Black Friday gaming laptop deals 2022: what we expect
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Black Friday gaming laptop deals 2022: what we expect
Here's how to find the best Black Friday gaming laptop deals this year
(Image credit: Future)
Black Friday is looming, and it’s never too soon to get prepared - if you want to snap up one of the best Black Friday gaming laptop deals, TechRadar is here to help. We’ve spent literal years tracking the prices of all kinds of tech, and gaming laptops are no exception; indeed, we’ve spotted a definite trend where laptop prices begin to fall in the run-up to Black Friday.
While Black Friday 2022 doesn’t officially kick off until November 25, there are almost always some good deals that crop up throughout the month before the sales day itself. These deals can be just as good as the ones seen on the day itself - sometimes so much so that the product in question sells out, leaving it conspicuously absent on Black Friday itself.
Taking a look at Adobe’s 2021 holiday shopping report (opens in new tab), we can see that prices for computers as a whole decreased in early November before spiking again in early December, after the last-minute deals after Black Friday had all been washed out.
If you’re looking for a new gaming laptop right now, we’d advise waiting a few weeks until at least the start of November - if you can snag one in the early sales, you won’t have to endure the carnage of Black Friday itself. Alternatively, if you’re both in a hurry and on a budget, you can check out our best cheap gaming laptop deals right now.
We’re expecting to see a lot of sales on the best gaming laptops this Black Friday - as well as some of the best laptops in general - although it’s important to bear in mind that not everything will see a huge price drop. Recently-released products, like the latest 2022 model of the Razer Blade 14, probably won’t get significant discounts.
To help you get the best possible deal on a great gaming laptop this Black Friday, we’re going to go over when you can find the best deals this year, which retailers historically have the best sales, and which gaming laptops are likely to see the best discounts. With these tips, you should have no trouble finding a bargain Black Friday gaming laptop deal!
Today's best gaming laptop sales
If you don’t want to wait until November to snag yourself a Black Friday gaming laptop deal and urgently need to buy one now - perhaps for a birthday present, or a replacement for a laptop that recently bit the dust - there are still some decent deals on right now. Black Friday might still be two months off, but you can find a great purchase today if you know where to look.
US gaming laptop sales
UK gaming laptop sales
Should you wait for a Black Friday gaming laptop deal?
Black Friday is still two months away at the time we’re writing this - is it really worth waiting to buy a new gaming laptop? The question really comes down to whether or not you need it urgently; if you can cope for a few more weeks, it’ll be worth the wait, since gaming laptops are often among some of the best-discounted items over the Black Friday weekend.
It’s also worth noting that even if you can afford the gaming laptop you want right now, you could potentially snap up a laptop with even better specs if you’re willing to wait until more powerful models go on sale - or you could simply save some cash to spend on the best PC games if the model you’ve got your sights on gets a price cut.
Of course, we acknowledge that many people need a laptop just to get ahead in everyday life, whether it’s for professional use or for working on personal projects. If you’re a gamer, you may well choose to use a gaming laptop as your day-to-day system - after all, most of us can’t reasonably spend money on two different laptops. So if you need a new laptop right away, check out the current deals above.
Black Friday gaming laptop deals: our predictions
(Image credit: Marti Bug Catcher / Shutterstock)
When will the best Black Friday gaming laptop deals start in 2022?
Black Friday will be on November 25 this year - but that doesn’t mean we won’t see some great deals on gaming laptops before that date. While the day itself (and the weekend through to Cyber Monday) typically features the biggest price drops, we’ve noticed a trend in recent years where retailers kick off their Black Friday sales early.
This usually happens at the beginning of Thanksgiving week or just before; that means you’ll probably start to see good deals popping up from November 21, or potentially the week preceding.
Of course, there are also always early bird sales that take place in the weeks building up to Black Friday, usually starting in mid-October or early November. We’ve studied the pattern of deals from the run-up to last year’s Black Friday, and if 2021 was any indication, many of those sales will feature discounts that are just as good as the ones on the day itself.
