Laptops

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

• Laptop GPU power database
• Is 16GB of RAM enough for a gaming laptop?
• Is 8GB of VRAM enough for a gaming laptop?
• Best gaming laptops with a MUX switch
• Are gaming laptops worth it?

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

Related guides

• 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?

Short answer: Yes, for nearly all games today. PC Gamer and TechSpot both tested memory-hungry games and found 16GB ran most of them as well as 32GB. The exceptions were Mafia: The Old Country, Escape from Tarkov and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, and PC Gamer warns there’s little room left for Discord, a browser or streaming while you play. Make sure the 16GB is two sticks, and that the laptop has slots so you can add more later.

How we put this together: the benchmarks are from PC Gamer and TechSpot, both run on desktop PCs because we found no equally thorough laptop test. The memory behaves the same way, but your frame rates on a laptop will be lower. It is not based on hands-on testing by iTech Level. See how we choose products.

What the tests show

PC Gamer checked 27 big games at maximum settings, picked the eight most memory-hungry, and ran each with 16GB and 32GB on an RTX 5090 and on a desktop RTX 5070. Here are the RTX 5070 results it singled out:

TechSpot tested more than a dozen recent games with Chrome and Discord open in the background. Marvel Rivals, Borderlands 4, Stalker 2, Doom: The Dark Ages, The Outer Worlds 2 and others ran about the same on 16GB as on 32GB. The one clear failure was Mafia: The Old Country, which needed about 20GB for a smooth experience. 8GB, by contrast, caused stutters in almost everything.

The catch: everything else you have open

PC Gamer’s test PC ran nothing but the game, which left only about 3 to 5GB free at 16GB, and some of that is reserved. It warns that watching video in a browser, keeping Discord open or streaming your gameplay will “almost certainly” be a problem at 16GB if you also use maximum settings in the heaviest games. Lowering graphics settings frees up memory, so that’s the free fix.

Your GPU matters too. When a game runs out of VRAM, the overflow goes into system RAM, and most gaming laptops have 8GB of VRAM (is 8GB of VRAM enough?). In TechSpot’s Spider-Man 2 test, an 8GB desktop card gained more than 60% in 1% lows by moving from 16GB to 32GB of RAM. TechSpot’s advice is that 8GB GPUs “typically require more system memory”. So an 8GB laptop with 16GB of RAM is the setup most likely to benefit from an upgrade.

Check for two sticks

16GB on one stick runs in single-channel mode, which is slower. TechSpot‘s 13-game average at 1080p found one stick was 12% slower in average frame rate and 16% slower in 1% lows than two, though games stayed playable. That test used a desktop with a 16GB stick against a 32GB pair, so it includes some of the capacity gap as well. Laptop listings don’t always say, so look for “2 x 8GB” or check a review.

Can you add more RAM later?

Often, but not always. This matters more than the number you start with:

• Upgradeable: ASUS says its ROG Strix line can take more RAM or storage with just a screwdriver. Notebookcheck lists two RAM slots on the Lenovo LOQ 15, and two on the Gigabyte Aorus Elite 16.
• Not upgradeable: ASUS says Zephyrus models from 2024 on have their memory soldered to the motherboard. Many thin laptops do the same, so buy what you’ll need up front.
• Before buying RAM: check your laptop’s maximum and memory type, and confirm the new total shows up in Windows afterward.

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

16GB or 32GB?

• 16GB is enough if you mostly play one game at a time, close other apps, or are on a budget. Notebookcheck says 16GB is still acceptable in 2026.
• 32GB is worth it if you stream, keep lots of apps open, play Flight Simulator or Tarkov, or edit video. TechSpot calls 32GB “the sweet spot” for gamers, but says 16GB remains viable while memory prices are high.
• Laptop with soldered RAM? Lean toward 32GB, since you can’t change your mind later.

On a budget, our best budget gaming laptops and cheapest gaming laptops guides list what to look for.

Our verdict

16GB of RAM is enough for a gaming laptop in 2026 for almost every game, as long as it’s two sticks and you don’t run a lot alongside your game. It’s the first thing to upgrade if you see stutters, so a laptop with free RAM slots is a better buy than one with soldered memory. If the memory is soldered, or you stream, get 32GB up front.

RAM is one of the few parts you can change later. The graphics card usually isn’t: can you upgrade a gaming laptop’s GPU?

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• Is 8GB of VRAM enough for a gaming laptop?
• Laptop GPU power database
• Best budget gaming laptops
• Best RTX 5060 laptops
• Are gaming laptops worth it?

Valorant is one of the lightest big shooters to run: Riot’s top tier, for 144+ frames per second, asks only for a GTX 1050 Ti-class graphics card. So with a Valorant laptop, the screen matters more than the graphics chip. The best value right now is the 2026 Lenovo LOQ 15 (RTX 5060), which pairs a 165Hz screen with far more power than Valorant needs. On a tighter budget, an RTX 5050 laptop with a 165Hz screen such as the Acer Nitro V 15 is plenty. Competitive players who want a 240Hz screen should look at the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 10 with its IPS panel.

