5 Best Non-Gaming Laptops for Gaming in 2023
From this article, you will know what are, in our opinion, the best non-gaming laptops for gaming you can buy and use in 2023.
When we want to buy a laptop, there are two options we generally can choose regarding the type of laptop we want to buy, professional or non-gaming and gaming laptops. Professional or non-gaming laptops are laptops with specifications most suitable for work activities while gaming laptops are laptops with specifications that fit mostly for gaming activities.
However, we may want to buy a non-gaming laptop that we can adequately use for gaming activities as well. The reason can be because we need to often use the laptop for work and in a professional environment but we want to play games actively as well in our spare time. A non-gaming laptop that has suitable specifications for gaming too should fulfill our needs.
Nevertheless, it can be difficult to pick a laptop like that from the professional laptop choices available out there. Many professional laptops, after all, don’t have the right specifications for gaming activities. This is why Compute Expert has come up with its list of the best non-gaming laptops for gaming that you can use as your laptop-buying reference.
Want to know what non-gaming laptops we recommend for gaming and why we recommend them? Let’s get on the list right away.
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| Image | View on Amazon | Product |
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Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 | |
 
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MSI Creator Z16P | |
 
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Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio | |
 
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Asus ProArt StudioBook 16 WQXGA OLED | |
 
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Asus Vivobook Pro 15 OLED |
Table of Contents:
What are the Best Non-Gaming Laptops for Gaming?
Now, let us see the non-gaming laptops that make it into our list as laptops suitable for gaming too, looking at their models and specifications. Using one of these laptops should make you able to do your work activities well while also playing games smoothly when you have the time.1. Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 is the first non-gaming laptop we think can be great for gaming activities too. Coming from the popular ThinkPad series, this laptop is an excellent work laptop that also has the capabilities to become a good gaming laptop.
The performance of this laptop is backed by a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and 32GB RAM. These are high-level performance specifications that should be able to run your software and games well. The large RAM capacity should ensure you can multitask well when you work or play games.
There is a dedicated GPU in this laptop, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti. This GPU should let you play AAA games smoothly. The screen has 165Hz so you shouldn’t miss out on any action scenes from your games.
The ThinkPad keyboard is one of the best out there so you should feel comfortable typing on it when you do your activities. All in all, this Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 laptop seems to be one of the best choices for a non-gaming laptop you can use for gaming too, looking at its overall specifications.
Key Features
- Screen Size, Resolution: 16 inches, 2560 x 1600 pixels
- Processor: 12th Gen Intel Core i7 with speed up to 4.8 GHz
- RAM Capacity: 16GB
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti
- Refresh Rate: 165Hz
- Storage: 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD
- Battery Life (Estimation): up to 12 hours of usage capacity
Pros
- Excellent performance in work and gaming
- Dedicated GPU (NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti)
- Fast refresh rate for a non-gaming laptop
- A full range of ports with two Thunderbolt 4 ports
- Comfortable keyboard to type on
- Bright and no-PWM display
Cons
- Can run warm
2. MSI Creator Z16P
MSI Creator Z16P is the next laptop we have on our list. With MSI a popular brand in the gaming laptop community, this laptop has great capabilities for gaming too even though it is a professional laptop.
This laptop uses an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 as its GPU. It is a high-class GPU that should be able to run most games in their optimum settings quite smoothly. The refresh rate is 165Hz so it is fast and should help you view the scenes from your games much more optimally.
The processor is a fast 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor. Running your software and games should be smooth with the support of this processor in place. As for multitasking, you have 32GB RAM capacity in this laptop so there should be plenty of room for that.
The design of this laptop is sleek so you should be able to put it in your bag easily to bring it around. Overall, this MSI Creator Z16P is a non-gaming laptop that should be adequate as the laptop you use for gaming too.
Key Features
- Screen Size, Resolution: 16 inches, 2560 x 1600 pixels
- Processor: 12th Gen Intel Core i7 with speed up to 4.7 GHz
- RAM Capacity: 32GB
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
- Refresh Rate: 165Hz
- Storage: 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD
- Battery Life (Estimation): up to 5 hours of usage capacity
Pros
- Excellent performance in work and gaming
- Dedicated GPU (NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080)
- Fast refresh rate for a non-gaming laptop
- Vapor chamber cooling
- A Thunderbolt 4 port
- Excellent display quality
Cons
- No HDMI ports
- Less-than-average battery life
3. Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is a nice laptop you should be able to use for smooth gaming activities too. It is a creator laptop that looks premium and has the right specifications to play games well.
Powered by an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, this laptop should be able to tackle the tasks you give to it during your work and gaming activities. There is 32GB RAM capacity too so your memory-hungry software can run well on this laptop and the multiple windows and tabs you open should pose no problem too.
This laptop uses an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti as its GPU so it should be able to process graphics in many games smoothly. It is a 2-in-1 laptop so you can play games in its tablet form as well when you want to.
