The MSI Titan GT77 HX 13V is actually the Titan of gaming laptops. The Titan GT77 HX is driven by an exhilarating mix of the Intel Main i9-13980HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Notebook GPU, and MSI OverBoost Extremely, blurring the traces among desktop-class overall performance and mobility.
The MSI Raider GE Collection, which involves the Raider GE68 HX 13V and the Raider GE78 HX 13V, sets the typical for mainstream flagship gaming laptops. Now that includes a redesigned chassis with immersive Mystic Light outcomes, the Raider GE Collection incorporates advanced technologies this kind of as Intel Adaptive Strengthen Technological know-how (ABT) and Thermal Velocity Increase (TVB), QHD+ 240 Hz displays, and a dedicated MUX change for the discrete GPU.
The MSI Stealth Sequence comprised of the Stealth 14 Studio, Stealth 16 Studio, and the Stealth 17 Studio, give course-foremost effectiveness in a skinny and light-weight magnesium alloy chassis. The MSI Stealth Collection is an audio and visible take care of and helps make use of vapor chamber cooling to ensure unthrottled CPU and GPU functionality at all situations.
Intended by notion artist Paul Cheptea, the MSI Cyborg 15 embodies the spirt of the daily gamer with very best-in-course parts and a rapid 144 Hz show.
It can be not only about gamers, while. MSI has also ensured that the positive aspects of new technologies translate very well for written content creators and those looking at day to day productiveness as effectively.
The MSI Creator Z17 HX Studio delivers all the goodness of Intel 13th gen HX CPUs and Nvidia RTX 40 Collection graphics to creators on the transfer. The Creator Z17 HX Studio also will come bundled with the MSI Pen 2 that will make producing and sketching akin to a actual paper knowledge.
The MSI Prestige Series gets a significant refresh to H-sequence this yr and is now readily available in a range of display screen measurements from 13 to 16 inches. The Status 16 Studio even features Nvidia RTX 40 Series graphics to give a fillip to your innovative spark on the transfer.
The substantially-beloved MSI Fashionable 14 is now readily available in extra shade decisions — a Beige Rose Present day 14 and a Star Blue Modern 15 that resonate with your character and enable you get your do the job completed with panache.
No matter if you are a gamer with a thirst for victory on the battlefield, a material creator who needs the electric power to deliver creations to everyday living anywhere inspiration strikes, or someone hunting for a remedy to improve each day productiveness, MSI’s new array of 2023 laptops has just the ideal giving for just about every spending plan.
Nvidia introduced its GeForce RTX 40 Sequence Cell gaming GPUs earlier this thirty day period, which consist of the RTX 4050, RTX 4060, and RTX 4070, launching on February 22. The higher-stop RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 are established to launch on February 8, which describes why we’re now seeing a listing for the Gigabyte Aorus 17X on Amazon (opens in new tab).
This variant of the Aorus 17X (AZF-B5US665SP) is maxed out with an Intel Core i9-13900HX Raptor Lake processor paired with 32GB DDR5-5600 memory (two slots). The Core i9-13900HX is a monster of a mobile processor with 24 cores (8 general performance cores, 16 efficiency cores) and 32 threads. It has a base clock of 2.2GHz, 4.9GHz all-main boast, and a 5.4GHz solitary-main boost.
(Picture credit rating: Gigabyte)
A GeForce RTX 4090 is jogging the clearly show on the graphics aspect. RTX 4090 takes advantage of the Advert103 GPU created on the TSMC 4N procedure. The discrete graphics mobile GPU will come with 16GB GDDR6 memory and a maximum strengthen clock of 2,040 MHz. In addition, Gigabyte outfitted the Aorus 17X with four cooling supporters and a comprehensive-protection vapor chamber to keep the CPU and GPU neat.
