Please enter a search term.
Please enter a search term.
by: Chris Thomas, BestReviews Staff
by: Chris Thomas, BestReviews Staff
Enthusiasts consider Asus one of the top manufacturers of high-performance PC components. It produces a vast range of hardware, including the industry’s most rock-solid motherboards, fastest graphics cards and best-looking monitors. It’s also responsible for some of the most complete and cost-effective gaming laptops.
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 wins the title of best Asus gaming laptop due to its premium hardware, high-speed display and relatively reasonable price. However, there are several other great options to choose from if you want to save a little more money.
More so than most other laptop manufacturers, Asus machines have a great reputation for longevity. Asus doesn’t take many shortcuts, and its cooling systems are generally effective enough to ensure laptops’ long lifespans are full of high performance. This isn’t just limited to Asus laptops, for that matter. If you’re on the fence about buying one, it’s reassuring that Asus makes plenty of other highly popular enthusiast-grade PC components.
No matter your budget, you can probably find the perfect Asus gaming laptop for you. Asus knows that PC gaming can be an expensive hobby and goes out of its way to offer reasonably priced options with satisfying performance levels.
At the other end of the spectrum, you can spend a few grand to get your hands on a mind-blowingly powerful Asus laptop. Top-of-the-line performance usually comes at incredible prices, but you can trust that Asus has it on offer.
This is essentially true of all laptops. It’s worth keeping in mind that you only really get one shot at choosing the right hardware in a gaming laptop. System memory and storage are usually the only two things that support aftermarket upgrades. Most Asus laptops do let you replace the solid-state storage and add an additional stick of RAM, but that’s basically it. Under no circumstances would you be able to upgrade a central processing unit or graphics card, so choose wisely at the time of purchase.
These two components go the farthest in determining your Asus laptop’s gaming experience. RTX 3050 Ti is a decent entry-level choice, with the RTX 3060 often considered the most cost-effective option. Enthusiasts usually go for the RTX 3070 or 3070 Ti for best performance. The RTX 3080 and 3080 Ti perform somewhat better but usually come at a high premium that they’re not extremely popular.
Eight GB is the absolute minimum amount of RAM you need for a quality gaming experience. For the most part, 16 GB is a better target. If you opt for an Asus laptop with just 8 GB of RAM, you can usually add an additional stick to bring the total up to 16 GB.
When it comes to gaming, a bigger screen is often better. Even at 17 inches, a 1080p resolution looks clear and crisp. The 15-inch screens aren’t terribly immersive. The major drawback to a 17-inch display is that these laptops can be cumbersome to carry around.
The most affordable Asus gaming laptops cost just under $1,000. Asus’ most powerful models start at over $3,000, but the most cost-effective premium options are in the $2,000 range.
A. Generally speaking, ROG or Republic of Gamers laptops contain more high-end hardware and cost more than Asus Tuf Gaming laptops. With that said, though, a good deal of Tuf Gaming models sport powerful hardware capable of playing the latest AAA titles.
A. Almost all new Asus gaming laptops contain the necessary encryption hardware to support Windows 11. It’s called a TPM 2.0 or Trusted Platform Module chipset, and not all laptops have it. Some Asus laptops even ship with Windows 11. Even if a laptop comes with Windows 10. However, it’s currently eligible for a free Windows 11 upgrade, as long as it has that TPM 2.0 chip.
What you need to know: This 17-inch laptop sports some of the most advanced hardware yet released, including a premium central processor and top-of-the-line display.
What you’ll love: It can display up to 360 frames per second courtesy of a high-refresh-rate panel driven by an Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card. Almost everything about this laptop is impressive, including the 14-core CPU and next-generation DDR5 system memory. It also boasts per-key RGB lighting and the latest connectivity options, such as Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6E.
What you should consider: It’s not exactly cheap, and it’s limited to just a 1080p resolution. With a 17-inch screen, though, the image clarity will be just fine.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
What you need to know: A moderate price and relatively compact size make this one of the best portable gaming rigs you can buy, and it doesn’t exactly skimp on performance, either.
What you’ll love: The 2021 release of the Dash 15 offers an effective blend of components backed by a dependable cooling system that keeps performance high. The RTX 3050 Ti isn’t the strongest GPU, but it works well with the Full HD, 144-hertz screen. If you want to take a step up in performance but still stick with the 15-inch format, consider the 2022 Dash 15, which uses a higher-tier GPU and comes with additional memory.
What you should consider: A 15-inch display isn’t ideal for an immersive gaming experience, nor is just 8 gigabytes of memory, although there is an open slot for adding more RAM.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
What you need to know: It combines cost-effective midrange performance with the 17-inch display needed for the most satisfying portable gaming experience possible.
What you’ll love: Its hardware is perfectly matched to deliver good graphics at high frame rates without creating any bottlenecks. It sports advanced technology such as Wi-Fi 6 and high-speed solid-state storage that make for lightning-fast everyday use and there’s enough system memory for any purpose.
What you should consider: The display isn’t very bright and has subpar color volume, so you’ll get the best results playing in dark or dimly lit rooms.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Want to shop the best products at the best prices? Check out Daily Deals from BestReviews.
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Chris Thomas writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved.
One thing to remember about all gaming laptops is that they’re considerably thicker and heavier than their non-gaming counterparts.