Buying guide · 7 picks compared

Best gaming laptop UK 2026

The Acer Nitro V 17 AI (ANV17-41) Ryzen 7 260 is our top pick, with an RTX 5070 graphics card and a 1 TB SSD for games and files.

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Its 17.3-inch 144 Hz screen is large, and it weighs about 2.71 kg. Want an RTX 5060 with 1 TB storage? Pick the Lenovo LOQ Gen 10 15.6" (LOQ 15IRX10) for its 144 Hz G-SYNC screen.

By Bez, Editor✓ Updated 25 October 2026

★ Our top pickAcer Nitro V 17 AI (ANV17-41) Ryzen 7 260, RTX 5070, 16GB, 1TBImage: AcerSee it on Amazon

Which one is for you?

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Which pick suits which need
Ifyou want an RTX 5070 and a 17-inch screen	Acer Nitro V 17 AI (ANV17-41) Ryzen 7 260, RTX 5070, 16GB, 1TB	See it on Amazon
Ifyou want an RTX 5060 with 24 GB of RAM and 1 TB	Lenovo LOQ Gen 10 15.6" FHD 144Hz Intel i5-13450HX RTX 5060 24GB 1TB (LOQ 15IRX10)	See it on Amazon
Ifyou want a light 15-inch laptop	MSI Cyborg 15 (C2WF-258UK) RTX 5060	See it on Amazon
Ifyou carry your laptop every day	ASUS TUF Gaming A14 (FA401UH) RTX 5050	See it on Amazon
Ifyou want a sharp, fast QHD+ screen	MSI Crosshair 16 HX (E14WGK-060UK) RTX 5070	See it on Amazon
Ifyou want 32 GB of RAM in a slim 16-inch	Gigabyte Aero X16 (Ryzen AI 9 465, RTX 5070, 32GB)	See it on Amazon
Ifyou want the most power	MSI Stealth A16 AI+ (A3XWIG-004UK) Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, RTX 5080, 32GB, 2TB OLED	See it on Amazon

The 7 picks compared

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1★ Top pick
Acer
Acer Nitro V 17 AI (ANV17-41) Ryzen 7 260, RTX 5070, 16GB, 1TBBest for RTX 5070 with a 17-inch screen
Big-screen gaming power, with room to grow
See it on Amazon
2
Lenovo
Lenovo LOQ Gen 10 15.6" FHD 144Hz Intel i5-13450HX RTX 5060 24GB 1TB (LOQ 15IRX10)Best for RTX 5060, 24 GB RAM, 1 TB
Smooth 144Hz gaming with an RTX 5060 and 1TB storage
See it on Amazon
3
MSI
MSI Cyborg 15 (C2WF-258UK) RTX 5060Best for lighter 15-inch
Lighter gaming laptop with RTX 5060 power for play anywhere
See it on Amazon
4
ASUS
ASUS TUF Gaming A14 (FA401UH) RTX 5050Best for lightest, carry daily
Light enough to carry daily, with a 165 Hz screen
See it on Amazon
5
MSI
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (E14WGK-060UK) RTX 5070Best for fast QHD+ 240 Hz screen
Smooth, sharp gaming screen that makes every game look fast
See it on Amazon
6
Gigabyte
Gigabyte Aero X16 (Ryzen AI 9 465, RTX 5070, 32GB)Best for 32 GB RAM, slim 16-inch
Slim 16-inch gaming laptop with 32GB memory, ready to play
See it on Amazon
7
MSI
MSI Stealth A16 AI+ (A3XWIG-004UK) Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, RTX 5080, 32GB, 2TB OLEDBest for maximum power
RTX 5080 graphics in a 2.1 kg laptop with a 240 Hz OLED screen
See it on Amazon