Where can I find the best Black Friday gaming laptop deals?
Well, here of course! In the weeks leading up to Black Friday and during the sales event, we’ll be collating all the best deals right here on this page as soon as they become available, for you to peruse at your leisure.
Below, we’ve compiled a short list of the best retailers to check out if you want to go hunting for a bargain. Some will have better deals than others; it can be a good idea to do some browsing before Black Friday hits, so you have a good idea of exactly what gaming laptop you want to buy.
US:
Amazon: a huge range of gaming laptops from all kinds of brands (opens in new tab)
Best Buy: save up to $300 on selected Intel-powered laptops (opens in new tab)
Dell: potential big savings on Alienware and Dell G series gaming laptops (opens in new tab)
HP: save on Omen and Victus gaming laptops (opens in new tab)
Newegg: up to $750 off a range of great laptops (opens in new tab)
Walmart: a wide variety of Windows gaming laptops (opens in new tab)
UK:
Amazon: a big selection of gaming laptops, just be sure to read the specs (opens in new tab)
Argos: some good gaming laptops among a sea of productivity laptops (opens in new tab)
Currys: save up to £200 on gaming laptops today (opens in new tab)
Dell: Alienware and G series gaming laptops already on sale (opens in new tab)
Laptops Direct: specialist retailer with discounts of up to 20% on laptops (opens in new tab)
What Black Friday gaming laptop deals do we expect in 2022?
There were a tonne of new gaming laptops released this year, with the arrival of 12th-gen Intel Core processors leading to a new generation of gaming hardware. GeForce RTX 3000 and Radeon RX 6000 GPUs have also become more widespread in laptops, meaning that we may well see a selection of price cuts designed to help retailers clear stock of older models.
However, we can probably expect to see some more recent gaming laptops get price reductions too, because we’re now very close to seeing RTX 4000 and RX 7000 GPUs arrive on the market - not to mention incoming new generations of AMD Ryzen and Intel Core CPUs.
Although we haven’t yet seen laptop versions of the new GPUs, this is great news for anyone looking to pick up a gaming laptop, since means that you might see relatively recent gaming laptops go on sale for great prices, as a new wave of products will soon be landing with us.
We can probably expect most of the big-name brands to go on sale; that means the Lenovo Legion, Asus ROG Zephyrus, and Razer’s excellent Blade series are all likely to see deals. Those brands are more towards the high-end, so might not see price cuts as significant as more affordable manufacturers such as MSI and Gigabyte.
Last year's best Black Friday gaming laptop deals
A good way to gauge whether a deal is good - and what to expect from Black Friday 2022 - is to take a look at the 2021 deals slate. With this, you’ll be able to get an idea of not just what kind of laptop you might want to splash out on, but also what price range you may be looking at.
Below, you can find our complete list of last year’s best Black Friday gaming laptop deals. We’ve included the original price, sale price, and our thoughts, allowing you to see which manufacturers had the most discounts and which retailers had the best deals.
US: The best Black Friday gaming laptop deals last year
Asus ROG Zephyrus M16, RTX 3060, Intel Core i9, 40GB RAM: $3,329 $2,449 at Newegg
Save $880 on this incredible gaming laptop from ROG, one of the most respected producers of gaming laptops in the world. Not only are you getting that RTX 3060 GPU, but also an 11th-gen Intel i9 processor and a whopping 40GB of RAM.
MSI Creator 15 A11UE-491 | Intel Core i7, RTX 3060, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD: $1,849$1,449 at Newegg
Save $400 - Black Friday / Cyber Monday sees this mid-range laptop from MSI's Creator line at 22% off. That's $400 in savings for a notebook that will supercharge your creative workflows, whether that's photo and video editing, graphic design, or streaming your gaming sessions. Besides the 11th-gen i7, RTX 3060, 16GB RAM innards, you're also getting that crisp 4K display.
