7 Best Gaming Laptops for World of Warcraft (WoW) in 2023

So, you finally decided to explore the epic World of Warcraft? Or perhaps your aging laptop can’t handle the heat of flying dragons in the latest expansion – Dragonflight? In either case, you’ve come to the right place. 

We made this article as a comprehensive guide to help you find the best-suited laptop for you that can run the game smoothly. Our list of the 7 best laptops for WoW features various models for different types of users.

So, join us, and let us guide you into the mystical world of Azeroth.

Minimum & Recommended System Requirements

Seeing as it has been two decades since the release of WoW, you might think it could be played on any modern laptop. And you wouldn’t be more wrong. Due to the massive popularity of the game, Blizzard Entertainment has continuously enchanted us every few years with a new expansion pack. 

If you want a laptop that could run Dragonflight and any other upcoming expansions, investing in a more capable device is a good idea. 

So, let’s explore the specs we think a new gaming laptop for WoW should pack:

Important note: Going for lower specs than the minimum requirements above doesn’t mean you won’t be able to run the game. However, going for a lower-grade computer might result in performance stuttering and an underwhelming gaming experience.

Top 7 Gaming Laptops for World of Warcraft

And here comes the exciting bit. Let’s check out our favorite gaming laptops for World of Warcraft.

1. Play at Max Settings: MSI GF63

MSI GF63

• CPU: 2GHz Intel Core i7-12650H
• RAM: 16GB DDR4
• Storage: 512GB SSD
• Display: 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)
• GPU: 6GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050
• Battery: Up to 7 hours

$845.00

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If you want to embark on a proper Dragonflight, MSI’s GF63 is the one WoW laptop to consider. With killer specs, great display, and I mean — MSI’s dragon logo — the machine makes a worthy companion to Azeroth.

The gaming beast works on a 12th Gen. i7 and the latest RTX 4050, which is a powerful pairing for any AAA title. In my tests, it worked like a charm — it’s super easy to move around, there are no lags, and the spells are instantaneous.

Now add to that a fast 15.6” display and you can imagine why I’m all giddy about MSI. GF63 comes with a hi-res, crisp display, which also happens to be great for the gorgeous WoW cinematics.

We know that dragons are ancient and powerful creatures, so I’m not sure if MSI tries to reflect that with the design. Although super sturdy, the chassis feels more like it belongs in the years of Shadowlands, and not 2023. It is what it is, but you do get very high build quality with this laptop.

On the other hand, no one can deny that GF63 is a portable fellow. At 4.10 lbs and 7 hours of battery life, it’s one of the rare gaming laptops that you can take, well, pretty much on any quest, be it coffee shop or office.

Overall, MSI GF63 is a laptop for WoW that kills it, and a versatile machine that will give you hours of fun and high-level productivity.

2. Budget Option from HP: HP Victus

HP Victus

• CPU: 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-12500H
• RAM: 8GB DDR4
• Storage: 512GB SDD
• Display: 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)
• GPU: 4GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
• Battery: Up to 5 hours

$660.00

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Maybe you’re an exploration-oriented casual and wouldn’t like to splurge on a laptop for WoW. Fear not, young mage, HP Victus’s got what you need.

First off, I love Victus’ design. Along with Lenovo Legion, Victus is a gaming laptop that looks very professional, compact and polished.

The keyboard could have easily been made by Silvermoon’s craftsmen — the keys are tactile, neat, comfy, at just the right height and travel distance.

Will it work? HP Victus is run by a 12th Gen. i5 and a very capable RTX 3050, so you bet it will. WoW is not a demanding game, and this CPU/GPU combo can handle much harder titles at high settings.

If there’s one thing that worries me, it’s the RAM. 8GB is fine for WoW, but if you’re playing AAA titles, you might want more. So I’d visit your local laptop druid and level it up to at least 16GB RAM.

The elevated, hi-res LED panel is gorgeous to look at as you explore different cities. I did notice some screen wobble with an occasional bump on the desk, though nothing distracting.

Most casuals are people who work, so portability comes into play as well. Victus is ok in this department — at 5 lbs and with 5 hours of battery life, it’s pretty solid for a budget gaming laptop, but have a charger nearby.

