Modern gaming laptops perform similarly to high refresh rate displays for the smoothest picture, whether you’re racing cars in a game or watching sports and movies.

Related: The Best Laptops You Can Get In 2023 Having abundant power at their disposal makes gaming laptops perfect for resource-hungry graphics and animation apps. They can take on spreadsheets, documents, and web-based apps without breaking a sweat. With so many choices available, picking the best one to suit your needs and pocket can be hard. We’ve made it easier with our list of best gaming laptops in 2023.

Lenovo’s Legion Pro 7i tops our list because it offers top-tier performance without a stratospheric price tag to match. There’s no shortage of power with the Intel Core i9-13900HX U and 16GB RAM. However, the star of the show is NVIDIA's RTX 4080 GPU which should handle any game on high settings. Storage is courtesy of a 1TB SSD which could be bigger but is acceptable considering the price tag.

Lenovo didn't cut any corners with the build quality, and the Legion Pro 7i features a sturdy black case with more of a reserved and business-like appearance compared to many rivals. That all changes when the laptop turns on, and the per-key RGB lighting and built-in light strip dazzle with vivid colors. The 16-inch WQXGA (2560×1600) display is equally stunning, with its large 16:10 aspect ratio and lighting-fast 240Hz refresh rate.

Many gaming laptops skimp on ports, but not the Legion Pro 7i, which manages to squeeze in a pair of USB-Cs, four USB-A 3.2 Gen1s, and an HDMI 2.1 port. There aren’t many alternatives to match this laptop’s price-to-performance ratio, and it’s easy to overlook minor issues like its subtle design and average battery life when considering how well it performs in all other areas.

The Blade 16 is for buyers who appreciate the best and don’t mind paying to get it. Razer raises the bar once again with the 2023 iteration using only cream-of-the-crop components like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU and 13th Gen Intel 24-Core i9-13950HX U. Its 32GB of RAM will easily handle most tasks, and the 2TB is enough for several AAA game installations or a huge media library.

Performance comes at a price, and there’s no getting around the Blade 16’s heft, partly due to the chunky yet sturdy 5.4-pound anodized aluminum case available in Black or Mercury. It also makes sense considering the groundbreaking dual-mode mini-LED display that sets the Blade 16 apart from other high-end gaming laptops. You get the best of both worlds and can enjoy your games in 4K UHD at up to 120Hz and can switch to QHD at 240Hz if you’re playing competitive games where wins and losses happen in the blink of an eye.

Sound is as critical as graphics for the ultimate gaming experience, and the Blade 16 has four speakers, including a pair of tweeters and subs, to hear every crash and explosion with perfect clarity. Connectivity is impressive, too, with all the ports you need, like two USB-Cs, three USB-As, and an HDMI 2.1. There’s even an SD Card reader to copy your files from your camera or smartphone.

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 blows away the competition with its gargantuan display, allowing players to enjoy every little detail. The stunning 18-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) display immerses you in the game better than any smaller laptop, and it has a blistering 240Hz refresh rate to handle the most demanding Esports titles.

There’s no point in having a massive display without the power to go with it, and the ROG Strix Scar 18 is a gaming monster with an Intel i9-13980HX U paired with 32GB RAM and the top-of-the-range NVIDIA GeForce RTX4090 graphics card to push high frame rates. When it comes to storage, the 2GB SSD is more than enough for larger game libraries and probably won’t run out anytime soon.

Asus sticks to its tried and tested design language, and the ROG Strix Scar 18 follows the tradition with a prominent ROG logo on the aluminum lid and RGB light strip running across the front of the sturdy plastic case. Sound is top-notch, with a Hi-Res certified, four-speaker system befitting a laptop of this caliber. There is also an abundance of ports, with an HDMI 2.1, two USB-Cs, two USB-As, and a 3.5-millimeter audio jack.

You can always count on Alienware to come out with unique and refreshingly different designs, and the company knocked it out of the park with the stylish X16. It’s one of the first laptops to adopt the new Legion 3.0 design language, with a futuristic-looking magnesium alloy chassis and matching aluminum lid featuring a prominent X and the Alienware logo. Another standout feature is the sleek and slim design which makes its rivals look blocky and outdated in comparison.

Processing power is courtesy of an Intel i9-13900HK U with 32GB RAM. The 1TB SSD is about average at this price point and should be adequate for most players. Like many top-tier rivals, the X16 features a 16-inch QHD+ (2560x1600) display with a fast 240Hz refresh rate. However, with such huge cooling vents on the side, all the ports, like the two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, a mini DisplayPort, and an HDMI 2.1 port, are placed on the back, which can take some getting used to. This is the best gaming laptop if you want the ultimate in style, as long as you're willing to pay the price.

Players looking for a compact and easy-to-carry gaming laptop can check out the ROG Zephyrus G14 from Asus. Its 14-inch WQXGA (2560x1600) packs a punch for its size with crisp visuals and a fast 165Hz refresh rate. The Moonlight White color scheme and minimalist styling are a welcome change from other ROG laptops' huge logos and bright lighting, giving it a classy yet fun look.