Lenovo Legion 5 17-inch, AMD Ryzen 7, RTX 3060, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD: $1,299 $1,199 at Antonline
Save $100 - Enjoy fantastic gaming performance on the go for less thanks to this Black Friday deal from Antonline on the Lenovo Legion 5 17.3-inch, loaded with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, and RTX 3060 GPU, 16GB RAM, and a 256GB SSD. The storage is a bit on the lighter side, though, so make sure to use external storage to save large files like HD movies.
MSI Pulse GL66, Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, RTX 3060, 512GB SSD, 1TB HDD: $1,199 $1,099 at Newegg
The MSI Pulse GL66 is a solid mid-range gaming laptop, and right now you can get it with an Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and an RTX 3060 for just $1,099 (with $100 rebate applied), making it one of the best Black Friday gaming laptop deals.
MSI Sword 15 A11UD-001 | Intel Core i7, RTX 3050 Ti, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD: $1,199.99 $899.99 at Best Buy
Save $300 - MSI's Dragon Blade-inspired not only looks good, but also comes with a lot of power. And, it's 25% off from now until Black Friday, dropping this specific configuration below $1,000. What do you get in exchange? An 11th-gen Intel Core i7, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 TI GPU, 8GB RAM, and 512GB SSD storage, alongside an FHD screen. That's not too shabby for 1080p gaming.
MSI Creator 15 A11UE-491 | Intel Core i7, RTX 3060, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD: $1,849$1,449 at Newegg
Save $400 - Black Friday and Cyber Monday sees this mid-range laptop from MSI's Creator line at 22% off. That's $400 in savings for a notebook that will see you through your creative workflows. Whether that to you means photo and video editing, creating graphics designs, or streaming your gaming sessions. Besides the 11th-gen i7, RTX 3060, 16GB RAM innards, you're also getting that crisp 4K display.
MSI Pulse GL66 11UGK-001| Intel Core i7, RTX 3070, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD: $1,499 $1,294 at Amazon
Save $204 - You need not spend over $2,000 on an RTX 3070-powered gaming laptop. For one day only, MSI is dropping the price of this powerful piece of kit down 10%, giving you $150 in savings. The only thing better than its high-end internals are its fast 1080p screen that boasts a 144Hz refresh rate, best for fast-paced games.
Lenovo Legion 5 17-inch, AMD Ryzen 7, RTX 3060, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD | $1,299 $1,199 at Antonline
Save $100 - Enjoy fantastic gaming performance on the go for less thanks to this Black Friday gaming laptop deal from Antonline on the Lenovo Legion 5 17.3-inch, loaded with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, and RTX 3060 GPU, 16GB RAM, and a 256GB SSD. The storage is a bit on the lighter side, though, so make sure to be use some external storage for when you don't need large files like HD movies.
Dell G15, AMD Ryzen 7, Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti, 8GB, 512GB | $1,149 $879 at Best Buy
Save $270 - This 15.6-inch gaming laptop from Dell brings some serious power for less than $1,000 this Black Friday. With an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU, Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti graphics, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, and a 120Hz refresh rate, your games will look and play great on the go.
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro 16-inch, AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, Nvidia RTX 3060, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD | $1,499 $1,349 at Antonline
Save $149 - The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is one of our favorite laptops every for its performance-to-price ratio, so taking another $149 off the top at Antonline makes one of the best gaming laptops ever that much better.
Lenovo ThinkPad Gaming 3, AMD Ryzen 5, RTX 3050 Ti, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD: $899 $849 at Antonline
Save $50 - This fantastic budget gaming laptop just got better thanks to this $50 discount at Antonline. With an AMD Ryzen 5-5600H CPU and RTX 3050 Ti GPU, you'll get solid gaming performance for a fantastic price.
