Gaming laptops are powerful beasts. They offer the performance levels of a desktop while keeping things relatively compact and portable. These machines nowadays can even compete with ultrabooks in terms of both power and portability.
But there’s one thing that nobody likes about them: They get hot like hell!
Related: 9 Gaming Laptops with Incredible Battery Life.
Thanks to their performance optimizations, gaming notebooks can reach insane levels of temperature. Sometimes the chassis becomes so hot that it can burn your skin if you touch it. While this is the case for most gaming laptops, there are some cleverly designed laptops that offer excellent performance while staying cool.
So then, which gaming laptops never overheat? To find out, we need to understand a few things first.
Why do gaming laptops gets so hot?
There are two parts of a laptop that really gets hot: the CPU and the GPU. Processing units contain billions of transistors that turn on and off insanely fast. This process generates a lot of heat as a byproduct, which needs to be dissipated to keep things going. In short, the higher the processing power, the higher the amount of heat generated.
Suggested: 5 Tips To Keep Your Gaming Laptop Cool.
In gaming laptops, manufacturers usually pair high-performance CPUs and GPUs together. Combined, these high-frequency processors are like small ovens. Of course, the cooling system is bulkier and more efficient in a gaming notebook, but they can’t keep the temperature low enough at higher frequencies.
As a workaround, Manufacturers just design the laptop in a way that it can work perfectly in higher temperatures. Anything below 90°C is nowadays considered a safe temperature.
The heat factors
Ever wondered why gaming laptops are so bulky? Most of the bulkiness of a gaming laptop comes from its big cooling system for the CPU and GPU. But despite having bigger cooling units, gaming laptops aren’t very cool (pun intended).
So, is there really a gaming laptop that doesn’t have heat issues? And What factors should you look at when buying a not-so-hot gaming laptop? Let’s find out:
Bulkness
That’s not a very standard metric, but the bulkiness of a laptop and its hotness are related things. Most high-performance gaming laptops are bulky because of the bigger heat pipes and thermal vents they feature. These bulky systems usually work better at transferring heat.
Chassis Material
Nowadays, most manufacturers prefer Aluminum Chassis over plastic for gaming laptops. Plastic chassis are okay, but they aren’t as effective as aluminum ones in terms of releasing heat.
Note though, Aluminum chassis can feel hotter at the touch, and the keyboard area may also get hot fast. Plus, the difference between the two types of chassis isn’t noticeable by much. So you may leave it to personal preference as well.
Gaming Laptops that doesn’t overheat
Now let’s look at our choice of laptops that run cooler, without taking a dip in performance. We collected data from many different sources to produce this ranking. Hope it helps!
1. Lenovo Legion 7 – The Cool Performer
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800H
- GPU: Nvidia RTX 3060 Max-Q
- Cooling: Vapor Chamber
- RAM: 16GB
- Screen: 15.6″ FHD 1080p 165Hz
- Storage: Up to 1TB SSD
- Weight: 4.2 lbs
Pros:
- Advanced vapor chamber cooling system.
- Sturdy and premium build.
- Classy Design.
- Solid Gaming performance.
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Cons:
- No Thunderbolt port.
- Poor battery backup.
Product Description
The Lenovo Legion 7 is a fantastic laptop that offers all-round performance. If you want to upgrade your gaming setup and are looking for one of the best out there, this is a machine you’ll seriously want to consider.
Its sleek design and bright, vibrant display, combined with the colorful RGB lighting deliver an excellent gaming experience. Under the hood, The combo of RTX 3060 GPU and AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU can achieve impressive framerates in most recent titles. And thanks to the latest vapor chamber cooling technology, the keyboard and chassis stays always cool.
The Biggest downside would be the battery life. We’ve seen many performance machines like the G15 Advantage edition last more than 8 hours in some tests. But the Legion 7 can barely pass the 4 hours mark. At 4.2 pounds, the weight is on the heavier side. But we’ve seen heavier machines so this one should be relatively easy to carry.
Related: 9 Gaming Laptops with Incredible Battery Life.
2. Razer Blade 15 RTX 3060 – Sheer Power, Less Heat
- CPU: Intel Core i7-11800H
- GPU: Nvidia Geforce RTX 3060
- Cooling: Vapor Chamber
- RAM: 16GB
- Screen: 15.6″ QHD 1440p 240Hz
- Storage: Up to 1TB SSD
- Weight: 4.63 lbs
Pros:
- Advanced vapor chamber cooling system.
- Premium build quality.
- Solid gaming performance.
- Wide range of CPU/GPU combo available.
Cons:
- Trackpad could’ve been better.
- Expensive compared to the specs.
- On the heavy Side.
- Average Battery life.
Product Description
The updated version of Razer Blade 15 has been around for just a few months. And already it’s become one of the best gaming laptops around. It’s relatively thin and light compared to older bulky beasts, while also providing decent battery backup.
The laptop is designed with gaming in mind. It’s a great option if you’re looking to get the best gaming experience. As for performance, The pairing of 11th gen core i7 and an RTX 3060 GPU can easily produce three-digit frame rates. You can also buy the RTX3080 model if you’re looking for some serious performance.
It also stays cooler thanks to its vapor chamber cooling system – which efficiently dissipates heat, to keep the chassis cool. We recorded a maximum keyboard and chassis temperature of 44°C.
