Notebookcheck's Top 10 Thin & Light Gaming Laptops

The third revision of the Alienware 13 differs from conventional gaming notebooks in several aspects. On the one hand, there is the extensive lighting (including touchpad), and the striking design, which may not appeal to everyone. On the other hand, the case quality is different in general. For example, the manufacturer uses a combination of metal and (rubberized) plastic, which increases the weight but ensures excellent stability. The build quality is also flawless.

Thanks to its promising OLED display (2560x1440 pixels), which outclasses TN and IPS panels, the test model priced at 2200 Euros (~$2597) achieves one of the best ratings overall. Contrast, viewing angles, color intensity, and response time are excellent. The glossy touch surface, which reflects heavily, is a small disadvantage.

Otherwise, we can only complain about the missing card reader, the not quite perfect maintenance and the high depth. At 26.9 cm (~10.6 in), the device appears at least like a 14-inch laptop. Nevertheless, the Alienware 13 R3 delivers a so far unrivalled performance in the 13-inch segment. The top model comes with a PCIe SSD, a Core i7-7700HQ, and a GeForce GTX 1060. The latter two are more common in 15-inch devices and larger. In case the performance might become too low at a future date, it can be improved with external solutions such as a Graphics Amplifier or Thunderbolt 3 (eGPU).

Note: According to several forum messages, the current Alienware generation frequently suffers from temperature problems. Our tests of the 15 R3 confirm this (high, inconsistent CPU values). Apparently, the cooling system is too weak and/or the quality or quantity of thermal grease is too low.

The ROG Zephyrus is certainly one of the most exciting gaming notebooks of recent years. Thanks to the brand-new Max-Q-design from Nvidia, Asus was able to squeeze a GeForce GTX 1080 (GX501VI) or a GeForce GTX 1070 (GX501VS) into a 1.8 cm thin case, which remains quieter under load than we expected. However, the 15-inch model reaches quite high surface and component temperatures in 3D mode. Beyond that, the combination of slim chassis and excellent performance worsens battery life, connectivity, and maintenance. Moreover, you have to live with unusual positioning of the input devices.

Pros are the contrast-rich and viewing-angle-stable 120 Hz panel (G-Sync) and the stylish case made of high-end materials. It is debatable whether the bundle is worth above 2000 Euros. Comparably fast notebooks (without Max-Q design) are available for significantly less money.

Although HP's Omen always had a relatively good price-performance ratio and a broad range of models (different CPUs, GPUs, RAM capacities and mass storage solutions) in the past, it has never achieved a top spot in our top 10 so far. However, the manufacturer has worked on many points of criticism in this redesign. Many improvements can be found from connectivity and sound to case quality and stability, and input devices.

The innards have also changed. The top model of the 15-inch laptop uses a GeForce GTX 1060 with brand-new Max-Q design. This hardly has an impact on gaming performance (apart from slightly worse performance) however. Reasons that the efficiency-oriented Max-Q technology does not really have an effect are the mid-range cooling system and the G-Sync support of the 120-Hz panel (no Optimus), which decreases battery life.

Schenker Technologies has also made a mini-gaming device. With a display diagonal of only 35.6 cm (~14 in) and a height of 2.5 cm (~1 in), the XMG P407 is one of the smallest high-end notebooks. Despite its slim build, buyers do not have to forgo good performance. For example, the fourth-best Pascal GPU works inside the 13-inch chassis. In most cases, the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is fast enough for 1920x1080 pixels and high details. The other components of the XMG P407 are also nothing to sneeze at. Apart from 16 GB of DDR4 RAM and an IPS panel, Schenker Technologies has incorporated a PCIe SSD from Samsung into the test model.

However, we did not like the battery runtimes (weak battery), the Turbo utilization and the lack of a Thunderbolt port that much. Advantages include the plain design, and the lit keyboard.

