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The Best Thin & Light Gaming Notebooks

February 2024 update. The model-specific allure of these thin & light gaming notebooks is their unique combination of very thin and lightweight cases on the one hand and powerful hardware on the other rendering devices particularly interesting to all users who intend to use their gaming laptops when out and about. Naturally, everyday work is another use case, but gaming is the most important aspect here. Below, you will find the best ultra-portable gaming laptops reviewed by Notebookcheck.

"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

Position
Total Rating
Date
Image
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Screen
193 %
02/2024
New!
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2024 GA403UAsus ROG Zephyrus G14 2024 GA403U
AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU
32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD
1.5 kg16.3 mm14.00"2880x1800glossy
292.3 %
02/2024
New!
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605MAsus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M
Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU
16 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD
1.8 kg16.4 mm16.00"2560x1600glossy
390.4 %
11/2023
Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8
AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD
2.1 kg20 mm16.00"2560x1600matte
489.9 %
03/2023
Razer Blade 15 OLED (Early 2022)Razer Blade 15 OLED (Early 2022)
Intel Core i9-12900H
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU
16 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD
2 kg16.99 mm15.60"2560x1440glossy
589.7 %
02/2024
New!
Razer Blade 14 RZ09-0508Razer Blade 14 RZ09-0508
AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU
32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD
1.9 kg17.99 mm14.00"2560x1600matte
689.7 %
06/2023
Asus ROG Flow X16 GV601VAsus ROG Flow X16 GV601V
Intel Core i9-13900H
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
16 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD
2.1 kg19.4 mm16.00"2560x1600glossy
789.4 %
04/2023
Asus ROG Flow Z13 ACRNMAsus ROG Flow Z13 ACRNM
Intel Core i9-13900H
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU
32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD
1.7 kg20 mm13.40"2560x1600glossy
888.8 %
07/2023
MSI Stealth 16 Studio A13VGMSI Stealth 16 Studio A13VG
Intel Core i7-13700H
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU
32 GB Memory, 2048 GB SSD
2 kg19.95 mm16.00"2560x1600matte
987.8 %
02/2023
Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 GU603ZAsus ROG Zephyrus M16 GU603Z
Intel Core i9-12900H
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU
32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD
2.1 kg19.9 mm16.00"2560x1600matte
1087.3 %
07/2023
Acer Predator Triton 14 PT14-51Acer Predator Triton 14 PT14-51
Intel Core i7-13700H
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU
16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD
1.7 kg19.81 mm14.00"2560x1600matte

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

Our new number 1 among gamers overall is also the new number 1 among mobile gaming laptops: the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14. In return, we are retiring the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 from last year, which was still equipped with an RTX 4090. The same applies to our new number 2, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16. It is interesting to note that the new Razer Blade 16 2024 did not make it onto the list in comparison; at around 2.5 kg, it is simply significantly heavier than the G16 from Asus. The new HP Omen Transcend 16 is also too heavy, albeit only just.

Alternatives that just didn't make it or were ousted again:

Alternatives that just didn't make it or were ousted again:

1st – Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2024 (R9 8945HS, RTX 4070)

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2024
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2024

The new Asus ROG Ze phyrus G14 2024 no longer focuses on maximum performance, instead Asus wants to appeal to a larger customer group with a slimmer and more compact aluminum chassis. The result is an excellent gaming/multimedia hybrid with plenty of power.

The new ROG Zephyrus G14 is probably the best all-round notebook currently on the market. Asus combines a lot of positive features in a very high-quality and compact aluminum case with great input devices and excellent speakers, only the soldered RAM is a clear disadvantage.

The device sells through Asus’s own webshop as well as the usual retailers. Amazon US also lists some variants of the laptop, for example.

Pricecompare

2nd – Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 (Ultra 7 155H, RTX 4070)

Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024

With the new ROG Zephyrus G16 2024, Asus presents a completely new and significantly thinner design, which is intended to appeal to other target groups in addition to gamers. The result is a high-quality 16-inch computer with a great OLED panel and excellent speakers that can easily compete with Apple's MacBook Pro or the Razer Blade 16.

