We’ve reviewed and ranked lots of different models for you to choose from at a range of different prices, sizes and specs. Including brands like Asus, Alienware, Razer, HP, Lenovo and more. In 2022, laptops are arriving with specs such as 12th-gen Intel processors, Nvidia GeForce RTX 30 graphics cards, or the latest AMD Ryzen 6000 series. We’re always testing and adding new models so keep an eye out for new entries.
Best gaming laptops 2022
Your buying guide for the best gaming laptops in 2022
There are plenty of things to consider when on the market for a respectable gaming laptop.
Plenty of power Impressive 300Hz display Nice keyboard
No webcam No card reader Slightly chonky
It’s well-placed to tackle triple-A games, fast eSports titles and tough content-creation workloads, and elsewhere this machine has a butter-smooth 300Hz display and a comfortable, crisp keyboard. It’s even pretty cool and quiet. The relatively low price means that it misses out on some features and it’s a little thicker and heavier than other machines, but those are not dealbreakers on this excellent mid-range machine.
Great gaming speed Satisfying keyboard Excellent AMD chip High-quality 165Hz display
Underwhelming trackpad No Thunderbolt Poor speakers
And, for the most part, this machine succeeds: it’s got solid mainstream gaming power alongside an excellent processor, and it has a great screen, a satisfying keyboard with Cherry MX option and good looks. Connectivity isn’t bad, either. The relatively low price does mean compromise, though. The speakers and trackpad disappoint, battery life could be better and this machine does get hot. It’s missing a handful of features, too. That makes it a good mainstream laptop, but it won’t go further than that unless you spend more cash.
Portable design XG Mobile GPU dock Impressive display
Expensive Too heavy for handheld tablet use Sub-par battery life
There’s not really anything else like it in the gaming world thanks to an optional XG Mobile GPU dock which gains you an RTX 3080 and plenty of ports. Even if you can’t splash out on that, the Z13 offers solid performance with an RTX 3050 Ti along with either a Core i9 or Ryzen 9. The Mini-LED screen is great with a 120Hz refresh rate, and we’d avoid the 4K model at 60Hz. The main downsides of the Z13 are the battery life and price.
Strong graphical performance Compact design Great display options
Patchy keyboard backlighting Fans can be noisy No webcam
A tip of the hat has to go to the thermal design of this compact machine, which can accommodate up to a Ryzen 9 4900HS, 32GB of DDR4 RAM, up to a 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD and, most impressively, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q graphics. There’s also the matter of this machine’s ‘AniMe Matrix’ LED-laden lid, which can display images, text, equalisers and even animated GIFs – perfect for adding a touch of character and personalisation to your machine or as a means to silently trash-talk your competitors during competitions.
Solid gaming pace Sturdy, lightweight design Great 120Hz display
Intel CPU beaten by AMD Disappointing keyboard Expensive
As you might expect, Razer offers impressive mainstream gaming power inside a light, slim and sturdy case with a top-notch 1080p screen – if you need a lightweight machine for gaming and eSports, it’ll cope. However, the concentration on svelte design means the Razer has an underwhelming keyboard, an Intel CPU that’s regularly beaten by AMD and a very high price – so you’ll get a more rounded machine if you’re not set on the black and green of Razer.
Good gaming speed Solid Intel chip Keyboard and connectivity
Battery life Screen quality Quite chonky
If you just need the kind of pace for mainstream titles and eSports then the 10th Gen Intel and CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 GPU is a solid combination. And games will be displayed on the smooth 144Hz display. While the price undercuts many rivals there are a few downsides to consider including lower screen quality beyond that refresh rate, mediocre battery life and a pretty chunky design. If they worry you then look elsewhere for a little more finesse, although likely at a higher price.
Smooth gaming performance Big 120Hz screen Affordable
Poor colour reproduction Chunky design
This offers an Nvidia RTX graphics and a large 17in display for under a grand meaning it can keep up with more expensive gaming laptops. There are plenty of ports and a nice keyboard too. While the display is 120Hz, it lacks in colour so games can look dull. The chassis is chunky too so this is an affordable desktop replacement for those not too fussed about the colour accuracy of the display.
Fantastic gaming speed Eye-catching design High-quality keyboard 360Hz display
Very expensive AMD chips are faster Mediocre trackpad and speakers
Alienware bolsters the components with a stunning 360Hz display, a great keyboard (with optional Cherry MX switches) and an eye-catching design making it one of the best 17in gaming laptops you can buy. That’s if you can afford it though and it has a middling trackpad and speakers. It’s also heavy and noisy – and battery life is poor. But none of that is a surprise, and it’s not unique to the m17. If you’ve got the cash, this is the fastest gaming laptop you can buy, and its design is superb. We’d only look elsewhere if you want more CPU power from an AMD processor.
Great performance Fantastic screen Sleek design
Average speakers Poorly positioned webcam
This is an amazingly sleek and portable, yet powerful laptop which will suit those looking for a single machine to handle complex work tasks such as video editing and then, once work is over, some of the latest AAA games. That’s if you’re ok with a refresh rate of 60Hz. You can drop down to a Full HD display with 144Hz refresh rate but we’d recommend going for an OLED model if you can afford it – especially if you need the performance of this stunning display which can achieve 100% of the P3 colour space. It’s just very expensive, hence the position in this chart.