It's relatively light at just 3.64 pounds despite its durable magnesium alloy, and thankfully no connectivity was sacrificed in the quest for portability. For a compact option, there's a decent port selection, including an HDMI 2.1 port, two USB-Cs, two USB-As, and an SD card reader.

There aren't many laptops that pack so much performance into such as small size, and the ROG Zephyrus G14 can handle anything you throw at it, including demanding AA titles or resource-hungry apps. It's powered by the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS with a decent 16GB of RAM. Considering the price, the 1TB SSD is also acceptable and is adequate for game installations or work files. Graphics are courtesy of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, which doesn't break a sweat when delivering astonishing visuals on the compact display.

Gigabyte's Aorus 7 is the best option for players looking for the fastest refresh rate possible on a large display to enjoy all the details. No other gaming laptop can match its incredible 360Hz refresh rate, making it ideal for demanding competitive players counting wins and losses in milliseconds.

All the action is crisp and vivid on a 17.3-inch FHD (1920x1080) display powered by NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4060 GPU with an Intel Core i5-12500H U and 16GB RAM. The 512GB SSD could be bigger and can be upgraded with the second M.2 slot built into the motherboard because there's no SD card reader.

This laptop has a classy grey finish with discrete Aorus branding, making it perfect for offices and other places where you don't want to attract attention to its gaming ability. At this price point, the three-zone FGB lighting and ports like the single Thunderbolt-compatible USB-C, two USB-As, an HDMI 2.1, and a Mini DisplayPort 1.4 are acceptable. The Aorus 7 offers excellent value considering its performance and is worth considering over some more expensive rivals.

Lenovo's LOQ 16 is the best option for players looking for the highest specs at the lowest price with its unbeatable value. For around half the price of the high-end models on this list, it's packed with current-gen features like an Intel Core i7-13700H and a huge 64GB RAM. When you factor in NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4060 GPU and 1TB SSD, you have a potent gaming machine capable of taking on demanding apps or streaming shows and movies.

One of the best things about it is that it still has a large 16-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) display with a decent 144Hz refresh rate despite its low price. The all-plastic grey design is expected at this price point and doesn't detract from the overall build quality with its sturdy feel.

Besides the four-zone RGB lighting, there's a LOQ logo, and bright blue accents are on the side and under the hinges to elevate the look. Connectivity options include three USB-A ports, a USB-C port, and an HDMI 2.1 port. Unfortunately, there's no SD Card reader, but you can always use an external drive if you need to upgrade your storage capacity.

Realistically, there aren't any good gaming laptops under $500 because nothing under that price has a powerful enough graphics card to run modern games. If you're looking for a budget gaming laptop, the best bet is something like the ASUS TUF Gaming F15 with an Intel Core i5-11400H U with 8GB of RAM. There's also an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050 powering the graphics and a 512GB SSD to store your games and other files.

Many consider 15.6 inches to be the optimum size for a laptop, and the TUF Gaming F15's FHD (1920 x 1080) 144Hz display offers impressive visual clarity for work of play. There may be little to distinguish its all-black plastic appearance from most rivals, but it makes up for it with a sturdy MIL-STD-810H rating to protect it from drops, vibrations, and other damage. Connectivity is average, with three USB-A ports, a USB-C port, and an HDMI 2.0b port. It might not be perfect, but the TUF Gaming F15 offers impressive value for budget-conscious buyers looking to stretch their cash.

Which Gaming Laptop Is Best?

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is the best gaming laptop because it offers some of the best performance at a realistic price. It includes high-performance parts like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 GPU with an Intel Core i9-13900HX U and 16GB RAM to easily run the most demanding games.

Alienware's X16 offers the best design if you want something unique that stands out. Its futuristic aluminum and magnesium design stands apart from everything else on the market and is backed by impressive performance from the NVIDIA GeForce RTX4080 GPU with an Intel i9-13900HK U and 32GB RAM.

The Asus Tuf F15 is the best option if you're looking for a great budget gaming laptop close to the $500 mark. It's the optimal size for most tasks at 15.6 inches and features a US MIL-STD-810H rating to protect it from damage. It's powered by an Intel Core i5-11400H U with 8GB RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050 GPU.

FAQs

Q: Which brand is best for gaming laptops?

A: There are many reputable gaming laptop brands like Razer, Asus, MSI, and Lenovo, to name a few.

Q: Are gaming laptops worth it in 2023?

A: Yes. Gaming laptops are more powerful and efficient than ever, and you can enjoy their portability without compromising on performance.

Q: What is the best gaming laptop under $500?

A: Laptops under $500 don't usually have graphics cards capable of ing modern AAA titles. It's worth spending a couple of hundred more on a laptop that works well for gaming and any other tasks you may have for it.

Q: What is the best gaming laptop in the market in 2023?

A: There are many great laptops in the market in 2023, but some of the best are Lenovo Legion Pro 7i, Razer Blade 16, and Asus ROG Strix Scar 18.