If you use enough different tech, at some point there'll be a device that changes things for you. The HP Omen Transcend 14 was this for me, because it showed me that after years of noisy, chonky slabs of RGB-laden metal, gaming laptops can finally be portable and classy. So I have no hesitation in recommending it while it's on sale for $1,200 at Best Buy.
At the time, I had some qualms with the aspect ratio, but I didn't know what I was on about. Yes, the slightly vertically stretched screen can technically reduce your field of view a little in some games, which is bad for ultra-competitive FPS gamers. But which pro gamers are playing their tournament matches on a laptop like this, anyway? It's not the market for it.
The market for this laptop is those who want the ability to game on a laptop with a gorgeous, premium, almost MacBook-esque design, with great typing feel and a vibrant OLED panel. It's ideal for someone like me who lugs their laptop around the house and also wants to be able to travel with it, but who doesn't need top-end performance or a giant screen.
That 14-inch form factor actually comes in very useful for working and everyday use, because the extra real estate is great but you're still getting a pretty small machine that you can lug around easily.
The version I had was rocking an RTX 4060, and this one's rocking an RTX 5060; so, same thing, different generation, really. The GPU is power-limited, but that's to be expected for such a small and thin laptop.
I use an RTX 4060 mobile gaming laptop these days, and I find it getting by just fine with the RTX 4060 version even in modern UE5 games like Killing Floor 3. The RTX 5060 has the benefit of, well, performing a bit better than this, plus it has all the new upscaling and frame gen gubbins Nvidia has to offer.
This particular version for $1,200, I think, sits right. The more powerful and more expensive versions beg the question why not go for a more power-oriented and less stylish laptop, but dropping down to a still-capable RTX 5060 and Core Ultra 7 255H nails the use case, I reckon: light or moderate gaming with a side of work, study, or everyday browsing. There's a reason this thing doesn't look out of place in a coffee shop: such things are part of its intended use case, in my view.
So, this one's for the more refined amongst us PC gamers, I suppose. I'll tip my hat to that. Quite.
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1. Best overall:
Razer Blade 16 (2025)
2. Best budget:
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 10
3. Best 14-inch:
Razer Blade 14 (2025)
4. Best mid-range:
MSI Vector 16 HX AI
5. Best high-performance:
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10
6. Best 18-inch:
Alienware 18 Area-51
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