Adam Levell

Short answer: Buy a gaming laptop if you want the newest games at high settings, a keyboard, or one machine for work too. Buy a Steam Deck or ROG Ally for portable gaming on a couch or a plane. The performance gap is large: Notebookcheck measured Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p Ultra at 28 fps on the ROG Xbox Ally X, against 88.5 fps on a Lenovo LOQ 15 with an RTX 5060, about three times as fast by our calculation. The handhelds win on size, weight and quiet.

How we put this together: the specs are from Valve and ASUS, the benchmarks are Notebookcheck’s, and the laptop wattage is from our laptop GPU power database, all linked below. The multiple is our own calculation. It is not based on hands-on testing by iTech Level. See how we choose products.

Side by side

Sources: Valve, ASUS, Notebookcheck’s Ally X and LOQ 15 reviews. The laptop weighs about three times as much as the Ally X, before you add its adapter (our calculation).

How big is the performance gap?

Even in its Quiet mode, this RTX 5060 laptop is about two and a half times as fast as the Ally X in Turbo. The Deck wasn’t in these tests. With a lower power limit than the Ally X and an older chip, expect it to be slower at the same settings, though its low-resolution screen needs far fewer pixels.

That’s the key to why handhelds still work. They don’t aim for 1080p Ultra. Their small screens look fine at lower settings and with upscaling, and Notebookcheck measured the Ally X at 49.5 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 at low settings. But on a monitor or TV, or in the next wave of demanding games, a laptop has far more in reserve.

Where a handheld wins

• Size and weight. It fits in a bag and you can hold it in bed. No laptop does that.
• Noise. Notebookcheck measured the Ally X at about 31 dB(A) in Performance mode and 43 dB(A) in Turbo. The LOQ 15 reached 48 dB(A) in its Performance mode in the same game.
• Controls built in. No controller to pack, and sleep and resume work the way they do on a console.
• Simplicity, on the Deck. SteamOS opens straight to your library, and Valve’s Deck Verified ratings tell you how well a game runs.

Where a gaming laptop wins

• Performance. About three times the frame rate in the test above, and a much bigger screen.
• Compatibility. It’s a full Windows PC, so anti-cheat games and other launchers just work.
• Work and school. A keyboard, a large screen, more ports, and enough power for editing and coding.
• Upgrades. The LOQ 15 has two RAM slots and a spare SSD slot. The handhelds’ memory is on board (what you can upgrade on a gaming laptop).
• Room to grow. With 105 W for the GPU rather than a shared 15 to 35 W, it has more headroom for new games. Our laptop GPU power database shows how wattage varies by model.

Check your games first

This one can decide it. On the Deck, check each game’s Deck Verified rating. Steam Deck owners report that multiplayer games with aggressive anti-cheat, such as Fortnite, Destiny 2 and recent Call of Duty games, are the main ones that won’t run. These are player reports and they can change, so check your own list. If your main game is one of those, the Deck is out. The Ally X runs Windows, which avoids most of this. Our best laptops for Fortnite guide covers that game on a laptop.

Which should you buy?

• Steam Deck OLED if you have a Steam library, mostly want to play on the couch or while traveling, and don’t play anti-cheat multiplayer games.
• ROG Xbox Ally X if you want a handheld that runs Windows games and launchers, with more speed than the Deck.
• A gaming laptop if this will be your main or only PC, you want high settings on new games, or you need it for work or school too. Start with our best RTX 5060 laptops or best budget gaming laptops.

Check the Lenovo LOQ 15 (RTX 5060) on Amazon →

Our verdict

A gaming laptop is the better main computer, and it’s about three times as fast as a top handheld in Cyberpunk 2077 at the same settings. A Steam Deck or ROG Ally is the better second device, and the better choice if comfort and portability matter more than settings. If you want one machine to do everything, buy the laptop. Are gaming laptops worth it? covers the rest of that decision.

Frequently asked questions

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Short answer: No, most don’t. A good pad can lower temperatures, by 12°C on the CPU and 6°C on the GPU in one Notebookcheck test, but TechRadar’s test laptop finished a long encode in about the same time with or without one. Pads also add noise, and the coolest one TechRadar tested hit 71 dB. HP suggests considering one if your laptop stays above 80°C during long gaming sessions. Try a hard surface, clean vents and a frame rate cap first.

