Now, there’s another class of high-end gaming laptop that focuses more on performance than being thin or portable. The Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 is one of my favorites in this class, featuring a beautiful white chassis and glossy OLED display. Unlike some OLED displays, the Legion 7i’s screen can be cranked up to over 1,000 nits of brightness. The result is some really splendid HDR performance that brings games to life. HDR is a powerful way of improving the visuals of your games without a performance cost. The Legion 7i Gen 10 is one of the very best in this regard.
It’s still fairly thin at 0.7 inches thick too, while a lot of the ports are found on the back. It’s the definition of a “clean” gaming laptop. It’s no slouch when it comes to performance either, offering either the RTX 5070 Ti or RTX 5080 for graphics.
Cheap Gaming Laptops That Are Worth It
No gaming laptops worth buying are actually cheap. High-refresh rate displays and discrete graphics will always make them more expensive than standard laptops. But as you get closer to $1,000, there is one laptop I always come back to: the Lenovo LOQ 15. Pronounced “Lock,” this Lenovo subbrand is known for cutting the fluff and focusing on giving gamers the performance they need at an affordable price. No laptop does that better than the LOQ 15. Many laptop manufacturers sell their RTX 5060 configurations for hundreds of dollars more. In reality, if you’re shopping around $1,000, there’s no reason to not buy the LOQ 15. Just do it.
If you do want to save some extra cash, there is another option that is cheaper than the LOQ 15 with a few compromises in key areas. The Acer Nitro V 16 is that laptop, which comes with an RTX 5050. This was as affordable as $600 at one point last year—before prices on laptops have risen due to the ongoing memory shortage—but it remains the only laptop cheaper than the Lenovo LOQ 15 that’s actually worth it. It’s fairly powerful for the RTX 5050, and while the screen is pretty shoddy, it’s not a bad-looking laptop. The one big caveat is that the 135-watt power supply it comes with doesn’t deliver quite enough power to keep it charged in Performance mode. Read more about this issue in my review, as it’s important to know about if you’re planning to buy it.
There are other cheap gaming laptops out there I’ve tested, such as the MSI Cyborg A15, but either the Acer Nitro V 16 or Lenovo LOQ 15 are better, cheaper options. You will also find lots of gaming laptops under $1,000 that use older graphics cards, such as the RTX 4050 or 3050. In general, I’d recommend staying away from these. They’re only one or two generations back, but remember: Nvidia only releases new laptop graphics cards every couple of years. So, an RTX 4050 laptop may be well over two years old already, and an RTX 3050 is over five years old. Not only do you get worse graphics performance, these laptops are much more likely to need to be replaced sooner.
Experimental Stuff
One of the exciting things about the world of gaming laptops right now is the experimentation. While clamshell gaming laptops with a conventional Nvidia GPU are the most standard way to go, there’s a few different ways to take your PC games on the go that stretch the boundaries. You might consider a gaming handheld, for example, like the Steam Deck or Xbox Ally X. These handhelds have their fans, and while you can’t also do your homework on these devices, they’re great on couches, trains, and planes.
Now, there’s another class of high-end gaming laptop that focuses more on performance than being thin or portable. The Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 is one of my favorites in this class, featuring a beautiful white chassis and glossy OLED display. Unlike some OLED displays, the Legion 7i’s screen can be cranked up to over 1,000 nits of brightness. The result is some really splendid HDR performance that brings games to life. HDR is a powerful way of improving the visuals of your games without a performance cost. The Legion 7i Gen 10 is one of the very best in this regard.
It’s still fairly thin at 0.7 inches thick too, while a lot of the ports are found on the back. It’s the definition of a “clean” gaming laptop. It’s no slouch when it comes to performance either, offering either the RTX 5070 Ti or RTX 5080 for graphics.
Cheap Gaming Laptops That Are Worth It
No gaming laptops worth buying are actually cheap. High-refresh rate displays and discrete graphics will always make them more expensive than standard laptops. But as you get closer to $1,000, there is one laptop I always come back to: the Lenovo LOQ 15. Pronounced “Lock,” this Lenovo subbrand is known for cutting the fluff and focusing on giving gamers the performance they need at an affordable price. No laptop does that better than the LOQ 15. Many laptop manufacturers sell their RTX 5060 configurations for hundreds of dollars more. In reality, if you’re shopping around $1,000, there’s no reason to not buy the LOQ 15. Just do it.
If you do want to save some extra cash, there is another option that is cheaper than the LOQ 15 with a few compromises in key areas. The Acer Nitro V 16 is that laptop, which comes with an RTX 5050. This was as affordable as $600 at one point last year—before prices on laptops have risen due to the ongoing memory shortage—but it remains the only laptop cheaper than the Lenovo LOQ 15 that’s actually worth it. It’s fairly powerful for the RTX 5050, and while the screen is pretty shoddy, it’s not a bad-looking laptop. The one big caveat is that the 135-watt power supply it comes with doesn’t deliver quite enough power to keep it charged in Performance mode. Read more about this issue in my review, as it’s important to know about if you’re planning to buy it.
