A gaming laptop must be the complete package. The screen, GPU, CPU, memory, cooling, keyboard, and trackpad are all important. So, when we're talking about the best gaming laptop in any given year, it has to be a device that offers an extraordinary package, done extraordinarily well.
We're not short of options for this prestigious award in 2024. New designs were plentiful despite the lack of any new mobile GPUs this year. In their place, new CPU generations from Intel and AMD, Lunar Lake and Strix Point, gave manufacturers abundant opportunities to redesign their machines. Many took advantage of low-power parts to make slimmer, more portable gaming laptops.
It's these sorts of slimline gaming laptops that have largely won a nomination for entry into our hallowed hall of fame. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 is one such thin machine that impressed us not only for its all-aluminium (aluminum, whatever) shell, but its fantastic speaker system, trackpad, and gorgeous screen. Then there's the Asus TUF A14, which brings AMD's superb Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 to bear in a more affordable compact chassis.
Then, the odd one out, the Gigabyte G6X. It's nowhere near as sleek, nor as slim, as the two others, but it's good on a budget. When a manufacturer makes an effort to keep costs down and improve the user experience, we take note. That's exactly what Gigabyte has done here, and without cutting any important specifications, like memory or storage size.
So, here are the nominees. We'll announce the winner on New Year's Eve.
Best gaming laptop 2024: the nominees
The winner of the PC Gamer Hardware Award for the best gaming laptop will be announced on New Year's Eve. It's all to play for, and any one of these three is completely deserving of the crown.
