Unreal Engine 5 is a very demanding game engine.
So I don’t suggest you cheap out on laptop specifications if you are about to do something serious.
The processor is the most important part of running Unreal Engine 5. You will be needed 8-12 cores for heavy game development.
But don’t worry, I have sorted the 3 best laptops for Unreal Engine 5 from thousands of options out there.
I have covered entry-level to the best laptop for Unreal Engine 5 depending on your budget and need.
Let’s dive deeper!
Contents show
Best Laptops for Unreal Engine 5
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 (G533ZW-AS94) |
| Check Price |
 | Acer Predator Helios 300 (PH315-54-760S) |
| Check Price |
 | Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 (15ACH6) |
| Check Price |
1. ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 (G533ZW-AS94)
Quick Look
- Display: 15.6″ 300Hz 1440p IPS display
- Processor: Intel Core i9-12900H
- Graphics card: RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6 Ti
- Memory: 16GB DDR5 4800MHz RAM
- Storage: 1 TB NVMe M.2 SSD
Choose This If
- Your budget is between $2,000-$2,500.
- You will be doing heavy game development on UE5
Processor
Professional high-end game developers recommend processors with 12-14 cores with around 3 GHz or higher.
This ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 2022 edition features Intel Core i9-12900H with 14 cores and 20 threads.
The base clock speed is 2.50 GHz and up to 5.00 GHz turbo clock speed.
Sure the close competitor Ryzen 9 6900HX promises faster base clock speed but it is not overall a better option.
First, Ryzen 9 6900HX comes with 8 cores. For heavy development tasks, 8 cores might not be enough.
Secondly, according to the Cinebench R23 score, Core i9-12900H has beaten Ryzen 9 6900HX in both single and multi-core by 18% and 16%.
Graphics Card
Unread Engine 5 is more CPU-heavy but you should not ignore it either.
I chose to go with the RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6 Ti variant. It is as strong as RTX 3080 base model (just 5% slower) and a nice choice for rendering.
The RTX 3070 Ti variant does not go too hard on your pocket yet provides nice performance.
Display
You get a 15.6-inch 300Hz 1440p IPS display.
Most Unreal Engine game developers totally okay with the 1440p resolution. Anything over 1080p is considered good enough.
The 300Hz screen refresh rate is overkill for Unreal Engine 5.
Unless you are playing e-sports games in your free time, it doesn’t matter much.
Memory
This current variant is having 16GB DDR5 4800MHz RAM which is not very ideal for high-end tasks but a good starting point.
It has 2 RAM slots up to 64GB capacity. I recommend you upgrade up to 32GB if you feel the need.
Storage
It comes with 1 TB SSD storage which I believe is a sweet amount to start your Unreal Engine 5 journey.
There are two NVMe M.2 SSD slots. You can add one more 1 TB SSD if you feel the need.
Connectivity & Ports
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 2022 edition offers you the following connectivity options –
- Wi-Fi 6E with RangeBoost
- Bluetooth 5.2
- 1x Thunderbolt 4
- 1x USB 3.2 Type-C (Gen 2)
- 2x USB 3.2 Type-A (Gen 1)
- 1x HDMI 2.1
- 1x 3.5mm Audio Jack
- 1x 2.5 Gbps LAN
Thunderbolt 4 comes with DisplayPort 2.0 support that allows you to use one 4K display at 120Hz or two 4K displays at 60Hz.
With the Optimus disabled you can use the Thunderbolt 4 to directly connect to the dedicated graphics card.
The HDMI 2.1 port connects to the dedicated GPU and allows you to connect to one 4K display at 120Hz.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Nice display
- Nice speakers
- Good keyboard layout
- Great CPU & GPU power
- Good amount of useful ports
Cons
- No webcam
- Poor battery life
- Occasional heating issues
2. Acer Predator Helios 300 (PH315-54-760S)
Quick Look
- Display: 15.6″ 144Hz 1080p IPS display
- Processor: Intel Core i7-11800H
- Graphics card: RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6
- Memory: 16GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM
- Storage: 512 GB NVMe M.2 SSD
Choose This If
- Your budget is $1,000-$1,500
- You want to develop indie or high-end android games
Processor
I chose to go with the Intel Core i7-11800H variant as it will save you around $500 without much of a difference.
