Notebookcheck

Notebookcheck's Top 10 Slim & Light Gaming Laptops

Florian Glaser, ✓ Sabine Kückemanns (translated by Andreas Osthoff), 08/01/2017

October 2019 Update. Here you will find the latest best slim and lightweight mobile gaming notebooks reviewed by Notebookcheck. Our list of top models is regularly updated, maintained and commented on and should assist in purchase decisions.

"Mobile gaming" - what sounded like a bad 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 (see our 17-inch gaming notebook charts), the 15-inch and smaller range is steadily growing; keyword: "slim gaming". More gaming rankings from Notebookcheck:

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 and are still available. If ratings are equal, the latest review is listed first. You can sort the table by clicking its headers or via text filter (e.g. "matte").

Best Slim & Light Gaming Laptops as of October 2019

Pos.RatingDateImageModelWeightHeightSizeResolutionScreenBest Price
185%08/2019Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZAcer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
Intel Core i7-9750H
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD		2.1 kg18 mm15.6"1920x1080matte
285%05/2019Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XAGigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
Intel Core i7-9750H
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
16 GB Memory, 512 GB NVMe		2.1 kg19 mm15.6"1920x1080matte
384%09/2019
neu!		Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 TiRazer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
Intel Core i7-9750H
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
16 GB Memory, 256 GB NVMe		2.1 kg19.9 mm15.6"1920x1080matte
484%09/2019
neu!		Schenker XMG Fusion 15 XFU15L19Schenker XMG Fusion 15 XFU15L19
Intel Core i7-9750H
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
16 GB Memory, 500 GB SSD		1.9 kg20 mm15.6"1920x1080matte
584%07/2019Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XAGigabyte Aero 15 OLED XA
Intel Core i7-9750H
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD		2.2 kg20 mm15.6"3840x2160glossy
684%06/2019MSI GS65 Stealth 9SGMSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
Intel Core i7-9750H
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
32 GB Memory, 512 GB NVMe		2 kg18 mm15.6"1920x1080matte
784%08/2019Schenker Key 16Schenker Key 16
Intel Core i7-8750H
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD		2.2 kg19.9 mm16.1"1920x1080matte
884%06/2019MSI GS75 Stealth 9SGMSI GS75 Stealth 9SG
Intel Core i7-9750H
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
32 GB Memory, 2048 GB SSD		2.3 kg18.9 mm17.3"1920x1080matte
983%09/2019Alienware m15 R2 P87FAlienware m15 R2 P87F
Intel Core i7-9750H
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
16 GB Memory, 1014 GB SSD		2.2 kg18.3 mm15.6"1920x1080matte
1083%05/2019Asus Zephyrus S GX502GWAsus Zephyrus S GX502GW
Intel Core i7-9750H
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD		2.1 kg19 mm15.6"1920x1080matte

Top 10 of the previous 12 months at the time of writing, current articles are listed first
Link: all reviewed gaming notebooks with a size of 15-inch or smaller, ordered by rating

Editors' Comments

1st – Acer Predator Triton 500

Acer Predator Triton 500
Acer Predator Triton 500

While the Predator Triton 700 released back in 2017 was a mixed bag mostly due to its unusually placed input devices and its massive display bezels the Triton 500 looks much better. Its only real drawbacks are poor maintainability and suboptimal fan controls.

The 15-inch metal case not only impressed us with Acer’s choice of material (metal) but also its Thunderbolt 3 port and its 144 Hz display. Inside, a 6-core CPU and a GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q ensure proper gaming prowess.

Pricecompare

2nd - Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA

Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA

The wolf in sheep's clothing: This is a good description for the Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XAGigabyte Aero 15-Y9 (i9-8950HK, RTX 2080 Max-Q) Laptop ReviewGigabyte Aero 15-X9 (Core i7-8750H, RTX 2070 Max-Q) Laptop Review. While typical gaming notebooks are pretty bulky and/or heavy with playful designs, Gigabyte uses a slim, light, and sturdy case with an understated design for its 15-inch laptop. Only the RGB illumination of the keyboard hints at the gaming ambitions.

Under the hood, you get high-end hardware like the Intel Core i7-9750H Intel Core i9-8950HK SoCand Nvidia's GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, which results in high temperatures under 3D load. You also get an accurate and bright 4K panel, but it only runs at 60 Hz. Gigabyte still ignores G-Sync and supports Optimus for longer battery runtimes instead. We think this is a good decision considering the mobility aspect.

