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What is the best gamer laptop? While the gaming market in the broadest sense has been booming for a few years, the references of laptops dedicated to gaming have literally exploded. Nowadays, almost all manufacturers have their brand dedicated to gaming, to the point of reaching a certain overflow in this sector. To avoid you having to sort it out for yourself, we offer you here a selection of the best gamer laptops, regularly updated with the latest models tested by the editorial staff.
Asus has its ROG and TUF ranges, Acer its Nitro and Predator, Gigabyte its Aorus brand, HP its Omen range, Lenovo its Legion line, and Dell its Alienware subsidiary, we could go on for a long time also evoking the machines tailored for the game launched years after years by MSI or the fascinating laptops of the American Razer. You see where we want to come from, all laptop brands (or almost) now offer at least a range of gaming laptops to occupy this increasingly coveted segment. However, not all machines are equal and do not necessarily correspond to all uses, all budgets, and all players.
So in this comparison, you will find a selection of devices that, we hope, will be able to stick to a maximum of profiles, from the ultraportable Gaming laptop to the war machine, passing through the beefy device... but affordable. In order not to drown you under the references, we will base ourselves each time on a particular configuration... the most interesting in our opinion. Without further ado, let's get started!
1. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2022): the best player, under AMD
For this new G14, ASUS is refining with some efficiency a formula that had already proven itself two years ago. The Taiwanese manufacturer cleverly overhauls the chassis of its ultraportable, without revolutionizing it, and brings to the set some welcome novelties ... including a webcam (finally!), a significantly larger trackpad (and therefore more comfortable), and a more advanced AniMe Matrix system that will appeal to fans of programmable LED effects.
For the rest, we find a really satisfactory display quality and a high-quality keyboard on a product with a 14-inch format that is still as pleasant and practical. This ultraportable all-rounder can finally count this year on a configuration entirely designed by AMD to develop even more performance than last year. The price to pay, on the other hand, is twofold: the heat is marked and AMD's graphics solutions are not yet as comfortable with ray tracing as those of Nvidia. We also regret a certain regression in the field of autonomy.
2. MSI Raider GE76 (2022): the best performance (especially if you break your piggy bank)
The mixed impressions that this new version of the top-of-the-range 17-inch from MSI gives off.
On the one hand, the brand offers us once again a well-thought-out chassis, adorned with an excellent keyboard, a hair connection, and a very good level of finish. It is also difficult to remain insensitive to the insolent performance of the device, which combines one of the best processors of the moment with one of the fastest mobile graphics cards on the market to date.
On the other hand, the GE76 Raider makes a pale figure in terms of display, with a poorly calibrated and poorly contrasted IPS LCD panel. The only real "asset" of this screen is to look for its infernal refresh rate. But are the 360 Hz that it offers so attractive compared to a more classic 144 or 165 Hz panel? We'll let you be the judges. Certainly, MSI offers a better optional panel (QHD, 100% DCI-P3, and 240Hz are on the menu), but for a price that flies. Recall that the model that we tested was already displayed at more than 3000 euros.
Beyond this disappointing screen, the device also disappoints with the cooling. Faced with the competition, MSI remains on a dissipation system that may be resting a little too much on its laurels ... where the competition is redoubling its efforts and ingenuity (large steam chambers, liquid metal, dissipation with three or even four fans ...).
3. Acer Nitro 5 (2022): an ideal gamer laptop for students
Failing to be perfect, the new Nitro 5 does exactly what we expect of it: it offers us a good overall experience at a reasonable price in a market often marked by exuberant pricing positions. With a price range between 1200 and 1700 euros, Acer's "accessible" device stands out against its many competitors by its relatively neat design, significantly improved assembly quality compared to previous models, and solid performance. We also appreciate the efficiency of its dissipation system. Pragmatic, the latter does not bother to spare our ears and prefers uninhibited noise to too-high temperatures which would quickly clamp the components. A good thing in our opinion.
Acer misses on the other hand on the screen, let alone on our test unit. The best configurations of the Nitro 5 are indeed limited to a rather disappointing 1080p IPS panel because it is insufficiently bright. There is clearly room for improvement on this side, as well as on the autonomy side ... even if it is clear that the Nitro 5's vocation is to stay firmly in place on a desk, rather than accompanying us on all our trips.
4. Razer Blade 15: a little more expensive but more incredibly classier
At the time of testing the Blade Stealth 13 cru 2020, we had already considered that Razer was evolving "smoothly". A polite way of saying that the manufacturer was content with the union minimum to improve its ranges. This is perhaps even more true this year with the Blade 15 range which, in reality, only applies to the integration of the RTX 3070 as the contributions at the processor level are light. Structurally speaking, the laptop is identical to that of last year and it is not the switch to a 165 Hz panel that will wake us up at night.
We especially regret that Razer has not managed to improve things on the battery side either. The autonomy of the Blade 15 is its biggest weak point while it would probably have been possible to opt for a battery with a slightly larger capacity. However, let's not force the line and even if Razer could probably show a little more imagination, the Blade 15 remains a very beautiful, very powerful, and very pleasant laptop dedicated to video games. The performance is high and the opening to more RAM or a second SSD are options that we appreciate, not so frequent in the world of laptops.
