Gaming laptop sales are at all-time high. Make sure you're buying the right one.
The best gaming laptops you can buy
Modern gaming laptops often cost more than their business-grade counterparts but offset that premium with gaming-specific features that boost their performance when it counts most. They aren’t as pretty or light as mainstream notebooks like the Dell XPS or Apple MacBook, but they’re also a lot more powerful. These days, the list of reasons to choose a gaming laptop over the alternatives has never been longer while the caveats continue to shrink.
That’s probably the reason why sales for gaming laptops are at an all-time high. Nowadays, nearly every big name in computers has a gaming sub-brand fighting for consumers’ attention and dollars. Despite that popularity, manufacturers haven’t made much progress in making the process of finding the best gaming laptop your money can get any more straightforward.
We’re here to help fill in the gaps with this round-up of the best gaming laptops you can buy in Australia.
- : Best overall gaming laptop
- : Best cheap gaming laptop
- : Best value gaming laptop
- : Best Dell gaming laptop
- : Best MSI gaming laptop
- : Best Razer gaming laptop
Lenovo Legion 7i
Best gaming laptop
Lenovo has been cranking out Legion-branded gaming laptops for a number of years now, but the OEM's heavyweight Legion Pro 5i cuts above the rest of the crowd in a number of ways.
The latest Lenovo Legion Pro 5iisn't cheap, but the high price involved also includes all the bells, whistles, and performance you could want from a gaming laptop. There's an expansive 16-inch WQXGA IPS display clocked at 240Hz. There are also the best-in-class Intel Core and Nvidia RTX chips, up to 32GB of DDR5 RAM and up to 1TB of onboard storage.
More than just piling on the right parts and ticking all the right boxes, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i elevates a familiar formula through smart innovations like the inclusion of a hyperbaric chamber and a suite of software tools that make optimising the performance of the hardware here easy and instant.
Wrapped up in stylish looks and ports aplenty, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i is currently our pick for the best gaming laptop you can buy.
Model | Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 9 |
Processor | Intel Core i7-14700HX |
Graphics | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 |
Memory | Starts at 16GB of DDR5-4200 RAM |
Display | 16-inch WQXGA IPS display w/ 240Hz refresh rate |
Storage | Starts at 512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 SSD |
Ports | USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A (4x), Power, HDMI 2.1, RJ45 LAN, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (2x), Headphone / Microphone jack |
Battery | 80Whr |
Webcam | 1080p FHD |
Weight | 2.5kg |
Dimensions | 363.4 x 261.75 x 21.99-26.95 mm |
What to look for when buying a gaming laptop
The beginner's guide to buying a gaming laptop.
Dell G15
Best gaming laptop
It might not do all it could to dispel the usual caveats that come with gaming laptops (and cheap ones in particular), but if you’re after something that will let you jump into PC gaming without breaking the bank, then Dell’s G15 gaming laptop delivers a ton of bang for your buck.
Even if the display on the baseline Dell G15 is only FHD when it comes to quality, it's more generous when it comes to size and refresh rate than many other laptops in its class. What's more, it comes in both AMD and Intel varieties.
The Intel-based version of the laptop relies on an Intel Core i5-12500H as standard, but this can be upgraded to an Intel Core i7-12700H for an extra $200 or so. If you're looking at sticking with the G15 for the long haul and squeezing as much performance out of it as possible, this is surcharge is probably one worth paying.
On the other hand, those looking to squeeze every bit of possible savings should seriously consider the Ryzen-based version of the G15. This model boasts an AMD Ryzen 5 6600H processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card, 8GB of DDR5 RAM and 256GB of PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD storage.
The Dell G15 won’t let you crank up the in-game settings in the way that something twice its price will, but if you’re looking to do a modest amount of gaming on the go, it’s our pick for the best way to go about it.
