(Pocket-lint) – The desktop is dead, it would seem – and long gone are the days where a gaming laptop could only be a ridiculously overpowered, heavy and LED-encrusted monster that would take your arm off and crush your femurs should you try to either carry it anywhere or rest it on your thighs.

Everyone’s at it nowadays, quite cleverly realising that a slightly bumper-sized notebook is where it’s at for the modern-day video gamer. But, with so many out there to choose between, and so much cash at stake, which are the ones you really want to be thinking of? Here are our choices for the best gaming laptops on the market right now, for those who’d rather buy one than build.

Our pick of the best gaming laptops to buy today

Pocket-lint

Acer Predator Triton 500

squirrel_widget_3491563

With the Predator Triton 500 Acer has made the sensible choice to not necessarily focus too madly on the looks – it’s a functional machine that makes performance its priority, and does so with real success. That said, the clean design of its chassis is quietly nice stuff. Underneath that metal is a spec list that can be tuned to absolutely eye-watering degrees if you’re willing to pay.

More mid-range bundles are probably advisable, though, and can still have you gaming away without hitches or lag, and connections galore mean you can hook it up to anything you’re likely to need to. The display is cracking, and performance is reliable without getting too hot, although battery life wasn’t top-class at around three hours. This is nonetheless a seriously solid effort from a manufacturer that’s a bit newer to the field.

• Acer Predator Triton 500 (2020) review: Sensational gaming powerhouse

Pocket-lint

AsusROG Zephyrus G14

squirrel_widget_176787

If you’re looking for a capable gaming machine, but still want something that’s portable, easy-on-the-eye and powerful too, then look no further than the Zephyrus G14. 

This is a 14-inch gaming laptop that packs enough power to play the latest games on the highest settings, while also having a battery that’ll support standard use throughout the day. 

You can even get a variant of this machine which sports 1,000 customisable LEDs on the lid, meaning you can make it your own with various designs, logos or gifs. We thoroughly enjoyed this small notebook and thought it had plenty of character despite its small stature. 

• Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 review: Good gaming in a small package

Pocket-lint

Gigabyte Aorus 17X

squirrel_widget_3660985

This guy is a bit of a Rolls-Royce, an absolute monster of a machine that can completely crunch the latest games on their highest settings.

A 17-inch display and chunk design means it’s right on the edge of being portable at all, but the details are all finely tuned, meaning a great keyboard, trackpad and performance in all walks of computing.

It’s a pricey machine, and no mistake, but if you priority is sheer brute force, this is a great choice. 

• Gigabyte Aorus 17X review: Gaming to the extreme

Pocket-lint

Razer Blade 15 (2020)

squirrel_widget_3492478

Razer’s Blade laptops were a bit of a revelation when they first debuted a few years back – although they took a few tries to get it right, the form factor and performance offered make for a fairly unreal combination. Now it feels like Razer improves the Blade every time it tweaks it, and this refresh of the Blade 15 brings ray-tracing power to the table without any compromises.

It’s about as understated as a gaming laptop comes, in a good way, and costs a bomb, but is lightning fast and crunches through current-generation games easily. It gets a little hot under pressure, although that’s hardly a unique issue. Battery life is also solid, and you won’t find ray-tracing in many current machines this small. If looks are your number one priority, the Razer Blade 15 might just be top of the pile.

• Razer Blade 15 Advanced review: Fast ‘n’ loud

Pocket-lint

HP Omen 15

• View offer on HP Store (sponsored link)

HP’s Omen line has been around for what feels like ages, and has been putting out reliable machines for most of that time. The Omen 15 is a solid continuation of that heritage. It’s pretty chunky, but with a great display and genuinely reasonable starting prices is a great option for those looking to spend slightly less to get gaming.

The Omen 15 does look distinctly gamer-y, with a crest on the back of the screen that won’t go unnoticed, but makes up for it with great performance and customisation options. Its 144Hz display is a joy, while HP is one of the few laptop makers that allows you to upgrade various components down the line if you get left behind – something that we’d love to see become more widespread in this age of sealed laptops. As an all-rounder, the Omen 15 is well worth a shout, especially for smaller budgets.

• HP Omen 15 review: A portable and punchy gaming machine

Pocket-lint

Acer Nitro 5 (2021)

squirrel_widget_4167623

Acer’s latest budget laptop is really impressive despite its label, and packs in some really good specs while keeping the price down impressively.

Its build quality isn’t best-in-class, but that’s entirely forgiveable given the extremely solid performance it’ll get you in the latest games, and a really lovely display rounds out the package in style. This is a great bit of a value in a market that can sometimes be a little overpriced. 

• Acer Nitro 5 (2021, AMD) initial review: An affordable, customisable gaming laptop

Pocket-lint

MSI GE65 Raider

squirrel_widget_192610

The MSI GE65 Raider is one of those gaming laptops that pleases in many areas. It has plenty of connectivity options (including Ethernet), a decent spec setup, snazzy looks and plenty of gaming prowess too. 

Highlights to this laptop include the keyboard (by SteelSeries), a remote control functionality through an accompanying app and decent performance for the price as well. With a 240Hz screen, RTX capable graphics and much more besides the GE65 Raider is certainly a gaming laptop to consider. 

• MSI GE65 Raider review: Portable power, understated glory

Pocket-lint

Acer Predator Triton 300 SE

There aren’t too many 14-inch gaming laptops out there – it’s a form-factor that hasn’t got too much love. Loads of people prefer a smaller laptop, though, so we’re glad to see Acer indulging in it with this excellent build. 

It’s also got a far more “normal” design than most gaming laptops, which is a good thing if you want to blend in a bit more. 

On top of that, of course, you get really impressive performance in the latest games, making for a great package. 

• Acer Predator Triton 300 SE initial review: The everyday gamers’ laptop

Writing by Max Freeman-Mills.