3rd – Razer Blade 15

Razer Blade 15
Razer Blade 15

Narrow bezels are not only particularly good looking but also the flavor of the month for gaming notebooks. Like many other competitors on this top 10 list the 2019 Razer Blade 15 offers an edge-to-edge screen. The stylish metal case is one of the most noble, most high-quality, and best made cases available right now. Keyboard, touchpad, and 144 Hz display are also respectable.

Despite its compact footprint the 15-inch device is packed with high-end hardware: a Core i7-9750H CPU, a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, and an NVMe SSD. Hardware and software can be extensively and individually configured with Razer Synapse. Gamers that travel frequently and those looking for  a stylish and good looking device cannot go wrong with the Razer Blade 15.

Pricecompare

4th – Schenker XMG Fusion 15

Schenker XMG Fusion 15
Schenker XMG Fusion 15

In order to get the most out of its internal hardware, Schenker’s XMG Fusion 15 was developed in close cooperation with Intel. As a result, the CPU is capable of utilizing its turbo boost much more efficiently than on most of its competitors. The device also performed very well in games. The combination of Core i7-9750H and GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q is capable of running even demanding games smoothly on the integrated 144 Hz FHD display.

Battery life is decent thanks to support for dynamic graphics switching. Generally speaking, the compact and lightweight device is easy to carry around. Other pros include individual configuration and decent connectivity (including Thunderbolt 3). Downsides include high noise emissions under load and poor audio performance.

Pricecompare

5th – Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XA

Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XA
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XA

Gigabyte updated its 15-inch Aero 15 with a new case, which is still fairly discreet and slim. One of the biggest updates is the bright high-contrast OLED display. Unfortunately, it suffered from visible glare due to its reflective coating. In addition, the device was also fairly load under load.

On the plus side connectivity is plentiful, the Wi-Fi modem is fast, and the slim-bezel design is very attractive to boot.

Pricecompare

6th – MSI GS65 9SG

MSI GS65 9SG
MSI GS65 9SG

At the time of writing, MSI had a total of three notebooks in our mobile gaming top 10 list. N addition to the GS73 8RF and the GS75 8SG the GS65 9SG recently also made our top 10. The 15-inch notebook is ideal for gamers on the road thanks to its low weight of just 2 kg (4.4 lbs). G-Sync is not available in favor of Optimus, which boosts battery life quite significantly.

Its 3D prowess is noteworthy thanks to a GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q that can easily outperform last year’s GTX 1080 and is capable of running all current games smoothly on the built-in 240 Hz FHD panel. Other hardware includes 32 GB of DDR4 RAM, a 512 GB SSD, and a Core i7-9750H CPU. Compared to its competitors the case was only mediocre at best as it turned out to be less robust and not as easy to maintain and upgrade.

Pricecompare

7th – Schenker Key 16

Schenker Key 16
Schenker Key 16

Schenker’s Key 16 is a multimedia-gaming hybrid that could easily pass as business notebook thanks to its discreet and slim case. However, there is more to this beast than the restrained outer shell seems to reveal: the 16-inch notebook is powered by a Core i7-8750H CPU and a GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q GPU.

Unfortunately, the Clevo P960EN-K barebone that this Schenker notebook is based upon suffers from a fairly high level of noise. Other drawbacks include high surface temperatures, no Thunderbolt 3 port, and poor speakers. On the plus side the weight is comparatively low, the device can be configured individually to your liking, and the preloaded Windows OS is clean and without any traces of bloatware. The biggest highlight is the devices 144 Hz IPS display.

Pricecompare

8th – MSI GS75 9SG

MSI GS75 9SG
MSI GS75 9SG

If you prefer large displays you might be delighted by the fact that MSI offers its GS65 with a large 17-inch display. The flagship model reviewed by us, the GS75 9SG, is equipped with a Core i7-9750H, a GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 32 GB of DDR4 RAM, and an SSD RAID comprised of two 1 TB drives. Other benefits include its low weight, its slim chassis, its decent battery life, and last but not least its 144 Hz display with narrow bezels.

However, the case was a mixed bag overall. As much as we liked design and quality of material its stability was in need of improvement. In addition, fan control and maintanence options could also benefit from some fine tuning.

