Best thin and light gaming laptop 2025

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is everything we want from a thin and light gaming laptop. Its superb 14-inch OLED display looks amazing and is just the right size to balance practicality and portability.

Meanwhile, under the hood, this laptop packs plenty of power. It can host up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPUs with powerful AMD Ryzen CPUs too, for reliable gaming at 1080p. It struggles to game at the screen’s full native resolution but that’s true of many laptops these days. You can just run at a lower resolution or take advantage of resolution upscaling through DLSS.

One factor to consider is that unlike some larger laptops, this laptop’s RAM can’t be upgraded, as it’s soldered in place. Its 32GB should be enough for the life of the laptop – and soldered RAM is common on thin and lights – but it’s something to consider. Thankfully the 1TB SSD is easy to upgrade.

All this style and power doesn’t come cheap but the G14 is reasonably priced for all it offers, starting at $1,599.

Read our Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 review.

The XPS 16 is great if you’re a creative by day as well as a gamer. Dell has boosted the processing power while maintaining its core features, which isn’t necessarily a drawback. The laptop boasts an aluminum shell complemented by a carbon-fiber keyboard, embodying the XPS series’ commitment to premium construction. However, its weight of up to 2.2 kg sets it apart as one of the heaviest models in its category.

At the helm of the top-tier XPS 16 lies Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor, delivering pleasing speed for tasks like Photoshop and Premiere Pro. Graphics are handled by GPUs up to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070, which is ample for gaming at 1080p and even 1440p resolutions. One downside, though, is that its otherwise stunning 4K OLED display is limited to 60Hz, so isn’t well suited to faster-paced gaming, though hooking this laptop up to a separate gaming monitor is always an option.

While dedicated gamers might seek alternatives, professionals such as video editors, analysts, and designers may find the XPS 16 to be a solid choice, thanks to its sleek design and robust performance capabilities.

The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 offers fantastic value, thanks in part to its dazzling and incredibly sharp OLED panel and its superb CPU for the money. However, its soldered RAM is a mark against it, as it means you can’t ever upgrade from its 32GB that comes include. That’s enough for most use – and soldered RAM is common on thin and lights – but still a downside to note.

This laptop’s RTX 4060 GPU also doesn’t have enough power to play games at the screen’s native resolution, though it can handle 1080p gaming fine. This is all understandable, given the low price MSRP, but it still would have been great to at least have some way of upgrading that memory.

The Slim still ticks a lot of boxes, though, especially if you’re on a tight budget and want an thin and stylish machine with a great screen.

Read our Lenovo Legion Slim 5 review.

If you’re looking for the ultimate thin and light gaming laptop, the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2025) could well be it, as it offers one of the smallest, slimmest designs while still packing a serious gaming punch.

The secret sauce to its power is the AMD Ryzen AI Max 300 series CPUs it’s available with. These include very powerful integrated graphics, which saves on the space required for an extra separate GPU.

All this power is packed into just the tablet section of the device, making it impressively slim and light for its gaming prowess – it can comfortable game at 1080p. However, it’s still quite large and heavy compared to other tablets. Meanwhile, even though its keyboard/trackpad cover is surprisingly good, it’s nowhere near as stable or convenient to handle as a normal laptop.

Nonetheless, for some users, this could be the ideal combination of features. Just don’t think too much about its price.

Read our Asus ROG Flow Z13 review.

The Legion Slim 7i Gen 7 is one of the best Lenovo gaming laptops. It’s impressive that Lenovo has crammed so much into its tiny 17 mm thick frame. It’s a laptop that can do everything and suit any setting. And even though the keyboard features little travel, there is a numeric keypad.

The combination GeForce RTX 3000 series paired with the Intel Core i7 means it can handle number crunching, video stream editing, or polygon wizardry. However, as the Intel i9s and RTX 4000 series are now among the gold standard, it throws cold water on the Slim 7i’s futureproofing capabilities.

We love this model’s display panel. There’s a choice between a 1080p or 2.5K screen, with the former getting a 240 Hz refresh rate and the latter 165 Hz. We’re also big fans of its near borderless screen, which is rich in color and runs at a max 500 nits — plenty bright enough. The anodized, thin, and light aluminum chassis looks mature, although its restrained look might deter hardcore gamers.

Alienware gaming laptops have always stood out from the crowd for their striking designs, and the x15 R2 is no exception. Featuring an unfathomably thin profile, it makes you wonder what witchcraft goes on at Dell to craft this gorgeous gaming rig with a sub-16mm girth. To be fair, it does sit wider, so be sure to measure your backpack to ensure a decent fit.

Heads will be turned by the x15’s outer stylings, particularly where the hinge has been moved away from the back edge. A futuristic “15” also adorns the lid, which comes with a lit Alienware logo. Most notably, surrounding the rear ports is a customizable RGB ring of light that’s straight out of Tron.

Its innards prove it’s no slouch either. With premium specs, including an Intel i9 processor and RTX 3000 series GPU, performance will always be on point. And we love how gorgeous the display is, which can go up to 1440p with a minimum refresh rate of 165 Hz. Battery life is disappointing, and despite having a generous set of ports, an ethernet connection is a puzzling omittance.

The Acer Triton 500 SE, coated in all-metal grey, exudes a classy and understated aesthetic. While it may appear more like a high-end business machine at first glance, it seamlessly blends into office environments without drawing too much attention. Its standout feature is the refined 16-inch screen boasting a 16:10 aspect ratio, ideal for navigating text-heavy documents with ease, thanks to its 2.5K resolution, high refresh rate, and 500-nit brightness.

Despite the dominance of the NVIDIA 4000 series in graphics, the Triton 500 remains a gaming powerhouse with its high-end 3000 Ti chipset. It delivers buttery smooth performance even with triple-A titles at maxed settings and 1440p resolution, all within a laptop under 2 cm thick. However, some may find better value in equally capable alternatives. Moreover, the Triton 500’s impressive brightness and performance come with the trade-off of increased heat and fan noise, addressed by Acer’s inclusion of a “Turbo” fan mode accessible via a dedicated keyboard button.

As well as performance, the Triton 500 offers ample connectivity options, including USB-A, Thunderbolt, HDMI, and an SD card reader – catering to various needs, particularly for professionals dealing with image files. With its sturdy chassis, strong screen and graphics, and commendable productivity features, the Triton 500 stands as a reliable workhorse suitable for any time of day.