Best gaming laptops in Australia: the top gaming laptops we've reviewed in 2019

While gaming laptops used to be niche enough that it was a little easily to search for the one that happened to be packing the best processor, GPU and RAM assortment, the field has exploded since then and it can be a little harder to determine the best gaming laptop.

The gaming laptop we're used to seeing – thick chassis with RGB and tapered flares – isn't the only option any more, with a variety of advancements (such as Nvidia's Max-Q technology) allowing the sleeker ultrabook form factor to harbour some incredible grunt as well.

Regardless of if you're in it for the stealthy, sleek numbers to slip in your satchel on the go, or an all-in-one replacement for a desktop rig, we've sifted through what's on offer to bring you the best gaming laptops available in Australia.

Best gaming laptops in Australia 2019 at a glance

Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701
MSI GS65 Stealth
Razer Blade 15 (2019)
Alienware Area-51m
Lenovo Legion Y740
Dell XPS 15 2-in-1
HP Omen 15 (2018)
Dell G3 15
Acer Nitro 5 (2018)

While the Aero 15 range from Gigabyte is aimed at designers, it makes for the best value gaming laptop on the Australian market right now due to its powerful internals, brilliant display, and sleek, stylish chassis. This year's model comes packing a new 15-inch 4K HDR screen ideal as a high-resolution on-the-go gaming monitor, media machine, or its intended design-centric use. Considering it's also packing the latest Nvidia RTX series GPUs and 9th-gen Intel Core CPUs.

Read the full review: Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED

These days, the best gaming laptop manufacturers are scrambling to craft the thinnest gaming laptop packing raw power. Right now, the one that might be leading the charge is the Asus ROG Zephyrus GX701. At just 0.7 inches thick, this beast of a laptop boasts an Intel Coffee Lake Core i7 chip, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics and 16GB of RAM. That means you can play any PC game under the sun on Ultra, and also take it with you wherever you go – ideal for travelers with a penchant for gaming. Plus, it’s packed with RGB lighting that’ll dazzle just about anyone.

Read the full review: Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701

If you want to play some of the best PC games on the move, but you don’t want everyone to know you’re playing games, the MSI GS65 Stealth is the best gaming laptop for you. Coming in at just 17.5mm thick and featuring impressive hardware like Intel Coffee Lake processors and Nvidia GeForce GTX 10-series – refreshed with RTX 20-series graphics at CES – the MSI GS65 Stealth packs a ton of power into a very svelte package. There’s nothing you won’t be able to throw at this thing that’ll slow it down. And, thanks to the subdued design, you’ll be able to bring this beefy rig everywhere you go, making it on of the best gaming laptops on the market right now.

Read the full review: MSI GS65 Stealth

The 15.6-inch Razer Blade might look a lot like its 2018 predecessor, but the RTX upgrade marks a significant improvement to this gaming powerhouse. Beyond its insanely high-end specs and beautiful (and slightly tweaked) chassis, it can fit up to a 4K Ultra-HD display, with the specs to actually back it up. It might be expensive, but if you’re a Razer fan looking for the best gaming laptop, or simply want a portable way to experience the cutting edge of Nvidia's latest RTX cards, it might just be for you.

Read the full review: Razer Blade 15 (2019)

The Alienware Area-51m is a strong contender for the best gaming laptop of 2019, and earns that place in other markets (such as the UK and US) due to its relative affordability. Down under, it's a little more expensive and doesn't quite earn that spot, but it's still absolutely worth considering (especially if it's on sale). With an eye catching design and brilliant build quality, which we've come to expect from Dell's Alienware brand, this is an incredible performer, offering a choice of some of the very best gaming components on the market right now, including 9th generation Intel Core processors and Nvidia's latest RTX range of GPUs. Sure, it's pretty expensive, but if you're serious about getting the best gaming laptop money can buy in 2019, then you'll need to expect to splash out a little bit, and the Alienware Area-51m really is worth every penny.

Read the full review: Alienware Area-51m

The Lenovo Legion Y740 packs a lot of muscles inside its stylish yet accessible chassis, combining a very high refresh rate, Nvidia Turing graphics and a powerful processor with a gloriously effective thermal cooling, a nifty cable management system and a number of applications to make it truly yours. It’s as close to a complete package as you can get, wrapped in a beautiful chassis that you’d be proud to show off to friends and strangers. It still has the remnants of that gaming aesthetic, but it’s made classy so that you could be gaming in public without anyone knowing. Despite its shortcomings – unfortunate keyboard and webcam placement, as well as its subpar battery life – it’s still one of the best gaming laptops to date.

Read the full review: Lenovo Legion Y740

Best Gaming Laptop 2019

If you want one of the best gaming laptops, but don’t want to miss out on the ultra-portable craze, you need to consider the Dell XPS 15 2-in-1. Packed with an Intel Kaby Lake G-series processor, this gaming laptop can keep up with its competitors rocking a GTX 1050 without featuring truly discrete graphics. And, when you combine that gaming horsepower with a chassis that looks this good, it’s a total win – even if you have to endure some fan noise to get there.

Read the full review: Dell XPS 15 2-in-1

While there are other gaming laptops opting for the sleekness and subtlety of an ultrabook, the HP Omen 15 offers up aesthetics that are unashamedly on the louder side of gaming. Thankfully, this is matched with a solid, sturdy chassis and some seriously solid performance to back it up. In fact, for the price, the Omen 15 performs remarkably well with either its GTX 1060 or 1070, and all of its configurations will offer up something of value to those who buy it.

When you’re setting out to buy one of the best gaming laptops, one of the first things you’ll likely notice is how expensive they can get. Luckily, the Dell G3 15 is not just extremely affordable, but it punches above its weight class with great 1080p gaming performance. With up to an Nvidia GTX 1060 GPU, you’ll be able to play all the latest games at 1080p without breaking a sweat, even if it’s not at max settings all the time. And, that blue on black color combo is quite a looker, if that’s your aesthetic.

Read the full review: Dell G3 15

While there are a handful of laptops in the budget space that offer great gaming solutions for those who are tight on cash, the Acer Nitro 5 is this year’s budget-laptop to beat. Whether it’s the entry level offering that doubles the RAM allocation to 16GB and throws in an additional 16GB of Intel Optane system memory/storage, or the mid-tier option offering a Nvidia GTX 1060 GPU, the Acer Nitro 5 is really showing up the competition in the budget gaming space

Read the full review: Acer Nitro 5