The top portables for all gamers

If you’re looking for the cream of the crop, then the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D gaming laptop is a fantastic choice, although you will be paying quite a hefty sum for such a premium experience. Looking past the eye-watering £3799/$3999 price tag, the ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D comes with a new 3D V cache CPU that can enable triple-A games to run even faster. 

The upgraded AMD Ryzen 9 processor, coupled with the Nvidia RTX 4090 graphics card allowed this laptop to power through our gaming benchmarks, towering above its competition in our Rainbow Six Extraction and Cyberpunk 2077 QHD tests. Our reviewer noted that it was one of the fastest laptops they had ever tested and perfect for gamers who prioritise raw power. 

The large 17.3-inch display packs a 240Hz refresh rate alongside a 2560×1440 IPS display, with gamut coverages of 99.9% sRGB, 98.2% DCI-P3 and 84% Adobe RGB. In purely gaming-related terms, the screen ticked all the boxes for our reviewer, with ghosting kept to a minimum and support for Nvidia’s G-Sync ensuring that everything looked smooth and fluid. 

While the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D won’t be making it onto our best budget laptop round-up, there is a reason it sits atop this list. If you’re looking for a premium laptop with supremely fast gaming performance and all the bells and whistles of the Armoury Crate then this is one of the best options out there. 

Reviewer: Alun Taylor
Full Review: Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D

The Asus TUF Gaming A15 (2023) is not a power juggernaut, but it could be the perfect pick for anyone who’s looking for their first gaming laptop and doesn’t want to break the bank. The TUF Gaming A15 can be configured in a multitude of ways, giving you the option to splash out a little more money for any features that are must-haves for you.

Our playthrough of Stardew Valley ran without a hitch and looked very smooth. Generally navigating the device was also fast, thanks to the inclusion of the latest AMD Ryzen 7000 Series processor.

One of our favourite features on this laptop was the amazingly clicky keyboard. It comes with Mini-LED one-zone backlighting with bold lighting behind the WASD keys which made them easier to spot while gaming. Connectivity is almost faultless, including two USB-A ports, two USB-C inputs, HDMI 2.1, a LAN port and a 3.5mm combo audio jack.

Overall, the Asus TUF Gaming A15 is one of the best laptops out there for newcomers. It’s more than powerful enough to play intensive games at a high refresh rate and it costs a very reasonable £1179.99, making it a lot more affordable than some similar gaming laptops on the market.

Reviewer: Gemma Ryles
Full Review: Asus TUF Gaming A15 (2023)

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 has been appearing on this list for years now, and we’re pleased to say that the latest iteration is just as fantastic as its predecessor – if not more so. Arguably the biggest selling point of the ROG Zephyrus G14 is its low weight; at just 1.72kg it’s one of the most portable gaming laptops on the market, making it much easier for you to game on the go. 

The light design doesn’t mean that Asus skimped out on internals, either; it can be configured with up to the RTX 4090 GPU – one of the most powerful GPUs you can find in a laptop right now – alongside an AMD Ryzen 7000 Series CPU. Thanks to these internals, the ROG Zephyrus G14 ran Cyberpunk 2077 at 63fps in Quad HD (1440p) with max graphical settings.

If you choose to upgrade to the AniMe Matrix model of this laptop then you will be treated to an LED light-up lid, allowing you to create your own custom glow-up pixel art. Not only does this help the ROG Zephyrus G14 stand out from the crowd, but it adds another layer of customisation that goes further than standard RGB strip lighting. 

The cherry on top is the fantastic Mini LED display, which our reviewer claimed was one of the best laptop screens they’ve ever used. It comes with a 165Hz refresh rate to keep everything on screen looking smooth and slick, alongside fantastic colour reproduction. 

Reviewer: Ryan Jones
Full Review: Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2023)

It’s in the name, this laptop is a beast. The Medion Erazer Beast X40 is an impressive laptop for many reasons, particularly in terms of how much value it brings to the table. It’s not the cheapest gaming laptop, but it offers supreme high-end power at a lower price than most rivals.