The premium 240Hz display is smooth enough for hardcore gamers and the 1440p resolution will be good enough for doing work as well.
Unless you are under a tight budget, This laptop is perfect for your college works as well as gaming.
3. HP OMEN 15 2021 – The Coolest Performer
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800H
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
- Cooling: Heat Pipes
- RAM: 16GB
- Screen: 15.6” HD 144Hz
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Weight: 4.7 lbs
Pros:
- One of the Coolest gaming laptops.
- Clean, minimalist design.
- Excellent Battery Life.
- 144Hz smooth display.
Cons:
- A lot of flex in the screen.
- Limited GPU and CPU power.
Product Description
The updated HP Omen 15 isn’t too different from its last version, except that it comes with the latest Ryzen 7 CPU and RTX3060 GPU. The performance isn’t the best in its price range, but we loved its combination of decent build quality, adequate performance, and solid battery life.
This is by far the coolest laptop we could find. That’s partly because of the maximum GPU and CPU power limits. But still, it performs sufficiently for a budget gaming machine while staying ice cold.
Enjoy realistic ray-traced graphics on its smooth 144Hz FHD Display. It weighs around 4.7 pounds, so you can carry it without much trouble.
It comes with a 71 Whr battery. Under a normal workload, you can easily get at least 8 hours of screen-on time. But under heavy load, the battery seemed to drain fast, it’s possibly a bug that’ll disappear in future firmware upgrades.
4. Asus ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition – The Durable Beast
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX
- GPU: Radeon RX 6800M
- Cooling: Heat Pipes
- RAM: 16GB
- Screen: 15.6″ HD IPS 300Hz 3ms
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Weight: 5.29 lbs
Pros:
- Colorful design.
- Affordable price for the performance.
- Incredible battery life.
- Good audio quality.
- 300Hz screen.
Cons:
- No webcam.
- No biometric authentication.
- Cooling fans get noisy when gaming.
- Heavy.
Product Description
Now here’s an absolute beast for the money. The ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition sports the latest AMD Ryzen 9 and the Radeon RX 6800M graphics unit. This AMD duo is capable of some serious performance, which is pretty rare to find in its price range. And it does so without getting too hot or compromising battery life.
The laptop follows up on the latest design trends in gaming rigs: saturated colors and a lot of lightings and edges. But it’s bulky and weighs more than 5lbs.
The Laptop comes with a 90 WHr battery. It managed over 10 hours of screen on time under moderate workload, so you can easily spend a day with a single charge.
5. Lenovo Legion 5 – Looks Cool, Runs Cool
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800H
- GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3060
- Cooling: Heat Pipes
- RAM: 6GB
- Screen: 15.6” IPS FHD 165Hz
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Weight: 5.4 lbs
Pros:
- Runs cooler than most gaming laptops.
- Compact and Stylish design.
- Blazing-fast RTX Graphics.
- Decent Battery backup.
- High quality keyboard.
Cons:
- A little heavy for backpacks.
Product Description
The Legion 5 is a well-designed gaming laptop from Lenovo. Built around gaming performance, it sports a powerful Ryzen 7 processor and a blazing-fast GTX 3050Ti GPU. And its cooling unit efficiently channel the heat outside, keeping the laptop chassis comfortable for touch.
Its 15.6 inch IPS screen has a 165Hz refresh rate, which provides excellent clarity and smoothness when gaming. Its TrueStrike Keyboard is also designed and optimized for gaming.
The only downside is the weight. At around 5.4 pounds, it’s not the lightest option. But its thin and compact design takes less space, so it fits easily in a backpack.
Under 1200 bucks, the Legion 5 one of the fastest and cool-running machines you can get right now.
6. Dell Alienware M15 Ryzen Edition R5
- CPU: AMD Ryzen R7 5900H
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
- Cooling: Heat Pipes
- RAM: 32GB
- Screen: 15.6” FHD 165Hz 3ms
- Storage: 1 TB SSD
- Weight: 6 lbs
Pros:
- Outstanding RTX Performance.
- High-performing Ryzen CPU.
- Efficient cooling system.
- Outstanding Battery life for an Alienware.
- Premium 165Hz Display wiht G-sync.
Cons:
- Heaviest laptop in the list.
- Expensive compared to the specs.
Product Description
The Alienware M15 R5 isn’t too different from its predecessors. The only major difference is the processor. This time they threw a powerful Ryzen 7 CPU under the hood with a mighty RTX3060 GPU. The Result? Top-notch performance and solid Battery Backup at a considerably low price. Plus, the chassis and the keyboard stays much cooler than the intel versions.
The Intel versions are still the better performers, But this laptop gets a huge boost in battery backup thanks to the efficient AMD Processor. In a video playback test, the gaming laptop was able to survive more than 10 hours with its 56 WHr battery – very impressive for an Alienware machine.
The Display is a premium 15.6″ IPS panel with excellent color quality. It has a refresh rate of 165Hz and supports G-sync for a smoother gaming experience.
The cons? Just One. It’s a chunky piece of machine with a weight of almost 6 pounds. Not quite the portable gaming rig that you can carry around. Despite that, its impressive battery backup can actually be useful in travels or long trips outdoors.
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By Jessica T
Hi I’m Jessica and I’m one of the authors on SmashGadget. I love all things tech and gaming. Hope you like my reads.