Victus won’t cost you as much and for this amount of gold, you get a very capable, professional-looking laptop for WoW and office.

3. Best for Playing WoW + Streaming: ASUS ROG Strix G16

ASUS ROG Strix G16

• CPU: 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-13650HX
• RAM: 16GB DDR5
• Storage: 512GB SDD
• Display: 16-inch FHD (1920 x 1200)
• GPU: 8GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060
• Battery: Up to 8 Hours

$1,247.64

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For all you pros out there, ROG Strix G16 is the Alexstrazsa of this list. The great mother of all laptops for WoW comes with unrivaled specs, gorgeous body, and beautiful 16” window into the world of Warcraft.

Flapping its wings with the latest-and-greatest, top-notch CPU and GPU, this beast commands respect. It’s an amazing pairing for even the most demanding AAA titles — in my tests, Strix almost always comes on top, performance-wise, along with ROG Zephyrus and MSI Titan.

And the design is fierce, as you’d expect from a powerful gaming laptop. Great RGB lighting, RGB strip, sturdy hinges and thin profile feel very inviting and exciting.

Though this is not the lightest of laptops (but what did you expect from a dragon?), 5.5 lbs is still reasonably portable for a 16” machine. However, the battery life is amazing for a device this powerful and clocks in at around 8-9 hours of juice.

You’ll be looking at Azeroth through the lens of a gorgeous, fast, large display that is also very color-accurate, which is awesome for all you streamers and video editors.

Like most dragons, Strix occasionally spews fire. Well, not literal fire, but it can get hot, so get a cooling pad for intense gaming sessions.

Still, once you’ve created your setup, I have no doubts you’ll be ready to fly through gameplay with this laptop for WoW — and create awe-inspiring content.

4. Mid-Range Option from ASUS: ASUS TUF Gaming F15

ASUS TUF Gaming F15

• CPU: 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5-12500H
• RAM: 16GB DDR4
• Storage: 512GB SSD
• Display: 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)
• GPU: 4GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
• Battery: Up to 5 hours

$849.99

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ASUS has several tricks up its sleeve, and TUF Gaming F15 is a great mid-range laptop for WoW. It’s an awesome choice for altoholics, casuals, and even students.

Powered by a 12th Gen. i5 and RTX 3050, TUF Gaming is a mid-level dragonflight that did really well across a range of AAA titles and you’ll have no issue running WoW with these specs.

The design is similar to that of HP Victus, although slightly more gamerish with a yellow-lit keyboard (that I quite like) — and significantly sturdier.

I also like that ASUS opted for two-hinge mechanism that elevates the large and fast panel, because I could enjoy all the glory of the dragons and battles.

Plus, the TUF is quite portable, at 4.85 lbs. It’s easy to slide into a backpack and carry around, which might come in handy for all you campus-goers.

If you’re a commuter or work in an office, however, bring a charger with you, since the battery usually gives up after around 5-hour mark.

The machine, like most powerful beasts on this list, gets hot, so a cooling pad is a must.

But it is a very reasonably priced laptop for WoW, and the one whose power you’ll see the minute you launch the game.

5. Best 17-inch Model: Acer Nitro 17

Acer Nitro 17

• CPU: 2.5 AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS
• RAM: 16GB DDR5
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Display: 17.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)
• GPU: 6GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050
• Battery: Up to 7 Hours

$1,118.90

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For my peeps who like to witness those beautiful prisms of Drachtyr evokers in all their glory: you need a good display, and among the WoW laptops, Acer Nitro 17 is one of the best.

The newest hatchling of Acer Nitro series comes with a 17” IPS display at 165 Hz. It’s a fast, big, crisp and vivid panel that’ll let you discern the tiniest details of the clothes the Horde’s been rocking, let alone the glorious fireworks amid battles.

Under the hood, Nitro 17’s packing the newest Ryzen 7 and one of the latest NVIDIA GPUs. It’s a powerful combo that drives both the gameplay and crispy visuals, and performs admirably across performance tests.

Plus, this sleek, sturdy, mean-looking laptop is ready to burst into RGB-backlit keyboard that Acer finally switched from red to multi-color.

