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MagyarThe Best Thin & Light Gaming Notebooks
"Mobile gaming" - what sounded like a poor joke a few years ago has already become common practice; at least in the notebook range. Processors and graphics cards are getting smaller and more power-efficient, which makes cooling easier. As a result, powerful components can be packed into slimmer and slimmer cases. Although 17-inch powerhouses still dominate the 15-inch and smaller range is steadily growing.
The following table shows an overview of the Top 10 gaming laptops reviewed by Notebookcheck in the previous 12 months that weigh less than 2.5 kg (5.5 lbs) and are less than 2.0 cm (0.8 inches) thick. More gaming rankings from Notebookcheck:
The Best Thin and Light Gaming Laptops
The table above contains an overview over the best thin & light 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
In this June, the new Razer Blade 14 replaces its predecessor and climbs from the former third to the first place.
1st – Asus ROG Flow X16 (Ryzen 9 6900HS, RTX 3070 Ti)
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
2nd – 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 current 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 Germany. Our review configuration is available from $2,599 at various retailers, including Amazon.
Pricecompare
3rd – Razer Blade 15
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
4th – Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6
Thanks to its Ryzen 9 5900HX APU and its GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU this laptop is well capable of running almost all games smoothly on its 400 nits 4K display with excellent color accuracy (Pantone-calibrated) and high brightness. Long battery life is the icing on the cake.
Lightweight, compact, and fast – Lenovo’s Legion S7 15ACH6 ticks almost all the boxes.
The device is marketed as Lenovo Legion Slim 7 in North America and is available among others through Lenovo’s own webstore.
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5th – Asus ROG Flow Z13
For the first time ever, a tablet makes this list of mobile gaming devices. The Flow Z13 not only features an Alder Lake CPU but also a dedicated RTX 3050 Ti GPU, albeit at a 20 % reduced performance. It also comes with a 13.4-inch 16:10 display running at 1920 x 1200 pixels at 120 Hz with support for G-Sync.
Finally, a real gaming tablet. The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is a powerful gaming tablet with decent cooling performance. Its Alder Lake Core i9 processor is a bit overkill though, and we would have preferred a slightly faster RTX 3050 Ti instead.
The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is currently not sold in North America.
Pricecompare
6th – Alienware x14
Dell advertises this 14-inch laptop with i7-12700H and RTX 3060 as the world’s thinnest gaming laptop. It features an Intel Alder Lake CPU, a GeForce RTX 3000-series GPU, Thunderbolt 4, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6E, G-Sync, and last but not least Advanced Optimus. All this in a case just 14.5 mm (0.57 inches) thick. The display even covers the entire DCI P3 color space.
The new Alienware x14 features modern technology as well as a decent and consistent gaming performance. However, its thin case requires quite a few compromises in day-to-day life.
The laptop can be configured through Dell’s own webshop with prices starting at $1,500. At the time of writing, it was not available through other channels.
Pricecompare
7th – Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is aimed at mobile gamers as well as content creators alike. Despite its compact size this 14-inch laptop features powerful hardware, including a brand-new Ryzen 9 6900HS and a Radeon RX 6800S that outperformed last gen’s RTX 3060 significantly apart from its Raytracing performance.
This current generation is even better than the last. Its most important competitor, the Razer Blade 14, will need to take note.
Availability is very limited at the moment, and the only model currently for sale in the US is equipped with a RX 6700S. Prices start at just shy of $2,000.
Pricecompare
8th – Asus ROG Zephyrus M16
This thin high-end gaming notebook with 16:10 WQXGA display and good speakers weighs just 2 kg (4.41 lbs) and is exactly 2 cm (0.79 inches) thick. Thus, this gaming device with Intel Core i9-11900H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU deservedly made this top list.
The Zephyrus M16 offers a unique 16:10 panel among gaming laptops.
The device is available among others on Amazon with prices starting at around $2,200.
Pricecompare
9th – Schenker XMG Pro 15 (Late 2021)
A Core i7-11800H paired with a GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU with 16 GB of VRAM ensure smooth gaming performance for all current games on its bright 4K OLED display. The laptop also features a Thunderbolt 4 port.
PCIe 4, Thunderbolt 4, and OLED. Schenker’s XMG Pro 15 (Late 2021) is an up-to-date gaming device.
Schenker notebooks are not sold in North America.
Pricecompare
10th – MSI GS66 12UGS
The successor to MSI’s GS66 10UG takes its predecessor place while slightly increasing its overall score. Unsurprisingly, the Alder Lake and RTX 3070 Ti-equipped MSI GS66 12UGS performed faster than its predecessor, and its 15-inch WQHAD display runs at 240 Hz and offers great color gamut (almost 100 % DCI-P3) that will entice not only gamers but also content creators.
A Core i7-12700H paired with a GeForce RTX 3070 Ti ensure smooth gaming performance on the GS66 12UGS’s native 2560 x 1440 display.
The MSI GS66 12UGS is currently not sold in North America.
