Best Gaming Laptops You Need for Esports: Top Picks for Gamers

First, let's clarify the difference between standard and gaming laptops: unlike ordinary laptops, the best gaming laptops uk are all about power-packed gaming performance on the go. Whether you want to carry it on your couch or just want to free up your desk space, a gaming laptop packs PC-like power into a compact, portable footprint.  However, finding the right gaming laptop is a hassle as the market has choices with varying screen sizes, processors, graphics cards, resolutions, and prices. Some have new AI features baked in, others focus on portability with slimline designs, and some are geared towards fancy RGB lights, high refresh rate panels and, sometimes, even mechanical keyboards.  

There's a massive variety of machines available everywhere then, and we're sifting through all of them, benchmarking them in popular titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Sim Racing, and Borderlands 3 to find the very best of the bunch.  

For gamers looking for premium performance, the Razer Blade series offers unmatched speed and design. Check out our top picks for Razer Blade gaming laptops.

Below, we have curated a list of the best gaming laptops for eSports enthusiasts.  

ASUS ROG Strix Scar 16 (2023)

The ASUS ROG Strix Scar is the best gaming laptop ever. This thing of beauty ships with all the bells and whistles to handle anything you can throw at it without reaching the dizzying heights of other premium RTX 40-Series laptops. This is because ROG Strix Scar puts all its power where game fans want to see it: CPU performance, graphic fidelity, and cooling, all while packing RGB panels and a Mini LED screen.  

Let's look at the design of the laptop. The machine doesn't inspire most of us with its subtle finish. This laptop remains game-focused even with the option to turn off the RGB panel under the bottom lip. The see-through pattern on the main surface didn't win us over and contributed to the gamer's look. You will see a larger ROG logo and a bunch of etched diagonal lines along the chunky grill towards the back, eliminating it from the list of office laptops.  

We got our hands on the RTX 4080 setup with the Intel i9-13980HX processor. Even the Scar 16 outperformed the more extensive and pricier Razer Blade 18. These configurations promise solid gaming performance for at least the next five years, possibly longer if there aren't any major graphical evolutions in the game industry.  

Not to forget other impressive features like Mini LED screens' Nebula HDR' that deliver excellent vividity and balance, Dolby Atmos and a solid virtual surround system for immersive audio, and great RGB lightening to customise your gameplay.  

MSI Titan 18 HX

While MSI gaming laptops are often touted as the industry's most feature-rich and powerful contenders, the MSI Titan 18 HX stands head and shoulders above them all. This MSI laptop has everything a gamer might have dreamed of about a gaming laptop. The laptop comes with a price tag that is way out of reach for most people (fret not; we have listed cheaper options further down in this article). The selling points of MSI Titan 18 HX are its cutting-edge processors, high-end graphics, strong build, mechanical keyboard, 18-inch mini-LED screen, and responsive touchpad.  

As for the performance, the 14th-generation Intel Core i9 and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 GPU are powerful and well-suited for all kinds of games. The CPU-GPU power is backed by 128GB of RAM and 4TB of SSD storage, and you got a bang. You were looking for your buck.  

However, the magic didn't stop there. MSI has equipped the Titan 18 HX with a Cherry MX mechanical keyboard that offers a clicky and comfortable typing experience. Another standout feature is its 18-inch mini-LED display, which impressively covers 112.4% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut and achieves a brightness of 559 nits. This HDR display delivers breathtaking visuals for both games and movies.

Simply put, The 18 HX perfectly fulfilled MSI's approach to fit a desktop into a laptop form factor. It's designed for those who either lack space for a desktop setup or prefer the portability of a laptop.  

Acer Nitro 16

 

If you are searching for the best affordable midrange gaming laptop, the Acer Nitro should be your first choice. Midrange laptops typically cost one or two thousand pounds. The Acer Nitro 16 covers all the midrange configuration options for slightly more than the cost of the best budget gaming laptops. However, this slight price increase comes with many upgrades.  

The Acer Nitro laptops have been known for excellent build quality, performance, and low pricing to create a reasonable product. The Nitro 16 packs the entry-level power of an RTX 4050 and a Ryzen 5 7640HS. It gives you an outstanding 1080p game visual, especially credit for the 165Hz display, a brightness of 371 nits and 91% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut.

