Modern gaming laptops are sleek, lightweight, and surprisingly powerful, given the first two parts, especially with how big modern GPUs tend to be. In fact, some of the best gaming laptops can match, or at the very least, compete with some of the best gaming desktops, which is pretty impressive given their size. You’ll also be happy to know that the best PC games still manage to work well with lower and mid-range modern gaming PCs, so you don’t have to worry about spending several thousand dollars to get something that’s good at gaming.
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MSI Bravo 15 — $750, was $1,000Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop — $751, was $950Alienware x14 R2 00 $1,200, was $1,800Dell G16 gaming laptop — $1,260, was $1,560Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 — $1,300, was $1,700Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 9 gaming laptop — $1,786, was $2,360Alienware m18 gaming laptop — $1,800, was $2,500ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 — $2,300, was $2,700More gaming laptop deals we loveShow 4 more items
To help you with picking something great, we’ve found deals from some of the best laptop brands and include Lenovo laptop deals, Acer laptop deals, Dell laptop deals, and HP laptop deals, although if you’re looking for some more general deals, these laptop deals have some good options, too.
MSI Bravo 15 — $750, was $1,000
MSI
The MSI Bravo 15 is probably one of the cheapest laptops you’ll find that gives you access to DLSS 3.0 since it comes with an en RTX 4050, which is a very entry-level graphics card from the latest generation of Nvidia GPUs. The screen is 15.6 inches and runs an FHD resolution as well as a 144Hz refresh rate, which is perfect for the RTX 4050 and shouldn’t push it too far past its limits. You also get a really solid 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, which is a bit on the lower end for a gaming laptop, although it’s expected, given how budget-oriented the laptop is.
Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop — $751, was $950
Acer
The Acer Nitro 5 is a good gaming laptop to consider if you’re looking for some value. It has internal hardware that’s hard to find at such a great price, including a 12th-generation Intel processor with eight cores, 16GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card, which is an entry-level GPU. These work together to make your gaming experience immersive and smooth, and a 512GB solid-state drive makes for a lot of space to store your favorite PC games. You also get an impressive 17.3-inch screen that runs at FHD and a 144Hz refresh rate, although the RTX 3050 might struggle with that without graphical setting compromises.
Alienware x14 R2 00 $1,200, was $1,800
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
While there is a lot of focus on bigger screens, there are a lot of great smaller gaming laptops that pack a punch. For example, the Alienware X14 R2 has a 14-inch display, but it runs a 2560 x 1600 resolution and can hit an impressive 165Hz refresh rate. It also comes with an RTX 4050, which should be powerful enough to do a hundred frames or so at medium settings at this resolution, although that can be increased if you play a game that runs on DLSS 3.0. You’ll also be happy to know you get a whopping 16GB of DDR5 RAM, an impressive 2TB SSD, and an Intel Core i7-13620H processor, which will easily knock most games and productivity tasks out of the park.
Dell G16 gaming laptop — $1,260, was $1,560
Dell
From one of the best laptop brands, the Dell G16 gaming laptop is a tempting proposition. It has a 13th-generation Intel Core i9 processor paired up with 16GB of memory and 1TB of SSD storage. Already onto a good thing with the storage and memory, there’s also an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card, which is great for many games from the last few years. Perhaps the biggest highlight is its 16-inch QHD+ screen with 2560 x 1600 resolution and 240Hz refresh rate, ensuring everything looks super sharp, although it might struggle a little with the RTX 4060. It all fits into a shell that’s the same size as a 15-inch laptop so it’s more portable than you’d expect.
Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 — $1,300, was $1,700
Acer
If you want something with a lot of power, this Acer Predator Helios Neo is the perfect match, especially since it runs an RTX 4060 under the hood, which gives you access to DLSS 3.0. You also get a larger 18-inch screen with a whopping 165Hz refresh rate with a 1920 x 1200 resolution. There is also a very solid 16Gb of DDR5 RAM, so you won’t have trouble running lots of tabs and apps, although the 1TB of storage could be a bit bigger in an ideal world.
Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 9 gaming laptop — $1,786, was $2,360
Arif Bacchus / Digital Trends / Digital Trends
Packing a 13th-generation Intel Core i9-14900HX processor with 16GB of memory and 1 TB of SSD storage is a good start for the Lenovo Legion 7i Gen9. It also has an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card so it’s all up to date. Paired with that is a 16-inch WQXGA screen with HDR 400 support, 100% sRGB, 500 nits of brightness, 240Hz refresh rate, and 2560 x 1600. That means whatever you play will look gorgeous. Other useful extras include a per-key RGB backlit keyboard, a fingerprint reader, and 1080p full HD webcam. It’s sleek and lightweight as you’d expect from the maker of some of the best thin and light gaming laptops. It’s ideal if you have ambitions to stream your gaming time.
Alienware m18 gaming laptop — $1,800, was $2,500
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
From one of the best gaming laptop brands, the Alienware m18 is a great gaming laptop if you want a desktop replacement. It has an Intel Core i7 14700HX processor paired with 16GB of memory and 1TB of SSD storage. There’s an RTX 4090 graphics card, too, but the true highlight here is the huge 18-inch full WQXGA screen with 2560 x 1600 resolution, 165Hz refresh rate, and 3ms response time. It means it isn’t the most portable of laptops but it’s perfect if you don’t have the room (or inclination) for a desktop gaming PC. Alienware Cryo-tech advanced cooling gives you plenty of system stability while there’s Dolby Vision support, Dolby Atmos, a great keyboard, and much more.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 — $2,300, was $2,700
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends / Digital Trends
If you want one of the best bangs for your buck when it comes to gaming laptops, then the Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 is probably it since it balances all the specs really well. It runs an RTX 4080, which is a solid 2K GPU, while also running a 16-inch 2K monitor, so neither is overpowered or underpowered. The monitor can also hit a 240hz refresh rate which, granted, you’ll struggle to hit without serious graphical compromises, but at least you have the option to prioritize what is important for you. It also comes with an Intel Core i9-13900H, one of the most powerful CPUs on the market, so you could even potentially stream to Twitch or YouTube with this laptop, which is neat.
More gaming laptop deals we love
We’ve only touched the surface when it comes to great gaming laptop deals. While we’ve highlighted the very best options, there are many more. This includes some cheap deals as well as some high-end gaming laptops. Brands include HP Omen, Alienware, Lenovo Legion, Asus, and many others. Take a look below at what’s out there.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 —
MSI Stealth 16 —
More Unmissable Deals
