Today it’s easy to find a powerful PC on which you can play the most demanding games all day at the highest detail settings on displays with Full HD resolution. It’s much harder to squeeze all this performance into a quiet and portable gaming laptop that can be as easily carried as any other modern laptop. Workstations weigh more than 3 kg and require a power supply that increases the weight to 5 kg, and after turning on the onboard cooling they sound like a hair dryer. Fortunately, the coveted goal has become closer. Although some of the cars are still the monsters described above, others do get very portable.
CPU
What does a gaming laptop mean? If you need a laptop that can cope with modern games, then the graphics processor is one of the most critical components, since it depends on it, the game will go at a speed of 5 or 50 frames per second. But he needs support. This means that you need a powerful CPU, enough RAM, a large and fast drive to store games and other files, a large screen to see the game in action, and a good chassis to carry all these components.
Currently, Intel and NVIDIA offer everything necessary to ensure the operation of the chipset, and AMD CPUs and GPUs are significantly behind in performance and efficiency.
The sixth generation of Intel Core, code-named Skylake, is well-suited for CPU tasks and is more efficient with uniform load. The best gaming laptops are equipped with the seventh generation, codenamed Kaby Lake.
GPU
NVIDIA has launched mobile versions of the GPU 1060, 1070 and 1080, but even laptops with a GTX 1060 are expensive. Nevertheless, the acquired video card remains for a long time, and it is always a good idea to buy the latest generation model. But if the user cannot afford to spend $ 2,000, then there remains a sufficient number of good offers that provide decent gaming performance to the required level.
Screen
Laptop screens have also improved, and their resolution has now reached the level of Full HD with more advanced technology than TN panels of low-cost models. You should take a closer look at IPS displays, which provide wide and stable viewing angles from all angles, better contrast and a greater color gamut. You should not overestimate the brightness parameters - the contrast of the monitor, especially at low brightness values, is much more important than the blinding 300 cd / m2.
Today it’s easier to find screens with more practical anti-glare protection than glossy reflective panels, which used to be the main offer of most brands. And, as a rule, you can ignore the tendency to a higher resolution than HD, since GPUs can hardly digest UHD (4K) screens. For most gamers, 1920x1080 is a happy compromise between screen detail and an acceptable frame rate.
Data storage
Solid state drives will significantly improve the user experience when it comes to booting a computer, launching programs, opening and saving files. But they will not increase the speed of the game, although they can reduce short pauses between levels. However, having an SSD is always recommended in combination with a second, traditional, capacious hard drive for storing data.
Audio
Some players like to use headphones or a headset, especially in multi-user settings. But if the user does not intend to spend his time putting on headphones, it still turns out that the modern gaming laptop has become quieter. This means that you can now enjoy the built-in stereo speakers. Some can boast the names of well-known brands such as B&O, Dynaudio, Harman, Klipsch and Onkyo, printed on tin lattices of laptops, although, according to user experience, today it is more window dressing, since nameless models often sound better than branded ones.
Battery life
The battery life is perhaps the least important for a gaming laptop replacing a standard PC, although this makes it difficult to combine fast graphics with slim laptops. You can have a powerful car and an amazing battery life, even if the charge drops at an accelerated rate after switching from integrated graphics to a more voracious card.
Below are the best gaming laptops from Asus, MSI, Acer, Eurocom and Schenker Technologies, arranged in descending order of rating.
MSI GT73VR 7RF
MSI gaming laptops take the lead among gaming laptops, and the first among them is the GT73VR 7RF. Compared to the strongest rivals, the 17-inch device scores points thanks to the 120-Hz display and significantly better service options. Under the hood of the laptop there are not only three M.2 slots, two of which are PCIe / NVMe, but also a huge cooling system consisting of two fans and a record 10 heat pipes. This is not surprising, since high-end devices currently use the strongest NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 graphics chip. In addition, the laptop has a turbo mode for overclocking the clock speed of the CPU and GPU.
Additional features of the GT73VR 7RF are powerful sound, acceptable temperature conditions, as well as stylish backlighting for the keyboard and touchpad. In addition to color accuracy, the Full HD matte display has good performance (fast response time, G-sync, high contrast). The only drawbacks are the bulky design, short battery life and noise at full load.
MSI GT83VR 6RE
This is really a special laptop: a powerful gaming laptop equipped with two built-in NVMe SSDs, two GTX 1070 cards in SLI mode, 32 GB of RAM and an i7-6820HK processor overclocked to 4 GHz. For those who are looking for maximum performance, but do not want to see a tower PC on their desk, this 18-inch device will appeal to you if its price does not bother you - MSI asks for 4000 Euros for the GT83VR 6RE.