Still, there are some trade-offs about Acer Nitro 16, particularly with the more aggressive 'gamer' design, which could have benefitted from more innovation than following the same design trends of most gaming laptops over the past few years. The webcam is not exceptional, and the laptop is quite bulky, almost to the point where it could have served as a desktop replacement if it had some beefy specifications. Acer has put too much bloatware into the laptop, which would consume much of your time uninstalling.  

Nevertheless, if you are just beyond the 'budget' category for your next gaming laptop, the Nitro 16 is worth consideration.  

Lenovo Legion Pro 5i

Sometimes, you want to play your game at blazing-fast speeds while remaining smooth on graphics. The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i splits the difference with its 2560 x 1600 16-inch screen that allows quick-twitch esports. The display offers up to 165Hz refresh rate and a low response time, resulting in a clear image in fast-moving scenes.  

The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i has three processor flavours: AMD Ryzen 5, AMD Ryzen 7, and AMD Ryzen 9. All three are high-performance CPUs tailored for mobile workstations and gaming laptops. Not only gaming, but these Zen also 4-based chips can breeze through your productivity tasks and more intensive activities like video editing, programming, and rendering.  

On the graphics side, the laptop comes with any of the Nvidia 40 series flagships. The standout feature of Nvidia 40 series graphics is their exclusive feature called "Frame Generation", which uses AI to generate artificially generated frames for smoother gameplay.  

There's no thermal throttling on the CPU or GPU, so you won't lose in the mid-game session. The battery life lasts only about an hour when gaming, but on the positive side, it charges very quickly.

The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i supports up to 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD for fast read speed, which is excellent for gaming; plus, the storage is user-replaceable, and so is the RAM, up to 32 GB, which is pretty impressive.  

Razer Blade 15 

The Razer Blade poses a unique definition of a gaming laptop, taking the sleek aesthetic of a MacBook with the gaming power of a desktop. The laptop is beautifully designed with brushed black aluminium and has potent gaming hardware inside.

In terms of performance, the Razer Blade 15 features Raptor Lake 13th-generation processing chips and the 115W RTX 4070 GPU. The lack of a 14th-generation processor does not impact game performance, but the RTX 4070 gives you the added benefits of DLSS 3 and Frame Generation, taking your game experience to new heights.  

Regarding the screen, you get a QHD 240Hz panel with a native resolution of 2560 x 1440. Blade 15 does have a fairly sizable 'chin,' which refers to the large bezel along the bottom side of the panel. Some users might prefer the screen to be brighter, but it's undoubtedly responsive, and the 240Hz refresh rate makes it feel incredibly smooth. It's also sharp, with the 1440p resolution condensed into just 15 inches of screen space.

Despite minimal changes over the past few years, the Blade 15 remains the best gaming laptop. It offers several connectivity ports, including a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports, three USB 3.2 Type-A connections, a combined 3.5mm audio jack, and a full HDMI 2.1 output. 

Buying Guide: How to Choose the Best Gaming Laptop in 2024? 

Buying a gaming laptop is a big decision, and there are plenty of options to consider. You just do not look at the specs sheets. You are looking at a computer with a built-in speaker, screen, audio, and keyboard.  

If portability is a priority, consider slim and lightweight laptops that can still handle gaming with ease. Explore our recommendations for summer 2024.

Here, we will explain the key decisions you must make when buying a laptop for gamers, so you get the best value for your investment.  

Quick Shopping Tips 

CPU: Most of the games rely on CPU power, and this component is not upgradeable on laptops. Get a good CPU to ensure your laptop handles games at high settings for a few years.  

GPU: The graphics processing unit (GPU) is a gaming laptop's second most important component. Unlike most other components in a laptop, the GPU is difficult or impossible to upgrade; thus, selecting the appropriate one is critical.

RAM & Storage: Many, though not all, gaming laptops let you upgrade their RAM and storage. Get one with an upgrade feature, so you don't have to invest in a new machine if your needs evolve.

Keyboard:  When gaming, you don't want to play on a keyboard that feels mushy or stiff. That's why some of the top-of-the-line gaming laptops use mechanical keyboards. (i.e. our recommendations above)

Design: Portable laptops might be good for travel, but more powerful hardware should be your top priority if you buy a laptop to play at home.  

Which CPU should you get? 

