If you’re a gamer, you can take comfort in knowing that you’re one of the estimated 215 million Americans who also enjoys it as a pastime. The evolution of mobile gaming has come a long way since the days of clunky, slow devices. Now, with the click of an order button, you can have a thin and sophisticated laptop capable of merging all your online fun right on your desktop. But with choices constantly changing and being added, which are the best gaming laptops currently available?
While research is divided on the impact of playing video games, it could be argued that they get a bad rap. While excess screen time is not recommended for children or adults alike, many studies indicate that moderate time playing video games is not linked to aggressiveness, lowered empathy, mental health issues, or a healthy social life. In fact, did you know that gaming can even be beneficial?
Recent research suggests that, in comparison to non-gamers, habitual video game players display superior sensorimotor decision-making skills. That’s not all — gamers also appear to have more activity in key regions of their brains. Another study indicates that high video game scores may lead to better academic grades. Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam say kids who spent more time playing video games also experienced above-average increases in intelligence.
The same can be said for adults, with research from The National Institutes for Health finding that video games may be used to enhance cognitive health in older adults.
“These findings suggest that both novel experiences and exposure to rich three-dimensional environments may work together to improve cognition,” NIH reports in its study. “Interventions for improving cognition are particularly important for older individuals because they are at risk for cognitive decline. In addition, video game interventions may be beneficial for individuals at any age and particularly for those who are homebound, thus unable to experience a wide variety of new environments.”
Finding a laptop that’s capable of the best gaming quality can be a tall order– it requires a lot of bandwidth and a fast refresh rate for smooth operating. To help you get the most out of your play time, StudyFinds set out to find the best ones. We visited 10 of the leading expert websites to see which gaming laptops were rated the highest. Our list is ranked based on the most-recommended gaming laptops across these sites.
The List: Best Gaming Laptops, According To Experts
1. Asus ROG Zephyrus
The Asus ROG Zephyrus is a dream for gamers and top-rated as the best overall gaming laptop thanks to its CPU and GPU, excellent gaming performance, style and large screen.
“The Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 offers a potent combination of powerful gaming hardware and lengthy battery life, letting you play your games at high detail settings on its native 1440p resolution, no matter where you go,” Forbes writes. “It’ll last for up to 10 hours of mixed usage away from a power socket, so five hours of gaming should be more than possible. With a half terabyte of SSD storage too, you’ll have plenty of space to store your expansive game library.”
Weighing in at just over four pounds, it’s one of the lightest 15-inch gaming laptops on the market.
“You’re not making any compromises on performance for that portability: it’s powered by the top mobile chips that AMD and Nvidia have to offer, and includes a fast 165Hz QHD (1440p) display,” The Verge writes. “Together, those components can handle even the toughest AAA titles at QHD resolution. The panel has excellent color reproduction as well, so your games will look great.”
$1670 on Amazon
2. Razer Blade 15
If you’re looking for premium, the Razer Blade 15 gaming laptop is well-loved for its seamless playing of high detail and high frame games.
“Sure, it might be very expensive, but the new Razer Blade is just a thing of beauty; a compact, quiet, durable, and powerful gaming laptop that ticks just about every box,” Tech Radar writes.
A bright and intense screen paired with impressive hardware makes for optimal game time.
“Razer continues to do a stellar job of delivering bleeding-edge hardware in a sleek package that would make Mac users jealous. The Blade 15 has just about everything you’d want, including NVIDIA’s fastest mobile GPU, the RTX 3080 Ti, as well as Intel’s 12th-gen CPUs and speedy quad-HD screens,” Engadget writes.
$2900 on Amazon
3. Alienware X17 R2
Alienware’s giant 17-inch screen makes it a favorite option for gamers looking for solid performance with stunning design.
“Alienware laptops have always had a bit of flair around them, and the x17 R2 is no different. While it’s not as crazy as some of Alienware’s designs from the past, it’s got some flourish that sets it apart from its contemporaries,” Variety writes. “With its 17-inch display, the x17 R2 is massive. It has an aluminum and magnesium chassis, and a unique hexagonal vent design on the back brightens up a normally run-of-the-mill part of a laptop.”
The device rates particularly high for playing esports and high-paced action games at high frame rates.
“The Alienware is one of the thinnest and lightest gaming laptops we’ve ever tested. At just over half an inch thick and under 5 lb of heft, it’s easy to slip into your bag and forget it’s even there. Plus, because it can charge off of a USB-C cable, you don’t have to worry about hauling around a huge charging brick like with other gaming laptops,” Tech Radar writes.
$2200 on Amazon
4. Acer Aspire 5
Looking to get into the world of laptop gaming but not quite sure where to start? The Acer Aspire 5 is a top choice for a low-cost option for less-demanding games, but still at excellent quality.
“The prosaic 1080p display ensures the onboard graphics processing isn’t stressed too much when playing games at native resolution,” Forbes writes. “The 256GB of SSD storage is more than enough for Windows and a handful of even modern games.”
The Acer Aspire also features cool and quiet functioning and Wi-Fi 6 support.
“The cheap models are where the value is at, but you can spec this up to 16 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Ryzen 7 chip, and RTX 3070 GPU. This is a laptop for those who want a portable gaming machine but don’t want to break the bank,” Wired writes.
$370 on Amazon
5. Lenovo Legion 5 Pro
Known for its top-notch performance and sleek design, the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is another top pick in the world of gaming.
“The Legion Pro 5 proves that AMD is absolutely a serious competitor in the gaming laptop space,” PC Gamer writes. “Pairing the mobile Ryzen 7 5800H with the RTX 3070 results in a laptop that not only handles modern games with ease, but that can turn its hand at more serious escapades too.”
The screen can hit up to 350 nits brightness, giving it a crisp and vibrant backdrop for all your favorite games.
“The memory and storage are user-upgradeable, so if you’re short on cash, you can get a cheaper configuration and upgrade it later. It has a sturdy build, a great keyboard, and many ports, including six USBs, an HDMI, and an Ethernet port,” Rtings writes.
$1400 on Amazon
Sources
Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations.
Tags: gaming, video games