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.

The Gigabyte Aero 17 XB impresses with a very bright and accurate UHD panel when you get the HDR model. However, the graphics card (GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q) is often not powerful enough for the default resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. The slim and visually restrained chassis is not only interesting for gamers, but also content creators. Thanks to the long battery runtime and the moderate weight, the laptop is still well-suited for trips, despite the 17-inch form factor. We also like the integrated Thunderbolt 3 port.

gigabyte should improve the position of the webcam, the port layout as well as the fan noise under load.

Gigabyte managed to place three of its current laptops in our top 10. In addition to the Aero 17 and the Aero 15 we also welcome the Aorus 17G. The latter is targeted primarily at gamers, as suggested by the striking and distinctive design. Its biggest highlight and unique selling point is the excellent mechanical keyboard with powerful backlight.

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.

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.

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.

Gigabyte’s more recent Aero 15 update brings us a new very thin case that remains rather conservative in design. One of its most noteworthy features is the bright high-contrast OLED display. Unfortunately, it suffers from noticeable reflections due to its glossy surface. The device was also fairly loud under load. Our review unit was equipped with a Core i7-10875H and a GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q.

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.

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.

MSI currently has three notebooks in the Top 10 ranking. In addition to the GT76 9SG and the GE75 9SG, the GE65 9SF also managed to enter the ranking. The 15-inch laptop is pretty portable thanks to the comparatively low weight of 2.2 kg and the compact footprint. The lack of Nvidia's G-Sync technology is explained by Optimus, which improves the battery runtime (they are still pretty meager though).

The GE65 does not lack 3D performance, either. The GeForce RTX 2070 is dangerous for the previous high-end chip GTX 1080 and can run all modern titles at maximum settings in the native FullHD resolution (240 Hz display). Our test unit is also equipped with 32 GB DDR4-RAM and a 1 TB SSD.