00:00Looking for the best gaming laptop? I've rounded up five of my favorites, whether you're looking
00:04for a desktop replacement, the best bang for your buck, or even a laptop that you can upgrade
00:08for years to come. And if you're not even sure where to start, hopefully this video will help
00:13you out. And to make things even easier, I've linked all the best deals for these gaming
00:17laptops below. Let's kick things off with our best overall gaming laptop, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus
00:23G14. The ASUS ROG G14 combines portability and performance in a minimalist design that I happen
00:31to love. Honestly, it's hard to tell this is even a gaming laptop. It has all the qualities of a
00:37premium ultrabook with a gorgeous 2.8K 120Hz OLED display with a very solid MacBook Pro-esque
00:44aluminum body, tactile keyboard, and a glass touchpad that feels great. But it's what's inside
00:51that counts, right? Well, here we have an AMD Ryzen A9 HX370 with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080.
01:00The Zephyrus G14 is as much of a creator and prosumer machine as it is a gaming laptop. With
01:06DLSS 4 enabled, we saw games like Cyberpunk 2077 running at over 140 frames per second at max settings,
01:14which is wild for a device this thin and light. Pricing starts at $1,800 for the less powerful RTX
01:20RTX 5060 version. But if you want to spec this all the way up to the RTX 5080 monster that we have
01:25here, it'll set you back over $3,000. If you're looking for the best gaming laptop that won't
01:32break the bank, we're talking under $1,000. You got to check out the MSI Cyborg 15. The MSI Cyborg 15
01:38can be configured with up to an NVIDIA RTX 5070, but it's actually the RTX 5060 model that we have here,
01:45which I think makes for a great mid-range laptop. It can play most of your AAA games at 1080p at medium
01:51to high settings and get at least 60 frames per second. For less demanding games, or if you don't
01:57mind dropping your settings a bit, this does have a 15.6 inch full HD 144Hz IPS display for that faster
02:04action. I think this is actually one of the better looking budget gaming laptops with a semi-transparent
02:09chassis and that four-zone RGB keyboard with highlighted WASD keys. You also get a great
02:15selection of ports, including full-size HDMI 2.1, USB, Type-A, and even Ethernet. Finding a solid
02:22budget gaming laptop does come with a few compromises, including being a little bit chunky. But if you're
02:27mainly looking for the best laptop performance for under $1,000, the MSI Cyborg 15 will not let you down.
02:34If you want a gaming laptop that's powerful enough to take the place of your desktop PC,
02:40then check out the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 18. It's ridiculously powerful, has an incredible screen,
02:47and nails the details. With an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and up to an RTX 1590 that can hit 175 watts,
02:56this beast pushes ludicrous frame rates to its 18-inch 240Hz mini LED display. With maxed out settings and
03:04DLSS turned on, you can easily hit over 150 frames per second in titles like Cyberpunk 2077. This is
03:10also a really solid choice for video editing, 3D modeling, and other creative workflows, especially
03:15with its Pantone-validated color-accurate screen. For added flare, the back lid has AniMe Vision,
03:21which sports 810 LEDs that let you show off pre-made animations, upload GIFs, or even create your own
03:27custom image. Unsurprisingly, this 18-inch laptop with all these specs is going to be hefty,
03:32battery-hungry, and expensive. This weighs 7.3 pounds, with pricing starting at just over $2,000
03:38and growing fast when you reach higher configurations. But if you really want
03:43uncompromised performance in a laptop, it is hard to beat the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 18.
03:50Not every laptop has to be heavy or screen gaming. If you're like me and prefer thin and light gaming
03:56laptops and still want plenty of oomph, you're going to love the HP Omen Transcend 14. This could
04:02probably pass as a business ultrabook, but it's actually hiding really solid, portable 14-inch
04:08gaming laptop specs and weighs just three and a half pounds. Every model comes equipped with a
04:13beautiful 3K 120Hz OLED display, which may seem a bit overkill for gaming. But as this also doubles
04:20as an excellent productivity machine that you can take to the office without anyone batting an eye,
04:24this extra resolution is appreciated. It can be configured with either an Intel Core Ultra 7 or
04:30Ultra 9 processor and RTX 5050, 5060, or 5070 graphics card. Personally, I think the Ultra 7 RTX 5060
04:38model is the sweet spot. Starting around $1,800, this is not cheap, but when it hits one of its
04:45frequent sales, the HP Omen Transcend is one of the more affordable thin and light gaming laptops
04:50for its specs. It's even better that HP is always running great deals, so be sure to keep an eye out.
