Gaming laptops have evolved into carefully balanced devices that can deliver a quality gaming experience, and the mobility they afford is a huge boon for many people who can't always be seated at a desk. PC gaming is one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world, and just like you want the best possible TV in your budget for watching movies, you also want the best possible gaming laptop that money can buy.

Many of the best laptops on the market can double as gaming machines, but we're focusing here on laptops built specifically for having fun. While everyone has different needs, there are a couple of things that tend to be very important with gaming laptops. You want a CPU and GPU combination powerful enough to run your favorite games at a smooth framerate, and you want enough RAM and storage to keep up with your demands. Other selling features, like webcam, speakers, and overall portability are also important, and we've been sure to include a variety of gaming laptops to suit most people's needs. Here are our favorite gaming laptops in 2024, many of which we've personally tested and reviewed here at XDA.

Our favorite gaming laptops in 2024

Lenovo makes some excellent gaming laptops, and the Legion 9i is the pinnacle of the company's efforts. It's the world's first 16-inch laptop with a fully self-contained liquid cooling system, so it performs fantastically and is surprisingly compact. In our Legion 9i (2023) review, Senior Editor João Carrasqueira called it "the best gaming laptop money can buy." It does command a high price, but it's a gaming laptop with almost no blind spots.

Powering the Lenovo Legion 9i is an Intel Core i9-13980HX with a whopping 24 cores and 32 threads, delivering all the performance you could ever need for gaming. That's complemented by up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU with a whopping 175W of power, which uses liquid cooling for the VRAM. This is combined with up to 64GB of RAM and up to 2TB of SSD storage, with the option to use two 1TB SSDs in RAID 0 for even faster speeds.

This powerful hardware renders games on a beautiful mini-LED display with 3.2K resolution that can reach 1200 nits of peak brightness for HDR content. It's stunning. Playing games in HDR looks absolutely fantastic on this screen, and they look sharp and vibrant too, thanks to the excellent color reproduction. Above the display is a 1080p webcam, though Windows Hello support is only available through a fingerprint reader in the power button.

Despite the incredibly powerful hardware, the Lenovo Legion 9i manages to be just under 19mm thick and it weighs 5.5 pounds, which is still heavy, but very impressive for what you're getting here. Plus, the laptop looks great with its unique forged carbon design and tons of RGB lighting. As for ports, you get three USB-C ports (two with Thunderbolt 4), two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, RJ45 Ethernet, a headphone jack, and an SD card reader.

Lenovo may have the absolute best gaming laptop, but the Alienware x16 isn't far behind with a more affordable price tag. This powerful laptop does things differently from other gaming laptops, and if you can afford it, it's one of the best on the market. In our Alienware X16 (2023) review, Senior Editor João Carrasqueira said that is "makes a very compelling argument for itself if you care about portability."

It comes with 13th-generation Intel Core H-series processors, rather than the HX series found on most gaming laptops. It's not quite as powerful as those processors, but it's a lot more efficient. And since most games need GPU performance the most, you're still well off with up to 14 cores and 20 threads in the Core i9-13900HK CPU here. It also goes up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU, and thanks to the Element 31 cooling interface, this is one of the fastest laptops around. Combine that with up to 64GB of RAM and a 4TB SSD, and you're golden.

Beyond that, the Alienware x16 has a superb 16-inch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio and Quad HD+ resolution. It also has a smooth 240Hz refresh rate for top-tier performance in eSports titles. And to help it stand out, it covers 100% of DCI-P3, meaning color reproduction is great on this display, so you'll have a great time watching movies here (the speakers are great, too). Above that display is a 1080p webcam complete with Windows Hello support.

The Alienware x16 is a beautiful laptop, mixing a silver exterior with a black interior, plus a lot of RGB lighting, for one of the more unique gaming laptops available. It also has an optional mechanical CherryMX keyboard. Notably, this powerful gaming laptop measures just 18.57mm in thickness and starts at 5.67 pounds, making it more portable than most of its rivals. As for ports, it includes two USB-C ports (one with Thunderbolt 4), two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, a mini-DisplayPort, a headphone jack, and a microSD card slot.

Asus announced a refresh to its ROG Zephyrus G16 at CES 2024, bringing OLED displays and Intel Core Ultra 9 185H CPU with Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for help with AI tasks. The Core Ultra 9 CPU is joined by up to a Nvidia RTX 4090 Laptop GPU, 32GB of LPDDR5x-7467MHz RAM, and dual 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs. The 16-inch OLED display hits a 2.5K resolution, 240Hz refresh rate, 0.2ms response time, and 100% DCI-P3 color. It comes with G-Sync compatibility, VESA DisplayHDR 500 certification, and Dolby Vision.

Aside from the bump to performance and screen, the chassis has been redesigned to be made completely out of aluminum. The body is squared off and looks a lot like Razer's Blade lineup, measuring just 14.9mm at its thinnest point. It looks a lot more modern than previous generations, blurring the line between gaming and professional work.

