Best Gaming Laptops

Past experiences have told us that the best devices for hardcore gamers have always been desktop computers: Monsters of immense capacity and mind-boggling graphics. And mostly, nowadays that trend hasn’t veered much. However, in the last 10 years laptop brands have come a long way to develop worthy competitors to the apparently unbeatable desktop PCs. Particularly in 2018, the laptop industry has launched some pretty fantastic gaming laptops that pack a lot of power within. Lightning fast processors and unbelievable graphics are the new black when it comes to gaming laptops this year. That’s why we scourged the web to present you with the best of the best gaming laptops in the market as of today.

Enjoy!

3. Acer Predator Helios 300

Pros:

• Great performance
• Affordable

Cons:

• Heats up considerably while gaming

Posing as one of the most affordable gaming laptops listed, at $1,099, the Acer Predator Helios has some pretty impressive characteristics, from the neat and sophisticated design, to its lightning-fast performance.

For starters the Predator boasts of a 1920x1080p screen resolution, and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 graphics paired up with 6 GB of VRAM. This right away tells of the laptop was especially designed for speed, i.e. it can run almost any game; from casual PUBG sessions, to full-on VR monsters. Performance-wise, we’re talking about a 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7-7700HQ CPU, 16 GB of Ram and 256 GB of SSD: The recipe for an above average performance, where multitasking will never be an issue.

The 15-inch laptop is made out of a plastic-metal combination, as well as a black, grey, and red aesthetic. The lid is made of metal with two red stripes that frame the Predator logo. There’s also a fully red-backlighted keyboard, including the WASD keys framed in red.

Life battery is average to say the least, lasting approximately 6 ½ hours after a full charge. On the other hand, when performing casual and everyday tasks such as surfing the web, watching movies, streaming videos the laptop temperature stay cool and fresh. Unfortunately, when gaming for a certain amount of time, the Predator heats up considerably, sometimes reaching 110-ish °F.

All in all, as described above, the Acer Predator Helios 300 is a more than adequate option when looking for both an affordable and fast gaming laptop.

2. Razer Blade

Pros:

• Very thin and light
• Excellent overall performance

Cons:

• Pricey
• Sub-par battery life

A fan-favorite, Razer Blade really does justice to its name, because it brings forth razor-sharp aesthetics and specs, aiming as high as it possibly can. In regards to the exterior design, this year’s Razer is, up to this date, the thinnest of the bunch, sporting its trademark sleekness and elegance through a full-on black aluminum chassis, and the always present Razer snakes at the center of the lid.

Razer Blade’s spectacular computing and graphical performances are the traits that make it one of the best gaming laptops of this year, and frankly, with a 2.2 GHz, 6-core 8th generation Intel Core i7-8759H CPU, 16 GB of RAM, and 512 GB of SSD storage, it’s no wonder why the laptop works so flawlessly. Performance rates are through the roof with both the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, and the GTX 1070 Max-Q, which are two options available when it comes to graphics. Thanks to these top-notch graphics, the laptop can easily manage more than 80 frames per second on the more demanding of games.

With a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels, the 15.6-inch display provides bright, vibrant colors, and sharp pictures. To top it off, the display also has a very useful matte finish to prevent unwanted reflections.

One of the most attractive (though not particularly useful) features would be Razer’s colorful keyboard, equipped with Razer’s own Chroma backlighting, which is also customizable with tons of colors and effects.

It is impossible to think that such a powerful machine would come at an affordable price, and it happens to be 100% true. Razer Blade situates itself on the pricier side of gaming laptops, currently at $1,899.

One aspect that does leave a lot to be desired is Razer’s battery life, which is sub-par to say the least, not being able to last 4 hours when gaming.

1. Alienware 17 R5

Pros:

• Impeccable performance
• Decent battery life

Cons:

• Too heavy

Finally, our top choice for the ultimate gaming laptop is none other than the Alienware 17 R5, an unbelievable beast that boasts top-of the-line specs in all areas, but especially in the graphics and computing departments. At $1,600, this 17-inch beauty sports a striking 2560x1440p resolution. Alienware 17 R5 provides a flawlessly smooth gameplay that breezes through 120 frames per second like it’s nothing. This is all possible thanks to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 graphics, with 8GB of VRAM, a monster on its own; but paired up with a 2.9 GHz Intel Core i9 8950HK processor, 32 GB of RAM, 264 GB SSD, and 1 TB HDD, it’s almost unbelievable.

Regarding the laptop’s outer design, it is exactly the same as the previous models. Needless to say, the quality stays as spotless as ever, giving the laptops a futuristic vibe. What’s especially compelling are the little details like the side lights, keyboard backlighting, and the glowy alien head logo in the lid all of them totally customizable.

The only faulty trait that we could find in the Alienware 17 R5 is its weight, at almost 10 pounds, you’ll have to really think about if you want to take this laptop on a trip with you.