I tested 34 gaming laptops in 2023 – these 5 are the best.

Top 5 Gaming Laptops 2023

#5 – ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16

Let’s begin with number 5 and work our way down to the best, starting with the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16.

This is a premium feeling gaming laptop with a thinner design. Compared to last year’s 2022 version, ASUS have added a third fan to improve thermals, improved upgrade options by going to 2 memory slots instead of 1, and the new Mini LED screen option this year looks great!

The keyboard can get warm in the middle while gaming, but the WASD area feels cool. At least with the RTX 4070 config that we tested, I wouldn’t recommend going above the 4070 in the M16’s thinner chassis.

Fellow tech reviewer Just Josh covered the RTX 4090 config which runs louder and hotter. Sticking more power into a thinner design like this just isn’t a great idea.

You can do it, just don’t expect to get the most out of a higher tier GPU without better cooling. Not to mention it costs way more money compared to better performing 4090 laptops, like Lenovo’s Legion Pro 7i, which is up next at number 4.

#4 – Lenovo Legion Pro 7i

The Legion Pro 7i is a little bigger compared to the M16, so it’s a little less portable, but that means more room for cooling and higher performance. Not to mention an RGB light bar on the front! Which means more FPS in games… 😉

It does look kind of cool though, but if it’s not your thing, you can just turn it off.

There’s no mini LED screen option like the M16, but it still looks great. The build quality on this thing just feels solid, and it was actually the most popular gaming laptop that viewers of my YouTube channel bought this year, so it seems like you guys have been loving it.

Now to be fair, Lenovo did move a bunch of nice features from last year’s Legion 7 away from this model to save them up for their new higher tier Legion 9.

That kind of sucks, but it would have resulted in a much higher price tag for the Pro 7. And the RTX 4080 version of this thing has certainly had some good sales recently. Despite less features compared to last gen, it’s still one of the best gaming laptops this year.

And apart from all that RGB lighting, it’s not actually that different compared to the cheaper Legion Pro 5i, which I also rate quite highly. But if you’re after an even cheaper option then I’ve really got to give it to Lenovo’s Legion Slim 5, which comes in at third place.

#3 – Lenovo Legion Slim 5

Lenovo have two different versions of the Slim 5, a 14″ and 16″, but they’re completely different. Both are excellent though – let’s start with the 14″.

The 14 inch version has an OLED screen, which is my favorite 14 inch gaming laptop this year. What’s cool about it is both CPU performance and FPS in games is the same as the larger 16 inch model, so you’re not losing performance going for the smaller 14 inch model.

I just love its portability, the OLED screen, and there’s plenty of battery life. The only problem I have with it is that memory is soldered and cannot be upgraded, but the tradeoff is it’s the only 14 inch gaming laptop with 2x M.2 storage slots for SSD upgrades.

There’s also the bigger and cheaper 16 inch version of the Slim 5.

Despite also being called a Slim 5, this is a refresh of the popular Legion 5 from the last few years. I’ve got no idea why they added Slim into its name though, because it’s not what I’d call a slim or thin laptop.

Especially when compared to the smaller 14 inch version. Compared to that model, unfortunately the 16 inch does not have OLED, but the 16″ screen is larger. The 16 inch also has more space for memory upgrades and room for a numpad. So perfect for those Microsoft Excel eSports players!

The 16 inch model with RTX 4060 graphics has gone on sale for under $800 USD, which is honestly a steal. Prices change over time though, so check out our daily deals https://gaminglaptop.deals to save money on your next gaming laptop!

#2 – ASUS ROG Strix G16

I thought that this was one of the best gaming laptops all year. We just didn’t have any problems with it, it worked great and has nice features like advanced optimus and G-Sync, high CPU and GPU power limits for good FPS in games, and of course most importantly of all, an RGB light bar on the front 😉.

My only problem with it is it’s almost always way too expensive, but fortunately it has had some good sales recently, making it much more attractive when compared to other laptops.

If the ASUS Strix G16 isn’t available for a reasonable price, then Lenovo’s Slim 5 16 inch is definitely the way to go as far as mid-range gaming laptops are concerned. But what about more budget friendly gaming laptop options?

#1 – Lenovo LOQ 15/16

Fortunately, the best gaming laptop of 2023 is priced much better, and that’s because it’s a more budget friendly design.

It might not look quite as slick as some of those models covered above with their flashy RGB lights, but it’s got a lot to offer for the price, which is the next best thing 😉.

I’m of course talking about Lenovo’s LOQ series, either the 15 or 16, which are basically the same, just with different screen sizes.

We’ve had the LOQ 15 with RTX 4050 graphics on our gaminglaptop.deals website for as low as $599, which is the lowest we’ve ever seen for a full powered 4050 gaming laptop in late 2023.

Just last year, 700 bucks would get you an RTX 3050 or 3050 Ti gaming laptop. The 4050 is 38% faster in games, has 50% more VRAM, which will be nice in future games, and gets you newer features like DLSS 3.

Not to mention Lenovo’s LOQ has premium features that way more expensive laptops are missing, like advanced optimus and even G-Sync. As long as you stay away from the 60Hz screen option.

Seriously. Even MSI’s $5000 top of the line GT77 Titan is missing those features for some reason.

I appreciate the LOQ’s cleaner design that doesn’t scream “I’m a gaming laptop”, and the all plastic build quality feels nicer compared to competitors at this price point.

The LOQ is just a great option for those that can’t afford the mid to high end options mentioned earlier.

More Details

You can find my full gaming laptop review videos which go into way more depth here.

More Gaming Laptops Ranked

I’ve also ranked all 34 gaming laptops I tested in 2023 in this video if you need more details:

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