Your window to the gaming environment is by way of a 17.3-inch QHD (2560 x 1220) screen with a 240Hz refresh amount with 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage. Other characteristics include things like a 2TB PCIe 4. SSD (there are two NVMe slots for individuals intrigued), Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.2. Gigabyte has you lined with a entire slate of ports, together with two USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-A), one USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Kind-C), one particular Thunderbolt 4, a person HDMI 2.1 port and a single Mini-DisplayPort 1.4 (confined to 120Hz).
This wouldn’t be an Aorus gaming laptop with out a whole slate of RGB lighting, which includes an RGB Fusion Keyboard with for each-critical backlighting management. A glass trackpad is also incorporated with a distinctive anti-fingerprint coating to keep issues looking good and thoroughly clean.
(Image credit score: Gigabyte)
However, all this significant-close gaming gear does not arrive low-priced, as the Gigabyte Aorus 17X (AZF-B5US665SP) is outlined for preorder at Amazon for $3,899 (it ships February 8). That is a substantial chunk of improve to hand over for a gaming laptop computer, but you ought to shell out to participate in when it arrives to the bleeding-edge CPU and GPU (not to mention the pricey DDR5). Nonetheless, that price is par for the system when it comes to this new technology of flagship gaming laptops. MSI’s incoming Raider GE78HX tops out at $3,999 with a Core i9 Raptor Lake CPU and an RTX 4090, though the Titan GT77 HX 13V can be optioned up to $5,299.
UPDATE: Fortnite update 23.30 has been introduced on all platforms. As part of the Dragon Ball crossover, Piccolo and Son Gohan skins will be available to obtain from the item store, alongside Gohan’s Cape, Piccolo’s Cape and Turban, Piccolo’s Demon Symbol Pickaxe and Gohan’s Beast Axe.
Primary: Fortnite enthusiasts are counting down to the launch of update 23.30 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Sequence X/S, Xbox A single, Nintendo Swap, Laptop and Android. Fortnite update 23.30 has a January 31 release date and a 9am GMT Uk launch time. The patch launches together with a period of time of server downtime, which commences when matchmaking is disabled at 8.30am. The information was announced by Epic Online games on Twitter, along with a preview about what to anticipate.
“Put together to energy up in v23.30!” reads a Fortnite tweet. “Downtime starts at 4AM ET, with matchmaking remaining disabled shortly prior to.”
As part of update 23.30, Epic Games will launch a 2nd crossover with the Dragon Ball collection.
According to insiders this sort of as Shiina, the Dragon Ball crossover will add Son Gohan and Piccolo skins to the video game.
The new update will also see the Rift Gate development, as very well as adding to the Boombox v2, which is believed to be a Guitar.
“The Guitar is supposed to be the Boombox v2,” Shiina tweets. “You have to hit the defeat to do 75 hurt to all builds close by you, and it has a tempo of 3 beats per second.”
Useless to say, new skins and products will be added to the item store, alongside the February Crew Pack.
The complete list of update 23.30 patch notes can be found down below…
Fortnite update 23.30 patch notes…
General fixes
• Gamers are not able to declare the Exile variation of the Mind’s Eye back again bling
– Players are not able to assert the Exile variation of the Mind’s Eye back again bling
• Physics on Joni the Red’s coat are no extended operating.
– Joni the Red’s coat is not reacting to physics the right way.
• Battle Hound and Molten Battle Hound Helmet visually incorrect.
– The helmet on the Battle Hound and Molten Fight Hound outfits appears sideways.
• Players are having a blue lobby history
– Players are acquiring a blue foyer track record as a substitute of the correct one particular
• Reward Rewards ‘Pre-requisite Not Met’ Problem
– Please notice that you ought to assert all rewards on the Reward Rewards page(s) in advance of unlocking rewards on the subsequent webpage. For occasion, all benefits on Page 1 must be unlocked in advance of transferring on to Web site 2.
Battle Royale fixes
• Slide damage when Sliding with the Shockwave Hammer
– We’re knowledgeable of an issue that results in the participant to just take fall hurt when sliding and making use of the Shockwave Hammer.
• Not able to emote following a Victory Royale
– Gamers are unable to emote at the finish of winning a match.
