Welcome to the exciting world of the best gaming laptops of 2025! As technology evolves, so do the devices that power our gaming experiences. This year, we are witnessing an impressive lineup of gaming laptops that not only deliver exceptional performance but also feature stunning designs and innovative capabilities.
Whether you’re a casual gamer or a competitive player, there’s a perfect laptop for you, and CGMagazine has tested many to help you find the best option to meet your needs. With advancements in graphics, processing power, and display technology, these machines are designed to elevate your gaming experience. From lightweight models that are easy to carry to powerful systems capable of handling the most demanding titles, the options are endless. So, gear up and get ready to explore the best gaming laptops of 2025, where performance meets style, and every gamer can find their ideal match.
MSI Vector 16 HX
The Vector 16 HX is the latest Powerhouse laptop from manufacturer MSI. This refresh of the Vector laptop Series offers the latest in power management and efficiency, an impressive hardware spec sheet and loads of AI-powered systems to help squeeze every ounce of power of the Vector 16 HX. With a laundry list of features and hardware, the Vector 16 HX aims to continue its run as the champion of performance Laptops.
Measuring 14.05” x 11.188” x 1.12” and weighing just under 6 lbs, the Vector 16 rides the line between desktop replacement and portable powerhouse. It manages to provide the results of the former (more on this later) while maintaining the flexibility of the latter. This is an impressive feat, to say the least, and while not the most portable of gaming laptops this year, it is by far one of the most powerful.
Games testing was essentially a breeze with titles like DOOM Eternal and Diablo 4 easily running at max settings with seriously impressive performance. Likewise, even less than optimized titles like Rest for the Wicked, which is still in development, ran with ease on the Vector 16 HX. With performance optimization thanks to MSI Center and the MSI AI Engine, the Vector does an impressive job at allocating resources based on workload.
The Vector 16 HX is an incredibly powerful Laptop built to handle even the most gruelling of workloads. Packing some serious horsepower and a host of AI-powered resource management software, the Vector 16 HX walks the line between Desktop replacement and portable powerhouse exceptionally well. There’s not much to critique here, the MSI Vector 16 HX is an incredible laptop that can handle just about anything thrown its way. Priced at CND $2,899.99, it will replace your desktop with ease.
The Vector 16 HX is an incredibly powerful laptop that offers everything you would need in a desktop experience with the portability of a laptop.
- Unleash Gaming Dominance: Elevate your gaming with the Intel Core i9 processor (14th gen HX-series). Packed with a high core count and lightning-fast speeds, this gaming engine delivers the speed and responsiveness you’ve been longing for.
- Power Your Passion: Intuitive navigation with faster performance, Windows 11 Pro is perfect for at home use or running a business.
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i
I am very picky when it comes to laptops. I know what I like, and it is generally elegance and simplicity, as is evidenced in my current daily driver, the ASUS TUF Dash F15. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i became available recently, and I jumped all over the chance to see how Lenovo was able to construct a gaming laptop to rival some of the top machines on the market today.
The physical construction of the Legion Pro 7i ticks all of the boxes for me, with an all-aluminum chassis and a very aesthetically pleasing Eclipse Black colourway. The aluminum chassis keeps things lightweight for ease of travel, and it is strong enough to withstand a bump or two here and there. Coming in at around 22mm (0.86”) in thickness and roughly 2.62 kg (5.78 lbs), the Legion Pro 7i makes quite the travel companion for those days you need to be on the road, despite its physical size.
Performance-wise, the Legion Pro 7i I tested came equipped with an Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-14900HX processor and 32 GB of RAM, as well as an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU. What this meant for me is that I was able to run some of my more visually demanding games, like New World and Cities: Skylines II, at maximum settings and experienced almost no slowdowns or framerate issues. In fact, New World was able to run at ~105 fps when I was wandering around highly populated areas and ~150 fps when I was out exploring the wilds.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i gaming laptop is a fantastic machine that is a welcome addition to my deskspace. I didn’t think anything would supplant my current machine, but the fine folks at Lenovo have done just that. With its ability to open almost fully flat, incredible graphics capabilities and battery life, the Legion Pro 7i is easily the best laptop I have used in my career. With all of the goodness comes a price, and the Legion Pro 7i comes in at a healthy $2699.99 USD for the model tested. It’s not awful, given its capabilities, but it’s something to consider if you are in the market.
From top to bottom, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i gaming laptop is a star. It ticks all of the boxes to be the best part of your set up, regardless of the task you’re taking on.
- Processor – 14th Generation Intel i9-14900HX Processor (E-cores up to 4.10 GHz P-cores up to 5.80 GHz)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Pro 64
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 laptop range has been one of my personal favourite gaming laptops since they first hit the market. They are hands down some of the best 14-inch gaming laptops you can buy, offering exceptional performance and portability. For 2024, ASUS has taken this winning formula and refined it even further with a stunning redesign.
Unboxing the redesigned 2024 ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop, you will find a laptop that looks stunning, even before you turn it on. The 2024 G14 features a new chassis made from CNC machined aluminum, resulting in a slim and lightweight design that is perfect for gaming on the go. The G14 is an incredibly portable device, weighing only 3.3 pounds and measuring 0.63 inches thick. It is equipped with impressive gaming capabilities, featuring up to an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS CPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, making it a powerful machine despite its small size, and that is all before touching on the ROG Nebula OLED panel.
Gaming is where the Zephyrus G14 really shines, thanks to its top-tier specs and intelligent cooling design. The latest titles run excellently on this laptop even at its native resolution, with frame rates comfortably hitting well over 60 fps with settings maxed out in many games. Demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla are very playable, especially with NVIDIA DLSS enabled to boost frame rates using AI upscaling.
