Best gaming laptops 2018: the 10 top gaming laptops we've reviewed

If you look back a few years, the best gaming laptops were easy to distinguish from the best laptops. Packing in an Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM and dedicated graphics required a big hulking notebook to contain all that PC gaming power. However, the best gaming laptops now come in all shapes and sizes. That’s why we thought it’d be a great idea to dive into all the best gaming laptops you can buy today.

These days, you could easily gloss over top gaming laptops trying to pass themselves off as reserved office notebooks. Alternatively, you can pick up a gigantic desktop replacement that’ll brute force its way through everything. In 2018, there are a ton of portable replacements to the best gaming PCs.

So, whether you’re looking for a laptop that you can use for work as well as play, or you want a traditional, thick gaming behemoth, we have the recommendations you’re looking for. And, because we’ve tested, reviewed and ranked all the best gaming laptops ourselves, you can be sure that you’re going to find something great on this list.

Luckily, you shouldn’t have to break open your piggy bank to buy one of the best gaming laptops for much longer. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are right around the corner, and with them we’re expecting a ton of laptop deals – the best gaming laptops among them. So, keep an eye on manufacturers like Dell and retailers like Amazon and Newegg so you can stay ahead of the curve. And, remember to keep it locked to TechRadar for all your holiday shopping needs.

Sometimes you just want to play the best PC games without looking like you’re playing them, and that’s where the MSI GS65 Stealth comes in. Measuring in at just .69 inches thick and featuring impressive hardware like Intel Coffee Lake processors and Nvidia GTX 10-series graphics, the MSI GS65 Stealth packs a ton of power into a very svelte package. There’s nothing you’ll be able to throw at this thing that’ll slow it down. And, thanks to its subdued design, you can bring this horsepower everywhere you go, making it the best gaming laptop out there, on all fronts.

Read the full review: MSI GS65 Stealth

Kicking Nvidia’s Max-Q technology off right, the Asus Zephyrus GX501 combines the heralded thinness of an Ultrabook with the performance of a gaming PC to bring the best of both worlds to your feet. Despite exhibiting subpar times in our battery life benchmarks, this svelte powerhouse of a notebook is one for the books when it comes to both portability and style. Plus, it’s virtually silent if noise is a cause for distraction in your everyday routine.

Read the full review: Asus ROG Zephyrus GX501

Thin and light gaming laptops are kind of in vogue in 2018, but if you reject all that and want to stick with a heavy, monstrous laptop that can demolish any title under the sun, the Asus ROG G703GI is for you. There’s no way around it – this is a massive – and expensive – laptop, but it backs its size and price with gaming performance that can rival some of the best gaming PCs. Just don't expect to be able to bring it to a coffee shop without its two power bricks – or awkward stares.

Read the full review: Asus ROG G703GI

This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Razer Blade Pro

The Razer Blade might still have an unbearably edgy name, but now that the 2018 version is here, it’s fitting – it’s still on the cutting edge. Beyond its insanely high-end specs and beautiful chassis, it can fit up to a 4K Ultra-HD display, with the specs to actually back it up. That’s not to mention the expandability that the Razer Core X opens up. It might be expensive, but if you’re a Razer fan looking for the best gaming laptop, it might just be for you.

Read the full review: Razer Blade

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

Best gaming laptops

It may not boast the most innovative design, substituting the usual black and red aesthetic for one that makes it feel like Halloween all year round (no complaints here). But, it’s undoubtedly one of the best when it comes to gaming in 1080p. In fact, we were able to crank the setting s all the way up in Overwatch without ever straying below 60fps. It doesn’t feature the longest battery life, but the screen, power and onboard sound system more than make up for it.

Read the full review: Asus ROG Strix GL502

This product is only available in the US and Australia at the time of this writing. UK readers: check out a fine alternative in the Alienware 17 R5

With the Acer Predator Helios, you’ll be able to get some gaming done on the go, and save some cash while you’re at it. At it’s asking price, you’re not going to find much better, thanks to its impressive GTX 1060 graphics and beautiful 15.6-inch 144Hz 1080p display. You should be able to play any of the best PC games on this thing, at a fraction of the price that something like the Razer Blade would charge. Keep in mind, though, that you’ll be running into some thermal issues with the Acer Predator Helios 300 – but you can fix that with some fan setting tweaking.

Read the full review: Acer Predator Helios 300

The best gaming laptops used to be these huge, bulky devices that were necessary to experience the best PC games on the go – not anymore. The Gigabyte Aero 15 throws that tradition in the garbage, where it belongs by packing in a 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i7 CPU and a GTX 1060 into a package that allows it to pass as an Ultrabook. And, thanks to that beefy processor, the Gigabyte Aero 15 isn’t just one of the best gaming laptops – it’s just as good when you need to get some work done.

Read the full review: Gigabyte Aero 15

Ever since Intel unveiled its i9-8950HK, we just knew that it would find its way behind the best gaming laptops 2018 had to offer, and not even a full month later, and we’ve been proven right. The Alienware 17 R5 is a beast of a gaming laptop with the aforementioned CPU and an overclocked GTX 1080. If you’re willing to get an absolute tank of a laptop that weighs nearly 10 pounds, this hulking computer will demolish any and all games you throw at it. Just don’t expect to throw it in a bag without some severe back pain.

Read the full review: Alienware 17 R5

Unlike most of the best 13-inch laptops, the Alienware 13 R3 bears a hinge-forward design. By moving the heat sinks behind the screen, the chassis is allowed to be thinner, at 0.81-inches (0.22cm). Unfortunately, this means you won’t find many 13-inch laptop bags that the Alienware 13 R3 will actually fit in. While you may be tempted by the inclusion of a full-size GTX 1060, it’s the OLED touch display that caught our attention.

Read the full review: Alienware 13 R3