While gaming laptops used to be niche enough that it was a little easily to search for the one that happened to be packing the best processor, GPU and RAM assortment, the field has exploded since then and it can be a little harder to determine the best gaming laptop.
The gaming laptop we’re used to seeing – thick chassis with RGB and tapered flares – isn’t the only option any more, with a variety of advancements (such as Nvidia’s Max-Q technology) allowing the sleeker ultrabook form factor to harbour some incredible grunt as well.
Regardless of if you’re in it for the stealthy, sleek numbers to slip in your satchel on the go, or an all-in-one replacement for a desktop rig, we’ve sifted through what’s on offer to bring you the best gaming laptops available in Australia.
Best gaming laptops in Australia at a glance
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED (2020)Gigabyte Aorus 17XAsus TUF A15MSI GS75 StealthDell G5 15 SE (2020)Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701Alienware M15 R3 (2020)MSI GS65 StealthRazer Blade 15 (2020)Gigabyte Aorus 17G
1. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
The best gaming laptop around
Specifications
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS – 9 4900HS
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060
RAM: Up to 32GB
Screen: 14-inch Non-glare Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS-level panel, 120Hz – 14-inch Non-glare WQHD (2560 x 1440) IPS-level panel, 60Hz
Storage: 512GB / 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0
Reasons to buy
+Best battery life in a gaming laptop+Excellent performance+Thin and light
Reasons to avoid
-No webcam-Fans can get loud
While the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is missing a webcam and a Thunderbolt 3 port, its solid battery life, compact form, and powerful specs do a fine job at balancing everything that gaming laptops should be offering. This is an absolute beast of a gaming laptop, delivering an incredible performance with its AMD Ryzen 4000 processors and Nvidia RTX 2060 graphics card while touting best-in-class battery life that will last you all day long, a fast display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a lightweight, ultrathin design. The best part is that you’re getting all that without burning a hole in your pocket. Don’t get us wrong; it isn’t cheap. However, for a laptop this impressive, we’re surprised Asus isn’t asking for more.
Read the full review: Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
2. Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED (2020)
An upgrade to the OLED marvel
Specifications
CPU: Intel Core i7-10875H
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super (8GB GDDR6; MaxQ)
RAM: 16GB
Screen: 15.6-inch, 4K (3,840 x 2,160), 60HZ, AMOLED, Gloss
Storage: 512GB SSD
Reasons to buy
+4K HDR OLED screen+RTX GPU and 10th-gen CPU+Sleek with better thermal management
Reasons to avoid
-Expensive-Unfortunate webcam placement
While the Aero 15 range from Gigabyte is aimed at designers, it makes for one of the best value gaming laptops on the Australian market right now due to its powerful internals, brilliant display, and sleek, stylish chassis. This year’s model refreshes much of what was great about the 2019 model – packing a 15-inch 4K HDR screen which is ideal as a high-resolution on-the-go gaming monitor, media machine, or its intended design-centric use. It also ramps up the internals, with a 10th-gen Intel Core i7 CPU running the show and the latest RTX 2070 Super GPU in assistance.
Read the full review: Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED
3. Gigabyte Aorus 17X
Slays the field with truly face-melting performance
Specifications
CPU: 10th-generation Intel Core i7 – i9
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 16 series – RTX 20 Super series
RAM: up to 64GB
Screen: 17.3″ Thin Bezel FHD 1920×1080 240Hz Anti-Glare Display
Storage: 1TB SSD (PCIe), 2TB HDD
Reasons to buy
+Dominating all-around performance+Gorgeous display+Mechanical keyboard is a dream
Reasons to avoid
-Very, very heavy-RTX 2080 model needs two power adapters
The Gigabyte Aorus 17X is hardly for everyone, especially with that breathtakingly steep price. However, if you are looking for a laptop that can pretty much slay anything in its path, this one’s got that face-melting performance you’re looking for, with 10th-generation Intel Core processors and Nvidia’s most powerful GPUs for gaming. Besides its performance, it’s got a few other things going for it including a display that is a complete stunner, a mechanical keyboard (nothing short of that is good for gaming) that’s incredible to use and build quality that’s designed to last.