In the premium 14-inch gaming laptop market, the Zephyrus G14 has always stood out for delivering outstanding performance and display quality at a relatively affordable price point. The 2024 model upholds this reputation, bringing impactful upgrades without inflating the cost. For shoppers seeking a highly portable powerhouse for gaming and creative work, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 hits a sweet spot between price, features and performance.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) is an outstanding ultra-portable gaming laptop that doesn’t compromise on power or style.
- [Upgraded] Seal is opened for Hardware/Software upgrade only to enhance performance. 14.0″ OLED 2.8K (2880×1800) 120Hz Display; Wi-Fi 6E MT7922, Bluetooth 5.3, 1080p Full HD Webcam, RGB Backlit Standard Keyboard
- [Powerful Performance with Ryzen 9 8945HS Octa Core] 5th Gen Ryzen 9 8945HS 4.0GHz Processor (upto 5.2 GHz, 16MB Cache, 8-Cores, 16-Threads, ); GeForce RTX 4070 8GB GDDR6 Dual (Integrated+Dedicated) Graphics, VR Ready
Alienware m18
While the term ‘Desktop Replacement’ has been thrown around for years, Alienware has gone out of its way to redefine exactly what that means with the introduction of the m18 Gaming Laptop. The m18 is the latest gaming laptop from the manufacturer and packs a serious punch. Sporting a powerful AMD Ryzen 9 7945H CPU, Radeon RX 7900M 16GB GPU and 32GB DDR6 RAM at 4800MT/s, the m18 is built to crush anything thrown at it.
Sporting that familiar Alienware look and feel, the m18 is a sharp-looking laptop with all the bells and whistles. Featuring Alienware’s signature Alien FX lighting Zones, the chassis plays host to any one of the 16.8 million distinct colours that you’d like to apply to each zone. Additionally, the included CherryMX keyboard with full, customizable RGB support offers a next-level gaming experience on a laptop. The responsive feedback on the keys feels closer to a traditional mechanical board than what is typical of gaming laptops.
Game testing revealed that with the native display, the m18 easily managed every game title thrown at it from Starfield to Diablo 4. Everything ran with ease thanks to not only the powerhouse of hardware under the hood but also thanks to the 480Hz refresh rate. Shifting to a 1440p and 4K external displays, the m18 once again handled all of the test titles without breaking a sweat, though a lot of heat was pulled away from the laptop (more on this in a moment).
The Alienware m18 has redefined the term ‘desktop replacement’. It offers some of the most impressive hardware found in a laptop. Offering a true desktop experience in a much more compact form, the m18 has everything you need to tackle any task, work or play, that comes your way. It does suffer from poor battery life, an odd Windows hibernation issue and a lack of HDR, but it more than makes up for it with raw processing power, a quality keyboard and an exceptional range of ports. The £2700.99 price tag may not be for the faint-hearted, but if you need maximum performance in a compact form factor, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more powerful gaming laptop.
The m18 from Alienware has redefined the term ‘Desktop Replacement’. It offers some of the most impressive hardware that can be found in a laptop.
- COMMANDING POWER & PRESENCE: Outplay your rivals and show them who’s boss with an 18-inch gaming laptop featuring 14th Gen Intel Core i9-14900HX processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 12 GB GDDR6 graphics. Play your most demanding games with up to 270W Total Power Performance* with more headroom to support overclocking without throttling.
- UNCOMPROMISED PERFORMANCE: Our exclusive thermal interface material*, now located on the CPU and GPU, dissipates heat for extended, optimal gaming experiences.
ASUS TUF A16 FA608
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 FA608 is the latest in the superb TUF A series of laptops. Packed with incredible hardware, the latest TUF A16 offers a powerful gaming solution for those needing portability. Equipped with the latest AI 9 HX370 processor, up to 32GB LPDDR5X-7500 MHz memory, and up to 2TB of PCIe 4.0 SSD storage, the TUF A16 has everything you need to handle the most power-hungry games.
In line with previous generations of the TUF Gaming A16 series, the FA608 offers a clean, streamlined design that is built for durability and functionality. With a MIL-STD-810H durability rating, the A16 easily withstands the realities of gaming on the go. It is also quite thin considering the hardware packed inside, a feature I appreciate as someone who travels frequently.
With 12 CPU cores and 24 threads, the HX370 offers impressive power that works in tandem with the GPU to push more power for gaming and heavy workloads. Thanks to the AMD XDNA NPU (neural processing unit), the A16 can process data more efficiently while reducing power consumption. The new Ryzen AI 9 chips (HX370 and 365), released earlier this year, respond to Intel’s and Apple’s AI-driven CPUs. For the most part, the results have been impressive, particularly in performance-to-efficiency.
For the GPU, ASUS packed in an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 (8GB) to complement the CPU. Together, the two deliver impressive gaming performance. Like the Ryzen AI 9 HX370, this iteration of the RTX 4070 leans into AI processing, producing excellent results while maintaining reasonable power consumption.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 FA608 laptop is a great system. It provides incredible power in a sleek and relatively thin design. Solid cooling, impressive specs, and a functional design make it a solid solution for gamers looking to upgrade their portable gaming setup. With solid durability and a beautiful display, it is a gaming laptop worthy of the TUF Gaming name. Priced at $1,699.99, the TUF Gaming A16 is the perfect laptop for gamers.
From impressive specs to a well-thought-out design the TUF Gaming A16 is a perfect system for gamers looking for a blend of performance and portability.
- READY FOR ANYTHING – Dive headfirst into gaming on Windows 11 powered by the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX Processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU with NVIDIA Advanced Optimus support.
- SUBTLE STYLING – The TUF Gaming A16 (2024) maintains its classic design featuring a sleek embossed TUF logo.
