The very same RTX 5080 configuration I've just spent the last two weeks testing has dropped its price from $3,29🧔9.99 to this week, for a massive discount and a parti༺cularly tasty final price. It's going to be tough to find a rig of this caliber (that will run at its full 175W TGP) for that price particularly often.

While it has b𝓰een $200 cheaper in the past, that was during a brief flash sale when the 16-inch gaming laptop first launched. The MSRP was set slightly lower during that promotional period, which means I'm not expecting to see too many improvements over today's sale prices in th♌e near future.

Should you buy the HP Omen Max 16?

The fans on the HP Omen Max 16 have only just settled from my testing process, but it's already s🌠oared into a position among my top recommendations. The framerate and synthetic benchmark numbers I managed to squeeze out of this rig at full throttle were incredible, rivalling some RTX 5090 machines in fact.

Here are the numbers. The RTX 5080 HP Omen Max 16 beat the RTX 5090 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer Blade 16 in most titles, coming out on top across Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Three Kingdoms, and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered. It didn't quite claim vict꧅ory in larger releases, but only slightly lagged behind in Cyberpunk 2077 and Black Myth Wukong.

It absolutely roared through 3D Mark's synthetic benchmarks as well, nudging ahead of the Blade 16's 37,246 Fire Strike score with a 37,344 score of its own and topping the Blade's Time Spy score in a similar manner. It did fall short by 425 points in Steel Nomad, but it still tore past the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:2025 Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 by an additional 1,242 points.

Performance is big, but it's not the end o🤡f the story. The HP Omen Max 16 also features a super slick design with a crisp white finish that evades fingerprints and balances chassis size with portability better than most slimline devices. Yes, you're dropping the OLED display of Asus and꧅ Razer competitors, and there's a little drop in overall vibrancy, but it's still sharp, vivid, and bold overall.

No gaming laptop is perfect, though, and I wouldn't recommend the HP Omen Max 16 to anyone looking to run their device away from a power outlet. If you need a dedicated 'gaming' machine then there's nowhere I'd rather look at this price point, but considering the battery struggles to extend much fur🙈ther than two hours even at 0% screenꦐ and RGB brightness and in eco mode this isn't one for on-the-go work and play.

I'm also rounding up all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops, 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops, and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops for those after a different brand.

This is a powerful machine, but it's wrapped up in a slick, streamlined chassis that keeps things slim while still hiding enough space to let those components reach their full potential. With a price tag that holds its own against the rest of the market and a wealth of additional features packed in, this is one of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptop I've tested in 2025 so far.

Configurations

HP has gone wide with its configurꦯation options for the Omen Max 16, spanning the mid to high range in its GPU offerings and splitting devices across both Intel and AMD. We kick off at an RTX 5070 with Intel's Core Ultra 7 255HX processor for a $2,299.99 / £2,399.99 base price, soaring up to the full-whack RTX 5090 and Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX / AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, high-end𒀰 models costing around $3,600 / £4,000.

The model I'm testing packs an RTX 🌠5080 GPU and Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, with 32GB RAM and a 1TB SSD into a $3,299.99 / £2,999 price tag. That's not che🍒ap, but it's certainly not as expensive as some.

An RTX 5080 configuration of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:2025 Razer Blade 16 co൲mes with a slightly weaker AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor and equal RAM / storage amounts for $3,499.99 ꦕ(though with an upgrade to an OLED display). The Alienware 16 Area-51 that's patiently waiting its turn on my testing bench goes for $3,349.99 with the same specs as well.

The 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Strix G16 lowers the pri😼ce tag to $2,899.99, while the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 halves your RAM (but doubles your st🦄orage) for the same $3,299.99 MSRP.

That means the HP Omen Max 16 sits squarely in the middle for an RTX 5080 rig, though with the additional📖 benefits of cheaper configurations that others may drop.

There's one difference between this rig and others in its price league that makes the HP Ome༺n Max 16 stan🐼d just a little taller. It's on sale far more regularly. Even as I'm writing this review, the configuration I'm testing has dropped from $3,299.99 to $2,599.99 and it's far from the first time I've seen savings here.

Design

I unbox a lot of gaming 🎃laptops, butꦑ every now and then I unsleeve a machine that makes me audibly coo. The HP Omen Max's crisp white chassis and soft-touch coating was love at first sight.

That white has stayed resistant to stains and scuffs in the time I've been carting it around and the lighter tone means fingerprints aren't an issue either. The main chassis' clean lines and tapered lip design makes a statement without being too bold - that's where the RGB co🍸mes in.

HP has outfitted the Omen Max 16 with a strikingly vibrant set of LEDs under the main keyboard, as well as a light strip that casts a clean glow on the surface below. It's not quite as strong as that of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 or the Asus ROG Strix G16, but it still creates a ▨slick floating e𒀰ffect.

This smart form factor means the Omen offers the best of both worlds. It's easy enough to throw into a backpack and doesn't overwhelm a desk setup like chunkier models, but there's still enough space to let those components breathe. Rather than the boxy, square designs of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops or the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Zephyrus G16, the Max 16 maintains a 'gaming laptop' shape but with ꧙a slimmer 🍌profile overall.

The back panel is also free from larger RGB panels or garish stamps, with a classy Omen logo stamped into the lid and covered with a sophisticated glossy effect. Inside, we do have a littl🧔e icoღnography going on, but it's restricted to a light gray '016' in the lower right corner and a 'Max' stamp on the opposite side. Those dotted grills running along the top look very HP as well, keeping space for a speaker without overwhelming the internal design.

Display

I'll say it now, Razer and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops have an edge on their displays. The HP Omen Max 16 is configurable with an OLED panel (though there are fewer of those options on the shelves at the moment) but I've been testing the standard IPS. There's a drop in vibran🙈cy and contrast compared to more premium display options out there, but this is still a pretty face.

It doesn't quite pack the same punch as the 🥂IPS featured on the Asus ROG Strix G16, which does a particularly good job of keeping its color contrast up without an OLED screen, but there's still a nice amount of energy here. Color reproduction is well balanced with more naturally vivid scenes benefitting from a satisfying injection of power.

HP still maintains its upper hand against the competition, as OLED options arﷺe available, and the IPS screen I tested was still impressive. It's just not quite the jewel in 🙈the Max's crown.

Ports

The HP Omen Max 16 is one of the few slimline 16-inch gaming laptops I've seen throwing its more permanent ports on the rear of the device. This is a big win in my books. I hate having cables spꦛrawled out across the desk, especially when they start interfering with my mouse ha𒐪nd.

The Max 16 positions its power, RJ45, HDMI 2.1, and a USB-A port on the back, keeping the sides free for more ad-hoc accessories. The second USB-A port is the only connection on the right flank, with two Thunderbolt 4s (and the 3.5mm audio jack) sitting neatly on the left. If you're regular♓ly swapping out USB-A devices, that rear placement might grow a little tiresome, but having a more accessible port on the side keeps things a little more versatile.

You do drop a Type-A connection from the Asus ROG Strix G16 and Razer B🏅lade 16, which both offer three traditional ports, though the Omen Max doubles the number of Thunderbolt options compared to Asus's dᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚevices. Razer builds off an AMD base, so these are swapped for USB-4.

Iꦍf you're looking to wire in your internet, it's also worth noting that both the Rꦰazer Blade 16 and Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 sacrifice the RJ45 present on the HP Omen Max 16, but trade in an SD card reader in its place.

Keyboard and trackpad

HP's keyboard looks oh so invꦇiting with its pudding style keycaps and soft finish, but actually going hands on with the deck reveals one issue. There's a noticeable amount of flex in this deck, even when typing more casually. Thankfully, that bending doesn't equate to a spongy feel overall - in fact, there's a good amount of spring and tension in these keys. It is still a little di💟sappointing in a more premium build, though.

You're not🐠 getting the snap of Razer's scissor switches, but it's still a satisfying feel. With plenty of action under each press, there's a good amount of space for fast repeated inputs and an actuation🃏 pressure that still feels comfortable during longer typing periods.

Functionality is a top priority here, thoug🎀h. The HP Omen Max 16 is one of the few 16-inch gaming laptops I'veไ tested with a full number pad. Yes, things are a little squished on that right hand side, with half-sized up/down arrows feeling like more of a sacrifice than anything else on the deck.

The trackpad feels fantastic, with just enough tension underneath to provide a light but tactile full click. Tap gestures are picked up immediately and with a speedy respꦡonse from the system, while the surface area feels smooth under the fingertips as well. Overall, it's a much better🐽 pad than the somewhat hollow version on the Asus ROG Strix G16.

Performance

I tested the HP Omen Max 16 with an RTX 5080 under the hood, but this thing behaves more like an RTX 5090 at times. At full throttle (the sy🌱stem's "Unleashed Mode" with full power unlocked), t🅺his machine tore through synthetic benchmarks and in-game framerates sometimes knocking far more expensive machines out of the race.

First up, 3D Mark. These are artificial GPU tests that stress various elements within the system's graphical🍷 rendering systems to spit out a final score at the end of each run. After three attempts, the HP Omen Max's final average scores are below.

The RTX 5080 inside this rig beat the RTX 5090 in the Blade 16 across both Time Spy and Fire Strike runs, though did fall slightly behind in the newer and more demanding Steel Nomad course. Still, it's well above my current overall top-pick, the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 (whic🥀h sports a previous generation RTX 4080) and maintains its lead against similar Asus devices as well.

In-game, the HP Omen Max 16 trades places with the Razer Blade 16 a lot more, especially in FHD+ resolution. At 1920 x 1200 it's slight☂ly beaten by Lenovo's previous juggernaut in easier runs like Shadow of the Tomb Raider, but comes out at the top of the pack across Total War: Three Kingdoms and Horizon Zero Dawn Rem﷽astered.

Things get a little spicier when we crank that resolutᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚion up to the full QHD+. H🍰ere, the HP Omen Max 16 takes the lead over the previous generation Lenovo, while also beating out the higher-specced Razer Blade 16 in all but Cyberpunk 2077 and Black Myth: Wukong.

Of course, the RTX 5080 isn't better than the RTX 5090, but it's allowed to rev its engines a little more in this iteration. The HP Omen Max 16 mig♛ht not offer top-of-the-range performance in more demanding titles, but it's still leading the pack across the majority of casual games, and Horizon is far from an easy run. Of course, the RTX 50-Series also comes with 4x Multi-Frame Generation which can bump those framerates in more demanding titles should you wish to use it.

When you consider that the RTX 5090 Blade 16 I tested for these numbers comes in at $4,499.99, the Max is th😼riving.

A lot of that is being helped by the CPU as well. I'll eat my hat after saying this (I've not been a fan of Intel's Ultra-range processors so far), but the Core Ultra 9 275HX is a beast under this hood. It's beaten out the Intel i9-14900HX, the previous generation's gaming golden child, inside the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i and even topped the much larger 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Strix Scar 18's numbers.

For an even greater sense of just how far this CPU can go when pushed, it's second only to the massive 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:MSI Raider A18 HX with a blinder of brain in th🐼e AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D in a humungous chassis.

All of that data is recorded, as always, in the HP Omen Max 16's highest performance settings. That means fan noise, and lots of it. If you want to play this way for long periods of time you'll need to cra✱nk that cooling up and things get incredibly loud.

Battery

The HP Omen Max 16 may thrive when connected to power, but it flounders without that cable attached. I played Doom: The Dark Ages on battery and can normally still set a gaming laptop to performance mode without being plugged in. Despite disabling 'balanced' mode from Windows itself, however, it seemsꦇ that the Omen Max 16 doesn't go full into its more powerful preset without that tether. That meant I could barely make it through a mission. The whole game feels slowed to a snail's pace, with an almost laughable amount of time between frames and a grainy visual profile overall.

This is how gaming on the go used to be, but I've been impressed by more recent gaming laptops' ab🔜ilities to run titles smoothly without a power connection. It's simply not an option here.

At 50% screen and 25% RGB brightness, I dra🎶ined the battery to zero in just over an hour - about averagꦑe for a machine of the previous generation, but still below some scores across RTX 50-Series machines.

In Balanced Mode with 50% screen brightness and 25% RGB lighting, the HP Omen Max 16 fell short 🐈of ꦦthe Asus ROG Strix G16's 6.5-hour lifespan, coming in at just under four hours.

Should you buy the HP Omen Max 16?

Yes, it's got some battery woes and there's a little flexing to the main keyboard but ultimately the HP Omen Max 16 is the most well-rounded gaming laptop I've tested so far. With a comfortable, sleek, portable design but performance metrics that push larger chassis out the way, the Max is a must-see machine. It's at a similar price to slimmer, more OLED-frieꦫndly devices, and its overall productivity experience isn't going to match that of the Razer Blade 16. It is, however, far more likely to d💞rop that MSRP (and has been regularly over the last couple of months). That makes it my new go-to for anyone after a future-proofed rig for a value-packed price/performance ratio - as long as you keep it plugged in.

How I tested the HP Omen Max 16

I used the HP Omen Max 16 fo🧸r two weeks before completing this review, while also testing directly against the Asus ROG Strix G16. I performed three sets of 3D Mark graphical benchmarks, running Time Spy, Fire Strike, and Steel Nomad three times each and taking an average result as each final score. I also tested the rig in in-game benchmark scenarios across Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Three Kingdoms, Horizon Forbidden West, Cyberpunk 2077, and Black Myth Wukong.🗹 Each of these tests were also run three times, across 'High' and 'Highest' settings in FHD+ and QHD+ resolutions. I then performed separate DLSS Frame Generation tests in Cyberpunk 2077.

All performance benchmarks were record๊ed in the system's 🃏'Unleashed' power mode, with full available wattage supplied.

For more information on 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:how we test gaming laptops, check out the full 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

I'm also hunting down the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops to buy right now - or check out the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming handhelds and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming PCs for different ways to play.

There are some surprises in here. The mobile RTX 5070 inside my test device gave me some real gen-on-gen performance upgrades (something missing slightly from the RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 rigs I've tested so far), and battery life in a productivity scenario is certainly impressive. The G16 doesn't quite excel in any one area enough to be considered one of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptops on the market right now, but it is a jack of all trades 🌃worth checking out.

Configurations

The Asus ROG Strix G16 comes with a whole wad of different configuration options. Right at the top of the pile, though, I'm delighted to see the AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D in the mix. Sadly the red-team's giant CPU isn't inside the test unit I've received (I'm working with the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX), but considering it topped the charts when I used it in inside the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:MSI Raider A18 HX it's certainly ready to rev some engines here.

I'm also glad that Asus hasn't stuck only with Intel's Ultra range of CPUs. We've got options for t🔯he almost-timeless Intel Core i9-14900HX in here, a gaming-focused processor that often out-performs the bra☂nd's newer releases.

Graphics are limited to the mid-range with the choice between an RTX 5060, RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti GPU. Overall, this is an impressive spec sheet. The Asus ROG Strix G16 doesn't want to alienate regular players wi🃏th flashy configurations that cost thousands of d🎃ollars, but it doesn't want to be seen as weedy. With enough choice to balance a range of different use-cases and budgets, this is a particularly flexible option.

That varie꧃ty is a double-edged sword, though. Actually finding the configuration you're after is a little tricky. Intel builds are easier to chase down in the UK, while US retailers like Best Buy seem to have gone 🦩all out on AMD.

Design

I was surprised by just how understated the Asus ROG Strix G16's design is. I've come from the Scar line, a range that previously went all-out with translucent plastic designs𝐆 and blazing RGB. Here, though, we've got an almost Zephyrus-like subtlety - with some added RGB flair.

The underside features a particularly vibrant strip of LED lighting, which creates a strong underglow effect on whichever surface you're using. Colors are bold and uni🌄form, but can easily be switched off if you want to maintain a more professional vibe (or save battery life).

A light gray aesthetic keeps things looking streamlined, keeping its cool againsꩲt black keycaps 🌱and macro buttons. There isn't a lick of garish iconography on this rig, with a simple ROG logo stamped onto the lid offering a peaceful nod to branding.

Just like the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9, the Asus ROG Strix G16 manages to hide its thicker form factor. A tapered lip and severe gradient running down to the bottom of the main chassis means this form factor loꦅoks and feels much thinner than it actually is. That's not going to help when transporting the device, though at 2.65kg it's one of the lighter 16-inch rigs on the market, but it certainly looks less impos💖ing on a desk.

There's a little flex to the main deck, but nothing noticeable in the keyboard area when used in casual typing. That chass🧸is does bow a little under heavier stamps but it never causes the deck to f♍eel spongey or cheap.

Display

Asus hasn't outfitted the ROG Strix G16 with the MiniLED display gracing its more premium Scar models, but this is still a well-defined panel. Running at a crisp QHD+ resolution with a zippy⭕ 240Hz refresh rate, Asus is keepiꦫng things in the upper mid-range heree, but adding an extra flair with its Dolby Vision integration and new ACR film.

The latter is a two-layer addition to the screen itself, ultimately aiming to keep glare to a minimu﷽m and pump extra contrast into those colors. It's a workaround for the kind of vibrancy you might see from a more expensive OLED device, but still works particularly well. Re✨d and orange hues maintain a striking degree of precision, even if blues are warmed a little too much to my naked eye.

There's no convention🎉al HDR here, but I was still able to make out all the necessary details in darker Doom The Dark Ages caves and caverns, while also spotting a good amount of variation in lighter moments as well. Colors also pop particularly well considering this display is a step behind some of the more premium builds I've been testing lately - I'd still be 🍰just as happy if this was my daily driver going forwards.

Ports

The Asus ROG Strix G16 I'm testing is an Intel model, which means I've got a Thunderbolt 4 instead of AMD's preferred USB 4. Most 2025 gaming laptops are making the move to Thunderbolt 5 for its faster speeds, but this is still a more-than capable port for everyday connections. This is a trend among the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops, with the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 also sticking with Thunderbolt 4. However, the far more premium 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:2025 Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 throws in not🎶 one but two of these updated ports.

You'll only notice this relative downgrade if you regularly transfer large file🍰s to and from your system or you're looking to connect multiple high-speed 4K monitors. Otherwise, you're still getting support𝓀 for two 4K monitors and power delivery as well.

Elsewhere, the Strix G16 is stacked with three USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports (one more than you'll find on the Zephyrus), one USB♑ 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C connection, as well as your standard HDMI 2.1 and 3.5mm audio jacks. There's also a han🐻dy Ethernet port included as well, something you won't find on slimmer models.

These connections are split across the left and right flanks of theಌ laptop, which is more common in 16-inch devices. Larger 18-inch models often keep some permanent ports to the rear of the chassis to keep cables tidy and stay out of the way. I was able to get everything connected to 🐎the left side of the Strix G16 in testing, which kept my mouse-hand free from obstructions. However, if you have wired accessories (both of which require a USB-A port) you may find yourself battling some cables.

Keyboard and trackpad

This is a slick chiclet-style keyboard with plenty of action under those caps and a sturdy, energetic feel to both typing and gaming. That's not soꦜmething you find everyday in gaming laptops - a﷽nd even the most expensive machines can still fall down with mushier decks.

Those keys looked a little higher than usual when I first opened the lid, but they're actually just very well🌠 spaced. Still, that extra breathing room keeps everything nicely accurate - even when I'm spamming between E and R in Doom The Dark Ages. Repeat presses also feel snappy, though - as with most gaming laptop keyboards - the bottom-out is still a little too soft to truly be reliable in t🌸he heat of battle.

The trackpad is spacious and comfortab🐼le, with a smooth glide and responsive tap-action. I did notice that a forced physical press comes with an extra clack of feedback sound that doesn't feel intentional. It's a slight drawback, as it cheapens the feel overall, even if it doesn't feel like too much of a durability concern.

Performance

The Asus ROG Strix G16 is middling in its performance, but it still represents a good step up from previous-generation RTX 4070 machines (which isn't something I've been able to say about all RTX 50-Series rigs so far). 3D Mark performance puts it suitably below the RTX 5080-toting Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 and the RTX 5090 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer Blade 16 2025, even thoug♕h it's running in a larger chassis than both.

Still, synthetic benchmarks suggest an average 23% increase in performance in 3D Mark Time Spy and Fire Strike compared with the similarly-built (but RTX 4070) 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:HP Omen 17, 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Alienware M16 R2, and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Acer Nitro 16. That's worth shouting about, many of the mobile RTX 5080 and R💝TX 5090 machines I've tested so far have only offered marginal improvements in native performance compared to previous generations.

In the real world, that means framerate performance is just nudging that of the slimmer RTX 5080 Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 in easier runs, though the Strix G16 does fa🐬ll away from more powerful graphics cards in more demanding titles.

At QHD resolution, the system struggles to stay above 60fps in Cyberpunk 2077 when on Turbo mode without any DLSS support, and only just manages to average 61fps in Horizon Zero Dawn: Remastered's highest settings. Black Myth Wukong represents a significant challenge as well, tapping out at around 50fps in its top graphical settings - though I did manage to bump that up to 80fps with DLSS Frame Generation switched on. You'll need to configure Nvidia's frame generation settings to truly get competitive framerates out of bulkier titles, but the fact that it's even available iꦰs worth a nod.

Lighter gam🐷es can run just fine withou𒈔t these tweaks, with Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Total War: Three Kingdoms keeping their heads well above water in both High and Highest settings. In fact, lighter titles like these show a much smaller gap in performance between the RTX 5070 and more expensive RTX 5080 configurations.

Yes, the Asus ROG Stri🌠x G16 is configurable with AMD's blockbuster Ryzen 9 9955HX3D processor, but I've got the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX on the te🌌st bench here. It's not quite got the headroom of the larger Scar 18 to bump it up the rankings, but it's still holding out quite well - beating the previous generation Intel Core Ultra 9 185H by a mile and holding the fort against the super-slick AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 as well.

PC Mark 10's productivity benchmark puts this implementation of the latest Intel CPU at a score of 8,315 - just a little shy of the same processor inside the Scar's larger for🎃m factor.

Battery

I was surprised by the Asus ROG Strix G16's battery life in productivity scenarios. I was able to run it all day (without RGB lighting) without n𒁃eeding a plug, and even managed 6.6 hours of juice with those LEDs set to 25%. That is, of course, running a few Chrome tabs while the system was set to conserve power in its Silent Mode.

Gameplay battery life ave🍌rages out at around an hour when running in Performance mode with the display as bright as the system would allow me (though still not at full) and RGB on. Perhaps more impressive, though, my Doom The Dark Ages gameplay remained silky smooth even when running on battery alone.

No, textures weren't as cr﷽isp as they would have been in full Turbo mode at full brightness, but I never experienced a noticeable stutteไr or framerate drop. That's surprising considering on-the-go play was a nightmare only a few years ago.

Should you buy the Asus ROG Strix G16?

The Asus ROG Strix G16 is one of the cheaper gaming laptops I've tested from the RTX 50-Series generation, but we are only just starting to see these RTX 5070 builds on the shelves. Those looking to play older titles (or are happy to bump up🍸 DLSS settings in more demanding releases) with a high-end screen, slick chassis, and solid productivity battery life will be well served here, though. The performance of the RTX 5070 inside this machine is within touching distance of slimmer RTX 5080 configurations in some easier 🧸runs, and that's worth a lot to anyone catching up on releases from the last five years or so.

Does it beat the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9? No, the Asus ROG Strix G16 may be cheaper than Lenovo's previous-generation powe🏅rhouse but its RTX 5070 can't out-perform an RTX 4080 and its display is about the same quality. It's a nicer design overall, but until I get my𝐆 hands on an RTX 5080 build it's still behind Lenovo.

Value is definitely strong for those after an upper mid-range machine with a fe꧂w extra bells and whistles, though, so if you prioritize look, feel, and display quality ove🔯r high-end native rendering you're still going to have a great time here.

How I tested the Asus ROG Strix G16

I used the Asus ROG Strix G16 as my daily driver for work and play across two weeksꦅ. I performed synthetic graphical benchmark tests in 3DMark's Time Spy, Fire Strike, and Steel Nomad and pushed the CPU in PC Mark 10's dedicated software suite as well. I also benched native rendering performance across both 1080p and 1600p resolution, in high and highest settings, on Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Three Kingdoms, Cyberpunk 2077, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, and Black Myth: Wukong. These tests were carried out in the system's Turbo mode with no DLSS features applied unless actively stated above.

I p🙈erformed each test three times, taking an average of🦩 each score as my final result.

I also completed two battery rundown tests, running the device in both Silent and Performance Mode for productivity and gaming respectively. During this tಞime, battery was charged to 100% ൩before use, with screen brightness set at 50% and RGB settings at 25%.

For more information on 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:how we test gaming laptops, check out the full 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

I'm also hunting down all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops for more on the competition, or take a look at the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming PCs for even more power.

This is a Raider through and through, with a plastic chassis that doesn't match up to its price tag in quality, though with the price tag of a Titan. The test unit I've received currently goes for $5,609.99 via MSI's own channels - $300 more than last year's aluminum monster. Still, with a 4K display that truly will knoc♍k your socks off - and a blindingly speedy AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D / RTX 5090 pairing - this is certainly a single-player's dream machine.

Configurations

The MSI Raider A18 HX is the only mainstream gaming laptop model pairing the AMD Ryzen 9955HX3D processor with an RTX 5090 GPU. That's a potent combination, and considering I've found that AMD's processors are generally going a bit further than Intel's this generation, it cou🦂ld well be the gold standard for chunkier, performance-driven rigs.

That RTX 5090 is supported by the full 175W (and I've got the power brick to prove it), with 260W total power up for grabs across the GPU and CPU. That's the same as the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:2025 Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 from a GPU perspective, though the 🦂MSI Raider can give the CPU 85W of dedicated power compared to 80W on Asus's model.

In short, there's a hell o𝓡f a lot of power going int♍o this machine.

Configurations are limited to that AMD processor, though there's a cheaper RTX 5080 version on the shelves as well. T🔥here's also an A2X model, which drops you down to an Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX GPU.

You're certainly paying for all that juice. Like all MSI Raider A18 HX models currently available, the configuration I've been testing comes stacked with 64GB DDR5 RAM and a 2꧒TB PCIe Gen 5 SSD (yep, this is the first gaming laptop I've tested with new-generation storage), and costs $5,609.99 at ch🎃eckout. That's pretty much as expensive as you can get in today's market and a considerable price increase from last year.

The RTX 4090 / Intel Core i9-14900HX 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:MSI Raider 18 HX I tested previously came in at $3,999.99 with𓂃 the same RAM and storage amount, though an older Gen4 drive. For reference,ꦬ the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 / Nvidia RTX 5080 Scar model I reviewed earlier this month sits at $3,169.99.

Design

Just like last year's model, the 2025 MSI Raider A18 HX is chunky. This is still 🎉a cumbersome 18-inch behemoth with no time for portability, it's designed to sit on your desk and stay there fo🃏r most of its life.

This is the same 1.26-inch thickness as the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18, though it doesn't benefit from the saꦆme slanted front lip, mak🔜ing it appear stockier sitting on the desk in front of me.

The RGB lighting strip along the front has been slimmed down compared to the previous generation, but its placement above an extra ridge of plastic means that the light show doesn't shine onto the desk below in the same way. Asus's RGB extends all the way around the perimeter of the lꦰaptop, giving the equally large machine a lighter feel, as if it's floating slightly above the surface on which it stands.

The main deck still features the angular cut-outs around the keyboard and trackpad area, nodding to the Raider's gamerfied design past but staying slightly more subtle than previous models. It's not the most business-forward design on the 🌠market - the Razer Blade 18 does a fantastic job of keeping its insides slick and suave. Instead, it's just toeing the line before becoming gaudy🀅.

Like last year's model, there's still flex to the main chassis area, and considering 2025's release comes in at nearly $6,000, that's pretty disappointing. The whole corner of the lower deck bends significantly when manipulated or picked up and creaks slightly in the process. It's not enough to concern me in the short term, though it's not what I'd expect to see from a gaming laptop at this price point. After all, we're now paying 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:MSI Titan 18 HX🍰 prices for a Raider, and that rig had a far sturdier build quality.

The underside also remains largely unchanged from the previous release, with additional rubber grips on each corner further elevating the chassis and providing extra space for airflow below. This is still a plastic construction (unlike the aluminum used in the Titan last yearꦛ) all over, which is a little disappointing considering the final price.

There is, however, noticeably less scre🍒en wobble on the 2025 model compared 🧜to last year's. I found that the 2024 version would jiggle with heavier typing, whereas the hinge on the newer release feels a little sturdier.

Display

MSI's 4K Mini LED panel is here to stay for another year, offering gorgeous color contrast and a super detailed handling of both HDR and SDR content. The panel itself covers 100% of the DCI-P3 spectrum, offering 1,000 nits of brightness, a✨longside a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio and local dimming features. Th𝓡at's a high-end Mini LED display.

Like last year, MSI has gone a different route compared to most of the competition, though. This is a 4K (well, UHD+ if you want to get technical about the aspect ratio) 120Hz panel, boosting the resolution but lowering the refresh rate compared to most QHD+, 240Hz devices (like the Scar 18). That makes sense if you're running all your games in full 4K resolution - you'll rarely need m🌺ore than a 120Hz refresh rate to keep your gam♓es looking smooth.

However, things get a bit tricky when you take lower resolutions into account, alongside that premium price tag. Lowering game resolution to take advantage of higher refresh rates (and therefore more responsive inputs) is often imperative in competitive scenarios, but 4♋K panels that prioritize immersion often neglect this market.

Razer's gone all in on its own 2025 Blade 18, using a dual-mode display that can run at UHD+, 240Hz, or FHD+ 440Hz. A like-for-like configuration of that machine (albeit with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor) comes in at $5,199.99, just over $400 less than the MSI Raider A18 HX. It's a wonder, then, why MSI isn't going down this dual-mode route with its own high-end rig, it would have certainly gone a lot further to𒁏 justifying such a lofty MSRP.

This screen isn't about pure speed, though; it's about immersion, and it nails the brief. 18-inch panels are already going to lock you into your game worlds much better than smaller 16-inch or 14-inch gaming laptops, but when colors are this vivid and details this sharp, single-player adventures pack a serious punch. If you're a solo adventurer, investing more in a high-powered proceཧssor than a dual-mode screen is going to be the way to🍰 go.

Ports

The biggest upgrade to this year's port selection is MSI's move to Thunderbolt 5. While last year's model offered two Thunderbolt 4 c🐼onnections, we've got the new generation ports whirring away under the hood of 2025's iteration.

Tꦯhat means faster transfer speeds with an increased 80 Gbps bandwidth (compared to 40 Gbps) and an increased power delivery of up to 240W, more than double that of the 100W Thunderbolt 4. It also means you'll be able to connect a higher refresh-rate monitor (up to 540Hz).

These USB-A and Thunderbolt connections are split across each side of the laptop, with two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2s on the left, and another on the right alongside both Thunderbolt options. The right side also houses the system's 3.5mm audio jack, wh꧒ile the left benefits from a full-sized ♌SD card reader.

All your permanent connections are located around the rear, which makes for a far tidier setup overall. It means that the massive power connector stays out of the way, alongside the HDMI 2.1 and Ethernet ports. It's a shame there isn't a Thunderbolt 5 to the rear - this would🏅 have been handy for dock users, and would keep the sides free for your mouse hand.

As it stands, the MSI Rai🅺der A18 HX still suffers from a little cab💞le sprawl, but if you're using wireless accessories, the 2.4GHz receivers shouldn't get in the way too much, and you're larger connections are all tucked away out of sight.

Keyboard and trackpad

SteelSeries has provided the keyboard for the MSI Raider A18 HX once again this year, but thiꦆs isn't the snappy mechanical deck you might expect. Under the fingertips, this deck borders on mushy with a particularly soft landing position and very little travel. It's not a pleasant experience.

I was taken aback by the keyboard. This is a nearly $6,000 gaming laptop, and there's more flex in the main deck than the budget 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus TUF A15. It's a full-sized design, with a good-sized number pad, arrow keys, and function row, but I still felt cramped. Doom: The Dark Ages requires fast muscle memory between the E and R keys, and I never felt like I haജd enough space to accurately hit either without mashing both.

There's a good amount of spacing, so it's not like the keys are necessarily too close together, but I expect the softer landing and low travel make them particularly easy to♒ mis-hit when working through faster moments.

The trackpad is incredibly small for a gaming laptop of this size, and ꧙I'm constantly hitting the lower lip when zipping through Chrome tabs and spreadsheets. There's a decent snap to a harder press here, if a little heavier than I've used in the past, and my finger glides smoothly across the surface.

Performance

I keep saying this, and then another gaming laptop comes along and changes things, but as of this review, the MSI Raider A18 HX A9W is the most powerful🔴 gaming laptop I've tested. That means I now need to go back to my Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 review and update a few things.

The Raider outperforms the Scar 18 in RTX 5090 gaming across the majority of games (though there are some drops) in both FHD and QHD resolutions, and steps things up when compared against last year's Titan and Raider models as well. Would I have liked to see a better gen-on-gen performance increase from the RTX 4090? Absolutely,💯 but it's clear Nvidia isn't giving us that this generation.

The 2025 iteration is on top compared to the RTX 4090 MSI Raider 18 HX, but the size of the le♕ap is much, much smaller than I saw in the move from the RTX 30-Series. All of the benchmarks below were recorded with dedicated GPU power in the device's top performance setting without frame generation. It should also be noted that Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmarks are slightly anomalous. I've run and re-run these tests and confirmed that no extra features are switched on - it seems this rig is just really good at running Lara Croft at FHD.

Increases in natively rendered framerates between generations remain only slightly raised across the majority of FHD and QHD+ benchmark runs. Interestingly, the 2025 MSI Raid𒐪er A18 actually performs significantly worse in 4K Shadow of the Tomb Raider tests, even if it inches ahead with 86fps / 63fps in Total War: Three Kingdoms. This is the first 4K MSI gaming laptop to run into 60fps+ territory in Ultra settings on this title, but we're only just over that threshold.

These are still excellent results, proving the MSI Raider A18 HX A9W can handle pretty much anything you want to 💃throw at it.🍸 I'm going to keep digging on those strange Tomb Raider numbers, though, and will update this review if I find any evidence of a missfire.

Nvidia's DLSS tricks are less of a concern for an 18-inch powerhouse. In a slimline gaming laptop like the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:2025 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 or 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:2025 Razer Blade 16,🍨 this focus on frame generation features makes sense. There's only so much power you can throw into a gaming laptop and still fit it (and its charging brick) into a backpack. Looking at the size of the MSI Raider A18 HX A9W's power supply and the thickness of this chassis, we don't need so many AIಞ tricks in here.

Still, without frame generation switched on, I was only able to scrape around 59fps out of Cyberpunk 2077 in 4K RT Ultra. At full 4x MFG whack, things were hovering around a far more comfor🍸table 86, with minimal intrusion to the play space itself. DLSS isn't the power feature Nvidia thinks it is in this chassis, but it's certainly a neat trick if you want to run demanding titles at full UHD whack.

Synthetic benchmarks show a 34% i💖mprovement between the RTX 4090 2024 model and this year's🐠 RTX 5090 iteration in easier Fire Strike tests, with that rate falling to 4.7% in Time Spy. More impressively, though, the harshest test of the suite, Steel Nomad, yielded a 22.23% performance increase between generations.

That's not 🌠particularly reflected in-game, but it dꦅoes provide a little extra hope for future-proofing against more demanding titles to come.

Onto the CPU, and what a CPU this is. The AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D doesn't make its way into many gaming laptops, but it certainly tops the charts when it can. With a 9,077 PC Mark 10 score, it flies well over the head of the Intel Core i9-14900HX I tested in the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9, 😼as well as the newer Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX inside this year's Asus ROG Strix Scar 18.

Not only do we have a turbo-charged processor in here, but that Gen5 SSD absolutely sings as well. This iꦬs a big step up from the previous generation drives found in the rest of the ma꧟rket. MSI quotes up to 12,000MB/s read speeds, but I repeatedly benched just over 14,300MB/s in Crystal Disk Mark. Granted, that's a synthetic run with a relatively small amount of that 2TB drive taken up, but it's still well above the usual rates.

