Gaming Laptops

Best laptops for serious gamers

Larger laptops have more internal space, which leaves plenty of room for a dedicated video card instead of video that's integrated into the motherboard. Video cards have processors and RAM dedicated to the display, which enables rapid on-screen action to look natural. That's not essential for playing modern action games or watching movies, but it can make a big difference in performance.

Gaming-oriented laptops commonly have 17-inch widescreen displays, but some have smaller or larger screens. DVD burners are standard, and Blu-ray drives are a common option for higher-end laptops. Most gaming notebooks are barely portable, but they do make a more functional substitute for a desktop computer. If total functionality, multimedia features and fast performance are a priority over portability, you should first consider gaming laptops. Large multimedia and gaming laptops are often marketed as desktop replacements, and reviewers say they are faster, have more features and cost less.

For serious gamers, reviews indicate the 17-inch Alienware M17x (*Est. $1,800 and up) is the way to go. Multiple reviewers praise this award-winning laptop, and it earns Editors' Choice awards from PCMag.com and Laptop Magazine.

The M17x is designed specifically for gaming, so it boasts some powerful hardware. Dan Ackerman at CNET says it "offers the best laptop gaming hardware you can get," but only if you're willing to shell out some serious cash. While the M17x starts at a reasonable $1,800, experts recommend a host of upgrades to exploit this notebook's true gaming potential. Most of the review units tested by experts cost upwards of $4,000, and have been upgraded with larger hard drives, 8 GB of RAM, an Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad QX9300 processor and dual SLI Nvidia GeForce GTX 280M graphics. (The base model has a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 processor, 4 GB of memory and a single Nvidia GeForce GTX 260M video card.) The Alienware M17x gaming laptop can also be upgraded with a Blu-ray drive, high-resolution screen and an extended warranty. The anodized aluminum case comes in black or silver; a special-edition red model is also available for an extra $100. Alienware is owned by Dell.

Across the board, reviewers say the Alienware M17x is a solid gaming performer. Cisco Cheng at PCMag.com calls the M17x laptop the "complete package," and Darren Gladstone at PC World says it has "blistering gamer-approved performance for a notebook." John Delaney at ComputerShopper.com agrees, saying the M17x is "the fastest gaming laptop we've ever tested." The M17x gaming laptop posts great scores in 3-D benchmark tests, with fast performance and good frame rates. Reviewers also appreciate the numerous ports, including four USB slots, an eSATA/USB combo, ExpressCard and an 8-in-1 media card reader. The Alienware M17x comes with Windows 7 Home Premium, although Windows 7 Professional (*Est. $130) and Windows 7 Ultimate (*Est. $150) are available as upgrade options.

While the Alienware M17x is praised overall, reviewers do note a few drawbacks. The glossy display gets high marks for brightness and resolution, but glare can be a problem. The M17x is quite a beast of a laptop -- weighing 11.68 pounds -- and a short battery life limits its portability. Of course, the biggest downside mentioned in reviews is price. Reviewers acknowledge that there are better deals out there, but the Alienware M17x is still recommended for those who want the best gaming notebook money can buy.

For those who want a little more portability, the new Alienware M15x (*Est. $1,500 and up) -- not to be confused with the discontinued Alienware Area-51 M15x -- also earns several recommendations. At 9 pounds, the M15x is still no lightweight, but it shaves a few pounds off the heavier (and pricier) Alienware M17x. It sports a 15.6-inch WLED display, 1.6 GHz Intel Core i7 processor, Nvidia GeForce GT graphics, 3 GB of memory and a 250 GB SATAII hard drive. Like the M17x, there are a variety of upgrade options available for the M15x, including larger hard drives, faster processors, more memory and a slot-loading Blu-ray drive. These upgrade options, however, increase the price considerably, and most reviewers test review units costing between $2,500 and $3,000.

