With the recent release of the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, there’s been a lot of hype surrounding the new ultra-powerful gaming laptop. However, with so many options on the market, it can be difficult to choose the right one for your needs. This article takes a look at five of the top models available to help you make an informed decision.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is the company’s first 14-inch gaming laptop. This model features a high-resolution display, a large, ergonomic trackpad, and great battery life. It’s also the first laptop to feature AMD’s Ryzen 7000 HS processor. You can buy the device today for less than $1,500.
The Rog Zephyrus G14 has two variants: the 2021 and the 2022. The latter has improved on the original 2020 model in a number of areas, such as performance, screen size, and price. However, it’s a little tough to make a solid recommendation about this particular model.
The 2021 model is available for a little more than $1,300, while the 2022 is much cheaper. The key differences between the two are the processor and RAM. The latter can be upgraded to DDR5-4800. In addition, the latter includes an additional spare DIMM.
The ROG Zephyrus G14 is equipped with GeForce RTX 3060 graphics. It also has Dolby Atmos quad speakers. Its keyboard is very good, though it runs hot when it’s pushed hard. The battery life is decent, delivering around 11 hours on a single charge.
The screen on the ROG Zephyrus G14 is a QHD display. It isn’t the largest, but it’s one of the most powerful 14-inch laptops on the market. It’s also very thin. The lid opens to reveal a secondary touchscreen, called the ScreenPad Plus. It also comes with a webcam and 165 Hz refresh rate.
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 comes in a variety of colors. You can choose from white or dark gray. You can also configure it with the optional AniMe Matrix display. The latter has a set of 1,215 mini-LED lights that can be used to display custom images.
Lenovo Ideapad 3
Lenovo’s new IdeaPad 3 gaming laptop is targeted at gamers who are looking for an affordable yet powerful PC. Its key features include a powerful Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, a 165Hz FHD IPS display, and up to a 1TB PCIe NVMe (M.2) SSD. It also has a powerful GeForce RTX 3050 GPU.
The Lenovo Ideapad 3 will be available in 15-inch and 16-inch screen sizes. The 15-inch model has a 1920 x 1080 resolution, while the 16-inch model has a 1920 x 1440 resolution. The laptop is available in black, white, and onyx grey. It has a full-size keyboard and an ultra-fast Windows Precision trackpad. The laptop has several ports, including two USB 3.2 Gen 2 (USB Type-C) ports, an audio jack, and a USB 3.1 Gen 1 (USB Type-A) port.
For the most part, the IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a solid performance, but its design isn’t all that attractive. Its keyboard is a bit cramped, and its keys can be uncomfortable to hold. Its display isn’t very impressive. It’s also missing a camera for face recognition.
While the IdeaPad Gaming 3 has decent connectivity options, it has a poor battery life. It scored a measly 3.4 in battery life tests.
The laptop also has a small, protruding rear block. It has a decent selection of ports, including two USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, an audio jack, and Asus’ xBox One headset jack. Its battery lasts for 6 hours, but that’s still not great.
IdeaPad Gaming 3 will also come with three months of Xbox GamePass. This is a $30 value. Its graphics card can handle most modern games at playable frame rates.
MSI GE76 Raider
MSI GE76 Raider is one of the latest gaming notebooks from MSI. This model offers the best combination of hardware and performance. Whether you’re a professional gamer or a student, this laptop is a great choice.
GE76 Raider has a 17.3-inch IPS screen. Its panel area is 82% screen ratio, which makes the display look very sharp. It maxes out at 273 nits. But even with its high brightness, the display can eat up battery life. The screen has good contrast and deep blacks.
GE76 Raider also comes with a full HDMI 2.1 port. The keyboard also has per-key RGB lighting. The RGB lights can be controlled via SteelSeries GG. There is also a dedicated hardware monitor for the CPU.
The MSI GE76 Raider is one the first gaming laptops to receive the Alder Lake chip. The Intel Core i9-12900HK is a big improvement over the previous octa-core Core i9-11980HK processor. The new processor has a 45W base TDP. It also supports an Intel Thread Director (ITD) for Windows 11. This technology is supposed to improve perceived responsiveness.
The GE76 Raider has two high-capacity fans for cooling. The cooling design is complex, and it includes heatpipes spread over the GPU. In addition, the CPU has a 24 MB Intel Smart Cache. Combined with the RTX 3080 Laptop dGPU, the overall system performance is phenomenal.
In addition, the laptop has a large, RGB light bar at the front. The MSI logo is located on the back of the lid, which adds to the attractiveness of the unit.
GE76 Raider is priced at $1,599 for its base configuration. The highest-end model costs $4,199. This makes it a premium SKU.
Alienware M15 R3
The Alienware M15 R3 is the company’s latest gaming laptop, and it’s an excellent choice if you’re looking for a compact PC that can handle the latest titles on high settings. While it’s not a cheap option, it does offer a lot of features, and it’s built to handle the demands of your gaming routine.
It’s a portable, sci-fi-esque gaming laptop that runs the Intel Core i9-10980HK octa-core processor. It’s also armed with a 4k OLED panel that has a 60Hz refresh rate, but you can switch it for a full HD panel if you want. The screen also offers improved viewing angles.
The gaming laptop is loaded with a variety of ports. It includes a headphone jack, HDMI output, and two USB Type A ports. There are even microSD card slots along the right edge. This means that you can add a large number of storage options.
You can choose from a number of memory configurations, including up to 32GB of RAM. This means that you’ll have plenty of room to play the games you’re most interested in. However, this might not be enough for more demanding tasks.
The keyboard is also excellent. It has RGB backlighting that’s flicker-free, which means you don’t have to worry about pixelation. The backlighting is also designed to reduce eye strain while playing. The webcam captures your voice and fine details.
The battery life is a disappointment. It only lasts around two hours. It might be better if you choose a less-demanding configuration, but it’s still not ideal.
You can upgrade the graphics card and CPU. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Max-Q is available. You can also opt for a 300Hz display.
ASUS TUF
The Asus TUF Gaming laptop series is designed for gamers who want a high-performance laptop at an affordable price. The line features a mix of powerful CPUs and mobile GPUs from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel. They are built to perform in demanding games and handle extreme temperatures.
These new laptops feature a more refined design inspired by mecha anime. They also offer a wide range of high refresh rate displays for a more immersive experience.
The TUF Dash F15 is the top performer in the line, with a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card and a 300Hz 1080p display. The chassis is thin and light and has two PCIe(r) Gen 4×4-capable SSD slots. It is a high-performance machine and will be available in the first quarter of 2022.
In addition to the NVIDIA GPU, the TUF Dash (2022) also offers a 12th generation Intel Core i7-12650H processor and up to 32GB of RAM. The laptop also has a Thunderbolt 4.0 port and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port.
A pair of 84-blade Arc Flow Fans(tm) improves cooling performance while reducing noise. There are also five dedicated heatpipes. This is a significant step up from the previous generation of TUFs.
The TUF series is equipped with high-speed, overclocked CPUs and GPUs. This enables the laptops to achieve an average temperature of 76 degrees Celsius.
The TUF Dash has a high-refresh rate display option, making it ideal for competitive shooters. Its low-profile chassis is slim and light, enabling it to be carried around easily. Its dGPU port hooks up to the HDMI port. It also has dual PCIe(r) Gen 4×4-capable memory slots.
The TUF series has been upgraded to newer AMD and Intel platforms, including AMD Rembrandt and Intel Alder Lake. They also feature QHD 165 Hz displays for a more immersive experience.