Battery

Battery life is c♈ertainly not usually a strong suit of larger 18-inch gaming laptops. The size of the power brick can certainly attest to that. However, in the system's most power-efficient settings, running a few Chrome tabs for productivity, the MSI Raider A18 HX managed to run for well over three hours in my tests (three hours and 20 minutes to be precise). You'll lose that 20 minutes if you opt for Balanced mode in the same use case, with my test running short at just a hair over three hours🍬.

I just about managed to scrape over the hour mark while ඣgaming. This rig isn't built for on-the-go sessions, so you won't get the same kind of juice as the Asus ROG Flow Z13༒, for example. My Doom: The Dark Ages visual settings did have to slide down a little to accommodate, and there was a little stuttering - though not nearly as much as a weaker gaming laptop would have produced just a couple of years ago.

Should you buy the MSI Raider A18 HX (2025)

The 2025 MSI Raider A18 HX is an extremely impressive gaming laptop on the whole, but I wouldn't recommend it easily. It's certainly among the top rigs I've tested so far, but its Titan-esque price point despite its lower build quality is a major sticking point. The RTX 5090 under the hood does take us further towards 4K gaming at max settings, but not enough to ⛦warrant the additional cost if your so🐬le intention is to chase the highest framerates possible at UHD levels. As long as there are cheaper RTX 4090 MSI Titan machines on the shelves, this is a tough sell indeed.

That's not to take away from what the MSI Raider A18 HX does right. I'm going to have a hard time saying goodbye to ripping and tearing through Doom on this fantastic panel, and the processor is an absolute blinder. Thosꦅe benefits aren't quite potent enough to offset the increased cost we're seeing from this generation of machines, though they're certainly worthy of an investor's (and future-proofer's) attention.

How I tested the MSI Raider A18 HX (2025)

I used the MSI Raider A18 HX as my sole laptop for both work and play over the course of two weeks. I started off by running my usual suite of in-game benchmarks, testing Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Three Kingdoms, Horizon Zero Dawn: Remastered, Cyberpunk 2077, and Black Myth: Wukong without DLSSꦉ frame generation. These tests were run across high and highest settings in 1080p, 1600p, and 4K resolution, repeated three times each with the final score taken as an average. Cyberpunk 2077 was tested with Super Resolution set to Balanced and Black Myth: Wukong's Super Resolution was at 60.

I then further tested the RTX 5090's Multi-Frame Generation feature🐼s in Cyb꧋erpunk 2077, running the game with full ray-tracing in 4K with Super Resolution set to Quality.

Synthetic benchmarks were taken from 3D Mark's Time Spy, Fire Strike, and Steel Nomad runs, while the CPU was directly tested across PC Mark 10. I🌠 then tested the sequential read and write speed of the SSD using Crystal Disk Mark. Again, each test was completed three times, with the final score reflecting an average of all data.

I tested the battery in everyday conditions, measuring over the cou🅘rse of multiple work sessions and gaming sessions across all available power modes, though with display brightness always set at 50%.

For more information on 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:how we test gaming laptops, check out the full 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

I'm also hunting down all 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:the best Alienware laptops and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops on the market, or take a look at the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops available now.

There are three configurations of the new Razer Blade 14 on the table here. All use an AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor, and two pack an RTX 5070 graphics card. The amount of RAM (up to 64GB) and size of your SSD (2TB on the shelf, 4TB maximum) will determine your final price beyond that, with the top spec coming in at $2,999.99. That's a premium price tag, but these are premium machines and considering Razer has been among the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptops on the mꦇarket for years now, it's a well-placed inꦬvestment.

The 2025 Razer Blade 14 can push an RTX 5070 up to 115W TGP, with the Ryzen 🌳AI 9 365 working at a maximum 5GHz boost clock. That's solid power, though you'll need to be making the most of DLSS trickery to get true nex🌳t-generation framerates.

Where this machine is likely to shine brightest is its display. This is the first Blade 14 to feature the brand's excellent OLED 3K display, though it's running at a lower refresh rate compared to the 240Hz 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:2025 Razer Blade 16. A 120Hz panel might sting a little on a $3,000 gaming laptop, but the 0.2ms response time and fantastic pedigree in these screens is still a major draw. This is the brand behind soಞme of the best panels to feature in a gaming laptop, after all.

At just 0.62-inches thin, Razer's packing a lot of power into its tiny chassis. It's 0.10-inches thinner than the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:2025 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, its main competition, even if its full CNC-milled aluminum construction means it weighs slightly more at 3.59lbs (compared to Asus's 3.46lbs). To help keep things running smoothly in that skinny chassis, Razer has upgraded the thermal hood design, adding a raised panel along the undersi😼de and extra venting to improve airflow.

A portability-first gaming laptop is no good without juice, though. Razer claims the 2025 Blade 14 can run f🎃or 11 hours on a single charge with a 72WH battery. That's likely approximated from low-demand processes with no RGB lighting, though.

I'm keeping watch over all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops this year, and also rounding up the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops if you're after a brand alternative. Or, if you're after something a little more permanent, check out the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming PCs on the market.

This shift in focus from everyday hybrid work and play might not be for everyone. You're getting a lot🗹 of powe🔯r here, and you're paying for it. The 2025 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is a more expensive iteration than last year's, but if you're after a true portable powerhouse there's plenty worth investing in here.

Configurations

There are three 2025 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 configurations currently available; two RTX 5070 Ti models (one with 2TB storage and another with 1TB), and an RTX 5080 flavor. That's a slight power jump from the previous generation, which catered to the entry-level and mid-range ends of the market. While there's no RTXℱ 5090 option under this hood, a shame since this generation is so well-geared towards slimline efficiency, I'll take the choice between an RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5080 over the RTX 4050 - RTX 407🙈0 span of the previous range.

That does mean those after a cheaper, weaker configuration are left out of this generation. Prices on the RTX 5070 Ti model start at $2,499.99 and will increase slightly if you opt for a larger SSD under the hood, a tough pill to swallow c♑onsidering the RTX 4060 2024 model starts at $1,599.99 these days and is regularly on sale to the low $1,000s.

Asus runs both the RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5080 at 110W in Turbo mode, with a base 85W boosted up by an additional 25W. The RTX 5080 version packs 16GB GDDR7 while the RTX 5070 Ti drops down to 12GB. You're getting significantly more VRAM under the hood wi🍌th the RTX 5080 compared to last year's RTX 4080, and upping headroom in all configurations comp🔥ared to the top-shelf RTX 4070 G14 from last year with 8GB.

Like many of its competitors, Asus has gone with an AI-forward processor for this generationಞ, and I'm pretty happy to see the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 whirring away under the hood. While that NPU isn't going to do much yet, this is still a particularly impressive Zen 5 processor with a max boost of up to 5.1 GHz, 12 cores and AMD Simultaneous Multithreading essentially popping you up🦄 to 24 threads.

Outside of numbers, though, it's the same processor I came to worship inside the brand's cheaper 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus TUF A14 at the end of last year, beating the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS of last year's Zephyrus G14 in that much cheaper rig. Inside the new 2025 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, the AI 9 HX 370 doesn't quite reach the same heights as the A14, but still gives 🐻more traditional models a run for their money.

Design

Thereඣ's really not much separating this year's Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 from the previous model. Asus has stuck with the ultrabook, Macbook-like aesthetic that the 2024 series kicked off, with a sle♏ek light silver color and cool aluminum chassis. In a time when most slimline gaming laptops are able to go even skinnier, though, the 2025 G14 bucks the trend.

At 0.72 inches thick when closed, this is a chunkier build than last year's 0.64-inch model. That's a strange move, considering the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:2025 Razer Blade 16 has been able to squeeze down to 0.69 inches, and ꧅that's with an RTX 5090 under the hood. A few inches isn't going to hurt ergonomics or portability too much, but it's still disappointing considering this is a gaming laptop that lives and dies by its low-profile energy.

That's 🎃not to detract from just how good looking this machine is. It's the same as last year's, but it's still the best design I've ๊seen on a gaming laptop yet.

Like 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer laptops, this is a CNC-milled aluminum alloy base with an anodized finish in either Eclipse Gray or Platinum White. It's incredibly sturdy, offering the same strength I only tend to see from Blade machines with absolutely no flex to the main chassis𝔍 and a slick matte finish to top it all off.

It's a softer design than a Blade, though, with more♉ rounded corners, larger keycaps, and Asus's "Stealth Hinge." That's basically a hinge that sits just behind the main body of the laptop, rather than above the top plate. It no longer raises the bottom deck when opened like previous models, and retains the more streamlined movement of last year's model.

The display itself has absolutely no flex to it, which is easier to achieve in a smaller panel but no less impressive, and while scuffs𒆙 did appear on my Platinum White model (more silver than white) they were easily wiped off. That's one benefit Asus has over Razer here, fingerprints aren't be a problem.

Yes, that Slash Lighting array is still here, and I'm still mad𓆉 about it. I love the Zephyrus design, but the first generation that does aw✅ay with these LEDs will be my favorite. It's essentially a strip of programmable lighting that can run up to 15 customizable cycles, match your music, or blink for notifications.

It's incredibly annoying when it pops into my peripheral vision every now and then, and otherwise invisible during use, but it adds weight, draws battery, and contributes to the final price. You can turn it off🍰 pretty easily, but you've already paid for it.

Display

The 2025 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 sticks with the same OLED 120Hz panel as the previous generation. That goes above the 2560 x 1600 resolut﷽ion more commonly seen on 16:10 gaming laptops these days, and into full 2880 x 1800 with a 243 PPI. The display features an advertized 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, with 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut and peaks at 500 nits of brightness.

There's no major upgrade here, and while the screen does still offer a nice level of vibrancy and particularly strong handling of cooler tones it doesn't benefit from the local dimming of a Mini LED panel seen among other 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus gaming laptops. It's still a certified HDR display, but darker tones aren't as impactful as they are on more precise screens. Considering the price increase we're already seeing on this generation, though, I'm glad Asu💖s hasn't pu🍒mped more into the finer details of this screen.

Warmer hues can sometimes overpower the scene with a slightly over-saturated look that was particularly notic❀eable൩ in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered. This means a loss of detail in some areas overall. However, more natural scenes offer a striking range of color, especially in green and blue tones, with a more faithful reproduction overall.

There is the 120Hz problem. That's a re🍒fresh rate I'm more used to seeing on 4K gaming laptops, not those running QHD+ displays. Razer can go the full 240Hz whack with its own screens, giving you far more headroom for finer mouse movements and higher framerates.

Ports

Ports are split between the left and right sides of the G14, with the left housing your HDMI 2.1, USB-4 (Type-C), one of the USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type𒈔-As, and a 3.5mm audio out.

Curiously, Asus has added a lightning bolt icon to this USB-4 connection. It's not 🀅the official Th🃏underbolt stamp (it strikes in an opposite pattern), but it's large enough to be confusing nonetheless. This is an AMD build so there's no Thunderbolt compatibility in sight, which makes this an extremely odd addition.

The right side hosts a regular USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C as well as another USB-A, and the MicroSD reader. Having these conne🍸ctions split on either side can create a web of cables when everything's hooked up, but it's a common setup on smaller gaming laptops.

This is the same spread I saw on the 2024 model, though Asus has added support for poဣwer delivery on that right-hand USB-C rather than limiting it to just the USB-4 on the𒁃 left.

Aside from the cables spilling out both sides of the machine, I had everything I needed here and while Intel builds will give you access to slightly faster Thunderbolt 5 connections these days there's still plenty of support in that USB-4. If you're looking to run multiple high-speed 4K monitors, though, you'll need to ditch the machine entirely in favor of Intel. The 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:2025 Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 stands in with Thunderbolt 4 support here.

Keyboard and trackpad

Again, this year's Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 doesn't 🍌make too many changes to its keyboard and trackpad. The only major shift is the addition of t🎀hat Copilot key in the bottom right corner.

Both the 2024 and 2025 models are advertised as offering 12.24% larger keycaps (I'm therefore assuming that's over the older ꧙releases that featured different overall designs). Both decks use switches with a 1.7mm travel distance, making for a satisfying but still-speedy response.

There's a nice clack to this deck, with an energetic bounce that can't be taken for granted on chiclet-style laptop keyboards. Everything feels nicely springy without even a hint of mush, making for a vastly more tactile experience than cheaper alternatives like the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus TUF A15. No, it's not as rich a feeling💎 as the new scissor switches in Razer's 2025 lineup, but it's still comfortable, fast, and lively.

Key spacing is a little wider than you'll find on other 14-inch gaming laptops, with a smaller speaker allocation on each side than standard. However, that makes for a far more accurate typing feel overall. I typed at an average of 96 WPM with 96% accuracy, which is pretty standard 🔯for me.

The only hurdle I faced when maintaining that average was the slightly sticky feel of the aluminum palm wrests, which sometimes stopped me being able to quickly reach to centered keys across the deck. Very few gaming laptops have an answer for this, though the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Alienware M16 R2 improves on the experience with a soft matt🅠e finish if it's a particular frustration for you.

The trackpad features a solid amount of palm 💝rejection, which you'll need to rely on considering it's fairly large for this form factor and located close to the bottom lip of the keyboard area. It's smooth and responds well to taps and swipes, though does require a little more labor for a full click than ot🧔hers.

Performance

The 2025 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is a much🔯 more powerful gaming laptop than last year's model. That much should be obvious from the jump to an RTX 5080 at the top-end of the configuration scale, compared to the RTX 4070 inside the previous generation. In synthetic 3D Mark benchmarks, that translates to a 30% increase in Fire Strike and 42% increase in Time Spy performance.

If you're set on the form factor, display, and brand that's fantastic news. While it's going to cℱost you a lot more than the RTX 4070 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 ever did, the efficiency of those👍 RTX 50-Series GPUs mean big power can hit smaller chassis' sizes. That's exactly what the Zeph needed. Compared to the Asus TUF A14, which taps out at an RTX 4060, there's no competition on sheer performance,

Things get a little spicier when comparing against larger models with older GPUs. The Razer Blade 16 and Alienware x16 R2 both paced well ahead of the ℱRTX 5080 G14 with older RTX 4090 and RTX 4080 GPUs under ♎the hood. They're larger, yes, but these are still slimline rigs with less cooling than chunkier alternatives.

It🦩's a slightly ꦜunfair comparison, though. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 performs incredibly well for a gaming laptop of this size and thickness. It's not easy matching up to larger machines running RTX 4090 graphics cards, but the fact that this smaller rig inches close is impressive in itself.

The same is true across in-game benchmarks.

The RTX 5080 G14 still le♌ads against last year's RTX 4070 model, with larger gains in🏅 more demanding titles and higher resolutions. While it's towards the bottom of my comparison pool, though, I'm still impressed.

Native rendering isn't the feather in Nvidia's cap anymore, but the RTX 5080 inside the smaller G14 still managed to perform at around the same level as the RTX 4090 in the larger G16 was last year and took on the RTX 4080 in the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Alienware x16 R2 as well. That's in FHD resolution, the gap does widen slightly 𒊎at full 1600p. However, considering you're usually trading a significant amount of power in a 14-inch machine compared to these 16-inchers, that's a solid result.

More demanding games can struggle to keep up without any assistance (more on that in a second), with Cyberpunk 2077 dropping to 70fps in FHD and just scraping under the 60fps barrier in QHD+. Still, the sacrifice down to a smaller form factor compared to this generation's G16 is still relatively negligible. The system even performed better than its 16-inch counterpart in Horizon Zero Dawn: Remastered benchmarks𝓀.

Within its class of slimline gam🦩ing laptops, then, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 puts up a fair fight in both the FHD and QHD arenas. That might not have been possible without the additional efficiency features of the RTX 50-Series mobile card, which enabled Asus to pack the full RTX 5080 under the hood rather than tapping out at the much weake❀r RTX 4070.

There's more in this arsenal, though, and the 2025 G14 ♔might be one of the new-generation gaming laptops that benefits the 🧸most from Nvidia's shift to a DLSS-first design.

This isn't exactly a marmite feature; you either hate that Nvidia is pushing frame generation or you'll take it where you need it. Ultimately, there's no denying that the technology unlocks greater performance ceilings for slimline devices. Where the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 was struggling to hit over 60fps in more Cyberpunk 2077's native QHD RT Ultra settings, it cooked up to 149fps with Quality Super Resolution enabled.

That's smooth gameplay that simply wouldn't have been possible on previous generation slimline devices. As I tend to with Cyberpunk's 4x Frame Generation support, there was a little odd flickering around neon signs and some minor ghosting around faster movements, but I'll take that on a 🥀super-portable laptop rather than choppy framerates.

Battery

I was all excited about battery life when I started testing RTX 50-Series gaming laptops, and with its portability-first design I was expecting the 2025 G14 to lay i𒊎ts cap on this spec. There aren't massive gains here, though.

I managed to run Ind🍃iana Jones and the Great Circle in Balanced mode for around two hours, with that dropping෴ to just over one hour in full-throttle Turbo mode. That's a slight increase on last year, which tapped out after around two hours of gameplay.

I did, however, notice that more demanding games were more reliable when run on battery power alone this time around. I'm normally sitting through stuttering frames and spotty movement when testing a gaming laptop's battery life, but things were nice and smooth here, especially aꦏfter a few graphical tweaks to lighten the load a little.

Should you buy the 2025 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14?

The RTX 5080 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 comes in at just over $3,000, with the RTX 5070 Ti version sitting at $2,499.99. That's more than last year's model, shifting the G14 away from the mid-range and into premium territory. Thankfully, the performance, display, buꦅild quality, and overall fee🐷l all justify that price increase. It's just that the G14 is a slightly different gaming laptop now.

I celebrated last year's model as "a gaming laptop for all," but the 2025 release doesn't quite fit the same criteria. This is a high-spec machine wi🗹th a luxury build and a solid display, not quite the everyday hybrid of the previous generation.

It's an investment, but it's a worthy one. If you're after a slimline laptop for daily work while you're out and about, but still want to crank Cyberpunk 2077 to three-figure framerates in the evening it's a 𝓡fantastic proposition. You're spending less here than you would on a similarly specced Razer Blade💃 16 and picking up a more compact form factor.

If, howeverꩵ, you're more concerned with power over portability, the jump to a larger 16-inch chassis is wort💃h considering.

How I tested the 2025 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14

I used the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 for just under two weeks, runꦛning the laptop for all daily work and evening gameplay. I split my time between using the device as-is, while also connecting it to a separate monitor setup every now and then. I performed nine 3D Mark synthetic benchmark tests, running Time Spy, Fire Strike, and Steel Nomad three times each and taking my final scores as an average. I applied the same methodology to my PC Mark 10 benchmarks as well.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Three Kingdoms, Returnal, Cyberpunk 2077, Horizon Zero Dawn: Remastered, and Black Myth Wukong were all tested using in-game benchmark tools in both 1080p and 1600p (with the exception being Returnal at 1440p) and at High and Highest settings. Cyberpunk 2077 and Black Myth Wukong were run with Super Reso🍬lution settings at Auto and Balanced respectively. I also tested DLSS Frame Generation features in Cyberpunk 2077 with Super Resolution set to Quality and a base 1600p resolution. All in-game and synthetic benchmarks were recorded in the system's Turbo mode.

I ran the battery down from 100% at 50% brightness while playing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle twice, once on the Balanced performance preset and again on Turbo mode♒.

For more information on 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:how we test gaming laptops, check out the full 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

I'm also hunting down all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptop and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best laptop backpacks for more setup options. Or, take a look at the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming PCs for a desk-based approach.

Especially when it's on sale.

The😼 RTX 4070 Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 has just dropped , with a $500 discount on the $1,999.99 MSRP. That's a machine capable of running all the latest and greatest games (albeit with a few settings tweaks) for just under $1,500. For full 2025 RTX 5080 performance you're looking at a minimum of $2,799.99.

This isn't the cheapest the 2024 Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 has been. This same configuration dropped to $1,379.99 back in March. However, today's sale price still reflects the excellent value on offer in these now-older builds and considering I haven't seen that recꦗord-low in over a month now, it's well worth inves🦋tigating today.

Should you buy the 2024 Asus ROG Zephyrus G16?

If you're looking for portability and power in a sleek, grown-up chassis then absolutely. The 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:2024 Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 is cheaper than the similarly specced 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:2024 Razer Blade 16 will ever b🧸e, and while its OLED display doesn't quite matcꦇh up it's still a beauty in its own right.

I tested the RTX 4090 version, so my benchmark results aren't going to match the capability of this system. While it does fall toward✱s the bottom of my RTX 4090 comparison pool, though, it comes second only to the Razer Blade 16 in sheer performance within a skinnier form factor.

Of course, the newer model is going to satisfy those who want the latest and greatest hardware at their disposal and that would be all the reasoning to invest in the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:2025 Asus ROG Zephyrus G16. If you're going for sheer performance, and don't want to use additional DLSS tricks or keep your laptop🐎 running on battery, 2024's model still looks like the better 🃏fit.

The RTX 4090 configuration I tested was only around 10fps slower than the far more expensive RTX 5080 2025 model in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and still managed to clock in at 16fps less than the new rꦑelease in Total War: Three Kingdoms Ultra settings.

You're not getting the best performance on the market, but you never are with a slimline device. If yo🌺u want to balance the look and feel of your laptop with solid framerates then this is a fantastic buy.

If you don't mind so much about the thickness of that chassis, I'd always recommend the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 instead. The RTX 40-Series device from last year consistently tops the charts in its design and features while offering fanta𒈔stic performance, all without being the most expensive laptop on the market.

Of course, if you want to see what else this brand has to offer I'm rounding up all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops on the market as well as the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops for more comparisons.

The sauce hasn’t always been this sweet for Asus’s flagship 18-incher. Last year’s model struggled to keep up with its predecessor in performance while still offering the same gaudy design. Things are slicked back and grown up this year, though, and the Strix Scar 18 shines brighter than even its ♉new LED light strips.

Configurations

Asus has gone with the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor for its range of Strix Scar 18s this time, an impressive CPU running eight performance cores and 15 efficient cores at 24 threads. The chip drops some of the fancier features of the Intel i9-14900HX, the breadwinner of the previous generation, but its hybrid design complements the streamlined nature of the൲ RTX 50-Series better than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H, and adds more physical cores to the playbook as well.

That means it can push well beyond the capabilities of the 285H, which is just as well considering the machines I’ve tested with the smaller꧙ chip inside haven’t exactly threatened the previous💝 generation of full-fat processors.

As𝔉us is giving us the choice of either an RTX 5080 or RTX 5090 in the US, with an RTX 5070 Ti variant popping up in 🐠the UK as well. This cheaper rig clocks in at a total 140W TGP, whereas the 5080 and 5090 can bump up to 175W.

There are cheaper 16GB RAM configurations available, but most seem to be using 32GB with a 1TB + 1TB SSD structure. Thankfully, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 makes accessing these internals even easi𒈔er, with a fully tool-less connection to the bottom panel.

Design

I much prefer the look and feel of the 2025 Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 compared to its predecessor. I let out a sigh of relief on opening the clamshell lid for the first time; that cheap translucent plastic is gone. Instead, we’ve got a soft-touch matte black chassis that looks and feels far more deserving of this lofty price tag. I like me a see-through gadget, but noܫt when I’ve droܫpped thousands of dollars on it.

Asus gives with one hand and takes with the other, though. There are a few downsides to this redesign, and one new Marmite feature. That’s the AniMe Matrix display on the back, a series of white LEDs previously only st🌄amped on Asus’s Zephyrus line but now turning up on the big guns. It’s a fully customizable array of additional lights that can run your own animations or text across the lid of the display, but I also find it incredibly annoying.

Switched on, I can never seem to ignore the flashes of random light that appear on the wall behind my machine and considering you’ll never see the full display when actually using the device it’s an unnecessary price blꦺo☂at on an already-expensive machine.

You can switch it off to save your peripheral vision♑ (as I did the moment I saw it was on there), but you’re still paying for it. It’s tacky and I hate it.

There are smaller adjustments to the overall chassis that don’t scream🍰 quite so loudly, but did offer a few frustrations in my testing. While the previous generation (ꦯand most larger 18-inch machines) featured a small lip to the top of the main lid, this is completely flush.

That means there’s no tab with which I can easily pull the laptop open, instead I’m balancing my thumb along the top skinny bezel and hoping I don’t stick my hands all over the screen. That’s a minor inconvenience, though, the hinge is still smooth enough to open this way and the base is heavy enough to keepꦦ the machine steady on a desk while opening with one hand.

Thankfully, Asus has toned down its internal branding. Last year’s model seemed to throw everything onto the chassis, with ‘ROG’ stamps plastered across the main internal deck. The new model is far more restrained, not just filling in the aforementioned translucent plastic, but remoꦯving branding fro📖m the inside altogether.

Instead, we have a sleek aesthetic that marries a very subtle ‘Est. 2006’ icon in light gray along the top of the rear shelf with an all-black, quiet design. Just watch for fingerprints - I’d barelyဣ set up the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 before I needed to get the microfiber cloth out, and this thing takes some elbow grease to keep clear from smudges.

The main chassis is still constructed from plastic, taking a lighter, cheaper route than the more durable bodies of ma♛ny high-end gaming laptops. However, the lid retains its metal structure, with a glossy ROG logo 🎉stamped in the same corner as before.

That massive RGB grill at the front of the previous generation has also been overhauled, with a slimmer strip of lighting hiding better underneath the front lip of the maiဣn deck and additional lighting added to the sides as well. It gives the whole device a floating aesthetic, projecting vivid colors onto the desk below where the previous model felt a little top heavy.

Display

Up top, we’ve got a Mini LED ROG Nebula🅘 HDR panel, one of the best in its class. Asus simply states thaꦺt this slightly upgraded display has “over 2,000” dimming zones, less specific than the 2,304 figure we were given last year - but we can reasonably assume it’s about the same. It’s about as good a contrast as you’re going to get without going OLED (a rarity on these larger machines) while still benefiting from the tailored brightness of an HDR panel.

Both single-lighting and multi-zone lighting options are available, with the former offering more of a uniform color reproduction at the expense of more dynamic, immersive visuals. I used the display at full whack for most of my testing, though, and it’🅰s remarkably punchy.

It’s plenty bright, with up to 1,100-nits in the right conditions, helping to combat lighter environmen🅰ts and keep darker moments of gameplay easily visible without having to crank the gamma.

Asus has also added to its Ambient C𒁃ontrast Ratio tech with the new generation, with two layers of screen tech working to reduce reflections and ⭕glare while also bumping up contrast and ensuring uniform viewing angles. The tech certainly works, with not even the sunniest of days bouncing back at me when gaming in a well-lit room. Of course, you’re getting the standard QHD+ resolution and 240Hz refresh rate here as well.

Ports

Unlike most 18-inch gaming laptops that slide their ports around the back, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 keeps the side-loaded connections that we༒ saw last year. I personally prefer rear ports in a larger machine that’s designed to stay on a desktop. It makes for a far tidier setup, without cables and receivers sprawled out on each side of the mac🎃hine, and keeps your more permanent connections secure as well.

With the majority of the connections stuck on the right flank, however, the Scar manages to avoid feeling too messy when fully hooked up. All your permanent connections are in a neat row here, with power, Ethernet, and an HDMI 2.1 port up to𓄧p. I have my laptop set up on the left side of my desk, which means I can easily hide these cables down the side of the table.

I can, but I’m nervous about it.

That’s because the power connector is no longer angled to sit inline with the device and the sheer🔯 weight of that cord pulls on the connection itself. That’s concerning, especially considering I can see the inside of the connection when it’s sitting at this angle, and hear the port shifting around when I move the wire. It’s a shame Asus has randomly decided to change its cord, but for now I just have to keep something wedged underneath it.

The left flank also features two Thunderbolt 5 USB-C ports, impressive𝄹 considering I’m more used to seeing a single Thunderbolt option and a regular USB-C, as well as a USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 and 3.5mm audio jack. On the right, we have two more USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 connections.

You are dropping a USB-A option from the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Alienware M18 R2 here, and dropping the Mini-Display Port and SD card slot. However, the upgrade to Thunderbolt 5 from Thunderbolt 4 means you’re getting faster speeds and the ability to output across three 4K displays at higher refresh rates instead of two. Last year’s 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:MSI Titan 18 HX and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:MSI Raider 18 HX both offer similar port selections, though again with the addit�༒�ion of a MicroSD card slot and the downgrade to Thunderbolt 4.

Keyboard and trackpad

There’s no fancy keyboard tech upgrades happening under the hood here, unlike the new scissor-switches in the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:2025 Razer Blade 16. Instead, we’ve got a classic membrane deck, but one that feels nice and snappy under the fingertips. There’s a little flex under the main panel (a little more than I would expect coming from a machine of this price), but everyday typing and gaming feels bouncy and responsive still. Key spacing is nicely balanced and each actuation jumps with an energetic c🦂lack that feels crisp and satisfying.

The layout is as you’d expect from an 18-incher, with a number pad and full-sized arrow buttons. Things are a little cramped into the center of the main base, which mea⛦ns the directional but🍨tons are crammed into the central deck a little. Still, I’ll take that over half-sized clickers any day.

Above the main area, you’ll✨ find that classic array of Asus media controls and macro buttons. These are rꦍemappable in Armory Crate, but function as a volume control, mic mute, power preset toggle, and launcher for the software by default.

The large glass trackpad is shifted slightly to the left, allowing for ample reaching space between the main keys and the number pad. There’s a serene glide to the pad with no sticking, and enough palm rejection to keep 💙things accurate as well.

RGB, obviously, runs throughout and is fully configurable in Armory Crate itself. It’s not quite as slick as other 2025 models I’ve tested, dropping the slick, tightly controlled aesthetic of the Razer Blade and somewhat lacking the vivid color of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:2025 Asus ROG Zephyrus G16. Lighting remains clear though, and with strong uniformity across longer legends - even if dual-legend keys suffer from using a single LED. Razer avoids 𒅌this issue by adding an extra light to 𒁏its caps that require two sets of inputs.

Performance

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 is the most powerful gaming laptop I’ve tested to date, and that’s a sentence I haven’t said in two years. 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Last year’s iteration lost out to the MSI Raider 18 HX and MSI Titan 18 HX in this arena, and didn’t even top its predecessor’s 🐈benchmark numbers. The 2025 iteration blows it out the🙈 water and generally keeps its head above MSI’s numbers as well.

Synthetic benchmarks across 3D Mark Time Spy, Fire Strike, and Steel Nomad see the Scar hold pole position across all three tests, c𓆏omfortably taking the lead in the first two easier runs and finishing up with a nose in front on Steel Nomad. That’s a strong baseline to work from, but things get a lot more interesting in-game.

The MSI Raider 18 HX does inch just a little out in front🌸 when it comes to Shadow of the Tomb Raider, but there’s only a couple of frames in it. Considering the Scar wins every other benchmark run, this is an easy lead. Still, there’s no disputing the fact that its power isn’t a million miles away from the RTX 4090 inside MSI’s bea𒁏sts.

That’s in line with the rest of the releases I’ve seen from this generation so far. The RTX 50-Series doesn’t want to turbo-charge your native framerates, instead it’s concentrating on efficiency. That’s why the relatively low temperatures during these runs are more interesting, while fans certainly whirred away in this Turbo Mode setting, the rig never grew uncomforღtably hot and all vitals steered clear of bottleneck concerns.

Cyberpunk 2077 and Black Myth: Wukong are the heaviest runs in this test group. The former was tested with Super Resolution set to Balanced mode, and at both RT Medium and RT Ultra. We’re able to stay well ahead of 60fps in both✱ settings, making for smooth, responsive gameplay. But, taking the💙 RTX 50-Series’ focus on DLSS settings into account, those numbers can skyrocket.

Bumping Super Resolution up to Quality still left us at an average of 67fps, but with 4x Fr🐟ame Generation that shot all the way up to 212.❀ Whether or not you use the AI frame buster is up to you, and it’s still more than playable without it in this larger 18-inch form factor. If you want the juiciest settings possible, though, it’s an extra tool in your arsenal.

The RTX 50-Series mobile scene requires a little re-framing of many players’ references. No, we’re not seeing the same generation-on-generation performance upgrades from these cards, though there is more of a boost in this larger form factor 🥃compared to skinny machines like the Razer Blad﷽e 16 and Asus ROG Zephyrus G16.

This is still the fastest gaming laptop I’ve ever had on my desk, though, and it comes armed with optional extra tech to supercharge that performance even further. That efficiency isn’t quite so important in this larger 18-inch form factor. It’s unlikely you’ll need to rely on a longer battery life or need these frame g𒈔eneration settings to hit 60fps with ray tracing in demanding games like you would with a 14-inch or 16-inch slimline device.

Should you buy the 2025 Asus ROG Strix Scar 18?

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 will run you around $4,499.99 / £4,699.99 for an RTX 5090 c🐲onfiguration, with lower-specced RTX 5080 models dropping down to 16GB RAM at $3,399.99 in the US. That’s a lot of cash, but if you’re after a stay-at-home desk-based gaming laptop with a high-end display, plenty of power, and a slick design it’s well worth an investment.

That is, of course, assumiꦅng you want the latest component🦂s.

There’s a tricky problem with the RTX 50-Series at the moment. That lack of real gen-on-gen progression, and falling RTX 40-Series gaming laptop prices, means value isn’t on their side. You can, for example, pick up a 4K MSI Raider 18 HX with an RTX 4090 under the hood for about the same price and upgrade your display to full UHD quality while still enjoying similar framerates. You won’t have access to Nvidia’s latest toys, but with that much power at your fingertips, native rendering and older DLSS tools coꦕuld well suffice.

Further down the price range, the Alienware M18 R2 is around $3,800 with an RTX 4090 and Intel i9-14900HX. You’re not going to see as much per🎶formance out of this chassis, but it’s still a powerful piece of kit that can keep pace with modern games for near✅ly a grand less.

That may all change once older models are phased off the shelves, and if you’re looking to upgrade from an RTX 30-Series 💙or RTX 20-Series device you might as well future-proof yourself. However, the jump from RTX 4080 or RTX 4090 gaming laptops isn’t as rewarding this time around.

Taken in isolation, though, the 2025 Asus ROG Strix Scar 1♊8 is an excellent piece of kit. It’s the fastest, most powerful gaming laptop I’ve had my hands on yet and it comes with its own design improvements as well. There are a few niggling annoyances in its cable design and plastic chassis, but overall it’s a must-see among its space.

How I tested the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18

I used the Asus R🐈OG Strix Scar 18 as my main laptop for both work and gaming over the course of one week. During that time, I used the laptop in full portable mode, disconnected from a monitor and dock for four days, and hooked it up to a QHD panel foꦛr the remaining three. All of my gameplay was completed without this separate display.

I benchmarked across Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Three Kingdoms, and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered at both High and Highest graphical settings in 1080p and 1600p. I also benchmarked Cyberpunk 2077🎐 in RT Medium and RT Ultra in FHD and QHD+ with Super Resolution set to Balanced. Black Myth: Wukong was tested at High and Very High graphical presets, with Super Resolution set to 60 and Ray Tracing enabled. Both Cyberpunk and Black Myth: Wukong were then tested with Super Resolution at full whack, at their highe𝓡st graphical settings, and with DLSS Frame Generation turned on and off.

Synthetic b⛄enchmarks were performed in 3D Mark’s Time Spy, Fire Strike, and Steel Nomad, with the CPU tested across PC Mark 10. These tests were run three times ꧒each, with the final score taken as an average across each run.

For more information on 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:how we test gaming laptops, check out the full 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

I'm also rounding up plenty more of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops and turning attention to the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops on the market as well.

The Razer Laptop Cooling Stand looks to ⛦change that, offering its own machines (and other brands' models) a beefier cooling system with some extra ports th♉rown in for good measure. Oh, and RGB lighting of course.

Even the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptops can benefit from lower temperatures, and none more so than the Blade. While the new generation of machines run their components particularly🀅 efficiently, there's always degrees to save. Whether that small boost in performance is worth Razer's $129.99 / £129.99 asking price remains to be seen.

