14 inches is the sweet spot for many users looking for a gaming laptop that’s going to perform well while still being portable enough to carry around with ease in a backpack. But previously there weren’t many 14″ gaming laptop options to choose from, but that is no longer the case. Therefore, we have curated this list of the best 14-inch gaming laptops. All three of these provide exceptional RTX 30 series gaming laptop performance in such compact chassis.
To help you pick the best 14-inch laptop for your gaming needs, we’ve included these powerful yet portable laptops from various manufacturers and at various price points. Moreover, the display refresh rate and response times of these thin and light gaming laptops have much improved over previous generations, which alleviates the concerns of many. These 14inch gaming laptops also have decent battery life even given that their thin and light size is paired with exceptional gaming and computing performance.
Best 14-inch Gaming Laptops
1. Razer Blade 14
Verdict
If you want the best build quality and optimized performance in a 14-inch gaming laptop, the Blade 14 hits that perfect sweet spot. Thin, light, premium-finish, backed up with an operational efficiency level indistinguishable from the average desktop equivalent.
Specifications
CPU: Ryzen 9 6900HX 4.9Ghz | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 6GB | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 1TB | Dimensions: 0.66 x 8.66 x 12.59 inches | Weight: 3.92 lbsBenefits
- 8-core Zen3+ CPU delivers next-gen work output and carries any mobile GPU
- CNC machined aluminum chassis is incredibly durable
- Touchpad is practical for its intended mobile purpose
Drawbacks
- Very premium price
- Not matte enough, fingerprints can stick everywhere
Razer’s Laptops are premium in terms of both performance and price. Indeed, Razer often tries to claim the performance crown at each successive laptop entry, and this newest iteration of the Blade 14-inch gaming laptop is no different. Aside from the usual premium body-machined CNC aluminum chassis and sexy form factor, it also utilized a powerful yet fairly efficient Ryzen 6000 series processor.
Its Ryzen 9 6900HX processor is very capable for most computationally demanding tasks. Coupled with an RTX 3060 GPU, high framerates are all but ensured in any competitive gaming title. Even further, Razer manages to keep all this beastly hardware cooled well using its vapor chamber technology.
As for its display, 144hz might sound a bit of a downgrade from 165Hz, but practically you won’t really see a significant difference. Besides, the actual framerate will still ultimately depend on the game. 16GB is soldered directly to the motherboard, but it is a 4800Mhz LPDDR5 dual-channel kit, so it should be on par with the best DDR4 SODIMMs out there. Lastly, 1TB of NVMe storage provides plenty of space for your games as well.
If you’re after a great 14-inch gaming laptop that has a combination of durability and performance, the Blade 14 is just perfect in every sense if you can afford it. Provided that you don’t mind that couple of additional grams of premium weight compared to lighter alternatives, of course.
2. ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14
Verdict
Powerful on any modern application, and ultra-portable for today’s standards, with an absolutely stunning flair in visual design. It is even more impressive if you combine its gaming prowess, as it can hold its own in any triple-A title with very respectable settings and framerates.
Specifications
CPU: Ryzen 9 6900HS 4.9Ghz | GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6700S 8GB | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 1TB | Dimensions: 0.73 x 8.94 x 12.28 inches | Weight: 3.64 lbsBenefits
- Thermal solution has astounding noise and heat control balance
- Beautiful 1440p IPS display
- RGB keyboard not only looks nice, but is also very functional
Drawbacks
- Very premium price (again)
- Battery life is a tad bit less than its predecessor (Ryzen 9 5900HS version)
If the Blade 14 is too expensive or isn’t as stylish for your 14-inch gaming laptop needs, the Zephyrus G14 is a great alternative you should consider. The combination of subtle, practical tones and designs for buttons and ports meshes well with its shiny chassis and integrated RGB tones for each keyboard switch. Whether it’s for office use or for gaming, the overall design of the Zephyrus G14 is quite stunning.
As for how it performs, the Ryzen 9 6900HS performs ever so slightly less than the 6900HX you won’t notice too much of a difference in performance. Combined with the veritable RX 6700S mobile GPU, the Zephyrus G14 performs well in most computational tasks and will allow you to play most games at higher settings. It’s also paired with that sweet spot of 16 GB dual-channel RAM, standard 1TB SSD, and a 120Hz IPS display.
Overall, the Zephyrus G14 is a fantastic 14-inch gaming laptop that caters to both performance and visual aesthetics while also being very portable even if it is quite expensive among its (rather fierce) competition.
3. Alienware x14
Verdict
The classy and stylish Alienware 14 is always a delight to marvel at with its nice, signature form factor, and cool dark finish. While it performs well as expected, its potential is hampered by slightly less optimal ergonomics, as well as an oddly dialed down base power setting.
Specifications
CPU: Core i7-12700H 4.7Ghz | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 6GB | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 1TB | Dimensions: 0.57 x 10.34 x 12.65 inches | Weight: 4.06 lbsBenefits
- Signature X-series chassis is always stunning to look at
- Actually crunches more performance for the weight it has.
- Lots of connectivity features
Drawbacks
- Keyboard layout can feel cramped for some
- Somehow lowered max power draw compared to similar-tier laptops
The Alienware x14 14-inch gaming laptop has a unique design that balances performance, portability, and aesthetics. After all, it’s not called the world’s thinnest for no reason. There are a few compromises of course, such as slightly fewer connectivity options. But overall the benefits of its form factor as a mobile outweigh its cons. Besides, even when scaled down for size compensation, it is still capable of standing side by side with its much bigger (and even more expensive) versions.
