Gaming laptops have earned themselves a bad rap for being bulky and loud, yet manufacturers are making strides toward creating sleeker systems like the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 to pack in high-performance hardware while remaining discreet during meetings. Such thin systems offer access to today’s most demanding games while serving as great daily drivers.
For optimal content creation, look for a laptop panel supporting G-Sync and with a high refresh rate (144Hz or greater). Color accuracy should also be key considerations.
Acer Predator Triton 300 SE
Acer’s Triton 300 SE 14-inch gaming laptop defies many preconceptions about what can be accomplished with 14-inch laptop gaming rigs, offering all the power and speed of high-end RTX systems in a lightweight, thin chassis that’s fashionable as well.
Triton 300 SE stands out among slim gaming machines due to its impressive battery life. Our video editing test lasted more than five hours on its 84Wh battery and my tests of popular games proved it easily exceeded four hours of playback time.
With the included DTS Sound software, I optimized my audio settings to produce rich and clear sounds. Furthermore, speakers under the palm rest deliver a satisfying audio experience, boasting good depth and providing adequate coverage despite its small form factor.
Asus ROG Strix G16
The Asus ROG Strix G16 was designed specifically as a high-speed, latency-free gaming laptop. Our benchmark tests found its 1TB SSD delivered transfer rates of 1,238MBps – well ahead of average premium gaming laptop (1,480 MBps), yet just behind Lenovo Legion 7i (at 1,506MBps).
On Geekbench 5, the ROG Strix G16 scored 2,067 in single-core performance and 18,227 multicore, easily surpassing Razer Blade 15 but less impressive than Gigabyte Aorus 15X or HP Omen 16.
Asus has designed its eclipse gray chassis to look elegant and understated, forgoing any flashy RGB lighting seen on previous generations of Strix series laptops. It comes equipped with a large trackpad that’s responsive, but not as fast as some competitors’ trackpads. In addition, five programmable hotkeys at the top of keyboard provide control of volume/microphone/Armoury Crate access by default.
MSI Katana 15
The MSI Katana 15 is an affordable entry-level gaming laptop. It’s fast enough to run most modern titles at 30 to 60 frames-per-second with its powerful processor and features. Unfortunately, however, its small touchpad and poor display are notable drawbacks.
The $799 base model is suitable for basic 1080p gaming and esports, featuring an Intel Core i5-11400H six-core chip and Nvidia’s 4GB RTX 3050 GPU; upgrade models offer faster 6GB RTX 3050 Ti graphics performance for more serious gameplay. All models include Windows 10 Home with one year warranties.
MSI’s budget hardware makes the Katana 15 an attractive option for entry-level and midrange gamers, although competitors from Lenovo and Dell offer superior displays, keyboards, battery life and port selection at similar prices. A full selection of ports surround the Katana’s edges: an HDMI, USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports as well as an Gigabit Ethernet and 3.5mm combo audio jack make up its roster of features; additionally build quality is great given its price, with minimal chassis flex or display lid flex.
Lenovo Legion 5i Pro
The Legion 5i Pro was designed with responsible gaming in mind. Its top cover frame is composed of 30% PCC material that has been treated to repel oil for an eco-friendly experience and offers Lenovo’s CO2 Carbon Offset service as an option to offset its carbon footprint.
Clad in monochromatic Storm Gray with its aluminum lid and chassis, the Legion 5i Pro feels solid; there’s almost no give when picking up screen corners or pressing keys on keyboard. Furthermore, four-zone RGB keyboard lighting can be customized using Lenovo Vantage App for ultimate customization.
The Legion’s QHD+ 2560 x 1600 IPS panel now supports variable refresh rate (VRR). This feature enables its refresh rate to flex flex in response to hardware demands, making gaming without stutters and framerate drops easier. There are plenty of ports for desktop use including two Thunderbolt 4 ports with USB-C support as well as Ethernet support as well as an HDMI port on its rear panel so you can stay connected to a monitor or wired internet without leaving cables all over your desk.