Best RTX 3060 laptop models

The best RTX 3060 laptops in 2024, looking across every brand

Aaron Ritchie

Gaming Laptop

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If you’re trying to work out the best RTX 3060 laptop for your needs, look no further! On this page we will be listing the best devices currently available, organizing them according to screen size, use case, and budget, and listing the pros and cons of each. These devices still represent great choices for low-to-mid-range gaming laptops, letting you play the latest most demanding games on medium settings or higher, and less demanding games on the higher pre-sets; they come with Nvidia Ray-Tracing support, although the frame drop this brings in most titles probably doesn’t make it worth turning it on in our opinion. If you’re looking for something a bit newer, we’d recommend taking a look at our best RTX 4060 laptop guide ass well.

The RTX 3060 mobile isn’t the latest bit of kit so you can expect this guide to remain relatively static, however we endeavour to make sure that all our buying guides are kept up to date with the latest products available. Just below are the top 3 picks if you just want to click and buy. If you want more info before you make your choice however, read further on for the individual reviews and a wider range of products.

How much should you pay for an RTX 3060 laptop?

With all the usual caveats about price fluctuations we definitely wouldn’t advise paying above $1,300 for an RTX 3060 laptop, in fact, unless all of its other components (RAM, SSD size, display etc.) are absolutely top-notch, even this might be too expensive. There are just more powerful machines out there, including RTX 4060 laptop models, as illustrated on our best gaming laptop under $1,500 page, particularly from AMD graphics-powered machines like the ASUS ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition, which has FPS performance above many RTX 3070 machines. Somewhere around the $1,000 mark is ideal – you definitely have to spend more money than you would on the devices in our best gaming laptops under $500 guide.

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Best RTX 3060 laptop 2024: reviews

Although you can still buy many of the below laptops, it’s possible that you may struggle to find some of them in stock, in which case we’d advise you check out some of the newer models, including RTX 4050 laptops.

A high performing model with a MUX switch and a great display

Editor’s Pick

Lenovo Legion 5 / Legion 5i (RTX 3060, Ryzen 7 6800H / i7-12700H)

CPU

AMD Ryzen 7 6800H / Intel Core i7-12700H

Graphics Card

Nvidia RTX 3060 (115-130W)

RAM

16GB

Max Refresh Rate

165Hz

Resolution

1920 x 1080

Screen Size

15.6”

How We Review

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The Lenovo Legion 5 has great performance in (almost) every area that matters for gamers. The only real criticism we can level at it, is that if you go with a previous generation Intel 11th gen / AMD Ryzen 5000 series machine, it will probably come with fairly slow stock RAM, as do many laptops released in 2021, which has a bit of a bottlenecking effect on its performance. The difference this makes to FPS in-game is up to around 10% difference in a few titles, but the average across all games is only around 3%, meaning it’s not really worth an upgrade for most people, depending what games you play. The latest versions of these laptops equipped with Intel 12th gen CPUs or AMD Ryzen 6000 series processors do not have this problem though, and are more powerful besides (though obviously cost more money).

Ultimately though, if you want to opt for the cheaper previous-gen models, upgrading the RAM isn’t particularly difficult (click the link to read our handy guide), and even with the slow stock memory the Legion 5 still performs better than most RTX 3060 laptops in most titles. This is thanks to the high 115-130W TGP of the graphics card, which is the highest power limit you’re likely to find. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800H or Intel Core i7-10750H processor, depending on if you pick the Legion 5 or Legion 5i, aren’t the latest models, but both perform respectably. The AMD variant offers better multi-core performance if you’re interested in any rendering or other workflow tasks as well as better battery life, whereas the Intel option gives slightly better gaming performance. The inclusion of a MUX Switch is a big plus for any gaming laptop and this gives a further, substantial boost to the performance of the Lenovo Legion 5.

In terms of the battery life, you can expect around 8 hours for general usage, YouTube and web browsing with the AMD variants, and around 7 or less with the Intel, both of which are well above average. This assumes you have Optimus switched on, brightness set to 50%, and battery saver mode enabled.

The 1080p IPS display has a refresh rate of 165Hz and a real grey-to-grey response time of around 7ms, which is not quite good enough to completely eliminate ghosting, but not far off. These specs are certainly good enough for the majority of gamers, and if you’re after something capable of replicating more FPS on screen then you’ll likely need a more powerful graphics card anyway to reach this frame rate. FreeSync is a welcome edition and if you disable Optimus using the MUX Switch for extra performance (which we’d recommend) then you also get G-Sync, which is even better for reducing screen tearing.

In terms of its color gamut, the Lenovo Legion 5 covers 98% of sRGB, making it suitable for color-accurate work in this space. You also get 70% Adobe RGB and 72% DCI-P3 coverage, all of which means games look colorful and vibrant. The contrast ratio is also good, and though the peak brightness could have been better, it’s not exactly bad either.

