If you want a gaming PC that can follow wherever you may roam, a gaming laptop is likely your best bet. While desktop parts will usually still beat out a gaming laptop, the best of them offer excellent performance in the latest games. Best of all, some models are able to offer peak performance while still remaining thin and light, like the Razer Blade 16, which is my pick for the all-around best gaming laptop of 2026 so far. As of April 15, these are back in stock after Razer had briefly taken down the direct link to buy the Razer Blade 16 and other laptops, replaced with "Notify Me" buttons, ahead of when tariffs were supposed to kick in.
TL;DR – These Are the Best Gaming Laptops:
The first thing I always recommend to people hunting for a new gaming laptop is to consider is what PC games they actually hope to play. The second is what settings they hope to play them at. These two questions can guide your purchase to higher- or lower-end hardware and what trade-offs you're willing to make. Now more than ever, gaming laptops come in every shape and size, from thin and light devices like Asus' ROG Zephyrus G14 to moderately heavy powerhouses like the Gigabyte Aorus Master 16. Larger performance-driven laptops (like the ones that come with a 4K display) achieve their enhanced performance with more powerful, and power-hungry, components, which means sacrificing on portability, battery life, and fan noise.
There are countless to choose from a ton of different gaming laptop brands, and finding the best for you can be more than a little daunting. I've tested dozens over the years, and I have a deep understanding of what it takes for a laptop to ascend to greatness for different types of gamers and can confidently say: These are the best gaming laptops of 2026 so far.
1. Razer Blade 16 (2025)
Best Overall Gaming Laptop
Product Specifications
Display
16-inch (2560x1600) OLED
CPU
AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370
GPU
Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090
RAM
Up to 64GB
Storage
Up to 4TB
Weight
4.7lbs
Dimensions
13.98 x 8.68 x 0.59 - 0.69 inches
PROS
Thinner and lighter than ever before
Gorgeous OLED display
Very portable
Longer battery life while gaming
CONS
Pricey
Powered-capped RTX 5090 model
Let's get this out of the way: The Razer Blade 16 isn't the most powerful RTX 50-series laptop. Instead, this notebook earns my top pick because of sum of its parts. The team at Razer understood that a huge cross section of laptop gamers carry their machines with them every day, and flat-out making it nicer to use while also being powerful can dramatically enhance the use experience. As an extra, if you're willing to invest in Razer's laptop cooling pad, you can unlock the full wattage for performance that goes toe-to-toe with other RTX 5090 laptops.
Make no mistake: The Razer Blade 16 is still a gaming beast. In my review, I threw everything and the kitchen sink at it and there was nothing it couldn't run well on its crisp 1600p OLED screen. While running those games and benchmarks, the system stayed surprisingly quiet. This is a gaming laptop you could use in a school library without attracting attention.
It's true that a high-powered RTX 5080 like the Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 also recommended in this guide will get you similar, if not better, performance. What most other laptops can't offer, though, is the Blade 16's level of portability and noise.
Measuring just 0.59 inches at its thinnest point, it's a marked improvement from its predecessor and, well, most gaming laptops with such powerful hardware. It also weighs only 4.7lbs; you won't forget it's there, but it won't leave your back and shoulders sore from lugging it around. That portabilty makes it more appealing as a daily carry, so I didn't second guess taking it with me every day even when I might not actually need it.
The Blade 16 does a great job of feeling like the premium product it is. The chassis is milled from a single block of aluminum and feels solid and robust. It also helps with heat dissipation, but solid engineering ensures that the keyboard never gets more than warm while gaming. Its screen is also excellent with impressive factory calibration and multiple professional color modes that allow it to be used for creative applications straight out of the box. It's per-key RGB keyboard is completely programmable, complete with SOCD (Snap Tap) and macro support to better emulate a dedicated gaming keyboard.
On top of that, it also offers great battery life while gaming. Thanks to the new advancements in how the RTX 50-series handles power management, you can play games for around two hours instead of one or less like last generation.
