Gaming laptops. What is the best gaming laptop of 2024?

The idea for this comparison came up when my friend Sergio asked me to find him a good model among gaming laptops. He told me "I have a budget of € 500-600 and I want to play League Of Legends." I replied that it was somewhat difficult but he would find it.

Together with the team, we have put together the best-valued and best-selling gaming laptops on the market. We have considered price and quality. This has been the final result of what are the the best what you pay for. In this review you will find:

Comparison gaming laptops

In this comparison of gaming laptops We have compiled the models that we like the most so that you can choose the one that best suits your budget. There are cheap options and others at higher prices and I am sorry to tell you but buying a gamer laptop is usually more expensive than for any other purpose.

Best of the gaming laptops under € 1.000

After many, many hours of research and testing, we have determined that The Dell G15 for less than 1000 euros is the best of the gaming laptops we have tested, this is so because by its gaming performance and its low price make it the best value for money laptop for gaming.

The Dell G15 has extraordinarily good build quality, especially when compared to its competition. In this sense, we have verified that it keeps the parts that are most in contact with the user at a stable temperature at all times, which cannot be said of the other gaming laptops that we have analyzed, and, in addition, it has a very comfortable keyboard.

The Dell G15 has a graphics card GeForce RTX 1650 with 4 GB of memory, an Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD hard drive.

Like all gaming laptops in its price range, the Dell overheats a little, but it stays cooler than the other computers we've tested. The Dell's screen could be better, but it's hard to find a cheap gaming laptop with a decent screen. Despite these flaws, the Asus is, without a doubt, the best cheap gaming laptop on the market.

The Dell G15, without any doubt, is the best gaming laptop for all those who are on a tight budget. It's powerful, cheap, and well-made. All the cheap gaming laptops we tested have similar gaming performance, but we consider the Asus to be the best because it is cheaper and has better build quality than the rest.

Like all the budget gaming laptops we've tested, the Dell G15 gets hotter than we'd like, with the surface reaching a maximum temperature of 38.8 degrees. However, the bottom of the chassis and the WASD keys remain at a reasonable 33.3 or 34.4 degrees Celsius, which we cannot say about the rest of the models. Besides, the fans are not loud enough to distract us while playing games or watching a movie, the keyboard is backlit and the trackpack is very decent.

Best cheap gaming laptop under €800

Serious gamers will laugh at the idea that there might be a less than € 800 gaming laptop that is worth it. Tighter budget gaming PCs usually don't let you play the latest news with the best screen features. But if you don't care about high definition but want to play without fluency, you have very interesting options that won't break your bank account.

A gaming laptop of just over 600 euros can have many disadvantages, however we have found the best option for this price. This is the case of the Acer NITRO 5 that costs around 600 euros, and for such a cheap price you have a 1080p screen, 16GB of RAM, an AMD Ryzen 7000 processor and what matters most in this section, some NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti graphics. A processor is included that is a considerable improvement compared to mid-range laptops, as if that were not enough, you have 512GB SSD of internal memory so that you can put the files, movies and data you want so that applications are opened instantly.

On gaming laptops this means the ability to play the latest games in high resolutions, and for other tasks that demand more such as multimedia, productivity and demanding programs. Again with more than 500GB it gives you a lot of space, also being an SSD it will go much faster when saving than if we compare it with a hard drive HDD. In the event that a user wants, they can change said hard drive without problem.

It has an 15.6-inch screen with a resolution of 1920 × 1080 and the panel is more advanced IPS is great. It is also true that when viewed from the side clarity deteriorates, although this does not happen in most sessions. It comes with its Windows 11 which is designed to be tactile but works perfectly as normal. Remember that in this Asus there is no touch screen option.

The best gaming laptop

This computer can make any gamer who reads about it nervous, for good. It is a computer that just by looking at it we know that it is not intended to be used in an office writing texts or making invoices. Have a powerful design, robust and the colored keys, all we can hope for in a laptop with which our intention is not to get bored. It doesn't matter where you look at it from. The design impresses.

Inside, the MSI Titan is no less impressive. Use a latest generation i9 processor of the latest generation with which we can move any game. And not only that: we will be able to move them without restrictions, which includes being able to use all the effects (not removing elements to improve performance) and broadcasting our games live on gaming platforms such as Twitch.