How we put this together: the measurements are from TechRadar and Notebookcheck, and the temperature guidance is HP’s, all linked below. It is not based on hands-on testing by iTech Level. See how we choose products.

How much do cooling pads actually help?

TechRadar ran a 15-minute 3DMark stress test on an Acer Predator Helios 300 (RTX 3080) with each pad at maximum, using a thermal camera to measure how much the hottest point warmed up. Noise was measured at head height. For reference, the laptop alone warmed by 31.9°C.

So pads clearly cool the laptop’s surface. The strongest are also loud: TechRadar compares 71 dB to a coffee grinder or freeway traffic. The Klim Ultimate and TECKNET stand out for good cooling at 36 dB.

Notebookcheck measured internal temperatures on an MSI GP65 (RTX 2070) running The Witcher 3 with a Havit pad. It’s an older test, but it’s one of the few that reports CPU and GPU temperatures:

Notebookcheck notes that the GP65 has more ventilation grilles than most laptops, and that results will vary on laptops with smaller openings underneath.

Cooler doesn’t always mean faster

Lower temperatures only raise performance if your laptop was slowing itself down to manage heat. TechRadar tested this with an hour-long video encode. On the Predator Helios 300, the estimated time was 115 minutes without a pad and 113 with the Klim Ultimate, and the encode rate didn’t change. A MacBook Air M5, which has no fan, gained more: 122 down to 114 minutes. TechRadar’s conclusion is that a performance laptop with large fans is already pretty good at keeping itself cool.

Notebookcheck’s test doesn’t report frame rates, and we found no good test that shows a pad raising frame rates on a current RTX 50 laptop. Don’t buy one expecting more fps.

When a cooling pad makes sense

HP suggests one could help if long sessions keep your laptop above 80°C, and that you may not need one if temperatures stay stable. To check, watch your CPU and GPU temperatures with HWMonitor or MSI Afterburner while you play. A pad is worth trying if:

• Your temperatures stay high and you see sudden frame drops or stuttering during long sessions.
• Your room is hot. TechRadar’s advice is that pads are still worth exploring for heavy work in warm weather.
• You often use the laptop on a surface that blocks air. A pad or stand lifts it, though a hard table is free.
• Your laptop gets uncomfortably hot to touch, and you use the built-in keyboard. The pad lowered Notebookcheck’s surface temperature by 4°C.

Try these free fixes first

• Use a hard, flat surface and keep the vents clear. Most gaming laptops pull air in from underneath, so a bed or your lap blocks it.
• Clean the vents with compressed air if the laptop is older.
• Cap your frame rate or lower your settings. HP lists both as ways to reduce heat, since the GPU does less work.
• Raise the back of the laptop with a ventilated stand. HP suggests this as an alternative, and it adds no noise.
• Consider a lower-power laptop next time. Our laptop GPU power database lists each model’s GPU wattage. Less power means less heat to remove.

If you do buy one

Check that its fans line up with your laptop’s air intakes, that it fits your screen size, and that you can live with the noise. From TechRadar’s results, these are good places to start.

TECKNET Laptop Cooling Pad: a slim pad for 12 to 17 inch laptops, and tied for quietest in the test at 36 dB, with mid-pack cooling.

Check the TECKNET Laptop Cooling Pad on Amazon →

Klim Ultimate: the best balance of cooling and noise in the test, at a 15.5°C rise and 36 dB.

See Klim Ultimate listings on Amazon →

Liangstar: third-best cooling (15.3°C), but louder at 45 dB.

See Liangstar cooling pad listings on Amazon →

Our verdict

Gaming laptops don’t need a cooling pad. Their built-in fans are designed to handle the heat, and the performance gain is often close to nothing. A pad can still lower temperatures by several degrees, which helps in hot rooms and during long sessions if your laptop stays above 80°C. Try the free fixes first, and if you buy one, pick a quiet model.

Frequently asked questions

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Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is one of the most demanding PC games, and it’s Windows-only, so you need a gaming laptop with plenty of video memory. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 (RTX 5080) is the best: its 16GB of video memory beats Microsoft’s “ideal” 12GB, at full 175 W power. For less, the Legion Pro 5i with an RTX 5070 Ti hits the 12GB ideal exactly. Plan on 32GB of system memory, Microsoft’s recommended amount.