Most importantly, the Medion laptop offers truly jaw-dropping performance. Our review model featured the RTX 4090 GPU, the latest and greatest laptop graphics chip from Nvidia, and it doesn’t disappoint. You’ll hit above 60fps in Quad HD for AAA games, well above in many cases, even at max settings – including ray tracing. For eSports titles like Apex Legends, you’ll stretch up to an impressive 220fps.

You won’t find a Mini LED panel here – that’s reserved for more expensive rivals – but the IPS panel remains bright, speedy, and vibrant. We measured strong colour accuracy in our display testing too.

The Erazer Beast X40 has fairly unassuming looks for a gaming laptop and the materials don’t offer anything in the way of luxury, but that’s not why you buy this laptop. It’s sturdy and durable – perfect. There’s also a delightful mechanical keyboard, offering bags of travel and clear satisfying feedback.

Reviewer: Alun Taylor
Full Review: Medion Erazer Beast X40 review

All the stops have been pulled out with this powerhouse machine. The Acer Predator Helios 16 (2023) is made for those who want sheer gaming power and few compromises. Some gaming laptops give you one thing and not the other, but the Helios 16 brings high-end internals and a lush display.

The immense team-up of components is headlined by the Intel Core i9-13900HX and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 graphics chip. Impressive DLSS 3 and ray tracing performance are at your fingertips. You can expect 144fps and above frame rates from AAA games.

This raw power is presented on an exciting and luxurious 16-inch Mini LED display, with a 240Hz refresh rate and QHD+ resolution. The results are endlessly deep blacks, vibrant colour and impressive HDR capabilities. This is high-end big-screen laptop gaming in its truest form.

Along with being cheaper than some equally specced rivals, the Helios 16 offers plenty of convenience. You’ll find a wide range of ports across the body of this laptop, from two Thunderbolt 4 ports, three USB-A, an HDMI 2.1, a headphone jack and Ethernet. Ok, some kind of SD card reader would be nice, but it’s a small blemish on this excellent laptop.

Reviewer: Stuart Andrews
Full Review: Acer Predator Helios 16 (2023) review

The Acer Nitro 5 is a gaming laptop that excels at 1080p gaming. It has everything you’d want from a mainstream gaming portable, including a high 165Hz refresh rate and enough power to play any PC game with a smooth performance.

We were really impressed with the laptop’s performance, packing a 12th Gen Intel Core chip, as well as a generous selection of Nvidia GPUs. Our review model featured Nvidia’s RTX 3070 Ti graphics, and was capable of running games such as Rainbow Six Siege at up to 314fps, making it a good option for online multiplayer.

When activating the performance mode, the Nitro managed to play both Horizon Zero Dawn and Borderlands 3 at over 90fps. However, boosting the performance in this way will see the laptop fans become distractingly noisy. We were also impressed by the SSD speeds, ensuring this laptop can blaze through loading times.

But with great power comes great heft, as the laptop weighs 2.4kg which isn’t ideal if you wanted this machine to double up as a productivity portable. Still, if you’re craving a great value laptop for 1080p gaming, you’ll struggle to find a better option than the latest Acer Nitro 5. And if you want an even cheaper gaming laptop, we suggest checking out the Lenovo Legion 5 (Advantage Edition) instead.

Reviewer: Stuart Andrews
Full Review: Acer Nitro 5 (2022) Review

The Razer Blade 15 has long been the obvious pick for an accolade such as this–the closest thing to a gaming MacBook around. But, the phenomenal Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 (2023) is now deserving of the accolade, with the caveat of it having a stonkingly high price.

The skinny is that, as a straight-up gaming laptop, the performance is top-drawer. The model we tested was sporting the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 so big results were expected, and the ROG Zephyrus M16 delivered incredible gaming performance. This is another typically excellent gaming keyboard from Asus too, with tons of travel and pleasing feedback. Whether you’re an eSports fan or a player of lushly-designed AAA games, this laptop will surpass your expectations.

