The Race for Best Gaming Laptop of 2025
2025 is shaping up to be a massive year for gaming laptops. With Nvidia's latest RTX 50 series GPUs landing in notebooks and manufacturers refreshing or redesigning their machines, there has never been a better time to be a PC gamer on the go.
PC Gamer's Hardware Awards have highlighted three standout contenders for Best Gaming Laptop 2025. Each one takes a slightly different approach to performance, design and everyday usability, but all three are built to chew through modern games.
Whether you want a sleek all rounder, a chunky value powerhouse, or a full speed performance monster, these nominees cover the main styles gamers are looking for.
Razer Blade 16 2025: Sleek Power for Work and Play
The Razer Blade 16 has always chased that premium, minimalist look, but last generation the design took a hit. To cool hot running RTX 40 series GPUs, Razer bulked up the chassis and lost some of its signature sleekness.
The 2025 Razer Blade 16 is a return to form. Razer has clearly targeted Asus and its slim ROG Zephyrus line, trimming the Blade back into a much more portable and stylish machine without completely sacrificing cooling.
The new design remains slim overall but keeps a subtle raised section under the CPU and GPU area. This small bulge gives the cooling system a bit more breathing room without turning the laptop into a brick. You still will not see an RTX 5090 running fully unleashed in such a slender chassis, but that is not what the Blade is really about.
The Blade 16 aims to be a do everything device:
- Capable productivity machine during the day
- High end gaming system in the evening
- Surprisingly strong gaming performance on battery power
This balance is what makes it stand out. If you want a gaming laptop that also looks at home in a meeting room, is easy to carry, and still hits excellent frame rates when plugged in, the Blade 16 is a top tier choice.
MSI Vector 16 HX AI: Chunky Design, Serious Value
MSI is not always the first name people think of for award worthy laptops, but the Vector 16 HX AI has forced its way into the conversation. It is far from the slimmest or prettiest system out there. In fact, it proudly leans into an old school, chunky gaming laptop vibe.
The benefit of that bulk is simple: better thermals and quieter fans for the level of performance it delivers. The larger chassis gives the cooling system room to breathe, so it can keep high end components under control without constantly screaming at maximum RPM.
That makes the Vector 16 an excellent option if you want a desktop replacement machine that mostly lives on a desk:
- Thicker and heavier than many competitors
- Lower fan noise for the performance class
- High frame rates that match or beat slimmer, louder laptops
One of the biggest strengths of the Vector 16 is its price. It is often discounted, turning it into one of the most affordable ways to get an RTX 5080 gaming laptop with minimal compromises to actual gaming performance.
The trade off is portability. Lugging it around daily is not ideal. But if you mostly play at a desk and want maximum frames per pound or dollar, the MSI Vector 16 HX AI is an impressively practical and powerful choice.
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10: Full Speed Gaming with Smart Controls
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 goes in the opposite direction of slim design. It is a big, unapologetically performance focused gaming laptop built to extract as much speed as possible from its hardware.
With an RTX 5080 inside, it is one of the fastest gaming systems in its class. In some games it can even beat more expensive laptops equipped with RTX 5090 GPUs, thanks to aggressive tuning and strong cooling.
Despite its size, the Legion Pro 7i still manages to look stylish, helped by RGB accents on the rear that evoke a street racer aesthetic. As with many Lenovo machines, you also get a comfortable keyboard and an excellent OLED display that makes games look rich and vibrant.
What really sets this Legion apart, though, is its software. The LegionSpace app is not typical laptop bloatware. Instead, it plays a central role in how the machine performs and sounds, and crucially it respects the user.
Through LegionSpace you can:
- Tune performance modes in detail
- Reduce CPU power to cut fan noise
- Keep the GPU running at full speed for gaming
This means you can dial in a profile that avoids the usual constant fan roar of high end gaming laptops, while still maintaining excellent frame rates. For anyone tired of noisy notebooks, that level of control is a big deal.
Which Gaming Laptop Wins?
All three nominees bring something unique to the table for PC gamers.
- The Razer Blade 16 focuses on portability, premium design and strong all round performance. Ideal if you need one machine for work and gaming.
- The MSI Vector 16 HX AI trades slimness for value and quieter cooling, making it a great desktop replacement when you want maximum performance per dollar.
- The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 pushes raw speed and smart software controls, giving you fine grained control over noise and performance.
PC Gamer will reveal the winner of the Best Gaming Laptop 2025 award on New Year’s Eve. But the real takeaway for gamers is this: no matter which style of machine you prefer, this year offers some seriously compelling options for high performance portable PC gaming.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/gaming-laptops/pc-gamer-hardware-awards-the-best-gaming-laptop-of-2025/