Side by side

From the makers' and retailers' published factsAffiliate

The picks side by side
Pick	Best for	Price	The fact that sets it apart	Where to buy
Acer Nitro V 17 AI (ANV17-41) Ryzen 7 260, RTX 5070, 16GB, 1TB	RTX 5070 with a 17-inch screen	–	Acer UK lists the ANV17-41-R2LT with an RTX 5070 (8 GB GDDR7, up to 85 W maximum graphics power), 16 GB DDR5 that can be expanded to 32 GB, and a 1 TB PCIe 4.0 SSD.	See it on Amazon
Lenovo LOQ Gen 10 15.6" FHD 144Hz Intel i5-13450HX RTX 5060 24GB 1TB (LOQ 15IRX10)	RTX 5060, 24 GB RAM, 1 TB	–	Lenovo's spec sheet for the LOQ 15IRX10 lists the RTX 5060 with 8 GB GDDR7 and a 100 W TGP, plus a 15.6-inch Full HD 144 Hz G-SYNC IPS screen with 100% sRGB.	See it on Amazon
MSI Cyborg 15 (C2WF-258UK) RTX 5060	lighter 15-inch	–	MSI UK lists the Cyborg 15 C2WF-258UK at 1.98 kg with a 60 Wh battery and a 150 W adapter.	See it on Amazon
ASUS TUF Gaming A14 (FA401UH) RTX 5050	lightest, carry daily	–	ASUS UK lists the FA401UH at 1.46 kg with a 73 Wh battery and a 200 W adapter.	See it on Amazon
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (E14WGK-060UK) RTX 5070	fast QHD+ 240 Hz screen	–	MSI UK lists the E14WGK-060UK with a 16-inch QHD+ (2560 x 1600) 240 Hz IPS-level display rated 100% DCI-P3 (typical).	See it on Amazon
Gigabyte Aero X16 (Ryzen AI 9 465, RTX 5070, 32GB)	32 GB RAM, slim 16-inch	£2,099.99	It has 32 GB DDR5-5600 (2x16 GB), expandable to 64 GB.	See it on Amazon
MSI Stealth A16 AI+ (A3XWIG-004UK) Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, RTX 5080, 32GB, 2TB OLED	maximum power	–	MSI UK lists the A3XWIG-004UK with a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, an RTX 5080 (16 GB GDDR7, up to 105 W maximum graphics power), 32 GB on-board memory and a 2 TB SSD.	See it on Amazon

Prices from the maker or retailer named on each pick below, checked 25 October 2026. A dash means the price changes too often to quote: tap through for today's.

A gaming laptop is a trade-off between power and portability. The graphics card and the wattage the maker allows it set the speed; the screen size, refresh rate and weight decide how it lives with you. Desk-bound? Go big on the RTX 5070 or RTX 5080. Carrying it daily? Pick a lighter 14- or 15-inch model.

Our picks in detail

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1★ Top pickBest for RTX 5070 with a 17-inch screen

Acer Nitro V 17 AI (ANV17-41) Ryzen 7 260, RTX 5070, 16GB, 1TB

Big-screen gaming power, with room to grow.

What it is: A 17.3-inch gaming laptop with an RTX 5070 graphics card, 16GB of memory and a 1TB SSD. You get a big 144 Hz Full HD screen to play on.
Perfect for: A strong choice for gamers who want a big screen and plenty of space for their games.
Why we picked it: The RTX 5070 is limited to 85 W maximum graphics power, and its 16GB of DDR5 memory can be expanded to 32GB later. A 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD gives your games room, while HDMI, USB4 and Gigabit Ethernet ports add connection options. A 135 W power adapter is included.

Acer UK lists the ANV17-41-R2LT with an RTX 5070 (8 GB GDDR7, up to 85 W maximum graphics power), 16 GB DDR5 that can be expanded to 32 GB, and a 1 TB PCIe 4.0 SSD.
It has a 17.3-inch Full HD 144 Hz IPS screen, Gigabit Ethernet, one USB4 port, HDMI and a microSD card reader.
It comes with a 76 Wh battery and a 135 W power adapter.

The catch: It weighs about 2.71 kg and the RTX 5070 is limited to 85 W maximum graphics power.

Check today's price on Amazon

2Best for RTX 5060, 24 GB RAM, 1 TB

Lenovo LOQ Gen 10 15.6" FHD 144Hz Intel i5-13450HX RTX 5060 24GB 1TB (LOQ 15IRX10)

Smooth 144Hz gaming with an RTX 5060 and 1TB storage.

What it is: This is a 15.6-inch gaming laptop with an Intel Core i5-13450HX processor, 24GB of memory and a 1TB SSD (fast storage for games and files). Its Full HD screen refreshes 144 times a second, so fast action looks smooth.
Perfect for: It suits gamers who want an RTX 5060 with 1 TB of storage in a 15.6-inch laptop.
Why we picked it: The RTX 5060 graphics card has 8 GB of GDDR7 memory and a 100 W power limit (TGP, the card's power budget). It has HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4 for connecting big screens, plus three USB-A ports and Gigabit Ethernet for wired internet. Two M.2 slots let you add more storage later.

Lenovo's spec sheet for the LOQ 15IRX10 lists the RTX 5060 with 8 GB GDDR7 and a 100 W TGP, plus a 15.6-inch Full HD 144 Hz G-SYNC IPS screen with 100% sRGB.
Ports include 3 USB-A, a USB-C with Power Delivery and DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.1 and Gigabit Ethernet, and it has two M.2 SSD slots.
The Amazon UK listing is the Core i5-13450HX version with 24 GB RAM and a 1 TB SSD.

