TOP 5: Best gaming laptops 2020
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These are the top gaming laptops for every budget
Gaming laptops: When its time to save, create the world (or just blast some baddies), accept no substitutes. Thanks to their powerful graphics, gorgeous displays and great audio, gaming laptops provide an immersive entertainment experience in a portable package. Many also offer stylish designs, desktop-quality keyboards and the ability to use high-end VR headsets. Heck, a good gaming laptop can even pull double-duty as a serious work station.
But most of all, gaming laptops are great for dedicated gamers with mobile lifestyles or looking to save more space than a desktop could. The gamut ranges from college students hoping to play anywhere on campus to businesspeople who want to play during a train commute. Whatever uses you have planned for your machine, there are a lot of intricacies to mobile PC gaming, so it helps to do your research. But with so many laptops to choose from, things can get pretty complicated.
To help you pick your perfect gaming laptop, we've compiled a list of the top gaming laptops, including our top picks from popular brands including Alienware, Acer, Lenovo, MSI, Razer, Dell and more. Over the course of a year, we review over 100 laptops covering every price point and use case. Whether you’re looking for a a badass gaming system with all the bells and whistles, a good mid-tier laptop that can play games at solid frame rates or an inexpensive gaming system that can play most titles, we can help you find your ideal gaming laptop.
But in order to make our top gaming laptops list, the system needs to score at least 4 out of 5 stars on our reviews and deliver on the things shoppers care about most. Over the course of our evaluations, we focus on overall and gaming performance. We're also checking for design, keyboard, audio and display quality and especially value.
Here are the best gaming laptops you can buy now.
1. Alienware m17 R3
The best gaming laptop overall offers big power in slim, redesigned chassis
CPU: Intel Core i9-10980HK | GPU: Nvidia RTX 2080 Super | RAM: 32GB | Storage: 2 1TB SSDs | Display: 17.3-inch display (4K) | Weight: 6.6 pounds
Attractive, lightweight design for a desktop replacement
Great graphics and overall performance
Beautiful 4K display
Seriously expensive
Below-average battery life
The third iteration of the Alienware m17 is here and it’s even better than the previous models. Sporting Intel’s new 10th Gen H-Series processor and an Nvidia Super GPU, the Alienware m17 R3 is a formidable force in the gaming laptop arena. Not only is the laptop powerful, but it’s got an intergalactic elegance that’s a bonafide head turner. It’s also one of the lightest desktop replacements on the market. Plus, you get a downright stunning 4K display that’s worth the price of admission.
But that’s not all, the gaming laptop also features an integrated Tobii eye tracker that elevates both gameplay and productivity. And best of all, Alienware offers reasonable prices for those of us trying to adhere to strict budgets. And if you ever need a power boost, you can attach the company’s Graphics Amplifier to give it that extra boost. All in all, is a great gaming laptop for gamers that want a lot of power, in a lightweight, elegant package.
2. Dell G3 15
An inexpensive gaming laptop with excellent performance and battery life
CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H | GPU: Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB SSD | Display: 17.3 inches, 1080p | Weight: 5.4 pounds
Strong overall performance and graphics
Good battery life
Great gaming software
Dull display
Dell's cheapest gaming laptop is back and better than ever. The G3 15 offers strong performance with its 9th Gen Core i5 CPU and GTX 1650 GPU backed by the full power of the Alienware Command Center –– all for under $1,000. Combine that with great battery life, with plenty of ports and a relatively comfortable and you have a badass gaming machine. However, the G3's affordable price does come at the cost of a relatively dull 15.6-inch display. Still, the G3 15 is one of the top gaming laptops you can get at its price point.
See our full Dell G3 15 review.
3. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
Unmatched endurance for a gaming laptop
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS | GPU: Nvidia RTX 2060 Max-Q | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 1TB SSD | Display: 14 inches, 1080p | Weight: 3.5 pounds
Killer AMD and Nvidia performance
Longest-lasting gaming laptop ever
Lightning fast SSD
No webcam
Poor keyboard lighting
We never thought we'd see the day when a gaming laptop delivered longer battery life than a traditional notebook. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is ushering in a new era of gaming laptops –– one where AMD is a major player. Powered by an AMD Ryzen 9 processor, the ROG Zephyrus emerged as a force to be reckoned with on many of our performance benchmarks. And paired with an Nvidia RTX 2060 Max-Q graphic chip, it's no slouch in the actual gaming department either.
But as great as those specs are, the Zephyrus G14 main claim to fame is its battery life. The gaming laptop lasted over 11 hours on our battery test, the longest ever. A pretty display with a 120Hz refresh rate, comfortable keyboard and excellent audio are just icing on an already fully stacked cake. It's the top gaming laptop for those looking for endurance.
4. Lenovo Legion Y545
A great gaming laptop on a budget
CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H | GPU: Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 128GB SSD | Display: 15.6 inches, 1080p | Weight: 5.3 pounds
Elegant, understated design
Great gaming and overall performance
Comfortable keyboard
Below-average battery life
Runs hot when gaming
The Lenovo Legion Y545 is an entry-level gaming laptop that under promises and over-delivers. The laptop’s discrete Nvidia graphics chip serves up a surprising amount of power, with above-average results. And when you’re not gaming, the laptop’s Core i7 processor is more than capable of allowing you to create spreadsheets, do some light video-editing and, of course, watch some movies on that beautiful 1080p display.
With its industrial design accentuated by clean, attractive lines, the Lenovo Legion Y545 presents a nice contrast to many of its flashier counterparts. It's great for gamers looking to eschew all the bells, whistles, pomp and circumstance. And if you're need them, the Y545 has enough ports to support a nice fleet of peripherals. If you’re looking to game on a budget without sacrificing too much performance, the Lenovo Legion Y545 is a great choice.
5. Alienware Area 51m
A powerful behemoth that's fully upgradable
CPU: Intel Core i9-9900K | GPU: Nvidia RTX 2080 | RAM: 8GB/16GB/32GB/64GB | Storage: 256GB/512GB SSD | Display: 17.3-inch display (1080p, G-Sync) | Weight: 8.5 pounds
Stunning space station aesthetic
Excellent graphics and overall performance
All major components upgradable
Exorbitantly expensive
Meet the most powerful gaming laptop we've ever tested. The Alienware Area 51m's stunning, one-of-a-kind design houses a desktop-grade Intel Core i9 CPU and a full Nvidia RTX 2080 GPU, allowing it to tear through demanding games without breaking a sweat while supporting every possible high-powered feature -- including ray tracing -- a technology designed to bring gamers ever closer to photorealism. In short, this gaming laptop is a certifiable beast.
Better yet, the Area 51m's arresting magnesium alloy chassis is fully future-proof, allowing you to swap out key components such as the GPU and CPU to keep the system fresh over time. That's right, you can fully upgrade this bad boy. Factor in a stunning 1080p G-Sync display, customizable RGB lighting, a seriously comfortable and booming front-firing speakers, and you've got the ultimate battlestation for gamers willing to splurge in pursuit of sheer power. It's our top gaming laptop for DIYers and those in search of performance-focused system.
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