best-gaming-laptops-2018
Making a list of best gaming laptops 2018 is a tricky task for sure. The cost vs. quality argument is the first thing you deal with. Nevertheless, the specs should be your top priority, ideally.
GraphicsRAM & ProcessorPower EfficiencyDisplayStorageAudioBattery
The graphics processor is what matters in gaming laptops. It is the component, which determines whether the game loads at 6 or 60 frames per second. A gaming laptop is all about the fast loading graphics.
It’s safe to say that only a great graphics processor would justify the billing.
A few more components must be present to compliment even the mightiest graphics processor.
NVidia 900 series and to an extent, the 800 series has managed to create a similar impact in the graphic processor market.
The gaming laptops also come with few hiccups and limitations, which you must be aware of. So, let’s have a look at few of the limitations.
- First and foremost, the Heat issues. Professional Gaming laptops accomplish each and every task with full potential which results in the great amount of heat.
- Battery life is also a headache when it comes to gaming machines. Most of the manufacturers are messing with battery life and still there is no any laptop with a great battery backup. The average battery backup from a gaming laptop is 4-5 hours maximum.
- Weight! Ohh, trust me weight sucks! They are so heavy and aren’t that much portable. The average weight is 7-8 pounds.
- Gaming laptops are very expensive. You must have a good amount of money if you are on a hunt for the best laptop for gaming.
1. ASUS RoG G751JY – Best Gaming Laptop 2018
Key Specifications
- CPU: Intel Core i7-7820HK
- RAM: 16 GB
- Display size: 17.3″
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA GTX 1070 8GB
- Wi-Fi: 802.11ac
- Weight: 9.5 pounds
Like any annual upgrade to a model, there hasn’t been a revolution. However, the killer specs always make this model exciting. The bonuses are more stylish looks and incredible bump in performance.
The hype around this model has been huge and it had lived up to it. Almost 0 latency rate resulting in smooth graphics, thanks largely to NVidia’s G-Sync technology, makes G751JY, gamer’s favorite.
High 60’s fps at high settings makes G751JY fast, but not the fastest. In similar settings, Dominator Pro or even Alienware 17 would give you 70-80 fps.
It’s fair to say NVidia G-Sync technology has bolstered the performance with some serious graphics. The serious graphical power is nice to have alongside breathtaking good looks. Lightning fast transfer speeds plus terrific display make it a whole lot better.
Bottom Line: ASUS RoG G751JY is worth the hype and big budget.
Pros
- Sleek and sexy design
- Graphics is way too good
- Lightning fast transfer speeds
- Super quiet gaming experience
- Backed up by powerful performance
Cons
- Doesn’t feel light for a portable device
- Misses out on 5th gen core CPU
2. Alienware 13
Key Specifications
- CPU: 6th Gen i7 processor
- RAM: 16 GB
- Display size: 13.3-inch FHD
- Touchpad size: 4.27″x2.67″
- Native Resolution: 1920×1080
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 960M, 2GB GDDR5
- Wi-Fi: Killer 1535 802.11ac 2×2 WiFi
- Weight: 4.5 pounds
Baby faced assassin would be the right expletive to describe Alienware 13. The cutest outlook may mask the raging beast that lies beneath.
Like Alienware 17, Alienware 13 also features a backlit keyboard that lies between the bright power button and giant touchpad. Alienware command center adds a novice dimension to gaming. It improves personalization and customization to its finest.
You wouldn’t be wrong to call Alienware as mutants within the gaming laptop market. Alienware 13 also managed to combine the best of portability and performance. Long battery life and superior display resolution are nice bonuses to have. Pair it with a gaming amplifier to get yourself an official gaming beast.
Bottom Line: Alienware 13 pioneers gaming laptops in direction of making versatile devices.
Pros
- Offers powerful components to achieve doable gaming
- GeForce GTX 860M runs each game with befitting frame rates
- It’s small, light and portable
- Multiple ports allow connecting good number of peripherals
Cons
- Small screen can be a hindrance to gaming experience
- Its built strictly for gaming purpose only
3. MSI GT80 Titan SLI
Key Specifications
- CPU: Intel Core i7-4720HQ, 2.6GHz
- RAM: 16 GB
- Display size: 18.4″
- Storage type: HDD, SSD
- Native resolution: 1920×1080
- Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 980M
- Wi-Fi: 802.11ac
- Weight: 9.9 pounds
The design of this beast would look similar to none. Such a design manages to accommodate loads of hardware and cooling facilities. 18.4″ display should speak volumes about how much of a desk space needs to be spared.
