PriceShop’s Gaming Laptop Buying Guide
All work and no play makes Jalil a dull boy, or so the saying goes. If you’re feeling a little like Jalil, then it’s perhaps time to get yourself a brand new gaming laptop so that you can be a bit less dull in life.
Of course, we can’t just make a list of the best gaming laptops money can buy and call it a day. Instead, we’ll be covering a variety of options, ranging from accessible gaming laptops to get you started, to the very high end so that you can see all of Marvel Rivals’ Emma Frost in the maximum graphics settings.
We’ve also thrown in options of different sizes; some may need a more portable device while others just want a desktop-replacement they can lug around every now and then. If you don’t know what to look for in a gaming laptop, then read on to find out more.
ASUS Gaming V16
Starting off with one of our more budget-friendly options, while the ASUS Gaming V16 may not look like much at first glance, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better value at this price range. This accessible gaming laptop means it’s not only one of the best gaming laptops for students, but also offers casual gamers a competent machine without breaking the bank, while still offering a bunch of nice-to-have features.
For starters, the ASUS Gaming V16 packs an Intel Core 5 210H processor with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 if you need more performance, together with up to 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 512GB SSD. There’s also a 16-inch, FHD+ 16:10 display that offers a 144Hz refresh rate for smoother gaming. Its futuristic Matte Black design with Turbo Blue lighting isn’t just for show either; it’s passed the MIL-STD 810H military standard for reliability and durability. It’s also fairly light for a 16-inch gaming laptop, coming in at just 1.95kg.
Priced from RM3,199.
HP Victus 15
The HP Victus 15 is another option commonly tossed around in this price range. That being said, we can’t fully recommend the base model with the AMD Ryzen 7 7445HS and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050 as it’s a little underpowered for most gamers. As such, you may want to consider the pricier variants that push up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 and Intel Core i7-13620H, with 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 512GB of SSD storage.
You’ll also get a 15.6-inch, FHD+ IPS display with a 144Hz refresh rate and 300nits of peak brightness; the 62.5% sRGB colour gamut coverage may be a dealbreaker though if you need colour accuracy for work. The minimalist look is quite appealing though, with the numerous colour options ranging from black and blue to pink and silver making it a stylish option for those seeking a pop of colour. However, it is a little thicker and heaver than the aforementioned ASUS Gaming V16 at 2.29kg and 2.35cm.
Priced from RM3,099.
Acer Nitro V16S
Alternatively, if you’re moving up the price range there’s also the Acer Nitro V16S. It packs an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 GPU with your choice between an Intel Core 5 210H or a Core 7 240H for RM700 more. That gets mated to 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 512GB SSD.
As for its display, you get a tall 16-inch IPS display pushing a WQXGA resolution with a 180Hz refresh rate and full coverage of the sRGB colour gamut. There’s also a 4-zone RGB backlit keyboard, all in a chassis that’s 19.9mm thin. All of this combined makes the Nitro V16S a strong midrange option for gamers, but the 512GB SSD may be a limiting factor for those who bounce between multiple games at a time.
Priced from RM5,399.
TUF Gaming F16
For gamers looking for a midrange laptop that will still comfortably handle their games, the TUF Gaming F16 may be more up their alley. The new TUF Gaming F16 is not only sleeker than the TUFs of Christmas past, but is durable too with military grade toughness.
Powering the TUF Gaming F16 is your choice between the Intel Core i5-13450HX or the Intel Core i7 Processor 14650HX, with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, 16GB of DDR5 memory and up to a 1TB SSD too. All of that is kept cool with a full-width heatsink, full-width exhaust vent and 2nd Gen Arc Flow fans for up to 7°C cooler keyboard surface temperatures. The dual RAM and SSD slots by the way are user upgradeable too.
As for the display, never miss a moment thanks to the taller 16-inch, FHD+ 16:10 display that’s capable of a 165Hz refresh rate, 300nits of brightness and support for NVIDIA G-SYNC. The TUF Gaming G16 also offers full coverage of the sRGB colour gamut so that both budding content creators and cinematic gamers can fully enjoy their time on the laptop.