At 5.5 lbs and 7 hours of juice, Nitro 17 is definitely a heavyweight champ in more arenas than one: long-lasting, relatively portable, and imposing.

Similarly to ROG Strix, Acer Nitro 17 did get hot every now and then in my tests. This doesn’t happen that often with WoW, except during a melee, but with heavier AAA titles, it might be a problem. Add a cooling pad to the mix and you’re golden.

Overall, Nitro 17 feels like a visual treat among the WoW laptops. Backed by ridiculously good hardware, for a reasonable price, it’s easily one of my top picks.

6. Cheapest Gaming Laptop for WoW: Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3

• CPU: 3.3GHz AMD Ryzen 5 6600H
• RAM: 8GB DDR5
• Storage: 256GB SSD
• Display: 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)
• GPU: 4GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
• Battery: Up to 5 hours

$658.00

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Dragons are known to cause world economy crashes because of their love for hoarding gold, but that doesn’t mean you have to add to their pile. Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is an amazing budget laptop for WoW, very capable of wreaking havoc across the Shadowlands and Dragonflight.

Think of Lenovo as a mage with the skill of optimizing performance for the money. Packing a newer Ryzen 5 and RTX 3050 for this price is no small feat, and this laptop does wonderfully across WoW quests: it’s fast, lag-free, and precise.

The thing with IdeaPad’s display is that its refresh rate is slightly lower than other gaming laptops, at 120Hz — but I seriously doubt you’ll notice this in WoW. However, the amazing contrast, saturated colors and crispy visuals will surely suck you into the mythical lands of dragons.

Funnily enough, this little budget monster sports one of the better keyboards on the market. In my opinion, it beats the MSI’s flat versions, and I just love typing and gaming on it.

The bummers are similar to Victus — 8GB RAM is ok, but I’d pay some 50 bucks and upgrade to 16GB.

Also, don’t expect a lot in terms of battery life: I got around 5ish hours, which is ok, but will hardly last one of the longer quests. 

Still, for the price you pay, IdeaPad Gaming 3 surely has a lot of magic in it, and it’s an amazin laptop for WoW and many other titles.

Watch our Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 Review

This YouTube review was created by the Not Just Laptops team. The specs may slightly differ from the laptop in the article.

7. Play WoW on a MacBook: Apple MacBook Pro 14 M2

Apple MacBook Pro 14 M2

• CPU: 3.5GHz Apple M2 10-Core
• RAM: 16GB DDR5
• Storage: 512GB SSD
• Display: 14.2-inch XDR Retina (3024 x 1964)
• GPU: Integrated Apple 16-Core
• Battery: Up to 15 hours

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I bet you didn’t see this one coming, eh? Well, neither did Illidan see Arthas, but here we are, so many episodes later — and with a MacBook as a legit great laptop for WoW.

So, why would you want to play on a 14” outsider? Oh I don’t know — maybe because the M2 chip is THE beast in its own right that slays across Azeroth like the best Windows gaming laptops.

Or because the display, while smaller, gives some of the best resolution-to-portability quality ever? I was in awe of how different WoW actually looks on a Retina display — a true visual feast of deep colors and contrast.

And not to mention that MacBooks have arguably the best speakers on the market that add to the overall magic that is WoW.

Plus, with 3.5 lbs of weight and crazy 15 hours of battery life, MacBook Pro 14 is the undisputed king of portability on this list, and wider — challenged only by LG Grams and Microsoft.

Granted, WoW is one of the rare AAA games that have been on MacBooks since M1, so if you play other AAA titles, that could be a problem with macOS. But, with WoW, do you really have the time? If you mainly play World of Warcraft, Apple’s MacBook Pro 14 is one of the best laptops you can get. Just think of it as the return of the Apple king to the AAA arenas.

Buying Guide for Gaming Laptops for World of Warcraft

We understand you’re eager to skip over to the laptops, but bear with us. In order to make the best-suited choice to steer your dragon, there are a few things worth considering: 

1. Get a High-Performance Laptop 

Whether you are trying to level up your hero, engaging in PvP combat, or embarking on a guild raid with your fellow guild members, for a smooth gaming performance you’ll need a powerful CPU/GPU combo. 

