In case holiday gifts include some cash that gamers would like to invest in a new gaming laptop, here are some of the best deals currently available.
Gaming laptops have become increasingly popular over the years as people look for both portability and performance. For the longest time, gaming performance was not associated with laptops, no matter how hefty the price tag. Fortunately, AMD, Nvidia, and Intel have been hard at work developing chips that perform better in portable devices. Now, it is possible to run the newest games at high frame rates on the go.
There are many things to consider when purchasing a gaming laptop, and the options are plentiful. Performance is essential in a gaming laptop, which means that the CPU and especially GPU are all-important. Additionally, a high refresh rate screen enables high frame rates, a large and fast SSD allows fast game launches for a vast game library, and a powerful cooling system keeps the performance up even in longer gaming sessions. Even things like weight, aesthetics, and RGB lighting can be important to gamers. Here are our selections for some of the best gaming laptop deals available.
Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop
$679.99 $839.99 Save $160
The Acer Nitro 5 is an affordable, near-entry-level gaming laptop with a 10th-generation Intel Core i5-10300H CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 GPU. The laptop’s screen is a 15.6″ Full HD panel created with In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology, which makes it more color accurate than traditional VA panels. The display supports a refresh rate of up to 144 Hz. Other specifications include 8 gigabytes of DDR4 RAM and a 256-gigabyte, fast NVMe SSD. The keyboard is backlit and the connectivity options include both Wi-Fi 6 and Ethernet.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 Alan Walker Edition
$999.99 $1599.99 Save $600
This Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop is the Alan Walker Special Edition, created with DJ Alan Walker. The device itself is a regular, powerful Zephyrus G14 with AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS processor and Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU for proper gaming chops. The display on it is a 14-inch and WQHD resolution (2560 x 1440) panel that supports up to 120 Hz refresh rate. The laptop comes with 16 GB of DDR4 RAM and a one-terabyte SSD.
MSI Pulse GL66 Gaming Laptop
$1159.99 $1599.99 Save $440
The MSI Pulse GL66 is a high-performance laptop designed for gaming. It comes with a 12th-generation Intel processor, the Intel Core i7-12700H, and a higher mid-tier GPU, the Nvidia RTX 3070. To take advantage of the performance, the laptop is equipped with a 15.6-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) panel made with IPS technology for better color accuracy. The display supports a refresh rate of up to 144 Hz. The MSI Pulse GL66 comes with 16 GB of RAM, a fast 512 GB NVMe SSD, and an RGB-backlit keyboard.
ASUS ROG Flow Z13 Gaming Laptop
$1299.99 $1799.99 Save $500
The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is a hybrid gaming laptop and tablet. It comes with a tablet unit with a gaming-grade CPU and GPU, and a detachable RGB keyboard. Performance is ensured with a 12th-generation Intel Core i7-12700H CPU, ray-tracing-capable Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050, and 16 gigabytes of fast LPDDR5 RAM. The display has a compact 13.4″ panel with Full HD+ resolution (1920 x 1200) at a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz. The storage solution is a 512 GB PCIe SSD.
FAQ
Q: How affordable can a gaming laptop be?
There’s no set limit for how much a laptop has to cost to qualify as a gaming laptop. However, gaming laptops are often considered to have a gaming-grade GPU from AMD or Nvidia, and a high refresh rate screen. Usually, it is hard to find gaming laptops under $500, and they can more commonly go for $1000 or more.
Q: Can you play games on battery power?
Although gaming laptops are battery-powered like any other laptop, they are often more optimally used for gaming when plugged in. The high energy requirements of the powerful components mean that the laptops run out of power fast and depending on the laptop can throttle the performance if not plugged in.
Q: How much RAM is required for a gaming laptop?
A lot of RAM is not the most essential thing in a gaming laptop, but a minimum of 8 gigabytes is usually recommended. Some modern games require 16 gigabytes to run optimally, so it might be worth checking game requirements and whether the laptop supports upgrading RAM before purchasing.
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