Pricecompare

9th – Alienware m15 R2

Alienware m15 R2
Alienware m15 R2

As we already noted in our review the Alienware m15 R2 is basically the miniature version of the much larger 51m. Instead of a desktop CPU it features a traditional mobile CPU paired with an energy-efficient Max-Q GPU (in our particular case an RTX 2080 Max-Q). Thanks to these measures Dell was able to reduce the device’s weight to just 2.2 kg (4.85 lbs) and its thickness to no more than 1.8 cm (0.7 inches), which qualifies the m15 for our slim & light top 10. Like almost all Alienware notebooks the slim-bezel m15 features great connectivity (including Thunderbolt 3), a one-of-a-kind design, and various lighting options. Battery life is decent thanks to support for Nvidia Optimus.

Things we did not like include its depth, its comparatively poor turbo boost performance, and its high CPU temperatures. We would have also preferred if neither the RAM chips nor the Wi-Fi chip had been soldered to the motherboard, and a card reader would have been nice, too.

Pricecompare

10th - Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW

Asus ROG GX502
Asus ROG GX502

While the keyboard and the touchpad of the GX531 were located at the front halt of the laptop, the brand-new GX502 uses a classic layout and we prefer it this way. Despite the smaller dimensions, Asus still implements a full-fledged GeForce RTX 2070. Other advantages include the 144 Hz panel with accurate colors, the nice design as well as the RGB illumination. We also appreciate the choice between G-Sync and Optimus.

The device loses points for the soldered RAM, the loud fans and the meager sound. Thunderbolt 3 and a card reader would have been nice, too.

Pricecompare

Top 10 in Comparison

Size Comparison

396 mm / 15.6 inch 259 mm / 10.2 inch 18.9 mm / 0.744 inch 2.3 kg5.03 lbs380 mm / 15 inch 252 mm / 9.92 inch 19.9 mm / 0.783 inch 2.2 kg4.85 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 252 mm / 9.92 inch 19 mm / 0.748 inch 2.1 kg4.55 lbs360.5 mm / 14.2 inch 276 mm / 10.9 inch 18.3 mm / 0.72 inch 2.2 kg4.76 lbs359 mm / 14.1 inch 255 mm / 10 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 2.1 kg4.73 lbs356.4 mm / 14 inch 233.7 mm / 9.2 inch 20 mm / 0.787 inch 1.9 kg4.17 lbs358 mm / 14.1 inch 248 mm / 9.76 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 2 kg4.35 lbs356 mm / 14 inch 250 mm / 9.84 inch 20 mm / 0.787 inch 2.2 kg4.88 lbs356 mm / 14 inch 250 mm / 9.84 inch 19 mm / 0.748 inch 2.1 kg4.68 lbs355 mm / 14 inch 235 mm / 9.25 inch 19.9 mm / 0.783 inch 2.1 kg4.63 lbs