A good processor alone is not enough for games to run perfectly. For that it is also necessary that there is a good amount of RAM, and this Raider has 64 GB, divided between two DDR5 memory cards at 4800MHz. What is also important for heavier games to run smoothly is the graphics card, and the GeForce RTX 4080 12GB GDDR6 assures us not only that we will be able to play all the most demanding titles of today, but also all future titles that will be released in the coming years.

the best gaming laptop

No less important in a computer for gamers is its hard drive. In this section there are two important points: the storage and the type of disk. The MSI GT75 Titan offers good specs in these two sections as well. On the one hand, the hard drive that includes is 2TB, which ensures that we can put dozens of games even if they are very heavy. On the other hand, the type of disk it includes is SSD, or what is the same, the new generation hard drives that offer higher reading and writing speeds. Thanks to this, the installation of the games will be faster and, once on our computer, opening them will also be a matter of seconds.

The screen it includes also impresses. It is a 17.3 ”screen, which is two inches more than what is included in standard-size computers. As if that were not enough, the resolution of this is FullHD and with a refresh rate of 144 Hz. Believe me when I say that the quality is noticeable and that, if the difference is already noticeable on a 1080p screen, imagine how the games look on a computer with a screen of this size and this resolution. Awesome.

If you have to put a "but" to this team, that "but" would be in the weight of the laptop. The weight of this MSI Titan is 4.56kg, which is in contrast to the 1kg that other laptops can weigh. But keep in mind that this equipment is not designed to be comfortable, but powerful. Those four and a half kilos include the largest screen, the keyboard more thought of in games than in writing, the huge hard drive, its bigger speakers and, in short, a robust computer that has no shortcomings.

As for everything else, it includes all the specifications of a modern laptop, among which we have WiFi 802.11 A / C connectivity, 3 USB ports 3.0, an HDMI port, PCI-E and ethernet port.

The operating system that this beast includes is Windows 11 Home Advance. For any gamer, this is good for two reasons: the first is that all the important games are available for Microsoft's operating system.

Alternative option. Acer Predator

If you cannot find the previous one or if its price skyrockets, instead we recommend the Acer Predator Triton. We tested the intermediate configuration with an Intel Core processor 7th Gen i11a RTX 3070 (GDDR6) from Nvidia GeForce with 16GB of graphics memory, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD hard drive.

The Acer predator has a better keyboard and speakers than the Asus GL553 And it also keeps its components considerably cooler than the other cheap laptops we tested. However, it was not our top recommendation as the Acer Predator's WASD keys and buttons were very hot at the end of our gaming marathon and it is the worst display of the three finalists.

Ultimately, if we recommend the Asus over the Acer Predator, it was because the Acer got hotter in high-contact areas, despite the fact that its internal components stay cooler. After an hour playing Path of Exile, the WASC keys were at 43.22 degrees and the bottom of the laptop at 44.33. They are not temperatures that burn you on contact, but they are too high to be comfortable. That extra power that this computer has allows you to play games with better graphics but it also generates more heat.

The Acer's surface temperature was also the highest of the three finalists, 49.22 at the top of the keyboard. Its CPU stayed much cooler than that of the Asus, 73 ° C vs 77 ° C, however its graphics card was hotter, 70 ° C to 65 ° C. Like those in the Asus GL553, the Acer Predator's fans are audible but not annoying..

HP gamer notebook

If you are truly passionate about video games and you were thinking of getting a computer top quality gaming laptop, power and performance, with which you can enjoy the best experience playing your favorite video games, the HP Victus is just what you were looking for.

The HP Victus, which is the full name of this amazing machine, is probably the best laptop out there today as it packs the most advanced, powerful and efficient hardware and software technology.

The first thing that catches your eye is its large IPS screen 16,1 inches with 144 Hz Full HD quality with which you will enjoy to the fullest not only your favorite games, but also your favorite movies and series, with unmatched image quality.

The HP Victus runs Windows 11 as the operating system and inside it is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor. Along with this processor we find NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card and 16 GB of DDR 4 RAM (2 x 8 GB). With all this, the HP Pavilion Gaming offers a speed, performance and energy efficiency never seen before, which is increased and consolidated thanks to its hybrid storage system integrated by a 1TB SSD disk with which you can manage your games and other files without space problems and full speed.