Improved speakers with Dolby Atmos tuning flank the keyboard, which itself has larger keycaps. The touchpad is massive, and there are plenty of ports for connecting your accessories. It includes Thunderbolt 4, USB-C 3.2 (Gen 2), two USB-A 3.2 (Gen 2), HDMI 2.1, a UHS-II SD card reader, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

This is a departure from the 2023 ROG Zephyrus G16, which was a more budget-friendly laptop. The cost has gone up with all the added features, and it should appeal more to enthusiast gamers or professionals, creators, and designers who need lots of power in a no-nonsense build.

Gaming laptops usually come in pretty hefty packages, but Asus set out to change that with the ROG Flow X13, a versatile and powerful convertible laptop. The latest iteration packs some big upgrades across the board, making it better than ever but also more expensive.

Indeed, the 2023 Asus ROG Flow X13 comes with an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, with 8 cores, 16 threads, and boost speeds up to 5.2GHz. It also bumps up the GPU to a GeForce RTX 4070 with 60W of power, making this a far more powerful gaming PC. A new model without a discrete GPU relies on the Radeon 780M integrated graphics instead. For even more power, you can also get the Asus ROG XG mobile eGPU, which now comes with up to a GeForce RTX 4090. Aside from that, you get up to 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.

The display has also received a huge upgrade, now using Asus' ROG Nebula technology with a brighter panel and 100% coverage of DCI-P3. It also has a sharper Quad HD+ resolution and smoother 165Hz refresh rate, so it's better in every way than previous models (assuming you spring for the top-end configuration). The same goes for the webcam, which is now a 1080p camera complete with Windows Hello facial recognition support.

Asus also cleaned up the design for this iteration, making the laptop feel a bit sleeker, though it is a little heavier due to the spec upgrades. Still, at 2.87 pounds, it's one of the lightest gaming laptops you can find anywhere. It also has upgraded ports, with one of the two USB-C ports now featuring USB4, in addition to incorporating the ROG XG Mobile interface for external GPUs. There's also a microSD card slot now, as well as USB Type-A, HDMI, and 3.5mm headphone ports.

We reviewed an earlier iteration of the Asus ROG Flow X13, but this latest model is a huge upgrade in every way. It costs a lot more, but there's nothing quite like it.

While laptops are meant to be portable, for many of us, they replace the desktop PC at home. If you want something with the power to match that kind of PC, the Razer Blade 18 is for you.

It comes with up to an Intel Core i9-13980HX processor with 24 cores and 32 threads for incredible CPU performance, and that comes backed up by up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU with 175W of power. That's all the performance you could ever want, and you can add up to 64GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD for storage, which can be upgraded later if you need more.

Of course, a desktop replacement needs a big screen, and the 18-inch panel on the Blade 18 is one of the biggest we've seen in a laptop. With a 16:10 aspect ratio, Quad HD+ resolution, and a 240Hz refresh rate, it's plenty sharp and perfect for either gaming or creative work. That's also helped by the 100% coverage of DCI-P3, making for a fantastic viewing experience overall. The cherry on top is a 5MP webcam living above that display, with Windows Hello facial recognition support.

A large, powerful laptop like this will be pretty heavy, and the 6.8 pounds of weight are no joke, though the laptop stays reasonably thin at 21.9mm. It does look sleek, with its all-black chassis and subtle RGB lighting Razer is known for. And for ports, you get two USB-C ports (one with Thunderbolt 4), three USB Type-A ports, HDMI 2.1, RJ45 Ethernet (at 2.5Gbos speeds), a headphone jack, and a full-size SD card reader.

Do note that Razer announced new Blade 16 and Blade 18 models at CES 2024. Pre-orders are opening up now, but it's unclear when the 18-inch model will officially launch.

Gaming is an expensive hobby, but there are thankfully affordable options out there. The Acer Nitro 16 is a great example that doesn't break the bank while still delivering relatively modern specs.

The base model comes with an AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS processor with 6 cores and 12 threads, based on the newest Zen 4 architecture for great performance and efficiency. That's paired with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU that uses up to 140W of power, delivering a surprising amount of performance. It only comes with 8GB of RAM, but you can upgrade it later, and there's 512GB of storage out of the box.

Despite being affordable, the Acer Nitro 16 has a 16-inch panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio. It comes in a fairly standard 1920x1200 resolution, but the 165Hz refresh rate makes this a great option for any gamer, and it pairs well with the specs here. Unfortunately, you only get a 720p webcam and no Windows Hello support.

The design shows where Acer cut some costs, with a 26mm thickness making this laptop a bit unwieldy along with the nearly 6-pound weight. Still, it looks fairly clean and stylish, and it gives you a lot of ports including two USB Type-C and three Type-A ports, HDMI, Ethernet, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader. It's hard to ask for much more here. At $1,000, this is right at the threshold of what we'd consider a budget option, but for gamers, it's still one of the best value laptops around.

