptops for years now, and the new Razer Blade 16 is a perfect example of the years of experience the company has. This thin and light gaming laptop measures just 0.61 inches thick, weighs 5.4 lbs, but can somehow stuff a power-hungry Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 without losing too much potential performance. This is gaming laptop you can easily carry in your backpack, whip out at a friend's house, then show them what Cyberpunk 2077 looks like with path tracing (it looks awesome).

There is a bit of a downside, though. The Razer Blade 16, the luxury gaming laptop that it is, is very expensive. You're going to have to drop $2,999 to get in on the ground floor, which will set you up with a powerful Core i9 processor, 16GB of RAM and an RTX 4070. But if you want the best graphics card, you're going to have to drop an eye-watering $4,199. That's a lot of cash, to be sure, but keep in mind that Razer has earned its nickname of the "Apple of gaming", and this new Razer Blade is essentially a MacBook Pro that runs Windows.

Read the full review: Razer Blade 16 (2023)

2. Gigabyte Aorus 15

Best Budget Gaming Laptop

You'll be hard-pressed to find a great budget gaming laptop, but Gigabyte delivers with the Aorus 15, leaving you money left over to score some of the best game deals. For under $1,500, you get a spiffy setup complete with a 13th gen Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics. On top of capable processors, it’s packing 16GB of memory to keep you cruising through games and tasks, even with loads of open tabs.

Just because you’re getting some top-notch components doesn’t mean you’ll be sacrificing elsewhere. The Gigabyte Aorus 15 is equipped with a crisp 15.6-inch QHD screen boasting a 165Hz refresh rate for butter smooth action, while there’s a wealth of connectivity options, including a Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1, and Mini DP 1.4. If you’re looking to play competitive online titles like Apex Legends and Overwatch, the Wi-Fi 6E support will be appreciated, and this machine is ready to take on indie games and smaller single-player experiences, too. That makes the Gigabyte Aorus 15 one of the best gaming PC deals around.

3. Lenovo Legion 9i

Best High-End Gaming Laptop

The Lenovo Legion 9i is a laptop like no other, with integrated liquid cooling, a unique carbon pattern, eye-popping RGBs, and next-gen features that will push your gameplay further than before. Packed with a minimum of 32GB of DDR5 RAM, Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU, and a 14th-gen Intel i9 CPU, you can play the latest AAA titles with ease.

And what would a gaming laptop be without stunning RGBs? The Legion 9i’s system-wide RGBs react to games, music, and movies. Fully immerse yourself and feel reassured that Legion’s liquid cooling system will kick in at 180 degrees Fahrenheit. To further cool things down, the laptop comes with a triple falcon fan design and gravity assist. Legion says it’s the first gaming laptop with built-in liquid cooling, and we love it!

4. Alienware x16 R2

Best 16-inch Gaming Laptop

For those after something that’s still portable but works as a desktop replacement, 16 inches is the sweet spot of laptop sizes, and Alienware’s beastly x16 R2 is the perfect option for gaming. With it, you get a brilliant QHD+ display delivering a 240Hz refresh rate and G-Sync support for some silky smooth, tear-free action. Complementing the stunning display is a responsive RGB keyboard with solid feedback. You even get that flashy lighting on the touchpad and ultra-durable chassis.

The Alienware x16 R2 looks amazing, and its internals are just as great. This rig has Intel’s latest Core Ultra 9 processor, helping improve performance while reducing power consumption. When you add in a Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and 32GB of DDR5 RAM, it’s ready to tackle any game, even at the highest settings. Want to save more games locally? Easily upgrade the 1TB of storage up to a healthy 8TB. Alienware also overengineered the thermals with large vapor cooling chambers, a custom Element 31 thermal paste, six heat pipes, four cooling fans, and top-notch ventilation, so feel free to overclock this machine.

5. Origin EON17-X

Best 17-inch Gaming Laptop

The Origin EON17-X places a stunning 17.3-inch IPS screen with a 4K resolution and 144Hz refresh rate in front of you. But the question is, can it handle those high frame rates in your favorite games? Luckily, its 24-core Intel Core i9-13900HX processor and Nvidia RTX 4090 graphics that feature DLSS and Frame Generation all but ensure an unbelievable performance in games, 3D rendering, or video editing. Add in up to 64GB of memory and 24TB of storage, and there’s almost nothing this PC can’t chew through.

Given those beastly specs, the Origin EON17-X draws a good deal of power, so you’ll have to get used to the noisy fans when pushing it to the extreme. Fitting in all those components means this laptop is on the bulkier side, weighing 7.25 pounds and measuring 0.98 inches thick. Its battery life is also nothing to rave about, making this rig more of a desktop replacement rather than a great travel companion. Overall, it's a great 17-inch laptop you can buy in 2024.