There are other cheap gaming laptops out there I’ve tested, such as the MSI Cyborg A15, but either the Acer Nitro V 16 or Lenovo LOQ 15 are better, cheaper options. You will also find lots of gaming laptops under $1,000 that use older graphics cards, such as the RTX 4050 or 3050. In general, I’d recommend staying away from these. They’re only one or two generations back, but remember: Nvidia only releases new laptop graphics cards every couple of years. So, an RTX 4050 laptop may be well over two years old already, and an RTX 3050 is over five years old. Not only do you get worse graphics performance, these laptops are much more likely to need to be replaced sooner.
Experimental Stuff
One of the exciting things about the world of gaming laptops right now is the experimentation. While clamshell gaming laptops with a conventional Nvidia GPU are the most standard way to go, there’s a few different ways to take your PC games on the go that stretch the boundaries. You might consider a gaming handheld, for example, like the Steam Deck or Xbox Ally X. These handhelds have their fans, and while you can’t also do your homework on these devices, they’re great on couches, trains, and planes.
#Ive #Tested #Gaming #Laptops #Decade #Buylaptops,computers,shopping,buying guides,gaming,windows pcs">I’ve Tested Gaming Laptops for Over a Decade. This Is What I Think You Should Buy
Lenovo
Legion 7i Gen 10 (16 Inch, Intel)
Now, there’s another class of high-end gaming laptop that focuses more on performance than being thin or portable. The Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 is one of my favorites in this class, featuring a beautiful white chassis and glossy OLED display. Unlike some OLED displays, the Legion 7i’s screen can be cranked up to over 1,000 nits of brightness. The result is some really splendid HDR performance that brings games to life. HDR is a powerful way of improving the visuals of your games without a performance cost. The Legion 7i Gen 10 is one of the very best in this regard.
It’s still fairly thin at 0.7 inches thick too, while a lot of the ports are found on the back. It’s the definition of a “clean” gaming laptop. It’s no slouch when it comes to performance either, offering either the RTX 5070 Ti or RTX 5080 for graphics.
Cheap Gaming Laptops That Are Worth It
No gaming laptops worth buying are actually cheap. High-refresh rate displays and discrete graphics will always make them more expensive than standard laptops. But as you get closer to $1,000, there is one laptop I always come back to: the Lenovo LOQ 15. Pronounced “Lock,” this Lenovo subbrand is known for cutting the fluff and focusing on giving gamers the performance they need at an affordable price. No laptop does that better than the LOQ 15. Many laptop manufacturers sell their RTX 5060 configurations for hundreds of dollars more. In reality, if you’re shopping around $1,000, there’s no reason to not buy the LOQ 15. Just do it.
If you do want to save some extra cash, there is another option that is cheaper than the LOQ 15 with a few compromises in key areas. The Acer Nitro V 16 is that laptop, which comes with an RTX 5050. This was as affordable as $600 at one point last year—before prices on laptops have risen due to the ongoing memory shortage—but it remains the only laptop cheaper than the Lenovo LOQ 15 that’s actually worth it. It’s fairly powerful for the RTX 5050, and while the screen is pretty shoddy, it’s not a bad-looking laptop. The one big caveat is that the 135-watt power supply it comes with doesn’t deliver quite enough power to keep it charged in Performance mode. Read more about this issue in my review, as it’s important to know about if you’re planning to buy it.
There are other cheap gaming laptops out there I’ve tested, such as the MSI Cyborg A15, but either the Acer Nitro V 16 or Lenovo LOQ 15 are better, cheaper options. You will also find lots of gaming laptops under $1,000 that use older graphics cards, such as the RTX 4050 or 3050. In general, I’d recommend staying away from these. They’re only one or two generations back, but remember: Nvidia only releases new laptop graphics cards every couple of years. So, an RTX 4050 laptop may be well over two years old already, and an RTX 3050 is over five years old. Not only do you get worse graphics performance, these laptops are much more likely to need to be replaced sooner.
Experimental Stuff
One of the exciting things about the world of gaming laptops right now is the experimentation. While clamshell gaming laptops with a conventional Nvidia GPU are the most standard way to go, there’s a few different ways to take your PC games on the go that stretch the boundaries. You might consider a gaming handheld, for example, like the Steam Deck or Xbox Ally X. These handhelds have their fans, and while you can’t also do your homework on these devices, they’re great on couches, trains, and planes.
Even with the campaign, getting qualified individuals through training and into the role may still be a challenge: according to the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General (OIG), the FAA is facing “considerable challenges with training, including a shortage of qualified instructors, training capacity limitations, an outdated curriculum, and high training failure rates.”
