Finding a gaming laptop that doesn’t have a high refresh screen is probably an impossible task. And that’s great! It means that even if you get an ultra-budget model, it will rock a screen suited for fast-paced gaming. Now, in the laptop market, 144Hz devices mostly fall into the budget or lower-mid range category unless they rock a 4K resolution. The good news is that you can find models with powerful CPUs and GPUs. The bad news is that most of those models feature less than perfect 144Hz screens.
It’s hard to find devices that feature both decent entrails and solid screens. However, if you check out our best 144Hz laptops guide, you’ll definitely find a couple of portable gaming machines that suit your needs.
Before we begin, we’d like to share a couple of buying guides that might interest everyone in the market for a new gaming laptop. Budget buyers might want to read out a list of the best laptops under $600. If you’ve got more cash, check out our guides on the best gaming laptops under $1500 and the best gaming laptops under $2000. Okay, now let’s check out the best 144Hz laptops you can get right now.
MSI Katana GF66: Best budget 144Hz Laptop
If you’re tight on cash and looking for a 15-inch device, the best 144Hz laptop you can get is the MSI Katana GF66. This is a surprisingly affordable device that packs more than a decent punch, even when compared with pricier gaming convertibles. The biggest downside is only 8GB of memory. That’s fine for basic gaming these days, and the good news is that you have two memory slots allowing you to upgrade to 16GB of RAM for cheap.
As for the rest of the hardware, you’re looking at the Core i5-11400H, usually reserved for mid-range laptops, and an RTX 3050. While not a gaming powerhouse, this GPU has enough punch to run modern games at 60fps or above with mid to high settings; just make sure to lower texture settings since the RTX 3050 only packs 4 gigs of video memory. An excellent cooling system keeps the hardware cool even under extreme loads.
The 1080p 144Hz screen is excellent for the price. It covers 85% of the sRGB color gamut, noticeably higher than most budget laptops. Further, the screen supports adaptive sync and has an impressively fast response time. The only downside is the contrast ratio, sitting below 700:1. Also, you don’t have a MUX switch. The build quality is fine, and the keyboard and touchpad are serviceable. Storage-wise, you’ve got a 512GB SSD.
Regarding ports, you’re looking at one USB-A 5Gbps and one USB-A 2.0 port, while the right side features a single USB-A 5Gbps port, a USB-C 5Gbps port, an HDMI 2.1, gigabit Ethernet, and a combo audio jack. Finally, the battery life is disappointing, so make sure to keep the device plugged in while gaming. Overall, the Katana GF66 offers a ton for the price. It delivers great hardware, but MSI had to cut corners when it comes to the build quality, battery, keyboard, and the touchpad.
ASUS TUF Gaming F17: Best budget 17-inch 144Hz laptop
Moving on to the best budget 144Hz laptop with a 17-inch screen, we have the ASUS TUF Gaming F17. The screen here is a 1080p one that’s a bit dim, and that covers 62 percent of the sRGB color gamut, lower than our 15-inch budget pick. It’s also not as fast. But as an overall package, it’s solid budget device. The hardware combo here is the same as on the GH66. In other words, pretty good CPU and GPU but only 8GB of memory. Again, you have two memory slots allowing you to upgrade when you save some cash.
As is the case with most other budget laptops, the build quality and the keyboard are decent, while the touchpad is better than what you’d expect on a budget device. Ports-wise, you have three USB-A 5Gbps ports, one USB-C 5Gbps port, an HDMI 2.0, gigabit LAN, and a combo audio jack. As for the battery life, it’s great. It allows almost 10 hours of video playback time. Overall, the TUF Gaming F17 is another quality budget 144Hz gaming laptop. It features less than a stellar screen and only 8GB of memory, but the rest of the package is excellent for the price.
Gigabyte G5 KD: Best value 144Hz laptop
If you want a great overall package that won’t empty your wallet, take a look at the Gigabyte G5 KD. This is a powerful gaming machine that packs Core i5-11400H and a 105W RTX 3060. The CPU and GPU are complemented with 16GB of memory and a 512GB SSD. Overall, a powerful 1080p gaming combo that will play any game at 60fps or higher with high visuals. Do note that you can add another M.2 storage device along with one 2.5-inch device. In other words, superb storage upgrade options.
The 15.6-inch 1080p IPS screen is a bit dim, covers 62.5 percent of the sRBG color space, and has less than stellar response time. Not perfect for fast-paced esports titles but more than decent for single-player gaming. The G5 KD has a pretty good build quality, a pretty good keyboard, and a serviceable touchpad. The battery life is below par, but that’s expected for a relatively budget gaming laptop.
When it comes to the port selection, the G5 KD packs two USB-A 5Gbps ports, one USB-C 10Gbps port, one USB-A 2.0 port, an SD card reader, and separate jacks for the mic and headphones. You also have an HDMI + mini-DisplayPort combo, and a gigabit LAN on the back. Overall, fantastic port selection. The Gigabyte G5 KD is the best 144Hz laptop for users who want maximum gaming power for their money and are ready to make compromises in other departments.
MSI GP66 Leopard: Best RTX 3080 144Hz laptop
Now, if you want a 1080p 144Hz gaming laptop that packs a seriously fast GPU, the MSI GP66 Leopard looks like the best choice. This device comes with a 145W version of the RTX 3080, making it the most potent 1080p 144Hz device on the market for gaming. Paired with the Core i7-11800H, 32GB of memory, and a 1TB SSD, you’re looking at a gaming powerhouse capable of running all current titles at 60fps or higher with max details, even with ray-tracing effects.
