The Best Gaming Laptops: IGN's 2024 Picks for PC Gamers

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, desktop-like gaming experience on a laptop as thin and light as the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 – our number one pick.

TL;DR – These are the Best Gaming Laptops

• Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 - Best Overall
• Gigabyte Aorus 15 - Best Budget
• Lenovo Legion 9i - Best High-End
• Alienware x16 R2 - Best 16-inch
• Origin EON17-X - Best 17-inch
• Acer Predator Helios 16 - Best Desktop Replacement
• Asus ROG Flow Z13 - Best Gaming Tablet

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.

1. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14

Best Gaming Laptop

The best overall gaming laptop you can buy right now is the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (GA403, the 2024 edition). It’s not the hands-down most powerful laptop but its appeal lies in just how well it balances its different aspects. Between portability, performance, ease of use, and price, it’s the hands-down best bet for most laptop gamers. We reviewed the 2022 version of this gaming laptop and thought much the same thing back then.

This laptop has a lot to love about it. At only 3.31 pounds, it’s remarkably lightweight for a gaming laptop. When you boot up a game and realize how great its performance is, its svelte size becomes even more impressive. Though it’s only available with an RTX 4070 as of this writing, it provides plentiful power to run modern games at high settings and afford you access to performance-enhancing features like Nvidia DLSS.

It’s also a joy to look at. Its screen is incredibly sharp and offers a tremendous HDR experience thanks to its bright OLED panel and crisp 2560 x 1600 (3K) resolution. Its understated chassis exudes a classiness that reminds us of nothing more than Apple, so you can enjoy it for gaming or even an office or classroom. HDR gaming and movies are a treat, with vivid colors and exceptional smoothness thanks to its 120Hz display.

For most tasks – including video editing, content creation, and digital art – the G14 is able to offer snappy performance. Its Ryzen 9 8945HS processor is a beast, offering eight cores and 16 threads and a fast 5.2GHz clock speed. Plus, it has AI enhancements for things like background blur and AI noise removal in Nvidia Broadcast. It also comes with 32GB of memory and a 1TB SSD so you can download and run lots of different games without worrying about space. The biggest downside is that the memory isn’t upgradeable, but if you opt for 32GB, which is what we’re recommending here, it will be enough to last most multiple generations into the future.

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 will set you back around $2,200 but it’s well worth the investment for a gaming laptop as good as this.

2. Gigabyte Aorus 15

Best Budget Gaming Laptop

Gigabyte Aorus 15

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A speedy refresh rate, beefy processor, and stunning QHD display make this budget-minded laptop a standout.

See it at Amazon

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. We dove into our review of the Gigabyte Aorus 15 to test out the crisp 15.6-inch QHD screen. It comes 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

Lenovo Legion 9i

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Powerful processors, a stunning mini LED display, and a top-notch cooling system make this beefy laptop perfect for editing or gaming.

See it at Lenovo

After testing out the Lenovo Legion 9i ourselves, it clear its a high-end gaming laptop like no other. With integrated liquid cooling, a unique carbon pattern, eye-popping RGBs, and next-gen features, it is sure to 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

Alienware x16 R2

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A 16-inch gaming laptop offering a brilliant QHD+ display, powerful processors, and ample cooling for overclocking.

See it at Dell

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

Origin EON17-X

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A beefy 17-inch laptop with an Intel Core i9 processor and RTX 4090 graphics ready to take on 3D rendering, video editing, and gaming.

See it at Origin

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 we found int our hands-on review of the Origin EON17-X that it 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. Acer Predator Helios 16

Best Desktop Replacement Gaming Laptop

Acer Predator Helios 16

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Powerful processors let you play your games at the highest settings on this laptop with a 2560x1600p 16-inch IPS display capable of hitting 240Hz.

See it at Best Buy

Looking for the performance prowess of the best gaming PCs but in a portable form factor? The Acer Predator Helios 16 we've tested 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.

7. Asus ROG Flow Z13

Best Gaming Tablet

Asus ROG Flow Z13

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An ultra-portable gaming tablet with an Intel Core i9 CPU with Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics ready to play AAA and indie games.

See it at Amazon

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.

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

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.

Best 16-inch Gaming Laptop Alienware m16

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See it at Dell

Best 18-inch Gaming Laptop Razer Blade 18

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See it at Razer

Best Desktop Replacement Gaming Laptop Acer Predator Helios 16

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See it at Acer

Best Gaming Tablet Asus ROG Flow Z13

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See it at Very

Best Gaming Chromebook Acer Chromebook 516 GE

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See it at Currys

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.