6. Razer Blade 18

Best 18-inch Gaming Laptop

If you want a laptop you can tote around the house and don’t care about taking it on the go as much, an 18-inch laptop like the Razer Blade 18 is a great option. Sure, it’s a bit hefty and a little bulky, but that’s because the rig is packing a 14th gen Intel Core i9 CPU and Nvidia RTX 4090 graphics that can chew through almost any task without breaking a sweat. Those processors are paired with 32GB of DDR5 memory and 2TB of PCIe NVMe SSD storage for painless multitasking and speedy game loads.

All that power ensures you can take advantage of the Razer Blade 18’s QHD+ 18-inch display featuring a mini LED panel that gets super bright and offers over 2,000 local dimming zones for top-notch contrast – putting it just behind the best OLED gaming monitors. A 300Hz refresh rate, Nvidia G-Sync support, and a less than 3ms response time means you’re in for butter smooth, responsive gameplay as well.

This rig has a solid keyboard and decent speakers, but if you want to use some of the best gaming accessories, like PC controllers or gaming headsets, there’s Bluetooth support and a plethora of well-spaced ports. It even offers Thunderbolt 5 and Wi-Fi 7 support, making for a future-proof option.

7. Acer Predator Helios 16

Best Desktop Replacement Gaming Laptop

Looking for the performance prowess of the best gaming PCs but in a portable form factor? The Acer Predator Helios 16 is the rig for you. With Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics, a 13th gen Intel i9 processor, and 16GB of expandable RAM, it’s powerful enough to cruise through all your favorite games at the highest settings. And we mean high settings, as its brilliant 2560x1600p 16-inch IPS display can hit frames up to 240Hz and has G-Sync support baked in to ensure you don’t experience any stuttering or tearing.

Given the impressive processors and crisp, bright screen, this laptop needs a robust cooling system to avoid performance drops. Luckily, Acer didn’t miss a beat, designing a roomy chassis with ample fans that keep the temperature down even when playing the most demanding games—though those fans can get noisy. That does mean the Predator Helios 16 is bit clunky, but those extra dimensions give the laptop space for tons of ports to hook up peripherals.

8. Asus ROG Flow Z13

Best Gaming Tablet

Not all the best tablets make for great gaming rigs, but the latest model of the Asus ROG Flow Z13 is a slate with some serious gaming chops. We reviewed an older model of the Asus ROG Flow Z13 and loved it. This one sees some upgraded hardware, including a 13th gen Intel Core i9 processor and RTX 4050 graphics, letting you play AAA and indie games from almost anywhere. It also comes with support for XG Mobile to get even more power out of the device. ​​

Sure, those might not be the most powerful gaming specs around. However, it’s plenty to make full use of the ultra-smooth QHD+ display rocking a 165Hz refresh rate and 100% DCI-P3 Pantone Validation. Plus, when it comes to portability, it beats all of the other laptops on this list, hands down, thanks to a compact, lightweight design. There’s even a kickstand built-in, while plenty of ports and Bluetooth support make pairing a great phone controller or travel keyboard simple. Between the Asus ROG Flow Z13’s function as a true gaming tablet and support for external graphics, this is one of the most versatile 2-in-1 laptops around.

9. Acer Chromebook 516 GE

Best Gaming Chromebook

Chromebooks have come a long way from their simple, affordable roots, as some are now highly capable workhorses that can even handle gaming. The best example of that endurance and stellar performance is the budget-friendly Acer Chromebook 516 GE with its 12th Gen Intel Core i5 CPU that totes 12 cores and 16 threads alongside 8GB of memory and 256GB of SSD storage. Unfortunately, you get an integrated graphics card to help keep the price lower, but its other internals allows this laptop to cruise through your favorite titles while cloud gaming.

All that good under the hood pairs well with the Acer Chromebook 516 GE’s 16-inch WQXGA display featuring a 120Hz refresh rate and 100% sRGB coverage for smooth and vibrant graphics. Though, unlike many Chromebooks, it isn’t a touchscreen. However, you get multi-zone RGB lighting and anti-ghosting on the keyboard, which most gamers will appreciate, while everything is housed inside a lightweight, sturdy chassis for optimal portability.

Make sure you check out our laptop vs chromebook comparison for more details.

How To Pick the Perfect Gaming Laptop

Gaming laptops have come a long way in relatively little time. Power, portability, and price have all seen dramatic improvements in just the last 5 years, and somehow gaming laptops are getting thinner and adding even more features.

Portability

The first thing you’ll want to ask yourself is where will you be taking this gaming laptop? If you imagine yourself taking it out every day, you’ll want something portable, such as a 15-incher or something smaller. Users who just want a laptop to live at home as more of a desktop replacement should go for a 17-inch rig or bigger for the larger screen size and greater power.

The portability is a huge advantage, as is a ready-to-go display, often equipped with variable refresh rate technology or better-than-HD resolutions.

Power

The newest gaming laptops come equipped with the latest Nvidia RTX or Radeon RX graphics chips. These mobile chips are nearly as capable as their desktop version, plus they support the latest ray tracing and DLSS technologies. Choosing the latest processor isn't quite as necessary, but it's nice to have.

