Sure, having a full gaming PC rig is cool, but it’s not always practical. Not everyone has the space for a giant PC, a monitor or two, a keyboard, mouse, and other essential gaming accessories, and we all know just how expensive all of these things can be.
Gaming laptops offer a portable, budget-friendly solution to this dilemma – they are just as powerful as any good gaming PC, with the added benefit of being less expensive and much more portable. Today, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best 4k gaming laptops on the market. Read on for more information about the best 4k gaming laptop options and their features.
4k Gaming Laptop Reviews
1. Razer Blade Pro 17 Gaming Laptop
Starting us off is the 2020 Razer Blade Pro 17, which is a larger, more powerful version of its 15-inch sibling. It’s one of the best-performing premium 17-inch gaming laptops out there, and despite its glorious size, it is still super portable.
Review
This iteration of the Razer Blade Pro maintains the design of its predecessor while bringing new features and components to the table. Like we mentioned above, it is one of the best performing and most portable gaming laptops out there, all wrapped up in a luxurious metal build. From the outside, this version of the Blade Pro looks just like the model that came before it – major updates to Razor’s laptops generally only come out every few years.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Some laptops are in desperate need of a physical and visual update, but the Blade Pro 17 maintains the metallic, trim design that we have come to love from Razer. The build remains slim, sleek, and presents no weaknesses. It’s also much thinner than Razer’s designs from a few years back, making use of a more modern look than previous Blade Pros.
If you are worried about the portability of a 17-inch laptop, the Razer Blade Pro 17 weighs 6.1 pounds, and while it certainly is portable enough to be carried around, we doubt that you’re going to make a 6-pound laptop your daily commute buddy. This should come as no surprise since a 17-inch notebook, especially one equipped with high-end gaming hardware, is never going to be an ultraportable device.
Razer offers three different versions of the Blade Pro 17. The base model features an RTX 2070 Super Max-Q GPU, with an Intel Core i7-10875H processor and 16GB of memory. The mid-priced option has all the same components but upgrades the GPU to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q. Finally, the most expensive model includes all the same components as the mid-range version but upgrades to a 1TB SSD and includes a 4k display.
Pros
- Very powerful
- Portable
- All-metal build
- Modern appearance
- Larger display
Cons
- Not the most portable laptop
2. Dell G7 15.6” 4k OLED Gaming Laptop
The Dell G7 is notable for being one of the only modern gaming laptops that includes a 4k OLED display since most other systems currently only support IPS displays. This laptop is a direct successor of Dell’s G7 7590 and comes loaded with new features.
Review
The 400-nit OLED display on this Dell gaming laptop is far brighter than many other gaming laptops on the market right now, which generally only average about 300 nits. Its color coverage is also superior, thanks to its full DCI-P3 in comparison to sRGB on the standard IPS alternatives. The main drawback to the OLED display panel is its refresh rate of just 60Hz since 120Hz or higher has become the standard these days.
Other than its outstanding OLED panel, this laptop comes with some impressive specs, including a 10th-generation Core i7-107550H CPU, a GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q GPU, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB NVMe SSD, and support for Thunderbolt 3. It’s not the most attractive laptop on the market, but it still gets the job done.
The hinges on this Dell are pretty firm, and you’re going to have to use both of your hands to open it up. They are centrally positioned, much like the Dell Alienware M15 R1, but the laptop overall is still very balanced thanks to the extension of the chassis at the back of the lid. It’s worth mentioning that, once the lid opens, the laptop turns on by itself.
This means that you don’t have to press the power button to get the machine to turn on. It’s a nice convenience feature that you really don’t see a lot of these days. There are two different options for the Full HD display, with the main difference being the refresh rate offered. Of course, if you’re using your laptop for gaming, you’re probably going to want to keep it on the option with the higher refresh rate.
The bezels on this laptop’s display are quite thin, providing you with plenty of display room to get the complete picture when watching movies, playing video games, or editing images.
Pros
- Brighter than many other laptops
- Superior color coverage
- OLED panel
- Turns on when opened
- Two display options
Cons
- 60Hz refresh rate cap
3. Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED Gaming Laptop
Like the previous model, this iteration of the Aero 15 from Gigabyte comes with a 4k OLED display and a decent port selection, with Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI 2.1. What’s more, it comes with a stylish RGB keyboard, a fingerprint sensor in the trackpad, and a webcam found beneath the screen.
Review
The performance of this Aero 15 is not much different from the previous iteration, but it still offers some of the best gaming and productivity performance that you’ll find amongst gaming laptops of this size. The 60Hz display means that you are not really going to see the impressive frame rates that this model’s new hardware can provide, so if that is your priority, you may want to consider another model from this list.
However, if you are looking for a powerful gaming laptop with an OLED display, either because you just want your video games and movies to look great or you’re doing color work on the side, the Gigabyte Aero 15 will get the job done well. This model includes an Intel Core i7-11800H, 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, as well as an RTX 3070, and an impressive 4k OLED screen.