5. HP Victus 16: a low price and full of qualities
Imperfect but convincing, the Victus 16 is nothing like a favorite machine. Rather, it is the archetype of the reasonable purchase, made after gauging the qualities and defects of a product that does not lack them. Offered from 1000 euros, the device gives a boost to HP's entry-level gaming range but necessarily compromises to be attractive. If you find it at a good price, it is nevertheless a good pickaxe.
6. ASUS ROG Flow X13: the ultrafine and its secret boot!
Rival par excellence of the Razer Blade Stealth 13, which it is very likely to bury, the Flow X13 from ASUS is nevertheless a victim of its uncompromising ultraportable concept. If its processor is formidable, it implies a feverish autonomy that may be put off. That said, the device is simply a 13-inch ultraportable with the best firepower.
7. Lenovo Legion 5i Pro (2022): an excellent quality/price ratio
No need to procrastinate, the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro 2022 is an excellent gaming laptop. Its only real flaw is that it will probably be replaced shortly by a new model, equipped with the new 13ᵉ generation Intel processors and the new RTX 4000 mobiles provided by NVIDIA.
This does not make the present version of the machine uninteresting. Not only is the performance offered and the display quality of the device encouraging, but its price is seriously tending to fall. Overall, Lenovo delivers us here a successful product on almost all levels, but it deserves to improve on a few points to make an even better impression.
We regret that the keyboard is not more comfortable and accurate in play and that Lenovo still does not offer us a fingerprint reader (or facial recognition). Let's hope that this will be settled with the 2023 model that we are now firmly waiting for.
8 . Alienware X17 R1: above the fray, its price too
If you are lucky enough to buy it for yourself, the Alienware X17 is a formidable machine, which overflows with power and benefits from a really efficient dissipation system ... because it has largely been redesigned. The device is one of those that we look at with envy in computer stores, but its price is its main weakness.
The experience without real compromise that the American manufacturer offers us will ultimately only be aimed at a handful of lucky people. The fact remains that for almost 3550 euros, our loan unit is missing out on an OLED screen. At that price, we don't think it would have been stolen.
9. Razer Blade 14 (2022): maximum performance for minimal footprint
Once again, Razer is playing a balancing act by offering us this new Blade 14, which manages to offer us maximum performance with a minimum of clutter. Despite the disappointing performance of its processor (compared to the competition), the device delivers surprising firepower at play for its 14-inch format. The RTX 3070 Ti is clearly not for nothing. With this laptop, playing the latest triple-A games in 1080p is a healthy walk, and launching them in 1440p is perfectly possible. Besides, it's simple, this is the most powerful ultraportable gaming we have tested to date.
In addition to these solid performances, there is a serious design from every point of view and an attractive design, but also a good display quality. That said, the Blade 14 stumbles on autonomy, the fault is an undersized battery. He also has to deal with a departure rate that is too salty. If you are looking above all for the right performance/price ratio, turn instead to the competition.
10. Gigabyte AORUS 17 XE4: a gaming laptop that bets everything (or almost everything) on performance
For gamers looking for performance and a screen capable of rising in Hertz, the AORUS 17 XE4 is undoubtedly a perfect ally. The Intel Core i7-12700H / NVIDIA Geforce RTX 3070 Ti couple detonates for gaming as well as in creative activities and has sufficient heat dissipation to ensure that its good performance is maintained over time.
Nevertheless, we are surprised by the choice of such a slab, or at least that no alternative is proposed at present. Its 360 Hz refresh rate can only be used in a handful of games that are not very greedy, while the Full HD definition almost gives us the effect of reversing on a laptop whose price is not quite of the attractive kind.
Gigabyte does not take many risks with the XE4, the only really noticeable change in terms of the design nevertheless brings a much better comfort to use for those who regularly use the camera. Its return to the upper part of the screen only slightly impacts the fineness of the borders, consider this as an "inverted notch". And as for the impossibility of concealing the sensor for the sake of confidentiality ... everyone will have their opinion.
To summarize, the AORUS XE4 is a well-built machine that, in addition to being perfectly functional, arrives with a convincing software offer and excellent CPU/GPU performance. Some choices remain questionable (the screen, the resolution of the webcam, the speakers ...), and it is a pity to find DDR5 memory support only on the most expensive machines in the AORUS catalog. On the other hand, the XE4 will not struggle to give full satisfaction to its buyers, as long as this configuration corresponds to their specific needs.
11. HP Victus 15: low price and decent performance
The Victus 15 is a gaming laptop that travels (very) light. Its modest configuration allows you to play a few games in correct conditions, in 1080p and remaining reasonable on the graphics options. Veil. That's about all we can expect from this product. An accessible computer, of course, but which, according to us, makes too many concessions to be really recommendable.
Because to allow casual gamers to get their hands on a device launched at a low price, HP has cut everything it could cut: no RTX 3000 by default, no biometric identification system, no RGB backlighting, no 120 or 144 Hz screen, display quality flush with daisies, purely anecdotal autonomy and 100% plastic design.
Fortunately, not too stripped-down connectors remain decent performance for the price, and an efficient dissipation system (although quite inconspicuous on a daily basis). It is not easy to find many other qualities in the Victus 15, and it is quite a shame, especially since the poor display quality of this model makes the other concessions made by HP more difficult to accept heartily.
If your budget is a little more extensive, prefer its big brother, the Victus 16, or some competing models such as the Acer Nitro 5 or the Dell G15.