That Oculus Rift and Touch bundle discount may be tempting, but it means nothing without a capable enough rig. And, if portability is a concern, you’ll want to turn your head away from the best gaming PCs and instead face the best gaming laptops of 2017. Now with the ability to stream games to your Samsung TV, gaming laptops are surging in their appeal.
- Not all of the best laptops are meant for gaming
Even if upgrading to Windows 10 makes you wary, you might enjoy the fact that you’ll soon be able to check up on the status of your graphics card in Task Manager. Not to mention all the latest gaming laptops can take advantage of Game Mode featured in the Windows 10 Creators Update – and who doesn’t want better performance?
Whether you need a gaming laptop that runs everything in 4K or just anything you can use to run Prey at a stable frame rate, we’ve gathered the top gaming laptops in every category to help you determine your next big purchase. In an order based on our review ratings and awards, these are the best gaming laptops of 2017.
1. Asus ROG Zephyrus GX501
Under an inch thick and still kicking ass
CPU: Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 (8GB GDDR5X VRAM) | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) anti-glare, wide-view 120Hz panel with G-Sync | Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe x4 SSD
The Asus ROG Zephyrus GX501 couldn’t have come at a better time. It’s made possible by Nvidia’s Max-Q technology, which the company promises will make laptops both thinner and faster simultaneously. That this laptop can exist at all is a feat, especially considering that its closest competition from Alienware is thicker and nearly twice as heavy while still clocking in with inferior benchmark results in some areas. Though its battery will only last you two hours max (negating any hopes of truly portable gaming), the Asus ROG Zephyrus GX501 is Ultrabook-esque in its design and gaming PC-like in its performance.
2. Razer Blade
A gaming-ready MacBook Pro rival
CPU: 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-6700HQ | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB GDDR5 VRAM) | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 14-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) – QHD+ (3,200 x 1,800) IGZO (LED backlit, multi-touch) | Storage: 256GB – 1TB PCIe SSD
For many gamers, Ultrabook is a four-letter word, but it doesn't have to be. The first time you get your hands on a Razer Blade, you'll be looking at a battery life of 4 hours and 8 minutes during everyday productivity tasks (or 7 hours and 29 minutes of non-stop video). While you could argue it does skimp as far as graphics are concerned, with the help of a Razer Core external GPU enclosure, you can strap an Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti to this thing down the road if you want. Plus, with the newly added 4K screen option, you may actually need it.
3. Asus ROG Strix GL502
It's hard not to love a gaming laptop this good
CPU: Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 - 1070 | RAM: 16GB DDR4 | Screen: 15.6-inch full HD 1,920 x 1,080 IPS | Storage: 128GB - 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD
The Asus Strix GL502 may not boast the most innovative design, swapping out the usual black and red color scheme for one that makes it feel like Halloween year-round. But, it's undoubtedly one of the best when it comes to gaming in 1080p. In fact, we were able to crank the settings all the way up in Overwatch without taking a hit below 60fps. The battery life is janky, sure, but the screen, performance and onboard sound system more than make up for it.
4. Alienware 13 R3
Gawk at the first-ever OLED gaming laptop
CPU: Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 | RAM: 8GB – 16GB DDR4 | Screen: 13.3-inch HD 1,366 x 768 TN – QHD 2,560 x 1440 OLED touchscreen | Storage: 180GB – 512GB SSD
Unlike most laptops its size, the Alienware 13 R3 bears a hinge-forward design. By moving the heatsinks usually located beneath the keyboard to a distinct bulge that projects outward behind the screen, it allows for a thinner, 0.81-inch (0.22cm) chassis. Unfortunately, this means you won’t find many 13-inch laptop bags that will actually suit the Alienware 13 R3; rather you’ll likely have to opt for a 15-inch carrier. The real draw, however, isn’t the Alienware 13 R3’s protruding appendage or even its impressive quad-core, H-class CPU. While you may be tempted by the inclusion of a full-size Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060, it’s the OLED touch display that caught our attention. The flavorful color gamut puts practically every other laptop on the market to shame.
5. Razer Blade Pro
Finally, a desktop replacement with portability in mind
CPU: Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 (8GB GDDR5) | RAM: 32GB | Screen: 17.3-inch, UHD (3,840 x 2,160) IGZO touchscreen with G-Sync | Storage: 512GB – 2TB PCIe SSD
At long last, Razer has introduced a laptop that can not only replace your desktop, but do so without packing on more weight than most large laptops. It’s expensive, yes – it certainly won’t save you money when compared to building your own PC. On the other hand, it measures in at only 0.88-inches thick with an onboard 17-inch, 4K multi-touch display and a built-in Wi-Fi card. If that’s not enough to sell you on it already, the Razer Blade Pro also introduces the company’s Ultra-Low-Profile Mechanical switches to a notebook for the first time ever. These keys bear an appearance similar to your run-of-the-mill chiclet keyboards, but press down on them yourself and you’ll feel (and hear) the authentic click of a mechanical keyswitch. It’s an experience bettered only by its unusual trackpad placement, which feels so natural for gaming that you’ll wonder why it wasn’t there to begin with.
