A gaming laptop is judged first by its graphics card, and that is exactly what listings say least clearly: a “gaming” range name, a powerful processor or a high price do not guarantee a card that can run your games. Picksly rates laptops from public tests and matches them with verified offers. Here is what those scores show, which card to aim for depending on the game, the traps to spot and the right pick for your profile.
Scores are those of 30 October 2026, for France; every price quoted carries the date it was recorded. Prices change: always check the price shown by the shop before buying.
What Picksly measures on a gaming laptop
A laptop is rated not as a model but as a configuration: range, processor and memory read from the listing. Three scores matter for gaming:
- Graphics: the card’s PassMark G3D Mark score. The scale runs from 0 (9,717 points or fewer) to 100 (15,235 points or more). Graphics built into the processor stay below the bottom of the scale and score 0.
- Processor: the chip’s PassMark CPU Mark score, brought to a scale of 100.
- Memory (RAM): the amount stated by the seller, from 4 GB (0) to 16 GB (100). 8 GB scores 33.
Graphics weigh 25% of the Premium score, but only 10% of the overall score and 5% of the Budget and Smart scores: a well-rated laptop is not necessarily a good gaming laptop. For gaming, look at the graphics score itself; the full method details the sources.
Out of 790 configurations tracked, 189 have a graphics score and only 78 are above 0. In gaming ranges (Nitro, TUF, Victus, Legion, LOQ, Katana, Cyborg, ROG, Omen, Predator…), 78 configurations: 54 have a card scored above 0, one is at 0, and 23 have no graphics score, because the listing does not name the card.
Which graphics card for which game?
Here is where common laptop cards sit on Picksly’s scale (PassMark G3D scores read on 17 October 2026, on the 27th for the RTX 5050):
| Card (laptop version) | G3D score | Picksly graphics score |
|---|---|---|
| GTX 1650 Max-Q | 6,379 | 0 |
| RTX 2050 | 7,728 | 0 |
| RTX 3050 Ti | 10,057 | 6 |
| RTX 3050 | 11,966 | 41 |
| RTX 3060 | 13,093 | 61 |
| RTX 5050 | 13,982 | 77 |
| RTX 4050 | 14,191 | 81 |
| RTX 3070 | 15,005 | 96 |
| RTX 5060, 4060, 5070, 4070 | 16,768 to 19,457 | 100 |
Two remarks. In this test, the RTX 3050 Ti scores lower than the RTX 3050: the name is not enough. And every card from the RTX 4060 upwards scores 100: above that, the score no longer separates them.
What three games ask for, according to their Steam page (read on 17 October 2026):
- Counter-Strike 2, minimum: a DirectX 11 card with 1 GB of memory, and 8 GB of RAM.
- Baldur’s Gate 3, minimum: GTX 970 (9,637 points), 4 GB of video memory, 8 GB of RAM; recommended: RTX 2060 Super (16,455 points), 8 GB of video memory, 16 GB of RAM.
- Cyberpunk 2077, minimum: GTX 1060 6 GB (10,016 points), 12 GB of RAM; recommended: RTX 2060 Super, 16 GB of RAM.
These reference cards are desktop cards, measured by the same test: the comparison gives an order of magnitude, not a frame rate. In practice, the minimum for these demanding games sits near the bottom of the scale (score 0 to 6), and the recommended level above its top: for them, aim for a graphics score of 100, and 16 GB of RAM. Also check the video memory of the advertised card, which the score does not measure.
Traps to spot
An “H” processor without a gaming card
H chips power many gaming laptops, but not all of them. The Asus Vivobook S15 with Ryzen 5 5600H only has integrated graphics: graphics score 0 (and no offer left on 30 October). Same for the Asus Zenbook 14 with Core Ultra 7 255H, €1,440.55 new (Amazon, recorded on 25 October): an excellent laptop (Smart score 85), but integrated graphics scored 0.
A gaming range, a small card, an older generation
The Acer Nitro 5 with Core i5 10300H carries a gaming range name, but its card stays below the bottom of the scale (under 5 out of 100) and its 10th-generation Intel processor only scores 31. Age is not a flaw in itself: the Lenovo Legion 5 with Ryzen 7 5800H has a previous-generation chip but a graphics score of 96, at the level of an RTX 3070. Neither has an offer on 30 October.
