Buying a gaming laptop in 2025 isn't as straightforward as it used to be, as the market is packed with options — from flashy, high-end machines to budget-friendly picks that claim to do it all. Every major gaming laptop brand promises top performance, smooth gameplay, and the "ultimate experience." However, not every gaming laptop is worth your money, and with so many models out there, it's easy to second-guess yourself. You might start by looking for a laptop with a good GPU, but then you get hit
with dozens of choices, each with different specs, sizes, and price tags. Suddenly, you're comparing screen refresh rates, SSD speeds, battery life, and wondering if the RTX 4060 is enough or if you should opt for the latest RTX 50-series.
A good gaming laptop should have the right balance of power and features. You want a strong CPU and GPU combo, enough RAM to keep things running smoothly, and an SSD to cut down on loading times. On top of that, a great display, preferably with a high refresh rate, can make a huge difference, especially if you play competitive shooters or fast-paced games.
To make things easier, we've rounded up 10 of the best gaming laptops you can buy in 2025. Whether you're on a tight budget or looking for something high-end, there's an option here for everyone. Each pick has been chosen based on performance, design, display quality, and overall value, so you don't end up wasting your money on the wrong machine.
Read more: The Most Expensive Game Consoles Of All Time, Ranked By Launch Price
Acer Nitro V 15
The Acer Nitro V 15 is a smart choice if you're on a budget but still want to enjoy modern games without big compromises. Powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS processor, an RTX 4050 GPU, and 16GB of DDR5 RAM, it performs well in both benchmarks and real-world gaming. Popular games like Cyberpunk 2077, Modern Warfare 3, and F1 2024 run smoothly on this machine, even at high settings. For even better performance, you can adjust the graphics or turn on Nvidia's DLSS, which uses AI to increase frame rates without lowering visual quality.
The laptop boasts a 15.6-inch Full HD display with a 144Hz refresh rate, making gameplay feel much smoother and more responsive. Whether you're playing shooters or racing games, that high refresh rate significantly enhances the experience. It also makes regular tasks like scrolling through websites or watching videos feel smoother and more enjoyable.
The laptop doesn't disappoint in battery life. While most gaming laptops don't last long unplugged, the Nitro V 15 gives over six hours of power during light use like video streaming and web browsing. This makes it a solid pick for those who travel frequently. The Acer Nitro V 15 is available through the Acer Store on Amazon for $768.
MSI Thin 15
If you're looking for a solid budget laptop with an Intel processor, check out the MSI Thin 15, one of the best MSI laptops out there. It runs on a 13th-Gen Intel Core i7-13620H processor, which makes it powerful enough for both gaming and everyday multitasking. Paired with an RTX 4050, it can handle most modern games smoothly, especially at 1080p resolution.
This laptop can run games like Far Cry New Dawn and Cyberpunk 2077 at around 60 FPS on medium settings, which is impressive for a budget laptop. With 16GB of RAM, you can expect smooth performance and decent frame rates in many modern titles. The laptop has a 15.6-inch Full HD display with a 144Hz refresh rate, providing smoother and more responsive gameplay in fast-paced titles. It also includes a 512GB NVMe SSD, giving you a decent amount of storage for your games, apps, and files. Thanks to the SSD, you can expect fast boot and game load times.
The battery life is fairly decent. It's not exceptional, but it's not disappointing either. With the brightness set to around 50%, you can expect about five hours of usage for general tasks like web browsing or watching videos. However, during gaming, it won't last more than three hours, so you'll need to keep it plugged in for longer sessions. You can buy the MSI Thin 15 for $926 on Amazon.
ASUS TUF Gaming F16
The ASUS TUF Gaming F16 is a great choice for those who want powerful performance without paying a premium price. It runs on the Intel Core i7-13620HX, a high-performance chip with plenty of cores and threads. On top of that, it comes equipped with the RTX 4050, providing enough graphics power to run most games at high settings with smooth frame rates.
The TUF F16 has a 16-inch Full HD+ display, a great size for gaming. It also features a 144Hz refresh rate and covers 100% of the sRGB color range. This means the visuals will not only be smooth but also vivid and accurate in color. You get 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 512GB SSD, giving you fast speeds for both loading games and handling multitasking. Cooling is also handled well. The laptop uses a mix of multiple fans, heat pipes, and large vents to keep temperatures under control. Even during long gaming sessions, the system stays cool, and the fans don't get too loud.
When it comes to gaming performance, the TUF F16 can deliver over 100 FPS in games like Borderlands 3, Far Cry 6, and Gears 5 with graphics set to high at 1080p resolution. Battery life is also impressive, as you can get up to eight hours of video playback on a full charge with the brightness set to medium. The ASUS TUF Gaming F16 is available on Amazon for around $1,300.
