Introduction

Game development consists of coding like other regular programs. However, game development also consists of additional steps such as 3D modeling for environment and character designs and particle animations. It is a complex task and requires the use of a laptop or a personal computer with good specifications. We often receive queries asking for the best laptops for game development; however, it is not easy to simply provide a single model number as the best laptop.

Hence, with this article, we will be clearing your doubts finally. We will be reviewing six robust laptops that can easily undertake game development and related coding tasks. These laptops range from well-known brands to relatively obscure ones. However, all these laptops have excellent specifications, ensuring their place on this list of the best laptops for game development. We also tried to include laptops from varying price ranges considering that not everyone has an equal amount of expertise in game development.

Table Of Contents

Best Laptops For Game Development – Reviews

RankPictureNameShops
#1

Acer Predator Helios

  • Brand: Acer
  • Series: Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-54-760S
Acer Predator HeliosPrice
#2

Acer Swift 3 

  • Brand: Acer
  • Series: SF314-43-R2YY
Acer Swift 3 Price
#3

Apple 2021 MacBook Pro

  • Brand: Apple
  • Model Name: MacBook Pro
Apple 2021 MacBook ProPrice
#4

ASUS TUF Gaming

  • Brand: ASUS
  • Series: ASUS TUF Gaming F17
ASUS TUF GamingPrice
#5

MSI GL65 Gaming

  • Brand: MSI
  • Series: GL65 Leopard 10SCXK-211
MSI GL65 GamingPrice
#6

Fusion5 T90B+

  • Brand: Fusion5
  • Series: T90B+ Pro 64GB
Fusion5 T90B+Price

Acer Predator Helios

Acer Predator Helios

Specifications:

  • Brand: Acer
  • Series: Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-54-760S
  • Screen Size: 15.6 Inches
  • Color: Black
  • Hard Disk Size: 512 GB
  • CPU Model: Core I7 11800H
  • Ram Memory Installed Size: 16 GB
  • Operating System: Windows 10
  • Special Feature: Multi-touch Gesture
  • Card Description: Dedicated
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Acer Predator Helios

Being a gaming machine, the Acer Predator Helios 300 makes for one of the best gaming laptop for programming. Acer has equipped the gaming laptop with an 11th Gen Intel Core i7-11800H CPU, 16 GB of DDR4 RAM running at 3200 MHz frequency, 512 GB NVMe PCIe Gen 4 M.2 SSD storage, and a dedicated Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU with 6 GB of GDDR6 VRAM. Such robust specifications ensure excellent performance for both coding and 3D modeling.

The laptop also comes equipped with a 15.6” LED-backlit IPS FHD display with a refresh rate of 144 Hz and 3 ms Overdrive response time. Although it might help in gaming more than programming, such excellent hardware ensures a great and smooth work experience, especially in the 3D modeling part of game development. The Acer Predator Helios 300 also utilizes a 5th Gen AeroBlade fan to ensure extended usage without heating up the system.

Pros

  • Exceptional Performance
  • High Refresh Rate Display
  • Good Speakers

Cons

  • Average Battery Life
  • Heavy Chassis

Final Verdict

  • Acer Predator Helios
    The Acer Predator Helios 300 is a great choice for a game development laptop since it is primarily a gaming machine. As a result, you will be able to easily undertake programming or model the environments on this laptop. Additionally, the laptop has robust specifications and hardware, which ensures that it remains futureproof.
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Acer Swift 3

Acer Swift 3

Specifications:

  • Brand: Acer
  • Series: SF314-43-R2YY
  • Screen Size: 14 Inches
  • Color: Silver
  • Hard Disk Size: 64 GB
  • CPU Model: AMD Ryzen 7
  • Ram Memory Installed Size: 8 GB
  • Operating System: Windows 10 Home
  • Special Feature: Multi-touch Gesture
  • Card Description: Integrated
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Acer Swift 3

The Acer Swift 3 is another excellent choice if you are in the market for one of the best laptop for game programming. It is a part of the Acer Swift line-up and hence, it is equipped with an octa-core AMD Ryzen 7 – 5700U CPU, 8 GB of LPDDR4X RAM, 512 GB of NVMe PCIe SSD storage and an integrated AMD Radeon Graphics for basic entertainment and casual gaming.