And of course, we must not forget that it has 802.11 A/C WiFi connectivity, two USB 3.0 ports, Bluetooth, plenty of battery so you can enjoy extra-long games, and ideal dimensions and weight (only 3,25 kilos) to be able to do so. carry everywhere in your backpack (taking into account the hardware you carry and your screen size)

What is a gaming laptop

By its own name we can already intuit it, a gaming laptop is a laptop that It has been designed with the purpose of being able to play with it. The main task that it will be used for is to play. For this reason, these types of models have a series of characteristics that are different from those of other normal models.

Playing is a task that requires many resources, therefore, in a gaming laptop we find more powerful processors, a screen with better resolution, in addition to a more advanced cooling system, which allows to maintain a stable temperature even when the processor is operating at its maximum power.

How to choose the best gaming laptop

When choosing a gaming laptop we have to consider various aspects. Good performance on your part is essential. So we have to pay close attention to its specifications. Here we leave you with the main aspects to pay attention to:

Processor

The vast majority of laptops in this segment make use of Intel Core i5, i7 or i9. Any of these three families will perform well when it comes to functioning and being able to play, but it is worth opting for the second or third if what we are interested in are video games. To be more specific, the i9 is the best if our favorite games are those that offer good graphics and, also, many details, which include textures and all kinds of effects.

AMD is another company that creates good processors. In fact, rumors circulate that the Intel i9 was designed to compete with the AMD Ryzen 7, a processor that far surpassed the Intel i7. The Ryzen family starts with the 3, but we are talking about a somewhat limited processor if our goal is to play video games. The Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 will offer us good performance when playing games and more recently they have launched the Ryzen 9, a processor that will allow us to play even the most demanding titles without failures.

The processor is not the only thing we must take into account. Also the speed of it is something important, because there can be key differences between laptops. Another good idea is to compare the microprocessor characteristics. It is in these types of aspects that we find differences of importance, which allow a more precise choice for what we are looking for.

Graph

NVIDIA graphics cards are the most common on the market. They are a safe choice for a gaming laptop, since it is certain that they will give us good performance. Although we have to take into account the resolution in which we want to play, to choose one that best suits what we need in our case. The GeForce GTX 2050, 2060 and 2070 are among the most powerful and will allow us to play at the highest resolution.

Although it is increasingly common that let's look to play in 4K. In this case, the most powerful and the best going to work is the GeForce GTX 2080, which is the most powerful graphics that NVIDIA has available today.

AMD also offers its own graphics cards that it sells under the Radeon name. In fact, some specialized media claim that the best graphics card to play is an AMD brand. Radeon, more specifically the RX 5700 which, among other things, works perfectly when playing in 4K. And, as with processors, the best thing about AMD is a value for money that will allow us to keep up with the best and even exceed it without having to make an extra expense.

RAM

In this field we cannot be permissive. We need a minimum of 16 GB of RAM on a gaming laptop. This is necessary if we expect a good performance in it. Logically, a RAM with a higher capacity, such as a 16 GB one, is another good option, especially for more demanding gamers who are going to use the laptop much more intensively.

Although it must be borne in mind that a model with 16 GB of RAM is going to be more expensive than the one with 8 GB. So it is something to keep in mind, if you have a more limited budget. What can be interesting is to have a model with 8 GB of RAM, but that offers the possibility of expanding said RAM. It is a good option, since it can be expanded if necessary.

HDD

One of the most complex points for many users. Games take up more and more space storage. So we need to have a hard drive with enough capacity. Although we also need the operation to be fast and fluid, so an SSD is a more interesting option in that sense. The ideal solution is a combination of the two systems, which is also increasingly common in a gaming laptop.

A combination of SSD and HDD gives us the best of both worlds. In the SSD you can have the operating system and applications, for smooth operation and have the HDD as storage, where we will have a larger space. Thus we combine the two options that we want, to have enough space, but for the computer not to function as smoothly as possible.

Naturally, the choice will depend on the use of each user. There may be users who want the gaming laptop for more tasks, while others use it just for gaming. Depending on the use, you should consider which option is the best, if an SSD, HDD or a combination of the two systems.

