The Gaming Laptops Will Let You Play (Almost) Anything Anywhere

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

Gaming tech has made impressive strides in the past decade. Since 2011, companies like Acer, Alienware, Asus, Gigabyte, Lenovo, and MSI have released swaths of high-powered laptops built specifically for playing video games. These gaming laptops are strong enough to keep up with technically impressive—and intensive—games like Hitman 3, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Forza Horizon 5, with picture-perfect graphics and minimal lag.

In contrast to their desktop counterparts, gaming laptops usually compromise on battery life and processing speed in favor of portability. (Even with the best of these laptops, you might only get a few hours of play if you’re grinding it out in a graphics-heavy RPG.) But most gaming laptops are designed for customization, letting you expand capacity with solid-state drives and graphic cards. The newest gaming laptops also have cooling systems and high-resolution displays.

At their best, gaming laptops offer a portable way to play PC games, as well as a capable workhorse for other tasks like photo editing and emailing. Take your gaming on the go with one of these powerful, portable machines.

Your next play session could benefit from some upgrades. Check out the best gaming keyboards, PC game controllers, and PC game controllers.

Best Gaming Laptops

[product-summary-view] stripped

What to Consider

[accordion id= '0c46f74e-504f-4a41-a0e4-33adb3e1a14d'][/accordion]

How We Evaluated

To find the best gaming laptops, we did some of our own testing, relied on past experience playing on these laptops, and consulted Popular Mechanics technology test editor Hunter Fenollol for his recommendations, taking into account consumer reviews online all the while.

Sascha Brodsky, the original author of this article, used his longtime gaming experience and hands-on testing to select the best laptops for gaming—though he’s partial to his Asus, which he uses to play Halo. Kevin Cortez, the retro game fanatic and reviews editor who updated this piece, also tested several of the laptops we recommend below. For any computers on this list we did not personally test, we consulted Fenollol for his suggestions.

Our tests included playing graphics-intensive games that stretch the processing power of these laptops to see how they’d hold up during long gaming sessions. Of course, most of your interaction with the laptop will be through the keyboard and trackpad, so we spent a while testing them out to find the most comfortable options. We also searched for laptops with the clearest, crispest displays, with enough resolution to show the fine details of your favorite games. And we took into account other key aspects, like CPU, storage, and RAM.

The Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 is a powerful gaming laptop with a beautiful mini-LED display and amazing hardware. With a refresh rate of 240-hertz and an RTX 4090 graphics card (which accounts for the price), its screen has incredible brightness and balanced dimming. Not only does it look great when gaming—in our testing, both Apex Legends and Destiny 2 ran exceptionally smoothly—it’s also a beast for movies and streaming.

The laptop features solid stereo speakers, RGB backlit keys, and multiple USB ports. Unlike older versions of the Zephyrus, there isn’t an Ethernet jack, which may be a turn-off for some. It also lacks a fingerprint reader, which is a standard feature in other Asus laptops. And in case you’re taking this on the road, keep in mind that it weighs about 5 pounds, which is a bit hefty.

Still, performance-wise, this laptop can handle a ton. I didn’t experience much choppiness playing Destiny 2 or Apex Legends, and I’m surprised at how quietly this laptop operates without much of a whir from its multiple fans. The only major bummer is its battery life, which I clocked at roughly five hours of gaming. If you’re one to pull all-nighters, you’ll want to keep that charger plugged in.—Kevin Cortez

The latest Legion Pro 7i is one hunky gaming laptop. Built for current-gen gaming, its 16-inch display is beautiful and bright, with a 16:10 aspect ratio that’s crisp and clear. Its 240-Hz refresh rate keeps the graphics seamless and smooth, and it has more than enough power to handle high frame rates without a chug.

I spent a few days playing Apex Legends and Destiny 2 on this laptop. With a PlayStation 4 controller connected via Bluetooth, I didn’t notice any input lag, frame-rate choppiness, or any true hangups to my gaming sessions. The back of the laptop has plenty of ports and jacks for hooking up USB-A, USB-C, Lightning, and Ethernet cords, while plenty of vents surrounding the machine help cool it down. Those fans get pretty noisy when playing big games, though.

This laptop has RGB keys, with the unique option to program one specific color, plus a number pad on the right side of the keyboard for quickly toggling through shortcuts. That num pad real estate results in a cramped keyboard, so if you plan on using this as a daily driver, you may want to have a dedicated mouse and keyboard with your setup.—Kevin Cortez

This Asus model is one of the most affordable laptops that can handle the rigors of gaming. It reliably runs popular games like Fortnite and even Elden Ring, but will chug and chop with more demanding releases, like Call of Duty: Warzone. The screen is surprisingly superb for the price, though several customers say its brightness leaves more to be desired—this isn’t the best laptop to use in sunlight.