A CPU or processor is integral to your laptop hardware, so it should be powerful enough to tackle everything you throw. Depending on how much you have in your wallet, you had better go with a Core i7 CPU or even one that can be optimised for a maximum performance boost, like Intel Core i9-13900HK. However, if you plan to play on moderate settings and are limited on budget, you can get by with a Core i5 processor.

Which GPU will be suitable? 

While some games rely heavily on the CPU, most are still GPU-bound, so choosing GPU is also  necessary. Currently, most gaming notebooks come equipped with Nvidia GeForce RTX GPUs. The latest additions to Nvidia's graphics card lineup are the RTX 40-series cards, such as the RTX 4050 and the RTX 4090. On the AMD side, good choices are the Radeon RX 7000M and 7000S series, the primary difference being power limits.  

Here is what you should choose as per your gaming needs:

Entry-level gaming: If you don't need to play on the highest settings, choose RTX 4050 or an older AMD Radeon.  

Mainstream gaming: An RTX 4060 will give you more power to play games on high settings, but the RTX 4070 is a more meaningful option.  

High-end gaming: An RTX 4070 will let you play almost any game on high settings, while the RTX 4080 or RTX 4090 are the most powerful 40-series cards available, providing smoother VR performance and enhanced special effects.

What about RAM and Storage? 

While the CPU and GPU are paramount, you also want to look for good RAM and spacious storage.

RAM: Gaming can be RAM-hungry, and 16GB should be the sweet spot for a gaming laptop. If you can't get your laptop with 16GB of RAM, consider an upgradeable laptop so you can upgrade the RAM in the near future.

Storage: Deciding between a hard drive or an SSD? Why can't you choose both? While some budget gaming laptops come with just a single hard drive (typically 1TB), most laptops also include a small SSD for faster boot times. You can easily find a configuration of 128GB SSD and a 1TB HDD.  

 What to look for in a display? 

The correct display can make a difference. Below are some factors to consider other than just screen size.

Resolution: The higher the resolution, the better the image will appear on the screen. Most advanced gaming laptops come with 1440p or 4K screens, but the hardware needed to power games at these resolutions may be expensive.  

Refresh Rate: A higher refresh rate display can make on-screen action appear smoother. Many gaming laptops feature refresh rates of 120Hz, 144Hz, or even higher. Choose any of them according to your GPU type and budget. 

Screen Size: Gaming laptops now include diverse screen sizes ranging from 13, 15, and 17-inch. What size you like depends on your preference, but remember that the larger the screen, the bulkier and bigger the laptop.  

What should you consider for the keyboard? 

You will get chiclet keys with LED backlighting if you get an entry-level gaming laptop. However, here is what you should consider:  

Key travel: This is the maximum depth to which a key can be pressed. Typically, we suggest keys with more than 1.5 millimetres of key travel, and hitting 2mm is preferable. This helps prevent "bottoming out" when you hit the keyboard's frame.  

Anti-ghosting and n-key rollover: These two features will improve your gaming performance. Anti-ghosting ensures that all inputs are registered when you hit numerous keys to build combos or do multiple actions. Furthermore, n-key rollover implies that each key is independent of the others, ensuring each keypress is registered regardless of which keys are hit.

Backlighting: While most cheap gaming laptops have backlighting, it is usually limited to red or white. The most excellent keyboards have RGB backlighting that can be configured. Some keyboards employ zone illumination, which allows you to adjust specific portions of the keyboard, while others will enable you to customise each key separately. Some modern keyboards even allow you to personalise the lighting effects according to your game.

Final Remarks 

Gaming laptops have become immensely popular due to their performance, versatility, and portability. From power-packed machines that can handle the latest AAA titles to more budget-friendly options that still deliver a solid gaming experience, there is something for every kind of gamer.  

You can choose from our top picks for the best gaming laptops in 2024, including ASUS ROG Strix Scar 16, MSI Titan 18 HX, Acer Nitro 16, Lenovo Legion Pro 5i, and Razer Blade 15 or follow our buying guide to find the one that matches with your preferences.  

University students who are also avid gamers may need a versatile laptop that balances gaming and academic needs. Discover the best laptops for university students in 2024/2025.

Lastly, when buying a gaming laptop, get one that aligns with your needs and lasts you for a few years. It's not just about comparing one gaming laptop's features or hardware to another. It's more about how you plan to use it and finding the device with everything you want.

Best of Luck!