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MagyarThe Best Gaming Notebooks
The high-end gaming segment does not allow for any compromises. Powered by the latest graphics chips and processors the following gaming notebooks will offer performance at a level similar to that of current desktop computers. Even current and particular demanding PC games will run smoothly in high resolutions and high details. In addition, displays with high refresh rates ensure the highest level of competitiveness possible.
In order to satisfy the increasing number of gaming notebooks we have outsourced the best high-end laptops weighing less than 2.5 kg (5.5 lbs) with a maximum thickness of 2 cm (0.8 inches) as well as the best budget gaming notebooks that cost less than 1,500 Euros onto their separate dedicated lists:
- The Best Thin & Light Gaming Notebooks (lightweight and thin gaming laptops)
- The Best Budget Gaming Notebooks (affordable gaming laptops)
The Best Gaming Laptops
The table above contains an overview over the best gaming notebooks reviewed by Notebookcheck over the course of the past 12 months as well as still relevant and available older products. In cases of identical score the more recent device is listed first. All prices in above table and price comparisons are updated daily and can thus differ.
Link: all devices in this class reviewed
Editors' Comments
Four new laptops enter our list this month, we welcome a new Razer Blade, the Alienware x17 R2 P48E, the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 and the MSI Raider GE66.
1st – Razer Blade 17
Equipped with an i7-12800H and a GeForce RTX 3080 Ti with 165 W TGP the thin Razer Blade is pretty much as powerful and fast as it gets. Paired with the Razer-typical high build quality and its premium components it is one of the best currently available gaming laptops.
Not just ultra-thin but also ultr- powerful and ultra-fast: the Razer Blade 17 2022.
In addition to Razer’s own webshop the device is also available on Amazon with prices starting at $3,200 for the RTX 3070 Ti model.
Pricecompare
2nd – Lenovo Legion 7 (Ryzen 9 6900HX, RX 6850M XT)
Bugs aside, the Legion 7 16 2022 is the best Lenovo gaming laptop we've tested so far - and that's without Intel. The overall performance is only slightly below that of a GeForce RTX 3080 Ti laptop, so you get a very powerful model overall.
The Legion 7 16 is a resounding success for Lenovo in terms of looks and construction. In addition, the hardware, which Lenovo relies exclusively on AMD, can keep up well with even the fastest Intel-Nvidia gaming laptops.
The Legion 7 16ARHA7 is not yet listed everywhere at the time of this writing. Lenovo's official product page (US) currently has most models available.
Pricecompare
3rd – Asus ROG Flow X16
1,100 nits for real HDR gaming for the first time thanks to the mini LED in the laptop: Asus ROG Flow X16 is a 16-inch convertible that, despite its compact design, can cool 140 watts permanently and thus performs better than other upper-class notebooks while remaining quieter .
The ROG Flow X16 impresses as a unique 2-in-1 gamer with its high performance, a well thought-out cooling system and the bright mini LED display - not only in games, but in all multimedia tasks. Battery life is our main criticism.
Since our test device (GV601RW-M5082W) with Ryzen 9 6900HS, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, RTX 3070 Ti and mini LED display is a pre-production model, it is not yet available on the market. Alternate already lists it for € 3,000. However, models with other configurations can be ordered, for example with a Ryzen 7 6800HS, 16 GB RAM, a 1 TB SSD, RTX 3060 and without a mini LED display for € 2,500. The ROG Flow X16 is not yet available in the US.
Pricecompare
4th – Razer Blade 14 (Ryzen 9 6900HX, RTX 3070 Ti)
The Blade 14 completely redefines our expectations of what an ultra-thin 14-inch laptop can do. As if the 2021 model wasn't already fast enough for its size, the latest 2022 version raises the bar quite a bit, especially in terms of processing power.
The 2022 Blade 14 is the best version of itself yet, as all of the changes are due to direct improvements from the 2021 model, especially the now higher single-threaded CPU performance. However, it is also clear that the GPU has reached its limits with its TGP of 100 W.
The versions with RTX 3060 and RTX 3080 Ti are not yet available in this country. Our test configuration is available from 2,849 Euros at various retailers, including Amazon.
Pricecompare
5th – Lenovo Legion Slim 7 (Ryzen 9 6900HX, Radeon RX 6800S)
Lenovo's thinnest gaming laptop is just 1/100th of a millimeter thicker than the Razer Blade 15 and uses only AMD's latest Zen3+ and RDNA-2 hardware. It does surprisingly well against the competition, as long as you don't mind the high core temperatures. The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16 (also marketed as Legion S7 16) is the thinner variant of the Lenovo Legion 7 16 (non-slim).
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16 offers comparable performance to laptops with a GeForce RTX 3060, it's thin, and the AMD hardware offers a good mix of portability, price, midrange gaming performance, and quality that's better than most RTX 3060 laptops out there.
The 16-inch Legion Slim 7 16 with AMD hardware is now available for configuration in Lenovo's online store starting at $1,279.99. Our configuration costs approximately €2,070 (Lenovo DE). So far, only a few stores carry the Legion Slim 7 16.