The cooling system on this machine includes two 71-blade fans and five heat pipes that help keep the Core i7 at a reasonable temperature. When you are gaming, the CPU will tend to hover below 85°C, with some occasional spikes in the low 90s. However, the chassis itself often gets quite warm on the keyboard, and it might even get too hot for you to rest on your lap when you are using the laptop.
The Gigabyte Aero 15 gaming laptop comes with a new proprietary Control Center app, which is controlled by Azure AI from Microsoft. This function is meant to allow the computer to swap between power, color, and performance profiles automatically based on whatever application you are currently running. In theory, this is a great idea but can get quite annoying as your screen brightness changes and a notification pops up every time you switch between programs.
Pros
- RGB keyboard
- Beautiful OLED screen
- Lots of power
- Suitable for work & gaming
- Great port options
Cons
- Short battery life
4. ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo SE 15 Gaming Laptop
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus is so determined to be the best gaming laptop in the world that it actually sets itself up for failure in a few ways, but it’s still an incredibly powerful machine that the most dedicated of gamers will enjoy using. It’s a beautiful machine and even features a secondary touchscreen display.
Review
The ASUS Zephyrus is on the rarer end of laptops, and you might have a hard time finding it since it is not as mass-produced as many other gaming laptops on the market. Regardless of the specific model you decide to buy, there’s no denying that this is an expensive machine designed for gamers with a pretty chunk of pocket money to throw around.
It is an investment in cutting-edge power just as much as it is an investment as a status symbol. The Zephyrus somehow manages to be one of the most excessive laptops ever made while still showing some signs of restraint. It is angular in all of the right places, following the designed notes that ASUS has slowly been leaning into over the last few years while still not taking things too far.
The tight design does mean that there are a few awkward aspects. You won’t find an integrated webcam, which isn’t the end of the world for most gamers, especially since the alternative would be a display that isn’t as beautifully-bezeled. On a more positive note, the Zephyrus is packed with plenty of clever touches, like the number pad that is hidden beneath the trackpad and which toggles with a long press in the top corner.
There is also some beautiful, minimalistic RGB lighting. Traveling over the keys feels really good, and there’s a lot of depth to them. The upward tilt of the second screen is a nice touch, and there’s a little bit of flex to it when you touch it. As for performance, this laptop features an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX octa-core CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 16GB GPU, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB NVMe SSD.
Pros
- Incredible performance
- Very beautiful appearance
- Excellent primary screen
- Attractive RGB lighting
- Great key traveling
Cons
- Extremely expensive
5. Alienware 15 4k UHD Touchscreen Gaming Laptop
This Alienware gaming laptop is designed for high-end gaming and packs a powerful hardware punch that rivals some of the best desktop gaming PCs out there. Like many other Alienware machines, the 15 is highly customizable.
Review
We’ll start by saying that it is by no means a light, thin or portable laptop, and you aren’t going to want to move it around very often. It is a heavy behemoth of a machine and is designed to sit on your desk for your longer gaming sessions. The laptop weighs 7 pounds and is well over the standard thickness for a regular 15-inch laptop.
The main body of the Alienware 15 is made from soft-touch matte plastic, which has quite a pleasing appearance but also makes the keyboard feel wonderful to use. The plastic also envelops the sides of the body, where you will find the ports; however, it does lose the soft coating at this point. The display, on the other hand, is protected by glossy, smooth glass, which makes using the touchscreen aspect a breeze.
The front section of the body is the portion where you will find the stereo speakers, which are powerful and can produce high volumes. While they are not as bassy as some might like, they are still a significant step up from the speakers that many of us are used to from gaming laptops. On the left of this laptop, you’ll find two USB ports as well as a pair of audio jacks.
There is another two USB ports to the right of the machine, as well as a gigabit Ethernet port. At the back, you have a range of display connection options, including DisplayPort, HDMI, and the proprietary PCI-E X4 connector for the Graphics Amplifier.
When it comes to the signature AlienFX lighting, you’ll find it not only on the lid and below the speakers but in the Alienware logo beneath the display, the power button, the status LEDs in the top left corner, the backlighting of the actual keyboard, and even the trackpad.
Pros
- Great appearance
- Keyboard feels great
- Smooth, glossy glass on display
- Good speakers
- Lots of connectivity options
Cons
- Very heavy
Final Thoughts
Having a high quality 4k gaming laptop option is a great budget-friendly, portable option that allows you to enjoy high-quality gaming experience that you can take on the road wherever you want.
Our favorite is the ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo SE 15 Gaming Laptop. While it is expensive, it has incredible performance and is great for traveling. It can be used as your primary laptop and it looks great thanks to its beautiful appearance and attractive RGB lighting.