• Purple dot missing when scoping with Pink-Eye Assault Rifle
– The pink dot at the centre is missing when aiming with the Pink-Eye Assault Rifle.
• The “Celebration Time” Augment has been temporarily disabled.
– The “Party Time” Increase has been quickly disabled, and we are doing the job on bringing it again after the problem is mounted.
• The “Shotgun Striker” Increase is quickly disabled.
– We have disabled the Shotgun Striker Increase thanks to an difficulty, nonetheless it can nonetheless be discovered. We are going to deliver an additional update when it has been re-enabled.
Creative fixes
• Wildlife usually takes fall destruction with slide destruction established to off
– Wildlife will just take fall damage even when the tumble destruction location is set to off.
• Putting a prop and switching to the pickaxe at the exact time locations an invisible prop
– Putting a prop although hitting the hotkey to swap to the pickaxe will put an invisible prop.
• Players can develop in Mutator Zone Gadgets with “Enable Setting up” established to “No” in specified occasions
– Players can make in Mutator Zone Products with “Let Creating” established to “No” right after sprinting, teleporting, grappling, or anything at all that gets you into the zone rapidly.
• Props connected to prop manipulator equipment can demonstrate in recreation inspite of the machine remaining disabled
– Prop manipulator device is not functioning as anticipated. Props hooked up to it may possibly demonstrate in sport even if the product is disabled.
• Sequencers do not generally play properly when established to infinitely loop
– Sequencers do not often play appropriately when established to infinitely loop, each so frequently the sequencer will not correctly set off the music blocks.
• When moving into the menu, navigating the menu with a controller will mail the cursor back to the leading of the menu.
– Following pressing up on the analog/D-pad, relocating the analog/D-pad in any course will lead to the cursor to transfer to the best of the menu.
Mobile and Cloud fixes
• Battlepass Button verify seem at times plays on any preliminary button press with touch
– Gamers may hear a button audio from the Struggle Pass randomly on other button presses
• The Falcon Scout proceeds heading up or down without having pressing everything
– If players leave the Falcon Scout although urgent the up or down button, the Drone will carry on in that course whilst no for a longer period getting managed.
The first large-conclusion gaming laptop computer with the effective Raptor Lake CPU and NVIDIA’s most recent GPU architecture is now readily available on Amazon.
It seems like the preorders for the new collection of laptops officially begin tomorrow, but Gigabyte was rapid to listing their flagship AORUS 17X gaming notebook early. This is the most feature packed styles from all gaming laptops the company is making ready for February start.
The process functions Core i9-13900HX processor primarily based on Raptor Lake silicon. This is the 24-main unlocked processor with improve clock up to 5.4 GHz. The HX collection have amplified default TDP to 55W, but they are outfitted with less highly effective built-in graphics, just as their desktop model.
AORUS 17X (2023) with RTX 4090, Supply: Gigabyte
Having said that, this laptop does not will need built-in graphics simply because it is currently outfitted with the GeForce RTX 40 GPU, the RTX 4090 to be specific. Not only this is the finest NVIDIA GPU for this era of cell GPUs, but also this is the full-body fat variation with max TGP (Total Graphics Power) up to 175W.
Future Gen Interface: Windows 11 Professional, Intel Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth V5.2
While the photograph shared by Amazon lists ‘FHD’, AORUS 17X laptops are outfitted with QHD (1440p) panels, that includes 240Hz refresh rate.
Gigabyte’s flagship laptops gives up to 64GB of RAM, but this design is outfitted with 2x 16GB of DDR5 memory. What is vital is that this is a DDR5-5600 memory, which is a recognizable up grade above preceding sequence equipped with 4800 MT/s modules.
AORUS 17X (2023) with RTX 4090, Source: Gigabyte
It is value noting that this laptop computer has potent cooling option with four fans and total cover vapor chamber. Nonetheless, AORUS 17X is not a extremely moveable laptop computer, as it weights 2.8 kg. This weight does not even account for the 330W power provide that is additional with this laptop.