Design

Far from the Blade gaming laptops it was designed to support, the Razer Laptop Cooling Stand is a chonk. The all-plastic chassis feels a little cumbersom𓂃e in a setup, barely fitting on my 55-inch🦄 Flexispot E7 Pro next to my 32-inch gaming monitor. It does squeeze in there, but it's far from the sleek, streamlined aesthetic I was going for with my setup.

It adds to a gaming laptop's footprint𒅌 considerably, especially if - like me - you're used to only having to house a 14-inch rig. The edges jut out roughly 2-inches from a 14-inch laptop like mine, which means you'll need an extra 4 inches of horizontal space on your desk to allow for it. That's a considerable space requirement, especially seeing as you're also adding an additional 2.6 inches along the top and bottom of the device.

It's not just the footprint that's imposing on a desk top, it's the o🐽verall size. This is a completely plastic chassis, with particularly chunky paneling. There's not much going on under the hood, so the device feels pretty hollow to the touch, save for a sturdier panel running along the back. The entire unit is lifted about 0.7-inches off the table with a stand at the rear, tilting the main laptop stand slightly (but hold♐ing it in place with a lip at the front).

It's not a particularly sexy look.

Throw those RGB lights on and everything is elevated. It's rare that I enjoy LEDs on anything that's not a keyboard, but against the nearly-boring look of this plastic hun🎐k, the effect is remarkably relieving. This is all fully Chroma controlled, so the lights will respond to in-game circumstances in specific titꦬles but can also be matched with other Razer accessories via Synapse.

These LEDs are all focused on the top lip of the device, throwing out a ray of colored light onto the table top surface below. It's a litt🍒le front-heavy, but still works to give the cooling stand a more suave feel than the purely functional body would💙 otherwise achieve by itself.

The top panel features removable (magnetically attached) plates designed to fit 14-inch, 16-inch or 18-inch devices. Each stacks a foam insert underneath the laptop itself to keep it from making direct contact with the plastic below and provide addꦓitional elevation for those fans to get to work in the center.

Features

At first glance, the Razer Laptop Cooling Pad offers a nice selection of fan sp♊eeds to choose from and access to three additional USB-A ports, but diving into Synapse there are a number of additional features up for grabs.

Small things like being able to link preset fan behavior to certain games streamlines the entire experience nicely. Rather than manually cycling through each fan speed option using the dedicated clicker (located on the bottom right of the stand, indica⛎ting that you'll need to keep the device on the left of your setup), I could have those fans whizz up when Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was launched, only to settle back down when simply running Google Chrome.

There are six total fan settings to choose from, split betweeꦰn Fixed RPM and Smart Fan Curve options. The former allows you to choose between Low, Medium, and High fixed speeds - these will run whatever your system is doing. The latter automatically adjusts speeds within a certain parameter based on your system temperatures.

Those fan blades can run at up to 3,200 RPMꦏ, adjustable in increments of 50. The individual speeds for each setting can also be finౠe-tuned, as can the curve on the smarter side of things.

There's a third option for those lucky enough to be running a compatible Razer Blade laptop. Hyperboost was announced as a free update at CES this year, and is slowly being rolled out across compatible devices. Right now, my Blade 14 hasn't received an invite to the party - but the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:2025 Razer Blade 16 I've been testing certainly has.

It's essentially a souped up version of the Smart Fan Curve setting, making its own✱ automatic adjustments in a far more tailored manner and allowing th𝕴e Blade 16 to push harder than it would otherwise.

All your connections are located around the back, making for a nicely tidy setup. One USB-A is hardwired into the device, used to connect the Razer Laptop Cooling Stand to y✤our machine. The port you lose is replaced with three more, however. While you may lose a little speed daisy chaining in this way, they're still more than workable for additional accessories.

There's a region-flexible power 36W DC power adapter in the box as well - and this, this is a🎐 nightmare. I spent far too long trying to click the right plug onto the adapter itself, it requires some kind of Zelda-esque push and turn mechanism that, when I was doing it right, felt like I was outright breaking the plastic. It's a small quibble, but there's certainly a knack to this and it's a minor frustration in the set up process.

Performance

The Razer Laptop Cooling Pad doesn't have much of an effect on in-game performance. My tests across Cyberpunk 2077 didn♌'t reveal any benefit to having the stand set to the full 3,200RPM compared to not using it at all. However, those temperatures were certainly kept under control.

I ran multiple RT Ultra benchmarks on the Razer Blade 14 (ဣset to CPU Boost and GPU High) and the differences between each run were minimal - less than a frame. However, GPU temperatures dropped from 81°C without the fans enabled to 72°C at full whack. Those are max temperatures taken over the course of intensive benchmarking, but the overall system thermals continued to benefit during longer sessions.

The Razer Laptop Cooling Pad never set out to improve your framerates, it wants to keep your system cooler and more reliable. It certainly achieves that, but at the cost of y𓆏our ears.

With that top speed enabled, I could barely hear my laptop speakers - it's an incredibly loud fan system. Of course, if you have one of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming headsets at your disposal the experience is much smoother. With the noise cancellation of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:SteelSeries Arctis Game Buds I can barely make out the extra whirr in the background, though with the open back 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Turtle Beach Atlas Air on the noggi꧂n things were a little more distracting.

𝓡Benchmarks paint a reliable picture, but the actual experience of using the Razer Laptop Cooling Pad for the last few months tells a different story. Sure, the numbers might not tick up too high in in-game benchmark tools, but ไactually running Avowed on this RTX 4070 machine was slightly more illuminating.

My slimline Blade 14 sometimes struggles to keep up with top settings in this adventure, especially when there's a lot going on on-screen. Anecdotally, I noticed far more stability with the Razer Laptop Cooling Pad in tow. I was able to bump ▨up texture settings without the stuttering I was experiencing without it, making for a smoother run oveꦑrall.

The 2025 Blade 16 was next on the pad, taking the HyperBoost feature out for a spin. There were some real benefits to this addition, though the very minor increases in QHD framerates I noticed aren't reason enough to buy the Razer Laptop Cooling Pad. You'll see more of a boost in performance when running at a lower resolution, but even then things are still within a few frames of each other. The pad helps its own Razer Blade laptops slightly more than others (I saw no real tangible improvements to performance on the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:2025 Asus ROG Zephyrus G16), but not enough to warrant a purchase for framerates alone🍬.

Instead, you're investing in the reliability and long-term health of your machine. Whereas my Blade 14 can sometimes stutter even from having ꦓtoo many Chrome tabs running, even a quiet Smart Fan Curve setting kept things running smoothly. This isn't a magical framerate wizard, though there are performance ꦕbenefits to a cooler system, but a genuinely useful tool for managing temperatures - especially for overclockers.

Should you buy the Razer Laptop Cooling Pad?

I didn't know whether I'd keep the Razer Laptop Cooling Pad on my desk when I first pulled it out of the box. However, after seeing its effect on in-game stability and exploring all of its smarter features in more productivity-focused settings, it's staying firmly in place. Yes, I've lost some desk space and yes, the plastic design isn't the most attractive. It works well, though, and with my slimline RTX 4070 gaming laptop sometimes struggling to meet more demanding titles I'll take all the help I ca🍃n get.

If you bought your gaming laptop for portability, but wish you could get a little mo🌄re juice out of it at home I'd seriously recommend considering the investment. At $149.99 / £129.99 it's pricey, more expensive than the Amazon brands you can buy online. The cheapest of the cheap can be yours for around $25, but I'm always wary of budget coolers.

I've been stung by unoptimized cooling trays in the past, and you don't want to mess with your system's thermals unless you trust your brꦡand. Razer is a respectable name with plenty of additional benefits baked into its Synapse ecosystem making for better controls, customization options, and long-term durability than the majority of cheap stand꧑s I've used.

How I tested the Razer Laptop Cooling Pad

I used the Razer Laptop Cooling Pad alongside my Razer Blade ♐14 for two months, with the last few weeks of testing all taking the Razer Blade 16 and Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 out for a spin. During the majority of my testing, I was running daily work tasks using the Smart Fan Curve setting at Quiet or Balanced, ramping things up to Performance in-game. I was predominantly testing ac🌼ross Avowed, Fallout 4, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle during this time, but also ran specific benchmarking tests on Cyberpunk 2077.

For these tests, the Razer Laptop Cooling Pad was set to a fixed 3,200 RPM, and each gaming laptop was pushed𝓡 to its maximum factory performance setting.

For more information on how we make our recommendations, check out the full 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

I'm also rounding up all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops on the market, or you can check out the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops for a look at the competition.

It's going to take a lot to break the crown of the Razer Blade 16, with its high-end display, luxury chassis re-design, and RTX 5090 benchmarks sitting in my testing tables. It's the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptop for those after a luxury slimline 16-inch form factor, a battleground that both brands have trodden well. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 I've had on the bench for the last coup🦄le of weeks flounders in a few areas. Its RTX 5080 GPU has a lot to say, even if its Intel Core Ultra 9 285H doesn't, and if you're willing to listen there's a solid proposition on the table.

However, it's the smaller details that make all the difference this far up the price scale and considering Asus isn't too far away from🦩 Razer's own lofty MSRPs🎃, that crown is staying firmly on Sneki's head.

Configurations

Asus has gone with Intel for its slimline Zephyrus G16 gaming laptops this year, sticking with the brand's Core Ultra range. I'm not overwhelmed with joy at that decision. My experience with the previous generation Core Ultra 1s wasn't the best - they consistently performed worse than the more gaming-focused i9-14900HX and AMD's Ryzen AI 9 series. With the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:2025 Razer Blade 16 tꦿaking A꧒MD's side, things are going to get interesting.

This tim🌞e, however, they've got the added efficiency and slight grunt boost of the RTX 50-Series GPU, with the G16 sporting everything from the RTX 5070 Ti up to the RTX 5090. At the cheapest end of the spectrum, that leaves you with a $2,799.99 / £3,399.99 price tag - slightly cheaper than the $2,999.99 / £2,699.99 base price of the Razer Blade 16 in the US and slightly more expensive (albeit with slightly different internals) in the UK.

The model I'm testing sits in the middle, with an RTX 5080 GPU, 32GB RAM, and a 2TB SSD - a configuration that isn't listed exactly on Asus's site, but comes in at $3,599.99 / £3,399.99 with a 💫RAM boost to 64GB. This is a h෴eavy-duty machine, so there are no cheaper 16GB RAM options and only one 1TB SSD configuration on the shelves right now.

Overall, Asus is just rubbꦑing shoulders with Razer in its pri✱cing, which proves troublesome when we look at some specifics of the build and feature list.

Design

There's very little distinguishing the 2025 Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 from its previous 2024൩ model on the outside. The new aesthetic that hit the line last year has remained, with a sleek strip of LEDs scorching through the center of the li♉d and replacing the traditional matrix of dots that had existed prior.

This "Slash Lighting", as Asus calls it, remains simple and smooth (and fully customizable in the Armory Crate software), though I did turn it off almost immediately. Like last year's model it's infinitely better than the panel of blazing LEDs featured on earlier releases, but it's still annoying when flashing against whatever wall you're working near. Still, if that's your thing it's a slick light show with handy music-matching and notificati🍌on-flashing settings.

The similarities between 2025 and last year's model continue through the weigh✃t and form factor. This is the same streamlined chassis design we saw last year, with its ultrabook / Macbook-esque look and feel. At 13.94 x 9.69 x 0.59 - 0.69 incဣhes it's also exactly the same thickness as last year's model, weighing in at the same 3.4lbs / 1.95kg.

Asus didn't need to slim down its G16, it was already one of the thinnest machines on the market, matching Razer's new Blade 16 with even last year's device.♚ It makes for a sleek machine that can easily fit into productivity scenarios just as easily as it'll ru𝓀n your favorite games. In fact, the only thing separating the 2025 Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 from its predecessor at first glance is that Copilot key on the deck.

The keyboard sits above a nicely large trackpad, well centered between the palm rests to avoid any accident♊al clicks when working at an angle. There's a little more flex to these palm rest areaཧs than I experienced in this year's Razer Blade 16, though the keyboard itself remains springy.

The overall build quality feels similar to Razer's but not as luxurious. You're still getting a CNC-milled chassis constructed from aluminum alloy and available with either Eclipse Gray or Platinum Wh🐽ite (I'm testing the former). It's a sturdy machine, but the top lid presents with far more flex than Razer's solid brick, andౠ the display wobbles significantly more when opened. It's by no means lacking in its build quality, and it doesn't command the same lofty price tag as a Razer rig, but it's just not at the same ultra-premium level as its main competitor.

Display

Asus has some stiff competition. The Razer Blade 16 boasts the best display I've ever used on a gaming laptop, and the Zephyrus G16 doesn't quite challenge that title. Taken in isolation this is still an impressive OLED panel, boasting 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 range, 500 nits of brightness, and a 1M:1 contrast ratio. That's slapped up on a standard QHD+ 240Hz 🅰screen, with Dolby Vision HDR and Nvidia G-Sync thrown in for good measure.

It's crisp, vivi🥂d, and nicely realistic in its color representation, but it doesn't offer the same vibrant punch as R꧒azer's screen. That said, I did notice less reflections on Asus's device, with a less glossy panel offering better resistance to glare in lighter conditions.

I was also surprised to see something I haven't in a long time; a moving screensaver. This is part of the 2025 Asus ROG Zephyrus G16's OLED protection, preventing the image burn-in that sometimes occurs with these types of screens when left on a static picture for too long. It was nice to watch a screensaver again after all these years, but there are more high-tech measures in place as we🤪ll.

The machine also uses a pixel shifting process to ever so slightly move items on the screen when it's static, keeping up that protection even if you opt to keep your display switched on the whole time. This is enabled in Armory Crate, alongside a se🤡tting to avoid the flickering sometimes seen in OLED panels when running on a low brightness.

Ports

In total, yoওu've got three opportunities for a video-out connection here (an HDMI 2.1 and Thunderbolt 4 on the left, and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort on the right) with two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A connections (one on either side). These are accompanied by a UHS-II SD card reader on the right and a 3.5mm audio jack on the left.

It's nice to have both USB-A and USB-Cღ options on both sides, though a docking station would be limited to only plugging in on the left. Thunderbolt 4 does also open you up to slightly faster and more reliable transfer compared to AMD's reliance on USB4 in the Razer Blade 16 as well, even if you're sacrificing one of the ⛄Blade's three USB-As in the process.

Keyboard and trackpad

Asus has slightly widened its key spacing on the new ROG Zephy🍸rus G16, the 1.7mm gap now matches the 1.7mm travel distance of the clickers themselves, making for a better-balanced keyboard overall. I never had any issues with the tighter spacing on the previous model, and don't notice too much of a difference in everyday usage here. Unfortunately, the arrow keys are still halved, making for less precise action overall.

Underneath those caps you'll find a set of nicely energetic switches, o💎ffering a satisfying travel and bouncy bottom-out. I was able to maintain my usual laptop keyboard sღpeed here, and appreciated the crisp feel overall.

Again, Asus falls just short of Razer's premium finish, though. The clickers underneath aren't as rich or satisfying as the new scissor-switches in the 2▨025 Blade 16 - they lack the tightness I loved so much about the Blade's glow-up.

Of course, you'll also find per-key RGB lighting underneath, offe🔥ring a strong, vivid display of bright colors in a range of customizable patterns. It's not quite as clean-cut or bold as Razer's, and there's more bleed around the edges of the caps, but it's still impressively uniform underneath even longer legends.

Just like last year, we've got dedicated volume buttons, a mic mute, and an Armory Crate launcher separate from the main deck. These macro buttons can also be customized using the laptop's software and sit inline with the glass power key on the🔯 right. That's a handy selection of additional controls, though it's worth noting that there are no playback options listed on the deck. Listening to music while working got a little more tricky whil🃏e I was using the Zeph.

The good-sized trackpad feels smooth and responsive under the fingers, ne𓃲ver dragging or registering unwanted clicks. Its bounce is tight and controlled with a satisfying clack to a full-force press, and tap-clicks were always immediately registered in my testing.

Performance

I'll start this section off by saying that the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 offers enough speed and stability to reliably play in a s𝓡limline form factor. It's ♏not, however, the best native performer on the market - not by a long shot.

The RTX 5080 under the hood of my test unit ticked along beautifully in lighter experiences, an🅺d scored blitzing framerates when DLSS was fully unleashed, but its native performance in more strenuous activities was disappointing. At FHD resolution, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 tucked neatly underneath last year's RTX 4090 Razer Blade 16 in Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmarking, impressively out-performing the RTX 5090 in this year's Blade.

The story is the same in Total War: Three Kingdom; the RTX 5080 can't quite get the RTX 4090 off the top spot in native rendering, but does beat previous generation machines in similar form factors and performed better than this year's Raze🍬r devic🎉e in my testing.

That story changes when the GPU has something meatier to chew on. The 2025 Zephyrus G16 sank to the bottom of the pile in Returnal 1920 🐻x 1200p testing, only just scraping past 100fps in Ultra settings. Cyberpunk 2077 saw a 24% decrease in performance from the RTX 5080 compared to the RTX 5090, and the system struggled to keep up in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered and Black Myth Wukong as well.

I'm not surprised, I wouldn't have expected an RTX 5080 machine to outperform an R🦄TX 5090 rig, but comparisons against last year's figures require a little more squinting.

I said it in my review of the Blade 16, this generation isn't about reaching for the highest TGPs and the fastest framerates; it's about making that gaming experience more efဣficient and portable. That's where DLSS performance comes in.

At full native rendering at RT Ultra, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 was just knocking on 60fps in QHD+ resolution. Throw Quality Super Resolution on for extra shine and that figure drops to 48fps. However, I was able to have a much higher quality experience and still reach smooth framerates of 136fps with the new boosted DLSS frame generation switched on. As with the Blade 16, there's some ghosting around certain fast-moving neon sign♋s, but this isn't the desktop market we're talking about.

For a gaming laptop to throw up graphics looking this good at these kinds of speeds, some sacrifices are going to be made. The difference between gaming laptops and gaming PCs is that us laptop lovers have chosen to prioritize portability over pure performance - now we're starting to inch tow꧟ards having it all.

D☂LSS-enhanced scores do🧸n't top those of the Razer Blade 16's RTX 5090, but they do give us a good look at what the RTX 5080 can do in a slimline chassis.

The 2025 Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 suffered a 22% performance drop with an RTX 5080 at the helm compared to the Blade 16's Cyberpunk 2077 score. That's comparing the rates of two runs set to Ultra Performance super resolution and frame generation switched on. That still left me with framerates knocking on 200fps,🐻 though, something that wouldn't have been possible with the previous generation of mobile GPUs.

Unfortunately, I expect some of the G16's true potential has been cut off by the Intel processor under the hood. While it does score higher than last year's Ultra model, it's still well below the benchmarks🎀 of the good old i9-14900HX and AMD's AI-focused chips.

I performed all the tests above in Turbo mode, a performance preset that unlocks everything to run as well as it can - often at the expense of power and fan noise. While those fans can kick up a little during heavier moments, jolting to life to spin up when needed before dying off again. They are far from the loudest fans I've ever encountered, though they are slightly more in-your-face than Razer's. My CPU averaged out at between 86 and 91 degrees during testing, with my GPU sticking to between 70-74 at its hottest. That's good going for a machine that doesn't blast ai🙈r direct into your ear canals and still runs smoothly in the process.

Should you buy the 2025 Asus ROG Zephyrus G16?

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 remains one of the more expensive slimline gaming laptops on the market, but if you're looking for a work / plꩲay hybrid it definitely hits the brief. While the RTX 5080 I tested didn't quite give the RTX𓆏 5090 in the Razer Blade 16 anything to be worried about, it still held up well for play in both natively rendered and DLSS-heavy settings.

If you don't want to use Nvidia's extra features to add 🌞to your framerates, then the potentency of this 2025 generation is weakened slightly. With RTX 4080 and RTX 40♍90 configurations of last year's model still sporting the same aesthetic, form factor, OLED display, and port selection there's better value in the older releases still available.

The Zephyrus line is a𒁃lso slightly cheaper than Razer's Blade 16 selection in the US, so if you're looking to invest in a new-generation model with an OLED panel and a slimline, portable design, it's well worth considering. Ultimately, though, if money isn't an object and you're after the best experience possible (with DLSS at your side), the Razer Blade 16 is💝 still the way to go.

How I tested the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16

I used the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 both by itself and as part of a wider monitor setup for two weeks. During that time I also had the opportunity to test it side by side with the new Razer Blade 16 as well. I primarily played Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Fallout 4 during this time, but also tested acro🌟ss Shadow of the Tomb Rꦍaider, Total War: Three Kingdoms, Returnal, Cyberpunk 2077, Black Myth Wukong, and Horizon Zero Dawn: Remastered. As well as those in-game benchmarks, I also tested using graphics-specific 3D Mark runs and CPU-focused PC Mark 10 tests.

For more information on 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:how we test gaming laptops, check out the full 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

I'm also hunting down the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops overall, as well as the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops on the market. Or, for a look elsewhere, take a look at the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops available now.

The hardware’s all here, we’ve got a gorgeous OLED display returning for another year, a souped up keyboard that feels better than ever, and a slimline chassis to keep everything particularly portable. Under the hood, though, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 isn’t as potent as the Intel i9-14900HX in previous generation models, and the RTX 5090 wants you to think of its benefits in terms of 🐲efficiency rather than brute force.

That’s going to be a tough pill for a lot of players to swallow, and it certainly gives the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptops of the p🀅revious generation an extra feather in their caps. This is the first RTX 5090 gaming laptop I’ve tested and, from what I’ve seen so far, this generation feels more like an experiment than the previous. That said, it's an experiment that will benefit gamers looking for a powerful, portable laptop.

Mobile devices may have hit their current power ceiling, so I can see why Nvidia’s had to get creative with ways to improve its experience. Considering the Razer Blade 16 I’ve been testing comes in at a whopping $4,499.💛99, this is one expensive roll of the dice.

A super-thin design

The 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops have always been particularly skinny. They’re solid black bricks designed to slot neatly into a backpack and withstand transport with a luxuriously durable build. This is that, but on steroids. At just 0.69-inches thick when closed, the 2025 Razer Blade 16 is just a hair thicker than the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:2024 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 - only it’s packing an RTX 5090 under the hood instead of tapping out at an RTX 4070. This is truly the firs☂t time I’ve used a gaming laptop designed for high-performance gaming on the go.

That thinner frame makes travelling effortless - it’s still a little heftier than other slimline machines at 2.14kg but it’s still easier on the shoulders than 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:last year’s 2.4kg model. It’s a 16-inch ꧒gami🎃ng laptop I can pick up and carry with one hand, and that’s not to be taken for granted at this power level.

The main chassis boasts the same CNC-milled construction with a sand-blasted and anodized matte finish for that classic🍸 Razer feel. That’s a luxury you don’t find a🙈nywhere else - every Razer laptop I’ve tested has shared the same uniquely tactile surface and of course, there’s zero flexing to be found.

A new thermal hood does extend the base of the 2025 Razer Blade 16 a little, but not beyond the lip of the main chassis. This extended bumper adds ♉new ventilation to the system to help keep those powerful components chilled, without adding to the height of the front or rear.

Everything else is as you’d expect it to be. The latest Razer Blade 16 carries a boxy but ultimately subtl꧟e aesthetic and that bright green Sneki logo blazes bright in 💟the center of the main lid. There are not garish icons, stamps, or cringey lines of text to deal with - just an understated block of metal hiding some serious power.

Under the hood

Intel is out this generation, with the Razer Blade 16 focusing instead on AMD’s AI-forward processors. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 sits inside my 💯testing unit, with 12 cores and 24 threads to its name, and running at a base 3.3GHz, jumping up to 5.1GHz at the top end. That’s the top spec CPU, but you can also configure the 2025 Razer Blade 16 with the slightly weaker AMD AI 9 365, with 10 cores, 12 threads, and a 5GHz max on the clock.

That CPU is our first sign that Razer is going for lean efficiency over raw ജpower with the 2025 Razer Blade 16. It’s simply not as powerful as the Intel i9-14900HX you’ll find inside the fastest gaming laptops on the market, instead focusing its energy on making way for its neural processing to become relevant some day in the near future (it’s not quite there yet,💖 my test system spends very little of its resources on these processes).

It does, however, outperform the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H inside the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Zephyrus G16, though time will tell how this matchup plays out when the newer 275HX model hits my testing bench. Interestingly, the cheaper 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus TUF A14 can push that same A💎MD CPU a little further in PC Mark 10 benchma♉rks.

Razer’s had to trim its power supply to squeeze everything into that super-thin chassis, with around 155W TGP in the RTX 50ꦍ90 device. That’s a considerable downgrade compared to the 175W TGP in the RTX 4090 model from last year, and it does make itself known in performance.

The Razer Blade 16 can also be𝔉 configured with an RTX 5080 or RTX 5070 Ti to bri꧅ng that final cost down, with either 32GB or 64GB RAM. Razer is shipping the Blade 16 with 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB SSD options.

The numbers

Native framerates in my testing pool rarely bump above 150fps, anꦕd unfortunately sometimes don't reach the heights of the RTX 4090 I tested in lꦜast year’s release. Materially, we’re down in core frames-per-second across a couple of benchmarks, which I know is going to lift some eyebrows.

Here’s the kicker, though, I don’t know if chasing framerates further🍬 into three-figure territory in lighter titles like Shadow of the Tomb Raider is what we need to be doing in the mobile market. This is still a machine capable of running demanding single player games in full resolution super smoothly. It’s disappointing that we don’t see massive benefits from Nvidia’s latest flagship GPU, yes - but that’s not what the Blade 16 is about.

Here are the numbers, all run without DLSS features and the ‘Performance’ power preset. The RTX 5090 inside the Razer Blade 16 2025 lags behind the RTX 4090 in the prev🎃ious model in both Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Total War: Three Kingdoms; games where native performance means everything without a DLSS helping hand. The machine keeps pace with its predecessor in Returnal.

The 2025 Razer Blade 16 actually fared better in the competition when placed in the QHD+ arena with more demanding games. At the full 1600p, it just about managed to beat the previous generation in Total War: Three Kingdoms and took a much larger lead in Returnal. Shadow of the Tomb Raider still didn’t see any benefits from the newer mobile GPU, though it still stuck close to previous be💛nchmarks.

The RTX 5090 inside the new Razer Blade 16 isn’t a leap in native fram﷽erates - at best it just about skirts above the previous generation in a thinner form factor (albeit one with AMD’s AI-focused processor instead of Intel’s i9-14900HX powerhouse). Its pace is still impressive considering its thickness, and it does routinely outperform the super-thin Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 from last year - but the lack of any real push forwards in native speed is going to ruffle some feathers. Of course, I’ve yet to test the GPU inside a larger chassis with a more powerful processor and higher TGP.

Synthetic benchmarks tell a slightly different story. Here, the new RTX 5090 model stands tall over the previous RTX 4090 in easier Fire Strike tests, though does again bump underneath the older release in Time Spy. Considering it beats the much chunkier 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 in harder Steel Nomad𝓰 runs, though, there's still grunt𓂃 under this hood.

Let's talk DLSS

Nvidia’s frame generation features have been divisive in the desktop market, that’s putting it lightly - at its worst, it’s been used to mislead on a marketing level. At times it does feel like a get out♒ of jail free card for the brand, especially considering we’re not seeing much of a native leap between generations.

It can artificially speed up your games without requiring a chunky chassis, a big development for slimline gaming laptops - but it also increases latency slightly and adds some distor🐷tion effects. For me in the mobile arena, and as a mostly non-competitive player, though, the tech brings wi൩th it a lean approach to making the most out of your games when raw power is always going to be more limited.

Cyberpunk 2077 is a DLSS darling capable of pushing the new transformer tech to its limits and spitting out some sky-high framerates ♔at the end of it.

With the full ray tracing whack, super resolution at ultra performance, and frame generation toggled, the game was running at an average of 249fps in my testing. That did result in some smaller glitchy details, but I only noticed them appearing around neon signs in-game, which sometimes buzzed on and off. With that super resolution set to max out quality, I♔ was still able to play at 148fps. Without frame generation in play, framerates dropped to the low 40s with this picture-buffing feature enabled.

The 2025 Razer Blade 16’s us✤e of the RTX 5090 feels designed to innovate in form factor rather than power. Native QHD+ framerates are still above the 60fps you’d need for a smooth single-player experience, but if you’re chasing revolutionary numbers with every pixel looking as best it can, you’re going to need to get Nvidia’s toys out.

That’s not what everyone wants to hear but, without carting a massive power supply around with you, it’s currently the best way to hit sky-high framerates. Unfortunately, if your games don’t support DLSS features you’re going to be stuck with native performance - and that presents a strong case for sticking with the previous generat꧟ion and saving cash.

A more useful experience

Instead of focusing on that raw p🌺erformance, the 2025 Razer Blade 16 and RTX 5090 make a bold move. They concentrate more on efficiency𒀰 and overall experience. It was that focus that had me running to do something I’m loathe to test in gaming laptops; battery life.

These machines are doing a lot in a small package, so it’s easy to understand why they often tap out at around 45 minutes to an hour of choppy gameplay. The 2025 Razer Blade 16 has shrunk its chassis while also boosting battery life at the same time. While the most demanding games didn’t run well without power attached in my testing, lighter titles like Lost Records: Bloom & Rage and Gears Tactics were chugging away for at least a couple of hours before the laptop died. That’s a considerable increase, even if you’ll still (ev🤪en with DLSS enabled) need to pick and choose your mobile experiences.

Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is a hungry game and doesn’t quite jump into the ‘playable’ category on battery power, lagging, stuttering, and requiring some serious downgrades in visual quality to run. However, I was able to tap out in Avowed with a zippy, responsive feel - not bad, consideringඣ just a few years ago I’d struggle to get more than five minutes into a light turn-based RPG without a freeze-up.

Not only that, but the Blade 16 is also one of the quietest gaming laptops I’ve had whirring away next t♔o me. I’ve grown used to ear-splitting fans over the years - I’ve even heard ringing after powering off particularly offensive cooling systems. Compared to the previous generation, the 20𒁏25 Razer Blade 16 is whisper quiet.

That quiet performance, better battery life, and reduced fan noise wouldn’t have been possible without the extra efficiency of the newer mobile GPU. The RTX 5090 is here to round out the laptop experience now that TGP watts are shrinking to make way for more useful laptop experiences. 18-inch chunky behemoths are great for desktop-based play with the option to move arou✅nd every now and then, but most players buy their gaming laptops for portability - and this feels like the first improvement to quality of life that I’ve seen in a long time.

OLED still reigns supreme

One of my favorite ꦿthings abou𒆙t the previous-generation Razer Blade 16 was its screen, and the same OLED panel has returned in the 2025 iteration. It’s pretty much the exact same display, but considering it’s still the best screen I’ve used on a gaming laptop to date I’m glad the brand is sticking to its winning formula.

A 16-inch QHD+ panel runni🐻ng at 240Hz could be considered par for the course to the uninitiated, but once you see these colors up close in person it’s obvious that this screen is in a different league. Boasting incredible vibrancy, almost painfully vivid colors and contrast, and exceptional accuracy, th𓆉e Blade 16 has both gaming and media editing chops.

An OLED screen means a contrast ratio advertised at 1M:1, but Razer’s panel also boasts Cal🔯man-verified color presets and Nvidia G-Sync built in as well. That’s all great on paper - in real life, it’s breathtaking. The darker scenes of Fallout 4 and Returnal give the OLED’s true-black (and therefore excellent color vibrancy) the best playground, but it was Horizon Zero Dawn: Remastered an🎀d Avowed’s rusty orange hues that had me particularly impressed.

The former’s wild landscapes offered a cacophony of colors, all fine-tuned and beautifully saturated 🌠to fill the screen with their own characteristics in tandem. Even the slig🐽ht coloration differences in Meridian’s stone walls were represented with plenty of detail.

While there’s some glare from that shiny surface, brightness was strong 💦enough to keep most encroaching daylight at bay ౠ- though its best work was done at night.

A clear-cut win for laptop keyboards

While the benefits of the new GPU are a little more nuanced than we’re used to from the previous generation, the new keyboard is an easy win. Razer has updated its deck with scissor-switches under the hood, offering a larger 1.5mm key trꦡavel an♔d 63g of actuation force. They feel fantastic under the fingertips.

Every press offers an incredibly satisfying bounce with just enough tension to feel significant while remaining energetic in both work and play. The keys themselves are well balanced and placed within easy reach of the main palm rests, with a slightly smaller trackpad staying firmly out of the way when t𒈔yping.

There’s a solid attention to detail on this deck as wel💟l, with dual-LEDs under each cap ensuring both main and secondary functions are illuminated brightly and evenly. There are a few new additions here, a Copilot key keeps AI assistance close by, while a new strip of macro keys line the right side of the deck.

That means we’ve not got dedicated clickers for simple functions like page up and down, which is particularly handy during work hours, as well as toggles for the system’s Game Mode and different performance presets, and a mic mute. These can also beꦏ configured to different functions within Synapse,🔥 running M1 through M5 for personalized macro inputs.

Razer has also upgraded its audio, wi🌺th four upward and two downward firing speakers, most notably spotted flanking each side of the slightly extended keyboard.

Some teething issues

This is a new device with stability upda𝔉tes to come, but there were a few issues in my testing. General everyday performance seemed to slow right down once or twice during use, with the cursor lagging significantly♑ and longer load times even on lighter apps. That was rare, and will likely be ironed out with updates once the Razer Blade 16 hits mass market shelves.

I managed to completely crash it once, when trying to run Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. And I don’t mean just a🦂 straight exit to desktop, I mean fans whirring all the way up before the system fully shut off. Again, this is likely the result of newer drivers needing some additional work after launch, but it was surprising enough in a $4K machine to mention here.

Interestingly, all these issues sprung up only on my final day of testing, I ♓should note that the system has been running fine otherwise - I’ve reached out to Razer with my concerns and will update this reviꦉew accordingly.

Should you buy the 2025 Razer Blade 16?

The actual Razer Blade 16 of this new release is blindingly impressive, with its incredible display, super satisfying keyboard, thinner form factor and expansive port selection. The GPU of this release is going to divide the market. It’s not the fix for slimline gaming laptops that I thought it would be - in fact, it’🍸s barely an upgrade over the previous generation in terms of pure native performance.

That said, we do seem to have hit a ceiling in what these mobile cards💮 can do by themselves, and Nvidia’s DLSS additions bring their own unique benefits to the system as a whole. Improved framerates in chunkier games come at the cost of minor visual distractions, but I only noticed a littl🌃e artifacting and some buzzing every now and then in my testing. If that’s what it takes to get 200+ fps in Cyberpunk 2077 while on the go in 2025, then here we are.

There are a number of compounding factors holding the performance of the Blade 16 back, from the lower TGP to the slimmer form factor to the CPU. Ultimately, this is a machine designed for gamers and creators looking for a better overall experience and have some s⛎erious cash to burn on it - the price doesn’t make sense otherwise.

If you’re looking to splash out on a new machi🐲ne and want the best look, feel, and quality of life features (screen, keyboard, battery life, and form factor) that I’ve tested so far, you’ll be happy with this model. Think of it more as the same as last year’s but with some key external upgrades. If you’re investing in a performance-first device promising true next-generation power, I’d wait and see what chunkಌier machines with more powerful processors can do with the new generation.

How I tested the Razer Blade 16

I spent just under two weeks with the RTX 5090 Razer Blade 16, using the device for all daily work and play during that time. I tested using both native performance and DLSS features where available, across Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Three Kingdoms, Returnal, The Talos Principle 2, Cyberpunk 2077, Black Myth Wukong, and Horizon Zero Dawn: Remastered. I also played Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Avowed, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, and Gears Tactics both powered and on battery. I completed synthetic benchmarks across 3D Mark’s Time Spy, Fire Strike, and Steel Nomad, as well as PC Mark 10’s CPU test. For more information on 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:how we test gaming laptops, check out our full 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

I'm also hunting down all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops available now, or check out the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming PCs for a more permanent setup.

