Starfield will undoubtedly be one of the biggest game releases of the year, and to experience it in its full glory, you'll need some serious horsepower. We've rounded up five of the best gaming laptops that should be able to chew through the game on release day.
We review dozens of gaming laptops each year, and Starfield is shaping up to challenge even the most powerful hardware. Here are the gaming laptops that can stand up to the game and still deliver great performance.
The best gaming laptop for Starfield
Lenovo Legion Pro 5
- Fantastic value
- Top-tier gaming performance
- USB-C charging available
- DLSS 3
- Middling screen
- A bit heavy
It's hard to go wrong playing Starfield on the best gaming laptop you can buy, and that's exactly what the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is. We recommend going with the RTX 4070 configuration for the best experience in the game, as the weaker GPUs will likely force you to compromise some graphics settings.
The mobile RTX 4070 performs around the level of a desktop RTX 2080, which is what Starfield recommends for its system requirements. It's tough to say what those recommended requirements mean, but they should align with playing the game at 4K with 30 frames per second (fps) and AMD's FSR 2 enabled.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 comes with a 1,600p screen, and decreasing the resolution will surely improve your performance. This laptop is also rocking an AMD processor - the Ryzen 7 7745HX with the RTX 4070 configuration - and AMD says Starfield is optimized for its products as it's the game's PC exclusive partner.
The best portable gaming laptop for Starfield
Razer Blade 14
- Fantastic gaming performance
- Relatively cool and quiet
- Solid IPS screen
- Great battery life and portability
- Bulky charger
- More expensive than the previous model
Take the Lenovo Legion Pro 5, trim it down, and add a premium MacBook-like finish, and you have the 2023 Razer Blade 14. It's more expensive, and it's certainly more premium, but you can expect a similar level of performance out of the machine in Starfield given its specs.
Like the Lenovo laptop, the Blade 14 comes with an RTX 4070. In our testing, it ends up slightly slower than the Legion Pro 5 due to its size, but it should still have plenty of gaming grunt to drive Starfield on the laptop's 1,600p display. The machine also stayed cool and quiet during our testing, which is an important factor with a game that's shaping up to be as demanding as Starfield.
Although the Razer Blade 14 takes a back seat in the GPU department, it has an impressive AMD CPU: the Ryzen 9 7940HS. It's an eight-core chip that will likely be a huge benefit in Starfield, especially if the game leans heavy on the processor in environments with a lot of additional characters.
The most powerful gaming laptop for Starfield
Asus ROG Strix Scar 17
- Chart-topping processor performance
- High-end gaming performance
- DLSS 3
- Decent value considering the hardware inside
- Solid port selection
- Lackluster screen
- Mostly plastic body
If you want to play Starfield without compromises, and you're willing to spend up for the best experience, then the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 can accommodate you. Short of the monstrous MSI GT77 Titan, the Strix Scar 17 is the fastest laptop we've ever tested, offering up performance that can rival a desktop RTX 3090.
That's because it packs Nvidia's RTX 4090, which is easily the fastest laptop GPU you can buy. It puts even high-end desktop PCs to shame, especially now that Asus is offering the Scar 17 with the Ryzen 9 7945HX3D.
The machine is also surprisingly reasonable considering the hardware. It's $3,500 still, so it's definitely nowhere near a budget or even midrange gaming laptop, but similar machines often sell for $4,000 or $5,000. At its asking price, the Strix Scar 17 still has no compromises, which is quite the feat.
Full Starfield, on the go
Alienware x16
- Fantastic gaming performance
- Solid build quality
- Compact enough to travel
- Comfortable AlienFX keyboard
- Unique RGB trackpad
- Runs hot or loud, with little in between
- Disappointing screen
- Limited USB-C power delivery
As powerful as the Asus Strix Scar 17 is, it's also very bulky. If you want similar power in a more portable package, the Alienware x16 is for you. It offers desktop-replacement levels of performance, but it's still remarkably thin and portable.
Just like the Scar 17, you can pack in up to an RTX 4090 mobile graphics card, paired with a 14-core Intel Core i9-13900HK. This configuration actually clocks in a few hundred dollars cheaper than the Scar 17, though you can get the price down to $2,500 with an RTX 4070.
Performance in Starfield shouldn't be a problem for the Alienware x16. It's really the portability that makes the laptop shine. It clocks in just under 6 pounds, and it's only 0.73 inches think. It's definitely not the most portable gaming laptop, but it's shockingly thin and light compared to machines in its class, especially with its full-aluminum construction.
Best budget gaming laptop for Starfield
Dell G15
- Solid performance for the price
- Several color options
- Great build quality
- A little thick and heavy
- Lackluster screen
Starfield looks like it will be a very demanding game, so it's hard to find a good budget gaming laptop for it. Even among the best budget gaming laptops, you'll likely need to dial back some settings to get decent performance.
If you're on a tight budget, though, the Dell G15 is the laptop to buy for Starfield. You can configure it with up to an RTX 4060 mobile graphics card, along with a 14-core Intel Core i7-13650HX. This configuration, which is the most expensive Dell offers, clocks in at $1,200 and should offer solid performance at 1080p in Starfield.
You can find laptops for cheaper with similar specs, but the Dell G15 stands out with its excellent build quality, The keyboard is fantastic, and it will stand up to years of travel. It also looks great, with Dell offering several unique color options this year.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can play Starfield on a gaming laptop, assuming its powerful enough. For the best experience, we recommend a new gaming laptop with an RTX 4070 mobile graphics card. You can get by with less, though, such as with the Dell G15 with an RTX 4060.
Starfield looks like it will be quite demanding. The recommended system requirements call for an RTX 2080 or RX 6800 XT graphics card, and you'll need at least an RX 5700 or GTX 1070 Ti to meet the game's minimum system requirements.