The process has been priced at $3,899 and can now be preordered, but the product will ship on February 8th, which is the formal start date for Intel 13th Gen HX/RTX 40 gaming laptops.
Laptops have come a long way over the last decade. Gaming laptops existed in the past, but they were nothing like we have today. In the olden days, they were big hunks of plastic and metal that could barely play solitaire, let alone something advanced like Elden Ring or Halo Infinite. Luckily, gaming laptops have moved on since then, and even budget gaming laptops can do a good job of playing modern AAA games, although you’ll certainly have to compromise with graphics. The best part is that at any given time, there are quite a few excellent laptop deals going on, or if you want to splurge some well-priced Gaming PC deals too. Either way, if you’re not very familiar with how to buy a gaming laptop, we’ve collected a range of great options, from budget-oriented laptops with an RTX 3050 to high-end ones with an RTX 3080.
The 15.6-inch full-HD micro-edge and the anti-glare display are no slouch either, offering 250 nits of brightness and a maximum resolution of 1920 by 1080. Audio by Bang and Olufsen means punchy bass, clear treble, and lots of fun and immersive sound. Meanwhile, you also get a 720p HD webcam, plenty of USB ports, a decent battery, and a great little system.
Dell G15 gaming laptop — $650, was $850
Why Buy:
Excellent power for the price
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050
15.6-inch non-touch 120Hz display
Dell Game Shift technology
Dell’s foray into the modern yet portable gaming world leaves us with one of the best graphics cards that balance performance with value, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050. You’ll also find a 12th Gen Intel Core i5 12-core and 16-thread processor, 8GB of DDR5 system memory, and a 256GB NVMe solid-state drive.
The 15.6-inch full-HD 120Hz display is as beautiful as ever, with an anti-glare system so you can use it even in bright settings. It’s non-touch but has a narrow border and LED backlighting. The entire system is backed by Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 for excellent wireless signal and reliability, plus Bluetooth for wireless peripherals, like a gaming headset to talk to the squad.
There are stylish color options available for the case and Dell’s Game Shift technology makes activating a turbo-boost power mode a breeze — it can be called on with the quick push of hotkeys.
HP Victus 16z-e100 — $750, was $1,000
Why Buy:
Sleek and stylish design
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050
16.1-inch WLED backlight display
Fast-charge battery support
Cutting out some of the nonsense here, this machine features an AMD Ryzen 5 6600H six-core and 12-thread processor, which pairs nicely with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 and 4GB of dedicated VRAM. It also helps that you get 8GBs of DDR5 RAM, the fastest on the market, and a 256GB NVMe solid-state drive for your games, files, and more. It’s a decent performer, of that there’s no question, although it might still be worth looking into a cloud storage service for a little bit of help if you want to run some of the newest titles at max settings.
The sleek design of the laptop is always a welcome sight, with a 16.1-inch IPS full-HD display that has WLED backlighting and a brightness rating of 250 nits. Additional features include a multi-format SD card reader for external media, multiple USB ports including USB-C, WiFi 6 wireless connectivity, Bluetooth 5.3, and fast-charge support for the battery — it comes with a 200-watt smart AC power adapter.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus 14 — $1,000, was $1,400
Why Buy:
Has a 144Hz 14-inch display
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060
Lots of system memory and storage space
Fully backlit keyboard
The Asus ROG Zephyrus has a lot in common with the ASUS ROG Strix series; while the Strix may be slightly better if you want a gaming laptop on a budget if you have a bit more cash on hand, the Zephyrus is the ace choice. So why is that the case? Well, for starters it comes with a 14-inch display and has a 144Hz refresh rate for fluid motion and onscreen action. The 16GB of DDR4 dual-channel system memory doesn’t hurt either and allows you to multi-task freely while chatting on Discord, streaming, playing some games, and even listening to some music in the background.