If portability is important, you may struggle here, as this thing weighs over 7 pounds. The F15 is upgradeable, so you can always spring for higher-end components down the road. Another nice touch: The colorful, light-up keyboard provides bling (and visibility for late-night gaming sessions).—Sascha Brodsky

The Blade has the most impressive screen of any gaming laptop we tried, with an incredible 3840 x 2560 resolution that lets you see the tiniest of details. It’s a favorite of ours, partly for the restrained look of this model, which is relatively thin for a pro-level laptop.

It’s also a favorite of Fenollol’s, who says its display is one of the best he’s tested. “It may be lightweight, but it has the chops for frame rates in the triple digits at high-quality graphics settings and raytracing,” he says. “It doesn’t come cheap, but the colors on its screen are rich and keep plenty of detail in the dark areas, whether in horror games or FPS titles.”

It’s also a great, powerful daily driver for editing videos and gaming on the go. Disappointingly, though, the sleek design makes the keyboard seem like an afterthought, as it’s uncomfortable and feels like a standard keyboard instead of one focused on gaming.

However, the Blade 15 offers a top-notch processor that flies through almost any software you throw at it, so it’s got the power to back up its looks.—Kevin Cortez

The Nitro 5 has a little something for everyone with its sleek design, sharp screen, and capable processor. It doesn’t excel in any one area, but it’s hard to complain at its price. The nerdiest users will enjoy the sci-fi-inspired casing, but color fans take note: This luminous keyboard only glows in red. The display runs at a respectable 144-Hz for smooth video playback and gaming, and plenty of online reviewers say it’s more than capable of handling 60 frames per second. In our brief testing, we were particularly impressed with the size of the 17-inch display, as it’s larger than you would usually get for a gaming laptop in this price range, though more bulky.—Sascha Brodsky

The sleek black TUF Dash looks all business, but don’t let that fool you. This thing has serious gaming chops under the hood. The stunning 44-Hz, Full HD, 1920 x 1080 display means you won’t miss your desktop monitor. This model also features the latest Intel Core i7 CPU, so it’s ready to handle the latest games. Despite all these features, the TUF weighs in at just a little over 4 pounds, so it’s easy to toss in a backpack. Its battery life leaves more to be desired, however.—Sascha Brodsky

Don’t want to squint at your screen during an intense gaming session? Alienware has you covered with its M17 model. The gloriously big display on this laptop lets you view more of what’s happening at once without having to scroll. The Ryzen 9 processor is fast enough to handle almost any software title. One caveat: The large screen comes with a weight penalty, so be prepared to flex your biceps when picking up this beast.—Sascha Brodsky

The Victus is the ideal of what an inexpensive gaming laptop can be. HP trimmed unnecessary gizmos like a flashy keyboard and case design for essentials like a 144-Hz display that makes games look extra smooth. You also get 32 GB of RAM, enough memory to keep games running fast, and a large touchpad that feels more responsive than some expensive competitors. The subdued looks might disappoint some gaming fans, but it does allow this laptop to fit into work environments.—Sascha Brodsky

Expert Sascha Brodsky’s Tips on Buying Your Next Gaming Laptop

PM: What is a GPU and what do I look for?

SB: The heart of a gaming laptop is its graphics processing unit (GPU), which is a kind of electronic circuit designed to improve the way the computer handles images. GPUs are used in many kinds of computers, including mobile phones and game consoles. In general, the faster GPU a laptop has, the better images will look on the display.

PM: I’m on a budget. What is the top priority in a new gaming laptop?

SB: If you don’t have oodles of money to spend, you can get away with buying a gaming laptop for around $700. At that price point, there are some compromises, including gaming software that won’t look its best. Look for a budget laptop with the highest-resolution display that you can find, as that’s one area where manufacturers tend to compromise.

PM: Should I look for a laptop that will allow me to upgrade RAM later on?

SB: Adding RAM is one of the easiest upgrades you can perform on a gaming laptop, so definitely keep that in mind when scoping out your next purchase. The price of RAM fluctuates wildly, so buying more in a year or two might be a great investment to keep your laptop running smoothly.

You Might Also Like

• The Do’s and Don’ts of Using Painter’s Tape

• The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere

• Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?