Screen (size and resolution)

One of the most important components in a gaming laptop. Screen quality is something that will largely determine experience of use of said laptop. Therefore, it is important to choose the screen that our computer will have well. There are several aspects that we have to consider about the screen: size, resolution, refresh rate and response time.

The size of the screen is something that depends a lot on the preference of each one. The normal thing in this market is that are about 15 inches or larger. So it is more or less common to find one that fits well to the desire of each one. While a larger screen can provide a somewhat more immersive user experience, which many prefer.

Screen resolution is essential, although it always goes hand in hand with the graphics on the laptop. As we mentioned above, graphics such as GeForce GTX 1050, 1060 and 1070 will allow us to play at 1080p. But if we want to go a step further and play in 4K, something that is increasingly common, we have to bet on something more powerful, like GeForce GTX 1080. It is the best option currently available in this regard.

4K is not essential to enjoy games on this gaming laptop. But it is something that is gaining importance, especially because more and more games have this resolution. Therefore, it can be seen as a long-term bet, buying a screen with 4K resolution or support for it.

Response time and refresh rate are two other key elements. In the case of the former, we want this gaming laptop to have a low response time, which allows a smooth gaming experience and prevents blurring or the image from freezing briefly. It must be below 5 ms at all times. While the refresh rate, we want it to be as high as possible. Although it depends largely on the GPU that the laptop has.

Sound

Another important element for a good gaming experience and not to miss details while we are in a game. In this sense, each brand provides its own details and items for better sound. So we can find all kinds of specifications, such as various speakers or improvements via software.

What really matters in this case is that the sound is good using headphones. Most users of a gaming laptop tend to play using one. Therefore, we must consider that the sound is powerful enough while we use them, between 55 and 60 dB. It is also important that it is sharp.

In choosing the headphones that we use with the gaming laptop, the comfort of use, which are headband and have foam around the ears, in addition to having the ability to Noise Cancellation. It will allow us to focus on the game in a better way at all times.

Refrigeration

Intensive use of a gaming laptop usually has the consequence that its temperature increases significantly. That is why a good cooling system It is essential to keep the temperature at bay and prevent it from getting too high. We find the most varied systems in this regard, which may vary depending on the make and model.

We can find options such as liquid cooling, although what really matters to us in this field is that it be effective. We need it to function well and do its job at all times. To do this, it is best to read reviews and ratings of said laptop, as well as comments from people who have bought it. It will give us enough information to know if it works well.

Ports and connectivity

We can not forget the number of ports in said laptop. An important element, since surely we are going to have to connect several peripherals in it, such as headphones or an additional control. The usual thing is that a gaming laptop comes with enough ports, in addition to the USB they leave us with some HDMI and also the headphone jack.

But it's always good check your specifications, to avoid unpleasant surprises in this case. We can easily consult it on its website, or in online stores or if we are in the store itself we can see it ourselves, to clear up doubts.

Best gaming laptop brands

Alienware Logo

The selection of gaming laptops on the market has been growing notably. This is a good thing, because in this way we find ourselves with more options to choose from today. In addition, there are some brands that are presented as very good options to consider:

MSI: The Taiwanese manufacturer is one of the most important brands in this segment of gaming laptops. They have a very wide range of models, and they are usually always the best and best valued. So this is a safe bet on the part of users.
Acer: Another brand from Taiwan, well known to the vast majority of consumers. They manufacture computers in all kinds of segments, including gaming laptops. Powerful models, with a good value for money.
HP: The American manufacturer is one of the best-selling brands in the world, with one of the largest computer catalogs in the world. Among their laptops we also find gaming models. Quality and acceptable prices are something that we usually find in your case.
Alienware: The American firm is one of the youngest in the market, but they have managed to make a niche in the segment of gaming laptops. They have known how to specialize in this type of device, with good results. Perfect gaming laptops.
Xiaomi: The Chinese brand is one of the best known in the field of telephones, in addition to having a good range of laptops, which is worth taking into account, also when playing games. They stand out for very adjusted prices.
ASUS: Another manufacturer from Taiwan, which is one of the best known in the laptop market. A range of enormous quality, also in gaming laptops.

Should I buy it?