That being said, we recommend picking a laptop featuring at least an Intel Core i5 processor or a Ryzen 5 equivalent from AMD. But if you want to avoid the same mistake I did, picking a laptop with the latest generation of Intel Core i7 will ensure you’ll be ready for any upcoming expansion packs. 

Having a powerful processor means nothing for gaming if you don’t pair it with a dedicated graphics card. Nowadays, there are some phenomenal budget options featuring the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050. And rest assured, it will run the game smoothly. 

But if you’re also playing AAA titles and looking for the best graphics cards for gaming laptops money can buy, the latest generation of NVIDIAs RTX 40-series is the way to go.   

2. Don’t Skimp on RAM and Storage 

Yup, the second consideration is also linked to performance, and with a good reason at that. RAM massively impacts the overall performance of your laptop, especially with complex video games like WoW. Having 8GB RAM should be the bare minimum, whatever you use it for, but for smooth performance with the latest expansion – Dragonflight, 16GB is recommended.  

Installing World of Warcraft with all its expansions requires massive storage, well over 100GB. So picking a laptop with enough storage capacity (at least 256GB)  is super important. Moreover, make sure you get an SSD drive for improved overall system responsiveness and reliability. 

3. Get a High-Quality Display 

Whether you go for a small 14-inch or a large 17-inch device, it’s totally up to you. And any new laptop will have at least an FHD resolution, which is great.

For an enjoyable gaming experience though, investing in a display with a higher refresh (120hz or higher) is recommended. A higher refresh rate means the display can produce more images per second, resulting in smoother motions and improved visual clarity. This could give you a competitive edge against your opponents, especially in PvP situations where quick reactions and precise timing are crucial.  

In contrast, a higher refresh rate would be insignificant if you’re looking for a laptop to play Minecraft or a turn-based strategy like Civ 6. 

4. Pick a Laptop With Good Heat Management 

Powerful hardware components tend to generate a lot of heat during intensive gaming sessions. WoW is unlikely to scorch you, but having an underperforming cooling system could result in performance throttling. 

Usually, gaming laptops from popular brands come with decent cooling systems, but it’s always a good idea to check the user reviews. 

5. Think About Connectivity 

Having a high-performance computer is great, but nothing ruins a nice guild raid like an unstable network. So, when picking a laptop to play WoW  or any other MMORPG, it’s worth considering something that includes an Ethernet Port. Sure, you can always get an external adapter, but I doubt it would match the performance of a built-in Ethernet port. 

If you’re not a fan of using wires, you’ll need a laptop with fast and reliable Wi-Fi connectivity. On that note, currently, the latest generation of Wi-Fi6 is the best option available.

6. What About Portability?

Last but not least, if you’re someone who needs to use the laptop on the go, it’s worth checking out some of the more portable options. As a general rule of thumb, mighty gaming machines are bulky and heavy, which means they are not the best choice for traveling. 

However, gaming manufacturers have brought us a few rare dragons with exceptional performance and portability.

FAQs about Gaming Laptops for WoW

Verdict

Picking the best laptop for World of Warcraft, in a way, is similar to choosing between Alliance and Horde. What do I mean by this? In most cases, the prevailing factor is personal preference. 

However, just like we discussed in our buying guide, there are a few key considerations you must have in mind before making a purchase. 

The good news is you don’t need to break the bank to get a well-performing laptop specifically for WoW. Of course, investing in a more capable device is a good idea if you want to be prepared for the upcoming expansions. 

If you’re still reluctant to make your pick, here is a quick recap:  

• If you are looking for a reasonably priced option that could handle WoW at maximum settings, nothing beats the MSI GF63. 
• If you’re looking for something that could handle the load of streaming and playing at the highest settings, the ASUS ROG Strix G16 is our best pick. 
• Finally, as a budget option that can still pack a punch, we recommend going for the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3. 

If besides World of Warcraft, you want a laptop that can handle the latest and most demanding AAA titles, you might want to check out our favorite laptops for under $2000. On the other hand, if you choose to stick with the classics, check out our best picks for Skyrim. 

Did we help you find your perfect match, or do you have questions about another specific model? Hit us up in the comment section below, and we’ll answer asap.