What’s better is that the Zephyrus comes with an RTX 3060 with 6GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM, which means it’s more likely to hit higher resolutions with no slowdowns. This is no potato. As for the processor, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS 8-core and 16-thread processor delivers clock speeds up to 1,382MHz at 60 watts. If you’re not well-versed in the specs or numbers, just know this beast of a machine can handle pretty much everything you throw at it — which is impressive for any computer let alone a laptop. It might not have made it onto the list of the best gaming laptops on the market, but it offers incredible value.
Alienware m15 R7 — $1,700, was $2,150
Why Buy:
Gorgeous 4K-ready 240Hz display
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti
16GB of DDR5 system memory
1TB solid-state drive
If you want a gaming laptop that stands out in specs, the Alienware m15 R7 will do it for you, especially since it has an impressive RTX 3070 Ti under the hood. Being one of the best GPUs on the market besides the RTX 3090 and RTX 40 series, it can handle 4k gaming. That’s great because the m15 R7 only comes with a QHD monitor with a whopping 240Hz refresh rate, and given that the RTX 3070 Ti is so capable, you’ll likely be able to hit both high resolutions and high frame rates. Granted, there might be a bit of compromise in some settings here and there, but you have a lot of leeways to play around with what’s most important to you.
In terms of CPU, you get the 12th Gen intel i7-12700H, another powerful CPU that will allow you to do anything from video to audio editing and any heavy-duty games like simulation and strategy. RAM is a solid 16GB of DDR5, which is impressive, and is great if you tend to open a lot of tabs and apps at the same time, as well as if you do any CAD work. As for storage, you get an excellent 1TB SSD to work with, so you won’t have many storage issues in the future.
The build of the m15 R7 is also rather excellent, although we will say that the battery life isn’t the best. Unfortunately, gaming laptops always have this issue, and Alienware laptops even more so, which makes sense given they try to squeeze as much performance as possible. Even so, that means you’ll be lugging around the charger wherever you go, but on the upside, it works as a great desktop replacement, so it’s worth checking out these gaming monitor deals if you want to go that route.
Alienware x17 R2 — 3,300, was $4,645
Why Buy:
An incredibly powerful laptop
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
64GB of dual-channel DDR5 system memory
Large 17.3-inch full-HD 480Hz display
Larger, faster, and more powerful than its smaller brethren, the Alienware x17 R2 is packed to the brim with exceptional hardware. For starters, you get an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti with 16GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM — enough to run even the latest games at ultra settings, depending on the resolution. You also get an insane 64GB of dual-channel DDR5 RAM, a 2TB NVMe solid-state drive, and a 12th Gen Intel Core i9 processor with 14 cores and 20 threads. It’s as powerful, if not more so, than your average desktop gaming PC. Everything will look amazing on the extra-large 17.3-inch full-HD non-touch 480Hz display, too.
Other features include Killer WiFi 6 for faster and more reliable wireless connectivity, Bluetooth 5.2 for connecting wireless peripherals, Alienware’s top-notch cooling technology, and Windows 11 right out of the box. It’s ready to start gaming, anything you want, anywhere, and anytime. Start fragging some baddies at a local coffee shop, take a break from studying in the school library, or squeeze in some rounds of your favorite battle royale title in between work.
A good gaming,g laptop should, first and foremost, be affordable, but you don’t want to go for the first deal you find that simply happens to meet your budget. You can expect to pay at least $600 (usually closer to $700) for a gaming laptop with a dedicated graphics card, although you can find a few that have AMD APUs with built-in Vega graphics for less than that. Also bear in mind that Nvidia recently released its new line of 16-series GPUs which have completely replaced the older 10-series graphics cards as the entry-level and midrange GeForce GPUs. In 2020, you’re better off avoiding older laptop models with these 10-series cards and sticking with the best modern GPUs ones, as the price is about the same and they will generally come with more up-to-date CPUs as well.
In the budget-friendly price brackets, the most powerful graphics card you’re likely to find in a gaming laptop right now is arguably the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 or AMD Radeon RX 5600M. However, you can expect to spend nearly your full budget for a laptop with this kind of graphical horsepower. If you’re going cheaper, though, then you’ll see cards in the GTX 16-series and RX 5000-series, pretty much all of which are still very capable of running modern titles at 1080p/60fps at good to high in-game settings.