We have included this excellent laptop due to the powerful CPU, which can help you with efficient coding for your game development. The CPU provides lightning-fast reactions and a hyper-efficient battery to keep you productive throughout the day. Acer has also provided a 14” 100% sRGB narrow-bezel LED-backlit IPS FHD display that helps with your productivity. As for the security aspect, the laptop is compatible with Windows Hello via the dedicated fingerprint sensor, ensuring additional security.

Pros

  • Excellent Performance
  • Fingerprint Security
  • Professional Aesthetics

Cons

  • Average Speakers
  • Smaller Display

Final Verdict

  • Acer Swift 3
    The Acer Swift 3 is a thin & lightweight 14” laptop, which provides you with the mobility required for undertaking your programming tasks efficiently. The powerful yet battery-efficient processor also helps in improving the portability aspect of the laptop, making it an ideal choice for the professional on the move.
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Apple 2021 MacBook Pro

Apple 2021 MacBook Pro

Specifications:

  • Brand: Apple
  • Model Name: MacBook Pro
  • Screen Size: 16.2 Inches
  • Color: Silver
  • Hard Disk Size: 512 GB
  • CPU Model: Apple M1
  • Ram Memory Installed Size: 16 GB
  • Operating System: Mac OS
  • Graphics Card Description: Integrated
  • Graphics Coprocessor: M1 Pro
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Apple 2021 MacBook Pro

2021 was the year when Apple launched the new MacBook Pro, and the notch at the top of the display became the point of discussion. However, behind the notch lies one of the best laptops for game development. Apple has equipped the laptop with a M1 Pro chipset with a 10-core CPU and a 16-core integrated GPU, which takes care of coding and 3D modeling. Other specifications include 16 GB of DDR4 RAM and 512 GB of PCIe NVMe SSD storage.

Such extreme specifications are mated with a stunning 16” Liquid Retina XDR display, which provides sharp contrast and a vivid viewing experience due to the 1600 peak brightness. With such a great display combined with the excellent hardware, Apple is claiming a great 8K video editing experience, which speaks volumes about the laptop’s performance. Due to the tight integration of their software and hardware, Apple is claiming a battery life of up to 21 hours on average usage.

Pros

  • Exceptional Performance
  • Excellent Vivid Display
  • Apple Mac OS

Cons

  • Apple Ecosystem Dependency
  • The Notch

Final Verdict

  • Apple MacBook Pro
    The 2021 Apple MacBook Pro is a professional-looking thin and lightweight machine suitable for coding as well as modeling in 3D. It has the required horsepower to render 3D environments as well as compile huge lines of code, while also providing adequate battery backup. Hence, it is one of the best laptop for game programming.
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Asus TUF Gaming F17

ASUS TUF Gaming F15

Specifications:

  • Brand: ASUS
  • Series: ASUS TUF Gaming F17
  • Screen Size: 17.3 Inches
  • Color: Bonfire Black
  • Hard Disk Size: 512 GB
  • CPU Model: Core i5
  • Ram Memory Installed Size: 8 GB
  • Operating System: Windows 10 Home
  • Card Description: GTX 1650 Ti
  • Graphics Coprocessor: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti
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Asus TUF Gaming F17

Here, we have the excellent Asus TUF Gaming F17 laptop, which is primarily a gaming machine, which automatically translates to excellent specifications. Asus has provided the laptop with a quad-core 10th Gen Intel Core i5 – 10300H CPU with up to 4.5 GHz clock speed, 8 GB of DDR4 RAM with 2933 MHz frequency, 512 GB of PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD storage and a dedicated Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti GPU with 4 GB of GDDR6 VRAM.

Such excellent specifications are combined with a 17.3” FHD IPS-Type display with 144 Hz refresh rate for silky smooth visuals. Asus is extremely proud of the robustness of the laptop and has even taken the pain to certify it with MIL-STD-810H military standard certification to provide the user with one of the best laptop for coding and gaming. Being a gaming machine, the laptop also has gamer aesthetics which include the angular design and backlit keyboard.