The Razer Blade 16 is an excellent laptop that, while pricey, is something special in this space. If you want a great gaming laptop that will impress you with its portability, look no further.
w
2. Lenovo LOQ 15 AMD Gen 10
Best Budget Gaming Laptop
Product Specifications
Display
15.6” FHD (1920 x 1080) 144Hz
CPU
AMD Ryzen 7 250
GPU
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060
RAM
32GB DDR5 5,600MHz
Storage
512GB NVMe PCIe SSD
Weight
5.1 pounds
Dimensions
4.2" x 10.2" x 0.9"
PROS
RTX 5060 performance and RTX 50-Series features
High refresh rate display
Fair size and weight
Solid value overall
CONS
Mediocre battery life
Limited screen brightness
If you're looking for the best bang for your buck, look no further than the Lenovo LOQ 15. Starting at $1,299, it offers a reasonable price with some smart trade-offs to keep the cost low. It's a system that knows what matters most and delivers on it.
The LOQ 15 comes with a 1080p 144Hz IPS display. While we'd love to see OLED, you'll need to pay much more, and most gamers should find its 144Hz refresh rate suitably fast, even for competitive gaming. It comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 250 and up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060. By default, you'll get 16GB of DDR5 memory and 512GB of fast NVMe storage, but both can be upgraded while keeping the cost around $1,500. For FHD gaming, this is a solid combination. At 1080p, you don't need the horsepower of much more than an RTX 5050 or RTX 5060 to game at medium to high settings. This is doubly true if you enable Nvidia DLSS intelligent upscaling or multi-frame generation.
So what do you trade for that reasonable price? Well, for starters, at $1,300, you'll be getting that base 16GB/512GB. It's also not the thinnest or lightest at 5.1 pounds and 0.9 inches thick, but it’s not overly bulky either. The biggest trade-off, however, is battery capacity and screen brightness, which come in at 60 watt-hours and 300 nits, respectively. Our reviewer, John Martindale, said it best in his review: “This is a laptop that doesn't compromise on power, just battery life.” Since you'll want to be gaming plugged into the wall most of the time anyway, that feels like a pretty reasonable concession for what you’re getting here.
3. Gigabyte Aorus Master 16
Best High-End Gaming Laptop
Product Specifications
Display
16-inch (2560x1600) OLED
CPU
Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
GPU
Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090
RAM
Up to 64GB 5,600MHz DDR5
Storage
Up to 2TB
Weight
5.51lbs
Dimensions
14.05 x 10.0 x 0.90 - 1.14 inches
PROS
Gaming performance exceeds expectations
Very stylish from all sides
Expandable memory and storage
Easy to use configuration software with AI assistant
CONS
Loud under full load
Rather bulky and heavy
In reviewing the Gigabyte Aorus Master 16, this laptop surprised me. Coming hot on the heels from testing the Razer Blade 16, my top pick for this guide, the size and weight of this laptop put me off, but there's no arguing with how great it performs. The RTX 5080 in our test sample outperformed the Blade 16's RTX 5090 in every one of our formal tesst, blowing my socks off in the process.
I don't mean that literally, but I could, because running its hardware as intensively as it does generates a lot of heat that the system needs to exhaust. It gets loud, but it works well, allowing this laptop to perform at its top potential for long periods of time. Keep the vent cleared and gaming headset on, and you'll be all set to enjoy a top-tier PC gaming experience on the go.
Its performance in games lies in its combination of high-performance hardware and the way its engineers have designed it. In addition to the RTX 5080, it comes with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, a 24-core beast that hits a top speed of 5.4GHz. Its core count and clock speed ensure that you can multitask to your heart's content and that the processor will never bottleneck what the GPU is capable of.
The added thickness has allowed Gigabyte to implement a high-performance Windforce cooling system with chambered, high-fin fans, and a vapor chamber to pull heat away keep temperatures in operable levels. While some of its competition, like the Razer Blade, has opted to lower the GPU's power draw (and thereby performance) to use a thinner, quieter design, the Aorus Master 16 puts performance at the forefront.
If you're not super techie, don't worry. The laptop comes with an AI-enhanced configuration suite called GiMate. Built into this system is an AI chatbot that can talk to you using natural language and configure the system to match what you're up to. Tell it that you'd like to play a game and it automatically sets the system into its highest performance mode. Tell it you're going into a meeting and it will ramp the fans down while leaving performance in a balanced state that can handle virtual meetings and presentations without sapping the battery with needless options. It's user-friendly and perfect for beginners.
