Not long ago, gaming laptops didn’t quite belong in the boardroom. Blame it on a surge in gaming and evolving work + play lifestyles, most of the best gaming laptops are no longer the preserve of geeks or compulsive gamers. The numbers validate this trend. According to projections by Market Research Future (MRFR), the gaming laptop is market is expected to hit USD 21.35 billion by the end of 2030 and grow at a CAGR of 11.3 percent.
The lines between work machines and gaming-driven laptops are blurring. For instance, Apple’s M2 chip makes the new 15-inch MacBook Air the perfect gaming ally once you shoot off your last email for the day. You don’t have to break the bank for well-priced options from the likes of Acer and HP’s Victus line. And not all gaming laptops are clunky: ASUS’s X Flow 13 gives you a flexible, light-weight form factor with the pedigree of a gaming machine.
These are some of the best gaming laptops right now:
MacBook Air 15-inch
The spotlight might have been on Apple’s Vision Pro at the WWDC 2023, but Apple also unveiled a much-awaited addition to its slinky MacBook Air series. The larger Air sports a 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display with vivid colours and is one thinnest and lightest 15-inch laptops out there. At its heart is the same formidable M2 Chip that makes it gaming proof. You’re all set for gaming marathons with 18 hours of battery life and the six-speaker sound system.
Price: Rs 1,34,900
ASUS Flow X13 (2023)
Not all gaming laptops are bulky, the Flow X13 is one of those laptops that breaks the cliches. It’s an impressive follow up to its 2021 and 2022 predecessors and comes with the same flexible form thanks to a convenient 360-degree hinge. It’s powered by a Ryzen R9 7940HS (up to 5.2GHz octa core processor), chip with integrated Radeon 780M GPU that’s complemented by nVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4060 GPU. You get a 13.4-inch QHD+ Nebula display (2560 x 1600 pixels) that supports up to 165Hz refresh rates and maxes out at 500 nits of peak brightness.
Price: Rs 1,74,990 onwards
Acer Aspire 5
A compelling option around Rs 70K, this one’s propelled by the latest 13th Gen Intel Core processor and features advanced performance hybrid architecture with up to two Performance-cores (P-cores) and up to eight Efficient-cores (E-cores), intelligently managed by Intel Thread Director. Acer is playing up the all-new 14-inch display with IPS technology and a WUXGA 1920 x 1200 resolution; it offers a wider viewing angle of up to 170 degrees with a 16:10 aspect ratio. This sleek laptop weighs just 1.57 kg, making it the perfect gaming accessory for road warriors.
Price: Rs 70,990
Lenovo Legion Pro 5
This gaming-ready laptop is powered by the powerful AMD Ryzen 7000 series mobile processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics. The other highlight is Legion ColdFront 5.0 cooling technology for optimal gaming temperatures. Gamers will also appreciate the immersive 16-inch WXGA display with variable refresh rates and a 16:10 aspect ratio. The other highlight is the AI LA1 chip that powers the latest Lenovo AI Engine+ that optimises your gameplay for maximum FPS (frames per second). Lenovo is also offering 3 months of Xbox game pass on Lenovo Legion devices.
Price: Rs 1,69,715
HP Victus Gaming Laptop 15
It’s sleek and yet it’s up to the task. The Victus 15-inch is crafted for peak gaming and features updated thermals and an HD camera with Temporal noise reduction. Its driven by a powerful AMD processor that teams up with a modern graphics card and amble memory, all at a relatively affordable price point. Gamers can reduce frustrating lag and image ghosting with a display that blends a 144Hz refresh rate and 1080p Full HD resolution for smooth gameplay.
Price: Rs 59,760
Dell Alienware m18 Gaming laptop
It’s a gaming powerhouse and features 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13980HX processors and the full stack of next-gen NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series Laptop GPUs. It gives gaming enthusiasts 14 percent more screen real estate than its predecessor (m17) and unprecedented storage capacity of up to 9TB. The 18-inch QHD+ display comes with a 165Hz refresh rate with NVIDIA Advanced Optimus and G-SYNC support. Dell’s advanced cooling technology - Alienware Cryo-tec, is designed to maintain system stability even during the most demanding sessions.
Price: Rs 3,59,990 onwards
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