04:55Finally, we've got one of the most unique laptops that I've ever tested. This is the Framework Laptop
05:0316. Gaming laptops aren't usually known for their upgradability or repairability, but the Framework
05:0816 is looking to change that. The Framework 16 is a gaming laptop that you can actually build
05:14yourself. Pricing starts at $1,400 for their DIY 16-inch model or $1,700 for their entry pre-built.
05:20These laptops use a highly customizable chassis and series of components that let you swap everything
05:26out from the graphics card, the number pad, and even the USB ports. This makes the laptop incredibly
05:33customizable. You don't like the trackpad in the center? Slide it over. Need more USB-C ports? Just
05:39swap out an expansion port. You can even drop in a different numpad or screen bezel. Internally,
05:45you can also upgrade or switch out the main board and CPU, your RAM and storage, and even the GPU,
05:51which at the time of this video supports up to an RTX 5070. Down the road, if you ever need to upgrade
05:56or repair a component, you can just swap out that part instead of needing an entirely new laptop. The
06:02Framework 16 will definitely require a little technical know-how, but there are plenty of easy-to-follow
06:08guides for the gamers who want total control over their machine or who want more of that traditional
06:13gaming PC experience. The Framework Laptop 16 is a phenomenal choice. If you've made it this far
06:19into the video and you're feeling a little sticker shock about why gaming laptops are so expensive,
06:24you are not alone. The short answer, you're paying for that higher-end performance in a portable design,
06:30and miniaturization usually costs money. These laptops need top-tier graphics cards, higher refresh
06:35rate displays, and serious cooling systems for a positive gaming experience. And that's before getting
06:41into the sleek designs and RGB effects that gamers always seem to appreciate. If that sounds like
06:46overkill, there's good news. You can still get a fast, reliable laptop for under a grand. Check out
06:52our Best Budget Laptops video here on the channel for some solid picks. There's also a good chance if
06:57you're subscribed to our channel that you've already caught some of my other gaming videos. You know,
07:01we talk a lot about gaming handhelds around here. So before you decide on your next gaming laptop,
07:07it's worth considering if a gaming handheld might make more sense. While handhelds aren't as powerful
07:12as these gaming laptops, they are much more portable and still offer excellent performance at low to
07:18medium settings in a lot of AAA games. If you're after portability and want to stick to a budget of
07:23around $1,000 or less, these handhelds can be a great way to play your favorite games on the go.
07:29Gaming laptops are still going to be the better choice if you need that laptop form factor for your
07:33other work. But take it from me, someone who has used their gaming handheld as a PC desktop
07:39replacement for over a year, you'll be surprised by how well these work, especially when connected to
07:43an external monitor and your peripherals. And here's another thing, whether you're working with
07:48a tighter budget, which limits your GPU selection, or you think handhelds are the way to go, it doesn't
07:53mean that you're stuck with less powerful hardware. Cloud gaming has come a really long way,
07:58and Nvidia GeForce now can deliver up to RTX 5080 desktop level performance for the games that you
08:04own on practically any device, so long as you have a really fast internet connection. So it's worth
08:10checking that out. There are a lot of great gaming laptops to choose from, but I don't think you'll be
08:15disappointed with any of these picks. Check out the best deals for them linked below. Let me know
08:20which one you're eyeing, or if you think there are any that I should try out for next time. If this video
08:24helped you out, make sure to subscribe for more buying guides, and you can follow me to see what other
08:28cool tech I'm reviewing. And until the next one, I'll catch you later.
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