All set to treat yourself to the best gaming laptop in Malaysia 2021? Don’t panic when you see the prices! The latest gaming laptops can cost around or even more than RM7K!
However, it’s not all hopeless! And you can get a decent budget gaming laptop in Malaysia for less than RM4,000!
Be sure to read the buying guide below if this is going to be your first ever gaming laptop!
How To Choose A Good Gaming Laptop
In a nutshell, don’t stinge on the GPU. If you need to save money somewhere, that can be the screen (you can use an external monitor) or the CPU.
Other things like memory are often upgradeable.
And you have to accept that a gaming laptop is not ideal for frequent travelling. Nor is the battery life as long as other laptops!
1. Graphic Card / Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
It’s safe to say that most games depend on the GPU. And since GPUs are usually built into the laptop (and not upgradeable):
You need to get one that will still be able to cope with future games. At least for a few years!
Brands and their latest cards:
- Nvidia – RTX 30-series cards (e.g. RTX 3060 Max-Q or RTX 3080)
- AMD – Radeon RX 5000M series (e.g. RX 5500M, RX 5600M and RX 5700M)
What if you only plan to do some light gaming?
Entry-level GPUs include GTX 1650 or RX 5500M. GTX 1660 Ti is even better.
For keen gamers, try to get your hands on a Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 2060!
And if you really want to play any game at the maximum settings (VR included), then you will need at least a RTX 2070 or RTX 2080.
2. CPU
Although a GPU is more important than a CPU for a high performance gaming laptop:
You should still try to get one that has an Intel® Core™ i7 processor or better!
If you have a great GPU, an Intel® Core™ i5 processor may suffice to run games too (albeit not at the highest settings).
The best laptops in Malaysia run the latest and fastest chips for their CPUs!
With:
- High clock rates (GHz)
- Multiple cores
3. RAM
If you plan to use the laptop for games, the minimum requirement for RAM is 16GB.
It’s an added bonus if is possible to upgrade the RAM in future!
4. Memory Storage
SSD is the newer technology and leads to a faster overall performance than what you would get from a conventional HDD.
So don’t buy a gaming laptop without SSD!
Bear in mind, having more memory storage can drive up the price of a gaming laptop in Malaysia!
That’s why many models will compromise and use both HDD and SSD! Just check that the HDD is a 7,200-rpm HDD (faster).
Later on, you can switch to a larger HDD (if possible). Or use an external drive.
5. Laptop Screen Display
In addition to graphic cards, having support software like Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync can further reduce chances of screen ghosting or tearing!
High-end screens use OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) instead of LED-lit LCDs. The contrast is more obvious. But that reflects in the price too!
Screen Size
15 to 17-inch screens are common with gaming laptops. These larger laptops will come with their respective weight!
Resolution
Do not accept anything less than HD (1920 x 1080p)!
Refresh Rate / Frame Rate & Resolution
A higher refresh rate (in Hz; images per second) is necessary for a seamless gaming experience.
For HD displays, aim to get a 144Hz refresh rate! However, 300Hz is better still!
And like Smart TVs, there are 4K displays for laptops too. But these are expensive. And are only worth it if you will be using a huge screen!
Moreover, the refresh rates for 4K displays are still limited to 120Hz.
6. Build
Obviously, you’ll want a sturdy keyboard that can take frequent barrage from enthusiastic gameplay!
You may want to check the placement of keys you frequently use. Some keyboards don’t give you full-sized arrow keys!
7. Extra Features
- Ports – Consider the type and number of ports you will need for any additional peripherals. Do you still need USB A or an SD card reader?
- Another thing to look out for is wireless connectivity for 4GHz or 5GHz bands. But now, you should be looking for Wi-Fi 6 capability too.
- Don’t forget Bluetooth for your wireless headset or other wireless accessories!
And while they’re fun to use, a touch screen is definitely unnecessary for a gaming laptop.
You don’t need anything else to drain your precious battery life when you’re running power-hungry games!
