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We’re bringing you all of our top recommendations for the best RTX 4050 laptops on the market now. Our definitive list goes through the most competitively priced options for the best 1080p gaming performance possible. While it’s true that the RTX 4050 is the weakest of the current Nvidia Ada lineup, succeeded by the RTX 4060, RTX 4070, RTX 4080, and RTX 4090, there’s still some go under the hood that cannot be denied.
While you won’t be maxing out some of the best PC games, you will be able to play at 1080p / 60 FPS in the majority of titles available on the platform for a very competitive price point. We’re rounding up all the best price-to-performance options we can find for a casual, but capable gaming experience in 2023. For a more encompassing view, we’re also rounding up the best gaming laptops and the best OLED gaming laptops, too.
Best RTX 4050 laptops for gaming at a glance
HP Victus 15 (RTX 4050)
CPU
Intel Core i5-13500H
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050
RAM
16GB DDR4
SSD
512GB NVMe
Display
FHD IPS 144Hz
MSI Thin GF63 (RTX 4050)
CPU
Intel Core i7-12650H
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050
RAM
16GB DDR4
SSD
512GB NVMe
Display
15.6-inch FHD 144Hz
MSI Bravo 15 (RTX 4050)
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050
RAM
8GB DDR5
SSD
512GB NVMe
Display
15.6-inch FHD IPS 144Hz
Acer Predator Triton 14 (RTX 4050)
CPU
Intel Core i7-13700H
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050
RAM
16GB DDR5
SSD
512GB NVMe
Display
14-inch WUXGA 165Hz
ASUS TUF A17 (RTX 4050)
CPU
AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050
RAM
32GB DDR5
SSD
1TB NVMe
Display
17.3-inch 144Hz FHD
The above selection features some of the best HP gaming laptops, as well as some favourites from MSI and Acer. If you can part with an extra $100, we’d recommend checking out the best RTX 4060 laptops too which offer slightly more bang for your buck. An RTX 4050 laptop will still deliver the goods though, and is definitely enough for 1080p gaming in 2023.
1. HP Victus 15 – The best RTX 4050 laptop for gaming overall
HP Victus 15 (RTX 4050)
CPU
Intel Core i5-13500H
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050
RAM
16GB DDR4
SSD
512GB NVMe
Display
FHD IPS 144Hz
- Aggressive price point
- Good display
- Great CPU
- Smaller amount of storage
- Older, slower RAM
What’s particularly strong about the HP Victus 15 is its price tag and the performance that it offers. Retailing for just under $999, this is one of the more competitively priced machines on the market. That price gets you a rig running the latest Intel Core i5 CPU combined with 16GB RAM and a high refresh rate 144Hz screen.
Now, you won’t necessarily always be getting super smooth fps on the HP Victus 15 in the most intensive games, however, Nvidia DLSS 3 should help to provide that essential framerate boost. Armed with 6GB GDDR6 VRAM, the RTX 4050 inside should be good enough to play all the games released today at medium to high settings at 60fps. You’ll just need to be careful with your settings overall. If you like this price point, check out some more of the best gaming laptops under $1,000.
2. MSI Thin GF63 – The best budget RTX 4050 laptop for gaming
MSI Thin GF63 (RTX 4050)
CPU
Intel Core i7-12650H
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050
RAM
16GB DDR4
SSD
512GB NVMe
Display
15.6-inch FHD 144Hz
- Decent screen
- Good keyboard
- Solid build quality
- Limited storage
- Previous generation CPU
The MSI Thin GF63 is our pick for the best budget laptop for gaming with a RTX 4050 GPU and that’s because it retails under $900 being one of the cheapest models on the market with few compromises on the hardware inside. This includes an i7 CPU, which while last generation, is still superfast for entry-level gaming combined with 16GB RAM and a good screen.
A minor compromise, as with some other RTX 4050 gaming laptops, is the 512GB NVMe SSD. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it means you’ll only be able to store and play a few triple-A games at a time on it instead of being able to house a sizable game library. This could be expanded with an external SSD or another internal NVMe if you’ve got the know how.
