When most people hear the words “gaming laptop“, they picture devices that could, at their optimistic best, be described as “luggable”, or less kindly as “bricks with RGB keyboards attached”.
When it comes to high-end gaming laptops, most brands try to cram as much into them as possible, to compete with their desktop equivalents. While this can lead to some truly insane-but-wonderful gaming laptops, they’re rarely models that are all that portable.
In the past, small and portable gaming laptops used to struggle to keep up with their chunkier siblings. However, in 2023, you’ve actually got a pretty broad range of game-ready ultraportable devices, with solid processors and GPUs, with plenty of power.
This article has been updated since its original publication.
HP OMEN 16 Gaming Laptop
The design of this HP Omen laptop design doesn’t scream “gaming” with a fairly understated black finish, but underneath its slender frame, it offers up an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti GPU, an Intel Core i7-12700H processor, optimised cooling tech and a Full HD display with refresh rates of 144Hz.
Due to its 16.1-inch display, the HP Omen is the biggest gaming laptop on this list in terms of size and weight. However, if you’re someone who values a larger display and when compared to some of the chunkier gaming laptops available, the Omen is a solid, portable option.
Where you can buy it: HP ($3,299)
Alienware x14 Gaming Laptop
Under the hood, the Alienware x14 has some fairly decent specs. This laptop is running a 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700H CPU, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU and 80Wh battery, with a 14-inch FHD display. What makes the Alienware x14 really stand out as a portable gaming laptop is just how thin it is, clocking in with a height of 14.5mm.
If you somehow forget your charger, the x14 also allows for charging through a dedicated Type-C port, and its Alienware Cryo-tech keeps the laptop cool during peak performance.
Where you can buy it: Dell ($2,498.10)
Razer Blade 14″ Gaming Laptop
A 14-inch QHD display with 165Hz refresh rates? Check. AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX CPU with built-in Radeon 680M graphics? Yep. An NVIDIA GeForce GTX 3070 Ti GPU on board? Absolutely. Big shiny Razer logo on the back? Of course. This Razer laptop has everything to meet your gaming needs. It also includes an HDMI 2.1 port, which is helpful if you want to hook it up to a monitor while at your home desk and don’t want to sacrifice output quality.
Where you can buy it: eBay ($2,799 with the promo code TOPBRANDSMAY) | Amazon Australia ($2,899) | Mwave ($2,999)
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Gaming Laptop
Asus‘ Republic Of Gamers brand’s take on an ultraportable gaming laptop is the light Zephyrus G14. This portable gaming machine is packing an AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 GPU and 144Hz capable 14-inch display to keep your games going on the go.
To keep the ROG Zephyrus G14 cool, the laptop has 48.2 per cent thermal coverage. To achieve this, the G14 packs a vapour chamber for the processor and graphics card, along with a liquid metal thermal compound to efficiently transfer the heat.
Where you can buy it: eBay ($2,599 with the promo code TOPBRANDSMAY) | Centre Com ($2,599)
Editor’s note: Descriptions and features are as taken from manufacturer/seller claims and user reviews on Amazon.
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