You'll find the RTX 5080 HP Omen Max 16 available right now. That's♔ actually a fantastic price considering the new-generation GPU, latest Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, and 32GB RAM. It was tough to find even RTX 4080 gaming laptops for much cheaper over Black Friday this year, making today's offer particularly compelling.

With its reverse cooling fans and strong pricing, the HP Omen Max 16 will take on the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptops on the market when🤡 ꦛit starts shipping on April 29. If you're in the UK, it's worth noting that the same machine is also available for pre-order, though there's no discount up for grabs.

Should you pre-order the HP Omen Max 16?

Aside from some more budget-minded MSI chassis, the HP Omen Max 16 is actually one of the more decently priced RTX 5080 gaming laptops available for pre-order right now, especially with that price cut in play. Thꦕe Razer Blade 16 will for a similar configuration and the Alienware 16 Area-51 matches the same components .

You're spending more than $1,000 less to get the same kind of horsepower in the HP Omen Max 16 and benefitting from some of the brand's newer innovations as well. HP made sure we all knew about the Omen Max's new cooling developments when it was announced back at CES. Sure, there's all the usual vapor chamber technology packed in here (though this is the first time an Omen machine has used it), but reversible f🉐ans also spin backwards to keep your system free from dust. Those particles aren't to be underestimated either, any build up 🅰certainly contributes to weakening cooling performance over time.

Today's pre-order deal🉐 sits on an Intel model, but AMD is also in this game with Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 processing options joining the shelves. If you so choose, you can also equip the HP Omen 16 Max with an OLED display, instead of the stock IPS panel.

I'm also hunting down all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops on the market. Or, for more Sneki vibes, check out the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops I've tested so far.

Starting specs feature the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor with 32GB DDR5 RAM, a 1TB SSD, and QHD+ displays, however there are double-RAM and double-storage options available for both models as well. The rigs were introduced at CES this year, marking a return to a previously established line that the brand ultimately gave up three years ago. Considering that range gave us some of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptops of its day, things are certainly exciting here.

The Alienware 16 Area-51 and Alienware 18 Area-51 also represent the twilight years of the existing range. The M-Series and X-Series are due to whirr 💧in🌠to the sunset with the release of these machines (and upcoming Aurora rigs), though RTX 40-Series configurations can still be found on the shelves today.

While the original Area-51 label carried the promise of extra upgradeability in those early years, the rebooted line seemingly goes all in on power. With both the 16-inch and 18-inch models slated to offer both the RTX 5080 GPU we're seeing in today's release and RTX 5090 specs, these could well become the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops on the market by the time the year is out.

They join Razer's Blade 16 and Blade 18, as well as a suite of MSI gaming laptops, as the only RTX 50-Series machines to have made their way to store shelves so far, though we're not quite at release day yet. While you can se♏cure your laptop today, shipping dates currently span from mid-April to the start of May.

Of course, I'm also expecting plenty more of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops to join the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops on the RTX 50-Series shelves shortly. Or, if you're going down the desktop route, check out the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming PCs on the market right now.

While there are still a few sales worth checking before we get to the end of the year, Black Friday is historically the best time to buy a new gaming laptop. After all, retailers have warehouses full of the year's 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptops, and they likely need to shift them before🅘 new models hit the ground in 2026. While RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 gaming laptops are still going to come at a premium, it's the RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti models that will have to fight the hardest.

These are mid-range gaming laptops that many might be expecting to drop into everyday entry level pricing when the heat is on. While it would be optimistic to hope for anythin🍸g too cheap, considering this is the first year of sale, I'm confident we'll see some moves from this popular price range.

I've been tracking Black Friday gaming laptop deals for six years now, and I walk those digital aisles hunting down the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:cheapest gaming laptop deals every week. Not only that, but I go hands-on with all the latest and greatest releases to work out which rigs are actually worth your time and cash. That means I know which laptops represent the best value, who should be buying them, and both when and wher🅷e to find the biggest discounts. You'll find all my expectations for 2025's Black Friday gaming laptop deals just below an﷽d the biggest offers from last year further down the page.

What to expect from Black Friday gaming laptop deals in 2025

Every year brings a new roster of gaming laptops to the shelves, but 2025's collection looks a little different. We've got brand new RTX 50-Series GPUs to contend with now, and considering the older 40-Series is still offering plenty of power things are going to get interesting. I'd expect this year's offers to be split down the middle. Newer releases will likely see their own savings (and the mid-range RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti options are going to be particularly muddled with the previous generation), but RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 rigs could well come into t꧒heir own.

After all, these are still incredibly impressive mobile GPUs and considering they face stiff competition from che🐻aper (newer) releases we could well see those numbe💫rs tick down significantly. If an RTX 5070 gaming laptop can confidently compete with an RTX 4080, some interesting decisions will need to be made.

Black Friday gaming laptop deals often actually start well ahead of the official sale date. Last year I saw discounts landing as early as October, with Amazon's Prime event kicking off proceedings. I'm expecting a similar story for 2025, with ret𝔉ailers rotating different discounts on and off the shelves in the weeks leading up to November 28 and the average discount steadily climbing as we get closer to the big day.

As for the models on offer, we're still to get a proper lo⛄ok at what's going to be big this year. However, based on previous sales I'd certainly recommend keeping a close eye on both new and old Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, Dell G16, and the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i. All three of these rigs have historically performed well during the holiday sales, joining in with blockbuster🍎 savings. If you don't mind making some sacrifices in the chassis department, cheaper MSI, Acer, and Asus laptops could well steal the show this year as well. Price tags on these kinds of machines often melt away once the heat is on, and with so much pressure on RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 configurations in 2025 there could be some serious steals on the table.

What should you look for in this year's Black Friday gaming laptop deals?

Knowing the model and spec you're on the hunt for is sometimes half the battle when it comes to big sale events. Prices will drop quickly once we get into November, so it's important that you're crystal clear on exactly what you want to get out of your machine. That way you can make a decision fast, and speed is often a crucial factor when competing ܫin the higher quality flash sales.

If you're after an entry level system to play smaller titles or indie games, it's worth pitching your spec at an RTX 4050 or RTX 4060 graphics card, 16GB RAM, and a 13th or 14th generation i5 or Ryzen 5 5000-Series. This kind of rig won't cost you much at all - sitting at $600 / £600 in the lower end of Black Friday gaming 💎laptop deals and generally tapping out at $900 / £900. You might not need to invest too much in a larger SSD for this use - your games will be smaller and you've got more room to be efficient in your storage use. Do🌸 make sure, however, that you're getting a nice 1080p screen with a refresh rate of at least 144Hz to make sure you're future proofed up top.

If you're looking to sprinkle soಌme larger Triple-A releases in there, it might be time to upgrade your thinking. That i5 / Ryzen 5 processor will still suffice if you're not looking to go too hard, though if you're also going to be using your rig for productivity you may benefit from t༒he increase in i7 and Ryzen 7 processors featured in discounted rigs. The extra cash will also steer you into RTX 4070 territory - the sweet spot for generalist use. You'll be able to get clean and smooth gameplay on larger titles with this kind of configuration, with performance holding up even with the same 16GB RAM under the hood. A 1TB SSD is a must here, though. All in all, you can expect to pay $1,000 / £1,000 - $1,500 / £1,500 for one of these machines over Black Friday.

Looking to blast through newer releases on Ultra settings without breaking too much of a sweat? It's time to boost your processor. An i9 or Ryzen 9 CPU will see you through here. You'll be spending between $1,700 / £1,700 and $2,500 / £2,500 on an💟 RTX 4080-toting rig if discounts go to 🙈plan.

Those after an RTX 4090 machine will be the real heavy-hitters. You'll be looking to use demandin💮g ray tracing features constantly and with High or Ultra settings enabled. Do make sure, though, that you're not picking up a gaming lapto💧p particularly cheap just because it's skimping on the screen, though. You'll want a QHD+ or UHD display at around 240Hz to really make the most of your investment in that graphics card.

Should you buy a cheap gaming laptop on Black Friday?

If you're looking to up your Steam game without breaking the bank, Black Friday gamin🧸g laptop deals can be particularly tempting. There are two kinds of cheap gaming laptops that we see on the shelves during this time of year; budget models with mid-range components and mid-range models with entry level components. The decision between the two comes down to whether you prefer the flash of a higher quality screen, more durable construction, and better cooling engineeringꦓ or you're simply after the best component-to-price ratio.

This is, of course, a personal decision - there's no ri🦹ght or wrong answer. In general we do see better overall value in the 🤪budget models packing more powerful internals - you'll often find the best prices for RTX 4060 and RTX 4070 rigs in this category. However, it's worth researching some budget and mid-range models before this year's Black Friday gaming laptop deals begin, so you can go in with a clear idea of what you're after.

Then there's the other question entirely. Do you need a gaming laptop, or are you better off browsing for 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Black Friday gaming PC deals? If you don't need to take your machine on the go with you, and you're already set up with a monitor, keyboard, and mouse then it might be better to pick up a prebuilt PC. We generally see far lower prices on these machines and you're grabbing better thermal regulation and more powerful versions of the same components as well. Of course, if you don't already have a setup, you'll have to factor in the cost of 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Black Friday gaming monitor deals as well. Everyday productivity on the go can also be achieved by a super cheap 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Black Friday laptop deal if you're stuck as well.

Is Black Friday a good time to buy a gaming laptop?

We see gaming laptop deals landing year-round - and some of them may beat Black Friday's prices. However, the vast majority of record low prices we see come from these November sales. That's because retailers and brands are readying for a new wave of releases to be announced in January, and need to shift a good amount of the previous year's stock before that happens. Black Friday gaming laptop deals' placement at the end of the year primes even newer configurations for particularly special savings. On top of that, this is the most popular savings event of the year, which means there's plenty more🅺 competition driving prices even further down.

Last year's best Black Friday gaming laptop deals

Of course, we're also getting you prepped for all of this year's 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Black Friday gaming PC deals and everyday 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Black Friday laptop deals. If you're after something a little different, check out the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Black Friday Steam Deck deals we're looking forward to this year as well.

The 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptops do more than pack the most expensive graphics cards into luxury CNC milled builds, they offer value-busting performance all across the price range. Right now, the best budget rig I’ve tested is the Asus TUF A15. At $100 more than the A💛cer Nitro V 14, though with a larger form factor, the A15 would be struggling to hold onto this position - if it wasn’t for on🃏e crucial element: availability. It’s near-on impossible to actually find the Acer Nitro V 14 for purchase, which makes an overall recommendation tricky.

Design

All-white is a bold aesthetic choice for a cheaper gaming laptop. While I tend to naturally prefer white tech for a slightly more premium feel, the effect isn’t truly realized here. The all-plastic construction and angular lines cheapen the feel considerably. Inside, the entire keyboard is recessed inside a beveled cut-out, with an extra slope carved into the front lip of the device as well. By themselves, these design features are par for the course - you’ll find a lot of budget machines using cheaper materials and sticking to a moꦿre gam🐬erfied aesthetic. However, in combination with a plastic that flexes particularly easily in the main deck and display, things feel a little rudimentary for a four-figure price tag.

I do, however, prefer the embossed design of the iconography sitting on the palm rest area. A Nitro ‘N’ is carved into the lower right corner, with ‘<< Victory Stars Here >>’ underneath the arrow keys. It’s a more subtle nod to the machine’s gaming roots than that of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus TUF A15, which features super cringey ‘Caution: High🎶 Framerate Zone’ lettering stamped onto the bottom of the wrist rest. The Nitro avoids 💞this ick as much as it can while still featuring mantras of its own.

The Acer Nitro V 14 is a particularly compact machine, though, and it feels like it takes a leaf out of the dusty tome that is the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus TUF Dash F15. This was my daily rig a few years ago, and I loved the slimline design (one that was rare to find in a budget-friendly machine back then) and visually interesting main deck area. If you’re looking for a backpack friendly cheap gaming laptop in 2025 there are far more options open to you these days. The Nitro V 14 is on the slimmer side of the market, measuring in at 0.8-inches and weighing 1.7kg. That’s more heft than the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus TUF A14 (my current favorite gaming laptop for portability), which beats Acer’s waistline by 0.1-inches while only weighing 1.45kg. However, this 14-inch device is considerably easier to transport than both the Asus TUF A15 and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:HP Victus 16, which both sit at over 0.9-inches thick and over 2🌠kg in weight.

Sacrifices are felt in the keyboard and trackpad. Both are obviously made from cheaper components, with a plastic touchpad that sticks just a little too much to truly feel like I’m gliding and a soft feeling to the keyboard that nearly verges on mushy. Unfortunately, the keyboard backlight is set to a stock light blue and isn’t configurable separately. The color actually looks pretty slick against the white frame of th🐼e laptop itself, and illuminates evenly under each low profile key. The layout is well-balanced, if slightly left-leaning, th𒅌ough I never noticed my palms knocking against the trackpad too much.

The main lid keeps things simple with a shiny surface (matte would have made it feel slightly more premium, but we’re dealing with a budget laptop here) and a glossy Nitro ‘N’ logo set into the plastic itself. There’s no unnecessary ‘gamer vibes’ going on here - the back panel slots nicel꧅y into both gaming and professional situationౠs, a big win for its portable design.

Features

My aforementioned concerns around availability mean I could only find one configuration of the Acer Nitro V 14 on the web, and that’s the 🔯AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS / Nvidia RTX 4050 version I’m testing. If that’s the only collection of components available, Acer’s rig could struggle to compete with the likes of the HP Victus 16 and Asus TUF A15. Both of these machines also cater to the mid-range with additional RTX 4060 and RTX 4070 GPUs on offer, and a wider variety of CPU options as well. That means there’s more wiggle room in the exact experience you’re getting with these competitors - though the Acer Nitro V 14 is still well-specced overall.

After all, it’s the cheapest RTX 4050 gaming laptop in my testing pool, and that GPU is paired with plenty of juice from the Ryzen 7. I’m using 16GB RAM, but the deck can run up to 32GB, with either 512GB or 1TB of SSD storage space as well. That’s all pretty standard for an entry level gaming laptop, and I’m glad to see Acer moving away from 8GB memory options at their base level. HP still ships some of its Victus ꩵmachines with this outdated amount.

The V 14 also has a neat trick up its sleeve with USB 4 compatibility. While more commonplace nowadays, this extra functionality (it’s much better for docking your system to an external hub) isn’t to﷽ be taken for granted. Both the Asus TUF A15 and Asus TUF A14 offer the same port, but the HP Victus 16 falls behind in this regard.

Elsewhere, the Acer is fairly restrained in its port offerings. One USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 connection is available on each flank, with an HDMI on the left, and a 3.5mm audio connection on the right. That’s all you need for a lightweight work session on-the-go, but if you want to plug in more accessories when home you’ll be relying on a dock. This is the fewest number of ports amongst my entire testing pool, dropping an Ethernet and extra USB-C from the Asus TUF A15, a USB-A and ethernet from the HP Victus 16, and a USB-C from the Asus TUF A14. When not using my hub, I str🌌uggled to find space for a mouse,🐟 keyboard, headset, and controller connection all at once (especially considering the mouse I’m testing at the moment uses a USB-C connection). Of course, you might not be using all those accessories at once - but be prepared to change connections a little more regularly.

There’s a good amount of extra functionality baked into the keyboard, though. I initially found it odd that Acer had opted to use dedicated buttons (in a right-hand column) for playback, while volume controls were relegated to the function row. As a gaming laptop, it would make more sense to prioritize quick access to volume levels than skipping a track. In-game, though, I realized I😼 only ever tend to adjust volume from my headset anyway, and found the dedicated skip button particularly helpful when listening to music wh🐼ile working. If you don’t use a gaming headset, this layout might be counterproductive, but if you do it’s particularly smart. You’ve also got a handy mic-mute button (doubled up as play / pause) and a dedicated Nitro Sense launcher as well.

That’s because Nitro Sense is your main control hub, not the Planet 9 software that for some reason comes pre-pinned to the taskbar. Planet 9 is dystopian nigh🎉tmare fuel as far as marketing bloat goes, looking like a Windows 95 program existing solely to show you random streams. It’s odd that this i🍷s presented front and center while the actual settings software is hidden behind search menus.

Nitro Sense is gaming software through and through. Its orange home page looks like 🍃a fake interface from an early 2000’s kid spy movie, with angular cutouts, generic ‘sci-fi’ fonts, and a slowly rotat🌄ing cluster of dials around your GPU stats. It does, however, provide an easy quick look at your current profile, temperatures, and fan settings without any marketing guff getting in the way.

The firs💞t tab, Scenario, allows you to choose profiles for daily use, gaming, and ‘quiet occasion’, which sounds a little sombre, choosing your GPU and CPU clock rate across four presets (Quiet, Balanced, Performance, and Turbo), as well as the speed of the fan. Acer’s TrueHarmony EQ presets canꦛ also be selected in this panel, but I never noticed them making much of a difference to the audio.

Elsewhere, battery and charge limits, display bluelight filters and keyboard backlight settings can all be altered in the ‘Personal Settings’ tab. A more detailed view of your current sওpeeds and temperatures can also be viewed in the ‘Monitoring’ tab.

You’ll be viewing that all on a 14-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200) display running at a 120Hz refresh rate. That’s a smart selection of panel specs for this configuration, keeping things af𒀰fordable by providing the kind of panel the RTX 4050 will actually be able to push. I was impressed with the overall color and brightness of this screen as well. It’s rare to find a cheaper gaming laptop that doesn’t dull its colors and limit its brightness (the Asus TUF A15 does suffer for this unfortunately). Acer has always been great at keeping its visuals shining no matter the price point, though, and that’s clearly true of the Nitro V 14.

Contrast is vivid, the picture remains sharp and detailed across both high and low light scenes, and I’m treated to bold, vibrant coloring in all hues. That’s a real rarity for a machine this cheap, and while it’s not going to outpace OLED, Mini LED, or even simply HDR-enabled, panels, it certainly offers better visuals than most budget rigs (and some premium 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Alienware laptops as well.)

Performance

I don’t get too many RTX 4050 gaming laptops in for review that often, so my main point of comparison here is the HP Victus. With its larger chassis, the Victus beats the Acer Nitro V 14 across in-game benchmarks in everything apart from Ret♈urnal. It’s got more space to play with and therefore more cooling to keep everything running. The Nitro still puts out some playable fra𝔍merates, even moving things up to more demanding titles like Black Myth: Wukong and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered. The following was recorded in Turbo mode with fans set to Max, with frame generation on where automatically enabled by individual titles.

The Acer Nitro V 14 can confidently take on older titles like Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Total: War Three Kingdoms even at their highest settings. While the latter dipped just below the ideal 60fps in an average test, it’s still perfectly runnable. Those more generous textures and greater details start to grind things to a halt when we get to more complex titles, though, with The Talos Principle 2 and Black Myth: Wukong struggling to stay near 🐻60fps at ultra settings♕. High is workable, though you’ll still notice a few stutters and dropped frames during more intense moments.

Frame generation was made for rigs like this. The Acer Nitro V 14 was never going to top the performance charts, but its RTX 4050 GPU is chugging along nicely under the hood. Without the brand’s own inserted frames, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered drops from an average of 98fps to 63fps in High settings, and 81fps to 51fps in Highest. The Talos Principle 2 dips down to 56fps and 26fps respectively, from 68fps and 33fps with the system enabled. It’s not going to be worth it every time (the system load does increase significantly in Horizon, and works too hard inও Black Myth: Wukong resulting in lower framerates overall), but in lightweight packages like this it can sail you over that 60fps threshold without needing a step-up in your GPU model.

Synthetic benchmarks push that RTX 4050 GPU to its limit, and I’ve pitted it against the same 14-inch and entry level 15/16-inch gaming laptops here. The extra thickness in the Acer Nitro V 14 is certainly helping it push its overall score beyond that of the tiny RTX 4060 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:HP Omen Transcend 14 in the easier Fire Strike test, but it still can’t quite keep up with HP’s more robust 𝐆build. It does dip below the Transcend in Time Spy as well, just nestling under HP’s 7,913 score.

The AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS is a speedy CPU, so while it’s not necessarily shifting the dial across 💎overall in-game benchmarks with that RTX 4050 in tow it’s certainly up for more demanding productivit👍y workflows. Second only to the fantastic AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 in the TUF A14, the Acer Nitro V 14 storms through PC Mark 10’s intensive test, scoring an impressive 7,362.

Should you buy the Acer Nitro V 14?

While it doesn’t quite have the power to take on the Asus TUF A15 as the best 🍰budget gaming laptop on the market right now, the Acer Nitro V 14 certainly gets a lot right. If you’re looking for a portable machine with a display that looks better than its price tag would suggest, this is a fantastic option.ꦕ The cheaper build quality will feel a little less slick in the hand compared to Asus’s counterparts, but if you’re at the bottom of the RTX 4050 budget range and you’re happy dialing some settings back for ultra graphics it’s a go-to. Its framerates aren’t as high as that of the HP Victus 16, but I’d argue the boost in display quality is worth it considering everything is still easily playable.

However, if you can spend a li꧟ttle more cash, the Asus TUF A14 remains my favorite slimline gaming laptop and it’s not too far away from Acer’s price point. With that AI processor in tow, you’re spending $400 more on Asus’s model but picking up a better build quality, more ports, a slimmer design, double the RAM, and a higher resolution QHD+ display. The jump to an RTX 4060 GPU also makes🍌 a marked improvement to performance in more demanding games like Returnal and The Talos Principle 2 as well.

How I tested the Acer Nitro V 14

I used the Acer Nitro V 14 for all daily work and play over the course of two weeks. In that time, I used the device both on its own and connected to an external monitor setup, while also travelling with it and working outside of my main desk area. I primarily played Avowed and Oxenfree 2 during my own testing time, while also running in-game benchmarks across Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Three Kingdoms, Returnal, The Talos Principle 2, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, and Black Myth: Wukong. I tested the last three titles in that list with frame generation both on and off. Each benchmark is run three times at both high and highest graphical settings, with the results above representing an average from each o⛦f the three tests.

I also used synthetic benchma𝔍rk tools in 3D Mark for a more formalized score of GPU performance, using Time Spy, Fire Strike, and Steel Nomad. PC Mark 10 was used to test CPU performance and compare against similar models.

For more information on 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:how we test gaming laptops, check out the full 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

I’m also hunting down all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops on the market. Or, for something even more portable, check out the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming handhelds available.

That's already double the speed of most UHD gaming laptop displays, with MSI also launching its Titan and Raider 4K devices today - limiting both to 120Hz. Razer produces some of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptops in the market, and it often leads on its display quality. It's a bold move for s🥃ure, but being able to swap between full resolution glory and a blindingly fast FHD 440Hz means the 2025 Razer Blade 18 is taking names.

The Razer Blade 18 starts at $3,199.99 / £3,099.99 and has an estimated💃 ship date of April 30.

Razer was quiet about its new 18-inch gaming laptop when this year's first roster of rigs was unveiled at CES in January. I wouldn't have been - that dual-resolution display sounds like just what this high-end machine needed. I've often lamented the lack of 4K displays on previous generation 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer Blade 18 machines. These are premium laptops with the price tags to match, and Rඣazer was at risk of being outclassed by MSI in this big-screen arena.

In the old days, we had to choose between resolution or speed - it seems like Razer is ready to put that in the past. This is a technology we've seen more of in the world of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming monitors, giving players the option to swap between more pixels and faster speeds. It's aಌn ultimate go-to for anyone who plays competitively, but doesn't want to limit their single player adventures either.

The actual panel stacks up well against the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops previously hailed for their display prowess as well. It covers 100% of the DCI-P3 ♎color gamut and is Calman Verified on top. It's housed in a slimline 0.86-inch chassis with a brand new keyboard to boot. The deck offers 35% more travel distance compared to the previous generation model, which should give it a more tactile feel overall. There's also, finally, a number pad. I always found it odd that Razer squeezed its keyboard into the center of a massive slab of laptop. Previous generations had strangely small click💜ers, but the brand has finally relented in 2025.

It's not just the 18-incher making its way to the shelves today either. The successor to my favorite 16-inch gaming laptop of all time is also available for pre-order. The 2025 Razer Blade 16 comes in significantly thinner than previous generations and features up to an RTX 5090 GPU - all powered by AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processing power. There's no 4K panel here, but considering this is a similar QHD+ 240Hz OLED display to the one I tested in the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:2024 Razer Blade 16, I'm expecting to be just as delighteܫd as I was last year.

The Razer Blade 16 starts at $2,799.99 / £2,699.99 and is currently sl🔯ated to 𒉰ship on April 14.

We're also rounding up all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware gaming laptops and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops for more new generation models. Or, take a look at the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer headsets for more Sneki kit.

These pre-orders will remain live right up until launch day, but us laptop folk have it easier than others. 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:RTX 5080 stock and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:RTX 5090 stock has been running off the shelves pretty quickly. I've seen both solo GPUs and prebuilt PCs being snatched off the shelves, but the mobile market doesn't quite operate in the same way. I'm not expecting these to be difficult to find at launch, but some of these rigs are contenders for my roster of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptops on the market, so I will update if that changes.

I'm seeing a selection of MSI gaming laptops spanning RTX 5070 Ti models from𝔍 $1,599.99 all the way through to RTX 5090 behemoths at just a hair under $5,000. If you've been saving up for the new generation this is your first shot at a 2025 system.

MSI Titan 18 HX

The MSI Titan 18 HX is the highest-spec machine in today's pre-orders. I reviewed last year's model, featuring the same (at least on paper) 4K 120Hz Mini LED dﷺisplay, but 2025's iteration packs an Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX processor and up to RTX 5090 graphics power. Throw in dedicated PCle Gen 5 SSD cooling and Thunderbolt 5 and this is a real next-gen device.

MSI Raider

The MSI Raider series looks a lot like the Titan, but swaps those blue accents for red. This year's selection still packs a punch (the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:2024 MSI Raider 18 HX remains the most powerful gaming laptop I've tested to this day), with AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D or Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX processors and up to an RTX 5090 GPU. Interestingly, the Raider beat 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:last year's MSI Titan 18 HX in my testing, so 𓆉this is certainly one to watch.

MSI Vector

The MSI Vector is one for those after a gaming laptop that doesn't look like a gaming laptop. Yes, you're still getting those brightly colored keys and the MSI logo on the back, but the sleek black build can blend a little bett🦄er into more than one scenario. This is a rig for creators who game, but that doesn't mean you're dropping the specs. While you'll likely draw less from those RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 GPUs due to the slimline design, these ꦺmachines still benefit from the full Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX / AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX treatment.

MSI Stealth

In my testing, 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:last year's MSI Stealt😼h 18 AI Studio underperformed in its class, but it's still a slimline travel laptop worth taking note of if you want next-generation power on the go. It takes advantage of the same brand new components as its beefier siblings, with the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor option, but adds an AM🔯D Ryzen AI 300 Series option into the mix as well.

If you're shopping between brands, I'm also rounding up all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops on the market and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops available. Or, for that luxury feel, check out the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops I've tested so far.

After all, either machine could be the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptop for you - it just depends on your needs and preferences - they’re certainly two of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops to have graced the shelves. I’m pitting the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Alienware X16 R2 against the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Alienware M16 R2 across t🔜heir components, price, design, keyboard and mouse, ports, display, and overall performance to help you work out which one suits you best.

Alienware M16 vs Alienware X16: Price

At first glance, the Alienware M16 R2 is a clear winner for price - but it's not quite so simple♑. It’s a cheaper machine with, as we’ll see below, less powerful components on its roster. If you don’t want to spend more than $2,000, the M16 R2 is going to be your only option. You can spend as little as $1,499.99 on a base model - nearly $1,000 less than the cheapest Alienware X16 on the market ($2,459.99).

T✃hings get a little blurred when you get closer to $3,000. Both options have gaming laptops at this price, but you will only be upgrading your RAM and storage amounts on the M16. This machine caps out at an RTX 4070, which can be achieved at a $2,049.99 price tag. Instead, $3,000 can bump you up to an RTX 4080 GPU in the X16 R2 model - better value over the diminishing returns of the more expensive M16 configurations.

Overall, the Alienware M16 R2 offers a better price for the majority of players - thoug🔥h if you’re looking to invest in a high-end system, the X16 offers better value in its more expensive configurations. You can pump the same amount of cash into an M16 and not get the same payout at the end. This one’s a tie.

Winner: Tie

Alienware M16 vs Alienware X16: Components

Dell is using Intel’s Meteor Lake processors for both of its 16-inch Alienware machines this time around. It’s not my first choice of CPU (it doesn’t perform as well for gaming as the Intel i9-14900HX you’ll find in something like the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9), but it mak💫es comparisons between the two ꦅmodels pretty easy.

Both are configurable with the same processors and storage amounts, so the choice is well and truly yours - but graphics cards and RAM could bend your decision. The Alienware🌃 M16 R2 occupies the cheaper, entry-level seats. This is the only 16-inch Alienware laptop that uses Nvidia’s RTX 4050 and RTX 4060 GPUs at the moment, so if you’re looking to save cash on a lighter Steam library it’s going to be your go-to. There are cheaper gaming laptops offering similar configurations for far less, but we all know about that all important brand tax.

Both rigs converge at the RTX 4070, the mid-range wunderkind with 8GB GDDR6 VRAM. This is where you’ll want to be looking if you want solid QHD framerates on more demanding games, with some frame generation thrown in for ray tracing effects. Neither rig ships with a 4K built in display, but if you want to connect to one of the best 4K gaming monitors, you’ll want to stick with the X16. The premium rig reaches all the way up to an RTX 4090 GPU, with an RTX 4080 in the middle while the M16 caps its components at Nvidia’s mid𝄹-range card.

You’d think the more expensive machine of the two would offer the most RAM, but it’s actually the Aཧlienware M16 R2 that wins this matchup. You’ll be spending more, but this rig is configurable with up to 64GB of DDR5 whereas the X16 stops at 32GB. That’s a little odd considering it’s using the same processors and weaker graphics options. It’s also worth noting that we’re still yet to see much of a need for more than 32GB in even the loftiest of game worlds. If, however, you also want to use your laptop to multi-task between intensive work or content creation applications, that extra headroom is a massive benefit.

The Alienware X16 and M16 both serve different markets in their GPU configuration options, so there’s a tie in 🎃this arena. However, the addition of the 64GB RAM option on the M16 me▨ans it just edges into a win here.

Winner: Alienware M16 R2

Alienware M16 vs Alienware X16: Design

Besides the more premium materials used in the construction of the Alienware X16 R2, there’s one glaring difference between the designs of each machine. The X16 still features that massive cooling shelf to the rear. I’ve always wondered why Dell needs to add this extra footprint to its gaming laptops - other brands easily keep their rigs’ thermals under control without adding a whole second shelf. It makes it difficult to find ൩suitable backpacks for transport and takes up far more space on🔴 a desk. I was elated, then, when the Alienware M16 R2 shipped without this shelf for the first time. It feels far more compact than its large 16-inch display would suggest and is much easier to carry around as a result, especially considering it’s a touch lighter as well (even if it’s slightly thicker). If you’re looking to take your gaming laptop on the go regularly, this is a massive factor in choosing the M16 over the X16.

However, it’s undeniable that the X16 looks be✱tter. The anodized aluminum chassis is sturdier and more luxurious than the metal and plastic construction of the cheaper model, and its Lunar Silver aesthetic is far more visually striking. While the darker grays and blacks of the M16 will blend into more situations with ease, the X16 has that wow factor that can really help a gaming laptop stand ꦯout if you’re looking for a high-end experience.

That extra pizazz com🐷es with more RGB options for those LED-heads as well. Both the Alienware X16 R2 and Alienware M16 R2 feature glowing Alienware logos on𒈔 the lid, and full RGB in the keyboard, but the X16 extends this show to the trackpad and a trim around that cooling shelf.

The X16 looks better, but from my testing the M16 feels better. While the former keeps its co♔ld, hard exterior running through the whole build, the latter switches things up under the hood. There’s a soft-touch, almost rubbery feel to the palm rest area in here, which feels great under the hands during longer work sessions and holds grip particularly well when gaming.🍰 I was concerned that things would get a little too sticky when temperatures started to climb, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that this material still felt more satisfying than the X16’s even under heavier loads.

Overall, the Alienwarඣe X16 R2 looks better and is made from higher quality materials for longer term durability. However, the M16 features a more portable design in its more compact footprint and slightly lower weight. This one’s a tie - if you’re after a better look, the X16 wins, if you’re after a bette♊r feel, it’s the M16.

Winner: Tie

Alienware M16 vs𒁏 Alienware X16: Keyboard and Mouse

The Alienware X16 features a Pre🎐mium Precision glass touchpad, while the M16 keeps things streamlined with a simple plastic pad. The difference is immediately noticeable. The M16’s tracking is smooth and clickℱs are fast, but the actual clicks feel softer and more shallow. The X16 has a much crisper click to it, with more travel and a deep, robust feel. The X16 easily wins out in the trackpad department, and I didn’t even need to switch its RGB on.

Both the X16 and M16 are available with Alienware’s base keyboard, though they’re again delineated by their series. However, the X16 can also be configured with a CherryMX fully mechanical deck as well. I’ve tested similar decks (in the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:MSI Titan 18 HX), and in general they do offer a better snap and faster repeat presses than traditional laptop keyboards. There’s always the risk of ping and rattle in these mechanical decks, though if you’re pushing the boat out with a luxu🎃ry purchase it’s worth the investment.

Side by side, the standard AlienFX X-Series and M-Series keyboards are fairly similar. Both 16-inch machines feature the same layout (with dedicated volume buttons, a function row, and full-sized arrows), with a tact🔥ile snap to key presses. There’s plenty of travel in both models, making for a satisfying full press, but they both bo🎀unce back energetically for a speedy debounce. These are particularly nice keys in both instances, among the best I tend to test in gaming laptops.

With its optional extras and better trackpad, the Alienware X16 R2 wins this one - though the M16 still provides a fantastic experience. The only thing holding the X16 back is the inline power button, placed in ဣthe usual position of the Delete key꧂ (it’s heavier so difficult to accidentally hit). The M16 has a much safer separate button above the main keyboard area.

Winner: Alienware M16 R2

Alienware M16 vs Alienware X16: Display

Both the Alienware X16 R2 and Alienware M16 R2 ship with QHD+ 240Hz IPS level panels as standard. This display makes far more sense for the M16 - it’s a little duller than the HDR-friendly panels you’ll find on other luxury laptops, offering slightly washed colors that struggle to compete with the latest 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer laptops or the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops. I can forgive that much easier in the cheaper M16 R2, it’s more than a little disappointing on the X16. It’s also interesting that, side by side, the panel on the M16🔥 appears to be just a little brighter as well. This doesn’t translate into better color reproduction, but it certainly makes the screen feel a little more impactful.

A QHD+ resolution running at 240Hz is the sweet spot for most players, but if you’re a competitive FPS tournament-winner, the X16 has an extra trick up its sleeve. It’s also configurable with an FHD+ display running at a whopping 480Hz. That’s incredibly fast, so fast it’s only going to be worth it to incredibly competitive players at the top of their game. There are no HDR or OLED options on these spec sheets, which means both rigs fall behind the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer Blade 16 and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 in their screens.

The Alienware M16 R2’s display actually⭕ runs a little bit brighter on average in my observatꩲions and, while there is a faster 480Hz option on the X-Series, most players won’t need to move beyond 240Hz refresh rates. This one goes to the cheaper rig.

Winner: Alienware M16 R2

Alienware M16 vs Alienware X16: Ports

The Alienware X16 R2 gives and takes away with its ꩵport offerings. You’re getting the same number of connections across both devices (two USB-C and two USB-A), but both of the X16’s USB-As feature Dell’s PowerShare functionality, the ability to charge devices while running on battery power. It’s a trivial feature, rarely used even in testing, but if you’re going to be using your laptop on the road a lot, the extra power supply could come in handy. That being said, you’re still getting one of these ports on the M16 as well.

You do lose Ethernet functionality (instead the X16 R2 ships with an adapter for an RJ45 cable) out of the box, though. That’s not going t🉐o be a deal breaker for those with WiFi sufficient for downloading games and running through daily tasks, but if you prefer a wired connection for competitive titles, the M16 is going to offer a ♓better experience overall.

