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Best Gaming Laptops (2026): Razer, Asus, Dell, and More
I've been testing gaming laptops for more than a decade, and I've observed an evolution of sorts during those years. Gaming laptops were once expensive, thick, and altogether impractical—not to mention pathetic in performance compared to a desktop PC. In almost all cases, it just made more sense to buy or build a desktop.
Now, not only is a gaming laptop a solid alternative to a gaming tower, but it isn’t much larger than its non-gaming laptop cousins. To serve you the very best options for your specific gaming needs, I've reviewed more than a dozen models in the past year, including budget-friendly options and decked-out powerhouses.
If one of the options below doesn't work for you, check out my comprehensive guide to How to Buy a Gaming Laptop for more information.
Updated August 2026: I've added the Alienware 15 and Lenovo LOQ 15 Essential Gen 11 as alternative budget options to buy. I’ve also confirmed links and ensured up-to-date prices throughout.
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The PC gaming aesthetic of the past was loud and in your face—blaring lights, harsh angles, and oversize vents. These days, it's all about embracing a clean, modern style. Thinner and less chunky is ideal, as is a subtler approach to RGB and branding. The Razer Blade has always been a proponent of that new generation of PC gaming, and the Blade 16 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) embodies that aesthetic best. Aside from the green-snaked logo on the lid, a slim few elements here scream “gamer.”
There's a reason many regard the Razer Blade line as the MacBook of gaming laptops (complimentary): It sports a machined aluminum construction, thin bezels, very few vents, and simple straight edges. In 2025, the Blade 16 came out with an even slimmer profile, despite its ability to range up to an RTX 5090, which is the most powerful laptop graphics card right now. It's really expensive, though, and currently only available through Razer.com.
If you like the design but want something cheaper and more accessible, the smaller Razer Blade 14 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is also impressive. Your GPU options with the 14-inch model are only between the RTX 5060 and RTX 5070, but you'll be surprised by its strong performance, nonetheless. The Blade 14's compact nature makes it the better choice if you're planning to bring it around campus or on work trips.
For years, the Razer Blade laptops were alone in their pursuit of being the ultimate minimalist gaming laptop. Then, Asus came around with its ROG Zephyrus G14 and G16. Once relegated as cheaper knockoffs of the Blades, they've evolved into unique devices that are every bit as premium as Razer's laptops (and now they also cost about the same). They're just as thin, powerful, and all-around high-end. Like the Blades, the G14 and G16 both use a high-resolution OLED display.
Another class of high-end gaming laptops focuses more on performance than on being thin or portable. The Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of my favorites in this category, featuring a beautiful white chassis, glossy OLED display, and either RTX 5070 Ti or RTX 5080 for graphics. Unlike some OLED displays, the Legion 7i's screen can crank up to more than 1,000 nits of brightness. The result is some really splendid HDR performance that brings games to life.