The best 4K gaming laptops offer comparable performance to high-end desktops, with powerful CPUs and graphics cards that can deliver high frame rates and detail settings on gorgeous, high-fidelity displays. If you just want to watch 4K movies on your laptop, you can get away with a standard 4K laptop, but if you want to play games at this kind of detail, you need one of the best 4K gaming laptops.
MSI Titan GT77 12U
The most powerful 4K gaming laptop
- Extremely powerful
- Excellent 4K 120Hz panel
- Quad-fan cooling system
- Robust upgrade options
- Very expensive
- Bulky to carry around
Why you should buy this: Currently the most powerful 4K gaming laptop on the market.
Who's it for: Gamers who are looking for a 4K laptop with bleeding edge performance that can easily replace a desktop.
Why we chose the MSI Titan GT77 12U:
One of the most powerful gaming laptops ever made, the MSI Titan GT77 is capable of delivering up to 250W of combined CPU and GPU power. That might sap battery life, but it delivers on detail and frame rates. The laptop is available with 17.3-inch 4K (3840 x 2160) resolution panel with a refresh rate of 120Hz, which means you can enjoy smooth gameplay at a high resolution. MSI has designed the chassis, and although it is still pretty massive, it feels more refined compared to the previous generation.
All that power comes from the 12th-generation Intel Core i9-12900HX, which is the most powerful mobile CPU offering from Intel this year. There is also the option of moving down a step with the Core i7-12800HX if you want to save a little on cost and battery. For graphics, there is the option of Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3070Ti or the more powerful 3080Ti. If you can afford it, you'll get better performance in 4K with the 3080 Ti, but it's not 100% necessary.
This laptop is also configurable with up to 64GB of DDR5 memory, although there are a total of four accessible DIMM slots that can accommodate up to 128GB of RAM. MSI has also taken things to the next level when it comes to storage as there are four M.2 solid-state drive (SSD) slots, one of which supports PCIe Gen 5 drives.
If money is not a concern, this is definitely the best and the most powerful 4K gaming laptop out there. However, you do need to consider the large size and weight of the machine, as it is heavy and not easy to cart around all day.
Razer Blade 15
Best 4K display on a gaming laptop
- Sleek and robust construction
- Fast and responsive 4K display
- Great gaming performance
- Mediocre battery life
- High surface temperatures
- Expensive
Why you should buy this: An excellent 15-inch gaming laptop with a sleek design and a quality 4K display.
Who's it for: For those who are looking for a powerful 4K gaming laptop that doesn't compromise on design aesthetics.
Why we chose the Razer Blade 15:
The Razer Blade is a popular laptop and a favorite among gamers who are looking for a well-built machine that is also sleek and compact. The 2022 Blade 15 is available with the option of a 15.6-inch 4K display with 100% coverage of DCI-P3 and up to 500 nits of brightness. It is also capable of offering up to a 144Hz refresh rate and 4ms response time, making it one of the fastest displays on a 4K gaming laptop.
Thanks to the CNC machined aluminum chassis, the Blade 15 is also one of the lightest 4K gaming laptops at just 4.6 pounds and a thickness of 17mm. Essentially, this makes for an excellent gaming machine that you can carry around without worrying about the bulk. The laptop is configured with the Intel Core i9-12900H processor capable of going up to 5GHz with 32GB of DDR5 memory, a 1TB M.2 SSD, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080Ti. There have been concerns around the battery on certain Razer laptops, and to address that, the company offers a one-year warranty on the laptop and two years on the battery.
Alienware m17 R5
Best all-AMD 4K gaming laptop
- Great price-to-performance ratio
- Cheaper than Intel counterparts
- Premium design and build
- Supports AMD smart features
- Bulky to carry
- Loud fans under heavy load
Why you should buy this: A worthy 4K gaming laptop to consider with an all-AMD loadout.
Who's it for: AMD fanatics who are looking for a powerful 4K gaming laptop.
