Acer Predator 21 X
Product Review: https://www.cnet.com/products/acer-predator-21x/review/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4.0 stars out of 5 (Excellent)
The good: The 21-inch curved display feels very immersive in games. There are a ton of fun features and extras, including a reversible touch/number pad, eye tracking cameras, and swappable WASD keys (cursor movement keys). The mechanical keyboard is excellent for gaming.
The bad: Even these high-end components don’t fully justify the price. The display has a lower resolution than we’d like, battery life is poor, and moving the touchpad away from its traditional spot is never a good idea.
The cost: $8,999.99
The bottom line: The limited edition Acer Predator 21 X is equal parts insanely powerful and crazy cool — you just need a lottery win or random inheritance to afford it.
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Dell XPS 15 (2017)
Product Review: https://www.cnet.com/products/dell-xps-15-2017/review/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4.0 stars out of 5 (Excellent)
The good: The Dell XPS 15 has a beautiful, high-resolution and accurate broad-gamut display, and it incorporates the Nvidia GTX 1050 gaming GPU, which raises playtime performance in general-purpose laptops.
The bad: The webcam is in a terrible location at the bottom of the display and the fan can get loud.
The cost: $1,699.99
The bottom line: Powerful with a great screen, the Dell XPS 15 delivers solid gaming and affordable mobile workstation-class performance in a relatively compact package.
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Alienware 13 R3 (OLED)
Product Review: https://www.cnet.com/products/alienware-13-r3-oled/review/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4.0 stars out of 5 (Excellent)
The good: The OLED touchscreen is stunning to watch, and the new Nvidia graphics card can handle VR headsets and the latest games with ease.
The bad: With only two full-size USB ports, hooking up VR gear plus a game controller is a hassle. The physical redesign isn’t as extensive as it could be, and this OLED version is very expensive.
The cost: $2,229.99 to $2,499.99
The bottom line: With an OLED touch display, VR-ready graphics, and a reasonably portable 13-inch body, the new Alienware 13 hits almost every item on my gaming laptop wish list.
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Razer Blade (14-inch, 2017)
Product Review: https://www.cnet.com/products/razer-blade-14-inch-2017/review/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4.0 stars out of 5 (Excellent)
The good: The Razer Blade has an attractively slim chassis, sharp display and terrific keyboard. It packs Intel’s latest-generation i7 processor and great graphics. It’s VR-ready.
The bad: It’s expensive, and configuration options are limited. The fans are loud and it gets hot when gaming. There’s no Ethernet port.
The cost: $1,899.99
The bottom line: The Razer Blade is an elegantly subdued mainstream gaming laptop with great performance.
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The following CNET staff contributed to this story: Section Editor Dan Ackerman, Associate Editor Xiomara Blanco, Senior Editor Lori Grunin and Senior Editor Laura K. Cucullu. For more reviews of personal technology products, please visit www.cnet.com.
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