What are the best gaming laptops? Comparison 2021
What is the best gaming laptop? While the gaming market in the broad sense has been booming in recent years, the references of portable PCs dedicated to gaming have literally exploded. Nowadays, almost all manufacturers have their brand devoted to gaming, to the point of reaching a certain overflow in this sector. To avoid having to sort it out yourself, here we offer you a selection of the best gaming laptops, which are regularly updated.
Asus has its ROG and TUF ranges, Acer its Nitro and Predator, Gigabyte its Aorus brand, HP its Omen range, Lenovo its Legion line, and Dell its Alienware subsidiary, we could go on for a long time by also mentioning the machines cut for the game launched years later. years by MSI or even the alluring laptops of the American Razer. You see where we are coming from, all brands of laptop computers (or almost) now offer at least one range of gaming laptops to occupy this increasingly coveted segment. Still, all machines are not equal and do not necessarily correspond to all uses, all budgets, and all players.
You will therefore find in the present comparison a selection of devices which, we hope, will be able to stick to a maximum of profiles, from the ultraportable gaming laptop PC to the war machine, passing by the beefy device ... but affordable. In order not to drown you under the references, we will base ourselves each time on a particular configuration ... the most interesting in our opinion. Without further ado, let's get started!
The ultraportable AMD cut to play like a grown-up
First shown in the supercharged halls of CES 2020, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 was launched the following spring and really convinced us. It returns in this year 2021, as skilled as ever, with a technical sheet largely revised to make room for the latest generation AMD and Nvidia components.
Without changing its formula, the Zephyrus G14 is back to business with, in its best-equipped version, an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS processor, 16 GB of RAM, and a dedicated Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card (with 80 W of TGP). Like last year, the IPS display is offered in Full HD or QHD versions, with 144 Hz or 120 Hz refresh, respectively. Suffice it to say, this is a solid setup to run all available games in good conditions at 1080p. We still appreciate the excellent build quality that ASUS gives us on this product, as well as its ultra-compact size and keyboard, once again very successful.
If you are looking for a very small machine, barely bulkier than a classic ultraportable, but very powerful and versatile: you have found it. Note also that good progress has been made this year in terms of autonomy, which easily reaches 10 hours in iGPU mode. Be careful, however, to the heating, a little too marked in play.
AMD and Nvidia: a duo that stands out
It is one of our favorites at the start of 2021, so it is only natural that it includes our review of the best gaming laptops, with a special place. The TUF Gaming A15 2021 manages to offer us for less than 2000 euros a remarkable gaming experience with a relatively compact 15.6-inch format. An “affordable” and very powerful machine that we have been calling for for a long time.
The TUF Gaming A15 is not really a newcomer to ASUS, the device had already caught our eye last year, but its very passable quality IPS screen and its limited battery life had cooled us a little despite good performance and a damn well-designed chassis. This year ASUS is coming back to correct almost every flaw in a product that was already proving to be convincing.
To make the powder talk on its new TUF, ASUS is combining one of AMD's brand new high-performance Zen 3 chips for laptops, with the new RTX 3000 from Nvidia. On the model that we tested and that we recommend, we, therefore, found a Ryzen 7 5800H and an RTX 3070 in 95 W (or 3060 on entry-level models). This shocking duo allowed us to host the latest triple-A's in excellent conditions at 1080p.
Cyberpunk 2077, which remains one of the most greedy games available for the moment, was for example animated at 40-50 FPS without a significant drop in framerate and with all the settings pushed in ultra, ray tracing included. A great performance, coupled with the impeccable performance of the dissipation system, which managed to control temperatures without raising the decibels too much. We naturally refer you to our test if you want to have more details on the performance of the TUF Gaming A15 2021.
As we said before, the new TUF A15 benefits from a new IPS display. Not content to finally offer us a visual experience worthy of the name (despite some shortcomings), this Sharp 1080p panel is able to cool down to 240 Hz (optional). A not-so-common asset that should appeal to fans of competitive titles.
On the battery side, ASUS has also revised its copy by integrating a large 90 Wh battery into its laptop, capable of offering up to 10:30 hours of video playback time according to our tests when the iGPU mode was active. Clever (and optional), this denier automatically cuts off the greedy RTX 3070 when the device is running on battery power, for the benefit of the GPU part of the Ryzen 7, which is much more economical. The technique is not new, but it works particularly well on the new TUF A15. Perfect for working on the go, without having to find a power outlet after 4 to 5 hours.