High-quality and lightweight aluminum housing, great OLED screen and excellent speakers: Thanks to its powerful hardware, the new ROG Zephyrus G16 can of course still display the latest games, but with the 2024 model, Asus is moving more towards high-end multimedia. Even if you don't have any gaming ambitions, it's worth taking a look at the new Zephyrus G16.

In the US, some variants of Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 are currently available on Amazon.

Pricecompare

3rd – Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16 (R7 7840HS, RTX 4060)

Lenovo Legion Slim 7i 16
Lenovo Legion Slim 7i 16

Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16 is a stylish and relatively light 16-inch gamer. The Intel version of the Legion laptop with RTX 4070 and Core i9-13900H also scores 90 percent, but we don't give it an extra place in our list. 

The Ryzen 7 7840HS and the GeForce RTX 4060 harmonize quite well, so that high to maximum settings are often possible in the native resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels.

In the US, the reviewed Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 is available for around $1,600 USD on Amazon.

Pricecompare

4th – Razer Blade 15 OLED (i9-12900H, RTX 3070 Ti)

Razer Blade 15 OLED 2022
Razer Blade 15 OLED 2022

This incarnation of the Blade 15 continues to rely on potent Alder-Lake and Ampere hardware, but entices with an interesting upgrade: Razer installs a high-contrast OLED screen (QHD) including a high refresh rate (240 Hz) and excellent color space coverage.

Razer delivers a powerful tool for gamers and creatives with the Blade 15 OLED (Early 2022).

In the US, users can order a variant of Razer Blade 15 OLED (Early 22), which has the same configuration as reviewed model, via Amazon for around $1,1560.

Pricecompare

5th – Razer Blade 14 2024 (R9 8945HS, RTX 4070)

Razer Blade 14 2024
Razer Blade 14 2024

Razer is starting the new year strong with a small but solid update to its smallest Blade series. Most users will probably miss the AI improvements in the CPU, but the small changes to the GPU ensure that the 2024 Blade overtakes its predecessor.

If you are not interested in CPU AI or Wi-Fi 7, you may be convinced by the slight increase in graphics performance of the 2024 Blade 14. If not, the visually identical 2023 model offers almost the same performance for less money.

In the US, Amazon currently lists Razer Blade 14 2024 for around $2,700. The model is also available directly from Razer.

Pricecompare

6th – Asus ROG Flow X16 (Ryzen 9 6900HS, RTX 3070 Ti)

Asus ROG Flow X16
Asus ROG Flow X16

The Asus ROG Flow X16 is one thing above all - versatile! It's a slim, mobile work device, it's a convertible, a tablet, a powerful workstation and a gaming PC as well. What's even more surprising is that it does all of these things really well and hardly makes any major mistakes; it's anything but a lazy compromise.

The Asus ROG Flow X16 is an extremely versatile and powerful gaming workstation convertible with a good touch display.

At the time of writing, Amazon US lists a RTX 3050 variant of ROG Flow X16 for around $1,100.

Pricecompare

7th – MSI Stealth 16 Studio (i7-13700H, RTX 4070)

MSI Stealth 16 Studio
MSI Stealth 16 Studio

The MSI Stealth 16 Studio A13VG combines a 13th generation Intel and an Nvidia RTX 4070 laptop GPU. Visually, the Stealth 16 Studio is very dignified, which means that the device is not exclusively aimed at gamers. A demanding office routine in a discreet design and still playing the latest games in the evening are no problem.

The MSI Stealth 16 Studio A13VG is a very powerful and at the same time very light notebook for content creators and gamers. 

In the US, the laptop can be ordered through Amazon US for around $2,650.