On the subject of battery:
8. Battery Life
For gaming laptops, it’s rare to find any that can last for more than 8 hours on a single charge!
Furthermore:
You should be using the power supply in order to run the highest in-gaming settings!
9 Best Gaming Laptop Malaysia 2021
1. Alienware M17 Gaming Laptop
Sporting a 17.3-inch 4K display, the Alienware M17 Gaming Laptop packs tremendous performance (especially with Core i9 and RTX 2080) in a relatively lightweight design!
Enough to replace your desktop! It is hard for anyone else (but serious gamers) to ignore that hefty price tag though!
- OS: Window 10 Home (64bit)
- Processor: 10th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-10750H (6-Core, 12MB Cache, up to 5.0GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0) / i7-10875H (16MB Cache, up to 5.1 GHz, 8 cores)
- Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2060 6GB GDDR6 (OC Ready) / NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2070 8GB GDDR6 / NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2080 SUPER™ 8GB GDDR6 with Max Performance
- RAM: 16GB / 32GB
- Storage: 512GB / 1TB SSD
- Screen: 17.3″ FHD (1920 x 1080) / 17.3″ UHD (3840 x 2160)
- Battery Capacity: 6-Cell, 86WHr
- Dimensions: 16.9-22 x 399.8 x 294.26 mm (H x W x D)
- Weight: 2.5 – 2.97 kg
- Warranty: 1 year
- Price: ~RM9,499 – RM12,699
Pros:
- Ergonomic keyboard
- Flexible configuration
- Not lacking ports
- Stunning aesthetics
- 300Hz refresh rate (for HD resolution)
Cons:
- Disappointing battery life
- Heavy for a laptop
2. MSI GS66 Stealth 10UG-036 Gaming Laptop
While it may not have an eye-catching design:
The MSI GS66 Stealth 10UG-036 Gaming Laptop uses one of the newest high-performance graphic cards in the market!
That, in tandem with the fast SSD and longer battery life (99.9 watt hour) can give Alienware laptops a run for their money!
- OS: Window 10 Home (64bit)
- Processor: 10th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-10870H+HM470
- Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070 Max-Q, GDDR6 8GB
- RAM: 32GB
- Storage: 2TB SSD
- Screen: 15.6″ FHD (1920*1080), 300Hz
- Battery Capacity: 4-Cell, 99.9WHr
- Dimensions: 18.3-19.8 x 358.3 x 248 mm (H x W x D)
- Weight: 2.1 kg
- Warranty: 2 years
- Price: ~RM10,999
Pros:
- Light for a gaming laptop
- Comfortable keyboard
- Incredible graphics
- Great performance for games
- Durable metal build
- High refresh rates
- No shortage of ports (Thunderbolt 3 and Ethernet too)
Cons:
- Expensive
- Only one function key
- Audio is not impressive
- Gets hot
- Fans are loud
3. MSI GL65 Leopard 10SFSK 650 Gaming Laptop
It’s tempting to get the MSI GL65 Leopard 10SFSK 650 Gaming Laptop. Since it’s around half the price of the previous 2 laptops in this list!
And capable of running most games (that don’t require 3D capability)!
In return, you will be settling for less storage. And only 144Hz tops!
- OS: Window 10 Home (64bit)
- Processor: 10th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-10750H+HM470
- Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2070 Super, GDDR6 8GB
- RAM: 16GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Screen: 15.6″ FHD (1920*1080), 144Hz Thin Panel
- Battery Capacity: 6-Cell, 51WHr
- Dimensions: 27.5 x 357 x 248 mm (H x W x D)
- Weight: 2.3 kg
- Warranty: 2 years
- Price: ~RM6,999
Pros:
- Fast graphics card
- Customizable multi-colored backlit keyboard
- Sturdy build
- Thin bezels
- Decent speakers
Cons:
- Battery can't last long (~5.5 hours)
- Port placement can be annoying
4. ASUS TUF Gaming A15
With one of the fastest AMD processors around, and a NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070 graphics card:
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 is truly a formidable player in this list of gaming laptops!