There are two Thunderbolt 4 ports on this laptop to make you able to transfer data in and out fast. All in all, this Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio seems nice for a professional laptop and you should be able to use it to support your gaming activities ably too.
Key Features
- Screen Size, Resolution: 14.4 inches, 2400 x 1600 pixels
- Processor: 11th Gen Intel Core i7 with speed up to 4.8 GHz
- RAM Capacity: 32GB
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti
- Refresh Rate: 120Hz
- Storage: 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD
- Battery Life (Estimation): up to 10 hours of usage capacity
Pros
- Excellent performance in work and gaming
- Dedicated GPU (NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti)
- Fast refresh rate for a non-gaming laptop
- A flexible laptop you can also use as a tablet
- Two Thunderbolt 4 ports
- Premium-looking design
Cons
- No USB-A and HDMI ports
- A bit heavy
4. Asus ProArt StudioBook 16 WQXGA OLED
Asus ProArt StudioBook 16 WQXGA OLED is the next laptop we think you should take a look at. As a non-gaming laptop, this laptop has specifications that should be able to support gaming activities quite well.
Performance-wise, this laptop is excellent and should run the games you want to play fast. That is because it has an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor and 32GB RAM capacity. These specifications should support you ably whether you want to work or play games.
There is a full range of ports on this laptop so you should be able to connect to external devices easily. As for the display quality itself, it is great as it has a WQXGA display and a fast refresh rate on its screen to show smooth visuals from your games.
Looking for a professional laptop that can play your games ably? This Asus ProArt StudioBook 16 WQCGA OLED is something you should consider buying and using as well.
Key Features
- Screen Size, Resolution: 16 inches, 2560 x 1600 pixels
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5800H with speed up to 4.4 GHz
- RAM Capacity: 32GB
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
- Refresh Rate: 120Hz
- Storage: 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD
- Battery Life (Estimation): up to 6 hours of usage capacity
Pros
- Excellent performance in work and gaming
- Dedicated GPU (NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060)
- Fast refresh rate for a non-gaming laptop
- A full range of ports
- Excellent display quality
- Good and quiet cooling system
Cons
- A bit heavy
- Keyboard and ASUS dial may take some time to adapt to use optimally
5. Asus Vivobook Pro 15 OLED
Asus Vivobook Pro 15 OLED is another Asus non-gaming laptop you may want to consider buying. Looking at the specifications, this laptop should be able to run the games you want smoothly thanks to its excellent processor and display-related system.
The processor, AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, is a fast and quite stable one for gaming activities. It should perform smoothly even for AAA games as it has a good base and turbo speed. You can use the 16GB RAM capacity in this laptop to open light games while also doing some work capably.
This laptop has an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU so you shouldn’t worry too much about having to play games with quality visuals. It should be able to process it quite well. The refresh rate is 120Hz which is comparable to many gaming laptops.
The hinge on this laptop is stretchable up to 180 degrees so you can position its screen when you work and play games more comfortably. All in all, this Asus Vivobook Pro 15 OLED seems to be a solid choice too when it comes to a non-gaming laptop you want to use for gaming activities as well.
Key Features
- Screen Size, Resolution: 15.6 inches, 2880 x 1620 pixels
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 with speed up to 4.7 GHz
- RAM Capacity: 16GB
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti
- Refresh Rate: 120Hz
- Storage: 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD
- Battery Life (Estimation): up to 7 hours of usage capacity
Pros
- Excellent performance in work and gaming
- Dedicated GPU (NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti)
- Fast refresh rate for a non-gaming laptop
- A full range of ports
- Bright display
- Solid build
Cons
- Average webcam
What are the Things We Should Consider When We Want to Buy a Non-Gaming Laptop that Can Play Games Well?
Here are the things we think you should consider when you want to buy a non-gaming laptop that you want to use for gaming as well.- Processor. A laptop you want to use for gaming should have a high-quality processor as games often need a lot of computing power to run optimally. Therefore, we recommend you buy a non-gaming laptop with at least a late-generation of i7 or Ryzen 7 processor
- RAM capacity. The laptop you buy should also have a large RAM capacity as games can be memory-hungry and you may want to do other things when you play games too. We recommend a laptop with at least 16GB RAM for this
- GPU. The laptop you want to use for gaming activities should have a dedicated GPU as many games need it to run their graphics optimally. A popular dedicated GPU in a laptop these days comes from NVIDIA or AMD
- Refresh rate. The laptop you buy should also have a fast refresh rate so it can display the scene flow from the games you play smoothly. We recommend you buy a non-gaming laptop with at least 120Hz as its refresh rate speed for this
Wrap Up
When we want to buy a non-gaming laptop, we may want one that we can use for gaming adequately as well. However, it can be hard to pick a non-gaming laptop like that from many laptop choices out there. This is why Compute Expert has created a list of the best non-gaming laptops for gaming to help you.As a summary, here are five non-gaming laptops we recommend on our list.
- Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5
- MSI Creator Z16P
- Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
- Asus ProArt StudioBook 16 WQXGA OLED
- Asus Vivobook Pro 15 OLED
We hope our list can help you buy the best non-gaming laptop for your gaming activities!
Read also:
- Best gaming laptops with a touchscreen
- Best 13-inch gaming laptops
- Best laptops for multiple monitors