The ultra-complete gaming laptop (but not cheap)
MSI took advantage of CES 2021 to update its various gaming laptops. Among the models that were lucky enough to benefit from new components, is the GP76 Leopard. This 17.3-inch device has an RTX 3070 paired with a Core i7-10870H. A powerful configuration for a machine that we really appreciated during our test, so here it comes in our reviews.
Bulky, quite heavy, and generally not very discreet, the GP76 Leopard is a rather sedentary device that you probably won't be moving every day. Its imposing size and thickness allow it on the other hand to rely on an efficient dissipation system because it is well-dimensioned. If you like this product but want more compact, know that it is also available in a 15.6-inch version: it then takes the name, GP66 Leopard.
With its GP76 Leopard, MSI doesn't really compromise on power. The most interesting model (offered at around 2,400 euros) is therefore equipped with a Core i7-10870H. The latter works hand in hand with an RTX 3070 whose TGP goes up to 140 W, which is practically the maximum allowed. This duo delivers top-notch performances that bring all the titles to life in the best possible conditions in 1080p (native definition of the GP76 screen).
During our test of the machine, for example, we had the opportunity to walk for long hours on the streets of Night City without ever making dark cuts to the settings. Cyberpunk 2077 indeed managed to come alive at over 60 FPS with all settings in ultra, including the very greedy ray tracing. Clearly, the GP76 Leopard takes no questions asked: you can push all the settings to the limit and enjoy a remarkably smooth gaming experience in just about any game.
As mentioned above, the GP76 is adorned with a 17.3-inch 1080p display capable of cranking up to 144 Hz. Perfect for competitive titles. Unfortunately, this Innolux IPS panel is far from perfect, and while the display quality is generally correct, there are nonetheless some poorly faithful colors that may hamper gamers most attentive to color fidelity.
Another flaw, more negligible on a gaming laptop: the battery life does not pass the 5-hour mark. Nothing could be more predictable with a battery of only 65 Wh and such demanding components.
A MacBook Pro lookalike made for gamers
Razer has the merit of offering a simple range, articulated around three very different machines. We find the Razer Blade Stealth 13 (an ultraportable less powerful than the Zephyrus G14 seen above, but still more compact), the Blade 15 (designed for gamers hungry for performance), and the Blade Pro 17 (geared towards creatives). It is the Blade 15 that interests us for this selection. Capable of combining crazy performance and great sobriety in terms of chassis, it promises to be the dream gaming laptop for lovers of minimalist designs.
Like its competitors, Razer has updated its laptops, including the Blade 15, to add the latest generation components. The particularity here is that the old Intel processors are still available as options, just like the “classic” RTX 2070 and 2080 Max Q. Perfect to take advantage of nice discounts if you do not necessarily want the latest components. The model we have chosen is precisely equipped with an RTX 2070 MaxQ instead of the RTX 2070 SUPER MaxQ, also available, but significantly more expensive. The price difference between the two chips allows us to opt as an option for a beautiful Full HD 144 Hz screen.
If you opt for the 144 Hz screen (which can be replaced by a 4K OLED 60 Hz panel for more money) you automatically have to rely on an Intel Core i7-10750H processor (on the base model). Although it is not the most powerful Core i7 offered by Intel this year, the latter is still formidable in the game and offers a good performance/consumption ratio. Perfect for the Razer Blade 15 and its compact chassis. In particular, there are 6 cores and 12 Threads for frequencies between 2.60 and 5.0 GHz, and 12 MB of cache. This is more than enough to allow the RTX 2070 to fully express itself in triple-A games and competitive titles above 100 FPS.
Alongside the Core i7-10750H, we find 16 GB of DDR4-2933MHz (dual-channel), very fast, and a 512 GB M.2 SSD. A good base, even if we regret the absence of 'an option for a larger SSD. For this configuration, Razer charges a price that is consistent with the prices charged by the competition for equivalent machines.
This is one of the strengths of the machines stamped with three snakes (Razer's famous interlaced logo): they all benefit from thin, solid, and above all sober frames. With the exception of its RGB keyboard, the Blade 15 has no frills and is distinguished by a matte black shell with the most beautiful effect (or by a light gray frame on some variants).
