I’ve always wanted a gaming laptop with a long battery life; no one should spend the money to get a notebook for gaming and an additional laptop that can survive a workday. Luckily for me, and you, the battery life of gaming laptops has been trending upward, and there are at least three worth your time and money.
I recently reviewed the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (Ryzen AI 9), which happened to offer the longevity I’ve been looking for. It costs a little more than it should (which I’ll get into later), but overall, it offers a pleasant gaming experience. The Zephyrus G16 isn’t the only gaming laptop worthy of praise in this regard, there are a few more that you should keep an eye out for as the holidays are within arms reach.
Here are three gaming laptops that’ll last a full workday.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16
Starting with the most obvious entry, there’s the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (Ryzen AI 9). It lasted 9 hours and 14 minutes on the Laptop Mag battery test.
Powered by the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 8GB GPU, you get a max deadlift’s worth of performance out of the Zephyrus G16. Then there’s its 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz, OLED display that’s as bright and vivid as it is smooth and sharp. Rarer still are its quality speakers packed into a chassis that comes in at 0.59~0.65 inches thin.
You can get the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 for $2,299 at Best Buy. However, as I stated earlier, my gripe with the Zephyrus G16 is that it’s too expensive. I’d recommend waiting for a price cut, ideally something that’ll send it down below $2K.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
Gaming laptops that share the same namesake don’t always provide the same quality, though: Just look at the Intel version of the Zephyrus G16, which lasted a mere 4 hours and 46 minutes (woof). I’m happy to report that the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 survived 8 hours and 16 minutes on the Laptop Mag battery test.
The Zephyrus G16 comes with an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 8GB GPU, offering a decent bit of entry-to-mid-range level of performance. So while it may not be as strong as its competitors, the battery life makes up for it. Comparable to its larger sibling, it features a 14-inch, 2880 x 1800, 120Hz OLED panel that’s bright and colorful, acting as an excellent stage for your favorite titles. Its springy keyboard and slick, 0.6-inch chassis are also worth complimenting.
It does run into some similar price issues as its sibling, however, running for $1,599 at Best Buy. Keep an eye out for this gaming laptop as we get closer to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and it may drop to a reasonable price.
Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 9
With a discounted price, the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i is a great investment for casual gamers and creatives.
Okay, now I am cheating a little bit; the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 9 isn’t technically a gaming laptop, but it offers many of the same features and even great battery life. It lasted 9 hours and 51 minutes on the Laptop Mag battery test.
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i is packed with an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 6GB GPU. It sports great overall performance, but the graphics are at an entry-level, so it’s not as strong as the rest on this list. However, the Yoga Pro 9i earns a higher price point due to its high-end CPU and stunning 16-inch, 3200 x 2000, 165Hz touch display; it’s more colorful than the rest on this list. Then there’s its bouncy keyboard and overall premium non-gaming aesthetic (which is a boon, depending on the environment).
Again, the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i is a bit pricey, as you can find it for $1,699 at Best Buy. With a discounted price, the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i is a great investment for casual gamers and creatives.
Outlook
We’ve seen gaming laptops achieve over 10 hours of battery life, and I’m hoping to see more of that in the coming months and years. Of course, it’s going to be a constant fight between the increasing power of these hungry machines. Still, if manufacturers improve processing speed and reduce energy consumption, we could see higher-specced gaming laptops achieving longer battery life.
As for your part in all this, keep an eye on the gaming laptops above as they go on sale. I’d deem all of them worthy of purchasing as long as they see a strong price cut. You can always keep an eye on the best gaming laptop deals as well.