Everything else remains the same between the two devices, besides from the placement. The🐭 X16 keeps that rear cooling shelf, which means you can keep all your c🎉ables tucked away and out of view. The M16 does still feature some rear ports, though, and they’re helpfully the ones most likely to remain permanently attached when in a desk setup. I keep my wires to the back and use these side ports for 2.4GHz receivers, keeping that sprawl to a minimum.

The X16 R2 does have some benefits to🦩 its port selection and placement, but with its Ethernet connectivity straight out of the box a🔯nd versatile port options, the M16 wins this round.

Winner: Alienware M16 R2

Performance

I tested an RTX 4080 Alienware X16 and an RTX 4070 M16. The latter machine is running with the cheaper Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, but it’s pretty close to a top spec (and therefore a best case scenario for what you can expect from its overall performance). The Ali🐷enware X16ꩲ R2 can spread its wings up to an RTX 4090, so if you’re going for a top-of-the-range configuration, expect your framerates to improve upon mine slightly.

As expected, the RTX 4080 Alienware X16 R2 performs better than the RTX 4070 M16 across in-game benchmarks. While this is a narrower gaওp in easier games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider at FHD, dialing things 𝔍up to a full QHD resolution and revving up Returnal and The Talos Principle 2 highlights the jump between these GPUs. The Alienware M16 R2 can still comfortably see you past the 60fps threshold in its top graphics configuration, but if you’re looking to push ultra settings in full native resolution you’d be better off with the X16 R2.

Both machines are in the upper-middle of their classes. The Alienware M16 R2 beats the slimmer 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer Blade 14 and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 in its RTX 4070 Time Spy scores, despite some oddities when running the easier Fire Strike benchmark. Similarly, the Alienware X16 R2 sits square in the middle of my RTX 4080 testing pool, coming in ahead of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio in Time Spy, and just nudging the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:MSI Raider GE78 out of the way in Fire Strike.

Each Alienware laptꦿop draws pretty average numbers out of its hardware, tie-ing in overall performance. However, the additional ability of the RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 configuratio𓆉n options in the X16 R2 puts it out in front.

Winner: Alienware X16 R2

Alienware M16 R2: 3 | 2 | 2

Alienware X16 R2: 2 | 2 | 3

Out of seven categories, the Alienware M16 R2 wins three, ties two, and loses two while the Alienware X16 R2 wins two, ties two, and loses three. Overall, the Alienware M16 is the better 16-inch rig thanks to it🦩s extra RAM, slightly better performing display, and additional versatility in its ports. However, the X16 offers better performance from its more expensive configurations and packs a much more satisfying keyboard and mouse. While both models are expensive when set against the wider market, the Alienware M16 R2 offers a cheaper starting price while the X16 offers better value for money if investing more than $2,500 overall. They also tie on design,♈ where the M16 wins for its more compact form factor and soft-touch internal deck while the X16 fights back with a more premium build quality and additional RGB features.

We're also rounding up all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming PCs and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming handhelds for more options - or, take a look at the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming tablets for more portable play.

This is by no means a gaming laptop for all. Its high price point, premium chassis, and luxury extras put it firmly in the upper echelons of the market. It is, however, one of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops on the shelve🍨s today - especially if you’re happy to splash a little extꦺra cash for a true investment.

Design

Very little has changed between generations, with the Alienware x16 R2 still offering the same slimline, svelte form factor as its predecessor. This is a skinnier machine than you’d usually find among enthusiasts, but it’s not exactly the lightest on the market. The super-thin profile is hiding a lofty 6lb weight - the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer Blade 16 only weighs in at 5.29lbs and the slightly chunkier 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Alienware M16 R2 slides in at 5.75lbs. Still, it weighs less than the 6.17lb 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9, and🔯 is still carryable in a ba🐓ckpack - though I did feel the relief when removing it after an extended period of time.

I received the Lunar Silver version, a lighter, almost white design. A previous black model was also available, but it seems to have been lifted from Dell’s store at the moment. With the new Alienware Area-51 gaming laptops on their way, its return is a little difficult to predict. Still, I prefer the crisp finish of the metal build I received. It’s not exactly understated, that RGB lighting flashing across everything from the Alienware logo on the back panel to the touchpad under the hood certainly makes your intentions known from the outset. However, the slimline design certainly makes it feel more professional than chunky RGB-laden machines like the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Strix Scar 16.

The top lid is fairly subtle, not counting those vivid logo LEDs, with a simple soft-touch metallic finish and an embossed ‘X’ in the lower left corner. I switched that RGB off when working from a coffee shop during testing, though the large rear shelf is still pretty imposing. I’m not a fan of this cooling vent, and I haven’t been since I reviewed my first Alienware laptop all those years ago. I had hope when the M16 R2 shrunk its footprint, removing the shelf entirely and finally leaving some space for the rest of my desk. Unfortunately, it’s back here - and it’s just as annoying as ever. It means the Alienware X16 R2 struggles to fit in some smaller 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:laptop backpacks.

I also missed the softer finish of the palm rest area in the M16 R2 here. While the cheaper device features an aꦰlmost rubbery surface that provides excellent grip and ironically feels a little more premium under the hands, we’re back to cold hard metal in the X16. It’s plenty solid, with no flexing to the main rest area, even under heavier pushes, and the main keyboard stands firm against heavier keypresses. However, it doesn’t feel quite as smart as the brand’s cheaper alternative.

Those classic Alienware hexagonal grills remain along the top of the deck, with additional stripes lining each side of the keys. They make for an understated internal design that still has fun with its gaming♓ focus - the perfect combination of class and individualism in its aesthetic.

Features

The Alienware X16 R2 I’ve been testing features an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H🍰 processor with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 GPU, which puts it around the middle of the configuration pac🐭k. The base model drops things down to an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H with an RTX 4070 GPU for just under $2,500 / £1,950 - a costly price tag for the power you’re buying. These are premium machines, and you’ll easily find similar specs to my test unit that could well be $1,000 cheaper than its $3,199.99 / £2,999.99 MSRP - but there’s more to the Alienware X16 than its internals.

This is a rig for those who want the headroom to reach higher framerates in a portable chassis, sure, but it’s mostly for those who want to do it in style. The rig I tested uses Alienware’s standard laptop keyboard, which feels snappy and controlled under the hand, but it can also be configured with a Cherry mechanical deck for a super slick experience. I tested a similar deck on the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:MSI Titan 18 HX, produced in collaboration with SteelSeries, and loved the clacky, responsive feel overall (minus some ping). The keyboard I received is nice and 🌱all - everything still feels rigid and secure, there’s no mush or flex to the deck, and repeat keypresses are fast and accurate, but if you’re already spending $3K on a gaming laptop you might as well spring for the boosted experience.

Tha▨t seems to♈ be Alienware’s whole ethos with the Alienware X16 R2’s feature list. From the massive 8TB of configurable storage to the customizable RGB trackpad, the brand wants you to really treat yourself to this investment.

That philosophy may have been backed up when the X16 first launched, but in 2025 th♒ere are a few signs of aging. The display is a perfectly serviceable 16-inch QHD+ IPS level panel running at 240Hz, but it lacks the punch and brightness I loved on the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9. OLED screens aren’t for everyone, but the Razer Blade 16’s display is running marathons around the X16 from both a contrast and brightness perspective.

This is a trend I’ve noticed in quite a few Alienware laptops, their faces are often a little too muted to truly compete with the vibrancy from the rest of the market. I like my games to pop - it’s unfortunate that I’ve also been testing the fantastic 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:2025 Asus ROG Flow Z13, but side-b🗹y-side, the X16’s display appears a little lackluster. I could ove🉐rlook these drawbacks in the cheaper M16 R2 model, but at over $3,000 this is a considerable sacrifice.

While it’s not exactly a treat for the eyes, the ears are well catered to. The Alienware X16 R2 features two 2W tweets, and four 3W woofers, with Dolby Atmos certification. Straight out of the box, the basslines are certainly working overtime. There’s a considerable lean towards the lower ranges in this default setting, which pleased me personally but provided a clearer audio profile across all ranges with a few tweaks. Some more bass-heavy songs did come across fairly muffled, but these are powerful speakers overall, tuned to a high volume. I did notice some distortion when set at the full 100%, but kept to a reasonable 20% there was a nice sense of♉ texture and force🔯.

Ports are all located towards the rear of the device, which is a massive win for those neat freaks among us. I much prefer this orientation, keeping all those wires and dongles out of the way at the back for a more attractive desk-based setup. Quickly adding or removing accessories is a little trickier (when set on a desk I had to pull the whole laptop away slightly rather than just 𓄧reaching over), but it’s a tradeoff I would make any day of the week.

The X16 R2 offers a fairly standard collection of ports, with two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 options (a little older than others on the market, but the real-world differences are negligible in most cases), a Thunderbolt 4, and a DisplayPort compatible USB-C 3.2 Gen 2. You’ll get more USB-A connections with the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 (which offers four), and the Razer Blade 16 ups both the generation of those ports and adds an extra for a total of three. I was able to get by with a 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:wireless gaming mouse and keyboard receivers plugged in, and a separate dock connected to the Thunderbolt 4 slot. If you use a 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:gaming headset and like to keep a 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:PC controller co🌄nnected, things might get a little tight. There’sಞ also a suspicious lack of Ethernet support here - while it’s generally reserved for larger 18-inch rigs, both Lenovo and Razer’s competitors include the necessary RJ45 slot.

Performance

The Alienware X16 R2 is a firm middler, coming behind the Razer Blade 16 in accordance with the price and GPU disparity, but ofte🦄n also being beaten by the more affordable (relatively speaking) RTX 4080 Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9. This is still a lightning fast device, it would be difficult not to be with an RꦇTX 4080 at the helm, but it's not topping the charts in the same way as its price tag.

Easier titles like Shadow of the Tomb Raider give the X16 R2 a chance to spread its wings. While the difference between the PC's 'performance' and 'overdrive' settings are negligible from a framerate perspective, the system scored highly in older titles like this. Not as highly as other RTX 4080 gaming laptops, but high nonetheless. It's really competing against the MSI Stealth 18 AI in the thin 'n' light category - both rigs aim to offer luxury experiences with a portable form factor, without sacrificing framerates and both were tested with RTX 4080 GP𝔍Us.

In-game, the Alienware X16 R2 is comfortably the better p𒁃erformer when faced with the cooling limitations of a more slimline system. Its thermals are better managed, allowing that GPU to run at framerates that regularly beat out the clunkier MSI model at 1080p. Things are a little more squeaky in this matchup when we dial things up to 1600p. Here, the MSI Stealth actually leads the pack in its class across Total War: Three Kingdoms, with the Alienware X16 R2 falling to the bottom of the RTX 4080 pack. Still, these two are tr🐓ading places, as Returnal's 1440p benchmark proves far easier for Dell to manage.

If the Alienware X16 R2 is simp♓ly holding its own in in-game benchmarks, it's striding out in front across synthetic tests. It sits at the top of my testing pool in the Fire Strike test, coming in at 33,420 - beating a similarly slimline RTX 4090 Razer Blade 16 in the process. While Time Spy is a tougher battle, it's still comfortably outpacing the larger MSI 18 AI Studio and the chunkier Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 as well.

I rarely get to test the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, but luckily the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio in my tes🍎ting pool also features the Meteor Lake CPU. Unfortunately for A😼lienware, the extra chassis size goes in MSI's favor, with PC Mark 10 results edging slightly ahead of the X16 R2. This CPU isn't particularly geared towards gaming, so it's easy to see why the more traditional 14th Gen Intel i9 chips in the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 and Razer Blade 16 were so far ahead.

Should you buy the Alienware x16 R2?

The Alienware X16 R2 would have been impressive last year, and it certainly had its fans. In 2025, though, the machine doesn’t make quite enough sense. If you’re a die-hard fan of the space-age brand looking for both🉐 power and portability, it’s the only option open to you. The Alienware M18 is too chunky to fit into a backpack, and the Alienwar✅e M16 R2 caps out at an RTX 4070 GPU.

I’d recommend the Alienware X16 R2 to anyone who prioritizes a luxury feel and a slick design over raw performance - from both a framerate and overall display perspective. There are plenty of players who will have a ball wܫith this machine, especially if they don’t want to sacrifice speed for form factor - but there are also a wide ran🙈ge of machines doing a lot more for a lot less these days.

If you’re simply looking for a 16-inch investment laptop, I’d point you towards either♕ the Razer Blade 16 at a slightly higher price point or the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 at a slightly lower one. Both rigs are configurable all the way up the RTX 40-Series chain, offer better displays, pack more connection value, and sit more comfortably in a backpack. Neit𓆉her has the pzazz of the Alienware X16 R2’s light shows or sleek build, but value for money can rarely be argued with.

How I tested the Alienware x16 R2

I used the Alienware x16 R2 for all daily play over the course of one week, further testin𒈔g alongside the Acer ౠNitro V 14 for another week, and took a week's break in the middle to use the Asus ROG Flow Z13. In that time, I tested across my usual roster of backlog titles, including Fallout 4, Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, and Oxenfree 2, while also running Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and dabbling in Avowed for an evening. I benchmarked against Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Three Kingdoms, Returnal, and The Talos Principle 2, at both High and Highest settings in 1080p and QHD. Each of these benchmark tests were run three times, with the results above representing average framerates over the course of testing. I used 3D Mark's Fire Strike, Time Spy, and Steel Nomad synthetic benchmarks, and PC Mark 10's CPU tool as well.

For more information on 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:how we test gaming laptops, check out the full 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

I'm also hunting down all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops on the market if you're after an alternative brand, as well as the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops available now. For more portable play, check out the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming handhelds we've tested so far.

This is a niche machine - it’s not going to work out for most, but with a fantastic display at the helm and plenty of AI future-proofing it could be perfectly tuned for some. I spent three weeks testing the RTX 4080 version of the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, putting it up next to the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptops on the market to see how it fares.

Design

Stealth is the name of the game here, and MSI’s slimline machine doesn’t want to give anything away. Yes, it’s a gaming laptop first and foremost, but the minimalist design means it can slide under the radar in a more professional setting as well. The full black design is on the cusp of being boring, without the extra red or blue flairs found on the Titan and Raider line to help it make its mark. Instead, this is a full matte aesthetic with very little in the way of distinguishing features. Save for those slightly gray upward-firing speakers on the main deck, a skinny strip (so skinny you could easily miss it) of RGB lighting, and a slightly indented keyboard, this is a simple black brick. I do like that small burst of color, it's just the right level of pzazz without taking over the deck as a whole - but the🍸 Stealth feels like it needs more of these nods running elsewhere in the design.

The trouble here is the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio doesn’t feel like a high-end black brick, in the same way as the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer Blade 18. Where Sneki’s machines are cold, hard CNC-milled aluminum, MSI has gone with a magnesium-aluminum alloy to keep that weight down. That means this thing is flexy - even the slightest push on 𒆙the main palm rest area causes the entire keyboard to sink and the lid has far to🎉o much give for a machine this close to $4,000.

Striking a baꦿlance between build quality and portability is tough, but in sacrificing durability this much, MSI h𓂃as shot itself in the foot in both regards. The machine creaks just a little too much when pulled out of a backpack for me to feel fully comfortable carrying it around all day, even if it is light enough to do so.

There’s another troubling design flaw here, and it rears its ꦿhead once you open up the shell and start typing. The keyboard itself feels great, but the inclusion of the full-sized keys and number pad ♉means the main deck is shifted way over to the left. With a central trackpad, I was constantly nudging the cursor when writing, due to my palm accidentally hitting the top corner of the mouse area. I had to adopt a strange floating stance with my right hand just to stay free of these accidental moves and clicks.

Features

The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio that I test🦩ed came with an RTX 4080 GPU, Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor, and 32GB RAM under the hood. That configuration costs $3,749 with a 1TB SSD attached, but mine came with 2TB - a spec I haven’t seen advertised anywhere with a pౠrice tag.

In fact, prices are hard to nail down on th🔯ese rigs. They’re a𝄹vailable with a wide range of GPU options with everything from an RTX 4060 to RTX 4090 available, and a choice of either that top spec Intel Ultra 9 or an Intel Ultra 7 155H - but availability seems to be limited to the RTX 4090 / Intel Ultra 9 model from what I’ve seen on easily accessible shelves.

Still, those are solid specs. The Ultra 9 185H processor, a CPU that’s in a difficult position in 2025. It’s not the most AI-efficient model that’s going to 🏅be available in the next few months, with Intel’s new 200-Series models quickly entering the market. It’s not even the most powerful AI CPU of last year, with AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 taking the win in the last few months for those wanting to use their laptops for machine learning o💙perations. This is an older processor originally designed with AI in mind - so it’s not particularly game-focused. In my testing, machines with the traditional Intel i9-14900HX ran better under demanding gaming conditions, outside of sterile CPU-specific benchmarks.

The aforementioned poorly placed keyboard sits above those components, and for my misgivings about its location, it provides a solid working base. Key travel is nice and snapp⛄y, with a satisfying clack to each press that feels both bouncy and smooth - this is one of the few 18-inch keyboards that I haven’t had to spend days re-learning. Spacing and size felt intuitive with very few accidental presses.

Then we get to the screen. This 4K Mini LED panel is simply gorgeous, with local dimming to reach from super bright, vibran🐟t images all the way down to complete blacks in an instant. Details are extremely well defined on this screen, especially at that full 4K whack, and the panel nails it with a super precise color accuracy. A matte 𒆙finish means there are no glare issues in high lighting, without washing out the color on-screen.

Ports are spread across all three panes, with all your more permanent connections handily situated towards the rear. That means you can connect power, ethernet, and your HDMI in the back panel and - if you keep your laptop firmly on the desk - never have to deal with them again. The right side features a slick Thunderbolt 4 with both power delivery and DisplayPort, as well as a standard DisplayPort USB-C, with two USB-As on the left. That’s a solid amount of ports, though there are 18-inch gaming laptops out there with more connectivi🅷ty. The Razer Blade 18, MSI Titan 18 HX, and MSI Raider 18 HX all add an extra USB-A to the mix, for example.

Elsewhere, you’ll find a set of impressive upward-firing speakers that can ea💟sily fill a room with the sounds of your games and music and stretch pretty well over the sound of the fans as well. The lower ranges are a little fuzzy at high volumes, causing some buzzing when at full pelt which sometimes caught me off guard. You’ll also find a fingerprint sensor for Windows’ biometrics sy💧stems as well.

Performance

The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio falls short of other 18-inch gaming laptops in its performance, but can still put up a good fight if you need to run your games at 4K with some setting adjustments. More demanding games like Total War: Three Kingdoms and The Talos Principle 2 manage to stay above 60fps in High settings, but dropped short of that goal at full whack. Meanwhile, easier titles like Shadow of the Tomb Raider still hit three-figure framerates comfortably at UHD resolutions. That’s with an RTX 4080 at the helm - I tested the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:MSI Raider 18 HX and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:MSI Titan 18 HX with RTX 40🏅90 GPUs, and the upgraded graphics offer a slight boost in 4K performance. Considering you’re only spending a couple h🃏undred bucks to get the RTX 4090 Raider model, it could well be worth the upgrade.

Compared with other RTX 4080 QHD+ tests I’ve conducted, on the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Strix Scar 16, the MSI Stealth 18 AI St🦄udio falls slightly short again. That’s with the larger 18-inch chassis in tow, though with a slimmer form factor overall. These are all more than playable, but that 61fಌps average result in Epic settings on Returnal does indicate that a smaller but chunkier machine like those named above is more future-proofed for now. The MSI Studio 18 AI Studio did win in the raw performance matchup against the similarly slimline Razer Blade 18. This rig packed an RTX 4090 when I tested it, and still the RTX 4080 MSI managed to beat it in every cross-comparable benchmark test.

The story🅠 is much the same when it comes to synthetic 3D Mark benchmarks. That RTX 4080 isn’t winning out over MSI’s RTX 4090 counterparts, but it puts up a good fight. There is still a significant step down from the only slightly m🌄ore expensive RTX 4090 Raider across Time Spy, Fire Strike, and Steel Nomad runs. The RTX 4080 inside the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 also makes significant headway against the Stealth in the two more complex tests; Time Spy and Steel Nomad.

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor inside the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has a lot of smarts - but very few of them are put towards gaming. The Intel Core i9-14900HX processor inside the MSI Titan 18 HX still rules the roost for pure gameplay performance, with a PC Mark 10 score nearly 2,000 points higher than the MSI Stealth. This is a CPU built for more complex AI programs, and games are yet to fully take advantage of the processing side of this equation. Still, in direct competition with another AI-first CPU, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, the Intel Core Ultra 9 still struggles. The 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus TUF A14 is smaller and far cheaper than the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, but that AMD brain is incredibly well utilized. The HX 370 is comfortably outpacing the Ultra 9 in both PC Mark 10 and Cineb🍌ench R24 benchmarks.

Should you buy the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio?

The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio feels caught in the middle. It’s an 18-incher without the raw horsepower you would expect from a desktop replacement. It’s using an AI-first processor but remains too clunky to truly be considered a productivity laptop first and foremost. Unfo🍨rtunately, some of the Stealth’s finer moments are caught in the crossfir💞e. That display is gorgeous, truly offering a fantastically immersive experience full to the brim with detail and vivid coloring - but the MSI Raider features the same panel, and does so with an RTX 4090 configuration that comes in only $200 more than the Stealth.

Then there’s another problem. It’s a li🙈ttle tricky to find a wealth of configuration options for the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio - this is an all-or-nothing machine, with only the RTX 4090 configuration widely available at the time of writing. If you want a big-screen, high-budged 4K RTX 4090 experience, the MSI Raider 18 HX offers a better set of specs and more rounded design, and it’s easily accessible on the shelves.

How I tested the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio

I used the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio for a period of six weeks, using the laptop for all my daily work and gameplay in that time. I spent two of those weeks away from home, using the laptop in full lap-mode while I worked and played over the holidays, but also used it on my desk (both solo and plugged into a monitor setup). In that time, I primarily played Indiana Jones: The Great Circle and Fallout 4, but also benchmarked Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Three Kingdoms, Returnal, and The Talos Principle 2. I then completed a round of synthetic benchmarks across 3D Mark’s Time Spy, Fire Strike, and Steel Nomad, as well as PC Mark 10 and Cinebench R24. For more information on 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:how we test gaming laptops, check out the full 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

For an alternative brand, check out the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops on the market, as well as the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops.

Between Intel's new Ultra 2-Series processors and AMD's laser focus on big-power AI, and of course with Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5090, 5080, 5070 Ti, and 50✅70 mobile GPUs making their debut, there's plenty to feast your eyes on this year. Brands have plugged these components in 14-inch, 15-inch, 16-inch, 17-inch, and 18-inch rigs for a massive selection of portability and peജrformance options.

With some of my persona💜l favorites making a return to the show floor this year, CES 2025 has been particularly strong for gaming laptops. We've got a brand new Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 to stare at, the MSI Titan 18 is back in business, and the Razer Blade 16 2025 looks set to become one of the biggest players this year. It's all go at this year's show - here's everything you might have missed.

Acer

• Nitro V line has been refreshed with AI components
• 3 new Predator gaming laptops with Nvidia RTX 50-Series GPUs
• New Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S AI offers cheaper RTX 5070 Ti

A refresh of its budget-minded Nitro line and three new Predator machines, Acer had a whopping eight new gaming laptops to talk about at CES 2025. The Nitro V line is getting five new Nitro V refreshes, spanning everything from the 14-inch to 17-inch model, and mostly concentrating on adding new AI-focused components under the hood. These are machines designed for the entry level market, though they often some slightly above Asus's TUF range in price. Still, last year's 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Acer Nitro 16 beat the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus TUF A15 for its di♛splay quality so if you have a little more cash to invest෴ in a QHD+ panel they're well worth a look.

These cheaper models are sticking with the RTX 40-Series for now. If you're after the latest and greatest GPUs, you'll need to turn to the Predator range. The Acer Predator Helios 16 AI, Acer Predator Helios 18 AI, and Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S AI were all on the CES show floor this year, bringing Nvidia RTX 50-Series GPUs, OLE♛D and Mini LED displays, and Intel Core Ultra 9 processors to the party.

Alienware

• New 16-inch and 18-inch Area-51 gaming laptops
• M-Series and X-Series are out
• Full Intel specs with Nvidia 50-Series GPUs

The beast is back. The Alienware Area-51 gaming laptop returned to CES this year, putting both the M-Series and X-Series to bed for good. This will be the brand's flagship line going forward as the rest of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops currently on the market start to sail off into the 🌄sunset.

Available in two sizes (16-inch and 18-inch), the Area-51 is packing Nvidia RTX 5090 GPUS at a full 175W TGP (280W total power in the 18-incher) for some serious power un꧃der the hood. Alienware has gone full Intel on us this year, whereas other brands have also incorporated AMD's excellent AI series into their portfolios. Still, with anodized metallic chassis', a brand new 'zero hinge', and a new Cryo-Chamber cooling system, this is a big'un.

Alienware seems to have abandoned the upgradeability aspect with the🦄 new generation. It was a big draw for previous Area-51 gaming laptops, but turned out disappointingly in the end due to a lack of compatible components. Instead, we simply have next-generation power 🌱in a newly redesigned chassis ready to take over the top spot on Dell's shelves.

Asus

• Four new Strix RTX 50-Series gaming laptops
• ROG Zephyrus G14 and G16 return with up to RTX 5090
• ROG Flow Z13 uses a super-efficient AMD chiplet system

Seven of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops have returned for CES, with all﷽ the usual suspects accounted for. These are mostly internal refreshes, with everything from the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 to the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 seeing the Nvidia RTX 50-꧅Series treatment.

That G14 has stuck with AMD this year, with the fantastic Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU at the helm💖 and its 3K OLED display making a triumphant return for 2025 as well. I'm glad to see RTX 5080 graphics on the table this year - 2024's iteration dropped us all the way down to the 4070 after previously playing with 4090 power. Meanw✅hile, the G16 is taking the Intel route with an Ultra 9 285H CPU and a slightly lower-res (though physically larger) 2.5K OLED display. This one's maxed out at an RTX 5090, which will be interesting to witness considering the brand's slimline ethos for this range.

All four Strix machines are back in play for 2025 as well, though you'll be limited to the G-Series if you want an AMD build and further limited to the ROG Strix G16 if you want that fancy AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D processor. Still, these are machines built with sheer power in mind, and while theꦛ G16 and G18 are limited to a maximum of 32GB RAM, the Scars can push that up to 64GB with full RTX 5090 power.

There are some smaller updates to the chassis' - the brand's AniMe Vision LED matrix lighting is coming to the Scar 16 and Scar 18 (I hate it, but s🌼ome will go for it), and Intel-based versions can be easily opened up with a single button press. Here, 🌌both RAM and SSD slots can be upgraded.

Then we have the Asus ROG Flow Z13, a tablet that 🧜wants to punch with the laptop big'uns (as long as it has its RTX 50-Series eGPU attached). This is a device built with efficiency at its core, as evidenced by the intriguing AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor. There's no dedicated graphics in here, but Asus is promising that the Radeon 8060S integrated GPU is more than qualified for the job of running the latest and greatest titles in a mobile form factor.

HP

• HP Omen Max 16 brings full next-gen power
• Refreshed Omen 16 provides more mid-range choice
• Updated Victus 15 serves entry level market

HP's big star was the Omen Max 16 this year, the brand's most powerful gaming laptop to date and sporting a QHD+ OLED display for good measure. With high-end Intel and AMD processors, a still-undefined RTX 50-Series family of GPUs, and a new Omen ཧAI gaming hub, there's plenty to dive into here. Not only that, but the cooling system r✅esists dust buildup by periodically reversing its fans - neat!

If you don't quite want to shop right at the top of the price bracket, HP also announce🅷d a refreshed Omen 16 at CES. You've still got the option of AMD's Ryzen AI 9 (though only the 365 model) and Intel's Core Ultra 9 285H, but there are more options further down the price bracket here, as well as a cheaper RTX 4050 GPU option.

HP has spanned the full price spectrum with its CES offering this year, also refreshing the budget HP Victus 15. There's no Nvidia RTX 50-Series GPUs on the menu here, i༒nstead the cheaper model focuses on entry level RTX 4050 and RTX 4060 configurations without AMD's AI processors or Intel's Ultra models available.

Lenovo

• Refreshes across Legion Pro and standard range
• Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 available with top range components
• Cheaper models configurable up to RTX 5070 Ti

Lenovo has refreshed both the Pro and standard versions of its Legion line for their 10th generation this year, with the top dog, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10, seeing the bulk of performance upgrades. Configurable all the way up to the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 this is up there with the big guns, and 2025's model even improves that display with a 16-inch OLED panel up top as well. This is a full Intel build, with no AMD options available ye♍t.

The non-Pro version ticks things down to an RTX 5070 GPU but keeps the OLED, all while running with a curr﷽ently unknown Intel Core Ultra 9 HX processor. We also don't know how much RAM and storage Lenovo is packing into any of these non-Pro models.

The Legion Pro 5 is stepping out with both an Intel and AMD trim this year, the former pitching at the top of the scale with its Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX ꧒CPU and the latter offering an AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX. That's not at the top of Team Red's pyramid, and it's not an AI-focused card either (though the base level Legion 5 Gen 10 does offer the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350). Still, both models are configurable up to an RTX 5070 Ti, sporting up to 32GB RAM.

MSI

• Massive supply of 18-inch gaming laptops
• Titan returns with 4K Mini LED display at RTX 5090 GPU
• Stealth range offers most versatile specs

MSI has nine (nine!) gaming laptops already 🃏readied for this year, spanning the Titan, Raider, Stealth, and Vector ranges. This dragon's putting it all on 18-inchers this year, with only three models offering smaller screen sizes (and one of them still sitting at 17-inches). Configurations are mostly Intel-based, with a few AMD options peppered among them as counterparts, and currently span RTX 5070 Ti to RTX 5090 GPUs.

Of course, right at the front of the herd we've got the MSI Titan 18 HX AI, a turbo-powered machine w🦩ith top of the range components, and the return of that zippy 120Hz 4K Mini LED display. The Raider shares these specs, albeit with an additional AMD option offering a Ryzen 9 9955HX3D processor. Meanwhile, the Stealth series is looking like the most versatile option. It's available with both AMD's fantastic Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor and Intel's Ultra 9 275HX, th🐲e full RTX 5070 Ti - RTX 5090 GPU range, and a choice between higher resolution 4K displays and faster QHD+ options.

The big headlines across these models come from cooling, though. MSI used CES t🍎o debut its SSD cooler, which is said to reduc꧙e the maximum operating temperature of your storage by up to 10°C. Of course, it wouldn't be CES without an AI buddy - MSI has also introduced its own AI assistant for natural language control.

Razer

• Razer Blade 16 shirks Intel for AMD in its CPU
• Comes outfitted with RTX 5090 GPU
• Keeps the same fantastic QHD+ 240Hz OLED panel

Razer has sharpened its Blade 16 for 2025, with a new even slimmer form factor measuring in at just 0.59-inches and an improved keyboard with 1.5mm travel distance. Of course, the OLED panel that made last year's model one of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops ever released returns, displaying all the RTX 5090 goodness in full splendor as well. On ඣtop of that, the Blade 16 has received a new six-speaker audio array with custom EQ controls as well.

With a new slimline form factor and a more po﷽werful GPU comes the need to rethink cooling, and Razer has outfitted its latest release with its next generation vapor chamber and a dual-fan system. The solution now covers 57% of the motherboard while also using 0.05mm exhaust fins.

We're also rounding up all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming handhelds and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming PCs for more options, or take a look at the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming tablets for a more mobile approach.

On the Intel side, MSI has plugged the latest Core Ultra 200HX and 200H processors into its 2025 lineup, with all their integrated NPU performance. Meanwhile, it's the Ryzen 9000HX series taking up the flagship in the majority of this w♋eek's AMD announcements. That leaves only a few rigs sporting the red team's Ryzen AI 300 Series processors - a powerful chip that revs up to 50 TOPS for an incredibly efficient processing system. That's an odd play for a lineup that seems so laser-focused on AI processes, but for now, we've only got specs on paper.

MSI Titan

The 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:MSI Titan 18 HX was among the most powerful gaming laptops I tested last year (bested only by the Raider). 2025's iteration doubles down on that performance, with Int🎐el's Core Ultra 9 275HX processor and either an RTX 5080 or RTX 5090 GPU. Those GPUs are running at top pelt as well, with the brand's OverBoost Ultra tech pushing up to 270W of total power. The MSI Titan 18 HX AI comes armed with the same 18-inch UHD display that we saw in the previous generation, while also upgrading its connectivity with two Thunderbolt 5 ports.

MSI Raider

Strangely, the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:MSI Raider 18 HX beat the Titan in my testing last year, and witꦰh two new models hitting the shelves in 2025, the brand is leaning into its classic chunkster. The MSI Raider 18 HX AI and the MSI Raider A18 HX look similar in name, but their processors set them far apart. The Raider 18 HX AI leans into, you guessed it, Intel's AI-powered 💜Core Ultra 9 275HX processor while the A18 HX takes a more traditional route with its AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D CPU.

That Intel processor means the HX AI benefits from Thunderbolt 5 support, whereas the AMD build sticks to older Thunder🧸bolt 4-compatible USB4 Type-C ports, but both models sport Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 GPUs.

MSI Vector

CES 2025 marks the first ever 18-inch MSI Vector machine, a slightly cheaper rig packed with the latest Fire Range AMD Zen 5 processors (and an older Ryzen 9 8945HX option). With its RTX 5070 Ti GPU, this is one of the few mid-range specs on the show floor this year. The Vector's display is knocked down a peg compared to the traditionally more premium Raider and Titan, packing a fairly standard QHD+, 240Hz panel. It's still good to see a Thunderbolt 4 entry, though, especially considering this could be one of the most high-value picks once tho♛se prices start to drop.

MSI Stealth

Both the new MSI Stealth 18 HX AI and MSI Stealth A18 AI+ look to be the most versatile of the brand's CES 18-inch lineup. This is a simple Intel / AMD split, with the former packing an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU and the latter sticking with the fantastic AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. That's a processor that's proven its worth even in cheaper configurations, and a must-see in slimline mach💮ines like the Stealth. Both configurations come with a 4K option (a MiniLED at 120Hz) but can also be specced up for speed with a QHD+ panel at 240Hz. GPUs span RTX 5070 Ti to RTX 5090, the largest range of MSI's CES laptop lineup, though that Intel model does benefit from Thunderbolt 4 as well.

Between brands? We're also rounding up all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops on the market, as well as the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops.

The 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Flow Z13 hasn't traditionally made sense when viewed against the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptops. It's more expensive and less powerful - but the magic comes when you remove the keyboard. The 13-inch device has been the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming tablet on the market for years now, and🌺 I'm e🐬ager to see where the next step takes us.

The new tablet will feature an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chiplet processor featuring RDNA 3.5 GPU cores, whereas previous entries in the range have always relied on a dedicated graphics card🤡 instead.

These aren't your Grandma's integrated 🐬graphics, though. The Radeon 8060S system sits within AMD's Ryzen AI Max 'accelerated processing unit', with the top-of-the-range Max Plus 395 model boasting 16 Zen 5 CPU cores and 40 RDNA 3.5 graphics cores. The cheaper Ryzen AI Max Plus 390 still packs a punch with 12 of those CPU cores and 32 for graphics.

In combining both the CPU and GP𒁏U, the 2025 Asus ROG Flow Z13 can draw from a single RAM store, with u♋p to 128GB of LPDDR5X 8,000MHz memory powering the whole system (and up to 96GB VRAM allocated at a time). That's some serious grunt built into a single-chip system - the new Z13 can push TDP up to 120W.

All of that comes together with a 2.5K resolution 13-inch Nebula display on top, running at a 180Hz refresh rate and 500 nits brightness. Efficiency is the name of the game here, though. The whole device is just 1𓄧2mm thick, weighs in at 1.2kg, and still features a full CNC-milled solid metal chassis.

