The Best Gaming Laptops of 2020

The Best Gaming Laptops of 2020

The Sony PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will launch this coming 2020. They’re quite powerful but nothing can top the raw processing capabilities and speed of a good PC rig.

 

Fortunately, you can take PC gaming on the go. You simply need to get the right gaming laptops that come with all the built-in power necessary.

 

Not sure which ones to invest in? These aren’t cheap, after all.

 

Don’t worry, we’ve got a list here for you. Check out our top choices for the best gaming laptops you can buy:

 

1. Alienware Area 51-m

Looking for the best gaming laptops in the market, bar none? You can’t go wrong with Alienware, from Dell. This lineup of laptops redefined what gaming laptops can be for years and even to this day they still outshine other products.

 

Case in point: the Alienware Area 51-m. At the highest option, you get an i9-9900K core processor and an Nvidia RTX 2080 8GB video card that’s ready for over-clocking. You also get 16 GB to 64 GB RAM, a high-end 17.3 screen, and an ultra-fast 1 to 2 TB SSD hard drive.

 

It’s expensive but one look at this beast and you’ll know why. It’s big, it’s powerful, and even the aesthetics ooze with style and power. The most popular option features a white chassis with red accent lights.

 

That said, you can also expect the Alienware Area 51-m to cost you a lot. Prices can range from $1,999 to over $3,000 depending on how much power you demand, particularly RAM and hard drive space.

 

If you’re buying this, make sure to pair it with equally great accessories. Get the highest-rated wireless headphones, gaming mice, and speakers.

 

2. Razer Blade Pro 17

About a few notches below the Area 51-m is Razer’s newest gaming laptop, the Razer Blade Pro 17. It costs a little less than the Area 51-m and it weighs significantly less too. Despite this, you’re not getting a cheap knockoff of Alienware’s beast of a laptop — this is still one of the best gaming laptops in town.

 

First off, you still get a gorgeous 17-inch 1080p full HD display and an Intel Core i7-9750H processor. You do step down a bit with the GPU, grabbing an Nvidia RTX 2060 or 2070 for the cheaper models. The highest variation grants you the RTX 2080 Max-Q video card, which is essential if you want to stream 4K video games with the smoothest framerates.

 

The real factor that sets the Razer Blade apart from the rest is the dual-SSD hard drive and amazing cooling system. Together, these make the Razer Blade a perfect choice not only for gaming but for creative professionals too. It’s the ideal choice for people who need a powerful unit for web designing, photo editing, video rendering, and more.

 

Sure, it’s not as pretty or as unique as the Area 51-m but nothing is. If you’re not gunning for Alienware, this is the best 2nd option in the market.

 

3. MSI GS65 Stealth

The next three gaming laptops can come in any order. These are all beautiful gaming rigs but with their quirks and advantages. Let’s start with the MSI GS65 Stealth.

 

However, the downgrades from the previous two entries become quite obvious, even at first glance. You get an eighth-generation i7 processor instead of a ninth-generation one and the GPU is a big step down, giving you the Nvidia GTX 1060 to 1070 instead of the RTX 2060 to 2080.

 

You still get a decent amount of RAM, a gorgeous 15.6-inch display, and dual 256-GB SSD hard drives.

 

Despite these minor steps down, you benefit from a much sleeker built. The laptop is only 0.69-inches thick when closed and weighs even less than the Razer Blade Pro 17. This makes the MSI GS65 Stealth a quiet and unnoticeable laptop still capable of high-end gaming on the go.

 

How much is it? Prices still vary but on average you’ll find it $200-$250 cheaper than Razer. In comparison to the Alienware Area 51-m, this is much more affordable, and getting this can save you $1,000 while still giving you enough speed and power for gaming.

 

4. Acer Predator Triton 500

Ever played Control? It was one of the best games of 2019 and even garnered nominations at the Game Awards. One of the most amazing tech tidbits about the game is that it can enable ray tracing.

 

What is ray tracing? In a nutshell, it’s the technology to simulate light and make it behave the same way it does in the real world. Game developers can use it to create realistic shadows, room lighting, and reflections.

 

The Acer Predator Triton 500 can handle games with ray tracing on and the product. With ray tracing on, games might not hit 60 fps all the time but the dip won’t be too bad or noticeable. You should get this gaming laptop if you want to jump straight into the future of modern gaming graphics.

 

You still get an eighth-generation i7 processor, the RTX 2080 Max-Q GPU, and a minimum of 16 GB RAM. It features a 15.6-inch screen and in terms of pricing, it’s about on par as the mid-range Alienware and Razer Blade Pro 17.

 

However, it does have a scary boot-up sound that makes some people assume there’s some sort of malfunction. Ignore the loud noises and you’ll get to enjoy one of the most powerful units in the market.

 

5. Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701

Republic of Gamers (ROG) laptops are nothing to scoff at — they’re almost as expensive and about as powerful as Alienware laptops. Take the Zephyrus S GX701, for example. It costs about as much as the base Alienware Area 51-m but you still get the latest Coffee Lake i7 processor and Nvidia video cards, ranging from the RTX 2060 to the 2080 Max-Q.

 

However, it’s also a sleek little thing. This laptop is only 0.7 inches thick and weighs only a little more than the MSI Stealth.

 

What does the Zephyrus offer? It enables real-time ray tracing with the flick of a button and you’ll see little to no dips in framerate or resolution. Pair this with the copious amount of RAM and you now have a gaming laptop that easily stands above the competition.

