1. The quick list
2. Best overall
3. Best for most
4. Best budget
5. Most powerful
6. Best for productivity
The best Asus gaming laptops come packed with the components you need to see you through your Steam library while also offering up high quality screens, a high build quality and - most important of all - solid value for money. These machines can see you through all the latest releases with style and - crucially - a reliable performance. After all, Asus has the top spot in a range of categories across the market these days, from the super compact Zephyrus G14 to the all singing all dancing Zephyrus Duo.
There are plenty of price points to juggle here. However, machines from each of these budgets feature in our selection of the best gaming laptops on the market - so you're covered whether you're spending three figures or four. The best Asus gaming laptops span the full price range and regularly take part in discounts too.
We've had our hands on a wide selection of these machines, and run them through a series of industry and real-world tests to make sure they're drawing the best from the components under the hood. That means we use each of the Asus gaming laptops for weeks at a time - they replace our personal machines for both work and play so that we can get a real feel for each device's strengths and weaknesses. You can find out more about how we test gaming laptops, and head down to our picks for the best Asus gaming laptops just below.
The quick list
The best overall
The 2023 Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 offers an insane amount of power and manages to do so with an incredible display, RGB, and a wide range of ports. That makes for the best option overall.
The best for most
The G14 isn't just the best 14-inch Asus rig, it's the best in the business. This is the perfect mix of power and portability, with impressive numbers and a quality build.
The best budget model
With a range of RTX 30-Series GPUs up for grabs, and prices regularly sitting well below $1,000 / £1,000 the Asus TUF Dash F15 is our top budget pick.
The most powerful
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 has posted the highest benchmark numbers we've seen - not just in an Asus laptop, but in any gaming laptop we've tested so far. It's a beast of a machine packing excellent specs.
The best for productivity
With that second screen whirring away under the main panel, it's incredible that the Duo 16 manages to stay as efficient during gameplay as it does. This is a true all-in-one powerhouse.
The best Asus gaming laptop overall
2023's Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 is a beast. It not only only outperformed the Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 in our testing, but also beat it for price as well. That makes it the best Asus laptop on the market right now, though its aesthetic won't be for everyone.
✅ You're prioritising performance: This is a powerful rig, and it's certainly not the most expensive on the market. That's because it makes some design and material sacrifices to prioritise power in a 16-inch shell.
✅ You value a high quality display: The Mini LED panel is well worth the investment for anyone after additional immersion. Plus, content creators are going to find this screen particularly handy as well.
✅ You don't mind a more gamer-styled aesthetic: This isn't a subtle machine, but the RGB LEDs and chunky grills never claimed to be. If you've got the setup to let it shine it can certainly make a statement, though.
❌ You don't want to spend over $3,000: There are Asus gaming laptops that come in far cheaper than this $3K+ price. After all, the Strix series sits at the top of the brand's range, even if it's still good value within its bracket.
❌ You prefer a sleek form factor: This is a chunky build, and while that extra space is necessary to help these components shine it's not the most compact of designs.
❌ You don't need top of the range specs: The Strix Scar 16 only comes in top of the range RTX 4080 and 4090 configurations, so if you don't need the power on offer you're not going to get the best value for money here.
Design: We weren't massive fans of that translucent main chassis aesthetic. When paired with as fingerprint-prone a material as this plastic, it does bring the overall premium feel down. There's still plenty of RGB to make up for it, though - and besides, this is a gaming laptop focused on pure performance.
Features: Asus has packed its high-end laptops with its Nebula HDR Mini-LED display this year. That means excellent contrast, vivid colors, and slick attention to detailing. This is one of the best laptop screens we've come across, and paired with a silky smooth 240Hz refresh rate there's plenty to love.
Unfortunately for fans of the series, the additional fans do mean the ports have been relegated back to the sides of the Strix Scar 16. If you're going to be installing your laptop to run at a desk semi-permanently, that's going to mean a lot of cables everywhere.
Performance: With an i9-13980HX processor at the helm, there's nothing the Strix Scar 16 can't handle. We managed to maintain three figure framerates in Shadow of the Romb Raider and The Division 2 on Ultra settings in QHD+ resolution - that's not something we can say about many rigs. Not only that, but beefier titles like Metro Exodus and Red Dead Redemption 2 never dropped below 90fps. That's incredible performance from both the lightning fast CPU and RTX 4080 graphics card we were testing with.
Of course, a machine running these specs is going to be impressive. What was all the more surprising, though, was the ability of the Strix Scar 16 to do all this without heating up all that much. Of course, this thing wasn't running cool or silent, but the additional cooling tech packed in here is certainly doing its job. This was comfortable to run on a lap for a couple of hours at a time - something we can't say for the majority of high performance laptops that come through our doors.
