Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge
As is usually the case for CES, there is an abundance of gaming laptops being announced for release in early and mid-2022 that have at least two of the following traits in common: they have Intel’s 12th Gen H-series processors, or they support AMD’s Ryzen 6000-series processors, and they have Nvidia’s new RTX 3070 Ti or RTX 3080 Ti graphics chips. What’s more, many of them will also support DDR5 RAM at 4,800MHz. It’s a great time to be shopping for a laptop, as these seem faster than ever.
There are always outliers we won’t catch, and we’ll be making more passes at this through the week, but there are currently well over a dozen laptops coming that have some combination of these components. We’ve covered the biggest CES 2022 announcements individually, but for others that we didn’t cover elsewhere, let this be your guide to what the biggest names in portable computing are up to for the next few months.
Image: Acer
Acer
Predator Triton 500 SE: Acer’s flagship machine for CES 2022 supports up to Intel’s Core i9-12900HK processor and up to Nvidia’s new RTX 3080 Ti graphics chip. It can house up to 32GB of DDR5 RAM clocked at an impressive 5,200MHz. It supports up to 2TB of PCIe 4.0 storage.
Nitro 5: This model can be configured with up to AMD’s latest Ryzen 6000-series or Intel’s 12th Gen Core i7-12700H processors, and up to Nvidia’s RTX 3070 Ti. This model can be configured with up to 32GB of DDR5 memory clocked at 4,800MHz. In terms of storage, the Nitro 5 has two M.2 PCIe 4.0 slots.
Predator Helios 300: Acer’s Helios 300 is an Intel-only machine that can house up to Intel’s Core i9-12900H and up to Nvidia’s RTX 3080 graphics chip. It also supports up to 32GB of DDR5 memory clocked at 4,800MHz, and allows for up to 2TB of PCIe 4.0 M.2 storage in RAID 0.
Image: Asus
Asus
ROG Zephyrus G14 and G15: The G14 for 2022 is an all-AMD affair, going up to the Ryzen 9 6900HS processor, paired with AMD’s Radeon RX 6800S graphics chip. The G15 can go up to AMD’s Ryzen 9 6900HS, supporting up to Nvidia’s new RTX 3080 Ti. Both can support up to 32GB of fast DDR5 memory clocked at 4,800MHz (up to 16GB of it will be soldered to the board, leaving one slot for you to use later on). You can use PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280-sized SSDs in the G14 and G15, though the G14 has one slot (1TB max) and the G15 features two slots with RAID 0 support.
ROG Flow X13: This year’s X13 can be configured with up to AMD’s Ryzen 9 6980HS processor and up to the RTX 3050 Ti graphics chip. The main appeal of this laptop is its XG Mobile connector, which lets it connect to Asus’ external GPU enclosure that can power the tablet with improved graphics (up to the RTX 3080 desktop GPU). The X13 packs 32GB of super-fast 6,400MHz DDR5 memory, with support for up to 1TB of M.2 2230-sized PCIe 4.0 storage.
Image: Asus
ROG Flow Z13: Asus’ new gaming tablet can be configured with up to Intel’s Core i9-12900H processor and up to an RTX 3050 Ti in the graphics department. Despite being a thin tablet, it can support up to 32GB of DDR5 memory clocked at 5,200MHz.
ROG Zephyrus Duo 16: This is one of Asus’ strangest and most powerful laptops. It features two screens (one a traditional 16-inch 16:10 aspect ratio display and the other a half-height 14.1-inch touch panel), and it can be configured with up to AMD’s Ryzen 9 6900HX processor and Nvidia’s RTX 3080 Ti graphics chip at the highest end. This model has two user-accessible M.2 PCIe 4.0 slots available, each supporting up to 2TB with RAID 0.
Image: Razer
Razer
Razer Blade 14: Supports up to AMD’s Ryzen 9 6900HX processor and up to Nvidia’s RTX 3080 Ti. It tops out at 16GB of DDR5 RAM, though its 1TB NVMe SSD is replaceable.
