And one thing we didn't mention: Unusual for the money in our test model was a roomy 1TB solid-state drive, well suited to the ballooning sizes of today's game installs. Who It's ForĬash-strapped gamers with big game libraries should give the Katana a long look. The Katana also packs a 144Hz display to capitalize on titles that can go well beyond 60fps on a midrange GPU, like massively popular competitive multiplayer games. Laptops at this price don't normally offer a GeForce RTX 3060 GPU, which comfortably delivers 60fps-plus gaming at a low barrier of entry. But it hits the essentials and then some. The Katana's battery life is shorter, and its screen less vivid, than we'd like. This is an all-around killer package considering the cost.Įxpect, of course, some compromises-unavoidable for the price-but they're relatively minimal. What makes it such a good pick compared to other entry-level systems? It offers an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU at a lower price than other machines, plus an eight-core Intel Core i7 CPU. Configurations start at just $799, and there's a great in-store Micro Center deal on the upticked model we tested for just $1,199. In a time of rising PC and component costs, MSI's Katana GF66 is a breath of fresh air for true budget shoppers. Our $1,399 test unit is a realistic recommendation for a wide swath of gamers. But it'll also satisfy more serious gamers who simply can't splash out two grand for a monster machine. (The heart of the gaming-laptop market is your typical 15.6-incher.) Budget buyers who can stretch their spending a little are the prime target for the Triton. We'd answer that with an initial caveat: You have to want a gaming laptop that's slightly smaller than most. (The GeForce RTX 3060 of our test unit is an excellent middle-ground GPU.) Who It's For Many other 14-inch models are premium designs that start at higher prices, so the Triton 300 SE occupies a bit of a "Goldilocks" spot in the gaming-laptop market: not too big, not too expensive, and just right on the power it provides. Plus, it doesn't compromise on essentials such as physical ports or battery life. It's not a bare-budget model that feels cheap, but it's moderately priced, and its 14-inch screen is part of an emerging wave of more-compact gaming laptops that you actually might want to carry around. The Predator Triton 300 SE is among the best we've seen at striking a happy balance for all of those folks. Check out a detailed breakout of our current tested favorites below, followed by our extensive buying guide to how to shop for a gaming laptop in 2022.Ī mainstream gaming laptop needs to fill the wants of a whole host of possible buyers: hardcore gamers without big bucks to spare, casual players, students on a budget, folks who may use it for work outside of game-time. So we've lifted the price ceiling for this class of gaming machines. Before, we'd have set a hard limit of $999 for budget gaming machines, but we are seeing price rises at the lower end of this market. On occasion, we may designate a model in a different price class than what we tested it at, if the base model starts at a lower price.Īlso note that the budget class saw some price inflation through 2021 into 2022, given the silicon shortages and supply-chain issues that have plagued the industry since the pandemic began. ![]() Smaller 14-inch gaming laptops fall into the "ultraportable gaming" class, and we've also designated a few additional favorites for areas such as overall value and unusual designs (such as twin-screen models). We have organized our choices into our current favorites in the budget (under about $1,200), midrange (between budget and $2,000), and high-end ($2,000 and up) categories at each of the two major gaming-laptop screen sizes (15-inch and 17-inch). Our list of picks is ever-evolving as we test new models. ![]() But if you want or need something you can tote around the house or over to your friend's place, we're here to help you choose the right gaming laptop. To do that, the gaming desktop is still king, particularly when it comes to having the kind of components and horsepower needed to run 4K games smoothly and support virtual reality (VR) setups. Purists will argue that you need a PC to truly play games, especially if you're a fan of pushing the levels of graphics quality beyond the capabilities of a mere gaming console. Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. How to Set Up Two-Factor Authentication.How to Record the Screen on Your Windows PC or Mac.How to Convert YouTube Videos to MP3 Files.How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill.How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad.How to Block Robotexts and Spam Messages.
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