Nvidia’s new GeForce RTX 30-series laptops are finally here, and while they’re no longer equivalent to their identically named desktop cousins, this new breed of GPUs is still formidable, as our RTX 3080 mobile review proves. Even better? Unlike desktop graphics cards, you can actually buy them!
Well, some of them. Most of the GeForce RTX 30-series we’ve spotted so far come paired with Intel’s potent, yet older 10th-gen Comet Lake H gaming processors. New AMD Ryzen 5000 Mobile and Intel Tiger Lake H35 gaming processors were announced at CES 2021, but they’re not available quite yet—though the page for Asus’s intriguing Ryzen 9 5900HS-powered ROG Flow X13 laptop and its complementary ROG XG Mobile graphics dock teases that they’ll be available soon, and we’ve already got a review unit in our hands.
Gordon Mah UngThe Asus ROG Flow X13 weighs as much as an XPS 13 2-in-1 yet features an 8-core Ryzen 9 5980HS, GeForce GTX 1650 and can be paired with a GeForce RTX 3080.
For now, however, if you want an RTX 30-series laptops in your hands, you have to go with 10th-gen Intel. Good thing those chips still rock for gaming. You’ll also need to go with a more powerful RTX 3070 or 3080 graphics, at least for a few days, because more moderately priced (and modestly performing) RTX 3060 laptops won’t hit the streets until after February 2.
Shopping for a gaming laptop is harder now because of some fundamental changes Nvidia made with the RTX 30-series. None of the listings for these laptops include crucial power or clock speed info to let you know how hard the manufacturers are pushing these machines. Nonetheless, at a time when desktop graphics cards are impossible to find and inflated to incredible prices in the rare times you can, we felt it worthwhile to pull together a list of some of the RTX 30-series laptops you can buy right now.
All of the models in this non-comprehensive list come with drool-worthy, ultra-fast displays, and all were in stock at the time of writing, though a noted few remain in preorder status. Feel free to hit any link for even deeper configuration info. Let’s dig in.
11 GeForce RTX 30-series laptops you can buy right now
Gigabyte
GigabyteIf you want to spend under two grand on an RTX 30-series laptop, your options are extremely limited in these early days. You’ve only got two, in fact. The Gigabyte Aorus 15G costs $1,800 at Newegg. Here’s what you get for your cash:
- CPU: Intel Core i7-10870H
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070
- Display: 15.6-inch, 240Hz 1080p IPS
- Memory: 32GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Weight: 4.51 pounds
The $2,099 Gigabyte Aorus 17G includes the same basic hardware but steps up to a larger, faster 17-inch display with a blistering 300Hz refresh rate.
If you want a more potent RTX 3080 laptop from Gigabyte, you’ll need to opt for the company’s Aero line instead. It starts at $2,200 for the Aero 15 with an RTX 3070 inside, but several configurations are available, culminating in a beastly $3,700 Gigabyte Aero 17. For your cash, you’ll get an RTX 3080 paired with Intel’s ferocious Core i9-10980HK, 64GB of memory, 2TB of fast PCIe SSD storage, and a factory calibrated 4K display.
MSI
MSIMSI also offers a sub-$2,000 RTX 30-series laptop with the $1,799 MSI GP66 Leopard. It’s the same price as the Gigabyte Aorus 15G discussed previously, but a bit more modestly spec’d out. The overall experience matters greatly for laptops but the Gigabyte notebook definitely offers more bang for your buck on paper. Both wield the RTX 3070 mobile chip, though.
- CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070
- Display: 15.6-inch, 144Hz 1080p “IPS-level”
- Memory: 16GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Weight: 5.25 pounds
MSI offers a wider variety of RTX 30-series laptop lines. The $2,300 MSI GE66 Raider bumps things up to a 300Hz display, a Core i7-10870H processor, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The company’s larger 17-inch GE76 Raider is only in preorder status for now, alas, as are more potent notebooks with a step-up RTX 3080 inside. The flagship $2,999 MSI GS66 Stealth for example can be ordered on Amazon now but won’t ship until February 15.
Razer
RazerRazer leaned hard into the RTX 30-series, with plans for Razer Blade and Razer Blade Pro models with an awesome selection of displays in various sizes, speeds, and panel types. Currently, however, you can only buy the Razer Blade 15 base edition with either a 144Hz, 1080p display for $2,000 or a 165Hz, 1440p display for $2,200. Every other model is listed as a preorder, or comes with a notification button for when stock arrives.
Here’s what’s inside the Razer Blade 15 Base Edition, aside from those differing display configurations:
- CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070
- Memory: 16GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Weight: 4.6 pounds
Eventually, you’ll be able to buy a 17-inch 4K Razer Blade Pro with a Core i7-10875H, an RTX 3080, a 1TB PCIe SSD (with an option for 2TB), and 32GB of RAM (with a 64GB option) as the ultimate Razer offering. For now, you can preorder it.
Cutting-edge GeForce RTX 30-series laptops are only just starting to hit our test bench, but be sure to check out our guide to the best gaming notebooks for concrete recommendations as time goes on. Until then, the guide offers buying advice that can help you navigate the somewhat confusing world of laptop specs and configurations. Good luck!
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