Check the Legion Pro 7i (RTX 5080) on Amazon →

How we put this together: this guide is based on Microsoft’s official system requirements, manufacturers’ specifications and published reviews (linked below). It is not based on hands-on testing by iTech Level, and we don’t publish frame-rate figures. See how we choose products.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 system requirements

Source: Microsoft Flight Simulator. All tiers list Windows 10 with the latest update. Microsoft lists the game for PC, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, not Mac, so a MacBook or a Chromebook won’t run it.

Two things to note about laptops. Laptop graphics chips are usually slower than desktop cards with similar names, and the gap grows when a laptop limits the chip’s power, so check the wattage: our laptop GPU power database lists it for 200+ configurations. And many gaming laptops ship with 16GB of memory, half Microsoft’s recommendation, so look for 32GB or a laptop you can upgrade.

Best laptops for Flight Simulator compared

The best laptops for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

1. Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 (RTX 5080): best overall

The RTX 5080 laptop GPU has 16GB of video memory (NVIDIA), more than the 12GB Microsoft lists as ideal, and the Legion Pro 7i runs it at the full 175 W next to an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX. Notebookcheck rates it 88% and calls the Gen 10 the most refined model in the series, praising a 240 Hz OLED that also supports DisplayHDR 1000 and G-Sync (Notebookcheck). Good to know: it’s a heavy desk machine with a 400 W power brick, which suits a flight sim setup with a joystick and throttle anyway. An RTX 5090 version, with 24GB, costs considerably more.

Check the Legion Pro 7i on Amazon →

2. Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 10 (RTX 5070 Ti): best value

An RTX 5070 Ti’s 12GB of video memory matches Microsoft’s ideal tier, and Lenovo runs it at the full 140 W in the Legion Pro 5i, with a 16-inch 2.5K OLED screen. In Notebookcheck’s testing of this chassis, the RTX 5070 Ti was up to 25% faster in games than the RTX 5070. More options are in our best RTX 5070 Ti and 5080 laptops guide.

Check the Legion Pro 5i (RTX 5070 Ti) on Amazon →

3. ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2025): best with a matte screen

If you’d rather not deal with OLED reflections, the Strix G16 has a matte 240 Hz IPS screen without PWM flicker and runs both its graphics options at full power: up to 175 W for the RTX 5080 and 140 W for the RTX 5070 Ti, according to ASUS’s power list. Notebookcheck rates the RTX 5080 version 87%, finding the Legion Pro 7i slightly faster with a better screen, but the Strix about €300 cheaper in a comparable configuration (Notebookcheck). Good to know: the case is all plastic.

Check the ROG Strix G16 on Amazon →

4. Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 10 (RTX 5070): cheapest way to the recommended tier

The RTX 5070 version has 8GB of video memory, Microsoft’s recommended amount, at a full 115 W. Notebookcheck calls it “a very capable, high-quality gaming laptop at a relatively moderate price,” quieter and cooler than the 5070 Ti version (Notebookcheck). Good to know: 8GB is the recommended tier, not the ideal one, so expect to turn some settings down. See our best RTX 5070 laptops.

Check the Legion Pro 5i (RTX 5070) on Amazon →

Tips for flight sim laptops

• Prioritise video memory and power, then system memory. 12GB of video memory and 32GB of RAM put you at Microsoft’s ideal and recommended levels.
• Count your USB ports. A yoke or joystick, throttle and rudder pedals each take one; a powered USB hub helps.
• Use an external monitor if you can. A bigger screen makes the cockpit far easier to read.
• Keep it plugged in. Gaming laptops only reach full graphics power on mains power.

For the hub, Lemorele’s TC111 has seven USB 3.0 ports, each with its own on/off switch, and comes with its own power adapter, so your yoke, throttle and pedals aren’t all drawing power from the laptop. We found no independent lab tests of it, so this is based on the maker’s specs.