The catch: It weighs from 2.4 kg and has a 60 Wh battery.

Check today's price on Amazon

3Best for lighter 15-inch

MSI Cyborg 15 (C2WF-258UK) RTX 5060

Lighter gaming laptop with RTX 5060 power for play anywhere.

What it is: The MSI Cyborg 15 is a gaming laptop with an RTX 5060 graphics chip, the part that draws the pictures in your games. It weighs 1.98 kg, though its RTX 5060 is capped at 70 W, the SSD is 512 GB and the RAM is DDR4.
Perfect for: This one is perfect for you if you want a lighter 15-inch gaming laptop you can carry every day.
Why we picked it: It has 16 GB of DDR4 memory that can be expanded to 96 GB, and Wi-Fi 6E is built in. HDMI 2.1 plus USB-C with DisplayPort let you hook up a big screen.

MSI UK lists the Cyborg 15 C2WF-258UK at 1.98 kg with a 60 Wh battery and a 150 W adapter.
It has an RTX 5060 (8 GB GDDR7, 70 W maximum graphics power), 16 GB (2x8 GB) DDR4-3200 that can be expanded to 96 GB, and Wi-Fi 6E.
Ports are 2 USB-A, one USB-C with DisplayPort and Power Delivery, HDMI 2.1 and Gigabit Ethernet.

The catch: The GPU is capped at 70 W, the SSD is 512 GB, the RAM is DDR4 and the warranty is 1 year.

Check today's price on Amazon

4Best for lightest, carry daily

ASUS TUF Gaming A14 (FA401UH) RTX 5050

Light enough to carry daily, with a 165 Hz screen.

What it is: A 14-inch gaming laptop with a 2560 x 1600 screen that refreshes 165 times a second. It weighs 1.46 kg and has an RTX 5050, with 16 GB of soldered memory that cannot be expanded.
Perfect for: This is for you if you want one laptop that games well and still goes everywhere with you.
Why we picked it: It has the ports you need: USB4, USB-C with DisplayPort, two USB-A, HDMI 2.1 and a UHS-II microSD card reader. The 73 Wh battery is paired with a 200 W adapter, and the G-SYNC screen keeps games smooth.

ASUS UK lists the FA401UH at 1.46 kg with a 73 Wh battery and a 200 W adapter.
It has a 14-inch 2560 x 1600 165 Hz G-SYNC display with a MUX switch, and 16 GB LPDDR5X on board.
Ports are USB4, a USB-C with DisplayPort, 2 USB-A, HDMI 2.1 and a UHS-II microSD reader.

The catch: It has an RTX 5050 rather than an RTX 5060, no Ethernet port, and its 16 GB of LPDDR5X is soldered on board (maximum 16 GB).

Check today's price on Amazon

5Best for fast QHD+ 240 Hz screen

MSI Crosshair 16 HX (E14WGK-060UK) RTX 5070

Smooth, sharp gaming screen that makes every game look fast.

What it is: Get a 16-inch laptop with a QHD+ screen that refreshes 240 times a second and an RTX 5070, though it weighs 2.3 kg and is up to 25.55 mm thick.
Perfect for: Made for gamers who want a fast, sharp 240 Hz screen and an RTX 5070.
Why we picked it: The screen shows 100% of the DCI-P3 colour range (typical), a wide palette, so every scene gets vivid colour. Memory starts at 16 GB of DDR5 and can be expanded to 96 GB, so you can upgrade later. You also get Wi-Fi 6E, HDMI 2.1 and a 2-year warranty.

MSI UK lists the E14WGK-060UK with a 16-inch QHD+ (2560 x 1600) 240 Hz IPS-level display rated 100% DCI-P3 (typical).
The RTX 5070 has 8 GB GDDR7 and up to 115 W maximum graphics power, and 16 GB (2x8 GB) DDR5 can be expanded to 96 GB.
It has Wi-Fi 6E, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI 2.1, a 240 W adapter and a 2-year warranty.

The catch: It weighs 2.3 kg and is 21.95 to 25.55 mm thick.

Check today's price on Amazon

6Best for 32 GB RAM, slim 16-inch

Gigabyte Aero X16 (Ryzen AI 9 465, RTX 5070, 32GB)

Slim 16-inch gaming laptop with 32GB memory, ready to play.