Few gaming laptops can claim such a stripped-down look. The aesthetic influence of Apple's MacBook Pro should not be overlooked here.
Exceptional performance in a very compact size
It is rare to be able to play on an ultraportable without going through a Cloud Gaming service, and even rarer to be able to do so on a 2-in-1. ROG Flow X13 is, however, designed specifically for gamers.
Announced at CES 2021 and launched immediately, the ROG Flow X13 is not a common machine. If at first glance looks like the very good ZenBook Flip S, the device has two more advantages compared to its cousin: a dedicated graphics chip (GTX 1650) and a proprietary connector allowing it to connect an external GPU ... but not anyone, the ASUS ROG XG Mobile (sold separately).
Coupled with the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS processor on its best-equipped version, ASUS's little machine is effective for playing in Full HD and formidable for playing up to 4K when you plug in the ROG XG Mobile (equipped either with an RTX 3070 MaxQ or an RTX 3080, MaxQ there too). The device also benefits from a beautiful 13.3-inch IPS display with a 16:10 ratio but beware of its battery life, which is limited to 5-6 hours most of the time. This is not much for an ultraportable, but it is normal on a device primarily designed to play and equipped with high-performance components.
The most powerful gaming laptop in our selection
Four fans are better than two to properly cool very powerful components. This is Alienware's doctrine for its m17 R4, a new juggernaut powered by Intel Tiger Lake processors and Nvidia amp boards.
Very expensive, the Alienware m17 isn't for everyone, but if you have the budget for a machine with no real compromises, this is the one you should turn to. Ultra-powerful thanks to an Intel Core i7-11800H and an RTX 3080 (in 165 W) the device allows in its high-end configuration to launch any game in very good conditions, and even to hold the road Ultra HD. No less was needed to accompany the 4K / 120 Hz screen, precisely, that Alienware offers us as an option.
This level of performance, one of the most important available today in the gaming laptop market, is among other things enabled by a completely redesigned dissipation system to accommodate four fans individually controlled by the system. Alienware also relies on a special thermal paste to further promote the cooling of the processor and graphics card. Tested by us, the Alienware m17 convinced us on almost every level. However, it seems to us too expensive to distort the company from the competition and does not enjoy sufficient autonomy to gain mobility. This computer is designed to stay in the comfort of your desk ... and there's a good chance it'll stay there.
A balanced and affordable laptop
Its chassis takes a lot of inspiration from those offered by Dell subsidiary Alienware, and that's not a bad thing at all. Quite the contrary.
In this new carnal envelope, the Dell G15 Ryzen Edition shines with its build quality despite a 100% plastic shell and an affordable price placement. It also takes advantage of this change of look to start a new life and brilliantly replace the Dell G5 15, nice but now outdated.
To animate all our games in 1080p, the native definition of its 120 Hz screen, the machine relies on the latest generation AMD and Nvidia components. The model we tested included a powerful Ryzen 7 5800H processor coupled with 16 GB of RAM and an RTX 3060 with a TGP budget of 125 W. Perfect for fun in good conditions. We can also salute the correct autonomy of the G15 (6 to 8 hours on battery, that's fair for a gaming PC) without forgetting its few flaws, such as an insufficiently bright screen, a perfectible keyboard, or a too limited software suite. . Finally, note that ray tracing is not always within reach, at least on the most demanding (or poorly optimized) games at the moment like Cyberpunk 2077.
The best quality/price ratio of our selection
Quite simply, the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is so far the best gaming laptop we tested in 2021.
The machine ticks all the boxes of what you would expect from a gaming laptop: its performance is excellent, its display quality is really up to date and its dissipation system is extremely effective. With this device, Lenovo goes even a little further than most of its competitors by offering us a cleanly impeccable quality finish on a PC of this type (we almost equal Alienware's attention to detail).
The brand also had an excellent idea of relying on an IPS display with a 16:10 aspect ratio. The display space saved compared to a classic 16: 9 screen is very appreciable for using the Legion 5 Pro in-game, but also in an office and multimedia context. So full box, with the exception of the battery life ... which does not make a strong impression at all.
.png "English"){kind=small}