Pros

  • Exceptional Performance
  • Dedicated GPU
  • Gamer Aesthetics

Cons

  • Average Speakers
  • Average Battery Backup

Final Verdict

  • Asus TUF Gaming
    The Asus TUF Gaming F17 is a gaming beast with excellent build quality, which is evident by its military-grade construction. Additionally, with the higher refresh rate display, you can be sure that any content on the screen will look buttery smooth, making for a wholesome laptop experience, and earning it a spot on our list.
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MSI GL65 Gaming Laptop

MSI GL65

Specifications:

  • Brand: MSI
  • Series: GL65 Leopard 10SCXK-211
  • Screen Size: 15.6 Inches
  • Color: Black
  • Hard Disk Size: 512 GB
  • CPU Model: Corei5-10300H
  • Ram Memory Installed Size: 16 GB
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MSI GL65 Gaming Laptop 

We have got the MSI GL65 in this list of the best laptops for game development as it is one of the few gaming devices that can be used as an all-rounder everyday machine, while retaining the mean gamer aesthetics, which even includes A-RGB lighting on the keyboard. As for the other specifications, the laptop is equipped with a 10th Gen Intel Core i5 – 10300H CPU with up to 2.6 GHz clock speed, ‎16 GB DDR4 RAM with ‎2666 MHz frequency, ‎512 GB PCIe NVMe SSD storage and a dedicated Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 GPU with 4 GB of GDDR6 VRAM.

MSI has provided the laptop with a vivid 15.6” thin-bezel IPS LCD display with an enhanced refresh rate of 144 Hz for extremely smooth visual fidelity. The laptop also boasts of Cooler Boost 5, which provides it with a dedicated thermal solution for both the GPU and the CPU for enhanced performance even under extreme load.

Pros

  • Exceptional Performance
  • Gamer Aesthetics
  • Higher Refresh Rate Display

Cons

  • Average Battery backup
  • Heavy Chassis

Final Verdict

  • MSI GL65
    The MSI GL65 is one of the best laptops for coding and game development as it has the required specifications to ensure a smooth performance while multitasking. Hence, we have included in this list of the best game development laptops. Additionally, it has a dedicated GPU and a display with enhanced refresh rate which ensures a smooth performance.
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Fusion5 T90B+

Fusion5

Specifications:

  • Brand: Fusion5
  • Series: T90B+ Pro 64GB
  • Screen Size: 14.1 Inches
  • Color: Slate grey
  • Hard Disk Size:32 GB
  • CPU Model: Intel Atom
  • Ram Memory Installed Size: 4 GB
  • Operating System: Windows 10
  • Card Description: Integrated
  • Graphics Coprocessor: Intel HD Graphics
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Fusion5 T90B+

We understand that the Fusion5 T90B+ is not a laptop from a common brand. However, what it lacks in brand recognition, it makes up for it with excellent specifications and related performance. Fusion5 has provided their laptop with a ‎1.92 GHz Intel Atom CPU running at 1.92 GHz clock speed, 4 GB DDR3 RAM, 32 GB of SSD storage and an integrated Intel HD Graphics for graphics-related processing.

Being a pro model, the laptop is also fitted with a 14.1” FHD display, which is adequate for coding and related usage. Since the laptop is from a lesser-known brand, it is also highly cost-effective and we would recommend it to beginners who are new to coding and game development in general. Being an entry-level machine, one should not expect gaming laptop performance, since you are paying a fraction of the price for this device.

Pros

  • Cost-effective Performance
  • Professional Aesthetics
  • Highly Portable

Cons

  • Older Hardware
  • Less Brand Value

Final Verdict

  • Fusion5 T90B+
    While the Fusion5 T90B+ may not receive any awards for its performance, it is a highly irresistible deal considering the price. The lesser-known brand Fusion5 is a major player in the laptop domain and they manufacture good quality devices. With this machine, you are receiving a cost-effective laptop with good price-to-performance ratio and a dependable brand.
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Conclusion

That concludes the list of the best laptops for game development. We have a mix of laptops in this list ranging from some hardcore gaming laptops to a MacBook and even a laptop from a lesser known brand to provide you with a well-rounded list with laptops from all types and price ranges.

The Acer Predator Helios 300, ASUS TUF Gaming F17, and MSI GL65 were gaming laptops while the 2021 Apple MacBook Pro, Acer Swift 3 and the Fusion5 T90B+ were professional laptops. Since all six laptops come under varying price ranges, you can decide the best one depending on the pros and cons of each model.