Back in CES a few months ago I wrote that we got into a golden age in light game consoles. It started last year with NVIDIA's small, powerful Max-Q graphics, followed by Intel and AMD's surprising collaboration with Core H with Radeon RX Vega M. Now, Intel has further boosted its performance with six-core, eighth Core-i7 and Core-i9 portable processors. Over the last few months, the light gaming consoles used by this technology have hit the market. But what are the best? Let's see.
Basic
First, the category of light game consoles is defined. They should be separate GPUs from NVIDIA or AMD, as opposed to just integrated graphics. They should also weigh less than five pounds, or else you can go to a normal, possibly recessive gaming laptop area. These are the basics, but models with better performance, longer battery life, and smaller profiles are most likely desired. Other features, such as the touch screen, are icing over the cake.
These features - separate graphics and compact size - benefit not only mobile players but also people who make video editing, 3D animation, VR, and other work that require extra GPU power. In two such defined markets, many of these portable laptops in this list make a small style and not scary ways that are common to the first models of games. As it happens, many players really want less-there are more vibes anyway.
Modern games, however, still require maximum power. To bring this muscle without killing the battery, NVIDIA launched the Max-Q versions of its GTX 1050, 1060, 1070 and 1080 chips. They work at clock speeds 10 to 15 percent lower than full versions but otherwise have the same technical information. The GTX 1070 Max-Q GPU driver places some GTX 1060 and GTX 1070 versions, but is closer to the GTX 1070 version.
Intel, meanwhile, worked with AMD to integrate the eighth generation CPU, AMD Vega graphics, and GDDR5 memory into a chipset. The result is a laptop with GTX 1050 and 1060 power, Intel claims, but with lower power consumption than NVIDIA chips. Dell and HP from the beginning use their Vega M GL graphics from the latest 2-in-1 models (equivalent to GTX 1050 Ti) and require star battery life even on 4K touchscreens.
The latest NVIDIA, AMD and Intel technology is comfortable, but the right power for a small form factor still means compromises. You never have as much battery life or compact shape as ultraportable, and you do not have as much performance as a seven-pound gaming laptop. Heat and ventilation openings are other unavoidable side effects.
Yet you can get almost everything you want. The four-dollar price range includes a number of models with powerful NVIDIA GTX 1070 Max-Q graphics that weigh just over four pounds and are still capable of providing the right battery. If you need more power, you can go to the GTX 1080 Max-Q and if the battery life and budgeting are concerned, go to the GTX 1050/1060 Max-Q, Vega or NVIDIA MX150 very low. With all this in mind, let's look at our best favorites.
The best, lightweight, powerful laptop
Until the Radeon Vega Mobile GPU owned by AMD arrives, NVIDIA graphics are the only way to get top performance or use Oculus or Vive for VR. With Max-Q, you can install the GTX 1080 GPU on less than fifty kilos on a portable computer, but the sweet spot on GPUs is the NVIDIA GTX 1070 Max-Q (MSI, Gigabyte and other models) and the regular GTX 1060.
You may find that many of these laptops have similar designs and the same 144Hz display and chip options that show that light gaming laptops (like other PCs) are under the asset. But this is not a big deal for me, as long as the show is there.
Gigabyte Aero 15X
The 4.4-pound Gigabyte Aero 15X and the NVIDIA GTX 1070 Max-Q graphics card last year had a huge list of long-lasting battery life compared to competing machines. Adding Intel's six-core, eighth gen i7-8750H in the latest version and the 144Hz display makes it much more interesting. The performance is better for gaming, VR and video editing, with excellent battery life, great keyboard, generous port and low-key design. That design may also be OEM generic for some, and a relatively high price and a medium touch pad are also signs of it.
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin
MSI's first lightweight game machine with GTX 1070 Max-Q graphics, the GS63VR, did virtually everything but battery life was mediocre thanks to a small 52W cell. The company repaired this problem with $ 2,099 with the MSI GS65 Stealth Thin, which also packs a six-core i7-8750H processor. Runtime is now much longer with the addition of 82 Wh to the battery, but still lighter than the last model, 4.1 pounds, because thinner frames and case (which looks nice to boot). The performance is the same as you expected for gaming but the battery life is not as long as the Aero 15X. What's more, it can be pretty hot on the bottom.
