Introduction
NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4000 series graphics cards have arguably been a bit of a flop so far. The majority of the desktop cards have either been too expensive, or provide poor performance versus their price point. The only card to remain on top and actually offer decent value is the RTX 4090, which is currently one of the most powerful desktop cards on the market.
However, when these cards are stuffed into a full-fledged system, with a screen, mouse, keyboard, and all of the other extra components you need for a gaming PC, their prices seem easier to swallow. This is where gaming laptops come in. RTX 4000 gaming laptops seem to be a much better offering than building a desktop machine, as you get the benefit of a portable system, whilst being able to play your favourite games at solid framerates, and great refresh rates too.
For this reason, we’ve rounded up the best RTX 4000 gaming laptops that you can buy right now. We’ve picked out a selection of great options to choose from, including budget entrants and more top-end designs.
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Our Recommendations
1. MSI Thin GF63
👑 The best budget RTX 4000 laptop.
Introduction
First up in our roundup is the GF63 Thin from MSI. MSI’s thin range of laptops sport a sleek and slimline bezel, designed to maximise screen real estate while keeping those ugly bezels to a minimum. The display itself is a 1080p 144Hz IPS panel, keeping stuttering and tearing down, allowing you to enjoy a smooth visual experience while gaming. The overall design of the GF63 is pretty sleek too, sporting a black chassis with a red backlit keyboard.
Specs wise, the Thin GF63 comes with an RTX 4050 laptop graphics card, which offers 6GB of GDDR6 VRAM. The 4050 is one of the laptop GPUs that we haven’t actually tested yet, but if the 4060 is anything to go by, this GPU should be perfectly fine for some light 1080p gaming. Whilst it isn’t likely to be able to handle modern triple A titles, Esports-style and older games will be perfectly fine. On the CPU front, this laptop offers an Intel 12450H, a solid laptop CPU, sitting in the mid-range bracket. MSI have also opted to use DDR4 memory on this particular laptop, presumably to keep costs down.
Key Specs
| Key Specs | MSI GF63 Thin |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i5 12450H |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4 3200MHz |
| Storage | 512GB Gen4 NVMe SSD |
| IO Ports | 1 USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C/DP-Alt, 3x USB 3.2 Gen1Type-A, 1x HDMI, 1x RJ45 |
| Display | 15.6″ 1080p 144Hz IPS |
| WiFi | WiFi 6 |
| Operating System | Windows 11 |
| Battery | 52.4Wh |
Things We Like
Solid price point: The MSI GF63 Thin is currently available for under $1000, making it one of the best priced laptops in this roundup. If you’re a price conscious buyer looking to pick up a great 1080p gaming laptop, this is the one we’d recommend looking at.
Vibrant display: This laptop utilises an IPS panel, designed to keep vibrancy and fidelity high, whilst still providing accuracy and speed with a 144Hz rating. This ensures you can enjoy your games at the best visual quality, whilst not losing out on any accuracy.
Things We Don’t Like
4050 won’t be great for modern games: Unfortunately, the RTX 4050 isn’t the best option for modern titles. Based on our testing of 4060-based laptops failing at modern titles, this indicated that the 4050 will have even more of an issue reaching solid framerates.
Not a great IO selection: This laptop only have four USB ports as standard, and none of them utilise the fastest speeds that we have access to today. If you’ve got a lot of high speed devices that you need to plug in, this laptop won’t be a great choice.
Summary
MSI’s GF63 Thin is an awesome budget option for those looking to pick up a reasonably priced gaming laptop. Whilst the RTX 4050 may struggle with modern games, you’ll still be able to enjoy Esports titles and older games without any issues, and this is complimented by the solid IPS 144Hz panel. Definitely a win for those on a budget.
Features: 4.2/5
Design: 4.4/5
Performance: 3.8/5
Value for Money: 4.2/5
Pros
- Great for budget 1080p gaming.
- Good price point.
- Modern and sleek design.
Cons
- 4050 will struggle with modern games.
- IO selection isn’t super modern.
Where to Buy
Buy the MSI GF63 Thin Laptop on:
2. Acer Nitro 16
👑 The best looking budget RTX 4000 laptop.