While reaching these benchmark dizzying heights I really valued the boosted thermal design of 2023's iteration.
Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 review
Verdict: The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 is the best Asus gaming laptop we've seen yet overall. It's not as powerful as the 18-inch Scar 18, but it's infinitely more portable - and therefore far more useable in real life settings. Add in the fact that it's actually coming in at a reasonable price considering the competition within this range and you've got yourself a stunning machine.
Read more: Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 review
| Game | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 |
|---|---|---|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | High: 201fps / Highest: 191fps | High: 179fps / Highest: 173fps |
| Total War: Three Kingdoms | High: 193fps / Ultra: 148fps | High: 121fps / Ultra: 87fps |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | Balanced: 118fps / Highest: 107fps | Balanced: 95fps / Highest: 94fps |
| Metro Exodus | High: 134fps / Ultra: 115fps | High: 101fps / Ultra: 93fps |
| The Division 2 | High: 167fps / Ultra: 138fps | High: 140fps / Ultra: 108fps |
The best Asus gaming laptop for most
The 2023 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is not only the best 14-inch Asus gaming laptop, it's actually our favorite 14-inch rig overall.
✅ You want a 14-inch gaming laptop: It seems obvious, but we're recommending the G14 to anyone after a gaming laptop with that smaller form factor. It strikes too perfect a balance between power and portability not to be our go-to.
✅ You have a 2021 or even 2022 G14 model: We noticed a massive performance jump between the RTX 30-Series and RTX 40-Series components in the 2023 G14. It's well worth the upgrade if you feel like you're missing out.
✅ You don't want to sacrifice power for portability: Many smaller laptops (like the Alienware x14) make significant sacrifices under the hood to fit into this compact form factor. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 simply manages to make it work, with some excellent results to prove it.
❌ You're going for power more than anything else: Of course, the G14 isn't going to compete with the likes of the Scar 16 or 18. If you're after framerates more than portability there are better options out there.
❌ You want a top shelf mini LED display: Yes, the G14 sports a Mini LED display, but it's not as slick as other Asus gaming laptops. It roughly halves the specs seen on the M16 for example.
❌ You want plenty of screen space: If you're looking for a more immersive experience, we'd recommend opting for something with a 16-inch or 18-inch display. This is a solid panel, but it's not the most expansive.
Design: This is a perenially popular machine - and for good reason. This compact rig is designed to fit the masses, slotting in between the TUF series and ROG Strix in its pricing while still bringing its own unique design language to the table. A super portable, super clean design and excellent speakers make this an easy go-to for those on the hunt for a 14-inch Asus gaming laptop. You are picking up one of the best-looking gaming laptops on the market here. Small, succinct, and infinitely nifty, everything from the deck-raising hinge to the gorgeous 16:10 QHD display shines bright.
Features: The brand has introduced its Nebula HDR Mini LED screens for this year's gaming laptop lineup, but the G14 doesn't quite get the same treatment as something more substantial like the ROG Strix or M16. While those machines can offer incredibly vivid images thanks to 1,100 nits of peak brightness and 1,024 dimming zones, the Mini LED panel available on the RTX 4090 configuration of the G14 halves that power. The 600 nits and 504 dimming zones mean the result is far less impressive in this smaller form factor, which is worth considering if you're going all out on screen tech.
Performance: This year's generation has brought Nvidia graphics back into play - after 2022's model swapped over to AMD's side. Thankfully, that means we've got all those fancy extra graphical features back on the table, and the RTX 4090 unit we tested absolutely sings for it. With triple figure framerates across the board, and very little variance between Ultra and High settings, this is a sturdy machine that can handle anything you throw at it.
Whether trundling through Red Dead Redemption 2's snowy landscapes or skimming webpages, everything feels sharp and snappy
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 review
Verdict: The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is unquestionably difficult to turn down. Prices are reasonable, and you've got the option to stack your components for some particularly smooth gameplay, or keep things on the budget side and enjoy that crisp design.