The Aorus Master 16 is hardly perfect, but it so effectively punches above its class in gaming performance that it's hard not to love it. If Gigabyte can find a way to slim it down a bit, it would come close to perfect for a huge amount of laptop gamers.
4. Asus TUF Gaming A14
Best Gaming Laptop for Students
Product Specifications
Display
14” (2560 x 1600), IPS, 165Hz
CPU
AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS to AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370
GPU
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060
RAM
16GB to 32GB (7500MHz)
Storage
1TB
Weight
3.2lbs
Dimensions
12.24 x 8.94 x 0.67 – 0.78 inches
PROS
Exceptionally portable
Solid gaming performance
Runs quiet
CONS
Soldered memory can't be upgraded
If you're a student, the Asus TUF Gaming A14 is an excellent pick that I simply adored in my review. It's surprisingly thin, exceptionally quiet, and offers impressive battery life. If you need a notebook you can carry between classes, and that also lets you sneak away into the library to play your favorite games (shh!), look no further: This is the laptop for you.
While "thin and light" might be the watch words for productivity laptops, the design pays dividends for students that want to enjoy some games in their downtime. At only 3.2lbs and 0.78 inches at its thickest point, it's compact enough to fit into any bag without weighing you down. When it's time for gaming, its 8th-gen high-performance AMD Ryzen processor and Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU are well-matched to its 1600p display, though I'd recommend dropping the resolution to 1200p to push the frame rate even higher. The picture stays crisp on its 14-inch display and the higher fps really make the most of its 165Hz screen.
The biggest nitpicks I made about this machine really had to do with its expandability and relatively high price for the level of hardware it features. While you can't expand the memory, the overall balance between performance, portability, and noise that Asus struck here is pitch perfect for on-the-go students.
5. Razer Blade 18 (2025)
Best 4K Gaming Laptop
Product Specifications
Display
18" UHD+ (3,840 x 2,400), 240Hz; FHD+ (1,920 x 1,200), 440Hz
CPU
Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
GPU
Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090
RAM
Up to 64GB
Storage
Up to 4TB
Weight
7.1 lbs
Dimensions
15.7 x 10.8 x 0.86 - 1.1 inches
PROS
Dual mode display for 240Hz or 440Hz gaming
Slim profile for an 18-inch laptop
Lots of configuration options
Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is great for gaming
CONS
Changing screen mode requires restart
Too heavy to be easily portable
The Razer Blade 18 embodies decadence in the world of gaming laptops. This is a machine that pushes the envelope and offers a true desktop replacement experience. And that's fitting, because if you're after high-performance 4K gaming on a laptop, you're going to need a next-level rig. Just prepare your wallet, because this type of experience doesn't come cheap.
The Razer Blade 18 features a massive, 18-inch IPS display with a peak resolution of 3840x2400. That's actually higher than 4K but – hold onto your hats – it's able to push that resolution with a rapid 240Hz refresh rate that's perfect for ulta-smooth gameplay. It's not OLED or mini-LED, but this screen gets plenty bright and offers vibrant, well-calibrated SDR colors.
There's another reason to consider this laptop if you're into competitive esports: It's one of very few gaming laptops that comes with dual resolution modes. With Razer Synapse you can choose between the native resolution above or drop to 1920x1200 and boost the refresh rate all the way to 440Hz for the ultimate in responsiveness and motion clarity. While the picture isn't as crisp, at 18 inches, the impact of dropping to this resolution is much less impactful than on a full-size gaming monitor.
To power all of this, the system can be equipped with up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 GPU, 64GB of DDR5 memory, and up to 4TB of storage to hold all of your games. It also comes outfitted with the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, which cinches the on great gaming performance. On top of all that, the system comes with Razer's thermal hood design for improved thermals and a great set of speakers with impressive volume.
