Portable Gaming laptops with Nvidia GTX 970M and 980M graphics
My list of the best gaming ultrabooks available in stores is one of the most appreciated posts here on Ultrabookreview.com and that’s why, for those of you that want the ultimate gaming experience in a thin and light laptop, I’ve put together this post, a collection of all the ultraportables that bundle the Nvidia GTX 970M and 980M graphics chips.
I’m not going to include all the available gaming laptops with Nvidia 970M/980M graphics in here, I’ll try to stick with the thinner and lighter models only, but I will mention some of the best other larger options as well, in case you do want the extra features, extra storage options and improved cooling solutions those would provide and don’t mind somewhat sacrificing portability.
As you can see in some of the reviews here on the site (like this one, for instance), and as many other reviewers reported, these mobile implementations of Nvidia’s Maxwell architecture are actually a major leap from the predecessors, the GTX 870M and 880M chips (based on the Kepler architecture), both in terms of performance and efficiency.
These solutions are not only 20-50% faster in most recent games and applications (follow these posts on DigitalTrends and Tom’s Hardware for some exact numbers) , but they require less energy, which leads to a couple of aspects. On one side, they run cooler and quieter, which actually makes them more viable options for ultra-portable notebooks with thin cases, and on the other, because they are more efficient, can handle games on battery for a longer time each charge.
Nvidia 970M and 980M promise excellent performance with low noise and heat
But we’re not going to get in depth about the platform here, this post is about the laptops, so check them out below.
They are listed alphabetically, clicking on the links on each model’s name takes you to a more detailed article about that product, the official listing on the manufacturer’s website or my review, while clicking on the price takes you to a page where you can check out up-to-date prices and potential discounts.
Update: Updated versions of the laptops mentioned in this article are available in this list of Nvidia GTX 1070 and 1080 laptops, as well as in this post about the GTX 1060 powered portable gaming ultrabooks.
Nvidia GTX 980M gaming laptops
There are two versions of this chip, one with 4 GB of DDR5 vRAM, and another with 8 GB of vRAM. The latter is better suited for 4K gaming, might not be as widely available and usually requires custom, more massive cooling. |
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| Model | Screen | Hardware | Graphics | Weight | ||
| Alienware 15 | 15.6″ IPS UHD matte | Core i7-4710HQ / max 16 GB RAM / SSD + HDD storage | Nvidia GTX 980M 4 GB | 7.1 lbs / 3.22 kg | ||
| unique design, bulky – 1.33 inch thick, akward keyboard, 4 RAM slots and 3 storage slots (2xM.2 and 1×2.5″), can onyl take up to 16 GB of RAM, no optical drive, solid performance, Optimus, runs hot and the cooling system is loud, 92 Wh battery (encased), not the best audio, Optional Graphics Amplifier, 970M model also available |
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| Starting list price: $2349 – discounts available here | ||||||
| Asus G752JY | 17.3″ IPS FHD or UHD matte | Core i7-6700HQ / max 64 GB RAM / SSD + HDD storage | Nvidia GTX 980M 4 GB | 8.79 lbs / 3.99 kg | ||
| unique design, bulky – 1.7 inch thick, gaming keyboard, 4 RAM slots and 3 storage slots (2x PCIe 3rd gen and 1x 2.5″), solid performance, no Optimus, capable cooling system, 66 Wh battery (non-removable) |
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| Starting list price: $2499 – discounts available here | ||||||