Powered by six P-cores and eight E-cores (20 threads total), the Alienware x14 provides the best balance for high-end laptops when it comes to productivity. Almost as good as an i9-12900HK, but is far cheaper and meshes better with mid-range GPUs. And yes, the RTX 3060 is again great when it comes to launching all modern games of all genres. Just don’t expect to max out its 144Hz G-Sync compatible display for each title if you’re insistent on playing at Ultra settings, even at 1080p.
Probably the only real problem with the current Alienware 14 aside from its somewhat cramped keyboard, is its weirdly turned-down max power draw of 140 watts (whole system). This isn’t a problem if you simply want standard graphics settings and playable framerates, but it does limit the maximum performance that the laptop can provide (the Zephyrus G14, for example, maxes out at 180+ watts).
Despite this though, the Alienware x14 still remains a very solid entry for one of the best 14-inch gaming laptops currently available when all other features are considered. And this time, it will definitely last you way longer than any Coffee Lake or Comet Lake alternatives.
4. Acer Predator Triton 300 SE
Verdict
With excellent performance and more than adequate cooling, the Triton 300 is a great choice for gaming. And it also comes at a reasonable price compared to the competition, making it an even more solid option.
Specifications
CPU: Intel Core i7-11375H 3.0GHz | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 6GB | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB SSD | Dimensions: 12.7 x 9 x 0.7 inches | Weight: 3.75lbsBenefits
- Powerful hardware remains cool with an excellent cooling system
- RGB backlit keyboard
- Wi-Fi 6 and Thunderbolt 3
Drawbacks
- Bezels aren’t exactly slim
- Touchpad a tad too small
Acer’s Predator series has always been the one with sharp, gaming-oriented aesthetics where everything is just aggressive, but with the Triton 300 SE, that’s a bit different. Yes, it does have large cooling vents on the sides and the back, but it’s also very modern and sleek with an all-silver design and cyan accents. The touchpad is a bit too small, though, but Acer had no choice if they wanted to fit the speakers above the keyboard and still have an overall compact design.
When you get to the performance is where things become interesting. Intel’s new Core i7-11375H runs the show, with a four-core configuration, and is paired with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card with 6GB of VRAM. This is a combo that can comfortably run most competitive titles at the display’s 1080p resolution and 144Hz refresh rate, and you might even get a AAA title or two to get to high refresh rates, too. This does depend heavily on the title in question, though. The cooling system works very well, and we like the 16GB of RAM and speedy 512GB PCIe drive.
Overall, the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE is a solid choice for anyone looking for a 14-inch gaming laptop that doesn’t cost too much.
What should you look for in a 14-inch gaming laptop?
We understand it can be difficult to find a 14-inch gaming laptop that fits your budget and suits all your needs. Therefore, you may have to make a compromise or two, but it’s worth having a list of priorities so that you can choose the right 14-inch gaming laptop for your computing needs.
CPU and GPU
The first things you should consider are the CPU and GPU as they will for the most part determine the performance you’ll be getting in games and other demanding workloads. For a 14-inch gaming laptop, the CPU should at least be quad-core because modern games do take advantage of multiple cores, and this will also come in handy when you’re doing other computationally demanding tasks as well. When it comes to the GPU, a higher-end GPU is always preferred as it’s directly responsible for gaming performance. You should aim for at least an RTX 2000 series GPU though the RTX 3000 series GPUs are better.
Design
A laptop’s physical design will directly influence its thermal performance, and hence the overall performance of the laptop itself. This is especially true for thinner 14-inch gaming laptops. Having an extremely powerful CPU and GPU won’t do much if they’re thermal throttling all the time and you don’t get consistent performance out of them. Therefore, an adequately designed cooling system must be implemented. The design of a 14-inch gaming laptop must also allow for a larger-sized trackpad as well as a comfortable and well-laid-out keyboard for typing. This is important when doing other tasks than gaming.
Display
Then there’s the display. If you’re only going to be gaming on your laptop’s display, a high refresh rate panel with at least 120Hz though 144Hz or higher is preferred will give you a much smoother and more enjoyable experience. The resolution will usually be 1080p or 1440p, which is just about standard with these laptops. Another factor you should pay attention to is the response time of 14-inch gaming laptop displays. A response time of less the 10ms is crucial to avoiding problematic effects such as screen ghosting.
RAM and Storage
RAM and storage are also pretty important in 14-inch gaming laptops. 8GB of RAM is not all that much by today’s standards, and if you can go for a 16GB model, you’ll be able to see the benefits, especially with modern games. As far as storage goes, aim for at least a 512GB SSD, because modern games can reach sizes of 60GB or greater rather easily.
All things considered, a 14-inch gaming laptop will require you to make a couple of compromises, especially if you’re limited in terms of budget. But if you follow the list of priorities above, you should be more than set.
Final Thoughts
With the options and guidance provided, hopefully choosing a 14-inch gaming laptop is no longer that much of a challenge. More and more manufacturers are starting to offer excellent 14-inch gaming laptop choices which only bodes well for the overall gaming laptop top space. Though as of right now, the Razer Blade 14 and Asus Zephyrus 14 are your top options thought the Alienware x14 is also quite interesting.