Check the Lemorele TC111 powered hub at Lemorele →

Our verdict

For Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 with an RTX 5080 is the best laptop, with 16GB of video memory at full power. The Legion Pro 5i with an RTX 5070 Ti hits Microsoft’s 12GB ideal for less, the ASUS ROG Strix G16 is the matte-screen alternative, and the RTX 5070 Legion Pro 5i is the cheapest way to Microsoft’s recommended tier. Whichever you choose, get 32GB of memory.

Frequently asked questions

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Short answer: Almost never. On nearly every gaming laptop the GPU is soldered to the motherboard, so you can’t swap it. Your real options are an external GPU, which loses roughly 19 to 25% compared with the same card in a desktop over Thunderbolt 5, or the Framework Laptop 16, which has a replaceable graphics module. What you usually can upgrade is the RAM and SSD, and that’s worth doing first.

How we put this together: the external GPU figures are from Try Some Tech’s tests as reported by Tom’s Hardware, plus Notebookcheck and TweakTown, and the upgrade details come from ASUS, Framework and Notebookcheck, all linked below. It is not based on hands-on testing by iTech Level. See how we choose products.

Why you can’t swap a laptop GPU

Desktop graphics cards plug into a slot. In most modern laptops the GPU is soldered to the motherboard, and replacing a chip like that takes specialist equipment. Even if you could do it, the cooling and power supply were designed around the original GPU.

Some older laptops used removable MXM graphics modules, but those are rare, and even then the laptop’s power supply and heatsink have to handle the new card. If you’re looking at a current RTX 50 laptop, assume the GPU you buy is the GPU you keep. That’s why it’s worth choosing carefully, including its wattage: our laptop GPU power database shows the same RTX 5060 can be limited to 55 W or allowed up to 115 W, and you can’t change that later either.

Option 1: an external GPU

An external GPU (eGPU) is a desktop graphics card in a box that plugs into your laptop. It works, with caveats:

Sources: Tom's Hardware on Try Some Tech’s 12-game test, run on a desktop because no suitable laptop has both ports. Notebookcheck also found worse 1% lows over Thunderbolt 5, which can make games feel less smooth. And TweakTown reports a Gigabyte RTX 5090 enclosure running 27% slower than a desktop RTX 5090.

Add the price of the enclosure and a desktop card, and an eGPU rarely beats simply selling the laptop and buying a faster one. It makes the most sense if you already have the card, have a laptop you otherwise love, and game at one desk.

Option 2: Framework Laptop 16

The one mainstream exception is the Framework Laptop 16. Its graphics module slides out from the back and can be swapped in under five minutes with the included tool. Framework currently offers an RTX 5070 Laptop GPU or an AMD Radeon RX 7700S. That’s the only current laptop we know of where a GPU upgrade is a planned feature, so if upgrades are your priority, it’s the one to look at. Whether future modules arrive depends on Framework.

What you can upgrade instead

• RAM. If you have 16GB or a single stick, this is the best-value upgrade, especially on an 8GB GPU where games overflow into system memory. See is 16GB of RAM enough? ASUS says most ROG Strix laptops need only a screwdriver. Check first: Zephyrus models from 2024 on have soldered memory.
• SSD. It won’t raise frame rates, but it stops you running out of space. Many models have a spare slot, including the Lenovo LOQ 15 and Gigabyte Aorus Elite 16.
• Settings. DLSS and lower settings often gain more than a small hardware upgrade. Notebookcheck says laptop GPUs are usually held back by speed rather than memory, and that dropping to 1080p usually fixes VRAM problems (is 8GB of VRAM enough?).
• A MUX switch. If your laptop has a MUX switch, turn on the discrete GPU mode so the GPU drives the screen directly.

When it’s time for a new laptop

If lowered settings no longer give you a smooth game, and your RAM is already at 16GB or more in two sticks, you’ve reached the GPU’s limit. Our best RTX 5060 laptops, RTX 5070 laptops and RTX 5070 Ti and 5080 laptops guides cover the current options, with the wattage of each.