6. Gigabyte Aero 14
An Ultrabook that’s first-rate in performance and value
CPU: Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB GDDR5) | RAM: 16GB – 32GB | Screen: 14-inch, QHD 2,560 x 1,440 anti-glare IPS | Storage: 512GB – 1TB SSD
Donning a 7th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, Nvidia Pascal-series GPU and a screen resolution that soars above 1080p, this laptop is more affordable than a comparably specced Razer Blade or Alienware 13 R3. At the same time, it neglects to compromise in terms of portability and performance. This is a laptop, for instance, that weighs a mere 4.17 pounds (1.89kg) and measures in at 0.78 inches thin, undeniably a feat for a gaming machine. Factor in the 3 hour and 38 minute PCMark 8 battery test and 190-degree hinge, and it’s easy to see why the Gigabyte Aero 14 made the cut.
7. Dell Inspiron 15 Gaming
This gaming laptop won’t leave you penniless
CPU: Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 – 1050 Ti | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch, FHD 1,920 x 1,080 – UHD 3,840 x 2,160 anti-glare LED backlit | Storage: 1TB SSHD 8GB – 1TB HDD, 128GB SSD
In a world full of overpriced gaming laptops with internals that overcompensate for their underqualified screen resolutions and short-lived batteries, the Dell Inspiron 15 Gaming is a breath of fresh air. Ditching the Alienware moniker for something a little more mainstream, Dell has crafted yet another gaming PC masked as a productivity machine. Following in the footsteps of the Dell XPS Tower Special Edition, the Inspiron 15 is a gaming computer you wouldn’t be embarrassed to use in public. From the outside looking in, the Dell Inspiron 15 Gaming is a class act. Better yet, it’s relatively powerful, long-lasting and, come to think of it, pretty damn affordable too.
8. HP Omen 17
A premium desktop replacement sans the premium cost
CPU: 6th gen Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB GDDR5); Intel HD Graphics 530 | RAM: 16GB DDR4 | Screen: 17.3-inch 4K (3,840 x 2,160) IPS with G-Sync | Storage: 1TB - 2TB HDD, 128GB SSD
Like the GameCube of laptops, the HP Omen 17 has the build quality of a children’s toy. However, when you see what it can do, you’ll wonder why it didn’t cost more. At 7 pounds, you’ll have to forgive the weight of the HP Omen 17 if you want to benefit from its 17-inch Quad-HD display. Of course, although the GTX 1070 is more of a 1440p performer than a 4K one, you can still expect a consistent 30 fps in games like The Division at the highest graphical settings. Overall, the HP Omen 17 is HP’s Gigabyte P57X equivalent, but with Bang & Olufsen speakers that might tip you over the edge.
9. MSI GP72VRX Leopard Pro
This VR-ready laptop is too ambitious for its own good
CPU: Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB GDDR5) | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 17.3-inch FHD screen, 1,920 x 1,080, 120Hz, 5ms, wide viewing angle | Storage: 512GB NVMe M.2 SATA SSD
In case you don’t need the intense graphics hardware of the MSI Omen 17, but you still want the massive, 17-inch display, the MSI GP72VRX is exactly the gaming laptop for you. This notebook comes tricked out in only one configuration, but it’s a very good one meant for mid-range gaming and especially VR support. Fans of subtly will appreciate the minimalism of the GP72VRX. While it does bear the trademark MSI dragon shield branding and an RGB keyboard, everything else is kept relatively low-profile. The 120Hz refresh rate on its 4K display would be a handy additive but alas, the GTX 1060 isn’t quite up to snuff
10. Alienware 15 R3
A stylish and powerful video gaming gargantuan
CPU: Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 – 1070 | RAM: 8GB – 32GB DDR4 | Screen: 15.6-inch, FHD (1,920 x 1,080) Anti-Glare G-Sync IPS | Storage: 1TB HDD – 2TB SSD; 1TB HDD
When it comes to gaming laptops, Alienware is the name brand that everyone recognizes, and the Alienware 15 R3 makes it not so hard to see why. This hardy mobile rig is all about performance and cosmetic appeal, bedecked from head to toe in RGB lighting. Unusually, everything from the logo opposite of the display to the trackpad can be customized with your own preferred arrangement of color choices. But with this level of allure comes a weight of 7.69 pounds (3.49kg) that could break your scale. Still, the Alienware 15 R3 more than makes up for this with a full array of ports, stellar thermal performance and a 120Hz G-Sync screen that will make you blush
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