Just don't plan on gaming for very long without its monster charging brick. But at 7.1lbs for just the laptop and another pound or two for its charger, it isn't likely that you'll be taking this on the go very often. Believe me – I tried, and you feel it right away. I reviewed the Blade 16 for IGN and our official Blade 18 review is upcoming, but I can say with confidence: If you want a 4K gaming laptop with the ability to replace a desktop and can be taken on the move, this is the one to choose.
6. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
Best Lightweight Gaming Laptop
Product Specifications
Display
14" OLED, QHD+ (2,880 x 1,800), 120Hz
CPU
AMD Ryzen AI HX 370
GPU
Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080
RAM
32GB LPDDR5X
Storage
Up to 2TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD
Weight
3.46lbs
Dimensions
12.2 x 8.7 x 0.62 - 0.72 inches
PROS
Beautiful ROG Nebula OLED display with 500-nits of brightness
120Hz refresh rate for fluid gaming
Only 3.5 pounds for all-day carry
CONS
RTX 5080 is wasted on this form factor
Battery life varies widely depending on how its used
The Asus ROG Zephyrus lineup is considered by many to be the MacBook of Windows laptops. It has the clean, streamlined looks that many people associate with Apple's line-up, a fantastic display, and impressive performance. Best of all, it comes in at only 3.5 pounds, so you can carry it all day, every day without ever feeling weighed down.
I'm currently using the 16-inch version of this laptop, the G16, as my daily driver and it's similar in all but screen size and a few extra ounces. If I could go back, I would choose the G14, and here's why: Even though the G16 is amazing in its own right, it hints at the kind of portability that the G14 offers in spades. There's an elegance to its design – the aluminum chassis with a glossy slash along the lid – that's minimalist and alluring.
The understated design highlights the gorgeous display. Asus outfits the G14 and G16 with its ROG Nebula OLED displays, which are incredibly vibrant and tuned to look amazing straight out of the box. While this might be the "MacBook of Windows," don't sell this laptop short: It can be outfitted with up to and RTX 5080 and drive that beautiful display up to 120Hz. It can definitely handle heavy workloads, but make no mistake, this is lightweight ultrabook is still centered on gaming.
Its svelte design comes with some natural trade-offs you should know before pulling the trigger. Its thin chassis leaves less room for cooling so, like other thin and light laptops of this type, it can't quite hit the high wattages bigger laptops can. I'd recommend sticking to the RTX 5070 or RTX 5070 Ti to get the best bang for your buck.
7. Alienware 16 Area 51 (2025)
Best Desktop Replacement
Product Specifications
Display
16-inch (WQXGA IPS, 2560 x 1600)
CPU
Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
GPU
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080
RAM
32GB
Storage
1TB - 12TB
Weight
7.49 pounds
Size
14.37 x 11.41 x 0.85 - 1.12 inches (W x D x H)
PROS
Excellent gaming performance
Most ports, and ventilation, are around the rear
Avoids thermal throttling
Cherry mechanical keyboard and 4K webcam options
CONS
No OLED screen
Larger footprint than most 16-inch laptops
If you’re shopping for a laptop that leans more toward performance than portability – meaning one that can be taken on the go but will usually stay in one spot – the Dell Alienware 16 Area 51 may be the desktop replacement for you. Between its top-tier performance, gorgeous design, and best-in-class keyboard and webcam, it’s an impressive daily driver capable of running the latest games with ease.
It’s not common for 16-inch laptops to fall into the desktop replacement category – usually this space is reserved for 17- and 18-inch gaming laptops – but weighing in at almost 10lbs with its power adapter, it’s clear that Dell didn’t place portability at the top of its priority list. Instead, the Area 51 is all about consistently solid performance, so your games play smoothly and look great on its bright and vibrant 1600p screen.
Able to be outfitted with up to an RTX 5090 laptop graphics card, an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, your choice of 16GB to 64GB of system memory, and 1TB to 12TB of fast NVMe storage, it certainly has the chops for the task. Its larger footprint and increased height make way for improved cooling, so even under heavy load, thermal throttling isn’t an issue. Most of its heat is also exhausted straight out the back, away from the intake fans, so it always has a fresh supply of cool air to keep itself running well (and earns bonus points for keeping the hot air away from your lap and mouse hand).