Fantastic CPU power Solid GPU Affordable Nice design & connectivity
Underwhelming screen Soft keyboard Mediocre battery life & build
There’s plenty of performance here and you can jump to an RTX 2060 for not much more. We also like the new design and the range of ports on offer. It’s a decent option for a portable gaming laptop without breaking the bank. The screen is mediocre, though, and other areas like the battery life and keyboard leave us wanting a little more. Buy it for the power hidden under the bonnet. You need a capable CPU, a graphics chip that is powerful enough to deliver your games as the developers intended them, enough system RAM to keep applications stored in memory, high-capacity and fast storage drives to hold games and other files, a sizeable and decent-resolution screen to view the action on, and a good chassis to bear all these components. With that in mind, we’ve broken down our buying advice by component to help you figure out what to look for. Oh, and if you’re open to buying a powerful laptop that’s not been designed specifically for gaming, check out our guide to the best laptop.
Which processor is best?
From Intel, the latest generation of Core processor is a good idea for the best performance and longevity. However, opting for the previous year’s model can save you a lot of money if you find a laptop reduced in price due to its age. It’s not old, it’s just not the latest model so tends to get discounted to clear stock. These days AMD Ryzen chips are outperforming Intel if CPU performance is high up your wish list. As ever, our benchmark results provided within our reviews will tell you how quick a particular laptop is at various tasks. Read our Intel vs AMD comparison.
Which graphics card should I choose?
The graphics card is arguably the most important component of a gaming laptop, as it does most of the work when you’re playing a game. Unlike with a desktop PC, you can’t usually upgrade the graphics card in a laptop, so it pays to get the best you can afford to begin with. Laptops with Nvidia GTX graphics chips are the older models but still provide decent performance. You’ll see the ‘Max Q design’ versions of these cards largely as they are created to fit inside the chassis of a laptop, although some occasionally have a proper card. If you want the latest tech then look for GeForce RTX cards for improved performance along with features like ray tracing. They’re just more expensive, of course. Also bear in mind that AMD is very much back in the game these days and have plenty of Ryzen chips and Radeon GPUs that are top quality.
What screen do I need?
Laptop screens have improved in recent years, with screen resolutions now settling at full-HD (1920×1080), and using better technology than the basic TN type found on cheap portables. Look out for IPS panels, which offer wide and consistent viewing from all angles, better contrast ratio and wider colour gamuts. Don’t be misled by boasts about screen brightness – contrast ratio, especially at lower brightness settings, is far more important than dazzling your eyes with 300nits figures. It’s also easier to find screens now with more practical anti-glare finishes, reversing the trend of high-gloss reflective panels that were once unavoidable from most brands. And you can usually ignore the trend for greater-than-HD resolution since many graphics processors struggle with Ultra HD (4K) screens. For most gamers, Full HD (1920 x 1080) or Quad HD (2560 x 1440) is a happy compromise between glorious on-screen detail and playable framerates. If you want a smoother experience at 1080p or 1440p, opt for a display with a higher refresh rate (normally 120- or 144Hz). You can even get over 300Hz on some laptops now. The gaming sector is where you’ll find the vast majority of high refresh rate laptops, although there are signs the technology is also coming to consumer devices.
How much storage do I need?
For storage, a solid-state drive will greatly improve the user experience when it comes to booting a PC, launching programs and opening and saving files. It won’t make your games run faster, although it may reduce any loading times between levels, and they should start up faster. Nevertheless, an SSD is always recommended, with the option of a second capacious hard disk to store your games. Remember that modern games take up a lot of space so get as much storage as you can.
Do gaming laptops have better sound?
Some gamers like to use headphones or headsets, especially in multiplayer games, but if you don’t anticipate spending your time donning ear defenders you should still find that modern gaming laptops run quieter today. Which means you may get to appreciate the built-in stereo speakers. Some sport brand badges to suggest bespoke audio systems – we’ve seen B&O, Dynaudio, Harman, Klipsch and Onkyo put their names to tinny laptop speakers – although, in our experience, these are more window dressing, with some of the best-sounding laptops bearing no fancy badges.
Battery life and other considerations
Battery life is perhaps less a concern for a desktop-replacement type of gaming laptop, although that’s more a historical resignation caused by the long-standing difficulty in combining fast graphics with svelte and mains-dodging laptops. As we discovered with some models in the following group at least, you can have a powerful gaming machine and stunning battery life, even if the unplugged runtime will dwindle more rapidly once low-power integrated graphics have switched over to hungrier gaming graphics. Don’t forget about the warranty. You’re spending a lot of money, so it’s important to make sure the manufacturer offers a good, long warranty. Ideally, this would cover the cost of shipping the laptop back to base for repair and then being returned to you, so always pay attention to the small print. Find out how we test laptops. Tech Advisor’s Reviews Editor, Chris has been reviewing all kinds of tech for over 10 years and specialises in audio. He also covers a range of topics including home entertainment, phones, laptops, tablets and more.
