HardwareGaming LaptopsPC Gamer Hardware Awards: The best gaming laptop of 2024When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
HardwareGaming LaptopsPC Gamer Hardware Awards: The best gaming laptop of 2024When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Future)
Gear of the Year(Image credit: Future)Check out more of the year’s best tech in ourPC Gamer Hardware Awards 2024coverage.
Gear of the Year
(Image credit: Future)Check out more of the year’s best tech in ourPC Gamer Hardware Awards 2024coverage.
(Image credit: Future)
Check out more of the year’s best tech in ourPC Gamer Hardware Awards 2024coverage.
A gaming laptop must be the complete package. The screen, GPU, CPU, memory, cooling, keyboard, and trackpad are all important. So, when we’re talking about the best gaming laptop in any given year, it has to be a device that offers an extraordinary package, done extraordinarily well.
We’re not short of options for this prestigious award in 2024. New designs were plentiful despite the lack of any new mobile GPUs this year. In their place, new CPU generations from Intel and AMD, Lunar Lake and Strix Point, gave manufacturers abundant opportunities to redesign their machines. Many took advantage of low-power parts to make slimmer, more portable gaming laptops.
It’s these sorts of slimline gaming laptops that have largely won a nomination for entry into our hallowed hall of fame. TheAsus ROG Zephyrus G16is one such thin machine that impressed us not only for its all-aluminium (aluminum, whatever) shell, but its fantastic speaker system, trackpad, and gorgeous screen. Then there’s theAsus TUF A14, which brings AMD’s superbRyzenAI 9 HX 370 to bear in a more affordable compact chassis.
So, here are the nominees. We’ll announce the winner on New Year’s Eve.
Best gaming laptop 2024: the nominees
Best gaming laptop 2024 nomineeAsus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024)A laptop so nice we reviewed it twice. For good reason, I might add. Initially sliding across our Andy’s desk with an RTX 4090 and Intel 14th Gen CPU under the hood, these high-end components combined were too much for the dear Zephyrus' slim frame. But Andy still came away from that review thinking there could be a lot more to like about a cheaper, less overpowered version. Luckily, he didn’t have to wait long to find out.I later took a G16 for a test drive with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, paired with an RTX 4070. What a machine that is. These two components are a much better fit for the Zephyrus than some behemoth RTX 4090 and they’re far more affordable. It’s absolutely still a premium gaming laptop through and through, but it performs great in games and you can pull this laptop out in a meeting and not feel all embarrassed about it. Andy was green with envy at the time, but we both agree the G16 in this form is the one to get.Read our fullAsus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) review.
Best gaming laptop 2024 nomineeAsus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024)A laptop so nice we reviewed it twice. For good reason, I might add. Initially sliding across our Andy’s desk with an RTX 4090 and Intel 14th Gen CPU under the hood, these high-end components combined were too much for the dear Zephyrus' slim frame. But Andy still came away from that review thinking there could be a lot more to like about a cheaper, less overpowered version. Luckily, he didn’t have to wait long to find out.I later took a G16 for a test drive with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, paired with an RTX 4070. What a machine that is. These two components are a much better fit for the Zephyrus than some behemoth RTX 4090 and they’re far more affordable. It’s absolutely still a premium gaming laptop through and through, but it performs great in games and you can pull this laptop out in a meeting and not feel all embarrassed about it. Andy was green with envy at the time, but we both agree the G16 in this form is the one to get.Read our fullAsus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) review.
Best gaming laptop 2024 nomineeAsus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024)A laptop so nice we reviewed it twice. For good reason, I might add. Initially sliding across our Andy’s desk with an RTX 4090 and Intel 14th Gen CPU under the hood, these high-end components combined were too much for the dear Zephyrus' slim frame. But Andy still came away from that review thinking there could be a lot more to like about a cheaper, less overpowered version. Luckily, he didn’t have to wait long to find out.I later took a G16 for a test drive with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, paired with an RTX 4070. What a machine that is. These two components are a much better fit for the Zephyrus than some behemoth RTX 4090 and they’re far more affordable. It’s absolutely still a premium gaming laptop through and through, but it performs great in games and you can pull this laptop out in a meeting and not feel all embarrassed about it. Andy was green with envy at the time, but we both agree the G16 in this form is the one to get.Read our fullAsus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) review.
