If you’re looking for the Best Gaming Laptops you can buy in (Summer) 2022, which is affordable, high quality and better performance, then you’re in the right place. In this guide, I have listed down the Best Gaming Laptops in 2022.
We made this list based on our own opinion, research, and customer reviews. We’ve considered their quality, features, and values when narrowing down the best choices possible.
The Best Gaming Laptops you can buy today.
So, here are the Best Gaming Laptops of 2022. If you want more information and updated pricing on the products mentioned, be sure to check the links in each product we mentioned.
1. Razer Blade 14 (2022)
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The best gaming laptop we’ve tested is the Razer Blade 14 (2022). It’s the one to get if you have the cash to burn and want the most premium model you can get. It’s a compact 14-inch laptop with an Apple MacBook-esque design, and it feels incredibly well-built as it sports a full aluminum chassis. It has a great keyboard with per-key RGB backlighting, plenty of ports for your peripherals, and a fast Wi-Fi 6E wireless adapter for low-latency online gaming. The battery only lasts about an hour or so when gaming, so you’ll need to keep the charger close.
There are three configurations, and all three have the same AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. We recommend going with the base model with a 1080p 144Hz display and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU or the mid-range model with a 1440p 165Hz display and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti. Both will provide smooth gameplay, so it’s just a matter of resolution. The top-end option has an RTX 3080 Ti to push higher frame rates; however, it’s significantly more expensive than the mid-range option, so it’s not the best bang for your buck.
Pros
- Runs games smoothly at 1440p.
- 165Hz panel with fast response time.
- Supports VRR to reduce screen tearing.
- No thermal throttling on CPU or GPU.
- Keyboard feels great to type on.
- Fast PCIe Gen 4 SSD.
Cons
- Keyboard gets hot under load.
- Limited to 16GB of memory.
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2. ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2022)
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If you don’t want to spend too much on a premium gaming laptop like the Razer Blade 14 (2022), go with the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2022). It sports a powerful 8-core AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS CPU, and you can choose between an AMD Radeon RX 6700S or 6800S GPU. Both GPUs can push high frame rates to provide smooth gameplay, even in AAA games running at the display’s native QHD resolution. As for the display itself, it has a 120Hz refresh rate and a fast response time to deliver a clear image in fast-moving scenes, and it supports FreeSync to reduce screen tearing. It also has full DCI P3 color space coverage, making it a good option for HDR gaming.
The keyboard feels comfortable to type on and provides satisfying tactile feedback, and there are plenty of ports for peripherals and external displays. It has a decent 720p webcam if you want to stream and supports Windows Hello facial recognition so you can log in quickly. Its 76Wh battery lasts through an entire day of light use, but for gaming, you can expect it to last only a little over an hour, so you’ll need to use it plugged in most of the time. It gets hot and loud under load, although you can change the fan and thermal profile at the cost of some performance loss.
Pros
- CPU and GPU provide a smooth gaming experience at 1080p or 1440p.
- MUX switch.
- 120Hz display with a fast response time and VRR support.
- Wide port selection.
- Keyboard feels great to type on for extended periods.
- User-replaceable RAM and storage.
Cons
- Gets hot and loud under load.
- Some thermal throttling on GPU.
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3. Lenovo Legion 5 Gen 6 15 (2021)
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Our budget pick is the Lenovo Legion 5 Gen 6 15 (2021). It’s an affordable model that you can configure with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600H or Ryzen 7 5800H CPU, and you have tons of GPU options, from an entry-level NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 to a powerful RTX 3070 with ray-tracing and DLSS support. We recommend getting the 165Hz 1080p or 1440p panel for the best visual experience, as they have the fastest response time and support variable refresh rate to reduce screen tearing. If you choose to go 1440p, it’s best to pair it with an RTX 3070 GPU to get the most out of it. The memory and storage are user-upgradeable, so if you’re short on cash, you can get a cheaper configuration and upgrade it later. It has a sturdy build, a great keyboard, and many ports, including six USBs, an HDMI, and an Ethernet port. It’s bulky, so it isn’t very portable, and sadly, you’ll need to bring the charger because the battery lasts about an hour when gaming.
Pros
- AMD Ryzen CPUs can handle demanding workloads.
- Available with powerful GPU options, up to an RTX 3070.
- MUX switch.
- User-replaceable memory and storage.
- No noticeable throttling on CPU and GPU.
Cons
- Loud fan noise under load.
- Slow response time causes noticeable ghosting.
- Hard to access internals.
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4. Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 (2021)
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If you want something cheap, get the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 (2021). Like our budget pick, it’s also a 15.6-inch laptop with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600H or Ryzen 7 5800H CPU, and GPU options range from an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 to an RTX 3060. The GTX 1650 can only push around 60 fps at 1080p, so if you want to keep the laptop for a while, it’s best to get a better configuration with an RTX 3050 or 3060, as the GTX 1650 might not be able to handle newer AAA titles. There are only 1080p display options; we recommend getting the 120Hz or 165Hz panel. Again, the important thing is to spend as much of your budget on the best GPU and display as possible since you can upgrade the memory and storage yourself later on.
Though entirely plastic, this laptop feels surprisingly sturdy, especially for a model in its price range. It has a comfortable and tactile keyboard, and the webcam is pretty good if you want to stream. Its port selection includes three USBs, an HDMI, and an Ethernet port. Unfortunately, you can’t charge the laptop via USB-C, so you’ll have to use its proprietary charger. The fans are very loud under load, but the noise isn’t annoying as it just sounds like heavy airflow.
Pros
- 120Hz refresh rate with FreeSync support.
- User-upgradeable memory and storage drive.
- Minimal CPU throttling.
- GPU doesn’t throttle under load.
Cons
- Slow response time causes noticeable ghosting.
- Single rank x16 memory module hampers performance.
- Loud fans under load.