The key is that new vapor chamber, keeping everything cool with super light stainless steel and copper materials covering 54% more of the motherboard compared to♚ the previous model. 0.1mm fins and Asus's second-gen Arc Flow Fans keep air moving without adding to the overall chassis silhouette. There's even dedicated air routing behind the main touchscreen, to ensure that Corning Gorilla Glass 5 panel stays comfortable to the touch.

Asus has taken some cues from its 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:gaming handheld division with this device. After all, the tablet is blurring the already smudged lines between traditional handheld vs PC play. I'm a big fan of both, having spent most of my free time trading out a full laptop system for my 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Ally over the last year. The Asus ROG Flow Z13 will likely remain a niche product - it doesn't quite scratch that handheld itch, and it's not going to outperform RTX 5090 laptops this year (though I haven't had my hands on it yet). But somewhere in the middle there will be folk like me who just love a versatile, efficient way to play - and that's where the Z13 finds its 💮family.

If you're after more portable play options, check out everything we know about the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Nintendo Switch 2, or take a look at the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming phones and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best mobile controllers.

HP just 𒆙announced the latest Omen Max 16 gaming laptop, a next-generation machine with the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 and AMD Ryzen AI 9 processors, up to 64GB RAM, and RTX 50-Series graphics cards. But I'm more interested in the cooling system.

As components get more powerful, they need increasingly sophisticated tech to keep them running smoothly. Most of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptops employ Vapor Chamber thermal pads as well as a robust system of fans and vents to keep airflow moving, but these machines last a long time - and dust often undoes all that hard work pretty quickly. So what did HP decide to do? The HP Omen Max 16 periodically reverses its fans to dissipate dust🌱, preventing build up and keeping that system running efficiently for far longer. That's on papওer, anyway - I've yet to see it in action.

It's such a simple solution I can't believe nobody's done it before. Unless they have, and 𝓀found out it doesn't work. Regardless, on a show floor obsessed with graphics card upgrades and AI integrations, it's refreshing to see a brand focusing on innovations in other build aspects that we know contribute significantly to performance without the brute force of a whole new set of components.

Overall, the rig is HP's most powerful Omen gaming laptop to date. Configuration options span CPUs including the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, and Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX, with between 16GB and 64GB DDR5-5600 RAM. Cheaper specs can ship with 512GB SSDs, but there's also space for 💜larger 2TB options as well. Meanwhile the display tops it all off with a QHD+ OLED 240Hz panel running with 500 nit HDR in full edge-to-edge glass. That's a screen built for the very top spec, with cheaper IPS panels at both QHD+ and FHD+ resolutions.

Alongside the Max 16, HP also announced its new Omen AI Beta program. It's a piece of software that promises to optimize your system's settings with specific presets based on your own gameplay and hardware. I'm less convinced on this one at the moment. At launch, Counter Strike 2 is the only compatible game, but I'm more than happy to be proved 💙wrong should HP fill this library with a strong supply of titles.

If you're not sold on HP's new cooling tech, check out the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops on the market. Or, take a look at the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops available now.

The 18-incher will launch with Alienware's latest quad fan design, propelling up to 37% more air through the system while also reducing operating noise by 15%. Throwing those top of the range components in with a total power level of 280W (10W more than the Alienware M18 R2) will make for a seriously speedy machine. On paper, this looks like one of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptops heading🍸 our way in 2025, especially if the prestige of previous 🦩Alienware Area-51 rigs holds up.

There's enough power in here to send the Area-51 to the moon and back, and in true Alienware fashion the brand has kitted its machine out with true space vibes. An anodized metallic chassis reflects light in a manner inspired by the aurora borealis. That's combined with that classic Alienware RGB running through the rear cooling shelf and logo. There's more from those LEDs as well - a window beneath the main chassis reveals the internal fan system with full AlienFX light🔯ing. It's not going ꦗto be seen too much during everyday use, but it's a continued nod to the PC / laptop hybrid system of the original Area-51 machines.

The 18-𒁏inch Alienware Area-51 will ship with a QHD+ display running at a blistering 300Hz refresh rate, while the 16-inch model bumps 💝that speed down to 240Hz.

Dell is keeping quiet on upgradeability. The original Area-51m machines launched with that sweet promise of future proofing - a promise that was never particularly fulfilled. Limited upgrade options meant that these components could only be swapped out for a select few options, a disappointment that eventually saw the model phased from the shelves. Last year's 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Alienware M16 R2 and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Alienware M18 machines are staying put on the shelves for now (though with new Nvidia GPUs on the market we could seeꦿ further refreshes in a few months time), so the Area-51 is looking to satisfy those after extra power rather than upgradeability at the moment.

The 2025 Area-51 will join both of these 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Alienware gaming laptops in Q1 of this year, with high-end configurations at $3,199. The base model will 🤡🌟follow with entry level components at $1,999.

Keeping an eye on the other brands this CES? We're also rounding up all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops on the market. Or, for something more permanent, take a look at the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware PCs available.

Nvidia's next generation RTX 5090 mobile GPU will run at up to 155W of maximum graphics power in the new Razer Blade 16, with 24GB GDDR7 VRAM under the hood. Pair that with AMD's exceptionally powerful AI processor (with an NPU capable of up to 50 TOPS) and new DLSS 4 image generation and you've got yourself a blinding piece of kit on paper. The 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptops are continuing to grow, but it remains to be seen exactly how these performance improvements actually translate in every൩ day play.

I'm a fan of everything Razer is throwing down with this new model. I loved last year's 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer Blade 16, I loved the AMD Ryzen AI processor I tested in the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus TUF A14, and I do love a new GPU family.

These changes aren't just under the hood, though. The new Razer Blade 16's cꦓhassis has been updated as well - it's now thinner at just 0.59-inches (compared to last ye🅠ar's 0.86-inch waistline) and packs a new keyboard with a deeper 1.5mm travel distance for a more full-bodied typing feel. Of course, this machine isn't forgetting what made its predecessor great. The 2025 model features a QHD+ 240Hz OLED display with a 0.2ms response time. In its 2024 iteration, this remains the best display I've ever used on a gaming laptop, so here's hoping the new release stands as tall.

A larger GPU and a🅷 smaller frame can only mean one thing - Razer's had a headscratcher when it comes to cooling. The brand's come up with a solution, though. The 2025 Blade 16 also heralds a new vapor chamber cooling system with dual-fans keeping the machine cool and quiet, covering 57% of the motherboard while also packing 0.05mm exhaust fins.

Call me crazy, but I don't think the RTX 5090 is the game-changer here

AMD's AI mobile processors only made their debut in the summer of last year, so I only managed to test them properly towards the tail end of 2024 - and boy did they get me excited for 2025. Yes, DLSS 4 is certainly one to watch and the raw power of that RTX 5090 is impressive for the sake of progress, but I think it's going to be those AMD brains that truly give the Blade 16 its sharpest edge. Granted, I haven't tested either component in isolation yet - this 💟is purely based on my own experience with the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 in the slimline RTX 4060 Asus TUF A14.

It's the same processor that Razer is using for its Blade 16 this year, and considering it managed to push the budget-minded lower mid-range TUF A14 to framerates that beat more expensive RTX 4070 models, I'm hyped. It's not all in those speedy frames, though. This is an incredibly powerful processor capable of topping PC Ma𝔉rk 10 charts even in cheaඣper builds.

The RTX 5090 is going to be Nvidia's ✨top dog processor for the year, and it's also going to be the most expensive. I haven't seen it in action for myself yet, but improvements on the already incredibly potent RTX 4090 may well be minimal in an everyday setting. I'm more excited for what Razer's cheaper configurations will be able to do further down the price scale with that AMDꦍ AI processor. After all, an RTX 5060 with this CPU at the helm could well push budgets much further than ever before.

The Razer Blade 16 will be available from Q1 2025, though we have no indication on startin💮g prices.

Of course, you can always check out all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops on the market, as well as the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops we expect to see this year.

I'm more of a console guy myself, but I was excited to s༒ee what my Steam Replay 2024 numbers were. To my surprise, my total number of gamꦍes played for the year is actually higher than the average... and that's something, because I've only played five.

feature lets you look back at your own personal Steam playing patterns, revealing stats like which games you played most, how many different games you played, how many successive days y൩ou played, how many achievements you unlocked, etc. etc., but it also lets you compare some of those stats to the average player.

For example, my longest streak was three days (again, more of a console player), compared to the average of six consecutive days. What surprised me was finding out that what I had assumed was a pathetic five games played this year on Steam is actually higher than the average of four games per year. I mean, I know we're all still playing almost nothing but 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Baldur's Gate 3, but those are rookie numbers, folks.

Other stats you can check out are which game you played most in the year (mine, hilariously, was the game Nothing, strictly because I accidentally left it running for 48 hours straight after playing just a few minutes for 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:this silly story), and how often 💦you played with keyboard and mouse compared to contro🐷ller.

You can also see the percentage of games you played on Steam that were new releases for 2024 versus games launched in previous years. Finally, there's a spider graph that breaks down your most played games by genre in case you aren't s♏ure what type of games you like playing most.

For next year, we should all strive to have more of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best PC games on our Steam Replay 2025.

The Asus TUF A14 is one of the few compact gaming laptops released in 2024, but it’s a growing contingent and a key battleground for brands looking to provide hybrid work / play machines. With HP, Acer, and Razer all bringing smaller machines to market in more recent years, the competition is heating up. The lat🦋est generation looks a little different, though.

Those sacrifices in performance that previously held the form factor back are less noticeable with Nvidia’s 40-Series GPUs and upscaling tech and are certainly erased from memory with this monster of an AMD CPU under the hood. Slotting into a well-respected budget-minded lineup (the Asus TUF A15 remains the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptop in this price r▨ange to this day), the TUF A14 takes a step away from the lumbering, slightly cheap-feeling rigs of yesterday. Instead, this feels, looks, and runs every bit as premium as more expensive options while making some smart cutbacks to keep that cost low.

Design

The Asus TUF A14 bears a striking resemblance to my old 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:TUF Dash F15, with its slate aluminum top lid, skinny silhouette, and squared-off profile. It was that subtle, streamlined design that originally drew me to the TUF Dash series in the first place, and I’m delighted with its evolution to the smaller A-Series machine. It’s a more subtle design than the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus TUF A15, dropping the harder angular lines and embossed elements on the lid while removing all that cringey text from the internal palm rest area. Instead, this is a slick machine that could easily pass for an ultrabook in more professional settings, only a small TUF-s♚tamped logo in the top corner gives these gaming roots away.

You’re not getting the CNC-milled unibody chassis of the more expensive G14, which means the plastic casing in the lower half can feel a little cheap under the hand. But this is a cheaper laptop, and these materials still feel dense and solid - far more than I can say for most budget machines. The palm rest has a little give to it, but I could only notice it when directly pushing, and the screen hinges run smoothly without a creak in earshot. These hinges are relatively small - you’ll find a much more robust system in the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer Blade 14, which uses a full-length hinge to ensure smooth and stable operation. The A14 is, however, MIL-STD 810H certified, able to 𝔉survive shocks and drops as well as a range of temperatures and humidities. It doesn’t get much TUF-er than that in the gaming laptop🃏 world.

While Razer and the Zephyrus line will give your laptop that polished sheen in their higher-quality build materials, though, you’ll be sacrificing a little portability to get there. At 3.2lbs, the Asus TUF A14 is among the lightest gaming laptops on the market. It’s lighter than the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:HP Omen Transcend 14 (3.59lbs) and that machine is so tiny it feels like a Chromebook at times. That’s already impressive for a budget rig, but the key thing here is that it carries that weight so well. That low weight never feels cheap and there’s still a density to the chassis as a whole that ensures a luxurious, reliable experience. At 0.7inches, it’s ever so slightly thicker than the Zephyrus - but considering we’re talking about 0.1 inches the difference is pretty negligible. I still happily traipsed through the city with this thing on my b🐷ack without no𓆏ticing a thing.

Features

Things get real interesting under the hood. The Asus TUF A14 packs AMD’s AI-forward CPU, the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. This is the first machine I’ve tested with this brain at the center and Strix Point is impressive. The chipset i𝐆s based on the brand’s latest Zen 5 architecture, pulling 50 TOPS (trillions of operations per second, the main measurement of AI performance) through its XDNA 2 neural processing unit.

In short, it’s one of the latest processors to hit the mobile market and is able to run dedicated AI systems on your PC incredibly quickly, while also lending its power nicely to raw traditional gaming performance as well. Not everyone is going to need that AI boost - in truth, there are still only very few real uses for it day to day, but hey I’ll takeꦛ more power in a budget machine wherever I can take it. If you don’t want to spend on the flashy new CPU, the A14 is also available with a classic AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS CPU.

Asus isn’t skimping on the rest of its components either, with eithe𓂃r 16GB or 32GB RAM available and up to 2TB of SSD storage space. There’s even a spare bay for storage upgrades further down the line, and a handily simple 11-screw process for removing the back plate and diving inside. While the Zephyrus G14 can run an RTX 4070 GPU, however, the A14 is limited to a weaker RTX 4060 graphics card. That means this isn’t necessarily a framerate cha🅘ser, though performance in this series is still strong enough to play at fullspeed in 1080p and run lighter games well at QHD+.

Both configurations of the Asus TUF A14 ship with the same 165Hz QHD+ display, swapping the luxury contrast and vibrancy of the Zephyrus’s HDR-enabled OLED panel fo🦂r a cheaper but actually brighter IPS-level panel. It’s faster as well, with the 120Hz OLED on the G14 feeling a little more sluggish in Nvidia-friendly games running at 140+fps in 1080p. Everything is zippy, well-balanced, and impressively well-contrasted here, making this display as good as far more expensive machines I’ve tested in the past.

Underneath the display you’ll find a well-spaced keyboard with a surprising amount of depth to each keystroke. Thinner laptops like this usually keep their typing experiences fairly shallow, with between 1mm and 1.5mm travel distances. The 1.7mm actuation here feels satisfying and tactile, proving both accurate and speedy during gameplay and typing. There’s a bouncy snap to each press, with an energetic debounce that still manages to feel crisp in faster gameplay scenarios as well. I’m not a massive ౠfan of the single-zone (and un-programmable) white lighting, especially seeing as it bleeds pretty heavily around these chiclet keycaps when not viewed directly overhead.

A generously sized glass trackpad spreads across the center of the palm rest area, providing a smooth glide and responsive tap cl🙈icks. Actual pressure clicks are a little heavier than I would like, but I rarely push down on the padꦏ anyway.

While many 14-inch gaming laptops adopt💧 a more streamlined approach to their ports, the Asus TUF A14 goes all-out on connectivity. This is impressive in such a small laptop, but size isn’t holding anyone back when it comes to accessories. The left flank houses an HDMI 2.1 as well as a single USB-C with power del⛦ivery baked in, a single USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-A, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

Meanwhile, the right offers a second🅷 USB-A as well as a USB🧸-C with DisplayPort functionality (though no power delivery) and MicroSD card reader. That’s the same port selection as you’ll find on the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, and very similar to that of the Razer Blade 14 though substituting one of the USB4 Type-C connections for a 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C and adding a MicroSD card. Unlike the HP Omen Transcend 14, there’s no Thunderbolt 4 support here.

Performance

I’m primarily pitting the Asus TUF A14 against three of its 14-inch contem✤poraries and its larger 15.6-inch sibling, and while the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 🐽and Razer Blade 14 both have the RTX 4070 working in their favor, the A14 isn’t exactly out of this race. In easier titles like FHD Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the extra grunt in that CPU helped push it to the top of the pack, beating laptops well out of its price range in in-game benchmark scores.

It behaves a little more as I would expect when it comes to more demanding games. It left the HP Omen Transcend 14 in the dust acro🅘ss both Returnal and Total War: Three Kingdoms in 1080p, and still edged out in the lead between the two 14-inch RTX 4060 models in QHD as well. However, it’s the smaller difference between the RTX 4070 Razer Blade 14’s numbers and the A14’s that has me particularly excited. The A14 only lagged by a couple of frames per second in Total War: Three Kingdoms - impressive considering the Blade 14 not only has an RTX 4070 at the helm but also costs double the price.

The same pattern emerged between the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 and the A14 in 🎀Returnal. Yes, the A14 struggled to hit over 60fps in Epic settings, but it was only five frames behind the G14 and in High that gap was shrunk to just three frames. The Asus TUF A14 is performing far🌳 higher than I would expect from a slimline RTX 4060 configuration.

That’s noticeable in synthetic GPU benchmarks as well. A 9,972 Time Spy score and 23,694 Fire Strike score puts the🌳 A14 at the very top of its class, thrashing the HP Omen Tr♏anscend 14’s 7,913 / 18,000 scores and just bumping against the RTX 4060 Asus TUF A15 - a device sitting within a much larger chassis.

The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 absolutely ripped through PC Mark 10 and Cinebench R24 benchmarks, scorin♛g miles ahead of its competitors. That’s an insane jump in CPU performance - the likes of which I haven’t seen in the year’s processors to date. That’s some seriously impressive productivity performance, which easily translates to more versatile gameplay performance as well. The best part about this processor might not even be its raw power, though. It may just be the efficiency of that chip.

This is one of the first gaming laptops I’ve been able to work all day using battery power ♛alone. I was shocked when I realized I’d never needed to reach into my backpack and find an outlet while tapping away on Chrome tabs and the odd image processor outside of the house. This machine packs the all-day battery of an ultrabook with internal components to punch above its weight in gaming performance as well. That’s an exciting combin🍬ation - if this is the way Asus is going with its hybrid devices, I’m certainly on board.

Should you buy the Asus TUF A14?

There are two machines currently standing in the Asus TUF A14’s way. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is a better 14-inch gaming laptop if money is no object. It’s configurable up to a hig🧔her RTX 4070 GPU, packs a🐈 boosted OLED display for better vibrancy and contrast, and is built with more premium materials. The Asus TUF A15 is a better budget pick - often much cheaper than the A14 and with more configuration options to work around that lower price point as well. But the A14’s CPU power goes above and beyond that of the G14, it’s already geared up to take advantage of AI enhancements, and its slimline design remains just as portable and streamlined as the more expensive model.

The A14 isn’t too far beh🐠ind the A15 in price - and it’s got a lot more going on under the hood for your cash, with a brighter 16:10 screen running at a higher QHD resolution and faster 165Hz refresh rate, and more satisfying keyboard. There’s a lot of gray area between these models, but suffice it to say, if you want a rig that’s going to look and feel better than the Asus TUF A15 but you don’t want to reach Zephyrus G14 levels, this is exactly where you shoul🌠d be looking.

The HP Omen Transcendღ 14 is under threat from this impressive rig as well. Before reviewing the A14, the Transcend was my favorite slimline machine on the market. That’s just been turned on its head. While the OLED panel and super slick design of the Omen is still going to keep it in favor with those after a luxury display and subtle design, there’s just far more power in the A14’s chassis and it’s still within the same dimensions as HP’s entry. After all, it’s just as thin, slightly lighter, and offers a considerable boost in performance.

How I tested the Asus TUF A14

I used the Asus TUF A14 for three weeks, running daily work and play on the machine the entire time. I primarily tested with the machine running solo on a desk, but spent a week plugged into a separate dock / monitor setup as well. I also tested across two working from different coffee shops and more temporary setups, and travelled with the machine regularly. I performed benchmark tests in both 1080p and 1440 / 1600p at High and Highest graphical settings in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Three Kingdoms, Returnal, and The Talos Principle 2. Synthetic benchmarks were then recorded across 3D Mark Time Spy, Fire Strike, and Steel Nomad, with dedicated CPU tests performed in PC Mark 10 and Cinebench R24. Outside of direct testing, I used the laptop to play Hogwarts Legacy, Fallout 4, Snowrunner, Forza Horizon 5, and Final Fantasy XVI. For more information on 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:how we test gaming laptops, check out the full 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

You’ll find plenty more of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops on the market right here, as well as all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer gaming laptops as well.

Now it's finally dropped.

Best Buy has just posted a $400 discount on the latest version of Asus's popular 14-inch gaming laptop, dropping that $1,599.99 rate that's haunted me all the way . That surprised me, I was fully expecting a return to the previous record-low, a $1,249.99 sales price last spotted in September. Instead, we've got the cheapest price yet on one of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptops on the market.

I'd almost given up hope on this offer appearing at all. After all, 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Black Friday gaming laptop deals have actually been landing all around us for weeks. Best Buy has been keeping this one back for maximum impact, then, which means I wouldn't wait too long to dive in here. This൩ could well be gone by the end of the day.

Today's best Black Friday gaming laptop deals

• Amazon:
• Best Buy:
• Dell:
• HP:
• Lenovo:
• Newegg:
• Walmart:

Should you buy the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14?

I've always been a fan of Asus's compact Zephyrus, so when the brand changed its design this year, I was worried. Those fears were calmed as soon as I got my hands on one. This is still a super slimline gaming laptop built to offer pretty solid performance while still blending in with more sophisticated ultrabook aesthetics. It's just a machine that's been built for both gamers and the more productive among us.

I take my laptop with me whenever I travel, and this is the exact kind of form factor I love. It's super slim, super quiet, and doesn't scream with its RGB lighting and angular corners. I'd recommend the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 to those after a hybrid machine for both work and play first - after all, it's significantly cheaper than the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer Blade 14. The skinnier form factor means you do sacrifice some ඣperformance compared to chunkier RTX 4060 rigs, but considering this is one of the thinnest and lightest gaming laptops I've tested so far I'm more than happy to sacrifice power for functionality on this occasion.

That does mean it's not one for those chasing the absolute highest framerates possible - that's where a larger machine is required, like the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Alienware M18 or 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9. You'll find similar prices on the former among today's Black Friday offers, but the Leno꧟vo bumps you up to an RTX 4070 at its cheapest level - and that's a good deal higher than this sales price.

There are plenty more 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Black Friday deals where that came from - check out all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Black Friday gaming PC deals and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Black Friday Steam Deck deals for more.

What’s different here? Mostly, the price. The MSI Raider 18 HX is the Titan for those who don’t want to break $5K, packing the same high-end RTX 4090 / Intel i9-14900HX configuration as well as cheaper RTX 4070 and RTX 4080 options. The cheaper model drops some fancier features like the built-in glass trackpad, mechanical keyboard, and full aluminum chassis, but it’s still the same core experience - a luxury powerhouse for the wealthiest gamers among us. With the Titan currently sitting among the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptops on the market due to its sheer power, the Raider certainly has a lot to live u🐎p to.

Design

The MSI Raider 18 HX is no slimline machine, following in the same Titan footsteps as the more premium model. It retains the same proportions as the more expensive laptop, sitting thicker than both the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer Blade 18 (0.86-inches) and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Alienware M18 (0.98-inches) with a 1.26-inch height and a 3.6kg weight. That’s considerably heavier than the 3.1kg Razer Blade, but actually lighter than Alienware’s 18-inch enꦫtry (4.23kg). This is a big, chunky footprint, but not necessarily a dense one, then. That means it’s still difficult to t⛎ransport the Raider with any real semblance of comfort, but it’s not going to weigh down your bag quite as much as an Alienware device if you do need to take it on the road.

From the top down, the Raider bears a striking resemblance to the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:MSI Titan 18 HX. MSI has been preaching from the same design book with both of these machines, with a textured rear shelf, clean black lid, RGB-lit MSI shield, and angular side paneling. Last year I lamented the outdated look and feel of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:MSI Raider GE78, with its r🍃ed lining, squat desi✱gn, and simple textures. This is a night and day difference.

Whereas the premium Titan features higher-end materials across the shelf, the Raider sticks with a softer plastic, but the matte aesthetic still remains across the top. The sides and rear vents feature a splash of MSI-style red within the gril𝕴ls themselves, and while the Titan boasts a hardcore metallic underside the Raider trades this industrial vibe for a more relaxed black plastic. This is still a beast of a machine with a s💟turdy feel overall, but the drop in build materials shows its face in wobble and flex.

The main deck area inside is a lot easier t🐲o manipulate and the keyboard itself is partial to just a slight flexing when pressure is increased a little over usual typing force. Screen wobble is most noticeable when opening the lid, but is still perceived when typing particularly hard or quickly. The hinge itself feels solid and smooth with no creaks, but it’s not quite tight enough to keep things completely still. It sits in line with most gaming laptops - but this isn’t a price tag that many of them share.

Inside, the main deck has a vastly different visual design compared to the Titan. The main deck has been gamerfied, with two diagonal lines raising the edges on the left and right. It’s far from the more gaudy aesthetics I’ve seen in cheaper machines, but you may still struggle to forget you’re using a gaming laptop during business hours. There’s no cringey text or ‘Warning’ stamps on here, though, (looking at you 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus TUF A15). Instead, thos⛦e diagonal cut-outs are framed withꦏ grills that sit fairly subtly in an all-black design. It’s a statement, but it’s certainly not screaming it in your face.

Thankfully, MSI has removed the all-in-one glass trackpad design from the Titan. The premium model features a fancy RGB clicker that blends seamlessly with the rest of the palm rest area - which looks cool and everything but is a nightmare to actually use. I was constantly missing the trackpad, running over the edge of it, and accidentally swiping during use - so I’m glad things are more restrained in the Raider. This is still a fairly thick rest area, with the keyboard feeling just a little squished into the top portion of the deck. That’s par for the course in these larger 18-inch models, though, and you’re still getting a full keyboar🌃d layout.

Features

The star of the show here is that 18-inch Mini LED 4K UHD panel, it’s a massive, super-bright display with excellent color saturation and a particularly vivid effect. The screen packs a 120Hz refresh rate, the slowest speed one would expect from a gaming laptop but a far more common spec in 4K machines. That’s still going to be a deal-breaker if you’re dropping resolution down to FHD or QHD for a boost in framerates, and even 4K performance from my RTX 4090 configuration could stand to benefit from at least a 144Hz panel in lighter games. For the most part, though, a 120Hz refresh rate is going to serve your UHD gameplay just fine. That’s the same display that features on the Titan model, with the same pinpoint attention to detail, eye-popping clarity, and local dimming HDR support. It📖 covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, with a slightly higher range than that of the Razer Blade 18.

Thℱis is a gaming laptop set up for high-resolution, immersive gameplay rather than high-speed 1080p competitive se𓂃ttings. That means MSI has gone big on internal components. The configuration I’ve been testing comes tricked out with an RTX 4090 graphics card, top-of-the-range Intel i9-14900HX processor, and 16GB RAM. At its most conservative, you’re still looking at that high-end CPU paired up with an RTX 4070 and 32GB DDR5 RAM. To fully make the most of that 4K Mini LED display, though, the RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 models are going to be the main sellers here. Those kinds of specs are going to see you through new releases for years to come, especially with WiFi 7 under the hood.

18-inch gaming laptops are designed to completely replace desktop options, which means they need a substantial collection of ports. Whereas more portable machines prioritize efficiency in their connections, rigs like the MSI Raider 18 HX need to provide tower-like compatibility. The 2024 Raider matches the Titan’s impressive port offerings in both breadth and placement. You’re getting not just one but two Thunder♑bolt 4 ports as well as three USB-As packed in here, with an HDMI 2.1, micro SD card reader, Ethernet, and 3.5mm audio for good measure. Both of those USB-C Thunderbolts also carry DisplayPort compatibility for more video-out options.

That’s an excellent supply of ports, making light work of most headset, keyboard, and mouse setups while also keeping USB-Cs free for more dynamic uses. Most of these connections are split across the left and right - at least, the po🐠rts you’re likely to swap in and out regularly are. The rear flank houses more permanent cables, hosting the HDMI, power, and Ethernet ports nicely. That’s excellent for keeping things a little tidier, though with all that space I would have appreciated at least one of those USB-As and USB-Cs to be placed at the back - especially considering both Thunderbolt options.

In the middle of all that you’ll find a full-sized keyboard and a sizeable but ultimately disappointing trackpad. While fewer players are going to pay too much attention to that pointer, I would have expected something a little more sophisticated than this heavy, mushy pad from a $4,000 laptop. There’s a particularly high travel in this pad which makes pushing for a click hard work. Interestingly, the keyboard (another departure from the Titan’s high-end build) seems to suffer from the opposite problem. There’s not quite enough feedback on the keyboard itself to feel tr🐓uly satisfyinඣg.

A low travel distance, lack of distinct snap, and softer feel make this feel like a much cheaper keyboard than it really should. I quickly found myself missing the full mechanical SteelSeries imple☂mentation in the Titan. Still, I’m glad to see full-sized arrow buttons remain in here. Many gaming laptops (even larger 18-inch models) halve these clickers to save space on the main dec🐭k area. Reaching over to these in-game feels natural and easy with no missed taps.

Like most MSI gaming laptops, the Raider 18 HX ships with the brand’s own control software. This is still a fiddly piece of kit, with strangely counterintuitive menus and simple controls hidden behind multiple layers of navigation. It is, however, a nicely clean piece of software with no marketing gimmicks or overly ‘gamey’ graphics. The Raider can also takeꦬ advantage of the MSI AI Engine, a more optimized power setting that allows the system to divert resources to systems it bets will need them next.

If you’re replacing your entire setup with an 18-inch gaming laptop, the webcam and speaker need to lꩲive up to expectations. The 1080p lens on the Raider is fine - it performs much better than a cheaper 720p iteration and produces some crisp images under natural daylight. When those lights dim (as I recently found out with the move to GMT), image quality suffers considerably. Color contrast is far more muddied and movement is slower overall.

Performance

It should come as no surprise that an 18-inch MSI Raider packed full of the latest and greatest components performs well. I was surprised, though, to find that my benchmark tests generally produced higher results from the Raider than the Titan. With everything dialed up to 11 for the best experience possible, the Raider out-performed the Titan in both 3D Mark’s Time Spy and Fire Strike tests. In a harder Steel Nomad run, the Titan did edge out ahead, but only by a matter of a few points. With re-runs, this is a real back-and-forth. This RTX 4090 configuration outgunned everyone else in the competition as well, sailing ahead of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Alienware M18 - both similarly chunky offerings. The Razer Blade 18’s skinnier fo꧟rm♉ factor keeps its own numbers down as well.

In-game benchmarks saw the Raider claiming the throne across both easier runs like Shadow of the Tomb Raider and The Talos Principle 2 in FHD, though it still dropped below the Alienware M18’s excellent Returnal performance. This is a beast that can speed through the majority of today’s bigger games, but more complex on-screen effects can give it something else to think about. Still, 174fps in high settings at FHD is certainly nothing to be sniffed a🐻t - especially considering QHD performance stacks up as well.

The Raider takes a similar minute lead over the Titan when the resolution is cranked up, again only forfeiting that top spot in Returnal’s run. Nevertheless, this is a mach🏅ine that brings its components together beautifully to deliver ꦯflawless quality and three-figure framerates across even the more demanding benchmarks.

Of course, those numbers do dip when we go full throttle at 4K, but I was still impressed with the show on offer here. DLSS can do some heavy lifting, as evidenced by Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s score, but even running natively, I was still able to hit reliable 60+fps in Total War: Three Kingdoms, a title that often proves itself the downfall of a 4K gaming rig. These are easiܫly playable framerates - which isn’t something I’ve been able to say about the vast majority of 4K gaming laptops I’ve tested.

That processor isn’t quite doing as much heavy lifting as in other models, though. It’s third in my comparison pool from PC 🀅Mark 10’s results, coming behind both the MSI Titan 18 HX and Asus ROG Strix Scar 18’s implementations. All these laptops are running the same Intel i9-14900HX, but the Raider’s 8,609 average score suggests there’s something gunking up the works a little. That could prove problematic as game demands from individual CPUs grow higher, especially if you’re pairing൩ your gaming laptop with more content creation tasks.

Overall, the MSI Raider 18 HX offers up fantastic performance, with numbers that beat the Titan (a gaming laptop that currently occupies the ‘most powerful’ moniker in our tier list). This is the fastest gaming laptop I’ve tested yet - but that speed does come with a drawback. The MSI Raider 18 HX is the only rig to have ever left my ears ringing after a benchmark session. When I say these fans are loud, I mean they’re the loudest I’ve ever heard a laptop in all my years of reviewing. You won’t just need one of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming headsets to drown these bad boys out - I’d inves🔴t in something with dedicated noise canceling.

Should you buy the MSI Raider 18 HX?

If you’🃏re going all out on performance I would recommend the MSI Raider 18 HX over the MSI Titan 18 HX at the moment. It performed better in my testing and comes in considerably cheaper by dropping a few more aesthetically pleasing features. This is still a pricey piece of kit, though, so it’s g👍ot a lot to live up to when taking on the Alienware M18 (currently the best 18-inch gaming laptop on the market for most players). The M18 falls short in performance, but if you want a cheaper configuration you’re not going to touch that RTX 4090 model anyway. You’ll still draw three-figure framerates from Dell’s model, but do so for far less cash, with more ports, and a higher refresh rate display.

How I tested the MSI Raider 18 HX

I used the MSI Raider 18 HX for daily work and play over the course of three weeks. I spent most of that time with the device in the middle of my desk setup, using only the dedicated display and keyboard (I had a gaming mouse plugged in for most of the time, but spent one workday on the trackpad alone). I also tested the rig when connected to a UGreen desk dock and 240Hz QHD Samsung Odyssey monitor for a couple of days. During this time, I was primarily playing through my own backlog, including Hogwarts Legacy, Fallout 4, and - of course - TCG Card Shop Simulator, while also testing directly across Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Three Kingdoms, Returnal, and The Talos Principle 2. Synthetic benchmarks were carried out in 3D Mark’s Time Spy, Fire Strike, and Steel Nomad tests, with CPU testing taking place across PC Mark 10, Cinebench R24, and Geekbench 6. For more information on 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:how we test gaming laptops, check out the full 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

If you’re between brands, you can also check out the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops I’ve been testing recently. Or, take a look at the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming PCs for a full desktop experience.

That’s not to say the 140W GPU isn’t impressive - it’s just not meant for this kind of machine. Pairing the right components isn’t everything when creating one of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptops, but the missteps here keep the Titan 16 Pro from its full potential and that’s disappointing considering 🍨how much potential this machine really has.

Design

I was impressed with the RedMagic Titan 16 Pro’s design from the outside looking in. This is a rock-solid piece of kit, with a matte metal frame, super slick unibody design, and a fairly understated aesthetic. There’s your standard RGB logo on the lid, but no extra lines, stamp💫s, or text to make the top panel look gaudy or out of step with the more subtle releases of the modern age. There’s a slight sheen to that rear panel, which picks up light nicely - though you’ll need a cleaning cloth, this thing holds onto fingerprints particularly easily.

Opening up that lid was a little disappointing. There’s more of a gamerfied aesthetic running inside, with stamps across the keyboard it🐷self and highly stylised legends. Everything was still readable, though the squeezed in number pad did feel a little clustered with all the extra icಌonography running around it. Of course, there’s four-zone RGB lighting running across this deck, with an extra splash of color in the RedMagic logo just under the main hinge. These are all fully customizable within the machine’s software, though I often had trouble getting my assignments to stick day to day. Sometimes the colors would simply return to their default state when switching the laptop on again.

This is certainly a well-built machine, though. There’s very little flex to the main display and not a hint of creaking or rattling in the chassis area. It almost feels Razer-like in this respect; solid, reliable, and dense. The keyboard area stands firm with pressure, and the hinge itself feels smooth without any judders - it can be easily opened with one hand while the base remains firmly on the desk. The unit itself weighs 2.38kg (5.26lbs), which is actually fairly lightweight for a 16-inch device and around the same as the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer Blade 16. For reference, the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 comes in at 2.79kg and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Alienware M16 R2 hits 2.61kg. All of these laptops are perfectly portable, but the RedMagic Titan feels a little easier on the back over longer journeys. Of course, that’s not as portable as dedicated slimline machines like the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:HP Omen Transcend 14, for which weight is a much larger factor.

Features

You’re getting everything you need to get your games up and running here, but kudos needs to be paid to that display first and foremost. I wasn’t expecting to find such a high quality panel on here, but then RedMagic has been in the business of producing all-screeꦏn devices for years now. The brand knows a thing or two about making a picture pop, and the Titan’s 16-inch IPS screen offers excellent vibrancy and a solid brightness that makes for easy viewing in a range of different environments.

