|
|
|
|
|
Specs:
|
Specs:
|
Specs:
|
Specs:
|
|
|
|
|
|
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS
- GPU: NVidia GeForce RTX 4060
- RAM: 16GB DD54, 4800MHz
- Screen: 17.3”, 1440p, 165Hz
- CPU: Intel Core i7-13650HX
- GPU: NVidia GeForce RTX 4060
- RAM: 16GB DDR5, 4800MHz
- Screen: 16”, 1080p, 165Hz
- CPU: Intel Core i5-12500H
- GPU: NVidia GeForce RTX 4060
- RAM: 8GB DDR4, 3200MHz
- Screen: 15.6”, 1080p, 144Hz
- CPU: Intel Core i5-12650H
- GPU: NVidia GeForce RTX 4060
- RAM: 32GB DDR5, 4800MHz
- Screen: 15.6”, 1080p, 144Hz
NVidia is rewarding laptop buyers who’ve been holding out for a new laptop generation with a competent crop of next-gen GPUs. While not as flashy as its more expensive siblings, the 4060’s 1080p excellence, low price, and DLSS3 futureproofing will be compelling enough for many to pull the trigger. If you’re among them, you’ll want to learn everything about our best RTX 4060 gaming laptop picks!
Acer Nitro 17
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS | GPU: NVidia GeForce RTX 4060 | RAM: 16GB DDR5, 4800MHz | Screen: 17.3”, 2550x1440, 165Hz | Storage: 1TB SSD | Battery life: 8h
- Great value for money, even more so when on sale
- Sharp and colorful screen
- Good battery life for a gaming laptop
- Loud in Turbo mode
Acer made an excellent 4060 laptop by marrying the mid-range card with an equally capable mobile AMD CPU, quality screen, and robust frame. The Nitro 17 is slightly more expensive than the G16 but a steal if you can get it on sale.
While not quite office-friendly, the Nitro 17 is a subtle gamer. Before you light up its four-zone keyboard, only a thunderbolt and some edgy accents hint at its purpose.
Acer lowered the price by going with an all-plastic build, but nothing flexes too much or feels flimsy. The port complement is excellent, featuring USB4, a microSD card reader, and gigabit Ethernet.
Acer stepped the laptop’s screen up to 165 Hz at 1440p. Its colors are crisp, encompassing almost the entire DCI-P3 gamut and 100% of sRGB. Brightness is good at 350 nits, but it eats into the contrast. Going for a lower value will help considerably, though.
The keyboard isn’t on Strix’s level due to less tactility. It’s still great for precise movement or banging an essay out. The trackpad will do in a pinch, but it’s inaccurate and inadequate for gaming. Conversely, the speakers deliver a surprising amount of bass for their size. You might want a headset regardless since the fans can get loud in Turbo mode.
The 7840HS is an excellent mobile processor adept at multithreading, so the Nitro 17 doubles as a productivity laptop. The CPU is also more power-efficient than Intel’s, letting you put eight hours of work in before calling it a day.
ASUS ROG Strix G16
CPU: Intel Core i7-13650HX | GPU: NVidia GeForce RTX 4060 | RAM: 16GB DDR5, 4800MHz | Screen: 16”, 1920x1080, 165Hz | Storage: 512GB SSD | Battery life: 7h
- Excellent specs
- Bright screen
- Responsive keyboard
- More advanced configurations can get expensive
ASUS isn’t one to skimp on quality, so their best RTX 4060 gaming laptop is a cut above most. The G16 combines powerful hardware with a crisp screen and the 1080p GPU champ to deliver excellent results at a manageable price.
The G16 proclaims its purpose with pride, sporting edgy accents, a large ROG eye, and an RGB underglow that adds ambiance to any gaming environment. It’s a sturdy combination of a plastic base and metal lid with an excellent port selection. USB4 is among them, offering the best transfer speeds, charging, and DisplayPort connectivity in one convenient connection.
The keyboard oozes gaming intent while also being comfortable to type on. Almost 2mm of travel makes for precise typing, while per-key RGB illumination allows for unique styling. The trackpad is big and responsive, but gamers will quickly exchange it for a competent mouse.
