5 Best Lightweight Gaming Laptops with RTX Graphics

If we asked you to picture a gaming laptop, then chances are you would think of a big and burly machine. But, as Bob Dylan would say – the times, they are a-changin! You see, there has been an influx of portable gaming machines that pack a ton of horsepower inside a small chassis. Even so, narrowing down a lightweight gaming laptop that best fits your needs is no mean feat. Which is why, we’re here to shine a light on the best compact RTX gaming laptops. 

The laptops that follow are pint-sized powerhouses that pack a punch. At the same time, these devices are uber portable and won’t weigh your shoulders down when you’re carrying them in your backpack.

1. ASUS ROG FLOW X13

• Battery size: 62Whr | Screen Size: 13.4-inch
• Processor: Ryzen 9 6900HS | Screen Refresh Rate: 120Hz
• Weight: 2.87lbs | GPU: RTX 3050Ti with 40W TGP
• On-board RAM: 16GB DDR5 | On-board Storage: 1TB SSD

ASUS ROG Flow X13

ASUS is constantly fiddling with the design of its gaming notebooks, however, the Flow X13 is arguably the most innovative laptop from the company yet. To that end, the 2-in-1 powerhouse is backed by AMD’s Ryzen 9 6900HS chipset. For those unaware, the octa-core CPU comes with 16 threads and can turbo up to 4.9GHz. What’s more, although the CPU performs similarly to Intel’s Core i7-12700H CPU, it is rated at a lower TDP. 

As such, you can expect the laptop to offer a mightier battery backup compared to its Intel counterpart. And the proof is in the pudding too. In fact, reviewers cite that the performance delta between the two chipsets isn’t night and day. However, the AMD chipset did entail better battery backup on their machines. Add to that the laptop Nvidia’s RTX 3050Ti GPU and you should be able to hit competent FPS in most AAA titles. 

More notably, the Flow X13 comes with the company’s XG Mobile Interface. As such, the laptop supports external GPU enclosures with beefier graphics cards too! So, if you choose, you can upgrade its performance down the line.

That’s not all, as the laptop also gets a touchscreen display. Spec-wise, the panel measures 13.4 inches, offers a 120Hz refresh rate, and gets superbly bright at 500nits. All things considered, the ROG Flow X13 is a fantastic RTX gaming laptop that won’t break the bank or your shoulders. 

2. ACER PREDATOR TRITON 300 SE

• Battery size: 56Whr | Screen Size: 14-inch
• Processor: Core i7-12700H | Screen Refresh Rate: 165Hz
• Weight: 3.75lbs | GPU: RTX 3060 with 95W TGP
• On-board RAM: 16GB DDR5 | On-board Storage: 1TB SSD

Acer Predator Triton 300 SE

Acer has a fantastic, compact notebook up for grabs too. Dubbed the Triton 300 SE, the laptop is backed by Intel’s Core i7-12700H CPU. The 14-core processor works alongside a beefy RTX 3060 GPU with ample performance headroom owing to its 95W TGP. As such, you should be able to run a good chunk of demanding games at medium-to-high settings on the laptop.

That’s not all, as the device also gets a crisp 1080p display. The panel refreshes at 165Hz as well and consequently, will elevate your experience when playing games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Rainbow Six, or Fortnite. 

We should also add that the device offers a healthy assortment of ports. To name a few, the laptop features two USB Type-A 3.2 ports, a Thunderbolt 4 connector, and an HDMI slot. If anything, the laptop’s 56Wh battery might not suffice for office-goers. Even then, the Triton 300 SE’s fun-sized build will undoubtedly entice a lot of buyers. 

3. GIGABYTE AERO 14 OLED 

• Battery size: 63Whr | Screen Size: 14-inch
• Processor: Core i7-13700H | Screen Refresh Rate: 90Hz
• Weight: 3.28lbs | GPU: RTX 4050 with 45W TGP
• On-board RAM: 16GB DDR5 | On-board Storage: 1TB SSD

Gigabyte AERO 14 OLED 

Gigabyte is a renowned name in the PC space and the company’s AERO 14 OLED is a testament to the brand’s expertise in the field. For one, the device is the only laptop on the list to make use of the newest components on the market. To wit, the laptop is backed by Intel’s latest Core i7-13700H CPU, which comes with six P-cores and eight E-cores. The processor can deploy up to 20 threads and can turbo up to 5GHz as well. 