Read more: Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 review
| Benchmark | 1080p | 1440p |
|---|---|---|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | High: 165fps | Highest: 153fps | High: 130fps | Highest: 124fps |
| Total War: Three Kingdoms | High: 145fps | Ultra: 118fps | High: 117fps | Ultra: 86fps |
| Rainbow Six Extraction | High: 238fps | Ultra: 192fps | High: 170fps | Ultra: 141fps |
| Returnal | High: 131fps | Epic: 124fps | High: 122fps | Epic: 121fps |
| Hitman 3 | High: 121fps | Ultra: 115fps | High: 114fps | Ultra: 110fps |
The best budget Asus gaming laptop
The TUF Dash F15 isn't quite the cheapest Asus gaming laptop on the market - that would be the A15 series. However, it is the best value for money overall - wrapping some solid components and an up-to-date slimline design into a reasonable price tag (and regularly seeing discounts as well). You can price down a little and pick up an A-Series machine, but the chunkier aesthetic and older components are often only priced slightly below this far more impressive device.
✅ You want a slimline form factor that won't break the bank: Skinny gaming laptops are expensive, simply because of the engineering and cooling it takes to squeeze components into smaller chassis'. However, the F15 manages to sidestep that problem and still offer a slimline design.
✅ You don't mind missing new generation components: These rigs are limited to RTX 3050, RTX 3060, and RTX 3070 graphics card lines, but if you don't need the power of a new generation card there's no point in investing in it.
✅ You play casual or moderately demanding games: If your Steam library is made up of less demanding titles, you're going to find excellent value for money here.
❌ You play particularly demanding games: If, however, you've got Starfield, Baldur's Gate 3, and Cyberpunk 2077 lined up you might want to think about investing in something a little more equipped.
❌ You want new generation components: The RTX 40-Series is certainly tempting, but you won't find any configurations offering such GPUs in this F15 model.
Design: Cheap gaming laptops rarely look this good. You're getting an excellent build quality considering the low prices we regularly see on the shelves, with an ultra-thin 19.9mm chassis with a seriously durable feel. This feels like a far more expensive machine, with just a few hints of branding on the main lid.
Features: The i7 (11th generation in last year's model, and 12th generation in 2022's device) processor is a cheaper quad-core version than you'll find in other laptops. However, we haven't noticed any choking or noticeable dips in performance when running the Asus TUF Dash F15 as a casual gaming laptop. The trade-off for that cheaper CPU is an RTX 3060 or RTX 3070 graphics card - GPUs we rarely see at the kinds of prices these machines can drop to.
Elsewhere, you'll find a 1080p or 1440p display (we've tested both and they're equally impressive) and the option to boost up to a 240Hz refresh rate. That's overshoot for some of the specs under the hood, but having used a cheaper 144Hz model for a year now, there's an obvious sweet spot in the cheaper build.
Performance: Overall, the performance here is excellent considering the low price. We were particularly impressed by the TUF Dash F15's ability to handle High settings and still maintain above 60 frames, all while maintaining a slimline profile. We've had both an RTX 3070 and RTX 3060 configuration to play with over the last couple of years, both running that smaller quad-core i7 processor. Considering these are mid-range cards paired with a cheaper processor, the results are impressive. Everyday play is never hampered by that smaller brain and there's still plenty of speed in casual to moderately demanding titles.
You'll be hitting 60fps+ in most games as long as you're happy not playing everything maxed out.
Asus TUF Dash F15 review
Verdict: The Asus TUF Dash F15 is a little older now, but it's still offering excellent value for money. Between that slimline form factor and surprisingly capable configurations, there's plenty for casual players to love here - all without the lofty price tags usually associated with Asus gaming laptops.
Read more: Asus TUF Dash F15 review
| Benchmark Test | 1080p |
|---|---|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | High: 79fps / Highest: 60fps |
| Total War: Warhammer II | High: 82fps / Ultra: 63fps |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | Balanced: 63fps / Highest: 57fps |
| Metro Exodus | High: 72fps / Ultra: 51fps |
| The Division 2 | High: 86fps / Ultra: 54fps |
The most powerful Asus gaming laptop
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 isn't just the most powerful Asus laptop we've tested, but it's offered up the overall highest benchmark numbers of any rig that's passed our desk. That makes it a particularly interesting investment for anyone after a deskbound 18-inch machine.
✅ Performance is your top priority: The Strix Scar 18 has been built to offer breakneck performance first and foremost. That means there are some cheaper elements to the design and you're not getting the mini LED panel of less power-hungry Asus laptops.
✅ You have a larger desk setup: We always knew an 18-inch laptop was going to take up a lot of space, but it's still worth making sure you've got the room to handle this rig's considerable footprint on your desk.
✅ You're an RGB fan: There are bags of LEDs on this rig, so if you have a set up that can make the most of them it's going to slot right in.
❌ You need to travel with your laptop: 18-inch machines are still big rigs which means you're not going to be taking this machine on the road with you all too often.
❌ You want to keep cables tidy: The side positioning of these ports means it's difficult to keep cables super tidy on the desk top. There are ways to get around it with the use of a hub, but at this price it's a little frustrating.
