Beyond handhelds, there are other interesting gaming laptops that play with form factors. My favorite is the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (7/10, WIRED Recommends). This is a 2-in-1 gaming laptop, meaning it’s essentially a Windows tablet with a detachable keyboard cover. All the guts of the device are behind the screen, which, in the case of the 2025 model, includes the AMD Ryzen Max+ chip. In other words, it’s a Surface Pro designed for playing games.
Nearly every gaming laptop I’ve ever used gets warm on the palm rests and keyboard while gaming, leaving you with sweaty hands after a few missions of Arc Raiders. But not so with the Flow Z13; because it’s a tablet, your hands are never near vents and warm surfaces. It’s also one of the smallest and most compact gaming devices you can buy. Asus has also been experimenting with dual-screen gaming laptops for years, with the most interesting edition out later this year: the ROG Zephyrus Duo. I saw it at CES a few months ago, and it was one of the most exciting new gaming devices I’ve seen in a while.
Many laptops that aren’t necessarily marketed as gaming products can play games. Some laptops with discrete GPUs are oriented toward content creators, like the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i (7/10, WIRED Recommends) or the Asus ProArt P16 (9/10, WIRED Recommends). I like both of these options, particularly given the new version of the Yoga Pro 9i with an RTX 5050 for $2,400. Not bad.
For something a bit more grounded, I’d consider the Dell XPS 14 (8/10, WIRED Recommends). While it doesn’t have a discrete graphics card, you can configure it with Intel’s latest X7 integrated graphics, which are surprisingly powerful. While I wouldn’t buy the XPS 14 mainly as a gaming device, like a 16-inch MacBook Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends), it’s absolutely capable of running AAA games on the side. I was able to average 56 frames per second in Cyberpunk 2077 with the settings at medium. For a laptop without a discrete graphics card, that’s kind of mind-blowing. When you need it, Intel offers both a low-latency mode and XeSS upscaling. When used together, you get faster frame rates without too much visual distortion or input lag. Your battery will also benefit if you go with a non-gaming laptop. Unlike many of the gaming laptops on this list, it actually gets fantastic battery life, competitive with the 14-inch MacBook Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends).
Other Good Gaming Laptops I’ve Tested
Photograph: Luke Larsen
Alienware 15 for $1,160: For the price, the Lenovo LOQ 15 is a better buy, given it offers both more power and a better display. It’s the screen, in particular, though, that keeps the Alienware 15 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) from being a full recommendation, as the colors look desaturated. However, the RTX 5050 configuration of the Alienware 15 that I tested performs well for what it is and is solidly built.
Lenovo LOQ 15 Essential Gen 11 for $1,850: Not to be confused with the LOQ 15 I mentioned as my top recommendation, this newer model intends to be an entry-level option (despite its current price tag being higher). The LOQ 15 Essential is, however, a step up from the Alienware 15 in terms of the quality of the display. The configuration I tested comes with an RTX 5060, which offers better gaming performance over the Alienware. Its crucial flaw is that its included power adapter is only 135 watts, meaning it’ll actually drain the battery, even while plugged in when playing games in Performance mode.