Read the full review: Gigabyte Aorus 17X
4. Asus TUF A15
The new affordable gaming king
Specifications
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 4600H – 7 4800H
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660TI – RTX 2060
RAM: up to 32 GB SDRAM
Screen: 15.6″ (16:9) FHD (1920×1080) 60Hz Anti-Glare IPS-level Panel – 15.6″ (16:9) FHD (1920×1080) 144Hz Anti-Glare IPS-level Panel
Storage: 1TB 5400 rpm SATA HDD – 256GB/512GB/1TB PCIe Gen3 SSD
Reasons to buy
+Great 1080p performance+New AMD processors+Very good battery life
Reasons to avoid
-Noisy fans-Not the most powerful gaming laptop-Design won’t be for everyone
Give us a laptop that touts one of AMD’s stellar Ryzen 400 mobile processors, and we’d be more than happy to try it on for size. What we found in the Asus TUF A15, however, is not just fantastic gaming performance, but a great value gaming rig with a long battery life and military-grade durability as well. With the help of Nvidia’s most powerful 1080p graphics cards, this Ryzen 4000-powered laptop will see you through all your 1080p gaming demands without burning a hole in your pocket. Whether you play a lot of competitive esports, or need a rugged laptop, this one’s a winner.
Read the full review: Asus TUF A15
5. MSI GS75 Stealth
Gaming power meets ultrabook style
Specifications
CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H 2.20GHz
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q (8GB GDDR6 VRAM)
RAM: 32GB
Screen: 17.3-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) 144H
Reasons to buy
+Super sleek and subtle design+Tons of performance+Thin bezels
Reasons to avoid
-A little expensive
Considering the huge 17.3-inch display, it’s amazing that this laptop manages to be at once compact and sleek while still packing the latest GPU and plenty of gaming power to boot. It’s an improvement on the GS65 in most ways (but it’s certainly still great – see below), although the most significant bump is the inclusion of Nvidia’s RTX 2080 GPU and a stupendous 32GB of RAM. The Samsung SSDs come in a RAID configuration for ultra-fast speeds, and the screen has tiny thin bezels on all four sides. There is no doubt that this is a premium beast.
Read the review: MSI GS75 Stealth
6. Dell G5 15 SE (2020)
A fantastic value
Specifications
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 4600H – 7 4800H
Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 5600M
RAM: 8GB – 16GB
Screen: 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) Anti-Glare LED Backlight Non-Touch Narrow Border WVA Display – 15.6 inch FHD(1920×1080) 300nits WVA Anti-Glare LED Backlit Display(non-touch), 144Hz refresh rate
Storage: 256GB – 1TB SSD
Reasons to buy
+Excellent CPU performance+Very affordable for a gaming laptop+Quick and vibrant display
Reasons to avoid
-Gets pretty hot under strain-Plastic build feels flimsy
Though Dell has its premium lines, it’s also been very good at building excellent budget machines. The Dell G5 15 SE (2020) is a very good example of that, touting impressive AMD specs, especially in the CPU department, to keep cost down without compromising performance. This is among the very few gaming laptops out there that are affordable and also deliver a staggering performance for the price, with a stunning display to boot. Of course, being a budget laptop, some sacrifices have been made – namely, its build and heat management. However, for the budget-minded, this is certainly among the best gaming laptops out there for gaming.
Read the full review: Dell G5 15 SE (2020)
7. Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701
Power and beauty
Specifications
CPU: Intel Core i7
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 – GeForce GTX 2080 Max-Q (8GB GDDR6 VRAM)
RAM: 8GB – 24GB
Screen: 17.3-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) 144Hz panel with G-Sync
Reasons to buy
+ Super thin + Tons of performance
Reasons to avoid
– Very expensive
These days, the best gaming laptop manufacturers are scrambling to craft the thinnest gaming laptop packing raw power. Right now, the one that might be leading the charge is the Asus ROG Zephyrus GX701. At just 0.7 inches thick, this beast of a laptop boasts an Intel Coffee Lake Core i7 chip, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics and 16GB of RAM. That means you can play any PC game under the sun on Ultra, and also take it with you wherever you go – ideal for travelers with a penchant for gaming. Plus, it’s packed with RGB lighting that’ll dazzle just about anyone.