An FAA video full of clips of things like Madden NFL, Fortnite, League of Legends esports, and the Xbox One stinger from commercials promises an average salary of $155,000 per year after three years and says that “you’ve been training for this.”
In a press release, the FAA says that air traffic controllers said in exit interviews that gaming was an influence on “their ability to think quickly, stay focused, and manage complexity.” The FAA’s website about the application process encourages applicants to “level up” their career. However, the Trump administration isn’t the first to target gamers for the role; according to The New York Times, the Biden administration launched a “Level Up” recruiting push in 2021, encouraging gamers as well as women and members of minority groups to become air traffic controllers.
Getting more air traffic controllers has been a focus for Sean Duffy, President Trump’s secretary of transportation, and he announced a plan to “supercharge” hiring shortly after he was sworn in for the job last year. That campaign closed in March 2025 and “attracted more than 10,000 applications,” resulting in about 600 trainees entering the Controller Training Academy, the OIG says. And the GAO says that some attrition during the air traffic controller hiring process “may be preventable,” noting that the hiring process can be “difficult to navigate” and that applicants may have already accepted other jobs by the time they get an employment offer.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), the union representing air traffic controllers, “welcomes innovative approaches to expanding the candidate pool,” including “outreach to individuals with high-level aptitude skills such as gamers,” according to a statement from NATCA president Nick Daniels.
Even with the campaign, getting qualified individuals through training and into the role may still be a challenge: according to the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General (OIG), the FAA is facing “considerable challenges with training, including a shortage of qualified instructors, training capacity limitations, an outdated curriculum, and high training failure rates.”
An FAA video full of clips of things like Madden NFL, Fortnite, League of Legends esports, and the Xbox One stinger from commercials promises an average salary of $155,000 per year after three years and says that “you’ve been training for this.”
In a press release, the FAA says that air traffic controllers said in exit interviews that gaming was an influence on “their ability to think quickly, stay focused, and manage complexity.” The FAA’s website about the application process encourages applicants to “level up” their career. However, the Trump administration isn’t the first to target gamers for the role; according to The New York Times, the Biden administration launched a “Level Up” recruiting push in 2021, encouraging gamers as well as women and members of minority groups to become air traffic controllers.
Getting more air traffic controllers has been a focus for Sean Duffy, President Trump’s secretary of transportation, and he announced a plan to “supercharge” hiring shortly after he was sworn in for the job last year. That campaign closed in March 2025 and “attracted more than 10,000 applications,” resulting in about 600 trainees entering the Controller Training Academy, the OIG says. And the GAO says that some attrition during the air traffic controller hiring process “may be preventable,” noting that the hiring process can be “difficult to navigate” and that applicants may have already accepted other jobs by the time they get an employment offer.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), the union representing air traffic controllers, “welcomes innovative approaches to expanding the candidate pool,” including “outreach to individuals with high-level aptitude skills such as gamers,” according to a statement from NATCA president Nick Daniels.
#FAA #gamers #answer #air #traffic #controller #shortageEntertainment,Gaming,News,Policy">Now the FAA says gamers are the answer to its air traffic controller shortage
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has struggled for years to have enough air traffic controllers to address shortages, with the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) saying in January that the number of people in the job in the US has declined by around 6 percent “in the last decade.” Now the Trump administration is rolling out a recruiting campaign targeting gamers ahead of the opening of the annual air traffic control hiring window on April 17th.
Even with the campaign, getting qualified individuals through training and into the role may still be a challenge: according to the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General (OIG), the FAA is facing “considerable challenges with training, including a shortage of qualified instructors, training capacity limitations, an outdated curriculum, and high training failure rates.”
An FAA video full of clips of things like Madden NFL, Fortnite, League of Legends esports, and the Xbox One stinger from commercials promises an average salary of $155,000 per year after three years and says that “you’ve been training for this.”
In a press release, the FAA says that air traffic controllers said in exit interviews that gaming was an influence on “their ability to think quickly, stay focused, and manage complexity.” The FAA’s website about the application process encourages applicants to “level up” their career. However, the Trump administration isn’t the first to target gamers for the role; according to The New York Times, the Biden administration launched a “Level Up” recruiting push in 2021, encouraging gamers as well as women and members of minority groups to become air traffic controllers.
Getting more air traffic controllers has been a focus for Sean Duffy, President Trump’s secretary of transportation, and he announced a plan to “supercharge” hiring shortly after he was sworn in for the job last year. That campaign closed in March 2025 and “attracted more than 10,000 applications,” resulting in about 600 trainees entering the Controller Training Academy, the OIG says. And the GAO says that some attrition during the air traffic controller hiring process “may be preventable,” noting that the hiring process can be “difficult to navigate” and that applicants may have already accepted other jobs by the time they get an employment offer.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), the union representing air traffic controllers, “welcomes innovative approaches to expanding the candidate pool,” including “outreach to individuals with high-level aptitude skills such as gamers,” according to a statement from NATCA president Nick Daniels.