Model | Dell G15 Ryzen Edition |
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5600H Mobile |
Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 |
Memory | Starts at 8GB RAM |
Display | 15.6-inch, FHD 120Hz, Non-Touch, |
Storage | Starts at 256GB SSD storage |
Ports | 1x HiSpeed USB 2.0, 1x HiSpeed USB 2.0 with PowerShare, 1x SuperSpeed USB 3.2, 1x USB Type-C, 1x HDMI, 1x Power In, 1x RJ45 Ethernet, 1x 3.5 mm headphone jack |
Speakers | Stereo speakers with Realtek ALC3254 |
Webcam | HD RGB camera with digital-array microphones |
Weight | 2449g |
Dimensions | 24.9mm x 357.26 mm x 272.11 mm |
ASUS ROG Flow X13
Best value gaming laptop
The ASUS Flow X13 isn't as lean as the latest ROG Zephyrus nor as powerful as the brand's roster of Strix gaming laptops, but the fusion of flexible form factor and AMD Ryzen processor here makes it a clear winner for those looking to spend a little bit more than what our best cheap gaming laptop pick costs and a little less than the price that our best overall gaming laptop commands.
Under the hood, the ASUS ROG Flow X13 is kitted out with an AMD Ryzen 6900HS processor, 16GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD storage and your choice of either AMD Radeon 680M, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 or Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics. Adorned with a 4K IPS display clocked at 60Hz, the ASUS ROG Flow X13 is geared up to provide plenty of gaming goodness for years to come.
Model | ASUS ROG Flow X13 |
Processor | AMD Ryzen 6 6800HS Mobile |
Graphics | Starts at NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 |
Memory | Starts at 16GB RAM |
Display | 13.4-inch, UHD, 60Hz, Touch, IPS |
Storage | Starts at 1TB SSD storage |
Ports | 1x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 1x ROG XG Mobile Interface, 1x 3.5 mm headphone jack |
Speakers | Stereo speakers with Smart Amp and Dolby Atmos |
Webcam | 720p HD camera |
Weight | 1.3kg |
Dimensions | 29.9 x 22.2 x 1.58 ~ 1.58 cm |
Alienware M15 R7
Best Dell gaming laptop
While the Dell G15 ticks plenty of boxes, it can't hold a candle to the Alienware M15 R7. Available in both AMD and Intel variants, this particular Alienware gaming laptop is our pick for the end-all-be-all of Dell gaming laptops. At least, for now.
Beyond the usual high-performance mobile processors mentioned above, the Alienware M15 R7 is also kitted out with up to 32GB of DDR5 RAM, up to 1TB of SSD storage and (for those who can afford it) discrete graphics that range from the more-than-modest Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 to the mighty Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti.
Throw in a 15.6-inch IPS display that can be bumped up when it comes to both the resolution (up to 4K) and refresh rate (up to 240Hz), and the sum total of what the Alienware M15 R7 delivers is nothing short of a feast for those looking to game on the go or a full-blown desktop replacement.
Model | Alienware M15 R7 |
Processor | Intel Core i7-12700H or AMD Ryzen 7 6800H or AMD Ryzen 7 6900HX |
Graphics | Starts at NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti |
Memory | Starts at 16GB RAM |
Display | 15.6-inch, FHD 120Hz, Non-Touch, |
Storage | Starts at 512GB SSD storage |
Ports | 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A with Powershare, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 1x HDMI 2.1 with HDCP 2.3, 1x Power In, 1x RJ45 Ethernet, 1x 3.5 mm headphone jack |
Speakers | Stereo speakers with Realtek ALC3254 |
Webcam | 720p HD camera with dual-array microphones |
Weight | 2.69kg |
Dimensions | 23.95mm x 356.20 mm x 272.50 mm |
MSI Katana GF66
Best MSI gaming laptop
MSI has always been great at picking the right parts, but they’ve sometimes struggled to bring things together and make the sum of those parts compelling. The MSI Katana GF66 solves this problem and looks good while doing it. It’s thin, light, and stacked with high-end hardware designed to make gaming that little bit better. Some of these inclusions sound small, like Wi-Fi 6 connectivity and high-speed memory. Combined with MSI’s house-brand Cooler Boost technology, these technical tweaks help the MSI Katana GF66 make good on its potential as a gaming laptop powerful enough to dethrone your desktop.
