Contents
If you’re a gamer who loves to travel, you might be wondering what are the best gaming laptops for travel. You want a laptop that can run the latest games smoothly, but also has a long battery life, a lightweight design, and a good port selection. You also want a laptop that doesn’t compromise on build quality, screen brightness, or keyboard comfort.
In this article, we’ll review some of the best gaming laptops for travel that you can buy in 2023. We’ll compare their pros and cons, and give you some tips on how to choose the right one for your needs.
Asus ROG Flow X13
The Asus ROG Flow X13 is one of the most innovative gaming laptops for travel. It’s a 13-inch convertible laptop that can transform into a tablet, a tent, or a stand mode. It has a stunning 4K touchscreen display with a 120Hz refresh rate and adaptive sync technology. It also comes with a stylus pen for drawing or taking notes.
The ROG Flow X13 is powered by an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS processor, which is one of the fastest mobile CPUs on the market. It also has an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU, which can handle most games at high settings. The laptop has 8-32GB of RAM and 512GB-1TB of SSD storage, depending on the configuration.
The best part about the ROG Flow X13 is that it’s compatible with an external GPU dock called the ROG XG Mobile. This dock connects to the laptop via a proprietary port and boosts its graphics performance significantly. It also has additional ports, such as Ethernet, DisplayPort, and SD card reader. The dock is sold separately, but it’s worth considering if you want to turn your laptop into a desktop gaming machine.
The ROG Flow X13 weighs only 3 pounds (1.3kg) and has a battery life of up to 12 hours. It also has a good port selection, including two USB-C ports (one with Thunderbolt 4), one USB-A port, one HDMI port, and a headphone jack. The laptop has a backlit keyboard with decent travel and feedback, and a responsive touchpad.
The main drawbacks of the ROG Flow X13 are its high price tag and its limited availability. The laptop is not widely available in some regions, and it can cost over $2,000 depending on the configuration. The external GPU dock is also expensive and bulky, adding another $1,500 and 2.2 pounds (1kg) to the total cost and weight.
Pros:
- Innovative convertible design
- Stunning 4K touchscreen display
- Powerful AMD CPU and Nvidia GPU
- Compatible with external GPU dock
- Lightweight and long battery life
- Good port selection
Cons:
- Expensive
- Limited availability
- External GPU dock is costly and heavy
Razer Blade 14
The Razer Blade 14 is one of the best gaming laptops for travel if you’re looking for a sleek and powerful 14-inch laptop. It has a premium aluminum chassis that feels sturdy and durable. It also has a thin-bezel display with a QHD resolution and a 165Hz refresh rate. The display supports AMD FreeSync technology, which reduces screen tearing and stuttering.
The Razer Blade 14 is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX processor, which is another top-tier mobile CPU. It also has an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU, which can run most games at ultra settings. The laptop has 16GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage, which are both soldered and non-upgradable.
The Razer Blade 14 weighs 3.9 pounds (1.8kg) and has a battery life of up to 10 hours. It also has a decent port selection, including two USB-C ports (one with Thunderbolt 4), two USB-A ports, one HDMI port, and a headphone jack. The laptop has a per-key RGB backlit keyboard with good travel and feedback, and a large touchpad with Windows Precision drivers.
The main drawbacks of the Razer Blade 14 are its loud fans and high temperatures under load. The laptop can get very hot and noisy when gaming or performing intensive tasks. You might want to use headphones or external speakers to drown out the fan noise. The laptop also lacks some features that other gaming laptops have, such as an SD card reader, an Ethernet port, or a webcam.
Pros:
- Sleek and premium design
- QHD display with high refresh rate
- Powerful AMD CPU and Nvidia GPU
- Lightweight and long battery life
- Decent port selection
Cons:
- Loud fans and high temperatures
- No SD card reader, Ethernet port, or webcam
- RAM and storage are non-upgradable
Dell G15 Ryzen Edition
The Dell G15 Ryzen Edition is one of the best gaming laptops for travel if you’re looking for a budget-friendly option. It’s a 15-inch laptop that has a plastic chassis with a matte finish. It has a full HD display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 250-nit brightness. The display is not very color-accurate, but it’s good enough for gaming and casual use.
The Dell G15 Ryzen Edition is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor, which is a mid-range mobile CPU. It also has an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU, which can handle most games at high settings. The laptop has 8-16GB of RAM and 256-512GB of SSD storage, which are both upgradable.
The Dell G15 Ryzen Edition weighs 5.4 pounds (2.4kg) and has a battery life of up to 8 hours. It also has a good port selection, including two USB-C ports (one with DisplayPort), two USB-A ports, one HDMI port, one Ethernet port, one SD card reader, and a headphone jack. The laptop has a backlit keyboard with decent travel and feedback, and a small touchpad with Windows Precision drivers.
The main drawbacks of the Dell G15 Ryzen Edition are its bulky design and its mediocre display. The laptop is not very thin or light compared to other gaming laptops, and it might be hard to fit in some backpacks or carry-on bags. The display is also not very bright or vivid, and it might look washed out in some environments.
Pros:
- Budget-friendly
- Full HD display with high refresh rate
- Mid-range AMD CPU and Nvidia GPU
- Upgradable RAM and storage
- Good port selection
Cons:
- Bulky design
- Mediocre display
How to Choose the Best Gaming Laptop for Travel
When choosing the best gaming laptop for travel, there are several factors to consider. Here are some of the most important ones:
- Size and weight: You want a laptop that is easy to carry around and doesn’t take up too much space in your luggage. Ideally, you want a laptop that is less than an inch thick and weighs less than 5 pounds (2.3kg). However, this might limit your options in terms of performance and features, so you need to balance portability with power.
- Battery life: You want a laptop that can last for several hours without needing to plug in. This is especially important if you’re traveling to places where power outlets are scarce or unreliable. Ideally, you want a laptop that can last for at least 8 hours on a single charge. However, this might also limit your options in terms of performance and features, so you need to balance battery life with power.
- Performance: You want a laptop that can run the games you want to play smoothly and without lag. This depends on the CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage of the laptop. Ideally, you want a laptop that has at least an AMD Ryzen 7 or Intel Core i7 processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 or higher GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. However, this might also increase the price and weight of the laptop, so you need to balance performance with budget and portability.
- Display: You want a laptop that has a good display that can show the games you play in high resolution and quality. This depends on the size, resolution, refresh rate, brightness, and color accuracy of the display. Ideally, you want a laptop that has at least a 14-inch display with a QHD resolution (2560 x 1440) or higher, a refresh rate of at least 120Hz or higher, a brightness of at least 300 nits or higher, and a color accuracy of at least 90% sRGB or higher. However, this might also increase the price and battery consumption of the laptop, so you need to balance display quality with budget and battery life.
- Port selection: You want a laptop that has enough ports to connect your peripherals and accessories. This depends on what devices you use or plan to use with your laptop. Ideally, you want a laptop that has at least two USB-C ports (one with Thunderbolt 4), two USB-A ports, one HDMI port, one Ethernet port, one SD card reader, and one headphone jack. However, this might also increase the size and weight of the laptop, so you need to balance port selection with portability.
Conclusion
The best gaming laptops for travel are the ones that can meet your needs and preferences in terms of size, weight, battery life, performance, display quality, port selection, and budget. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for everyone, so you need to do your research and compare.