Regarding the other features, the speaker quality, 720p webcam, and inbuilt mic are all about average for a gaming laptop at this price point: not great, but serviceable. The membrane keyboard and the trackpad are both above average, they lack the quality of some more premium options but they are reasonably responsive and nice to use. The laptop chassis is made entirely of plastic, so again feels cheaper than a premium metal design, though build quality is okay, though the plastic build doesn’t compare to the more metal designs of more premium laptops.

Everything considered, the Lenovo Legion 5 / Legion 5i is the best 15-inch RTX 3060 laptop available right now. If you want to further improve the cooling and reduce thermal throttling on this beast, have a read of our best laptop cooling pad and best laptop stand guides for some affordable solutions.

A superb portable gaming laptop with great battery life and good quality speakers

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (120Hz, RTX 3060, Ryzen 9 5900HS)

CPU

AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS

Graphics Card

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060

RAM

16GB

Max Refresh Rate

120Hz

Resolution

1920 x 1080

Screen Size

14”

How We Review

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The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is the best mid-range 14-inch gaming laptop that money can buy, and has various attributes that mark it out from the crowd. For a gaming laptop, the battery life is second to none, coming in at around 10 hours of non-strenuous, non-gaming use on battery saver mode with the brightness set to 50%, making it a great option for a dual-use office machine. The speakers are similarly surprisingly good – not up to the likes of the champion of this area, the MacBook Pro, but well above average, with decent bass replication, volume, and overall sound quality.

The Zephyrus G14 is thin, light, and easily portable with a respectable keyboard and trackpad. Although it doesn’t have Thunderbolt support (being an AMD-powered machine), besides this, the selection of ports is good for such a small machine. One drawback which may put some people off the cheaper Ryzen 5000 series version, which is the only thing that hinders its ability to be used as an office notebook, is the lack of a webcam. Although the 2022 version of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 rectifies this issue, they are all-AMD machines and don’t come with the option for an RTX 3060 GPU.

On the subject of the graphics card, this RTX 3060 laptop is not the highest TGP option available, as is common for smaller-sized machines, so don’t expect it to perform as well in-game as the other selections on this page; conversely the powerful AMD Ryzen 5900HS CPU does negate this somewhat, as it’s a superior processor than any other of our top selections. Outside of gaming, the strong multi-core performance makes it a great choice for rendering workflows or other light workstation tasks.

Looking to the display, the 100% sRGB color gamut and respectable color accuracy of the screen make the G14 suitable for colorwork in this space, further adding to its utility as a workstation machine for creatives. The peak brightness and contrast ratio are also both solid. 120Hz is among the lower refresh rates on this page, but definitely still good enough for the vast majority of gamers outside of hardcore competitive players.

Summing up then, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is the best compact RTX 3060 laptop currently available: a nice-looking, well-built gaming machine that can also be used as a great light workstation machine, providing you don’t mind the lack of webcam.

A great value 16-inch RTX 3060 laptop with 1440p display option

HP Victus 16 (RTX 3060, 1440p, 165Hz)

CPU

AMD Ryzen 7 5800H

Graphics

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (6GB) 90-95W

RAM

16GB

Storage

1TB SSD

Screen Size

16.1”

Max Refresh Rate

165Hz

How We Review

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The HP Victus gaming laptop range is a new line from HP that offers a cheaper alternative to their HP Omen range for mid-range gaming. The maximum specced version is a tasty 1440p RTX 3060 laptop that performs to a decent standard in games and is cheaper than you’d normally expect for a 16-inch laptop with a display resolution this high.

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU is the same as what you’ll get with most selections on this page, and though the RTX 3060 in question doesn’t have the highest TGP (95W) it’s not the lowest either, and will generate decent performance in-game. The AMD processor also gives good multi-core performance for rendering and other workstation tasks, not to mention a solid 7 hours battery life, which is above average compared to the competition.

Looking in more detail at the display, 165Hz is quite fast enough for most users, and pretty high for a 1440p/QHD model, plus the 3ms response time which HP claims the QHD is capable of is very good. Although you can expect the actual real grey-to-grey response time after testing to be around 6ms, this is still a very respectable score. In terms of color and contrast, you get a surprisingly high 99% sRGB coverage, which is very good and makes it possible to do color-accurate work in the sRGB space on this machine. Peak brightness is nice and high and the contrast ratio is pretty decent.

The main sacrifice made to get these laptops down to a cheaper price is build quality, with the lid of the Victus 16 in particular being very wobbly and bendable, although not enough to be a nuisance when gaming so in our opinion. The overall build is very plasticy and it’s far from the most robust feeling laptop around. Having said this, the keyboard on the laptop is surprisingly good, feeling quite tactile and clicky for a membrane keyboard, although it does have a lot of flex due to the aforementioned build quality. The touchpad is decent enough though. The speakers on the high-end version we have picked here are also respectable for a gaming laptop, though cheaper versions of the HP Victus 16 reportedly come with lower quality ones.