For memory, 8GB of RAM should be the bare minimum (unless you’re going really cheap), and 16GB is a better mark to aim for in a modern gaming system. A higher refresh rate of 144Hz on the laptop display will also ensure a smoother experience when playing at higher framerates, but that’s something that you’ll typically find on gaming laptops sporting nicer GPUs like the GTX 1660 Ti or RTX 2060. That’s one of the sacrifices you’ll make with a gaming laptop, but if you know what to expect, you shouldn’t end up disappointed.
Should I get a gaming laptop or a gaming PC?
The primary difference between a gaming laptop and a gaming PC is portability. If you want a gaming computer to set up at a battle station, never to be moved again, then you should probably look at gaming PC deals instead. Since gaming PCs are bigger, they can hold more hardware, use bigger fans, and be easily customized. Laptops have the advantage of moving with you. To that end, a gaming laptop can be more than just a gaming laptop. You can take it to lecture classes for notes or use it as a work computer.
Are gaming laptops good for work?
A gaming laptop is still a laptop and can do everything that a laptop computer can do — that includes work. In fact, even a gaming laptop can offer some advantages: Faster processors and increased RAM will make all of your non-gaming software run noticeably faster, and graphical work such as video editing and rendering will go much more quickly with a dedicated graphics card. Even if you mostly use your PC for work first and only light gaming, it might be worth it to shell out a little more cash for a gaming laptop for the better hardware you’ll be getting.
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The Acer Chromebook 516 GE is Acer’s first gaming Chromebook.Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
It’s been a while since I’ve been on a Chromebook. I was a dedicated user of the Google Pixelbook when it launched. Its 2-in-1 form factor fit my life surprisingly well, and I even turned it into a podcasting machine on the go. But then the laptop started aging out, and I needed something that could handle video and photo editing in a way that Chrome OS couldn’t. I also wanted to play games on it. The Pixelbook became redundant once I upgraded my computer to a Windows-based Dell XPS 15, and it’s been collecting dust ever since.
Now, we have gaming Chromebooks, a phrase I never thought I’d be typing out. These are different from the gaming laptops you’re used to from brands like Razer or Alienware—they don’t even have the power of my Dell XPS 15. Instead, they have specs tuned to launch games from the cloud. The benefit of all this is it makes the overall ChromeOS experience feel more premium for a fraction of what I paid for the Windows-based XPS.
The Acer Chromebook 516 GE is one of the three models that Google has trotted out in this latest campaign. The GE stands for “Gaming Edition,” and it refers to Chromebooks that have screens with high refresh rates, recent generation Intel processors, and unique gamer-y touches like RGB-lighted keyboards. The Chromebook 516 GE has all those things, making it a great all-purpose laptop. I’m particularly struck by how light and easy it is to cart around—I miss that part of having a Chromebook. This is my first experience with cloud gaming on ChromeOS outside of Stadia (RIP). Some features felt like the Windows gaming experience I’m used to, but there were instances when I remembered ChromeOS also has limitations.
Meet the gaming Chromebook
The Acer Chromebook 516 GE is a 16-inch laptop weighing slightly less than four pounds. It’s not dense like my Dell, so it feels easier to tote around one-handed. It has a 2560 x 1600 resolution display, though it’s not a touchscreen like most Chromebooks. Instead, you get a display with a 120Hz refresh rate, convenient if you’re subscribed to a cloud service like Nvidia GeForce Now or Xbox Game Pass, which lets you stream games at high refresh rates. If you’re thinking of getting one of these Gaming Edition machines, nabbing a subscription to one of these services is something you’ll want to consider, especially because you’re not going to hit those frame rates locally.
