
Gaming laptops are for those who want to absolute best-of-best performance when playing the most graphically intense games, but who also want to be able to take their machine on the go some of the time. They're a step above the best laptops that most people will use for work, or the best lightweight laptops that might be ideal for students.
The biggest AAA games of 2025 (and, frankly, even some titles from the not-so-distant past) often require a choice between performance and fidelity modes, even on the likes of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, but with some of the best gaming laptops you won't have to compromise. Exactly how far up the scale of graphical prowess (and, indeed, price) you wish to go will depend on various factors though.
Some gaming laptops will feature brash, flamboyant designs that scream 'gamer', while others may be a bit more discreet. Whatever your style or budget, we've got you covered with this guide to the machines worthy of your time that will get your favourite games running and looking better than ever.
T3's Top Picks
The best gaming laptop overall
A great compromise between price and performance, the Alienware M16 certainly isn't cheap – but compared to others it represents great value. It will still handle pretty much any game you care to throw at it... all while looking seriously smart too.
The best premium gaming laptop
It'll cost you a pretty penny, that's for sure, but if you can afford it this is the machine to plump for. A beautiful beast with a Star Trek-style RGB light bar on the front and an Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU that makes mincemeat of any game you could think of.
The best value gaming laptop
This used to be the ultimate gaming laptop and although it's a couple of years old now that has just made it even more affordable. A mighty machine in a compact package, with great battery life, the ROG Zephyrus G14 demands your attention.
The best gaming laptops we recommend in 2025
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Best overall
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If you want your favourite games to look and run great, better than on even the most powerful consoles of the time, then you'll need a gaming laptop (or PC) and the Alienware M16 should be the best choice for most people. Prices vary but the model we reviewed had an AMD Ryzen 9 processor and a mighty Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU, and could put pretty much any title on the highest settings and deliver a smooth gaming experience.
This is not the lightest machine in the world at 3.26kg, but it's not sufficiently heavy that you'll dread moving it. In terms of looks, although it does sport the Alienware alien head logo, this is a pretty smart-looking laptop that wouldn't cause many double-takes when out in public.
The 16-inch QHD screen is a standout of this laptop. It has a resolution of 2560 x 1600 and a peak brightness of 450 nits. The refresh rate comes in at 240Hz, not quite as much as the Razer Blade 15 Advanced, but still way above what's needed. The model that we reviewed can hold its own against the worst any game dev has to offer. Our reviewer managed to play Doom: Eternal on its most demanding settings at 240FPS, maxing out the screen. The Alienware M16 manages around 3 hours of general use and only about 45 minutes of intense gaming.
Read more: Alienware M16 R2 review
Best premium
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I know what you're thinking. The best part of four grand for a laptop? No chance. But hear me out. This is a machine that is extra in all of the best ways. Whether it's the Star-Trek-style lightbar on the front, transparent WASD keys, or the frankly absurd 10 ports of various connectivity styles.
With an Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU, I challenge you to find any game that can push it beyond its limits. A big, beautiful beast... and a T3 Awards 2024 winner, too. Looking at its design, "loud" is the word that comes to mind with the RGB lights all turned on. Honestly, I think this sense of fun is something all gaming laptops should have, it is after all a leisure activity. The metal casing is concurrent with a superb build quality.
It may have very visible hinges but the 17-inch QHD+ display is very easy on the eye. With a resolution of 2560x1600 and 240Hz refresh rate, you'll be able to make the most of the hardware under the hood. It's also safe to say you won't find performance wanting with the Raider. Playing 2023's ExoPrimal with Ray Tracing and textures cranked up to max with dozens of dinosaurs on screen, I couldn't get less than 90 FPS. The same went for Deathloop. Unplugged, however, things were a bit different (always the case for gaming laptops) but I could still get around 40FPS on Deathloop, which was a nice surprise.
On the battery front, the Raider will do around 3 hours of general use and about one hour of intense gaming.
Read more: MSI Raider GE78 HX 13V review
Best value
3. Asus Rog Zephyrus G14
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They say that good things come in small packages and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is proof of that. This 14-inch wonder is a few years old now but that now works in its favour with the price falling to a whole new level.