When upgraded, Darren Gladstone at PC World finds the Alienware M15x performs nearly as well as the M17x, and it actually gets slightly faster frame rates in "Enemy Territory: Quake Wars" and "Unreal Tournament 3." Michael Prospero at Laptop Magazine is also impressed with the gaming performance, saying it surpasses "every other production notebook we've tested." Stuart Davidson at DriverHeaven.net has similar results, with the Alienware M15x providing some of the best scores he's seen in Photoshop and Cinebench tests. Other positives include good video quality, a responsive touchpad and a sturdy design that experts say is much improved over the older Area-51 model. Florian Glaser at NotebookCheck.net especially praises the design, saying the case is very stable with an eye-catching lighting system.

While its gaming performance is admirable, it comes at a cost. "A downside to all this power is that this high-performance rig can barely muster 2 hours of battery life," says Gladstone. Laptop Magazine gets less than an hour and a half in its test. In addition to short battery life, other reviewers note middling audio quality and point out that the graphics are better on the Alienware M17x. Even with these downsides, those who test the Alienware M15x highly recommend it. "If you want the best-looking and best-performing 15-inch rig on the block, this is the notebook to get," says Prospero.

It earns fewer recommendations than Alienware's gaming laptops, but Toshiba's 18.4-inch Qosmio X505 series also gets high marks. The base Toshiba X505-Q830 (*Est. $1,450) comes with an Intel Core i7 processor, 4 GB of memory, Nvidia GeForce GTS graphics, a 320 GB hard drive and Blu-ray Disc drive. The top-of-the-line model, the Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q850 (*Est. $1,900), comes with 6 GB of memory, a 320 GB hard drive and a 64 GB solid-state drive. Both laptops now ship with Windows 7 Home Premium. Dan Ackerman at CNET tests the Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q850, saying it is a "powerful, performance-oriented system." The laptop also scores an Editors' Choice award from Laptop Magazine. High-def video quality is stellar on the large screen and the speakers offer good sound quality for a portable computer.

While reviewers like the Qosmio X505-Q850, it can't match the top-rated Alienware M17x when it comes to gaming prowess. In a test using "Unreal Tournament 3" at CNET, the Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q850 gets 60 frames per second, compared to 170 for the Alienware M17x. The comparison between the two may be a little unfair, considering CNET tests an upgraded Alienware M17x with dual graphic cards that is significantly more expensive than the Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q850. While CNET would like to see somewhat higher gaming performance, Laptop Magazine sees the value compared to pricier gaming laptops. "The Toshiba Qosmio X505 offers the best combination of performance and value we've seen lately," says Avram Piltch.

For those with smaller budgets, the HP Pavilion dv7t (*Est. $800 and up) may also be worth a look. The dv7t laptop has been around for a while, but it was updated earlier this year with a slighter larger display (17.3 inches) and a switch from Nvidia to ATI graphics. The HP Pavilion dv7t laptop has a variety of upgrade options, but the base model comes with a 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2 GB of memory and a 250 GB SATA hard drive. HP's recommended configuration ups the price to nearly $1,250. Most reviewers test slightly different versions of the laptop, but overall opinions are positive. The HP Pavilion dv7t is now offered with either Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 7 Professional; however, older configurations with Windows Vista remain available at retail.

Cisco Cheng at PCMag.com tests an older configuration with a 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 processor. He says this laptop has "terrific gaming performance," and it performs well in "World in Conflict" and "Crysis" benchmark tests. Like most gaming laptops, the battery life is short -- lasting less than two hours in Cheng's drain test. PC World also gives the HP Pavilion dv7t a good review, but it tests the older version that still used Nvidia graphics.

HP has also released a 17.3-inch Quad Edition (*Est. $1,150 and up) for the dv7t series. The base configuration comes with a 1.6 GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 3 GB of memory, 250 GB hard drive and Nvidia GeForce GT 230M graphics. Like the regular Pavilion dv7t laptop, the Quad Edition is eligible for an optional Blu-ray drive (*Est. $150). Since it's so new, reviewers have yet to test this new laptop.