| Falcon Northwest TLX | 15.6″ IPS FHD matte | up to i7-4930MX / max 32 GB RAM / SSD + HDD storage | Nvidia GTX 980M 8 GB | up to 7.1 lbs / 3.2 kg | ||
| interesting design and several color options, 1.7 inch thick, gaming keyboard, 4 RAM slots and multiple storage slots (2 x mSATA RAID 0/1 + 2.5″), fast performance, multiple CPU and GPU options (970M and Quadro models available), Optimus, 78 Wh battery, expensive, custom built (that’s why it takes 3-4 weeks to ship) |
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| Starting list price: $3149 |
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| Gigabyte P35X | 15.6″ IPS FHD or WQHD+ matte | Core i7-4710HQ or i7-5700HQ / max 16 GB RAM / SSD + HDD storage | Nvidia GTX 980M 8 GB | 5.1 lbs / 2.3 kg | ||
| simple design and thick case (1.9 inch), excellent WQHD+ IPD dispaly, 2 RAM slots (16 GB max) and multiple storage slots (2 x mATA and 1 x 2.5″), optical bay can be ditched for a 2.5″ cradle, fast performance, Optimus, gets hot and loud under load, some build quality issues, poor keyboard, 76 Wh battery | ||||||
| Starting list price: $1899 – discounts available here | ||||||
| MSI GT72S Dominator Pro G | 17.3″ TN FHD matte | Core i7-5700HQ or i7-6820HK/ max 32 GB RAM / SSD + HDD storage | Nvidia GTX 980M 8 GB | 8.4 lbs / 3.81 kg | ||
| nice design but rather thick case (1.9 inch), gaming keyboard, the TN panel isn’t great, 4 RAM slots and multiple storage slots (4 x M.2 RAID 0 + 2.5″), fast performance, manual graphics switching that require restarts – no Optimus, capable cooling system, 87 Wh battery (non-removable), rather poor wifi, more powerful processor available as extra option |
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| Starting list price: $2299 – discounts available here | ||||||
| MAINGEAR NOMAD 17 | 17.3″ TN FHD matte | up to Core i7-4980MQ / max 32 GB RAM / SSD + HDD storage | Nvidia GTX 980M 8 GB | 8.4 lbs / 3.81 kg | ||
| similar configuration to the MSI GT72 above, different aluminum design, slightly cheaper |
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| Starting list price: $2099 | ||||||
So far, the only portable machine in this list is the Gigabyte P35X V3, but squeezing this kind of graphics inside a slimmer body does lead to high temperatures, noise and throttling under load, which means that you’re probably better with a full-size laptop if you want to fully benefit from the Maxwell 980M GTX chip. Still, if you can deal with higher thermals and some performance drop, the P35X remains an interesting device and for the time being, one of the most capable portable laptop ever built. You can find out more about this laptop in Derek’s detailed article available over here.
Some rumors also mention a potential GTX 980M version of the Asus GX500, called the GX500JMC, but I could not confirm them and I actually find it hard to believe Asus will be able to squeeze this chip inside such a thin body, knowing the throttling issues of the Asus NX500.
There are also some 980M configurations from custom shops. For instance, the Sager NP9150 / Clevo P150EM gaming notebooks can be paired with the 980M chip for a good price. On top of these, if you need extra power in a laptop-like computer and really don’t care about portability, you could consider the Clevo P370SM /EUROCOM Panther 5 Mobile Supercomputer with desktop CPU processors and SLI GTX 980M graphics.
I will update this section as often as possible, but if you spot any mistakes or any new laptops that should make it in here, please drop me a line in the comments section at the end of this post. For now though, let’s jump ahead to the larger pool of GTX 970M equipped notebooks.