Not everyone has 2.000 euros to spend on a high-end gaming laptop with a graphics card powerful enough to play all of today's most complex games. For the rest of us, a cheap gaming laptop is the best option, especially if you are students or other people, who want to play, but have a tight budget and need the computer to be portable. Since the best cheap laptops have 15 inches, they have also become a great alternative for those who, in addition to playing games, need a laptop to do other tasks.

If possible, we recommend that you save money to buy a desktop or gaming laptop with a more powerful graphics card.. A 1200 euro PC will always be much more powerful than a 2000 gaming laptop and, furthermore, even if it is a low-mid-range, it can always be updated in the future. Saving for a high-end gaming laptop is also a better idea than buying a cheap one because you will be able to play intensively with excellent graphics for years, rather than months.

Inexpensive gaming laptops are limited by their graphics card, a component that you can never upgrade. In addition, these cheap computers also lack an SSD, so if you want to update it later, you will have to pay extra. In short, if you buy a cheap computer you will have to put more money to update the SSD and improve the RAM, while if you buy a high-end computer, you will already have a laptop with SSD and 16 to 32 GB of RAM. You should bear in mind that a cheap gaming laptop is a temporary solution that will last you a couple of years, while a high-end PC or laptop is an investment.

A good budget laptop for gaming usually has an Nvidia GeForce GTX 2060 or a GTX 2070M graphics card.The more expensive laptops, on the other hand, have a GeForce 1060, 1070 or even 1080 in the higher ranges of gaming laptops. We will delve into this idea in the next section. To get an idea of which games you can and cannot play (and with what settings), you can take a look at the very useful summary Notebookcheck's by Computer Games about laptop graphics cards.

For example, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Far Cry 4, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Watch Dogs, and Thief all run all run above 30 fps at 1080p, on Ultra settings, and with the GTX 970M. Those games need to be run at medium-high settings to run above 30fps on the GTX 860M. If the game you want to play you find that it does not work as well as you would like with the GTX 860M, it is clear that you have to buy a desktop computer or a more powerful gaming laptop..

Advantages of a gaming laptop

cheap gaming laptop

The main advantage of this type of laptop focused on gamers is that they have a power well above the usual and in some cases they are equated with desktop computers.

The world of videogames is very demanding and we cannot settle for anything, therefore, this type of gaming laptops have better quality screens (viewing angles, brightness, resolution), more accurate trackpads and keyboards with a much more pleasant touch (similar to a desktop keyboard). All this influences the experience and will allow us to be much more competitive in some genres, especially in shooters or FPS.

Disadvantages of a gaming laptop

laptop to play

A gaming laptop also has a number of disadvantages that you should be aware of in order not to be disappointed:

They are usually quite large: Components take up more space, cooling needs are higher, and rare is the gaming laptop that has a screen smaller than 15 inches. All this makes the weight and dimensions suffer.
They get quite hot: having a powerful graphic in such a small space causes a lot of heat to be generated that has to be dissipated in some way. In the end, the temperature of the computer rises a lot (especially if we load it at the same time that we play) and the fans are put at high revolutions, so the noise increases.
The battery is short-lived: This point is something that you have to be very clear about and that is that if a desktop PC requires power supplies of 850W onwards, you will understand that feeding a powerful graphics, high-end processor and a large screen makes the The gaming laptop's battery lasts very little when we demand maximum performance from the equipment.

These are the most notable disadvantages but if you are a true gamer, surely you already had it and you will not mind assuming these negative points in exchange for enjoying the best games anywhere.

Can you buy a gaming laptop for 500 euros?

One question that many consumers have is whether it is possible to find a good gaming laptop for a low price, such as 500 euros. If you have been looking for information about computers in this market segment, you will see that their prices are not particularly low, rather expensive.

Unfortunately, finding a gaming laptop for 500 euros is not possible. We can find laptops for this price, which can give us a good performance at all times. But not a computer to play with. Since a 500 euro laptop does not have the specifications or components that we need in a current gaming laptop.

The processors, graphics or cooling systems that we find in gaming laptops are more expensive, so their prices are higher. They have been going down a bit over time, thanks to the fact that there are more and more options. But their prices are still high, in many cases of more than 1.000 euros.

How have we chosen?

