Alongside Schenker Razer is the only other manufacturer with not one but two gaming notebooks in our top 10 list with a rating of “Very Good”. The Blade Pro 17 managed a rating of 90 % and was therefore able to set itself apart from its competitors by quite a bit. Despite its small case Razer packed the device with nothing but high-end hardware. In our particular case, the Blade Pro 17 came with a Core i7-9750H, a blazingly fast GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, and a matte FHD IPS display with Optimus. Accordingly, it lacked G-Sync in return.

Unlike the ROG G701 that barely missed our top 10 the Turing-equipped ROG G703 managed to secure second place. Despite its heft and size the 17-inch gaming notebook is one of the best high-end notebooks currently available.

The Gigabyte Aero 17 XA HDR features an extremely bright color-accurate UHD (3840 x 2160) panel capable of bringing the 2070 to its knees more often than expected. Thanks to its small and low-key case it not only appeals to gamers but business and multimedia users as well. Great battery life and low weight render it somewhat portable despite its 17-inch format. It also supports Thunderbolt 3.

MSI’s flagship scores fourth place on our gaming top 10 list. In our opinion, the major improvement over its own GT75 predecessor is the smaller case. The GT76 9SG was thinned down to 4.2 cm (1.7 inches) compared to 5.8 cm (2.3 inches). Subjectively, the case seems to be much smaller than it really is mainly due to its narrow display bezels. Thanks to its desktop CPU the 17-inch notebook not only offers plenty of performance but also above average upgradeability. We also liked the display, the input devices, and the notebook’s connectivity. On the flip side users have to live the same downsides many desktop replacements suffer from, namely high weight and high noise emissions under 3D load. Other drawbacks include the lack of G-Sync and the fact that the GT76 requires two power supplies.

On the flip side users have to live the same downsides many desktop replacements suffer from, namely high weight and high noise emissions under 3D load. Other drawbacks include the lack of G-Sync and the fact that the GT76 requires two power supplies.

At 2.8 kg (6.2 lbs) and a thickness of 2.6 cm (1 inch) the Asus Strix G731GV sits right in between traditional desktop replacements and slim & light notebooks. Our 17-inch review model came equipped with a Core i7-9750H, a GeForce RTX 2060, a fast 144 Hz display panel, and powerful speakers. Furthermore, the well-made case houses decent input devices as well as various lighting options.

In the past, HP focused mainly on business and multimedia notebooks. However, in recent years we have seen more and more gaming-capable HP notebooks released. HP’s current 17-inch flagship model, the Omen 17, can easily keep up with its high-end competitors in regards to performance, connectivity, and quality.

Even though the competition reduced the gap in terms of material quality, Alienware laptops are still the most noble and stable high-end laptops.

The current flagship carries the designation Area 51m and we reviewed the SKU with the Core i9-9900K and a GeForce RTX 2080. It was also equipped with 32 GB DDR4-RAM and two NVMe-SSDs. Except for the pretty high weight and the thick chassis, we also like the case. Good input devices are supported by numerous ports, diverse lighting and upgrade options as well as a 144 Hz panel. Dell should improve the noise development.

Compared to other gaming laptops with the GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, the 15-inch model of the Lenovo Legion Y740 has a good price-performance ratio. Besides the hardware equipment, we also like the 144 Hz display for the most part. The same applies for the RGB illumination, the noise development as well as the port selection. The maintenance options are not bad, either.

The keyboard with its spongy feedback could be improved, just like the placement of the webcam and the battery runtime. The Legion Y740 is currently still one of the best high-end laptops and gets our recommendation.

Schenker Technologies' XMG Ultra 17 is a prime example for a full-fledged desktop replacement. Despite the high weight (4.3 kg) and the thick construction (4.1 cm), we were mainly convinced by the 17-inch chassis. It deserves respect for the upgrade options and the display in particular. The 4K panel of our test model does not only feature a high resolution, but also a wide color gamut (88% AdobeRGB), even though you have to get used to it.

The graphics performance is also very high: Nvidia's GeForce RTX 2080 manages a performance level we did not see before, and it is combined with a real desktop processor. The XMG Ultra 17 does not last very long without a PSU, but the sound is great in return. The same applies for the port selection (Thunderbolt 3) and the input devices. We were rather disappointed by the fan control.

The review of the similarly constructed (and very similarly equipped) Eurocom Sky X7C is available here.