Read the full review: Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701
8. Alienware M15 R3 (2020)
A brilliant gaming beast that just got a little bit better
Specifications
CPU: Up to 10th Generation Intel Core i9-10980HK
Graphics: Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super
RAM: Up to 32GB DDR4
Display: 15.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080) 144Hz 7ms 300-nits 72% NTSC – 15.6″ OLED UHD (3840 x 2160) 60Hz 1ms 400-nits DCI-P3
Storage: Up to 4TB RAID0 + 512GB SSD
Reasons to buy
+Great build quality+Sublime all-round performance
Reasons to avoid
-4K OLED panel not optimal for gaming-Nvidia Max-Q GPU a little limited
Dell’s Alienware gaming laptop line has established itself as among the very best on the market. But it’s back and better than ever, rocking the best internals for gaming that money can buy. Of course, that means that its configurations cost a pretty penny, but if you have the money to spare, it’s certainly worth the splurge because of its sublime gaming performance. That’s without factoring in its quirky yet attractive design, excellent build quality and display with fast refresh rates. We’ve been fans of the line since its design overall a couple of years ago, and that hasn’t changed.
Read the full review: Alienware M15 R3 (2020)
9. MSI GS65 Stealth
Thin. Beautiful. Powerful.
Specifications
CPU: Intel Core i7
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB GDDR5X VRAM, Max-Q)
RAM: 16GB
Screen: 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) anti-glare, wide-view 144Hz panel
Storage: 512GB M.2 SSD
Reasons to buy
+Beautiful, subtle design +Excellent performance
Reasons to avoid
-Underside gets very hot
If you want to play some of the best PC games on the move, but you don’t want everyone to know you’re playing games, the MSI GS65 Stealth is the best gaming laptop for you. Coming in at just 17.5mm thick and featuring impressive hardware like Intel Coffee Lake processors and Nvidia GeForce GTX 10-series – refreshed with RTX 20-series graphics at CES – the MSI GS65 Stealth packs a ton of power into a very svelte package. There’s nothing you won’t be able to throw at this thing that’ll slow it down. And, thanks to the subdued design, you’ll be able to bring this beefy rig everywhere you go, making it on of the best gaming laptops on the market right now.
Read the full review: MSI GS65 Stealth
10. Razer Blade 15 (2020)
Gaming in style
Specifications
CPU: 10th-generation Intel Core i7
Graphics: up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super
RAM: 16GB DDR4
Screen: 144Hz FHD Matte or OLED 4K – 300Hz FHD Matte or OLED 4K Touch
Storage: Up to 1TB PCIe
Reasons to buy
+Powerful+Plenty of ports+Top-mounted speakers
Reasons to avoid
-Expensive-Short battery life
Expensive though it may be – as is usual with the Razer Blade line – 2020’s installment of the Razer Blade 15 is staggeringly powerful, more than capable of annihilating any PC game you throw at it. With up to an RTX 2080 Super in the GPU department, there’s no doubt of its extra oomph, which makes it an excellent candidate for creative professionals as well, especially with that design that keeps things classy and a trackpad that’s among the best we’ve tested on a gaming laptop. If you’ve got deep pockets and you like to keep things stylish, this is the best gaming laptop for you.
Read the full review: Razer Blade 15 (2020)
11. Gigabyte Aorus 17G
Big, powerful, industrial
Specifications
CPU: 10th-generation Intel Core i7 – i9
Graphics: up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q
RAM: Up to 64GB DDR4
Screen: 17.3-inch Thin Bezel 240Hz FHD 1920×1080 anti-glare display LCD
Storage: 2x M.2 SSD
Reasons to buy
+Excellent performance+Top-shelf build quality+Fast and color accurate display
Reasons to avoid
-Expensive-Heavy
If you want an absolute beast of a gaming laptop, Gigabyte’s Aorus 17G is a worthy candidate both inside and out. While this megalithic portable has a substantial weight of 2.7kg to match, it’s a small price to pay for such power inside – namely, 10th-generation processors and up to 64GB of memory, as well as Nvidia’s most powerful RTX and Super RTX cards. There’s nothing this laptop can handle (or annihilate), making it a prime example of what a next-generation desktop replacement can be. And, that’s without mentioning its 1080p display touting a whopping 240Hz refresh rate and its solid build. Just be ready to break that piggy bank, as this won’t be cheap.
Read the full review: Gigabyte Aorus 17G
Round up of today’s best deals
ASUS – ROG Zephyrus G14 14″…
ASUS TUF Gaming A15 Gaming…
MSI 17.3″ GS75 Stealth Gaming…
New Dell G5 15 SE Gaming…
Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 GX701…
Alienware m15 R3 Gaming…
MSI GS65 Stealth-1668 Gaming…
Razer Blade 15 Base Gaming…