Notebookcheck's Top 10 Gaming Laptops

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.

Displays with slim bezels are not only sexy to look at, but they are also very trendy among gaming laptops. Besides the Gigabyte Aero 15, Acer Predator Triton 500, and Asus ROG Strix GL504, the 2019 model of the Razer Blade 15 features an edge-to-edge screen as well. The stylish metal body is one of the most noble, high-quality and best assembled chassis you can get. Keyboard, touchpad, and display (144 Hz) do not have to hide behind the competition, either.

The 15-inch laptop is packed with high-end components, despite its compact dimensions. This includes the Core i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q and NVMe-SSD storage. You can adjust both the software and hardware (like RGB illumination) comprehensively via Razer Synapse. Thanks to the good cooling solution, the notebook does not get very loud or warm, either. The port selection (no card reader, no RJ45 Ethernet) on the other hand could be better. Gamers with a focus on design and ambitions to travel cannot go wrong, though.

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.

Contrary to the ROG G701, which just missed the Top 10 ranking, the Turing version of the ROG G703 secures the second spot. The 17-inch laptop is pretty bulky, but the gaming system is still one of the best high-end notebooks.

For about 4000 Euros, you get a Core i7-8750H, the GeForce GeForce RTX 2080 GPU and an NVMe-SSD. You can even overclock the GPU via Turbo Gear to increase the performance. The highlight is certainly the very responsive 144 Hz panel with G-Sync support. The speaker sound, the input devices as well as the port selection deserve praise, too. The high system noise when you run 3D applications is an issue, just like the limited maintenance and the two power adapters.

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.

You are looking for a subtle yet powerful gaming laptop? The Schenker XMG Neo 17 is an almost perfect choice. It is based on the Tongfang Barebone GK7CP7S only tips the scale at 2.5 kg in the SKU with the GeForce RTX 2070, which is more in line with a multimedia laptop. A chassis height of 2.75 cm is also decent for a gaming system.

As per usual for high-end systems, the noise development is very high under load. A better score for the Neo 17 would also require Thunderbolt 3, more powerful speakers, and a larger battery. The highlights include the 144 Hz display with a slim bezel design, the generous cope of delivery, and the mechanical RGB keyboard.

While the GT75 8RG only scored a “Good” verdict in our review, its successor managed to score a “Very Good”. Its most notable improvement is the smaller case. The GT76 9SG is now only 4.2 cm thick instead of 5.8, and the entire case seems much more compact and less bulky thanks to its narrower bezels. The desktop CPU offers a lot of power as well as above average upgradeability, and we also liked the display, the input devices, and the laptop’s connectivity options.

Alienware follows the trend of slim bezels with the m17, even though both the upper and the lower bezel are still pretty thick. The 17-inch laptop definitely does not lack performance; our test sample was equipped with a Core i9-8950HK and a GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q.

The m17 manages comparatively long battery runtimes thanks to the Optimus technology. Other advantages are the sturdy chassis (except for the soft keyboard) and the improved maintenance options compared to the previous model. However, the temperature and noise development under load is an issue, and a card reader would be nice as well.