Lenovo Legion 5 17-inch, AMD Ryzen 7, RTX 3060, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD: $1,299 $1,199 at Antonline
Save $100 - Enjoy fantastic gaming performance on the go for less thanks to this Black Friday gaming laptop deal from Antonline on the Lenovo Legion 5 17.3-inch, loaded with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, and RTX 3060 GPU, 16GB RAM, and a 256GB SSD. The storage is a bit on the lighter side, though, so make sure to be use some external storage for when you don't need large files like HD movies.
Dell XPS 17, Core i7, 32GB RAM, 512GB: $2,299.99 $1,649.99 at Dell
Save $650 - The XPS 17 is pricey at the best of times, but this deal softens the blow significantly. This laptop is pretty close to perfect, with the exception of its short supply of ports.
Dell XPS 17, Intel Core i7, 32GB RAM, RTX 3050, 1TB SSD: $2,699 $2,299 at Costco
The Dell XPS 17 is one of our favorite laptops, it's an incredibly gorgeous piece of kit and powerful enough to get you through whatever you want to throw at it. And for Black Friday, you can get this tricked out model for just $2,299 plus $9.99 for shipping at Costco.
MSI Pulse GL66, Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, RTX 3060, 512GB SSD, 1TB HDD: $1,199 $1,099 at Newegg
The MSI Pulse GL66 is a solid mid-range gaming laptop, and right now you can get it with an Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and an RTX 3060 for just $1,099 (with $100 rebate applied), making it one of the best Black Friday gaming laptop deals.
MSI Katana GF66, Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, RTX 3050 Ti, 512GB SSD:$1,199 $899 at Micro Center
The MSI Katana GF66 is MSI's new budget line, and it's still pretty darn sleek. But it's more than a pretty face, as it's rocking an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, and it's just $899 at Micro Center for Black Friday.
Asus TUF A17 Gaming Laptop, Ryzen 7, 16GB RAM, RTX 3050 Ti, 512GB SSD: $1,149 $999 at Micro Center
The Asus TUF A17 is one of the best budget gaming laptops around, and right now you can get it for even less, strapped with an RTX 3050 Ti for just $999 at Micro Center for Black Friday.
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED YD, 15.6-inch 4K AMOLED, Intel i7-11800H, Nvidia RTX 3080, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD | $2,999 $1,899 at Newegg (Instant savings and rebate)
Save $1,100 - Right off the bat, you're saving $800 with this Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED, but with an additional mail-in rebate offer, you can save another $300, bringing the total savings to $1,100. This is definitely one of the best Black Friday gaming laptop deals we've seen, but it ends early tomorrow morning, so you need to move on it soon if you want to save big on this beast.
MSI GP66 Leopard, Intel i7-11800H, Nvidia RTX 3080, 16GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD: $2,299 $1,799 at Newegg (Instant savings and rebate offer)
Save $400 - Save $400 instantly on this MSI GP66 Leopard gaming laptop and get an $100 back with a mail-in rebate offer. Featuring an RTX 3080 GPU and a 240Hz FHD (1080p) display, the visuals on this gaming laptop are going to be some of the best you're going to find anywhere. You'll have to move fast though, this deal ends early tomorrow morning.
Gigabyte G5 MD, Intel i5-11400H, Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD: $1,199 $849 at Newegg (Instant savings and rebate offer)
Save $350 - Getting RTX 30-series graphics on a gaming laptop for less than $1,000 is a tall order, but with this RTX 3050 Ti gaming laptop from Gigabyte at Newegg, you can get one for less than $850, making it one of the best gaming laptop Black Friday deals we've seen so far. You'll have to hurry though, this deal ends early tomorrow morning.
Acer Nitro 5, AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD: $1,149 $1,069 at Newegg
Save $80 - If you're looking for the power and performance of an AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, this Acer Nitro 5 is one of the better configurations we've seen, especially at this price. If you want to grab it though, you'll need to move quick, as this deal ends early tomorrow morning.