Intel Core i7-11800H features 8 cores and 16 threads with a base frequency of 2.30 GHz and turbo boost speed up to 4.60 GHz.
This processor is fast enough if you plan to develop indie or high-end android games.
AMD Ryzen 7 5800H is a very close competitor of Intel Core i7-11800H.
The fact is Intel Core i7-11800H provides very similar multi-core performance to Ryen 7 5800H (only 4-5% slower – Cinebench R23) and it is cheaper.
Also, most Ryzen 7 5800H-based laptops feature RTX 3050 Ti which is not so ideal for Unreal Engine 5 development.
Graphics Card
Acer Predator Helios 300 features Nvidia RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6 graphics card which is around 51% faster than RTX 3050 Ti.
This graphics card can easily handle the type of development tasks you will be doing int your laptop.
Display
You get to see a 15.6-inch 1080p IPS display with a 144Hz refresh rate.
I just wish the display resolution was 1440p but it is not so realistic with a $1,000 budget.
A 1440p display is always better for game development tasks but 1080p is suitable for indie or android game development.
The 144Hz refresh rate is a sweet amount and not overkill like the 300Hz of ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15.
But I have to say that the display has a 72% NTSC rate which is really good for development tasks.
Memory
This laptop comes with 16GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM. Enough to get get started.
There are two RAM slots with a maximum limit of up to 32GB.
If you ever feel like you are running out of RAM, you can always upgrade.
Storage
It comes with 512GB SSD storage which absolutely fine budget-wise.
The indie projects and assets also don’t take much space so you should be okay.
Thankfully there is two PCIe M.2 Slots so you can add on more 512GB SSD when needed.
I believe the max storage capacity is up to 1TB on this model.
You may also use a 2.5″ SATA HDD instead of an SSD but I won’t recommend that.
Connectivity & Ports
Acer Predator Helios 300 (PH315-54-760S) offers you the following connectivity options –
- Wi-Fi 6
- Bluetooth 5.2
- 1x Mini DisplayPort 1.4
- 1x USB 3.2 Type-C (Gen 2)
- 2x USB 3.2 Type-A (Gen 1)
- 1x HDMI 2.1
- 1x 3.5mm Audio Jack
- 1x Ethernet (RJ-45)
Note that the USB-C has Thunderbolt 4 with DisplayPort but due to Optimus it connects to the integrated graphics.
There is no MUX switch so I suggest using the HDMI 2.1 or Mini DisplayPort 1.4 for external displays.
The HDMI 2.1 port connects to the dedicated GPU and allows you to connect to one 4K display at 120Hz.
The Mini DisplayPort 1.4 will let you connect to a 4K monitor at 120Hz.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Nice display
- Powerful CPU & GPU
- Good battery backup
- Good selection of ports
Cons
- No MUX switch
- Speakers are just okay
- Cooling fans can be noisy
3. Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 (15ACH6)
Quick Look
- Display: 15.6″ 120Hz 1080p IPS display
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 5600H
- Graphics card: RTX 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6
- Memory: 8GB 3200MHz DDR4 RAM
- Storage: 512 GB NVMe M.2 SSD
Choose This If
- Your budget is lower than $1,000
- You are a beginner and want to get used to Unreal Engine 5
Processor
You are getting an AMD Ryzen 5 5600H processor with 6 cores and 12 threads.
This processor directly competes with Intel i7 11th gen laptop processors.
It has a base clock speed of 3.30 GHz with a boost speed up to 4.20 GHz.
Cinebench R23 scores show that this processor lacks the multi-core speed (17% slower) compared to Intel Core i7-11800H.
But it is reasonable as we are talking about an entry-level laptop for Unreal Engine 5 after all.
Graphics Card
The graphics card you get is RTX 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6 which is around 51% slower compared to RTX 3060.
Competition aside, RTX 3050 Ti is a fantastic standalone GPU for graphically intensive tasks.
On top of that, you are not going to do anything too heavy. It is perfect for learning and testing out your projects.