In summary, though the HP Victus 16 isn’t the best gaming performer on this list and you do sacrifice a bit on build quality, the range of features you get for the money is great, not to mention the larger 16-inch display. Like many HP laptops, you will often find the Victus 16 on sale for a reduced price on the HP website, and if you snap one up for a couple of hundred dollars off, it’s certainly a superb value machine.

Another great 15-inch RTX 3060 laptop with high TGP & superb battery life

Dell G15 5515 (165Hz, RTX 3060)

CPU

AMD Ryzen 7 5800H

Graphics

Nvidia RTX 3060 (110-125W)

RAM

16GB

Storage

1TB SSD

Screen Size

15.6”

Max Refresh Rate

165Hz

How We Review

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The Dell G15 5515 is a great alternative for a 15” RTX 3060 gaming laptop, with some powerful core components, particularly the GPU. The 110-125W TGP of the RTX 3060 isn’t quite as high as the Lenovo Legion 5, but it’s still up there with the best you’ll find and performs very well in games. In terms of the processor, it packs an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, which is the same as our top pick machine.

The same slow RAM issues plague the G15 5515 as do many other laptops released in 2021 (though hopefully, later models won’t have this). Still, the performance hit isn’t as substantial as with other machines, and you’ll still get well above average FPS performance in-game even without upgrading it, though we’d recommend you do if you want to get the best results.

The 1080p 165Hz display certainly has a fast enough refresh rate for the vast majority of gamers, although the response time is a bit lacking. At a response time of only 13ms grey-to-grey, you will likely see some ghosting at higher FPS, which may be irritating to players of competitive online shooters. The display does have good color replication however, coming in at around 99% sRGB; if you opt for the 120Hz version the gamut is a lot closer to 60% sRGB, however so we advise avoiding this one.

This highly charged RTX 3060 does mean that the laptop runs hot in terms of internal temperature, but, unlike most Dell machines, you don’t really feel this under your hands when gaming. Again, unusually for Dell, the battery life on this G15 is superb, coming in around 10 hours in general usage, which is one of the best you’re likely to find in a gaming laptop with this amount of power. Unfortunately, the standard of the internal software is very typical for Dell, in that it’s extremely poor and annoying to navigate.

The overall build quality of the laptop is good, though the keyboard and trackpad could be better. If you’re not committed to Dell solely, you may want to consider the Lenovo Legion 5 as an alternative, which performs similarly in-game but has a superior keyboard, trackpad, and onboard software, though it does have a worse battery life and is more expensive than the Dell G15. Ultimately, if these latter features are more important to you, then the Dell G15 5515 would be a great choice.

Things to consider before buying an RTX 3060 laptop

RTX 3060 laptops vs RTX 3050 Ti laptops

With GPU supplies being pressured across the globe, it has become noticeable that certain specification laptops are becoming harder and harder to find from retailers, with many of them being replaced by alternative, lower-powered options. This has been particularly noticeable for RTX 3060 laptops, with many of them being difficult to find, but RTX 3050 Ti models of the exact same design being much more prevalent.

However, buyers should beware, as the RTX 3050 Ti laptop version, despite only being around 10-20% cheaper, shows FPS performance drops across most games of between 30-50% depending on which specific models of both graphics cards you are testing. This is a bigger difference than between many RTX 3060 laptops and their RTX 3070 equivalents. The RTX 3060 has 50% more CUDA cores, 50% more VRAM (6GB vs the 4GB of the 3050 Ti), and also options for higher TGPs than the 80W cap of the 3050 Ti, which is only really seen in smaller sized RTX 3060 laptops. In short: the performance difference between the two graphics cards is not surprising. The RTX 3050 Ti is fundamentally a budget GPU, whereas the RTX 3060 is a solid middle to upper mid-range performer.

RTX 3060 laptop vs RTX 3060 desktop version

On average you can expect the desktop RTX 3060 to perform around 10% better than its most powerful laptop equivalent in FPS terms in games, which is a slightly smaller gap than between most laptop and desktop GPU comparisons. This assumes you are using a higher-end 130W RTX 3060 laptop graphics card, whereas lower TGP graphics cards (which go all the way down to 75W for the RTX 3060 laptop) will perform worse. Particularly GPU-bound games will also show bigger FPS gaps compared to what a desktop GPU can produce, but nothing more than what you’d typically expect when comparing the lower-powered laptop graphics card with its desktop equivalent.

RTX 3060 laptop FAQs

Final Word

This has been our guide to help you find the best RTX 3060 laptop in 2024 for your needs. If you want to see a wider selection of laptops that aren’t limited to this particular graphics card, do take a gander at our best gaming laptop guides for different price ranges under the main site menu. Also, make sure you read our main best gaming laptop page for the best Nvidia and AMD laptop models across all price ranges and brands.