Is RTX 2060 laptop worth it 2021
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Show Weve now taken a look at both the top RTX 3080 laptops and the best RTX 3070 laptops currently available. But, if youre not looking to game on a laptop with a 4K display, you might be better off saving some money and choosing an RTX 3060 laptop instead. While the RTX 3080 and RTX 3070 will deliver higher framerates on a 1080P display than an RTX 3060 will, the RTX 3060 is still capable of maxing out most games at 1080P with a very high framerate. So, if you dont quite feel comfortable dropping $2,000+ for an RTX 3070 laptop, or ~$2,500+ for an RTX 3080 laptop, an RTX 3060 laptop (which start at ~$1,300) is a very solid alternative. And, in this post, weve highlighted seven of the top RTX 3060 laptops for 2022. If youre looking for a moderately-priced gaming laptop that will deliver an ideal in-game experience, one of the options listed below should work for you. A Quick Look at the Top RTX 3060 LaptopsThe table below highlights our top four picks for the best RTX 3060 laptop across a handful of different categories. Weve selected our pick for the best 17-inch RTX 3060 laptop, the best 15-inch option, the best 4K RTX 3060 laptop, and the cheapest RTX 3060 laptop option as well.
*You can read our over of each of these laptops by clicking on the Read Review » link under the Check Price button. And, you can find our Honorable Mention selections at the bottom of this post. 1. ASUS ROG Strix 17.3The best 17-inch RTX 3060 laptop
Our Rating: 8.9/10 Check Price on Amazon Our pick for the best 17-inch RTX 3060 laptop is this ASUS ROG Strix model. The ASUS ROG Strix G17 comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor, 16GB of DDR4 memory, and a 512GB SSD. It also comes with a larger 17.3-inch display that has a 1080P resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. And, while there are other 17-inch RTX 3060 laptops out there, theyre all quite a bit more expensive. So, in terms of price-to-performance among 17-inch laptop options with an RTX 3060 in them, we felt the ASUS ROG Strix G17 was the best choice here and it is probably one of the best gaming laptops under $1,500 at the moment. 2. MSI Stealth 15M 15.6The best 15-inch RTX 3060 laptop
Our Rating: 8.8/10 Check Price on Amazon MSI has a couple of different RTX 3060 laptops on this list and thats thanks to their strategy of pricing their laptops lower than similarly-configured options from the competition. Their 15-inch Stealth 15M comes in at a more attractive pricepoint than other models with similar specs. The MSI Stealth 15M has an Intel Core i7-11375H processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. The only real difference between the our first two picks is their screen size and the price they come in at. This MSI Stealth laptop comes with a smaller 15.6-inch display, but it also costs ~$150 less than the 17.3-inch ASUS model listed above. However, the ASUS ROG Strix G17does come with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor, so if you want an AMD-based CPU, that might be the better option for you. Ultimately, if you dont need a larger screen (or an AMD CPU), and you want to save a little bit of money, then the MSI Stealth 15M 15.6-inch option is your best bet. 3. Gigabyte Aero 15.6The best 4K RTX 3060 laptop
Our Rating: 8.9/10 Check Price on Amazon While this is technically the top 4K RTX 3060 laptop on this list, the reality is that it is a hard sell at its current price. Yes, it is the most affordable 4K RTX 3060 laptop currently available. However, for the same price you can get an RTX 3070 laptop with a 4K display for less than $50 more. As 4K gaming is much more demanding than 1080P gaming, having the extra GPU power that the RTX 3070 brings to the table can be the difference between running games with playable framerates and not running games with playable framerates. And, while the RTX 23060 in this system should be able to handle most games on the 4K display on at least medium settings, the fact that the RTX 3070 version only costs $50 basically makes this Gigabyte Aero model obsolete at its current pricetag. So, why include it on this list? Were hoping that Gigabyte sees the error in pricing their RTX 3060 Aero nearly the same as their RTX 3070 Aero, and decreases the price of the RTX 3060 model. But, until it drops down to a significantly lower price than their RTX 3070 4K laptop, theres no point in getting this model. 4. MSI GF65 Thin 15.6The cheapest RTX 3060 laptop