 

That said, it’s an expensive laptop. It can cost as much as an Alienware unit and for good reasons too. It’s powerful, light, and great for on-the-go gaming.

 

It also features RGB lights. These can make the laptop look like the part, making it as pretty and futuristic as something this expensive should be. You always have the option to turn it off if this doesn’t suit your gaming style.

 

6. HP Omen 17

Looking for a great gaming laptop but at half the price of the ones mentioned above? You should check out the HP Omen 17. It’s reasonably cheaper than any of the ones listed thus far but you still get enough power to play games at high or ultra settings.

 

For one thing, you still get a ninth-generation i7 processor and the Nvidia RTX 2070 GPU. You also get a minimum of 16 GB RAM and a standard 256 GB SSD hard drive. To top it all off, you get a 17.3-inch display offering full 1080p HD resolution.

 

That all sounds good but the main issue is the laptop’s battery. It doesn’t last nearly as long as other laptops so you might need to bring your charger if you plan to play games for more than an hour or two while traveling.

 

It also features a plastic chassis, which might make it seem too light and flimsy for some. This does give it a cheap look compared to the hard aluminum and magnesium alloy used by higher-end laptops.

 

7. Gigabyte Aero 15X

If you want something thin, light, and powerful for portable gaming then you should consider the Gigabyte Aero 15X.

 

You get an eighth-generation i7 processor and an older GTX 1070 Max-Q video card. It’s one of the first super-thin laptops to feature this type of video card and this helps it stand out.

 

At first glance, it looks like it can’t compete with something like the Asus ROG Zephyrus or the Alienware Area 51-m but it doesn’t have to. You still get decent enough power and 16 GB RAM to run almost any game at high settings. Fortunately, there are a few upgrade options and we’ll tackle those in a bit.

 

The real advantage is the battery. You can get at least 8 hours consistently even when gaming. This makes it the best choice for people always traveling, especially if you feel like gaming at an airport while waiting for your next flight or when you’re in a hotel.

 

If you’re hoping for ray tracing, there is a more expensive variant that comes with ray tracing capabilities and a higher-end graphics card. You’ll spend more but the visual power of an Nvidia RTX 2080 Max-Q is worth it. However, if you’re going to spend that much for the upgrade you might as well get an Asus ROG or an Alienware laptop instead.

 

8. Lenovo Legion Y740

If looks aren’t that important, you can’t go wrong with the Lenovo Legion Y740. It checks all the marks, from pretty lights to its slick, sharp design, but it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles you’ll find in an Alienware laptop.

 

There’s also the issue with its bezel. They’re too big and objectively ugly to look at. Fortunately, the screen offers Dolby Vision HDR support and you also get a G-sync function to reduce framerate dips when running on high-settings.

 

You’ll also struggle with the touchpad. It’s quite small and doesn’t offer the same traction other laptops can give. You’ll need a gaming mouse if you’re going to stick with the Legion Y740.

 

That said, gaming laptops aren’t about aesthetics — it’s all about the power within.

 

This is where the Legion Y740 shines. It packs a punch with its i7 processor and RTX 2060 to 2070 video cards. It also offers at least 16 GB RAM and a crystal-clear 17.3-inch display.

 

Like the HP Omen 17, this is a notable power-draining laptop. You’ll need to constantly have your charger with you if you expect to get any reasonable video gaming out of it.

 

9. Dell XPS 2-In-1

Here’s something most gamers often overlook: a laptop with a touch-screen display. It’s both a laptop and a functional tablet too. Most gamers don’t buy these types of laptops because of the diverted power and cost to run a functional touchscreen but the Dell XPS is worth checking out.

 

You notably get a Radeon RX Vega M GL 4 GB video card and a range of i5 to i7 processors. Yes, this means it’s not in the same league as the laptops above but you still get a lot of power considering the dual-build of this product.

 

Impressively, the screen is a 15.6-inch screen offering full 4K Ultra HD built into an InfinityEdge display. It also comes with an anti-reflective surface, ensuring you won’t smudge or ruin it no matter how often you physically swipe, tap, and pinch.

 

Some might like the fact this is also an ultra-thin laptop, making it ideal for travel. It’s easy to bring it along, turn it on quickly for a 30-minute gaming session, and then close when it’s time to get back on the road.

 

10. Asus ROG Strix

We’re going to list one more Asus ROG laptop simply because this is a great alternative to the Zephyrus. The Strix lineup is fairly new but they boast a lot of mobile power.

 

The upper echelon of Strix laptops costs as much as the Zephyrus but there is a lower-end option, which will only set you back by $1,000. It still comes with a lot of power and still comes with all the pretty LED lights and sharp design that ROG laptops offer.

 

What do you get with the more expensive options? You get the highly-favored “ROG Boost” mode for optimal gaming experiences and a better display.

 

Unfortunately, the battery is the one problem since it drains quickly.

 

Get the Best Gaming Laptops This 2020!

Don’t try to squeeze modern games on a mid-range laptop. Sure, you can find good gaming laptops under 500 but do you want to risk it? You might end up with a game that won’t run on your rig.

 

These 10 are the best gaming laptops this year and will continue to dominate the market for the next couple of years. These are so powerful you won’t need to upgrade or replace parts for quite some time.

 

But buying a great gaming laptop is only the beginning! If you’re looking for more accessories, like the best gaming mouse or headphones, check out our other guides here!