Lenovo's Legion Slim 5 14, refreshed in 2023 for its eighth generation, is easily one of the best 14-inch gaming laptops on the market. It's a great option for those who like to travel unencumbered, as it weighs just 3.86 pounds and has a fairly compact footprint. Not bad for an all-metal laptop. The aluminum chassis has beveled edges, lots of room for a generous port selection, and a design that suggest more of an everyday laptop than a dedicated gaming machine. Lenovo doubled down here with deep 1.5mm keyboard key travel, making it great for productivity purposes when you aren't gaming.

The 14.5-inch display has a 2.8K OLED panel with 120Hz refresh rate, 100% DCI-P3 color, Dolby Vision, and VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500, making it exceptional for gaming and for specialized work. In Cale Hunt's Legion Slim 5 14 (2023) review, he called it "[...] one of the nicest 14-inch display [he's] ever seen." The only downside is a lack of G-Sync certification.

Lenovo offers up to an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU, Nvidia RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM, and 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, making it powerful enough to handle modern titles at a smooth framerate. If you want a compact gaming laptop that balanced price to performance and features better than the competition, don't miss out on the Slim 5 14.

HP refreshed its Omen gaming lineup for 2023, giving the chassis a redesign for better airflow and bumping up a bunch of features. Its 1080p camera is clear, the keyboard is comfortable enough for all-day typing, and the screen is bright enough to prevent most glare. The screen is still, unfortunately, using a 16:9 aspect ratio, but that's mostly noticeable when using the laptop for productivity work. Overall, it's a sleek 16-inch gaming laptop with per-key RGB keyboard lighting and lots of ports.

HP offers many configuration options. Intel's 14th Gen HX-series CPUs have begun showing up as a sort of soft refresh, but the 13th Gen Intel models are still readily available. Considering not much else has changed between 2023 and 2024 other than the CPU spec bump, either laptop is going to do a great job for gaming. The redesigned cooling (from 2023) keeps the laptop from throttling, and performance is impressive.

The 16.1-inch display is available with either an FHD or QHD resolution. The latter has a 240Hz refresh rate, 3ms response time, and about 300 nits brightness. In XDA Senior Editor Cale Hunt's Omen 16 (2023) review, he called it "[...] a perfect pairing with the laptop's fastest hardware options." The only thing missing is G-Sync certification. This is an easy recommendation for most people who want a quality 16-inch gaming laptop without overspending.

If you want a big laptop that makes good use of all the power, the MSI Titan GT77 HX is a beastly machine with a big display. It starts with top-tier performance afforded by the Intel Core i9-13980HX, along with up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU, powering the most demanding gaming experiences you can get with no issues. What's more, you can configure this laptop with up to a massive 128GB of RAM and a 4TB SSD out of the box, so there's nothing you're not getting here. In our MSI Titan GT77 HX review, Senior Editor Rich Edmonds called it "[...] a portable PC that can easily beat many gaming desktop PCs."

Along with that, the MSI Titan GT77 HX has a huge 17-inch display and an incredibly sharp 4K resolution, delivering fantastic visual experiences for gaming and content creation. That's taken even further when you consider that this is a min-LED panel with multiple dimming zones and certified for DisplayHDR 1000, along with covering 100% of DCI-P3. Everything about this screen is phenomenal for gaming and watching movies. It, unfortunately, comes with a 720p webcam, but it does support Windows Hello facial recognition, which is very welcome.

Design-wise, the MSI Titan GT77 HX is as beefy as the specs indicate. It does weigh a whopping 7.28 pounds, so this is not a machine you want to take with you everywhere. The laptop is also very flashy, with an RGB mechanical keyboard and a large RGB light bar all across the fan exhaust on the rear of the laptop. That big chassis also gets you a ton of ports, with two Thunderbolt 4 connections, three USB Type-A ports, HDMI, mini-DisplayPort, Ethernet, and a full-size SD card reader.

Choosing the best gaming laptop for you

Gaming laptops come in all shapes and sizes, and they vary greatly in price. This gives buyers a lot of variety, but it can also make it tough to find the perfect gaming machine for you. If we're making one suggestion where price doesn't matter, it has to be the Legion 9i from Lenovo. It offers an incredible blend of performance, portability, and a stunning Mini-LED display that really makes games come alive.

The Dell Alienware x16 is also phenomenal, and it costs a bit less than the Legion 9i. Getting into the more affordable range, HP's Omen 16, redesigned in 2023 with a small spec bump for 2024, makes a strong case for itself with outstanding performance and features. And for those who want to spend as little as possible, the Acer Nitro 16 remains a top pick. It gives you plenty of performance for far less than you'd be spending on more premium laptops. Plus, upgradeable RAM and storage mean you can extend the lifecycle of the laptop for much cheaper if you feel like the default configuration isn't enough. Have a look at our collection of the best budget gaming laptops for more affordable PCs.