What it is: The Gigabyte Aero X16 pairs an RTX 5070 graphics chip with 32GB of memory, giving you room for demanding games and lots of open tabs. Its body weighs 1.9 kg, though the RTX 5070 is limited to 85 W TGP.
Perfect for: Aimed at gamers who want big power in a slim, portable laptop.
Why we picked it: It has 32GB of DDR5-5600 memory, a modern type, and you can upgrade to 64GB later. The slim body measures 16.75 to 19.99 mm thick, so it's easy to carry around. It comes with a two-year warranty.
Price: £2,099.99 (overclockers.co.uk, checked 25 October 2026)

It has 32 GB DDR5-5600 (2x16 GB), expandable to 64 GB.
It weighs 1.9 kg and is 16.75 to 19.99 mm thick.
Two-year warranty.

The catch: The RTX 5070 is limited to 85 W TGP.

Check today's price on Amazon

7Best for maximum power

MSI Stealth A16 AI+ (A3XWIG-004UK) Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, RTX 5080, 32GB, 2TB OLED

RTX 5080 graphics in a 2.1 kg laptop with a 240 Hz OLED screen.

What it is: A 16-inch gaming laptop with an RTX 5080 graphics card, 32 GB memory and a 2 TB SSD (storage). You get fast play on a 240 Hz OLED screen, a display type that shows deep blacks.
Perfect for: Made for gamers who want an RTX 5080 in a 16-inch laptop, though the GPU is capped at 105 W and SSD upgrades need a service centre.
Why we picked it: It has Wi-Fi 7, 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI 2.1 and a USB4 Type-C port, so it connects to modern networks and screens. At 2.1 kg and 19.95 mm thick, it stays easy to move. A 2-year warranty comes with it.

MSI UK lists the A3XWIG-004UK with a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, an RTX 5080 (16 GB GDDR7, up to 105 W maximum graphics power), 32 GB on-board memory and a 2 TB SSD.
The display is 16-inch QHD+ (2560 x 1600) 240 Hz OLED, DisplayHDR True Black 600 certified, 100% DCI-P3 (typical).
It weighs 2.1 kg, is 19.95 mm thick, has a 99.9 Wh battery and a 240 W adapter, and comes with a 2-year warranty.
It has Wi-Fi 7, 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI 2.1 and a USB4 Type-C port.

The catch: The RTX 5080 is capped at 105 W, and MSI says to consult a service centre to upgrade the SSD.

Check today's price on Amazon

What we left out, and why

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2026) GA403: ASUS lists it from £2,199.99 with an RTX 5060, the same graphics card as the Lenovo LOQ Gen 10 and MSI Cyborg 15 here.
ASUS TUF Gaming A18 (FA808PM-S8029W): Overclockers lists it as Pre Order at £1,899.95.
Razer Blade 16 (RTX 5080, 64GB): Overclockers lists it at £4,599.95, with limited stock.

How we chose

Our buying criteria

Two laptops with the same graphics card can perform differently, because makers cap the card's power (its wattage) at different levels. So we compared the card and its wattage first, then the screen, weight and battery, from the makers' and retailers' UK spec sheets on the update date. We have not run benchmarks, and each pick names its catch.

Graphics card: RTX 5050 to RTX 5080. Check the maker's wattage too (watts, the power limit), because it also affects speed. On the picks that list it, it runs from 70 W to 115 W.
Screen: size, resolution and refresh rate (how smooth motion looks), from 144 Hz to 240 Hz.
Weight and battery: 1.46 kg to 2.71 kg, and 60 Wh to 99.9 Wh (watt-hours, a measure of battery size).
RAM and storage: 16 GB to 32 GB, and 512 GB to 2 TB.

How we choose every pick

Your questions, answered

Does GPU wattage matter in a gaming laptop?

Yes, check the wattage. It shows how much power the graphics chip (GPU) can use, and more power usually means faster gaming. The MSI Crosshair 16 HX goes up to 115 W, the highest wattage among these picks. The Gigabyte Aero X16 is 85 W, the MSI Cyborg 15 is 70 W, and the Lenovo LOQ is 100 W.

How much RAM does a gaming laptop need?

Every pick here has at least 16 GB, and the Gigabyte Aero X16 and MSI Stealth A16 AI+ ship with 32 GB. If you may want more later, check the memory can be expanded: the Acer Nitro V 17 takes up to 32 GB and the Gigabyte up to 64 GB, while the ASUS TUF A14's 16 GB is soldered and fixed.

Is there a lightweight gaming laptop?

Yes. Look for a 14-inch model: our lightest pick, the ASUS TUF Gaming A14, weighs 1.46 kg with a 73 Wh battery, though it has an RTX 5050, no Ethernet port and 16 GB of soldered memory.

What warranty do gaming laptops get?

The MSI Crosshair 16 HX, Gigabyte Aero X16 and MSI Stealth A16 carry 2 years, and the MSI Cyborg 15 carries 1 year, so check the warranty on any model before you buy.