Nvidia GTX 970M gaming laptops
Just like with the 980M, there are two versions of the 970M chip as well, one with 3 GB of DDR5 vRAM, and another with 6 GB of vRAM. Besides that, according to benchmarks and reviews, a 970M chip is roughly 15-20% slower than a 980M version, but also runs cooler, quieter and demands less energy, so you’ll find it as part of cheaper or more portable devices. |
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| Model | Screen | Hardware | Graphics | Weight | ||
| Asus ROG G752VT | 17.3″ IPS FHD matte | Core i7-6700HQ / max 64 GB RAM / 2xSSD + HDD | Nvidia GTX 970M 3 GB | 8.79 lbs/3.99 kg | ||
| unique design, good keyboard, 4 RAM slots and triple-storage options (2x PCIe 3rd gen slots), room for upgrades, good performance, capable cooling system, 66 Wh battery, great display, nice price tag | ||||||
| Starting list price: $1599 – discounts available here | ||||||
| Clevo P650SE / Sager NP8651 | 15.6″ FHD, WQHD+ or UHD(4K) |
Core i7-4720HQ / max 32 GB RAM / SSD + HDD storage | Nvidia GTX 970M 3 GB | 5.50 lbs/2.49 kg | ||
| rather heavy and bulky (0.98″ thick), several screen options (the base FHD matte panel is pretty crappy though), 4 RAM and multiple storage slots (2 x M.2 RAID 0 + 2 x 2.5″ 7mm), 60 Wh battery, great keyboard and trackpad, solid IO, customizable, excellent price | ||||||
| Starting list price: $1249 | ||||||
| CYBERPOWER Fangbook Edge | 15.6″ FHD or UHD(4K) |
Core i7-4870HQ / max 16 GB RAM / SSD + HDD storage | Nvidia GTX 970M 6 GB | 4.36 lbs/1.98 kg | ||
| slim simple design (0.78″ thick), options for a FHD matte or a 4K glossy display, 2 RAM and dual storage slots (2 x M.2 RAID 0 + 2.5″), 48 Wh battery, multiple customization options, good price, similar to the Origin PC EVO15-S (lower end configurations available thus cheaper) | ||||||
| Starting list price: $1699 | ||||||
| Gigabyte P35W | 15.6″ IPS FHD matte | Core i7-4710HQ or i7-5700HQ / max 16 GB RAM / SSD + HDD storage | Nvidia GTX 970M 6 GB | 4.85 lbs/2.2 kg | ||
| similar to the P35X v3 mentioned in the previous section, but with the GTX 970M graphics chip |
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| Starting list price: $1749 – discounts available here | ||||||
| Gigabyte Aorus X3 Plus | 13.9″ IPS QHD+ matte | Core i7-4710HQ or i7-5700HQ / max 16 GB RAM / mSATA storage | Nvidia GTX 970M 6 GB | 4.12 lbs / 1.9 kg | ||
| compact aluminum casing, sleek design, 3 x mSATA storage options (RAID support), without an optical drive, macro keys on the keyboard, poor speakers, potential throttling under load |
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| Starting list price: $1999 – discounts available here | ||||||
| Gigabyte P34W | 14.0″ IPS FHD matte | Core i7-4710HQ or i7-5700HQ / max 16 GB RAM / SSD + HDD storage | Nvidia GTX 970M 6 GB | 3.8 lbs / 1.71 kg | ||
| a more compact version of the P35W v3, built on the same hardware platform, but with fewer storage options ( 1 x mSATA and 1 x 2.5″), without an optical drive, with Wi-Fi N only and with a smaller 61 Wh battery, throttles under serious load |
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| Starting list price: $1649 – discounts available here | ||||||
| Gigabyte Aorus X7 Pro | 17.3″ IPS FHD matte | Core i7-4870HQ / max 32 GB RAM / SSD + HDD storage | 2 x Nvidia GTX 970M 3 GB SLI |
6.1 lbs / 2.76 kg | ||
| thin body (0.9 inch – 23 mm), 4 RAM slots, supports quadruple storage solutions ( 3 x mSATA RAID 0 and 1 x 2.5″), 73 Wh battery, 2 built-in speakers and 2 built-in subwoofers | ||||||
| Starting list price: $2599 – discounts available here | ||||||
| MSI GS40 Phantom | 14.0″ IPS FHD | Core i7-6700HQ/ max 32 GB RAM / SSD + HDD storage | Nvidia GTX 970M 3 GB | 3.57 lbs/1.6 kg | ||
| compact and light 14-inch laptop, SteelSeries keyboard, 2 RAM and multiple storage slots (1 x M.2 + 2.5″ bay), supports PCIe gen3 storage and DDR4 memory, solid performance, includes an integrated DAC |
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| Starting list price: $1599 | ||||||
| MSI GE62 Apache Pro | 15.6″ IPS FHD | Core i7-5700HQ or i7-6700HQ/ max 16 GB RAM / SSD + HDD storage | Nvidia GTX 970M 3 GB | 5.29 lbs/2.39 kg | ||