With a price that ranges from under $2,000 to over $5,000 and specs to match its high price, great gaming performance comes with the territory, but what really struck me during my review was just how consistently satisfying it was to use, even for simple tasks like taking meetings or typing out reports. At check out, you can opt for a 4K webcam that offers big clarity improvements and comes at no additional charge. You can also outfit it with a mechanical keyboard – wholly uncommon in laptops – which offers big tactility upgrades to the typing experience for another $50. Pricing is current as of this writing, but both are worth investing in depending on your needs.
The Dell Alienware 16 Area 51 has the performance and design bonafides to make the perfect addition to your desk. No one will mistake it for an ultrabook any time soon, but if you’re in the market for a performance and features-first system that can be taken on the go when needed, look no further.
8. Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2024)
Best MacBook for Gaming
Product Specifications
Display
16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR (3456 x 2234)
CPU
Apple M4 Pro – M4 Max
GPU
Integrated
RAM
24GB – 128GB
Storage
512GB – 8TB SSD
Weight
4.7 pounds
Size
14.01 x 9.77 x 0.66 inches (W x D x H)
PROS
M4 Pro and M4 Max offer peak Mac gaming performance
Plenty powerful for creative and productivity tasks
Full access to the Apple ecosystem
CONS
Pricey and non-upgradeable
Game support is more limited than competing Windows laptops
It used to be the case that "Apple" and "gaming" didn't belong in the same sentence, but that's just not the case anymore... as long as you have the right MacBook to get the job done. The MacBook Pro 16 is officially the best way to enjoy gaming on the go for diehard Apple users.
The MacBook Pro 16 is ostensibly for power users and you could be forgiven for thinking that it's exclusively a tool for creative professionals. But don't underestimate this powerful, lightweight machine: The very same qualities that make it great for creatives also make it the best choice for gaming.
With the introduction of the M4 and M4 Max, Apple's Pro 16 is finally able to play games at a level that won't leave you pining for Windows. Apple's silicon is all-around fast, and that applies to its built-in graphics as well. While a lot will depend on the games you're playing, you won't be forced to turn settings to a minimum as a given anymore. Games can look good and play at enjoyable frame rates, all while giving you access to the Apple ecosystem you depend on.
Now, all of that comes at a comparatively steep price. I wouldn't recommend picking up the Apple MacBook Pro 16 exclusively for gaming, but if you're also eyeing it for your own creative or professional endeavors, you can pull that trigger with confidence knowing that your inner gaming doesn't need to be left out in the cold any longer. We'll eventually be testing the MacBook Pro with the new M5 chip that was recently revealed, which alleges to improve the graphic performance 1.6x, but for now, this is the portable Apple machine to beat.
9. Honorable Mention: Dell Alienware Aurora 16X
A Good Pick If You Can Catch It On Sale
Product Specifications
Display
16-inch, 2560 x 1600 (16:10), 240Hz, G-Sync
CPU
Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX (24-core)
GPU
Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070
RAM
Up to 64GB
Storage
1TB NVMe SSD
Weight
5.7 pounds
Size
14.05" x 10.45" x 0.76~0.92"
PROS
Fast, bright display
Great GPU/CPU combination for gaming
DLSS and frame generation take advantage of its high refresh rate screen
Stylish aesthetics
CONS
Expensive at MSRP
On the heavier side
If the Alienware Aurora 16X were a little cheaper, it would have earned its way into an official position on this list. It has a lot to offer, making it a great mid-range pick – if you can find it on sale.
Coming in at $1,999 or less (we've seen it as low as $1,649), the Alienware Aurora 16X offers solid bang for your buck in a stylish package with an impressive IPS display. In his review, my colleague Rami Tabari noted that while he wished there was an OLED or mini-LED option, its 1600p 240Hz display is truly impressive with great colors, smooth motion, and up to 500 nits of peak brightness. While it’s on-paper response time won’t compete with OLED in sheer input latency, most gamers should find this perfectly sufficient whether they're playing a match of Hearthstone or loading in for Rainbow Six Siege or Arc Raiders.