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Inside, the Chromebook 516 GE runs on the Intel Core-i5-1240P, which is a mid-range Alder Lake-P series processor. The chip is paired with Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics and 8GB of RAM, enough to broadcast the game from the cloud. The Chromebook 516 GE is only available with 256GB of space, and you’ll feel its limitations if you frequently deal with large image and video files and prefer to do it all offline. There’s a 16GB variant of the Chromebook 516 GE with more storage space coming to market soon.
The right side of the Chromebook 516 GE has an HDMI port, a USB-A port, and a USB-C port.Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
The left side of the Chromebook 516 GE has an ethernet port, a charging port, and a headphone jack. Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
Acer’s Chromebook 516 GE has plenty of ports, which is always an excellent addition to a Chromebook—the Pixelbook only had two USB-C ports, so I had to Frankenstein it with dongles whenever I needed it to podcast. On the 516 GE, there’s a USB-A 3.2 port, HDMI port, and USB-C port for charging on one side, and on the other side is an additional USB-A port, another USB-C port, and an Ethernet plug-in, which is seriously necessary for cloud gaming. There’s also a 3.5mm audio jack and support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2.
The Acer Chromebook 516 GE is the relatively “no frills” choice of the Gaming Edition devices that Google introduced last year. The other models include the Lenovo Ideapad Gaming Chromebook with similar specifications and the Asus Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip, a convertible model with a display with a high refresh rate of 144Hz. All three laptops are around the $600 mark.
What it’s like playing games on a Chromebook?
The Chromebook 516 GE can be paired with any compatible Bluetooth controller to play cloud games. Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
Just because this is a gaming laptop doesn’t mean it performs like a gaming laptop. The integrated graphics are merely there to help the apps keep up with the graphics the cloud is rendering for you. In the case of Nvidia GeForce Now, there was an RTX 4080 graphics card in a distant server farm running the copy of Control that I booted up to test the Chromebook’s ability to handle ray-tracing.
Reader: it did fine, and it’s because the Chromebook had to do very little except send my inputs to the cloud and show me video of the game. You will have to pay $20/month for GeForce Now’s highest tier. You might also endure fan noise, but paired with a SteelSeries Stratus+, it felt as native as playing a console on a small screen (the screen is much smaller than any TV I’d play on). Also, GeForce Now works with my Steam library, so I could play through the first hour of Half-Life 2 like I was back in my college bedroom, avoiding schoolwork on my laptop.
I used the Chromebook 516 GE to play games on several platforms. In addition to Nvidia GeForce Now, I played through Xbox Game Pass, Amazon Luna, and Steam, which went into beta on Chromebook only a few weeks after this laptop launched. On Xbox Game Pass, I hopped into Disney’s Dreamlight Valley to play the character I started on the Nintendo Switch version of the same game. It’s almost surreal that I’m so easily able to jump into the game between two platforms.
Games can be launched natively from ChromeOS’s app drawer. Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
Steam was the client I had the most trouble setting up, but only because it took me a while to figure out there was a specific option I had to enable so that games wouldn’t launch in a fixed resolution. Also, it’s technically still in beta, so it’s not a finalized experience. I followed all the instructions I found online, and it was a relatively simple process to get it installed. It requires switching ChromeOS into developer mode and toggling on Chrome flags, developer-centric features you can enable to test this out on your own. I then figured out I had to enable another flag called borealis force double scaleso Steam games could display adequately on ChromeOS.
I tried downloading Sid Meier’s Civilization VI and Shadow of the Tomb Raider to run their respective benchmarks out of curiosity. I managed to get a campaign in Civilization VI started, enough that I was almost curious to look up a guide to figure out how to play the game. But when I tried the built-in benchmark, the Chromebook crashed, and I had to force restart. On the heavier side, Shadow of the Tomb Raider didn’t go beyond the splash screen. I tried running that benchmark, and each time, the Chromebook 516 GE would shut down and force a restart.