Within MSI's broader gaming laptop portfolio, the MSI Katana GF66 makes a strong case for itself as the "Goldilocks" option. It’s not the most powerful nor the most compact machine in MSI’s stable, but it’s going to be just right for the price for most consumers.
Model | MSI Katana GF66 |
Processor | Intel Core i7 12700H |
Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti or Nvidia GeFroce RTX 3060 |
Memory | Starts at 16GB RAM |
Display | 15.6-inch, FHD 144Hz, Non-Touch, |
Storage | Starts at 512GB SSD storage |
Ports | 1x USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1,1x HDMI 2.0, 1x Power In, 1x RTL81111 Ethernet, 1x 3.5 mm headphone jack |
Speakers | Stereo speakers |
Webcam | 720p |
Weight | 2.1kg |
Dimensions | 359 x 259 x 24.9 mm |
Razer Blade 16 (2023)
Best Razer gaming laptop
If you want the latest-generation gaming hardware, you’re going to have to pay for it. Case in point, the Razer Blade 16. Razer continues to defy the standard 13/15/17-inch screen trends, with the Razer Blade 16 boasting a 16-inch display. The cheapest configuration has a WQXGA display with a 240Hz refresh rate, which the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 would be working hard to max out.
Still, if you’re willing to invest more—and that’s up to $8K, mind you—the top-of-the-line Razer Blade 16 is something special. It boasts an RTX 4090 video card, dual-display modes up to 4K resolution and a breathtaking Mini-LED screen. The screen is so pretty it’ll ruin you for typical laptop displays, and it even holds its own against OLED screens.
Outside of the looming price, there’s also the expected fan noise to contend with, and we did hit some quirks while testing where the Razer Blade 16 wasn’t as intuitive as it should be at switching between integrated and dedicated graphics. That said, with 7.5 hours of battery life, a high-end CPU and speedy upgradeable DDR5 RAM, the Razer Blade 16 has performance to spare for everyday computing and all-important gaming.
Specs | Razer Blade 16 (2023) |
Processor | Intel Core i9-13950HX |
Graphics | Starts at NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 |
Memory | Starts at 16GB DDR5 5600MHz RAM |
Display | Starts at 16-inch, QHD 240Hz, Non-Touch |
Storage | Starts at 1TB M.2 SSD storage |
Ports | 1x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 Supports Power Delivery 3 (100W), 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, HDMI 2.1 output, UHS-II SD Card Reader, 1x 32.5mm headphone jack |
Speakers | Four speakers with THX Spatial Audio |
Webcam | 1080p FHD camera with dual-array microphones |
Weight | 2.45kg |
Dimensions | 21.99mm x 244mm x 355mm |
Gaming laptops we also considered
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15
The original ROG Zephyrus broke new ground for thinness without compromising when it came to the high-end performance that ASUS gaming laptops are usually known for. The latest ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 lives up to that legacy and then some. It pushes that formula to new heights through smart improvements and a hearty spec bump.
Last year's ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 incorporates a best-in-class AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS processor, one of Nvidia’s latest GeForce RTX 3000 Series GPUs and a 15.6-inch WQHD display with a 165Hz refresh rate.
Throw in a few everyday ergonomic quality-of-life inclusions such as a larger touch-pad and an ergo-lift hinge that provides a more everyday typing experience, and the fundamental maths here leaves the Zephyrus G15 kitted out to deliver exactly the experience you’d hope and expect of it.
With Dolby Atmos speakers, an intelligent cooling system and a surprisingly large battery, the ROG Zephyrus doesn’t settle for doing more with less. Instead, it just does more. The results delivered by the machine’s internal specs come augmented by practical external features that push the experience just that bit further than the competition.
Specs | ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 (GA503) |
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS |
Graphics | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 |
Display | 15.6-inch WQHD display w/ 165Hz refresh rate |
Storage | 512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 SSD |
Ports | USB 3.2 Gen Type-A (2x), Micro SD, Kensington Security Power, HDMI 2.0b, RJ45 LAN, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (2x), Headphone / Microphone jack |
Battery | 90Whr |
Speakers | 2x 2W tweeter + 4x 2W woofer with Smart Amp Technology |
Webcam | No built-in webcam |
Weight | 1.90kg |
Dimensions | 35.5 cm x 24.3 cm x 1.99 cm |
Gaming laptop buying guide
Whether you're looking at a mainstream computer brand like Dell or a dedicated gaming brand like MSI, there's an immense number of decisions you'll need to make when purchasing a laptop. If you're not sure where to start, here are a few important features to consider when shopping for your next laptop:
- Screen size and type: Unlike upgradeable components like your GPU, RAM and storage, you're stuck with the display you buy when you purchase a laptop. Is it a comfortable size? Does it offer a wide-viewing angle?
