How to Choose the Right Gaming Laptop (2025): What You Need to Know

ROG Strix is Asus’s performance-focused subbrand. That is the place the corporate’s thicker, extra standard gaming laptops are discovered. Pricing can vary broadly, because it consists of reasonably priced choices just like the ROG Strix G16 with the RTX 5050, which begins at simply $1,300.

TUF Gaming is the corporate’s entry-level gaming laptop computer subbrand. These TUF gaming laptops was a few of the most reasonably priced gaming laptops you might purchase, however they’ve gone up in value over the previous few years. There aren’t any Asus gaming laptops below $1,000 that characteristic the newest RTX 50-series GPUs, although you’ll find loads of older fashions for much less on Amazon or Finest Purchase.

Dell’s gaming laptop computer lineup is pretty sparse lately. All of Dell’s gaming laptops fall below the Alienware model, which the corporate acquired again in 2006. Alienware has been via many cycles of reinvention with its gaming laptops, however in 2025, there’s actually solely 4 laptops within the stack proper now: the Alienware 16 Aurora, Alienware 16X Aurora, Alienware 18 Space-51, and Alienware 16 Space-51. I just like the simplicity of the brand new lineup, which focuses on what Alienware has all the time been recognized for: its brash, gamer model and higher-end efficiency.

The Alienware 16 Aurora is the corporate’s try to succeed in a less expensive demographic, beginning the laptop computer at simply $1,100 proper now for an RTX 5050 configuration.

HP’s Omen gaming model has been round for over a decade, nevertheless it actually seems like the corporate has began to construct some momentum round it over the previous few years. Curiously, HP breaks down its choices into three classes of thickness and efficiency. Omen Max is the chunkiest at nearly an inch thick, and helps as much as an RTX 5080. Omen 16 is the center floor, capping out at an RTX 5070. Omen Transcend, which affords a 14-inch mannequin, nonetheless helps as much as an RTX 5070, however brings the thickness right down to 0.7 inches. There are 16-inch dimension choices out there throughout all three subbrands; nonetheless, not one of the laptops are as skinny as a few of the competitors. There’s additionally an Omen 16 Slim, which blurs the strains a bit.

Aside from Omen, HP additionally launched its “Victus” subbrand in 2021, which represents its budget-oriented choices. HP solely has a couple of configurations of the HP Victus 15 and Victus 16 out there proper now.

{Photograph}: Luke Larsen

• Razer is solely dedicated to PC gaming, in contrast to most of the laptop computer manufacturers on this checklist. Its Blade gaming laptops have grow to be iconic within the trade for his or her minimalist aesthetic. Like many firms, Razer has a Blade 14, Blade 16, and Blade 18, which all have an an identical design, however scale up when it comes to dimension and efficiency.
• MSI has made fairly a reputation for itself within the gaming house, particularly with its high-end, performance-focused, monster gaming laptops just like the MSI Titan HX. Past Titan, MSI has a mind-boggling quantity of different choices, although, together with the Raider, Stealth, Vector, Katana, Sword, and its budget-oriented Cyborg collection. There’s rather a lot to dig into.
• Acer’s Predator line has its personal fanfare about it. Predator Helios is its high-end, performance-driven line with tons of choices throughout 14-inch, 16-inch, and 18-inch sizes. Triton is its thin-and-light subbrand, nevertheless it hasn’t been up to date in 2025 to date. The corporate additionally has its Nitro price range model, which is available in 14-inch, 15-inch, and 16-inch dimension choices, and with help as much as an RTX 5070.

Past these mainstay manufacturers, you even have PC gaming firms which have dipped into gaming laptops, equivalent to Gigabyte, Origin, or Maingear. Simply avoid the no-name manufacturers which have in style listings on Amazon regardless of missing discrete graphics playing cards—like this.

Gaming on Non-Gaming Laptops

Whereas there’s a whole ecosystem of laptops marketed towards players, that does not imply you’ll be able to’t play video games on different gadgets. Laptops with devoted graphics playing cards can usually play video games simply in addition to gaming laptops, however they’re usually focused extra at creatives who want higher graphics to run inventive purposes. These embrace laptops just like the Dell 14 Premium, Acer Swift X 14, and the Asus ProArt P16.

When you’re shopping for a laptop computer primarily to play video games, although, I would not suggest one among these. They normally do not help the higher-tier GPUs just like the RTX 5080 or 5090, and you will not get super-fast refresh charges past 120 Hz. When you’re extra of an informal gamer and simply need a high-end laptop computer that may do all of it, these are good choices. They’re particularly good should you despise the “gamer” aesthetic and wish one thing a bit extra refined.