Connectivity, a display (unfortunately, only Full HD) and audio meet high expectations, but system noise is a big minus of the model - it reaches 57 dB (A) at full load, which is a lot even for a gaming laptop. However, the mechanical keyboard deserves respect. The input is much sharper and more accurate than usual. The touchpad with lock function is also futuristic. In addition, you can not complain about the performance of the laptop: the combination of Pascal architecture and SLI in synthetic graphics tests is ahead of the predecessor GTX 980 SLI by 20-50%.
ASUS G752VS
Gaming laptop Asus G752VS also takes the 2nd place. It impresses with the overclocked GeForce GTX 1070 and the i7-6820HK processor. Apart from decent noise (40-47 dB (A) in 3D mode), the bright and wide viewing angles IPS panel with G-Sync support is the main incentive to buy an Asus RoG laptop. The gaming laptop heats up relatively poorly, the connectivity is excellent (although the location of the connectors is poor), and the input devices are good. However, it is not good enough in other respects. For example, access to the cooling system is almost impossible for users, and the weight of the G752VS reaches 4.5 kg.
MSI GT72VR 7RE
Almost six months after the launch of the GT72VR 6RE (Skylake), MSI launched the next model, the GT72VR 7RE. According to testing, the i7-7700HQ processor is only 10% faster than the very successful Core i7-6700HQ chip. The GT72VR also proves to be the best in other categories. For example, NVIDIA G-Sync technology minimizes display and input delays. In addition, the laptop comes with a 256 GB M.2 SSD, 16 GB DDR4 RAM and a 120 Hz screen. The graphics card GTX 1070 at native HD resolution in all games with maximum detail and a lot of smoothing works smoothly. In addition, the maintenance of the laptop is not difficult, the sound is good, and there is a wide variety of connectivity options. However, it is annoying that MSI missed or reduced some of the features (manual graphics switching, Thunderbolt port and the number of M.2 slots) that were available in the previous model, so that the GT73VR model sold better.
Schenker XMG U727
This is a prime example of a complete desktop replacement. Despite the heavy weight (5.5 kg) and thick assembly (4.7 cm), the 17-inch case is convincing. In particular, the upgradeability and display are commendable. The 4K panel not only impresses with its high resolution, but also offers a surprisingly large color space (88% AdobeRGB), which you still need to get used to.
The performance of the SLI combo also deserves attention. Two GTX 1080 chips reach a level that today has no analogues. Although the XMG U727’s battery life is not long enough, the gaming laptop sounds great. The same is true for connectivity options (there is a Thunderbolt 3 interface), keyboard, and touchpad. However, the heating temperature and noise are not so good.
Eurocom Tornado F5
Unlike Schenker Technologies, Eurocom for its 15-inch DTR did not use Clevo barebones, but MSI, which visually and technically resembles the GT62VR. However, the laptop does not need to hide behind its competitor. Thanks to the Core i7-7700K and the GeForce GTX 1070, the Tornado F5 lives up to its name. In addition, it is generously equipped with 64 GB of DDR4 RAM. Data is stored on a combination of HDD and SSD. The display is a Full HD-panel, created using IPS technology with support for G-Sync.
As is customary in MSI, a gaming laptop is equipped with a large number of interfaces and functionality (for example, manual fan control). Another professional feature is the ease of maintenance, which allows for hardware upgrades and dusting your laptop. The case temperature is acceptable, but the system noise under load is quite high.
Acer Predator 15 G9-593
Although Acer is known mainly for office and multimedia laptops, some time ago the company entered the gaming sector. The Nitro series he produces is aimed at frugal gamers, and Predator - for players with high demands. The 15-inch G9-593 laptop has a unique design and an additional FrostCore fan, which is part of all models and can be used instead of an optical drive. However, miracles should not be expected, since the cooler volume reaches 43–49 dB when performing 3D tasks.
On the other hand, Acer has created a device with a foundation for the future, whether it be connectivity or a display with G-sync. True, its bulky case does not look modern. With a weight of 3.7 kg and a height of 3.9 cm, the laptop is a bit outdated for the era of thin gaming laptops such as the MSI GS73VR. The manufacturer offers the Predator 17 G9-793 to those who prefer 17-inch devices.
ASUS Strix GL502VM
Fans of compact laptops and travels are better off holding laptops measuring 15 inches or less. At a height of 2.4 cm, the Asus GL502VM is very thin. Nevertheless, it works no worse than the more complete 17-inch rivals. The Core i7-6700HQ and the GeForce GTX 1060 provide more than enough frame rates for high-definition gaming.
In addition, a relatively inexpensive gaming laptop worth 1700 euros has 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, M.2 SSD and IPS panel. However, due to its small size, the GL502VM is quite noisy and warms up during games. A slightly thicker version of the GL502VS with the GTX 1070 works better in this aspect. Connectivity, 2.5 kg of weight, input devices and build quality are impeccable. The 17-inch version is called the GL702VM.