Pricecompare

8th – Asus ROG Flow Z13 ACRNM (i9-13900H, RTX 4070)

Asus ROG Flow Z13 ACRNM
Asus ROG Flow Z13 ACRNM

With the Asus ROG Flow Z13 special edition we have an unusual concept: gaming hardware, which is in a tablet, which is why the 13-inch convertible brings even demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 smoothly to the screen in the native WQHD resolution.

With the ACRNM special edition of the ROG Flow Z13, Asus offers an extremely powerful gaming convertible with an equally extreme design. Thanks to the new RTX 4070 laptop, even current games are displayed smoothly on the WQHD screen.

In the US, users can order a variant of ROG Flow Z13 2023, which is equipped with an i9-13900H and RTX 4050, via Amazon for about $1,660.

Pricecompare

9th – Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 (i9-12900H, RTX 3070 Ti)

Asus ROG Zephyrus M16
Asus ROG Zephyrus M16

With a Core i9-12900H, an RTX 3070 Ti and DDR5 RAM, the Zephyrus M16 is packed with powerful hardware. All of this comes in a fairly thin, compact 16-inch form factor with a 16:10 display (2,560 x 1,500).

For the most part, the M16 presents itself as a well-rounded gaming package that doesn't offer maximum performance, but instead offers a coherent overall package with moderate temperatures and noise levels.

The ROG Zephyrus M16 with Intel hardware is now available on Amazon US, prices starting from $1,920.

Pricecompare

10th – Acer Predator Triton 14 (i9-13700H, RTX 4050)

Acer Predator Triton 14
Acer Predator Triton 14

The compact gaming notebook is state-of-the-art: Raptor Lake, Ada Lovelace, LPDDR5, PCIe 4, Thunderbolt 4. It is the almost identical successor of the already reviewed Acer Predator Triton 300 SE. The 14-incher offers a lot of performance, (Core i7-13700H, GeForce RTX 4050), a very bright screen (WQXGA, 165 Hz, G-Sync) in 16:10 format and a Thunderbolt 4 port.

A lot of computing power in a 14-inch format: Acer delivers a potent notebook with the Predator Triton 14.

Some variants of the 14-inch Predator Triton 300 SE are now available from Amazon, a model in a similar configuration to our reviewed unit costs around $1,190.

Pricecompare

Top 10 in Comparison

Size Comparison

358 mm / 14.1 inch 259 mm / 10.2 inch 20 mm / 0.787 inch 2.1 kg4.7 lbs356 mm / 14 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 19.95 mm / 0.785 inch 2 kg4.45 lbs355 mm / 14 inch 243 mm / 9.57 inch 19.9 mm / 0.783 inch 2.1 kg4.57 lbs355 mm / 14 inch 243 mm / 9.57 inch 19.4 mm / 0.764 inch 2.1 kg4.61 lbs355 mm / 14 inch 235 mm / 9.25 inch 16.99 mm / 0.669 inch 2 kg4.43 lbs354 mm / 13.9 inch 246 mm / 9.69 inch 16.4 mm / 0.646 inch 1.8 kg4.01 lbs312.42 mm / 12.3 inch 226.06 mm / 8.9 inch 19.81 mm / 0.78 inch 1.7 kg3.79 lbs310.7 mm / 12.2 inch 228 mm / 8.98 inch 17.99 mm / 0.708 inch 1.9 kg4.12 lbs311 mm / 12.2 inch 220 mm / 8.66 inch 16.3 mm / 0.642 inch 1.5 kg3.26 lbs302 mm / 11.9 inch 214 mm / 8.43 inch 20 mm / 0.787 inch 1.7 kg3.76 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Test Results