When shopping for a gaming laptop be sure the Intel processor has a model number of Intel Core ix-13xxxH (i.e. Intel Core i7-13700H or Intel Core i9-13900H). This denotes it's one of Team Blue's Raptor Lake H-series processors. Also, be on the look out for Intel's latests 14th gen processors. If the gaming laptop you're eying has an AMD processor, ensure its model number has a six or seven at the start of it—such as AMD Ryzen 7 6900HS—as it lets you know it's one of AMD's latest 6000-series or 7000-series processors.

Price

If you're set on a gaming laptop and just need to decide which one to get under a certain price point, then your choices will be narrowed down based on your maximum budget. If that's you, you'll probably want to explore our full list of cheap gaming laptops we'd recommend instead, but here's our top budget pick right now:

Most gaming laptops are only as portable as the nearest electrical outlet. All that power comes at a price, though. After all, there are a few exceptions like our top choice, but the general rule of thumb in gaming laptops is their battery life stinks.

Another consideration when choosing a gaming laptop versus a gaming desktop is its price. It costs quite a bit more to stuff all those components (i.e. the built-in trackpad, keyboard, speakers, and display) into an easy-to-carry shell.

From our experience, it's always better to stick with the least amount of memory and storage on checkout, and then upgrade it yourself with higher capacity components that are much cheaper to buy on their own. A 1TB SSD might sound tempting as it'll help get your system boot instantly and store all your games, but a high-end upgrade like that can often cost half or a quarter as much as the whole machine.

However, upgrading leads directly to another consideration, how easy it to swap out components. Whereas it's usually a snap to add or replace a component in your desktop rig, upgrading anything in your gaming laptop, other than RAM, will often mean having to buy a whole new computer.

Gaming Laptop FAQ

Should You Buy a Gaming Laptop or a Gaming PC?

In most cases, a gaming desktop is the better choice. Gaming desktops provide more bang for your buck, are less expensive to upgrade and repair, and last longer before they go obsolete. However, if you're looking for portability, then a gaming laptop is certainly your best bet. See our guide to gaming PCs vs. gaming laptops for more info.

When Is the Best Time to Buy a Gaming Laptop?

A gaming laptop is an expensives purchase, but there are a few times throughout the year where you can find some really good discounts on these devices. The most obvious times are Black Friday, Cyber Monday and in the summer for all the back-to-school sales. For more details, see our advice on the best time to buy a laptop.

Should You Buy a Steam Deck or a Gaming Laptop?

One of the biggest advantages to a gaming laptop over a gaming PC is that it offers portability. Which is also the greatest advantage of the Steam Deck over a gaming laptop. Gaming handhelds are portable and have enough power to run just about any PC game you need to. Check out our guide on the Steam Deck vs. gaming laptops for a deeper analysis or checkout some of the best handheld gaming PCs.

Are MacBooks Good for Gaming?

Don’t get us wrong, MacBooks are exceptional laptops that excel in many areas, but gaming isn’t one of them—at least not yet. Apple simply hasn’t designed its devices for this purpose, with many of its most powerful Pro models focused on professional and creative use. That being said, the Apple-developed silicon in these machines is mighty powerful and graphically capable of handling many gaming titles. However, you can’t easily make upgrades like PC gaming laptops allow for.

While you can play some games on a Mac, one of the biggest drawbacks to MacBook gaming is MacOS’ lack of support for many of the most popular gaming titles, which often run on the Windows platform. Apple has introduced a porting toolkit to bring more PC games to Mac, and a new “Game Mode” on MacOS Sonoma. It’s clear Apple is making strides in the gaming world, but at the present moment, there’s a ways to go before MacBooks become a go-to portable gaming option.

Do You Need a Laptop Cooling Pad?

Many modern gaming laptops come with ample cooling solutions baked into the chassis. But given their much smaller form factor than traditional desktop gaming PCs, thermal throttling can occasionally be an issue. If you are experiencing a downgrade in performance or your device seems a little too hot to the touch, a laptop cooling pad could be a simple, affordable solution. Laptop cooling pads often feature fans and ventilation slots or mesh for better airflow than when your laptop rests on a gaming desk or your lap, helping to ensure your device is working to its full potential and can even increase its longevity. If you're looking to keep your gaming laptop cool on the cheap, the Havit HV-2056 is an excellent option.

Where to Get the Best Gaming Laptops in the UK

We've managed to find the vast majority of very best gaming laptops available in the UK, with all our favourites ready and available to buy from retailers such as Amazon, while other brands can be found elsewhere such as Dell, Currys PC World, or Scan.

For more helpful guides, be sure to check out our guide to the best gaming accessories, best gaming chairs, and the best gaming mouse.

Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC components queen. You can follow her @Jackiecobra

Danielle Abraham is a freelance writer and unpaid music historian.

Image Credit: Annalee Tsujino is a multi disciplinary designer and illustrator. Check them out on Instagram @antsu_illustrations.