| full size 15-inch laptop, design a bit dated, optical drive included, good screen but rather dim, SteelSeries keyboard, 2 RAM and multiple storage slots (2 x M.2 RAID 0 + 2.5″), USB 3.1 slot, solid performance, capable cooling system, small 51 Wh battery |
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| Starting list price: $1499 – discounts available here | ||||||
| MSI GS60 Ghost Pro 3K or 4K | 15.6″ IPS WQHD+ / 4K glossy | Core i7-4710HQ or i7-5700HQ / max 16 GB RAM / SSD + HDD storage | Nvidia GTX 970M 3 GB | 4.32 lbs/1.96 kg | ||
| our detailed review available here – compact and interesting design, annoying logo on the hood, good display although glossy, a cheaper option with a FHD display also available, SteelSeries keyboard, 2 RAM and multiple storage slots (2 x M.2 RAID 0 + 2.5″), good performance, capable cooling system, small 52 Wh battery |
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| Starting list price: $1999 – discounts available here | ||||||
| MSI GS70 Stealth Pro | 17.3″ IPS FHD matte |
Core i7-4710HQ or i7-5700HQ / max 16 GB RAM / SSD + HDD storage | Nvidia GTX 970M 3 GB | 5.9 lbs/2.66 kg | ||
| interesting and very thin design, silver, red and black versions, nice display, gaming keyboard, 2 RAM and multiple storage slots (2 x M.2 RAID 0 + 2.5″), good performance, 60 Wh battery |
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| Starting list price: $1799 – discounts available here | ||||||
| MSI GT72S Dominator G | 17.3″ TN FHD matte | Core i5-5700HQ / max 32 GB RAM / SSD storage | Nvidia GTX 970M 6 GB | 8.4 lbs/3.81 kg | ||
| nice design but rather thick case, gaming keyboard, the TN panel isn’t great, 4 RAM slots and multiple storage slots (4 x M.2 RAID 0 + 2.5″), only an 128 GB SSD included with this configuration, good performance, capable cooling system, 87 Wh battery (non-removable), rather expensive |
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| Starting list price: $1899 – discounts available here | ||||||
| Origin PC EVO15-S | 15.6″ FHD or UHD(4K) |
Core i7-4710HQ / max 16 GB RAM / SSD + HDD storage | Nvidia GTX 970M 6 GB | 4.3 lbs/1.95 kg | ||
| slim simple design (0.78″ thick), very light for a 17 incher, red backlit keyboard, options for a FHD matte or a 4K glossy display, 2 RAM and dual storage slots (2 x M.2 RAID 0 + 2.5″), multiple customization options |
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| Starting list price: $2299 | ||||||
| Razer Blade 14 2016 | 14.0″ QHD+ touch |
Core i7-6700HQ / max 16 GB RAM / M.2 storage | Nvidia GTX 970M 6 GB | 4.1 lbs / 1.9 kg | ||
| very sleek design, very good performance, nice keyboard and trackpad, runs hot, Thunderbolt 3 on the latest model, base version is cheaper than in the past |
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| Starting list price: $1999 – discounts available here | ||||||
There’s also a rumored Gigabyte P37 series with a GTX 970M graphics chip. Judging by its name, this is going to be a thin and light 17 incher.
Then we have the standard sized MSI GT70 (17.3 inch display) and GT60 (15.6 inch display) Dominator series, both bundling the 970M 6GB chip. These are full-size laptops, with the 15 incher weighing 7.7 lbs and the 17 incher 8.6 pounds. Both sell for $1499 an up.
Last but not least we have a few Clevo configurations that are expected to be updated with an SLI dual GTX 970M solution (the P375SMA, 17 incher) or a single 970M chip (the P15SMA, 15 incher).
Wrap-up
That’s about it for now, but like I already said above, I’m going to keep the list up-to-date and add new info as soon as possible. However, in case you spot any errors or you find any other products that are available in stores and haven’t been included, feel free to get in touch with me in the comments section.
Updated versions of the laptops mentioned in this article are available in this list of Nvidia GTX 1070 and 1080 laptops, as well as in this post about the GTX 1060 powered portable gaming ultrabooks.
That aside, if these laptops are not exactly what you need, then you should also check out some of the other posts here on the site, especially my collection of the best gaming ultrabooks of the moment, as well as my long list of all the ultrabooks that are worth your attention these days.
And if you have any questions or need help picking something, again, get in touch, I’m around to help.
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