If you feel that you already know the chassis of the Erazer X6603, then you are absolutely right: Medion uses a modified version of the Legion Y520 from its parent company Lenovo for its 15-inch gaming laptop. The device proves to be a good compromise between performance and mobility in our review. However, other gaming notebooks, which also feature graphics-switching, achieve a longer battery life.

The components are on par with what is usual in the price range between 1000 and 1500 Euros (~$1187 and ~$1782). A Core i7-7700HQ, a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, and 1.25 TB storage turn the surprisingly quiet and cool Erazer X6603 into a perfect all-rounder if you like the design and the (sensitive) soft-touch surfaces. Medion should definitely improve the sound and the connectivity (no Thunderbolt, no DisplayPort, no USB 3.1 Gen2, etc.) however.

Although MSI did not make changes to the case when compared to the GS73VR 6RF, buyers are still greeted by a well-made 17-inch notebook with slim profile in 2017. Hence, the GS73VR 7RF is not only pleasantly light (2.4 kg), but it is also pleasingly slim (2.0 cm) for a gaming notebook.

Under the hood, there is powerful hardware in the forms of a Core i7-7700HQ and a GeForce GTX 1060. However, the native resolution of the test model is too much for the latter in many games. The bright IPS display features a resolution of 3840x2160 pixels. Connectivity, the slow card reader, and system noise (coil-whining) are less convincing. In addition, a maximum battery life of five hours is also poor in view of the lack of G-Sync support.

Currently, MSI has two devices in the mobile Gaming Top 10. Apart from the relatively bulky GT62VR 7RE, a model of the significantly more compact GS series made it into the list. Thanks to its low weight of 1.9 kg (~4.2 lb), the GS63VR 7RF is perfectly suitable for outings. Nvidia's G-Sync is not available as Optimus is implemented, which improves the battery runtimes.

Furthermore, the GS63VR does not lack 3D performance. The GeForce GTX 1060, which challenges the former leader, the GTX 980, is a good compromise of price and performance. However, the performance is often too low for the native UHD resolution. The DirectX-12 chip is rather designed for 1920x1080 than 3840x2160 pixels. In addition, the $2000 test model comes with 32 GB of DDR4-RAM, a 512 GB SSD, and a 2 TB HDD.

Gigabyte is more and more becoming a gaming expert in the laptop range. Apart from the Aero 14 and Aero 15 (in the meanwhile categorized as multimedia laptops), the P55W v7 made it into our Top 10 lists. Although the 15-inch device is significantly thicker at 34 mm, the system gets similarly loud due to the single fan solution.

The chassis also has its advantages and disadvantages. The stylish design and the long battery life (maximum of 13 hours) can only make up for the unfavorable interface layout to some extent. In the realm of display (Full HD IPS), there are almost no complaints. In terms of performance, the built-in GeForce GTX 1060 ranks in the lower high-end segment.

Together with the Alienware 13 R3 and the Schenker XMG P407, the Aorus X3 Plus v7 shows how tiny gaming notebooks can be currently. Although it only features a 13.9-inch display (3200x1800 pixels is unreasonable in our opinion in view of the graphics performance and the display diagonal), the Xotic PC Edition boasts a Core i7-7820HK and a GeForce GTX 1060.

While the case looks promising at a first glance (nice design, high-end materials), you can find several flaws (keyboard quality, touchpad surface, etc.) with a closer look. In our opinion, the main complaint is the annoying and very present fan.

Gamers, who prefer a compact chassis and travel frequently, should not buy anything larger than a 15-inch device. At 2.4 cm, the Asus FX502VM is quite slim. Nevertheless, it hardly performs worse than bulkier 17-inch models (e.g. the Asus G752VS). Currently, a Core i7-7700HQ and a GeForce GTX 1060 (unfortunately, only 3 instead of 6 GB VRAM) still deliver a sufficiently high frame rate in the Full HD range.

In addition, our test model uses 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, an M.2 SSD and a - very disappointing - TN panel. Due to its small size, the GL502VM gets quite loud and hot in games. Weight (2.5 kg) and input devices are alright.