The GP66 has an excellent 1080p 144Hz panel. It covers 92 percent of the sRGB color gamut, has more than 300 nits of peak brightness, is fast enough for fast-paced games, and has a decent (for an IPS panel) contrast ratio of 800:1. The build quality is okay for a gaming laptop focused on delivering the best hardware for the money. The touchpad is not anything to write home about while the RGB keyboard is more than usable.
As for the ports, you’ve got three USB-A 5Gbps, one USB-A 2.0 port, a mini-DisplayPort, an HDMI, and a gigabit LAN. The GP66 Leopard is a perfect laptop for users who want the ultimate gaming hardware but are ready to gloss over an average screen, less than stellar build quality, and utilitarian design. Hook this laptop to an external monitor, and you’ll get a powerful portable gaming machine that can be used for 1440p gaming without issues. If you’re thinking about doing that, visit our guide for the best 1440p 240Hz monitors.
Razer Blade 15: Best thin and light 144Hz laptop
If you want the best 144Hz laptop in thin and light package the most powerful of them all is the latest Razer Blade 15. The 2022 Blade 15 features top-notch build quality, an all-aluminum chassis, an excellent keyboard and trackpad, and one of the best screens on a laptop that isn’t an OLED panel.
The CPU + GPU combo is almost impressive. The latest Core i9-12900H combined with an 80W RTX 3080 Ti isn’t the fastest combo you can get, but overall, it’s pretty powerful. Especially if we consider the surprisingly slim chassis. Sadly, the compact chassis prevents them from fully spreading their wings.Other specs include 32GB of DDR5 memory and a speedy 1TB SSD.
Now, you won’t be able to max out the panel’s native refresh rate since the 80W RTX 3080 Ti is far from the most powerful version of this mobile GPU (165W). On the other hand, playing games at 1080p will guarantee at least a 60fps experience with all (or most) settings cranked to the max. When it comes to battery life, you’re looking at an average battery that can offer about seven and a half hours of light usage.
Port selection includes three USB-A 10Gbps ports, one USB-C 10Gbps port, one Thunderbolt 4 port, a combo audio jack, HDMI 2.1, and an SD card reader. Pretty solid for a slim and light device. Overall, the latest Razer Blade 15 looks very slick. It also has powerful insides, a superb cooling setup, and a gorgeous screen. The main downside is the extremely high price.
Razer Blade 17: Best 17-inch 144Hz laptop
The Razer Blade 17 is a bigger & more powerful cousin of the Blade 15. You’ve got exactly the same specs as on the smaller model, at least on paper. The larger device features a 17-inch 4K 144Hz screen and a noticeably better performance. Thanks to the larger chassis, the Core i9-12900H and the RTX 3080 Ti now sport higher power limits (165W for the GPU), allowing monstrous gaming performance.
Higher CPU & GPU power limits allow you to game in 4K without issues. However, for the best possible performance, we recommend switching to 1080p resolution in order to get a high refresh rate experience with maxed visuals. Larger screen and more powerful innards equal less than average battery life, which is sad to see on a premium device that is the Blade 17.
Aside from the higher TDP for the CPU and GPU and larger screen, the Blade 17 also offers a gigabit Ethernet port and even better thermals than its smaller cousin. Overall, this is an impressive laptop. It’s lightning-fast and is our recommendation for everyone looking for the ultimate 144Hz laptop. Aside from the meager battery life, the only major downside is the insanely high price.
HP Omen 15z: Best 144Hz Ryzen laptop
You’ve probably noticed that all our recommendations so far included Intel CPUs. Well, we’ve left the best 144Hz Ryzen laptop for the end of this guide. The HP Omen 15z features a 15.6-inch 1080p 144Hz screen and packs a Ryzen 9 5900HX + 100W RTX 3070 combo. Other specs include 32GB of memory and a 512GB SSD.
The screen here is not great but far from being terrible. You’re looking at almost 90 percent coverage of the sRGB color space, north of 300 nits peak brightness, better than average response time, and a contrast ratio of around 1000:1. When it comes to performance, the 5900HX still is one of the fastest mobile CPUs. Combined with a 100W version of the RTX 3070, this laptop presents a sweet spot for 1080p gaming. You can expect above 60fps in most games with most visuals set to high.
The build quality is pretty good with some flex, and the design is simple yet attractive. The keyboard’s excellent, as is the case with the touchpad. You can expect about 9 hours of light usage, which is pretty good for a gaming laptop. As for the thermals, they’re great for the GPU and okay for the CPU (around 93 degrees Celsius when stress testing the CPU).
When it comes to ports, you’ve got 3 USB-A 5Gbps ports, one USB-C 5Gbps port, an HDMI 2.1 + mini-DisplayPort combo, a combo audio jack, an SD card reader, and a gigabit Ethernet. Overall, the HP Omen 15z is an excellent all-around 144Hz laptop. It’s great for 1080p gaming and CPU-intensive tasks. However, its display prevents it from being a good choice for content creation. The biggest downsides include the aforementioned display and only a 512GB SSD. We would like to see a 1TB SSD at this price.