Razer Blade 15 and Blade 17: Supports up to Intel’s Core i9-12900HK and up to Nvidia’s RTX 3080 Ti. Both support up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM, and their dual M.2 slots each support up to 2TB of NVMe storage.
Alienware
Alienware X14, X15, and X17: Support up to Intel’s Core i7-12900H (Core i9-12900HK in the X17) and up to Nvidia’s RTX 3080 Ti. The X14 and X15 can be configured with up to 32GB of DDR5 RAM clocked at 5,200MHz, though it’s soldered on. The X17 supports up to 32GB of DDR5 RAM clocked at a slower 4,800MHz clock speed, though they’re replaceable. In terms of storage, the X14 has a single M.2 slot that supports up to 2TB, while Alienware offers single or dual-storage configurations for the X15 and X17, supporting up to 2TB or 4TB of NVMe storage, respectively.
Alienware M17 R5 Ryzen Edition: Supports up to AMD’s Ryzen 9 6980HX processor and up to AMD’s Radeon RX 6850M XT graphics. Alternatively, it can house up to Nvidia’s RTX 3080 Ti. In terms of RAM, this model supports up to 64GB of replaceable, dual-channel DDR5 memory clocked at 4,800MHz. It comes in single or dual-storage configurations, each of which support up to 4TB of M.2 NVMe storage.
Gigabyte
Aero 16 and 17: These creator-focused machines support up to Intel’s Core i9-12900HK processor and up to Nvidia’s RTX 3080 Ti graphics. Gigabyte says it can support DDR5 RAM clocked at 4,800MHz (up to 16GB per channel) and PCIe 4.0 storage, but it hasn’t shared further specifics.
Aorus 15 and 17: Both sizes of the high-end Aorus support up to Intel Core i7-12700H and up to Nvidia’s RTX 3080 Ti graphics. These models will support DDR5 memory and PCIe 4.0 storage. These will support up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM clocked up to 4,800MHz and there are two PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots.
Aorus 5: This model supports up to Intel’s Core i7-12700H processor, and in the graphics department it can be configured with up to Nvidia’s RTX 3070. These will support up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM clocked up to 3,200MHz and offer two PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots.
Image: MSI
MSI’s revised Stealth gaming laptop.
MSI
Stealth GS77 and GS66: MSI’s revised Stealth gaming laptops support up to Intel’s 12th Gen Core i7-12900H processor and up to Nvidia’s RTX 3080 Ti graphics chips. The 15.6-inch GS66 and 17.3-inch GS77 each have two RAM slots and support up to 64GB of DDR 5 memory clocked at 4,800MHz.
Raider GE76 and GE66: Both the 15.6-inch GE66 and 17.3-inch GE76 will support up to Intel’s Core i9-12900HK processor and up to Nvidia’s RTX 3080 Ti graphics. Given that the Raider is thicker than the Stealth, expect better performance here. Similar to the Stealth, the Raider series supports up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM.
Vector GP76 and GP66: This model is similar to the Raider GE’s design but without RGB lights to give it a more professional look. Like the Raider, it supports Intel’s Core i9-12900HK, though it tops out at the RTX 3080, and the RAM is DDR4 clocked at 3,200MHz. Given that this one is using some parts that aren’t brand-new, it’s fair to expect a slightly cheaper price.
Image: MSI
One look should tell you whether you want this laptop, or not.
Crosshair 17 and 15: While the MSI models above each feature the option to go up to QHD or higher, the Crosshair lineup sticks to 1080p panels. This lineup also uses one of Intel’s 12th Gen Core i9 processors with up to Nvidia’s RTX 3070 Ti graphics chip. Oh, and mind the extreme Rainbow Six: Extraction branding and matching colorway.
Sword and Katana: Despite having different names, MSI’s Sword and Katana are similar machines. The Sword comes in white, while the Katana is black with two size options (15.6 inches and 17.3 inches). Both support up to Intel’s Core i7-12700H processor and up to Nvidia’s RTX 3070 Ti graphics chip.
We’ll be adding more manufacturers as CES 2022 moves along.