After choosing the criteria that we would follow to evaluate the hardware, we searched the websites of the largest laptop manufacturers like Lenovo, Asus, Acer, Alienware, MSI, HP, Toshiba and others. In addition, we also search stores such as Clevo, iBuyPower, Origen Digital Storm, among others. However, we did not find any notebook that met the stated hardware and price requirements.

After that, we had to create a list of laptops that met our criteria and also had positive reviews from trusted information sources like CNET, AnandTech, Engadget, Laptop Mag, PCMag, or Notebookcheck.

We removed all laptops that did not fit our requirements (less than 1200 euros, Nvidia GeForce GTX 860M, Intel Core i7 4700HQ or better and at least 8 GB of RAM). We also ruled out machines that, according to user feedback, had insurmountable defects (such as severe overheating). In the end, we were left with the Acer, Asus or MSI ranges of gaming laptops.

What we look forward to!

gaming laptop

Asus has announced in Computex the update of the model that we have recommended, the GL553, for June 2019. This update will feature a fourth-generation processor, the Intel Core i7 quad-core, and a red LED backlit keyboard. Also, you will probably have a hard drive or an SSHD with the option to upgrade to an SSD. Pricing or exact release date has not been announced, but we'll be on the lookout for all the details.

Nvidia released the new GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card without too much fuss including it in the MSI Titan Pro. According to Notebookcheck, the 965M has similar performance to the GTX 870M, but is not as fast as our pick in the high-end gaming notebook section, the GTX 970M. We hope to see the GTX 965M in more budget laptops to play new or updated this year.

Also at CES 2019, MSI announced a redesign of the GE60 mentioned above. The new GE62 Apache looks promising and comes with Nvidia's new GeForce GTX 965M graphics card. We took a quick look at it at CES and were impressed with the keyboard, trackpad, display, and overall build quality. We hope the new dual fans will keep the GE62 cooler than its predecessor. This 1166 euro configuration of the GE62 Apache is well within our budget, so we'll test it when it's available.

Another manufacturer that also had things to say at CES 2019 was Acer. His novelty was called Aspire V 17 Nitro. It has an Intel Core i7-4710HQ processor, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 860M graphics card and will go on sale in February starting at 1256 euros. Additionally, Acer will update the V 15 and V 17 in March with a graphics card. GTX 960M. Both updates look promising, so we promise to review them as soon as they become available.

Others to consider (but which we do not recommend)

Finally two more models that I think we can keep in mind but that honestly they are not so worth it like the previous two. Basically they are worth more than 1.000 euros and the benefits they offer in many cases are lower than previous models, but we present them to you for the sake of information.

The best cheap laptop to play with is the 7 euro Acer Aspire V Nitro VN591-77G-1032FS. With an Intel Core i7-4720HQ processor, an Nvidia GeForce GTX960M graphics card with 4 GB of dedicated memory, 16 GB of RAM, and a 1 TB hard drive combined with a 256 GB solid state drive, this model has the most powerful and the tightest price of how many gaming laptops hit the market this year.

If you have a tighter budget, we recommend the Acer Aspire V Nitro VN7-591G-70RT for 807 euros - which has half the RAM and no solid state drive, but includes 4 GB of graphics memory. Our finalist, however, was the MSI GE62 Apache 082 of 987 euros because it has a better keyboard, although it does not have an SSD and only has 2 GB of graphics memory. Stay in touch for further updates!

Conclusion on gaming laptops

The Asus ROG GL553JW-DS71 is the best budget gaming laptop certainly, as it has great features for the price, it is well built and is the cheapest in its category. It has a comfortable keyboard and keeps the parts that are most in contact with the user cooler than the other computers in its price range that we have tested. It's not perfect, but no cheap gaming laptop is right now.

Needless to say, you won't find any laptops to play with. less than 500 euros that it is worth it. Remember that on our cheap laptop website we recommend those that seem to us best quality and price.

It is quite difficult to put all this information together or test the models. Go to events, order them, etc. So if the information has served you, do not hesitate to comment, vote +1, or any social action with which you can help us.

Nacho

Telecommunications Engineer closely linked to the world of computing. I complement my daily work with a suitable laptop for my tasks and I help you to achieve the same adapted to your needs.