Our Rating: 8.7/10 Check Price on Amazon Who said you have to pay an arm and a leg to get an RTX 3060 in a laptop? For just under $1,350 the MSI GF65 Thin comes with an RTX 3060 GPU. Obviously, for such a lower price than the competition, there are some sacrifices. Instead of an Intel Core i7-11800H or AMD Ryzen 7 processor, the MSI GF65 Thin opts for the weaker i7-10750H. But, thats really the only major downside of the MSI GF65 Thin over the MSI Stealth 15M. So, if you like the MSI Stealth 15M and you dont mind opting for a slightly older processor (but, one which will still be plenty powerful enough for any in-game scenario), you could save ~$50 by opting for the MSI GF65 Thin, instead. 5. Acer Predator Helios 300 15.6Honorable mention #1
Our Rating: 8.7/10 Check Price on Amazon If you like the MSI 15-inch model listed above, youll probably also want to checkout the Acer Predator Helios 300. Both laptops have the same core specs: an Intel Core i7-10750H, an RTX 3060 GPU, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 15.6-inch 1080P 144Hz display. The only difference between the two is in price. At the time of updating this guide, the MSI GF65 Thin 15-inch model came in at ~$20 less than this Acer laptop. However, as laptop prices constantly change, it would be worth comparing the prices on both the MSI GF65 Thin and this Acer Predator model to see which one is more affordable at the time of your purchase. Overall, both laptops are great options if you dont need a larger 17.3-inch display. 6. CUK GF75 17.3Honorable mention #2
Our Rating: 8.8/10 Check Price on Amazon If you need extra storage and more memory, you could make a case for the CUK GF75 being the top overall pick on this list. For the most part, it has the same core specs as the 15-inch MSI GF65 Thin model. It has an RTX 3060 GPU and an Intel Core i7-10750H processor. However, it comes with double the memory (32GB vs. 16GB) and double the SSD storage capacity (1TB vs. 512GB.) It also comes with a secondary 2TB hard drive, giving you a total of 6x the storage capacity overall. And, it has a larger 17.3-inch display and a faster 300Hz refresh rate. The downside, though, is that this laptop comes in at just over $2,000, making it quite a bit more expensive than our top picks. If you want the extra storage, double the memory, the bigger screen, and the faster refresh rate, though, this laptop could be the right option for you. Just note, though, that for the same price, you can land yourself an RTX 3060 laptop and that will give you more GPU performance. 7. ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 15.6Honorable mention #3
Our Rating: 8.9/10 Check Price on Amazon One extreme option worth mentioning is ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo. This laptop sports an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 15.6-inch 1080P 300Hz display The main feature that the ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo comes with, though, is the secondary display that sits above the keyboard. In our opinion, the secondary display probably isnt worth the premium. The Duo comes in at just under ~$2,500, making more expensive than some RTX 3080 laptop options. And, unless the price comes down significantly on this laptop, youd get much better performance for your money by opting for a laptop with a higher-end GPU in it. Which RTX 3060 Laptop is Best for You?Right now, the best RTX 3060 laptop is the ASUS ROG Strix G17 or the MSI Stealth 15M, depending on whether or not you want a 17-inch or 15-inch display. The Gigabyte Aero 15 is also a worthy choice if you want a 4K gaming laptop and the MSI GF65 Thin is the best option if youre looking for the least expensive RTX 3060 laptop. The good news is that, while NVIDIAs laptop GPUs are fairly expensive, some of the RTX 3060 laptops available are affordable enough for gamers that have a moderate budget. So, whether you want a laptop with a 17-inch display, or you want an option that has a ton of storage out of the box, or you just want the cheapest RTX 3060 laptop possible, there should be an option listed above that will suit your needs. |