The extra room created in parallel at keyboard area makes up for an all-purpose touchpad. The touchpad doubles up as a numeric pad when required.
When speaking notebooks, you might not come across GT80 level specs that often. The heavy configuration comes at a cost. It adds up to huge size which can’t be moved around easily. It may not even fit a standard laptop bag. Barring all the negatives, the model is still a hard-sell on the basis of performance alone.
Bottom Line: GT80 is the like for like replacement for your desktop.
Pros
- Inspiring design coupled with elegant looks
- Mechanical keyboards feels great on your fingers
- Strong display with ample brightness
- Touchpad turns into number pad
Cons
- Speakers and audio options isn’t extraordinary
- Battery life could have been made better
4. Razer Blade 14
Key Specifications
- CPU: Intel Core i7-4720HQ
- RAM: 8GB DDR3L
- Display size: 18.4″
- Storage: 256GB SSD
- Native resolution: 1920×1080
- Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 970M
- Wi-Fi: Killer Wireless-AC 1535
- Weight: 4.25 pounds
- High Performance
- Ultra Portability
- Great overall quality
You may now be wondering what the catch is. What else could it be other than its high price? Even after shelling out a few grand, you would still be hoping the model plays next year games well. The newest Razer Blade got a lot lighter and more colorful. Strong specs are going to tempt your wallet to death.
Hyper-threading processor and competitive processor speed are the irresistible features of Razer Blade 14. Improved fan design is the vital minor adjustment, which would make things cooler. Being cheaper than last year’s model while bettering the performance, this is the most sensible upgrade.
Bottom Line: If you can afford Razer Blade 14 now, you are in luck.
Pros
- Packs some powerful performance
- One of the best for its budget
- Greatest for typing work as well as traveling
Cons
- Loud fan noise disturbs gaming appeal
- Minimalistic outer design doesn’t look appealing either
- Ethernet card and Memory card reader are missing out
5. Lenovo Z70
Key Specifications
- CPU: Core i7 processor, 2.2 GHz
- RAM: 16GB DDR3L SDRAM
- Display size: 17.3″
- Native resolution: 1920x1080p
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GT840M 2GB
- Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/c
- Weight: 6.6 pounds
Lack of touch feature makes this model unable to cash out on its large screen size. Portability isn’t its strong suit considering the screen size of 17″ and weight of 6.6 pounds. Lenovo hasn’t come up with aggressive pricing on this product either. Summing it up, the Z70 is relatively mediocre at the top 10 gaming laptops 2018 list. Amongst the best features is its astronomical performance. It can be bettered by turbo boosting processor to 2.7 GHz.
Lenovo Z70 is as flashy as it is expensive. The full HD screen is definitely going to appeal to the multimedia masses. Missing out on the backlit keyboard can hardly be justified for the price. For no reasons, you should overlook this model. However, this isn’t really special in any aspect.
Bottom Line: Strong performance singlehandedly puts Z70 in the list of best gaming laptops 2018.
Pros
- Large FHD Display to enhance gaming experience
- Core i7 processor and extraordinary system memory
- Audio is amazing with JBL speakers and subwoofers
Cons
- Absence of backlit keyboard kills the fun
- Typical occurrence of battery life issues
7. MSI GE62 Apache Pro-004
Key Specifications
- CPU: Core i7 6700HQ, 2.6GHz
- RAM: 16GB
- Display size: 15.6″
- Native Resolution: 1920×1080
- Graphics Card: NVidia Geforce
- Graphics Card Ram: 2GB
- Memory Speed: 2133 MHz
- Weight: 5.3 pounds
This model is definitely future proof at this price range. Mid-range high-end gaming laptops don’t pack these many features often. The configuration feels adequately done for its price. Even high graphic activity doesn’t seem to disturb the smooth running of this machine. Built quality may be the major complaint from the gaming universe. Trackpad quality isn’t worthy of a mention too.
With a minimalistic design, this isn’t a drool-worthy product. Nevertheless, it didn’t fail at ticking all the critical boxes. Gamers, as well as programmers, wouldn’t have too many complaints with this gaming workhorse. This super-fast computer serves adequately in all aspects, barring its plastic body. It feels a lot lighter and is one of the ultra-portable gaming laptops in the market.