- OS: Window 10 Home (64bit)
- Processor: AMD® Ryzen™ 7 5800H Processor
- Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070, GDDR6 8GB
- RAM: 16GB
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Screen: 15.6″ FHD (1920*1080), 240Hz Anti-Glare IPS Panel
- Battery Capacity: 90WHr
- Dimensions: 22.8-24.5 x 359.8 x 256 mm (H x W x D)
- Weight: 2.3 kg
- Warranty: 2 years
- Price: ~RM6,999
Pros:
- Up to 13.5 hours (web browsing) or 14.5 hours (video playback) battery
- Generous with ports
- 1080p works well with 240Hz
- Robust exterior
Cons:
- Fans are very noisy
5. Razer Blade 15 Base Model
Razer Blade 15 Base Model is inconspicuous as a gaming laptop. But attractive enough with an RGB keyboard (single zone) and thin bezels!
The fact that it has a NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2060 is nice but there are newer GPUs in similarly-priced gaming notebooks in Malaysia!
- OS: Window 10 Home (64bit)
- Processor: 10th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-10750H (2.6GHz, 6-Core, 12MB Cache, up to 5.0GHz)
- Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2060, GDDR6 6GB
- RAM: 16GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Screen: 15.6″ FHD (1920*1080), 144Hz, 4.9 mm Bezel
- Battery Capacity: 80WHr
- Dimensions: 20 x 355.6 x 236.22 mm (H x W x D)
- Weight: 2.27 kg
- Warranty: 1 year
- Price: ~RM6,999
Pros:
- More than decent battery life
- Many ports
- Premium build (unibody aluminum)
- You can upgrade the RAM and storage
Cons:
- Heats up
- Expensive for what you get
- Refresh rate maximum is 144Hz
Budget Gaming Laptop Malaysia
Save some money from these budget laptop models and you can invest in a luxurious gaming chair!
6. Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop
Is the Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop the best affordable gaming laptop? It certainly looks like one! With striking red accents and 4-level keyboard backlighting!
Under the hood, it has a NVIDIA® GeForce GTX™ 1650Ti graphics card! Alas, you have to sacrifice on memory and the CPU.
- OS: Window 10 Home (64bit)
- Processor: 10th Generation Intel® Core™ i5-10300H (2.6GHz, 6-Core, 12MB Cache, up to 4.1GHz) / i7-107850H / AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
- Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce GTX™ 1650Ti 4GB GDDR6
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Screen: 15.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS Display 144Hz Slim Bezel
- Battery Capacity: 4-Cell 55WHr
- Dimensions: 25.9 x 363.4 x 255 mm (H x W x D)
- Weight: 2.2 kg
- Warranty: 2 years
- Price: ~RM3,999 – RM4,599
Pros:
- Has most of the common ports you will need
- Enjoyable typing experience
- Great battery life (~9 hours)
- Anti-glare (but colors look duller)
- Stereo speakers are acceptable
- You can expand the memory and RAM
- Adjustable fan speed
Cons:
- Plastic build
- Fans are extremely loud at the highest level
- Thick
- No Thunderbolt 3 port
7. HP OMEN Laptop 15-en0049AX
What can you expect from a cheap gaming laptop in Malaysia?
The HP OMEN Laptop 15-en0049AX still manages to keep up with some games (not at the highest settings).
And once you start multi-tasking or running large programs like Adobe Premier Pro, you will feel the drag (i.e. limited RAM and storage)!