Introduction
Next up is the Nitro 16 from Acer. We’ve taken a look at a few gaming laptops in the past from Acer, and we’re normally pretty impressed with the options that they provide. This particular gaming laptop is somewhat similar to the GF63 Thin from MSI that we’ve taken a look at above. However, this is a more modern design when it comes to specs. The Nitro 16 offers one of Intel’s 13th-Gen Core i5 CPUs, more specifically, the 13500H. This CPU is designed to handle 1080p gaming with ease, when paired up with the right graphics card.
On the design front, the Nitro offers a sleek and bezel-less design that allows you to enjoy plenty of screen real estate, without losing out to any ugly bezels or random black lines. The rest of the chassis utilises a glossy black design which I’m quite a fan of, this just adds to the sophistication of the design, and make this laptop quite a spectacle piece. The Nitro 16 also offers an RGB backlit keyboard, which provides some additional flair for those that like flashiness.
Key Specs
| Key Specs | Acer Nitro 16 |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i5 13500H |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 |
| RAM | 8GB DDR5 |
| Storage | 512GB Gen4 NVMe SSD |
| IO Ports | 3x USB 3.2 Gen1Type-A, 2x Mini-DP, 1x HDMI, 1x RJ45 |
| Display | 15.6″ 1440p 165Hz IPS |
| WiFi | WiFi 6 |
| Operating System | Windows 11 |
| Battery | 90Wh |
Things We Like
Reasonably priced: The Acer Nitro 16 is another budget laptop sitting below the $1000 market. For those looking to save money on their laptop choice, we’d recommend looking at the Acer Nitro.
Awesome sleek design: The Nitro 16 is one of our favourite looking laptop designs, sporting a sleek chassis and RGB keyboard that provides some additional flair and lighting options.
Things We Don’t Like
4050 may struggle: Similar to the MSI GF63, the RTX 4050 is a somewhat weak graphics card, and although Esports games should be perfectly fine, we don’t imagine this GPU will be able to cope with modern games.
1440p display may be too demanding: For some reason, Acer have opted to use a 1440p display for this laptop. This might be too demanding for the 4050 as this is more geared towards 1080p when it comes to gaming.
Summary
Acer’s Nitro 16 laptop is an interesting addition to the market. This particular machine has an awesome sophisticated design, and utilises and excellent range of modern components. There are concerns over the longevity of this laptop for modern games, but if you plan on playing less demanding esports titles, the Acer Nitro 16 is a great fit!
Features: 4.2/5
Design: 4.6/5
Performance: 3.7/5
Value for Money: 4/5
Pros
- Sleek and sophisticated design.
- Comes in at a reasonable price.
- Utilises modern hardware.
Cons
- 1440p display might be too demanding.
- RTX 4050 isn’t ideal for modern games.
Where to Buy
Buy the Acer Nitro 16 on:
3. ASUS TUF F15
👑 The best mid-range RTX 4000 laptop.
Introduction
For our third selection, we’ve picked out a laptop from ASUS, the TUF F15. ASUS’ TUF range of components tends to be pretty great on the whole. These products are more geared towards gaming, but won’t break the bank when it comes to cost. TUF motherboards for example can cater towards the budget and mid-range market by slimming down on some top-end features, but still retaining an excellent set of options such as PCI-E 5.0 support, WIFI 6E, and a great selection of IO, and we’re expecting this laptop to share a similar story.
This particular laptop sports a Core i7 12700H, alongside an RTX 4070 which is an excellent combo. Although this laptop doesn’t have a 4K display, you’d be in a great position to play games at 4K without any issues. Instead, you’ve got access to a 1080p panel, rated to offer a 165Hz refresh rate, which is also G-Sync compatible too, keeping gameplay smooth, but equally impressive. What’s more, the TUF F15 comes in at a price point that is pretty easy to swallow, this laptop is more than capable of playing modern games, and it isn’t insanely expensive either!
Key Specs
| Key Specs | ASUS TUF F15 |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i7 12700H |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4 3200MHz |
| Storage | 1TB Gen4 NVMe SSD |
| IO Ports | 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack 1x HDMI 2.1 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C support DisplayPort / Power Delivery / G-SYNC 1x RJ45 LAN port 1x Thunderbolt 4 / DisplayPort |
| Display | 15.6″ 1080p 165Hz IPS |
| WiFi | WiFi 6 |
| Operating System | Windows 11 |
| Battery | 90Wh |
Things We Like
Very reasonably priced: The TUF F15 is one of the best priced laptops on the market right now, coming in at just over $1000, and equipped with some insanely powerful components.