Bottom Line: As a mid-range laptop this MSI model is recommendable.
Pros
- Runs smoothly with appreciable latency rate
- Backlit keyboard is extremely customizable
- Both the SSD and HDD drives are quick to respond
Cons
- Build quality is a concern
- Overly minimalistic settings result in feeble BIOS
- Trackpad is an eyesore too
8. Dell Inspiron i7559
Key Specifications
- CPU: Core i7 6700HQ, 2.6 GHz
- RAM: 16 GB DDR3L
- Display size: 15.6″
- Native resolution: 3480×2160
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M 4GB GDDR5
- Wi-Fi: 802.11 A/c
- Weight: 4.6 pounds
The speed lost with massive HDD in this Inspiron is recovered by speedy SSD. Such is how smart Dell works about its products. Games played on this screen are plain eye candy. Ultra HD resolution takes care of offering you the outward experience.
Raw performance is why you cannot take out this model from the top 10 list. From HDD plus SSD combo to Ultra HD resolution, everything about this laptop is mind blowing. This notebook effortlessly handles everything you throw at it.
Bottom Line: If the expensive billing doesn’t hurt you, this dell is a compelling buy.
Pros
- Screen resolution makes it a compelling purchase
- Its light weight design makes it super portable
- 16 GB memory proves adequate for high performance gaming
Cons
- Each and every component is expensive to replace
- The HDD is slow, but less felt when combined with faster 128 GB SSD
9. Acer Predator 17
Key Specifications
- CPU: Core i7 6700HQ, 2.6 GHz
- RAM: 16 GB
- Display size: 17.3″
- Native resolution: 1920 x 1080
- Graphics Card: NVidia Geforce
- Wi-Fi: 802.11ac
- Weight: 8.7 pounds
Consider Acer Predator must be considered an investment, especially when you are intimidated by its high asking price. The design has been striking, thanks to the red and black color scheme. The gigantic predator logo confirms the fact, the laptop has some attitude.
At low, Predator can achieve up to 160 fps. At high settings again, an extraordinary 80 fps can be achieved. The 16 GB RAM should raise your expectations about performance. The display has a plethora of colors, but the upper limit of just 1080p is concerning. Four speakers and two subwoofers take care of the audio.
The touchpad and keypad have upped the ante as well. Predator 17 doesn’t produce scorching heat even after long hours of high-performance gaming.
It may cost a fortune. But it offers some unique advantages in the price range, such as longer battery life. Though it is not exactly the portable type, its bulky design isn’t a letdown too.
Bottom Line: The model is definitely worth the premium paid.
Pros
- Striking looks go a long way
- Provides that additional hours of battery life
- Proves excellent on software side
- Every feature is backed with strong performance
Cons
- Resolution is limited to 1080p
- Absence of NVidia G-Sync is immensely felt
10. GIGABYTE P37Xv5-SL4K1
Key Specifications
- CPU: Core i7 6700HQ, 2.6GHz
- RAM: 8 GB
- Display size: 17.3″
- Maximum resolution: 3480
- Graphics Card: GTX980M
- Wi-Fi: 802.11 A/C
- Weight: 10.6 pounds
At 10 pounds you can describe the gaming notebook as chunky at best. It is not exactly the portable type. 8GB of video memory comes as a relief in this, otherwise lackluster configuration. For the fact, those minor victories are the reason why the laptop has made it to the top ten, this year.
The 17″ screen beats every 14″ and 15″ when it comes to hardcore gaming. Keyboard highlights don’t impress too much with too many meaningless highlights.
The first turn off with this gaming device is the noisy fan. You got to trust us, these fans can come between you and gaming enjoyment. Had it not for this, the hardware is just perfect to create awesome gaming experience. Moreover, the upper limit of 30fps doesn’t do much justice for a gaming laptop. The performance again struggles at low fan speeds, making it the least desirable of the top 10 gaming laptops 2018.
Bottom Line: Barring the noisy fan, everything from performance to build is doable.
Pros
- Features solid built
- Appreciable battery life for a gaming laptop
- Surely some serious performance
Cons
- Bad fan design proves noisy
- Bog standard trackpad
- GPU is limited during low fan speeds
You might also be interested in the other gaming beasts, must have a look at the lists below:
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