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I've been testing gaming laptops for over a decade, and I've observed an immense amount of evolution in those years. Gaming laptops were once expensive, thick, and altogether impractical—not to mention pathetic in performance compared to a desktop PC. In almost all cases, it just made more sense to buy or build a desktop.

That couldn't be more different in 2026. Not only are gaming laptops solid alternatives to a gaming tower, they aren't much larger than their non-gaming laptop cousins. From budget-friendly to decked-out powerhouses, I've reviewed over a dozen models in the past year to get you the very best options for all your gaming needs.

If one of the options below doesn't work for you, check out my comprehensive guide to How to Buy a Gaming Laptop for more information.

Table of Contents

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- Powerful, Thin, and Gorgeous

- Cheap Gaming Laptops That Are Worth It

- Experimental Stuff

- Other Good Gaming Laptops I've Tested

- What Makes a Great Gaming Laptop?

- Specs to Look for in a Gaming Laptop

- Which Laptop Brand Is Best for Gaming Laptops?

- How Much Should I Spend on a Gaming Laptop?

- What Size Gaming Laptop Should You Buy?

- Is OLED on Gaming Laptops Worth It?

Powerful, Thin, and Gorgeous

Photograph: Luke Larsen

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Razer

Blade 16 (2025)

$2,400 Razer

The PC gaming aesthetic of the past was loud and in your face—blaring lights, harsh angles, and oversized vents. These days, it's all about embracing a clean, modern style. Thinner and less chunky is preferred, and if possible, a subtler approach to RGB and branding. The Razer Blade has always been a proponent of that new generation of PC gaming, and the latest Blade 16 embodies it best. Aside from the green-snaked logo on the lid, there are few elements here that scream “gamer.”

There's a reason it's often seen as the MacBook of gaming laptops. It sports a machined aluminum construction, thin bezels, very few vents, and simple straight edges. In 2025, the Blade 16 somehow got even more slim, despite the fact that it still ranges up to an RTX 5090, which is the most powerful laptop graphics card right now. It's really expensive, though, and only available through Razer.com.

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Razer

Blade 14

$2,300 Razer

If you like the design but want something cheaper and more accessible, the smaller Razer Blade 14 is also really impressive. Your GPU options with the 14-inch model are only between the RTX 5060 and RTX 5070, but you'll be surprised by how much performance it delivers. The Blade 14's compact nature means it's the better choice if you're planning to bring this around campus or on work trips.

For years, the Razer Blade laptops were alone in their pursuit of being the ultimate minimalist gaming laptop. Then, Asus came around with its ROG Zephyrus G14 and G16. Once relegated as cheaper knockoffs of the Blades, they're evolved into unique devices that are every bit as premium as Razer's laptops. They're just as thin, powerful, and high-end. Like the Blades, the G14 and G16 both use a high-resolution OLED display too. These days, these laptops are equally expensive to the Blades, but I mention them because they are still worthy alternatives to the Razer Blades.

Photograph: Luke Larsen

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Lenovo

Legion 7i Gen 10 (16 Inch, Intel)

$1,900 Best Buy

$1,870 Lenovo

Now, there's another class of high-end gaming laptop that focuses more on performance than being thin or portable. The Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 is one of my favorites in this class, featuring a beautiful white chassis and glossy OLED display. Unlike some OLED displays, the Legion 7i's screen can be cranked up to over 1,000 nits of brightness. The result is some really splendid HDR performance that brings games to life. HDR is a powerful way of improving the visuals of your games without a performance cost. The Legion 7i Gen 10 is one of the very best in this regard.

It's still fairly thin at 0.7 inches thick too, while a lot of the ports are found on the back. It's the definition of a “clean” gaming laptop. It's no slouch when it comes to performance either, offering either the RTX 5070 Ti or RTX 5080 for graphics.

Cheap Gaming Laptops That Are Worth It

Photograph: Luke Larsen

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Lenovo

LOQ 15

$1,050 Best Buy

$1,269 Amazon (1 TB)

No gaming laptops worth buying are actually cheap. High-refresh rate displays and discrete graphics will always make them more expensive than stan

Best Gaming Laptops (2026): Razer, Asus, Dell, and More | WIRED