T𝕴esting in the dark produced some of the most impressive visuals I’ve seen on a mid-range machine, with excellent color clarity and contrast across high-key and low-key scenes - almost rivalling that of the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (though without some of the richness to more nuanced tones) . The 16:10 layout means this is a full 2,560 x 1600 QHD+ resolution offering fantastic sharpness and details to movies and everyday browsing, even if there are some jagged edges during more demanding gameplay (more on that later). Plus, the 240Hz refresh rate keeps up with the action well - though is perhaps a little over the top considering what’s going on below.

Your larger ports are located at the rear 𓃲– a big win in my books. With two video outs (HDMI and DisplayPort) tucked away back here, as well as other static options like Ethernet and💮 power, the port layout is conducive to a fairly tidy setup. The laptop’s four (slightly older) USB 3.1 ports are spread across the left and right for easy use, though will still sprawl out to the sides if you have multiple cables plugged in. Thunderbolt is here, though the Titan 16 Pro only offers one USB-C port - a disappointment considering many are moving towards two these days.

The keyboard itself manages to get away without feeling spongy or too soft, with a snappy response from its slimline keys and a short but tight travel and actuation. The headline here is those arrow keys, though. A lot of gaming laptops miniaturize these keys to make room on the deck, but considering they’re often used regularly I never really understood this practice. The RedMagic Titan 16 Pro’s full-sized, off-centre spread keeps keypresses fast and🎐 accurate. Of course, you’re also getting the obligatory trackpad - this is fine, you’re not going to use it for gaming, it can navigate a Chrome browser or launcher without feeling squishy or slow.

The Titan can run in three power preset modes; office, balanced, and gaming. These are accessed either via the dedicated keyboard keys 🍷or in the system’s built-in software; Goper. This is a barebones set of controls, but it’s nicely navigable and isn’t filled with ads so it’s a winner in my books. Alongs✅ide power presets, this is where you can configure your RGB settings (when the machine wants to play ball), directly control your fans, and change GPU mode.

Under the hood is a mystery. Nubia only released one configuration of the RedMagic Titan 16 Pro, which is fair enough - it’s understandable that a brand’s first ever gaming laptop would want to keep its range conservative. However, there’s a massive Core i9-14900HX in the helm (and in the price tag), boasting a maximum clock of 5.8GHz across 24 CPU cores. That’s a whole lot of power at your fingertips, so it’s🔯 a shame that it has to work with a lower mid-range RTX 4060 GPU. We’ll see more when I dive into my benchmark results below, but that makes for some seriously impressive CPU responses and some seriously throttled in-game performance.

Performance

The Intel i9 under the hood doesn’t quite live up to its performance potential as it has in other machines. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 draws more from its powerhouse of a brain in PC Mark 10 tests and while the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:MSI Titan 18 HX’s large footprint is certainly giving it an edge, the RedMagic lags significantly behind this 18-inch monster. Size isn’t everything, though, as the RedMagic Titan also drops behind the much slimmer Razer Blade 16 in the same test to sit right at the bottom of my testing poo💦l. These are all far more expensive machines, but I was still seeing the kinds of numbers that I would associate with a cheaper AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS or Intel Core Ultra 7 155H.

Synthetic 3D Mark benchmarks pitting the Titan 16 Pro against other RTX 4060 configurations were a little kinder. The machine topped the scales for Time Spy runs, returning a hopeful 10,522 score that beat out other 16-inch models like the Alienware M16 and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:HP Omen Transcend 16. Ultimately, though it was still beat in the Fire Strike runs, scoring lower than the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus TUF A15 - that’s a confiꦦguration you’ll easily find on sale for under $1,000. Iꦦt’s tricky to directly compare this full spec - very few gaming laptops would pair such a high-end CPU with the RTX 4060. All of these machines, for example, are running lower-end processors.

In-game performance was on par with other RTX 4060 rigs, though you’re spending a lot more on that processor that seems to get lost in the balance. There’s a very obvious drag between the CPU and GPU, which presented itse🀅lf in frequent on-screen tearing and stutters during everyday play and benchmarks. This could be quelled by dropping a few settings and switching on frame generation, but in native QHD+ High / Ultra settings, more GPU-intensive games can get a bit hairy. The Titan was towards the lower end of the pack in Shadow of the Tomb Raider 1080p te༒sting, though still posted some nice three-figure benchmarks and kept up with the group.

That’s by no means slow, and this was one of the easier games for the system to run overall, belting through each scene with a nice smooth clarity. Total War: Three Kingdoms brought the system further up the ranking chart, but started to show a little wear and tear once the screen was filled with moving troops. Returnal hit this system hard, with its resulting score falling behind that of the much slimmer HP Omen 16 Transc⛄end. The story was much 🎃the same in QHD resolution, with framerates hovering around the 60fps position in more demanding trials, but still within the normal expectations of an RTX 4060 GPU. It’s just a shame that you’re paying for an Intel i9-14900HX to get there.

That’s still playable performance, particularly if you’re happy to stick with frame generation to keep things running smoothly. However, there’s another sticking point to this performance. Those fans rev right up, burning through ears like nothing else. I’ve tested a good few loud laptops in my time, and this might just top them all. Not only that, but temperatures far exceeded a comfortable playing range. In more demanding titles like Returnal, and on larger theme park builds in Planet Coaster, the palm rest gr♉ew too warm to rely on. This never brought the system to a halt, though at times those numbers climbed high enough for me to worry about it.

Should you buy the RedMagic Titan 16 Pro?

This is a strange machine, so we’ll talk about what the Titan 16 Pro gets right. It’s got a fantastic display, which - if it was placed on a similarly impressive machine - would easily be worth its asking price. That screen can go toe-to-toe with far more premium rigs, offering a level of imm🔯ersion and clarity that I rarely see in everyday mid-range offerings. Its design plays nicely into a subtle but still fun aesthetic. While those internal legends and extra branding could verge on cheapening the experience, the build quality saves it thanks to its rock-solid feel and relatively lightweight form factor. The port selection is generous, perfect if you’re looking for a device that can sit on your desk just as well as travel in your backpack. Its performance is even within my expectations for a machine running an RTX 4060 GPU.

I just can’t recommend the RedMagic Titan 16 Pro, though. You’re spending far too much on a CPU that this configuration just doesn’t use. Plus, there’s the niggling concern that Nubia itself (the brand behind RedMagic) isn’t nearly as established as other, cheaper, machines. Those thermal concerns aren’t particularly dangerous right now, but could grow into something much larger if repairs are required. If you want high-end performance to put that processor to work, I’d recommend taking a look at the MSI Titan 18 HX or 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Alienware M18. If you’re looking for cheaper RTX 4060 gameplay, the 🔯Asus TUF A15 is infinitely more affordable.

How I tested the RedMagic Titan 16 Pro

I used the RedMagic Titan 16 Pro for all regular play across a period of two weeks. During that time I primarily played Planet Coaster, Fallout 76, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, and TCG Card Shop Simulator, but also tested across synthetic benchmark processes in PC Mark 10 and 3D Mark. I completed in-game benchmarks using tools in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Three Kingdoms, and Returnal. For more information on 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:how we test gaming laptops, check out the full 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

If you’re after a more established brand we’re also rounding up all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops on the market, as well as the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops.

Currys has piqued my interest though, because the store's latest gaming laptop deals collate slimline options that don’t mean the same compromises often found in the most portable PCs. The best part? Students can when buying through GamesRadar+ - and that’s on top of some laptops that already list up to﷽ a £600 reduction. All that, and you get access to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Ser💎ies machine with the latest upscaling technology like DLSS 3.5.

Smaller laptops these days don’t have the same drawbacks they used to. If a student wanted a laptop they could take into lectu꧙res and carry around in a backpack, they often had to seriously scale back their gaming ambitions, but AI enhancements in lightweight gaming 💛laptops mean you could be sitting in a lecture, typing up some notes, and no one around you would know you’re doing it on a rig that’s capable of playing the latest games with Ray Tracing enabled and buttery smooth framerates.

Getting more specific, the collection featuꦐres machines with Quad HD+ OLED screens with refresh rates of 240Hz. In my eyes, this kind of laptop consolidates other gaming hardware purchases, driving the value for money through the roof. With laptop specs like that, there’s no need to buy a separate gaming monitor, and brightness specs of 500 Nits 🎃on 188.7 pixels per inch will be the perfect way to kick back with the latest games after a stressful Turnitin assignment upload.

But what do the latest and greatest bits of NVIDIA GeForce RTX wizardry actually mean for gaming? Well, dedicated third-gen RT cores mean that in-game levels shine with realistic lighting with🍒out causing big performance drops, even when Ray Tracing is turned on. DLSS 3 uses AI power to generate frames, giving you a smoother and more competitive performance when playing, even if the hardware itself wouldn’t usually be able to boost your FPS to those levels. T✱hen, there’s NVIDIA Reflex, which helps those budding Esports hobbyists with faster and more precise optimizations that decrease system latency.

But those beefy technical specs won’t mean carrying your laptop to the library feels like a weightlifting session. Slim laptops with t🌠hose specs in Currys wares have weights of around 2.16Kg and a thickness of around 19.9mm - ⛦perfect for sliding into a backpack and taking on the go.

Of course, for an on-the-go solution, none of these specs would matter without a decent battery life. Luckily for any students interested in these slimline gaming laptops, battery lives don’t need to be forfeited. 5.5 hours is an 🐷average for this type of rig, which is plenty for a few classes before plugging back in for a gaming session later in the day. 

The collection over at Currys currently includes the likes of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, which we gave a 5-star rating in our review, calling it “a💟 g🙈aming laptop for all”. The version harnessing an RTX 4070 is currently on offer , with a £200 reduction to boot.

Some other notable listings include the MSI Stealth Stud🧔io, which is seeing a £600 reduction down to a price of , despite sporting an Intel Core Ultra 7 and an RTX 4060. Elsewhere, you’ll find a super affordable M🍌SI Cyborg 14” with an RTX 4050 inside it - not bad for a machine that has a 144Hz Full HD display. 

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For more on laptops, check out the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptops, the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops, and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus laptops.

Design

•  Subtle but still slick aesthetic 
•  Feels less gamerfied than other cheap gaming laptops 
•  Slightly heavier but still portable 

The HP Victus 16 keeps things low profile. While that was a thorn in the side of the bland-looking 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:HP Omen 17, this smaller rig seems to get away with it. Maybe it’s the less ‘rounded’ look, with sharper angular corners and a more ‘gamified’ rear shelf, or maybe it’s the factඣ that the glossy Victus logo on the lid just looks cooler than an Omen stamp - but this machine just looks and feels slicker. 

This is a cheaper gaming laptop, so an all-plastic construction is to be expected. However, I was impressed with how sturdy everything feels - there’s no rattling in the main chassis and no creaking when grabbed in a hurry. While the hinge does have some considerable wobble and the screen flexes far more than you’d find on something like the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer Blade 16, that opening mechanism never feels crunchy or loose - something I often find in more 🌼budget-oriented rigs. Unlike the Omen, however, this is not a one-hand opening job, the base does lift when the screen reaches the halfway point. There’s also no extended lip around the top bezel to help either. That said, the hinge extends along the centre of the device - a far more durable solution long-term compared to the bracket hinges on the Nitro 16 and TUF A15. 

At 5.14lbs, the HP Victus 16 is lighter than the Acer Nitro 16 (6.15lbs), a much stockier device overall, but is slightly heavier than the Asus TUF A15 (4.85lbs). That’s still easily within the realm of portability, especially considering the Victus is actually (and only just) the thinnest machine in this testing pool at 0.94-inches compared to the 0.98-inches of both the Asus and Acer. While it puts a little more strain on the back compared to the 4lb 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer Blade 14 I tend to carry around, I was still able to comfortable travel with the Victus in a backpack for a couple of ꦬ🌜hours.

Under the hood, you’ll find a one-zone RGB keyboard offset against the darker gray base with a lighter keycap color. That’s a nice touch, steering clear of looking more like an everyday machine while still avoiding tacky gamer frills. Asus tends to color its WASD keys or make them translucent on its TUF range and it can cheapen the experience. Overall, I prefer the internal slab of the Victus over the fairly heavily gamerfied Asus TUF A15. It also looks far more grown up than the heavy white bordering on the Acer Nitro 16 as well. The only branding you’ll find inside is an almost imperceptible gray Victus logo at the bottom of the display chin, a small V🐲ictus stamp to the left side of the keyboard, and a B&O logo squeezed in the corner of the number pad. 

Features

•  Loads of configurations available 
•  Display lacks brightness and vibrancy 
•  Soft feeling keyboard 

The HP Victus🙈 16’s configuration options are fairly typical of a budget laptop. You’ve got a whole roster of AMD and Intel builds available, running from RTX 4050 to RTX 4070 graphics cards, with individual spec sheets that seem to change with every retailer you check. It’s a little tricky to fully map the Victus’s full range, especially considering there are still older RTX 30-Series models floating around and even some with ludicrously slow 60Hz displays. However, the majority of models on the shelves right now pair a low to mid-range processor with an entry level GPU. My Ryzen 5 7640HS / RTX 4050 build comes with 16GB DDR5 RAM and a 1TB M.2 SSD, but most models on HP’s site up that CPU to an 8000-series, for example. 

The specs put this machine at the lower end of mid-range or, more often, in the budget category, so its feature set does make a lot of sense. The display, for example, is more than serviceable at 144Hz FHD, but it lacks the brightness and vivid immersion of more expensive machines. I’m still able to see everything I need to, but darker scenes need a darker room and colors rarely pop off the screen. It’s a little dulled in everything from contrast to sharpness as well. Still, that HDMI 2.1 port means you can easily output to a dedicated gaming monitor and still reap the reꦅwards of a lower price tag. 

Thaꦿt’s not to say the display is bad for the price - in fact, it functions pretty much as expected considering this lower cost. However, the Acer Nitro 16 does go beyond this average with a more vibrant panel overall. I did test a QHD model of the Nitro 16, but the boost in resolution will only affect the sharpness and clarity of the overall picture. Even at an FHD level, you’re still getting better brightness from Acer, which means you’ll have a much better time with darker horror games. The display of the Asus TUF A15 performs similarly to that of the Victus. 

The keyboard is much the same. This is a kitted out deck of keys with a full number pad, function row, excellent spacing, and a comfortable feel. Yes, you’re getting smaller half keys for the arrow buttons, but overall everything looks pretty solid. I could feel that lower price tag under the fingertips, though. Key presses are a little too soft to truly be called tactile, and travel feels a little shorter than usual. It’s certainly quiet and still offers an energetic feel, but it’s far from the super satisfying switches of something like the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Alienware M16 R2. Overall the typing experience is slightly better than that of the Asus TUF A15, though not quite as snappy as the A🍸cer Nitro 16.  

The Victus does offer a good range of ports, though shows its age by opting for only one USB-C. While you’re still getting DisplayPort 1.4 and power delivery via this connection, most gaming laptops ship with two of these ports these days. Both the Acer Nitro 16 and Asus TUF A15 do so, with the latter even stretching into USB4 territory. You’re s🌠till getting three slightly older though still serviceable USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, an HDMI 2.1, an RJ-45 Ethernet, and a 3.5mm audio jack as🍷 well.  

All of these connections are run around the sides of the machine, with no rear ports, and mostly cluster around the right edge. That means those using their gaming laptop in a full desk setup will nᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚeed to manage their cables to avoid them taking over the desk top. I generally prefer a rear selection ﷽of ports to keep everything tidy, and the Nitro 16 provides just that, but fewer cheap gaming laptops offer this form factor. 

The Victus comes with a few programs pre-loaded, but the first one you’ౠll be checking out is the Omen Gaming Hub. This is a fairly bloated program with a lot of marketing, but once you’ve filtered through the menus you’ll be able to configure that one-zone RGB lighting, set performance presets, and monitor your system. You’re also getting a 1080p webcam that provides a nicely crisp image in well-lit environments but quickly becomes blurred and blocky once that sun’s gone down. If you’re a streamer you might need to grab a dedicated webcam for this one. 

Performance

•  Impressive entry level performance 
•  Efficient cooling system 
•  Hits 60fps in more demanding games  

The HP Victus 15 is actually my first foray into the mobile RTX 4050, and I’m impressed. Between three-figure framerates on Shadow of the Tomb Raider and 60fps in Returnal running on Epic mode, this thing can put its components to work. The older Ryzen 5 holds things back a little when the heat is on - The Talos Principle 2 is a little jagged in its actual running, with some stutters and slow-downs before returning to form. That accounts for the 35fps average rate I saw in my benchmarking ꧒at Ultra settings, but as long as you’re tweaking those dials to suit your setup this thing can fly.  

It’s coming close to the HP Omen 16 Transcend’s RTX 4060 perform♎ance across a number of benchmarks, another budget-minded FHD machine. As an RTX 4050 machine, it’s generally alway♌s going to be at the bottom of the graph in this testing pool. After all, at the top we’ve got an RTX 4070 GPU in the Acer Nitro 16. However, those numbers aren’t trailing by nearly as much as I’d expected, and I suspect that’s down to the Victus’s impressive cooling system.  

This chassis never climbed the temperature scale too high, even running games like Returnal and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla that can push far more substantial machines to the red zone. Vents are plentiful acro🍨ss the Victus, and the brand has used the machine to debut its Tempest cooling system as well. That’s incredibly rare on an entry level machine, comfortable temperatures are usually one of the first things you sacrifice to keep that price low. 

Synthetic Time Spy and Fir♊e Strike benchmarks from 3D Mark told a similar story, the Victus trails behind its RTX 4060 and RTX 4070 contemporaries but doesn’t fall off a ledge. In fac🏅t, it holds steadily firm in a solid set of scores. Yes, it’s not pushing out to the QHD resolution display of some of the RTX 4070 models, but a 20,660 / 8,565 set of scores makes it perfectly playable across newer games. 

It looks like, in these more relaxed conditions, the AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS mig🌼ht be pulling a little more weight than we give it credit for. In a pure productivity setting (simulated by the PC Mark 10 benchmark), the HP Victus scored above machines with far more sophisticated CPUs on paper. At 7,152, it’s second in the testing pool, only dropping behind the larger HP Omen 17 and its AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS. 

In everyday use, despite the lower quality display, the HP Victus 16 never 🐈let me down. While some heavier outdoor scenes could give it pause for thought, it generally ran everything smoothly and without too much 𒆙complaint. That performance did drop when connected up to a QHD monitor, revealing slight cracks in those framerates but for casual play the raw performance on offer here would suit me just fine.  

Should you buy the HP Victus 16?

The HP Victus 16 is a master of 1080p perfor🍎mance even in a super cheap RTX 4050 form factor. If you’re going all out on getting the best value for money purely from a performance standpoint, this is going to be a fantastic buy. However, other machines like the Asus TUF A15 and Acer Nitro 16 have the Victus beat in terms of features. If you don’t want to make too many sacrifices to your screen qualiꦚty, I’d opt for the Nitro 16, but if you want a more well-rounded experience overall the TUF A15 remains my go-to.  

How I tested the HP Victus 16

I used the HP Victus 16 for a period of two weeks, with one spent testing alongside the HP Omen 17. The second week was spent purely running the Victus for all work, play, and streaming content. In that time I tested across the games I’m currently working my way through at the moment; Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, Fallout 4, and The Outer Worlds (fine, there was a little TCG Card Shop Simulator Prologue thrown in there for good measure). On top of that I used in-game benchmark tools across Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Three Kingdoms, Returnal, and The Talos Principle 2 as well as synethetic benchmarks in 3D Mark, and PC Mark 10. For more information on 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:how we test gaming laptops, check out the full 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.  

For a look at the competition, be sure to check out the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops on the market - or take a look at the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops for something a little more premium. 

Design

The HP Omen 17 is understated as it is, a matte black chassis with very little branding. That’s perfect for those looking to double up their gaming machine as an everyday work laptop - and something I generally praise in gaming laptop design. Very few of us want to go back to the old days of monstrously large devices extending their fooꦯtprint with heavy angular detailing and constant strobing light effects. I say I normally praise an understated design in a gaming laptop because that praise is handed out when the option to add a little flair to the equation also exists. There’s no such option here. 

RGB lighting is all but non-existent on the HP Omen 17, save💃 for a single-zone keyboard array that doesn’t even run any effects. There’s usually at least a wry nod to a laptop’s gaming roots through a lit logo or intricate grill design, but the Omen is almost pedestrian in its aesthetics. That’s certainly not helped by the all-plastic construction.

Considering you can easily spend over $2,000 on a mid-range configuration, this cheaper material is disappointing. While it’s certainly sturdy, picking up the machine from any angle still feels safe with no creaks or bends, it looks and feels far lower in budget tha♉n it should. If it weren’t for the ‘Omen’ logo embossed on the top, I could easily mistake this machine for the ageing laptop my mother bought in 2012 that begs for death every time it’s turned on. Yes, the Razer Blade 16 is minimal, but it backs that aesthetic up with an incredibly high-quality construction. 

All this is to say, this is a very basic de﷽sign in both aesthetic and build materials. The quality of that assembly is still reliable, though.☂ While there’s a little flex to the main lid and internal palm rest area, it was only noticeable when directly searching for it. The fully attached hinge also operates nice and smoothly, with just a little wobble to the main display when opened. I could easily open the whole clamshell with one hand without the base tipping over. 

That’s because the heft of this device works in its favor in terms of durability. While the 2.88kg form factor might limit your travels with the 17-inch device and that 1.18-inch thickness is certainly taller than the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Alienware M16 R2 (0.93-inch) and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Acer Nitro 16 (0.98-inch), the Omen doesn’t feel like a brick on the desk. The heavily tapered front lip and all-black design go a long way to keep the Omen 17’s presence low-key, especially when compared to the blocky-feeling 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Strix Scar 18. Like most big-screen gaming 🧜laptops this isn’t a device designed for portability, but🌃 if you are keeping it close to your desk it’s not going to take over either. Plus, as we’ll see later, that extra size works particularly hard for you once you actually fire up a game. 

Features

There are a number of HP Omen configuration🐻s floating around at the moment, but they all pair AMD’s 8000-series CPUs with Nvidia’s entry-level and mid-range graphics cards. At the top end of the scale, you can pack an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS and RTX 4070 into this chassis, with 32GB DDR5 5,600MHz RAM, a 1TB SSD, and aꩵ QHD 240Hz display. That’s a fantastic set of specs for a dutifully reliable mid-range device looking to play the latest and greatest games. Having seen the results from a weaker configuration, though, I’m curious as to the potential performance we would have seen from a high-end GPU in this situation. Those after an RTX 4080 or RTX 4090 powerhouse will need to look elsewhere. 

My testing spec offers up a more middle of the road set of parts; an AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS, Nvidia RTX 4070, 16GB DDR5 RAM, 🐬1TB SSD, and FHD 144Hz display. That’s still going to cost you over $2,000 at full price, though there are regular discounts on these kinds of machines.

That screen is the weakest link in the chain here, though. We’re certainly looking at some sacrifices in this panel - it’s not quite as dark as the HP Victus I’m currently testing alongside the Omen, but 🔯it’s nowhere near as bright as the Acer Nitro 16. I never struggled to play in well-lit environments, and the matte finish kept glare at bay, but there are far more powerful screens out there at this (and even lower) price point. 

I was impressed with the colors on offer across this panel, though. Greens popped with a particularly abundant vibrancy, while the more delicate handling of reflections and more complex forest scenes holding up particularly well. You’re not quite getting the more sophisticated OLED technology of the Razer Blade 16 or the HDR capabilities of certain 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus gaming laptops, but considering you’re spending far less here than you would on either𓆏 of those devices it’s an impressive experience overall. 

The keyboard is another story. With very low key travel, an echoey feel, and a slightly sloppy debounce, this is not a deck worthy of a gaming laptop at over $2,000 MSRP. I’m not saying a keyboard has to reach the super snappy heights of the mechanical switches featured in many 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Alienware laptops, but the majority of machines I’ve tested have offered far more tactili𒁃ty under the fingertips. There’s energy here, mostly due to the lower travel, but a too-soft landing borders on spongey. Combinඣe that with the aforementioned lack of per-key RGB and the HP Omen 17 is lacking in its control panel. The trackpad is still more than serviceable, and remains nicely responsive with a large base. 

Most of the Omen’s ports are located to the rear of the machine - a win for anyone looking to keep their setup free of cable webs - but there are a few sacrifices here as well. There’s only one USB-C option on the whole device, w൩hichꦐ feels a little outdated. The majority of 2024 gaming laptops are shipping with at least two USB-C options and while you’re still getting DisplayPort 1.4 and power delivery through this connection, there’s not a Thunderbolt in sight. The lack of USB-C options and Thunderbolt might be a worthy sacrifice on a $1,500 machine, but at over $2,000 it’s difficult to rally behind. You’ll still find three USB-A ports (two on the rear and one of the right panel), as well as an Ethernet RJ45, HDMI 2.1, and 3.5mm audio.

Strangely for a machine that’s looking more geared towards stayi꧂ng at home, the HP Ome😼n 17 does pack a pretty impressive battery life. HP rates it at five hours on a single charge - fantastic for a gaming-specific rig. I managed to swing around two to three hours of gaming on balanced power presets, something I could never dream to achieve on other machines. How much you’ll really put that battery to the test considering the size and weight of the Omen is another matter.  

Performance

The HP Omen just nudges itself near the top of the pack in my testing comparison pool. While it can’t quite take on the Alienware M16 R2 across in-game benchmarks, it out-performs the Acer Nitro 16 with the same GPU in everything but Returnal. It’s the second highest performing RTX 4070 gaming laptop I’ve tested yet, scoring over 60fps in every test I threw at it. That’s a solid backbone to work with, proving the competitive edge to that larger chassis and additional cooling space. 1080p performance can sail you through more demanding titles and take on mor🔯e Nvidia-friendly games with room to spare. 

Things get even more interesting when we take synthetic benchmarks into account. The Omen 17 led the pack across both Fire Strike and Time Spy in my testing, posting scores that edged a lead over the Alienware M16 R2 and more than proved themselves against the Acer Nitro 16. These are both tests of GPU, CPU, and RAM combined performance, and such high scores within the comparison pool suggest the components selected by HP for this particular rig are playing particularly nicely with each other. With fans and operating modes set to max performance there was no evidence of throttling from♋ either the CPU or GPU, and temperatures remained nice and cool during stress tests as well. 

That AMD 8000-Series GPU means business. The Ryzen 7 8845HS employed by the Omen 17 tops my comparison pool, largely featuring previous generation Ryzen offerings and Intel processors from the last two years. The 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 bumps things up to a Ryzen 9 and still comes up short against the Omen’s PC Mark 10 score - once again demon෴strating the performance boost you’ll find in a larger chassis device.  

The Omen 17 excels in its CPU output and its thermal management (though those fans can grow loud once yo🐻u crank up the dial). Its real-world gaming performance remains at the top of the middle, beating cheaper models comfortably in most games but struggling to get the same lift-off you’ll find in an RTX 4080 rig. 

Should you buy the HP Omen 17?

The HP Omen 17 prides itself on its performance, bleeding its RTX 4070 dry and putting a fantastic Ryzen CPU in centre stage. If you’re looking for a solid mid-range performer that won’t take over your desk with RGB lights then this is absolutely the machine for you. While ports are a little limited, you’ve still got that DisplayPort 1.4 USB-C to connect to a range of external monitors - and that also gives you the ❀chance to hook up your own gaming keyboard if you want a more tactile experience while at home. Ultimately, I’d recommend the Omen 17 to anyone who wants to keep their laptop closed when connected to a full gaming setup but still needs the optioღn to play in different locations when required. 

If you’re after an everyday machine that can double up as a gaming rig, I’d look elsewhere. The 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 or G14 are far better suited to the work / play hybrid lifestyl♔e at around the same price for an RTX 4070 configuration. They make marked improvements to your display, form factor, and overall portability, though you are making some minor sacrifices to performance. 

If you’re wondering whether the 17.3-inch HP Omen can be used as a full desktop replacement, I’d think again. The screen just isn’t high quality enough to take on other 18-inch rigs at similar prices, and the keyboard experience falls far short of the rest of the market. I’d look to an 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Alienware M18 for a better value desktop ༺replacement experience. Prices can jump here as you scale the GPU ladder, but you’re still⛄ getting plenty of power at a fair rate. 

How I tested the HP Omen 17

I used the HP Omen 17 for all daily work and play for a period of one week, with another week spent testing the device alongside the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9. During this time, I primarily played The Outer Worlds, Fallout 4, and Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, while also stress testing in-game benchmarks across Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Three Kingdoms, Returnal, and The Talos Principle 2. I carried out synthetic benchmarks in 3D Mark’s Time Spy, Fire Strike, and Steel Nomad tests as well as Geekbench 6, and explored CPU performance using PC Mark 10 and Cinebench R24. For more information on 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:how we test gaming laptops, check out the full 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.  

We’re also rounding up all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops on the market as well as the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming PCs for those looking for a more permanent setup. 

The brand showed off its latest concept project, dubbed 'DualPlay' at IFA this week. A gaming laptop trackpad that can physically detach from the main chassis, revealing a full gamepad underneath. It ♌add༺s a fair chunk to the palm wrest section of the laptop, but takes unique advantage of new taller 16:10 displays to add extra functionality to the experience overall. Each side is set out as you would expect, with an Xbox-style asymmetrical layout, but can also be split for a more Nintendo Switch-like experience. 

For the concept demonstration, the whole device is tacked onto a Predator gaming lap🧔top, but there's more than an𒊎 extra set of buttons here. Releasing the controller from its trackpad prison also allows two external speakers to pop out the sides. Just what these grills are doing when you're using a standard keyboard setup is unknown, but it's a neat feature by itself.

Obviously, Project DualPlay is only a concept and likely won't make it to market in its current state. However, there are very few real experiential innovations taking place in the gaming laptop world at the moment. The last time we saw any real change to the established clamshell design was the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 - featuring a w﷽hole second screen that really did add to the experience. Innovations have always been below the surface inꦬ this world and it's high time we saw more functional developments. After all, this year's roster of gaming laptops has showed that internal upgrades can be minimal.

We've had no new graphics cards to play with and Intel's 14th generation CPUs offer up marginal iterative upgrades in terms of sheer gaming performance. To truly capture audience imagination, an✅d drive excitement around new releases, brands are going to need to keep experimenting with exactly what a gaming laptop has to offer for the entire play experience as a whole - especially now that 100+fps framerates are rapidly becoming the norm.

Can't wait for something like the DualPlay to make it into reality? Check out the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops instead, or we're also rounding up all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops on the market. 

High-end 16-inch machines aren’t too rare, but the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 strikes a perfect balance between luxury design and price, all while pushing those frames to their limits. That makes for a particularly impressive experience in one of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptops on the mar🎃ke🍬t right now - and one I’m yet to see matched elsewhere.  

I’ll be measuring the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9’s design, features, and performance against the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Gen 8 model I reviewed last year, as well as the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer Blade 16. While only available in an RTX 4070 configuration, I’ll also be cross-referencing the Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 with the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Alienware M16 R2 f♌or value purposes, particularly due to its considerably lower $1,899 MSRP. Of this comparison pool, the 9th generation Legion falls in the middle of the price range. Both the Blade 16 and Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 are more expensive in their RTX 4080 configurations ($3,599 and $3,299 respectively), but the previous generation Legion Pro 7i 8th Generation comes in a little cheaper at $2,549. 

Design

I naturally favor a slimmer gaming laptop, preferring the skinnier form factor of a Razer Blade or ROG Zephyrus over chunkier alternatives. That does generally mean I sacrifice some performance in the laptops I pick up for myself - Lenovo seems to have fixed the problem. The Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 isn’t quite as svelt as the Razer Blade 16 or 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Zephyrus G16, but it’s miles away fr🌄om the chonk of an Asus ROG Strix Scar 16. While still fairly heavy at 2.79kg (the exact same as last year’s model, and heavier than the 2.48kg ROG Strix Scar 16, 2.61kg Alienware M16, and 2.4kg Blade 16), it fits neatly into a backpack and - provided you’ve got a bag without enough support - should be comfortable to transport. I used a particularly reinforced backpack to take the machine on a half-hour walk and it was certainly more noticeable than the Razer Blade 14 I use day to day, it was far easier than an 18-inch behemoth would be. 

That weight is dense, though, because the actual silhouette of the device isn’t particula💎rly cumbersome. Tapered edges keep things feeling as svelt as possible, and a cool matte black finish keeps things streamlined and subtle. The top lid carries Lenovo’s brand tag in the left corner, with a glossy ‘Legion’ logo running along the right-hand side, but that’s it for major branding. Switch those RGBs off and this could be a regular office laptop. If you do prefer to keep that gamer aesthetic loud and proud, you’ll find a slick set of per-key customizable LEDs under the maꦜin keyboard and a particularly streamlined strip of light erupting from the bottom of the front lip. While the Strix Scar also offers extra RGB lighting around the edge, Lenovo’s implementation feels far more refined. 

The main deck is constructed from an aluminum base, with a thinner plastic top lid. I was surprised to find some flex inside, though it’s only apparent when expressly pushing for it unlike the Razer Blade 16 which never seemed to buckle no matter how hard I pressed. The screen panel does have a little wobble to it - but generally only when moving the hinge downwards slightly. Opening up the clamshell with one handཧ was slick and smooth with no extra movement once my hand had left. There’s also remarkably little flex in the lid as a whole - impressive considering just how thin this piece is. That’s a well-built hinge, and it has to be - the whole screen can lay 180 degrees flat. I’m not sure why you’d need that on a gaming laptop, but everyone loves an extra option.  

Like with many matte black gaming laptops, the top l꧃id and palm rest area of the main deck can collect fingerprints and show 😼dust particularly keenly. These smudges do wipe away pretty easily, but you’ll need to keep a cloth handy if you want it looking pristine day after day.  

Features

With no new graphics cards out this year, Intel’s processor upgrades aren’t quite enough to separate 2024’s roster of gaming laptops from the previous generation. The majority of gaming laptops I’ve tested have only just nudged ahead in performance with this new tech under the🌄 hood. Instead, many machines have opted to pump more of a focus in꧟to their displays in order to keep those price tags interesting, with high refresh rate OLEDs making their way to the Razer Blade 16 and other Mini LED tech taking on more of a role. Lenovo has opted to keep its IPS display for this generation but has vastly improved its color separation.  

The 9th generation covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, on top of the sRGB coverage the previous generation already offered. That makes for a far more vibrant picture on-screen, with detailed and faithful color representation and extra attention to finer details. It makes games feel more vivid and expressive, but also brings content creators into the fold, allowing for realistic color touching on the laptop’s main panel. Of course, you’re still getting that 1600p resolution and 240Hz refresh rates - par for the course in a 16-inch machine of this price. There’s also an anti-glare covering that works particularly hard to keep reflections away from your screen. Usually, this leaves pictures dulle𓆏d, but I was particularly impressed with the Legion Pro 7i’s implementation - colors remain just as powerful even under direct sunlight, with only a little drop in contrast. 

Lenovo has paid the same level of attention to the Legion Pro 7i Gen 9’s keyboard. You’re getting a full-sized deck here, a rarity even among 16-inch gaming laptops, and a particularly satisfying one at that. Each key has a bouncy 1.5mm of travel, offering up an energetic but still precise typing feel thanks to the concave shape of the keycaps themselves. There’s a snap to each press that provides a little more tension than you might find in other decks, but that tension keeps things feeling crisp rather than falling into mush. Lenovo has also designed its keyboard to allow for full-sized arrow buttons, whereas other machines like the Razer Blade 16 oft🙈en shorten these keys for the sake of space. Ins꧙tead, there’s a good amount of balancing between each key, and the RGB shines through beautifully. The trackpad is a little smaller than I was expecting, but is still comfortable and smooth to use. 