For my final trick, I downloaded Far Cry 5 and Total War: Warhammer II to see if they would take. That’s when I remembered the Chromebook 516 GE only has 256GB of storage space. Far Cry 5 is nearly 67 GB when locally downloaded, while the latter is 57 GB. When I tried downloading anything else, the Chromebook was out of space. Rather than clear up some space and wait for the downloads, I figured you’d get the idea by now: don’t expect this thing to run even casual modern games locally.
I did play older games using Steam on the Chromebook 516 GE. Stardew Valley runs fine, as do older titles like Torchlight II. The Chromebook may have integrated graphics, but they’re better than anything from around 15 years ago. I also played through the beginning of 2013’s Tomb Raider reboot while the frame rate hovered between 30-35 fps.
It’s still a Chromebook
The Chromebook 516 GE is emblazoned with Chromebook markings. Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
Now that we’ve established you can get some gaming done on the Chromebook 516 GE, let’s talk about getting work done. I wrote a few end-of-the-year articles on this machine before all the CES hype, and found the keyboard especially comfortable, but only after I had lobbed off my claws. Acer’s keycaps, in particular, are thin enough that I couldn’t tell if my nail was on the chassis or the key, which made typing a little frustrating. I managed about 110 words per minute after cutting my nails.
The Chromebook 516 GE has a neat RGB backlit keyboard. Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
I mentioned earlier that some of these Chromebook gaming laptops have RGB backlights—this is one of those models. I love being able to change the lights on the Chromebook directly from the settings panel without having to download some third-party keyboard suite. Even when I wasn’t playing a game, it was nice to have rainbow keys while I was typing away at an article. Acer even outlines the WASD keys, so you’re ready and prepared for gaming with a mouse and keyboard.
My only other annoyance was the small arrow keys. When on a laptop, I rely on them for scrolling through web pages. The trackpad also feels like something I’d find on a cheaper Chromebook. It’s not the most fluid, especially when attempting something precise, and I often felt like the pointer could overshoot at any time. I found any excuse to use a Bluetooth mouse to control the device.
Needs better battery
The Chromebook 516 GE is light and portable, but don’t leave the charger behind. Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
The Chromebook 516 GE is fine for getting work done. It’s light enough to cart around in a backpack all day and the ample amount of ports—for a Chromebook, anyway—helps get various use out of the machine. There’s even HDMI out so that you can tether an external monitor. I could see this Chromebook serving as a cloud gaming hub for a dorm room, the way a streaming dongle does for the TV in the living room.
But I’d caution leaving without a charger in tow. Acer promises nine hours on battery, but the Chromebook 516 GE lasted a mere six hours in our internal battery rundown test. We test by looping a YouTube video with the screen brightness set to about 200 nits. There are proper gaming laptops with worse battery life, but in the world of ChromeOS, it’s not enough to leave without a backup power situation. At the very least, the Chromebook 516 GE is a fast charger. I got it up to 100{b7c9e2c88beb1a84f22d94ab877a147f4adc4b3519717f3f957a0f34e16918d1} in about 90 minutes.
Another affordable way to get into gaming
It’s nice to know you can run a game on ChromeOS. But don’t try running a recent one. Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
The Acer Chromebook 516 GE isn’t going to take you to the esports arena, but it makes a massive archive of cloud based PC-based gaming available at an accessible price point. This laptop will also do well with indie games, which are just as engaging as the titles coming out from major game publishers, and often less resource intensive.
At $650, it’s $300 more expensive than other Cloud gaming solutions like the Logitech G Cloud, but it also provides you with a full laptop. For a dedicated gaming machine, you might want to look to either the G Cloud or something like the Steam Deck, depending on your needs, but this is a good entry level option in a similar price point for someone who moonlights as a gamer.
On the productivity side, the Chromebook 516 GE is a fine Chromebook for day-to-day use. The keyboard is comfortable for long bouts of typing, and ChromeOS has improved since Google introduced more ways to sync up the software with an Android smartphone. But this is far from a gaming laptop like in the Windows world. If anything, at least Chromebook manufacturers have found a way to “beef up” the systems without increasing the price point, as Chromebooks are still considered secondary machines rather than primary ones.
