Best Gaming Laptop Deals of 2024 – Budget, Mid-Range, and Premium
The 2024 Best Gaming Laptop Buying Guide, where we will tell you everything you need to know to buy the best gaming laptop of 2024. We will discuss our specific picks for the best gaming laptops at every budget level.
The most important thing to get the best gaming laptop in 2024 is the graphics card, known as the GPU. Specifically, we are looking for a dedicated graphics processor, separate from the weak integrated graphics found on the CPU. In 2024, Nvidia GPUs, especially the RTX 4000 series, are currently dominating gaming laptop models. Yes, AMD and Intel also make laptop GPUs, but you won’t find any models available in retail sales in the US.
There are three important things to consider when getting the right gaming laptop GPU: overall performance, the amount of video RAM or VRAM on the GPU, and the total graphics power of the GPU, called TGP or maximum graphics power. First, let’s look at GPU performance and VRAM. A laptop with an RTX 4060 8 GB GPU is our baseline and is good for achieving an average of 90 FPS on a wide range of titles at 1080p ultra settings.
However, FPS depends heavily on the game. In Cyberpunk 2077, an RTX 4060 laptop is capable of delivering 71 FPS at 1080p ultra, while in CS2 it averages 140 FPS at 1080p ultra. When lowering the graphics quality to competitive settings, it gets nearly 200 FPS. The RTX 4070 8 GB is about 15% faster in average FPS than the RTX 4060. The RTX 4080 12 GB is 56% faster than the RTX 4060 and is our baseline for playing most titles at 1440p ultra settings. The RTX 4090, with 16 GB of VRAM, is 74% faster and is the GPU for playing at any resolution without compromise.
We’ve also included the RTX 3000 series GPUs if you find an older model on clearance, and for extremely budget-conscious clients, the RTX 4050 and RTX 3060. Note that there is a lot of variation in such tests, so take these numbers as general guidance rather than exact measurements.
Now let’s talk about VRAM, which is a big issue in 2024. VRAM is the amount of video RAM available for the dedicated graphics processor, and it is separate from system RAM, which is for the CPU. New AAA titles with high graphics fidelity, such as Alan Wake 2 and Hogwarts Legacy, are now using more than 8 GB of VRAM at 1080p ultra settings. With an 8 GB GPU, you may need to lower textures to high or medium in 2024. This is mainly a problem for high-fidelity single-player graphics games, so if you mostly play competitive titles like CS or Valorant, where you lower graphics to boost FPS, it won’t affect you much—at least not in 2024.
Our advice is to get a GPU with at least 8 GB of VRAM for gaming at 1080p medium to high settings in 2024, 12 GB of VRAM for gaming at 1080p or most 1440p without compromise, and 16 GB of VRAM for gaming at 1440p or 4K without compromise. GPUs with 6 GB, like the RTX 3060 and RTX 4050, are really for extremely budget gaming laptops.
The third main GPU issue is total graphics power—essentially, how much power the GPU can draw. This is usually abbreviated as TGP, but we’ve also seen it called maximum graphics power, and it should be listed as a number or two numbers combined in the system specifications for the maximum power for gaming performance. We want to see at least 90 watts for the RTX 4050, 4060, and 4070, and tests have shown that pushing these GPUs beyond 100 watts doesn’t increase performance much. For the RTX 4080 and 4090, we want to see at least 150 watts, and increasing power can provide a slight FPS boost for these GPUs. Laptop GPUs from the RTX 3000 series are less power efficient, and we want to see at least 130 watts for them. Lower-powered GPUs are usually found in thinner and lighter gaming laptops—are you willing to sacrifice gaming performance for portability?
A quick note about Max Switch and Advanced Optimus, which ensures that the dedicated gaming GPU is not being hindered by the onboard integrated graphics found in the CPU, which previously happened quite often. Fortunately, none of the laptops we are considering still lack Advanced Optimus, so this isn’t a concern in 2024. If you’re wondering whether you should wait for the RTX 5000 series gaming laptops, current rumors suggest an announcement in Q1 of 2025, and it usually takes 3 to 4 months for the first models to hit retail, which brings us to about a year from the time of this writing.
The CPU for gaming is the second most important thing, but it will never be more important than getting the right GPU. For gaming, we just want a CPU that won’t bottleneck our graphics card. This happens less when we max out the graphics settings and resolution in a game like Elder Scrolls, and it happens more when we lower settings and get a massive amount of FPS in competitive titles like CS, Fortnite, and League of Legends.
Both AMD and Intel make all the gaming CPUs in 2024, but picking the right one can seem impossible with all the crazy names, like AMD’s Ryzen 9 8945 HS or Intel’s i7 13650 HX. So which ones should you look at? Well, CPUs with HX at the end of their name are the top performers of their generation, followed by CPUs with H or HK at the end of their name. CPUs with HS at the end of their name are usually found in thinner and lighter gaming laptops with lower TGP graphics cards.
In terms of performance and availability, you will mostly see Ryzen 7000 series CPUs and Intel 13th and 14th generation CPUs in most high-end and mid-range gaming laptops. For more budget gaming laptops, you will see Ryzen 6000 and Intel 12th generation CPUs. Make sure the CPU core configurations are typically equivalent between both companies, depending on their name, so the Ryzen 7 7800HS and i7 13700HX will be similarly powerful, but the Ryzen 9 7945HS will usually be slightly more powerful than the i9 13900HX. Keeping this in mind, you’ll want to know that while the CPU isn’t very important for gaming, it can become a bottleneck for graphics.
RAM is almost always important for laptops. All laptops will have at least 8 GB of RAM, but I would say 16 GB of RAM is the new 8 GB, and it’s always a good recommendation for gaming. 32 GB of RAM is overkill for gaming but perfect for creative workloads, but it’s not really necessary for budget laptops. Make sure the laptop you buy has the option to upgrade RAM, as you may be able to add some later.
Laptop storage will either be SSD or HDD, and SSD is essential for a gaming laptop. A 512 GB SSD is a good amount for your games, apps, and some extra storage, but you should try to get a 1 TB SSD. A 2 TB SSD is certainly available, but it’s more of a luxury—it’s a cheap solution to provide much more storage, not from downloading old games but mostly from giving extra space. Don’t forget the advantage of a fast SSD or NVMe SSD, which will give much faster loading times than an HDD.
Conversely, OLED displays, especially high-refresh-rate OLED displays, are great due to their cost and anti-visibility. You’ll usually find OLED displays on mid-range laptops, but these displays also come with multiple issues, especially in reducing color distortion and higher black areas. They come at a very high price, so in short, be sure that a refresh rate display request for around 300 Hz is worth almost 100 Hz.
Now let’s take a look at some budget, mid-range, and high-end laptops. In the budget category for 2024, we think the Acer Nitro 5 is excellent value, and it comes in various configurations. This laptop comes with an RTX 4050 GPU, a decent-performing CPU, and a 144 Hz display. Everything is great at around $799.
In the mid-range category, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 has become an all-time favorite. This laptop comes with either an RTX 4060 or 4070 and a Ryzen 7 or Ryzen 9 CPU, and it comes with a 144 Hz display. At around $1,299 in a very portable package.
In the high-end category, I’d go for the Razer Blade 16 with either the RTX 4080 or 4090. These laptops are great, with high refresh rates, OLED displays, and premium build quality. The only downside is that you’ll have to shell out around $2,000.
Finally, if you don’t want to compromise on anything, the Alienware X17 is the laptop for you. It comes with everything you need, including a stunning display with the RTX 4090 and a strong gaming build. However, it’s going to cost you around $2,599.
These are my recommendations for the best gaming laptops of 2024.
