The Best Gaming Laptops – Early 2024
There are so many good premium gaming laptops accessible that this proved to be most likely probably the most robust class to pick out winners. We ended up with two, one from Asus and one from Lenovo.
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (2023) represents a serious leap forward throughout the realm of high-performance gaming laptops. This model, considerably in its Core i9 and RTX 4080 variant, stands out for a mixture of blistering effectivity, a aggressive worth stage, and a watch catching mini LED present.
The 16-inch, 16:10 miniLED panel, which Asus likes to call the “ROG Nebula HDR” present, is a highlight. It affords a 240Hz refresh cost on the 2560×1600 show, fast response events, 100% sRGB and DCI-P3 coloration gamut safety, and 1,024 dimming zones. It could properly moreover attain over 1,100 nits of peak brightness, guaranteeing superb HDR effectivity. The vivid colors and brightness make it good for every gaming and media consumption.
The refreshed semi-transparent design of the Scar 16 is as sturdy as ever, offering one factor that feels secure and well-built if a bit of bit heavier than earlier fashions. The chassis choices blunted edges and corners that are user-friendly, and the hinges allow for easy show adjustments. Additionally it is lined in RGB lighting.
The ROG Strix Scar is accessible in two variations with the Nebula present: one with the RTX 4090 ($3,699.99) and the alternative with an RTX 4080 ($2,899.99). Every pack a Thirteenth-Gen Core i9-13980HX, and it’s possible you’ll add as a lot as 64GB of RAM, too; the effectivity on provide proper right here is monstrous. A cheap mannequin with out the miniLED present (FHD 165Hz) is obtainable with an RTX 4070 for significantly a lot much less ($1699), whereas nonetheless preserving the an identical Core i9 chip.
There are moreover a great deal of connectivity selections, along with Thunderbolt 4 help, though the ports are solely on the perimeters as a result of the rear is reserved for cooling. Totally different causes to buy embrace a Dolby Atmos quad-speaker system, a digital numeric keypad on the trackpad, good battery life for a gaming laptop computer pc, and a built-in array microphone.
Some less-welcome elements embrace the Strix getting pretty toasty after prolonged use. It moreover lacks biometrics choices like an IR digicam or fingerprint sensor, and the 4080/4090-only fashions are pretty pricey.
Nonetheless, that breathtaking show, cool design, top-tier effectivity, and secure assemble prime quality make the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 an outstanding different for people who want a real gaming laptop computer pc.
A Worthy Joint Winner
Lenovo Legion Skilled 7i (Gen8)
To ensure that you a 16-inch laptop computer pc that provides the identical configuration as a result of the Strix with a a lot much less extravagant design and will reside with out the miniLED show, check out the Lenovo Legion Skilled 7i (Gen 8). Similar to the Asus, the Legion is perhaps specced with as a lot as an RTX 4090, whereas all fashions embody an Intel Core i9-13900HX processor.
The place the two machines differ most is the present. The Legion has the an identical 2560×1600 (WQXGA, 16:10) resolution combined with a 240Hz refresh cost, and it does look good. Nonetheless the five hundred nits brightness and HDR 400 certification illustrate the best way it can not consider to the Strix’s stunning miniLED present.
On the time of writing, the $2,849 worth of the RTX 4080 model has been decreased to $2,249, so it is good price. It moreover has a further grown-up design, even with adequate RGB lighting to satisfy followers.
Totally different choices embrace the Coldfront 5.0 thermal tech, Lenovo’s regular superb keyboard, and a functionality to squeeze so much effectivity out of the RTX 4080 (150W TGP) that it might presumably match some RTX 4090-powered laptops close to framerates.
The battery life is probably on the weaker side, nevertheless the power and aggressive worth of the Legion Skilled 7i make it a worthy joint winner.
