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While there are standard laptops and gaming laptops, the line that separates them is almost blurred. Today, if you have a fast CPU and graphics card, along with things like a large screen and a good cooling system, you can play many games on your laptop. After all, not everyone wants a big gaming device, and not everyone wants to spend the money they need to get one of them. If you’re considering a new laptop for school, there are more options than ever to get you through the toughest courses and on to your next AAA game. These are our top picks for the best laptops for gaming and school work – but if you’re looking for a dedicated gaming laptop rather than a stand-alone machine, take a look best gaming laptops list of our products.
The best laptops for gaming and school in 2025
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Display size: 14-inch OLED | Show: 2560 x 1440 (QHD) | CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 | RAM: 32GB LPDDR5X | Storage: 1TB SSD | Weight: 3.31 pounds | Max battery life: 10 hours
Read our full article ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 review
The Zephyrus G14 It’s been our go-to laptop for gaming for years, but it’s better than ever this year thanks to a refined aluminum case, a beautiful OLED screen and a weight reduction of just 3.3 pounds. It feels light on machines with an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS CPU and NVIDIA RTX 4070 graphics. While the new Zephyrus G14 loses the RTX 4080 option from the previous model, that’s not a big problem. You’ll be better off with a light and stylish model that doesn’t cost a ton.
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget
Display size: 14 inch | Show: QHD+ | CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS | GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4060 or 4070 | RAM: Up to 32GB | Storage: Up to 1TB SSD | Weight: 7.98 pounds | Max battery life: Until 7 hours
Read our full article Razer Blade 14 review
Razer’s Blade laptops have been very similar to Apple’s MacBook Pro PC since their inception, and the latest Blade 14 is no different. It retains the company’s signature build quality with rock-hard aluminum, but now sports AMD’s Ryzen 9 8945HS CPU and your choice of NVIDIA’s RTX 4060 and 4070. The new LCD with 240Hz refresh rate will allow you to play almost anything at blood pressure (or, at least, It will give you an accurate hit when entering Overwatch 2). While we would have liked to see an OLED screen like the one on the Zephyrus G14, the Blade 14 is still a gaming notebook. Just be prepared to pay a premium for its impressive hardware.
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget
Display size: 15.6 inches | Show: 1920 x 1080 (FHD) | CPU: Intel Core i5-13450HX | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 | RAM: 16GB LPDDR5X | Storage: 512GB SSD | Weight: 6.19 pounds | Max battery life: 6.5 hours
While Alienware has established itself as a solid brand, Dell’s affordable G-series notebooks are worth a look for anyone needing a budget-friendly machine. In particular, and g15 continues its trend of offering the most powerful hardware — including Intel’s latest 13th-gen CPUs, AMD’s Ryzen 7000 CPUs and NVIDIA’s RTX 30- and 40-series GPUs — under $1,000. Sure, the case is plastic, and the laptop’s screen doesn’t offer all the latest advantages (finally there’s a 165Hz option!). But for the price it’s hard to find something more powerful.
Dell
Display size: 16 inch | Show: QHD+ | CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 processor 185H | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 | RAM: 16GB LPDDR5X | Storage: 1TB SSD | Weight: 5.75 pounds | Max battery life: 90 this one
After a year on the market, Dell is back on the recording scene with the latest Alienware m16 and rebuilt it from bottom to top. The result is the m16 R2, a lightweight and affordable sports pen that packs a punch. Cyberpunk 2077 and its RTX 4070 GPU. At 5.75 pounds, it’s a chunky beast, yet it’s 20 percent lighter than the previous 7.28-pound model. And for some, the weight will be worth having the m16 R2 beautiful 16-inch 240Hz LCD panel.
Asus ROG
Display size: 18 you | Show: QHD+ | CPU: Intel Core i7-13650HX | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 | RAM: 16 GB | Storage: 2TB SSD | Weight: 11.9 pa
In some cases, a 16-inch or 17-inch screen just won’t cut it. For the more serious gamer and media controller, there is ROG Strix G18the 18-inch monster sports Intel’s latest 14th-gen CPU and NVIDIA’s RTX 40-series family (which includes the latest RTX 4080). The Strix G18 screams “gaming laptop” more than anything else in this book, but it’s a solid choice for anyone looking for a big-screen machine at an affordable price.
Are gaming laptops good for school?
As we said, gaming laptops are especially useful if you are doing heavy work. Their biggest promise is powerful graphics performance, which is not limited to PC gaming. Video editing and 3D applications can also tap into their GPUs for heavy workloads. While you can find good GPUs in some productivity machines, like Dell’s XPS 15, you can sometimes find better ones in gaming laptops. My general advice to any new horse: Pay attention to what is written; get at least 16GB of RAM and the biggest hard drive you can find (ideally 1TB or more). All of these components are difficult to upgrade on the line, so it’s important to invest as much as you can up front to get the most out of your PC gaming in the long run. Also, don’t forget basics like a webcam, which can be important during your training session.
The biggest downside to choosing a sportsbook is portability. In general, we recommend the 15 inch models to get the best size and value. This weighs about 4.5 pounds, which is more than three pounds of ultraportables. Today’s gaming notebooks are still much lighter than the old ones, however, so you probably won’t be carrying around a 10-pound brick. If you’re looking for something lighter, there are plenty of 14-inch options these days. And if you’re not into LED lights and other sporting bling, look for smaller models that still have basic features like a webcam (or make sure you know how to turn those lights off).