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

How we put this together: this guide is based on Riot Games’ official system requirements, manufacturers’ specifications and Amazon US listings checked on October 9 and 13, 2026. It is not based on hands-on testing by iTech Level. Prices change often. See how we choose products.

Valorant system requirements

All tiers need Windows 10 (build 19041 or newer) or Windows 11, 64-bit, 4GB of memory and 1GB of video memory. On Windows 11, Riot also requires “TPM 2.0 and UEFI Secure Boot” for its Vanguard anti-cheat (Riot Games). Every new Windows 11 laptop supports both, but if Vanguard shows a VAN 9001 or 9003 error, Secure Boot or TPM has been switched off in the BIOS (Riot Support).

Riot lists only Windows, so a MacBook or a Chromebook isn’t a Valorant laptop. Valorant is also on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S if you’d rather play on a console.

What matters in a Valorant laptop

• Screen refresh rate first. Riot’s high-end tier targets 144+ FPS, and a 60Hz screen can’t show more than 60 frames a second however fast the laptop is. Look for 144Hz at the very least; 165–180Hz is common on budget gaming laptops now, and 240Hz costs much more.
• Any current graphics chip is enough. An RTX 5050, the cheapest current NVIDIA laptop chip, is far above Riot’s GTX 1050 Ti high-end pick. Spend more on the graphics card only if you also play heavier games.
• A decent processor. Riot’s high-end tier names a six-core i5-9400F or Ryzen 5 2600X; the H- and HX-series chips in gaming laptops clear it.
• 16GB of memory. Riot’s minimum is 4GB, but Windows, Discord and a browser running alongside the game make 16GB the sensible choice.

Best laptops for Valorant compared

The best laptops for Valorant in 2026

1. Lenovo LOQ 15 (2026, RTX 5060): best value

You get an AMD Ryzen 7 250, an RTX 5060 at the full 115 W, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 15.3-inch 1920×1200 IPS screen at 165Hz with G-SYNC (Lenovo PSREF). That’s far more power than Valorant needs, so the frame rate can keep up with the screen, and it leaves room for newer games. See the wattage of every model in our laptop GPU power database.

Good to know: our previous pick, the Acer Nitro V 16 with an RTX 5070, rose above the budget (check the price). It’s worth it again if it drops back into the budget.

Check the LOQ 15 (RTX 5060) on Amazon →

2. Acer Nitro V 15 (RTX 5050): cheapest good Valorant laptop

An RTX 5050 is far more than Valorant needs, and the Nitro V 15’s 165Hz screen is the fastest you’ll find at this price. Acer’s US model (ANV15-52) has an Intel Core i7-13620H, 16GB of memory and a 512GB SSD (Acer); many listings use the Core i5-13420H instead, which is still well above Riot’s high-end tier. RTX 5050 laptops have dropped below $800 in sales (see our cheapest gaming laptops). Good to know: Acer also sells Nitro V 15 versions with older RTX 2050, RTX 3050 and RTX 4050 graphics, so check that the listing says RTX 5050.

See Nitro V 15 (RTX 5050) listings on Amazon →

3. Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 10 (240Hz IPS): for competitive players

If you play ranked and want a 240Hz screen, the Legion Pro 5i Gen 10 is a solid choice, as long as you pick the right panel. Lenovo sells it with either a 16-inch 2560×1600 IPS screen at 240Hz or an OLED at 165Hz, and with an RTX 5060 or RTX 5070 running at a full 115 W (Lenovo PSREF). For Valorant, the 240Hz IPS version is the one to get. Good to know: 240Hz gaming laptops mostly cost $2,000 or more, and some listings add extra memory at a markup, so check the refresh rate and seller on each listing.

See Legion Pro 5i Gen 10 listings on Amazon →

Laptops to skip for Valorant

• Thin laptops with 60Hz screens: Valorant will run on integrated graphics, but a 60Hz panel caps what you see at 60 frames a second.
• MacBooks and Chromebooks: Riot only supports Windows.
• Expensive RTX 5080 and 5090 laptops bought just for Valorant: the extra graphics power goes unused. Put the money into a 240Hz screen, a good mouse and a headset instead.

Lag a faster laptop won’t fix

In an online shooter like Valorant, high ping or packet loss feels like lag even at 240 frames per second, and no graphics chip fixes it. Start with the free fixes: plug in an Ethernet cable (or sit closer to the router) and pick the nearest server region. If your ping is still high because of the route your connection takes to the game’s servers, a game booster can help: GearUP sends game traffic over its own network routes to cut ping and packet loss. It’s a paid subscription with a 7-day money-back guarantee, so you can compare it against your own ping before you commit. We haven’t measured it ourselves.