A 2020 T3 award winner, this is not a machine to mess with, but it's a great choice for both gamers and creatives alike. This is an ultra-thin machine that gives even the likes of MacBooks a run for their money on the eye test. It's not laden with RGB lights and loud styling choices, so you won't lose any street cred bringing it out at college or the office. In fact, the opposite is probably true.
It may only have a 60Hz refresh rate but the WQHD display is still a cut above when it comes to resolution. Squeezing so many pixels into a smaller 14-inch display produces spectacular results. Battery on gaming laptops is traditionally poor but when being used for traditional tasks the G14 can actually get around 8 hours of battery life. Admittedly, for gaming that will drop considerably, but still impressive for this category of laptop.
Read more: Asus Rog Zephyrus G14 review
Best work and play
4. Acer Predator Helios 16
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The Predator Helios 16 from Acer is a jack of all trades that offers a solution to pretty much any concern. Aside from gaming performance, it offers a fantastic keyboard and superb connectivity.
Sporting a 16-inch screen, but still coming in at a reasonably svelte 2.9kg, and with a 13th Gen Intel Core i9 processor and Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU (at least in its 16 PH16-71 form, as reviewed here), there's a lot to love about this machine.
This is a nice balance between looking like a fun gaming machine with RGB lights along the spine, and just a nice smart laptop. The casing is almost completely plastic which is a shame but it does keep the cost and weight down. The 16-inch mini-LED display has a crisp 240Hz display capable of running games at high frame rates with a lush 2560 x 1600 resolution.
For the price you would expect excellence when gaming, and you'll get it. Thanks to an Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU you can expect to run ray tracing-enabled games like a charm. I played Deathloop on maximum settings at a consistent 90FPS and reached 120FPS on Forza: Horizon 4. If I've said it once I've said it 1000 times, gaming laptops do not have lengthy battery life. The same goes here, with the Predator Helios clocking around 4-5 hours of general use and just over 1 hour of intense games.
Read more: Acer Predator Helios 16
Best audio
5. Asus ROG Strix Scar 16
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This 16-inch machine is an absolute blockbuster that undoubtedly challenges the best gaming laptops available even just on pure performance specs. A RTX 4080 GPU is one of the best you'll find in this guide and it's a strong all-round worker with exceptional sound, if you can tolerate a few imperfections, that is.
Its design is probably the biggest disappointment of this laptop. The look of it is fairly out there with a translucent base, but that might be to your taste. The main problem is with the amount of plastic all over this machine; in fact, it has a bezel of plastic running all the way around it. For over £3000, you'd expect a nicer finish.
If the laptop case isn't exactly easy on the eye, you can't say the same of the screen. With a 2560 x 1600 QHD+ display at a 240Hz refresh rate, you should be able to enjoy your favourite titles in all their glory. Full of raw power, the ROG Scar Strix 16 can mix it with the best of them. A 13th Gen Intel i9 processor is more than enough for pretty much anything, while the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 GPU will make even challenging games run like a dream. Under the hood, you do get 32GB of RAM – which is nice to see with some similarly priced laptops, like the Acer Predator Helios 16 only offering half that
For a gaming laptop, the battery of the Strix Scar is actually pretty good. It can handle around 5 hours of general use or two hours of intense gaming. A good rating for this category of laptop.
Read more: Asus ROG Strix Scar 16
Best big screen
6. Alienware M18 R2
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A mammoth machine with an 18-inch screen and equally big performance specs like a RTX 4090 GPU, the Alienware M18 R2 didn't come to play. Weighing 4kg, you won't want to carry it with you all day, but it is definitely worthy of possibly replacing your desktop setup.
Measuring 410mm wide and 320mm deep, this is a big boy although it is not chunky- just a touch under 25mm thick. An 18-inch QHD+ display with a 2560 x 1600 resolution and 165Hz refresh rate is mighty impressive and one of the main selling points of this laptop. We just wish that it was a little bit brighter.
In our testing, we were impressed with the sheer power of this laptop. We could run Doom Eternal on maximum settings at a consistent 145FPS while F12022 also at the maximum settings produced an impressive 80FPS. Gaming laptops are not really made to be used away from their chargers but that is doubly so for the Alienware M18. We got around five hours of general use from the battery but intense gaming sessions saw the battery drained after only 45 minutes.
Read more: Alienware M18 R2 review