Lenovo Legion Pro 5
If you want a budget laptop with one of the latest RTX 50-series cards, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is worth considering. It comes with the RTX 5060, which is an entry-level GPU in the latest Nvidia lineup. While it's not the most powerful card in the series, it still offers solid performance for modern games, especially at 1080p and even 1440p. The laptop is powered by AMD's Ryzen 9 8945HX processor, one of the company's top mobile processors. You also get 16GB RAM and a 1TB SSD, providing more than enough memory and storage for your games, apps, and large files.
In terms of real-world gaming, this machine won't disappoint. You can expect over 60 FPS in games like Cyberpunk 2077, Baldur's Gate 3, and Black Ops 6 on Ultra settings at 1440p. I'm currently using a Legion Pro 5 with an RTX 4060, and that model already delivers excellent performance. This newer version with the RTX 5060 improves on it with better efficiency, smoother gameplay, and faster overall performance.
The Legion Pro 5 also offers a stunning 16-inch display with a resolution of 2560x1600 (16:10 aspect ratio), a fast 240Hz refresh rate, and 500 nits of brightness. Battery life is pretty decent, but not when it comes to gaming. It lasts about an hour during gameplay, so you'll need to keep it plugged in. However, for general tasks like web browsing or streaming, it can last over six hours. You can buy the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 for $1,660 on Best Buy.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is an excellent choice if you want a powerful gaming laptop that's easy to carry. At just 3.3 pounds and only 0.64 inches thick, it's one of the lightest and slimmest gaming laptops available. It fits easily into a backpack and doesn't feel bulky, which is rare for a laptop this powerful. Inside, it's packed with top-tier hardware. It runs on the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS processor and an RTX 4070 GPU, a strong combo for gaming, multitasking, and even creative work. You also get 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM and a fast 1TB SSD, so everything from loading games to switching between apps is smooth and quick.
One of the best parts of the Zephyrus G14 is its 14-inch OLED display. It comes with a 3K resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, giving you sharp visuals and smooth motion. In real-world gaming, performance is excellent. You can get over 100 FPS in games like F1 2021 and Assassin's Creed Valhalla at 1080p, and more than 240 FPS in Rainbow Six Siege. If you play at full 3K resolution, frame rates may drop a little, but overall performance remains strong.
I personally used an older G14 model with an RTX 3060 for a full year, and it always ran smoothly. With the RTX 4070, you can expect even better and more stable gameplay. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is currently unavailable on both Amazon and Best Buy. If you're set on getting one, you may need to check local electronics stores or wait for the next restock.
Alienware M16 R2
The Alienware M16 R2 is a powerful mid-range gaming laptop that offers top performance with a clean, modern design. It's powered by the Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 1 processor and an RTX 4070 GPU, providing enough muscle to run the latest AAA games smoothly at high settings.
The laptop features a 16-inch QHD+ display with a 2560 x 1600 resolution and a fast 240Hz refresh rate. This means your games will look sharp and feel smooth. The cooling system is also effective, as it uses two fans with 94 blades each, along with four copper heat pipes to manage heat better during long gaming sessions. Thanks to this, you won't have to worry about the laptop overheating. You'll also get 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD, which is more than enough for most users.
In actual gameplay tests, the M16 R2 performs very well. With the graphics maxed out, it can easily give over 100 FPS in games like Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. As far as battery life goes, it's fairly decent. You can expect the laptop to last over six hours on a full charge for light tasks like watching videos or browsing the web with the brightness set to medium. However, for extended gaming sessions, you'll need to keep the laptop plugged in. If interested, you can buy the Alienware M16 R2 on Best Buy for $1,900.
MSI Vector 16 HX
The MSI Vector 16 HX is made for those who want strong performance without going all the way to the top-tier price range. It's powered by an Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX processor and the RTX 5070 Ti GPU, one of the best mid-range cards available today.
The Vector 16 has a 16-inch FHD+ display with a 144Hz refresh rate and a 16:10 aspect ratio, giving you a bit more vertical screen space. This is helpful not just for gaming but also for tasks like browsing, editing, or working on multiple apps at once. It also includes 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD, so you won't have to worry about the laptop slowing down during multitasking.
When it comes to gaming, the RTX 5070 Ti really shines at 1440p resolution. In demanding titles like Stalker 2, you can reach over 100 FPS when using DLSS 4's Multi Frame Generation, which generates up to three additional frames on top of the traditionally rendered one. Even without the AI features, the laptop will deliver 60 FPS or more in most games with everything maxed out. The best part is that even with all this power, the laptop's 90WH battery gives up to seven hours of use during light tasks, which is impressive for a gaming laptop of its size. The MSI Vector 16 HX is available on Amazon for $2,059.