Like all the models in my comparison pool, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 features two USB-C ports – both offering DisplayPort 1.4 and power delivery functions and one with Thunderbolt 4. You’ll also find four USB-A ports to choose from, lined up across each side of the machine - that’s more th𒀰an Alienware, Asus, or Razer have added to their rigs. They’re a little slower than their competitors, though, running at Gen ♏1 speeds instead of the Gen 2 ports we generally see.  

Theoretically, that means your 2.4GHz dongles or wired peripherals will transfer information at half the speed of more modern ports. In the real world, it’s not going to make much of a difference for most players at the moment, it’s really only a problem for those with the latest and greatest peripherals. A USB port can only run as quickly as the cable, and most gadgets are still released with USB 2.0 receivers and wires. A USB 2.0 cable is only ever going to run at its own top speed, 🐬which is going to be lower than the maximum speed for a USB 3.2 Gen 1 port, let alone USB 3.2 Gen 2 port. If you’re concerned, check inside the USB sections on your cables - if the small piece of plastic is black or white, then you’ve likely got a USB 2.0 cable (a USB 3.0 cable will generally use a blue piece of plastic). 

Now that we’ve got all the boring port chat out ꦜthe way, it’s time for one of my favorite parts of any gaming laptop design - rear I/O! The Legion Pro 7i places most of its connections towards the back, helping you keep a tidy desktop without cables spilling over the sides of your lapto🤡p - it’s the little things that count.  

Performance

The RTX 4080 GPU and new Intel i9-14900HX processor help the Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 9 float to the top of the middle of my testing pack. While it can dominate in certain runs, it sometimes falls behind the older Asus ROG Strix Scar in others. Ultimately, though, the Legion is using its enhanced cooling and sustained thermal controls for good, offering up some impressive🍌 numbers especially when standing next to (admittedly skinnier) machines with RTX 4090 graphics cards. 

3D Mark’s synthetic Time Spy and Fire Strike benchmarks test a system’s rendering capabilities, putting both the CPU and GPU under a stress load and assigning a value to its reliability and speed. Time Spy saw the best success for the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9. The chunkier rig outperformed the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:MSI Raider GE78 and the Asus ROG ܫStrix Scar 16 - both impressive 16-inch machines in their own right. The slightly trickier Fire Stri༒ke test did give the Legion something more to think about, dropping it below both models but still above the notably skinnier Zephyrus G16. 

However, it was in-game benchmarks that truly showcased the speed of the Legion. At 1080p, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i consistently outperformed the Asus ROG Strix ൩Scar 16 and sometimes even bested the RTX 4090 Razer Blade 16. Considering the price difference between the latter configuration and our $3,069.99 build (roughly $800), that means♚ the additional cooling and extra space are doing some serious heavy lifting here. Not bad for a machine that doesn’t feel like a cumbersome rig. Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Total War: Three Kingdoms were safe 100+fps bets in this FHD category, with those numbers only starting to suffer once Returnal got its hands on our components. This is a far more demanding game, and the biggest test I throw at each laptop during the benchmarking process. Sticking close to 100fps even in Epic settings is no mean feat considering an RTX 4070 machine like the Alienware M16 R2 will be threatening to drop to 60fps instead. 

QHD+ performance dropped slightly in some games and more drastically in others. Bumping things up to 1600p took less of a toll on the system in games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider and The Talos Principle 2 than it did in Return💙al and Total War: Three Kingdoms. The Lenovo Legion was still top of the pack in these two easier runs, but still managed to float ahead of the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 in Total War and held a very much still-playable 71fps average in Returnal at max settings. 

Should you buy the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i?

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i can sail you past the luxury performance heights of machines like the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 without pushing the price tag quite so hard. That makes for excellent value for money overall, esp꧙ecially when you’re still getting the display quality to match. This is for those looking to invest in a long-term device but still don’t want to tip the scales to the very top end, and quite often that’s the most competitive market set I test within. The Legion Pro 7i 9th Gen woꦬrks hard for its spot among the best machines on the market, and it’s earned it. Between impressive performance across both synthetic and in-game benchmarks and noticeable (and worthwhile) screen improvements, this is a rig to beat in 2024. 

Its only real competition in the 16-inch space is the Razer Blade 16. With its OLED panel and slimline design, the Blade 16 is the best 16-incher on the market still. However, considering you’ll need to spend close to $4,000 t♏o pick up specs that can beat the L🔯egion Pro’s performance, Lenovo still wins out from a sheer value perspective. 

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 has been my favorite gaming laptop for a long time now. It balanced high-end performance with a chunky chassis that could make use of its internal components, and an excellent scre🐈en to boot. In its latest form, though, the Legion Pro does all that while also solving a few of the Scar’s problems. This is a far more subtle device with an aesthetic that doesn’t scream gaudy gamer quite so loudly. It performs better across a range of tests with only slightly newer hardware under the hood. It’s also around $400 cheaper in its RTX 4080 configuration. That means the Scar 16 has a real competitor on its hands, and I’m inclined to recommend L🍬enovo first and foremost. 

How I tested the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9

I used the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 for a period of three weeks, with one week of testing alongside the HP Omen 17. In that time, I primarily had the machine hooked up to a secondary monitor, keyboard, and mouse during work hours, unplugging in the evenings to enjoy the full spread of that onboard display. I used the laptop for all daily work and play like this during my testing process, while also travelling with the laptop over a series of short journeys. I used 3D Mark’s synthetic benchmark suite to put the GPU and CPU through their paces, with dedicatജed tests across Geekbench🍃 for the GPU and PC Mark 10 and Cinebench R24 for the CPU. 

I also performed t📖he same in-game benchmark tests as I do with all gaming laptops that pass my desk. Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Three Kingdoms, Returnal, and The Talos Principle 2 are all run three times at both 1080p and 1600p (where possible, Returnal maxes out at 1440p) in both High and Highest settings. An average framerate result is taken from each set of three runs at different resolution and graphics settings. I also played Octopath Traveler, Fallout 4, The Outer Worlds, and Planet Coaster during my time with the machine. 

For more information on 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:how we test gaming laptops, check out the full 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy. 

We’re also rounding up all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops on the market. Or, if you’re looking for something a little skinnier, check out the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops available now.  

Design

Of course, an 18-inch powerhouse is always going to be big. The MSI Titan 18 HX measures in at 3.17 x 40.38 x 30.48cm and weighs 3.59kg. That’s right in the middle of other 18-inch machines; it’s heavier than the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer Blade 18 and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 (both 3.1kg) but keeps things light compared to the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Alienware M18 (4.23kg). It is, however, significantly ꦇthicker than the M18 at 3.17cm vs 2.66cm, making for a more unwieldy device overall. Add the extra length from the additional cooling shelf at the back (translating to between 1cm and 2cm larger footprint compared to Asu🐷s and Razer’s 18-inch models), and the MSI Titan is living up to its moniker.  

I don’t expect many to be actually lugging this machine around, though. Most 18-inch gaming laptops are designed to sit on a desk and stay there, with the option to close up that clamshell and relocate every now and then. If you’re considering taking this big-screen experience on the go regularly, though, I’d have to point you towards a slightly smaller model. As it stands, these dimensions won’t fit into a regular 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:laptop backpack and after carrying it in a modified🦄 sling pouch for ꦬabout 15 minutes I can confidently recommend nobody does the same.  

The overall aesthetic keeps things simple and subdued, though. A matte black lid with silver accents running across an industrially-styled cooling shelf (think that anti-sl🔯ip metal flooring you’ll find on fairground rides) ensures a l👍ow profile - broken only by an RGB lit MSI logo in the centre of the lid. The solid construction and lack of any real flex in the lid means this looks and feels like a luxury design, though it’s not quite as slick as Razer’s classic CNC milled brick nor as RGB-friendly as Asus’s blaze of glory. There’s a little flex to the main keyboard, but only when explicitly feeling for it - everyday typing is immune. The whole device is solid, though, with no creaking or rattling, and a sturdy, dependable feel.  

Inside, I was initially met with a surprise. No trackpad? Of course, there is a pad here - it’s just fully haptic-based with no cutout from the main deck. That means it’s only visible via RGB lighting when the laptop is switched on, otherwise settling flush with the rest of the glass surface. What seemed cool at first, though, quickly became annoying. With no border to the trackpad itself I was constantly straying off to the side of the main deck during testing, a frustrating recurrence only made more frequent by the fact that this is a slightly smaller pad than you’ll usually find on an 18-inch model. The vast majority of users are likely going to be plugging a separate 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:gaming mouse in, but it’s still finicky for quicker ൩everyday✨ use. 

Underneath, you’ll find a set of fairly high-rise rubber stil🌃ts used to keep plenty of space for airflow around the large number of vents. This is also where you’ll find a small blue accent running through the aesthetic, repeated towards the rear of the device as well. 

My unit came with some slight wear around one of the screws connecting the bottom panel. While it’s true that this is 🌠not a box-fresh device, and has likely been shipped around the country before heading my way, this could be a point of weakness during future use, especially if you’re opening up the rig regularly.

Features

This is a t♎ricked out rig. Under the hood, you’ll find an RTX 4090 GPU running at its full 175W TDP, an Intel 14th generation i9-14900HX blazing through 24 cores and 32𝓀 threads, an overkill 128GB RAM, and split 2TB SSDs forming 4TB total storage. In theory, you can expand up to four memory slots. That’s an insane spec, one that the vast majority of players wouldn’t need to touch with a $5K barge pole, but if you’re going big with your next investment this is certainly where you’ll need to be looking.

Those kinds of specs mean the Titan 18 HX is going to be able to handle pretty much any computing task you could throw at it - and with a 4K Mini LED display that also includes content creation. The 120Hz panel does suffer for speed in favor of clarity and resolution, but it still offers up a gorgeous display. Gamers will benefit from extraordinary detail (though you’re dropping a little motion accuracy to get there, compared to machines using 165Hz or 240Hz panels) while creators will be able to view images in full resolution with excellent color reproduction. Local dimming means HDR content absolutely shines, with fantastic contrast ratios and a brightness that will put the OLED on the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer Blade 16 to shame. Unfortunately, you’re out of luck if you do want to sacrifice that🍸 high-resolution quality for extra speed. The MSI Titan 18 HX only ships with this top-shelf display. 

There’s another flagship favorite here as well, one that I’ve only seen on the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops in the past, a full mechanical keyboard from Cherry and SteelSeries. The switches underneath offer a tactile feel with a satisfying clack and energetic movement. However, the actuation bump used in here does make repeat presses a little harder - spamming ‘E’ was a little slower on this deck than a regular chiclet style keyboard during my testing. I also noticed some ping running around the main deck when typing, usually the result of echo-y switches in a board that hasn’t been through the same sound dampening processes you’ll find in the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming keyboards these days. I came to this deck from gaming laptops with reduced layouts, so I was initially struggling to place my hands correctly when starting each session. Each key does feel a little more separated on this model, which could also explain some of the inaccuracy I felt - though th꧅is would be rectified with time and muscle memory.

18-inch gaming laptops want to completely replace your desktop, often without the need for an external hub or dock. That means you can expect a good range of ports, and the MSI Titan 18 HX delivers. The left panel houses the SD card reader and two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports with a third situated on the right side. Joining it are two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 options with one offering power delivery. I was pleased to find a few ports to the rear of the machine. This placement does wonders for cable m𝓰anagement, keeping the sides of the machine free from a tangle of wires when placed on a desk. MSI, however, has limited these rear ports to connections you’ll only need to set and forget; power, HDMI 2.1, and Ethernet. Everything else remains flexible at the sides, even if that does mean a little sprawling. Personally, I prefer to keep everything to the back (Alienware generally keeps most of its connections hidden) - but if you’re constantly switching peripherals this is a more versatile arrangement. 

The Alienware M18 offers a similar array, though with older Gen 1 USB-A ports, but adds a Mini DisplayPort into the mix. However, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 is far behind here, only offering two USB-A connections and a s🐲ingle Thunderbolt 4 option among its two USB-C ports. It’s worth notin🐈g that the original Razer Blade 18 posted a single Thunderbolt 4 as well, though the 2024 version packs Thunderbolt 5 for the first time. In the real world, that means you’ll be able to run three 4K 144Hz monitors off a single port on the Blade 18, with the MSI Titan being limited to two. It also makes for more powerful charging - though neither of these machines are going to realistically be relying on USB-C power for much of their lives. I’ve never felt the need to run the MSI Titan 18 HX off a single Thunderbolt cable alone when it’s set up in full glory on my desk top. 

All that power needs some serious cooling, and that’s where MSI’s vapor chamber comes in. The system uses two fans with four exhausts and those aforementioned stilts to keep everything running smoothly. I never noticed temperatures creeping to uncomfortable levels during my testing, and both CPU and GPU performance never suggested any kind of thermal throttling. The fans themselves can certainly rev, though. It’s by no means as deafening as something like the Alienware machines of yore, but you’ll still need a 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:gaming headset when playing at full whack. 

And MSI can go to full whack. The Titan 18 HX features the brand’s Overboost Ultra tech - a fancy way of saying you can set the performance to max and keep everything running off the dedicated GPU. All of this is done in MSI Center, a refreshingly non-gamer vibing piec♋e of software that houses all your performance stats and AI offerings. I’m not a massive fan of this suite - it seems to hide certain features under different user scenarios, some of which feel at odds with the functions they hide. It meant I was regularly digging through unintuitive menus during my testing, simply to swap between fan states. 

You’ll find the AI Engine housed here, though, a mode that allows the system to automatically apply certain performance settings and allocate more resource towards certain processes during individual tasks. There are four scenarios currently recognized by the laptop itself, meetings, work, gaming, and enteꦑrtainment. This is a minor feature in the grand scheme of things, but it’s a set-and-forget function that can come in particularly handy when running through different tasks regularly. It’s often the quieter features that you don’t have to notice that make the best rigs. For all🦄 my MSI Center frustrations, I was menu-free when swapping between writing and gaming - and that’s not something I could have said last year. It’s another nod to the holistic approach the Titan is taking, aiming squarely at a small (but willing-to-pay) market of professionals looking for a content creation and gaming desktop replacement. 

That target means the Titan ඣalso houses a solid FHD webcam, bright and detailed enough for work calls by not quite broadcast-worthy, and a responsive microphone system. The ‘desktop replacement’ part of that market also means that the battery is just awful. MSI never really expected this to be a portable machine, so it’s understandable that I was only ❀able to draw about an hour of work across Google Chrome and a few image editing programs out of a full charge. Judging this laptop based on its battery life would be like judging an F1 car on its subwoofer, though - it’s just not designed to use it. 

Performance

Nobody’s questiဣoning whether or not the MSI Titan 18 HX can perform. With guts like this, someone would have seriously messed up if framerates weren’t through the roof. It’s no surprise, then, that this is - on the whole - the most powerful rig I’ve tested to date. That glory was previously awarded to the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 (both the 2023 and 2024 versions), but the Titan has just nudged the edge in here. It didn’t hit the top of the pack in every test, sometimes the Alienware M18 or Scar 18 would sneak ahead, but it outperformed both models far more often than not.  

The first test I always r൩un is 3D Mark’s𝔉 suite of graphical benchmarks. Time Spy is the go-to for a QHD benchmark, testing the system’s GPU, CPU, and RAM across a synthetic process to reveal a final score. RTX 4090 GPUs have averaged a score of around 17,000 here in my testing to date. The MSI Titan 18 HX hit 20,491 - beating the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18’s 20,132 position but just missing the 2024 model’s 20,666 score. 

Fire𒊎 Strike is an easier run, giving 1080p performance more space especially in a 4K-designed 18-inch rig like this. As expected, the MSI Titan 18 HX posted the highest score I’ve seen here yet, with a 36,083 final figure dominating over the 2023 and 2024 Strix Scar 18’s 34,507 and 33,092 respective results. 

Real-world testing in-game revealed the MSI Titan 18 HX’s prowess in older games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Total War: Three Kingdoms, where the system just managed to close out the winnings across my full 18-inch comparison suiteꦬ. While the former is a relatively Nvidia-friendly title, and generally the easiest to run of all the benchmark𒁃ed games, Total War can still be a slog despite its age. 

However, the Titan did fall on Returnal. I repeated these tests frequently, using the same parameters I always set up for laptop benchmarks, and couldn’t get anywhere near other machine’s results. Whether this is an issue software-side, or an interaction with another function within th♉e MSI’s ecosystem remains, but it doesn’t feel like a faithful representation of the power on offer here. 

Unf🦩ort𝓰unately, The Talos Principle 2 is a benchmark I’ve only just started using and so I don’t have data for the Alienware M18 or either Strix Scar model. Instead, you’ll find the next best thing, a Razer Blade 16 recently tested with an RTX 4090 GPU, and an Alienware M16 R2 with an RTX 4070 for pricing scale.

We’ve come a lꦛong way since gaming laptops first started to consider 4K resolutions. It certainly wasn’t within reach back then, but it might just be now. This is the first time I’ve comfortably played faster titles in UHD resolution without any graphical tweaks and not been stuck under 60fps. High settings are more than runnable here, with three-figure 4K framerates on Shadow of the Tomb Raider and a comfortable 60+fps in more demanding titles as well. Bumping things up to ultra settings did land me underneath that 60fps threshold, but with the help of DLSS 3 I was able to bench 68fps in The Talos Principle 3 at 4K Ultra. It might take a few workarounds, but speedy 4K gaming is a real possibility here - and that’s not something I’ve written about a gaming laptop before.

Should you buy the MSI Titan 18 HX?

The MSI Titan 18 HX is true feat. An overpowered juggernaut as pricey as it is powerful, this is a specialized piece of kit no doubt. It’s just not going to make sense for the vast majority of players, though. I don’t know of too many people looki𒈔ng to drop a cool $5K on a gaming laptop these days - but there’s one crowd that’s going to go nuts for this tech. Content creators with a penchant for high-end gaming should be going all out here - this is as good as it’s going to get and if you’ve got the cash I can’t think of a better place to put it. 

For the rest of us, the MSI Titan 18 HX’s price point only solidifies just how good of a deal the Alienware M18 is. Of course, you’re going to be dropping som🐽e frames, picking up some older ports, and that screen won’t get you nearly as far, but for performance value the M18 remains my favo🍷rite 18-inch model on the market. 

How I tested the MSI Titan 18 HX

I used the MSI Titan 18 HX for all work and play over the course of three weeks, using the machine standalone and connected to a monitor via a dock. During that time I benchmarked across synthetic tests Geekbench 6, PC Mark 10, 3D Mark’s Time Spy, Fire Strike, and Steel Nomad, and Cinebench R24. I also took real-world benchmarks from Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Three Kingdoms, Returnal, and The Talos Principle 2 in FHD, QHD+, and UHD+ resolutions and varying graphical settings. I also used the laptop for everyday play across Octopath Traveler, Fall Guys, and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. For more information on 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:how we test gaming laptops, check out the full 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy. 

I’ve also had my hands on all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops. Or, for something even more portable, check out the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best handhelds on the market.  

What is DLSS?

DLSS is a process of speeding up your framerate without sacrificing your resolution. Usually, you’🔜re choosing between the two - a higher resolution picture runs much slower than a low resolution one. Playing in 720p, for example, will be much smoother (though less pretty) than running in 4K. However, DLSS takes your image (or ‘samples’ it), drops the resolution to actually process it, and then upscales it with AI in real-time. That means you’re essentially running at the speed of 720p, but the end output of a much higher resolution.

On top of that, the system also adds its own frames into the mix, ✨generating each one based on deep learning systems. The result can be as much as a 300% improvement in performance, especially with the latest DLSS 3-compatible games. 

DLSS works better the harder it has to work. That means it’s typically used when trying to play smoothly in a higher resolution than your graphics card would typically allow - generally 4K. Budget-minded 1080p configurations can also benefit from the💮 boost in performance, but gains are reduced the further down the power scale you go. 

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a fairly easy game to run - the i5-12450H / Nvidia RTX 4050 Acer Nitro 5 can run it at its Highest 1080p settings for an average of 91fps in my 🍃testing. Whack on DLSS and those numbers bump up slightly to 99fps. That’s a small jump, inline with Nvidia’s own estimation of 10% performance increase at FHD level resolution. 

The magic, however, lies in games that the Nitro 5 struggled with. Running F1 22 is a little harder, for example, and the rig just about scrapes by with a 66fps benchmark in my most recent run. However, with DLSS 3 at the hel𝓀m, those numbers head all the way north to 97fps. That’s a notable difference in speed without a visible degradation in image quality.  

Should you use DLSS on your gaming laptop?

If you have an RTX graphics card, you’ll want to be using DLSS where possible - especially when it comes to ray tracing. Adding those extra pretty reflection features to your game comes with its own power expenditure, and it can often run your framerates intꩵo the ground. DLSS re-balances everything for a much better experience overall, and the result can be magical. Of course, you’re going to be pushing your GPU a bit further with these features switched on - so if you’re running external streaming software you’ll need to consider how you manage your laptop’s overall performance. 

I’d argue that DLSS plays a much bigger role in gaming laptops than it does 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:gaming PCs, though. Yes, Nvidia’s mobile graphics cards have come a long way compared to their desktop equ🤪ivalents, but they’re still a step behind in overall output. DLSS shortens that gap, making for a much smoother experience from slightly less capable hardware. 

Of course, you’ll need to make sure you’ve got the right hardware. DLSS only works on Nvidia’s RTX cards, so if you’re on an AMD ri𓄧g or running an older GTX card you’ll need to make the switch for the full effect. Plus, DLSS 3 is only su༺pported by newer RTX 40-Series cards as well. 

We’re also rounding up all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best graphics cards if you do need to upgrade, as well as the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Asus gaming laptops and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware gaming laptops on the market right now.  

This is a more holistic machine, designed to slot into your work and gaming life equally. That's a trend many of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming laptops are followin♔g these days, so I put the RTX 4070 💎rig to the test to see just how well it sticks to its RGB roots. 

Design

I've had my hands wrapped around a fair few of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Alienware laptops, and this tops them all by far. The machine itself retains that classic Dell look, with a slightly curved panel on the main lid and underside, and a soft form factor running throughout. There are no hard corners here; an aesthetic that condemns lesser machines to look and feel cheap. Instead of the rigid lines of something like the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer Blade 16, though, you're getting a far more relaxed experience here. Whether that's preferable is down to personal opinion. I've always naturally leant more towards slimline▨ laptops with more of a slick edge to them, but the comfort of the Alienware M16 R2 may be turning my head elsewhere. 

The main deck area is coated in a gorgeous matte soft-touch finish, one that I haven't had the pleasure of experiencing before but one I'll certainly be missing once this machine is all wrapped back up in its box. I first noticed it when scooting around Chrome tabs during work, and initially worried that it would become sticky and cl൩ammy once those internal temperatures rose. However, I was surprised when everything remained nicely cool to the touch and the touch of extra softness made the whole experience feel even more luxurious. 

Luxury really does run through this entire design; from that comfortable finish all the way through to the satisfyingly tense keyboard and easily tapped touchpad. The M16 R2 even fixes one of my biggest gripes with Alienware machines; the dreaded shelf. I couldn't understand why these gaming laptops needed to add so much to their footprint all in the name of cooling when they already typically run pretty loud and hot - and other rigs can get away with a much smaller waistline. Thankfully, the shelf has gone which means this is finally a gaming laptop I can fit into a backpack and recommend oth💎ers do the same as well. I didn't think we&🐠apos;d get there, but we did. 

Not only does the R2 benefit from reduced dim𒈔ensions, but you're still getting rear ports (a personal fღavorite) to keep cables away from the sides when docking or simply using the laptop at a desk. 

You'🌠ll still find waves of RGB LEDs running throughout the main design, with the obligatory per-key lights keeping your keyboard illuminated but also a new lit trim around the trackpad. This, in particular, adds to the sense of prestige when first opening up the lid - and one that few gaming laptops can really replicate. Of course, the reduced size and weight might have you itching to take the M16 R2 on the road wi♒th you - and Alienware has your back here as well. All this lighting can quickly and easily be switched off. 

Features

There is a downside to that smaller footprint - Alienware can no longer stick an RTX 4080 or RTX 4090 GPU inside its M16 laptop. That's a considerable blow considering you'll find this kind of power inside gaminﷺg la🃏ptops that have been running without giant wedges attached to the back for generations. Still, we've got an RTX 4060 or RTX 4070 running with Intel's latest processors in a chassis that's more than equipped to get the most out of them. 

It's a shame you can no longer configure the M16 higher, giving it a comparative chance against some of the more premium 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus gaming laptops or Lenovo's legion of rigs. Without getting into the weeds of my performance section, though, the current roster should see most players through whatever they want to run. This is an RTX 4070 running at its full 175W TDP, and while - like pretty much all gaming laptops released in 2024 - performance levels are a minor uptick compared to last year's, you're still going to get more out of an RTX 4070 here than you would in a skinny 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 which runs at 105W, for example. 

Still, with an RTX 4070 and Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (not to mention the 32GB RAM) at the helm of my test unit, and the $2,049.99 / £2,028.99 associated price tag, the Alienware M16 R2 has both the Razer Blade 16 and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 beat in one area; value. 

Sure, the 240Hz QHD+ display isn't going to rival Razer's Samsung-developed OLED panel, but it holds up beautifull🤡y for the big-screen 16:10 experience. This isn't a high-end panel, with no HDR, variable refresh rates, or the full DCI-P3 gamut. However, it's a faster base screen than last year's model (which tapped out at 165Hz) - that's nothing particularly new, and more of a necessary upgrade to fit with the times. It's the one weakness in this value proposition, though, and once those discounts start rolling in these specs are going to start looking good.

The keyboard is perhaps my favorite of all the gaming laptops I've tested so far. There's a crisp quality to each clack that's hard to find (outside of Alienware laptops anyway), with just enough resistance to feel satisfying while also actuating quickly. I have my hands over a lot of laptop keyboards (and regular gaming keyboards for that matter), and I was surprised when I needed no time to adjust to the new layout🅠. I was typing at my usual speed from the get-go, a real rarity. The trackpad, bathed in its own RGB perimeter feels smooth and tactile as well, with super responsive taps and clicks.

Tꦑhere's a healthy selection of ports, split between the two sides and the rear of the device. In total, you're getting two USB-As, two USB-Cs (one carrying Thunderbolt 4 functionality), HDMI 2.1, an ethernet, and a 3.5🅘mm audio jack. That's an improvement in speed and compatibility from last year, even if the number of connections remains the same.

Performance

The Alienware M16 R2 performs well for a mid-range machine, with the RTX 4070 configuration comfortably out-performing cheaper options like the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Acer Nitro 16 and smaller models like the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Asus ROG Zephyrus G14. I've tested both𝐆 of these machines with similar RTX 4070 configurations under the hood, though they offer slightly differen𒁏t value propositions; the Nitro is a chunkier but cheaper 16-inch classic and the Zephyrus slims things down into a more compact chassis for about the same amount of cash. 

In clinical benchmarks, the M16 R2 outperforms both machines, likely down to the fact that the M16 R2 can really let the RTX 4070 roll at its full power capacity, unlike the Acer Nitro. Yes, it's slightly more expensive, but if you're looking for overall value this is where it's at. It runs at between 8% and 16% higher performanc🌄e than the Acer within Fire Strike and Time Spy benc♛hmarks, and 9% - 16% faster than the admittedly slimmer Zephyrus. 

In-game benchmarks were similarly strong, 🐓though even the full-throttle RTX 4070 and Intel Core Ultra 7 155H couldn't push through to 60fps in full QHD resolution on more demanding games.  It's worth noting that the Acer Nitro 16 did perform better under this kind of pressure in my testing. QHD Returnal benchmarks put the Nitro at 72fps in High settings and 58fps in Epic settings. Alienware struggled here, particularly, when it came to more clustered moments on-screen. I was able to drop a few settin☂gs to achieve a smoother 60fps result, though, so it's still capable of moderately demanding titles. 

The pattern was the same in FHD, 💟with the M16 R2 beating both the cheaper Acer Nitro 16 and the more slimline Zephyrus G14 in older benchmarks, but struggling to compete in heavier experiences like Returnal. Still, this is slick performance at a lower resolution. The M𝓡16 is a fantastic 1080p system, with room to stretch into higher resolutions with some settings tweaks on more demanding titles.

Should you buy the Alienware M16 R2? 

The Alienware M16 R2 offers solid value for money, especially if you're after a whole experience rather than pure performance. That means anyone after an everyday workhorse of a laptop, that can also keep up with your Steam library, should be interested - especially if the chunkier designs of previous iterations have always held you back before. While it can struggle with more demanding titles in full QHD+ resolution, it packs a 1080p punch and can easily be configuℱred to run higher up the scale with a few graphical tweaks. Throw in a fantastic look and feel and you've got yourself a compelling machine. 

If you want to play demanding games in full QHD+ resolution, I'd recommend either opting for a lower quality chassis with an RTX 4080 GPU or upping your budget to a more expensive model. The 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer Blade 16 is currently my favorite 16-inch gaming laptop on the market, and pushes some blitzing framerates in the $4K RTX 4090 model I tested (but an RTX 4070 rig still comes in at $2,999). The 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is perhaps more realistic. I tested this rig with an RTX 4090 and got generally better performance results than the Blade 16, and it's featured in deals and discounts far more regularly. An RTX 4080 model was sitting just under $2,000 very recently, so it's well worth investigating the latest 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:gaming laptop deals. 

How we tested the Alienware M16 R2

I used the Alienware M16 R2 for all my daily play over the course of three weeks, while also using the device for one week of work at the same time. I primarily played Gears Tactics, Octopath Traveler, and Assassin's Creed: Valhalla during that time, while also directly benchmarking across Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Three Kingdoms, Returnal, and The Talos Principle 2. I also completed extra benchmarks using 3D Mark's Time Spy, Fire Strike, and Steel Nomad tests. For more information on 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:how we test gaming laptops, check out the full 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy. 

We're also rounding up all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Razer laptops on the market. Or, for something more portable check out the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming handhelds (or the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming PCs if you're after a permanent setup). 

The retailer has been doubling up its sales for a few years now, but last year was the first event to truly offer up some high-level savings. In fact, last year's October Prime Day essentially started the entire Black Friday season (yes, it's a whole 'season' now). Retailers looking to compete with the online giant will likely start running their own early discounts during the same time, with those savings running all the way through until the main event. What's more, we didn't see too many extra discounts in 🍌November, so value is high well in advance of the big day. 

That means October's Prime Day laptop deals are already looking strong - we're expecting bigger savings than we saw in July, and even they were pretty solid. From everyday machines sitting at just over $100 to record-low prices on laptops with massive 512GB and 1TB SSDs, laptop prices are falling fast. While 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Black Friday laptop deals are on the horizon, we wouldn't 🌺discount these early sales. 

Today's best Prime Day laptop deals

• Amazon:
• Best Buy:
• Dell:
• Newegg:
• Walmart:

FAQ

Will Prime Day laptop deals be worth it in 2024?

There's an elephant in the room that we should get out of the way here. Amazon isn't the best place to buy a laptop - and its own sales might not be worth it come the fall. However, the retail giant's annual sales event has sparked considerable competition among others. In the US, Best Buy and Newegg often run their own sales to get ahead of Bezos, while the UK regularly sees site-wide discounts at stores like Currys, Very, and Argos𒐪. While Amazon does have its moments (most often in the lower mid-range category and in MacBook discounts), these retailers will likely offer up the best value laptop deals. 

It is worth holding off for this sales week, though. We're seeing discount amounts rising with each passing year when it comes to major events like this. Last year's Black Friday offers, 🐟for example, saw an average discount amount of 23.7% across computers - a small jump from 2022's 20% and a major leap from 2021's 10% average (Adobe). Things are trending in our favor, then, which bodes well for 2024's offers - even in this concluding Prime Day event. 

What to expect from high-end Prime Day laptop deals

High-end machines generally start at around $800 / £800 and continue well past $2,000 / £2,000 in some cases. The justification for these costs can come from two places; powerful components and luxury designs. Machines like the MacBook and HP Spectre x360 may not paꦡck the biggest SSDs or copious amounts of RAM, but they certainly feel luxurious and offer chassis features that others simply can't. Meanwhile laptops like the Dell XPS 13 cram high-end components into impossibly tiny shells for additional value on top. 

We'd recommend keeping a look out for two high-end machines in particular today; the 2024 13.6-in♈ch MacBook Air M3 and the 1🌺4.2-inch MacBook Pro M3.

The cheapest of the lot is likely to be the MacBook Air. This is a $1,099 laptop in its base configuration, but it's already dropped below the four-figure threshold in its short life on the shelves so far. We've seen that price plummet to $999 in recent week൲s, and with previous Prime Day laptop deals setting a precedent for an extra $100 off, we're hoping for some extra cash in our pockets before the event ends. 

Last year's MacBook Pro should also be on your ticklist. The $1,599.99 machine dropped to $1,399 right at the end of last year, and with sale prices hovering ꧒around this position in recent months, we could be in for an additional saving come th💞e last few hours of Prime Day. We're hoping for a $1,299 sale price here, potentially even stretching to $1,149.

Of course,  and  also slot into this high-end category, so ♛if you're planning on firing up Steam 𓃲any time soon, we'd recommend you head over to our full guide on what to expect from MSI, Razer, Asus and more. 

Watchlist:

What to expect from mid-range Prime Day laptop deals

The Acer Aspire 5 and HP Pavilion 14 are two of our top recommendations any time someone asks for a solid laptop that doesn't break the ♐bank. No time is this more true than during sales events like Prime Day laptop deals. The mid-range is generallꦫy classed at between $400 - $800 / £400 - £800, though the lower boundary of that range does blur slightly with entry level depending on the machine and configuration you're choosing. The Acer Aspire 5 and HP Pavilion are both already cheap machines just nudging this boundary, offering solid mid-range specs (16GB RAM and 512GB SSDs) for around $400-$500 / £400-£500, so further savings are a bonus. 

However, we'd also recommend keeping an eye on the Asus Vivobook 15. This seems to be an Amazon favor𒉰ite, regularly appearing during Prime Day laptop deals with some of the best value on offer. List prices put a 16GB RAM / 512GB SSD configuration at around $700-$800 at the time of writing, but we re🐻gularly see these specs at around $500 / £500 during sales events. 

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is also another regular during larger discounts. These are simple laptops that pack midꦓ-range Ryzen 5 / i5 processors, 8GB RAM, and 256GB / 512GB SSDs into a price point that c♊an sometimes near $350 / £350. These rigs are sold by the boat load whenever Prime Day laptop deals roll around, so expect some excellent value for money if you're not too invested in a premium chassis. 

What to expect from budget Prime Day laptop deals

If you're just on the lookout for a simple web-browsing / note taking machine, you'll be shopping in the budget section this Prime Day. You won't be breaking past $400 / £400 here, though you'll likely be moving away from Intel's Core processors and AMD's 🌱Ryzen series, and could be picking up smaller hard drives rather than 256GB SSDs. Still, if you don't need the power those components can offer, there's no point in buying them. 

The Acer Chromebook Spin 311 pops up time and time again during Prime Day laptop deals, usually dropping that $300 / £300 MSRP down to around $200 / £300. We often see this model featured in flash sales as well, which means you could be breaking past that $200 / £200 budget, hitting prices like $179 / £179. Of course, this is a super budget Chromebook, but it does offer a 2-in-1 design for addi📖tional functionality. 

The 11-inch HP Stream is another dirt cheap option, but we'd actually recommend eyeing up the 14-inch model instead. Price differences between these machines are usually negligible, at around $40 𝔉- $50 / £40 - £50, and that's money well spent to avoid the cramped layout of a smaller device. The latest iteration hasn't seen its base $249 MSRP drop in the US so far, however we're still optimistic. Previous generations have fallen pretty quickly, and the UK £329 RRP on older models has given way to £179 - £200 c💃osts in the past as well. 

Moving away from Amazon, though, we'd always keep a close eye on the Dell Inspiron 15 3000. This budget machine is usually the brand's flagship for headline-grabbing super cheap Prime Day laptop deals, working to break attention away from Amazon itself. You'll often find an Intel processor with 4GB or 8GB RAM and𝐆 a 128GB SSD for around $250 / £250 but they do sell quickly.