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2024 GA403U
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M
Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8
Razer Blade 15 OLED (Early 2022)
Razer Blade 14 RZ09-0508
Asus ROG Flow X16 GV601V
MSI Stealth 16 Studio A13VG
Asus ROG Flow Z13 ACRNM
Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 GU603Z
Acer Predator Triton 14 PT14-51
Display
Display P3 Coverage
99.6
99.9
70.3
97.6
96.9
96.61
96.4
96.94
92.8
96.9
sRGB Coverage
100
100
99.6
99.4
99.8
99.92
99.7
99.92
98.5
99.9
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
89.9
96.9
72.4
94
85
84.63
84.8
85.17
83.1
85.5
Response Times
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
0.62 ?(0.33, 0.29)
0.22 ?(0.11, 0.11)
12.6 ?(6.1, 6.5)
2 ?(1, 1)
6 ?(2.8, 3.2)
3.8 ?(1.8, 2)
4.4 ?(2.2, 2.2)
2.1 ?(2.1, 2.1)
7.6 ?(3.4, 4.2)
15.1 ?(6.8, 8.3)
Response Time Black / White *
0.68 ?(0.36, 0.32)
0.25 ?(0.13, 0.12)
5.9 ?(1.9, 4)
2 ?(1, 1)
8.3 ?(5, 4.3)
7.6 ?(4, 3.6)
5.6 ?(2.2, 3.4)
3 ?(3, 3)
10 ?(4.6, 5.4)
5.8 ?(2.1, 3.7)
PWM Frequency
960 ?(60)
960 ?(60)
500 ?(70)
Screen
Brightness middle
423
416
545
383
484.1
486
424
464
497
547
Brightness
424
418
502
384
466
469
411
455
481
516
Brightness Distribution
98
96
82
99
89
91
88
89
82
88
Black Level *
0.01
0.48
0.03
0.38
0.39
0.37
0.4
0.21
0.56
Contrast
42300
1135
12767
1274
1246
1146
1160
2367
977
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
0.7
1.6
1.36
1.89
2.23
2.27
3.04
2
3.53
3.28
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
1.8
2.1
3.11
3.76
4.57
5.73
7.5
4.2
6.15
8.57
Greyscale dE 2000 *
0.8
2.7
1.4
1.26
1.6
3.36
4.34
2.7
1.74
4.4
Gamma
2.18 101%
2.16 102%
2.253 98%
2.41 91%
2.24 98%
2.46 89%
2.32 95%
2.24 98%
2.2 100%
2.168 101%
CCT
6505 100%
6331 103%
6631 98%
6386 102%
6816 95%
6625 98%
6952 93%
6832 95%
6418 101%
7767 84%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
1.04
2.67
0.74
0.6
3.04
1.2
3.53
1.09
Noise
off / environment *
23.9
23.9
24
26
24.3
24
24
24
23
25
Idle Minimum *
23.9
23.9
25
28
25
24
24
24
23
27
Idle Average *
23.9
27.8
28
28
25
24
24
24
24
29
Idle Maximum *
23.9
30.1
31
28
25
24
24
36.5
47
31
Load Average *
46.2
34.2
33
38.5
33
36.71
34.81
41.3
47.91
42
Witcher 3 ultra *
46.2
46.4
47
49.5
50.92
44.05
44.7
48.91
43
Load Maximum *
46.2
46.4
49
43.9
51.9
50.92
51.57
46.9
50.25
45
Heat
Maximum Upper Side *
46.6
50.3
46
49.5
41.8
46
60
42.5
52
54
Maximum Bottom *
47.8
48
46
47.5
42.2
41
61
42.6
51
56
Idle Upper Side *
26.7
28.8
33
33.4
34.8
36
38.2
26.2
29
31
Idle Bottom *
27.8
29.8
34
35
37.4
33
37.7
26
33
31
Battery Runtime
WiFi v1.3
555
435
424
274
428
474
466
398
445
302
Load
64
71
125
72
89
142
52
86
109
Reader / Idle
404
480
661
669
Power Consumption
Idle Minimum *
6.9
8.3
33
31.6
20.9
9.6
11
8.9
10.8
12
Idle Average *
8.6
12.5
35
33.3
25.6
16
18
12.6
17
14
Idle Maximum *
9
12.8
45
38.6
32.1
16.9
19
13
17.8
26
Load Average *
75.2
71.3
59
149
72.7
104
91
92.5
116
88
Witcher 3 ultra *
109.7
127.5
131
149.6
182.1
142
130
104.4
144
114.9
Load Maximum *
161.6
169.1
177
160
228.4
214
228
133.6
220
213