This wondrous gaming power is presented on a 240Hz QHD+ Mini LED display. The reality of these specs is a display that, like the performance on offer, is great for any type of gaming and invites you to marvel in bountiful colour and deep blacks.

All that’s great but what truly makes it the luxe pick is the stealthy black design, which also has an edginess to stand out. The Razer Blade 15 is gorgeous but it’s straightforward. This Asus offers a brave angular look that deftly toes the line between unassuming and eye-catching.

Reviewer: Mike Jennings
Full Review: Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 (2023) review

The Asus ROG Flow X16 is a remarkable gaming laptop, featuring a 180-degree screen hinge that allows you to flip the device into a tablet form. This enables you to use the laptop like a 16-inch tablet, or even prop it up in tent mode to continue gaming with a controller.

The screen looks lovely too, with a sharp 2560 x 1600 resolution and speedy 165Hz refresh rate. We were impressed with the results when testing the screen too, with an incredibly high brightness that enables you to use the laptop outside without fear of sun glare impairing your view.

This 2-in-1 laptop is packing powerful specs too, including an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS processor and Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU. Our performance tests show that you can find more powerful systems for less money (such as the Razer Blade 15 and Alienware x15 R2) but then you’d be missing out on that versatile screen hinge.

There are a couple of noticeable omissions such as Thunderbolt 4 connectivity, while the laptop can get hot and noisy when under stress. But if you’re really keen for a hybrid gaming laptop, those minor blemishes are easy to forgive.

Reviewer: Mike Jennings
Full Review: Asus ROG Flow X16 review

One of the biggest issues we’ve found when reviewing the majority of gaming laptops is that they’re substantially larger and heavier than your average notebook. That isn’t the case with the Asus ROG Flow X13, which impressed us during testing thanks to its ultra-portable design, weighing a dainty 1.3kg.

Asus has been forced to make compromises to the power of the laptop to achieve such a portable design, although our benchmarks results showed it can still achieve 30fps and beyond for modern games at a 1080p resolution.

Fortunately, Asus also provides the option of an external RTX 3080, which plugs into both the laptop and a power source simultaneously to provide the GPU with a major performance boost. Our benchmark results saw the gaming performance climb above 90fps for the likes of Horizon Zero Dawn and Borderlands 3, which is remarkable. However, the ROG XG Mobile is extremely expensive and so won’t be worthwhile for everyone. 

Still, we really enjoyed using the Asus ROG Flow X13 (2021) without the external GPU, with the ultra-portable design allowing us to use it for both productivity and gaming workloads. Just be mindful that our benchmark results prove you can find more powerful portables elsewhere. It’s also worth considering the Asus ROG Flow Z13, which also supports the external GPU, but has a 2-in-1 form factor so you can use it like a tablet.

Reviewer: Mike Jennings
Full review: Asus ROG Flow X13 review

The Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 is the latest iteration in the company’s dual-screen gaming laptop series. With a second display, this laptop allows you to perform multiple tasks simultaneously, so you can navigate the web, skip a track on Spotify or video chat with a friend all without pausing your game. We found this feature to be incredibly useful, especially if you’re editing video and need multiple windows open at once.

There is a major drawback to the dual-screen design however, as the keyboard has been shunted to the front of the laptop’s deck while the trackpad has been squashed into the bottom-right corner. We found both the keyboard and trackpad to be awkward to use, which could be problematic if you need to churn out long essays or reports on the regular.

This laptop is also packing specs such as the Ryzen 9 6900HX and Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti. Our benchmark results show this laptop to have a powerful graphics performance.

But with such powerful specs, and the inclusion of the second screen, the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 is very large and heavy. From our experience, we’d only really recommend this as a laptop that’s going to spend most of its time sitting on your desk at home. But if you’re simply looking for a versatile alternative to a desktop gaming PC, and like the idea of a dual-screen setup, then you’ll likely be very happy with a Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 purchase.

Reviewer: Stuart Andrews
Full review: Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 review