Razer Blade (2017)
If you're ready to solve a bit of performance, the 14-inch, 4.1-pound Razer Blade offers a lot of money. It is a complete NVIDIA GTX 1060 graphics and an optional 4K touch screen (which may be overloaded on a 14-inch screen) and Intel's latest i7-7700HQ processor. The best part is the price: Since the 2017 version is late (it came out in February 2017), Razer has cut it for $ 200 and $ 1700 on a 1080p screen.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus
We are the first to admit that ASUS ROG Zephyrus is not for everyone. It compresses top-of-the-line NVIDIA GTX 1080 Max-Q graphics and an eighth Core-i7 processor (the latest model) to a 4.93-pound 18-mm frame. The performance is crazy, but the disadvantages are steep: Battery life is "ridiculous," "terrible," and "vague," according to the recent three reviews, including Engadget's. It is also limited to 1080p resolution and it costs $ 2,700 but if you want a subwoofer GTX 1080 laptop, it's the only one around.
Origin EVO-15S
Origin is another company that has adopted NVIDIA's Max-Q, with its top end model of 4.3 pounds, $ 2000 EVO15-S. As MSI and Gigabyte made their flagships, Origin updated just with Intel's latest eighty-six-core kernel by offering NVIDIA GTX 1070 Max-Q or GTX 1060 graphics. Like its competitors, it also offers 144 Hz 1080p and 4K display options. If the budget is a problem, the GTX 1060 model's small size model costs only $ 1,621, making it one of the cheapest, high performance, and lightweight models.
The best budget for lightweight game consoles
If you have a modest budget and you do not have to play The Witcher 3 120 fps, good news: There are a lot of lightweight gaming portable options that still have decent graphics. This category includes laptops with NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti and new Intel / AMD Radeon Vega RX Vega M graphics.
HP Omen 15 (2017)
With a 4.8-pound weight, great screen, athletic game design and NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti graphics, HP's $ 1300 at Ome 15 has a lot. It can respond to Dell's Alienware gaming, but it does a smaller, lighter body. The drawbacks are the battery life which is pretty bad, and the above-mentioned design, which is not ideal for clear graphics work.
Gigabyte Aero 14
Gigabyte removed a nice tune on Aero 14 with GTX 1050 Ti graphics, QHD (2,560 x 1,440) screen, Intel Core i7-7700HQ chip and gigantic 94 Wh battery, all 4.2 pounds. As with other Aero models, the design is a low key, so it is ideal for regular work, but you can also get it in bold green or orange colors. The main disadvantage is the $ 1,500 price (1050 Ti graphics), which is more than a similar speculated laptop.
Origin of EON15-S
The original EON15-S tips weighs 5.08 pounds, but because it's one of the cheapest models with decent gaming, we give them a couple of grams. For $ 1,160, you get NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti graphics, Core i7-7700HQ processor, and 16GB of RAM, so it is suitable for serious gaming and video editing or graphics.
Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 and HP Specter x360 15
These replaceable laptops are not really gaming and they still have to be reviewed or posted, so do not like this recommendation. But it's worth mentioning Dell's XPS 15 2-in-1 and the HP Specter x360 15 as both are now available to order Intel and AMD's new RX Vega M tech technology, which can vary in several classes.
Both have a "GL" look for RX Vega M and Intel Core i7 mice designed to deliver performance between NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti and 1060 Max-Q graphics. They also have 360 degree 4K touchscreens with pens, they offer wonderful designs and our main categories weigh about 4.5 pounds.
At the same time, HP promises up to 13.5 hours of battery life for Specter x360 (above), exceeding any GTX 1050 Ti notebook. Both models cost a fair amount of $ 1700, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. All this sounds good, but proof is in testing, so we reserve judgment until we can get them into the hands.
Wrap
I write and I work on my computer, but also play and edit photos and videos, and hardly I think I'm unique in demanding laptops that can do it all. I also like this class because it's just fun to see how much technology manufacturers can squeeze into a small computer. Fortunately, lighter gaming cartridges have far more options than a year ago, especially in the $ 1,500 to $ 2,000 in the cool spot. What I hope to see the RX Vega M and AMD's chips have become more similar, but even better pricing - and I am sure I am also not unique in this respect.