* ... smaller is better

Benchmarks

3DMark - 1920x1080 Fire Strike Score (sort by value)
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2024 GA403U
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, R9 8945HS, WD PC SN560 SDDPNQE-1T00
24306 Points
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, Ultra 7 155H, WD PC SN560 SDDPNQE-1T00
23302 Points
Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, R7 7840HS, WDC PC SN810 1TB
23735 Points
Razer Blade 15 OLED (Early 2022)
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU, i9-12900H, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
23793 Points
Razer Blade 14 RZ09-0508
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, R9 8945HS, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
29200 Points
Asus ROG Flow X16 GV601V
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, i9-13900H, WD PC SN560 SDDPNQE-1T00
24131 Points
MSI Stealth 16 Studio A13VG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, i7-13700H, Micron 3400 2TB MTFDKBA2T0TFH
26244 Points
Asus ROG Flow Z13 ACRNM
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, i9-13900H, WD PC SN740 SDDPTQD-1T00
20875 Points
Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 GU603Z
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU, i9-12900H, Micron 3400 1TB MTFDKBA1T0TFH
21717 Points
Acer Predator Triton 14 PT14-51
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU, i7-13700H, Micron 3400 MTFDKBA512TFH 512GB
19711 Points
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance (sort by value)
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2024 GA403U
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, R9 8945HS, WD PC SN560 SDDPNQE-1T00
31277 Points
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, Ultra 7 155H, WD PC SN560 SDDPNQE-1T00
31273 Points
Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, R7 7840HS, WDC PC SN810 1TB
30859 Points
Razer Blade 15 OLED (Early 2022)
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU, i9-12900H, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
30645 Points
Razer Blade 14 RZ09-0508
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, R9 8945HS, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
35995 Points
Asus ROG Flow X16 GV601V
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, i9-13900H, WD PC SN560 SDDPNQE-1T00
31662 Points
MSI Stealth 16 Studio A13VG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, i7-13700H, Micron 3400 2TB MTFDKBA2T0TFH
34960 Points
Asus ROG Flow Z13 ACRNM
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, i9-13900H, WD PC SN740 SDDPTQD-1T00
29603 Points
Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 GU603Z
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU, i9-12900H, Micron 3400 1TB MTFDKBA1T0TFH
29169 Points
Acer Predator Triton 14 PT14-51
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU, i7-13700H, Micron 3400 MTFDKBA512TFH 512GB
27364 Points
PCMark 10 - Score (sort by value)
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2024 GA403U
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, R9 8945HS, WD PC SN560 SDDPNQE-1T00
7436 Points
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, Ultra 7 155H, WD PC SN560 SDDPNQE-1T00
7123 Points
Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, R7 7840HS, WDC PC SN810 1TB
7502 Points
Razer Blade 15 OLED (Early 2022)
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU, i9-12900H, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
7336 Points
Razer Blade 14 RZ09-0508
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, R9 8945HS, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
8312 Points
Asus ROG Flow X16 GV601V
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, i9-13900H, WD PC SN560 SDDPNQE-1T00
7884 Points
MSI Stealth 16 Studio A13VG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, i7-13700H, Micron 3400 2TB MTFDKBA2T0TFH
7329 Points
Asus ROG Flow Z13 ACRNM
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, i9-13900H, WD PC SN740 SDDPTQD-1T00
8018 Points
Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 GU603Z
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU, i9-12900H, Micron 3400 1TB MTFDKBA1T0TFH
7871 Points
Acer Predator Triton 14 PT14-51
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU, i7-13700H, Micron 3400 MTFDKBA512TFH 512GB
7402 Points
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