Gaming laptops have come a long way from the days of lugging around a giant slab of dull plastic and metal that heated up with the fire of a thousand suns when you tried to play anything.
The technology is so good in 2022 that laptop gaming can even replace a desktop set-up.
The new generation of gaming laptops are powerful, sleek and can handle everything from a quick Fortnite or Rocket League match, to an epic journey through the world of Elden Ring.
With the global chip shortage making it incredibly tough to upgrade a PC, the laptop industry has mostly avoided the shortages for graphics cards.
So if you are looking for a new gaming set-up, supercarblondie.com has rounded up the best of the best right here.
1. Razer Blade 17
You can’t talk about laptop gaming without bringing up Razer. The brand is synonymous with high-performance and the Razer Blade 17 ticks all the boxes for what a gamer would need.
If you get the top specs you’ll find yourself with a 16GB RTX 3080 Ti. You also get an Intel 12th Gen Core i9 CPU. And the screen, well that is an ultra-fast 360 Hz.
If you don’t want to compromise, you can pick up one of these beasts and fire up any new-gen game with ease. But for gear this good, you need to pay a premium.
You can also pick up a lower spec configuration that will handle gaming with ease, but this list is about the big dogs.
- Price: US$4,299.99
- CPU: Intel Core i9-12900H
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
- Display: 17.3-inch FHD | QHD | UHD 360Hz
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2. Asus ROG Zephyrus G15
The superpower of the Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 is it can do (nearly) everything at the top level.
It’s lightweight enough to take with you anywhere. And it somehow has a battery life that can last about 11 hours (a miracle for a gaming laptop).
The screen can run games at QHD resolutions, the built-in audio is outstanding and you can pick one up at a decent price for what’s under the hood.
Sure, it’s kind of annoying it doesn’t have a webcam – but this rig is not for work Zoom calls.
- Price: USD$2,199.99
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080
- Display: 15.6-inch QHD 165hz
3. MSI GE76 Raider
This monster has a 17.3-inch 360Hz screen, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU, Intel Core i9-11980HK and even has RGB customisations if you want to get flashy.
The MSI GE76 Raider is no joke, it’s top of the line.
It’s so beefy we’d recommend it as a desktop replacement.
If you are looking for something with battery life and slim enough that you can pluck up and slide into a backpack – this is not the choice for you (it’s about 3kg).
But if you want a gaming station at home but don’t want to muck around with building a PC, the GE76 Raider should be near the top of your list.
- Price: USD$U3,599
- CPU: Intel Core i9-11980HK
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080
- Display: 17.3-inch 360Hz 1080p
4. Lenovo Legion 5 Pro
Lenovo’s been making a lot of noise in the gaming world with the Legion line-up in recent years.
And the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is the one to get.
Unlike a lot of our top 8 list, it uses AMD’s Ryzen 5000 processor.
The AMD provides truly impressive performance.
But what really sets the Legion 5 Pro apart is the 16:10 screen. For a sleek chassis, that’s a massive screen with a lot of extra height.
- Price: USD$2,209.99
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800H
- GPU: Up to Nvidia RTX 3070
- Display: 16-inch 165Hz 2560 x 1600
5. Alienware X17
4K gaming on a laptop? And it’s not a terrible experience? Surely not you would think.
But the Alienware X17 has cracked the secret code.
You can even play AAA titles at 3840 x 2160 resolution with ray tracing on.
Laptop gaming at 4K is no longer a myth, the Alienware X17 does it with ease (and it’s not too beefy either at 21mm thick).
- Price: USD$4,799.99
- CPU: Intel Core i7 11th Gen
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080
- Display: 17.3-inch 4K 120Hz
6. Asus ROG Strix SCAR 17 G733
This is truly a beast. It’s capable of nearly anything you can imagine (we say nearly because some hectic gamers out there are always finding a way to push things beyond all limits).
But if you buy things without looking at price tags, this set-up should be near the top of your wish list.
The Asus ROG Strix SCAR 17 G733 is for pure performance.
It comes with an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX CPU and a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080. It even has a mechanical keyboard for the ultimate tactile gaming experience.
- Price: USD$2,999.99
- CPU: Up to Intel Core i9 12900H
- GPU: Up to Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti
- Display: 17.3-inch 1080p @ 360Hz or 1440p @ 240Hz
7. Razer Blade 15
Much like it’s sibling at the very top of this list, the Razer Blade 15 is crammed full of the best hardware you can get. It’s more portable with the smaller screen size, but still packs a punch.
If you want a 15-inch gaming laptop, this is the one we reckon you should buy. There are a few small differences between the models outside of screen size, with the big brother having the most powerful GPU and more ports.
- Price: US$3,999.99
- CPU: 12th Gen Intel Core i9 Processor (14-core)
- GPU: GeForce RTX 3080
- Display: 15.6-inch 240Hz QHD
8. Acer Predator Triton 500
If you are using your laptop’s screen instead of hooking it up to a peripheral monitor, the Acer Predator Triton 500 is exactly what you need.
It’s not a massive screen at 15.6 inches, but it has a 300Hz refresh rate. It will gobble up any AAA title at the quickest framerates possible.
It’s a premium screen that’s paired with a solid mix of hardware under the hood. You get Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super GPU and it has a 10th Gen Core i7 CPU.
But with great power comes… great heat. This thing can get warm if you are deep into a late-night Fortnite session.
- Price: USD$2,599.99
- CPU: 10th gen Intel Core i7-10750H processor
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super
- Display: 15.6-inches 1080p with 300Hz refresh
Gaming on a laptop – what screen size and GPU you need
Every laptop on this list is more than capable of playing AAA titles. But not every laptop is right for you. You need to take a few things into consideration.
First of all is price – know your budget and keep in mind things like: Do you need a sick new gaming mouse? Maybe some noise-cancelling headphones or a comfy gaming chair?
Next thing is screen size. Most hover around 14 to 15 inches but if you want something bigger, the 17-inch models will be the right call. Bigger screens mean a heavier load to carry around and it’s likely it won’t have as good a battery life. But the extra room can also mean better cooling for the GPU.
So if you are going to fire up some games in a café, you might want to match your screen size accordingly.
While we are on the topic of screens, look at the spec sheets for refresh rates. A 300Hz display is going to make your life a whole lot more enjoyable.
For GPUs, the RTX 3080 is the king of the jungle. But you can still get incredible performance from other graphics cards. Again, scale it according to your budget.
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