Building a great PC is a favorite pastime of many players, but the fact remains that not everyone has the time, or even the desire, to build their own gaming rig. Those players aren’t left out of the customization game completely though, even if they prefer gaming laptops over desktops.
Recognizable brands like HP and Alienware let shoppers customize gaming laptops before checking out, while other popular sites offer customization from a wide range of manufacturers. It’s certainly not as cost-effective as building a PC at home, but these custom laptops are perfect for busy gamers who want a more tailored experience than what stock inventories offer.
![Alienware m16 [2023]](https://static0.gamerantimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/alienware-m16.jpg?q=50&fit=contain&w=480&h=480&dpr=1.5)
Choosing the Perfect Custom Laptop for Gaming
Players should review their options while considering a few specific factors:
CPU and GPU: Players should decide how powerful they want their laptop to be. One of the best ways to determine this is to compare CPU and GPU options to the minimum requirements of any upcoming games that interest the given player.
The Best Gaming CPUs in 2024
The best CPUs for gaming have to stand out in an increasingly competitive space. These are the best you can buy right now.
Storage: Most laptops will come with a minimum of 512GB, which can adequately serve small and medium-sized games, along with cloud gaming. Players who want to play large games, such as Call of Duty, should opt for no less than 1TB of memory. That being said, most players won’t see much benefit from adding more than 4TB of storage to a gaming laptop.
Personalization: Whether a gaming laptop looks stylish matters! If a player wants RGB backlighting or cool vinyl decals, they can have it. These features do come at a premium, but they’re also considered a bonus and often listed at a great price to sway players during their final purchasing decision.
The Best Custom Gaming Laptops
Framework Laptop 13
The Framework Laptop 13 has an extremely modular design that gives players full control over their gaming device. Players who order the DIY Edition of the Framework 13 can build it themselves or choose pre-built to have a system ready to go out of the box. Replacing any part is a cinch, as is customizing or upgrading key components later down the road.
- Top-of-the-line specs
- Can be customized and upgraded after purchase
- Fairly affordable
- Significant issues with the Ryzen 7040 CPU option
- Not ideal for newbies
Framework is a fairly new PC company, but they take custom laptops very seriously, allowing players as many choices as possible while still managing to make the building process a lot easier. That being said, some Ryzen 7040 users have issues with OS stability, meaning that it's not a great choice for players who are new to PC building or who would otherwise categorize themselves as inexperienced.
However, if someone wants a custom gaming laptop without having to buy each piece separately, the Framework 13 DIY edition laptop is the best option around. This laptop lays everything on the table, letting users choose their keyboard, case color, and their processor, meaning players can completely circumvent the 7040 problems by choosing a 13th Gen Intel Core instead. These parts are all extremely well-constructed too, such as the colorful frame, which is made with high-quality aluminum, or the wide variety of languages available across a spectrum of keyboards.
Framework also makes it easy to customize the laptop later by using expansion cards rather than external adapters for the different ports a player might need or even to add additional storage. Plus, the 13.5-inch screen offers players an incredible 2256x1504 resolution, giving players crystal clear, brilliant displays while they game. This lightweight custom gaming laptop presents the ultimate experience in personalization and doesn't break the bank by doing so. For most players in search of a custom laptop without having to do much work themselves, Framework 13 is the best way forward.
HP Envy Laptop 17T-CW000
The HP Envy Laptop 17T-CW000 is a customizable laptop perfect for work and play. Offering players the opportunity to choose their storage, RAM, and other specs, this laptop can be a winner for any user. The thin build and bright screen make the stylish laptop effortlessly portable.
- Capable of handling both productivity and gaming challenges
- Up to 4K resolution
- Large screen with a lightweight build
- No AMD CPU option
For gamers who need to be more practical about their custom laptop choice, HP's 17-inch Envy model fits both at work and at home. The outside style isn't very customizable but looks clean and professional while also being perfectly compatible with plenty of vinyl covers. Despite being sold by a fairly standardized manufacturer, the Envy offers players a lot of customization options to create their ideal loadout. The processor, memory, Wi-Fi, and display all have multiple levels of quality to choose from, so players only pay for the extras they want.
The pricing is pretty reasonable regardless, though some of the software can get expensive, depending on what's needed. When on sale, the "best value" build is less than $800 and has everything a person might need for work-from-home functions and most gameplay, especially cloud gaming. It's easy to choose options that will deliver on specs, though the cost goes up exponentially and may not be the best choice if a player wants all of the premium options.
That being said, for anyone who needs a gaming laptop that will be just as suitable for a work environment as a gaming one, the HP Envy Laptop 17T is the one they should make their own.
AMD LOQ 15"
Speed meets endurance with the AMD LOQ 15" gaming laptop. Offering top performance without compromising battery life, this laptop runs incredibly fast thanks to its NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU. Plus, this PC comes with 3 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. The Lenovo AI Engine+ pairs with the cutting-edge Lenovo LA1 AI Chip, to further optimize the system with smart, fine-tuned sensors. There's also a dedicated MUX Switch with NVIDIA Advanced Optimus that automatically cuts latency, optimizes battery life, and boosts FPS.
- Simple build options to choose from
- Great screen quality available
- Reasonably priced
- Not as many customizable features
The Lenovo 15" LOQ laptop is a great custom option for players who want to choose their specs but don't want to get bogged down by small details. Reasonably priced, this custom laptop lets players choose their memory size, their SSD, their GPU, and even which version of Windows they want installed. The laptop can also come pre-installed with a variety of Microsoft productivity software and other digital services such as Photoshop.