The TUF Gaming G16 is certainly our most well rounded midrange gaming laptop on our list, with a sleek muted design complemented by its capable hardware and solid display.
Priced from RM5,599.
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 10
The Lenovo LOQ sub-brand is the Chinese manufacturer’s attempt at budget-friendly mainstream laptops, and one of those is the Lenovo LOQ 15AHP10. At time of writing, it’s only available with the AMD Ryzen 7 250 processor, and the base model comes with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050, though that is upgradable to an RTX 5060 too. It also comes with 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD out of the box.
Its display is a 15.6-inch IPS panel, pushing a 1080p resolution with full coverage of the sRGB colour gamut, a 144Hz refresh rate and 300nits of brightness; again, it can be upgraded to a 165Hz panel if you prefer. The LOQ comes with a white backlit keyboard as standard, though an RGB option is available too. Continuing the trend of options, the LOQ comes with a rather small 60Wh battery as standard, with a larger 80Wh battery costing you extra.
Nevertheless, despite the minor compromises, it does have the lowest starting price among our midrange entries, allowing you to pick and choose which parts you want to upgrade.
Priced from RM4,868.93.
ROG Strix SCAR 16/18
Now we’re moving up the price range into the absolute best gaming hardware out there. And it’s almost impossible to talk about the best gaming hardware and not mention the Republic. First established in the mid-2000s, ROG has become synonymous with the best a gamer can get. For those looking to get the most premium gaming laptop out there, look no further than the ROG Strix SCAR lineup.
The ROG Strix SCAR series offers the most uncompromised flagship gaming performance, with Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processors and up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 GPUs. Keeping all that hardware cool is no small feat, and it’s achieved thanks to ROG Intelligent Cooling. We’re talking an end-to-end vapor chamber with a sandwiched heatsink design, Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal on the CPU and GPU as well as a triple fan layout for up to 15°C cooler temps.
The rest of the ROG Strix SCAR hardware is just as impressive. There’s up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM, up to dual 2TB SSDs in RAID 0 and your choice between a 16-inch or an 18-inch ROG Nebula HDR Display with mini-LED. That display packs a 2.5K WQXGA resolution in a 16:10 aspect ratio, a 240Hz refresh rate, a peak brightness of 1,200nits, over 2,000 dimming zones, has full NVIDIA G-SYNC support and is DisplayHDR 1000 certified too. Its full coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut also means that creators will be able to enjoy colour-accurate creation on an ROG Strix SCAR laptop too.
Another cool feature on the ROG Strix SCAR lineup is AniMe Vision on the lid, letting you add a bit of personality to your laptop thanks to the array of 810 LEDs. The full surround Aura RGB also gives you a 360-degree lightbar to complete the gamer aesthetics you need in your life. You’ll find that it’s easy to take apart the bottom lid too, with tool-free maintenance for easy cleaning and upgrades.
Priced from RM17,299.
ROG Strix G16/18
If the ROG Strix SCAR is the king of flagship gaming laptops, then the ROG Strix G lineup is perhaps the prince. It packs largely similar features to the top-of-the-line Strix SCAR lineup, just at a lower price point with more options to choose from to fit your needs.
You do lose out on some features—no Anime Vision or mini-LED for instance—but the raw performance is still present. You still get up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080, 32GB of DDR5 RAM and 1TB SSD, again kept cool with ROG Intelligent Cooling. The ROG Strix G series comes so close to the Strix SCAR lineup in fact that they even offer the same TGPs as each other on the RTX 5080 and RTX 5070 Ti models.
As for the display, there’s both 16-inch and 18-inch options, with the ROG Nebula Display boasting a 2.5K WQXGA resolution with a 240Hz refresh rate, full coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, 500nits of peak brightness and NVIDIA G-SYNC support. Full-surround Aura lighting is also still here and for added flair, you can even get the ROG Strix G series in Volt Green.
Priced from RM6,599.
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