Pricecompare
6th – Alienware x17 R2 (i9-12900HK, RTX 3080 Ti)
Most ultra-thin gaming notebooks offer a good balance between performance, noise and power consumption. The Alienware x17 R2, on the other hand, isn't shy about maximizing performance, even if it means a louder and more power-hungry system.
If you want to maximize performance without going for huge gaming laptops like the MSI GT series, Asus ROG Chimera series, or Alienware Area-51m series, the Alienware x17 R2 and its surprisingly satisfying mechanical keyboard is worth considering.
The Alienware x17 R2 is available with Core i7, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD and GeForce RTX 3080Ti on Amazon. Alternatively, users can buy directly from Dell in different SUKs.
Pricecompare
7th – Razer Blade 15 2022
This spot was already taken by last year’s Razer Blade 15, equipped with Core i9-11800H CPU and RTX 3080 GPU. Now, Razer updated its Blade 15 with a Core i7-12800H and an RTX 3080 Ti in order to further improve performance thanks to Intel’s 12th generation of CPUs and Nvidia’s latest RTX Ti-series of GPUs.
The Blade 15 and its 12th gen Intel processor make for even more performance in this well-known unibody case without causing more noise or heat.
The Blade 15 sells through Razer’s own webshop as well as the usual retailers, such as Amazon. Prices for our review unit start at $3,700.
Pricecompare
8th – Lenovo Legion 7 (i9-12900HX, RTX 3080 Ti)
The Lenovo Legion 7 16 offers everything a gamer's heart desires. Besides the fastest mobile processor from Intel, there is also the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti and a fast 165 Hz display. Furthermore, the cooling also copes with the components.
Full power ahead: Lenovo combines the fastest components on the market in the Legion 7 16 and puts them in a chic aluminum case with extensive lighting. However, with an MSRP of 4,500 Euros, the top model is also very expensive.
The Lenovo Legion 7 16 is available at Lenovo’s own webstore.
Pricecompare
9th – XMG Neo 15 (with or without Oasis)
Schenker dares to experiment with a gaming laptop with optional, external water cooling XMG Oasis. The concept works, but can still be optimized. But even without Oasis, the Neo 15 is a gamer with brute performance.
The XMG Neo 15 is an extremely powerful gamer with many manual options, but it also gets very loud and hot. With XMG Oasis, these drawbacks fade into the background, even though there is still potential for optimization.
The Neo 15 (E22) is currently not available in North America.
Pricecompare
10th – MSI Titan GT77 (i9-12900HX, RTX 3080 Ti)
After a two-year hiatus, MSI breathes new life into its iconic flagship lineup with the MSI Titan GT77. The Titan GT77 is equipped with a Core-i9-12900HX CPU, a 175W RTX-3080 Ti GPU and other nice features. This includes almost everything a gaming enthusiast could want: plenty of NVMe storage, DDR5 4800 RAM, and a highly tactile Cherry MX keyboard. The Titan GT77 is a desirable desktop replacement. In addition to the marginally better rated model with Full HD, we also tested the version with a 4K screen.
Currently, only a few Alder Lake HX laptops can be found on the market. But for those with an (almost) limitless budget and a need for completely unhindered performance at the highest level and a correspondingly beautiful appearance, there are probably few gaming laptops that can hold a candle to the MSI Titan GT77.
Our test unit, the MSI Titan GT77, is a one-off that was provided to us directly by Intel. For this reason, we do not have any official pricing information for it. However, Intel informed us that the value of this configuration is around $5,000 USD.
Variants of the Titan GT77 are slowly becoming available worldwide. Currently, Amazon US, for example, is selling a configuration with Core i9-12900HX, RTX 3080Ti, 32 GB DDR5 RAM, a 1 TB SSD, and a 4K UHD display for $4,049.