Although there aren't as many customizable features with this laptop, gamers can adjust the most important factors. The laptop itself is lightweight and features a bright screen, making it ideal for most activities, regardless of location. Plus, with Lenovo, players can easily trust that any issues will be resolved promptly. The LOQ 15" custom laptop is the best choice for players who want a decent laptop with cherry-picked software and hardware options.
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 8
The Legion Pro 7i flaunts a fully-powered 13th Gen Intel Core Processor paired with a 40-series NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU. On top of this raw power, this gaming laptop offers one of the thinnest builds available at 0.86″-1.01″. It's also fairly lightweight, clocking in at just over six pounds. This gaming laptop also uses the Lenovo AI Engine+ The Lenovo AI Engine+ and Legion Coldfront 5.0 cooling system, to boost overall FPS, making the Legion Pro 7i a highly competitive, ultra-portable laptop.
- Brilliant RGB lighting
- Players choose between the RTX 4080 and 4090
- Offers switchable keycaps
- Not as many customization options
One of the most expensive custom laptops around, the Legion Pro 16" gaming laptop packs a serious punch, even before players can beef it up with various upgrades. Along with this, the keyboard and base feature RGB backlighting that gives spaces a vibrant glow during game sessions.
The laptop comes with an Intel i9-13900HX, leaving players to choose between Nvidia's RTX 4080 and 4090 GPUs, both of which are still considered top-of-the-line. There are also two SSDs to decide on, and the opportunity to double the available RAM. Even the keyboard can be customized, with a switchable keycap kit being offered for just $15.
Once again, Lenovo lets down some users who are looking to maximize their personalization, but the included options are good enough for most users. The RGB lighting is well dispersed across the keyboard and the base glow adds a lot of style to the overall look of the laptop. For a straightforward, but powerful custom laptop with RGB, it's tough to top the Legion Pro.
![Alienware m16 [2023]](https://static0.gamerantimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/alienware-m16.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=480&dpr=1.5)
Alienware m16
Alienware has decided to get competitive with its pricing to performance this year, partially thanks to Intel's 13th generation CPUs as well as low demand for the RTX 4080 chipset.
- Offers the very best hardware and software
- Monitor can have a refresh rate of up to 240Hz
- Includes RGB lighting
- Very expensive
Alienware is well-known for its steep prices, yet it never fails to meet expectations, or even exceed them. The M16 gaming laptop is an example of the latter, mostly thanks to its broad customizability that leaves few stones unturned.
Gamers can choose between multiple options for nearly every part of the laptop, from the GPU and CPU to the monitor display and keyboard keys. What's extra helpful are the informative links above most options. While Game ZXC also offers explanations on topics such as how to choose a GPU and how much storage one might need, it's nice to have quick reminders right on the page while scrolling through the options.
The laptop additionally features a great case design, with ample ventilation on the top and bottom. RGB backlighting brings the keyboard to life even in the dark, and an RGB loop on the back makes it easy to manage a host of ports. The simple gray case looks good in almost any setting, which is perfect since the laptop can handle basically anything. At this price, it absolutely should be able to tackle any task, but Alienware takes it one step further and allows players a say in how their M16 custom gaming laptop is constructed.
HP Omen 17
Players can step up their game with the OMEN by HP 17.3" Gaming Laptop PC, which runs with the 13th Gen Intel Core CPU and NVIDIA's GeForce RTX GPU. The lightweight design, high resolution, and fast refresh rate display let gamers play their best from anywhere.
- Built with some of the best CPU and GPU options
- Plenty of choices for storage and RAM
- RGB lighting included
- Price varies a lot based on choices
The Omen gaming laptop is the opposite of most HP laptops in that it's built to be a gaming laptop that can handle some work tasks. While most of HP's laptops are built for productivity usage, the Omen was designed with gaming as the focal point, and customization as an important secondary aspect.
Staying below $1700 is easy enough, especially with frequent sales. At the same time, however, this laptop could just as easily top $2300. This is due to the variety of CPU and GPU options available. Obviously, the newest hardware is going to be much more expensive than older versions. At the same time, players are also given choices of more RAM, better display quality, and expanded storage.
Even the RGB keyboard can be adapted to have either 4-zone or per-key lighting, the latter coming at a somewhat steep premium. The Omen laptop looks great inside and out, with a super thin and lightweight construction paired with a sleek black finish and an attractive diamond logo on top. All of these features come with one of the largest displays available, at 17 inches wide. Players who love to stream or who want the best visuals possible for their gaming will find their perfect match to be the HP Omen Laptop.
FAQ
Q: Can I customize my laptop?
Only some laptops can be customized after purchase, so players should check the specs of their laptop before deciding whether to upgrade using parts or a whole new device. Software updates and internal personalizations can make a big difference in a player's experience, but ultimately, these changes won't affect most specs.
Q: Which brand laptop is the best for gaming?
Lenovo, which often names its gaming products "Legion", is often considered one of the best gaming laptop manufacturers. Asus and MSI are often given second place.
Q: Can a creator laptop be used for gaming?
Yes, but the gaming capabilities of most creator laptops are limited. AAA games likely won't run on them, but cozy games and retro titles should run smoothly enough.