Best gaming laptop 2024 nomineeAsus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024)A laptop so nice we reviewed it twice. For good reason, I might add. Initially sliding across our Andy’s desk with an RTX 4090 and Intel 14th Gen CPU under the hood, these high-end components combined were too much for the dear Zephyrus' slim frame. But Andy still came away from that review thinking there could be a lot more to like about a cheaper, less overpowered version. Luckily, he didn’t have to wait long to find out.I later took a G16 for a test drive with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, paired with an RTX 4070. What a machine that is. These two components are a much better fit for the Zephyrus than some behemoth RTX 4090 and they’re far more affordable. It’s absolutely still a premium gaming laptop through and through, but it performs great in games and you can pull this laptop out in a meeting and not feel all embarrassed about it. Andy was green with envy at the time, but we both agree the G16 in this form is the one to get.Read our fullAsus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) review.
Best gaming laptop 2024 nomineeAsus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024)A laptop so nice we reviewed it twice. For good reason, I might add. Initially sliding across our Andy’s desk with an RTX 4090 and Intel 14th Gen CPU under the hood, these high-end components combined were too much for the dear Zephyrus' slim frame. But Andy still came away from that review thinking there could be a lot more to like about a cheaper, less overpowered version. Luckily, he didn’t have to wait long to find out.I later took a G16 for a test drive with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, paired with an RTX 4070. What a machine that is. These two components are a much better fit for the Zephyrus than some behemoth RTX 4090 and they’re far more affordable. It’s absolutely still a premium gaming laptop through and through, but it performs great in games and you can pull this laptop out in a meeting and not feel all embarrassed about it. Andy was green with envy at the time, but we both agree the G16 in this form is the one to get.Read our fullAsus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) review.
Best gaming laptop 2024 nominee
Best gaming laptop 2024 nominee
Best gaming laptop 2024 nominee
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024)A laptop so nice we reviewed it twice. For good reason, I might add. Initially sliding across our Andy’s desk with an RTX 4090 and Intel 14th Gen CPU under the hood, these high-end components combined were too much for the dear Zephyrus' slim frame. But Andy still came away from that review thinking there could be a lot more to like about a cheaper, less overpowered version. Luckily, he didn’t have to wait long to find out.
I later took a G16 for a test drive with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, paired with an RTX 4070. What a machine that is. These two components are a much better fit for the Zephyrus than some behemoth RTX 4090 and they’re far more affordable. It’s absolutely still a premium gaming laptop through and through, but it performs great in games and you can pull this laptop out in a meeting and not feel all embarrassed about it. Andy was green with envy at the time, but we both agree the G16 in this form is the one to get.
Read our fullAsus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) review.
Best gaming laptop 2024 nominee
Best gaming laptop 2024 nominee
Best gaming laptop 2024 nominee
Small details make the difference here. There’s a spare NVMe SSD slot under the hood, and it’s easy to upgrade the RAM if you need to. Though we reviewed a model with 32 GB of DDR5-4800, which is more than sufficient for gaming and content creation. Altogether, a well put together machine that doesn’t cut corners.
Best gaming laptop 2024 nomineeAsus TUF A14 (2024)The TUF lineup used to stand for motherboards that were built with backplates and awesome metal or white and black colourways. Then, it stood for the cheaper range from Asus. Today it’s something of a halfway house between the two, with this TUF A14 acting as both the more affordable option to the Zephyrus G14andcoming with a tough metal chassis.Featuring the same AMD Ryzen AI 9 processor as our favourite G16 configuration, this TUF machine is a bit easier on the budget. Just a bit, don’t get your hopes up. It’s similar to the Zephyrus in that it comes with soldered memory, but there’s a spare slot for another NVMe SSD should you want to upgrade. Moreover, it’s a mean machine for gaming and doesn’t look out of place for school or office work.Read our fullAsus TUF A14 (2024) review.
Best gaming laptop 2024 nomineeAsus TUF A14 (2024)The TUF lineup used to stand for motherboards that were built with backplates and awesome metal or white and black colourways. Then, it stood for the cheaper range from Asus. Today it’s something of a halfway house between the two, with this TUF A14 acting as both the more affordable option to the Zephyrus G14andcoming with a tough metal chassis.Featuring the same AMD Ryzen AI 9 processor as our favourite G16 configuration, this TUF machine is a bit easier on the budget. Just a bit, don’t get your hopes up. It’s similar to the Zephyrus in that it comes with soldered memory, but there’s a spare slot for another NVMe SSD should you want to upgrade. Moreover, it’s a mean machine for gaming and doesn’t look out of place for school or office work.Read our fullAsus TUF A14 (2024) review.