Display
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 offers a 1080p 15.6-inch 120Hz display. Very reasonable for the price range.
This is a basic display with just 45% NTSC. The color gamut is mostly limited.
Don’t expect too much color accuracy. It will be best to invest in an external monitor later for more serious development tasks.
Memory
It comes with 8GB 3200MHz DDR4 RAM and two RAM slots.
I highly recommend you add one more 8GB stick and get 16GB RAM for a better workflow.
AMD Ryzen processors work better with dual-channel memory.
The max memory limit is up to 16GB.
Storage
The 512GB SSD storage is enough in my opinion in the beginning.
Thankfully there are two PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe slots for SSD. You can 512GB SSD anytime you want.
According to their specs, the max storage limit is up to 1TB.
There is also a 2.5″ SATA HDD slot.
The good thing is the HDD slot is located on the opposite side of one of the SSD slots.
So, you can keep both SSD and HDD if you want.
Connectivity & Ports
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 offers you the following connectivity options –
- Wi-Fi 5
- Bluetooth 5.2
- 1x USB 3.2 Type-C (Gen 2)
- 2x USB 3.2 Type-A (Gen 1)
- 1x HDMI 2.0
- 1x 3.5mm Audio Jack
- 1x Ethernet (RJ-45)
Note that the USB-C port is only for data transfer. There is no Thunderbolt or DisplayPort support.
The HDMI 2.0 is the only way to connect to an external monitor.
HDMI 2.0 let you connect to a 1440p monitor at 144Hz or 4K at 60Hz.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Affordable
- Clean design
- Nice CPU & GPU combo
- Great battery life
- Comfortable keyboard
Cons
- Average display
- Only 8GB RAM
- No DisplayPort
- No Thunderbolt
Things to Look for In a Laptop for Unreal Engine 5
Just because I have shared these laptops with the specs it doesn’t mean they are the only best laptops.
You may check various online websites and offline stores before choosing.
But whatever you make sure to check these things before you choose.
1. Processor
Unreal Engine 5 is a processor-heavy game engine. It takes full advantage of multiple cores.
You should consider a laptop with at least 12-14 cores if you are working on a professional level.
For indie or android/ios games, 8-core processors should be fine.
You may consider an entry-level 6-core processor if you want to get used to Unreal Engine 5 and are a beginner.
- For Professionals: 12-14 cores
- For indie/android/ios: 8 cores or higher
- For Beginners: 6 cores minimum
2. Graphics Card
Unreal Engine 5 is not GPU heavy but you should not neglect it.
A strong graphics card is an essential part of the fast rendering of all the assets.
For the best result, you should target the RTX 30 GPUs (RTX 3060, 3070, or higher as per need).
Don’t go under RTX 20 series if you are really serious about Unreal Engine 5 or game development.
3. Display
A 1440p 15.6-inch display is considered a good display for game development.
Anything like 120Hz-144Hz refresh rate with good enough color accuracy is fine.
Unless you are on a tight budget, avoid 1080p displays.
You may consider getting a good external monitor later if you have no choice but to settle with a 1080p laptop.
Most laptops have HDMI 2.0 or 2.1 if not Thunderbolt or DisplayPort support.
4. Memory
For professional development, you should consider 32GB RAM.
If you are on budget 16GB RAM will work.
Gaming laptops mostly provide two RAM slots so you can upgrade later.
5. Storage
The assets for heavy game development eat up a lot of storage so 1TB is a sweet amount of storage.
For lightweight indie or mobile games, 512GB will work as a starter. Then you can upgrade later.
Always prefer SSD storage over HDD.
6. Others
Don’t forget to check the design, size, weight, and battery life.
You should not expect much portability and batter life from these kinds of high-end laptops but try to find the best.
Final Words
To conclude, look for a laptop with a decent processor with a good graphics card, and enough RAM.
Here are the 3 best laptops for Unreal Engine 5 at a glance –
- Best overall pick: ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 (G533ZW-AS94)
- Best budget pick: Acer Predator Helios 300 (PH315-54-760S)
- Best entry-level pick: Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 (15ACH6)
I hope this article helped you to find the best laptop for Unreal Engine 5. Feel free to ask your questions in the comments below.
