The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2022) is a great gaming laptop, delivering a potent blend of performance, portability and power efficiency. We've long been fans of the Zephyrus G14 because it has the chops to run most games at solid framerates, the efficiency to be used as a work laptop in a pinch, and a slim, compact chassis that's more portable than most gaming laptops. The 2022 model we reviewed has a better, brighter screen than its predecessor, with good speakers and an AMD CPU/GPU combo that delivers solid gaming performance. It also sports a built-in webcam, something earlier models lacked.
The first 14-inch Razer laptop in years, the Razer Blade 14 offers powerful components and excellent performance in a compact and lightweight package. It could use a few more ports, and the keyboard feels a bit cramped, but these are common problems for thin 14-inch laptops. If you're looking for a compact, powerful gaming laptop, the Razer Blade 14 will serve you well — just make sure to carry the power adapter with you, as you'll be lucky to get 90 minutes of battery power when playing the latest games.
The Alienware m15 R4 is a sleek and functional gaming laptop, powered by an impressive Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU. While this machine can easily run you $2,500 (or more), in return, you'll get a streamlined and relatively lightweight device with a slick white chassis and an RGB keyboard. If you pick up this laptop, be aware that the fan can get very loud, and that the battery life isn't really long enough for sustained productivity or gaming. Those (and the price) are about the only drawbacks, though.
The Razer Blade 15 (2022) demonstrates that, if nothing else, Razer is consistent. The last two times we've reviewed the Razer Blade 15, we’ve celebrated this 15-inch gaming laptop for looking great and running well, albeit with a price that's a little too steep relative to what it offers. Generally speaking, you’re paying extra to avoid the bulk and weight associated with cheaper gaming laptops. From this perspective, the Blade 15 succeeds, delivering a satisfying gaming experience in a shell that won’t weigh you down, or overwhelm your entire desk. However, the keyboard and touchpad leave a lot to be desired, and it can get quite toasty when gaming.
The GE76 Raider is, objectively, the definition of top-of-the-line, eschewing portability and battery life to deliver raw, uncompromising power for a very particular niche. The model we reviewed retails for around $3,400, and for that you get the latest Intel Core i9 CPU, a GeForce RTX 3080 GPU, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD for storage. The Raider's 1080p display looks nice and can run games remarkably smoothly thanks to its 360Hz refresh rate, but it's probably best used primarily plugged into a nicer TV or monitor.
If you're looking for a premium gaming laptop with great performance — and an especially killer display — the Acer Predator Triton 500 is an excellent choice. The latest Triton 500 stands out with its 15.6-inch 1080p screen, which not only looks great, but packs a blistering 300Hz refresh rate for playing the top PC games at the fastest framerates possible. The laptop's Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super GPU can handle the latest AAA titles at high graphical settings, and its 10th Gen Core i7 CPU blows through everyday productivity tasks with ease. There's also its elegant black design, which packs in plenty of ports for connecting peripherals and external monitors.
The Alienware x14 is a gaming laptop we’ve looked forward to reviewing ever since our brief hands-on time with it back in January 2022. Gaming laptops have become thinner over the years, but this slick and futuristic device has to be the thinnest we’ve ever seen. The short answer is yes. With its cutting-edge 12th gen Intel Alder Lake processor and Nvidia RTX 30 series GPU, the Alienware x14 is a proper gaming laptop capable of running modern titles. Thanks to a few innovations like vapor chamber cooling and Smart Fan control technology, this laptop is capable of achieving high performance while remaining relatively cool.
If you’re after an affordable but well-specced gaming laptop, the Dell G5 15 SE 2020 is well worth your consideration. Its distinctly un-flashy name hides a very capable machine clad in a rather neat if unassuming chassis, for less than $1,000. And despite its price, it can keep up with some of the more expensive gaming laptops, especially at 1080p. Dell has opted to go with an all AMD configuration, with a Ryzen 5 4600H or 4800H taking care of processor duties, and the Radeon RX 5600M handling the graphics. With up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD space, the Dell G5 15 SE 2020 is a very capable gaming laptop. You'll have to pay $1,049 for the best specs, but that price also gets you a speedy 144Hz refresh-rate display.
Like all of Alienware's gaming laptops, Alienware m17 R2 is expensive. However, for the price points of the fancier m17 R2 models, you'll get top-of-the-line GeForce RTX GPUs, Core i9 CPUs and more storage space than a U-Haul facility. What differentiates this laptop from the others we've listed is its best-in-class battery life, clocking in at roughly 4 hours. For RTX-carrying hardcore gaming laptops, hitting the 4-hour mark is an accomplishment.
It’s not a gaming laptop per se, but the Dell XPS 17 can come with a decent gaming spec. Its lower-end specification comes with a 10th Gen Core i5-10300H CPU and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti, which can run games but isn’t exactly a gaming beast. But opt for a model with the Core i7-10875H and the GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card, and you’re looking at a machine that will run modern games at 1080p resolution with relative ease. And with the Dell XPS 17, you’re getting a rather neatly designed and portable big-screen laptop that doesn’t scream gaming machine; it’s quite the opposite in fact, sporting a premium design that’s up there with the likes of the 16-inch MacBook Pro.