Pricecompare
Comparison of the Top 10 Gaming Laptops
Test Results
| Razer Blade 17 RTX 3080 Ti | Lenovo Legion 7 16ARHA7 | Asus ROG Flow X16 GV601RW-M5082W | Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 6900HX | Lenovo Legion S7 16ARHA7 | Alienware x17 R2 P48E | Razer Blade 15 2022 | Lenovo Legion 7 16IAX7-82TD004SGE | Schenker XMG Neo 15 (i7-12700H, RTX 3080 Ti) | MSI Titan GT77 12UHS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | ||||||||||
| Display P3 Coverage | 98.7 | 63.7 | 99.82 | 97.2 | 69.8 | 79.2 | 99.1 | 69.3 | 68.2 | 70.8 |
| sRGB Coverage | 99.9 | 95.3 | 99.99 | 99.9 | 98.1 | 99.8 | 99.9 | 98.2 | 97.2 | 98.9 |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 86.2 | 65.7 | 90.21 | 85.7 | 71.9 | 79.6 | 86.8 | 70.8 | 69.4 | 73 |
| Response Times | ||||||||||
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 17.6 ? | 9.2 ? | 11 ? | 16.8 ? | 10 ? | 12.4 ? | 14.4 ? | 12.6 ? | 12.4 ? | 3.03 ? |
| Response Time Black / White * | 11.4 ? | 9.6 ? | 11 ? | 15.2 ? | 12.8 ? | 9.2 ? | 11.6 ? | 5.6 ? | 8.8 ? | 5.28 ? |
| PWM Frequency | 7400 ? | |||||||||
| Screen | ||||||||||
| Brightness middle | 335.9 | 478.8 | 498 | 354 | 492.4 | 365.4 | 286 | 547 | 365 | 280 |
| Brightness | 294 | 477 | 502 | 328 | 471 | 344 | 271 | 523 | 335 | 275 |
| Brightness Distribution | 75 | 90 | 94 | 86 | 90 | 85 | 89 | 88 | 81 | 79 |
| Black Level * | 0.38 | 0.43 | 0.11 | 0.37 | 0.4 | 0.29 | 0.25 | 0.44 | 0.32 | 0.4 |
| Contrast | 884 | 1113 | 4527 | 957 | 1231 | 1260 | 1144 | 1243 | 1141 | 700 |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 2.82 | 2.24 | 1.87 | 1.66 | 1.9 | 3.17 | 2.74 | 2.1 | 1.38 | 2.1 |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 5.04 | 4.49 | 6.15 | 3.83 | 3.81 | 7.69 | 5.21 | 7 | 2.01 | 5.83 |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.7 | 2.3 | 3.15 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 5.3 | 1.1 | 3.2 | 1.36 | 3.3 |
| Gamma | 2.14 103% | 2.25 98% | 330.95 1% | 2.23 99% | 2.36 93% | 2.18 101% | 2.2 100% | 2.23 99% | 2.48 89% | 2.13 103% |
| CCT | 6382 102% | 6955 93% | 7294 89% | 6542 99% | 6497 100% | 5879 111% | 6408 101% | 6979 93% | 6412 101% | 7060 92% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 1.89 | 1.94 | 0.99 | 0.51 | 2.52 | 0.9 | 1.22 | 1.58 | ||
| Noise | ||||||||||
| off / environment * | 23.3 | 22.8 | 25.5 | 23.3 | 23.1 | 22.7 | 25.4 | 24.5 | 23 | 21.9 |
| Idle Minimum * | 23.3 | 23 | 25.5 | 23.3 | 23.1 | 23.1 | 26.2 | 24.5 | 23 | 24.53 |
| Idle Average * | 23.3 | 23 | 25.5 | 23.3 | 23.1 | 23.1 | 26.2 | 30 | 26.39 | 24.53 |
| Idle Maximum * | 26.3 | 23 | 27.4 | 23.3 | 23.1 | 23.1 | 28.4 | 32.5 | 26.39 | 24.53 |
| Load Average * | 38.2 | 26.8 | 49.9 | 34.7 | 31.4 | 31.9 | 44.7 | 43.9 | 45.52 | 46.25 |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 50.9 | 54.3 | 42.1 | 51.4 | 52.5 | 44.7 | 48.8 | 55.89 | 56.86 | |
| Load Maximum * | 49.1 | 54.2 | 55 | 42.1 | 51.2 | 52.5 | 51.9 | 54.2 | 55.89 | 54.25 |
| Heat | ||||||||||
| Maximum Upper Side * | 46 | 37.2 | 55.1 | 40.6 | 46.6 | 49.6 | 50 | 44.4 | 44 | 40.8 |
| Maximum Bottom * | 46.8 | 43 | 50.3 | 42.6 | 50.8 | 42.4 | 47 | 60.8 | 56 | 52.4 |
| Idle Upper Side * | 36.2 | 34 | 35.5 | 38 | 26.4 | 29.2 | 37.4 | 33.8 | 38 | 34.6 |
| Idle Bottom * | 38.6 | 32.8 | 36.1 | 37 | 27.2 | 32 | 38.4 | 38.8 | 41 | 38.4 |
| Battery Runtime | ||||||||||
| Reader / Idle | 482 | 293 | 732 | 234 | ||||||
| WiFi v1.3 | 330 | 436 | 339 | 571 | 374 | 117 | 292 | 267 | 464 | 412.1 |
| Load | 68 | 110 | 53 | 93 | 46 | 40 | 88 | 82 | ||
| Witcher 3 ultra | 51 | 55 | 90 | |||||||
| Power Consumption | ||||||||||
| Idle Minimum * | 29.8 | 9.9 | 12.2 | 10.2 | 8.8 | 24.1 | 33.2 | 19.2 | 15 | 30.21 |
| Idle Average * | 37.1 | 22 | 25.5 | 26 | 14.7 | 28.5 | 36.4 | 25.1 | 18 | 32.42 |
| Idle Maximum * | 60.8 | 23.1 | 29.8 | 26.7 | 19.8 | 60 | 37.6 | 27.1 | 18 | 33.7 |
| Load Average * | 135.3 | 94.4 | 183 | 89.3 | 85.3 | 128.7 | 116.7 | 132 | 123 | 125.09 |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 243 | 249 | 183.6 | 158.7 | 167.5 | 254 | 172 | 253 | 234 | 256 |
| Load Maximum * | 273.1 | 276 | 253 | 227.5 | 230.7 | 323 | 228.6 | 308.9 | 301 | 321.88 |
* ... smaller is better
