If you’re searching for a gaming laptop to replace your desktop at home, consider the MSI Cyborg 15. It packs plenty of power into its slim chassis.
Premium internals make this machine ideal for intensive games; just be prepared to carry around a heavy machine with a small power brick.
1. Alienware x15 R2
Dell’s Alienware sub-brand recently unveiled their latest entry, the x15 R2, as part of their high-end gaming laptop lineup. We found it performed admirably in our synthetic tests, including impressive sequential read and write speeds from its SSD, scoring highly on Cinebench R23 multicore benchmark testing and producing scores among the top 10% of tested notebooks using all six P-cores and eight E-cores from its Intel Core i9-12900H CPU to reach our score threshold for this benchmark test.
The x15 R2 has the look of an alien spacecraft from its exterior, featuring an off-white lid featuring a stylized “15” and an RGB alien head which lights up when turned on. All ports on its back complete its sleek profile; multiple color options are also available as well as AlienFX lighting capabilities for keyboard, trackpad (on 3080 Ti models), and entire rear I/O platform illumination.
2. Asus ROG Zephyrus M16
The 2023 Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 gaming laptop is an ultraportable system offering incredible graphics and processing power. Weighing just 4.4 pounds with dimensions of 14×9.57×0.78 inches.
The M16’s RTX 2070 Ti is powerful enough to run most big-name games at maximum settings, although details may need to be reduced for an enjoyable gaming experience. Furthermore, its keyboard and touchpad offer satisfying playback with N-key rollover and 1.7mm travel distance respectively, offering satisfying and reliable performance.
The M16 has plenty of modern ports, including two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A sockets and a microSD card slot. Although Asus did not include an Ethernet jack, its absence shouldn’t be too noticeable. Internal access can be challenging due to some stubborn Phillips screws that require careful unthreading to access its core.
3. TUF Dash F15
Intel Tiger Lake processors have given Asus’ TUF Dash line more power this year. While still not matching up to full-sized TUF Gaming laptops in terms of performance, it still does better than its competition like HP Victus 15.
The 2022 TUF Dash F15 is an ideal option for users who use their computers for both work and gaming, providing ample power from its Intel 12th Gen CPU and NVIDIA GPU to manage AAA titles with ease. Unfortunately, however, its slower FHD 144Hz display may lead to ghosting when under load.
It features an ergonomic keyboard with quiet typing experience with minimal clicking noise, two speakers that deliver virtual 7.1 surround sound audio, an 8 hour battery test lifespan and compact 200W charger – not to mention its smooth hinge action when opening and closing it!
4. HP Victus 15
The Victus 15 is an ideal budget gaming laptop capable of running AAA titles at high settings with ease. Though too large to fit comfortably on an airplane seat, this compact machine can still be brought along to school or work with ease.
This laptop features a classic, understated look suitable for office settings. Its mature aesthetic stands in stark contrast to the edgier red and black designs often associated with gaming laptops.
The basic model features an Intel Core i5 CPU with an outdated Nvidia GTX 1650 GPU, but you can upgrade with HP or Best Buy to one featuring more advanced specs that support ray tracing (though that will cost extra). In addition, more upgrades include faster SSD storage, increased RAM capacity, higher resolution display monitor using sRGB color standards and HP’s Health-Guard technology that eliminates Pulse Width Modulation to reduce blue light stress on eyes, faster SSD access speeds, faster SSD transfers speed; plus faster SSD access speed for increased performance when purchasing more expensive versions from Best Buy or HP.