3. MSI Bravo 15 (RTX 4050) – The best AMD-powered RTX 4050 gaming laptop
MSI Bravo 15 (RTX 4050)
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050
RAM
8GB DDR5
SSD
512GB NVMe
Display
15.6-inch FHD IPS 144Hz
- Stellar Ryzen 7000 CPU
- Faster RAM
- Good RGB keyboard
- Limited to just 8GB RAM though
While the majority of RTX 4050 gaming laptops utilize an Intel CPU, the MSI Bravo 15 is powered by the Zen 4 AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS processor which is incredibly fast and powerful. It’s capable of reaching 4.55 GHz straight out of the box and means that you won’t have to worry about processor bottleneck in any titles any time soon.
Because it’s a Ryzen 7000 series CPU, that means you’re also getting the significantly faster DDR5 RAM instead of the usual DDR4 RAM which is usually used to keep the costs considered. There is a minor caveat, though, in the fact that this rig only runs 8GB instead of 16GB, but its significantly faster performance should counteract double the capacity overall. All for well under the $1,000 mark.
4. Acer Predator Triton 14 – The best small RTX 4050 laptop for gaming
Acer Predator Triton 14 (RTX 4050)
CPU
Intel Core i7-13700H
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050
RAM
16GB DDR5
SSD
512GB NVMe
Display
14-inch WUXGA 165Hz
- Sleek and small chassis
- Powerful 13th Gen i7 CPU
- Large amount of fast RAM
- On the pricier side
While the Acer Predator Triton 14 isn’t the cheapest RTX 4050 laptop for gaming around, it does happen to be one of the best. This machine features a current-generation i7 CPU, 16GB DDR5 memory, and a 1440p high refresh rate display all for around the $1,200 mark. You are paying a bit of a premium on the form factor, being a 14-inch rig, however, if you’re after a mix of portability and power then this one should be considered. For more of the best 13th gen Intel gaming laptops, be sure to check out our top picks.
Despite its smaller screen screen, you’re actually getting a resolution above 1440p with the widescreen format so you’re getting a sharper image quality, and more on the screen itself in the compact frame. Gaming in 1440p should be possible through Nvidia DLSS 3’s Frame Generation, however, this rig may be more comfortable at 1080p to hit those framerates.
5. ASUS TUF A17 – The best large RTX 4050 laptop for gaming
ASUS TUF A17 (RTX 4050)
CPU
AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050
RAM
32GB DDR5
SSD
1TB NVMe
Display
17.3-inch 144Hz FHD
- Powerful CPU
- Huge amount of RAM
- Good amount of storage
- Expensive for the GPU inside
If you’re after a large RTX 4050 laptop for gaming then the ASUS TUF A17 is hard value to beat. Selling just under the $1,500 mark, this machine features 32GB DDR5 RAM, a 1TB NVMe SSD, a stellar 7000-series Ryzen 7 CPU, and a massive screen which few other models can match up to. These upgraded extras mean you’re paying a little more than for other variants, however, there’s no denying the capabilities here.
The highlight has to be the 17.3-inch 144Hz display which is as big as they come for the most screen real estate over the likes of a 14-inch or 15.6-inch model instead. This is built upon by the 1TB NVMe SSD that’s double the capacity of what we typically see so you’ll have more than enough room for as many games as you want to play and store at any one time.
Best RTX 4050 laptop for gaming – FAQs
Do you still have more questions about the best RTX 4050 gaming laptops? No problem. We’re here to answer any queries you might have to help you make an informed purchasing decision.
Is an RTX 4050 laptop good for gaming?
An RTX 4050 laptop is roughly equivalent to an RTX 3060 gaming laptop thanks to its 8GB GDDR6 memory and means that 1080p gaming at high framerates should be possible if you’re smart with your graphics settings.
Is the RTX 4050 better than the RTX 3050?
Yes, the RTX 4050 is considerably better than the older RTX 3050 gaming laptops due to more efficient power usage, and faster overall performance thanks to the Ada microarchitecture. What’s more, you can find RTX 4050 laptops cheaper and more easily than their Ada counterparts, too.
Can an RTX 4050 laptop do 1440p gaming?
1440p gaming with an RTX 4050 laptop is entirely possible as long as the game you want to play has DLSS 3 support. That’s because Frame Generation and the AI upscaling makes the QHD resolution running at 60fps in demanding titles very possible. Native performance may vary, however.