Extremely capable for gaming: This laptop offers a Core i7 12700H, and an RTX 4070 laptop GPU, which is an excellent combo to play modern games at 1080p at high framerates too.
Things We Don’t Like
Could easily cope with 1440p: This is likely to keep costs down, but the 1080p display feels somewhat wasteful. This gaming laptop is more than capable of handling 1440p, and would offer more visual fidelity with a higher resolution panel.
Somewhat weaker on the design front: Although I feel most ASUS TUF products offer a pretty solid design, I feel for the amount you’re spending on this laptop, it could be better.
Summary
The TUF F15 gaming laptop from ASUS is one of the best value RTX 4000 laptops that you can pick up right now. Consumers get access to an awesome combination of components designed to handle modern games at high framerates, all for a pretty reasonable price. Definitely worth considering if you’re looking to play some modern triple A titles.
Features: 4.3/5
Design: 4/5
Performance: 4.7/5
Value for Money: 4.6/5
Pros
- Ideal for modern triple A games.
- Comes in at a reasonable price point.
- Utilises modern components.
Cons
- Screen should be 1440p.
- Design isn’t that amazing.
Where to Buy
Buy the ASUS TUF F15 laptop on:
4. Lenovo Legion Pro 5
👑 The best top-end RTX 4000 gaming laptop.
Introduction
For our final selection in this roundup, we’ve picked out the Lenovo Legion 5, a top-end design geared towards enthusiasts that have got a little bit more money to shell out on a laptop. This particular machine offers some absolutely insane specs, and we were kind of taken aback by the price point too. For just under $2000, which is about the amount that you could spend on a very solid mid-range PC, you get access to a Core i9 13900HX, 32GB of high speed DDR5 RAM, an RTX 4070, and a 1TB Gen4 SSD.
This is an awesome combo of components, and we expect the kind of users to utilise this laptop will likely want this for work as well as gaming, as the 13900HX is perfect for workstation loads, including video editing and 3D-rendering. The Legion Pro 5 is also a rather sleek design weighing less than 2.5KG in total and sitting at 14 by 10 inches in dimensions. This means it should be pretty easy to transport in a bag, making it ideal for those boasting a more portable setup.
Key Specs
| Key Specs | Lenovo Legion Pro 5 |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i9 13900HX |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 |
| RAM | 32GB DDR5 5600MHz |
| Storage | 1TB Gen4 NVMe SSD |
| IO Ports | 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 1x HDMI 2.1 1x RJ-45 1x Headphone / microphone combo jack (3.5mm) |
| Display | 15.6″ 1440p 240Hz IPS |
| WiFi | WiFi 6E |
| Operating System | Windows 11 |
| Battery | 80Wh |
Things We Like
Perfect as a hybrid workstation: The Lenovo Legion 5 comes with a Core i9 13900HX and an RTX 4070 laptop GPU. This machine is an absolute powerhouse and will be great for some intense workloads while on the go.
Not insanely expensive: Despite having pretty powerful specs, the Lenovo Legion 5 isn’t the most expensive laptop on the market. Versus the competition, the Legion 5 is a very compelling and strong option.
Things We Don’t Like
GPU could be better: Although the RTX 4070 is a very solid graphics card, we were somewhat disappointed that this was the pairing choice for a 13900HX. We were more expecting a card like the RTX 4080 or 4090, to ensure the best GPU performance possible.
240Hz display is pointless: The RTX 4070 is a strong GPU overall, but it is highly unlikely that it will be capable enough to reach 240FPS in even the least demanding Esports games. Most consumers won’t be able to reach the refresh rate of this display without playing everything on low settings.
Summary
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is an extremely powerful gaming laptop designed for consumers that plan on working during the day with some high intensity applications, with some gaming during the evening. If you’re looking for a high performance portable machine, this is the one we’d recommend picking!
Features: 4.2/5
Design: 4.2/5
Performance: 4.7/5
Value for Money: 4.2/5
Pros
- Not ridiculously expensive.
- Perfect as a multifaceted workstation system.
- Great for 1440p gaming.
Cons
- Graphics card choice could be better.
- 240Hz is effectively unattainable with the 4070.
Where to Buy
Buy the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 laptop on:
Laptops vs Desktop GPUs – What’s the Difference?