HP Omen 17t | RTX 3070, Core i7 | $1,699 $1,449 at HP
The HP Omen 17t is a powerful gaming laptop with a beautiful 17-inch 1080p display and enough horsepower to run any game you throw at it. And you can save $250 for Black Friday.
Razer Blade 15 (2020, 4K OLED Touch): $3,299 $1,799 at Amazon
Save $1,300 - The Razer Blade 15 Advanced (2020) is one of the best gaming laptops you can find for Black Friday. While the 2020 model doesn't come with the latest RTX 3080 GPU, the RTX 2080 Super inside this model is still one of the most powerful you can get. It also features an Intel Core i7-10875H processor, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Thunderbolt 3 ports, and a 15.6-inch 4K OLED Touch display, all for just $1,799 right now at Amazon.
Razer Blade 15 (2020, 4K OLED Touch): $3,299 $1,799 at Best Buy
Save $1,300 - The Razer Blade 15 Advanced (2020) gaming laptop might not have the latest RTX 3080 GPU, but with an RTX 2080 Super, Intel Core i7-10875H, 16GB RAM, and 1TB SSD, this is still a gaming powerhouse with a gorgeous 4K OLED display, now just $1,799 at Best Buy.
Razer Blade 15 (2020, FHD): $2,999 $1,599 at Best Buy
Save $1,200 - The Razer Blade 15 Advanced is among the best laptops ever made, with even the last-gen model from 2020 beating out many newer gaming laptops thanks to its powerful RTX 2080 Super GPU, Intel Core i7-10875H, 16GB RAM, and 1TB SSD. This model doesn't come with a 4K OLED display, but the 1080p panel does have a 300Hz refresh rate, making this a perfect gaming laptop for eSports enthusiasts when they're away from home.
Razer Blade 15 (2020, FHD): $2,999 $1,599 at Amazon
Save $1,400 - RTX 2080 Super GPU, Intel Core i7-10875H, 16GB RAM, and 1TB SSD. This model doesn't come with a 4K OLED display, but the 1080p panel does have a 300Hz refresh rate, making this a perfect gaming laptop for eSports enthusiasts to game on when they're away from home.
MSI GS75 Stealth gaming laptop, Core i7, 16GB RAM, RTX 2060: $1,749 $1,349 at Amazon
Order the MSI GS75 gaming laptop with a 17.3-inch 240Hz display, Intel Core i7, Nvidia RTX 2060,16GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD for $400 off from Amazon. This is a good choice to play games at medium settings.
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED, Intel Core i7, RTX 3080, 16GB RAM, 1TB: $2,999 $1,899 after rebate at Newegg
The Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED is not only incredibly powerful, with its 11th-gen processor and RTX 3080, but it's also incredibly sleek, making it an easy pick for any creative professionals too. And that OLED display will make any game absolutely pop. And ahead of Black Friday you can save a whopping $800 on this laptop.
Gigabyte Aorus 15P YD, Core i7, RTX 3080, 32GB RAM, 1TB: $2,399 $2,149 at Amazon
If you're looking for a gaming laptop that packs a serious punch without worrying about silly things like "portability" and "battery life" the Gigabyte Aorus 15P will absolutely destroy every game you throw at it. And you can save $200 ahead of Black Friday.
Alienware m15 R4: $2,399 $2,099 at Amazon
The Alienware m15 R4 is not only a premium gaming laptop that'll tear through any game you throw at it, but it's also just our favorite gaming laptop, period. It's both beautiful and powerful and you can save more than $300 ahead of Black Friday at Amazon.
UK: The best Black Friday gaming laptop deals last year
Dell G15 Special Edition, Core i7, 32GB RAM, RTX 3060: £1,729 £1,329 at Dell
Save £400 - This huge saving gets you a brilliant gaming laptop with the in-demand RTX 3060 graphics card, plus a huge 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD. This is a great affordable gaming laptop for people who like to stream their gameplay while playing.