Best gaming laptop 2024 nomineeAsus TUF A14 (2024)The TUF lineup used to stand for motherboards that were built with backplates and awesome metal or white and black colourways. Then, it stood for the cheaper range from Asus. Today it’s something of a halfway house between the two, with this TUF A14 acting as both the more affordable option to the Zephyrus G14andcoming with a tough metal chassis.Featuring the same AMD Ryzen AI 9 processor as our favourite G16 configuration, this TUF machine is a bit easier on the budget. Just a bit, don’t get your hopes up. It’s similar to the Zephyrus in that it comes with soldered memory, but there’s a spare slot for another NVMe SSD should you want to upgrade. Moreover, it’s a mean machine for gaming and doesn’t look out of place for school or office work.Read our fullAsus TUF A14 (2024) review.
Best gaming laptop 2024 nomineeAsus TUF A14 (2024)The TUF lineup used to stand for motherboards that were built with backplates and awesome metal or white and black colourways. Then, it stood for the cheaper range from Asus. Today it’s something of a halfway house between the two, with this TUF A14 acting as both the more affordable option to the Zephyrus G14andcoming with a tough metal chassis.Featuring the same AMD Ryzen AI 9 processor as our favourite G16 configuration, this TUF machine is a bit easier on the budget. Just a bit, don’t get your hopes up. It’s similar to the Zephyrus in that it comes with soldered memory, but there’s a spare slot for another NVMe SSD should you want to upgrade. Moreover, it’s a mean machine for gaming and doesn’t look out of place for school or office work.Read our fullAsus TUF A14 (2024) review.
Best gaming laptop 2024 nomineeAsus TUF A14 (2024)The TUF lineup used to stand for motherboards that were built with backplates and awesome metal or white and black colourways. Then, it stood for the cheaper range from Asus. Today it’s something of a halfway house between the two, with this TUF A14 acting as both the more affordable option to the Zephyrus G14andcoming with a tough metal chassis.Featuring the same AMD Ryzen AI 9 processor as our favourite G16 configuration, this TUF machine is a bit easier on the budget. Just a bit, don’t get your hopes up. It’s similar to the Zephyrus in that it comes with soldered memory, but there’s a spare slot for another NVMe SSD should you want to upgrade. Moreover, it’s a mean machine for gaming and doesn’t look out of place for school or office work.Read our fullAsus TUF A14 (2024) review.
Best gaming laptop 2024 nominee
Best gaming laptop 2024 nominee
Best gaming laptop 2024 nominee
Asus TUF A14 (2024)The TUF lineup used to stand for motherboards that were built with backplates and awesome metal or white and black colourways. Then, it stood for the cheaper range from Asus. Today it’s something of a halfway house between the two, with this TUF A14 acting as both the more affordable option to the Zephyrus G14andcoming with a tough metal chassis.
Featuring the same AMD Ryzen AI 9 processor as our favourite G16 configuration, this TUF machine is a bit easier on the budget. Just a bit, don’t get your hopes up. It’s similar to the Zephyrus in that it comes with soldered memory, but there’s a spare slot for another NVMe SSD should you want to upgrade. Moreover, it’s a mean machine for gaming and doesn’t look out of place for school or office work.
Read our fullAsus TUF A14 (2024) review.
The winner of the PC Gamer Hardware Award for the best gaming laptop will be announced on New Year’s Eve. It’s all to play for, and any one of these three is completely deserving of the crown.
Asus TUF Gaming A14$1,399.99ViewSee all prices
Asus TUF Gaming A14$1,399.99ViewSee all prices
Asus TUF Gaming A14
Asus TUF Gaming A14
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$1,399.99
$1,399.99
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$999.99View
$999.99
$999.99
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Asus TUF A14 ( FA401WV)$1,799.99$1,399.98ViewSee all prices
Asus TUF A14 ( FA401WV)$1,799.99$1,399.98ViewSee all prices
Asus TUF A14 ( FA401WV)
Asus TUF A14 ( FA401WV)
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Low StockAsus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024)$1,999$1,529ViewSee all prices
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Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024)$1,999$1,529ViewSee all prices
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024)
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024)
$1,999$1,529View
$1,999$1,529
$1,529
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Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (Ryzen AI 9)$2,259.99ViewSee all prices
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (Ryzen AI 9)$2,259.99ViewSee all prices
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (Ryzen AI 9)
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (Ryzen AI 9)
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ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) GA605$1,999.99ViewSee all prices
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) GA605$1,999.99ViewSee all prices
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) GA605
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) GA605
$1,999.99View
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If you love a big laptop without a big price tag, this RTX 4070 17.3-incher is an ideal pick at $1,300
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The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 now looks like a dazzler of a gaming laptop, even if it’s still a bit of a paving slab
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