❌ You prefer a more subtle aesthetic: Those RGBs may be powerful, but they're not going to be for everyone. Yes, you can turn off the flashing lights, but the translucent plastic and hard angular lines are more persistent.
Design: The design may well split the Strix Scar 18's market, offering up a bold strip of RGB lighting around the front and back as well as that translucent plastic chassis we didn't quite get on with in the Scar 16. At this price, we were expecting slightly more than the plastic casing featured here, but one look at the price point of the fully aluminium Razer Blade 18 quickly had us celebrating this cheaper design. There's no concerns about durability here, and the lid itself is still a solid aluminium design, so everything feels robust at least.
These 18-inch gaming laptops are designed to sit on your desk and stay there. With a 3.1kg weight (that's 80% heavier than the Zephyrus G14 above), the Strix Scar 18 certainly isn't a backpack companion. That's why it's a little frustrating to see all the ports located on the sides - Alienware rigs have had their IO ports on the back for years now and it makes a more permanent desk setup particularly tidy.
Features: Without the Nebula Mini LED display up top, the biggest feature of the Strix Scar 18 is the top of the range spec it offers. This is the first gaming laptop we've tested with that Intel i9-13980HX processor at the helm, but that's not to mention the RTX 4090 GPU and up to 64GB RAM. Those are some hefty specs you won't find in other Asus gaming laptops - so if you're looking to invest in components that can handle anything your search ends here.
Elsewhere, though, we were surprised to find a robust set of room-filling speakers on board, as well as a full number pad included in the keyboard setup. Throw in a MUX switch and some solid cooling and you've got yourself a well rounded device.
Performance: The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 overtook the Zephyrus Duo 16 as the most powerful gaming laptop we've ever tested. While the Duo came surprisingly close to the Scar's raw power (while running a second screen as well), on paper, these framerates are the highest. We saw consistent 100+ framerates in top graphical settings across even demanding titles like Total War: Three Kingdoms and Returnal. That's incredible performance, backed up by the system's 34,507 Fire Strike and 20,132 Time Spy scores.
Between extremely high framerates, rock-solid reliability, and even the option to output to 4K (with ray tracing no less), this is the best performance we've seen from a gaming laptop yet.
Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 review
Verdict: The Strix Scar 18 is the best Asus gaming laptop for those chasing framerates no matter what. The power under the hood here is unrivalled in the current lineup, and offers incredible (and reliable) performance as a result. There are some bolder aesthetic choices which will come down to personal opinion, and the port placement makes things a little tricky but if you're looking to keep a laptop on your desk for the vast majority of its life you can't do much better than this.
Read more: Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 review
| Benchmark Test | 1080p | 1600p |
|---|---|---|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | High: 219fps | Highest: 199fps | High: 191fps | Highest: 187fps |
| Total War: Three Kingdoms | High: 220fps | Ultra: 170fps | High: 140fps | Ultra: 100fps |
| Returnal | High: 161fps | Ultra: 142fps | (1440p) High: 129fps | Ultra: 108fps |
| Rainbow Six Extraction | High: 270fps | Ultra: 253fps | High: 216fps | Ultra: 177fps |
| Hitman 3 | High: 198fps | Ultra: 173fps | High: 172fps | Ultra: 143fps |
The best Asus gaming laptop for productivity
The Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 has a trick up its sleeve, and the clue is in the name. This is a dual-screen device, with a gorgeous MiniLED QHD+ panel up top and a 3840 x 1100 14-inch ScreenPad Plus sitting just above the keyboard.
✅ You need an all in one machine for work and play: This is an easy recommendation. If you're looking to double up your investment for both work and gaming, this unique hybrid feature set can't be found anywhere else.
✅ You have a hefty budget: Of course, all that comes at a price. With starting rates this high you'll need plenty of cash to become a proud owner.
✅ You'll make use of that second screen: If you are looking to invest, you'll need to make sure you'll actually get use out of that second screen. It's not quite so handy for gaming, but everyday productivity and streaming can be revolutionised.
❌ You're focused purely on gaming: With the second screen sucking up some power and a lot of the price tag, those just interested in a gaming machine would do better to position their investment elsewhere.
❌ You need a lightweight machine: The Zephyrus Duo is impressively slim for what it is, but it's still heavier than the competition.
❌ You're using a monitor most of the time: There's no point picking up this rig and keeping it closed during use. If you're looking for a desktop in the form of a laptop, we'd recommend checking out some 18-inch options.