Asus TUF Dash FX516PM: £1,019 £899 at Amazon
The Asus TUF Dash FX516 isn't the most premium gaming laptop in the world, but with a fast 144Hz display, an RTX 3060 and a Core i7 processor, it's an excellent little gaming laptop, especially when you can get it at a discount.
Acer Predator Triton, RTX 3060, Core i7, 16GB, 1TB SSD: £1,399.99 £1,199.99 at Amazon
Save £200
The Acer Predator series is one of the best-known PC gaming lines, and for good reason. You're getting an RTX 3060 GPU, the latest 11th-gen Intel i7 processor and 16GB of RAM, making this not only suitable for playing the latest games, but also for streaming them.
Alienware m15 R4, Core i9, RTX 3080, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD: £3,349 £2,269 at Dell
Save £1,080 - Dell has given this brilliant gaming laptop with Nvidia RTX 3080 a massive price cut for today only. This deal is selling out fast so you want to be quick. The powerful GPU will play any PC game with ease on the 1080p 300Hz screen.
Alienware m15 R6, Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, RTX 3080, 1TB: £2,449 £1,999 at Dell
Save £450 - Any gaming laptop with an RTX 3080 GPU is in high demand, especially one with a huge £450 saving like this. It's a gorgeous design, with 11th generation Intel Core i7 processor, 1TB SSD and 16GB RAM. This deal could sell out fast.
Dell G15 Special Edition, Core i7, 32GB RAM, RTX 3060: £1,729 £1,329 at Dell
Save £400 - This huge saving gets you a brilliant gaming laptop with the in-demand RTX 3060 graphics card, plus a huge 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD. This is a great affordable gaming laptop for people who like to stream their gameplay whilst playing.
Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5, Ryzen 9, RTX 3070, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD: £2,199 £1,799 at Dell
Save £400 - This is another great gaming laptop deal from Dell. Coming with an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX processor and powerful RTX 3070 GPU, this is a brilliant offer from Dell. It comes with an Nvidia G-Sync 1440p 240Hz screen for fast and frantic gameplay.
Asus TUF Dash FX516PM: £1,019 £899 at Amazon
The Asus TUF Dash FX516 isn't the most premium gaming laptop in the world, but with a fast 144Hz display, an RTX 3060 and a Core i7 processor, it's an excellent little gaming laptop, especially when you can get it at such a big discount ahead of Black Friday.
Acer Nitro 5, AMD Ryzen 7, 16GB, 512GB SSD, RTX 3060: £1,099.99 £1,014 at Amazon
Save £85 - You can get gaming for less thanks to this incredible Acer Nitro 5 laptop, packed with an RTX 3060 GPU that gives you features like DLSS and raytracing to enhance your playing experiences.
Acer Nitro 5, Intel Core i5, 8GB, 512GB SSD, RTX 3050 Ti: £899.99 £749.99 at Amazon
Save £150
If you're not looking to play the latest AAA titles, but you want a budget gaming device with the latest hardware then this Acer Nitro 5 could be exactly what you need. Plus, that RTX 3050 TI still gives you access to framerate boosting DLSS, giving you more power for your money.
Acer Nitro 5, Ryzen 5, 16GB, 512GB SSD, RTX 3060: £999.99 £927 at Amazon
Save £72
RTX 3060 gaming laptops are perfect for playing the latest game thanks to that boost from DLSS, and raytracing will make even the blockiest of games pop. This Acer Nitro 5 is ideal for people who want to game on a budget, but without sacrificing quality.
ASUS ROG Strix, AMD Ryzen 7, RTX 3050 Ti, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD: £941.04 £879.99 at Amazon
Save £61.05
Asus is known for making some seriously flashy gaming laptops, and this ROG Strix is no exception. With plenty of RGB lighting and the latest RTX 3050 Ti GPU, you can run your favourite games and see every frame thanks to that 144Hz display.
