Best Gaming Laptop Overall:
Gaming notebooks are generally the most powerful laptops that you can buy today. The performance demands of modern games require that you make discrete graphics, high-end processors and high-resolution displays your top priority. You’ll also need a ton of RAM and a good hard drive, such as a 7,200RPM mechanical drive or a solid state hard drive. These components don’t come cheap, and the engineering required to cram them all into a small laptop chassis drives up the price. There are certainly some budget gaming laptops available, but they generally don’t offer the top gaming experience. If you want the very best gaming laptops have to offer, and cost is no object, check out the laptops below.
Asus G74SX-DH72 17.3" LED Notebook - Intel Core i7 i7-2670QM 2.20 GHz
The Asus G74SX-DH72 is fully equipped with all the complements you'd expect from a gaming notebook: the most powerful CPU and video card available on the mass market, a large screen, and a number of additional features. However, its powerful SSD drive combined with a larger standard drive for storage make it outperform similar models. Read Full Review »
MSI G Series GT780DXR-446US (17.3-Inch Screen) Laptop
The GT780DXR-446 can definitely hold its own with the big league players, and its GTX570M video card can support just about any application you throw at it. However, the lack of a solid state drive means it is outperformed by its big brother at Asus. Read Full Review »
Alienware M18x Laptop
The M18x might not be the heaviest hitting notebook on the market, but it is more than capable of getting the job done. Boasting a whopping 18.4" screen and tons of storage space, this notebook is an excellent choice for any gaming application. Read Full Review »
MSI G Series GT683DXR-489US Laptop
The GT780DXR-446 is a solid gaming notebook, and will bring a number of high-quality components to the table. If you are looking for an excellent piece of gaming hardware but don't want to pay an absolute premium, then this is a great choice. Read Full Review »
ASUS G73SW-XC1 17.3" Notebook
The G73SW-XC1 is not the end all be all gaming notebook, but it is more than capable of standing up to any modern gaming requirement. The G73SW-XC1 provides a full complement of gaming components, and is a high performance notebook in almost every aspect. Read Full Review »
Best Budget Gaming Laptops:
Gaming is less expensive today than it has been in the past, but gaming laptops still remain expensive items. Games require powerful hardware, and compacting that hardware into the size of a laptop isn’t easy. The quickest and most expensive models may can cost more than $2000. That’s a lot to pay, however – and in this list, we’re going to focus instead on the options that come in under $1000. That’s a tight budget for a gaming laptop, and it requires sacrifices. You won’t be able to buy the quickest hardware, but you will be able to buy a quality laptop that is able to play most modern games.
MSI GE620-021US 15.6 Full HD Laptop
The MSI GE620-021US is a modern powerhouse that users on a budget will still be able to afford. Packing in some of the most powerful components available on the market, the MSI GE620-021US offers a solid combination of price and performance that gamers will be sure to appreciate. Read Full Review »
ASUS A53SV-EH71 15.6-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop
While the ASUS A53SV-EH71's display features a lower native resolution than some other full HD gaming notebooks, it is tough to beat the pure performance behind this machine. Gamers, video enthusiasts, artists, and anyone else who needs performance out of their notebook can take advantage of excellent cost-effectiveness. Read Full Review »
Hewlett-Packard Probook 6560b Notebook PC
The HP ProBook 6560b is not only a good choice for those that want to balance cost and performance, but also offers a few extra features that make it a great general workstation laptop as well. If you are looking for an everyday use notebook that can support modern games and intensive applications, then the HP ProBook 6560b is a solid buy. Read Full Review »
ASUS N53SV-EH71 15.6-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop
The ASUS N53SV is perfect for those that want to be able to customize their laptop to meet specific needs. This notebook series is versatile, cost-effective, and great for general use or gaming. Additional features like a high quality web cam and a 3-in-1 card reader mean that users can cut down on extra peripherals. Read Full Review »
Acer Aspire S3-951-6646 Ultrabook with 13.3-Inch HD Display
The Acer Aspire S3-951 is an affordable mid-range notebook that can still put out a respectable amount of juice. Acer has reduced performance slightly in some areas in order to significantly reduce the cost, so if you're looking for a notebook that can still keep up, yet costs a fraction of other gaming notebooks, this model is an excellent choice. Read Full Review »
Best Gaming Netbook:
Small computers and exceptional performance – in games or anything else – are usually contradictory. Most netbooks come with Atom processors and outdated Intel integrated graphics that are barely adequate for playing back HD video, nevermind games. There are, however, a handful of netbooks that manage to play games despite their small size. To be clear, these gaming netbooks are usually far less powerful than their larger peers, so most of them will still struggle with modern games. They can play older 3D games, however – something that a typical netbook just can't do.
ASUS Eee PC Seashell 1215P 12.1-Inch Netbook
The ASUS Eee PC 1215P is the ideal computer for gamers on the go, boasting high performance combined with portability. As one of the most powerful netbooks available on the market today, the ASUS Eee PC 1215P is an excellent choice for virtually any application. Read Full Review »
Acer AO722-0418 Netbook Computer
The Acer AO722-0418 is a solid choice for mobile gaming, especially if you want to use it to watch movies or perform graphic design. The 11.6" screen is larger than most netbooks, and the power its system provides is more than enough to handle most applications. Read Full Review »
Hewlett-Packard Mini 5103 Black Netbook
The HP Mini 5103 is a mobile gaming platform that is ideal for any user who needs portability and power. If you are looking for a netbook that delivers, the HP Mini 5103 is the perfect choice. Read Full Review »
Asus Eee PC 1016P Netbook Computer
The ASUS Eee PC 1016P is a powerful netbook, capable of handling modern games and more intensive applications. This, combined with an extensive feature set, make it a great choice for mobile gaming and power users that need portability. Read Full Review »
Amazon.com$491.98
Acer AO722-BZ699 Netbook Computer
The AO722-BZ699 combines the feature set of standard netbooks with a boost in power, giving it greater versatility over many competitors. With enough juice to run modern games and a full complement of ports and interfaces, all combined with a large display, the AO722-BZ699 is a great netbook for those that want extra performance on the go. Read Full Review »