Why we chose the Alienware m17 R5:
Alienware makes some of the best-looking gaming products. At the same time, it doesn't shy away from offering a variety of configurations to its customers. Targeted specifically at gamers who want an all-AMD machine, the Alienware m17 R5 is available with a 17.3-inch UHD (3840 x 2160) panel that comes with a 120Hz refresh rate, 3ms response time, and AMD FreeSync.
As with all Alienware laptops, this laptop features unique sci-fi design aesthetics, and since it is the AMD Advantage Edition version, this one is only available in a matte black finish, which the company aptly calls Dark Side of the Moon. Thanks to the combination of AMD CPU and GPU, the laptop takes advantage of AMD Smart Technologies that include SmartShift Max, Smart Access Graphics, Smart Access Memory, and FreeSync Premium.
Surprisingly, this laptop is one of the more affordable ones on the list, with the base model starting at $2,300, for which you get an AMD Ryzen 7 6800H mobile processor, 16GB of dual-channel DDR5 memory at 4800MHz, 512GB of M.2 storage, and AMD's Radeon RX 6700M 10GB graphics card. While the GPU isn't fully optimized for 4K gaming, you can upgrade the GPU to the more powerful Radeon RX 6850M XT and bump up the CPU to the Ryzen 9 6900HX for an additional $250. The laptop offers excellent performance for the asking price, but if you looking for even more power, especially 4K gaming, you should also check out the Intel version of the laptop, as you are going to get slightly better performance.
MSI Raider GE66 12U
Most powerful 15-inch 4K gaming laptop
- Power-packed performance
- Decent battery life
- Robust build quality
- Good surface temperatures under load
- Clunky system management software
- High price tag
Why you should buy this: It has 4K power in a 15-inch chassis.
Who's it for: Those who seek a powerful 15-inch gaming laptop with a 4K display.
Why we chose the MSI Raider GE66 12U:
The Razer Blade 15 is an excellent 15-inch 4K gaming laptop, but if you want better performance, we suggest that you check out the MSI Raider GE66 U12. It isn't as slim or lightweight as the Blade 15, which means that it has more space to accommodate better hardware. For starters, you get the option of a more powerful Intel Core i9-12900HK and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080Ti for a combined power of 195W, which is pretty impressive for a 15-inch laptop. To cool the hardware, MSI is using a liquid-metal thermal compound, larger fans, and six heat pipes that are wider than the previous-gen model. Other notable features include a large 99.9Whr battery, an array of I/O ports, and a large RGB light bar right at the front.
The display on the Raider GE66 is a 15.6-inch UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS panel with up to a 120Hz refresh rate and 100% AdobeRGB. You also get the option of switching between color profiles using the system management software. However, the panel is not on par with what Razer is offering on the Blade 15. But if you strive for more performance over a better-looking 4K display, then this is a clear winner.
Gigabyte AERO 17 YE5
The brightest 4K gaming laptop
- Bright mini-LED panel
- Aluminum unibody design
- Solid performance
- Great for gaming and content creation
- Costs a fortune
Why you should buy this: It features a bright 4K mini-LED panel for your gaming pleasure.
Who's it for: Those who need a powerful 4K laptop for gaming and content creation.
Why we chose the Gigabyte AERO 17 YE5:
The Gigabyte AERO 17 YE5 is not marketed as a gaming laptop, but considering the specifications, it can easily take on AAA titles in full 4K resolution. The highlight feature of the laptop is the 17.3-inch 4K (3840 x 2160) mini-LED display that is VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certified with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits. It also comes with a 120Hz refresh rate and 100%-coverage DCI-P3 color gamut for vivid colors. Essentially, this is the brightest 4K laptop that you can game on, and it is also great for professional content creation purposes.
The laptop also features a premium CNC aluminum-alloy unibody design and is powered by the latest 12th-gen Intel processors configurable with up to a Core i9-12900HK, 64GB of DDR5 memory, dual M.2 SSD storage slots, and a Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080Ti. It is fairly expensive, especially if you are planning to go for the top-tier model, which bumps your budget over $4,000!
If you'd also consider something more portable and not quite as powerful as these designs, check out our list of the best gaming laptops we've tried and tested.
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