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10
If you're searching for one of the most powerful gaming laptops available today, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 is hard to beat. This is not a laptop for casual use, as it's built for serious gamers, streamers, and creators who need top-level specs and are ready to trade portability for extreme performance. At its core, this machine runs on Intel's Core Ultra 9 275HX, a 24-core processor designed to handle the heaviest workloads. It's built for gaming, multitasking, and creative tasks like video editing or 3D rendering. Backed by a massive 64GB of DDR5 RAM and a 2TB SSD, this laptop will power through whatever you throw at it.
The real star here is the RTX 5080 GPU, a high-end card from the latest RTX 50-series. In demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2, this laptop can easily deliver over 70 FPS with the graphics maxed out, even with ray tracing enabled. Simply put, it can run any modern game smoothly at ultra settings. The 16-inch OLED display is another standout feature. With a 2560x1600 resolution, a 240Hz refresh rate, and 500 nits of brightness, it looks absolutely stunning.
However, this kind of power comes with trade-offs. The Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 weighs nearly 11 pounds, making it the heaviest laptop among the ones discussed in this article. The 100Wh battery also only gives you around two hours of use for light tasks, but the laptop isn't designed for long unplugged sessions. You can buy the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i on Amazon for $3,700.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 is one of the sleekest and most powerful high-end gaming laptops available today. It strikes a near-perfect balance between performance, portability, and design, all packed into a machine that looks clean and professional.
Weighing just over 4 pounds, the G16 is surprisingly easy to carry for a device with this much power. Inside, it packs the Intel Core Ultra 9-185H processor and the RTX 4090 GPU, the flagship model of the RTX 40-series. It also offers 32GB of RAM and a massive 4TB SSD, giving you a huge amount of storage for games, apps, and files. The 16-inch OLED display is one of the laptop's best features. With a 2560x1600 resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate, everything looks crisp, vibrant, and incredibly smooth. The cooling system is also impressive, featuring a vapor chamber and triple fan setup. This helps keep temperatures under control, even during extended gaming and work sessions.
In real-world gaming, the Zephyrus G16 performs like a champ. Cyberpunk 2077 at QHD with Ultra settings and ray tracing runs at 50–65 FPS, which is excellent for a laptop. Valorant can hit around 200 FPS on high settings, and Monster Hunter Rise stays above 100 FPS consistently. Battery life is also solid for a machine this powerful. You can expect around seven hours with light use, and four to five hours with heavier workloads like gaming or editing. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 is available on Amazon for $3,599.
ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18
If you're after a machine that ticks all the boxes of a premium, high-end gaming laptop, the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 delivers exactly that. Inside, the SCAR 18 is powered by the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, one of the best CPUs for gaming and heavy workloads. You also get 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a fast 2TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD, giving you both speed and space for games, software, and large files. However, what makes it stand out is the RTX 5090 GPU, the strongest gaming graphics card available today.
The display is just as impressive. You get a big 18-inch Mini LED panel with a sharp 2560x1600 resolution, a 240Hz refresh rate, and 100% DCI-P3 color coverage. In real-world gaming tests, the SCAR 18 performs exactly as you'd expect from a laptop with Nvidia's latest flagship gaming GPU. In games like Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty and Final Fantasy XV, it can deliver over 100 FPS at 1440p with no upscaling. Turn on DLSS 4 and Frame Generation, and that number climbs much higher.
Battery life is about what you'd expect for this level of performance. The 90Wh battery lasts around three to five hours during light tasks like web browsing or streaming. For gaming, you'll need to stay plugged in, but that's normal for high-end laptops like this. You can buy the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 on Amazon for $4,399.
Methodology
We looked through dozens of gaming laptops from top brands like ASUS, Lenovo, MSI, Acer, and more. Our goal was to find machines that offer the best performance for the money. To make sure we were picking the right options, we read reviews from reputable websites and focused on key factors like performance, battery life, build quality, and features. We avoided laptops with common problems or weak specs, even if they perform well on paper.
We also focused on laptops that had a strong mix of hardware, such as a good graphics card, a capable processor, enough RAM, and fast storage. A sharp and smooth display was also important, especially for gaming. Battery life was a bonus, but not the top priority.
Finally, our decisions were backed by personal experience. We've spent years testing and using gaming laptops ourselves, so we know what really matters once you start using them day to day. That hands-on experience helped us narrow down this list to only the laptops that are truly worth your time and money.
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Read the original article on SlashGear.