- OS: Window 10 Home (64bit)
- Processor: AMD Ryzen™ 5 4600H (3.0GHz, up to 4.0GHz, 8MB L3 cache, 6 cores)
- Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce GTX™ 1650Ti 4GB GDDR6
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Screen: 15.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080) 144 Hz, IPS, 250 nits, anti-glare
- Battery Capacity: 3-cell, 52.5WHr
- Dimensions: 22.5 x 357.9 x 239.7 mm (H x W x D)
- Weight: 2.37 kg
- Warranty: 2 years
- Price: ~RM3,899
Pros:
- Well-designed keyboard
- Good build quality
- Fans are relatively quiet
- Does not heat up as much as other gaming laptops
- Solid battery life
- Audio quality is fine
Cons:
- Dim display (less than 300 nits)
- Entry-level gaming performance
- Does not have a fingerprint scanner
- Can’t upgrade the storage
- Not using one of the newest processors that AMD has (this one is just a 6 core)
- No other keyboard backlight colors besides white
8. Lenovo Legion 5 15 Gaming Laptop
Right off the bat, the Lenovo Legion 5 15 Gaming Laptop only has 8GB RAM!
The graphics card isn’t the latest, and the storage space is tight at 512GB. You will want to upgrade soon to be able to run new games!
As for the design, it’s classy and just the thing if you don’t want to announce to everyone that you’re a gamer!
- OS: Window 10 Home (64bit)
- Processor: 10th Generation Intel® Core™ i5-10300H (2.6GHz, 6-Core, 12MB Cache, up to 4.1GHz)
- Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce GTX™ 1650 4GB GDDR6
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Screen: 15.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS Display 144Hz, 300 nits, anti-glare
- Battery Capacity: 4-Cell 60WHr
- Dimensions: 23.57-26.13 x 363 x 260 mm (H x W x D)
- Weight: 2.5 kg
- Warranty: 2 years
- Price: ~RM3,799
Pros:
- Good port placement
- Audio quality is alright
- Affordable
- Nice to type on
- Possible to upgrade RAM and storage
- Quality build (mainly plastic)
- 1080p display with 144Hz refresh rate
- Default WiFi card supports WiFi6 (double check this)
- Battery can last ~6 hours on power-saving mode (2 hours if gaming)
Cons:
- No Thunderbolt 3 port
- Average performance (with these specs)
- Can feel hot
This comes close if you want a gaming laptop Malaysia below RM3000:
9. Dell G3 15 Gaming Laptop
Dell also makes one of the best gaming laptops in Malaysia. And their G3 15 (15.6-in. display) is significantly more affordable than the more expensive Alienware laptops!
The downside?
That lackluster display which can suffer from a little screen bleeding.
- G3’s lowest specification model uses GTX 1650
- You can upgrade GTX 1650 Ti - slightly faster (~7%) than its non-Ti sibling
- G3 highest specification model has a larger battery and better graphics card (GTX 1660 Ti)
- OS: Window 10 Home (64bit)
- Processor: 10th Generation Intel® Core™ i5-10300H (8MB Cache, up to 4.5 GHz, 4 cores) / i7-10750H (12MB Cache, up to 5.0 GHz, 6 cores)
- Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1650 4GB GDDR6 / NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1650 Ti 4GB GDDR6 / NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1660 Ti 6GB GDDR6
- RAM: 8GB / 16GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Screen: 15.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080) 120Hz 250 nits
- Battery Capacity: 3-Cell, 51WHr / 4-Cell, 68WHr
- Dimensions: 21.6 x 365.5 x 254 mm (H x W x D)
- Weight: 2.34 kg
- Warranty: 1 year
- Price: ~RM3,599 – RM5,299
Pros:
- Adequate battery life (~5 hours)
- Solid performance (including graphics)
- Wide selection of ports (including a Thunderbolt 3 connector) – only for the model with the NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1660 Ti graphics card
- Backlit keyboard
- Robust build
- Area for resting your wrists does not get hot, just warm
- Decent speakers
Cons:
- Fans can get noisy (48.7 dB(A))
- Can’t rest it on your lap (that’s where most of the heat vents out!)
Conclusion
It’s little wonder that the best gaming laptop in Malaysia 2021 is the ASUS TUF Gaming A15. It rocks the latest Nvidia graphics card and for under RM7K!
On the other hand, it’s a tough call for budget gaming laptops, but we’ll have to go for the Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop!
