Gaming Laptops Nitro Lenovo Dell Tuf Dash

Gaming Laptops Nitro Lenovo Dell Tuf Dash

Acer Nitro 5 (2022)

Processor: Intel Core i5-12500H

Graphics: Nvidia RTX 3060

Memory: 16GB DDR4

Storage: 512GB

Display: 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080p, 144Hz, IPS

Battery life: 3+ hours

The Acer Nitro 5 is fantastic. When it’s not on sale, the setup we examined still costs more than $1,000. However, the RTX 3050 Ti variant is less expensive and performs nearly as well as the RTX 3060.

The all-black color scheme and subdued colored highlights on the Nitro 5 look more sophisticated than many of the RGB light displays you typically see in the gaming industry. Although it is large, it takes advantage of the extra room to circulate air and keep its powerful hardware cool. Both the keyboard and the trackpad are cozy and simple to operate. The panel also has a 144Hz refresh rate, which is helpful for esports games with fast-paced action.

The most lacking aspect of this gaming laptop is its battery life. When playing games on battery power, our test unit lasted no more than four hours. We also desire a wider color range on the display. However, Acer’s reasonably priced Nitro 5 gets the fundamentals right.

Acer Chrome book 516 GE (2022)

Processor: Intel Core i5-1240P

Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics

Memory: 8GB LPDDR4X

Storage: 256GB SSD

Display: 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 120Hz LED

Battery life: 7+ hours

Cloud gaming support for Chromebooks has been available for some time, but gaming-specific Chromebooks, like the Chromebook 516 GE from Acer, are a recent innovation. Whether or whether you use it for cloud gaming, we recommend this Chromebook since it is well-built, powerful, and delightfully reasonable. Yet what distinguishes it as a “gaming” Chromebook?

The response from Acer is the Chromebook 516 GE, which has unique keyboard characteristics like anti-ghosting and RGB lighting. Additionally, it has a high refresh rate display that is often reserved for old-school gaming laptops. Compared to many of Acer’s Windows-based work laptops, including the Swift 3, this Chromebook’s overall package offers you more functionality for the same or cheaper price.

Of course, you can use any device to play games in the cloud. Any gaming Chromebook, including the 516 GE, is more important than a dependable, quick Internet connection. (This device’s Wi-Fi 6E adaptor, while excellent, cannot perform miracles.)

With this laptop, Acer did offer an Ethernet port, and a connected Internet connection is more than steady enough for cloud gaming. Unfortunately, a lot of the gaming experience is determined by external elements that the device has little control over, such as Wi-Fi speeds.

Other Gaming Laptops We Tested

Asus TUF Dash 15 (2022)

Processor: Intel Core i7-12650H

Graphics: Nvidia RTX 3060

Memory: 16GB DDR5 4800MHz

Storage: 512GB SSD

Display: 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080, 144Hz IPS

Battery life: 6+ hours

We also really liked the Asus TUF Dash F15, another exceptional gaming laptop. When the Dash F15 is equipped with a Core i5-12450H and an RTX 3050, the price can be reduced to $900 or less without significantly reducing the gaming performance compared to the model we examined. You only receive 8GB of RAM, but since the memory isn’t soldered to the motherboard, you can always add more.

A MUX Switch, a crucial component for improving the Dash F15’s gaming performance, is included. When turned on, the laptop’s dedicated GPU processes each frame before delivering it to the display, cutting down on latency and somewhat improving gaming performance.

When disabled, the GPU will initially send data to the integrated graphics of the CPU. That will lengthen your battery life but reduce your frame rate.

The Dash F15’s built-in speakers give a thin, tinny sound, and it gets loud and heated under heavy load, similar to many sub-$1,000 gaming laptops. You probably won’t hear much of what you’re playing if you combine those two.

We advise wearing headphones or a headset when playing games that include 360-degree sound, in particular.

Dell G16 (2022)

Processor: Intel Core i7-12700H

Graphics: Nvidia RTX 3060

Memory: 16GB DDR5 4800MHz

Storage: 512GB SSD

Display: 16-inch, 2160 x 1440, 165Hz IPS

Battery life: About 2 hours

Performance comes first for the practical gaming laptop known as the Dell G16. In some of the more demanding games, it routinely produces between 74 and 108 frames per second at 1080p on the highest graphics setting. Even at maximum settings, less demanding games like Fortnite will typically average much closer to the G16’s 165Hz refresh rate.

Compared to other gaming laptops of comparable performance and price, it is thicker and heavier. However, that thickness frees up additional space for a better cooling system to maintain low CPU temperatures. Additionally, the G16 provides simple access to its internal components.

But even for the most fundamental functions, the battery life is appalling. Never attempt to run a game on battery power. Even when the internal components are cool, its loud fans continue to operate for a very long time on the default settings. However, if you frequently use a headset or an external speaker system and are looking to replace your gaming desktop, these factors shouldn’t be too important.

Finally, you’ll need to wait for a sale if you want this particular configuration of a laptop for less than $1,000. Alternatively, if the G16 from Dell is on sale, you can upgrade the graphics card to an RTX 3050 Ti and get it for $900.

You can still enjoy fantastic gaming even if you downgrade to the base G15 model with a 12th-gen Core i5 and an RTX 3050 Ti. Only 200MHz separates the Core i5 and Core i7 processors in terms of speed.

Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Gaming Chromebook (2022)

Processor: Intel Core i5-1235U

Graphics: Intel Iris Xe (Integrated)

Memory: 8GB DDR4

Storage: 256GB SSD

Display: 16-inch 2560 x 1600p 120Hz IPS

Battery life: 12+ hours

Even less distinguishes the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Gaming Chromebook as a “gaming” laptop. It offers the identical features as the Chromebook 516 GE from Acer. It costs more when it isn’t on sale despite having the same 120Hz display, RGB lighting, anti-ghosting keys, and Wi-Fi 6E. Given that it has the weaker of the two processors, that is unfortunate.

Lenovo’s gaming Chromebook is compatible with Nvidia GeForce Now, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Luna, Utomik, and other gaming apps, just like the Acer 615 GE. The only one that supports ray tracing is GeForce Now, which can stream games at 120 frames per second.

The IdeaPad 5 Gaming Chromebook immediately improves in value when it goes on sale. Despite having a less powerful processor, it has a battery life that is five hours greater than Acer’s.

You can choose a Chromebook that is “non-gaming” and still enjoy good cloud gaming. However, the gaming Chromebook solutions shown here have high refresh rates that can’t be matched by other Chromebooks.