The best gaming laptops
With so many impressive portables, choosing the best gaming laptop overall is no easy feat. That said, we choose the Alienware m15 for the excellent price-to-performance ratio it offers.
When it comes to gaming PCs, the most expensive or beefiest ones aren't necessarily going to be the most ideal options for every user, even if money is of no concern. There are other factors to consider as well: aesthetic, build quality, and display are just some of those. It's why we've picked the Alienware m15 as our best gaming laptop overall.
Alienware's "thinnest 15-inch laptop ever" offers that near-perfect balance of features you could ever want in a gaming laptop, starting with some pretty powerful hardware under the hood. With up to octa-core, 9th-generation Intel Core processors (CPUs) and Nvidia's best GTX and RTX graphics card (GPUs) for gaming, paired with up to 16GB of memory (RAM), it certainly touts internals that are ideal for more than just casual gaming.
Yet, Alienware doesn't stop there. It has also fitted the m15 with a stunning 1080p display that you can upgrade to an impeccable 4K screen, a keyboard that's comfortable to use with anti-ghosting and N-key rollover technology, and plenty of ports. If you have cash to spare, you can even opt to add Alienware's Cryo-Tech cooling v3.0 to keep the laptop extremely cool and prevent thermal throttling. And, did we mention this laptop is VR-ready?
All of that in a 15-inch gaming laptop that's less than an inch thick at its thickest point sounds almost impossible, but here it is. To round it all out, this laptop swaggers with a sturdy magnesium alloy construction and a smart, "2001: A Space Odyssey" inspired aesthetic.
Still, the best part of the Alienware m15 is its price tag. It isn't exactly the cheapest gaming laptop out there, but it does ring in at $1,349.99 for the base model. This is more than reasonable for a laptop of its caliber.
Pros: Powerful specs even in its base model, vast port selection, keyboard is a pleasure to use, gorgeous screen, classy gaming aesthetic, durable chassis, thin for a powerful gaming laptop, just right 15-inch size, affordable price
Cons: Might not be for the budget-minded, pay more for the 4K display and other extra features
$1,349.99 from Dell