Design: While not as subtle as other Asus laptops out there, this certainly isn't a classic gamer aesthetic. Subdued grays and blacks run throughout the main chassis, with a single glossy diagonal line and logo on the lid adding a slight flair. It's a restrained look that, combined with the clean, sharp form factor make the Duo feel far more streamlined than its larger weight and footprint might suggest. It is heavier, however, than the ROG Strix Scar 16 and Zephyrus M16 from this year's lineup.
Features: In our review, we lamented the fact that not all games work with this second screen, and it might be overkill for the everyday gamer. However, in a productivity setting this constant companion display was a game-changer.
That's why the Duo 16 is the best Asus gaming laptop for those after a high-end work machine that can also double as a premium gaming rig. The touch sensitive ROG ScreenPad Plus rises from the base of the laptop when the lid itself is opened. It's a graceful introduction to a seriously futuristic feeling piece of kit. Once the machine is fired up, though, that crisp 4K-ish panel springs to life. If you're going to be using your new laptop for content creation or simply everyday tasks, and you've got the budget to invest in a top shelf product, this is where we'd recommend looking.
Yes, the keyboard and mouse have been reorganized to accommodate for that 5-inch tall screen taking up half the space. The main deck sits right at the lower lip of the machine itself, with the trackpad relegated to the side. At first glance, it doesn't look feasible but we were up and away after a little muscle re-learning, and came to enjoy the more relaxed mouse movement and comfortable typing experience. We used the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 for a full week's work in laptop mode and never noticed a strain.
Performance: You would be forgiven for thinking those fancy extra features and slick design might impact performance. However, we got some truly stunning results when we put those components under the microscope. Between 200+ solid framerates in Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Time Spy and Fire Strike scores that were previously unbeaten (until the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 above turned up), there's some grunt under this hood. That's testament to the sheer power of the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX, but kudos also has to be paid to the excellent airflow (with additional fans located underneath the risen second screen).
This is the first time I've seen the fps counter stay above 200 for the duration of a benchmark.
Verdict: The Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 can do it all, but with a lofty asking price it's going to serve those after an all-in-one powerhouse best. If you're not using this machine for everything in your daily life you're not going to get the best value for money, but you're also missing out on a great experience.
Read more: Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 review
| Benchmark Test | 1080p | 1440p (2560 x 1600) |
|---|---|---|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | High: 219fps | Highest: 211fps | High: 189fps | Highest: 182fps |
| Total War: Three Kingdoms | High: 190fps | Ultra: 158fps | High: 134fps | Highest: 97fps |
| Metro Exodus | High: 175fps | Ultra: 172fps | High: 129fps | Ultra: 121fps |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | Balanced: 163fps | Highest: 153fps | Balanced: 158fps | Highest: 120fps |
| The Division 2 | High: 203fps | Ultra: 192fps | High: 187fps | Ultra: 179fps |
How we test gaming laptops
Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.
We've run all of the Asus gaming laptops above through a series of stringent tests, both in real world gaming scenarios and in stress testing industry benchmarks. Every machine that passes our desks is run through 3D Mark Time Spy and Fire Strike to stress its GPU, PC Mark 10 and Cinebench to check its productivity and CPU power, and Crystal Disk Mark for SSD speeds. We then run each Asus gaming laptop through in-game benchmarks on both High and Ultra settings in:
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider
- Total War: Three Kingdoms
- Metro Exodus
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- The Division 2
Beyond these tests, we live, work, and play with every laptop we test for at least two weeks. During that time we're constantly assessing build quality, display performance in a range of lighting conditions, keyboard comfort and reliability, battery life, thermal conditions, and the impact of the machine's footprint, thickness, and weight. For more information on how we make our recommendations, take a look at our full GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.
Best Asus laptops: FAQ
Which Asus laptop is best for gaming?
In all our testing, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (2023) is the best Asus gaming laptop on the market right now. It's the most powerful rig the brand has in its arsenal and packs the cooling tech to make the most of those components as well. However, if you don't want to break the bank, we'd recommend the Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 to most people.
What's the difference between Asus ROG and TUF?
Asus separates its gaming hardware into two camps; ROG and TUF. The former is the brand's collection of luxury hardware, and premium machines that allow for higher-end components and efficient engineering. You'll usually find flashier designs, bolder RGB elements, and higher-quality displays on Asus ROG gaming laptops. By contrast, the TUF series is built to cater to a more budget-minded audience. You're still getting quality here, but with components and certain build elements scaled down to meet a lower price tag.
We're also rounding up all the best Alienware laptops and the best Razer laptops if you're after a different brand. Or, take a look at the best gaming PCs for more of a permanent solution.