This system also packs a punch when it comes to internal specs and features. It can come equipped with up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, and up to 64GB of high-speed memory and a terabyte of storage. It’s more than capable of any productivity task you’d care to throw at it, and handles games and creative apps with ease.
Its high resolution means that reaching the 240Hz refresh rate will likely be difficult. Thanks to Nvidia's suite of DLSS features, however, it's able to offer high-quality upscaling and access to multi-frame generation in supported games to help close the gap.
Altogether, this is a very solid package and worthy of consideration if you can find it on sale. At nearly $2,000, it's we might hold off, but at $1,650… that’s a lot more tempting.
How to Pick the Best 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 five years, and somehow gaming laptops are getting thinner and adding even more features.
Portability and Form Factor
Where will you be taking this gaming laptop? If you'll be taking it out every day, you’ll want something portable, such as a 15-incher or even 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.
Weight is another consideration if you'll be carrying the laptop around all day. Anything more than 5lbs is going to be very noticeable. This can be an issue because gaming laptops have a tendency to be a bit bigger than competing options that don't need larger and more advanced cooling solutions. It's not impossible to find thin and light gaming laptops with great performance, but you should definitely take the time to consider what you're comfortable with and if you're willing to trade performance for portability.
With integrated GPUs, with the integrated graphics on modern processors getting to be so good, it's also possible to find gaming laptops in form factors that just didn't work before. The ROG Flow Z13 is a prime example; it is essentially a 2-in-1 gaming laptop that can double as a tablet for artists and students, but offers impressive gaming performance thanks to its AMD Ryzen AI MAX processor.
The point is, you don't need to limit yourself to bulky clamshell designs in the same way you used to. Depending on your budget and performance needs, there are more options than ever out there.
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, DLSS, and frame generation technologies.
On that front, it can also be important to consider what games you plan on playing, their minimum and recommended specifications, and what advanced features they might support. If the game is equipped with the latest version of Nvidia's DLSS, for example, and supports frame generation, you can probably get away with a lower-powered, lower-cost graphics card since the tech will improve your frame rate even on a cheaper card. As you get into higher tiers of laptop GPUs, prices skyrocket quickly.
Choosing the latest processor isn't quite as necessary, but it's nice to have and can help ensure that it doesn't bottleneck the potential performance of your GPU. If you're looking at a laptop with an Intel processor, be sure that the processor isn't more than a couple generations behind. Both Intel and AMD offer gaming processors with built-in neural processing units for enhanced AI performance. For Intel, these are referred to as Core Ultra processors while AMD dubs its lines AI and AI MAX. Both can offer great gaming performance.
If you only plan to take part in light gaming, a recent Core Ultra or AI Max processor can also take the place of a dedicated graphics card and save you hundreds in the process. Both of these chips feature powerful integrated graphics, and so long as you're willing to adjust settings and resolutions, can deliver playable frame rates. They're also great if you plan on streaming your games through the cloud through services like Xbox Cloud Gaming or GeForce Now.
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.
Most gaming laptops are only as portable as the nearest electrical outlet. All that power comes at a price, though. The general rule of thumb about gaming laptops is that their battery life stinks. In general, you should plan on plugging in your laptop before loading a game. Playing on battery power typically lasts an hour or less and also delivers worse performance due to the power limits the laptop imposes on the graphics card and processor. It's just not ideal, but may still be better than lugging around a heavy power brick, depending on what you're playing.
One recent exception to this is Nvidia's RTX 50-series laptop GPUs. These new chips feature enhanced power management features, so you can count on closer to two hours instead of one.
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.
Depending on how tech-savvy you are, You can save some money by choosing a laptop with less memory and storage at checkout and upgrading these components yourself. It's usually much cheaper to do so. However, you'll want to research carefully to ensure that both are upgradable at all and, if so, are easily accessible. Some laptops hide components inside, beneath others, making them especially difficult, if not impossible, for anyone other than an expert to access. Bear in mind, however, that a laptop in general is much less upgradable than a desktop gaming PC. Outside of memory and storage, changing out other components likely means buying a whole new PC.
Integrated Graphics – Finally Viable for Gaming?