How can I get the best Black Friday gaming laptop deals?
(Image credit: Giphy)
What specs should I look for when buying a gaming laptop on Black Friday?
This is a tricky question, as it ultimately comes down to what you actually want to do with your gaming laptop. If you just want to play old classics or indie games, you probably don’t need to spend too much. If you’re going to be playing all the latest triple-A games, or want a laptop that can pull double duty as a video editing rig, you’re going to need something with a bit more oomph.
As a baseline, if you want a laptop for anything beyond the most lightweight gaming (we’re talking 2D graphics only), you’re going to need a discrete GPU from either Nvidia or AMD in your gaming laptop. A more powerful - and therefore more expensive - GPU will allow you to play at better framerates and higher resolutions, but it’s important to remember that you can’t upgrade you laptop screen, so consider the pairing of display resolution and GPU when looking at a new gaming laptop.
When it comes to what individual components we recommend, it’s really more about your personal budget. As a bare minimum for gaming at 1080p, we’d advise 8GB of RAM and an RTX 3050 or GTX 1660, but obviously if you can find a laptop with better specs at a good price, then snap that up.
One thing that is vital to remember is that many of the retailers and manufacturers with great discounts will simply be trying to clear out old stock. If a gaming laptop deal seems almost too good to be true, check through the specs; it might be packing a processor that is three or four generations old, or a tiny amount of storage that won’t hold up to installing dozens of big games.
Older components aren’t necessarily bad, but be sure to do your research and bear in mind that a laptop running on outdated hardware won’t be as future-proof as something with more recently-released components. There’s also a limit to how far back you should go; we’d strong advise you avoid anything with a GTX 10-series graphics card or an Intel processor older than the 9th generation.
(Image credit: Razer)
The 3 best gaming laptops to watch out for on Black Friday
(Image credit: Razer)
Razer Blade 15
The Razer Blade always goes on sale for Black Friday
CPU: 11th-gen Intel Core H Series | Graphics: Up to GeForce RTX 3080 | RAM: Up to 16GB or 32GB | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD 360Hz, QHD 240Hz (G-SYNC) or 4K OLED Touch | Storage: 1TB PCIe
While gaming laptops have been around for a long time, Razer really was one of the first companies that actually made them portable, shoving a bunch of performance into a light and portable shell. And even years later, it's one of the best gaming laptops on the market, especially if you want something you can take out without outing yourself as a #gamer.
Read the full review: Razer Blade 15
(Image credit: Dell)
Alienware m17 R4 (2021)
Big. Powerful. Beautiful.
CPU: Up to 10th Generation Intel Core i9-10980HK | Graphics: Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 | RAM: Up to 32GB DDR4 2933MHz | Screen: 17.3" UHD 60Hz 25ms 500-nits display | Storage: Up to 4TB SSD + 512GB SSD
We love the Alienware M17 because it combines extreme gaming performance with a beautiful 17-inch display. And while it's definitely not as thin and light as a Razer Blade, this large laptop is still pretty easy to carry around with you wherever you go. And, Dell is usually pretty good at putting its Alienware laptops on sale for Black Friday, so now might be the time to jump in on it.
Read the full review: Alienware M17 R4
(Image credit: Asus)
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15
Desktop-replacement performance
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800H – 9 5900HS | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 – 3080 | RAM: Up to 32GB | Screen: 15.6-inch QHD (1440p), 165Hz, 3ms, 300 nits | Storage: 1TB
Right now, the Asus Zephyrus G15 is ranked as our best gaming laptop - and it's not hard to see why. It's thin, light and sleek while also packing enough power, thanks to the AMD Ryzen 9 chip housed within. And, while this is a very expensive device, we usually see at least one flash sale on Black Friday for an Asus Zephyrus laptop. If that happens this year, our advice is to jump on it as soon as you can.
Read the full review: Asus ROG Zephyrus G15
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