That’s not all, as the CPU has been paired with Nvidia’s RTX 4050 GPU, which comes with a 45W TGP. Moreover, the GPU offers the same number of CUDA cores (2,560) as the RTX 3050Ti graphics card. So, you should see a slight improvement in the benchmarks when using the machine vis-a-vis an older model with an i7-12700H processor and an RTX 3050 GPU. Moving on though, the laptop also comes with a gorgeous, 2.8K OLED display. 

As such, the panel should exhibit deep, dark blacks and offer superb contrast when you’re consuming content on the device. If anything, we would’ve liked to see the laptop with a slightly better refresh rate. As things stand, the panel tops out at 90Hz, so you might want to look at some other options on the list if you play a lot of competitive eSports games. Other than that, the laptop ticks most of the right boxes and is among the best RTX gaming laptops you can buy right now. 

4. ALIENWARE X14 R1

• Battery size: 80Whr | Screen Size: 14-inch
• Processor: Core i7-12700H | Screen Refresh Rate: 144Hz
• Weight: 4.05lbs | GPU: RTX 3060 with 75W TGP
• On-board RAM: 32GB DDR5 | On-board Storage: 1TB SSD

Alienware X14 R1

Alienware is no stranger to powerful, RTX gaming laptops. Take the company’s X14 R1, for instance, which comes with Intel’s Core i7-12700H CPU. Much like the newer 13700H chipset, the CPU features six performance cores and eight efficiency cores. However, it can only turbo up to 4.7GHz. With that said, both processors offer a TJ max limit of 100 degrees and as such, provide ample headroom to run strenuous tasks for hours on end. 

Moving on, the X14 R1 gets a beefy RTX 3060 GPU with a 75W TGP. As such, you should be able to play games at good FPS and graphics presets on the machine. In fact, customer reviews highlight the unit’s stellar performance chops as well. What’s more, reviewers cite that the device can hold its own when playing demanding games too. On that note, select outlets report that the laptop could run games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Metro Exodus, and GTA V at well over 60FPS. 

Alienware has also furnished the machine with a snappy display. To that end, the device gets a 14-inch, FHD, 144Hz panel. So, you should be able to leverage high-octane games to the fullest on the X14 R1 RTX gaming laptop. You’ll also get a slurry of connectors with the devices, including two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a Type-C connector, a USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1 port, and an HDMI 2.1 socket. Rest assured, the Alienware X14 R1 is among the better compact RTX gaming laptops on the market. 

5. RAZER BLADE 14

• Battery size: 61.6Whr | Screen Size: 14-inch
• Processor: Ryzen 9 6900HX | Screen Refresh Rate: 165Hz
• Weight: 3.92lbs | GPU: RTX 3070 Ti with 100W TGP
• On-board RAM: 16GB DDR5 | On-board Storage: 1TB SSD

Razer Blade 14

The Razer Blade 14 is quite possibly, the most powerful compact RTX gaming laptop you can buy right now. To no one’s surprise, the laptop costs a pretty penny. However, the device more than makes up for its steep MRP by offering high-end specs, including but not limited to a Ryzen 9 6900HX processor. What’s more, the device is backed by the beefiest GPU from any laptop on the list too.

On that note, the Blade 14 employs an RTX 3070 Ti GPU with a whopping 100W TGP! Unsurprisingly, the laptop can crunch through demanding workloads and games easily. In fact, per a handful of reviews, the laptop averaged well over 60FPS in games like Horizon Zero Dawn and Metro Exodus at 1080p resolution. What’s more, the laptop could even run games at playable frame rates at 2K resolution natively. 

Speaking of which, the device comes with a 14-inch, QHD display. Unsurprisingly, the panel will appear noticeably sharper than a 1080p screen. What’s more, the display refreshes at 165Hz as well. So, you should not run into any instances of screen-tearing when running games like Fortnite or Apex Legends on the device either. 

SMALL AND MIGHTY

Clearly, you need not splurge on a bulky machine to run games at competent settings. In fact, the laptops we’ve mentioned should be able to run your favorite games without any hiccups. We’d recommend you get the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE if you have a tight budget. That said, buyers with deep pockets will find the Blade 14 to their liking.