- Resolution: Similarly, you can't change your display's resolution after the fact. 1080p (Full HD) is the bare minimum these days and most laptops worth their price tag aim for 1440p at least (QHD or QuadHD) but you can also opt for 4K if you're willing to spend a little extra.
- Refresh rate: A screen's refresh rate is the measurement of how frequently it changes. If you play fast-paced multiplayer games like Call of Duty, you know that the difference a few milliseconds that a high refresh rate gets you can count for a lot. The higher the refresh rate, the better. Most conventional laptops offer 60Hz to 90Hz but fancier gaming laptops can offer 144Hz, 165Hz or even 240Hz screens.
- Ports and connections: Like your screen, ports will impact your everyday experience with a laptop, particularly if you use it for work. While you can work around this with USB hubs and adapters, a laptop with fewer ports than you need can quickly become a headache.
- Future-proofing: There are no hard and fast rules here but as a general suggestion, you'll want to sure you're laptop has the legs to survive a few years of technology improvements in any way you can. You can overshoot on your desired specs, spending more on a machine that's more powerful than you currently need, or opt for a model or brand that has support for upgrades down the track. Check which features of the machine are upgradeable. The Dell XPS 15, for example, supports additional RAM, while Apple MacBooks do not.
Check out our dedicated laptop buying guide for more suggestions on shopping for the best laptop for your needs.
Laptop FAQs
16GB is a good place to start when it comes to RAM, but it's not necessarily going to be the end of the road if your needs are more demanding. It's enough to get by, but it might not be enough for the future or for more performance-oriented users.
If your next laptop doesn't support upgrading your RAM later down the line, it's usually smart to overshoot and aim for 32GB of RAM instead.
Not all RAM is born equal. Size isn't everything. Speed also matters.
If you're looking to find out just how fast the RAM in your laptop is, the quickest way to do so is to identify the type of memory and then Google the standard expected speeds that it should offer. For example, LPDDR5 offers speeds of up to 6400Mbps while DDR4 memory can only rev up to 3200Mbps.
If you want to go one step further and determine whether the RAM in your laptop is delivering the speeds it should be capable of offering, then it might be worth putting the hardware to the test with a benchmarking tool like Novabench.
It's easy to spend too much or too little on your next laptop, but our take is that the best-value laptops tend to sit between $1600 and $2200 in terms of price. PCs that occupy this price point might not be able to outperform more expensive alternatives, but the bump up in quality over cheaper ones is well worth the cost involved.
Simply put, laptops of this price segment tend to sidestep all the compromises of going cheaper while getting most of the performance you'll get from spending more.
These days, there are three types of Intel Core processors found in laptops. The first is the humble Intel Core i5 processor, then there's the middle-of-the-range Intel Core i7 and the power user-oriented Intel Core i9.
If you're going purely by the numbers, the Intel Core i9 is going to provide the best results. However, it's also the most demanding in terms of thermal management. A laptop running an Intel Core i9 processor will be faster than one with an Intel Core i7 or Core i5, but it'll also run hotter.
If you're an everyday or more casual user, an Intel Core i5 is probably going to be fast enough for you. If you're more discerning or planning to play a lot of games, then the up-sell to an Intel Core i7 probably makes sense.
While there's no single component responsible when it comes to laptop speed, the part that usually takes the credit is the processor. If you want your next laptop to be a fast one, you'll want to make sure it has a good processor in it.
As with desktop PCs, the processor is only part of the picture, however. If your laptop lacks enough RAM or relies on a slower hard drive for file storage, that'll act as a bottleneck on the performance of the machine as a whole.