Same name, two cards
There are two Acer Nitro 5 with Core i5 12500H pages: one has a card scored 41 (RTX 3050 level), €1,306.10 (Amazon, 24 October), the other, with 16 GB, a card scored 6. Likewise, the Legion 5 with Ryzen 7 5800H scores 96 on its page without stated memory, but 61 (RTX 3060 level) with 16 GB. Read the exact card name in the listing.
The card missing from the listing
When the title does not name the card, Picksly does not guess it. The Acer Nitro V 15 with Core i7 13620H and 16 GB, €1,199 (Amazon, 20 October), has a Smart score of 63 calculated without the card. 23 configurations in gaming ranges are in that case. Look for the card on the shop’s page and place it in the table above.
8 GB of RAM
Four gaming configurations with a scored card only state 8 GB (two HP Victus 15, one MSI Thin GF63 and the Asus ROG Strix G16 G615): memory score 33, below the Cyberpunk 2077 minimum.
The right pick for your profile
Budget: €700 at most, new or refurbished
On 30 October, no configuration at €700 or less has a graphics score above 0. The cheapest one that does is the Dell Precision 7740, a refurbished workstation at €872.68 (Ecoportatil.fr, 25 October): graphics 100 (Quadro RTX 3000), but processor scored 44. The HP ZBook 17 G6, a similar machine, follows at €939 (Refurbed.fr, 25 October). Under €700, choose for studies and light games instead; our guide to student laptops under €700 covers that choice.
Smart: new, Smart score of at least 50
The MSI Cyborg 15 with Core 7 240H and 16 GB has it all: RTX 5060, graphics 100, processor 100, memory 100, Smart score 74, at €1,210.91 new (Amazon, 27 October). Right behind: the Asus TUF with Ryzen 7 260 and 16 GB, same card, Smart 74, €1,249.99, and the Lenovo LOQ with Ryzen 7 170 and 16 GB, RTX 5050, graphics 77, Smart 70, €1,149.99 (Amazon, 27 October). The Asus TUF with Ryzen 7 7735HS (graphics 81, Smart 70) now costs €1,561.26 (26 October). In all, 18 gaming configurations have a scored card and a recorded new price.
Premium: new, Premium score of at least 60
The best Premium score among gaming laptops is 81: seven new configurations reach it, all with a card scored 100, from the MSI Cyborg 15 (€1,210.91) and the Asus TUF with Ryzen 7 260 (€1,249.99) to the HP Omen Max 16 (€3,959.81, eBay, 25 October), including the Lenovo LOQ with Core i7 13700HX (€1,299.99, Amazon, 27 October). The Legion 5 with Ryzen 7 5800H (77) no longer has an offer. Premium excludes refurbished: the Acer Predator Triton Neo 16 (graphics 81, €2,393) and the Asus ROG Strix G16 (graphics 100, but 8 GB stated, €2,807), refurbished at Refurbed.fr (25 October), do not qualify.
All configurations are in our ranking by graphics score.
What the score does not see
- The card’s video memory, which recent games require (4 to 8 GB for Baldur’s Gate 3).
- The screen (refresh rate, resolution), cooling and noise.
- Battery life while gaming: according to six published measurements, a laptop with an HX processor lasts about 4.8 hours per 100 Wh of battery, outside games.
To understand video memory and screen resolutions, read how to choose a graphics card; if you carry your laptop every day, see what lightness costs: the eleven laptops with a scored card whose weight is known all weigh 1.77 kg or more.
To see at a glance where the price shown on Amazon stands, install the Picksly extension: it compares the page you are viewing with the offers we track, according to your profile. And for the best-ranked laptops, see our Top 10 laptops. Picksly may earn a commission on purchases made through its links, at no extra cost to you (how we rank products).
FAQ
Which graphics card for a gaming laptop in 2026?
For demanding games, a card scored 100 by Picksly, meaning from the laptop RTX 4060 upwards: the recommended level of Baldur’s Gate 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 sits above the top of the scale.
Can you game on integrated graphics?
On Picksly’s scale, all integrated graphics score 0, the best (Radeon 890M) reaching 8,072 points against 9,637 for the GTX 970, the Baldur’s Gate 3 minimum. Less demanding games remain possible: check their requirements.
How much RAM for gaming?
16 GB: it is the recommended level of Baldur’s Gate 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, and Picksly’s maximum score. Cyberpunk 2077 requires at least 12 GB.
Can you find a gaming laptop under €700?
Not in Picksly’s catalogue on 30 October 2026: no configuration at €700 or less has a graphics card scored above 0.