For those of you that are somewhat new to the PC hardware space, you might be unfamiliar with the wonderful, but rather large world of graphics card. In short, the graphics card that you have in your laptop, is entirely different to the ones that you might see floating around on Amazon or Newegg for over $1000. Now you’re probably wondering, why is my laptop graphics card, different to the one I’ve got in my desktop PC?
The reason why they are different is down to temperature constraints. Desktop graphics cards have their own individual cooling for the entire component, which involves heatsinks, pipes, fans, and sometimes, even liquid cooling. Laptop graphics cards on the other hand don’t. This means that different silicon has to be used in order to withstand the higher temperatures within laptops, whilst still providing somewhat similar performance to what you’d get out of a desktop GPU. This allows manufacturers to put in relatively low-powered graphics cards that can be cooled by fewer fans and complicated heatsinks.
Does this mean your laptop GPU will be weaker in comparison to your desktop graphics card? In short, yes. But not by much. In recent years thanks to the evolution of technology, laptop graphics cards are actually very close to their desktop counterparts when it comes to performance, allowing you to still enjoy your favourite titles, but at a slight loss in framerate. As a point of comparison, we’ve tested out quite a few laptop GPUs, and one of the best performing options was the RTX 4070, which really held its own when compared to a desktop RTX 4070.
Is A Gaming Laptop Worth It?
The laptop vs desktop argument is a major point of contention in the PC gaming space, and will continue to be as time goes on. Around 5 or 6 years ago, gaming laptops were considered not worth it for the most part. These machines were too pricey, came with lacklustre hardware that wouldn’t last particularly long, and just provided an overall sub-par experience. You would end up paying well over $1000 for meagre tech, and it honestly wasn’t worth it when compared to the much cheaper desktop options, if you were building your own.
Fast forward to today, and things have changed. While most laptops still can’t necessarily hold a candle to desktop machines when it comes to performance, there are however, some incredibly competitive options if you take into account the price tag. With never hardware from both AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA, these machines are much more powerful in comparison to five years ago, making them ideal for consumers looking to purchase a more portable setup, but still be able to play their favourite games at high settings.
Although I would urge the majority of consumers to consider a desktop over and above anything else, if you’re being a bit more price conscious, or you’d like to avoid the hassle of building a PC, gaming laptops are a great choice right now. You get access to awesome components, a solid display experience, alongside plenty of RGB, and a decent set of IO options. Not only this, but some laptops can often be cheaper than building a desktop PC when we consider the rising prices. Either way, we’d definitely urge consumers to take a look at some of the awesome laptops that you can pick up today!
Why You Can Trust Us
Here at GeekaWhat, our team is made up of PC hardware enthusiasts that are passionate about the gaming and PC hardware as a whole. With a variety of products arriving in the office each week, our writing and benchmarking team are always evaluating the latest products to offer detailed judgements on their quality and value to our audience. If you’d like to learn more about the members of our team, or read our editorial promise, head over to the About Us section on our website!
How We Tested the Best RTX 4000 Gaming Laptops
In order to test and evaluate the best RTX 4000 gaming laptops there are a number of factors that we take into account, these are:
- Component Choices
- Performance
- Compatibility
- Aesthetic
- Value for Money
Conclusion
Best RTX 4000 Gaming Laptop: ASUS TUF F15
Finishing up this roundup, we’ve picked out the ASUS TUF F15 gaming laptop as the best RTX 4000 machine. This gaming laptop is one of the best value options for consumers looking to play some of their favourite triple-A games at high framerates, but without breaking the bank. A huge win for price conscious buyers that need more of a portable gaming setup.
Read our full RTX 4000 coverage , or ASUS TUF F15 on Amazon
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Customise My Laptop Components?
You might be able to customise the components before purchasing, but laptops are extremely hard to modify without plenty of prior experience. We would urge consumers not to open up their laptop as this could damage it.
Can I Buy a 4K Laptop?
Yes you can. 4K gaming laptops do exist, but they’re often very expensive, even the starting price can range from $2000 upwards.
Are Laptops Better than Prebuilts?
Yes and no. Prebuilts will perform better than laptops as a general rule, but laptops might be cheaper on the whole in comparison to prebuilt desktop machines.
Are Laptop CPUs Weaker than Desktop CPUs?
Yes, but not by much. Similar to graphics cards, they use a different kind of silicon due to temperature constraints, which means they will be slightly weaker but only by a fraction.