Historically, the constant advice when shopping for a gaming laptop was to prioritize getting the best graphics card you could afford. But thanks to recent advancements in the graphics built into the latest CPUs, it's now possible to play many games without spending extra on a laptop with dedicated graphics. Both the Intel Core Ultra Series 3 and the AMD Ryzen AI Max and AI 400 processor lines are equipped with onboard graphics that can rival low-to-mid-tier GPUs (Intel denotes its graphics-capable chips with an “X” in the model name).
Not convinced? Jackie Thomas recently reviewed the Asus ZenBook Duo (2026), which is outfitted with the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and Intel Arc B390 graphics cores. She was able to reach 65fps in CyberPunk 2077 at high settings. I found similar results with the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 in my review of the Asus ROG Flow Z13. That chip utilizes AMD’s Radeon 8060S integrated graphics, which is built on the RDNA 3.5 architecture. That puts the gaming performance of these chips in the ballpark of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 and RTX 4060 laptop chips. Both chips also offer extended battery life (though the Intel Core Ultra Series 3 seems to best the AMD Ryzen AI Max+395 by a significant margin) and excellent single- and multi-core performance for productivity and creative work.
Of course, opting for a laptop with a dedicated graphics card at or above this level will certainly offer better performance. In many cases, calling laptops featuring these chips gaming systems also feels like a bit of a stretch. But if you don't mind sticking to around 1080p resolution, adjusting some settings, and leveraging technologies like upscaling and frame generation, these new processors offer an exceptionally well-rounded experience between productivity, gaming, portability, and battery life.
Gaming Laptop FAQ
Should you buy a gaming laptop or a gaming PC?
When considering a gaming laptop over a gaming desktop, ask yourself: Is the premium price worth it for the luxury of portability? In virtually every case, you'll pay more for a gaming laptop with similar on-paper specs to a well-matched gaming desktop. It doesn't stop with the cost: Just because two graphics cards have the same name doesn't mean that they're the same in all circumstances. Laptop versions of same-name GPUs usually offer reduced performance due to their thermal and power limitations. Gaming desktops provide more bang for your buck, are less expensive to upgrade and repair, and last longer before they go obsolete. See our guide to gaming PCs vs. gaming laptops for a deeper comparison.
Is the CPU or GPU more important in a gaming laptop?
Both are important, but you should consider the graphics card more than the processor. Even though a slow processor can throttle the graphics card and lower your fps, usually this is much less of a concern than simply having an underpowered GPU. Remember, it's the graphics card that renders your games and is the single most influential component to gaming performance.
Do I need a dedicated graphics card in my gaming laptop?
Not always. This depends on what you're hoping to achieve. If you're interested in running the latest games at high graphics settings and resolutions, you definitely need to invest in a laptop with a great graphics card. If you only plan to do light gaming, enjoy older games that aren't very demanding or stream your games from the cloud. A modern processor with integrated graphics can also be a good way to save some money. With that in mind, relying on an integrated graphics card hasn't always been as possible as it is today. As such, I would recommend this only for gaming laptops with AMD Ryzen 7000-series or Intel Core Ultra processors.
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.
What are the best gaming laptop brands in 2026?
More brands than ever are selling laptops, but the biggest brands over the last five years remain the biggest today. Asus, MSI, and Gigabyte are all leading brands when it comes to gaming laptops, as is Lenovo, HP, Acer, and Dell/Alienware. There are also a number of boutique gaming laptop brands to be aware of, though these often cost significantly more due to their hand-tested, custom-crafted design. Origin, Falcon Northwest, and Xotic are all worth paying special attention to if you're looking for something a little more special than the "big brands" can usually provide.
Christopher Coke has been a contributor to IGN since 2019 and has been covering games and technology for more than a decade. He has covered tech ranging from gaming controllers to graphics cards, gaming chairs to gaming monitors, headphones, IEMs, and more for sites such as MMORPG.com, Tom’s Hardware, Popular Science, USA Today’s Reviewed, and Popular Mechanics. Find Chris on Twitter @gamebynight.
Image Credit: Annalee Tsujino is a multi disciplinary designer and illustrator. Check them out on Instagram @antsu_illustrations.
