Best Gaming Laptops Europe 2026 – Top Performance Picks (RTX Ready)

All four ship without Windows

Every model on this page is listed as FreeDOS. That is not a defect and it is not a discount trick: it means the manufacturer ships the hardware without a licensed Windows installation. You get the laptop, the charger and the documentation; you install the system yourself.

Budget for it. A Windows licence is an extra cost if you do not already own one, and installing it takes an evening if you have never done it. Linux is free and works well on all four, but some game launchers and anti-cheat systems require Windows — check the specific titles you play before choosing that route. If none of this appeals to you, buy a laptop that ships with the system preinstalled; we would rather lose the sale than have you discover it after opening the box.

What is in the catalogue today

Four gaming machines, all active and published with stock as of today. Three are ASUS TUF, one is an MSI Katana. There is nothing above 2.050 € in this category right now, and nothing below 1.350 € that is genuinely a gaming laptop rather than a thin notebook with a discrete chip.

The RTX ladder, priced in euros

5050 → 5060: 226 €. This is the only step that changes how the machine ages. The 5060 model pairs a newer graphics tier with a 14th-gen Intel HX processor instead of the Ryzen 7 in the entry model, and the combination is what carries 1440p-class play two or three years from now. If you can stretch to one upgrade, this is the one.

5060 → 5070: 451 €. You get a higher GPU tier, a stronger CPU (i7-14650HX) and double the SSD (1 TB instead of 512 GB). At this level you are paying for headroom: higher sustained frame rates at 1600p, and a machine that will not need a storage upgrade in year two. Worth it if you play demanding titles at high settings; hard to justify if your library is esports and older games.

5070 → MSI: 12 €. Almost the same money buys more CPU (i9-14900HX) and double the RAM (32 GB), with the same 1 TB. On paper it looks like the better buy — and this is where you have to read carefully, because the MSI listing does not state which GPU it carries. Twelve euros more for an unknown graphics card is not a recommendation we can make in good conscience.

The four, one by one

ASUS TUF A16 — RTX 5050 · 1.358,99 €

The entry ticket, and the best value here by a distance: 22 units in stock, a Ryzen 7 260, 16 GB and 512 GB. It plays modern titles at 1080p with sensible settings. The 512 GB SSD is the compromise — two or three large games fill it. See the TUF A16 in the catalogue.

ASUS TUF F16 — RTX 5060 · 1.584,99 €

Our recommendation for most buyers. The 5060 plus the i5-14450HX is the balance point where the machine stops feeling like a compromise in two years. Only 3 units, so this is the model that will sell out first. Check the TUF F16.

ASUS TUF 16 — RTX 5070 · 2.035,99 €

The one to buy if you want to stop thinking about upgrades: RTX 5070, i7-14650HX, 1 TB. 9 units. For 1600p gaming at high settings, this is the model that will not feel old next year. See the TUF with RTX 5070.

MSI Katana 15.6 — GPU not stated · 2.047,99 €

i9-14900HX, 32 GB and 1 TB for 12 € more than the 5070 model. The CPU and RAM are the best on this page, but the listing does not name the graphics card, and we will not guess it. Ask us before buying if the GPU is the deciding factor — with 1 unit in stock, it will not wait long either way. See the MSI Katana listing.

Five checks in the first hour

Before the 14-day return window turns into a warranty conversation, run these five. They take twenty minutes and catch almost everything that goes wrong in transit.

1. Dead pixels. Open a full-screen white image, then a black one. A stuck pixel shows as a coloured dot on black; a dead one as a black dot on white.
2. Battery report. On Windows, powercfg /batteryreport in a terminal prints the design capacity next to the current one. A large gap on a new machine is worth a question.
3. Every key. Open a text editor and type the top row and the numpad if it has one. Keyboard faults are the most common defect that survives shipping.
4. Every port. One USB stick, one charger, one pair of headphones. Two minutes, and it saves a return later.
5. Fan and temperature under load. Ten minutes of a demanding game tells you whether the cooling works and whether the fans rattle at high speed.

If any of the five fails, contact us with the order number before installing anything else. It is much easier to resolve on day one than on day ten.

What we do not sell, and why

We do not sell Windows licences, extended warranties or configuration services. What you see in the listing is what ships: the machine, the charger and the documentation, with FreeDOS installed.

We do not offer a "customise your laptop" option. We cannot upgrade RAM or storage before dispatch, and a listing that suggests otherwise would be a promise we would break in the warehouse.

And we do not invent specifications. Where the manufacturer's listing does not state a component — as with the MSI's graphics card — we say so instead of filling the gap with a plausible model number. That is less satisfying to read than a full spec sheet, but it is the only honest way to write it.

Delivery, returns and warranty

Orders leave our EU warehouse and arrive in 3 to 7 business days. Shipping is calculated at checkout by weight and destination; we do not offer free shipping and we do not hide the cost until the last step. Laptops are heavy, and the shipping line reflects that.

You have 14 days from delivery to return a laptop under EU distance-selling rules, provided it comes back in the condition it arrived with its accessories. Every machine carries a 2-year warranty against manufacturing defects. Warranty claims are handled by us, not by the manufacturer, so you deal with one contact. Note that installing an operating system does not affect the warranty — it affects your return options only if the machine comes back modified beyond the point of resale.

Frequently asked questions

Do these laptops come with Windows?

No. All four ship with FreeDOS. You install Windows or Linux yourself; budget for a licence if you need Windows.

Which one should I buy for 1080p gaming?

The RTX 5050 model at 1.358,99 €. At 1080p with sensible settings it does the job, and paying 226 € more buys headroom you will not use at that resolution.

Is the RTX 5070 model worth 451 € more than the 5060?

If you play at 1600p on high settings, yes. If your library is esports titles or older games, the 5060 is the better use of money.

Why does the MSI not list its graphics card?

Because the manufacturer's listing we received does not state it. We do not fill gaps with guesses. Contact us and we will confirm before you order.

Can I return a laptop after installing Windows?

Within 14 days, yes, as long as it comes back in a resaleable condition with its accessories. A machine that has been opened, modified or damaged beyond that may be subject to a diminished-value assessment.

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