Best gaming laptop in 2021 – play PC games while you travel

While the perfect way to play the best PC games is on a full-sized desktop, sometimes size constraints or a nomadic lifestyle make a gaming laptop a great alternative, ensuring you get PC gaming quality wherever you go.

However, choosing the perfect gaming laptop takes a lot of commitment. When you build a gaming PC you can swap out parts later if you want an upgrade. Because laptops often feature bespoke components and aren’t designed to be tinkered with, it isn’t as simple as picking out the best graphics card and best gaming CPU to suit your personal needs. Not only is there less customisation, but you have to look at other laptop-exclusive requirements, such as battery life, screen size, resolution, build quality, and aftermarket care.

With the recent arrival of Nvidia’s mobile RTX 30 series cards and AMD’s new mobile CPUs and GPUs, the latest gaming laptops are becoming just as good, if not better than the best gaming PC builds. We’ve come up with our picks for the best laptop for gaming in 2021, whether you’re wanting to play triple-a blockbusters like Watch Dogs: Legion, or just want a laptop that can crank up the frames in Fortnite.

Here are the best gaming laptops:

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Alienware M15 R6 gaming laptop

Alienware has been making incredible portable rigs for what seems like forever, but its latest entry into the gaming laptop space is out of this world. Naturally, the X15 features spectacular specs, like an 8GB Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU, Intel’s 11th Gen Core i7 11800H CPU, 32GB of RAM, and 2TB of NVMe gaming SSD storage. Yet, the M15 R6’s real secret weapon is actually its keyboard, which isn’t just RGB backlit; it’s also mechanical.

That’s right, this slimline laptop has a real mechanical keyboard, and it’s far from being just a novelty. Not only do Cherry’s collaborative keys feel tactile and satisfying, but they also utilise anti-wobble and anti-ghosting technology. Best of all? Unlike previous mechanical laptop keyboards, the R6’s keys are as low profile as a traditional membrane setup.

Just like previous M15 models, Alienware’s R6 rendition also features Cryo-Tech, a unique cooling system that keeps things super quiet, even during demanding gaming sessions. As a package, Alienware’s M15 R6 embodies the potential of portable gaming PC technology, and its impressive resume more than justifies its price.

Alienware M15 R6 Alienware M15 R6 Dell From $1,380 View Network N earns affiliate commission from qualifying sales.

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Acer Nitro 5 an515

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asus tuf Dash F15

The Asus TUF Dash F15 also features easily accessible RAM and SSD slots, so you’ll be able to make some upgrades down the line. If you’re not sticking to a $1,000 budget, an RTX 3070 variant of the Dash F15 is also available, while UK customers can also snag 16GB of DDR4 memory at a similar price point.

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ASUS ROG Strix g17

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ASUS ROG Zephyrus g14

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Gigabyte Aero 15

The best 4K gaming laptop is the Gigabyte Aero 15.

For many people, gaming PCs means an unrivalled high fidelity experience, so why should playing on a laptop be any different? The Gigabyte Aero 15 is essentially a PC gaming peacock, complete with an ultra-vibrant AMOLED 4K display that’s sure to make the latest games look like a digital canvas.

Sure, the Aero 15’s superpower is its impressive panel, but it’s also an absolute powerhouse that puts even fully-fledged desktop setups to shame. Driving this laptop’s superior screen is an Nvidia RTX 3080, a card that’s more than capable of maintaining steady 4K gaming on the go. Partnered with Nvidia’s latest laptop GPU is the 11th gen Intel i7-11800H CPU with a blistering boost speed of up to 5Ghz, so efficiency is guaranteed, whether you’re playing or watching, or working. 

gaming laptop buying guide

Why would you consider buying a gaming laptop over a traditional desktop setup? If you’re constantly on the move for work or attending LAN parties, a gaming laptop is ideal, and they’re getting closer to replicating the performance of a true desktop. With the current stock situation seeing desktop graphics cards and CPUs massively inflated in price, gaming laptops are also a sneaky way to get your hands on the latest specs for a good price.

There are a few crucial considerations to make other than raw power and looks when buying a gaming laptop, such as battery life and weight. If you’re looking to use it out and about for general purposes too, without easy access to a power source, then the ultra-lightweight Razer Blade Stealth 13 with its 10-hour battery life would be a great choice. On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you’re likely to use the laptop sat at a desk most of the time, then the HP Omen 17 gives you that large screen experience, where its 3-hour battery life and slightly hefty build are less of a problem.

what ports do i need?

As gaming laptops get thinner and thinner, they end up shedding the amount of ports they can handle. You can get an adapter to alleviate the pain, but keep an eye out for Thunderbolt 3 or 4 support if you need faster transfer speeds as this is something that can’t be fixed with an external purchase.

how can i use a monitor with my laptop?

On thinner models, look out for Thunderbolt ports that’ll let you plug in a display adaptor. Make sure the port has enough bandwidth for higher resolutions, however. Although it’s getting rarer, some laptops still rock a good old HDMI port for a fast connection to your monitor.

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