ASUS sells a more expensive version of the G16 with a 240Hz QHD display. We feel the 165Hz 1080p version is in line with a 4060 laptop’s capabilities. Besides, this “lesser” display is bright and vivid enough not just for death matches but post-processing or video editing as well.
It easily supports the latter thanks to the graphics card, DDR5 RAM, and a fast Raptor Lake mobile CPU. The G16 has enough juice to tackle mundane tasks for up to seven hours; above average for a gaming laptop. It won’t get too warm while under load either.
Gigabyte G5 KF
CPU: Intel Core i5-12500H | GPU: NVidia GeForce RTX 4060 | RAM: 8GB DDR4, 4800MHz | Screen: 15.6”, 1920x1080, 144Hz | Storage: 512GB SSD | Battery life: 6h
- Excellent value for the money, especially on sale
- Great port selection
- Decent display and keyboard
- Gets hot or loud
- Needs minor hardware upgrades to stay relevant longer
This laptop generation sees a return to form as we can finally get decent specs for reasonable prices. Gigabyte’s G5 KF is a poster child for this and the best RTX 4060 gaming laptop if you’re on a tight budget. There are some hardware concessions, but being able to snag the model at a triple-digit price when on sale trumps such concerns.
This is one of the best-looking budget laptops of the generation. You’d be forgiven for mistaking its flat, almost decorationless lid for a much more expensive metal version. Despite an all-plastic build and light weight, the G5 KF doesn’t buckle under pressure. It has a reasonable port complement as well, consisting of four USB ports with 2x USB-C, an SD card reader, and two analog audio jacks.
The screen isn’t special, but it’s far from the Cyborg’s problematic display. Contrast is average, and a 300-nit brightness maximum is serviceable. You won’t need an external monitor for any task since color coverage is on point too.
Gigabyte cut some corners to make the G5 KF available so cheaply. Some of these are negligible, like the 720p webcam or tinny speakers. Only 8GB of RAM won’t be enough for upcoming games, and 512GB will only be able to hold a handful. Luckily, you can easily get to and augment both components.
Warmth and loudness are more concerning. Despite being a mid-range Alder Lake model, the CPU gets hot under load. This and general heat output translate to an uncomfortably warm chassis, which you can only keep cool at the cost of noisy fans.
MSI Cyborg 15
CPU: Intel Core i5-12650H | GPU: NVidia GeForce RTX 4060 | RAM: 32GB DDR5, 4800MHz | Screen: 15.6”, 1920x1080, 144Hz | Storage: 1TB SSD | Battery life: 7:30h
- Affordable
- Comes with lots of RAM and a decent SSD
- Nice keyboard and build quality
- Lower power draw throttles performance
- Screen has poor color coverage
Our next pick is an exercise in compromise and would likely not have made the best RTX 4060 gaming laptop list were there more choices around. We can’t fault the Cyborg’s gaming performance, but other factors keep it from rivaling our top contenders.
MSI went with stealthy styling, with a black color scheme & minimal accents. The top of the lid is metal, and you can pull it back a whole 180°. The Cyborg isn’t generous with ports, offering only one USB-C and a combo audio jack.
The keyboard is among the Cyborg’s better-executed parts. The keys are flat and comfortable to type on. You get a full complement, but the Numpad keys are smaller. Aquamarine is the only backlighting option and has three intensities.
In contrast, the screen could be better. It’s a slightly dim 144Hz 1080p IPS display with adequate contrast. However, the color coverage sets it back a lot. It doesn’t even cover 70% of sRGB, leading to detail loss and drab shades. You’ll want to use the two compatible ports to hook up a better gaming monitor, which will defeat the laptop’s purpose for some.
It’s not all doom & gloom, though. The PCIe 4.0 SSD performs well, and the Cyborg doesn’t get hot even when you’re stress-testing its capabilities. This is partly due to MSI using a last-gen i5 CPU and throttling the 4060’s power draw. The combo still delivers great 1080p results but doesn’t live up to its potential because of this.