Measurement Results

Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
Schenker XMG Fusion 15 XFU15L19
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XA
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
Schenker Key 16
MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
Response Times
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
5.2 (2.6, 2.6)
15.2 (7.6, 7.6)
13.6 (7.2, 6.4)
8 (4, 4)
2.4 (1, 1.4)
13.6 (8, 5.6)
18 (8.8, 9.2)
7.2 (3.8, 3.4)
16.4 (7.6, 6.8)
7.2 (3.8, 3.4)
Response Time Black / White *
11.2 (6.8, 4.4)
11.2 (6.8, 4.4)
10 (6, 4)
9 (5, 4)
2.2 (1.2, 1)
12 (7.6, 4.4)
10.4 (6, 4.4)
10 (5.2, 4.8)
8.8 (4.4, 4.4)
8.8 (4.4, 4.4)
PWM Frequency
23580 (24)
200 (99)
60 (80)
23260 (19)
25510 (20)
25510 (17)
23810 (24)
Screen
Brightness middle
288
266
312.7
331
373
282.3
296
366
324.2
286
Brightness
265
248
305
309
375
269
271
343
304
275
Brightness Distribution
84
89
90
85
93
90
88
91
90
90
Black Level *
0.22
0.31
0.27
0.32
0.32
0.26
0.29
0.38
0.37
Contrast
1309
858
1158
1034
882
1138
1262
853
773
Colorchecker DeltaE2000 *
3.22
2.78
4.57
4.5
3.98
1.17
2.24
1.51
5.01
2.19
Colorchecker DeltaE2000 max. *
6.26
5.96
6.81
8
6.28
3.29
4.04
3.22
12.7
4.4
Colorchecker DeltaE2000 calibrated *
1.5
0.91
2.91
1.9
1.06
0.72
0.71
1.64
2.27
Greyscale DeltaE2000 *
3.43
3.58
4.3
4.7
2.81
1.3
2.76
1.93
7.9
2.2
Gamma
2.41 91%
2.46 89%
2.29 96%
2.31 95%
2.62 84%
2.2 100%
2.52 87%
2.38 92%
2.35 94%
2.41 91%
CCT
7290 89%
7186 90%
7098 92%
7537 86%
6434 101%
6643 98%
6830 95%
6881 94%
8455 77%
6405 101%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
60
62
59.4
59
78
63.8
60
60
60.8
59
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
93
96
91.3
91
97
97.5
99
94
95.5
91
Noise
off / environment *
30
30
28.5
30
30
28.3
30
30
28.3
30
Idle Minimum *
30
31
30.3
30
34
30.4
30
31
28.5
31
Idle Average *
33
34
30.5
30
35
30.5
31
32
28.5
33
Idle Maximum *
39
39
30.5
30
45
30.6
34
38
49
38
Load Average *
45
46
41
46
43
37.6
47
47
49
50
Witcher 3 ultra *
49
53
48
51.5
52
46
48
48
49
53
Load Maximum *
51
55
51.9
51.6
54
55.1
49
49
55
56
Heat
Maximum Upper Side *
49
58
52
52.7
49
45.6
51
55
53.8
54
Maximum Bottom *
59
64
52.2
52.2
59
53.8
59
65
58
47
Idle Upper Side *
28
30
38
35
33
28.6
32
30
29.8
33
Idle Bottom *
29
31
40.4
37.3
32
33.2
36
32
32.2
34
Battery Runtime
Reader / Idle
666
545
559
591
585
461
554
353
WiFi v1.3
478
421
330
360
342
362
329
357
332
220
Load
96
181
88
149
69
74
44
62
Power Consumption
Idle Minimum *
7
21
18.7
7.5
23
18.3
10
13
19
24
Idle Average *
12
23
30.7
14.6
25
22
15
17
40.5
27
Idle Maximum *
22
32
33.9
17
33
28.8
22
25
52
33
Load Average *
86
97
93.4
181
96
93
88
96
132.3
129
Load Maximum *
177
213
195.3
243
197
215.9
191
239
217.2
216
Witcher 3 ultra *
144
148
158.9
170
168
142.6
145
156
183.3
176

* ... smaller is better

Benchmarks

3DMark | 3DMark 11 | PCMark 10
3DMark - 1920x1080 Fire Strike Score (sort by value)
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
16017 Points ∼57%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
15494 Points ∼55%
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, 9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
12926 Points ∼46%
Schenker XMG Fusion 15 XFU15L19
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 9750H, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
17593 Points ∼62%
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XA
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 9750H, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G8L
16110 Points ∼57%
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
16598 Points ∼59%
Schenker Key 16
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 8750H, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB
17301 Points ∼61%
MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 9750H, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR (RAID 0)
17182 Points ∼61%
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
17504 Points ∼62%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, 9750H, 2x Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8 (RAID 0)
16290 Points ∼57%
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance (sort by value)
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
18996 Points ∼54%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
18171 Points ∼52%
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, 9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
16594 Points ∼47%
Schenker XMG Fusion 15 XFU15L19
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 9750H, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
20181 Points ∼58%
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XA
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 9750H, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G8L
19110 Points ∼55%
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
20209 Points ∼58%
Schenker Key 16
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 8750H, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB
20298 Points ∼58%
MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 9750H, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR (RAID 0)
21390 Points ∼61%
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
19885 Points ∼57%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, 9750H, 2x Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8 (RAID 0)
18686 Points ∼53%
PCMark 10 - Score (sort by value)
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
5746 Points ∼71%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
5697 Points ∼70%
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, 9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5301 Points ∼65%
Schenker XMG Fusion 15 XFU15L19
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 9750H, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
5784 Points ∼71%
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XA
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 9750H, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G8L
5439 Points ∼67%
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5725 Points ∼71%
Schenker Key 16
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 8750H, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB
5694 Points ∼70%
MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 9750H, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR (RAID 0)
5804 Points ∼72%
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
5374 Points ∼66%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, 9750H, 2x Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8 (RAID 0)
5654 Points ∼70%
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Florian Glaser (Update: 2019-11- 1)