Best 18-inch laptops (gaming, workstation) – complete list

Most laptop manufacturers offer at least one full-performance gaming/work laptop with an 18-inch display as of late-2024 and early-2025.

In this article, I’m explaining what to expect in terms of size, screen quality, and performance from these 18-inch laptops, and how they compare to the 17-inch laptop models available in the past (and still available today).

Then we’ll discuss which are the Best 18-inch laptops of this generation, for either gaming or non-gaming use (creator, programming, engineering), as well as muster a detailed list of available notebooks with these big 18″ displays, to help you single out the device that best meets your needs and budget.

What to expect from 18-inch laptops?

As far as size goes, these 18-inch machines are slightly larger and heavier than most 17-inch alternatives. Thus, you should get these for primarily desk use, and less so for on-the-go use, where a smaller and lighter format would make more sense.

Just to better understand the differences in dimensions between these two segments, here’s a picture of the 18-inch ROG Scar next to the 17-inch ROG Scar.

18-inch ROG Scar (left) next to the 17-inch ROG Scar (right)

Of course, these dimensions differ between the available models, but within tight limits. The picture above also hints that the 18-inch displays on these laptops are 16:10 formats, while most 17-inch models come in 16:9 formats (with only a few exceptions).

Regardless, the larger size of these 18-inch computers is primarily a result of the 18-inch 16:10 display being larger than the 17-inch displays, notably taller and a few mm wider as well.

However, it’s also a consequence of the fact that the 18-inch models available so far are full-size designs with uncompromised performance. A complex cooling module is needed in order to properly handle the latest hardware (Intel Core i9 HX, AMD Ryzen 9 HX, up to RTX 4090 graphics) at full power, which leads to a large and fairly thick chassis in most cases. With no exception, all the 18-inch options available at the time of this article weigh 3+ kilos.

In comparison, 17-inch laptops are available in a broader range of formats, most options being similar full-performance machines, but some being much thinner and lighter designs. I’d reckon thinner 18-inch models will be available at some point, but are not today.

As far as the offered 18-inch panels go, there are two main options available for now:

• an IPS panel with QHD+ 2560 x 1600 px resolution, 240Hz 3ms gaming specs, and 100% DCI-P3 color coverage;
• a miniLED panel with with similar specs (QHD+, 250Hz 3ms, 100% DCI-P3 color coverage), but higher brightness and dimming-zones.

This mini LED panel seems to be exclusive to a single product for the time being, but will probably be offered on other options in the future. You should also check out this article for a more detailed explanation of mini LED panel technology on laptops.

The IPS QHD+ panel is available in all the other options. Here are the specs of this 18-inch IPS panel, based on our findings from the Scar 18 review.

• Panel HardwareID: BOE BOE0B359 (NE180QDM-NZ2);
• Coverage: 99.8% sRGB, 85.3% AdobeRGB, 99.0% DCI-P3;
• Measured gamma: 2.17;
• Max brightness in the middle of the screen: 454.72.47 cd/m2 on power;
• Min brightness in the middle of the screen: 23.25 cd/m2 on power;
• Contrast at max brightness: 1053:1;
• White point: 7200 K;
• Black on max brightness: 0.43 cd/m2;
• PWM: No.

It’s a good panel with fair brightness and excellent colors. Blacks at high brightness are rather grayish, and that affected the contrast as well. Nonetheless, expect a degree of variation between the implemented panels, so check out the review for exact details on the laptop that you’re interested in.

Best 18-inch laptops

We’ll know more about these 18-inch laptops in a few weeks, once we get to review them, so for now it’s too early to draw proper conclusions on a Best 18-inch model, but I will explain the main particularities of each option.

Non-gaming 18-inch options (creator, work)

While all the available 18-inch laptops offer the features and the performance required for any sort of demanding loads, a single option stands out as a non-gaming design, something some of you might look for in your work laptop.

That’s the Razer Blade 18, with the well-appreciated Razer design and build quality. This is no longer a thin-and-light laptop with a big screen, like the Blade 17 chassis, but a thicker and heavier option that allows the internals to run at higher power than in the past generations. This will not quite match the sustained performance and thermal capacity of the bulkier gaming options, but it will come close in most loads.

Other potential options with somewhat non-gaming designs are the Predator Helios 18 and the ROG Strix G18, although both are bulkier and more aggressive looking than the Blade.

Gaming 18-inch notebooks

Acer, Alienware, Asus a nd MSI offer 18-inch gaming laptops at this point, while manufacturers such as Lenovo haven’t yet unveiled such an option yet.

Many of these offer a mini LED panel these days.

The Alienware m18 and the Asus ROG Scar 18 are both full-power designs with some massive cooling modules (quad-fan on the Alienware, tri-fan on the ROG, both with ample radiators and a complex array of heatpipes). Both can be specced up to an Intel Core i9-13980HX processor and either Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080175W or Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 175W dedicated GPUs. The Alienware m18 is also available in an AMD Advantage version at some point, but only in a mid-tier configuration, since AMD does not offer high-tier RDNA3 dGPUs at this point.

For what is worth, the Alienware m18 is a 250W crossload power design (75W CPU TDP + 175W GPU TGP), while the Scar is a 240W design (65W CPU TDP + 175W TGP). The other options allocate 35-55 W of power to the CPU in combined loads.

Massive cooling modules stand out on the most-powerful 18-inch laptops of this generation

In broad terms, specs and cooling aside, the Alienware attracts with its brand presence and iconic design, as well as an optional CherryMX mechanical keyboard, but also demands a premium in most markets. The ROG Scar 18, on the other hand, is a refinement of the previous ROG designs, and most likely a well-balanced option in this premium performance niche, with a more affordable price than the Alienware for the high-specced configurations.

Finally, the ROG Strix G18 is pretty much the same chassis and cooling as the ROG Scar 18, but with more basic aesthetics. This will be mostly available in mid-tier configurations with RTX 4060/4070 graphics, so will primarily cater to a more price-conscious potential buyer.

As of more recently, the MSI Titan 18 is a never design in this class, with even higher power settings and beefier cooling than the other two. In fact, this is arguably the most powerful gaming notebook of the 2024 generation.

Here are some detailed reviews of some of these 18-inch gaming units:

• Asus Strix ROG Scar 18 (Core i9 + RTX 4090);
• MSI Titan 18 (Core i9 + RTX 4090);
• Asus Strix ROG Strix G18 (Core i9 + RTX 4070);
• Razer Blade 18 (Core i9 + RTX 4070)
• Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 (Core i9 + RTX 4070).

And here’s what to expect in terms of 4K and QHD gaming on the RTX 4090/4080 configurations of these laptops.

The complete list of 18 inch laptops available in 2025

There are only a handful of notebooks with 18-inch screens available at this point, and I’ve listed all of them down below, in alphabetical order.

We’re currently updating this list with the models and refreshes released in 2025, most built on Intel Arrow Lake Core Ultra 9 HX hardware with the latest Nvidia RTX 5000 graphics chips. There are, however, a few AMD Strix Halo Ryzen AI Max+ configurations available as well, also paired with the latest RTX 5000 graphics from Nvidia.

That’s about it for now, but I’m keeping an eye out for any new models. Nonetheless, I’d appreciate your help letting me know if you spot any 18-inch laptop that should be in here and is not.

Furthermore, I’m interested in your thoughts on these full-size 18-inch laptop designs. Are you getting this sort of machine that will offer the best performance possible in a notebook format today, or would you rather opt for a more balanced 16-inch design instead?

Some of the Best 18-inch laptops available today

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