The Top Two Gaming Laptops to Consider: Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and Asus ROG Strix Scar 17

When it comes to choosing a gaming laptop, the options can be overwhelming. However, there are two laptops that truly stand out in terms of budget and performance: the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17.

The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is highly recommended for its excellent performance and affordability. With a base price of $1,250, it offers a powerful RTX 4060 graphics card, 1TB of storage, 16GB of DDR5 memory, and an AMD Ryzen 7 7745HX processor. This laptop strikes a perfect balance between performance and price, making it an excellent choice for gamers.

In addition to its impressive performance, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 also stands out for its superior port selection. It comes with two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A ports, a full-size Ethernet port, a USB-C port that supports up to 140 watts of power, and an HDMI 2.1 port. The placement of the ports is also well thought out, which helps to minimize cable mess. The laptop also features a spacious trackpad and a comfortable keyboard, thanks to Lenovo’s expertise in laptop keyboards.

While the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has some minor drawbacks, such as its bulkiness and the average quality of its 2,560 x 1,600 screen, these can easily be overlooked considering the overall value it offers.

On the other hand, if peak performance is your priority and you’re willing to invest, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 is an excellent choice. Starting at $2,900, it offers flagship performance with its AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX processor and RTX 4080 graphics card. It can achieve above 100 frames per second at its native 1440p resolution in demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2. It also supports ray tracing and comes with Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling 3 technology.

Despite its outstanding performance, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 does have a more standard IPS panel screen. However, it still features Nvidia G-Sync, a 240Hz refresh rate, and a 1440p resolution. The keyboard is a highlight, with impressive travel and per-key RGB lighting, and the port selection is solid.

It’s important to note that while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 are highly recommended, there are other great gaming laptops available as well. For gamers on the go, the Alienware x14 R2 is a portable and durable option with good battery life. It may not have the highest performance, but it still offers a significant gaming experience with an Intel Core i7-13620H processor and RTX 4060 GPU.

In conclusion, when it comes to gaming laptops, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 are two top contenders that offer excellent performance and value for gamers.