Best Gaming Laptops (Updated for September 2020!)
What gaming laptop are you currently using and how’s it holding up?
If you didn’t have a budget, what’s the best gaming laptop you’d buy today?
Would you buy a 2020 and beyond gaming laptop from MSI?
Which Brand Is Best to Buy a Gaming Laptop From?
Our picks run the gamut of many different brands, though we do often see the same names rate highly in our lists. Some of these are gaming specialists, and others are not. At any given time, you should expect to see some systems from the biggest manufacturers, which always sell multiple models and configurations at various price points. These primarily include Acer, Asus, Dell, and Lenovo. The last, in particular, has been serving up impressive value in the gaming category recently.
Some of the more specialist brands that consistently produce great gaming rigs are Alienware (a Dell subsidiary), Gigabyte, MSI, and Razer. Some of these, particularly Razer machines, come with hefty price premiums but emphasize superior build quality.
How much should I budget for a gaming laptop?
Ready to Buy the Right Gaming Laptop for You?
Feeling more prepared now to buy than before? We hope so. Our detailed spec breakout of all the top-pick machines we have laid out should help you settle on the best gaming laptop that fits your budget and your gaming aspirations. Game on!
Videos
Hi everyone,
Please visit our new website laptopsdeals.net for laptop deals, reviews, and lists!
This month is quite exciting. I've seen a mix of new devices coming out, as well as older devices being discounted. This month's list is more jam packed than ever and there are a lot of solid options to consider (over 50+ laptops!). Nearly every price bracket has multiple choices. If you missed out on the new releases from NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel, take a look at the resources I've created:
Ryzen 4000
Update to Ryzen 4000
Intel + NVIDIA
Overall Update 1
Overall Update 2
If you're looking for new laptops in Canada, please view my post on r/laptopdealscanada.
You may have already saw my list of general use laptops. This time, I have an updated version of my general list of good gaming options. If you are looking for a general use devices list, please click here to view my list from August 2020!
As a reminder, this list isn't a definitive list to determine what you should get. It should give you an overall idea of what you should be able to expect in a given price range. If you have any questions about anything listed here, let me know, I will assist you!
This category applies to anyone who is on a tight budget, all the way to the most expensive devices. It applies to anyone who want to play lighter games, as well as demanding games. Here are some bullet points to refer to when looking for a good gaming laptop:
Look for a good processor! For gaming, the processor is definitely an important factor. It is more important than in a general use device, since games will benefit from having higher clock speeds and more cores / threads. Most of the U processors are not ideal for gaming, since they often cannot sustain their boost clock speeds. But, they can still make do on a budget. Here is the order of processor strength of the devices I will be presenting: i5-4300M < Ryzen 5 3500U < i5-9300H < i5-10300H < Ryzen 5 4500U < Ryzen 7 4700U < Ryzen 5 4600H = i7-9750H < i7-10750H < Ryzen 7 4800HS < Ryzen 7 4800H = i7-10875H < Ryzen 9 4900HS < i9-10980HK < i9-10900K
Look for a good graphics card! This is the most important aspect for gaming! This is the main factor that will be able to fuel gaming capability. Here is the order of weakest to strongest GPUs that are available on this list: Intel HD Graphics 4600 < Vega 8 (Ryzen 3000) < Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000) < Vega 7 (Ryzen 4000) < GTX 1650 < GTX 1650 Ti < GTX 1660 Ti < RTX 2060 Max-Q < RTX 2060 < RTX 2070 = RTX 2070 Super Max-Q < RTX 2080 Super Max-Q < RTX 2070 Super < RTX 2080 Super
Pay attention to thermals! This has become larger and larger of an issue in recent times. As much as I love the power of the new AMD Ryzen 4000 series processors, some manufacturers have decided to skimp out on cooling, meaning that these processors will happily run at 100°C, which really isn't ideal for long term use. So, you should search up reviews on the device you intend on purchasing for an idea about how hot it runs. If you intend on getting an AMD Ryzen 4000 series processor, take a look at my tutorial video on how to disable turbo boost on Ryzen 4000 series laptops. It will decrease temperatures by 20°C to 25°C in games while not affecting gaming performance.
In wake of the release of the subreddit's official website, laptopsdeals.net, this month's list is conveniently organized in a table there.
Click here to view this month's list.
A lot of these laptops are not necessarily on sale, so keep your eyes peeled for the deals that are regularly posted on the subreddit! If you're looking for a specific laptop recommendation, considering making a request in the pinned weekly request thread.
If you are looking for a general device instead, take a look at my Best General Use Laptop list from August 2020.