Check the Lenovo LOQ 15 (RTX 5060) on Amazon →

Our verdict

You can’t upgrade the GPU inside a typical gaming laptop. An external GPU is possible but loses a good chunk of performance and needs the right port, and the Framework Laptop 16 is the rare model designed for swaps. For everyone else, upgrade the RAM and SSD, tune your settings, and buy the strongest GPU and highest wattage you can afford the next time around.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

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Short answer: Yes, for gaming laptops, with some trade-offs. Reviewers consistently praise Gigabyte’s performance, value and upgrade slots. The recurring complaints are loud fans, weak battery life and unintuitive software. Wattage also varies widely across its range, from 85 W to 175 W in our database, so the exact model matters more than the logo. We found no reliable failure-rate data for Gigabyte or any other laptop brand, so nobody can honestly tell you it’s more or less reliable than the rest.

How we put this together: the review verdicts are from Notebookcheck, Tom’s Hardware and TechRadar, the warranty terms are Gigabyte’s own, and the wattage comes from our laptop GPU power database, built from makers’ spec sheets. It is not based on hands-on testing by iTech Level. See how we choose products.

What reviewers say

Sources: Notebookcheck, Tom's Hardware, TechRadar. Two of these are 2024 models. We use them because they show a pattern, but check for a review of the exact laptop you’re considering.

That pattern is a fair summary of the brand: strong hardware and good value, with less polish. Tom’s Hardware also found the 16X built from sturdy plastic with an aluminum lid, so don’t expect a premium all-metal feel at mid-range prices.

Gigabyte’s wattage varies a lot

This is where the model name matters most. In our laptop GPU power database, which lists 32 Gigabyte configurations, the same GPU can have very different power limits:

More watts generally means more speed from the same GPU, while lower-power models run cooler and are often thinner. An RTX 5080 at up to 115 W in a Gaming A16 PRO is a very different laptop from one at 175 W in an AORUS Master 16. Rows marked “up to” are from Gigabyte’s product pages, and listings don’t always show the model code, so check it before you buy.

Gigabyte’s warranty terms

Gigabyte’s US laptop warranty page has a few details worth reading before you buy:

• New, from an authorized seller. The warranty applies to new laptops from authorized sellers, and may not apply to used, open-box or refurbished units unless Gigabyte says so.
• Battery: a one-year limited warranty from the date of purchase.
• Screen pixels: a 30-day limited warranty, with limits on how many bad pixels count: up to 2 bright dots, 3 dark dots and 5 in total are allowed.
• Keep your receipt and register it. Gigabyte asks for proof of purchase, and says some services may not be available without product registration.
• The overall length isn’t on the page. Gigabyte says periods vary by product and region. Use its online warranty check with your serial number, or ask the seller before you buy.

Which Gigabyte laptop to look at

Budget: Gaming A16 (RTX 5060). Sold with an AMD Ryzen 7 260 and 16GB of RAM. Our database has it at up to 85 W or up to 115 W depending on the model code, so check which one you’re getting.

Check the Gigabyte Gaming A16 (RTX 5060) on Amazon →

Thin and light: AERO X16 (RTX 5070). A 165 Hz, 2560 x 1600 screen, 32GB of RAM and up to 85 W for the GPU. Good if you want a laptop for work too, not if you want the top frame rates from an RTX 5070.

Check the Gigabyte AERO X16 (RTX 5070) on Amazon →

High end: AORUS Master 16 Gen 2 (RTX 5080). A 240 Hz OLED screen, Ryzen 9 9955HX3D and 32GB of RAM. The RTX 5080 Master 16 models in our database run at 175 W, the highest limit for that GPU, but they’re earlier versions, so confirm this one’s power limit. Expect fan noise.

Check the Gigabyte AORUS Master 16 (RTX 5080) on Amazon →

Gigabyte vs other brands

If you’re comparing, Lenovo’s LOQ is often called the safe bet: Notebookcheck says the series is “generally a safe bet” and gave the LOQ 15 81%. Our MSI Katana vs Cyborg and Lenovo Legion 5 pages cover other common alternatives. Sort by GPU wattage in our database, then pick the brand whose compromises you can live with.

Our verdict

Gigabyte is a good choice for gaming laptops if you put performance and value first. Expect loud fans and weak battery life, and don’t expect much from the software. Check the GPU wattage of the exact model, buy new from an authorized seller, register it, and confirm the warranty length before you pay.

Frequently asked questions

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• Laptop GPU power database
• Best RTX 5070 laptops
• Best RTX 5060 laptops
• MSI Katana vs Cyborg
• Is 8GB of VRAM enough for a gaming laptop?