Pricecompare
Top 10 in Comparison
Test Results
| Razer Blade 15 2022 | Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 | Asus ROG Flow Z13 GZ301ZE | Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 GU603H | Schenker XMG Pro 15 (Late 2021) | MSI Stealth GS66 12UGS | Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | ||||||||||
| Display P3 Coverage | 99.1 | 85.2 | 97.2 | 67.5 | 99.6 | 97.4 | 81.2 | 96.4 | 68.1 | |
| sRGB Coverage | 99.9 | 98.8 | 99.9 | 97.1 | 100 | 99.9 | 97.7 | 99.7 | 92.4 | |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 86.8 | 98.2 | 85.4 | 69.3 | 87.6 | 85.5 | 89.1 | 85.6 | 67.7 | |
| Response Times | ||||||||||
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 14.4 ? | 31.6 ? | 16.4 ? | 44 ? | 9.6 ? | 8.8 ? | 4.8 ? | 3.2 ? | 6 ? | 34.4 ? |
| Response Time Black / White * | 11.6 ? | 16 ? | 10.8 ? | 17.6 ? | 7.6 ? | 6 ? | 6 ? | 1.6 ? | 8.4 ? | 27.6 ? |
| PWM Frequency | 27170 ? | 60 ? | ||||||||
| Screen | ||||||||||
| Brightness middle | 286 | 607 | 331.1 | 515 | 434 | 480 | 448 | 443 | 272 | 329.4 |
| Brightness | 271 | 605 | 318 | 476 | 411 | 456 | 446 | 434 | 253 | 311 |
| Brightness Distribution | 89 | 93 | 91 | 87 | 89 | 80 | 86 | 94 | 87 | 90 |
| Black Level * | 0.25 | 0.41 | 0.36 | 0.35 | 0.25 | 0.48 | 0.48 | 0.02 | 0.25 | 0.39 |
| Contrast | 1144 | 1480 | 920 | 1471 | 1736 | 1000 | 933 | 22150 | 1088 | 845 |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 2.74 | 0.84 | 2.25 | 1.6 | 3 | 2.62 | 2.76 | 3.73 | 3.73 | 4.01 |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 5.21 | 3.02 | 4.62 | 4 | 7.1 | 6.71 | 7.09 | 8.12 | 9.43 | 8.21 |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 2.52 | 0.69 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.12 | 2.86 | 0.98 | 3.89 | ||
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 5.1 | 4.2 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 6.5 | 3.2 |
| Gamma | 2.2 100% | 2.131 103% | 2.3 96% | 2.2 100% | 2.19 100% | 2.16 102% | 2.153 102% | 2.001 110% | 2.172 101% | 2.2 100% |
| CCT | 6408 101% | 6648 98% | 6751 96% | 6939 94% | 6204 105% | 7122 91% | 6826 95% | 6522 100% | 6485 100% | 7070 92% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 87 | |||||||||
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 100 | |||||||||
| Noise | ||||||||||
| off / environment * | 25.4 | 25 | 25.1 | 24.5 | 24.7 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24.8 |
| Idle Minimum * | 26.2 | 25 | 25.2 | 24.5 | 24.7 | 24 | 25 | 31 | 31 | 25.4 |
| Idle Average * | 26.2 | 30 | 25.2 | 24.5 | 24.7 | 26 | 31 | 37 | 32 | 34.5 |
| Idle Maximum * | 28.4 | 36 | 25.2 | 24.5 | 30.9 | 31 | 42 | 41 | 35 | 34.5 |
| Load Average * | 44.7 | 42 | 31 | 41 | 40 | 45 | 48 | 56 | 48 | 35.4 |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 44.7 | 53 | 44 | 41 | 51.5 | 43 | 52 | 53 | 43 | 52.7 |
| Load Maximum * | 51.9 | 54 | 51.7 | 41 | 51.5 | 45 | 56 | 58 | 48 | 52.3 |
| Heat | ||||||||||
| Maximum Upper Side * | 50 | 49 | 45 | 45.3 | 51.3 | 55 | 52 | 44 | 54 | 55.4 |
| Maximum Bottom * | 47 | 50 | 44.4 | 48.3 | 44.4 | 55 | 53 | 60 | 59 | 62.2 |
| Idle Upper Side * | 37.4 | 29 | 40.2 | 29.2 | 27.2 | 30 | 38 | 30 | 26 | 31 |
| Idle Bottom * | 38.4 | 30 | 39.2 | 30 | 26.6 | 32 | 41 | 34 | 27 | 32.4 |
| Battery Runtime | ||||||||||
| WiFi v1.3 | 292 | 421 | 439 | 338 | 535 | 572 | 463 | 314 | 324 | 710 |
| Reader / Idle | 841 | 828 | 1085 | 799 | 636 | 467 | 1262 | |||
| Load | 69 | 79 | 72 | 45 | 53 | 97 | 78 | 96 | 81 | |
| Witcher 3 ultra | 47 | 45 | ||||||||
| Power Consumption | ||||||||||
| Idle Minimum * | 33.2 | 13 | 9.4 | 8.8 | 7.9 | 7 | 11 | 20 | 11 | 5.6 |
| Idle Average * | 36.4 | 16 | 15.8 | 12.1 | 11.1 | 14 | 20 | 22 | 16 | 10.4 |
| Idle Maximum * | 37.6 | 23 | 24.1 | 12.7 | 11.8 | 22 | 30 | 26 | 23 | 18 |
| Load Average * | 116.7 | 95 | 76.8 | 72.3 | 107.4 | 98 | 111 | 103 | 110 | 68 |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 172 | 156 | 154 | 77.3 | 111 | 141 | 156 | 186 | 151 | 113 |
| Load Maximum * | 228.6 | 191 | 189.7 | 103.1 | 140.4 | 188 | 197 | 218 | 230 | 158.2 |
* ... smaller is better
