Top 2025 Gaming Laptops Thoroughly Evaluated by Experts
In the ever-evolving world of gaming, finding a laptop that offers both impressive battery life and powerful performance can be a challenging task. However, CNN Underscored has done the legwork for you, testing and recommending some of the top options available in 2024/2025.
Leading the pack is the Razer Blade 16 (2025), boasting an OLED display, excellent port selection, a strong build, and amazing gaming performance, thanks to its Nvidia RTX 5090 GPU and AMD Ryzen 9 HX 370 CPU. With a battery life of approximately 7 hours for web surfing and 2.5 hours for gaming, this laptop offers a level of portability that is hard to beat.
For those prioritising battery longevity without sacrificing too much performance, the Asus TUF Gaming A14 and the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) are excellent choices. The G14, in particular, has been praised for its portability and battery life, outperforming its larger G16 variant in this regard.
If maximum gaming frame rates are your priority, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2025) delivers exceptional performance, thanks to its Nvidia RTX 50-series GPU and BatteryBoost technology. While battery life is moderately affected, the laptop's adaptive GPU technology ensures good battery efficiency.
Laptops like the HP Omen Max 16 and MSI Raider A18 offer powerful specs but with noticeably poorer battery life, making them better suited for plugged-in use.
If you're seeking a gaming laptop that balances powerful specs and long battery life for portability, the Razer Blade 16 (2025) and Asus Zephyrus G14 (2025) are the leading options in 2024/2025.
It's worth noting that while no-name brands may offer some affordable options, quality is generally better from trusted brands like Razer, Dell, Asus, and Acer. Most 14-inch gaming laptops are designed for portability, while 17-inch models offer the biggest possible screen and powerful components but are less convenient for portability.
Gaming laptops in the 15-inch and 16-inch range provide a balance of power, screen size, and portability. Laptops meeting this requirement first came out back in 2017, meaning an eight-year-old machine can still have value, but will experience far from optimal performance and graphics.
The Framework Laptop 16 includes an AMD Ryzen 7 processor and RX 7700SS graphics, while the Alienware m16 R2 Gaming Laptop has Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics. It's important to avoid laptops with wildly outdated or specs, like a GeForce 20 Series GPU.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has a 1080p display, and a game like Cyberpunk 2077 requires at minimum a GeForce GTX 1060 mobile graphics card in 2025.
CNN Underscored talks to top experts to ensure accurate testing and recommends only the best products, considering the pros and cons of each item. The best gaming laptop tested is the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024), a small powerhouse with a combination of performance, display, battery life, and aesthetics.
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 can be found for a starting price of $1,600 and features a 14-inch, 2880 x 1880 OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a sleek, all-white design, and a slick, customizable RGB keyboard lighting.
In conclusion, with the right research and testing, finding a gaming laptop that offers both long battery life and powerful performance is achievable. CNN Underscored's team of skilled writers and editors, led by senior tech editor Mike Andronico, thoroughly test the products in their testing guides and provide full transparency about how they test them, ensuring you make an informed decision.
In the realm of gaming laptops, the Razer Blade 16 (2025) and Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) stand out for their ability to balance powerful specifications and long battery life, a testament to their technological prowess and commitment to gadget innovation.