Check GearUP’s game booster →

Our verdict

For most Valorant players, the 2026 Lenovo LOQ 15 (RTX 5060) is the best buy: a 165Hz screen and power to spare. The Nitro V 15 with an RTX 5050 and a 165Hz screen is the cheaper way in, especially on sale. If you’re serious about ranked play, pay for a 240Hz screen such as the Legion Pro 5i Gen 10’s IPS panel. Whatever you buy, it needs Windows with TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot turned on for Vanguard. To hear footsteps clearly, see our best headphones for footsteps.

Frequently asked questions

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• Laptop GPU power database

Short answer: Yes, for most games at 1080p, and for many at 1440p if you lower settings. Notebookcheck tested an 8GB RTX 5070 laptop and found it can “still enjoy all modern games”, but Battlefield 6 at 1440p slowed from 53 to 26 fps within three benchmark runs, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle can crash at 1080p High. So 8GB is fine for a 1080p laptop today and a real limit at 1440p with maxed settings. If you keep laptops for years or want maximum settings, look for the newer 12GB RTX 5070 or an RTX 5070 Ti.

How we put this together: the test results are from Notebookcheck, TechRadar and PC Gamer, all linked below, and the model counts come from our own laptop GPU power database. It is not based on hands-on testing by iTech Level, apart from the one laptop example labeled below. See how we choose products.

Which laptop GPUs have 8GB?

Most of them. In our laptop GPU power database, every RTX 5050 and RTX 5060 configuration has 8GB. The RTX 5070 launched with 8GB too, and Nvidia added a 12GB version in April 2026, so check which one a listing has: 22 of the 63 RTX 5070 configurations we track are 8GB only, 40 can come with either, and one is 12GB only.

8GB is also still common among PC gamers: Steam‘s October 2026 hardware survey puts it at 26.92% of systems, level with 16GB at 26.35%.

What the tests show, game by game

Notebookcheck played each game on an RTX 5070 laptop with 8GB and a 115 W power limit, watching for stutters and slowdowns over longer sessions rather than just average frame rates:

Notebookcheck’s overall conclusion is that laptop GPUs are, apart from a few exceptions, held back more by their speed than by their VRAM. Dropping to 1080p usually solves it, and DLSS upscaling helps a little too.

TechRadar reached a similar view on an MSI Katana 15 HX with the same GPU. Cyberpunk 2077 averaged 90 fps at 1440p ultra with DLSS Balanced, and 54 fps with ray tracing on ultra. But frame generation pushed Black Myth: Wukong to 7.1GB, and Monster Hunter Wilds stuttered constantly in its busy hub areas, with VRAM nearly full.

8GB costs you smoothness first

Average frame rates can hide the problem. PC Gamer compared 8GB and 16GB versions of the same desktop GPU, the RTX 5060 Ti. Desktop cards aren’t laptop cards, but the memory behaviour is the point here: the 1% lows, which show how bad the worst moments are, fall further than the averages.

PC Gamer’s verdict was still that 8GB is good enough, as long as you’re willing to drop settings slightly. That matches the laptop tests.

8GB and your system RAM

When a game runs out of VRAM, the overflow goes into system memory. TechSpot found this makes system RAM more important on 8GB cards: on a desktop 8GB RX 9060 XT in Spider-Man 2, going from 16GB to 32GB of RAM improved 1% lows by more than 60%. If you buy an 8GB laptop, check that its RAM can be upgraded.

You can’t add video memory later, because it comes with the GPU, and upgrading a gaming laptop’s GPU is rarely possible. So choose the amount you need up front.

How much system RAM to pair with it: is 16GB of RAM enough for a gaming laptop?

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

When 8GB is enough, and when to buy more

• 8GB is fine if you play at 1080p, mostly play esports or older games, or will lower settings in the newest big releases.
• Get 12GB or more if your laptop has a 1440p screen and you want high settings, you plan to use frame generation in demanding games, or you want it to last. See our best RTX 5070 laptops for the 12GB version and our best RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5080 laptops.
• Check the wattage too. Two laptops with the same GPU can have very different power limits, which often matters more than VRAM. Our RTX 5060 vs RTX 4070 laptop comparison shows why.

On our own laptop. Our HP OMEN 16 has an 8GB RTX 4070 Laptop GPU. NVIDIA Control Panel (Help, then System Information) lists 8188 MB of GDDR6 and a Maximum Graphics Power of 140 W. You can check your own laptop’s memory and power limit in the same window. We didn’t measure how much VRAM games use on it.

Our verdict

8GB of VRAM is still enough for a gaming laptop in 2026 if you stay at 1080p or turn settings down at 1440p, and it’s what most RTX 5050, 5060 and 5070 laptops come with. It’s a limit rather than a dealbreaker, but it is already a limit in some games, and it won’t get better with time. If your budget stretches to a 12GB RTX 5070 or RTX 5070 Ti, that’s the better long-term buy. If it doesn’t, our best RTX 5060 laptops will play modern games well.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• Laptop GPU power database
• Best RTX 5060 laptops
• Best RTX 5070 laptops
• Best RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5080 laptops
• RTX 5060 vs RTX 4070 laptop