The Razer Blade 16 is one of our go-to laptops, thanks to its powerful RTX 4070 graphics processor which can take care of most modern games with ease. Plus, its stunning OLED display looks beautiful while the massive trackpad makes navigating easily a breeze!

However, for playing AAA titles efficiently you will likely need to make concessions in terms of visual quality – so the MSI Thin GF63 may be your better bet.

1. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14

Asus’ G14 Zephyrus gaming laptop with OLED display marks its debut attempt at small gaming notebooks featuring OLED technology, and it performs admirably. Boasting an eye-catching programmable LED on its cover and impressive benchmark scores, this machine makes an excellent option for budget gamers who wish to game while on-the-go.

With its premium aluminum chassis and sleek aesthetic, the G14 feels expensive and sturdy. Our HandBrake test showed it decoding a 30GB MKV file in less than 905 seconds with minimal thermal throttling; and in 3DMark TimeSpy 1.2 graphics-based benchmark tests it averaged 133 frames per second during both Rise of Tomb Raider and Shadow of the Tomb Raider games, surpassing results seen with larger 16-inch designs like Alienware M16 R2.

Asus provides various software apps to optimize CPU, GPU and fan performance on their G14 notebook computer. Game Visual lets you adjust display color while Armoury Crate and MyAsus provide system diagnostics and hardware checks on this model. Connectivity options are extensive: HDMI 2.1 FRL; USB 3.2 Gen 2 with Power Delivery/DisplayPort Alt mode capabilities; as well as 3.5mm combo audio jack on its left side for audio output and playback.

2. Gigabyte Aorus 17X

Unboxing this 17-inch gaming powerhouse from Gigabyte feels like taking the wrapper off a chocolate bar: this portable dream machine delivers unrivaled graphics and CPU performance currently available on any laptop.

You can configure this model with either of Gigabyte’s RTX 2080 Super or 2070 Super graphics cards; Intel Core i9-10980HK, i7-10875H or i7-10750H processors; up to 64GB upgradeable RAM; two SSDs can also be included for maximum audio fidelity! And don’t forget Dolby Atmos; make gaming and movies an experience to remember!

The 17X may not sport a 1440p display, but its Pantone-certified 240Hz panel makes up for it with beautiful 1080p images that rival any 1440p laptop today. It can play Total War: Three Kingdoms and Metro Exodus on ultra settings without issue, though it did fall behind the Zephyrus Duo in our performance tests. Furthermore, two huge power adapters must be purchased separately when fully loaded; weight exceeds eight pounds when fully laden; USB-C devices cause severe throttling that reduces CPU and GPU performance to nearly unusable levels if used alongside it!

3. Razer Blade Stealth 13

Razer’s Blade Stealth 13 ($1,699 reviewed, starting price of $1,599) marks an important development in its mobile professional portfolio: this ultraportable is the first ultraportable to feature an discrete graphics card – no small feat considering that its thin body already competes against ultraportables like Dell XPS 13, MSI Prestige 14 and HP Spectre x360 13.

The Blade Stealth features an Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU that’s been tuned down to save power, but still managed 5,800 points on Geekbench and 1653 points in Cinebench. Furthermore, there’s also a 512GB PCIe SSD installed and a 1920 x 1080, 144Hz non-touch panel for ultimate convenience.

Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q GPU may not be the most powerful, but it should more than suffice for older games and light eSports titles. Any compromises might be worth making for portability and battery life – for example, an AMD chip might prove more beneficial; such as when Rise of the Tomb Raider takes place. Asus Zephyrus G14’s RTX 2060 easily outshines Blade Stealth graphics in Rise of Tomb Raider gameplay while being significantly thicker and heavier.

4. MSI Thin GF63

MSI Thin GF63 offers impressive performance and power thanks to an Intel core i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, along with lightning-fast NVMe SSD load times and its Cooler Boost 5 system that ensures cool performance during long gaming sessions without throttleing or slowing down performance.

This gaming laptop may not be the slimmest or sexiest out there; with thicker top and bottom display bezels than are currently fashionable, but still manages to look attractive with its glossy black finish and subtle red accents. Plus it is lighter and more portable than many rivals too!

Although the GF63’s Core i5 processor from an earlier generation cannot hyper-thread, it still performs very well on benchmarks such as Geekbench 5. While modern games at high settings won’t hit 60 frames per second with this machine, you may be able to adjust texture details in order to increase comfortably frame rates. Though only 8GB RAM comes standard on board, you can easily double that using an open DIMM slot.

5. Acer Nitro V 15

Acer’s Nitro V 15 may not have an eye-catching design, but it looks fine under proper lighting and offers competitive pricing for gaming laptops. Unfortunately, however, its noise under load and poorly tuned fan makes it impossible to use custom fan curve software (NitroSense). Furthermore, its display has only average colors due to the limited color gamut limiting video editing work; but its 144Hz refresh rate provides smooth movement and sharp detail.

Acer’s RTX 4050 GPU powers this laptop and keeps games running at an acceptable frame rate. A 13th Gen Intel Core i5 processor offers enough power for both gaming and productivity needs, while Gen4 top-speed PCIe NVMe SSDs and DDR5 RAM ensure everything moves at lightning speed. Unfortunately, McAfee Antivirus and ExpressVPN come preinstalled. Serviceability remains satisfactory: its bottom cover is secured using eleven case screws while an M.2 slot offers potential upgrades down the line.