The best RTX 3060 laptops you can buy right now

While RTX 3060 laptops are easier to find than their desktop-grade counterparts, inflated prices are still inescapable. Bearing that in mind, we’ve looked around for some pretty good prices on these machines to assist in your search. Let’s get into the best RTX 3060 laptops.

Mobile GPUs come with a catch…

Here we’ll offer a disclaimer and some advice. Nvidia has made this far more complicated than it used to be. Instead of allowing consumers to correlate the make of the GPU (RTX 3080, 3070, 3060, etc.) to performance, they’ve allowed laptop manufacturers to set power limits ranging from 60W to 115W, while still marketing it as the same performance tier. This means a laptop with a 60W GPU will perform significantly differently than the same GPU at 115W. Ergo, more wattage will equate to more performance, but naturally also more heat. 

Fortunately, Nvidia has also begun requiring laptop makers to disclose GPU wattages and clock speeds upfront in product descriptions. So when in doubt, check there. Ultimately, however, the differences can range up to ~10fps, so if that matters to you, then you should certainly look out for a GPU with more power allotted to it.

With that out of the way, the RTX 3060 offers some very modest power in the smaller packages it comes in. Those who want a gaming laptop that’s also serviceable for school, work, and/or gaming will want to take advantage of the balance RTX 3060 laptops provide. Pricing is a little crazy due to current global events, but in our searching, here’s what we’ve come up with:

• The MSI Stealth 15M is the sleekest RTX 3060 laptop on our list. It comes in at a little over half an inch thin and weighs only 3.73lbs for maximum portability.
• The Dell G15 5510 is the coolest RTX 3060 laptop on the list with its Alienware-inspired cooling system that intakes through the keyboard deck.
• The Gigabyte Aero 15 is the only RTX 3060 laptop on this list that features a 4K screen. Cinematic games will look fantastic on the OLED panel. 
• The Acer Predator Helios 300 made it to our list for its overclocking abilities. Typically, laptop OEMs don’t allow for much headroom, but Acer’s software allows for instant profile switching and granular customization. 
• The Asus ROG Strix G15 features a lot of flashy RGB in the brand’s typical fashion. Along with LEDs on the keyboard, it also has a light bar at the front, and a lit logo on the back.
• The Asus TUF F17 lives up to its namesake; it’s tough. The build quality is military-standard-certified so you won’t need to baby this RTX 3060 laptop too much. 
• The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is the perfect budget RTX 3060 laptop. It offers many features and modest performance for the price. 

MSI, as we know, is a gaming brand. However, in recent years the company has adopted a more understated look in its laptops. A more stealthy look, if you will. The Stealth 15M is an RTX 3060 laptop with an 11th-gen Core i7 processor, a 144Hz screen, and 16GB of RAM. This laptop’s GPU has a 65W maximum TDP, which is on the lower end but will still offer excellent performance. The low power limit is what allows the laptop to be so thin. 

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The sleek gray look almost doesn’t look like a gaming laptop, but this design is one that can be taken out of a bag in a professional setting without attracting too many eyes. It also features stellar cooling, with six heat pipes to keep the internals cool during gaming sessions. 

Dell’s G lineup is the point right before entering its Alienware gaming brand, but these laptops are no slumps. Though it uses last generation’s Core i7-10870H, it’ll still power through 2021’s games on the go. Cooling is no slacker either, with the two large vents at the back and on either side. This laptop’s GPU has a ~115W TDP which will be fantastic for maximum performance at the cost of some battery life and heat.

See also: The best Alienware laptops you can buy 

This RTX 3060 laptop also has 16GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD storage, and a 120Hz screen as the icing on the cake. Cooling is done via an Alienware-inspired system that intakes through the keyboard deck and expels heat via the side and rear vents. When it comes to beefy gaming laptops, this one is near the top of the list.

Gigabyte only got into the laptop game relatively recently, but its offerings have been on point for as long as they’ve been around. While this RTX 3060 laptop is served as a creator laptop, its parts will handle games with grace. The RTX 3060 inside this laptop runs at a pretty great 105 watts, putting it in a great spot to balance heat, battery life, and performance. 

Related: The best gaming laptops you can buy

Aside from the 11th-gen i7 processor, the 4K OLED display on this laptop will provide stellar visuals. It may be best to turn the display down to QHD, or 2K, though, as the 3060 isn’t the greatest for 4K visuals. Other parts of this machine include 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. 

This Predator Helios laptop is perfect for highly competitive gamers on the go, with its 144Hz display featuring a low 3ms response time. The RTX 3060 and 11th-gen i7 processor in this machine will assist in delivering gaming bliss. The GPU in this machine runs at a maximum of 105W, which seems to be the sweet spot with 15-inch gaming machines. 

Further reading: The best Acer laptops

The Helios 3000 cools itself similarly to the G5 above, by drawing air through the keyboard and expelling it through the back and sides. This machine aligns with the others on this list with its 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. 

Asus has multiple gaming brands, and the Republic of Gamers brand is its most proud. Featuring brilliant RGB on the keyboard and around the chassis, this RTX 3060 laptop is flashy and has no shame. This Strix machine can actually run its GPU at a maximum of 130W in short bursts, meaning you’ll be getting as much performance as possible out of it.

See more: The best cheap gaming laptops

In a change of pace, this one has a Ryzen 7 4800H processor and a blazing fast 300Hz display for a big advantage over your opponents in-game. And in another change of pace, this laptop intakes air through an area behind the screen of the laptop and expels via the sides and back. Other specs include 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. 

Asus’ other gaming lineup, TUF, has less RGB and a more rugged look. Rugged looks also come with rugged designs though, and the TUF F17 is MIL-STD-810H tested, meaning it can withstand extreme temperatures, humidity, and mechanical shocks. Toss this in your bag, and don’t fret; it’ll be just fine. The GPU in this machine runs up to 95W with Asus’s dynamic boost tech. In the thin chassis this machine offers, you’ll get fantastic performance out of it. 

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Of course, this is still an RTX 3060 laptop, and as such, it can handle some serious gaming with its 11th-gen Core i7 processor. The TUF F17 features bottom-intake cooling, so be careful where you place the machine while gaming. Other specs include a 17-inch IPS 144Hz display, 16GB of RAM, and a huge 1TB SSD.

Budget power: Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3

The IdeaPad Gaming 3 is the most reasonably-priced machine on this list, and it features midrange power with a Ryzen 5 5600-H. It’s no slump, but you’ll likely want to upgrade the 8GB of RAM in this machine as more games are RAM-hungry these days. Running at 90W, this GPU offers stellar performance for the price. 

See more: The best laptop deals

That aside, this RTX 3060 laptop rocks a 120Hz display and 512GB of SSD storage, for an overall package that’s uncharacteristically reasonably priced, considering the current state of PC gaming. 

That’s it for our list of the best RTX 3060 laptops. Though the pickings are slim, prices fluctuate all the time, so grab the deals when you see them. Also, grab a cooling pad so these beasts won’t overheat while you’re on the move.