That's certainly enough power for most games and creative apps. The entry-level model starts at $1,699 with an RTX 3060 GPU and 144Hz 1080p display. While you'll pay a bit more for the Blade 15 compared to some other models, you've still got a few different price points to work with. If money is no object, you can equip the Blade 15 with Intel's latest 11th-gen processors, NVIDIA's powerful RTX 3080 and either a 240Hz QHD or 360Hz HD screen. Razer's Blade 15 features a sleek and sturdy metal case, an impressively understated design (unless you really kick up those RGB keyboard lights), and just about all the power you'd want in a portable gaming powerhouse. Best midrange for most people: ASUS Zephyrus G15įor years, Razer has staked a reputation for building gaming laptops that look as good as MacBooks. Also, if you're not into LED lights and other gamer-centric bling, keep an eye out for more understated models (or make sure you know how to turn those lights off). Today's gaming notebooks are still far lighter than older models, though, so at least you won't be lugging around a 10-pound brick. Those typically weigh in around 4.5 pounds, which is a significantly more than three-pound ultraportables. For the most part, we'd recommend 15-inch models to get the best balance of size and price. The one big downside to choosing a gaming notebook is portability. Those components are both typically hard to upgrade down the line. My general advice for any new workhorse machine: Get at least 16GB of RAM and the largest solid state drive you can find. While you can find decent GPUs on some productivity laptops, like Dell's XPS 15, you can sometimes find better deals on gaming laptops. Video editing and 3D rendering programs can also tap into their GPUs to handle especially demanding tasks. Their big promise is powerful graphics performance, which isn't just limited to games. Are gaming laptops good for college?Īs stated above, gaming laptops are especially helpful if you're doing any demanding work. In this piece, you'll find a few selections specifically geared towards school use. You can find some general advice on choosing gaming laptops in our guide.

They're particularly useful for students because their beefy hardware could be helpful for rendering video and doing any other schoolwork that would make super-thin ultraportables sweat. Gaming notebooks are lighter, more powerful and cheaper than ever before. There's never been a better time to be a PC gamer, especially when it comes to laptops.

Laptop deals for college students 2016